Look now

Don't Look Now (1973)

Directed by Nicolas Roeg this film based on the short story of the same name stars Donald Sutherland and Julie Christie. A couple struggle to over come the death of their daughter as the husband works on restoring a church in Venice.

This is a real slow burner of a film but is a riveting watch filled with slightly creepy moments that you just can not quite put your finger on what is wrong. The plot is a tale of grief and a relationship slowly slipping apart because of it and the super natural elements added in work well. It is the editing which most makes the film stand out doing a great job of highlighting repeated themes or motifs with all the cross cutting being slightly reminiscent of early Soviet films.

5/5

Empty mind

Scanners (1981)

Written and directed by David Cronenberg this film stars Steven Lack, Patrick McGoohan, Jennifer O'Neill and Michael Ironside. In the near future some people have telepathic powers but struggle to use them as a war breaks out between telepaths and those that would control them.

There are plenty of good hooks in this film but unfortunately we are stuck with a disappointingly bland script. For all the interesting elements the film never goes anywhere thematically or on a character level. Some of the special effects are pretty good and there is one shocking scene near the start but for a nearly 2 hour run time there is not a lot going on here.

3/5

In train-ing

The Great Train Robbery (1903)

Directed by Edwin S. Porter this film stars Alfred C. Abadie, Brocho Billy Anderson, Justus D. Barnes and Walter Cameron. A group of outlaws attempt to rob a train in the old west.

This film is considered to have a lot of historical value but I am not sure it has a much entertainment value any more. Some of the acting and stunts are pretty bad to a modern eye and the story is pretty much just what it says on the tin. As a curiosity into early film I suppose this is a landmark but not something I would recommend watching.

2/5

Nothing to sniff at

Drug War (2013)

Directed by Johnnie To this film stars Sun Honglei, Louis Koo and Huang Yi. In china a drug lord works with the police to stave off the death penalty.

This is a fairly nuts and bolts film about the drug trade in China which does not ever do anything new but is very proficient. Events move a long at a nice pace but there is never really a clock driving the action so it does lack a sense of suspense at times. There is not a lot of action but the film does end in a fairly brutal shoot out which seems less realistic than the investigation that proceeded it.

3/5

Fiennes's finest

The Grand Budapest Hotel (2014)

Written and directed by Wes Anderson this film stars Ralph Fiennes, Tony Revolori and an all star supporting cast. A writer tells a story of how mad cap antics involving a hotel in central Europe in the 1930s.

From start to finish this is a hilarious farce which never lets up and fits in perfectly with the types of worlds that Wes Anderson usually creates. The plot takes place against the decay of society in Europe which while an interesting theme is not explored as fully as I would like. Despite the large cast it is Ralph Fiennes who completely dominates the film with an amazing performance in a role that could never have been played by anyone else.

4/5

Rebel without a budget

El Mariachi (1992)

Written and directed by Robert Rodriguez this film stars Carlos Gallardo, Consuelo Gomez and Peter Marquardt. A case of mistake identity lands a travelling musician in the middle of a crime war between two former partners.

The plot of this film is fairly simple and does not have a huge amount of depth to it but for what it is it works pretty well. What really draws viewers to the film is that Robert Rodriguez essentially made this film as a one man crew on a micro budget. Given how the film was made it is actually really impressive and one of the key independent films of the 90s.

3/5

A second swing at Mamet

About Last Night (2014)

Directed by Steve Pink this is the second adaptation of the play “Sexual Perversity in Chicago” this time staring Michael Ealy, Joy Bryant, Kevin Hart and Regina Hall. After being introduced by their friends a couple start dating.

Early on this film shows some promise in exploring the way the different sexes approach relationships but that ultimately fizzles for a standard rom-com plot. There are some funny moments but this is not what you would say is a film that is funny through out. I enjoyed the cast but at times it felt like the editing in the scenes was a little too fast around some of the dialogue.

3/5