The Family is definitely one of the oddest films released this year. Not that the dark action comedy is too arty and aloof for its own good. It’s just that by the time the credits roll, the overwhelming sense generated by the movie is one of pointlessness. The Family is way too long, the eventual pay-off is too abrupt and …

Six films open in South Africa today, with two of the week’s biggest releases centred on dysfunctional, destructive families. Last Updated: November 1, 2013

The fact that Robert De Niro, Michelle Pfeiffer, Tommy Lee Jones and that pretty blonde girl from Glee are making a movie directed by Luc Besson, should be way more of a deal than it currently is. But thanks to a couple of trailers where the quality was spottier than leopard acne, The Family just doesn’t seem to be building much anticipation. But trailers can …

Let’s call a spade a spade, or to be more accurate, call Robert De Niro a talented actor who has apparently contracted an extremely virulent case of Cant-turn-down-scrip-itis. The Oscar winner has had a run of poor movie choices over the last couple of years, and while I’m definitely not saying that his latest pick, Luc Besson’s The Family (or is it’s …

Five new movies open in South Africa today. Whether you’re in the mood for offbeat comedy, escapist action, slapstick nonsense, a touch of horror or more highbrow fare, today you’ve got it. Last Updated: March 15, 2013

Five new movies open in South Africa today, and they all bring the drama in some form or another – even if it’s tempered by quirky comedy. Last Updated: May 11, 2012

There’s no denying that Dark Shadows is a bit of an oddity, flip-flopping between comedy and gothic melodrama. These tonal swings are not always convincing, but it doesn’t detract from the fact that the film is a good chunk of nonsense fun, clearly made with love and style. Just as importantly, the film is one of the more gratifying of …