Nothing n-ewe

The Sheepman (1958)

Directed by George Marshall this film stars Glenn Ford, Shirley MacLaine and Leslie Nielsen. A fast talking stranger moves into to cattle country wanting to graze sheep but the locals are not pleased with the idea.

Taking a very generic western plot there is not a whole lot original about this film. The only real variation here is that the tone of the film is a bit lighter than usual for the genre but it does not mix well with the supposedly serious story. For the most part this just another one off the production line of westerns.

2/5

A split from history

Viceroy's House (2017)

Directed by Gurinder Chadha this film based on real events stars Hugh Bonneville, Gillian Anderson, Manish Dayal and Huma Qureshi. In 1947 Lord Mountbatten and his family travel to India where he is to over see the decolonisation of the sub continent.

Taking a large subject like the partition of India in one film is a bold choice that ultimately falls short here. Unfortunately historical accuracy is questionable an the idea of a Churchill conspiracy unsupported. I think this probably would have worked better as a television mini series as there is really not enough time to explore all the players and issues in the proper depth.

2/5

The first of many

Frankenstein (1910)

Directed by J. Searle Dawley this film based on the novel of the same name stars Augustus Phillips , Charles Ogle and Mary Fuller. We see a very abbreviated version of the famous story.

Running around 15 minutes in length this adaptation is only ever going to be a snap shot of a few moments from the novel it is based on. Really this only a version to watch if you are already familiar with the source material. The special effects are fine but nothing special given the other films of the era.

2/5

To watch is to observe one's self

Wakefield (2016)

Directed by Robin Swicord this film based on the short story of the same name stars Bryan Cranston and Jennifer Garner. A successful New York lawyer comes home one day and decides to observe his family rather than have contact with them any more.

Taking a fairly unlikeable protagonist over the course of this unusual film we explore the protagonist's psyche and come to be oddly moved by him. This is certainly an unusual exploration of an individual and may work well also as a play but is a fascinating watch. There are decent performances and I was only slightly annoyed we never get to see the fall out of the protagonists return home.

4/5

Spectre of adaptations past

Ghost in the Shell (2017)

Directed by Rupert Sanders this film based on the manga of the same name stars Scarlett Johansson, “Beat” Takeshi Kitano, Pilou Asbaek, Michael Carmen Pitt and Juliette Binoche. In the future a government operative is the first human brain in a completely cybernetic body.

Taking a classic sci-fi plot from the original source material this is a fairly faithful adaptation that while good never quite connects on the emotional level the 1995 adaptation does. Visually the film is very impressive but there is always a nagging doubt that this was an unneeded remake. Generally this is a really well made film that falls just short despite it's ambitious efforts.

4/5

Murphy's flat

The Flat (1968)

Written & directed by Jan Svankmajer this film stars Ivan Kraus and Juraj Herz. Upon entering a flat a man finds all the inanimate objects working against him.

This is a simple film that is fairly funny but does not appear to have much depth to it. For our protagonist everything that can go wrong does go wrong but the film lacks much of a narrative. There is some decent use of special effects but nothing you haven't seen before or wasn't used extensively 50 years earlier.

3/5

Change is never easy

The Transfiguration (2016)

Written & directed by Michael O'Shea this film stars Eric Rufflin, Chloe Levine, Aaron Clifton Moten and Carter Redwood. A teenage boy sinks into obsession with vampirism as a way to deal with his mothers suicide.

Slow burning in execution this film may not be for everyone but I found it to be a really good watch. The script explores the dark and troubled protagonist using the horror genre in a way you rarely see, without sensationalism or relying on cheap tricks. I enjoyed all the performances and the low key direction.

4/5

Disappointment of a disappointment

Let Me Go (2017)

Written & directed by Polly Steele this film based on real events stars Juliet Stevenson, Jodhi May, Lucy Boynton and Karin Bertling. Four generations of women in the same family struggle to deal with the past deeds of the eldest and her unrepentant Nazism.

Unfortunately it seems this film strays greatly from the source material it is based on and does not do a good job of making the most of what it has either. What could have been a fascinating look at the multi generational consequences of hate is sadly poorly handled in a weak script. The cast is not too bad but ultimately this film was flawed from the start.

2/5

The soul of sole

Kicks (2016)

Directed by co-writer Justin Tipping this film stars Jahking Guillory, Christopher Jordan Wallace, Christopher Meyer and Kofi Siriboe. An African-American teenager that is constantly picked on has his new trainers stolen by a thug.

I really enjoyed this coming of age tale set in a world of toxic masculinity and poverty. Nearly from the very start the film has you on edge as you see events spiralling out of the protagonists control in a way that seem like they can only end in tragedy. The film is well directed and the sound track perfectly complements the story.

5/5

Exercise in bordem

Film Exercises 4 (1944)

Directed by John Whitney Sr and James Whitney this is an experimental short film. We see various colours and shapes move around to sound.

Part of a decent genre of experimental films I would say this is one of the lesser film's of it's type. Nothing is really special about the marriage of image and sound here which other experimental films do much better. Ultimately there are better films like this to watch.

2/5

Thugs & drugs

Sicario (2015)

Directed by Denis Villeneuve this film stars Emily Blunt, Benicio del Toro, Josh Brolin and Victor Garber. An FBI agent is offered the chance to volunteer for a shadowy unit taking the fight to Mexican drug cartels.

Through out the film the direction is excellent and I think the main thing that stands out in this film with it's great long shots that really give a sense of scale. The plot itself is not overly deep in it's exploration of the war on drugs but is at least fairly mature. All in all this is a gripping thriller that is well made.

4/5

No tale to it

Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales (2017)

Directed by Joachim Ronning & Espen Sandberg this film stars Johnny Depp, Javier Bardem, Brenton Thwaites, Kaya Scodelario and Geoffrey Rush. Young Henry Turner seeks to break his father's curse with the aid of Jack Sparrow.

Oh boy, the script for this film pretty much a disaster which barely links together a few action set pieces. There are plenty of holes in the plot and story or character development barely even an after thought. I suppose the action sequences are not terrible but it's hard to sit through this whole film.

2/5

The 1 step program

A Drunkard's Reformation (1909)

Written & directed by D. W. Griffith this film stars Arthur V. Johnson, Linda Arvidson and Adele DeGarde. An alcoholic father takes his daughter to see a play and the story in the play makes him realise how bad he is.

Simplistic to say the least this is not a deep exploration of alcoholism and I doubt it had a large affect on it's audiences. No doubt this film this film was made to push the temperance agenda and is only well known due to it's director. I suppose the film is not too badly directed for the period but it does little to make itself stand out.

2/5

Nothing legendary

Pele: Birth of a Legend (2016)

Directed by Jeff & Michael Zimbalist this film based on real events stars Kevin de Paula, Seu Jorge, Mariana Nunes and Vincent D'Onofrio. We follow the life of football legend from his childhood up to the 1958 world cup,

Supposedly a biographical film this is largely fantasy and a bad one at that. The script is mind numbing contrivance after mind numbing contrivance instead of telling a real story. Even the direction is weak with the action incorrectly edited into the wrong football match.

1/5

Can't stop, won't stop

Diabolo Nightmare (1907)

Directed by Walter R. Booth this is a short film from the silent era. A clerk is unable to stop playing with his diabolo and gets in all sorts of odd situations.

Pretty simple as a trick photography film there is not a huge amount to remark on here. Little sets the film out from similar but it is a well made effort. A little bit more attention to having a plot would not have hurt here.

3/5

Franco vs Steinbeck

In Dubious Battle (2016)

Directed by James Franco this film based on the novel of the same name stars it's director as well as Nat Wolff, Vincent D'Onofrio, Selena Gomez and Robert Duvall. In 1933 a young man joins a group of activists seeking to insight underpaid fruit pickers to strike.

Inevitably this is not John Ford's The Grapes of Wrath (1940) but it is still a pretty decent film set in the depression era. I like that the plot shows the ugly, uncaring side of the agitators but fails to humanise those on the other side at all. There is a great cast that is a little under used and the plot not as carefully handed as it could be but this is still a decent watch.

3/5

The consequences of industrialisation

How the Berlin Worker Lives (1930)

Directed by Slatan Dudow this is a short documentary. We see how the poor of Berlin live and the conditions they endure.

As much propaganda with a communist underpinning as anything else this is still a decent watch as a historical record. You can make no mistake about the agenda the film is pushing thanks to the heavy handed nature of the narration. Maybe a subtler hand could have helped here but otherwise this is fairly well made but unremarkable.

3/5

A sleeper to Portugal

Night Train to Lisbon (2013)

Directed by Bille August this film based on the novel of the same name stars Jeremy Irons, Melanie Laurent, Jack Huston and Martina Gedeck. A professor in Switzerland saves a young woman from killing herself but she disappears leaving him with only a book and a train ticket to Lisbon as a means to find her.

While this film does suffer a little from the common problems of translating a novel to the screen it is still a decent watch. Delving into the subject of Portugal under dictatorship provides a rarely seen subject matter in English language cinema. There is a great cast right down to the small parts which the film is worth watching for alone.

3/5

The Stepford Race Relations

Get Out (2017)

Written & directed by Jordan Peele this film stars Daniel Kaluuya, Allison Williams, Bradley Whitford and Catherine Keener. A young African-American man is nervous about meeting his rich, white girl friend's parents for the first time.

Taking inspiration from The Stepford Wives (1975) this film explores racism, especially that from supposedly liberal leaning types, in some interesting ways. As a horror film the direction uses a lot of genre cliches and maybe is not as scary as it could be but the satire/social commentary is excellent as well as the parts where the film focuses on being unsettling rather than out right scary. I also think that maybe the film makers maybe shied from a slightly more impactful ending by going with a happy ending but over all this film is highly worth watching.

4/5

Fight night 1950 style

Day of the Fight (1951)

Directed by Stanley Kubrick this short documentary is narrated by Douglas Edwards. We follow fighter Walter Cartier on the day of a big boxing match.

I think this documentary is probably only well known due to it's director. The content is very standard, news reel style and clearly pushing an agenda. Fairly well made this is a pretty unremarkable effort.

3/5

Family problems

Last Train from Gun Hill (1959)

Directed by John Sturges this film stars Kirk Douglas, Anthony Quinn, Carolyn Jones and Earl Holliman. Two old friends fall out after the son of one rapes and murders the wife of the other.

Very familiar genre stuff here with a law man trying coming up against a man who things family is more important than the law. As with any John Sturges film this is a well handled piece that is a solid genre entry but not much more. Having two great actors in the lead roles helps but they don't have a huge amount to do beyond the ordinary.

3/5  

Getting back up again

Tumbledown (2015)

Directed by Sean Mewshaw this film stars Rebecca Hall, Jason Sudeikis, Joe Manganiello and Dianna Agron. The widow of a musician trying to write his biography is contacted by a professor of pop culture also seeking to write a book on the same subject.

This is a fairy decent romantic comedy with a fair amount of exploring grief in it. Sitting as a stable genre entry but not much more there is little for or against this film. Possibly the ending is a little forced but otherwise this is a decently made effort.

3/5

Familiar breezes

Saddle the Wind (1958)

Directed by Robert Parrish this film stars Robert Taylor, John Cassavetes and Julie London. A rancher struggles to deal with his head strong younger brother who is trying to prove he is a man.

Nothing much is unique about this film, it covers a lot of very familiar genre elements. While the film may lack originality there is nothing particularly wrong with the script, it just does little to stand out. Rear projection is used extensively over location shots which does stick out and make you think this film was made on the cheap.

3/5

The way the cookie crumbles

A Visit to Peek Frean and Co.'s Biscuit Works (1906)

Made by the Cricks & Martin Films studio this is a short documentary. We explore a biscuit factory and the process of production used there.

Not particularly dramatic this is still an interesting watch and no doubt an excellent historical record. We are taken laboriously through the biscuit making process with every step, right up to the workers leaving the factory, shown. The image quality is surprisingly good for such an early film and this is well worth a watch, not just for historians.

3/5  

Katniss gets to make a meaningful choice

The Hunger Games: Mockingjay – Part 2 (2015)

Directed by Francis Lawrence this final instalment in the franchise stars Jennifer Lawrence, Josh Hutcherson, Liam Hemsworth, Woody Harrelson, Julianne Moore and Donald Sutherland. The rebels finally bring the war to the capitol and our heroine seeks to assassinate President Snow.

Despite splitting the final book of the series into two films some how this final film still seems rushed, with the pace of events seeming to be all over the shop. Finally our protagonist does get to do something and make decision but it does feel like we had to wait 4 films for that. There are some decently performances but ultimately I think this film was hamstrung by a script that needed a few more revisions.

3/5

Not so Grand

The Grandmaster (2013)

Directed by Wong Kar-Wai this film based on real events stars Tony Leung Chui-Wai, Zhang Ziyi, Wan QingXiang and Zhang Jin. We follow the life of Wing Chun grandmaster Ip Man from the 1930s to 1950s.

I watched the 108 minute cut of this film released by The Weinstein Company and I have to say I found it to be rather disappointing. It always feels like this is an extended trailer rather than a complete narrative, just showing us highlights not a connected story. Some of the fight sequences are really impressively shot but that is not enough to carry this film.

3/5

Not really a monster

Kong: Skull Island (2017)

Directed by Jordan Vogt-Roberts this film stars Tom Hiddleston, Samuel L. Jackson, John Goodman, Brie Larson and John C. Reilly. A team of American scientists, soldiers and hangers on head to a newly discovered island to explore it before the Soviets find it.

It is very clear what the cinematic inspirations of this film are and visually it looks great. Unfortunately both the script and the performances are fairly limp, failing to live up to the direction. While this is a decent enough watch it always feels like it's falling short of it's potential.

3/5

The boss of bosses

The Boss Baby (2017)

Directed by Tom McGrath this film based on the book of the same name has voices from Miles Bakshi, Alec Baldwin and Steve Buscemi. An only child struggles to adapt when the new addition to the family is a bossy baby.

Using a pretty funny concept this film explores the simple idea of older siblings struggling to adapt to losing some of their parents attention. I though this film was a good mix of concept and humour with plenty of jokes for all ages. The animation style is fairly standard for what you would expect these days and does not especially stand out.

4/5

Not exactly trojan

The Wooden Horse (1950)

Directed by Jack Lee this film based on real events stars Leo Genn, David Tomlinson and Anthony Steel. During WW2 British POWs at Stalag Luft III use a wooden horse to disguise where they are digging an escape tunnel.

Not the most remarkable of POW escape films this is a solid effort but is notable for being the film that started the genre in British cinema. It does not really show that the film was shot on a low budget and it does a decent job of balancing tension and action. The cast features a host of familiar British faces from the period who put in a decent shift.

3/5

Phoning in

The Hitman's Bodyguard (2017)

Directed by Patrick Hughes this film stars Ryan Reynolds, Samuel L. Jackson, Elodie Yung, Salma Hayek and Gary Oldman. An uptight bodyguard that is down on his luck has to help get a carefree hitman to Holland to testify against a former Eastern European dictator.

Predictable through out this buddy road movie offers little in the way of surprises, with even some of the lines being obvious. That being said there is not too much wrong with this film, the action sequences are decent and the charisma of the leads just about carries proceedings. Everyone here is well with in their comfort zone and it might have helped if there had been a little more effort to be original.

3/5

First attempt

Twelfth Night (1910)

Directed by Eugene Mullin & Charles Kent this film stars Florence Turner, Julia Swayne Gordon and Marin Sais. We Shakespeare's play adapted and truncated in silent form.

Inevitably a lot is lost as this play is brought down to being a 10 minute silent film but if you know the play it's easy to follow this highlight version. What stands out here is the costumes and sets that are actually pretty decent. As Shakespeare goes this is not the best version of one of his plays you will see but it is a nice milestone in film making.

3/5