Reviews
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DVD Releases: ‘Black Death’
A truly bleak world view permeates Christopher Smith’s Black Death (2010), which is as much about the 21st century world as it is the 14th century one in which it is set. The film’s oppressive vision of the brutality and fanaticism of middle age life throw into sharp relief the central theme, which reaches forward…
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Film Review: ‘Mary and Max’
★★★★★ In recent years there has been a rapid decline in the output of clay animation films. This would appear to be due to the huge increase in CGI animation films from Hollywood, such as Disney Pixar’s WALL.E (2008), Up (2009) and Toy Story 3 (2010) to name but a few. The highly polished, glossy…
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Film Review: ‘The Stoning of Soraya M.’
★★★★☆ Just so you know right off the bat, The Stoning of Soraya M. (2008) is not an Iranian version of Cheech & Chong’s Up in Smoke (1978), but if you occasionally enjoy the taste of a herbal cigarette and you are thinking of buying or renting this film, I recommend you procure yourself some…
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LFF 2010: ‘Conviction’ review
★★★☆☆ Tony Goldwyn’s Conviction (2009) treads the well worn path of many of its BFI London Film Festival contemporaries this year – Julian Schnabel’s Miral (2010) and Danny Boyle’s 127 Hours (2010) to name but two – in prefacing their story with the phrase “Based on a true story/real events”. Apparently nothing is quite as compelling as…
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DVD Releases: ‘Zombies of Mass Destruction’
Over the past few years, the film parody has made a somewhat inconsistent return to cinemas. Whilst some have provided laughs, many (including the …Movie films of the Wayans Bros.) have provided only headaches after excessive pondering over just how they got into production (one word: profitability). Unfortunately, for anyone who has pre-ordered or bought Kevin…
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Blu-ray Review: ‘Let the Right One In’
★★★★★ If this is the first time you’ve heard of this film, it’s likely to be because American director Matt Reeves (Cloverfield [2008]) has swooped in and directed audience attention towards his American remake, Let Me In (2010). While it remains a matter of personal choice as to whether his version can match up to…
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LFF 2010: ‘Miral’ review
★★☆☆☆ Told over a period of some forty-seven years, Julian Schnabel’s Miral (2010) recounts the life of a young woman growing up in Israeli-occupied Palestine following the establishment of the first Jewish state. Adapted by Rula Jebreal from her own novel and somewhat – or so it would appear – autobiographical, the film recounts the…
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Film Review: ‘The Social Network’
★★★★☆ Last week’s rescue of the brave Chilean Miners restored my faith in humanity. For a fleeting moment in time, I believed from my boots to my bonnet that people are intrinsically good and all we really need is a big mushy tale of hope to get us linking arms singing kumbaya. Then I ambled…
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LFF 2010: ‘The American’ review
★★☆☆☆ As an artist known primarily for his work as a music video director and band photographer, Anton Corbijn’s latest project The American (2010), starring George Clooney, could well be seen as a drastic departure from his well-established roots. Corbijn’s debut feature Control (2007) yielded great critical acclaim, although some may have noted that being…
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LFF 2010: ‘Leap Year’ review
★☆☆☆☆ A depiction of intense loneliness and psychosexual torture, Michael Rowe’s minimalist debut feature Leap Year (Año bisiesto, 2010) raises many a difficult question with regards to its seemingly complex gender politics. It follows the life of Laura, played with vulnerable perfection by Monica Del Carmen, a lonely freelance journalist who lives alone in a small Mexican apartment.…