Film Reviews by JD

The presentation leaves a little to be desired. A less than photogenic, needy, attention seeking music lover compiles a documentary of a huge range of bands of Istanbul including some traditional Kurdish and Romany together with contemporary, more Western, rap. The theme is the fusion of Eastern with Western influences. It is thoughtful and interesting but really could have done with better direction.

This fantasy middle age, middle earth drama is very poorly acted in parts. The plot is intensely thick with hundreds of characters. Seeing Series 1 beforehand may be an advantage. Reading the book similarly. It is very difficult to follow even with the scene by scene interactive help. The saving grace is the detail of the scenery and costume, this is what blu-ray is for. It is most definitely a cult viewing for Lord of the Ring fanatics.

Not really a crime drama. It is an amusing idea, 3 vehicles containing a doctor a prosecutor 2 diggers and a typist (among others) driving around the country at night looking for a body. There are some truly funny moments but generally it is interesting photography a strange plot (often completely unconnected) and endearing quirky characters.

Is it easier to do photography in black and white? It looks so clear and tonal. The plot however is unenchanting (multiple affairs) and the acting is wooden. Too dated for me.

This monster from the Midlands is horribly good. The humour is so black as to have layers of badness. It makes Seven Psychopaths look mainstream. Some of the blackness is just casual violence, some is a parody of Hindly/Bradey, some is pitiful/sad. I had not seen either of the main characters before who were born for their roles. If you are up for some sophisticated slap stick this is brilliant.

Strange to name a film because an unimportant spelling mistake Uxbal's daughter made during her homework. Some strange arty bits which I am still trying to work out but mainly some very rough/poor/low-life scenes about a man who is increasingly ill, separated from his manic alcoholic wife with vulnerable children and trying to do good for some illegal immigrants. This is not a glossy/comfy film. At the end of the film Javier really looks very ill. Good make up, good acting and I suspect a strict diet. A bleak and dower film, brace yourself.

A silent film about a vain and egotistical actor with a dog that does tricks. I got this only because of the BAFTA hype and the anticlimax was severe. The music which seemed so catchy 20's when I saw the trailer is pure incidental background. It doesn't go anywhere. I suppose it is a pastiche on real silent films but it is pretty dreary after a while. I imagine that to get so many BAFTA awards there was either a lot of lobbying / gifts or the panel were in their late 90's and found it nostalgic.

Most comedy from 1969 would be distinctly dated. This is not. Woody Allen is not everyone's taste but if you like silly, done well this is excellent. As an example his parents have disguise glasses with large noses and bushy moustaches as they are too embarrassed to be interviewed without. You might find this pathetic or, as I did, very funny.

For cult followers only. This Japanese comedy is an antidote to the American formula of a laugh every 5 to 7 second dross that fills our screens. This is subtle slow and gentle, even more subtle than British comedy. It is also much simpler and plain. This is a low budget film with few props but is endearing and peaceful.

This is 80's Danish Jazz. The group includes a tenor saxophonist, pianist, glockenspiel player, drummer and double bass player. They are all very good but 60 minutes is possibly a bit much. The filming is pretty dreary but the jazz is brilliant if you're into it. No one who watched with me agreed.

The American's clearly thought it was good because, like girl with the dragon tattoo and insomnia they were not slow to do a copy. I have not seen the copy, it would do well to be as good, the acting in this is paralysingly good. It is a multi-drama very similar to Borgan which I would also recommend. There are about 10 plots all of which are good and all are played enough to maintain tension and emotion without confusion. The plot is therefore so complicated I will not summarise but it is not difficult to follow.

In my opinion Craig is the best Bond actor, the chase through the building site is the best of any action adventure and the Bond series is up there with Mission Impossible as the best action series. Few will agree on all counts but you have to agree this is absolutely outstanding if spy action is your genre. The only aspect of this film that could be improved is the baddie who is better in Skyfall.

I feel misled by the nearly 4 star rating and the genre described as comedy drama, comedy. This is a low budget improvisational drama. The comedy element is limited to a few fairly silly jokes. The scene featured twice in the description was a man pretending to die during supper, the other when the hearse does not arrive in time and the coffin bearers have to turn round twice. Hardly cutting edge. The rest is about a family after a death. The plot is mundane the acting is OK, there is little drama and less comedy. If you are expecting a low budget improvisation light drama (like Neighbours) you might give it 3 stars.

The Swedes seem to do a good detective film. Insomnia is awesome. This is only 1 star down. The plot is generally captivating with some slow passages, the acting good. It is not outstanding in any way but better than most American detective series (except no car chases, probably a good thing). There are 2 episodes, Sniper and Angel, as good as each other.

A valiant attempt to make a documentary about a tame grizzly bear who was a Polish war mascot in 1944. The footage is of course sparse and old. Several war veterans recall moments with the bear. For those who are not familiar with the plight of Poland at the end of WW II it is incredibly sad. The bear had it better than many soldiers even though he was nearly put down and then put in an enclosure. For all its sadness it is a film about solidarity and silliness.