Patrick Gamble
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Berlin 2012: ‘Jayne Mansfield’s Car’ review
★★☆☆☆ Directed by and starring Billy Bob Thornton, Jayne Mansfield’s Car (2012) is a fractured comedy drama set in the 1960s that’s built around a conflict of cultures. Boasting an ensemble cast which includes Robert Duvall, John Hurt and Kevin Bacon, Thornton’s latest offerings is one of the hottest tickets at this year’s Berlinale. The…
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Berlin 2012: ‘The Flowers of War’ review
★★★☆☆ The Flowers of War (Jin Ling Shi San Chai, 2011) is a dramatic portrayal of the horrendous Nanking massacre which occurred in 1937. Directed by Zhang Yimou and starring Christian Bale (soon to be seen reprising his role in the final chapter of Christopher Nolan’s Batman trilogy, The Dark Knight Rises) The Flowers of…
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Berlin 2012: ‘Sister’ review
★★★★★ Following the success of her 2008 debut Home, director Ursula Meier returns with Sister (L’enfant d’en haut, 2011), a moving adolescent drama set against the backdrop of the Swiss Alps, and starring Kacey Mottet Klein, Léa Seydoux, Martin Compston and Gillian Anderson. Everyday, twelve-year-old Simon (Klein) takes the cable car up to the mountains where…
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Berlin 2012: ‘Keyhole’ review
★★★★☆ Whilst Michel Hazanavicius’ The Artist (2011) is sweeping up awards across the globe for its masterful use of cinematic nostalgia, it seems odd that the German expressionist-inspired works of Guy Maddin remains resigned to the appreciation of arthouse cinephiles. However, his most recent production Keyhole (2011) doesn’t look like changing that dynamic, pushing his…
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Berlin 2012: ‘Shadow Dancer’ review
★★☆☆☆ James Marsh returns to fiction after a successful foray into documentary filmmaking with Shadow Dancer (2012), a harrowing thriller focusing on the troubles in Northern Ireland. Set in Belfast during the height of the IRA bombings, Marsh’s psychological tale of the domestic implications of this much published conflict stars Clive Owen, Gillian Anderson and…
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Film Review: ‘A Dangerous Method’
★★★☆☆ Provocative Canadian director David Cronenberg is renowned for delving head first into the darkest recesses of our fears and deep seated desires. His career to date has resulted in a back catalogue of psychologically-probing pieces which constantly test his audiences and have garnered him some much deserved critical acclaim – making him the perfect…
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Berlin 2012: Five hidden gems
This month sees the Berlin International Film Festival celebrate its 62nd incarnation, and the CineVue team members will be braving the cold weather, wheat beer and pork-based snacks of the German capital to bring you as much coverage as we can. Previously, we mentioned some of the highlights from the festival’s recently released programme. However,…
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Film Review: ‘Journey 2: The Mysterious Island’
★★☆☆☆ Directed by Brad Peyton and starring Dwayne Johnson (AKA The Rock), Vanessa Hudgens and Michael Caine, Journey 2: The Mysterious Island (2012) is a high octane, stereoscopic 3D adaptation of Jules Verne’s The Mysterious Island – which despite giving little consideration towards its literary source, is undeniably an exhilarating family friendly, action adventure that’ll…
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Film Review: ‘Eliminate: Archie Cookson’
★★★☆☆ Independently financed and produced, Robin Holder’s directorial debut Eliminate: Archie Cookson (2010) is an offbeat espionage thriller that successfully transcends the limitations of it meagre budget, with a cast including Paul Rhys, Claire Skinner, Paul Ritter and Georgia King.Archie Cookson (Rhys) is a clumsy and naive government linguistic spy whose penchant for red wine…
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Film Review: ‘Like Crazy’
★★★☆☆ Drake Doremus’ Like Crazy (2011) is the latest in a long line of American independent films which have recently taken a bitter-sweet approach towards romance. Up-and-coming duo Felicity Jones and Anton Yelchin (with support from Jennifer Lawrence) star as a pair of hopeless romantics imprisoned by their deep emotional connection, who through one misguided decision, find themselves…