Lost in fiction

 

The Lost City of Z (2016)

Directed by James Gray this film based on the book of the same name stars Charlie Hunnam, Robert Pattinson, Sienna Miller and Tom Holland. We follow the expeditions of historical figure Percy Fawcett in the Amazon jungle.

Clearly this film wishes it was directed by Terrance Malick but is nowhere near that poetic. The plot never lets history get in the way of it's own interests making this more fiction than fact by the looks of it. All in all a bit of a damp squib.

2/5

Charge back

 

English Lancers Charging (1900)

Directed by James H. White this is an early short film. A group of lancers charge a position defender by Boers.

Unfortunately the image quality is so bad in the version I saw it is near impossible to tell what is going on here. I assume this is a recreation, if so I am not sure what we are even getting out of this. Not really worth seeking out.

1/5

Desperately lacking

 

The Desperate Hour (2021)

Directed by Philip Noyce this film stars Naomi Watts. A woman is out running in the woods when her son's school is locked down because of a shooting incident.

As a piece of tension cinema this film is not too bad however it does not have anything interesting to say on the underlying issues. Towards the end I found some of the plot twists unrealistic and unbelievable. Unfortunately the film heads straight for the cheesy ending over something with weight.

2/5

Shocking

 

Woman at War (2018)

Directed by Benedikt Erlingsson this film stars Halldora Geirharosdottir in two roles. A woman's eco terrorism gets in the way of her plans to adopt.

I found this to be an enjoyable, off beat film. The pace of this film might be a little slow for some but it is a good watch with some stunning landscapes. Maybe not as deep as it could be, still worth watching though.

4/5

Moving

 

Ballett 16 (1984)

Directed by Peter Tscherkassky this short film stars Regina Baumgart. A woman dances in front of the camera.

Not one for those with photosensitivity this film uses special effects to achieve an usual study of movement. I really enjoyed the look of the film even if there is not much to it. An interesting experiment in what you can achieve.

4/5

Drifting through the memories

 

The Neon Bible (1995)

Directed by Terence Davis this film based on the novel of the same name stars Jacob Tierney, Gena Rowlands and Diana Scarwid. A teenage boy grows up in 1940s Georgia.

This film drifts in and out of a boys life without much drive or clarity. If you are big into art house style films this might be for you, otherwise it is a tiny bit oblique. I found the protagonist far too passive for this film to work, he is mostly an observer rather than a participant.

2/5

Leaves you cross

 

The Cassandra Crossing (1976)

Directed by George Pan Cosmatos this film stars Sophia Loren, Richard Harris, Ava Gardner, Martin Sheen and Burt Lancaster. A train travelling across Europe carries a man infected with a deadly plague.

Starting with a beautiful shot and the promise of a star studied cast this film quickly turns out to be dire. Even a Tom Mankiewicz rewrite can not save the script which is consistently terrible. Other than the opening shot I am not sure what redeeming features this film really has.

1/5