Of wolves and red heads

Little Rural Riding Hood (1949)

Directed by Tex Avery this cartoon has voice acting from Colleen Collins, Pinto Colvig and Imogene Lynn. A hillbilly wolf has the hots for a local red head but goes to visit his cousin in the big city after seeing what the girls in the city look like.

This cartoon relies heavily on stereotypes, ones which are probably questionable to modern audiences, but for the most part it is the male characters that are the but of the jokes. Given this is a short film the plot is simple as our the jokes, none of which stand out especially beyond being basic slapstick really. I am not sure why this is so highly rated but it is not a bad watch either.

3/5  

The bar breaks them all eventually

When a Woman Ascends the Stairs (1960)

Directed by Mikio Naruse this film stars Hideko Takamine, Masayuki Mori, Reiko Dan and Tatsuya Nakadai. A widow close to turning 30 works as a hostess in a bar and tries to decide between opening her own bar or finding a husband.

Like many of Naruse's films this is about a woman despite being more mature and level headed than her colleagues still ends up trapped and crushed by her profession. All of the characters are well created and the slow break down of the protagonist is really excellently done. While this is pretty much in the same area as all the other Naruse films I have seen it is still a thoughtful watch.

4/5

Diner debacle

Pawn (2013)

Directed by David A. Armstrong this film stars Sean Faris, Michael Chiklis, Forest Whitaker and Ray Liotta. A car thief just out of prison and trying to go straight finds himself caught up in the middle of a diner robbery gone wrong.

There are plenty of twists and turns along the way in this crime thriller but the film never really becomes more than the sum of it's parts. The character arcs ends up slightly neglected in favour of focusing on plot which is what stops this film being something more. Ultimately this is an enjoyable and fairly well made thriller.

3/5

Yet another evil doll

Annabelle (2014)

Directed by John R. Leonetti this spin-off prequel to The Conjuring (2013) stars Annabelle Wallis, War Horton, Alfre Woodard and Tony Amendola. We learn how a doll becomes evil and menaces a couple that have just had their first child.

It is hard to pin down why but I found this to be a decidedly boring stumble through a number of well travelled genre elements. Perhaps the biggest problem is that we know too much before the story even starts and I am not sure the ending really makes sense. Both the director and cast do their best but ultimately have little to work with thanks to the script.

2/5

Jackass 1914

Kid Auto Races at Venice (1914)

Directed by Henry Lehrman this film makes the screen debut of Charlie Chaplin in the guise of his most famous character. A tramp regularly gets in the way of filming, spectators and competitors at a car race.

This is sort of an early hidden camera prank film but is not really funny and is pretty repetitive. There is no plot just a person getting in the way, compared to Chaplin's feature films this is a real disappointment. I found it hard to get much from this film and while it maybe an important historical landmark it is not that interesting to watch in my opinion.

2/5

No original deed

No Good Deed (2014)

Directed by Sam Miller this film stars Idris Elba, Taraji P. Henson, Leslie Bibb and Kate del Castillo. A man convicted of man slaughter and suspected of several murders escapes from prison and menaces a married won in a her home with her kids.

Nothing about this film is very original or inspired but that is not to say it does much wrong either. The script might not be smart enough to capitalise on the set up however it does not make a mess of things even if it is a bit of a “going through the paces” effort. There is a decent cast so it would have been nice to see a little more from this film, in the end it's a unremarkable genre piece.

3/5

Kids crap

Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day (2014)

Directed by Miguel Arteta this film based on the novel of the same name stars Ed Oxenbould. Steve Carell and Jennifer Garner. A 12 year old boy feels like his more successful family members do not understand him so accidentally uses his birthday wish to give them all a bad day.

Children's films do not have to be simplistic and shovel mind numbing messages down your throat but this one does. “Everything is better when family is there” is neither always true nor really helpful to a lot of kids suffering from serious problem but that is all that is on offer here. There is a good supporting cast but most have little to do in their roles.

2/5

Such things as re-edited dreams are made of

Dream Work (2001)

Directed by Peter Tscherkassky this film is a re-editing of found footage. A woman has a strange dream.

This film is very reminiscent of Maya Deren's Meshes of the Afternoon but more confusing. The plot is not exactly clear but the film does capture the style of a dream and there is one intriguing moment where the character seems to become aware she is in a film. I much preferred this to Tscherkassky's Outer Space (1999).

4/5

Them, in the woods

Honeymoon (2014)

Directed by Leigh Janiak this film stars Rose Leslie, Harry Treadaway, Ben Hauber and Hanna Brown. A young, newly wed couple head to spend their honeymoon in a cabin in the woods where strange things start to happen to the wife.

There is not a huge amount of plot here but this film does a really good job of building up something creepy from small things. While there might not be anything deeper to the film it delivers on what it is but the lack of explanations may stop it being something more. It is the direction that really makes this film building up tension and scares based on very simple, low budget ideas.

4/5

The slow creep of death

Amour (2012)

Written and directed by Michael Haneke this film stars Jean-Louis Trintignant, Emmanuelle Riva and Isabelle Huppert. An old man struggles to care for his wife as her health deteriorates after a stroke.

You could almost see this as a documentary such is the realist approach to telling the story of age and despair. There is no melodrama or cliché here, just a cold look at the struggle of the elderly and the way others treat them. I really enjoyed the performances, especially of Emmanuelle Riva who is outstanding as the increasingly disabled wife.

5/5

Rage inducing

Rage (2014)

Directed by Paco Cabezas this film stars Nicolas Cage, Rachel Nichols, Peter Stormare and Danny Glover. The daughter of a retired criminal, now a successful business man, is kidnapped.

If you were being generous you could say this was a poor knock off of Taken (2008) but it is not even that really. The story degenerates into thoughtless revenge porn that does not even get close to morally ambiguous leaving the protagonist completely unsympathetic. Even for some of the stuff Nicolas Cage has put out this is pretty weak and predictable, there is not even any style or personality to save this film.

2/5

In the beginning

Prelude: Dog Star Man (1961)

Directed by Stan Brakhage this is an experimental short film. We see a montage of images, colours and sounds as birth or creation is explored.

I much preferred this to the other Brakhage film I have seen, Mothlight (1963) and this film calls to mind parts of Malick's The Tree of Life (2011). The film does a good job of building to a clear theme or meaning which sometimes escapes the more experimental work in my opinion. While this style of film is not for everyone I found this to be one of the more accessible genre entries.

4/5

Dracula failed

Dracula Untold (2014)

Directed by Gary Shore this film stars Luke Evans, Sarah Gadon, Dominic Cooper, Art Parkinson and Charles Dance. Vlad the Impaler, now a prince after years of fighting for the Ottomans is forced to use dark powers to save his people from his former masters.

There is a really good idea for a story here but unfortunately the execution does not live up to it. Not enough time is spent on the protagonist giving up or struggling against the darkness before making his pact to save his land to for the character arc to work. Charles Dance is also wasted in a part that should have been much larger playing up the Faust style elements of the plot which would have greatly enhanced the failed character arc.

2/5

Looking for a way out

The Skeleton Twins (2014)

Directed by Craig Johnson this film stars Bill Hader, Kristen Wiig, Luke Wilson and Ty Burrell. A woman's suicide attempt is interrupted by a phone call from a hospital about her estranged brother's failed suicide attempt.

This film does a great job of mixing comedy and good drama in a tale about two people struggling with personal problems. The serious subject matter is dealt with intelligently and without melodrama but the script is not afraid to make it's characters human with humour. I enjoyed the performances from the leads especially and while the final scene is about the only cliché in the film it does not take too much off the rest of it.

4/5

Africa abused

Unsere Afrikareise (1966)

Directed by Peter Kubelka this is an avant-garde documentary with the English title “Our trip to Africa”. A group of European hunters travel through an unspecified part of Africa.

Thanks to the skilful editing it quickly becomes clear that the point of this film is to highlight the ways Africa and it's people are taken advantage of by wealthy Europeans. There are many images that are not pleasant viewing, especially those involving hunting. My only criticism would be that even at 12 minutes the film is too long, at 4 minutes in the point of the piece is well made and the rest seems unnecessary.

4/5

Voyage into darkness

Chained (2012)

Directed by Jennifer Lynch this film stars Vincent D'Onofrio, Eamon Farren, Evan Bird and Julia Ormond. A 9 year boy and his mother are kidnapped by a serial killer who raises the boy after killing the mother.

For most of this film it is a tense, dark look at the character of a serial killer without focusing on the usual torture porn. Unfortunately the ending twist seems deeply unnecessary and takes the shine off what was an interesting character study till that point. Vincent D'Onofrio is excellent as the menacing serial killer as you would expect.

3/5

Chinese love triangle

Spring in a Small Town (1948)

Directed by Fei Mu this film stars Wei Wei, Zhang Hongmei and Li Wei. A married couples relationship is put under strain when an old friend of the husband who is also an old flame of the wives visits.

While it is refreshing that there is no “bad” person in the story and all characters get their emotions dealt with fairly this is still a pretty basic story. There is not much going on beyond exploring a love triangle. In the early parts of the film especially it seems like there was a lot of unnecessary narration but other wise this is a well made film but did not live up to it's reputation for me.

3/5

Stupid and offensive

Grace of Monaco (2014)

Directed by Olivier Dahan this film based on real events stars Nicole Kidman, Tim Roth, Frank Langella and Derek Jacobi. In 1962 former film star Grace Kelly struggles to live with her role as princess to a country in crisis.

Nothing here is much good from a suspect, overly simplistic script to a complete re-writing of history. The tale of a Hollywood actress attempting to fit in with the politics of European aristocracy provides a decent culture clash basis for a film but this film is on a trip to fantasy land. At times it becomes hard to find any empathy with a story that is essentially a monarchy dictatorship trying to profit off a bunch of tax dodgers.

1/5

The musical mouse menace

The Cat Concerto (1947)

Directed by William Hanna and Joseph Barbera this is an animated short film staring Tom and Jerry. A cat is set to perform to a piano concert to a large audience but disturbs the mouse sleeping in the piano.

This is a classic example of slapstick comedy done to perfection in the world of animation. There may not be a lot in the way of story but this is an entertaining film that will more than amuse viewers of all ages. Despite it's age the animation of this film holds up really well.

4/5

Texas teen troubles

Retribution (2014)

Written and directed by Kat Candler this film also known as “Hellion” stars Aaron Paul, Juliette Lewis and Josh Wiggins. A widower struggles to raise his trouble making 13 year old son and better behaved 10 year old son.

This is a fairly simple story but it really gets you in the head space of the characters and creates a lot of empathy for them. I like that the film does not become melodramatic, give in to cliché or try to shovel a message down your throat. What I did dislike about the film was that some of the close up, wobbly camera work was completely unnecessary and annoying.

3/5

Allen's usual trick

Magic in the Moonlight (2014)

Written and directed by Woody Allen this film stars Colin Firth, Emma Stone, Hamish Linklater and Eileen Atkins. In the 1920s a cynical stage magician is brought in to debunk a mystic holding sway over a rich family.

While a lot of this film has much in common with many of Woody Allen's film it has a different spin on things and a slight charm of it's own. I did manage to guess the outcome fairly early in but it was still an enjoyable watch as long as the usual Woody Allen romantic relationship does not bother you. Colin Firth steals the show as the protagonist and a lot of the charm of the film comes from his role.

4/5

Dreams of memories

Tale of Tales (1979)

Directed by Yuriy Norshteyn this animated film has narration from Alexander Kalyagin. A series of vignettes from rural Russia are shown.

Rather than a clear narrative this is a dream like wandering through a series of short memories or imaginings. There are repeated themes and ideas but they are buried a little deep for my liking meaning it can be a little hard to get into this film. The animation is nice and certainly has it's moments with a style that reflects the rustic nature of some of the images it shows.

4/5

Not Bond

Tank Force (1958)

Directed by Terence Young this film also known as “No Time to Die” stars Victor Mature, Leo Genn, Bonar Colleano and Anthony Newley. In North Africa a diverse group of POWs including an American volunteer, a Pole, two Brits and an Australian escape from captivity.

About the most interesting thing about this film is that it involves so many of the behind the scenes people as the early James Bond films but this film is no where near that standard. The plot is fairly simplistic at best and while it delivers on the required action sequences there is not much more to it. I have never been a fan of Victor Mature and there are no surprises with his acting here but he does not ruin the film either.

3/5

Hating the rich as much as you think they hate the poor

The Riot Club (2014)

Directed by Lone Scherfig this film based on the play “Posh” stars Sam Claflin, Max Irons, Douglas Booth and Holliday Grainger. Two upper class young men start degrees at Oxford University and join a club famous for it's debauched dining events.

This is a thinly veiled look at the real life Bullingdon Club and an even more thinly veiled suggestion that rich people, the Tories in particular, just hate poor people. About as hateful as some of the characters it depicts the script never shows what our more sympathetic protagonist sees in the club or offers any kind of insights. While this is not a badly made film it's just hard to find any enjoyment in it's subject matter.

2/5

You can't fight time

Liberal Arts (2012)

Written, directed by and staring Josh Radnor this film also features Elizabeth Olsen, Richard Jenkins and Alison Janney. A man in his thirties returns to his old college to visit a retiring professor and embarks on a relationship with a 19 year old student.

None of this is new ground and at times the plot is a little too obviously constructed but there is a certain charm to proceedings that carries the film. If you want something original about nostalgia for youth and older men dating younger women when it's not a good idea you should look elsewhere but for what this is this is a pretty decent film. Somewhat amazingly Radnor manages to throw off his annoying sitcom persona to be somewhat more considered if a little pretentious here.

3/5

47 knights

Last Knights (2015)

Directed by Kazuaki Kiriya this film stars Clive Owen, Morgan Freeman, Cliff Curtis and Aksel Hennie. After the execution of their lord a group of knights seek revenge against the corrupt minister that cost them everything.

Essentially this is the legend of the 47 Ronin transplanted to a faux Byzantine style setting and in most regards it works pretty well. While there is not much original here and the film is a little long in the set up it is a serviceable action film with some vague ideas about honour and duty. For some reason the colour correction is pretty flat or muted through out which is an odd choice as it subtracts from the visuals in my opinion.

3/5

Giving up the sword

The Warrior (2001)

Directed by Asif Kapadia this film stars Irrfan Khan, Noor Mani, Puru Chibber and Aino Annuddin. In feudal Rajasthan a warrior has a spiritual experience while taking part in a massacre and decides to give up working for his lord as a killer.

This is a very simple tale told in a minimalist style but it always holds your attention. While this may not be the deepest or most complicated story it captures that feel of the mythical past. The direction is really good, being confident enough to rely on the images rather than dialogue to tell the story and capturing some really nice landscape shots.

4/5

Tanks for the memories

Fury (2014)

Written and directed by David Ayer this film stars Brad Pitt, Shia LaBeouf, Logan Lerman and Michael Pena. April 1945, a young army typist is sent to be a replacement crew member for a tank fighting in Germany.

Not a lot is especially new or original about the story here but it navigates through a number of familiar elements with out going too far into cliché or melodrama. While the combat scenes are really gripping and certainly put you inside the tank the story does not have much in the way of thematic depth. Where the film is strongest is in the realism it brings to the action sequences even if the final battle goes a little beyond the believable.

4/5

The ups and downs of piano delivery

The Music Box (1932)

Directed by James Parrott this film stars Stan Laurel and Oliver Hardy. Two bungling delivery men attempt to take a piano up a large flight of stairs and into a house.

There is not a huge amount in the way of plot here but there is plenty of slapstick comedy. It might not be the most sophisticated film you are going to see but there are certainly moments to enjoy. One of two of the supporting performances are a bit ham fisted but this is still not a bad watch for what it is.

3/5

Running low on ideas

Fast Girls (2012)

Directed by Regan Hall this film stars Lenora Crichlow, Lily James, Noel Clarke and Rupert Graves. A young woman from a disadvantaged background qualifies for the national relay team but falls out with a posh girl on the team.

No cliché is over looked on this whistle stop tour of simplistic sports film ideas in what is essentially a promotional film for the London 2012 Olympics. There is nothing subtle of clever about this film which is a bit of a disappointment really. Not much stands out in the execution of the film, some of the cast do their best but they have little to work with.

2/5

Fears in the fog

The Squad (2011)

Directed by Jaime Osorio Marquez this film stars Juan David Restrepo, Andres Castaneda and Mauricio Navas. A squad of soldiers in Colombia is sent to a remote mountain base to find out why they have ceased making contact with the outside world.

While this is a horror film it would be best described as slow burning, eerie and paranoid rather than out and out scary. I love the way the film uses so much ambiguity that you never really are sure what is going on and the claustrophobic location works really well. This may not be the deepest or fastest paced horror film you will see but I found it to be a good watch that really captures the psychological break down of it's characters.

4/5