Loving Vincent: Film Review

Loving Vincent: Film Review

Vocal Cast: Douglas Booth, Jerome Flynn, Chris O'Dowd, Saorise Ronan, Helen McCrory, John Sessions
Directors: Dorota Kobiela, Hugh Welchman

Unfairly robbed of the 2018 Academy Award for the best animated picture, Loving Vincent deserves credit for blazing a trail and being innovative - even if its story holds it back.

Told through rotoscoping (as used in the likes of A Scanner Darkly), it's the story of a Postman's son who comes to the last hometown of painter Vincent van Gogh to deliver the troubled artist's final letter and ends up investigating his final days there.

While Van Gogh is believed to have committed suicide, Armond begins to believe that Vincent was murdered rather than what was the conventional wisdom.

Using swirling imagery and in the style of Van Gogh's works proves to be a masterstroke for Loving Vincent, and the work done by the hundred-plus animators on the film literally drips from the screen.

Images dance from the screen, enlivened by the flicker of the projection - and while occasionally it feels a little like some of the big names stand out more, looking like animated entrants into Van Gogh's paintings themselves, the film's visual are awe-inducing, and the best way to celebrate Van Gogh's work.

It very much feels like the paintings have been brought to life in front of you.

But unfortunately, some of the leaps of the story-telling and the narrative don't allow the film to provide the depth it's aiming for unfortunately.

Weaving in people doesn't harm, but the story barely progresses beyond its shocking idea that the death was misunderstood - and occasionally some of the scenes feel a little like they've been shot in front of a screen, and edited into the paintings style to continue the effect.

Ultimately, the emotional depth (or lack thereof) of Loving Vincent is what lets it down - its visuals are astounding and the oil painting aesthetic has truly raised the bar for what animation could do.

It's just a shame that the narrative couldn't keep up.

Win a copy of Borg vs McEnroe

Win a copy of Borg vs McEnroe

Borg vs McEnroe

Following the recent New Zealand theatrical release and based on the true story of the legendary Björn Borg and John McEnroe rivalry starring Sverrir Gudnason (Blowfly Park) and Shia LaBeouf (Transformers series) with a 79% on Rotten Tomatoes.

It’s the summer of 1980 and Björn Borg is the top tennis player in the world, dominating the sport both on and off the court. 

A powerful and rigorously disciplined player, there is only one obstacle in his pursuit of a record-breaking fifth Wimbledon championship: the highly talented but ferociously abrasive John McEnroe.

To win a copy, all you have to do is email  your details to this address: darrensworldofentertainment@gmail.com or CLICK HERE NOW!

Please label your entry BORG

Competition closes April 24th

Win a copy of Paddington 2

Win a copy of Paddington 2

PADDINGTON 2

Settled in with the Brown family, Paddington the bear is a popular member of the community who spreads joy and marmalade wherever he goes.

One fine day, he spots a pop-up book in an antique shop -- the perfect present for his beloved aunt's 100th birthday.

When a thief steals the prized book, Paddington embarks on an epic quest to unmask the culprit before Aunt Lucy's big celebration..

To win a copy, all you have to do is email  your details to this address: darrensworldofentertainment@gmail.com or CLICK HERE NOW!

Please label your entry PADDINGTON 2

Competition closes April 24th

Win Star Wars: The Last Jedi

Win Star Wars: The Last Jedi

STAR WARS: The Last Jedi

With the destruction of the Republic, the evil First Order reigns.

Now, Supreme Leader Snoke looks to crush what's left of the Resistance and cement his grip on the galaxy.

But hope survives: Rey has found Luke Skywalker, a legendary Jedi Master who can change the tide of war.

Rey develops her newly discovered abilities with the guidance of Skywalker, who is unsettled by the strength of her powers. Meanwhile, the Resistance prepares to do battle with the First Order.

Star Wars: The Last Jedi is out March 28th

To win a copy, all you have to do is email  your details to this address: darrensworldofentertainment@gmail.com or CLICK HERE NOW!

Please label your entry JEDI

Competition closes April 24th

Win a copy of God's Own Country

Win a copy of God's Own Country

99% on Rotten Tomatoes, Winner of the Michael Powell Award for Best British Feature Film at the 2017 Edinburgh International Film Festival, Winner of the Directing Award: Word Cinema Dramatic at the Sundance Film Festival 

Johnny Saxby portrayed by up-and-coming actor Josh O'Connor, for which role he won a British Independent Film Award for Best Actor

Spring. Yorkshire. England

Young farmer Johnny Saxby numbs his daily frustrations with binge drinking and casual sex, until the arrival of a Romanian migrant worker for lambing season ignites an intense relationship that sets Johnny on a new path.

You can win a copy of God's Own Country.

To win a copy, all you have to do is email  your details to this address: darrensworldofentertainment@gmail.com or CLICK HERE NOW!

Please label your entry GOD'S OWN

Competition closes April 14th

Only The Brave: DVD Review

Only The Brave: DVD Review

In many ways, lots of Only The Brave shouldn't work.

It's cliched as hell from the dialogue to the direction, it suffers from Hollywood's strangulating true story codas where the real images are plastered over the screen moments after it ends in a music montage, and its story is entirely tragic and predictable even if you don't know the Granite Mountain Hotshots tale.

And yet, Only The Brave still somehow manages to be quite moving and earnest as it lumbers to its disastrous denouement.

It's largely thanks to a genuine performance from Josh Brolin, as the leader, Eric Marsh, of a municipal group of firefighters in Arizona who desperately want to be verified so they can be part of the fire season rotation.

Miles Teller plays junkie Brendan McDonough whose redemption arc begins after he ends up jailed and high and a first-time father. Deciding to turn his life around, he approaches Brolin's  Eric to see if he can join the team.

So far, so cliched.

And if you add to that, the fact that Brendan doesn't gel with the team - notably Kitsch's Mac, plus the clash of families and their men in danger and whether it's worth it, you can feel the hoary old tropes burning as hot as the flames on the screen.

Yet, due to an earnest and compassionate turn from Brolin, the flames are less about fire-fighting and more about kindling the flames of bromance as this two-and-a-quarter hour ode to fallen heroes unspools unshowingly and with heart-on-sleeve.

But with the central relationships feeling real, and the dynamics successfully explored and barely exploited, Kosinski's solid, never spectacular, direction somehow means that Only The Brave creeps under your skin as it moves to its inevitable end.

The universal appeal of the main members of the cast and anchored by Brolin's prophet-like turn, the tragedy bites hard at the end when it comes as it must.

Sure some of the dialogue is a bit lacksadaisical and some of the women suffer appalling characterisation (with the exception of Jennifer Connelly as Marsh's wife) but the heart of Only The Brave means it lingers long after the film's finished (even if the deliberately cynical coda cloys at you).

The low-key reverence in which the film holds its fallen is evident at the end, but the perfectly-paced journey via the mens' sincerity means that Only The Brave gives you relatability and some truly gut-wrenching moments of moving pain when it all ends.

Against all the odds, and with everything screaming unoriginality in this tale, Only The Brave manages to make you care terrifically about those caught up in this Arizona nightmare - it's the film's smartest strength and its strongest reminder of the power of the ordinary man.

Win a copy of Sea Of Thieves for XBox One

Win a copy of Sea Of Thieves for XBox One

Sea of Thieves is a Shared-World Adventure Game that immerses players in a rich, fantastical world filled with pirates, danger and discovery. Within this world, players can unleash their inner pirate, set their own goals and decide how they want to approach a life of freedom and self-expression.

Players can journey solo, but Sea of Thieves has co-op gameplay at its heart. As part of a crew you’ll scour the map in search of your next destination, weigh anchor and set sail in search of rival pirates, buried treasure or fearsome creatures – the choice is yours.

Every voyage is packed with peril: raging storms can transform calm waters into a treacherous ocean battleground, hordes of skeletons roam the land in search of unwary victims, and who knows what lurks beneath the waves? In a world that’s always shared, every sail on the horizon means a ship crewed by real players – but will they be friend or foe, and how will you respond?

Pirates thrive on their reputation, and whether you decide to be a noble explorer or cunning criminal, your character will show the telltale marks of a life at sea. Scars earned during battle, tattoos from distant ports and a unique ensemble of clothing and accessories will make your customized pirate truly unique.

Keeping your competitive edge on the wild waters is essential, and the most successful seafarers will make a point of outfitting their ship – and themselves – with top of the line equipment, whether it’s to rain cannonballs down from afar or to get up close and personal with your trusty blunderbuss.

Players are the stars of this rich, immersive world, surrounded by a supporting cast of merchants, mermaids, Pirate Lords and supernatural terrors. The adventures you and your crew have as you sail together may just become the stuff of legend, but don’t let your guard down – there’s always something new beyond the horizon…

Sea of Thieves is out now for XBox One!

To win a copy, all you have to do is email  your details to this address: darrensworldofentertainment@gmail.com or CLICK HERE NOW!

Please label your entry SEA OF THIEVES

Competition closes April 14th