First, a warning: The Raid is the most bone-crunchingly violent action movie I have seen since the heyday of John Woo. It is an unrelenting bloodbath of spectacularly gruesome shootouts and fights, and absolutely earns its 18 certificate. Those of a sensitive disposition would do well to steer clear. On the other hand, if The … Continue reading
Shah Rukh Khan is such a massive Bollywood star that any film with his name above the title is automatically going to find success, however silly and improbable said film may be. He is versatile and fun to watch, though not without his faults (the amazing wobble-headed emotional moments are always a standout), and is … Continue reading
Here are six random things that make Norway brilliant: 1) It has stunningly beautiful landscapes. 2) A-ha. 3) It was sensible enough to stay out of the EU. 4) It has a royal family. 5) The Empire Strikes Back was partly filmed there. 6) Troll Hunter. It is with the latter point that this review … Continue reading
Pedro Almodovar’s latest is the closest thing he has ever made to horror film, although in reality it’s more akin to a sexually charged gothic melodrama with an unsettling 21st Century twist. It might even be argued that at heart it is little more than a pseudo-intellectual entry in the lamentable “torture porn” subgenre, carefully … Continue reading
Guillermo Del Toro, acting as producer, has been involved in a couple of notable offerings in the recent renaissance of Spanish horror. Two years ago bone-chilling ghost story The Orphanage had audiences cowering behind their fingers, and now Julia’s Eyes – directed Guillem Morales – is another Del Toro produced gem. When Julia’s blind sister … Continue reading
No-one expected The Secret in Their Eyes from Argentina to win Best Foreign Film at this years Oscars, especially as it looked like a two horse race between The White Ribbon and A Prophet, but this little known but excellent movie walked off with the prize. I still think A Prophet ought to have won, … Continue reading
At last – a much belated review this – I have finally had the chance to watch Departures, the Yojiro Takita directed best foreign film winner at the 2009 Oscars. By the close of 2009 I had not managed to see this because, despite rave reviews and the Oscar win, it was only given an … Continue reading
Twitter review: too long Piaf biog with an amazing performance from Marion Cotillard, done a disservice by the chopped-up structure.
Lebanon, a stripped down, tightly budgeted Israeli war movie, has been heralded in some quarters as a masterpiece. Empire magazine even said it was more powerful than The Hurt Locker, which as far as I’m concerned is the greatest entry in the genre since Saving Private Ryan. Expectations were high going in, and for about … Continue reading
The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, adapted from a trio of bestselling novels by Swedish author Stieg Larsson, is certainly a provocative piece of work. It’s long but gripping, with some fine performances, and well directed by Neils Arden Oplev. However the shocking brutality in some scenes will prove a bridge too far for many … Continue reading
