Chugging along

Steamboat Bill, Jr. (1928)

Directed by Charles Reisner this film stars Buster Keaton, Ernest Torrence, Marion Byron and Tom Lewis. The captain of an ageing steamboat awaits the arrival of his son who has been educated in the city and turns out not to be what is expected.

Essentially there is one famous stunt that draws people to this film and while it is well done it's far too clearly the highlight of the film. The plot is pretty simplistic and nothing to write home about. There is humour but not as much as in The General (1926) so while the film is enjoyable it is not Keaton's best.

3/5

Corruption and tea

Ek Cup Chya (2009)

Co-directed by writer Sumitra Bhave and Sunil Sukhtankar this film stars Kishor Kadam and Ashwini Giri. A bus conductor from Indian and his family struggle to deal with a ridiculously large electricity bill they have been sent by mistake.

At times the plot of this film comes over as a public service announcement about the Indian Freedom of Information act but it does have a little charm to it. It does take the film a little while to get to it's conclusion but it is a fairly light and easy watch. There is some humour but it is again mostly fairly light.

3/5

Cycle of life

Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter... and Spring (2003)

Written and directed by Kim Ki-duk this film stars Oh Yeong-su, Kim Young-min and Seo Jae-kyung. We follow the life of a Buddhist monk through the seasons in different years of his life.

I found this film to be fairly slow moving and while it is filled with Buddhist iconography as well as themes it did bore me a little. There is plenty to take from this film but it never really connected with me. The natural setting provides a great back drop for the film and is excellently shot.

4/5

Mostly peace

War and Peace (1956)

Directed by King Vidor this film based on the novel of the same name stars Audrey Hepburn, Henry Fonda and Mel Ferrer. We follow the lives of Russian aristocrats over a long period involving two French invasions of Russia.

While this may be called War and Peace the story is mostly peace as it focuses on the various up and downs of the love lives of the various characters. The plot has to condense the contents of the novel and really comes off a bit as whining about aristocratic problems while the country burns around them. At over three hours the film is a bit of a slog that really could have done with focusing more on the war part for my taste.

3/5

Prenom shit

Prenom Carmen (1983)

Directed by Jean-Luc Godard this film stars Maruschka Detmers, Jacques Bonnaffe and it's director. A young woman falls in love with a guard while robbing a bank and they run off together to stay at the apartment of her senile uncle who is a washed up director.

Everything I liked about Godard in the past seems like pretentious wank here which is a real disappointment to say the least. The story maybe be based on the opera Carmen but the film does everything possible to be obtuse for no good reason and some elements completely divorced from reality. I found the direction to be annoying and more often than not got in the way of the story rather than aided it.

2/5

India with caste

Fandry (2013)

Written and directed by Nagraj Manjule this film stars Somnath Awghade, Suraj Pawar, Chhaya Kadam and Kishor Kadam. In rural Indian a teenage boy from the lowest caste has a crush on a girl from a higher caste.

This is a tale of classism/racism that we are rarely exposed to in the West and the film does a great job of showing how life can be for those living in extreme poverty. The plot never sensationalises or goes for melodrama, it always keeps the love story at arms length in a refreshing manner. In all this is a well made film that shines a light on an different subject and is not your average coming of age tale.

4/5

All the dark secrets

August: Osage County (2013)

Directed by John Wells this film based on the play of the same name stars Meryl Streep, Julia Roberts, Ewan McGregor and Chris Cooper. Family return home to help an old woman with cancer after her husband's suicide.

The play this film is based on won the Pulitzer Prize but I found the plot just heaped on over used element after over used element ending up being far too much. I do not think the story is especially believable or insightful but it is still watchable through out. It helps there is a great cast and Meryl Streep gives an amazing performance as always but it is not enough to elevate the film.

3/5

Running away to and from the circus

The Circus (1928)

Written and directed by star Charlie Chaplin this film also features Al Ernest Garcia, Merna Kennedy and Harry Crocker. You know who visits the circus with predictably silly results.

While the plot of this film is fairly simple there is more than an element of it that reflects Chaplin's own career with the contemporary coming of sound threatening to leave him behind like the circus does his character at the end of the film. Using a circus as a back drop is a great choice and provides endless material for the slapstick comedy of which the star is best known. As with any Chaplin film it is funny through out and has a lasting quality.

4/5

Wrong medium

Goodbye World (2013)

Directed by Denis Hennelly this film stars Adrian Grenier, Gaby Hoffmann, Ben McKenzie, Berry Bishe and Caroline Dhavernas. Thirty something college friends visit a couple living off the grid as a major event cuts out power for the whole nation.

While there are some interesting ideas here the view point of this film is always too American centric. The story actually seems like it would have better fit a pilot or first season of a television show as it tries to cram in far too much character back story at the expense of dealing with the events of the story. Generally the film is fairly well made and acted but is kind of a disappointment.

3/5

Beginning the Indian new wave

Garm Hava (1973)

Directed by M. S. Sathyu this film stars Balraj Sahni, Gita Siddharth, Fraooq Shaikh and Dinanath Zutshi. Uncertanty faces a family of Muslim shoemakers in India following the partition of India in 1947.

This film does a really good job of framing the problems facing it's central characters and showing the subtle nature of the prejudice they face. Largely the film is shot on location and while once or twice there is a slightly invasive use of music this film is considered one of the first new wave films in India. Very occasionally some of the film stock used is not of great quality but it does not have a big impact on the film which is still a really worth while watch.

4/5

No play, no fun, no entertainment

Play (2011)

Directed by Ruben Ostlund this film stars Yannick Diakite, Sebastian Blyckert and Kevin Vaz. Two white and one Asian boy are robbed by a group of black boys in Sweden.

In Sweden this film proved to be really controversial but I just found it profoundly boring. Some will claim that the plot holds a mirror up to the viewers own prejudices but I found the basic story takes too long and offers little in sight into the reasons for the situation. Long static takes may have been an artistic choice but to me they just add to the dull nature of this film.

2/5

A little bit of sci-fi in your revolution

Aelita: Queen of Mars (1924)

Directed by Yakov Protazanov this film based on the novel of the same name stars Yulia Solntseva, Igor Ilyinsky and Nikolai Tseretelli. A man in Moscow becomes obsessed with travelling to Mars after a strange signal is heard from space.

Despite the sci-fi premise unfortunately most of this film is based on Earth and centres round the domestic life of the characters. A lot of the plot of the novel has been chucked out in favour of revolutionary dialectic which is a real disappointment and I think the conclusion to the film may be a rather large plot hole. What is really impressive about the film are the Mars sequences which have amazing sets and costumes even if they are sadly underused.

4/5

Jobs jobbie

Jobs (2013)

Directed by Joshua Michael Stern this film based on real events stars Ashton Kutcher, Josh Gad, Dermot Mulroney and Matthew Modine. We follow the life of Steve Jobs as he goes from directionless college student to running one of the biggest technology companies in the world.

This biography goes for the warts and all portrayal of it's and while it does show both the negative and the positive there are questions over the accuracy of a lot of the film. The film does a good job of showing the affect Apple had on the market but as a biography it seemed to miss out key points of Job's life like what made him reconnected with his daughter. Ashton Kutcher does a good job in the lead role but at times I think the film strays too much into hero worship for my taste.

2/5

Gordon Gecko on steroids

The Wolf of Wall Street (2013)

Directed by Martin Scorsese this film based on real events stars Leonardo DiCaprio, Jonah Hill, Margot Robbie and Kyle Chandler. A young stock broker wants to make it big and does so by setting up a firm making questionable trades.

Right from the off this film is hilarious, playing the debauchery and dark humour to the maximum. The plot not only looks at the greed of Wall Street but also highlights how it is pervasive through society as a whole. As with any Scorsese film the direction is at minimum accomplished and often excellent with a 3 hour run time never seeming too long thanks to the direction as well as some great performances.

5/5

Blood bath

Countess Dracula (1971)

Directed by Peter Sasdy this film stars Ingrid Pitt, Nigel Green, Sandor Eles and Lesley-Anne Down. Following the death of her husband an ageing Countess bathes in the blood of young women to look youthful again.

Nominally this film is based on Elizabeth Bathory but is essentially a pretty standard Hammer Horror film. One change from earlier films from Hammer is the move towards including more nudity and heading towards sexpoiltation. Mostly the film is well made and the old age make up on Ingrid Pitt holds up surprisingly well.

3/5

Dance over sustance

Singin' in the Rain (1952)

Directed by Stanley Donen and star Gene Kelly this film also features Debbie Reynolds, Donald O'Connor and Jean Hagen. As silent films are about to be replaced by talkies one star tries to fend off the attentions of his long time female co-star.

Let's be honest here most of the time the plot of this film is a tenuous at best excuse for the lavish song and mostly dance routines. Often the dance routines pretty much take over as the spin out massive sequences which are really impressively staged with some serious scale. While the story may leave something to be desired what we do get is always entertaining and nearly always highly impressive.

4/5

Writer slackers

Sulemani Keeda (2014)

Written and directed by Amit Masurkar this film stars Naveen Kasturia, Mayank Tewari and Aditi Vasudev. Two aspiring film writers slack off and do anything but write as one tries to get over a sudden break up.

Despite all the posturing this film ends up being a fairly standard romantic-comedy but manages to avoid a cliched ending which is a nice change. The film moves along at a pretty decent clip and the characters do have a certain amount of charm to them which helps. If you are a big follower of Indian cinema there are a number of famous cameos near the start but they went over my head so added little to the film.

3/5

Thriller in Manila

Metro Manila (2013)

Directed by Sean Ellis this film stars Jake Macapagal, Althea Vega and John Arcilla. A poor Filipino farmer moves to the capital with his young family in the hopes of getting a job to make some money.

Despite a some what slow start this tale of poverty and exploitation gradually transforms into a thriller with hints of Training Day (2001). I really enjoyed the plot which explores a story that is somewhat universal, people leaving rural communities and being exploited in the anonymous urban sprawls. The direction is good as is the acting but never really goes above and beyond genre standards.

4/5

Kidding around

The Kid (1921)

Written and directed by Charlie Chaplin this film stars it's director, Edna Purviance and Jackie Coogan. An abandoned child is discovered and raised by a tram while it's mother becomes successful and searches for it.

This was Chaplin's first feature length film and it does a good job of mixing comedy with elements of drama. While there is plenty to laugh at the film also highlights the cruel nature of society when it comes to the poor and unfortunate. There are some really funny sequences but you would not say this is a film jam packed with jokes.

4/5

Not magic

47 Ronin (2013)

Directed by Carl Rinsch this film based on the Japanese legend stars Keanu Reeves, Hiroyuki Sanada, Tadanobu Asano and Ko Shibasaki. In medieval Japan an evil lord with the help of a witch gets a rival sentenced to death so he can steal his land and daughter.

This is one of many adaptations of this story and this one strays the most from real events as it puts a large fantasy element into the story with monsters and magic. Where the film goes sideways is in the inclusion of these fantasy elements as it gets far too far away from the heart of the original story in favour of cheap action. For my taste there is far too much CGI and not all of it done that well, ultimately this comes off as a highly suspect American take on a part of Japanese culture.

2/5

Doesn't float my boat

All is Lost (2013)

Written and directed by J. C. Chandor this film stars Robert Redford. On a sail boat in the Indian Ocean a lone sailor attempts to survive a series of misfortunes.

I was a big fan of Chandor's first film so I was really looking forward to this film and there is a lot of skill used to bring off a whole film with practically no dialogue and only one actor. Redford does a good job in the lead role but the film never asks us anything about the nature of survival like The Wall (2012) for example. Unfortunately while the film always holds your attention it never becomes more than a straight survival peace and the ending is an annoyingly cheesy cliché.

3/5

Kite cutter

Gattu (2012)

Directed by Rajan Khosa this film stars Mohammad Samad, Naresh Kumar, Jayanta Das and Zoya Arshad. A nine year old orphan lives with his uncle and works at his recycling business but is obsessed with flying kites.

This is your pretty standard coming of age tale and while the setting of a poor region of India is a little unusual there is a fair amount here you will have seen before. What really carries the story is personality of the protagonist but again that is not overly unique. There are some nice kite flying sequences and this is a good watch but nothing much beyond that.

3/5

No fear

The Fearmakers (1958)

Directed by Jacques Tourneur this film based on the novel of the same name stars Dana Andrews, Dick Foran, Marilee Earle and Mel Torme. After enduring years of torture and brainwashing a veteran of the Korean war returns home to find his business has been taken over by a conspiracy.

In the premise for this film there are plenty of good elements that could build up to an interesting thriller but none of them are capitalised on. The plot ends up coming off as a fifth rate version of The Manchurian Candidate (1952) in nearly every respect. Even some of the acting is suspect here with the main culprit being Mel Torme with some decidedly campy fiddling with his glasses.

2/5

Troy had it coming

Helen of Troy (1956)

Directed by Robert Wise this adaptation of the Trojan war stars Rossana Podesta, Jacques Sernas, Sir Cedric Hardwicke and Stanley Baker. The wife of a Spartan king runs away with a Trojan prince and all of Greece attacks Troy to get her back.

There are a number of departures from the classic Greek legend in the sort of this film and it does not add any thing to the story. What we have is a pretty standard sword and sandals piece that drags a little towards the end. Really the film lacks star power and occasionally it does seem like things have been done on the cheap.

2/5

Put your lips together and blow

To Have and Have Not (1944)

Directed by Howard Hawks this film based on the novel of the same name stars Humphrey Bogart, Walter Brennan, Lauren Bacall and Dolores Moran. In the summer of 1940 a fishing boat captain in Martinique becomes embroiled with a young woman and the French Resistance.

Claiming to be based on the Hemingway novel of the same name this film is one of those adaptations that is really in name only as it diverges from it's source material so much. Much of the plot here is essentially a lightweight version of Casablanca (1942) which is a real disappointment given all the talent involved behind the scenes. Often the on screen chemistry between Bacall and Bogart is sighted as enough to carry this film but I am not so sure.

3/5

Taking a piss

Powder Room (2013)

Directed by MJ Delaney this film based on the play “When Women Wee” stars Sheridan Smith, Jaime Winstone, Kate Nash and Oona Chapin. An underachieving 20 something woman spends a night out reconnecting with an old friend she is trying to impress while avoiding her fellow slackers.

Plays do not always convert well to the screen and this is one of those films that is painfully obvious it was converted from a short play that barely stretches to fill the run time. While the setting of the story may be somewhat unique none of the story is and at times it feels underdeveloped. Ultimately this comes across as a film that needs more work and some of the cast are not really utilized to their best.

2/5

Indian road movie

The Good Road (2013)

Written and directed Gyan Correa this film stars Shamji Dhana Kerasia, Sonali Kulkarni, Ajay Gehi, Keval Katrodia and Poonam Kesar Singh. Three different sets of people travel down the same road in India with their stories over lapping.

This film shows us the rural road ways of India and seems to do a pretty good job capturing the lives of people we do not normally see. The two children being polar opposites is a nice touch the different experiences of people based on class and gender but I am not sure it ever pushes the ideas far enough. Using predominantly non-actors is a nice touch that works well too.

3/5

An animal becomes a man

Samurai I: Musashi Miyamoto (1954)

Directed by Hiroshi Inagaki this film based on the novel “Musashi” stars Toshiro Mifune, Rentaro Mikuni, Kuroemon Onoe, Kaoru Yachigusa and Mariko Okada. Two peasants seeking fame and glory leave their village to try their luck in a large up coming battle.

This film is the first part of a trilogy and to an extent it really does show but the story still holds together well even if it always feels like the first part of a larger story. The plot deals with the central characters transformation from an animal to starting on the road to becoming a man. With plenty of decent action and set pieces this is a good watch.

4/5

Shining example

The Shining (1980)

Directed by Stanley Kubrick this film based on the novel of the same name stars Jack Nicholson, Shelley Duvall, Danny Lloyd and Scatman Crothers. A couple and their son go to spend the winter as caretakers at an isolated hotel in the mountains.

Kubrick puts on a master class of menace and foreboding in this film that is full of creepy moment after creepy moment. Where I find the film to fall a little short is that maybe it lacks the thematic depth of Kubrick's other work and the novel on which it is based. At times Shelley Duvall's performance seems weak to me but that could well be due to the massive stress Kubrick is known to have put her under.

4/5

Change and change-ability

Ship of Theseus (2013)

Written and directed by Anand Gandhi this film stars Aida El-Kashef, Neeraj Kabi and Sohum Shah. Three different stories set in India are connected by medial transplants.

Taking it's cue from the Theseus paradox this is one of the more thought provoking films you will see for a long time that asks it's viewer to consider a multitude of questions. At times the story progresses a little slowly but it is always engaging. Generally the film is well made and there is at least a couple of really impressive landscape shots.

4/5