No theory to explain this

Conspiracy Theory (1997)

Directed by Richard Donner this film stars Mel Gibson, Julia Roberts and Patrick Stewart. A crazy taxi driver with an obsession for conspiracy theories manages to actually stumble into a real conspiracy.

For a film based on such a wide ranging topic the plot of this film is surprisingly thin and largely boils down to chase scenes. The story itself does not really make a huge amount of sense if you think about it for too long either. While Mel Gibson does his best in the lead role I think he was miss cast and does not fit the type you would expect to be a conspiracy theorist.

2/5

Sugar my foot

Sugarfoot (1951)

Directed by Edwin L. Marin this film stars Randolph Scott, Adele Jergens and Raymond Massey. After the US Civil war a former Confederate officer moves to Arizona to start a new life.

The plot of this film contains most of the usual clichés you would expect from a cheap western b-movie and does so with little flair. It is hard to find much to recommend this film on as the script is pretty weak and often glosses over the hero largely being a bully to get his way. There is some suspect acting and it is pretty easy to see this is a low budget effort.

2/5

Woody goes to Rome

To Rome with Love (2012)

Written and directed by Woody Allen this film has a large cast including Alec Baldwin, Roberto Benigni, Penelope Cruz, Jesse Eisenberg and Ellen Page. Four unconnected stories of love play out in Rome.

This film fits in pretty well with what you would expect from a Woody Allen film and while not one of his best is not bad either. The stories themselves are not exactly subtle in nature but are decent enough to be entertaining. While the film does a good job of showing of Rome's great historic buildings it is not really what you would call funny through out.

3/5

Informing

Shadow Dancer (2012)

Directed by James Marsh this film based on the novel of the same name stars Andrea Riseborough, Clive Owen, Aidan Gillen and Gillian Anderson. In 1993 a young mother is arrested and given the choice of prison or informing on her family who are IRA members.

While it appears there are some divergences between the novel and the film the script was written by the author of the book. The plot does a good job of subtly portraying the life of people caught between differing loyalties on both sides of the conflict and has a good ending. While the film is more of a slow burner it is well made and keeps the audience guessing through out.

4/5

We can remember a better version for you

Total Recall (2012)

Directed by Len Wiseman this film based on a Philip K. Dick story stars Colin Farrell, Kate Beckinsale and Jessica Biel. A man discovers he is a secret agent with no memory of his past and that the life he has been living is a lie.

Although this is supposed to be an adaptation it is more of a remake of the 1990 film of the same name with with it shares many plot elements. Most of the problems with this film come from the weak script which lacks character development, emotional depth or capitalising on the more interesting sci-fi elements of the story. When it comes to the execution of the film there are some really interesting locations but the film is nearly ruined by use of lens flare that would make some of J. J. Abrams recent films look subtle.

2/5

Taken or destroyed

Major Dundee (1965)

Directed by Sam Peckinpah this film stars Charlton Heston, Richard Harris, Jim Hutton and James Coburn. During the US civil war an uneasy alliance of Union volunteers and Confederate prisoners hunt Indians down into Mexico.

When looking at the plot of this film it is hard to over look similarities to Moby Dick and the plot works fairly well even if it lacks some of the historical basis it claims to have. There are several different cuts of this film and I watched the theatrical release so it is worth noting there are versions with an extra half an hour of material out there. One of the big draws is the cast which includes a few big names and the film is largely well made despite having what sounds like a lot of problems behind the scenes during production.

3/5

Peddling goods

The Bicycle Thieves (1948)

Directed by Vittorio De Sica this film stars Lamberto Maggiorani, Lianella Carell and Enzo Staiola. In post war Italy a man and his son try to recover a stolen bicycle that is needed for the father to keep his new job.

This film has a pretty big reputation and while it does not seem mind blowing it is still a really good story of the little man trying to get by when the whole world is against him. The story does a good job of show casing the life of poor people in a country that has been ruined by war and the central father/son relationship works well too. Shooting the entire film on location really makes it stand out against other films of the period that were mostly shot in studios and gives the film a really authentic feel.

5/5