AVIRON PICTURES/YouTubeREVIEW: Marie Colvin saw more conflict than most soldiers. The Sunday Times journalist was a regular figure in war zones from the mid-1980s to the start of this decade, ensuring that those who were suffering had their stories told. Despite a seemingly tough exterior, New York-born Colvin also endured her own share of pains – losing an eye to a grenade to Sri Lanka in 2001 and haunted by some of the images she had seen. Now her story has been given the cinematic treatment in the fine movie A Private War (R16), which criminally bypassed Kiwi cinemas, despite a Golden Globe nomination for its leading lady Rosamund Pike (Gone Girl). Portraying the crusading war correspondent as a cross between Sigourney Weaver's Dian Fossey (in Gorillas in the Mist) and Homeland's Carrie Mathison, the English actress does a terrific job of conveying the contradictions of Colvin's character (a woman who admitted to hating the situations she found herself in, but also felt compelled to see it for herself). Pike is ably supported by the likes of Tom Hollander, Stanley Tucci and Jamie Dornan, while director Matthew Heineman (previously best known for documentaries like Cartel Land) makes great use of a minimalist score and sombre palette to draw the viewer into this thought-provoking drama that also boasts a truly haunting finale. READ MORE: * What to watch: Why Netflix's See You Yesterday is today's must-see movie * June's must-see TV: More Lies, Handmaids and Zendaya takes a dramatic turn * The movies you need to see in June For those who prefer their action a little more frivolous and frothy, Jett (SoHo, Sky Go) is a female-led throwback to the guns-and-gaffaws genre of the early noughties (think Snatch, Smoking Aces, the Ocean's trilogy). Carla Gugino (Sin City, The Haunting of Hill House) is the complicated and manipulative Daisy "Jett" Kowalski, a retired master thief who is forced back into the game by criminals desperate to exploit her special set of skills. Expect lots of double-crosses, more than a hint of violence and plenty of sultry outfits, and you'll be more than entertained. Finally, the Brie Larson superhero showcase Captain Marvel (M) is now available to own on DVD/Blu-Ray and watch on various streaming services. Although somewhat overshadow by the Avengers movie that followed, this is a rollicking 1990s-set adventure that also doubles as a terrific buddy comedy (thanks to the pairing of Larson with a digitally de-aged Samuel L Jackson). As well as featuring a fabulous feline performance, Captain Marvel's stocks have also risen recently thanks to X-Men: Dark Phoenix demonstrating just how badly a similar premise can be handled.
What to watch: Why A Private War deserved a far better fate than straight-to-DVD
AVIRON PICTURES/YouTubeREVIEW: Marie Colvin saw more conflict than most soldiers. The Sunday Times journalist was a regular figure in war zones from the mid-1980s to the start of this decade, ensuring that those who were suffering had their stories told. Despite a seemingly tough exterior, New York-born Colvin also endured her own share of pains – losing an eye to a grenade to Sri Lanka in 2001 and haunted by some of the images she had seen. Now her story has been given the cinematic treatment in the fine movie A Private War (R16), which criminally bypassed Kiwi cinemas, despite a Golden Globe nomination for its leading lady Rosamund Pike (Gone Girl). Portraying the crusading war correspondent as a cross between Sigourney Weaver's Dian Fossey (in Gorillas in the Mist) and Homeland's Carrie Mathison, the English actress does a terrific job of conveying the contradictions of Colvin's character (a woman who admitted to hating the situations she found herself in, but also felt compelled to see it for herself). Pike is ably supported by the likes of Tom Hollander, Stanley Tucci and Jamie Dornan, while director Matthew Heineman (previously best known for documentaries like Cartel Land) makes great use of a minimalist score and sombre palette to draw the viewer into this thought-provoking drama that also boasts a truly haunting finale. READ MORE: * What to watch: Why Netflix's See You Yesterday is today's must-see movie * June's must-see TV: More Lies, Handmaids and Zendaya takes a dramatic turn * The movies you need to see in June For those who prefer their action a little more frivolous and frothy, Jett (SoHo, Sky Go) is a female-led throwback to the guns-and-gaffaws genre of the early noughties (think Snatch, Smoking Aces, the Ocean's trilogy). Carla Gugino (Sin City, The Haunting of Hill House) is the complicated and manipulative Daisy "Jett" Kowalski, a retired master thief who is forced back into the game by criminals desperate to exploit her special set of skills. Expect lots of double-crosses, more than a hint of violence and plenty of sultry outfits, and you'll be more than entertained. Finally, the Brie Larson superhero showcase Captain Marvel (M) is now available to own on DVD/Blu-Ray and watch on various streaming services. Although somewhat overshadow by the Avengers movie that followed, this is a rollicking 1990s-set adventure that also doubles as a terrific buddy comedy (thanks to the pairing of Larson with a digitally de-aged Samuel L Jackson). As well as featuring a fabulous feline performance, Captain Marvel's stocks have also risen recently thanks to X-Men: Dark Phoenix demonstrating just how badly a similar premise can be handled.
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