Big Gay Picture Show

Taking a look at the world of film through gay eyes - news, reviews, trailers, gay film, queer cinema and more

Taking a look at the world of film through gay eyes - news, reviews, trailers, gay film, queer cinema & more

Patriot’s Day (Blu-ray Review) – A taut look at the 2013 Boston Marathon Bombings

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It’s April 15, 2013 and Police Sgt Tommy Saunders (Mark Wahlberg) is preparing to provide security at the annual Boston Marathon. Along with various other people, he’s hoping for a great, celebratory day. However, that is ripped apart when twin explosion go off near the marathon finishing line, killing and maiming those who were there to cheer the runners as they completed the course. Tommy immediately puts his training into action to help those affected, even though he and the other people around don’t know whether there are any other bombs timed to go off.

Patriot’s Day then charts the days after the attack, when the FBI comes in to work with the police to find out who the bombers are, combing CCTV footage and following leads. Then there are the terrorists themselves, the Tsarnaev brothers, who haven’t finished their rampage, and become increasingly dangerous as the net closes in. [Read more…]

The Light Between Oceans (Blu-ray Review) – Michael Fassbender & Alicia Vikander go romantic baby-stealing

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After the end of the First World War, former soldier Tom Sherbourne (Michael Fassbender) takes a job as the keeper of an isolated lighthouse off the coast of Australia. While he’s hoping for some time alone, he’s surprised to find romance with the young Isabel (Alicia Vikander), who soon becomes his wife. Their happiness on the remote island is hampered by the fact she loses several children during pregnancy.

Fate then intervenes when a boat washes up on the shore with a dead man and a live baby in it. While Tom knows he must signal the mainland about this unexpected development, his wife realises that if they stay silent, no one is likely to question whether the child was theirs or not. After deciding to keep the baby girl, Tom accidentally discovers whose child it really is, and that there’s a grieving mother on the mainland. [Read more…]

Creed (Blu-ray Review)

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A few years ago, pretty much everyone thought the Rocky franchise was dead, and that any attempt to resurrect it would be a pointless, awful cash-in. However, 2006’s Rocky Balboa proved there might be a little life left, and now Creed is cashing in on that promise.

Adonis Johnson (Michael B. Jordan) is the illegitimate offspring of Apollo Creed, who’s been trapped in foster homes and juvenile detention until he’s given a chance by Apollo’s widow (Phylicia Rashad), who decides to take him in. She also points him towards someone else from her husband’s past, Rocky Balboa (Sylvester Stallone), who reluctantly agrees to help train the young man and turn him into a boxer. [Read more…]

Blackhat (Blu-ray Review)

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Something has gone terribly wrong at a nuclear reactor in Hong Kong, with the disaster being caused by a hacker breaking into the computer systems and shutting down the pumps. With fear rising that someone means to do serious harm around the world without ever leaving their computer terminal, the Chinese agree to team up with the FBI to take down the threat.

They also know part of the code that affected the reactor was written by a genius ‘blackhat’ (bad guy) hacker called Hathaway (Chris Hemsworth), who’s currently locked up for his computer crimes. He’s offered the chance of freedom if he helps track down the new threat. He agrees, which ends up re-teaming his with his old Chinese roommate. However, the further down the rabbit hole they go, the more dangerous things get. [Read more…]

Mommy (Cinema Review)

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Just when you think you’ve had enough of well-meaning films featuring disabilities and heroic struggles along comes one that completely restores your faith. Queer filmmaker Xavier Dolan’s film is a tour de force, an emotional power-punch that slowly makes its way into your head and then into your heart. It may deal with a lot of clichés but finds a winning way to tell its story.

Anne Dorval is Die, a handsome but tired-looking woman who has lost her husband three years ago and is now stuck with looking after her son Steve (Antoine-Olivier Pilon). He has severe ADHD, a problem when he is such a strapping lad on the brink of discovering sex, and he loves a drink, a smoke and a fight. Die rescues him from an institution where he has apparently started a fire, and she determines to make a new life for them both. But boy, is he a handful, constantly swearing, eyeing up girls and unable to sit still to study. [Read more…]