The latest in blood and guts

Christine (2016)

Directed by Antonio Campos this film based on real events stars Rebecca Hall, Michael C. Hall, Tracy Letts and Maria Dizzia. A female reporter for a local news station struggles with her life as she is about to turn 30.

This film does a fairly good job of presenting a young woman struggling with the pressures of her life even if it does not stick completely to the facts. What the film does best is not sensationalise or dwell on the aftermath of the protagonists suicide. As always Rebecca Hall gives a great performance.

3/5

Gore for sure

American Mary (2012)

Written & directed by the Soska sisters this film stars Katharine Isabelle, Antonio Cupo and Tristan Risk. A young woman studying to become a surgeon makes money working in the body modification community and uses her skills for revenge on a man.

There are some good set pieces and interesting ideas in this film but there are some key character scenes missing to really stitch this whole film together. Certainly there is plenty of toe curling moments, especially for the more squeamish among us, but there is a little too much reliance on that to carry the film. Generally the film is well made but I just think the script needed a little more work to really help the film fulfil it's potential and take it to the next level.

3/5

Not really a banger

The Bangville Police (1913)

Directed by Henry Lehrman this film stars Mabel Normand, Nick Cogley, Fred Mace and the Keystone Cops. A farm girl wishes for a baby calf and upon hearing strange noises in the barn calls the police.

So this is a pretty simple early comedy that does not have a huge amount going for it plot wise. When it comes to the comedy there are the odd moments that raise a chuckle but for the film that launched the popularity of the Keystone Cops this is not an overly funny film. Decently made this film is ultimately not really remarkable.

3/5

Not 4th time lucky

The Mummy (2017)

Directed by Alex Kurtzman this film stars Tom Cruise, Annabelle Wallis, Sofia Boutella and Russell Crowe. An American soldier in Iraq unearths the tomb of a lost Egyptian princess.

Heading for a pretty different take on the subject matter than the previous films with this name this film stumbles about all over the place. Unfortunately I think there are a few key scenes missing which means the character arcs and some of the plot do not really track. This is another example of a study trying to set up a franchise and forgetting to make a good film.

2/5

Birth of nothing

Birth of the Dragon (2016)

Directed by George Nolfi this film stars Philip Ng, Xie Yu and Billy Magnussen. In 1964 Bruce Lee teaches Kung Fu to whites and challenges a Shaolin Master to a fight.

Taking a historical event as a flimsy excuse for this film pretty much everything in the script is fabricated. If you are looking for a true story this is the wrong film for you and what we do get is not that interesting either. There are plenty of questionable elements in the script and the execution itself it decidedly unremarkable.

1/5

Two passes

Pas de deux (1968)

Directed by Norman McLaren this is a short film featuring dancers Margaret Mercier and Vincent Warren. A woman dances by herself and then with a man to Romanian pan pipe music.

Pretty simple in concept what elevates this short is the visuals. McLaren uses special effects to really emphasise the movement of the human form in a beautiful way. I really enjoyed this short even as someone that knows nothing about dance.

4/5

Births & death

The Midwife (2017)

Written & directed by Martin Provost this film stars Catherine Frot, Catherine Deneuve, Olivier Gourmet and Quentin Dolmaire. A French midwife is contacted out of the blue by her dead father's former mistress.

While not earth shattering this is a pretty interesting drama about one woman coming to terms with her past and another with her own mortality. Generally this is a well made film that handles it's subject matter without melodrama. There are good performances from the cast and some solid film making.

4/5

Alice in the fog

Still Alice (2014)

Directed by Richard Glatzer & Wash Westmoreland this film based on the novel of the same name stars Julianne Moore, Alec Baldwin, Kristen Stewart and Kate Bosworth. A successful linguistics professor and mother of three is diagnosed with early on set, familial Alzheimer's disease.

What I like about this film is that while it is not a full warts and all depiction of Alzheimer's it doesn't give the protagonist some happy ending or peace with her disease. The reality of Alzheimer's can be a lot harsher than shown here but the film still does a fairly decent job of showing life from the point of view of someone with the disease. Clearly the best thing here is Julianne Moore's performance, which won an Oscar, but I don't know as that is enough to elevate this film all by itself.

3/5

Our kind of adaptation

Our Kind of Traitor (2016)

Directed by Susanna White this film based on the novel of the same name stars Ewan McGregor, Maomie Harris, Stellan Skarsgard and Damian Lewis. A British couple on holiday in Morocco meet a Russian money launderer who seeks their help to defect to the UK.

Sticking largely to it's source material this may not be the best John le Carre adaptation but it is still of a decent standard. The plot does a good job of looking at the intersection between criminal and espionage but unfortunately the film always feels like an abridged version of a deeper source material. Apart from being a little on the short side this is a well made film even if it falls short of some of it's siblings.

4/5

Passable

Making a Living (1914)

Directed by Henry Lehrman this film stars Charlie Chaplin and the Keystone Kops. Two men fight over a woman which leads to slapstick action.

This is pretty much what you expect when you imagine an early silent comedy, plenty of physical comedy. The plot exists purely as a foil for the action and adds little to the piece. In general this is a decent if not spectacular comedy.

3/5

Criminal call

A Most Violent Year (2014)

Written & directed by J. C. Chandor this film stars Oscar Isaac, Jessica Chastain, David Oyelowo and Albert Broots. In 1980s New York a business man tries to keep his business the right side of legal in a highly corrupt market.

I found this to be a pretty enjoyable, better than Chandor's last film but not as good as his first. The plot manages a decent level of tension and balances the protagonists moral dilemmas well. There are decent performances and generally the film is well made.

4/5

The fate of the franchise

Fast and Furious 8 (2017)

Directed by F. Gary Gray this film stars Vin Diesel, Dwayne Johnson, Michelle Rodriguez, Jason Statham and Charlize Theron. Some super hacker lady blackmails our hero into turning on his friends.

The trouble with always having to go bigger than the previous film in the franchise is that it does not necessarily mean better. Not much is memorable about this film and the plot is fairly silly, about the only thing I did like was that they didn't try to bring in a replacement for Paul Walker's character. About the only other thing I liked in the film was Jason Statham who pretty much steals the film and is the only one bringing any charisma or fun to the film.

2/5

Selfish shellfish

The Lobster (2015)

Directed by Yorgos Lanthimos this film stars Colin Farrell, Rachel Weisz, Lea Seydoux and Olivia Colman. After his wife leaves him for another man our hero is sent to a hotel where he has 45 days to find a new partner or be turned into an animal of his choice if he should fail to find love.

Bizarre to say the least this film takes a darkly comedic look at the pressures of both those who demand relationships and single status. Maybe not as hard hitting as Dogtooth (2009) from the same director which I really loved, this is still a very fun watch. There is plenty to enjoy from this unusual offering and an excellent cast to boot.

4/5

Very odd

Hen, His Wife (1990)

Written and directed by Igor Kovalyov this is an animated short film. A husband, his wife and their child/pet have their lives interrupted when a man whispers in the husband's ear.

Suffice to say this is a pretty bizarre short that I'm really not sure of the meaning of. No doubt there must be something behind this surreal piece but it eluded me. Whatever the case there is certainly enough strangeness going on here to keep you watching.

3/5

Love vs fear of gossip

All That Heaven Allows (1955)

Directed by Douglas Sirk this film based on the novel of the same name stars Jane Wyman and Rock Hudson. An upper class, middle aged widow falls in love with her gardener.

You could file this film away as just rich people problems but for a melodrama it is a fairly decent watch. The plot might not exactly be riveting but it ticks along nicely with a modicum of social commentary. All in all this is a fairly decent but a little heavy handed film.

3/5

Murder

Fruitvale Station (2013)

Directed by Ryan Coogler this film based on real events stars Michael B. Jordan, Octavia Spencer and Melonie Diaz. We follow the life of a 22 year old African American man on the day leading up to his murder by a policeman.

I really like that this film paints a warts and all portrait of it's main character, making him a man with flaws trying to get his life straight rather than making him a saint. The film is a decent exploration of the plight of young African American men and the tragic fate that we sadly see so many of them face. Generally the film is well made and offers a respectful look at a true story.

4/5

Art and word

Guernica (1950)

Directed by Alain Resnais and Robert Hessens this film is narrated by Maria Casares. A poem about the bombing of Guernica is read over various pieces of art inspired by the tragedy.

Doing a really good job of mixing art and spoken word this film is a haunting look at the biggest crime of the Spanish Civil War. Using art like this might be somewhat unusual but works well here. Even if the film is slightly abstract thanks to it's method it still manages to be very human.

4/5

A clear fixation

ChiPs (2017)

Directed by co-star Dax Shepard this film based on the television show of the same name also stars Michael Pena, Vincent D'Onofrio and Jessica McNamee. Sent undercover to the highway patrol an FBI agent with a sex addiction is partnered with a rookie that used to be in extreme sports.

This is not the highest form of art or necessarily the best piece of nostalgia cinema you will ever see but as a buddy comedy it's not too bad. There are times when the script over relies on gross out humour but for the most part this is a fairly decent comedy. Nothing too much is remarkable here but there are worse ways to spend 90 minutes.

3/5

As bad as you might have expected

Baywatch (2017)

Directed by Seth Gordon this film based on the television show of the same name stars Dwayne Johnson, Zac Efron, Alexandra Daddario and Priyanka Chopra. Three new recruits, including an arrogant former Olympic swimmer, join the lifeguard team.

There are moments when this film this it is a parody but those are far too few which unfortunately means we are left with a big pile of stupid. In the end this film is just too bad to be enjoyed, I don't know why they let this film out of the development hell it spent so long trapped in. Some of the cast are not too bad but they have so little to work with there is nothing they can do to save this film.

2/5

The OG backstabbers

Julius Caesar (1909)

Directed by Giovanni Pastrone who also stars in the film this is a short film based on historical events. We follow a short portion of Caesar's life including his return to Rome and death.

Essentially this is a 12 minute short take on the death of Caesar rather than his life story or any depth on him. This is a watchable short but it is a little rudimentary in places. Not great for a short distraction but a decent little distraction.

2/5

And it all went very badly

Frank & Lola (2016)

Written & directed by Matthew Ross this film stars Michael Shannon, Imogen Poots, Michael Nyqvist and Justin Long. A somewhat jealous chef in Las Vegas begins a relationship with an aspiring fashion designer who he later discovers has a troubled past.

Taking some dark turns this is not a light romantic film but is fairly interesting. Both the central characters have some serious flaws which leads to a relationship which is not healthy but some how you still root for. There are decent performances from the cast and the film is generally well made.

3/5

All over the top

My All American (2015)

Written & directed by Angelo Pizzo this film based on real events stars Finn Wittrock, Sarah Bolger and Aaron Eckhart. Deemed too short to play football a young man gets his chance to play for the University of Texas.

Unfortunately what could be a serious story is given the full cheese treatment which is a real shame given the life of it's protagonist. The film also overlooks the way college football uses the dreams and health of young men as a money making scheme with scant reward for the players. While the cast do their best the script is weak and made worse when the direction and score run ham fisted over the piece.

2/5

Losing the magic

Sorcerer (1977)

Directed by William Friedkin this remake/re-adptation of “The Wages of Fear” stars Roy Scheider, Bruno Cremer, Francisco Rabal and Amidou. Four down on their luck foreigners in South America take on a dangerous job for an oil company.

Despite having the lauded skill of William Friedkin behind this film it some how manages to lose a lot of the depth and character of the first adaptation. Plenty of the source material is still there but unfortunately this film always feels like a poor relation in comparison to it's predecessor. Mostly I wish we would have gotten to see the version of this film with Steve McQueen in the lead role.

3/5

The confusion of viewers

The Games of Angels (1964)

Directed by Walerian Borowczyk this animated short film has music by Bernard Parmegiani. We see a series of abstract images from a stark setting.

I'll be honest that this one maybe a little too abstract for me but it certainly seems to be some sort of portrayal of the Holocaust. It might not be to my taste but there is certainly something memorable in the odd images. Not for everyone but not a terrible watch either.

3/5

The price of reputation

The Wages of Fear (1953)

Directed by Henri-Georges Clouzot this film based on the novel of the same name stars Yves Montand, Charles Vanel, Folco Lulli and Peter van Eyck. Foreigners in a small South American town desperate for work take on a dangerous job.

It takes this film a while to get going and I'll be honest that given it's reputation I expected a bit more from it. There are some decent suspense sequences but they are not amazing to modern eyes. The plot does some what work as a metaphor for the human endeavour but is not overly deep. Generally the film is well made and holds your attention.

4/5

Lock, stock and one smoking sword

King Arthur: Legend of the Sword (2017)

Directed by Guy Ritchie this film stars Charlie Hunnam, Astrid Berges-Frisbey, Djimon Hounsou, Aidan Gillen and Jude Law. After having his parents murdered by his uncle the future King Arthur grows up in London leading a criminal gang.

Essentially this is King Arthur recast as a cockney wide boy and to be honest I think Guy Ritchie is the only person in the world that wanted this version of the story. Our protagonist is pretty unlikeable and has zero character growth. There is far too much lore stuffed into this film over story telling leading to an over reliance on montage sequences to get through all the material.

2/5

Obvious Sam

The Further Adventures of Uncle Sam (1970)

Directed by Dale Case and Robert Mitchell this is an animated short film. Uncle Sam is called into action to save Lady Liberty from the evil industrial-capitalists.

Subtle is not the word I would use for this criticism of modern America. While a fairly decent cartoon everything is just a little too much on the nose here, it would have been nice to see a version of this that wasn't made with a sledge hammer. The animation is nothing remarkable for the era but does it's job.

3/5

Monarchy, democracy and war

The King's Choice (2016)

Directed by Erik Poppe this film based on real events stars Jesper Christensen, Anders Baasmo Christiansen, Karl Markovics and Tuva Schuttler. We see the dilemma placed on the King of Norway as his country is invaded by Nazi Germany in 1940.

Taking a somewhat dry subject this film does a really good job of humanising leaders in a time of crisis. What the film does well is make a national crisis a personal one, showing the dignity and class of it's protagonist. While clearly this film is pushing an agenda it is well made and restrained rather than a bombastic celebration of monarchy.

4/5