Lebanon (15)
(Samuel Maoz, 2009, Israel) Yoav Donat, Oshri Cohen, Michael Moshonov. 93 mins
You can see why they made Top Gun about jet fighters. This is set entirely within the confines of an Israeli tank during the 1982 Lebanon war, and it's not much of a recruitment ad. The gimmick is both the movie's strength and its weakness. The space and visibility restrictions make this a neat minimalist thriller and a nervy, unpredictable combat experience, but it's one safely insulated from the questions – and victims – of the real-life conflict. Despite the sweat and grime, you feel like the really dirty stuff is going on elsewhere.
Robin Hood (12A)
(Ridley Scott, 2010, Us) Russell Crowe, Cate Blanchett, Max Von Sydow, Mark Strong. 140 mins
Scott attempts to pull another Gladiator, ditching the familiar tights and tropes and reimagining the legend through a combination of mangled history, epic set pieces and deadly earnest heroism. It's more of a prequel,...
(Samuel Maoz, 2009, Israel) Yoav Donat, Oshri Cohen, Michael Moshonov. 93 mins
You can see why they made Top Gun about jet fighters. This is set entirely within the confines of an Israeli tank during the 1982 Lebanon war, and it's not much of a recruitment ad. The gimmick is both the movie's strength and its weakness. The space and visibility restrictions make this a neat minimalist thriller and a nervy, unpredictable combat experience, but it's one safely insulated from the questions – and victims – of the real-life conflict. Despite the sweat and grime, you feel like the really dirty stuff is going on elsewhere.
Robin Hood (12A)
(Ridley Scott, 2010, Us) Russell Crowe, Cate Blanchett, Max Von Sydow, Mark Strong. 140 mins
Scott attempts to pull another Gladiator, ditching the familiar tights and tropes and reimagining the legend through a combination of mangled history, epic set pieces and deadly earnest heroism. It's more of a prequel,...
- 5/14/2010
- by The guide
- The Guardian - Film News
A sadistic black comedy about a dysfunctional Afrikaans family is highly questionable, writes Cath Clarke
If you are not in possession of a cast-iron constitution then it's best to avoid the poisonously dysfunctional Afrikaans family in Triomf. They are the Benades: Treppie (Lionel Newton), a fridge repairman who lives with his sister, her husband and their son Lambert, who has learning disabilities. They are a violent, incestuous and repellently racist bunch. Set in the run-up to the historic 1994 elections, the Benades' paranoia about the end of apartheid coincides with a catastrophic family meltdown. The acting is faultless, but Triomf's tone is oil and water: sadistic black comedy poured on to operatic Oedipal tragedy, with decidedly questionable results. A scene in which 20-year-old Lambert is having sex with his worn-out submissive mother is played for laughs, a pet dog rutting at his leg. Had I not been reviewing, I would have walked out right there.
If you are not in possession of a cast-iron constitution then it's best to avoid the poisonously dysfunctional Afrikaans family in Triomf. They are the Benades: Treppie (Lionel Newton), a fridge repairman who lives with his sister, her husband and their son Lambert, who has learning disabilities. They are a violent, incestuous and repellently racist bunch. Set in the run-up to the historic 1994 elections, the Benades' paranoia about the end of apartheid coincides with a catastrophic family meltdown. The acting is faultless, but Triomf's tone is oil and water: sadistic black comedy poured on to operatic Oedipal tragedy, with decidedly questionable results. A scene in which 20-year-old Lambert is having sex with his worn-out submissive mother is played for laughs, a pet dog rutting at his leg. Had I not been reviewing, I would have walked out right there.
- 5/13/2010
- by Cath Clarke
- The Guardian - Film News
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