Olivier by Philip Ziegler " review by Philip French

Philip Ziegler's biography of Laurence Olivier captures the man in his contradictory essenceLaurence Olivier was the greatest British actor of his time, primus inter pares of the trio who do…

SOURCE: The Guardian at 7:30am on September 21, 2013☆⚑

Kevin Hart: Let Me Explain " review by Philip French

American stand-up Kevin Hart warms up for a gig at Madison Square Garden in this inane, foul-mouthed and desperately unfunny documentaryThis dim documentary, co-produced by diminutive Africa…

SOURCE: The Guardian at 7:06pm on August 31, 2013☆⚑

Underground " review by Philip French

(Anthony Asquith, 1929; BFI, PG)Educated at Winchester and Oxford, lifelong socialist, closet gay, son of a Liberal prime minister, Anthony Asquith (1902-1968) is a currently undervalued fil…

SOURCE: The Guardian at 7:05pm on June 29, 2013☆⚑

Much Ado About Nothing " review by Philip French

Joss Whedon's California-set Much Ado, filmed in black and white over 12 days, is a charming and witty triumphReading this on mobile? Click here to watch videoThere was a great fear in the 1…

SOURCE: The Guardian at 7:06pm on June 15, 2013☆⚑

Cirque du Soleil: Worlds Away " review by Philip French

This is a 3D anthology of numbers from seven spectacular shows put on by the Canadian-based Cirque du Soleil, a glossy combination of circus (without animals) and street theatre, staged in v…

SOURCE: The Guardian at 7:03pm on February 2, 2013☆⚑

A Dangerous Method " review by Philip French

David Cronenberg analyses the pioneering work of Jung and Freud in this engrossing and thought-provoking dramaDavid Cronenberg has long been recognised as a prime exponent of the psychologic…

SOURCE: The Guardian at 7:05pm on February 11, 2012☆⚑

My Week with Marilyn " review by Philip French

Long after the death of Marilyn Monroe, the old Etonian Colin Clark, documentary film-maker and son of Lord Clark of Civilisation, published a diary about the time he spent as a naive 23-yea…

SOURCE: The Guardian at 7:03pm on November 26, 2011☆⚑

Powder " review by Philip French

There was a time when rock movies had a certain vivacity that went with the music " That'll Be the Day and Stardust, the 1970s diptych of David Puttnam productions starring David Essex for e…

SOURCE: The Guardian at 7:05pm on August 27, 2011☆⚑

Dancing Dreams " review by Philip French

Wim Wenders's Pina, his tribute to the art of his friend, the modern dance director Pina Bausch, who died in June 2009, is one of the best dance films of the past few years and an excellent …

SOURCE: The Guardian at 7:05pm on May 28, 2011☆⚑

Pina " review by Philip French

The celebrated German dancer and choreographer Pina Bausch died in June 2009 at the age of 68 just as she was to collaborate with her friend Wim Wenders on a 3D film about her life and her d…

SOURCE: The Guardian at 7:05pm on April 23, 2011☆⚑

Fair Game " review by Philip French

Naomi Watts and Sean Penn star in a riveting conspiracy thriller based on the outing of CIA agent Valerie Plame in the run-up to the Iraq warThe progressive statesman Senator Hiram Johnson f…

SOURCE: The Guardian at 7:04pm on March 12, 2011☆⚑

Black Swan " review by Philip French

Darren Aronofsky's New York ballet psychodrama is a watchable if rather pretentious study of artistic obsessionDarren Aronofsky made a strong impression in 1998 with Pi, his low-budget debut…

SOURCE: The Guardian at 7:05pm on January 22, 2011☆⚑

The Homecoming " Philip French's classic DVD by Philip French

Peter Hall, 1973, 12, FremantleA combination of the original 1965 RSC casts at the Aldwych and on Broadway (Paul Rogers, Ian Holm, Cyril Cusack, Vivien Merchant, Michael Jayston, Terence Rig…

SOURCE: The Guardian at 7:05pm on January 8, 2011☆⚑