What I've Just Watched: Part 3 - The Search for Spock

Yeah, Paperman was lovely, I was pleased that won an Oscar.

Blood and Chocolate (2007), directed by Katja von Garnier (Abgeschminkt! (1993) and Bandits (1997)), this adaptation of Annette Curtis Klause's 1997 teen novel had been in development hell for nearly a decade, going through nearly a dozen directors and potential leads before the producers finally got around to adapting it. So much was changed from the original novel, that it should have been given a different title, but it has a few cheesy moments. Vivian (Agnes Bruckner) is 19 years old and has the power to turn into a werewolf, she's recently moved to Bucharest to live with her Aunt Astrid (Katja Riemann), who can also turn into a werewolf. Her mate was Gabriel (Olivier Martinez), who left Astrid, but now has his eyes set on Vivian. Meanwhile, Vivian has started a relationship with comic book artist Aiden (Hugh Dancy), who is smitten with Vivian, but he doesn't know her secret. Astrid's son with Gabriel, Rafe (Bryan Dick), finds out about Vivian and Aiden's relationship, and tries to put a stop to it, for Aiden's own safety, but Gabriel has plans of his own for Vivian. It is a sort of precursor for what was to come in the Twilight films, only this is done on a much lower budget, and it shows in places. It's too dull to be classed as a guilty pleasure too, plus studio interference and poor distribution saw that this sadly sank without a trace at the box office. 2/5



Inkheart (2008), directed by Iain Softley (Backbeat (1994), Hackers (1995) and K-PAX (2001)) and adapted from Cornelia Funke's 2003 fantasy novel. This was intended to start a new series of films to rival Harry Potter, however it had numerous production problems, the release date was delayed by a year. Which is a shame, as there is a lot to admire about this film, and it has a really good cast as well. Mortimer 'Mo' Folchart (Brendan Fraser) has a magical ability, whenever he reads a story out loud, the story comes to life. He and his daughter Meggie (Eliza Bennett) are in Europe looking for a rare book called Inkheart. After finding the book, a character from Inkheart, Dustfinger (Paul Bettany) wants Mo to read it, so he can go back into the book, Mo doesn't and he and Meggie travel to Italy to visit Great Aunt Elinor Loredan (Helen Mirren), who has a library full of rare books. However, Dustfinger has told the evil Capricorn (Andy Serkis), who plans to steal Inkheart and force Mo to read him back into the book, but Mo is aided by Inkheart's author Fenoglio (Jim Broadbent). It's very imaginative, and it has a lot of good ideas on display, and it works as a film, but you can tell studio interference is afoot with this one, as it flies along too fast, and that a longer cut might have explained more. 3.5/5

Me and You and Everyone We Know (2005), the directorial debut of author Miranda July, (who also wrote the film and acts in it), this is a very weird romantic comedy-drama, done with a light touch and with colourful characters. It's gentle humour comes out of the quirkiness of situations portrayed in the film, while it has a surreal touch that apes David Lynch in places. However, it does have some good performances throughout. Shoe salesman Richard (John Hawkes) has recently been thrown out by his wife Pam (JoNell Kennedy), after a bout of depression. He gets his own place so his children Peter (Miles Thompson) and Robby (Brandon Ratcliff) can spend time with him. Richard meets experimental video artist Christine (July) and the two begin a relationship. Meanwhile, Peter ends up in a playful friendship and then relationship with Heather (Natasha Slayton) and Rebecca (Najarra Townsend), who are neighbours with Richard, while Robby discovers online chatting, and ends up posing as Peter on a questionable online forum, while Richard is completely oblivious to all of this going on. It's a quirky film, with some lovely camerawork by Chuy Chavez, and the film won the Caméra d'Or at the Cannes Film Festival. It seemed indie cinema had a new saviour in July, but it would be another 6 years before she made another feature film again. 4/5



The Future (2011), written and directed by Miranda July (Me and You and Everyone We Know (2005)), this was her second film and it was based upon a performance piece that July had staged in New York in 2007, she settled on this to be her next film. It's a disappointment compared to her debut, and it falls into the trap of difficult second film syndrome. It drags quite a bit and there's no fireworks to move the film along. Sophie (July) and Jason (Hamish Linklater) are a couple in their mid 30's, they've been together for a while now, and their relationship is on the rocks, and they're uncertain what to do next. Then, they decide to adopt an injured cat called Paw Paw, who also narrates the film from a cage commenting on life (voiced by July). As adopting a cat is a big responsibility, Sophie and Jason have to prepare themselves for this, as it's a big responsibility. As they will have to wait 30 days for clearence to get Paw Paw, Sophie and Jason venture out into the world, to enjoy their last month of freedom before they truly commit to having a cat as a pet. It's a very weird film, with moments of our two leads trying to stop time, and a weird performance piece in a giant T-shirt. It's just too slow and too surreal to be engaging enough, which is a shame, as it's a good idea for a film, but it needed something to move it along. 2/5

Savages (2012), directed by Oliver Stone, and adapted from Don Winslow's 2010 book, this is a fast and furious crime thriller done with the same visual style Stone used on Natural Born Killers (1994) and U Turn (1997). It might be all over the place, with moments of insanity and operatics here and there, but it's a return to dark form for Stone, but it could have been more exposing. Set in Laguna Beach in California, best friends Chon (Taylor Kitsch) and Ben (Aaron Johnson) grow marijuana, which is used for medical purposes and it's legal. Corrupt DEA agent Dennis (John Travolta) ensures they don't get arrested, plus Chon and Ben share the same girlfriend, O (Blake Lively). When Ben and Chon are offered a deal with a Mexican cartel ran by Elena (Salma Hayek) and represented in America by enforcer Lado (Benicio del Toro), Ben and Chon refuse. However, Elena doesn't take no for an answer, and as revenge for their ignorance, they kidnap O, keeping her in a cage. Ben and Chon plan to get their own back, and bring the cartel down and get their girlfriend back, they intend to get Elena's attention by taking something close to her. It's absolutely insane, and it's a side we haven't seen to Stone in a while. It has a good cast with Kitsch and Johnson making a good buddy-buddy partnership, while Hayek is a a force of nature as the drug lord. It is a bit on the long side, and if Stone does one of his directors cuts for this, it could do with a trim to pick the pacing up, but it's still good though. 3.5/5



Song for Marion (2012), written and directed by Paul Andrew Williams, whose roster of films so far have included dark films including thrillers and horrors like London to Brighton (2006), The Cottage (2008) and Cherry Tree Lane (2010), does something completely different. A touching and moving romantic comedy-drama about old love and brilliant singing, and it has some really good performances too. Arthur (Terence Stamp) is a grumpy pensioner whose wife Marion (Vanessa Redgrave) is terminally ill, but she gets solace and happiness with singing in a local choir of pensioners led by Elizabeth (Gemma Arterton). As Marion's health deteriorates, she requests that Arthur takes her place in the choir, which he says no to, until he finally gives in and goes along. He can't believe some of the songs they're singing, but he soons settles in and even though he still moans, he finds the process of singing changes him, and helps him connect with his estranged son James (Christopher Eccleston). It's a very sweet film, and it has some moments of sadness and moments of hilarity as well. It's a film that evokes a lot of emotions as you watch it, and it's also one of Stamp's best performances in years. 4/5

City Slickers (1991), directed by Ron Underwood (Tremors (1990), Mighty Joe Young (1998) and The Adventures of Pluto Nash (2002)), this is a very funny and poignant comedic western which shows all the usual fish-out-of-water cliches, but it's a really good story of coming to terms with middle age, and finding yourself again. It's also the finest film of Billy Crystal, who comes up with some brilliant wisecracks throughout the film. Mitch Robbins (Crystal) has just turned 39, and he's dreading turning 40, however his two friends Phil Berquist (Daniel Stern) and Ed Furillo (Bruno Kirby) have always invited him on adventure holidays, and they've got a good one for his birthday this year, a cattle drive in New Mexico, the ranch is owned by Clay Stone (Noble Willingham), who literally shows them the ropes. They set off on the trip to Colorado with trail boss Curly Washburn (Jack Palance), who is tough as nails and is one of the last of a dying breed of cowboys. Mitch is terrified of him, but while rounding up some stray cattle, they get a chance to bond, and Curly teaches him about life. It's a very good film, made with good humour, as well as sincerity and heart, which a lot of comedies lack these days, Crystal gets all the best lines, but Palance steals the film for which he rightfully won an Oscar for, and it's well made too, with good epic vistas to look at. 4/5



Chato's Land (1971), directed by Michael Winner (alarm bells ringing), he went to Hollywood in the 1970's, after finding some success here, after tackling the western genre with Lawman (1971), he tried it again with this violent western written by Gerald Wilson, who wrote Lawman. It's not perfect, but Winner proved to be a dab hand at doing westerns. It's a shame he did this as the western genre was starting to die out then. Half-Apache Pardon Chato (Charles Bronson) is wanted for the murder of a U.S. Marshall, although it was in self-defense. So, a posse go out to hunt for him, led by Captain Quincey Whitmore (Jack Palance), which means going deep into Indian territory. But, Chato is ready to fight back, and sabotages their water supply, and even makes their horses run away. Whitmore and his men have had enough, and they capture Chato's wife (Sonia Rangan), and assault and rape her, which is the last straw for Chato, who just wants peace, and so he turns on the posse, picking them off one by one, in the hope that they'll leave him alone. You can see where Winner and Bronson got the motivation to make Death Wish (1974) from, it was filmed in Spain, where Leone's Spaghetti westerns were made, and the landscape adds to the film's dark mood, but Winner, for once, has made a watchable film with this one. 3/5

American Graffiti (1973), After George Lucas made his debut with THX 1138 (1970), on insistance from his friend/producer Francis Ford Coppola. He decided to do something a little more mainstream. Lucas opted to do a film based on his childhood interests in the early 1960's, when Lucas was a teenager. With a minimal budget, a cast of mainly unknowns and access to a whole load of brilliant songs from that era, this is what Lucas came up with. A love letter to what it was like being a teen in the early 60's. Set in one night in the summer of 1962, it follows the exploits of 4 friends Curt Henderson (Richard Dreyfuss), Steve Bolander (Ron Howard), John Milner (Paul LeMat) and Terry "The Toad" Fields (Charles Martin Smith). Curt is leaving the following day on a $2,000 scholarship, Toad borrows Steve's car for the evening while Steve woos Laurie (Cindy Williams), Curt's sister. Meanwhile, John cruises around with teenybopper Carol (Mackenzie Phillips), quite reluctantly as well. It's a pity Lucas didn't stick with films like this, he showed real confidence with this one. It's got a gentle sense of humour, and the performances are very good. The soundtrack, made up of songs from the 1950's and early 1960's are pitch perfect. After this, Lucas started work on a script at first called The Adventures of Luke Starkiller. Whatever happened to that we wonder... 4/5



More American Graffiti (1979), after the success of American Graffiti (1973), Universal Pictures wanted a sequel. But George Lucas had moved on to Star Wars (1977) and had no interest in directing a sequel, however he did give them a pitch for the sequel, which was subsequently turned over to Bill L. Norton (Cisco Pike (1972) and Three For The Road (1987)), it's a more experimental film than the original, and not all of it works. It follows 4 consecutive New Years Eve's. Beginning in 1964, where John Milner (Paul LeMat) is hoping to become a successful drag racer about to compete in the race of his life, and he eyes up Icelandic model Eva (Anna Bjorn). In 1965, Terry Fields (Charles Martin Smith) is fighting in Vietnam, but he's had enough of it, and he comes with a plan with how to get out of it. In 1966, Terry's ex-girlfriend Debbie Dunham (Candy Clark) is living as a hippie in San Francisco, trying to make it big as a a musician. While in 1967, Steve Bolander (Ron Howard) and his wife Lauri have a row, and they end up embroiled in a college protest against the police, and they end up getting arrested. It's a film which changes aspect ratio and filming style with each story, it's a novel idea, but the stories aren't that engaging. The 1966 bit with the split screen editing does cause a headache after a while, but the music is good, shame about the plots. 2.5/5

Rio (1st view) - looks nice and has good vocal performances from Jesse Eisenberg and Jemaine Clement but is far from one of the better animations in recent years - 3/5*




La Belle et la Bête (2nd view) - A rewatch for this French version of the fairytale. Wasn't that big a fan first time and it's worse now - 2/5




La Ronde (1st view) - French drama that chronicles the love affairs of various intertwining characters




Earth Girls Are Easy (1st view) - Very, very odd but quite good fun - 3/5*

OSS 117: Lost in Rio (1st view) - Spy spoofery from the director of The Artist and starring that film's lead, Jean Dujardin. It's the sequel to Nest Of Spies and I'd like to see more in this series. - 3/5*

Stardust (2007), Neil Gaiman's 1999 fantasy novella comes to the big screen courtesy of director Matthew Vaughn, best known for producing Guy Ritchie's early work, but here making a stunning transition from gangster films to fantasy films, after his heavy debut with Layer Cake (2004). This is a very inventive and funny fantasy film, with an all star cast along the way, it's good to see a one-off fantasy film like this in a world of film franchises. In Victorian England, in the village of Wall, lovelorn Tristan Thorne (Charlie Cox), crosses over a mysterious wall into the kindom of Stormhold, to bring back a fallen star to the girl of his dreams Victoria (Sienna Miller), it is there he finds out the star is a person called Yvaine (Claire Danes), but it turns out Tristan is not the only person who wants Yvaine. Also in pursuit is Prince Septimus (Mark Strong), heir to the throne of Stormhold, and elderly witch Lamia (Michelle Pfieffer), wanting youth for her and her sisters Empusa (Sarah Alexander) and Mormo (Joanna Scanlan), and a cross-dressing sky pirate called Captain Shakespeare (Robert De Niro) joins the action as well. At times hilarious, this is a highly imaginative fantasy adventure with more than a nod and a wink to The Princess Bride. Vaughn has great fun with the material, and it manages to be enchanting while retaining a very English sense of humour. 4/5



Sink the Bismarck! (1960), directed by Lewis Gilbert, (Carve Her Name with Pride (1958), Alfie (1966) and You Only Live Twice (1967)), this is a true life war film about the mission to destroy a battleship. It's a different kind of war film though, where it divides it's time between the action at sea and the decisions going on in the war rooms, and the planning that went on to ensure we won the war. It's a good film with some good set pieces and some good performances. In 1939, on the eve of World War 2, onn of Nazi Germany's largest and most powerful battleship, the Bismarck, which is said to impenetrable by guns, bombs or torpedos, was launched. By 1941, British Convoy ships are being attacked in the North Sea by U-boats, then they discover the Bismarck heading towards the North Atlantic. In London, the Admiralty's chief of operations, Captain Jonathan Shepard (Kenneth More) has to devise a plan to destroy the Bismarck, and stop any more ships getting hurt. But, after the Bismarck destroys the HMS Hood south of Iceland, it'll require a lot of firepower to destroy this ship. It's a film which shows the unsung heroes of the war, those in London who gave the commands, and planned ahead and predicted the movements of the Nazi's, Gilbert does well with the film and the battles at sea come out really well on film. 4/5

The Portrait of a Lady (1996), directed by Jane Campion, who at the time had won an Oscar for her screenplay to The Piano (1993), after that, Hollywood came calling, and she was offered this adaptation of Henry James' 1881 serialised novel. Despite having an all star cast and some lovely production design, the story is a bit cold and clinical. There's no real fireworks to move it along, despite the best efforts of the cast and crew, all doing 110%. In Victorian England, American aristocrat Isabel Archer (Nicole Kidman) is a woman of independent means, who comes into money while in Europe. She had been visiting her cousin Ralph Touchett (Martin Donovan) and his elderly father (John Gielgud), the latter of whom becomes ill, and when he dies, leaves his estate to Isabel. Now with money, she looks for a husband, after rejecting proposals from Lord Warburton (Richard E. Grant) and Caspar Goodwood (Viggo Mortensen), she feels she's found the right one with American expatriate Gilbert Osmond (John Malkovich), but Isabel finds herself being manipulated by Osmond's friend Madame Serena Merle (Barbara Hershey). It's well made, with a powerful lead performance by Kidman, who is perfect for this, but the film does tend to drag, and it does tend to take ages to get to the point with the plot of the antagonists. It should have been better, but it does look absolutely beautiful. 3/5



Armageddon (1998), directed by Michael Bay and produced by Jerry Bruckheimer, then hot off the double whammy of Bad Boys (1995) and The Rock (1996), looking for a big follow-up, they found it with this action disaster movie. However, when they started production, they had a rival with Deep Impact (1998), which had an identical plot, but more serious in it's treatment. But, that didn't stop Bay from doing this, and it's not as bad as they say, just very silly B-movie hokum. After New York is hit by a small meteor shower which does big damage, NASA scientists, led by Dan Truman (Billy Bob Thornton), discover that this is a prelude to a massive meteor the size of Texas heading towards earth, and will hit earth in 18 days. Truman comes up with a plan to send a manned mission to the meteor, and bury a nuclear device deep enough to blow it up. He calls upon expert oil driller Harry Stamper (Bruce Willis) to help with the mission, he brings along his team, consisting of A. J. Frost (Ben Affleck), "Rockhound" (Steve Buscemi) and J. Otis "Bear" Kurleenbear (Michael Clarke Duncan), they train up to go and destroy the meteor. It is a very silly film and if you are going to compare it to the other meteor film of 1998, Deep Impact was better, but this does have it's fun moments, even if it's not very scientifically accurate, plus there's that theme tune by Aerosmith as well. 3.5/5

Unstoppable (2010), the final film by Tony Scott before his tragic death in 2012, and that gives this one an added sense of poignancy, even though it's a by-the-numbers thriller which is loosely based on a true incident that happened in 2001. But, it's a very enjoyable film, and it's the simplest of stories, but it's a very exciting one and it comes out very well on film too, with some good editing and glossy camerawork on show. In Pennsylvania, an incident by railway worker Dewey (Ethan Suplee) see's that a train, sitting idle powers up to full speed, carrying half a mile worth of trucks containing hazardous chemicals. Aware of the situation, yardmaster Connie Hooper (Rosario Dawson) orders them to try and stop that train at any costs, even if it is heading for a heavily populated area. Meanwhile, further down the line, engineer Frank Barnes (Denzel Washington) and newly employed train conductor Will Colson (Chris Pine) hear of what's happening, and Frank comes up with a plan to try and stop the train, even after all other attempts have failed, and they're told not to by train company VP Oscar Galvin (Kevin Dunn). It's a very suspenseful film, and there's some good staged pieces along the way, and it's well made too, and it's a great piece of popcorn entertainment, and a fitting end to Tony Scott's career, it's a shame we won't see his brand of films again. 4/5



Dirty Rotten Scoundrels (1988), directed by Frank Oz, who was trying to shed his image of working with the Muppets, took on this old fashioned comedy, which is a loose remake of Bedtime Story (1964). It's a very funny film, with some stunning locations in the south of France, and two brilliant leads, both hilarious and it has a touch of The Sting (1973) about it, although it's played for silly laughs along the way, and all the better for it. In the French town of Beaumont-sur-Mer, British con-man Lawrence Jamieson (Michael Caine) has been doing this for a number of years, with the help of manservant Arthur (Ian McDiarmid), and corrupt local policeman Andre (Anton Rodgers), he goes about conning women and stealing their money along the French Riviera. However, he finds he has competition with small time American hustler Freddy Benson (Steve Martin), who isn't that experienced, they end up waging each other that the first one to con their way to $50,000 will stay in France, the other one leaves Their latest sighting is American heiress Janet Colgate (Glenne Headly), who seems like an easy target. It's a very entertaining and funny film, Martin is his usual self, and he was at his best around this time, while Caine oozes oily, smarmy charm, it's a great double act too. It also has a twisty plot as well, which pulls the rug out from under the viewers feet more than once. 4/5

The Inglorious Bastards (1978), directed by Enzo G. Castellari, (The House by the Edge of the Lake (1979) and Day of the Cobra (1980)), this is a war film which owes more than a debt of gratitude to The Dirty Dozen (1967). It's got a 70's look and feel about it even if it is set during World War 2, but that doesn't matter, and Castellari showed there was more to Italian exploitation cinema than spaghetti westerns and giallo horror films. During World War 2, somewhere in France, a group of renegade American soldiers including Lieutenant Robert Yeager (Bo Svenson), Private Fred Canfield (Fred Williamson), murderer Tony (Peter Hooton), thief Nick (Michael Pergolani) and coward Berle (Jackie Basehart) are being shipped to a military prison for various crimes and misdemeanors. On the way, their convoy is attacked by German troops, and they escape, they decide to head for Switzerland, where they'll stay for the remainer of the war. But when they accidentally sabotage a Commando mission led by Colonel Buckner (Ian Bannen), they decide to help and finish the mission. It's got some well staged moments, as well as a groovy psychedelic opening and closing credit sequence with a heroic theme tune as well. Castellari even has some model sequences that come out well on film as well, and there's some well staged action sequences as well. 4/5



1990: The Bronx Warriors (1982), directed by Enzo G. Castellari, (The Inglorious Basterds (1978), (The House by the Edge of the Lake (1979) and Day of the Cobra (1980)). He saw this as his answer to Escape from New York (1981), and while it may look like a sleazy exploitation film, it's well made, and Castellari finds some innovative ways to film certain shots, and it's good to watch as well, and it has a few recognisable faces. In 1990, after the Bronx fell into gangland war, 17 year old Anne (Stefania Girolami) is the heiress to a company that makes armed weapons called The Manhattan Corporation, run by her father Samuel Fisher (Ennio Girolami), which she's morally against, so she runs away from home, and finds herself in the Bronx, which has since become a no-go area. She finds herself in with a local gang called The Riders, led by Trash (Marco Di Gregorio). However, Fisher sends psychopathic ex-cop Hammer (Vic Morrow) into the Bronx to ensure Anne is safely returned. Hammer comes up with the plan of starting an all out war between The Riders and another rival gang. It's a well made film, and it's well filmed as well. OK, the story might be a bit hokey, and while it also owes itself to Walter Hill's The Warriors (1979), there is some good moments in this, and while it was done on a low budget, it has a professional sheen. 3.5/5

Berberian Sound Studio (2011), directed by Peter Strickland, (Katalin Varga (2009)), this is a low-budget British film which was an extention of a short film of the same name that Strickland did in 2005. It's a very weird and creepy psychological horror film, which goes for scares through it's editing and sound. It also has a brilliant lead performance from one of Britain's most underrated actors, who gives a brilliantly tortured performance. Set sometime in the mid-1970's, Gilderoy (Toby Jones) is a meek, mild-mannered sound engineer who has worked on many English films, and he is asked to fly out to Italy to work on a giallo horror film called The Equestrian Vortex, which is very violent and exploitative. It's very unlike what he's done before, and he doesn't know why he's been asked to do this, the producer Francesco (Cosimo Fusco) is very manipulative while the director Santini (Antonio Mancino), is very elusive, and is very vaugue with his instructions. While constructing the sound for the film, Gilderoy starts to lose his mind, as he's unable to escape from this studio. It's a very weird film, but the editing and sound for this film are absolutely exquisite, and Jones makes it well worth watching. It is quite experimental, and it can test the patience sometimes, but it does pay off and it's a good homage to old horror film as well. 4/5



Argo (2012), directed by Ben Affleck, who has proven himself magnificently as a director with Gone Baby Gone (2007) and The Town (2010), this is a taut and suspenseful thriller which also happens to be an unbelievable true story too. A rescue mission which you would never have believed have worked, but it did. Set within the lion's den of the most dangerous country on Earth, it captures the mood and feel of the time. On November 4, 1979, the U.S. Embassy in Tehran, Iran was ambushed by militants. Most of the embassy staff were taken hostage, but six of them managed to escape down a passage and they found refuge in the house of the Canadian Ambassador Ken Taylor (Victor Garber). Weeks pass, and the situation hasn't gotten any better, and the CIA are trying to think of a way to get them out of Iran, CIA specialist Tony Mendez (Affleck) comes up with a plan so crazy, it might actually work. With help from special effects man John Chambers (John Goodman) and producer Lester Siegel (Alan Arkin), they go into Iran as a Canadian film crew, scouting locations for a sci-fi film called Argo, and try and get them out. It's on-the-edge of your seat stuff, but it's absolutely amazing, and it might even be the best film of 2012. Affleck shows professionalism as actor and director, with great support from Bryan Cranston as Mendez's boss at the CIA, who is watching what's happening. 5/5

Slade In Flame (1st view) - I know you like it, Don, but this just wasn't for me! - 2/5*





Cloud Atlas (1st view) - Sprawling, inventive, flawed, not entirely logical and utterly captivating - 5/5*

Never mind.

Silver Linings Playbook (2012), directed by David O. Russell (Three Kings (1999), I ♥ Huckabees (2004) and The Fighter (2010)), he also wrote this adaptation of Matthew Quick's 2008 novel, Russell has worked on a film adaptation since before it was was published, but it was a hard book to adapt, but he got there in the end. It's a very sweet romantic comedy-drama, that manages to balance the humour and seriousness of it's subject perfectly. Pat Solitano (Bradley Cooper) has been in a mental institution for 8 months after he saw his wife Nikki (Brea Bee) in a sexual tryst with another man, which ended in a violent rage. Pat's mother Dolores (Jacki Weaver) gets him out and places him into her care, even though her husband Pat Snr. (Robert De Niro) doesn't know about it. Pat wants to win Nikki back, even though she has a restraining order against him. But, things change when Pat has dinner with friend Ronnie (John Ortiz) and his wife Veronica (Julia Stiles), Pat meets Veronica's widowed sister Tiffany (Jennifer Lawrence), who is as damaged as he is, and the two begin an unlikely friendship, which helps them in their torment. It's a very engaging film, really down to earth with some wonderful performances all round. It has a brilliant pairing at the top of the film, Jennifer Lawrence truly deserved her Oscar, as she's an absolute force of nature here, and it's a moving, emotional and funny film. 4.5/5



Shaft (1971), based upon Ernest Tidyman's 1970 novel of the same name, and directed by Gordon Parks (The Learning Tree (1969)), this started out when producer Joel Freeman pitched a detective film to MGM, but after seeing an early cut of Sweet Sweetback's Baadasssss Song (1971), Shaft was quickly optioned and it was made quickly on a budget of just $500,000 in just 10 weeks. It would set a standard for Blaxploitation films, and it's still good to watch today. John Shaft (Richard Roundtree) is a private detective who works in Harlem, but he goes around trying to ensure organised crime in Harlem doesn't get out of hand, Shaft normally gets info on what's going down in a shoeshine palour, information which he usually passes on to Police Lt. Vic Androzzi (Charles Cioffi). However, when Shaft is approached by crime boss Bumpy Jonas (Moses Gunn) to help find his daughter, Shaft soon finds himself on the wrong side of the law, looking for a man called Ben Buford (Christopher St. John), who had dealings with Shaft years before, but soon, Shaft is targeted by Jonas' men. It's a good crime thriller, and it looks good for a low-budget film, and that score and theme by Isaac Hayes still sounds brilliant over 40 years later. Some of it has dated, but it's a good time piece of 1970's Harlem, and it gave new life to the gumshoe thriller then. 4/5

Shaft's Big Score! (1972), after Shaft (1971) was a success, and effectively saving MGM from potential bankruptcy after several big budget flops, they ordered a sequel immediately, sensing they had a new franchise on their hands to rival James Bond. They got back Gordon Parks to direct the sequel as well as it's star, it's not as good as the first film, but it does have it's moments, and it's saved thanks to a well staged finale. John Shaft (Richard Roundtree) is back on the mean streets of Harlem, this time investigating the murder of his friend Cal Asby (Robert Kya-Hill), who was part of a numbers racket in New York with John Kelly (Wally Taylor), who has found himself on the receiving end of the Mafia, who want to know where Asby hid the money from their latest job, and Mafia boss Gus Mascola (Joseph Mascolo) wants $250,000 from Taylor. Before Asby died, he had told Shaft of the job he was involved in, and Shaft becomes involved in the search for the money, along with gang boss Bumpy Jonas (Moses Gunn). However, Police Captain Bollin (Julius Harris) believes Shaft has turned bad and is with the gangsters. It has it's moments, but it's overlong and it does drag in places, but Roundtree does have a likeable charm and rugged tenacity, and if it wasn't for the finale, which goes from a car chase, to a boat chase to a helicopter chase is the films' saving grace. 3/5



Shaft in Africa (1973), with Shaft (1971) and Shaft's Big Score! (1972) doing well at the box office, MGM had even made a deal with CBS to do a TV series and they decided to do something different for the 3rd film in the series. They got director John Guillermin and writer Stirling Silliphant (who would both work on The Towering Inferno (1974)). The film was a sad flop, and the franchise didn't continue after this. Pity, as the change of scene worked here. John Shaft (Richard Roundtree) finds himself being drugged and sent off help stop a slave ring in Ethiopia, persuaded by beautiful teacher Aleme (Vonetta McGee), who is the daughter of the Emir Ramila (Cy Grant). Shaft is asked to break up a slave trade ring whose origins are in Paris and ruled by a tyrannical mobster Vincent Amafi (Frank Finlay), but it means having to go undercover as a slave in the hope of being picked up by Amafi's men, but not before gets involved with Jazar (Neda Arneric). But, Shaft eventually finds himself in France, being up Amafi's henchman M. Perreau (Jacques Herlin), but Shaft is going to bust this ring. It's a better film than Shaft's Big Score! as it has the international glamour of a Bond film, but this came out around the same time as Super Fly T.N.T. (1973), which was similarly themed, and they knocked one another off the box-office. Shame really. 4/5

The Bourne Legacy (2nd view) - No shaky cam! I could see the action - 4/5

Juan Of The Dead (1st view) - After zombies overrun Cuba, a group of friends set up a zombie-killing business - 3/5*

Cloud Atlas (2012), adapted from David Mitchell's 2004 novel, co-directed and co-written by Lana and Andy Wachowski and Tom Tykwer. This is the riskiest big-budget film in a long time, funding fell through a few times, but the Wachowski's and Tykwer persevered with it, and they got it made. The result is a big epic portmanteau, all mixed up and connected to each story, it requires patience but once you get into it, you'll never want it to end. The film follows the exploits of lawyer Adam Ewing (Jim Sturgess) in 1849 on a voyage in the Pacific, his story is read in 1936 by Robert Frobisher (Ben Whishaw) who has a correspondance with Rufus Sixsmith (James D'Arcy). Sixsmith in 1973 gets involved in a conspiracy theory in San Francisco with investigative journalist Luisa Rey (Halle Berry). Her story is read by publisher Timothy Cavendish (Jim Broadbent) who ends up in a nursing home against his will. His life story is seen in Neo Seoul in 2144 by clone Somni-451 (Doona Bae) who is part of a revolution, and her actions are worshiped in 2321, when tribesman Zachry (Tom Hanks) struggles to survive in a post-apocalyptic Hawaii. It's an amazing film to watch, it's very epic and ambitious in scope. It goes from sea adventure, to romance, to political thriller, to farce, to sci-fi to survival drama all in one film, and it has a an amazing cast with 3 great directors getting the best out of them and Mitchell's book. 5/5



To The Wonder (2012), Terrence Malick returns, wasting no time after directing The Tree of Life (2011), which divided critics. Here, he divides them again, with this slow meditation on life and faith. Malick started work without a script, instead just a rough outline and filmed hours and hours of footage, and then made it in the editing suite. This is not a film for everyone, as it will test people's patience to the limit, but stick with it, and it's a rewarding experience. American Neil (Ben Affleck) has fallen in love with Marina (Olga Kurylenko) in France, she has a daughter Tatiana (Tatiana Chiline) from a previous marriage, but Neil convinces Marina to move to America, and back to his hometown in Oklahoma. But Marina struggles to cope with life in America, and she and Tatiana move back to Paris. Neil reconnects with childhood friend Jane (Rachel McAdams), but soon Marina comes back to America to give their relationship another go, but they struggle, and Marina seeks for advice from Spanish priest Father Quintana (Javier Bardem), who is struggling to find meaning within his vocation. This is a difficult film to rate, as it's beautiful to look at, but it only makes sense to one person, and that's Malick. But, it is beautiful and soothing to watch, and it puts the view at ease, which is a good thing. But, it does make you wonder what Malick has planned with his next 3 films. 4/5

Fear and Desire (1953), this is Stanley Kubrick's feature debut, after forging a successful career as a photographer and documentary filmmaker. Kubrick would go to disown this film, calling it "a bumbling amateur film exercise." The film went out of print, and it vanished for nearly 60 years with only very grainy pirated copies doing the rounds, until it was unearthed a couple of years back and restored. It's a good film, not perfect, but you could see where Kubrick was going. Set during an unnamed war in an unnamed country, it follows Sgt. Mac (Frank Silvera), Lt. Corby (Kenneth Harp), Pvt. Sidney (Paul Mazursky) and Pvt. Fletcher (Steve Coit) were in a plane, but it crashed behind enemy lines, and they have to survive in this unforgiving land. They find a river and build a raft and sail up river in the hope of getting back to base, on the way they find a girl (Virginia Leith) who they apprehend in fear that she'll rat them out to the enemy. But, they slowly start going mad, and plan a quick mission to take over a nearby enemy base and kill the base's General, but it doesn't go as planned. It's a film that was a precursor of what was to come with Aguirre: Wrath of God (1972) and Apocalypse Now (1979), men on a mission and decending into the madness. Kubrick only had $33,000 to work with, but he does well, and it's a shame he didn't appreciate this more. 3.5/5



The Cook, the Thief, His Wife & Her Lover (1989), written and directed by Peter Greenaway, (The Draftsman's Contract (1982), A Zed & Two Noughts (1985) and Drowning By Numbers (1988)), this is a romantic crime-drama that has surrealistic imagery that has become commonplace with Greenaway's work. But it's a compelling enough story thanks to some very good performance and dreamlike camerawork and Michael Nyman's score. Vicious, boorish gangster Albert Spica (Michael Gambon) has just acquired the high-class restaurant Le Hollandais Restaurant, run by French chef Richard Borst (Richard Bohringer), where Spica makes nightly appearances, terrifying the customers and staff. His battered wife Georgina (Helen Mirren) wants to get away from him but she cannot, but she meets bookshop owner Michael (Alan Howard), who is a regular at the restaurant, and they begin a very passionate, sexual affair under Albert's nose. But, Albert finds out and rages, but Georgina and Michael escape to his bookshop where they plan to hideout, but Albert is determined to find them. This is a very other-worldly film, but it's beautifully made, Gambon is such a nasty piece of work in this film, while Mirren is as good as ever. Plus, it all builds up to an unbelievable ending that you wont' forget in a hurry, Greenaway has a style and vision unrivaled. 4/5

Remember The Night (1st view) - Romantic comedy drama starring Fred MacMurray and Barbara Stanwyck. The two leads are great - 4/5*





Argo (2nd view) - I stand by what I sais last year. Better than The Town, not as good as Gone Baby Gone. Arkin, Goodman and Cranston were all excellent but disappeared for too many stretches of the film, and the characters came to the fore in their absence weren't that interesting. But that trio really elevate the film - 4/5





The Imposter (1st view) - Very good doc, best watched if you know nothing at all about it - 4/5*

Them! (2nd view) - Superb 50s sci-fi about giant ants - 5/5

This Boy's Life (1993), directed by Michael Caton-Jones, (Memphis Belle (1990), Doc Hollywood (1991) and Rob Roy (1995)) and produced by Art Linson (The Untouchables (1993), Dick Tracy (1990) and Fight Club (1999), this is an adaptation of the 1989 memoir by Tobias Wolff. It's a hard-hitting drama, which with a brilliant lead performance, and good support as well, it's quite harrowing to watch in places, but it has a sense of hope about it. In 1955, Toby (Leonardo DiCaprio) and his mother Caroline Wolff (Ellen Barkin) are travelling across country from Florida to start a new life out west, they try settling in Utah, where Caroline tries courting with local Roy (Chris Cooper), but that doesn't work out, so they move on to Seattle, where Caroline then meets Dwight Hansen (Robert De Niro), a respectable man, who seems to have everything that Caroline wants in a man. However, Toby then see's Dwight's true colours when Dwight starts abusing him physically and verbally, but Toby wants to get out, and enrol at a prep-school, but Dwight says he'll amount to nothing and tries to hold him back. If anything, it doesn't paint a very good picture of step-parents, but DiCaprio does well in his first big starring role, it was only a few years before he became a huge star and he's able to hold his own against De Niro. Plus, the film is enhanced with beautiful cinematography by David Watkin. 4/5



Restoration (1995), directed by Michael Hoffman (Soapdish (1991), One Fine Day (1996), The Last Station (2009) and Gambit (2012), and adapted from Rose Tremain's 1989 novel of the same name, this is a bawdy and quite amusing period drama, which has some lovely visuals on display, (the set design and costumes won Oscars), and it shows an era of England that is seldom seen on film, but it's well worth watching. Set in the 1660's, shortly after the restoration of the monarchy, idealistic doctor Robert Merivel (Robert Downey, Jr.) is summoned to the court of King Charles II of England (Sam Neill), where he gains the King's favour when Merivel when he saves the King's spaniel. Merivel is given riches and pleasure at the King's court, where he is arranged to marry the King's mistress Celia (Polly Walker), this is done to take attention of a potential royal scandal. Merivel moves to the Suffolk estate of Bidnold, which is run by Will Gates (Ian McKellen). But, things change when Merivel goes to a sanitarium, he meets Irish inmate Katherine (Meg Ryan), who he falls in love with. It's a well made film, done with a classy touch, and using old English dialogue which sounds good to on the ear. It does drag a bit in the middle, but it has a really good cast, and Downey Jr. does well as the doctor who finds himself in a position of power. 3.5/5

Salon Kitty (1976), directed by Tinto Brass, (Dropout (1970) La vacanza (1971), Caligula (1979)), this is an erotic drama which is based on a real life incident that took place in Nazi Germany during World War 2. It plays like a softcore-porn version of Caberet (1972), but it has some staggering sets by Ken Adam, and even a compelling story which moves it along, which is uncommon for a film like this, but Brass has a good visual eye. Salon Kitty was a brothel used in Berlin, and taken over by the SS security branch, the Sicherheitsdienst. Where it's used for espionage purposes, the brother is ran by Madame Kitty Kellerman (Ingrid Thulin), but the Sicherheitsdienst wire the place with microphones, and the prostitutes are replaced by trained spies, all of whom are instructed to get any information they can from members of the Nazi party and foreign dignitaries who visit Salon Kitty. The operation is seen to by SS Officer Helmut Wallenberg (Helmut Berger), who has kept Madame Kitty secret from what they are doing, that is until prostitute Margherita (Teresa Ann Savoy) finds out what's really going on. It's a very lurid film, but it's brilliantly filmed, despite it's subject matter. But, Brass has fun with the proceedings, but he also aimed to keep it historically accurate, but this also put Brass in good stead to do Caligula (1979) and further success, or so he thought at the time. 4/5



What's Up, Doc? (1972), directed by Peter Bogdanovich, who at the time was reveling from the success of The Last Picture Show (1971), as a result, he was offered to come and make a film for Warner Bros. Bogdanovich, who likes to homage the techniques and genres of bygone cinema, intended to make a screwball comedy in the same mold as Bringing Up Baby (1938) and His Girl Friday (1940). The result is a hilarious little farce which is still good to watch today. In San Francisco, the film focuses on the mix-ups caused by four identical plaid overnight bags, one is owned by Howard Bannister, Ph.D. (Ryan O'Neal) and contains igneous rocks, he's come with his overbearing fiance Eunice Burns (Madeline Kahn), another belongs to Mrs. Van Hoskins (Mabel Albertson), containing his jewels, another belongs to the mysterious Mr. Smith (Michael Murphy), and it contains top secret documents and the last belongs to kooky Judy Maxwell (Barbra Streisand), containing her clothes, and wherever she goes trouble happens. When Mr. Jones (Philip Roth) tries to get Mr. Smith's bag, but he ends up in trouble too. It's a very funny film, with Streisand and O'Neal handling the comedy really well, and the screwball comedy setting works brilliantly in the gaudy 1970's, and it has a hilarious chase sequence as well which is unbelievable, you won't get one like this made today. 4.5/5

Off to see if Salon Kitty is on Lovefilm.

Brace yourself...

Swiss Family Robinson (1960), produced by Walt Disney, and directed by Ken Annakin (Very Important Person (1961), Those Magnificent Men in Their Flying Machines (1965) and Monte Carlo or Bust (1969)), this adaptation of Johann David Wyss's 1812 novel Der Schweizerische Robinson was a massive success upon release, and it has a brilliant cast, but it does sag in the middle despite all good intentions by everyone involved in the production. The Robinson family, led by the Father (John Mills) are at sea, hoping for a new life in New Guinea, but they are chased by pirates into a storm, and the ship hits rocks, and they're shipwrecked off an uninhabited island. The father, the mother (Dorothy McGuire) and their children Fritz (James MacArthur), Ernst (Tommy Kirk) and Francis (Kevin Corcoran) set about trying to survive on the island, while the ship's crew, led by Captain Morehead (Cecil Parker) get captured by pirates, led by Kuala (Sessue Hayakawa), but manage to escape and catch up with the Robinsons, who have built a colony tree houses and have declared the island as New Switzerland. It has some good moments on display, and some lovely sunny cinematography by Harry Waxman, but it could have done with 25 minutes off the running time, as it does get bogged down in family feuds and sentimentality, which was one of Disney's biggest flaws, but the film works for the most part. 3.5/5



Color of Night (1994), directed by Richard Rush, (Psych-Out (1968) and The Stunt Man (1980)) and written by Billy Ray (Volcano (1997) and The Hunger Games (2012)) and Matthew Chapman (Runaway Jury (2003) and The Ledge (2011)), this is a very silly erotic thriller which now represents a bygone era in cinema, the sort of thing they used to make in the 1990's that died a death and no-one has attempted since, and you can see why from this lurid hokum. In New York, psychoanalyst Bill Capa (Bruce Willis) falls into a deep depression after his patient Michelle (Kathleen Wilhoite) commits suicide by jumping out of Capa's office window. Capa moves away to Los Angeles, where he goes to stay with his friend and author Dr. Bob Moore (Scott Bakula), who invites Capa to sit in on his sessions. But when Moore turns up dead in his office, Capa carries on Moore's work with his patients, who include Clark (Brad Dourif) and Buck (Lance Henriksen), but Capa also gets involved with the mysterious Rose (Jane March), who turns up at Capa's house unannounced, and Capa becomes obsessed with her. This would go on to win the Golden Raspberry Award for Worst Picture, and sink Rush's career in the process. It's a very silly thriller with an unbelievable (literally) twist ending, which just adds to the clutter, and the sex scenes aren't very good either. 2/5