gerald-holt Reviews

For Those in Peril (2013)

Stark and fascinating

[10/10 · 20 February 2014]

Borderline mental illness is not one of the most commercially appealing genres, so this is the sort of movie that has absolutely no chance of any box office success, anywhere in the world. This movie upset me enormously, worried me, scared me and made me extremely sad. And I loved every minute of it, so I know that I am in a peculiar minority.

George MacKay playing Aaron was truly extraordinary. Even though his filmography shows that he was pretty much a child star, it isn't easy to play a rather unpleasant role during the period when you have spots all over your face and no muscular definition to speak of. On top of that, shooting the film must have been a nightmare considering the number of scenes shot in the cold sea.

I worried about what would happen next the same as in a Hitchcock movie or any number of modern thrillers. Was somebody going to be killed unexpectedly. What on earth was the main character trying to do? The ending of the film was both unexpected and marvelous and whether or not it was a hallucination or a psychotic episode does not matter to me.

The Scapegoat (2013)

The charming cast saves the day

[7/10 · 16 October 2013]

After reading the 'professional' reviews of this film, I did not expect to find it very good. And in fact, the plot is really not of much interest, but the entire cast -- adults and children -- form a really pleasant ensemble and I would happily move in with this family. The cartoon-like treatment of a lot of the plot elements totally suits the story. Even though there are two deadly explosions in the movie, they are not dwelled upon, and the resulting police investigation is comical rather than sinister.

I left the cinema in a good mood because 'Au bonheur des ogres' made the world seem like a happier place than it is. It was also very nice to see Isabelle Huppert in a surprise appearance.