Painting the town

The Artist and the City (1956)

Written & directed by Manoel de Oliveira this is a short film returning to a familiar subject for the film maker. An artist wanders round the city of Porto.

As a record a historical record this film probably has more value than as a piece of entertainment. There are some nice images and decent editing but ultimately the film does not really have a narrative drive. Fun to see the images but not much more than that in my opinion.

3/5

Not so sweet

Sweet Country (2017)

Directed by Warwick Thornton this film stars Hamilton Morris, Sam Neill and Bryan Brown. In 1920s Australia an Aboriginal farmworker kills a white farmer in self defence and goes on the run.

Nothing is very original or surprising in this tale of Australian racism with the framing of a western. Despite the lack of originality this is still a well told story apart from an excessive use of flash forwards inserts to foreshadow the future. Well acted and with some nice scenery this is a decent watch.

3/5

Mini me, you complete me?

Like Father, Like Son (2013)

Written & directed by Hirokazu Kore-eda this film stars Masaharu Fukuama, Yoko Maki, Jun kunimura and Machiko Ono. Six years after the fact two couples from different economic backgrounds find out their sons were switched at the hospital.

Looking at classic questions like nature vs nurture and what it really means to be a parent this is a thoughtful film on the subject matter. I really enjoyed this film and it managed to handle an emotional situation without being melodramatic. Well made and well written it is no surprise to see someone wants to do an English language remake.

4/5

Family & war

A War (2015)

Written & directed by Tobias Lindholm this film stars Pilou Asbaek, Soren Malling, Dar Salim and Tuva Novotny. A Danish officer serving in Afghanistan struggles with his responsibilities to his men and his family at home.

Featuring a lot of familiar elements this is still a well crafted story on the dilemmas faced by modern soldiers. There are plenty of interesting juxtapositions and the film leaves you with plenty of questions. Well made and without melodrama this is a very grounded in reality film.

4/5

A quest for an orange

The Mascot (1933)

Directed by Wladyslaw Starewicz this short animated film has music from Edouard Flament. A poor boy wants an orange so his stuffed toy dog goes to find one.

An impressive example of stop motion animation this is a fun little story of a fantastical adventure. Clearly aimed at children there is still plenty here for the older viewer to enjoy. Enjoyable and well made this is worth a watch.

4/5

No real secrets

Father Figures (2017)

Directed by Lawrence Sher this film stars Owen Wilson, Ed Helms and Glenn Close. On discovering they have been lied to about their father by the single mother that raised them two twins go in search of their father.

This is very much a generic Hollywood feel good film. There is not a huge amount of originality or humour here but the film does just about hold together. With a little more punching up on the script this could have been a good film but its not a bad watch in the end.

3/5

Below enjoyment

Above Suspicion (2018)

Written & directed by Robert Moresco this film also known as “Bent” is based on the novel “Deadly Codes” and stars Karl Urban. Fresh out of jail a former policeman accused of corruption wants to set the record straight.

Filled with genre cliches and an unbelievable plot this is not one of the great thrillers of all time. I am not sure how closely this film sticks to its source material but one would hope for the sake of the book there were a lot of changes. The script attempts to hammer home some half baked ideas about giving up what you care most about which does not make sense either.

2/5

Getting more than you bargained for

Happy Mother's Day (1963)

Directed by Joyce Chopra and Richard Leacock this is a short documentary. We see the Fischer family, the first family known to have a surviving set of quintuplets in the United States of America.

Starting out fairly simply this film goes onto look at some of the interesting side effects facing the family thanks to the family's sudden celebrity status and large size. A little stilted in its presentation this is still a good look at fame and small town America. Decently enough made the direction lets the subjects do the talking.

4/5

What to do in LA

Hollywood Hobbies (1939)

Directed by George Sidney this film stars Joyce Compton, Sally Payne and William Benedict. Two female tourists want to see the stars of Hollywood.

Showing off some famous faces in their leisure time this is one of the better parade of stars that I have seen. There is some semblance of a plot to at least pretend to entertain with this piece. Fairly well made with some humorous moments this is a decent effort.

3/5

Eyes wide shit

Dark Crimes (2016)

Directed by Alexandros Avranas this film based on real events stars Jim Carrey, Marton Csokas and Charlotte Gainsbourg. A Polish police detective is obsessed with proving a novelist is guilty of murder.

Combining nearly every genre cliché there is with a sordid back drop this film is constantly hard to take serious. Maybe this film would have worked better as a parody because it is laughable as a brooding thriller. From the plot to the direction it is hard impossible to find anything to like about this film.

1/5

Not being star struck

Seeing Stars (1922)

From an unknown director this short documentary features a number of famous faces of the day. We see actors, directors and producers having a gala banquet.

Somewhere between a documentary and a piece of promotional film there is not a huge amount to see here. There is little narrative or point to this film other than showing a bunch of famous people in one place. Not much happens and the detail of the images is not great.

2/5

Chum for the aloof

Chumlum (1964)

Directed by Ron Rice this is an experimental short film. A bunch of adults laze around and play dress up.

I am sure there is supposed to be a point to this film but to me it seemed to be 25 minutes of nothing. Very much an acquired taste is required for this film and it appears I do not have it. No doubt there are some fans of this film out there but I am not amongst them.

2/5

Confusing to say the least

Let the Sunshine In (2017)

Directed by Claire Denis this film based on the novel “A Lover's Discourse: Fragments” stars Juliette Binoche. A middle aged artist struggles in love, starting and then abruptly ending relationships with a series of men.

I will be honest, this is one of those films that I just did not get. There are too many times when the protagonists actions seem contradictory and inexplicable to me. No doubt Juliette Binoche is a great actress but I just could not get what was going on here.

2/5

A night to remember?

Game Night (2018)

Directed by John Francis Daley & Jonathan Goldstein this film stars Jason Bateman and Rachel McAdams. A married couple that take games very competitively find themselves on a game night which has turned a lot more serious than expected.

Funny and with plenty of action to stay entertaining through out the actual plot gets a little wobbly towards the end so try not to over think things. As Hollywood comedies go this is a decent film but ultimately fairly obviously manufactured. The film heads towards being a little too predictable at times but is still a decent enough distraction.

3/5

Grain gains

The Plow That Broke the Plains (1936)

Written & directed by Pare Lorentz this is government funded documentary film. We see how the great plains were settled and the affect farming had on it.

Somewhere between public information and propaganda this film is clearly pushing an agenda. As a piece of entertainment this is not exactly a thrilling piece but does its job. Decently made but showing its age I did not find this documentary as hard hitting as expected.

3/5

Not much of a study

Character Studies (1927)

Directed by star Carter DeHaven this short film has cameos from a number of silent era stars. A man uses make up to transform himself into famous faces.

This is a very simple one joke film that does get a little repetitive. The camera trick is something you might expect from a film 10-15 years old but it is nice to see so many of these faces in one place. A little bit more comedy or style could have really been used to carry this film.

2/5

The modern lie?

Ivory Tower (2014)

Written & directed by Andrew Rossi this documentary has contributions from a number of students, teachers, parents and college administrators. We look into the state of higher education for undergraduates in the United States.

Asking plenty of questions about the changing landscape of higher education I would have liked to see this film touch on postgraduate education and research a little as well but otherwise is it is hard to fault this documentary. The film does not push an agenda in terms of what the solutions to the current problems but is pretty clear on it's point of view of the current issues. I really enjoyed this film and I think it is well worth a watch.

4/5

In a spin

Spinning Man (2018)

Directed by Simon Kaijser this film based on the novel of the same name stars Guy Pearce, Pierce Brosnan, Minnie Driver, Alexandra Shipp and Odeya Rush. A professor with memory issues and a wandering eye finds himself a suspect in the disappearance of a high school girl.

Taking a familiar subject this film puts a somewhat fresh spin on things as it looks at the ideas of memory and guilt. I enjoyed this film more than I expected to and it seems to have flown a little under the radar. Well made by director Simon Kaijser this film bringing that Scandinavian thriller touch to Hollywood.

4/5

Not a honeymoon

One Week (1920)

Directed by Edward F. Cline and star Buster Keaton this film also features Sybil Seely. A newly married couple find their first week of married life is harder than expected.

Putting together an excellent sequence of set pieces this is some classic silent era comedy. There is plenty to keep the viewer entertained and laughs through out. This is a great example of Keaton's style, well worth a watch.

4/5

Norwegian run around

Headhunters (2011)

Directed by Morten Tyldum this film based on the novel of the same name stars Aksel Hennie, Nikolaj Coster-Waldau and Synnove Macody Lund. An art thief and recruitment specialist ends up stealing from the wrong person.

This is a pretty fun crime film that explores male insecurity through what becomes a farce. The plot takes some unexpected twists and generally keeps you on your toes. Decently made and with good performances this is certainly not your average heist film.

4/5

Disappointing 2 hours

Darkest Hour (2017)

Directed by Joe Wright this film based on historical events stars Gary Oldman, Kristin Scott Thomas and Lily James. As Winston Churchill becomes prime minister of the United Kingdom in the early days of WW2 the situation is dire.

Historical accuracy is unfortunately left by the wayside as this script descends increasingly into masturbatory territory. An accurate film on this subject matter would have been fascinating but it is far too late in the day for this propaganda effort. Gary Oldman is decent in the title role but that is little to redeem this film.

2/5

How to behave

A Welcome to Britain (1943)

Directed by Anthony Asquit and star Burgess Meredith this is a WWII era training film made for American troops. We get lessons on how to behave in Britain and understand the locals.

Fascinating as a historical record this film might not have the most thrilling plot but is certainly worth a watch. I really enjoyed seeing the difference in views between the British and Americans of the period. A little on the nose at times this film is not going to win any awards for being subtle.

3/5

Money, murder and revolution

The Nile Hilton Incident (2017)

Directed by Tarik Saleh this film stars Fares Fares, Mari Malek, Yasser Ali Maher, Ahmed Selim and Hania Amar. On the eve of revolution in Egypt a corrupt police officer is assigned the case of the murder of a female singer in a hotel.

Exploring corruption against the backdrop of the Arab Spring this is a thoughtful and entertaining thriller. Inspired by real events this film is a look into a world we rarely see on the big screen. Well made and without melodrama this film is well worth a watch.

4/5

But why?

Appointment with Danger (1950)

Directed by Lewis Allen this film stars Alan Ladd, Phyllis Calvert and Paul Stewart. A US postal service inspector investigates a murder of one of his peers that a nun is the only witness to.

This is a pretty simple crime drama with plenty of tension but never really explains why the initial murder happened. The plot gets side tracked into being a heist film and kind of forgets its origin. Never the less this is a decent watch that occasionally shoes its age.

3/5

Not smashing

Icebreaker (2016)

Directed by Nikolay Khomeriki this film based on real events stars Pyotr Fyodorov, Sergei Puskepalis and Aleksandr Pal. In 1985 a Russian icebreaker becomes trapped in the ice.

A mix of Soviet era politics and disaster film this is a bit of a tepid effort. On screen events never really rise to a level of high tension that will put you on the edge of your seat. It is hard to say how accurate the film is to real events but the film is at least mildly entertaining.

3/5

Clickety clack

Night Mail (1936)

Directed by Harry Watt and Basil Wright this is a short documentary from the General Post Office film unit. We see how mail travels by train over night from London to Scotland.

Coming in with a hefty reputation this is an interesting watch but the minutiae of the piece may appeal more to those deeply into the details of film construction than your average viewer. As a historical record this is a fascinating piece and the final poem really elevates this narration. There are some nice shots as well as some very human moments captured.

4/5

Bear-able

Paddington (2014)

Directed by Paul King this film based on the character of the same name stars Hugh Bonneville, Sally Hawkins, Nicole Kidman and the voice of Ben Whishaw. A talking bear from Peru arrives at Paddington station in London and seeks a family to live with.

Enjoyable but simple this is a decent adaptation of a classic children's character. The script has a good hard but the film a little too short to be memorable in my opinion. Thankfully the CGI is well done as the film is some what reliant on that to work.

3/5

Doesn't sit right

Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri (2017)

Written & directed by Martin McDonagh this film stars Frances McDormand, Woody Harrelson, Sam Rockwell, John Hawkes and Peter Dinklage. A woman puts up three billboards to try and spur the small town police force into working harder on the investigation into the rape and murder of her daughter.

I will be honest I found this film very hard to pin down. There is something that does not sit right about the way this film invokes racism and then brushes away it away as almost a forgotten prop. While there are enjoyable elements to this film the praise that was lavished on it surprises me somewhat.

3/5

Not so famous

The Famous Actress Cicala Formica (1920)

Directed by Lucio D'Ambra this film stars Lia Formia, Umberto Zanuccoli and Riccardo Bertacchini. A rich young woman dreams of being a film actress but various obstacles stand in her way.

To start out with the film spends far too long introducing a huge cast of characters, some of which barely feature in the film. When the plot itself gets going it is fairly average. There is the odd chuckle here and there but for an early film I found this one rather unremarkable.

2/5

Senseless

Terrifier (2017)

Written & directed by Damien Leone this film stars Jenna Kanell, Samatha Scaffidi, David Howard Thornton and Catherine Corcoran. A man dressed up as a clown kills a bunch of people on Halloween.

Missing any sort of plot, motivation or character arcs this is just an excuse to string together a bunch of gore. The fact that no character survives long enough to have any kind of arc means rather than being surprised you just never are about any character. It is easy to see what this film is trying to be but the script is so paper thin it falls far short.

1/5