Films: A
Films I've seen (that I can recall and have recorded) starting with A
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- DirectorTon van ZantvoortFlowers love people. Anyway, that is what the flower growing industry is trying to propagate. But whether flowers actually do love people, well, that remains the question. The largest percentage of flowers produced in third world countries, where the pay checks are low and the environment constraints are flexible, is auctioned in The Netherlands. "A Blooming Business" is a poetic documentary about people in Kenya who are imprisoned by the power of the global flower growing industry. The dilemmas of the industry grow painfully clear and a dark world of oppression, sexual abuse and terrible working conditions unfolds. There is only one conclusion possible: the smell of the imported rose is not sweet, but bitter. Pure observation goes unnoticed, hand in hand, with straightforward comments about life and living from the main characters throughout this film. The camera is present and absent at the same time. It reshapes the documentary. With great humanism, Van Zantvoort shows us literally and figuratively another world; a world in which the life of each human being is precious.Very interesting, if not depressing doco
- DirectorJohn CassavetesStarsBurt LancasterJudy GarlandGena RowlandsJean Hansen joins the staff at a state training institution for developmentally challenged children. When she disagrees with teaching methods used for a 12-year-old autistic boy, the principal does not believe her approach is the answer.Amazing performances from the children. I loved the very end when Garland calls the new boy darling and he says in horror 'Darling?' and she replies, 'yes, I guess that darling is a little inappropriate for a boy your age'.
- DirectorRobert ZemeckisStarsJim CarreyGary OldmanColin FirthAn animated retelling of Charles Dickens' classic novel about a Victorian-era miser taken on a journey of self-redemption, courtesy of several mysterious Christmas apparitions.Dicken's classic is animated to life in this new version, with Jim Carrey playing Scrooge and the Ghosts, all animated with performance capture technology. This style of animation has been used before, in Beowulf for instance and whilst it at times works for the most part I struggle with it as the sense of realism becomes borderline. In this instance it looks okay, but the better scenes are the ones where people aren't in close up. The human characters rarely look anything more than bad computer game characters. On a few occasions does it work well, a candle lit Scrooge's face. General scenes where presumably they used regular animation are often wonderful, flying over a snow covered London or the scenes where Scrooge falls through the air are very effective.
Jim Carrey does well here playing the old Scrooge and is less Carrey than normal, his performances as the three ghosts are also okay, despite annoying accents. The film is for the most part very dark with scenes such as the ones with the Ghost of Christmas yet to come really ominous and perhaps too dark for a 'family' rated film.
The story is a true classic, but whilst there is some things to enjoy, it is perhaps a story I prefer told as a live action story. - DirectorArnaud DesplechinStarsCatherine DeneuveJean-Paul RoussillonMathieu AmalricThe troubled Vuillard family is no stranger to illness, grief, and banishment, but when their matriarch requires a bone-marrow transplant, the estranged clan reunites just in time for Christmas.Great cast - but overly long.
- DirectorChris WaittStarsAleksandra BoyarskayaDanielle McLeodOlivia TrenchA humorous look at life for a loser in love.Another WOW! This was such a surprise. I didnt know what to expect, but within the first opening moments, I was, along with the rest of the audience laughing heartily. And I did so for much of the film. This was an incredible insight into someones life, if not a very tragic and sad one, but it was difficult not to see the humour in the situations. It was down right hilarious. Poor guy....and poor women!!. We as an audience never really learn what his faults are, he just sound like a guy blessed with bad luck, and some part of you has to feel sorry for him. Not sure I was comfortable with the scenes of him asking woman if they would *beep* him after he'd taken too much viagra, but still there was a nice outcome to that. The scenes near the end with the one woman he really loved, were quite heartbreaking. Great stuff!
- DirectorBasil GelpkeRaymond McCormackReto CaduffStarsWade AdamsAbdul Samad Al-AwadiFadhil J. Al-ChalabiA theatrical documentary on the planet's dwindling oil resources.Great doco. Oil is the nightmare of humanity.
- DirectorDavid CronenbergStarsMichael FassbenderKeira KnightleyViggo MortensenA look at how the intense relationship between Carl Jung and Sigmund Freud gives birth to psychoanalysis.I just can't stand Knightley - makes for difficult viewing.
- DirectorJohn WatersStarsTracey UllmanChris IsaakSelma BlairAn uptight, middle-aged, repressed woman turns into a sex addict after getting hit on the head, and she then falls into an underground subculture of sex addicts in suburban Baltimore.Had high hopes, but was very disappointed.
- DirectorStephan ElliottStarsLaura BrentXavier SamuelKris MarshallA groom and his three best men travel to the Australian outback for a wedding.The lead is likable, but this is a unfunny mess.
- DirectorBen WheatleyStarsJulian BarrattPeter FerdinandoRichard GloverAmid the Civil War in 17th-century England, a group of deserters flee from battle through an overgrown field. Captured by an alchemist, the men are forced to help him search to find a hidden treasure that he believes is buried in the field.Trippy, surreal, weird, fantastical and confusing.
- DirectorIan FitzgibbonStarsDylan MoranMark DohertyKeith AllenA broke, jobless actor and a broke, jobless screenwriter set out to make a movie and then find that life starts imitating art.I had hopes for a good for laughs from this,it does have Dylan Moran in after all, but I was really disappointed. The premise is so far fetched and whilst that might the whole point, I just couldn't wait for it to end. I may have cracked a smile once. It's a shame, as it's a very well made film for a low budget effort.
- DirectorDito MontielStarsRobert Downey Jr.Rosario DawsonShia LaBeoufComing-of-age drama about a boy growing up in Astoria, New York during the 1980s. As his friends end up dead, on drugs or in prison, he comes to believe he has been saved from their fates by various so-called saints.great cast and likable thriller.
- DirectorCesc GayStarsJavier CámaraRicardo DarínEduard FernándezA comedy centered on eight men in their 40s, all with identity crises.Brilliant film - moving, funny and cleverly played out.
- DirectorTobias LindholmStarsPilou AsbækSøren MallingDar SalimThe crew of a Danish cargo ship is hijacked by Somali pirates who proceed to engage in escalating negotiations with authorities in Copenhagen.Brilliant tense thriller - just has the edge over Captain Phillips.
- DirectorDavid CronenbergStarsViggo MortensenMaria BelloEd HarrisA mild-mannered man becomes a local hero through an act of violence, which sets off repercussions that will shake his family to its very core.Great performance from Mortensen.
- DirectorMichael MayerStarsColin FarrellDallas RobertsRobin WrightA boy who has experienced many losses in his life grows to manhood and enters into a love triangle with a woman and his boyhood friend.Likable enough drama.
- DirectorMark KidelStarsOsvaldo GolijovGerard MortierKaija SaariahoFollows Peter Sellars around the globe to reveal his inner life as an artistic visionary. Filming over two years, Mark Kidel travels a rocky artistic roadI went into this not knowing anything about Peter Sellars (no, not Peter Sellers) and I left feeling creative and inspired. Sellars is a man full of energy and passion and it's wonderful to see this creative mind on screen. There is an intensity to him which is both fascinating and a little disturbing.
At times he seems way over the top, crying during rehearsals for instance but perhaps this is the sign of true passion for the art or work you create and love. I'm not sure I felt I went on a journey with this man as the title suggests, but I did get a wonderful insight - DirectorIlmar RaagStarsJeanne MoreauLaine MägiPatrick PineauAnne leaves Estonia to come to Paris and care for Frida, an elderly Estonian lady who emigrated to France long ago. Anne soon realizes that she is not wanted. All Frida wants from life is the attention of Stephane, her younger lover from years ago. Stephane, however, is desperate for Anne to stay and look after Frida, even against the old lady's will. In this conflict of strangers, Anne finds her own way...great performances and got me engaged despite negative reviews
- DirectorPhilippe GrandrieuxStarsDmitriy KubasovNatálie RehorováAleksey SolonchevThe story takes place in a country about which we know nothing: a country of snow and dense forests somewhere in the North. A family lives in an isolated house near a lake. Alexi, the brother, is a young man with pure heart. A woodcutter. An ecstatic, prey to epileptic fits, he is entirely opened to the nature that surrounds him. Alexi is terribly close to his younger sister, Hege. Their blind mother, their father and their little brother are the silent witnesses to their overwhelming love. A stranger arrives, a young man barely older that Alexi...Here are the final scores for the film A Lake:
Visual Imagery 1 - Film 0
People Leaving throughout the film 1- Film 0
Oh dear.
Boy has fit in snow, after walking with horse. Found by sister. Stranger arrives. Sister and stranger sleep together. Small girl appears. Followed by the return of the father. And near the end, the mother, which is followed by the sister and stranger leaving. FIN. This "story" is told with some very sparse dialogue, but plenty of shaky out of focus camera work. The film's only redeeming feature and I use the word redeeming lightly, was the visual, the snow covered landscape looked amazing and the camera work often gave it an ethereal effect. At least I had a chance to rest my eyes without fear of missing anything. Shocking. No wonder so many people left, and those that didn't I suspect were asleep or resting their eyes. - DirectorYaron ZilbermanStarsPhilip Seymour HoffmanChristopher WalkenCatherine KeenerMembers of a world-renowned string quartet struggle to stay together in the face of death, competing egos, and insuppressible lust.Listed as A Late Quartet;
likable, but hated the characters after a while. - DirectorHiroyuki OkiuraStarsKaren MiyamaYukaDaizaburo Arakawa11-year-old Momo moves with her mother to a small island town after her father dies. When she arrives, she encounters three goblins that others cannot see who try to help her to cope with the loss of her father and the changes in her life.Charming tale.
- DirectorShainee GabelStarsScarlett JohanssonJohn TravoltaGabriel MachtA headstrong young woman returns to New Orleans after the death of her estranged mother.Hated it. But being near the end of a long haul flight wouldn't have helped.
- DirectorMichael PowellEmeric PressburgerStarsDavid NivenKim HunterRobert CooteA British wartime aviator who cheats death must argue for his life before a celestial court, hoping to prolong his fledgling romance with an American girl.Released in the US as Stairway to heaven. Astonishing film. Visually amazing and touching on some ideas that must have been a little taboo when it was made.
- DirectorAnton CorbijnStarsPhilip Seymour HoffmanRachel McAdamsDaniel BrühlA Chechen Muslim illegally immigrates to Hamburg, where he gets caught in the international war on terror.brooding drama, well played, but Rachel McAdams accent was so bad. Hoffman was a fine actor
- DirectorMichael HoffmanStarsKevin KlineMichelle PfeifferRupert EverettLovers' lives are complicated by city law, feuding faerie royalty, and... love.Likable adaptation of the classic.
- DirectorMichael WinterbottomStarsAngelina JolieDan FuttermanIrrfan KhanMariane Pearl embarks on a frantic search to locate her journalist husband Daniel when he goes missing in Pakistan.Gritty thriller, good performances although Jolie is a little hammy.
- DirectorSam WoodEdmund GouldingStarsGroucho MarxChico MarxHarpo MarxA sly business manager and the wacky friends of two opera singers in Italy help them achieve success in America while humiliating their stuffy and snobbish enemies.after a spate of old black & white films which I hadn’t really enjoyed I was wary. But really enjoyed this. Very funny at times.
- DirectorDavid LeanStarsJudy DavisVictor BanerjeePeggy AshcroftCultural mistrust and false accusations doom a friendship in British colonial India between an Indian doctor, an Englishwoman engaged to marry a city magistrate, and an English educator.This is one of those very British films I remember watching as a kid, the kind that always seemed to be one television. Set amid the British colonial rule if India, two British ladies visit India and with their liberal thinking are shocked at the divide between the whites and the Indians, a gap that is vast, discriminatory, and ultimately will bring change to the country.
The two women, strive to see the real India, to meet real Indians but to start everything is presented in a very prudish and English manner, not the real side of things they yearn for. Then they meet a young Indian doctor, who bonds with both women and agrees to take them on an excursion to the Marabar caves, where events take a terrible turn and the divide of race and class are brought to the fold.
It's quite an epic tale, one based on E.M. Forster's novel, one that starts with an air of lightness as the we see the British behave in that colonial way, foppish and above everyone else. Mrs. Moore and Adela, provide a different insight into this world, one that they seem to loathe and that they see isn't either suited to where they are nor what they hoped to experience. There's a lovely moment, when at the club, Adela Picks up a cucumber sandwich and throws it back down with disgust, as if to suggest that she didn't sail half way around the world to eat cucumber sandwiches.
The trip to the caves provides further highlights at the divide and the level of racism and even more so once the doctor, Aziz is accused of rape. The trial is full of tension and sickening racism and brings the film from a lighter side to a much darker one, which is quite tragic.
With a stellar cast and lush landscapes of India, the film looks terrific. The scenes at the caves with the ghostly echoes, have the same mystery and sense of foreboding that is felt in Picnic At Hanging Rock. I do find it odd that the role of Indian professor Godbole was played by a 'blackfaced' Sir Alec Guinness or maybe just inappropriate. The film clearly tells a tragic tale of broken trust and betrayal, misconceptions and prejudice and yet unfortunately whilst it does convey these topics well, it never packs the punch that it should, it isn't nearly as powerful as the story should be. - DirectorRobert AltmanStarsLily TomlinMeryl StreepWoody HarrelsonA look at what goes on backstage during the last broadcast of America's most celebrated radio show, where singing cowboys Dusty and Lefty, a country music siren, and a host of others hold court.Fabulous and funny film with a great cast.
- DirectorJacques AudiardStarsTahar RahimNiels ArestrupAdel BencherifA delinquent Muslim man struggles to get by in prison until he is taken under the wing of a powerful mob boss. But his gradual rise through the mob's ranks brings him in conflict with his mentor.Great performance from the lead.
- DirectorGuillaume NiclouxStarsThierry LhermitteMarion CotillardSamuel Le BihanIt's been six months since Rachel Siprien disappeared. At the request of Rachel's mother, private detective François takes over the investigation. The young woman, with a complex and multi-faceted personality, is part of a strange network made up of her best friend, her ex-boyfriend, her stepfather and everyone who knows her well or even slightly. François begins to frequent these various friends and acquaintances, and penetrates Rachel's daytime and nocturnal habitat. He spies, asks disturbing questions, and intentionally fills in the blanks left by those he questions.Great French drama, that was much better than I anticipated. The twist at the end came as a really big surprise, I just would never have guessed it and I don't consider myself that gullible!
This review written in Nov 2006 means nothing know. Can't remember it at all!! - DirectorElio PetriStarsFranco NeroVanessa RedgraveGeorges GéretAfter moving into a dilapidated rural villa to reinvigorate his creative energies, a neurotic artist becomes obsessed with a beautiful countess who died there many years prior.Oddly good, oddly bad.
- DirectorJames IvoryStarsMaggie SmithHelena Bonham CarterDenholm ElliottLucy Honeychurch (Helena Bonham Carter) shares a brief romance with George Emerson in Florence. Yet as she tries to move on with her life and look for marriage elsewhere, can she truly forget the events of that summer?Goodness, they don't make them like this anymore, which as Maggie Smith's Charlotte would say, is very vexing indeed. This is one of those classic British period dramas that not only is one of the best, but one that has stood the test of time.
With a superb recreation of the era and great use of both the magic of Florence and the beauty of the English countryside, visually the film is a treat. With it's story of missed and wrong opportunity it is played with such charm it is difficult not to fall in love with it all. This is such a different world, with it's well to do manners and aristocratic inklings, but to escape into this is wonderful.
The film never gets bogged down into sentiment nor does it become too serious, with the array of charming and harmless characters played by some of the cream of British actors, including a young Daniel Day Lewis and the always brilliant Dame's Judi and Maggie, the film is made enjoyable because of this and never becomes too stuffy, which period dramas have a habit of. The final scene of the young lovers sitting on the window with the Duomo is one of the most perfect scenes in a film you'll ever likely to see. Spiffing stuff old chap. - DirectorNikolaj ArcelStarsAlicia VikanderMads MikkelsenMikkel Boe FølsgaardA young queen, who is married to an insane king, falls secretly in love with her physician - and together they start a revolution that changes a nation forever.Fantastic and sumptuous costume drama.
- DirectorRichard LinklaterStarsKeanu ReevesWinona RyderRobert Downey Jr.An undercover cop in a not-too-distant future becomes involved with a dangerous new drug and begins to lose his own identity as a result.Likable film with an effective gimmick.
- DirectorAsghar FarhadiStarsPayman MaadiLeila HatamiSareh BayatA married couple are faced with a difficult decision - to improve the life of their child by moving to another country or to stay in Iran and look after a deteriorating parent who has Alzheimer's disease.fantastic, taught thriller.
- DirectorEthan CoenJoel CoenStarsMichael StuhlbargRichard KindSari LennickLarry Gopnik, a Midwestern physics teacher, watches his life unravel over multiple sudden incidents. Though seeking meaning and answers amidst his turmoils, he seems to keep sinking.Really good drama, great performances.
- DirectorKrzysztof KieslowskiStarsMiroslaw BakaKrzysztof GlobiszJan TesarzA soon-to-be lawyer crosses his path with a taxi driver and a young sinister man.Couldn't get into this film. I found the murderer very creepy and I was uncomfortable watching him. But there was also something creepy about the taxi driver. Then of course there is the murder itself, which is utterly brutal and prolonged and is one of the few things in cinema where I have had to turn the sound down and look away. Still this is a film with a message, that being is capital punishment any better?
- DirectorKrzysztof KieslowskiStarsGrazyna SzapolowskaOlaf LubaszenkoStefania IwinskaA naive inexperienced young man spies on a woman who lives across the courtyard, and falls in love with her. He starts using tricks which he hopes will lead to them meeting.I enjoyed this film: I liked the Rear Window element to it. Well, Rear Window taken to a different area. I thought the performances were great and the visual element fantastic. It was interesting to see the woman become the voyeur
- DirectorSimon CurtisStarsJulie WaltersStephen Campbell MooreLyndsey MarshalJust after losing her husband to a similar condition, Dr. Anne Turner (Dame Julie Walters) is diagnosed with a fatal neurological condition. So she plans to end her life herself. Based on a true story.Sad but important story telling.
- DirectorAnn HuiStarsAndy LauDeannie IpHailu QinAfter suffering a stroke, an altruistic maid announces that she wants to quit her job and move into an old people's home.Stunning, heartbreaking stuff. Really devastated me.
- DirectorTom FordStarsColin FirthJulianne MooreMatthew GoodeAn English professor, one year after the sudden death of his boyfriend, is unable to cope with his typical days in 1960s Los Angeles.Stunning film, exquisite to look at, with some great performances.
- DirectorGeorge CukorStarsJudy GarlandJames MasonJack CarsonA film star helps a young singer and actress find fame, even as age and alcoholism send his own career on a downward spiral.Garland is superb. She should of gotten the Oscar!!
- DirectorElia KazanStarsVivien LeighMarlon BrandoKim HunterDisturbed Blanche DuBois moves in with her sister in New Orleans and is tormented by her brutish brother-in-law while her reality crumbles around her.Vivien Leigh owns this film. She is just stunning as the troubled Blanche. Perfect infact. The films tension starts slowly and builds terrifically resulting in the tragic ending. Marlon Brando is just beautiful, but seriously his voice is annoying, he sounds like he has a bad throat infection. But for me the film is all about Leigh.
- DirectorJee-woon KimStarsLim Soo-jungYum Jung-ahKim Kap-suAfter being institutionalized in a mental hospital, Su-mi reunites with her sister, Su-yeon, and they return to live at their country home. But strange events plague the house, leading to surprising revelations and a shocking conclusion.Effective and gory horror.
- DirectorJean-Pierre JeunetStarsAudrey TautouGaspard UllielJodie FosterTells the story of a young woman's relentless search for her fiancé, who has disappeared from the trenches of the Somme during World War One.Another gem from Jeunet.
- DirectorChristopher LarkinStarsRobert McLaneCurt GarethBo WhiteA poignant romantic drama examines the life of gay 26 year old, ex-monk, school teacher living in Manhattan. When he meets a man at a gay bar, they connect and are soon living together. Unfortunately their views on monogamy don't match.ground breaking, but doesn't stand the test of time.
- DirectorEsther RobinsonStarsCallie AngellBrigid BerlinJohn CaleEsther Robinson's portrait of her uncle Danny Williams -- Warhol's onetime lover, collaborator and filmmaker in his own right -- offers a exploration of the Factory era, an homage to Williams's talent, a journey of family discovery and a compelling inquiry into Williams's mysterious disappearance at age 27.This doco follows Robinson as she investigates her uncle’s time at the Warhol Factory and his subsequent disappearance in 1966. Most of the film is talking heads, with interviews with many of the fellow artists and friends that were around Warhol at that time. There are also interviews with Williams, mother, sister and brother. Many of the Warhol people are fascinating to listen to, as they look back on an era long gone and people who have died. Out of all the people we meet though, it is probably Williams’s mother and Brigid Berlin, who provide the most interesting testaments. Berlin especially, provides some wonderful insights into the Warhol era and shows that not all of those that were there came through ok on the other side. Only Gerard Malanga seems indifferent to Williams’s time at the factory and doesn’t seem to be willing to discuss the time as openly as everyone else. Of course the real shame to this film is there is little resolution. We never find out what happened to Williams, other than hear peoples own theories, because no-one actually does know what happened. Still is provides a unique insight to a person and an era long gone, but that has left an important mark in the worlds of art and film.
- DirectorJean-Luc GodardStarsAnna KarinaJean-Claude BrialyJean-Paul BelmondoAn exotic dancer is desperate to become a mother and accepts her reluctant boyfriend's suggestion that she be impregnated by his best friend.My second Jean-Luc Goddard outing in the festival (MIFF09), I enjoyed this more than Pierrot Le Fou. It's a very cute little 'musical', though there is little dancing or singing, but that doesn't make much difference. The copy of the print shown was pretty bad aswell. Still there are some nice moments, such as when they call each other names by holding up various books and covering various words. There's also the cute references to Goddards other films by the actors and many of the breaks of the fourth wall are funny. The music was a little grating, esp at the start, but the highlight was Anna Karina. She commands the screen and is real joy to watch.
- DirectorAsghar FarhadiStarsTaraneh AlidoostiGolshifteh FarahaniShahab HosseiniThe mysterious disappearance of a kindergarten teacher during a picnic in the north of Iran is followed by a series of misadventures for her fellow travelers.This Iranian film started well as the friends gather for a weekend break, the flirtations between Elly and Ahmed are fun and then things take a nasty turn. The drama of the child nearly drowning is then continued with Elly's disappearance, the realisation that she may have not drowned and the sense of unknown are quite overwhelming, but then the film became quite dragged out as the friends try to work out what to do and find out what has happened to Elly. The cast do a good job, though the children often have the best scenes! I was expecting a more emotionally involved film, but didn't get it.
- DirectorTimothy Greenfield-SandersStarsCarmen Dell'OreficeIsabella RosselliniJerry Hall'About Face' explores beauty and aging through the stories of the original supermodels: women, now between fifty and eighty years old, whose images defined our sense of beauty over the last half-century. Shot in Timothy Greenfield-Sanders' intimate portrait style, participants include Isabella Rossellini, Christie Brinkley, Marisa Berenson, China Machado, Beverly Johnson, Carmen Dell'Orefice, Paulina Porizkova, Jerry Hall, and Christy Turlington among others. They discuss the fashion industry, their careers, aging, plastic surgery, botox, and how they have reassessed and redefined their own sense of beauty as they have aged. Designer Calvin Klein says in the film, 'They had something inside that came through...they had character, they had personality. Those qualities never age'.Brilliant and fascinating doco. What a line up of people.
- DirectorCatherine BreillatStarsIsabelle HuppertKool ShenLaurence UrsinoA stroke-afflicted filmmaker is manipulated by a notorious con man.Huppert amazing. Very difficult to watch at the start close to the bone
- DirectorAndrew LancasterStarsGeena DavisHarrison GilbertsonHarry CookBilly, his parents, siblings and neighbors have their fair share of accidents in 1974 and 1982. Boys will be boys.This is an American film that was made in Australia, stars Geena Davis and is about growing up and dysfunctional families. The Conway's are a normal family until an accident kills one of them and turns the other into a vegetable. Things get worse from there on, the father leaves, the mother has a major accident and one of the son's befriends another kid and start getting into mischief.
The idea that accidents happen runs throughout, sometimes to the point where it seems a little over the top, yet without these accidents the story wouldn't really anywhere. It also struggles a little in deciding whether it's a light drama or dark comedy. This is all a shame as the cast are just excellent across the board. Geena Davis is really very good in this, she is really an underrated actor, in this she shows what comic timing she has. The cast are even better knowing that they are all, apart from Davis, Australian actors and save a dodgy accent from Eric Thompson who is the only actor I recognized, I had no idea they were Aussies.
Story wise , it is a little more interesting than your normal film and it's reasonably enjoyable with some great cinematography: there are some quite touching moments near the end and some amusing moments, but it's the performances that are well worth watching it for. - DirectorJon HewittStarsJoel EdgertonMichael DormanSebastian GregoryThree teenagers blackmail a serial killer.Whilst the film is beautifully shot and the two adult leads are very good, there was alot I struggled with. To start, the 3 young teenage actors seemed like they were straight from drama school, but not a good one. The young girl was okay, but the guys were dreadful. Then there was the fact that they as characters were just not right in this film, they seemed out of place and doing things that young middle class school kids just wouldn't do. Would you imagine 3 young well educated kids digging up a body and then rebury it and all done with the same ease as making a cup of tea. There were also some last mintue plot twists which just didn't work, not to mention the wife who stabs the kid before promptly feeding her baby. As you do. Oh dear
- DirectorJulie TaymorStarsEvan Rachel WoodJim SturgessJoe AndersonThe music of The Beatles and the Vietnam War form the backdrop for the romance between an upper-class American girl and a poor Liverpudlian artist.Likable musical film. There are some great Beatle songs.
- DirectorJoshua OppenheimerAnonymousChristine CynnStarsAnwar CongoHerman KotoSyamsul ArifinA documentary which challenges former Indonesian death-squad leaders to reenact their mass-killings in whichever cinematic genres they wish, including classic Hollywood crime scenarios and lavish musical numbers.At times difficult to watch, this is a bizarre film with a devastating story at it's core.
- DirectorAnders Thomas JensenStarsUlrich ThomsenMads MikkelsenNicolas BroA neo-Nazi sentenced to community service at a church clashes with the blindly devoted minister.Really enjoyed this film.
- DirectorGeorge NolfiStarsMatt DamonEmily BluntLisa ThoresonThe affair between a politician and a contemporary dancer is affected by mysterious forces keeping the lovers apart.David Norris (Matt Damon) is looking set to win the New York state election when a scandal breaks and he loses by a landslide. Preparing for his defeat speech he meets ballerina Elise (Emily Blunt) and an instant chemistry if formed. Their meeting seems to change Norris and his deviates from his prepared speech to a more personal and human one which catapult's him back in the polls. Several months later Norris by chance encounters Elise on the bus and the two again connect and this time he gets her number but on arriving at work a serious of strange events occur that indicate there are higher forces at work in the world and Norris is not meant to be with Elise and there those out there that will make sure they can never be together, so Norris goes about trying to break the rules and take control of the situation.
From the outside the film presents an interesting premise, one which suggests that life if controlled and everyone has their destiny. As you enter the film however the idea of chance and destiny takes on a more religous notion albeit at times subtle in it's suggestion. It's shame it has to go down this path, because had it suggested that life is controlled by a more paranormal device it would have benefited more. That's not t say the film doesn't have something to enjoy.
Damon and Blunt work well together and there is a lovely chemistry between them which provides the film a strong romantic flow that at times is better than the supernatural one. The idea of the control of chance and life is also fascinating even if it toils with the idea of God being responsible as the higher force. Yet despite this there's not enough to make this film work entirely and at times it feels clunky and slow. - DirectorAnne FontaineStarsNaomi WattsRobin WrightXavier SamuelA pair of childhood friends and neighbors fall for each other's sons.While there's some nice performances, it becomes a little silly by the end.
- DirectorLina PlioplyteStarsIris ApfelJoyce CarpatiAri CohenAdvanced Style examines the lives of seven unique New Yorkers whose eclectic personal style and vital spirit have guided their approach to aging.joyous film focusing on ladies in NY over the age of 60 who still dress to impress. Inspiring and uplifting.
‘I’m somewhere between 40 and death’ – ‘Well, to tell you the truth, everything I’ve got two of, one hurts’. - DirectorStephan ElliottStarsHugo WeavingGuy PearceTerence StampTwo drag performers and a transgender woman travel across the desert to perform their unique style of cabaret.Brilliant Aussie film. Never gets old
- DirectorSteven SpielbergStarsJamie BellAndy SerkisDaniel CraigIntrepid reporter Tintin and Captain Haddock set off on a treasure hunt for a sunken ship commanded by Haddock's ancestor.Okay - but would prefer to read the comic.
- DirectorGreg MottolaStarsJesse EisenbergKristen StewartRyan ReynoldsIn the summer of 1987, a college graduate takes a 'nowhere' job at his local amusement park, only to find it's the perfect course to get him prepared for the real world.Good fun.
- DirectorKen LoachStarsAtta YaqubEva BirthistleAhmad RiazSparks fly in Glasgow's south side when a young Asian man enters into a relationship with a Caucasian woman.Likable romance.
- DirectorJohn HustonStarsHumphrey BogartKatharine HepburnRobert MorleyIn WWI East Africa, a gin-swilling Canadian riverboat captain is persuaded by a strait-laced English missionary to undertake a trip up a treacherous river and use his boat to attack a German gunship.Bogart and Hepburn are great.
- DirectorGaël MorelStarsCatherine DeneuveThomas DumerchezGuy MarchandA woman becomes obsessed with her son's best friend after her child dies in a car accident.Couldn't get into it. Felt very slow.
- DirectorSusanne BierStarsMads MikkelsenSidse Babett KnudsenRolf LassgårdA manager of an orphanage in India is sent to Copenhagen, Denmark, where he discovers a life-altering family secret.Good and often tense drama. Love a bit of Mads.
- DirectorAlejandro AmenábarStarsRachel WeiszMax MinghellaOscar IsaacA historical drama set in Roman Egypt, concerning a slave who turns to the rising tide of Christianity in the hope of pursuing freedom while falling in love with his mistress, the philosophy and mathematics professor Hypatia of Alexandria.Set in Roman Egypt this film tells the real story of Hypatia, a famous philosopher, mathematician who whilst trying to understand the workings of Earth and the cosmos is caught up in the rising tide of Christianity who are rising up against the traditional pagan beliefs.
Hypatia is a strong willed women and is admired by both one of her students and one of her slaves. They along with many others hide for a time a secret that they are also Christianity, something which was not only frowned upon but banned. But times change and the Christians rise up and battle with the pagans, which eventually drives out the pagans, giving Christians the upperhand. As years pass, they then battle with the Jews, slaughtering each other and all this time Hypatia is trying to work out the movement of the Earth whilst refusing to convert to a religion she does not believe in. Her refusal to do so and that the Church believes she is a witch who is trying to spread dissent among others the Roman Prefect, she is murdered.
The film, by Alejandro Amenabar, is a great historical document. I was fascinated by this era, a time of great change, even in it's infancy Christianity (aswell as most other religion's) were the cause of much fighting, discrimination and death, the horrors committed against fellow humans is despicable. The very fact that religion is the cause of such much sorrow and atrocities got me very riled up! Aside from this the film tells the story of Hypatia, who was quite some woman and her fascination of the way the heavens and planets worked or indeed the path they took with sun is also interesting, even more so when you think of the basic's of understanding it all, no huge telescopes, no satellites: the lack of basic scientific ideas that we know take for granted add to the difficulties, not understanding the idea of gravity for instance helps explain the idea of the earth being flat: as one man says if the world was round, how would people at the bottom not fall off or people on the side stop themselves from sliding down.
Among this there is the story of the slave, who is free by Hypatia and becomes a Christian. This is a less interesting point to the film and I struggled with actor Max Minghella, who seemed wrong in the role and at times a little hammy: one scene where he is running made me laugh unintentionally. Otherwise the cast are very good and the recreation of the era is excellent with what appears to be little CGI effects and usage of actual sets. Usage of 'Google' style views of Earth and Egypt look good, but often seem out of place. It does drag in places, but it works best as a historical and informative drama. - DirectorAlison KlaymanStarsAi WeiweiDan AiLao AiA documentary that chronicles artist and activist Ai Weiwei as he prepares for a series of exhibitions and gets into an increasing number of clashes with the Chinese government.Brilliant doco about the great man Ai WeiWei.
- DirectorAnna BroinowskiStarsPeter O'BrienSusan PriorKathryn BeckAn Australian lady who tried to learn the propaganda method from North Korea for her purpose without knowing about the real effective method behind the regime - you say no, we kill you!Fascinating insight into North Korea. If not into Western attitudes.
- DirectorDavid LoweryStarsRooney MaraCasey AffleckBen FosterThe tale of an outlaw who escapes from prison and sets out across the Texas hills to reunite with his wife and the daughter he has never met.beautifully, tragic film
- DirectorJim AbrahamsDavid ZuckerJerry ZuckerStarsRobert HaysJulie HagertyLeslie NielsenAfter the crew becomes sick with food poisoning, a neurotic ex-fighter pilot must safely land a commercial airplane full of passengers.I'm listing this as Airplane. Never gets old.
- DirectorKatsuhiro ÔtomoStarsMitsuo IwataNozomu SasakiMami KoyamaA secret military project endangers Neo-Tokyo when it turns a biker gang member into a rampaging psychic psychopath who can only be stopped by a teenager, his gang of biker friends and a group of psychics.So long since I've seen it. It's amazing in it's scale especially as it gets towards the finale. (March 14).
- DirectorRon ClementsJohn MuskerStarsScott WeingerRobin WilliamsLinda LarkinA kind-hearted street urchin and a power-hungry Grand Vizier vie for a magic lamp that has the power to make their deepest wishes come true.was expecting this to be funnier with Williams, but didn’t really think so
- DirectorPedro González-RubioStarsJorge MachadoRoberta PalombiniNatan Machado PalombiniBefore their inevitable farewell, Jorge, a young man of Mayan roots, and Natan, his half-Italian son, spend time together living off the Banco Chinchorro coral reef.Stunning film with amazing visuals and a beautiful relationship unfolding on screen.
- DirectorDeclan LowneyStarsSteve CooganColm MeaneyTim KeyWhen famous DJ Alan Partridge's radio station is taken over by a new media conglomerate, it sets in motion a chain of events which see Alan having to work with the police to defuse a potentially violent siege.Surprisingly funny, when I was expecting it not too be. Alan Partridge is fantastic character.
- DirectorRodrigo GarcíaStarsGlenn CloseMia WasikowskaAaron Taylor-JohnsonAlbert Nobbs struggles to survive in late 19th-century Ireland, where women aren't encouraged to be independent. Posing as a man so she can work as a butler in Dublin's most elegant hotel, Albert meets a handsome painter and looks to escape the lie she has been living.I just couldn't get into this.
- DirectorOliver StoneStarsColin FarrellAnthony HopkinsRosario DawsonAlexander, the King of Macedonia and one of the greatest army leaders in the history of warfare, conquers much of the known world.Woeful beyond words.
- DirectorAleksandr SokurovStarsGalina VishnevskayaVasily ShevtsovRaisa GichaevaAn elderly woman takes a train trip to visit her grandson at his army camp inside Chechnya.I went into this not knowing what to expect. But I left feeling that I may have just watched one of the most beautiful and touching films I have ever seen. We follow Alexandra as she visits her grandson, who is in the Russian army at his barracks. It is a hot dry place, where everyone is exhausted from the heat and from the war. We never see any fighting, never see any action, we just see the troops coming and going and getting on with their daily routines, such as cleaning their guns. Alexandra wanders the barracks watching the often very young (and beautiful men) at their work. There was for me an unspoken need, a longing almost that these men had, and that was they longed for their family, their mothers and Alexandra provided that need. The scenes with her and her grandson, (who was extremely beautiful!) were quiet and reflecting, only really becoming emotionally intense near the latter part of the film where they confront the war. Alexandra also visits the nearby town (presumably Grozny) where the war ravaged people are trying to make a living. Here she befriends a local woman. These scenes and the one straight after where the young man walks her back to the base where both beautiful and intensely emotional and showed the true nature of human compassion. This was a simple yet thought provoking and beautiful film, that I’m very glad to have experienced.
- DirectorRolf de HeerStarsGary SweetHelen BudayBogdan KocaA regular suburban family man comes home from work on his birthday to find a deserted house and a videotape waiting to be played...Pretty dire stuff.
- DirectorTim BurtonStarsMia WasikowskaJohnny DeppHelena Bonham CarterNineteen-year-old Alice returns to the magical world from her childhood adventure, where she reunites with her old friends and learns of her true destiny: to end the Red Queen's reign of terror.Burton really brings Wonderland alive and the 3D works well.
- DirectorRidley ScottStarsSigourney WeaverTom SkerrittJohn HurtThe crew of a commercial spacecraft encounters a deadly lifeform after investigating a mysterious transmission of unknown origin.The original and one of the best.
- DirectorJoseph L. MankiewiczStarsBette DavisAnne BaxterGeorge SandersA seemingly timid but secretly ruthless ingénue insinuates herself into the lives of an aging Broadway star and her circle of theater friends.Davis is just superb in this, but what a cast.
- DirectorPedro AlmodóvarStarsCecilia RothMarisa ParedesCandela PeñaA comedy-drama about a bereaved mother, and overwrought actress, her jealous lover, and a pregnant nun.Brilliant Almodovar film. Funny and tragic.
- DirectorJ.C. ChandorStarsRobert RedfordAfter a collision with a shipping container at sea, a resourceful sailor finds himself, despite all efforts to the contrary, staring his mortality in the face.Great performance from Redford, perhaps even more so as it's very physical and he is getting on! Incredible that this can keep your attention without barely any dialogue.
- DirectorCarl ReinerStarsSteve MartinLily TomlinVictoria TennantA dying millionaire has her soul transferred into a younger, willing woman. However, something goes wrong, and she finds herself in her lawyer's body - together with the lawyer.Sometimes it's a pure joy to revisit some films and All Of Me is one of them. Made some 30 years ago, the story is about Edwina Cuttwater, an eccentric but dying millionaire, played by Lily Tomlin who has devised a plan to stay alive by transferring her soul to a younger woman's body. Steve Martin plays Roger Cobb, a lawyer who inadvertently becomes the host instead after a mishap with the transfer. Now with the Edwina's soul controlling his right hand side, Cobb, must figure out a way to get rid of her.
The film actually starts off very straight, there's barely a laugh to be had and it isn't until the transfer of the soul that the fun begins. There are some very funny moments thanks to the excellent physical comedy of Steve Martin, with the idea that half of Cobb's body being control by Edwina- i.e. - a woman made very relaistic with an array of comic movements, gestures and vocal changes all perfectly timed. Martin is a fine comic actor, but I think this is a really excellent performance from him as it shows what a comic he is. Lily Tomlin does well, even if she is just voice for much of the film, but the combining of the two leads works extremely well.
The film does move at break neck speed, which helps, I still struggle to understand why more films can't be made at the 90 minute mark. Despite it's age the film's special effects are very good, if in indeed there are any: when Cobb looks in a mirror he sees Edwina and whether this is done, literally with the trick of mirrors or with special camera effects it works very well and I couldn't pick it at all. This is a perfect reminded of how good some films from the 80's are and it still remains a standout and funny film. - DirectorBob FosseStarsRoy ScheiderJessica LangeAnn ReinkingDirector/choreographer Bob Fosse tells his own life story as he details the sordid career of Joe Gideon, a womanizing, drug-using dancer.Pretty much hated it.
- DirectorRohan SpongStarsGilles DenizotMimi Sterne WolfeThe story of the HIV/AIDS crisis in New York City. As you've never heard it before. A musical documentary.Likable doco, but didn't keep me interested that well.
- DirectorTomás LunákStarsMiroslav KrobotMarie LudvíkováKarel RodenA train dispatcher encounters a mute stranger who appears out of nowhere, and finds himself mysteriously involved with a murder in Poland.I liked this; the animation is good. But I was a little confused.
- DirectorJean-Luc GodardStarsEddie ConstantineAnna KarinaAkim TamiroffA U.S. secret agent is sent to the distant space city of Alphaville where he must find a missing person and free the city from its tyrannical ruler.At times, brilliant, at times, wtf.
- DirectorYorgos LanthimosStarsStavros PsyllakisAris ServetalisJohnny VekrisA group of people start a business where they impersonate the recently deceased in order to help their clients through the grieving process.Greek weirdness - too much WTF.
- DirectorMichael AptedStarsIoan GruffuddAlbert FinneyMichael GambonThe idealist William Wilberforce maneuvers his way through Parliament, endeavoring to end the British transatlantic slave trade.likable drama with some good performances.
- DirectorMads BrüggerStarsMads BrüggerHeather SchmidDanish journalist Mads Brügger goes undercover as a Liberian Ambassador to embark on a dangerous yet hysterical journey to uncover the blood diamond trade in Africa.Interesting stuff, but made me wonder how much is set up. He seems to get away with far too much.
- DirectorJean-Pierre JeunetStarsAudrey TautouMathieu KassovitzRufusDespite being caught in her imaginative world, Amelie, a young waitress, decides to help people find happiness. Her quest to spread joy leads her on a journey where she finds true love.Never fails to delight
- DirectorAnton CorbijnStarsGeorge ClooneyPaolo BonacelliViolante PlacidoAn assassin hides out in Italy for one last assignment.George Clooney plays an assassin who after a violent event in Sweden makes his way to Italy, where he is given a new job. During the preparation he befriends the local priest and becomes romantically involved with a prostitute, all the while being on a knife's edge for fear of retribution.
Anton Corbijn's last film was the superb Control and with his latest he shows he is a very accomplished film maker who appreciates a good looking film and this is beautifully shot. However, whilst the film looks good and Clooney and the rest of the cast give good performances, there is something doesn't feel right in the film. For one thing it is very slow with languid scenes taking us from nowhere to nowhere, often played out in silence and while at times it works, at others it seems pointless. As the job approaches the are some better scenes, one where they test the gun is great as is when they meet near the end in a cafe. But in between it feels very slow and the tension never really amounts to anything when considering the circumstances it should.
There are also some annoying cliches to deal with, the beautiful woman, the friendly worldly priest and chase scene on a Vespa through narrow streets all have been done time and time again, and we feel it. As the film draws to it's conclusion it starts to go down the familiar path that guy escapes the situation and gets girl, although thankfully the story takes a final twist in it's closing moments which perhaps altered my feeling towards the story, which makes a huge difference. - DirectorCory McAbeeStarsCory McAbeeRocco SistoGregory Russell CookSamuel Curtis, an interplanetary trader, sets forth through a rustic and remote solar system, unaware that his old friend Professor Hess is trying to kill him.Despite it's low budget this film doesn't suffer from it. Telling the story of an interplanetary astronaut who has a variety of deliveries to make all the while trying not to get killed by his old friend Professor Hess.
The film, which is something of a cult classic, is enjoyable for the most part, even if the plot doesn't make that much sense. But it's actually well made despite it's low budget. The cast are fine and there are some very funny moments such as the entertainment in the bar or when Curtis is on the loo and two men enter with what it seems the intent on beating him up only to break into a song and dance. I also liked the ray gun that Hess used that turns people to dust or the character 'The Boy Who Actually Saw A Woman's Breast' who actually likes wearing his Roman tunic or the scene when Curtis space jumps across the surface of Ceres to the bar.
As the film progressed with the meetings of odd deformed humans and the woman of Venus, it becomes less comic and more surreal, but never to the point that it was too surreal or too strange. Surreal, yes, strange, very much so, but there's something enjoyable about it. - DirectorSam MendesStarsKevin SpaceyAnnette BeningThora BirchA sexually frustrated suburban father has a mid-life crisis after becoming infatuated with his daughter's best friend.Brilliant film, darkly funny with fantastic performances across the board. And that plastic bag.
- DirectorRidley ScottStarsDenzel WashingtonRussell CroweChiwetel EjioforAn outcast New York City cop is charged with bringing down Harlem drug lord Frank Lucas, whose real life inspired this partly biographical film.excellent crime drama. Washington and Crowe both very good.
- DirectorTony KayeStarsEdward NortonEdward FurlongBeverly D'AngeloLiving a life marked by violence, neo-Nazi Derek finally goes to prison after killing two black youths. Upon his release, Derek vows to change; he hopes to prevent his brother, Danny, who idolizes Derek, from following in his footsteps.Brutal, violent film. Tragic.
- DirectorDavid O. RussellStarsChristian BaleAmy AdamsBradley CooperA con man, Irving Rosenfeld, along with his seductive partner Sydney Prosser, is forced to work for a wild F.B.I. Agent, Richie DiMaso, who pushes them into a world of Jersey powerbrokers and the Mafia.Worth seeing for the wigs and JLaw alone. She constantly amazes me