A GREAT deal of money and craft have been lavished on In The Heart Of The Sea, an old-fashioned seafaring yarn recounting the real-life inspiration for Herman Melville’s classic Moby Dick.
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| Christ Hemsworth as first mate Owen Chase |
In The Heart Of The Sea (Cert 12A; 122mins)
It all begins in 1850 as Melville (Ben Whishaw) arrives on Nantucket Island seeking an interview with Thomas Nickerson (Brendan Gleeson), the last survivor of the ill-fated whaling ship Essex.
Nickerson is persuaded to tell a story that initially seems to be a re-run of Mutiny On The Bounty as first mate Owen Chase (Chris Hemsworth) is obliged to sail under the captaincy of George Pollard (Benjamin Walker), a man who owes his rank to family connections rather than ability.
But class conflict at sea is set aside once they encounter a vengeful, 100ft demon whale as white as alabaster and intent on claiming all their lives. Overall this is a solid, respectable effort from Ron Howard but just a bit on the dull side for such a whale of a tale.
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| Charlie Brown becomes a fool for love in Snoopy And Charlie Brown: The Peanuts Movie |
Snoopy And Charlie Brown: The Peanuts Movie (Cert U; 93mins)
Charlie Brown becomes a fool for love in Snoopy And Charlie Brown: The Peanuts Movie, a 3D family film with nostalgic appeal for older viewers. Honest, determined but crippled by low self-esteem, poor Charlie Brown (voiced by Noah Schnapp) is instantly besotted by the new red-haired girl in his class.
Charlie’s romantic bafflement is amusingly handled but the film struggles to stretch out the familiar Schulz cartoons into a substantial feature film, while loyal canine companion Snoopy (Bill Melendez) is eternally preoccupied with romantic visions of himself as a daredevil First World War pilot which grow tiresome and repetitive.
VERDICT: 3/5
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| Peedom blends visual spectacle with moral dilemmas creating a hard-hitting film |
Sherpa (Cert 15; 96mins)
Climbing Everest is no longer the preserve of intrepid explorers, it is now a lucrative business. The slopes are often as crowded as a city high street with wealthy Westerners paying thousands of dollars to tick another item off their bucket list.
Jennifer Peedom’s eye-opening documentary Sherpa celebrates the people who do all the hard work for a fraction of the rewards. Originally intended to capture Phurba Tashi Sherpa’s record-breaking 22nd ascent of the Everest summit, Peedom was present in April 2014 when an avalanche killed 16 sherpas at Khumbu Icefall.
It was a defining moment that brought global attention to the unsung heroes of Everest and the conditions in which they work. Peedom blends visual spectacle with moral dilemmas creating a hard-hitting film.
VERDICT: 4/5
Belle & Sebastian: The Adventure Continues (Cert PG; 97mins)
If you are looking for heart-warming family entertainment then look no further than Belle & Sebastian: The Adventure Continues. The sequel to the 2013 hit returns to the Alps at the end of the Second World War as 10-year-old Sebastian (Félix Bossuet) and his snowy-white canine companion await the return of their beloved Angelina. When her plane crashes in the mountains everyone is convinced that she has perished but Sebastian knows differently and risks everything in a rescue mission.
Undeniably corny but also comfortingly wholesome. Sparks And Embers HH (Cert 15; 86mins) There is little fizz in Sparks And Embers, a festive romantic comedy. Under the twinkling Christmas lights of London’s South Bank, Eloise (Annelise Hesme) meets former lover Tom (Kris Marshall) for a farewell drink before she catches a train for a new life in France.
His charm offensive to try to win her back is far more engaging than the flashbacks to their tedious first encounter trapped in a lift as hostility melts into attraction. The two stars do their best but this is still a maudlin affair.
VERDICT: 3/5
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| Daddy’s Home turns out to be one of those films where the best bits are in the trailer |
Daddy’s Home (Cert 12A; 96mins)
A tit-for-tat feud between a kindly, mild-mannered Will Ferrell and a brash, smug Mark Wahlberg (below, with Ferrell) sounds like it could be comedy gold but Daddy’s Home turns out to be one of those films where the best bits are in the trailer. Ferrell’s Brad Taggart works for a jazz radio station and has always wanted to be a father.
He has set his heart on being a loving husband to Sarah (Linda Cardellini) and a perfect stepfather to her two children but couldn’t be making less progress when Linda’s ex Dusty (Wahlberg) turns up.
All bulging muscles and macho prowess, Dusty has the kids eating out of his hand and showering him with affection. Naturally this means war as the men compete to become top dog with the kids with the stakes raised from cute canines to huge tree houses. It might help if you are a big fan of Ferrell or Wahlberg but otherwise this is unremarkable, uninspired stuff.
VERDICT: 2/5
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