2011
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Film Review: ‘Mysteries of Lisbon’
★★★☆☆ This August saw the sad death of prolific Chilean director Raoul Ruiz, whose last complete film Mysteries of Lisbon (2010) – based upon Camilo Castelo Branco’s classic novel – opens this week at selected cinemas. Set in the 19th century, this lavish costume drama is a collection of interweaving vignettes anchored around orphan Pedro…
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Film Review: ‘New Year’s Eve’
★☆☆☆☆ Few occasions hold as much emotional significance in people’s minds as the end of another year, and few moments are able to elicit as many new resolutions, life-changing thoughts and tears of sorrow and regret as the New Year’s Eve celebrations. So it’s little wonder that such a ripe subject has been revisited time…
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Film Review: ‘Puss in Boots’
★★★★☆ Almost a decade after DreamWorks Animation first released Shrek (2001), the billion dollar franchise’s quality control hit an all time low with the tired and clumsy Shrek Forever After (2010). It might be a while before we see a certain Scottish green ogre on the big screen again, but Shrek the Third (2007) director…
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Special Feature: Ken Russell 1927-2011
With his shock of white hair and chat show friendly exuberance, the late cult director Ken Russell was a recognisable and entertaining presence throughout the seventies and eighties. He belonged to an extraordinary generation of British filmmakers, which included John Boorman, Nicolas Roeg and Ken Loach. Although diverse, if not idiosyncratic, individuals, they all shared…
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DVD Review: ‘Uncle David’
★☆☆☆☆ There seemed to be much promise to Uncle David (2010), co-directed by Mike Nicholls (the man behind the 2008 TV special Living with Boy George), Gary Reich and David Hoyle, who also wrote and stars in the film along side fellow co-writer Ashley Ryder. The story (what there is of it) concerns David (Hoyle),…
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DVD Review: ‘Broken Lines’
★★☆☆☆ Sallie Aprahamian’s Broken Lines (2008) – starring Paul Bettany and Olivia Williams – was screened earlier this year as part of the London Jewish Film Festival and is now available to own on DVD and Blu-ray. Set it multi-cultural North London, the plot revolves around two sets of couples each coming to terms with…
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DVD Review: ‘Mademoiselle Chambon’
★★★☆☆ Winner of Best Adapted Screenplay at the 2010 César Awards, Stéphane Brizé’s 2009 film Mademoiselle Chambon is – quite literally – a very French affair, as we follow the blossoming forbidden romance between married manual labourer Jean (Vincent Lindon) and his son’s elegant school teacher Véronique Chambon (Sandrine Kiberlain).Echoing David Lean’s 1945 bittersweet classic Brief…
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DVD Review: ‘The Salt of Life’
★★★☆☆ The Salt of Life (2011) – otherwise known as Gianni e le donne (Gianni and Women) – is a light, warm-hearted Italian comedy starring, written and directed by the delightfully funny Gianni Di Gregorio. Gianni can count himself as middle-aged – just. Retired, he spends most of his time helping out the numerous women…
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DVD Review: ‘Villain’
★★★★☆ Having already picked up a staggering 15 nominations at the Japanese Academy Awards (and walking away with 5 of them), Sang-il Lee’s multi-layered whodunit Villain (2010) comes to DVD this week courtesy of Third Window Films, and from the off it’s clear to see why the film has been one of the finest East…
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DVD Review: ‘The Hangover Part II’
★☆☆☆☆ In 2009, Todd Phillips’ The Hangover was the unexpected comedy hit of the summer. The success of the film boosted the careers of those involved (most notably Bradley Cooper). Fast forward to 2011 and the team are back in familiar territory with sequel The Hangover Part II, once again teaming Cooper with Zach Galifianakis,…