ALLAN HUNTER at the Movies HOW DO you follow a film like ‘Shaun Of The Dead’? The 2004 zombie comedy was one of the most inventive and enjoyable British films in recent memory. Now director Edgar Wright and co-stars Simon Pegg and Nick Frost have reunited on ‘Hot Fuzz’, another affectionate spoof that mixes the […]

ALLAN HUNTER at the Movies HANNIBAL LECTER is one of the great monster figures of contemporary cinema, but the more we learn about him the less chilling he becomes. Taking its cue from the recent novel, ‘Hannibal Rising’ returns to Lecter’s childhood to reveal the grisly wartime events that warped his mind and set him […]

ALLAN HUNTER at the Movies JUDI DENCH’S remarkable run of Oscar recognition continues with ‘Notes On A Scandal’, for which she has earned her sixth nomination in nine years. We have grown accustomed to Dench’s skill at playing woman of power and authority. Now she seizes the chance to play someone much less sympathetic; a […]

ALLAN HUNTER at the Movies IT DOESN’T MATTER whether Peter O’Toole makes another ten films or if he never steps before the cameras again, ‘Venus’ will always be regarded as the great swansong of his cinema career. It is forty-five years since his mesmerising performance as Lawrence of Arabia. Time, ill health and a fondness […]

ALLAN HUNTER at the Movies MEXICAN WRITER/DIRECTOR Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu has become a master of the meaningful multi-story ensemble drama He now follows ‘Amores Perros’ and ‘21 Grams’ with ‘Babel’, a wide-ranging depiction of a world divided by misunderstanding, prejudice and fear. Moving from Morocco to Mexico, America and Japan, it follows one random action […]

ALLAN HUNTER at the Movies KEVIN MCDONALD is one of Scotland’s most successful filmmakers. His documentaries have won him an Oscar and a BAFTA. Now he makes an impressive first move into drama with ‘The Last King Of Scotland’, an exciting, beautifully paced adaptation of the Giles Foden novel in which a naive Scottish doctor […]

ALLAN HUNTER at the Movies RENEE ZELLWEGER’S performance as Bridget Jones saw her virtually adopted as an honorary Brit. Now she puts that accent and her talent to very good use in ‘Miss Potter’, a wholesome, heartwarming tale of Beatrix Potter and her struggles to match professional achievements with personal happiness. Initially, this seems like […]

ALLAN HUNTER at the Movies CLINT EASTWOOD has become one of the most prolific and accomplished filmmakers in contemporary American cinema. He already has two Oscars to his name and could well be in contention again in 2007 for ‘Flags Of Our Fathers’ (15), an ambitious, penetrating study of war, heroism, myths and politics. Eastwood’s […]

ALLAN HUNTER at the Movies CINEMA PROVIDES us with a window on the world. It allows us to gain a sense of cultures we may never visit or experience. That has certainly been the case with Iranian cinema in recent years. Now, ‘It’s Winter’ (12A) from Rafi Pitts uses a very human story to paint […]

ALLAN HUNTER at the Movies 2006 Must have set a record for the number of animated features that reached our screens. Quantity hasn’t always been matched by quality but the highly original musical ‘Happy Feet’ should set toes tapping throughout the Festive season. An ugly duckling story with a soundtrack of pop music classics, this […]