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

CINEMA REVIEWS

The latest cinema reviews from BGPS

Behind The Candelabra (Cinema)

By 1 Comment

Starring: , , , ,
Director:
Running Time:
Certificate:
Release Date:

Soderbergh has famously stated this will be his last film. If true that would be a real shame, as he seems to have saved his best work till last. This biopic of Liberace is one of his best films – arguably his best of all. It’s extremely funny without any nastiness, camp without being bitchy and ultimately a very touching piece about ageing, desire, friendship and companionship.

It also features career-defining performances from Douglas and Damon. Douglas is clearly having the time of his life as the outrageous entertainer – what a shame he can’t be nominated for an Oscar (as it premiered on HBO in the US, ruling it ineligible). It’s a spot-on performance of an ageing, absurd, ridiculous man, but the key is that Douglas’ Liberace takes himself completely seriously. A twinkle in Douglas’ eye would ruin it. What we have here is a master entertainer, a talented musician with a desire to be loved, and absolutely no self-awareness at all. He is vain, selfish and determined to have his desires fulfilled. [Read more…]

The Liability (Cinema)

By Leave a Comment

Starring: , , ,
Director:
Running Time:
Certificate:

After a run-in with his nasty brute of a stepfather (Peter Mullan), 19-year-old Adam (Jack O’Connell) is sent to chauffeur a taciturn man called Roy (Tim Roth) up north. Adam doesn’t know what they’re supposed to be doing, but it soon becomes apparent Roy is a hitman who’s keen to give up the game. They’re heading to a rendezvous with a Latvian man who Roy has been hired to kill, while making it look like a local serial killer who’s been chopping off people’s hands did it. [Read more…]

The Great Gatsby (Cinema)

By Leave a Comment

Starring: , , , ,
Director:
Running Time:
Certificate:
Release Date:

It’s been just over 20 years since Baz Luhrmann swished his way into the film industry with the ultra-camp Strictly Ballroom. Since then he has only directed three films – the exciting Romeo and Juliet, the manic and colourful Moulin Rouge, and the very forgettable Australia.

Baz has now returned with his controversial version of F. Scott Fitzgerald’s American classic, The Great Gatsby. [Read more…]

Beat Girl (Cinema)

By Leave a Comment

After the death of her mother, Heather (Louise Dylan) is forced to move in with her estranged father (Michael Higgs) and a stepbrother (Percelle Ascott) who doesn’t want anything to do with her. After years of training, she’s on the edge of fulfilling her mother’s wish that she attend Juilliard and study to become a truly great pianist.

Then she meet record store owner Toby (Craig Daniel Adams), who introduces her to the underground world of DJ-ing. It’s something she knows nothing about and involves a type of music that’s never penetrated her rarefied classical world. Initially she’s attracted to the idea of being a DJ in the hope she can get paid and save money for music school, but soon she starts to realise the excitement of this world. [Read more…]

Deadfall (Cinema)

By Leave a Comment

Starring: , , , ,
Director:
Running Time:
Certificate:
Release Date:

Deadfall comes to us from Best Foreign Language Oscar winner Stefan Ruzowitsky (The Counterfeiters) and has an excellent cast of many well established actors and up and coming stars.

It’s about two siblings, Addison and Liza (played by Eric Bana and Olivia Wilde respectively), who are on the run from a casino heist. The two are then involved in a car accident leaving one officer dead. They end up stranded in the snowy mountainous terrain of North Michigan. Bana, being the protective brother, advises them to split-up, as police only have him as a suspect [Read more…]

I’m So Excited (Cinema)

By Leave a Comment

Just when Pedro Almodovar earned himself a new audience with the brilliantly bonkers Skin I Live In, he follows it up with a film that at best can be described Almodovar-lite. It’s charming enough and at times well-acted, but ultimately too paper-thin to be remembered along with his great works.

If he is the high priest of camp then it was only a matter of time before he made a film set on a plane, with three stewards as his main characters. And very funny they are, although their constant bitching and fussing about who is bisexual and who has slept with who gets tiresome over the 90 long minutes. Even their singing of the title song by the Pointer Sisters wears a bit thin after 30 seconds. [Read more…]

Bernie (Cinema)

By Leave a Comment

It’s taken quite a while to get Bernie to the UK. It’s almost a year since its US debut and a few months after it flirted the edges of the awards ceremonies, such as Jack Black being nominated for a Golden Globe. Now it’s here though, but has it been worth the wait?

The film is based on the true story of Bernie Tiede (Black), a quiet, God-fearing, possible gay mortician in a small Texas town. Popular with the locals due to his unfailing kindness, he manages to strike up a friendship with aging rich widow Marjorie Nugent, a woman most people think is mean and thoroughly unpleasant. [Read more…]

K-11 (Cinema) (US Release)

By Leave a Comment

When K-11 was in development, there was talk of Twilight stars Kristen Stewart and Nikki Reed starring in the movie. However they left the film behind, but we’re still left with a pretty good cast including Goran Visnjic, Kate Del Castillo, Portia Doubleday, D.B. Sweeney, Jason Mewes and Tommy ‘Tiny’ Lister.

The film follows Visnjic’s Raymond Saxx Jr., who wakes up after a heavy night of drink and drugs locked up in K-11. He can’t remember how he got there and doesn’t really know where he is, initially thinking he’s in some sort of institution, as he seems to presume that’s the sort of place that would be full of drug-dealing homosexuals and transsexuals. [Read more…]

Oz The Great And Powerful (Cinema)

By Leave a Comment

Starring: , , , ,
Director:
Running Time:
Certificate:
Release Date:

After much fanfare and a marketing blitz, Oz The Great And Powerful is finally here. So is it worth going down the yellow brick road on Sam Raimi’s trip to L. Frank Baum’s magical world? Are the Friends Of Oscar as good as the Friends Of Dorothy? The answer is yes, even if the film is far from perfect.

James Franco is Oscar Diggs, a Kansan sideshow magician and huckster who sells his illusions as real magic. He has an eye for the ladies and doesn’t care that’s he’s left a thousand broken hearts behind him, but things catch up to him when the circus strongman realises Oscar has been dallying with his gal. Oscar escapes in his hot air balloon (goodness knows why he was one, but he does), which then gets caught up in a twister and transports him all the way to Oz. [Read more…]

Fire In The Blood (Cinema)

By Leave a Comment

Starring: , , ,
Director:
Running Time:
Certificate:
Release Date:

If you don’t want to feel pretty angry, don’t watch this film. Fire In The Blood is an impassioned plea that’s bound to promote fury among many viewers who’ll barely be able to believe the story it tells about the callous indifference big pharmaceutical companies show to millions of lives. Indeed it’s not even indifference, it’s premeditatedly planning to allow millions to die in order to protect profits. [Read more…]