Roses and stiff upper lip

Mrs. Miniver (1942)

Directed by William Wyler this film based on the novel of the same name stars Geer Garson, Walter Pidgeon, Teresa Wright and Reginald Owen. Family life in a village outside London is disrupted by the start of the Second World War.

Despite being set in England this film is very much an American made film that was co-opted as a propaganda piece as the US entered the war. The plot is a fairly standard slice of home front drama from a middle class point of view that does not really show the true hardships faced by some. At times it does show that the film was made in the US but not egregiously so.

3/5

What?

The Rocky Horror Picture Show (1975)

Directed by Jim Sharman this film based on the musical of a similar name stars Tim Curry, Susan Sarandon and Barry Bostwick. A newly engaged couple have car trouble one night and seek help at a castle populated by aliens.

If nothing else this film is completely unique in it's blend of science fiction, horror film, 50s rock music and bizarre, unquantifiable qualities. It is hard to know what to make of this film that never really goes anywhere or seems to have much reason to it's madness but it is certainly not the usual fare. Tim Curry is the stand out performance here and there are some nice visual references to classic films.

4/5

Blackmail and injustice

Victim (1961)

Directed by Basil Dearden this film stars Dirk Bogarde, Dennis Price, Sylvia Syms and Peter McEnery. A married barrister with a confused sexuality is caught up in the blackmail of homosexuals.

At the time of release this film was massively controversial but does a good job of showing the plight of homosexual men at a time when homosexual acts were still criminalised. Despite being a social issues film and having a clear agenda the film is never preachy, instead treating the subject matter with subtlety and tact. There are good performances from the cast but there is at least one night time scene that does not show up very well on the black and white film stock.

4/5

Hammer and steak

Dracula (1958)

Directed by Terence Fisher this film based on the novel of the same name stars Christopher Lee, Peter Cushing, Michael Gough and Melissa Stribling. 1885, Jonathan Harker travels to the castle of Count Dracula, a place where the locals fear to go.

This is not one of the most faithful adaptations you will ever come across but does a fairly good job of keeping the general feel of the book. What the film does well is hint at the sexual undertones of the story without going to excess. While this may not be the most famous or celebrated adaptation it is well made for the budget.

3/5

Secret trial often rials

Closed Circuit (2013)

Directed by John Crowley this film stars Eric Bana, Rebecca Hall, Ciaran Hinds and Jim Broadbent. Two barristers defending a terrorist in a secret trial uncover a conspiracy.

In general this is a pretty slickly made thriller that works fairly well with a good amount of tension and paranoia. Where the film falls down is that it does not really have much interesting to say about the controversial subject of secret trials instead preferring some unrealistic violence instead. I really enjoyed the performances of Rebecca Hall and Eric Bana but the script does not give them a huge amount to work with.

3/5

Ghostbusters in black

R.I.P.D (2013)

Directed by Robert Schwentke this film based on the comic of the same name stars Jeff Bridges, Ryan Reynolds, Kevin Bacon and Mary-Louise Parker. A Boston police officer recently killed by his own partner goes back to Earth as part of the afterlife police hunting dead that do not want to go to hell.

This film has it's moments but most of the time it seems to be a weak rip off of better films. Nothing ever really gets explained fully and we never know enough about the protagonist before he dies to connect with him. Despite a decent cast Mary-Louise Parker is the only real highlight and Jeff Bridges seems to have gone too far over the top with his performance.

2/5

Something to make noise about

The Great Silence (1968)

Directed by Sergio Corbucci this film stars Jean-Louis Trintignant, Klaus Kinski, Vonetta McGee and Fran Wolff. A mute gunfighter with a grudge against bounty hunters helps protect outlawed Mormons in Utah.

This is a rare film willing to really examine one of the staples of it's genre, in this case killing for money and it does a great job. The plot brings out the ideas of state, money and revenge leaving you unsure if anyone in the film is morally right. Having snowscapes as a back drop provides a nice change and the ending of this film impressively underlines the themes of the film in a way you will rarely see.

5/5