Trevor Berridge

Kept meaning to watch it. Never got round to it until today when it popped up on tv. I love variations on a theme and Maleficent is one of the very best. The twist on Sleeping Beauty is touching, engaging and intelligent. A surprisingly emotional experience and I'm rarely surprised by a movie. I'm very interested to see if the sequel lives up to this very high mark. And Angelina Jolie knocked this one out of the park. I daresay she took something from her experience as an adopter. 5* all the way.

John C. Reilly and Steve Coogan give oscar worthy performances. There's no caricature in their portrayals. They are subtle and sublime bringing three dimensional flesh to body and soul with uncanny authenticity. An amazing insight to the sometimes harsh realities of "effortless genius". The double act to top them all. This movie only elevates them even higher in my estimation. I can say likewise for Coogan and Reilly.