MoviesShopping Guides

Film Review: The Man From UNCLE

Back at the start of the school holidays – which seems a long time ago! – London Mums Editor, Monica Costa, sat down with film critic Freda Cooper to pick the best films for the summer. If you’ve not heard their selection yet, it’s on the Talking Pictures podcast and one of them makes it into cinemas this week. Director Guy Ritchie has taken the 60s TV hit, The Man From UNCLE, and moved…
Read more
Movies

MAKE TALKING PICTURES A WINNER!

A very big thank you to everybody who nominated Talking Pictures in the UK Podcasters Awards. And the great news is that the show, from our very own film critic, Freda Cooper, is a finalist in the Best TV/Film Podcast category! This is where it gets serious, because the winners are chosen by a combination of a panel of judges and public vote. So the Talking Pictures needs your vote one more…
Read more
Movies

Film Review: Max

Some films wear their heart on their sleeve, often because they’re telling what they believe is an important story. It’s an endearing quality, but it doesn’t always follow that the film’s a good one. Which can be problematic for movie critics, like our own Freda Cooper. But, as ever, she tells it like it is – even when, as in Max which is released on Friday, certificate 12A, the…
Read more
Movies

This Week's Movie News From Talking Pictures

The latest edition of Talking Pictures, my weekly movie podcast, is out now – and it’s double acts all the way! At the cinema, uptight cop Reese Witherspoon goes on the run with the brassy Sofia Vergara in Hot Pursuit, while Michael Douglas has Jeremy Irvine in his sights – through a rifle – in chase thriller, Beyond The Reach. On DVD, there’s quirky comedy Listen Up Philip…
Read more
Movies

Film Review: Hot Pursuit

The female buddy movie. It’s a tried and tested formula, from classics like Thelma and Louise (1991, believe it or not) to more recent variations, like the Sandra Bullock/Melissa McCarthy vehicle The Heat. So where does Hot Pursuit, currently in cinemas certificate 12A, fit in? London Mums’ film critic, Freda Cooper – she’s not related to one of the characters! – hitches a ride…
Read more
Movies

This Week's Movie News From Talking Pictures

The latest edition of Talking Pictures has arrived, complete with a review of the film that everybody’s been waiting for: Disney Pixar’s Inside Out. And you can read my full review of the movie for London Mums here. Also in the spotlight are Robert Carlyle’s debut as a director, the black comedy The Legend Of Barney Thompson, and Morgan Freeman and Diane Keaton as mature house…
Read more
Movies

Film Review: Disney Pixar's Inside Out

It’s not many animations that are shown at the Cannes Film Festival, and even fewer that receive a ten minute standing ovation. But this week’s big new release, Disney Pixar’s Inside Out, ticks both boxes and has been a box office hit in the States. So will it wow us Brits as well when it opens this Friday, certificate U? London Mums’ film critic, Freda Cooper, gets to know Joy, Sadness…
Read more
Movies

DVD Review: The Tale Of The Princess Kaguya

That all-important life lesson about the balance between happiness and sadness comes to the fore this week on both the small and big screen. I’ll come on to the big screen in a few days’ time when Disney Pixar’s Inside Out is released. In the meantime, Japanese animators Studio Ghibli have just brought out the DVD version of their Oscar nominated The Tale Of The Princess Kaguya, which has…
Read more
Movies

Five minutes chit chat with Antonio Banderas

J. I. Cuenca and I have caught up with Antonio Banderas on his role in THE SPONGEBOB MOVIE: SPONGE OUT OF WATER. Q. How much did you know about SpongeBob SquarePants before getting involved in this movie? Antonio Banderas: To be honest, not too much. But that was OK because what I wanted to do was focus on the movie, as it is slightly different from the TV show. Q. So, what did you focus on to…
Read more
Movies

Weekly Movie News From The latest Talking Pictures

The latest edition of Talking Pictures is out now! Marvel’s latest super-hero movie, Ant-Man, is under the microscope. And the film’s star, Paul Rudd, gives it large on that shrinking feeling!c My review of the film can also be read in this piece here. That’s not all. New DVDs, X+Y and The Voices are under review, plus there’s the new top five at the British box office – a record…
Read more