Hardly a matter of life and death

If I Stay (2014)

Directed by R. J. Cutler this film based on the novel of the same name stars Chloe Grace Mortez, Jamie Blackley and Mireille Enos. A 17 year old cellist is in a car accident with her family and during an out of body experience has to decide to live or die.

The main problem I have with this film is that it does not set up a clear character problem in the early parts to give enough jeopardy when it comes to the protagonist deciding to live or die. What we get is a pretty standard teen romance story told in flash back which is a disappointing use of the framing narrative. There is something to be said for the idea of needing to let your parents go to fulfil a coming of age narrative but I do not think this is the right set of events to explore that metaphor and the script does not really do that anyway.

2/5

Through a hole

A Song of Love (1950)

Directed Jean Genet this film stars Java, Coco Le Martiniquais and Lucien Senemaud. Two French prisoners attempt to build a relationship while being spied on by a guard.

Eschewing dialogue this film communicates it's strange love story purely through image and does a good job doing so. Even now some of the content would be considered explicit and while the plot is not overly developed it does show an unusual relationship in an interesting way. The skill of the film is in the execution which manages to communicate so much through so little.

4/5  

A poor man's twister

Into the Storm (2014)

Directed by Steven Quale this film stars Richard Armitage, Sarah Wayne Callies, Matt Walsh and Alycia Debnam-Carey. High school students, professional storm chasers and red necks with a death wish get caught up in a mega tornado.

Coming off like a decidedly weaker version of Twister (1996) this film has a pretty bland script that lacks much in the way of actual characters. Thankfully the film is fairly short and sticks to what it does best, the special effects. Being a found footage film (mostly) does not add much to the film but there are a couple of impressive stunts to make up for the lack of anything else in the film.

3/5

Another Catholic serial killer film

The Calling (2014)

Directed by Jason Stone this film based on the novel of the same name stars Susan Sarandon, Gil Bellows, Topher Grace and Ellen Burstyn. A middle aged woman working as a police officer in a rural community struggles with pain, addiction and a serial killer.

As serial killer films go this is not the most original but it goes about it's business fairly well. The story treads the path of Catholicism as do many similar films but does keep things ticking over nicely even if the film reaches a slightly predictable conclusion. Mostly the film is well made but it is never really impressive to any degree despite the decent cast.

3/5

A flicker in the light

Mothlight (1963)

Directed by Stan Brakhage this is a short experimental film made in a collage style. We see various translucent objects flash before our eyes.

Like most experimental films there is no plot here and meaning projected onto the images is largely at the viewers discretion. The idea for the film has potential but it does not really translate to the screen in my opinion as the image quality does not really capture the beauty of the subject matter. No doubt this will appeal to some but I think it will be the minority as is often the case with this genre.

2/5

Basics in Berlin

The Quiller Memorandum (1966)

Directed by Michael Anderson this film based on the novel “The Berlin Memorandum” stars George Segal, Alec Guinness, Max von Sydow and Senta Berger. Following the death of a British spy in Berlin an agent called Quiller goes on the hunt for neo-Nazis.

The plot of this film is fairly simple but does conjure up an element of paranoia with the protagonist left not really sure who may or may not be a Nazi hiding in plain sight. Given that the script is from Harold Pinter I was expecting something a little more interesting but it is enough to get by. Some of the direction does a good job of creating tense atmospheres but again it's building from bland foundations at times.

3/5

Nothing to give

The Giver (2014)

Directed by Philip Noyce this film based on the novel of the same name stars Brenton Thwaites, Jeff Bridges, Meryl Streep and Odeya Rush. In the future a boy living in a community that forces conformity is given the task of receiving memories from the world before.

There is nothing subtle and little original about this dystopian story and it fits in with the classic American tradition of the importance of the individual. Much too briefly the script runs through the usual plot points and really has little new to offer. Using black and white mixed with colour provides an interesting flash in the execution but is not enough to carry this film.

2/5

Failure of the brain

Lucy (2014)

Written and directed by Luc Besson this film stars Scarlett Johansson, Morgan Freeman and Choi Min-sik. A young woman forced to be a drug mule gets an overdose of a new drug that enhances her mental capacity so much as to transcend her beyond being human.

Starting on dodgy ground of the ten percent use of brain myth as science fiction the plot does not make a huge amount of sense and does not really go anywhere interesting. I found the film far too short to be proper science fiction and far too silly to take seriously at any point, it also does not help that the protagonist becomes so powerful the action rarely makes sense. Scarlett Johansson no doubt gives the performance Besson was after but spending half the film distracted and not making eye contact was off putting to me.

2/5

Taken too far

Taken 3 (2014)

Directed by Olivier Megaton this film stars Liam Neeson, Forest Whitaker, Famke Janssen, Maggie Grace and Dougracy Scott. Our hero finds himself framed for his wife's murder.

While Taken 2 (2012) was a surprisingly good sequel this is a disappointingly poor one with a plot that takes some really silly turns. It takes far too long for the plot to get going and when it does the few action sequences there are take you completely out of the film by being ridiculous. Poor Forest Whitaker gets brought in for a role which has little to do and seems fairly out of place.

2/5

Cars, girls and the chance of death

Rush (2013)

Directed by Ron Howard this film based on a true story stars Chris Hemsworth, Baniel Bruhl, Alexandra Maria Lara and Olivia Wilde. Two polar opposites clash for the Formula One championship at a time when there was little safety in the sport.

Much like the character of James Hunt plays fast and loose with his life this film plays fast and loose with historical accuracy. There is plenty to enjoy here and there are insightful moments but the script is rarely subtle, often hammering home the obvious. Some of the racing sequences are really nice but it is a shame that the film could not stick closer to the truth instead of being overly simplistic.

3/5

Watch a boy become a man on screen

Boyhood (2014)

Written and directed by Richard Linklater this film stars Ellar Coltraine, Patricia Arquette, Lorelei Linklater and Ethan Hawke. We follow a boy and his family from the age of 6 to 18 as he grows up in Texas with divorced parents.

Beyond anything else this is a unique effort in film making that you have to applaud the commitment of cast and crew to come back year after year over 12 years. Seeing characters really age before you is something that I do not think has ever been achieved with such realism anywhere else.

The plot is as much a tale of growing up as it is a coming of age story and does a really good job of capturing some of those universal moments of childhood. I am a big fan of Linklater and while this is not my favourite of his films it is still really enjoyable. My only complaint is that this might have worked much better as a longer series on television as occasionally the age jumps are fairly big and it's so hard to get 12 years of footage into just under 3 hours.

5/5

Meat is murder

Blood of the Beasts (1949)

Directed by Georges Franju this film is narrated by Georges Hubert and Nicole Ladmiral. This documentary explores a Paris slaughterhouse and the people that work there.

This is a relatively short look at where meat comes from which pulls no punches in terms of showing the blood and all. I did not find this the most interesting or surprising documentary but no doubt the images will shock some. Despite being in black and white some of the sequences involving animals being killed and butchered will be hard viewing for some.

3/5

Nothing makes sense, nothing is tense

As Above, So Below (2014)

Directed by John Erick Dowdle this film stars Perdita Weeks, Ben Fledman, Edwin Hodge and Francois Civil. Seeking to prove her father was not crazy a young archaeologist convinces a group to join her in looking for secrets in the Paris catacombs.

While there might some interesting elements to this film unfortunately they do not knit together, leave too much unexplained and the characters seem like an after thought. What we end up with is a pretty average horror film with a couple of interesting elements but is largely bunk. Making this a found footage film adds nothing really and most of the scares are created by jump editing rather than building out right tension or fear.

2/5

For absolute monarchy and freedom!

The Scarlet Blade (1963)

Written and directed by John Gilling this film stars Lionel Jeffries, Oliver Reed, Jack Hedley and June Thorburn. During the English Civil War King Charles I is captured and his allies try to rescue him with the help of several insiders.

There is not much thought put into this film and some of the ideas of “freedom” involving protecting the divine right of kings does not really make sense. As an action film this is not too bad but there is not a ton of plot to this 83 minute film. The highlight of the film is seeing a young Oliver Reed but the image quality is pretty poor here and it's clear the film was made fairly cheaply.

2/5

Life after love for money

Late Chrysanthemums (1954)

Directed by Mikio Naruse this film stars Haruko Sugimura, Chikako Hosokawa and Yuuko Mochizuki. Middle aged women that used to be geisha struggle with their different situations in life.

Returning to one of this favourite subjects I am not sure that Naruse has as much to say here as some of his other films on sex work but it is still a pretty interesting story. Life after being a sex worker gets little attention so in that regard this is some what unusual. At times it felt like the film dragged a little and it was more a study of contrasts than a deep exploration of it's subject matter but it was still not a bad watch.

3/5

Sounds of life in war

Listen to Britain (1942)

Directed by Humphrey Jennings and Stewart McAllister the film has a foreword spoken by Leonard Brockington. Various clips of Britain during the second world war are put together.

The premise of this film is very simple, a collection of clips that capture the sound and experience of living in Britain at the time. While there is no plot or story there is something charming about the way the film captures a time and place so well, with such variety. Obviously this film was made as propaganda but is as far as possible from being the type that shoves something down your throat which is why it works so well.

4/5

Surprisingly not bad

Playing It Cool (2015)

Directed by Justin Reardon this film stars Chris Evans, Michelle Monaghan, Anthony Mackie, Topher Grace and Aubrey Plaza. A screenwriter that has never been in love is hired to write a rom-com but gets writers block when he meets a woman that could be “the one”.

For a film that went straight to video this is actually surprisingly good. While the film is not especially clever despite it's attempts at being self aware it has funny moments and manages not to be mind numbing like so many entries in it's genre. There is a really good cast and as much as anything they make this film watchable.

3/5

Killing in the name of peace

The Purge: Anarchy (2014)

Written and directed by James DeMonaco this film stars Frank Grillo, Carmen Ejogo, Zach Gilford and Kiele Sanchez. Four innocents find themselves trapped outside during a ritual night when all laws are suspended and their only protection is a man on a mission to kill.

Taking what is a criticism of the right this sequel adds on a familiar level of right wing paranoia with a spoonful of “the government is out to get us” which I am not sure adds much to the setting. Using a larger cast and a more open setting does give the film a different feel to the original but neither adds nor detracts really. There is plenty of violence but again like it's predecessor I do not think this film is as intelligent as it thinks it is.

3/5

Black and white, load of shite

Arnulf Rainer (1960)

Directed by Peter Kubelka this is a short, experimental film. We are exposed to flickering black and white images involving lines, dots and other types of static.

I found nothing in this film, about the only thing you could get from it is a headache or an epileptic fit if you are susceptible to those. There is no plot and to me there is no discernible pattern or reason to the images displayed. No doubt some may find this interesting but I think they will be in the very small minority.

1/5

Allen before Allen

The Seven Year Itch (1955)

Directed by Billy Wilder this film based on the play of the same name stars Tom Ewell and Marilyn Monroe. With his wife and child in the country for the summer a New York businessman struggles to keep clear of his vices while having a Midlife crisis.

This is one of those films that you can easily tell is based on a play and somewhat disappointingly a lot of material was cut to placate film censors. What we do get is a funny and interesting look into the mind of a some what neurotic, sex crazed man long before Woody Allen started making films. There is a lot to enjoy here even if this is not the deepest film ever and there is at least one iconic moment in the film.

4/5

Time travel companions

Safety Not Guaranteed (2012)

Directed by Colin Tervorrow this film stars Aubrey Plaza, Mark Duplass, Jake Johnson and Karan Soni. An disillusioned intern working for a magazine helps a reporter investigated an advert in a paper by someone looking for a time travel companion.

The plot of this film works really well as a metaphor for finding someone to spend time with and has the under running theme of faded dreams. While nothing suggested by the film is especially revolutionary it handles it's subject matter carefully and with a decent amount of personality. This maybe a comedy but I did not find it especially funny, not that that is to the detriment of the film.

3/5

Waiting for a train

The Station Agent (2003)

Written and directed by Thomas McCarthy this film stars Peter Dinklage, Patricia Clarkson, Bobby Cannavale and Michelle Williams. A lonely man with dwarfism inherits a disused train depot and begrudgingly becomes friends with similarly lonely locals.

Despite not being very long this is a sedate and subtle film that is a really interesting exploration of three lonely people. Silence is really used to the maximum in this film and it works very well, something you rarely see used elsewhere. While the film may have been shot on a small budget it rarely shows and this is a solidly made film.

4/5

Outer editing

Outer Space (1999)

Directed by Peter Tscherkassky this film stars Barbara Hershey. At night a woman experiences something strange in a house.

This short film is more an experiment in editing rather than anything else and while there are a couple of really nice moments for large parts I found it unintelligible. I would still recommend giving this film a watch just because it does a few really interesting things along the way. If you want something with a clear plot and story though you are in the wrong place.

3/5

As stupid as it sounds

Zombeavers (2014)

Directed by Jordan Rubin this film stars Rachel Melvin, Corntney Palm, Lexi Atkins and Hutch Dano. Three sorority sisters head up to stay at a cabin by the lake and run into the title monsters.

Starting with a premise fit for a parody unfortunately this film forgets that it needs more than the premise to get by on. There are two or three funny moments but otherwise this plays like a film that is taking it self seriously but without any character or real story. Some of the special effects are pretty low rent and the cast is the usual selection of 30 year olds playing much younger roles.

1/5

Killing people makes you feel better

The Equalizer (2014)

Directed by Antoine Fuqua this film based on the television series of the same name stars Denzel Washington, Marton Csokas, Chloe Grace Moretz and Melissa Leo. A man working in a hardware store befriends a young prostitute then goes to war with the gang that mistreat her.

This film is essentially vigilante violence porn without consequence or cost. While the script is not exactly bad it offers little or no thought to the moral element of the story and hits the usual expected beats. The direction is slick but most of the stylised elements seem to be there just to paper of the fact there is not much really going on with the story.

3/5

Life continues

Mediterranee (1963)

Directed by Jean-Daneil Pollet and Volker Schlondorff this is an experimental French film. We see repeated sequences from the Mediterranean.

This will not be to everyone's taste but I really enjoyed this experimental film that explores the cyclical nature of human life. If you are looking for a plot you have come to the wrong place but I found the use of repeated visuals and voice over really helps emphasise the meaning of the film. There are some nice shots used and the film is skilfully assembled.

5/5

Love, wine and Japanese invasions

Red Sorghum (1987)

Directed by Zhang Yimou this film based on the novel “Red Sorghum Clan” stars Gong Li, Jiang Wen, Ji Chunhua and Teng Rujun. A young woman is forced into an arranged marriage with the an old man that has leprosy and owns a wine distillery.

At times I found the actions of the characters hard to understand in this film and the plot does meander from period to period. The story does always hold your attention though and is not a boring watch. Where the film is at it's strongest is some stunning use of strong colours and outstanding cinematography.

4/5

Genesis of Freaks?

The Unknown (1927)

Directed by Tod Browning this film stars Lon Chaney, Norman Kerry and Joan Crawford. In a Spanish circus a knife thrower with no arms and a strong man compete for the affections of a woman who hates being touched by men.

It is easy to see this as a precursor to Browning's later Freaks (1932) and while this is not as good as the second film it is decent in it's own right despite some shared elements. The plot has a fairly interesting metaphor for romantic seduction in it and the final set piece provides plenty of tension. Being macabre or dark rather than a full out horror film I would not say this is scary but it is well made.

4/5

Nuremberg before Nuremberg

None Shall Escape (1944)

Directed by Andre De Toth this film stars Alexander Knox, Marsha Hunt, Henry Travers and Erik Rolf. After the war a German officer stands trial for his crimes and we learn his path to Nazism via flashback.

This film is notable for being made before the end of the war but predicting the post war events of the Nuremberg trials. Unfortunately the story is not that deep, or even reflects the full horrors of Nazi rule and as a court room drama it is not that compelling either. While the film is fairly well made again the execution is not especially remarkable either.

3/5

War is hell in the jungle

Yesterday's Enemy (1959)

Directed by Val Guest this film stars Stanley Baker, Gordon Jackson, Guy Rolfe and Leo McKern. Durring WW2 in Burma an isolated group of British soldiers retreat through the jungle and their leader is faced with tough choices.

Compared to British war films of the era this is a surprisingly dark and unflinching look at the moral quandaries faced in war. At times the script may not be as subtle as it could be but it is an interesting ethical exploration. Stanley Baker is really good in the lead role but there is the odd hint this is not the highest production film and it was shot on a studio stage.

4/5