Orson Welles’ film noir classic is still affecting over fifty years since its original release. Whilst the themes Touch of Evil focuses on are nothing new, it is the combination of said themes with the direction, cinematography and art design that generates a pervading atmosphere. Charlton Heston plays Mexican cop Vargas, who along with his new American bride Susan (played […]
Read moreSeeing the film a few weeks after its release, Clash of the Titans is actually an enjoyable enough movie. Granted, this may be the case as expectations were significantly lowered by the considerable amount of negative press and reviews the film has received. Louis Leterrier’s version makes a number of changes to the plot from the 1981 original. Sam Worthington’s Perseus no […]
Read moreShelter opens with rather an interesting supposition; multiple personality disorder has been revealed to be a fallacy, and can no longer be held up as an excuse for criminal behaviour. Unfortunately, the film goes downhill from here, and what is left is a dull narrative littered with stock horror clichés and not much else. The film initially sets up a […]
Read moreRoman Polanski’s 1965 psychological thriller Repulsion packs a punch in the unnerving atmosphere it creates. Filmed in black and white, this low-budget picture was Polanski’s first English-language feature. Repulsion‘s narrative centres on Carol, a beautiful but distant French girl living with her sister in London. As the film progresses, her psychosis becomes more and more severe, resulting in cataclysmic effects. […]
Read moreWhip It is a funny and entertaining movie – a promising start to Drew Barrymore’s directing career. “Be Your Own Hero”, the publicity for the picture asserts; a message the director certainly seems to have taken to heart. Whip It focuses on misfit teen Bliss and her attempt to escape small-town drudgery by joining a roller derby league. In the […]
Read moreKick-Ass is a very enjoyable movie, combining entertaining action sequences, a good dose of humour and a fitting soundtrack. Nonetheless, that does not mean to say there aren’t flaws in Matthew Vaughn’s film. Kick-Ass tells the story of Dave, a geeky teenage boy who decides to become a superhero after becoming disenchanted with the passive reactions of people to crime. […]
Read moreSandra Bullock won an Oscar for her performance as Leigh Anne Tuohy in The Blind Side. After watching this film, the other nominees must have felt they had been robbed. Whilst there is nothing deficient in Bullock’s performance, there is nothing remarkable either. The Blind Side is based on the real life story of the Tuohys, a white, middle class, […]
Read moreThe most striking thing about Phillip Morris is, as the opening titles emphasise, that the events in the film really happened. For many of these events are audacious to say the least, and make for entertaining viewing. Philip Morris tells the story of scam artist Steven Russell and the lengths he goes to in order to be reunited with the […]
Read moreIn The Bounty Hunter, Jennifer Aniston plays a career-obsessed journalist determined to get the scoop on the latest story. It’s a pity in real life Aniston does not pay as much attention to her career, otherwise she may not have opted for such a dud. Though a regular fixture in the rom-com genre over the last decade, surely the actress receives […]
Read moreOften, Martin Scorsese makes it all better. Every now and again, tired of the incessant remakes, sequels and sub-par star vehicles, one longs for a bit of quality in mainstream Hollywood cinema. It seems that Mr Scorsese has heard our cries, as Shutter Island is a thoroughly enjoyable film, reinstating a degree of quality missing from many other recent films. Granted, […]
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