Contributions from Adam Woodward | Little White Lies

Contributor Adam Woodward

Elderly man in black suit sitting at a desk, hands clasped, looking directly at the camera against a yellow and black patterned backdrop.
Review

Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy

by Adam Woodward

Gary Old­man puts in a career-best shift in this grip­ping sto­ry of duplic­i­ty and paranoia.

4
Anticipation
4
Enjoyment
4
In Retrospect
Image of a woman in a floral dress and a man in a striped shirt sitting at a table in a room with framed artwork on the walls.
Review

The Skin I Live In

by Adam Woodward

Pedro Almodóvar’s lat­est is an intox­i­cat­ing elixir of dark fan­ta­sy, sick obses­sion and all-con­sum­ing desire.

4
Anticipation
4
Enjoyment
4
In Retrospect
A man in a hat and a woman sitting at a bar counter, looking thoughtful.
Review

Cowboys & Aliens

by Adam Woodward

Jon Favreau’s genre mash-up is yet anoth­er under­whelm­ing sum­mer brouha­ha that fails to up the ante.

4
Anticipation
2
Enjoyment
2
In Retrospect
Cartoon character in a red dress amongst lush green leaves with water droplets.
Review

Arrietty

by Adam Woodward

A pure, won­der­ful­ly ani­mat­ed sto­ry of friend­ship against the odds from an emerg­ing ani­mé voice.

3
Anticipation
4
Enjoyment
3
In Retrospect
A man in a suit and tie rushing through an office, with colleagues seated at desks in the background.
Review

Transformers: Dark of the Moon

by Adam Woodward

An ejac­u­la­to­ry mess that seeks to med­icate its audi­ence with a glut of whizz-bang spills and vein-bulging fist pumps.

3
Anticipation
2
Enjoyment
1
In Retrospect
A young man with dark hair speaks on a mobile phone, flanked by two young women, one blonde and one brunette, all appearing to be outdoors.
Review

Kaboom

by Adam Woodward

A high­ly-fetishised, hyper-sur­re­al teenage Twin Peaks that’s undone by its own excess­es and a lack of nar­ra­tive clarity.

3
Anticipation
3
Enjoyment
3
In Retrospect
A person in a fur-lined hood peering through a snowy forest, with bright blue eyes visible.
Review

Hanna

by Adam Woodward

Any intrigue estab­lished in Han­na is smoth­ered by a direc­tor unable to over­come his own art house ambitions.

3
Anticipation
3
Enjoyment
2
In Retrospect
Man with long dark hair wearing jewellery and standing in desert landscape.
Review

Meek’s Cutoff

by Adam Woodward

Kel­ly Reichardt’s bold­ness in eschew­ing a sprawl­ing retelling of how the West was won should be applauded.

4
Anticipation
3
Enjoyment
3
In Retrospect
A woman in a blue shirt and a man in a grey suit sit and converse in a dimly lit corridor.
Review

Source Code

by Adam Woodward

Dun­can Jones has hit the ground run­ning, but there’s no need for Nolan to watch his back just yet.

3
Anticipation
3
Enjoyment
3
In Retrospect
Older man with long grey beard, wearing cowboy hat and grey coat, aiming revolver in outdoor setting.
Review

True Grit

by Adam Woodward

New­com­er Hailee Ste­in­feld steals the show from right under Jeff Bridges’ nose in the Coens’ deli­cious­ly salty western.

4
Anticipation
4
Enjoyment
3
In Retrospect