Joseph Walsh

★★☆☆☆ Eric Khoo’s biopic animation Tatsumi (2011) – released in UK cinemas this week – brings us the life of artist Yoshihiro Tatsumi, the man credited with coining the term ‘gekiga’ to describe his own alternative form of Japanese manga.The film is a medley of short vignettes from Tatsumi’s oeuvre, mixed with key episodes from his…

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★★★☆☆ Unlike recent releases such as Hugo (2011) and The Artist (2011) which have paid homage to cinema’s history, Federico Veiroj’s Uruguayan black and white drama A Useful Life (La Vida Útil, 2011) focuses upon the contemporary decline of arts institution funding and the collapse of small independent cinemas. Although A Useful Life is set in Uruguay, the message…

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★★★☆☆ J.C. Chandor’s debut feature film Margin Call (2011) is impressive for many reasons, most notably the calibre of actors that the director has managed to attract including Kevin Spacey, Zachary Quinto, Jeremy Irons, Demi Moore, Stanley Tucci and Paul Bettany. It is not just the star performances that make this film tremendously entertaining, but…

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★★☆☆☆ A great deal can be learned from looking at those involved in bringing hockey comedy Goon (2011) – starring American Pie’s Seann William Scott – to the big screen. Director Michael Dowse attempts to bring a creative touch to the film, yet writers Jay Baruchel (who also stars in the film as an irritating…

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★★★★★ Woody Allen’s 1983 mockumentary Zelig – starring the great man himself in the mysterious title role and Mia Farrow as the geek-chic Dr. Eudora Nesbitt Fletcher – is a hilarious parody of both traditional documentary style and the celebrity culture of the 1920s. Zelig is a man of mystery, capable of shifting his appearance…

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★★★★★ Woody Allen, director of Hannah and Her Sisters (1986) which stars Mia Farrow, Dianne Wiest, Michael Caine, once said, “I am thankful for laughter, except when milk comes out of my nose”. A word of advice then when watching this new Park Circus rerelease of Hannah and Her Sisters – avoid milk at all…

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★★☆☆☆ Director Brad Bird is perhaps best known for Pixar efforts The Incredibles (2004) and Ratatouille (2007), but has now turned his hand to live action filmmaking as he directs Tom Cruise (who recently announced the possibility of a sequel to the 1980s classic Top Gun) and home grown comic talent Simon Pegg (soon to reprise…

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★★★☆☆ Wreckers (2011), written and directed by first time filmmaker D.R. Hood, is a technically accomplished drama starring the ever popular Benedict Cumberbatch – best known for his role in BBC drama Sherlock and soon to be the voice of Smaug in Peter Jackson’s The Hobbit films – and Claire Foy, star of numerous TV…

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★★★☆☆ British director Guy Ritchie returns this week with steam-punk sequel Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows (2011), with Robert Downey Jr. reprising his role as Holmes alongside Jude Law’s ever-dependable Dr. Watson, plus the addition of the original ‘Girl With The Dragon Tattoo’ (and star of Ridley Scott’s upcoming 2012 3D sci-fi epic Prometheus)…

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★★★☆☆ 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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