Release Date – 14th April 2023, Cert – 12, Run-time – 2 hours 1 minute, Director – Tarik Saleh

Having recently arrived in Cairo to attend university Adam (Tawfeek Barhom) finds himself caught up as a pawn in a power battle between religion and state.

Cairo Conspiracy isn’t a thriller of tension, instead it’s one of dramatic intrigue. As a power battle plays out between religion and state interest is created through the general style in which writer-director Tarik Saleh displays the world which whole occasionally spilling into the streets is confined within the walls of Al-Azhar university. An already unfamiliar setting for central figure Adam (Tawfeek Barhom), the son of a fisherman from a remote town he hopes to one day become an imam after having shown promise for many years with his knowledge. However, he quickly finds himself becoming a pawn in the bid for power from the state, looking to control the next Grand Imam after the previous figure suddenly passes away.

Rising up the ranks through various groups and assistant roles Adam reports much of his work and findings back to Colonel Ibrahim (Fares Fares) from State Security, who himself is closely linked to the bid to seize power. At times certain points about the battle between religion and state are slightly forgotten about as various elements of Adam’s journey are drawn out as the main point at hand. Yes, it links to the reason for much of this happening, but it does feel as if what the central figure is doing at a particular time is more of an isolated focus than anything else at certain times.

There’s a rather slow burn nature to the proceedings which if anything adds to the style in which things are captured. They allow you to become more caught up within the events and the way in which they pan out; it fits the world in which this story is taking place in. While there may be a wish for more darkness and bite during a handful of scenes, particularly those up-close and personal moments which truly show the threat at hand, as whole the film tells its story rather well within its just-about-comfortable time frame. Occasionally the gradual pacing may put you at a slight distance, largely when Adam’s almost chaptered story is isolated from everything around it, but the more things develop, particularly in the final half an hour, the more the intrigue increases and makes for a more engaging piece of work.

Things move along well enough and while they might not have the darkness which could emphasise certain points and bring about a sense of tension the dramatic sensibilities held within the world of the film are enough to help things move along. Occasionally there might be a separated feeling to the events, especially around the midpoint of the film, but there’s enough to like and find some form of interest in (perhaps personally pushed by a lack of familiarity with the location and some of the workings which the film depicts) to make for worthwhile viewing.

The slow burn nature of Cairo Conspiracy helps to push the dramatic intrigue and the contained world in which the events pan out, while occasionally the central character’s perspective may separate from the base of the film there’s an interesting enough set of events which eventually smooth out to make for solid viewing.

Release Date – 21st April 2023, Cert – 15, Run-time – 1 hour 44 minutes, Director – Daniel Goldhaber

A group of environmental activists plan to blow up a pipeline of a major oil refinery, some to make a statement others to act out personal revenge.

Perhaps the biggest asset held within How To Blow Up A Pipeline is the fact that the characters are the centre of it are flawed. The group of environmental activists aren’t gleaming heroes, nor are they overdone stereotypes of a political viewpoint. Instead, we see through individual flashbacks the reasons for their getting involved in the scheme which acts as the core of the film. Some wanting to properly make a difference and cause disruption because of climate change, others because their lives and health have been affected by living nearby to an oil refinery. It’s through these flashbacks that we see more of their flaws, bringing about more of a naturalistic feel to the proceedings and further engaging you in each moment.

The central events are those concerned with the actual idea of blowing up a pipeline. Bit by bit we see the group working on explosives, digging spots to hide barrels and dealing with the landscape around them. There’s an unspecified tension to a number of moments as things begin to go slightly wrong. The feeling calls back to Bart Layton’s brilliant American Animals as something that has clearly been so specifically planned with attention to every detail that if it goes any differently chaos might ensue. When dealing with explosives there’s an extra sense of jeopardy.

As the tension builds with each development it still feels uncertain as to whether it’s for the characters (some of them strangers scattered across America, some meeting for the first time in the middle of the Texan desert) at the centre of the piece, the plan itself or anyone who might be nearby (even if the landscape does seem to be almost entirely empty apart from one or two small structures, including the pipeline). When we reach flashbacks, some of which are excellently (and cruelly) cut into sustaining suspense, things are well timed and placed so as to not distract from the main set of events, or cause you to forget them, and in general move along rather well. Even the third act knows not to draw things out for the most part.

There’s an engaging piece of work within How To Blow Up A Pipeline. It brings you in to the events and adds details through the flaws and personal backstories of the ensemble acting out the plot. They know what they’re doing, there are worries about it – the film doesn’t hesitate to discuss the character’s views on this as terrorism – and while some may be somewhat hesitant there are others who are simply angry and clearly driven by that, perhaps not always in the best possible way for themselves. The film is undeniably political, but it feels as if personal politics don’t frequently dominate the direction things take as there is discussion as to whether this is the right thing to do and indeed the film doesn’t condone all the behaviour on display (again, it acknowledges and finds strength in the fact that these are flawed figures). It adds to the natural feel which is present throughout and makes for a more engaging, and tense, piece of work. Perhaps sometimes helped by the fact that you don’t always know, at least in the opening stages, who or what the tension is for.

Tense and largely well-paced How To Blow Up A Pipeline’s biggest success is in depicting its characters as flawed. Bringing in more naturalism and believability it doesn’t resort to heavy cliché at either end of the political scale and instead all helping to add to the occasional tension throughout.

Cert – 15, Run-time – 1 hour 54 minutes, Director – Guy Ritchie

A spy (Jason Statham) finds himself quickly leading a new team as he competes with former crew members to stop a billionaire (Hugh Grant) from spreading advanced weapons technology

The central character of Operation Fortune: Ruse de Guerre is called Orson Fortune. Orson Fortune is played Jason Statham. This should be enough to tell you what the film is like. A decent enough actioner with a handful of humour every now and then to help it along. Yet, there may be part of the naming of Orson Fortune which brings about a slightly self-aware nature to the film. Perhaps looking into things a bit too much, but there certainly seems to be a sense of self-awareness during moments where characters say in full seriousness lines such as “turns out there’s a reason they call him the Dark Angel of Merciless Death, Mike!” and “he’s not hot you idiots, he has a heart condition”.

Certainly in the opening stages the cast don’t appear to be taking things completely seriously. There’s a sense of fun to the proceedings as they border on rather enjoyable parody, creating a number of chuckles at the silliness of what’s on display as genre conventions – the likes of which co-writer (alongside Ivan Atkinson and Marn Davies) and director Guy Ritchie has played with before – appear to be poked at. Statham and his assembled team, including hacker Sarah (Aubrey Plaza) and Hollywood actor Danny Francesco (Josh Hartnett) at the fore, are competing with many of his former spy crew as they try to get close to billionaire Greg Simmonds (Hugh Grant), who poses the threat of spreading brand new advanced weapons technology around the world.

Throughout Grant’s eccentric, slightly campy performance leans into both the accent and the occasional silliness of the film. He’s the consistent highlight of the film from the moment he first appears on screen. Understanding the tone that the film perhaps should have, and initially lands rather well, it’s hard not to want to gleefully giggle at each line of dialogue which leaves his character’s mouth. While other performances around him might float in and out of seeming to take things seriously – gradually being more in a direct line than anything else, although still bringing about some clearly intentional comedy – there’s still a sign that not all has been lost and that this isn’t all meant to be a straight-faced actioner.

The narrative jumps from place to place with multiple sunny, foreign locations acting as the backdrops to this globetrotting venture and at times through this brings in a sense of familiarity. The lack of self-awareness which appeared to be present beforehand isn’t as prominent here meaning that convention seems to be convention more than anything else. With each new location things begin to feel drawn out and slightly lengthy within the film’s just under two hour run-time. There are still moments of amusement here and there but by not being as unserious as the opening stages might imply the familiarity dilutes the course of the film and make for something slightly less enjoyable as Ritchie settles into comfortable territory. If the self-awareness were present all the way through then this may well be an intensely enjoyable time, but for what is there there’s entertaining, if drawn out, viewing.

Operation Fortune: Ruse de Guerre works best when feeling self-aware and those involved provide a knowing wink. It might become familiar territory for Guy Ritchie the more it goes on, but there are still patches of amusement here and there to help move things along.

Cert – 15, Run-time – 1 hour 52 minutes, Director – Ben Affleck

Basketball talent scout Sonny Vaccaro (Matt Damon) is looking for the next great player to sell a shoe on for struggling Nike, placing hundreds of thousands of dollars on Michael Jordan (Damien Delano Young)

The Nike rules often act as chapter headings throughout Ben Affleck’s latest directorial outing, Air. They’re spread across a wall in CEO Phil Knight’s (Affleck) office, where he frequently meets with talent scout Sonny Vaccaro (Matt Damon) to disparage his ideas on how to grow the brand’s basketball division. At risk of being shut down Sonny believes that he has the answer in forming a shoe around an athlete, the next rookie player yet to do great things in the NBA. It’s 1984 and Michael Jordan (Damien Delano Young, almost always shown from the back) is just about to enter the scene, and he’s also being observed by the likes of Adidas and Converse – the two market leaders at the time.

Rule 9 opens the film stating that “it won’t be pretty”. A statement which implies we’re going to see a series of heated arguments and struggles throughout the film. Certainly, there are arguments and struggles but whether they become truly heated and intense is a different matter. There’s a traditional feel to the film as a whole as we see various conversations in various rooms about trying to secure a deal that will likely save Nike if it goes ahead. The tone and style of Air are generally rather calm and push across the feeling of low-stakes drama, perhaps not quite what’s hoped for, as the traditional stylings become increasingly felt as we move from conversation to conversation. Rule 3 encouraging “break the rules” doesn’t quite seem to be observed here. As the characters fondly remember “the old Nike days” the film calls back to those of years gone by, without itself feeling dated.

When bringing the elements together, or in this case the various characters who Sonny deals with in his struggle to bring about the career-defining move, the film is at its best. A boardroom meeting in particular acts as one of the film’s highlights as the long-built-up-to pitch finally takes place. The key characters are present, including Viola Davis as Jordan’s mother Deloris who feels very sidelined in the story, especially as such a pivotal figure, and the themes at play summarise everything that has come beforehand, and what this is all for, rather well.

Michael Jordan’s name is used frequently throughout to remind us as to just what’s at stake, alongside various careers and an entire major business/ company, yet it’s very much apparent that this is a film largely about Sonny. Damon’s character is certainly at the centre of everything with most other characters being at the side coming in to play whenever relevant or needed for him to bounce off of. This especially being the case for Viola Davis as Jordan’s mother Deloris, a key player in the negotiation and search for a shoe deal for her son yet often only really present for key moments where she can help move things along and speak for the largely unseen player.

Things move along and are generally watchable throughout, if occasionally rather slow due to not being entirely engaging. Events may suffer from the fact that this is largely a rather direct drama about a shoe, albeit an iconic one but when the elements come together to work as one in the moment that’s when the highlights of the film appear. There’s a light spark, a burst of energy, when you can tell the characters have the same in their eyes and minds, the decision to add more red to the shoe is genuinely one of the best moments in the film. Such moments may be infrequent, but they make the film and particularly add to the better second half as much of the build up of the initial conversations pays off. As a whole Air doesn’t quite go as out there as the Nike rules may hope, but it makes for a likable traditional drama.

Air is very much in the traditional vein, it tells its story well enough and makes for a likable, if occasionally lacking feature. However, while largely watchable, it does suffer from the fact that it’s largely about a, admittedly iconic, shoe.

Cert – PG, Run-time – 1 hour 32 minutes, Director – Aaron Horvath, Michael Jelenic

After being taken from New York to the Mushroom Kingdom plumber Mario (Chris Pratt) finds himself going on a journey to save the unfamiliar universe whilst trying to find his kidnapped brother Luigi (Charlie Day).

After seeing the advert that he and his brother Luigi (Charlie Day) have forked out for to publicise their brand new plumbing business Mario (Chris Pratt) asks where the intense faux-Italian accents (they could rival Jared Leto in House Of Gucci) were a good idea. In actuality their accents are much less forced, the actors generally use their own voices. Although, Pratt often slips into something of a slight Italian-American accent, the consistency of which matches his somewhat wavering voice performance throughout the film. The idea to use the accents in the advert may have been a first idea that was run with, much like many of the events within Illumination’s The Super Mario Bros Movie.

The titular duo find themselves transported, via a giant green pipe, from Brooklyn to the unfamiliar terrain of the fantastical Mushroom Kingdom. However, while Mario finds himself meeting various mushroom-shaped people all called Toad (one in particular played by Keegan-Michael Key) and their leader Princess Peach (Anya Taylor-Joy), Luigi is taken down a darker path and is captured by Bowser (Jack Black) – looking to either destroy or take over the kingdom. It’s a race against time for Mario and Peach to assemble a team to help them stop Bowser before its too late. There’s so little time, in fact, that within sixty seconds of meeting Peach throws Mario onto a training course filled with replica obstacles and power-up blocks (largely providing mushrooms which he has a dislike for).

Throughout such scenes, and indeed the film as a whole, there’s an abundance of references from musical motifs and background dialogue to more upfront visual elements involved in the scene or sequence. It becomes apparent that there’s a lot here that’s very much for the fans. Those who love or grew up with the Mario franchise, or simply video game fans in general. For more casual viewers, who may themselves identify a number of the references, things may very well feel overstuffed with these nods, particularly as they’re surrounded by a set of events which feel rather familiar and somewhat placed in a set of first ideas largely wanting to use elements from as many different games as possible.

The Mario Kart sequence/s which looked so fun in the trailer aren’t explored much further, simply using a couple of ideas and then moving on to the next stage of the relatively short narrative (perhaps one of the reasons the film remains generally watchable is the short run-time). You wish for such moments to simply be that bit more fleshed out, have a bit more fun with the sequence and involve you more by spending a bit more time in the moment instead of using it as a device to get from one place to another. Multiple sequences feel this way throughout the film, again; more for those going for the fact it’s a Mario movie and the links to the games, and while there might not be anything too troubling and you can still sit and watch things pan out you don’t always properly engage with the action and at times border on frustration.

As a whole things feel rather basic, and never quite aware or referential in terms of the references and general nature of the film – directors Aaron Horvath and Michael Jelenic had previously co-written the excellent Teen Titans Go! To The Movies, while Minions: The Rise Of Gru co-writer Matthew Fogel takes on a sole screenplay credit here. The various details are generally just there, sometimes playing into the scene or being a major part of it and sometimes not. It comes down to the recurring point of consistency within the film. Yes, plenty of elements work well enough and make for a perfectly fine, if basic, watch but there’s a lot at play that wavers and never quite settles down. Maybe not as much as Pratt’s accent but if certain ideas were played with a bit more and developed then there would perhaps be a slightly improved quality to the film as it would feel less crammed with points and work perhaps more for a wider audience.

For fans of the franchise, and indeed younger audiences, the abundance of references and sequences may appeal, however to a more general audience frustrations begin to appear as The Super Mario Bros Movie presents a handful of inconsistencies in its rush to tell a story made up of what feel like first ideas.

Cert – 15, Run-time – 1 hour 57 minutes, Director – Jon S. Baird

Struggling businessman Henk Rogers (Taron Egerton) believes that his fortunes may be turned if he’s able to gain the rights to bring a new Soviet video game called Tetris to the world.

Some form of Tetris-related film has been in the works for a number of years now. For some reason or another the blockbusters based on the iconic video game have never quite made it to the screen, however the story of how the game was brought to the world has arrived in the form of, well, Tetris. Following businessman Henk Rogers (Taron Egerton) attempting to get the rights to the game, against a number of major figures including billionaire Robert Maxwell (Roger Allam) and son Kevin (Anthony Boyle), from Soviet officials.

The film may begin with ten minutes detailing a brief history of Tetris, however once properly caught up with how the game came to be it’s not long until Henk makes it to the USSR to make the business deal of a lifetime. “I played Tetris for five minutes, I still see falling blocks in my dreams” he tells his bank manager (Rick Yune) at the start of the film when asking for a loan. Rogers has been struggling with money after the failure of his video game version of board game Go, but he truly believes that Tetris will be the next big thing. He may state his passion a handful of times in these opening stages, however once we reach Moscow things fade to focus on the new, cold environment. The detail is very much on the tight-lipped Soviets who hold the rights to the game and the eventual battle for the various unclear rights to the distribute the game in various forms around the world.

Yet, the style and tone which comes into play, which admittedly has a layer of tension in some instances, gradually fades as it becomes clear that this is a film about video game rights. There may be engagement in the drama, helped by Egerton’s lead performance, but it’s not always anything you can be completely caught up in. It often feels as if the location is being used as something to lift up and push the drama rather than acting as the backdrop and occasional context for mild tension. Therefore when reaching the second hour there’s a feeling that the film starts to somewhat lost itself as the narrative takes a bigger step in front of the style, with a lot more back and forth and crossed wires for each key player in the game; much of which is backed by multiple variations of the Tetris theme, also dying down in the second half.

Things remain generally watchable, however there’s not overly anything gripping about the film. An unexpected car chase, which feels tonally different to everything which comes before it, strikes a strange yet effective chord but as a whole the film moves along with enough to keep you in place for two hours and gets out just before you properly feel the run-time. There are plenty of likable elements about it, including Egerton’s aforementioned performance, and as a whole the film keeps its head above water, but it never quite manages to make for the truly tense drama that it seems to want to be.

Occasionally allowing its location to lead over its narrative Tetris is a watchable drama helped by the lead performance of Taron Egerton, however it eventually boils down to the fact that its a film about video game rights. Fine but not always thrilling.

Cert – 12, Run-time – 2 hours 14 minutes, Directors – John Francis Daley, Jonathan Goldstein

After escaping from prison Edgin (Chris Pine) and Holga (Michelle Rodriguez) hatch a plan to steal the riches which only just escaped them, and to rescue Edgin’s daughter (Chloe Coleman)

You can often tell when the writers and directors of Dungeons And Dragons: Honour Among Thieves are having the most fun. It’s when they get to play with the various monsters, creatures and magical elements of the world in which the actions play out. The most entertaining scenes are those largely playing with these ideas, and stepping aside from the central ‘plan’ as the central group of adventurers run through mazes and across hanging bridges to escape whatever’s trying to kill them.

There are various backdrops where such elements are used as we see the ensemble changing plans as they go in order to steal treasure which was taken to them just before they could claim it. Leader Edgin (Chris Pine) has spent two years in prison with fellow thief Holga (Michelle Rodriguez) and is determined to see his daughter (Chloe Coleman) again, currently in the care of former crewmate Folge (Hugh Grant – who appears to not be taking the film seriously throughout almost all of his screen-time) who has been promoted from conman to lord. However, after being kicked out of the city they must hatch a plan to break back in and steal back what’s theirs, however darker forces may be at play.

As the narrative meets new characters in various locations, including Sophia Lillis’ shapeshifting tiefling Doric and a somewhat wavering turn from Justice Smith as fumbling sorcerer Simon, the style very much seems to be ‘we need to see this person to go to this place to get this item to do this thing’. While not a huge detraction it does bring in feelings of cliché. This lingers in the styling of a handful of scenes throughout the journey and does remove something from them due to the familiarity. It’s another reason why the flow of the third act contains some of the strongest stuff in the film in terms of the entertainment factor. There’s a more direct nature to the way things move along as the ‘journey’ element is moved away from, with much more in-the-moment points instead of sticking to the ‘plan’.

During such moments, and when properly striking the fantasy-adventure chord and having fun with the creatures and elements of the Dungeons And Dragons world, the film is at its best. The cast appear to understand the light tone, helping to bring one or two chuckles into play along the way, even if not every one of them lands, and help to push the enjoyable nature of the film, even during some of the more cliché-washed sequences. As a whole there’s an enjoyable nature to the film, particularly the third act which stands out as the highlight thanks to the action which it displays.

There’s a fair deal of cliché within Dungeons And Dragons: Honour Among Thieves’ narrative style, however when it breaks away from this and focuses on what the world has to offer there’s an enjoyable quality to the action and fantasy on display.

Release Date – 31st March 2023, Cert – 15, Run-time – 1 hour 54 minutes, Director – Dominik Moll

A group of detectives encounter multiple dead ends in the search for a culprit of the murder of a young woman.

The opening text and voiceover of The Night Of The 12th lets us know that 20% of murders in France are never sold, and that this is one of those stories. To some extent this is the early faltering of the film as it’s admitted at the very beginning that there isn’t a conclusion to the central case. Much of the first half is taken up with newly-promoted police captain Yohan (Bastien Bouillon) and his fellow detective Marceau (Bouli Lanners), alongside the rest of the department, questioning various suspects and figures with relationships to the murdered Clara (Lula Cotton-Frapier). They go from ex-boyfriend to ex-boyfriend, each with their own different views on how they were actually involved with the deceased, and repeatedly back to her best friend (Pauline Serieys) trying to work out who was the person to burn her to death late at night.

Knowing that the case goes unsolved removes something from these various strands, which almost feel back-to-back for much of the first half of the slow-burn narrative. Instead of creating interest it creates more thought as to where the film is actually going, is it just going to be scenes in different rooms and homes asking about how people knew Clara? It certainly seems as if it is. While certain other character dramas come into play – Marceau is going through a divorce after his wife had an affair – they never quite feel fully slotted into the surrounding narrative, and occasionally feel as if they come from nowhere.

Points are made about gender balance in the police, including how predominantly men will investigate crimes done by predominantly other men, yet these comments are simply made and don’t actually seem to go anywhere despite some promise during one or two scenes. They’re largely brought up as we begin to get more developments in the case, at least outside of questioning. As more action is taken the cycle is broken as there’s a bit more to find interest in and be engaged in. What has come beforehand has been generally watchable, if repetitive, but there feels to be more going on in the second half, especially in regards to the investigation which takes up much of the films concerns, while still keeping the slow-burn nature.

Things may still be disturbed due to the fact that you know there’s no conclusion to the case but it tries to push things forward with character drama for the central characters. It comes very late in the day and doesn’t quite get the progression it may need, but it does help to make it about more than just the case. It shows in scenes long after the case is first opened where Bouillon’s captain is clearly struggling to see why he should keep it open, despite the otherwise statements of a judge (Anouk Grinberg). There’s something in Yohan’s growing frustrations which help to push the progression and developments of the case, they might not be given a full light very often, but they certainly help when present. Particularly when moving on from the repetitive nature of the earlier stages, and the fact we know there’s no conclusion to the largely-focused-on case from the very start.

While a generally watchable slow burn The Night Of The 12th makes a mistake in telling us the central case is never solved from the very start, character dramas are brought in but never quite given enough focus to become prominent, even with more developments in the second half.

Cert – 18, Run-time – 1 hour 58 minutes, Director – Brandon Cronenberg

Whilst on holiday in a luxury resort couple James (Alexander Skarsgård) and Em (Cleopatra Coleman) discover a dark world of crime and identity on the island after leaving the safety of the resort.

There’s no denying that an opening line such as “did you just say you can’t feed yourself with white sand brain death?” is going to grab your attention. It’s a strong lead into the world of Infinity Pool – soon accompanied by shots of the central island resort where it seems as if the world is rotating rather than the camera. Central couple James (Alexander Skarsgård) and Em (Cleopatra Coleman) are well aware of the rules about not leaving the safety of the resort. However, after being convinced by another couple, Gabi (Mia Goth) and Alban (Jalil Lespert), to venture to other reaches of the fictional La Tolqa trouble quickly follows after James hits a local man in a car accident.

As the married couple, primarily James, begin to discover the workings of the prison system in the area things shift tone from horror to thriller. Yet, despite this style the rising high-pitched score indicating a new scene or idea still indicates a more direct horror. For much the film when it is playing out the horror is more restrained, or about the course that Skarsgård’s character is taking rather than the more up front gore which pops up very prominently every now and then.

As the world the resort is isolated from is shown to be darker and darker it soon makes its way into the confines of the luxury holiday. Soon Gabi and Alban’s friends who have all had similar experiences come into the mix and start to show an almost cult-like nature to their group. In comes both a more frequent trippy style to proceedings and a feeling that at the end of each scene you can almost see the narrative trying to figure out where to go next. While in general the film is watchable and moves along fairly fine there are a couple of bumps along the way because of this.

Perhaps most of all when reaching the final 20-25 minutes where the film truly feels as if it loses itself. The actions that we see on screen appear to just happen with no real context as to ‘why’ to bring in more of a shade of horror. Instead it just seems as if decisions and subjections are made just because. It removes something from what has come before as you start to wonder what the real point behind it all has been. Further pushing the need for a tighter, stronger narrative so that the final stages have more substance and drive to them instead of an almost confusing state of uncertainty where the suspense and horror lack.

While for the most part it’s fine Infinity Pool often feels as if its finding its way as it goes along with each new point and idea, eventually reaching a point where it feels context is lacking as to why stuff is happening or being done in the first place.