Last Chance Harvey

 

Last Chance Harvey 2008

• Director: Joel Hopkins
• Cast: Emma Thompson, Dustin Hoffman, Eileen Atkins, Kathy Baker, Bronagh Gallagher
• Why? The cast
• Seen: 17 July 2026                      

 

          Harvey (Hoffman), an American, is in London for his daughter’s wedding. He’s about to lose his job as a composer of advert jingles. (Thompson), unmarried as her mum (Atkins) and colleague (Gallagher) never let her forget, has a boring job.

          Of course they meet. Fate, you know. And all that. If it was anyone but Thompson it would be unbearable. The views of London help a little.

 

2* of 5

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

In the Hand of Dante

 

In the Hand of Dante 2025

• Director: Julian Schnabel
• Cast: Oscar Isaac, Al Pacino, Gerard Butler, John Malkovich
• Why? The cast
• Seen: 14 July 2026                      

 

          Having recently bought, but not read, The Divine Comedy, and seeing the film mentioned by a FB film nerd friend. I have to see this film. A good cast, too.

          Maffia, murder, a lost but now found Dante manuscript.

          Great cast but booooooring. And very macho too.

          I hope the actual book is better.

 

1 ½ * of 5

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Help

 

The Help 2011

• Director: Tate Taylor
• Cast: Viola Davis, Emma Stone, Octavia Spencer, Bryce Dallas Howard, Jessica Chastain, Allison Janney, Cicely Tyson, Sissy Spacek
• Why? The cast
• Seen: 9 July 2026  

 

          Skeeter (Stone) is young, rich, white and ambitious. She wants to write, seriously, unlike her ditsy rich white friends, who are all married mums, and mean. And racist.

          Skeeter decides to write about the black maids. Reluctantly Aibeleen (Davis) and Minny (Spencer) agree to help. This is dangerous, for blacks and whites both, but especially for the blacks.

          It could have been a ‘white-liberal-do-gooder-saves-the-poor-black-maids’ film but it succeeds in not being that. Primarily because of the superb acting.

 

4* of 5

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Into the Wild

 

Into the Wild 2007

• Director: Sean Penn
• Cast: Emile Hirsch, Catherine Keener, Marcia Gay Harden, William Hurt, Jena Malone, Kristen Stewart, Hal Holbrook
• Why? Interesting subject
• Seen: 6 July 2026  

 

          Chris (Hirsch) leaves his well-to-do but dysfunctional family to live the life of a hobo. He hates society and romanticises nature, which, granted, is spectacular and wonderful, especially in Alaska where he ends up.

          True story but kind of boring film with a variety of irritating characters, including Chris himself.

 

2 ½ * of 5

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Cold Comfort Farm

 

Cold Comfort Farm 1995

• Director: John Schlesinger
• Cast: Kate Beckinsale, Eileen Atkins, Ian McKellan, Rufus Sewell, Stephen Fry, Joanna Lumley
• Why? The cast
• Seen: 4 July 2026  

 

          Flora (Beckinsale), a young society girl in financial straits, seeks out relatives in the countryside to gain life experience so that she can become a writer. She finds herself on a farm near ruin, populated by several eccentric individuals.

          With this cast one expects great things. Sadly, this is only somewhat entertaining.

 

2* of 5

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Superintelligence

 

Superintelligence 2020

• Director: Ben Falcone
• Cast: Melissa McCarthy, James Corden, Bobby Cannavale, Brian Tyree Henry
• Why? McCarthy
• Seen: 2 July 2026  

 

          Carol (McCarthy) is the most average person in the world and a super AI chooses her to help it decide if it should destroy the human race or not.

          It’s silly but fun. Sort of. So much more could have been done with the idea.

 

2* of 5

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Apex

 

Apex 2026

• Director: Baltasar Kormákur
• Cast: Charlize Theron, Taron Egerton, Eric Bana
• Why? Maybe OK
• Seen: 25 June 2026                     

           Sasha (Theron) loses her lover Tommy (Bana) mountain climbing in Norway. Grieving, she goes to Australia, Tommy’s homeland, for a new adventure. She is pursued by smug male chauvinists, but then she’s hunted by the nice guy, psycho Ben (Egerton).

          Unlikely but exciting and the Norwegian and Australian views are beautiful. Good acting too.

 

3* of 5