What happened?

Romance of a Jewess (1908)

Written & directed by D. W. Griffith this film stars Florence Lawrence, George Gebhardt and Gladys Egan. We see a Jewish family in a melodrama.

To be honest it is pretty hard to figure out what is going on in this film, the image quality is not great and there are few inter titles. Not really being able to decipher the plot beyond the basics means this is not one of the best short films out there. There are much better silent films and much better Griffith films to watch.

2/5

Up in da 1955 club

Momma Don't Allow (1955)

Directed by Karel Reisz and Tony Richardson this is a short documentary. We see one night in the life of a London jazz club.

Somewhat interesting as a historical record but otherwise I did not find this an overly remarkable documentary. Very much just showing a slice of life without seeming to have a deeper point I thought this documentary was a little on the long side. There are some nice visuals but again nothing overly impressive.

3/5

A life time of sins

Hostiles (2017)

Written & directed by Scott Cooper this film stars Christian Bale, Rosamund Pike and Wes Studi. In 1892 a US cavalry officer is given the job of escorting a terminally ill Cheyenne war chief back to his trial lands in Montana.

Going over the dangerous grounds of US-Native American relations this is a pretty good look into a shameful part of history. The message of the film is not revolutionary but the plot does hold your attention. Well acted and directed this is a visually excellent western.

4/5

Wish I had been left home alone

Daddy's Home 2 (2017)

Directed by Sean Anders this film stars Will Ferrell, Mark Wahlberg, Linda Cardellini, John Lithgow and Mel Gibson. The arrival of grandfathers at Christmas time complicates matters for the co-dad protagonists.

Shovelling a limp sequel dripping with seasonal over sentimentality is enough to turn off most viewers and that is exactly what we have here. I think there are probably better places this script could have gone if a sequel was absolutely necessary, like exploring the co-mothering relationship. There are some jokes but largely this film is too obvious and lacking in subtlety.

2/5

Loses

Fuses (1967)

Directed by star Carolee Schneemann this film also features James Tenney. Two people have sex, in graphic detail.

I am sure there are artistic intentions behind this short film but to me this is just someone's largely out of focus home sex tape. Say what you will in favour of this film but I found it to be disjointed and a bit too long. No doubt this may appeal to some but it was not for me.

2/5

Carefully considered moves

The Chess Players (1977)

Directed by Satyajit Ray this film stars Sanjeev Kumar, Saeed Jaffrey and Richard Attenborough. In 1856 two men obsess over chess while the British East India Company plots to take over their country.

This is a fascinating look at the British takeover of India from the Indian point of view and the two stories work well as foils for each other. Some may find the plot a little slow going but this is certainly an interesting watch. Maybe not my favourite Ray film that I have seen but a good one none the less.

4/5

Devil's weak script

Devil's Gate (2017)

Directed by Clay Staub this film stars Amanda Schull, Shawn Ashmore, Milo Ventimiglia and Bridget Regan. An FBI agent is sent to look into the disappearance of a child, then it turns out it's aliens.

Essentially this is a cast off X-Files script without the insight of Mulder and Scully. I suppose this is a watchable film but there is far too much telling and not enough showing. Not too badly made for what was probably a low budget film but the script needed more work.

2/5