How did an American make such a British film?

Phantom Thread (2017)

Written & directed by Paul Thomas Anderson this film stars Daniel Day-Lewis, Vicky Krieps and Lesley Manville. A high society dressmaker set in his eccentric ways begins a relationship with a waitress.

Somewhere between a Merchant-Ivory film and a Gothic horror this film is a surprisingly gripping character study that comes to a bizarre conclusion. As always Daniel Day-Lewis gives a transformative performance that is worth the price of admission by itself. The script certainly captures something of the reserved British upper classes as it explores the messed up relationships between the central characters.

4/5

To be a man

The Wound (2017)

Directecd by John Trengove this film stars Nakhane Toure, Bongile Matsai and Niza Jay Ncoyini. We explore the Xhosa initiation ritual Ulwaluko, manhood, homosexuality and tradition.

Unsurprisingly controversial in its homeland this film covers taboo subjects in a frank and engaging manner. You will be hard pressed to find another film on similar topics so this is certainly a ground breaking effort. Well worth a watch this film raises plenty of questions and challenges the viewer through out.

4/5

You what now?

Breakfast on the Grass (1988)

Directed by Priit Pärn this is a animated short film. We see four surreal stories that culminate in the pose for Monet's The Luncheon on the Grass.

Certainly bizarre, it is a little difficult to unpick this film which seems to show a dystopian society. No doubt there is something going on here which probably links back to life experienced living under Soviet rule. For those with a more out there taste this is certainly worth a watch.

3/5

It's finally over

Fifty Shades Freed (2018)

Directed by James Foley this film based on the novel of the same name stars Dakota Johnson, Jamie Doran and Eric Johnson. Newly married the couple must deal with a stalker.

As a marriage between a silly plot that barely holds together and some unrelated sex scenes with are nothing special it is hard to find anything to recommend this film on. It is as if the actual script was a complete after thought. The characters act like children and never seem to grow.

1/5

A 2016 project

Blair Witch (2016)

Directed by Adam Wingard this film stars James Allen McCune, Callie Hernandez, Barndon Scott and Valorie Curry. Looking for his sister who disappeared when he was a child a man and his friends head into the woods to document their search.

Essentially this is just a complete retread of The Blair Witch Project (1999) with nothing new added. Having a larger budget takes away some of the good will the original had and made much of a less forgiving viewer. I suppose this is not a bad film but it never really exploited the chance to explore the set up through the lens of the Youtube generation.

3/5

A complete concept

The Idea (1932)

Written & directed by Berthold Bartosch this is an animated short based on the novel of the same name by Frans Masereel. Man has idea, idea takes the form of woman, the powers that be are not thrilled with the notion.

Certainly this is a fascinating watch with several interpretations as to what the idea really represents. The visuals are impressive and fit very well with the story. Well worth a watch with nothing you can compare this film to really.

5/5

True Spanish Detectives

Marshland (2014)

Directed by Alberto Rodriguez this film stars Raul Arevalo and Javier Guiterrez. In 1980 two policemen are sent from Madrid to the Guadalquivir Marshes to look for two missing teenage girls.

Set against the backdrop of Spain coming to terms with its fascist past this murder mystery has more than a hint of the first season of True Detective about it. The plot is good and keeps you gripped through out. Where the film is best is some of the fantastic cinematography, especially the top down shots of the marshes.

4/5

Creepy but not the way intended

Hostile (2018)

Written & directed by Mathieu Turi this film stars Brittany Ashworth and Javier Botet. In a post apocalyptic future a young woman breaks her leg and is trapped in an overturned van.

Having some what of an interesting contained set up for this horror film is undercut by the messed up romance in the back story. Unfortunately the back story is an unrealistic story of an unintentionally creepy romance. Decently enough made and acted it is the script that lets this film down.

2/5

When it's all spent

Room for Rent (2017)

Written & directed by Matthew Atkinson this film stars Brett Gelman, Mark Little, Carla Gallo and Stephanie Weir. A lottery winner that squandered his fortune convinces his parents to get a lodger when his father has to retire.

Fairly simple plot wise this is a decent but not earth shattering comedy. There are comedic moments but not by the bucketful. Decently made if a little predictable you can find worse ways to spend 90 minutes than watching this film.

3/5

The national family

Family Portrait (1950)

Directed by Humphrey Jennings this is a short documentary. We see an exploration of Britain past and present.

Essentially this is a propaganda piece celebrating all things British. As a historical record it is fairly interesting and there is something of a poetic nature to the narration. Unfortunately the agenda being pushed here is just a bit to clear and heavy handed for my taste.

3/5

Pass on

Sierra Passage (1950)

Directed by Frank McDonald this film stars Wayne Morris, Lola Albright, Lloyd Corrigan and Alan Hale Jr. After being orphaned by an outlaw a boy grows up working for a travelling show while hunting his father's killer.

A paint by numbers western made uncomfortable by the backdrop of a travelling minstrel show. The plot has no surprises and is heavy handed about the message it is trying to hammer home. Lola Albright provides the lone piece of glamour in this otherwise pedestrian film.

2/5

Good intentions, disappointing results

The 15:17 to Paris (2018)

Directed by Clint Eastwood this film based on real events stars a number of people playing themselves. Three American friends visiting Europe are on a train when it is attacked by a terrorist.

Sadly this is not Clint Eastwood's best work and the disappointment starts with a script which is all over the place. Trying to stretch out the events to a full film does not work very well and focuses too much on just three characters. I also think that casting non actors as themselves might have been a misstep as well.

2/5

Gushing about a gushing river

The Mighty River (1994)

Directed by Frederic Back this is an animated short film from French Canada. We see the life of the St. Lawrence river over thousands of years.

With beautiful animation we get the story of a landscape, Quebec and man's involvement with those two. A simple, slow story works well with the lovely animation and the vast scope of the time period involved. Well worth a watch this short shows the mess we make of the planet we live on.

4/5

Oy vey.

Menashe (2017)

Directed by Joshua Weinstein this film stars Menashe Lustig, Ruben Niborski, Yoel Weisshaus and Meyer Schwartz. A widowed Hasidic Jew living in New York struggles with the demands of life and his religion.

Providing a look into an unfamiliar culture this is a pretty human story of a father trying to do the best he can to provide for his child after the death of his wife. The conclusion of the film is a little obvious and heavy handed but otherwise this is a decent watch. Well made and dripping with authenticity this film leaves me interested to see what is next from its makers.

4/5

Youtube compliation 1978 style

Guerillere Talks (1978)

Directed by Vivienne Dick this is an experimental short film. Seven women each get three and a half minutes of screen time to say what they want on film.

I suppose there is something of this format that would have been unique in the period but in modern life we are saturated with these short style talking head videos. The content passed me by but I am sure this is something of a time capsule for some. Very much this is a roughly made film but not necessarily to its detriment.

3/5

Policeman gasses suspect

Easy Street (1917)

Directed by star Charlie Chaplain this film also features Edna Purviance and Eric Campbell. The little tramp gets a job as a policeman and is assigned to an out of control street.

Taking the classic Chaplain flair for physical comedy this is an entertaining short that shows what was to come from Chaplain in feature length format. The plot is simple but fun once it gets going. You can see the skill of a master craftsman here already decide the early date of the film.

4/5

The singing puppet cowboy

Song of the Prairie (1949)

Directed by Jiri Trnka this is an animated short film. Our hero saves a stagecoach and his girl from the menacing of a bad guy.

Very much a parody of westerns in general and Stagecoach (1939) specifically this is a fun little short. There is not a huge amount going on here but this is a fun little watch that will at least give a few chuckles. The animation is decent but not ground breaking.

3/5

Not so dead after all

Zombillenium (2017)

Directed by Arthur de Pins & Alexis Ducord this film based on the comic of the same name has voices from Emmanuel Curtil, Alain Choquet and Kelly Marot. An attraction park run by the undead is under threat of going out of business.

Short but entertaining this is a fairly simple children's film. There is nothing great to learn from the plot but it is never boring. Mostly the film is translated over to English well but there are a few odd bits of French remaining in the animation.

3/5

Not quite Yeelen

Black Panther (2018)

Directed by Ryan Coogler this film based on the comics of the same name stars Chadwick Boseman, Michael B. Jordan, Lupita Nyogn'o and Danai Gurira. Inheriting the throne of Wakanda our hero has to face up against the secret his father took to the grave.

No doubt a milestone in cinema this film has to walk a minefield of problematic Western views of Africa while trying to deliver the first African super hero no the big screen. For the most part the script does a decent job of capturing contemporary issues and side stepping the suspect elements from the comics. I was mainly impressed with how much female representation there was in this film compared to some of the other Marvel films.

4/5

On the docks

Indonesia Calling (1946)

Directed by Joris Ivens this is a short documentary film. We see the reaction of Australian dock workers to the plight of Indonesians fighting for independence from the Netherlands after WW2.

Despite being made by a Dutch director it is not hard to see this film as Australian propaganda. Whatever the intent behind the film it does show a first look at the massive decolonization movement that swept the world after WW2 and how the labour movement interfaced with that. Generally well made this is an interesting watch and probably an important historical record.

3/5

Anti-social

Social Animals (2018)

Written & directed by Theresa Bennett this film stars Noel Wells, Josh Radnor, Aya Cash and Carly Chaikin. A young woman whose life is going no where starts a relationship with a man whose marriage is falling apart.

As romantic comedies go this one is not especially funny and the plot does not really have anything to say. There are too many familiar elements and a time line that does not seem to fit the action in the script. The acting is not too bad but a weak script lets down the whole film.

2/5

Just a little bit of torture

Dear Dictator (2018)

Written & directed by Lisa Addario and Joe Syracuse this film stars Odeya Rush, Katie Holmes, Michael Caine and Seth Green. An American teenager becomes the pen pal of a communist dictator.

Not great by any stretch of the imagination this is still a fairly decent satire that has a little bit of heart to it. Our protagonist stumbles through a coming of age story and yes, there is a hint of Shane (1953) about the arc of Michael Caine's character. Maybe the script could have done with a little more polish but over all this film is not as bad as some of the reviews I have seen seem to indicate.

3/5

Roman or Shane the lawyer?

Roman J. Israel, Esq. (2017)

Written & directed by Dan Gilroy this films stars Denzel Washington, Colin Farrell and Carmen Ejogo. After the death of the man he works for a reclusive lawyer is forced out into the world.

Mixing ethical questions about the legal profession with hints of Shane (1953) this is an average legal film. The plot is predictable and the characters familiar so the 2 hour run time does drag a little. As always Denzel Washington is good in everything he is in but the script lacks a little freshness in my opinion.

3/5

Drinking & thinking

One A.M. (1916)

Directed by Edward Brewer and star Charlie Chaplin this film also features Albert Austin. Returning home from a night out drinking out hero finds simple tasks difficult to complete.

Taking a simple scenario this short film builds an entertaining comedy routine. There are plenty of laughs and this film shows hints of the longer films Chaplain would go on to make. A fun distraction but not the star's best work yet.

3/5

A vile mother

April's Daughter (2017)

Written & directed by Michel Franco this film stars Emma Suarez, Ana Valeria Becerril, Joanna Larequi and Enrique Arrizon. A woman goes to help her pregnant seventeen year old daughter, kidnaps the baby and seduces the father.

This is a story of a woman being supremely horrible to her daughter and while I'm not sure if there is a deeper meaning it was certainly an interesting watch. Slightly disappointingly we never get an explanation for the mothers behaviour. Well acted and made this is a decent watch.

3/5

Life sizing

Downsizing (2017)

Directed by Alexander Payne this film stars Matt Damon, Christoph Waltz, Hong Chau and Kristen Wiig. In the future shrinking people is offered as a solution to over population and global warming.

I really enjoyed this look at the nature of modern, western life and the effect it has on both people and the world. Human nature takes a bit of a bashing in this satirical look at life but there is some heart to this film. Taking a refreshingly different concept this is a really fun sci-fi satire.

4/5

A rough nugget

Nugget Jim's Pardner (1916)

Directed by star Frank Borzage this film also features Jack Farrell, Ann Little and Dick La Reno. The son of a rich man spends his last dollar and heads out west where he takes up prospecting with a man and his daughter.

A simple tale of American life the plot of this film is not overly remarkable. It is easy enough to follow the on screen action unlike some early films. The production value actually looks pretty good for the period.

3/5

No gratitude

Nursing a Viper (1909)

Directed by D. W. Griffith this film stars Arthur V. Johnson, Marion Leonard and Frank Powell. During the French Revolution a couple hide an aristocrat from the murderous mob.

It takes a little while for this short film to get to the point and then it sort of robs us of the climax of the piece. Unlike a lot of Griffith films this does not build a tense climax but is a fairly average piece for the period. Nothing much stands out about this early film.

3/5

How to annoy your friends and enemies in one easy step

A United Kingdom (2016)

Directed by Amma Asante this film based on real events stars David Oyelowo and Rosamund Pike. In the late 1940s the heir to an African throne marries a white British woman which pisses off everyone.

Straying a bit from history to condense the story down into two hours this film is a little too gentle and self congratulatory for my taste. A decent watch that is fairly well paced unfortunately fails to challenge the viewer in anyway. Lacking any flaws in the main characters is the biggest weakness of this film but it is not the worst film you will ever see.

3/5

Feminism, lesbianism and tennis

Battle of the Sexes (2017)

Directed by Valerie Faris & Jonathan Dayton this film stars Emma Stone, Steve Carell, Andrea Riseborough and Elisabeth Shue. As women seek prize money equality in tennis a retired male champion challenges the best female player to an exhibition match.

Taking real events and simplifying them down into a feel good film this is not the most in depth look at the women's rights movement. Fun and entertaining this is a decent watch if not something you will ever come back to. There is plenty of attention to detail which really helps capture the look of the period.

3/5

Oh look at me

Narcissus (1983)

Directed by Norman McLaren this film stars Jean-Louis Morin, Sylvie Kinal and Slyvian Lafourtune. A man becomes obsessed with his own image.

Taking the simple legend of Narcissus this short film explores the story by dance. I enjoyed this film and it is a nice take on a familiar tale. The dance fits the story well and the film does not over run for it's content.

4/5