No need to look closer

Grandma's Reading Glass (1900)

Directed by George Albert Smith (although there are some theories on other attributions) this is a short, silent film. A young boy uses his grandma's magnifying glass to look at various things.

There is not much of a plot to this short film, it is essentially just over a minute of a boy using the magnifying glass on a random selection of things. Historically this film may be important for being the first use of cutting to close-up point of view shots but that is really all it is. This is little more than an early film making experiment in technique.

2/5

Confusion wins the day

Child 44 (2015)

Directed by Daniel Espinosa this film based on the novel of the same name stars Tom Hardy, Gary Oldman, Noomi Rapace and Joel Kinnaman. In 1950s Soviet Russia an MGB officer falls foul of the machinations of his co-workers and tries to solve a series of child murders when there are officially no murderers in Soviet Russia.

This ends up being an average film that is never sure if it is telling a murder mystery or exploring the depths of living in a paranoid, repressive state. No element of this film is ever fully fleshed out and it kind of plods along just about well enough. Tom Hardy does a decent jump in the lead role but the script does not really do him many favours.

3/5

Basic midlife crisis

This is Where I Leave You (2014)

Directed by Shawn Levy this film based on the novel of the same name stars Jason Bateman, Tina Tey, Adam Driver, Corey Stoll and Jane Fonda. After finding his wife cheating on him with his boss a man returns home to his fathers funeral with his three siblings.

Not a lot is surprising or original about this film, it's a fairly standard genre piece that plods through some predictable beats that are all telegraphed well in advance. What the film does have going for it is a great cast that at least give the film some charm which helps carry it. It is a big of a shame such a good cast is wasted on an average film but this film still has it's moments that will give the odd laugh.

3/5

In the beginning there was the pen

A Brief History (1956)

Directed by Ion Popescu-Gopo this is an animated short film. The entire of human history is fit into a 3 minute film, from big bang to launching a man into space.

This is a fairly simplistic but entertaining short that has a hint of the comical about it. Taking some very complex concepts and putting them into such a simple film is pretty impressive but possibly not as remarkable or breathtaking as it could be. The animation style is not really worth talking about and might seem a little weak compared to some modern efforts but it does the job well.

3/5

All the names, no quality

Badman's Country (1958)

Directed by Fred F. Sears this film stars George Montgomery, Neville Brand, Buster Crabbe and Karin Booth. Pat Garrett goes off to get married and give up being a law man but Butch Cassidy's wild bunch happen to plan a robbery in the same area.

Despite being filled with characters that are legends of the old west this film has no historical basis and is pretty much just trading on the famous names of it's characters. The plot is very basic, standard genre fare and the characters have little personality going for them. Nothing stands out about the cast either which is filled out with C list actors.

2/5

And the beat goes on

Drum Beat (1954)

Written and directed by Delmer Daves this film stars Alan Ladd, Audrey Dalton, Marisa Pavan and Charles Bronson. In 1872 a well known Indian fighter is sent to make peace between Modoc renegades and settlers.

Edging towards a sympathetic portrayal of Native Americans this film does not get there completely as the antagonist lacks realistic motivation but does show many positive Native American characters. Historical events are fudged, somewhat disappointingly in some areas, but this is still a fairly decent genre piece. It is nice to see Charles Bronson in an early role and alongside an actor like Alan Ladd.

2/5

Sights of shite

2047: Sights of Death (2014)

Directed by Alessandro Capone this film stars Stephen Baldwin, Danny Glover, Daryl Hannah, Michael Madsen, Rutger Hauer and Neva Leoni. A military officer working against a corrupt world government is sent into a radioactive city to find a crashed satellite.

It is hard to say if the script of the acting is worse here. Absolutely nothing makes any sense when it comes to the plot and the dialogue is often beyond terrible. What left me scratching my head the most was how this cast ended up in such a terrible film giving awful performances like this.

1/5

Dark dance of disappointment

Adebar (1957)

Directed by Peter Kubelka this is a short, experimental film. Various people dance in silhouette.

There maybe something very regimented about the construction of this film but to be honest it slips passed unnoticed to me. What we get is a bunch of dancing silhouettes seemingly without any rhyme or reason. It may be that Kubelka is just not for me but I found it hard get anything out of this short.

2/5  

Hi Friend

Ouija (2014)

Directed by Stiles White this film stars Olivia Cooke, Ana Coto, Daren Kagasoff and Douglas Smith. Attractive high school students play with a Ouija board, what could possibly go wrong?

There is nothing original or interesting about this horror film as it limps through a bunch of the usual cliches while it sticks rigidly to familiar script writing formulas. Character seems to have been something that completely passed the film makers by as not a single personality sticks out on the screen. I suppose the performances and direction is too bad but this was a lost cause before we even got to those.

2/5

Something special in the BBQ

The Texas Chain Saw Massacre (1974)

Directed by Tobe Hooper this film stars Marilyn Burns, Paul A. Partain, Edwin Neal and Jim Siedow. Five young people head through rural Texas and find a gruesome end to their journey.

At the time this film caused a storm and while it may not be as explicit as some modern film it is still very unsettling thanks to the content. There are hints at something more going on with the story as well with themes of animal rights and the effect of changing landscape of American industry on rural families. Some slick camera moves certainly help, some of the acting is not always amazing but it is easy to see why this film had a huge impact on the genre.

4/5

Magic with a camera

The One-Man Band (1900)

Directed by and staring Georges Melies this is an early short film. Using magic a man replicates himself until there are enough copies for a band.

Despite being very simple in content this is a nice early use of special effects to create a nice camera trick. There isn't much plot but it is impossible not to be impressed by the use of multiple exposures to get the desired effect here. If you have seen the film Hugo (2011) then this is exactly the sort of thing you expect from Melies.

4/5

All at sea waiting to go to sea

I Know Where I'm Going! (1945)

Directed by Michael Powell and Emeric Pressburger this film stars Wendy Hiller and Roger Livesey. A young woman travels from Manchester to a remote Scottish island to marry a rich man but bad weather delays her journey.

This is a fairly simple romantic film with a basic moral behind it that does raise eyebrows slightly when it implies aristocratic “poverty” is better than new money riches. What the film does best is use the back drop of the Western Scotland to create an evocative location to tell it's story against. As with any Powell & Pressburger film there are some nice cinematic touches, especially in the editing of the early parts of the film and the main action sequence.

4/5

Hell to watch

Hell Commandos (1969)

Directed by Jose Luis Merino this Spanish-Italian co-production stars Guy Madison, Raffaella Carra, Stelvio Rosi and Piero Lulli. A group of US marines caught behind enemy lines accidentally wipe out a team of Allied commandos and have to fulfil their mission to stop the Germans getting a biological weapon.

The script for this film is terrible, not only is it stupid but it is both misogynistic and homophobic. At times events barely make sense and the dialogue leaves a lot to be desired. There is also a really cheap feel to the film with plenty of stock footage appearing and the same scene used twice consecutively thanks an editing mistake.

0/5

Floating in Japan

Floating Clouds (1955)

Directed by Mikio Naruse this film based on the novel of the same name stars Hideko Takamine and Masayuki Moir. A young woman returns to Japan after WW2 trying to reconnect with the married man she had an affair with in French Indochina during the war.

This is a tragic tale of an on/off relationship between two people as they struggle in the conditions of post war Japan. Occasionally the plot is slightly melodramatic and the characters unsympathetic but the portrayal of post war Japan is excellent. There is plenty to enjoy even if like me you struggle to see what the protagonist sees in the womanising man she loves.

4/5

Uphill

Sisyphus (1974)

Directed by Marcell Jankovics this short animated film is based on a Greek myth of the same name. A man is compelled to push a large boulder up a slope.

There is a really great minimalistic art style about this animation that works nicely and the sound is an excellent addition. As you might expect with the 2 minute run time this is a very simple effort without much to the story. This is not a bad diversion but has no real depth.

3/5

Connections without connecting

Men, Women & Children (2014)

Directed by Jason Reitman this film based on the novel of the same name stars Rosemarie DeWitt, Jennifer Garner, Adam Sandler, Ansel Elgort and many others. Teenagers and their parents in Texas fail to connect over modern technology and sex.

Unlike a lot of people I liked this film, it's not the perfect exploration of it's subject matter but it puts on screen a lot of things that are rarely captured or talked about. More time with each story would have helped but the film manages to keep a fairly even handed approach showing both the positives and negatives of technological communication these days. It really helps that there is a great cast and while the film does push into pretentious territory a little I still found it a good watch.

4/5

Puzzling

The Maze Runner (2014)

Directed by Wes Ball this film based on the novel of the same name stars Dylan O'Brien, Kaya Scodelario, Thomas Brodie-Sangster and Ki Hong Lee. A group of amnesiac young men live in the centre of a maze from which they are unable to escape.

There is a ton of promise in the set up of this film but I do not think it ever lives up to it's potential as it focuses more on the action than the society the boys develop. At times the characters are obtuse for the sack of keeping things “mysterious”, there are some cliché moments, some parts seem forced and not all the characters are really deep enough. I found the final confrontation particularly silly. Most of the performances are good and the world constructed really well so it is a shame that this film falls so flat.

2/5

Shorter than it's stars

The Sick Kitten (1903)

Directed by George Albert Smith this is a short film that maybe a remake of his own earlier The Little Doctor (1901) which is now lost. Two children give a kitten medicine.

As you might expect with a film lasting less than a minute there is not a huge amount going on here. About the only thing the film is notable for is that it might be one of the first to cut to a close up but that's about it. In the end I found this to be pretty average and something you will find in millions of home videos these days.

3/5

White people disaster problems

The Impossible (2012)

Directed by J. A. Bayona this film based on a true story stars Naomi Watts, Ewan McGregor and Tom Holland. A couple and their three young sons are caught up in the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami while on holiday in Thailand.

I am slightly conflicted about this film as it does a great job of being realistic in the disaster scenes as well as showing some of the scope of the devastation. There are some accusations of white washing about this film and I do think it has a case to answer as this is pretty much the story of affluent tourists who all survive. Local characters are mostly over looked and the fact that the film ends with the family flying away while so many are left behind in terrible conditions does not seem right. The performances of the cast are really good as is the direction but the film ends up lacking any real weight.

3/5

Never been thought out properly

Never Been Kissed (1999)

Directed by Raja Gosnell this film stars Drew Barrymore, David Arquette, Michael Vartan and Molly Shannon. A woman that had a terrible time in high school and has never been in love is sent undercover as a reporter to relive high school.

The premise of this film is pretty good but unfortunately the script is pretty turgid, barley going through the motions before serving up a disgustingly cheesy ending. Through out the film the protagonist is pretty much a passenger to events and there does not to be a single mature character in the whole story. Probably the only interesting thing is seeing so many young up and coming actors in supporting roles like James Franco and Jessica Alba.

2/5

How to start a dance craze

Damsels in Distress (2012)

Written and directed by Whit Stillman this film stars Greta Gerwin, Analeigh Tipton, Carrie MacLemore and Megalyn Echikunwoke. A student transferring to a new college falls in with a strange group of girls that run the campus suicide prevention centre.

Off beat is probably the best description of this comedy which is a charming little film like nothing else out there really. While the narrative might not be as strong as it could be this is a good parody of college life and the views of young people. I really enjoyed the performances and even if the film is not laugh out loud funny through out it is suitably whacky in places.

4/5

Fox and Crow in a tale you know

Robin Hoodlum (1948)

Directed by John Hubley this short animation is very loosely inspired by the tale of Robin Hood. The King fires his Sheriff and brings in a new one to hunt down Robin Hood.

This is a very quick retelling of a comical version of the well known tale and offers few surprises in that regard. There are a few slapstick jokes but nothing much worth mentioning. While the animation may not be up to the standard of some of the bigger studios again it's nothing to really complain about.

3/5

Invasion of the spider body snatchers?

Enemy (2013)

Directed by Denis Villeneuve this film inspired by the novel The Double by Jose Saramago stars Jake Gyllenhaal, Melanie Laurent and Sarah Gadon. A history professor discovers there is an actor that looks exactly like him and becomes obsessed with meeting him.

Leaving behind a web of confusion this film offers little in the way of explanation leaving you scratching your head which is good or bad depending on what you like. Interpreting this slow burning, Kafka style film might not even be possible but it is certainly interesting and unnerving to say the least. The performance from Gyllenhaal is really good and you will find yourself asking plenty of questions after seeing this film.

5/5

Tony Stark becomes a lawyer

The Judge (2014)

Directed by David Dobkin this film stars Robert Downey, Jr., Robert Duvall, Vera Farmiga, Billy Bob Thorton and Vincent D'Onofrio. A slick city lawyer that uses all the tricks of the trade returns to his home town and has to defend his father, a judge who hates his son's smarmy ways.

You can pretty much guess the entire plot of this film just from the premise and while it never becomes a total cheese-fest there are plenty of times it threatens. All the usual plot points are hit in a story that does not offer much in the way of originality nor does it have much to say. What carries the film is it's two main performances and the feeling that this might be a personal story for it's star.

3/5

Playing with lights

Luxo Jr. (1986)

Directed by John Lasseter this is a short film that served as proof of concept for CGI and helped launch Pixar. A lamp watches a smaller lamp play with a bouncy ball.

This short is everything Pixar does best from the animation to telling a simple but clear story with a heart to it. It is really impressive how so much is done with so little to convey a human story with two electrical lamps and a ball. At the time the animation was ground breaking and holds up today.

5/5

Almost a Woody Allen film

Fading Gigolo (2013)

Directed, written by and staring John Turturro this film also features Woody Allen, Sahron Stone, Sofia Vergara and Vanessa Paradis. A failed used book store owner helps his friend become a gigolo.

This is a fairly gentle comedy that is neither overly funny or serious. The plot manages to bring in the odd element of farce while maintaining a sensitive undercurrent that blends together well. Seeing Woody Allen performing in someone else's film is rare but the part here is right in his wheel house and this could easily be a Woody Allen film.

3/5

When Anne Rice invented vampires

Interview with the Vampire (1994)

Directed by Neil Jordan this film based on the novel of the same name stars Tom Cruise, Brad Pitt, Kirsten Dunst and Antonio Banderas. Following the death of his wife in child birth in 1791 the owner of a plantation is given immortality by a vampire.

Exploring the world of vampires and immortality what we get is a fairly decent film that often threatens to be something more but never quite gets there. The world is dripping with sexuality, ideas of good and evil as well as addiction but fails to give a full exploration of them. Lots of the film is really well directed and it is excellently cast.

4/5

Love and Moors

The Castilian (1963)

Directed by Javier Seto this film based on historical events stars Espartaco Santoni, Tere Velazquez, Ceasar Romero and Broderick Crawford. Following his brother's death a nobleman becomes Count of Castile and seeks to free his lands from the Moors.

It seems actual history goes out the window in favour of a simple romantic plot with a bunch of battles and ideas about freedom via dictatorship of a noble. The plot is not too bad really but if you want anything accurate to history or with any depth this is the wrong place to look. Most of the execution of the film is fairly cheap and the dubbing is pretty dire at times.

1/5

The viewer is waiting

America is Waiting (1981)

Directed by Bruce Conner this film has music by Brian Eno and David Byrne. Stock footage is edited together to create a music video.

Essentially this is a jumble of images mashed together to comment on American culture. I found the film to be a bit much of an info dump to get much from the juxtaposition of cross cut elements. This is not a bad watch but I did not get much from it either.

3/5

Heroes in a half baked script

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (2014)

Directed by Jonathan Liebesman this film based on the comic of the same name stars Megan Fox, Will Arnett and William Fichtner. A young television news reporter investigates a vigilante fighting back against the criminal gang menacing the city.

There are a lot of things this film is not but given what it is it was always going to be unrealistic to expect more. While the lack of character arc for anyone or thematic depth is kind of expected the film does not have as much humour/charm/character to really carry it. The CGI mixes well with the live action performances and the film is pretty fun even if the action sequences are directed a little annoyingly at times.

2/5

Trial by media

Gone Girl (2014)

Directed by David Fincher this film based on the novel of the same name stars Ben Affleck, Rosamund Pike, Carrie Coon, Kim Dickens and Tyler Perry. A man returns home on his anniversary to find his wife missing.

The plot of this film goes in ways that could easily be ridiculous but the writing and direction are both so good that you are gripped all the way through. I loved the way the plot looks at the role of the media and our assumptions about these missing persons cases. Both the leads are excellent and the film is perfect Fincher subject matter.

5/5