★★★
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.
★★★
What a peculiar curate’s egg this is and such a long time in the making. Based on the eponymous book by Deborah Moggach, who also penned The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel’s source, Tulip Fever is a period pudding of the sort that proves to be watchable in the viewing but entirely forgettable by the credits. There are handsome performances all round, each gloriously dressed, and some lovely aesthetic details but it all hinges on a dull and silly central story, which is dramatically overshadowed by more engaging sub-plots.
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