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atching a character grow up on screen is not uncommon
n television, whether it be soap operas or long-form
ramas like Mad Men or The Sopranos. But it’s not
omething that would seem to be possible for a feature
lm… until now. The new film from indie icon Richard
inklater (Dazed & Confused) was shot over a 12-year
eriod and charts a young boy’s progress from a six-year-
ld to late adolescence. Ellar Coltrane is a revelation as the
id who literally comes of age on screen, and he is well
upported by Linklater regular Ethan Hawke and Patricia
Arquette as his estranged parents; incidentally his sister is played by the
director’s own daughter, Lorelei. By focusing on the ordinariness of life,
Linklater has fashioned an enthralling and utterly believable family saga –
forget reality TV, this is the real deal. • See page 44
12 years in the making.
BOYHOOD
Robert Downey Jr. takes a break from big budget action
heroics for this more intimate legal drama, the first from
his new production company. He plays Hank Palmer, a
brilliant but arrogant lawyer who reluctantly returns to his
small-town family home for the funeral of his mother. Hank
has long been estranged from his father Joseph (Robert
Duvall), a flinty local judge who pretty much treats his kids
as if they are appearing before him in the courtroom. When
the judge is arrested for the hit and run killing of a recently
released murderer he had sent to prison, Hank insists on
representing him, but cannot understand why his father seems intent on
sabotaging his defence. More a family drama than a legal thriller, The Judge
will nevertheless go down a treat with John Grisham fans, with Downey Jr.
and Duvall making for a formidable double act. • See page 46
Family law.
THE JUDGE
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visit REVIEWS DVD&BD
Format: Release Date: 26/02/15 Format: Release Date: 11/02/15
FEBRUARY 2015 JB Hi-Fi
alling a show Penny Dreadful (in homage to the British
ulp publications of the 19th century) leaves it wide open to
ritics' double entendres should it fail to deliver. Fortunately
his gothic horror series, created by screenwriter John
ogan (Gladiator, Skyfall), will satisfy those looking for
ore high quality genre TV. The setting is Victorian London,
here explorer Timothy Dalton is searching for his missing
aughter with the assistance of a medium (Eva Green),
n American gunslinger (Josh Hartnett) and a doctor
amed Victor Frankenstein (Harry Treadaway). Vampires,
demons and other classic horror characters make guest appearances. So
if you're after a stylish series that combines elements of Supernatural and
American Horror Story, with an adult approach, a quality cast and impeccable
production design, then spend a penny on this one.
Victorian horror story.
PENNY DREADFUL: SEASON ONE
Peter Capaldi's first festive outing is one of the
best Doctor Who Christmas specials in years – and
surprisingly, the first time the Doctor has encountered
Santa Claus (a perfectly cast Nick Frost) in the show's
50-plus years. Last Christmas is essentially a 'base
under siege' episode (a Who staple), in which the
Doctor and Clara arrive at an arctic outpost where
the crew have uncovered something alien. It's also
an uncharacteristically creepy Christmas special,
borrowing from Alien, The Thing and A Nightmare on
Elm Street, but the whimsical presence of the fat man and his elves
ensures younger viewers won't be too spooked. Moreover, if you
think Santa meeting the Doctor is a bit cheesy, his presence makes
perfect sense once the central mystery is revealed. • See page 48
A touch of Frost.
DOCTOR WHO: LAST CHRISTMAS
Format: Release Date: 04/02/15 Format: Release Date: 28/01/15
DRAMA
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