The maddening winds of change

The Wind (1928)

Directed by Victor Sjostrom this film based on the novel of the same name stars Lillian Gish, Lars Hanson and Montagu Love. A young woman from Virginia moves out West to live with her cousin on an isolated ranch.

The story here is a fairly simple one but I really like the way that the wind works both as an example of the harshness of frontier life but also as a metaphor for the way that life can change you or cover up transgressions. While this is not exactly the story you think of when you think of a western I thought it worked really well. Lillian Gish is excellent in the lead role, a rarity in westerns of any era and there are some nice touches in the direction as well.

5/5

Man plays a man playing a woman playing a woman

Tootsie (1982)

Directed by Sydney Pollack this film stars Dustin Hoffman, Jessica Lange, Teri Garr and Bill Murray. A New York actor finds that he is so hard to work with no one will hire him so he poses as a woman to gain a part in a soap.

The plot of this film is fairly standard rom-com fare but the man posing as woman gimmick puts a nice spin on things and allows for at least a superficial look at the differences between the genders. There are some pretty funny moments, especially the scene where all is revealed and the film does a good job of staying clear of what could have been the easy, more offensive humour. Bill Murray being in the film is a nice surprise but he is a little underused, Hoffman does a good job in the lead roles and carries the film.

4/5

Needs more Arkin

Stand Up Guys (2012)

Directed by Fisher Stevens this film stars Al Pacino, Christopher Walken, Alan Arkin and Addison Timlin. An ageing former gangster is let out after a 28 year stretch and meets up with a former college to celebrate his release.

You could say that this film is an easy watch, it never really challenges the viewer but always does just about enough to keep you focused. There are a few funny moments and while there are some good moments of the characters nostalgia the film does not deal with old age seriously. I would say all the best moments are when Alan Arkin are on screen but sadly this is not a big enough portion of the film on personality alone.

3/5

Lies and rubbish

Love and Honor (2013)

Directed by Danny Mooney this film based on a true story stars Liam Hemsworth, Austin Stowell, Teressa Palmer and Aimee Teegarden. Two soldiers on leave during the Vietnam war return home to find why one of their girlfriends has split up with them.

While this film may claim to be based on a true story I do wonder how much given that it conveniently hits so many of the standard genre beats. In a genre littered with great films this is one of the least nuanced about the Vietnam war and the main characters are all written really poorly. It is hard to find much to praise in this film and even the film making really fails to catch the cinematography of the era.

2/5

Reds in the beds

Reds (1981)

Co-written and directed by it's star Warren Beatty this film also features Diane Keaton, Jack Nicholson and Maureen Stapleton. Two left leaning American reporters fall in love in on the eve of WW1 and travel to Russia during the revolution.

The plot of this film is very much the story of two people rather than the story of the world changing events they witness and I have to say I find that story less interesting. While the story does a fairly good job of showing the negative side of both the revolution and the fracturing politics of the period in the US I found the first third of the film spends far too long on opening relationship of the protagonists. At the time this film was nominated for a slew of Oscars (picking up three) but I found this film a rather slow and less interesting watch than other films on this subject.

3/5

Anarchy in the US

The Purge (2013)

Directed by James DeMonaco this film stars Ethan Hawke, Lena Headly, Max Burkholder and Adeliade Kane. In the near future on one night every year all laws are suspended to allow society a “pressure release”.

The plot of this film is clearly supposed to be a criticism of social conservatism, libertarianism and anarchists but I am not sure that it ever really goes far enough in exploring the reasons behind these philosophies. Ultimately the story is a fairly standard thriller that does not do much beyond the ordinary. Some of the action sequences are not bad but they lack much tension and a lot of the characters have little depth to them.

3/5

Savaging history

Savage Grace (2007)

Directed by Tom Kalin this film based on real events stars Julianne Moore, Stephen Dillane, Eddie Redmayne and Elena Anaya. Over several decades we follow the relationship of a socialite and her family as they have a number of unorthodox relationships.

It seems that at times the plot of this film strays from real events and it does not accurately represent character relationships. I would liked to have seen a larger focus on the son's decent into mental illness which seems like it should be the most important part of the story here. There are decent performances from the cast but there is rarely much exploration of why the characters act the way they do.

2/5

Less interesting light follows darkness

Sunrise: A Song of Two Humans (1927)

Directed by F. W. Muranu this silent film stars George O'Brien, Janet Gaynor and Margaret Livingston. A woman from the city starts an affair with a married farmer and tries to convince him to kill his wife so they can be together.

The first third of this film is excellent as the husband struggles between the temptation of killing his wife and his love for her but after this I found the plot became a lot weaker and more generic. It is slightly disappointing that the story does not live up to the promise of the first part but is still watchable through out. Where the film has it's strength is in the expressionist direction which uses special effects to great effect, particularly in the first third but also in creating the city fantasy sequence.

4/5

War fatigue

The Bridge at Remagen (1969)

Directed by John Guillermin this film stars George Segal, Robert Vaughn, Ben Gazzara and Bradford Dillman. Late in World War 2 American and German forces face off over the last remaining bridge over the Rhine.

While the film is inspired by real events it appears to be a heavily fictionalised account that at least changes the names of the characters so as not to present fiction as fact. The story is a fairly standard war piece that features soldiers tired of war on both sides but does not have an especially deep take on the matter. There are some good locations that do a good job of recreating Remagen but occasionally some ropey acting does sneak in to the film.

3/5

No heart, no brraaaiinnnnsssss

World War Z (2013)

Directed by Marc Forster this film based on the novel of the same name stars Brad Pitt, Mireille Enos, Daniella Kertesz and Fana Mokoena. A UN investigator tries to find the cause and cure for a zombie apocalypse.

It seems that the plot of this film departs fairly heavily from the book it is based on and it lacks any real character growth or underlying themes. While the film rushes along at a brisk pace and has plenty of action there is not a lot going on beyond that but it is nice to see a zombie film on a global scale for a change. I found the direction to be of the slightly annoying type when it came to the action sequences with needless rapid cutting just for the sake of it.

3/5

Confused cowboys

Brokeback Mountain (2005)

Directed by Ang Lee this film based on the short story of the same name stars Heath Ledger, Jake Gyllenhaal, Michelle Williams and Anne Hathaway. In 1963 two cowboys working an isolated mountain in Wyoming fall in love.

The most unusual part about this film is not that it features a same sex romance but that Hollywood actually manages to tell a romance subtly and with nuance. There is really a lot to enjoy about this film especially how the bigotry that keeps the characters apart is always there but is rarely shown allowing the story to focus on the characters much more closely. As you would want from any western the scenery provides a stunning back drop for the story and it is excellently shot by Ang Lee.

5/5

Don't doubt the Doubtfire

Mrs. Doubtfire (1993)

Directed by Chris Columbus this film based on the novel “Alias Madame Doubtfire” stars Robin Williams, Sally Field, Mara Wilson and Pierce Brosnan. An immature husband is kicked out by his wife and poses as a female house keeper to see his children.

As always with Robin Williams there are plenty of laughs to be had here and there are some sequences from this film that became fairly famous. The general plot is pretty standard beyond the husband as housekeeper part but what I do like is that the ending is positive but does not fix everything which is somewhat unusual for Hollywood. Williams gives a great performance and really the whole film would probably be much worse without him.

4/5

An officer and a cheese merchant

An Officer and a Gentleman (1982)

Directed by Taylor Hackford this film stars Richard Gere, Debra Winger, Louis Gossett Jr. and David Keith. A young man from the school of hard knocks starts officer training in the US Navy and falls in love with a girl that works in a factory.

At the time of release this film was a big hit but now it seems like a fairly standard case of romantic cheese meets 80s militaristic cheese. The plot is fairly well constructed if slightly cynically hitting all the required notes, it probably does not help that the end of the film has been endlessly parodied by this point. There are some decent performances but to me this film does feel very much dated and at times verging on the sillier side of cheese.

3/5

Some talk, little walk

Look Who's Talking (1989)

Written and directed by Amy Heckerling this film stars John Travolta, Kirstie Alley and the voice of Bruce Willis. An accountant gets pregnant after an affair with a married client.

A lot of this film is just a standard romantic comedy with the unique element being we get to hear the inner monologue of the new born baby. While knowing the babies thoughts is different I am not sure it is ever used to it's full potential and might have been better served using the voice of a comedian rather than Bruce Willis. The fertilization sequences are pretty impressive but otherwise this ends up being a very standard genre entry despite it's massive success at the time of release.

3/5

Rich boy goes to war

The Big Parade (1925)

Directed by King Vidor this film based on the novel “Plumes” stars John Gilbert, Renee Adoree, Karl Dane and Tom O'Brien. As the US enters WW1 an idle rich boy enlists in the army and befriends two working class soldiers.

There is a lot to like about this films treatment of war and it is one of the first to do so in a more realistic light but largely all the good parts come from the second half of the film. The first hour spends too much time setting the scene and really could have been cut down in my opinion. All of the battle scenes are well made and this is one of the really watchable silent films.

4/5

The benefits of being over 35

Before Midnight (2013)

Directed by Richard Linklater this sequel once again stars Ethan Hawke and Julie Delpy. Nine years after the last film we catch up with our duo to find out if they really did get together this time and if so how the relationship is going.

Like it's predecessors this film is about romance but this time more about the intersection between romance and the details of real life which adds a level of maturity that was missing slightly from the previous films. The script strays slightly from the pattern of it's predecessors in the first third but once it gets back into the groove of a conversation between the two main characters it is a great watch. Location is still a relevant part of the film but this is less of a city film and more just Greece in general. There is one great scene in the car at the start of the film that is a single continuous take that is really impressive.

4/5

Never party with James Franco

This is the End (2013)

Written and directed by Seth Rogen and Evan Goldberg this film features a number of actors playing themselves including James Franco, Jonah Hill, Seth Rogan, Jay Baruchel and Craig Robinson. Hollywood actors at a party hosted by James Franco get stuck on earth when the rapture begins.

It is always fun to see actors sending themselves up and there is a lot of personality from that which helps carry this film. There is plenty of humour but the film never really goes beyond the obvious jokes of the set up. Emma Watson has a great cameo but it would have been nice to see a few more cameos along those lines to help flesh out the world of the film.

4/5

Bad Bet

Outside Bet (2012)

Directed by Sacha Bennett this adaptation of the novel “The Mumper” stars Bob Hoskins, Calum MacNab, Jenny Agutter and Emily Atack. It is 1985 in London and a group of newspaper union employees by a race horse.

Nothing about the script for this film is subtle and every character is painted in the broadest, most simplistic strokes. There are some vague mumblings about union struggles but the main moral of this film seems to be it's a good idea to bet your life savings on a horse which is not the smartest idea. The cast has a number of well known British television actors but has far too many characters to really give anyone a chance to shine in this short run time.

2/5

9 years later

Before Sunset (2004)

Directed by Richard Linklater this sequel to Before Sunrise (1995) again stars Ethan Hawke and Julie Delpy. Nine years after the first film our couple are reunited in Paris for an evening.

This is one of those sequels where you really have to have seen the first film to get the most out of it but it does a great job of picking up where the first film left off with some clever ways of dealing with what happened after the first film and in the intervening years. The script has plenty of personality and does a good job of playing with expectations of views of the first film as well as plenty of humour while looking at the idea of idealised unfulfilled love. As with many Linklater films this is another city film and Paris provides an excellent backdrop to two great performances from the cast.

4/5

Scars of war

Behold a Pale Horse (1964)

Directed by Fred Zinnemann this film based on a novel by Emeric Pessburger stars Gregory Peck, Anthony Quinn and Omar Sharif. Twenty years after the Spanish Civil War the police in Spain try to tempt back a former rebel living in exile to visit his dying mother.

There is very little action or tension in this film but it does a good job of contrasting the actions of the three main characters and asking the audience who if anyone is morally correct. Rather than giving easy answers the film does a good job of leaving things ambiguous and it is hard to say if any of the characters are in the right. While the film the film is a little underwhelming for all the talent involved it is still a good watch.

4/5

Class when confined

King Rat (1965)

Directed by Bryan Forbes this film based on the novel of the same name stars George Segal, James Fox and Tom Courtenay. In Malaysia during WW2 a British officer befriends an American enlisted man who is king of the black market in their POW camp.

The key themes of this film are class differences (as always in British cinema) and what people will do to survive in terrible conditions. At times things are kept ambiguous which does a good job of leaving the audience to decide if the characters actions are justifiable or not and in general the story works really well. There is a great supporting cast which includes John Mills as well as Denholm Elliot and there are some nice moments of direction such as an early scene that highlights how King's actions make him resented by even those that work for him.

4/5

Lost in the woods

Nature Calls (2012)

Written and directed by Todd Rohal this film stars Patton Oswalt, Johnny Knoxville, Rob Riggle, Maura Tierney and Patrice O'Neal. With his boy scout troop on the verge of disbanding a scout master takes some kids away to the woods.

There is plenty of promise in the premise of this film but adult comedy tone is completely out of whack with what should have been nostalgic look at childhood in the outdoors compared to modern parenting. It seems that there are at least a few scenes missing because Knoxville's antagonist goes completely unexplained as does why a normal person would be marred to such a horrid person. Ultimately I am left wondering why anyone thought this was a good idea and it surprises me something so bad got made.

1/5

Whimper of the gods

Hammer of the Gods (2013)

Directed by Farren Blackburn this film stars Charlie Bewley, Clive Standen, Michael Jibson and Alexandra Dowling. In 871 the son of a dying Viking king is sent to find his older brother.

If you have even a vague knowledge of history you will see more inaccuracies here than you can shake a stick at. The plot such as it is is fairly simple but has little going for it on a character level and the religious themes seem poorly considered, certainly not fleshed out to any depth. About the best thing you can say about this film is that there are some decent landscapes but they are not used to their maximum, this is certainly no Valhalla Rising (2009) and it pales in comparison in nearly every respect.

2/5

Hangover sans hangover

The Hangover Part III (2013)

Directed by Todd Philips this film stars Bradley Cooper, Ed Helms, Zach Galifianakis and Ken Jeong. While taking Alan to rehab the wolfpack are kidnapped and set on another crazy adventure.

Breaking from the formula of the previous films may not have been the worst idea for a second sequel but the problem is that the story here does not live up to the over the top craziness of the previous entries. There is not really enough comedy and what jokes there are seem to rely too heavily on call backs to previous entries in the series. Mostly the film is well made but realistically everyone is working from a weak script.

2/5

To live and die in Japan

Ikiru (1952)

Directed by Akira Kurosawa this film stars Takashi Shimura, Miki Odagiri and Yunosuke Ito. A local government bureaucrat discovers he has stomach cancer and only six months left to live.

The plot of this film is a meditation on mortality, loneliness and failure to understand those around us. You could easily see Frank Capra's films being an inspiration behind this film even if it is slightly darker than you would typically get from Capra. In the lead role Shimura gives an excellent performance as the dying man struggles to find meaning in his empty existence.

4/5

Hammer time

Thor: The Dark World (2013)

Directed by Alan Taylor this film stars Chris Hemsworth, Natalie Portman, Tom Hiddleston, Anthony Hopkins and Stellan Skarsgard. With a rare planetary alignment soon to arrive dark forces seek their revenge on Asgard.

Compared to the first Thor film this film does a much better job of capturing the scale of what you would expect from a film about about Asgard. Where the film is weaker is that despite being a better spectacle it really lacks any sort of character arc for any of the main characters or even the antagonists. Generally the film has decent special effects and is well made but does nothing above and beyond the call of duty.

3/5

Someone rewrite the script

Someone Marry Barry (2014)

Written and directed by Rob Pearlstein this film stars Tyler Labine, Damon Wayans, Jr. and Lucy Punch. Three friends attempt to get rid of their annoying friend by finding him a wife but get more than they bargained for.

Subtlety is not really the strong suit of this film, the story is obvious with in the first 10-15 minutes and is nothing especially original. The fact that this film is on television in the UK a month after release in the US shows that the distributors have little faith in it and as a buddy comedy it is not a stand out member of the genre. There are occasionally funny moments but no one really has anything to worth with here.

2/5

Above the fall

The Mission (1986)

Directed by Roland Joffe this film stars Robert De Niro, Jeremy Irons, Ray McAnally and Liam Nesson. In 1750s South America Jesuit priests and agents of the empires of Spain and Portugal clash over the treatment of native tribes.

It takes a little while for the plot of this film to get going but it does a good job of balancing political machinations with character arc story telling. The film does a good job of showing how even those with good intentions were bad for the locals but does not really do enough to show the negative side of “civilizing” through religion as the Jesuits attempted to do. Visually the film has some stunning backdrops and locations while the sound track from Ennio Morricone is impressive as always.

5/5

Contrive and contrivability

Sense and Sensibility (1995)

Directed by Ang Lee this film is based on the novel of the same name and features Emma Thompson (who also wrote the adaptation), Kate Winslet, Alan Rickman and Hugh Grant. The second wife and daughters of a rich man in 19^th century England find themselves having to deal with poverty after the man's death.

While there are some changes between the novel and the script of this film it does a good job of covering the ideas of gender and class in the period it is set in but this is always a story of rich people problems rather than the grim life of the poor as seen in Dickens for example. I really liked the contrast in personality between the two sisters as well as the surprising level of humour to be found with in the script however the events of the plot rely on coincidence or contrivance too much for my taste. The film is well made and has some excellent locations that fit the story really and there are some good performances from the cast, Hugh Laurie has some great scene stealing moments.

4/5

Why would you do this?

Deadfall (2012)

Directed by Stefan Ruzowitzky this film stars Eric Bana, Olivia Wilde, Charlie Hunnam, Kate Mara, Kris Kristofferson and Sissy Spacek. Following a casino robbery a brother and sister split up after killing a policeman during a snowy night on the American/Canadian border.

There are a lot of moving parts to this thriller but they mostly just add detail rather than depth. While the cast of this film is impressive I found myself left wondering what drew them to this project as it is a fairly run of the mill story. The direction is average and does not really make use of the impressive snowy landscapes and towards the end the script does threaten to get a little melodramatic but just about stays clear of that.

3/5

Greatest Gatsby so far?

The Great Gatsby (2013)

Directed by Baz Luhrmann this film based on the novel of the same name stars Leonardo DiCaprio, Tobey Maguire, Carey Mulligan and Joel Edgerton. In 1920s New York a young man moves into a small house next to the mansion of a recluse who throws huge parties.

I thought this adaptation did a good job of retaining the themes and symbolism of the original novel, looking at the decadence of the age, criticising the American dream and Gatsby's wallowing in his desire for an earlier period of his failed romance. Visually the film is really impressive, while it may rely heavily on CGI it does so in an accomplished manner creating dazzling locals and sweeping camera moves. Where I feel there is a black mark against the film is in the sound track, the usual of contemporary music is an anachronism that sticks out and does take you out of the period.

4/5