PAUL DONOVAN is chilled by the contemporary resonance of Harper Lee’s coming of age tale amidst racism and white supremacy in this excellent production
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Film: Lost dramatic threads
Spider-Man returns to take on abandonment issues in a gripping sequel, says MARIA DUARTE
GEOFF BOTTOMS recommends the unashamedly light-hearted escapism on offer in this stage version of the 1963 film
Full of mysterious religious references and radical sound design, the Scottish duo’s new offering is candidate for album of the year, suggests SIMON DUFF
MARY CONWAY revels in a powerful reminder that human lives are not defined by physical perfection
PAUL DONOVAN recommends the fine performances in this account of the pre-war meeting between the US president and the British king
TECLYN AROD relishes an intimate celebration of jazz improvisation that mixes local and national musicians
The Amazing Spider-Man 2 (12A)
Directed by Marc Webb
4/5
Two years after his hugely successful Spider-Man reboot, which raked in more than $750 million worldwide, comes Marc Webb’s sequel. Overloaded with super villains, its dramatic thread is shockingly moving for a superhero film.
Peter Parker, now wrestling with abandonment issues, embarks on resolving the mystery of his parents’ disappearance after dumping him with his aunt and uncle. And he is haunted — literally — by his girlfriend’s dead father (Denis Leary) who he promised he would keep safe by staying away from her, a promise which Parker battles with throughout the film.
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