Some of the best horror films are those that aren’t immediately and obviously horror films. I don’t mean the ones that suddenly and pointlessly switch genres midway (such as From Dusk Till Dawn). I mean those that gradually evolve from one kind of story into another, even though – in retrospect – there were plenty … Continue reading
Animal Kingdom, the debut from writer/director David Michod, is a very diverting piece of work. Not quite the masterpiece some have claimed, but nevertheless a gripping crime drama. There is some truth to the claim that it is an “Australian Goodfellas” – thematically at least. The story revolves around seventeen year old Joshua or “J” … Continue reading
I was sure Simon had reviewed this when it came out, but searching the site I find no evidence of such a review. So here it is, belatedly, following a DVD viewing last night. Be warned, it’s a powerful and harrowing piece of drama, well-told by all involved, which is almost guaranteed to disturb the … Continue reading
Brooklyn’s Finest, the latest from director Antoine Fuqua (who made Training Day) is an absorbing, meaty drama in the tradition of classic 70s cop pictures. Essentially an ensemble piece, there is nothing particularly original about its various plot strands, at least on the surface. We have Eddie (Richard Gere), a burnt out cop with seven … Continue reading
Nicolas Cage contributes an outstanding performance in this entertaining and blackly funny reworking of Abel Ferrara’s notorious 1992 film Bad Lieutenant. The original film, which I saw at the cinema in its full uncut version before it was massively censored for subsequent releases, was a blistering, shocking, fierce, uncompromising, controversial, difficult and hugely upsetting piece … Continue reading
A Prophet, the new film from director Jacques Audiard (who made The Beat My Heart Skipped), is an astonishing piece of work. It’s a bold, visceral, hugely absorbing film that deserves its place among the very best crime/prison dramas. If you’re expecting something like The Shawshank Redemption, forget it. This is all Shawshank and no … Continue reading
I have never been a fan of Guy Ritchie’s films. When I heard he was tackling Conan Doyle’s great detective I was dubious. When I saw the trailer, I thought the results looked terrible. Then I saw the film and surprisingly, it’s quite good. It’s no masterpiece, but it’s an entertaining way to spend a … Continue reading
Public Enemies is so named presumably in homage to the 1931 gangster picture The Public Enemy. But Michael Mann’s latest crime epic is a very different beast to the Jimmy Cagney classic. In fact, Mann has clearly set out to make a film that looks and feels like nothing else in the genre. Based on … Continue reading
