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- DirectorBabis MakridisStarsAris ServetalisMakis PapadimitriouLefteris MatthaiouIt's absurd not to trust me.Just a little too bizarre
- DirectorMick JacksonStarsSteve MartinVictoria TennantRichard E. GrantWith the help of a talking freeway billboard, a wacky weatherman tries to win the heart of an English newspaper reporter, who is struggling to make sense of the strange world of early 1990s Los Angeles.Superb film. So funny and surprisingly moving. Martin's best film.
- DirectorWerner HerzogStarsPeter AutyMary PlazasPart of a series of opera shorts by different directors. Herzog combines O Soave Fanciulla ("Oh you vision of beauty" from Puccini's La Boheme) with images of harsh life in Africa.Interesting short doco.
- DirectorÉdouard MolinaroStarsUgo TognazziMichel SerraultClaire MaurierThe manager of a Saint-Tropez nightclub featuring drag entertainment, and his star attraction, are a gay couple. Madness ensues when his straight son brings home a fiancée and her ultra-conservative parents to meet them.I admit, with a little bit of embarrassment that the American remake is funnier. But there are a few moments in this which are ok, and the actor playing the son is beautiful and incidentally died when he was 30, some 8 years after making this.
- DirectorFederico FelliniStarsMarcello MastroianniAnita EkbergAnouk AiméeA series of stories following a week in the life of a philandering tabloid journalist living in Rome.Fabulous film.
- DirectorMathieu KassovitzStarsVincent CasselHubert KoundéSaïd Taghmaoui24 hours in the lives of three young men in the French suburbs the day after a violent riot.Watched in May 2010
This is one of those high impact films that I remember watching when I was younger. I don't think I've seen it for at least 10yrs. I barely remember it, but I thought it was alot more violent and shocking. Yet on a new viewing, I find it too be perhaps less shocking and full of humour. Despite the storyline of riots and violence, the three characters are just regular guys when it comes down to it, they are just caught up in far from perfect world. They are, between run-ins with the police very entertaining: Said trying to get his hair trimmed was hilarious, his voice raising ever higher as he panics about how much has been shaved: The three guys trying to steal a car, with the aid of a drunk passer by are fine and funny moments. But these lighter interludes are shattered by hints of dire things to come. The cops roughing up Said and Hubert is horrid to watch and as the film progresses you can feel a sense of doom coming closer. The encounter with the skinheads for me was the moment you know the ending was not going to be good and then boom. It takes alot for me to physically feel something from a film, but as that gun fired into Vinz, I shivered. The ending alone is enough to put it into that high impact category, but as a whole it is a still relevant piece about social conditions and the suffering caused by them. - DirectorWerner HerzogStarsWerner HerzogJörg Schmidt-ReitweinEdward LachmanHerzog takes a film crew to the island of Guadeloupe when he hears that the volcano on the island is going to erupt. Everyone has left, except for one old man who refuses to leave. Herzog catches the eeriness of an abandoned city, with stop lights cycling over an empty intersection.Wonderful. Herzog is crazy.
- DirectorOlivier DahanStarsMarion CotillardSylvie TestudPascal GreggoryBiopic of the iconic French singer Édith Piaf. Raised by her grandmother in a brothel, she was discovered while singing on a street corner at the age of 19. Despite her success, Piaf's life was filled with tragedy.Great film. Amazing lady. Cotillard is superb.
- DirectorJim HensonStarsDavid BowieJennifer ConnellyToby FroudSixteen-year-old Sarah must solve a labyrinth to rescue her baby brother when he is taken by the Goblin King.A real gem from the 80's. Weird and surreal.
- DirectorCharles DanceStarsJudi DenchMaggie SmithDaniel BrühlTwo sisters befriend a mysterious foreigner who washes up on the beach of their 1930s Cornish seaside village.This could have been good, but it felt really cliched and performances forced.
- DirectorOrson WellesStarsRita HayworthOrson WellesEverett SloaneFascinated by gorgeous Mrs. Bannister, seaman Michael O'Hara joins a bizarre yachting cruise, and ends up mired in a complex murder plot.Failed to ignite my interest.
- DirectorM. Night ShyamalanStarsPaul GiamattiBryce Dallas HowardJeffrey WrightApartment building superintendent Cleveland Heep rescues what he thinks is a young woman from the pool he maintains. When he discovers that she is actually a character from a bedtime story who is trying to make the journey back to her home, he works with his tenants to protect his new friend from the creatures that are determined to keep her in our world.Starts well, but becomes a little stupid
- DirectorAlfred HitchcockStarsMargaret LockwoodMichael RedgravePaul LukasWhile travelling in continental Europe, a rich young playgirl realizes that an elderly lady seems to have disappeared from the train.Lovely old Hitchcock film.
- DirectorRodolphe MarconiStarsKarl LagerfeldNicole KidmanBrad KroeningAn up-close-and-personal portrait of the fashion icon, Karl Lagerfeld.Watched in November 2010
Certain people become quite unknown despite their fame or work and Karl Lagerfeld is one of them. He is perhaps one of the greatest designers of modern times, adored utterly and is something of an enigma. I was interested in seeing this for those reasons and the fact that someone of his standing would provide an interesting insight.
I was however, very disappointed and felt there was less insight more just following. Lagerfeld the 'designer/celebrity' is barely away from the screen concealed behind his dark glasses. When he does sit for an interview he is short and sweet with his answers barely enlightening anyone. As interesting as it is seeing him work and occasionally play there is little insight into what drives him or thrills him. Another vast problem the film has is the lack of explanation of what we are seeing or indeed who we are seeing. Events occur, fashion shows, meetings, photo shoots, all self explanatory, but it would be nice to know exact details. Likewise we meet many people and you are never informed who they are, which is very frustrating. Of course the film is about Lagerfeld, but if other characters in this world are to be seen, we should know who they are.
Lagerfeld clearly loves what he does and works immensely hard and that is clear to see, but we never really see what I feel is the real Lagerfeld, only once, where he has no glasses on and sits at a desk drawing a dress, did I feel that I glimpsed Lagerfeld who isn't on display. I found it very differcult not to compare this to another recent film that looked at another adored desingers Valentino. In Valentino: The Last Emperor, we are treated to an amazing insight into someones life, one that is very similar to Lagerfeld, but we get to see the real Valentino, passion, stress, humour and love. With that we have a fascinating and vibrant film that makes us understand who this person is. In Lagerfeld Confidential there is none of that and we are left bored and uninterested with what we see, which is a huge shame as surely beneath those glasses there is an amazing life and a fascinating person. - DirectorTony KayeStarsNoam ChomskyBill BairdFlip BenhamA graphic documentary on both sides of the abortion debate.This doco follows the abortion debate in the United States, starting from the mid 1990’s onwards. What is very clear from the onset is that this is a very passionate debate in America and has led to many protests, political and religious campaigns and more disturbingly, murder. It is a no hold barred film, with some very graphic footage, of aborted foetuses, and abortions gone wrong, but it does have a tendency to sway towards the pro choice camp. Or perhaps that is my interpretation. What is remarkable, especially as an outsider, is how passionate people are about this. Further still is how passionate people are basing their opinions on the bible and the word of god. The Christians shown in this film do nothing to lessen the stereotype of scary fundamentalists, who cannot see beyond the written word of the bible and still take it literally. It is shocking that people have murdered others because of a religious belief, or indeed in case that suggests that it was done for the pope. At the same time some of these people are, not only wanting to deny the right of a woman to have a legal termination they are also being sexist, homophobic and all round general bigots. All very scary. Amongst the bad, of course there are the good, people who support legal abortion and those who work in the clinics. Some of whom have been through first hand, the danger that comes with the job. Near the end of the film we meet Stacy, and we follow her as she gets a termination. The story of her having her jaw broken by and ex and him refusing to let her go to hospital is harrowing, enough, but we are also confronted with the emotional strain, that a termination brings. It leaves you without a doubt that even when a woman has made the right choice, it is still an incredible hard thing to go through and maybe as man I can never completely understand that emotional and no means the physical impact of it. Unfortunately it is overlong and has a habit of repeating it's self, but otherwise a thought provoking film.
- DirectorMoisés KaufmanStarsChristina RicciSteve BuscemiKathleen ChalfantThe true story of an American town in the wake of the murder of Matthew Shepard.Watched in 2006^
I first saw this in 2006 and watched it again in 2009. On the first viewing I was only slightly aware of the real life events that the film is based around, that of the brutal murder of a young gay man Matthew Shephard. The first moved me inextricably. I think I cried so much I had to keep stopping the film to regain some composure.
On a 2nd viewing I cried almost as much. It is a devastatingly moving and tragic story. It is a finely constructed film, with great performances throughout. It is even more powerful knowing that this is based on real events and real interviews. The disbelief, the shock, the continual homophobia is all painfully real. But among the pain there is hope, glimmers of hope. The catholic priest who 'defies' belief to support the out pouring of grief. There are the townspeople who dress as angels and stand infront and blocking the deplorable actions of Fred Phelps and his people who claim that Shephard will rot in HELL amongst other things. Perhaps most moving is the account of one man's disbelief and joy from watching the annual parade trailed by a small group of townspeople honouring Shephard, only for the amount of people to increase 10 fold by the time the parade had worked its wasy around the block.
The films highlights the sheer horror and magnitude of a tragic situation, but also brings home the power and strength that humanity can have. It's just a shame these kind of events have to occur in the first place. Compulsary viewing. - DirectorCraig GillespieStarsRyan GoslingEmily MortimerPaul SchneiderA delusional young man strikes up an unconventional relationship with a doll he finds on the Internet.presents with surprisingly amount of tenderness.
- DirectorLuke WalkerIn 1931 Harold Lasseter's body was found in Central Australia's deserts. His diary revealed that he'd found gold, worth millions...but that he'd give it all for a loaf of bread... The gold is still yet to be found. Filmmaker Luke Walker finds Lasseter's 85 year-old son, still searching the desert, not only for gold, but something far more precious. Now, 80 years since Lasseter set off from Alice Springs to meet his fate, is it possible to piece together the fragments of history he left behind? Armed with a camera and the unshakable belief that he will find gold in Lasseter's story, Walker sets out to unravel the tangle of myths, lies and legend that lie buried with Lasseter's bones in the heart of Australia.Interesting enough, but the outcome is less than satisfactory.
- DirectorJoel HopkinsStarsDustin HoffmanEmma ThompsonKathy BakerIn London for his daughter's wedding, a rumpled man finds his romantic spirits lifted by a new woman in his life.I felt so sorry for these two characters in the early scenes and whilst it offers nothing new, it does play out well. Both Thompson and Hoffman are good in their roles and pair up well. I always like watching Emma Thompson, she's a marvellous actor, her performances are always good. The scenes along the Southbank are charming and the London backdrop is used well. It is a fine film for when you are full of flu and stuck on the sofa.
- DirectorGus Van SantStarsMichael PittLukas HaasAsia ArgentoA Seattle musician's life and career are reminiscent of those of Kurt Cobain.Far too indie and try hard. Pitt does well.
- DirectorGian Alfonso PacinottiStarsGabriele SpinelliAnna BellatoLuca MarinelliThe story of the latest week on the earth before the announce of the landing of an extraterrestrial society on earth seen by the eyes of a misogynist man with only the desire solitude and routine.Wasted opportunity.
- DirectorBernardo BertolucciStarsJohn LoneJoan ChenPeter O'TooleBernardo Bertolucci's Oscar-winning dramatisation of the life story of China's last emperor, Pu Yi.Stunning in it's scope and cinematography, the film wins with it's sets and costumes.
- DirectorKevin MacdonaldStarsJames McAvoyForest WhitakerGillian AndersonBased on the events of the brutal Ugandan dictator Idi Amin's regime as seen by his personal physician during the 1970s.Great acting and horrifying account of an horrifying man.
- DirectorMarty FeldmanStarsMarty FeldmanAnn-MargretMichael YorkAn aging Sir Hector Geste (Trevor Howard) takes a young greedy wife who's after his famed Blue Water sapphire, but his sons hide the gem and join the French Foreign Legion in North Africa.old and outdated with only a few funny moments.
- DirectorGlendyn IvinStarsHugo WeavingTom RussellAnita HeghA young boy travels across Australia with his father, who's wanted by the law for committing a violent crime.This a very good Australian film, although not as good as many have reviewed it. Hugo Weaving is terrific as the father who has come from a hard background and is now repeating the cycle with his own son. On the run with really no where to go they venture across Australia, living like homeless people with no sense of where they are going. This is often a hard film to watch, mainly because Weaving's character is so horrid, yet despite his erractic nature, we know through flashback that he has tried to protect his son, but his way of dealing with it is wrong and has landed them in this hell. The film has another reason to see it, the landscapes. Australian films often project the beauty and vastness of this country onto the big screen so wonderfully, it never fails to amaze and it never seems repetative and this film is no exception. The stunning imagery created on the salt lake is just breath taking.