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Running time: 75 minutes  Starring: Britney Spears (archive footage), Dave Holmes, Wesley Morris, Felicia Culotta Directed by: Samantha Stark The story: Since 2008, Britney Spears has been living under the conservatorship over seen by her father. This film explores her rise to fame, her treatment by the press and the fan driven movement #freebritney The verdict: In 2009, I saw Britney in concert. Though a consummate professional throughout, putting on a great and entertaining show, I remember thinking that it felt a lot like she was just going through the motions. She only addressed the audience once and there was a lack of a spark in her eyes. At the time, I put that down to the fact that she had done a number of tour dates and was probably exhausted. However, now I can see how much more was going on behind the scenes.  With documentary films, it can be easy to become biased towards a certain side or point of view because that’s how most documentaries work - they show the a...

  Certificate: 15 Running time: 85 minutes  Starring: Nanna Blondell, Johannes Kuhnke, Anastasios Soulis, Kalled Mustonen Directed by: Alain Darborg The story: A couple who are on a trip to rekindle their relationship soon find themselves fighting for their lives when they are targeted by an unknown shooter. The verdict: Nordic films are often most associated with Nordic noir, a genre which gives audiences dark, gritty and ruthless films. And it is fair to say that Netflix’s first Swedish movie definitely encapsulates the Nordic noir genre and Red Dot is a film which only gets darker and more harrowing with each subsequent act.  Our two main characters in Red Dot are David and Nadja, a young couple who were once madly in love but the stress and reality of adult life has soured their relationship and now they snipe at each other and argue over things like who does the washing. They decide that they need to spend some quality time together and so a trip away is planned. ...

Certificate: 12A Running time: 118 minutes  Starring: Tom Hanks, Helena Zengel, Elizabeth Marvel, Fred Hechinger, Thomas Francis Murphy Directed by: Paul Greengrass The story: When Captain Kidd happens across a young lost girl, he decides to undertake a perilous journey to return her to her home.  The verdict: When it comes to film there are certain names, whether that be cast or crew, whose association will immediately make the film in question appealing to you. And for me, Mr Tom Hanks is definitely one of those names.  As soon as News of the World opened, I felt my whole being exhale - Hanks’ screen presence is always reassuring and invites you to join him in whatever world he is inhabiting. News of the World is shot gorgeously, helped by the expansive and beautiful landscapes which are the backdrop of the film. The score is also brilliant and altogether the technical elements elevate the film. In terms of Greengrass’ filmography, this film feels like the least expe...

Certificate: 15 Running time: 119 minutes  Starring: Gerard Butler, Morena Baccarin, David Denman, Scott Glenn, Roger Dale Floyd Directed by: Ric Roman Waugh The story: John Garrity and his family face a race against time when they desperately try to seek shelter as a planet killing comet streaks towards earth. The verdict: I have found that the last couple of Gerard Butler films that I have seen have been very hit and miss - in particular Hunter Killer was one of my least favourite cinema watches of 2018. But, I absolutely love disaster films. As you can see, these two things don’t really compliment each other in regards to Greenland - a disaster film featuring Gerard Butler. So with that in mind, I approached Greenland with a mix of excitement and trepidation.   Within minutes Greenland had already scored a massive plus for me in that my other half was watching it. A strange thing to say you might think, however my other half has zero interest in films and rarely consents...