Verdict:  4 /5

The Village  Aug 19 2006  DVD

M. Night Shyamalan’s brand of spooky mystery films have hit a bit of a cord with film fans in recent years, after the breakthrough success of The Sixth Sense and its gob-smacking ending.  Yet this is also a director who has been labelled the twist man, as every film he has made has had a stunning twist that really pulls the rug out from under the viewer.  His most recent release The Lady In the Water has everything else to make it a M Night Shyamalan film, but shockingly minus any twist.  Thankfully though, this movie is not like that, as we follow the tale of a group of villagers in turn-of-the-century America, heaped in superstition and mythology about creatures in the woods, dangerous colours and secretive ‘elders’ headed by William Hurt. 

Latest Hollywood poster boy Joaquin Phoenix heads a great cast that also includes a rather under-used Sigourney Weaver, but the real stand out is new comer Bryce, who playing a blind girl holds the film’s mystery and uncertainty together right though to a startling conclusion.  You see, the villagers seem to fear weird red cloaked creatures lurking in the woods, and need special permission to ever venture out of bound the ‘the towns’, of which the elders more often than not refuse - until one of the villagers is hurt and then they realise they must face whatever is in the woods if they are to ever get help.  This is a well acted and gripping movie, which although a little weird in places, has enough good moments and great acting to see you through.

The Constant Gardener  March 29 2006  DVD

A complex, Oscar-nominated drama following the story of an English diplomat who falls for a troublesome rights-activist, only to become involved in a murder mystery.  This beautifully filmed, mostly Africa-set conspiracy movie kept me glued throughout with a good story, a heart-breaking performance from Ralph Fiennes and an excellent turn from Rachel Weisz.  I especially liked the way the film kept flashing back, despite you knowing that the female protagonist was dead, and showed what she was involved in whilst in the present you followed her lover’s dangerous mission to find out exactly what happened.  The Africa scenes involving villagers and bandits were powerful and convincing, filmed with a realism that reminded me of real-life news footage.  Like a few people I know, I hesitated in seeing this, because the title did nothing for me, but I know how good Ralph Fiennes can be with the right material (The English Patient) yet unlike that film, this doesn’t drag and is a more tightly woven experience that still retains an epic feel.

Verdict:  4 /5

Sympathy for Mr. Vengeance  February 11 2006  DVD

Korean director Park Chan-Wook’s Old Boy was in my opinion one of the best films I’d seen last year – moving away from much of what Korea and the far eastern film makers normally put out, namely gun-crazy action flicks or wire-enhanced kung fu, this rather unusual thriller was like a breath of fresh air.  Forming the second part of the director’s now famed Vengeance Trilogy (the final instalment Lady Vengeance is to be released on DVD this year some time…) I wanted to catch up with the first, acclaimed film as soon as possible.

Following the story of a deaf & dumb factory worker who’s sister is ill and in desperate need of a kidney transplant, we see the lead character go to terrible lengths to save her life, first by dealing with black market organ traffickers, then conspiring with his girlfriend who may or may not be in league with a terrorist faction.  But things soon go pair shaped, and he has to resort to brutal vengeance after pissing off a businessman whose young daughter he kidnaps in order to raise some money for the operation.  This is a dark and unsettling film, with some very nasty violence that will probably leave a bad taste in your mouth, and as the story progresses, like me you will probably be shocked at what happens – this is definitely not family viewing.  Unlike Old Boy its not really a thriller, there’s little music and even very little dialogue, but the atmosphere and how the lead character’s deaf & dumb state is portrayed through clever camera work and use of sound is startling, and the acting on all levels is excellent.  So to close, this is a worthy film to stand proudly alongside Old Boy and to some extent is probably more powerful and emotional an experience – if you can last through to the end.

Verdict:  4 /5

Munich  January 31 2006  Cinema

Based on the horrendous true story of a terrorist attack at the 1972 Olympics, namely ‘black September’, this gritty and detailed movie follows the story of a government agent working for Israeli intelligence who alongside a four-man team is sent to track down and assassinate 11 terrorist leaders.  Naturally in light of real-world atrocities the story portrayed here was hammered home all to well.  This pacey and gripping movie from directing legend Steven Spielberg casts big thing waiting to happen Eric Banner (Incredible Hulk / Troy) as the reluctant leader of the top-secret mission who delivers a heart breaking performance of a man in terrible circumstances with everything to loose.  He is backed up by a perfectly sleazy Geoffrey Rush, a nice break-through performance by Mathieu Kassovitz (co-star of acclaimed French film Amelie) and a solid turn from future bond Daniel Craig.  Yet the real star here is the story itself, part fictionalised, part true and thoroughly fascinating, shocking, powerful and exhilarating at the same time.  Expertly directed by Spielberg proving him to be a jack of all trades and master of, well the whole shebang – which is no mean feat this day and age, and many a film maker could learn allot from this obviously gifted storyteller.

Verdict:  5 /5

Spun  September 11 2005  DVD

Some American indie flicks can really possess something special.  Usually you’ll have some home grown talent, stripped of all that Hollywood glamour, and more often than not, a gritty storyline a little more daring than what you’d ever find in the mainstream.  This fast paced druggy yarn, following a day in the life of some looser who I can’t be bothered giving a name to, as he scores, treats people like shit (most alarmingly his girlfriend) and mixes it up with similarly hopeless individuals.  What impressed with this film was the unique way it conveyed the ‘stoned’ or ‘high’ feeling a druggy might have, and this came over convincingly with some rapid editing techniques that made me think of Oliver Stone’s surreal satire Natural Born Killers.  Mickey Rourke lends excellent support as a drug pusher known simply as ‘The Cook’, and the ever sexy Britney Murphy is as wacky and off the wall as ever – never a bad thing.  The big problem really was that the whole film didn’t seem to go anywhere, and the characters on a whole were unlikeable.  In the end, I just was hoping for something closer to Trainspotting, of which this film shouldn’t even be mentioned in the same sentence (oops).  On a plus side, it had quite a bit of nudity.

Verdict:  2 /5

Once Upon A Time In America  August 19 & 21 2005  DVD

Gangster movies are my weakness.  I’ve seen more than a few, and the lure of the gangland saga has always been an overly tempting one, which is understandable I’m sure you’ll agree when the genre has spawned such classics as The Godfather, Goodfellas and of course this, Sergio Leone’s 1984 masterpiece.  This was a film I had watched parts of when catching it by accident on late night television, and always thought it was a good yarn with great characters and a timeless story of young friends who become mobsters, something that has been ripped off in many films in later years (Brad Pitt starrer Sleepers comes to mind…), yet I had never really watched it in its entirety to be able to give a proper verdict – until now.  I feel privileged at this time, having also recently sat through The Godfather and coming away suitably impressed, and the same should be said for this, admittedly much broader-scale picture.  The DVD itself comes on two discs, but instead of the second disc just being bonus material, this epic (and I mean epic) film is split over both discs, and has a running time nearing four hours (gulp). 

Following the story of an ageing mobster (Robert DeNiro in another expertly crafted role to rank among his best) as he returns to the streets where he grew up.  He reflects on his life, spanning events from nearly fifty years.  We see his humble beginnings as a teenager hoodlum who gradually teams up with a gang of likely lads, and watch them climb the criminal ladder, until in later years they are tough gangsters who don’t batter an eye at murder, robbery or even rape.  Yet the focus of the film is the friendship between DeNiro’s character ‘Noodles’ and the much more scheming, overly ambitious character of ‘Max’ played superbly by  James Woods.  From the outset, this volatile partnership looks set to boil over any second, yet it is not until Noodles is forced to betray his friend that things really explode. 

Beautifully and iconically shot and with a timeless atmosphere that harks back to the magic of Frank Capra (It’s A Wonderful Life); this at times powerful, gutsy mob melodrama is filled with great moments, Oscar-worthy acting (including a wonderful Jennifer Connelly in her debut), great locations and a brilliant story.  When I was watching it I felt like I had discovered something special, a land mark in cinematic entertainment, a film that should be talked about and remembered.  Yet also, this film feels unfamiliar, its legacy not as well known as that of the Godfather movies or even the work of Martin Scorsese – and that I feel is a shame, because this is easily one of the finest, most well constructed and fascinating films I have ever seen.

The DVD as mentioned spans two discs, and the picture quality is sharp and full of detail.  We also get a feature length commentary by a film critic, which proves an invaluable insight into the film’s making, and on the second disc we get a brief documentary on Sergio Leone as well as a photo gallery.

Verdict:  5 /5

The Godfather  August 11 2005  DVD

I don’t know why I have never gotten around to watching this film, probably the most acclaimed gangster flick in known cinematic history.  Maybe I felt I had seen it all with the remarkable Goodfellas, or that perhaps, it wasn’t as good as I had heard – I didn’t want to be disappointed.  I did manage to see Part 3 of this saga a while back, and recall enjoying it, but nothing more – maybe that didn’t help matters.  Yet if you know your stuff, you’ll also know that Part 3 was pretty much a critical and commercial disaster, and some believe an after thought on the part of series director Francis Ford Coppella.  Taking that information into hand, I had promised myself I would see this much celebrated classic in its entirety – one day. 

Although lacking the rapid fire pace of Scorsese’s film, this still kept me interested with its now legendary performance of Marlon Brando as Don Corleone, a show stopping effort much satirised over the years, and despite its impact being wilted these days, I couldn’t deny his screen presence.  Add to this a truly gripping story of close family, gangland violence and near-biblical stylings, showing mafia life the way it really was, and probably will never be again.  Watching how Al Pacino’s character of Michael Corleone is gradually drawn into his family’s life of crime, despite at first being a celebrated war hero who wanted to distance himself from all that his Father stood for, is quite chilling, and a subtle but convincing performance from Dianne Keaton hammers this feeling home all the more powerfully, especially in the closing scenes.

One thing that of course had put me off when I was younger was the epic running time, which by today’s standards doesn’t seem much of a big deal now (its just over 2hrs 45 minutes), and the film doesn’t drag either as we follow stand out moment after stand out moment (although the much talked about horses head scene didn’t blow me away, like I had anticipated).

So there we have it.  Granted the film looks a little old now, but the cast list speaks for itself and combined with Coppella’s first-rate direction, keeps this one at the forefront of crime thriller movie making.  A belter.

As far as the DVD goes, it’s a bare bones disc with just a commentary for added value (yet it is by Francis Ford Coppola, so that is still something), yet the packaging is excellent with a Corleone family tree fold out poster and several art cards as well as a nicely done case.  The film itself looks like it could have done with some cleaning up as far as the picture, although the sound is excellent in 5.1 surround, not that the surround channels were ever their in the first place.

Verdict:  4 /5