michael fassbender

Uncovering Curiosities: Justin Kurzel’s MACBETH

Director Justin Kurzel’s 2015 screen adaptation of Macbeth is a luscious piece of cinematic grit. It’s a down-and-dirty version of Shakespeare’s tragedy but it’s a hollow film that unfortunately has had it’s heart ripped out through its [...]

September 30, 2021

Is BIRDMAN The Greatest Movie Of The 21st Century?

Birdman Or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance) is a palate cleanser that clears away the taste of over-processed, generic Hollywood products. There’s a freshness to Alejandro González Iñárritu’s 2015 film that’s zesty and light, but [...]

September 5, 2021

Remembering The Mighty Joel Schumacher

The mighty Joel Schumacher was born on the 29 August 1939 – the same year that Batman made his first appearance. As one of the all-time great directors, he helmed a wonderful selection of films that included everything from The Incredible [...]

August 29, 2021

Behind The Scenes: Zack Snyder & Gerard Butler On The Set Of 300

Director Zack Snyder’s adaptation of Frank Miller’s 300 was a huge success at the box office – and it won a lot of critical acclaim – when it was released back in 2006. Snyder’s film was a stylistic marvel – feeling [...]

August 24, 2021

Uncovering Curiosities: Adam Smith’s TRESPASS AGAINST US

Trespass Against Us sees Michael Fassbender give another high-powered performance and he again illustrates that he’s one of the best actors working in movies today. Ostensibly a drama, 2016’s Trespass Against Us also has a crime-thriller [...]

May 24, 2021

Uncovering Curiosities: John Maclean’s SLOW WEST

Director John Maclean’s 2015 western, Slow West isn’t your standard ‘oater’. This is a quirky offbeat tale which is as funny as it is heartbreaking. Michael Fassbender is Silas, an outlaw who takes Kodi Smit-McPhee’s Jay under his wing so [...]

May 16, 2021

Why You Need To Watch The 4-Time BAFTA Nominated CALM WITH HORSES

Movies In Focus is thrilled that the brilliant Calm With Horses has garnered 4 nominations including Outstanding British Film, Supporting Actress, Supporting Actor and Best Actor at this year’s BAFTAs. I’m a huge fan of the film and I [...]

March 13, 2021

Behind The Scenes: Michael Fassbender & Director Neil Marshall On The Set Of CENTURION

Neil Marshall’s Centurion is not for the faint-hearted. It’s an extremely violent and gory action film in which heads and limbs are removed by slashing swords and every body part that can be skewered, is. In fact, it’s almost too violent: [...]

January 25, 2021

Uncovering Curiosities: Brendan Muldowney’s PILGRIMAGE

Spider-Man star Tom Holland takes the lead in Pilgrimage, a medieval Irish thriller that sees a group of monks protecting an ancient holy relic against heathens and those who want to use it as a source of political power. Pilgrimage is an engaging [...]

January 17, 2021

Uncovering Curiosities: Gavin O’Connor’s JANE GOT A GUN

The popularity for the western ebbs and flows and every time the genre looks ready to be put out to pasture, along comes a film which re-energises it and kicks-off a whole new spate of ‘oaters’. However, for every Dances With Wolves or True Grit [...]

September 21, 2020

Trailer & Poster For THE SHADOW OF VIOLENCE – Featuring Quotes From Movies In Focus

Movies In Focus was hugely impressed with The Shadow Of Violence (aka Calm With Horses) when I saw it earlier this year. Nick Rowland’s Irish crime drama delivers on multiple levels and it’s an incredibly assured feature debut. I said [...]

July 14, 2020

Making The Cut: Val Kilmer & A Chainsaw Steal The Show In Terrence Malick’s SONG TO SONG

Terrence Malick does what Terrence Malick does best in Song To Song. Michael Fassbender, Ryan Gosling, Rooney Mara and Natalie Portman lead the cast of this Austin-set drama. The 2017 release is probably the weakest Malick film in years, not really [...]

July 12, 2020

Why Mel Gibson Is Still A FORCE OF NATURE

The mighty Mel Gibson‘s latest release, Force Of Nature (read the Movies In Focus review) proves he’s still a movie star to be reckoned with and that he can still command the screen like few actors. Gibson might have supporting part [...]

June 30, 2020

Obituary: Director Joel Schumacher Dies Aged 80

The mighty Joel Schumacher has died at the age of 80. Having quietly battled cancer for a year, he finally succumbed to the disease. Movies In Focus has always been impressed by Schumacher’s visual flair and technique for storytelling. [...]

June 23, 2020

How Ridley Scott Got It Wrong With PROMETHEUS

Ridley Scott’s Prometheus begins with the birth of mankind, in an over-blown prologue which sets the tone for things to come. We then cut to Elizabeth Shaw and Charlie Holloway (Noomi Rapace and Logan Marshall-Green) who discover a map left [...]

June 18, 2020

Review: THE SHADOW OF VIOLENCE/CALM WITH HORSES Is An Exceptional Irish Crime Drama

The Shadow of Violence/Calm With Horses is a hugely impressive directorial debut from Nick Rowland. Adapted by Joesph Murtaugh from a short story by Colin Barrett, this Irish crime drama packs a serious punch which vigorously pulls the viewer into [...]

April 27, 2020