★★
You’d expect an uplifting Dolly Parton soundtrack to be more effective at saving a film like Dumplin’. This is the story of a plus sized young woman who enters a beauty pageant in a burst of body positive rebellion. It’s twee, syrupy and as flat as a gluten, lactose and flavour free pancake.
★★★
Try to imagine, for a moment, the dismay at Leavesden when Warner Bros. realised that Andy Serkis’ take on The Jungle Book would not only invite comparison to a Disney animated classic but also that studio’s hugely successful remake. Despite some flaws, Mowgli: Legend of the Jungle deserves to be judged on its own merits, of which there are many. This Kipling adaptation takes time to get used to but is generally worth the effort.
★★★
The final line of White Boy Rick comes from an on-form Matthew McConaughey, here playing the father of juvenile cocaine kingpin Richard ‘Rick’ Wershe Jr. Through a sheet of thick glass, he sobs: ‘we’re lions’ and stabs at the soul. Unfortunately, it’s a last minute roar in a film that is rarely more than competent.
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