Love and forbidden marriage

Loving (2016)

Written & directed by Jeff Nichols this film based on a true story stars Joel Edgerton and Ruth Negga. A couple living in Virginia in 1958 fall foul of the State's anti-miscegenation laws when they marry.

Unlike many civil rights stories this film focuses much more on the personal and family life rather than being a court room drama. I enjoyed the personal touch of this film and it tells a much more intimate story than some of it's peers. The performances are good and the direction low key, which lets the story unfold naturally.

4/5

Classic Crimbo

The Night Before Christmas (1905)

Directed by Edwin S. Porter this film is based on the poem “Twas the Night Before Christmas” by Clement Clarke Moore. We see Santa Claus prepare for Christmas then visit a family.

Taking a classic poem and combining it with early special effects this is a charming little short film. Nostalgia and general Christmas goodness all come together here to produce an entertaining little film. It may seem a little rudimentary compared to modern film but in my opinion this film holds up well.

4/5  

Writing by numbers

Flying Blind (2013)

Directed by Katarzyna Klimkiewicz this film stars Helen McCrory, Najib Oudghiri and Kenneth Cranham. A middle aged woman working for the military as an aerospace engineer begins a relationship with a young man from Algeria.

This is a fairly bland erotic thriller that goes through the motions. Nothing is very new here and there is minimal tension as the plot unfolds, really the film needed to be a bit longer. The performances are decent enough but the script needs more work to really carry off the concept.

2/5

The Rumfather

Live by Night (2016)

Directed by star Ben Affleck this film based on the novel of the same name also features Zoe Saldana, Chris Messina, Elle Fanning and Chris Cooper. A man from Boston becomes involved with the Italian mob selling rum in the Depression era.

Taking a familiar tack of using organised crime to critique the American experience there is not a lot that is new here. At times the film feels heavy handed and somewhat trudges through familiar genre elements. There is a really impressive case but it does feel like a bit of a waste at times.

3/5

Whitman & Manhattan

Manhatta (1921)

Directed by Charles Sheeler and Paul Strand this documentary has intertitles containing the writings of Walt Whitman. We see Manhattan in a selection of different shots.

Very much in the genre of the early city documentaries this is a good look at Manhattan of the period. The film captures daily life and is certainly a love letter to it's setting. Enjoyable to watch it is easy to see why this has been preserved as a historical record.

4/5

The death of entertainment

Cemetery of Splendour (2015)

Directed by Apichatpong Weerasethakul this film stars Jenjira Pongpas, Banlop Lomnoi and Jarinpattra Rueangram. A woman volunteers at a small, rural hospital that is treating soldiers with a strange sleeping sickness.

I will be honest that the subtext of this film completely passed me by, supposedly the film is a metaphor for Thai societal issues but that alluded me. The film is also very slow and at times feels like it is padded out empty moments. While this film may have had a lot of critical acclaim I found it boring and impenetrable.

2/5

Magic cars and crime

The '?' Motorist (1906)

Directed by Walter R. Booth this is the final film the director made with producer Robert W. Paul. A magic car causes mayhem and goes on a bizarre adventure.

Putting together a bunch of trick photography this is a fairly fun film but without much a of a story behind it. Maybe not as charming as a Melies film this is still a decent watch. For the period this is a good film but the lack of narrative does harm it's staying power.

3/5

Basic magic

The Waif and the Wizard (1901)

Directed by Walter R. Booth this is an early short film. After a boy helps a wizard with his show the wizard goes home with the boy.

There is nothing really to the plot here and essentially it is a flimsy excuse for some trick photography. The special effects are fine but unremarkable for the period. Essentially this is a one trick film which is fine but not really impressive.

3/5

Dancing around

The Joy of Life (1934)

Directed by Anthony Gross and Hector Hoppin this cartoon has music from Tibor Harsanyi. Two women dance about, one loses a show and a young man tries to return it.

Simplistic in content this is a fairly good watch with it style of flowing movement keeping your attention. While there is not a huge amount to the lot this is still an enjoyable watch. The animation style is something different to the usual which is what makes this film stand out.

3/5

Something new, lots of old

In Our Name (2010)

Directed by Brian Welsh this film stars Joanne Froggatt, Mel Raido, Andrew Knott and Chloe Jayne Wilkinson. After returning from serving in Iraq a woman struggles to adapt to normal life causing problems in her relationship with her husband and daughter.

Coming home dramas are fairly common but this one is pretty unique in having a female protagonist. Unfortunately that is about as unique as this film gets, it hits a lot of familiar elements and does not really offer a new spin on things. Joanne Froggatt does her best but the material is a bit of a let down.

3/5

Why this film?

Why Him? (2016)

Directed by John Hamburg this film stars Bryan Cranston, James Franco, Zoey Deutch and Megan Mullally. A family fly out to spend Christmas with the daughter's new boyfriend who is very eccentric.

Taking a good cast and grafting it on to a generic plot this film is a wasted opportunity through out. The occasionally funny moments are not enough to sustain this predictable effort. More lazy than anything else it's a shame about the potential wasted here.

2/5

No smile

Disappearing Music for Face (1966)

Directed by Shieko Shiomi this is an experimental short film. We see a face slowly change expression.

Essentially this is 10 minutes of a smile slowly dropping. Maybe I am not the right person for experimental cinema but I found this short to be pretty boring. There is little of entertainment here and I found watching this film more of a chore than anything else.

2/5

The snake in the grass

Lolo (2015)

Directed by co-writer and star Julie Delpy this film also features Dany Boon, Vince Lacoste and Karin Viard. A Parisian woman in her 40s has her new relationship with a computer programmer sabotaged by her adult son.

Familiar but well made this is a pretty simple romantic comedy that does not offer a huge amount of originality. There are some funny moments along the way but this is not really a film that will keep you constantly laughing. I enjoyed the film and the performance, especially from Vincent Lacoste who does a good job as the devilish adult son.

3/5

Not much for sale

The Escorts (2016)

Directed by Lisa Addario & Joe Syracuse this film also known as “Amateur Night” stars Jason Biggs, Jenny Mollen, Janet Montgomery and Ashley Tisdale. An expectant father unable to find work in his chosen field takes a job driving for escorts to keep up his wife's medical insurance.

Supposedly a sex comedy this film is not especially funny and the plot not very deep. There are times when it becomes very hard to like some of the characters and the story has little of depth to say. Janet Montgomery is about the only decent thing in this film which is otherwise pretty bland.

2/5

The barriers we build

Fences (2016)

Directed by star Denzel Washington this film based on the play of the same name also features Viola Davies, Stephen Henderson and Jovan Adepo. A 53 year old man struggles to provide for his family and find his place in the world during the 1950s.

This is an excellent look at the struggles facing African-Americans during the 1950s as well as the problems that face the working class in general. Dialogue is king here and the rapid fire exchanges between characters are excellent. For the most part the direction stays out of the way and lets the flawed characters shine through, only the final moment is a little heavy handed for my tastes.

4/5

More than expected

Coal Face (1935)

Directed by Alberto Cavalcanti this documentary his narration from poet W.H. Auden. We see the conditions and lives of men working in coal mines in England.

Starting out as your typical government information documentary of the period this film takes a somewhat interesting turn as it shines a light on the dangers of the industry. I was expecting something much more one dimensional than how the final documentary turns out. Well made but not especially remarkable this is a decent piece.

3/5

Not cleverly

Everly (2014)

Directed by Joe Lynch this film stars Salma Hayek, Akie Kotabe, Laura Cepeda and Gabriella Wright. A woman that has been kept four years as the personal prostitute for a crime boss has to fight for her life when it is discovered she tried to turn informant.

The plot of this film is paper thin and is essentially just a number of action sequences. Part of the the problem is that the film never really wants to commit one way or the other on being serious or funny so is not really enough of either and ends up fairly bland. I suppose the action sequences are entertaining enough but there are times when the film strays close to being torture porn.

3/5

No surprises

Split (2016)

Written & directed by M. Night Shyamalan this film stars James McAvoy, Anya Taylor-Joy and Betty Buckley. A man with multiple personality disorder kidnaps three teenage girls and holds them hostage awaiting the arrival of “the beast”.

There are plenty of films about dissociative identity disorder knocking about and like many of them this film uses it as a crutch. Hardly revolutionary in any aspect this is still a decent, if unremarkable genre effort that has a few nice touches that are unfortunately not properly expanded on. James McAvoy gets to show off his range but otherwise there is not a lot to comment on.

3/5

A city awakes

A Bronx Morning (1931)

Directed by Jay Leyda this is a short film. We see the Bronx in New York as it comes to life in the morning.

Not entirely original this is still a solid example of the city scape genre or “city symphony”. Fitting in well with other genre examples this film is not Man with a Movie Camera (1929), lacking some of the more playful elements of that film, but still a decent watch. As a historical record no doubt this is a note worthy film but in my opinion not for much more than that.

3/5

Crime eventually pays?

The Lesson (2014)

Directed by Kristina Grozeca & Petar Valchanov this film stars Margita Gosheva and Ivan Barnev. A school teacher has to deal with finding out which of her students is a thief as well as trying to cover the mortgage her husband has left unpaid on her house.

It is a nice change to see a film like this where the female protagonist is so pro-active compared to her passive husband. The plot is fairly a fairly grounded, simple tale but very watchable. There are decent performances from the cast and the direction is solid, overall this is a decent film.

3/5

Interlude in being entertained

Interlude in Prague (2017)

Directed by John Stephenson this film stars Aneurin Barnard, James Purefoy, Morfydd Clark and Samantha Barks. In 1788 Mozart travels to Prague where he becomes involved in the relationship between a young singer and a baron while writing Don Giovanni.

Trudging through a hum-drum plot this is both a disappointing look at Mozart and his work. The plot stumbles along through predictable events and barely holds your attention. I suppose the performances are not too bad but the script is limp at best.

2/5

The good books justifications

The Birth of a Nation (2016)

Directed by and staring co-writer Nate Parker this film based on real events also features Armie Hammer, Aja Naomi King and Mark Boone Junior. A slave is taught to read the bible and becomes a preacher.

Unfortunately for this film it will always be compared to 12 Years a Slave (2013) and it does come off as inferior to that film. This film does a good job of showing the evils of slavery but does not necessarily stick strictly to events of Nat Turner's life and has too much religion without being critical of religion for my liking. There are decent performances and direction but the film is always in the shadow of 12 Years a Slave.

4/5

Buzz off

Weatherbeaten Melody (1943)

Directed by Hans Fischerkosen this animated short was written by Horst von Mollendorff with music from Lothar Bruhne. A bee finds an abandoned record player and uses it's stinger to play the record.

Made in Nazi Germany during the Second World War thankfully this cartoon is devoid of the ugly ideas of the period. It is suggested that the use of jazz music and the mixing of different species of bugs in the cartoon makes this an anti Nazi film, that seems a little too subtle or simplistic to me but is probably the only way you could safely criticise the regime from inside. The animation style is decent but not remarkable, roughly on par with what Disney were putting out at the time.

3/5

Who the fuck is Alice?

Resident Evil: The Final Chapter (2016)

Directed by Paul W. S. Anderson this 6^th instalment in the franchise stars Mila Jovovich, Ali Later, Iain Glen and Shawn Roberts. With only a handful of human survivors left Alice is tasked by the Red Queen with releasing an airborne anti virus to kill all the t-virus infected monsters.

I suppose the best thing that you can say about this film is that it is not weighed down as much by events of previous films as you might suspect. There are a few nice references to the first film but over all the plot of this film is fairly bland. Where the film is at it's weakest is in the editing which is so fast it often loses geography and coherence of the action sequences which are the only reason for watching this film.

2/5

Change over time

T2 Trainspotting (2017)

Directed by Danny Boyle this film stars Ewan McGregor, Ewen Bremner, Johnny Lee Miller, Robert Carlyle and Angela Nedyalkova. Twenty years after the events of the first film Mark travels back to Scotland and looks up the friends he ripped off.

Taking a good look at middle age crisis and nostalgia this is a solid return after so much time away. While the film may differ from Irvine Welsh's books there are enough references to the original film that this sequel seamlessly fits into the universe. There are good performances from the cast and the direction is decent but a little annoying at times.

4/5

To be the villain

Givertaker (2016)

Directed by Paul Gandersman this short film stars Caiti Ward, Jessica Perrin, Sharmita Bhattacharya and Nell Kessler. A teenage girl contacts a dark, mystical force to right the perceived wrongs against her.

While this is naturally a simple narrative given the short run time I really liked the way the plot balances the information you get and the twist at the end. Offering both the idea that you should be careful what you wish for but also the idea that no one sees themselves as the villain this is a pretty refreshing take on familiar ideas. The cast is decent and the special effects really good for the low budget.

4/5

Sherlock Holmes and the case of the disappointing story

The Private Life of Sherlock Holmes (1970)

Directed by Billy Wilder this film stars Robert Stephens, Colin Blakely, Genevieve Page and Christopher Lee. We follow Holmes and Watson on a case supposedly so scandalous that Watson required 30 years to pass after his death before it was made public.

Mixing Sherlock Holmes with turn of the century Germany spy paranoia this is not really a particularly remarkable outing for the famous detective. I expected a lot more from Wilder and Holmes but that does not take away from this being a fairly decent distraction. Most of the sets and locations are nice but that is about all this film ever is, nice.

3/5

Nap time motherfuckers

Cooties (2014)

Directed by Cary Murnion and Jonathan Milott this film stars Elijah Wood, Alison Pill and Rainn Wilson. Teachers working summer school at an elementary school find that a bad chicken nugget has turned their pupils into flesh eating zombies.

If you were expecting the next great American cinematic work of art clearly you are in the wrong place but for what this film is, it is a decent distraction. There are some chuckles along the way but not really enough humour to put this on the same level as Shaun of the Dead (2004). A little more could have been made of the set up but for the most part this is a decent film with Rainn Wilson eventually being the stand out performance.

3/5

Trishna of the d'Urbervilles

Trishna (2011)

Directed by Michael Winterbottom this film based on Tess of the d'Urbervilles stars Freida Pinto and Riz Ahmed. A 19 year old girl from a poor family in India begins a relationship with the rich son of a hotel owner who takes advantage of her.

Competent through out this is a decent film but never much more than that. It takes a while for this film to get going and there are times when I found it hard to understand why Trishna returns to her abuser. The performances and direction are decent but some how this film never really takes off.

3/5

True beauty

Two Sisters (1991)

Directed by Caroline Leaf this animated short has voices from Kathleen Fee, Michael Rudder and Jane Woods. Two sisters living a shut away existence on an island have their life disrupted by the visit of a man.

The plot of this film is not bad but also not overly remarkable. While I did enjoy the story there is not a lot to it but it is the animation style that shines through with this film. I really loved the unique style this cartoon has, especially it's vibrant use of colour.

4/5

Over the edge of reality

The Edge of Love (2008)

Directed by John Maybury this film based on real events stars Keira Knightley, Sienna Miller, Cillian Murphy and Matthew Rhys. We follow the life of Dylan Thomas and his wife during WW2 along with that of their best friend and her husband.

While this period piece, which is some what of a British speciality, has some good parts if never manages to coalesce into something whole. It also seems that the plot wanders off from real events a fair amount. The cast do fairly well and Keira Knightley manages to hold a good Welsh accent through out but ultimately this is a bit of a disappointing effort.

2/5