Film Reviews by TE

Interesting artefact from the period when the American Dream was falling apart.

On this occasion it's not commies, space aliens, zombies or teenagers, it's science (in the form of the drug cortisone). Nicholas Ray directs with his usual tautness and finesse, but it all heats up a bit too quickly and unrealistically.

James Mason is good in the lead role and it is clear that this was a project he believed in as he is credited as Producer.

Ultimately it is let down by a phoney-feeling happy ending that is tacked on in the final seconds.

Decent mix of documentary and dramatic reconstruction.

Barry Keoghan is excellent and outshines everyone else here.

It's interesting to see and hear the actual men in the story of the heist, but there are times when pauses for interview segments interrupt the build-up of the narrative too much.

It's good to see such a different (and realistic) take on the whole heist genre.

Lucrecia Martel gave further evidence with this film that she is one of the world's most interesting directors. Her subsequent work (including 'Zama' and 'The Headless Woman') has confirmed her status.

'Holy Girl' makes good use of close-ups and sidelong glances, and the acting is as much about non-verbals as about the script.

The heated atmosphere of sexual tension brings out the irreconcilable differences between the world of the adolescents and the world of the adults.

Absolutely wonderful film! HDS plays a character entirely based on himself, and the milieu of Lucky's small town is brilliantly portrayed by a cast of great character actors.

It's funny, moving, and philosophically interesting.

The dvd also contains an excellent documentray interview with HDS that complements the film perfectly.

Captivating mix of documentary and fiction, full of beautiful cinematogaphy.

For once it is well worth watching the dvd extras and the candid interview with Brady Jandreau, the subject of the film and a real 'natural' star.

The family setting, the bond between the young devotees of rodeo riding, and the rodeo scenes themselves all contribute to an excellent surprise of a film.

Pretty dire 'rite of passage' tale where the story has no credibility as either fact or myth.

A film to watch with friends whilst stoned...lots of unintentional laughs!

This is a superb portrayal of the anger and confusion that accompanies bereavement, in this case the central character is a young child (a wonderful performance).

Every stage of the grieving and adjustment process is credibly presented, and the film rings true from beginning to end, reflecting the personal history of the director.

The ending is suitably cathartic and emotionally powerful. Simply a great piece of film-making.

The best part about Black '47 is the way that it foregrounds the devastating famine in Ireland in the 1840s, and the brutal colonial exploitation by the English. This historical setting is well depicted and provides the mainspring for a good story.

In many respects the film would fit well in the Westerns genre: plenty of gun play, horses and moral dilemmas.

Unfortunately, about 20 minutes before the end, the action lurches off into unrealistic superhero territory, with one man cutting down large numbers of opponents, and the main villain having an unlikely change of allegiance.

Phew! Something of an overheated mess. Over-indulged rich kid goes crazy after meeting a wronged half-sister in the woods.

Catherine Deneuve disappears from the script early on and all the main characters are driven by a fatalistic sense of tragedy.

There is a sad irony in seeing Guillaume Depardieu limping (literally) through the last third of the film, given what happened to him in real life. His character here has the same determination to burn out that apparently characterised his real life.

A magnetic performance by Laetitia Dosch in the lead role here. The film has warmth and positive energy throughout in its depiction of the struggles of a passionate young woman trying to set up a new life after the end of an affair.

The narrative flows beautifully between the implications of the past and the challenges of the present.

This is another example of the increasing number of good contemporary films directed by women, with strong female lead stories to tell.

One of the best films I have seen in the last 10 years, a brilliantly evolving story that engages the viewer from the start and leaves us wanting more at the end.

The relationship at the heart of the film is sketched out in a few telling strokes, paving the way for the tenderly erotic re-awakening of life for Chela.

This is humane and truthful film-making at its very best.

The spirit of Thomas Hardy lives on in this quietly epic tale of love and continuity in rural France during the First World War.

The cinematography is brilliant, with scene after scene capturing the feel of the best French landscape painting. This is supported by careful attention to detail in the hard farm work that provides a constant backdrop.

After all the WW1 commemorations of the last 4 years, it is refreshing to see a film about the lives of the women who kept things going back home.

This assembly of film footage (from early moving images of life in rural Britain through to clips from the 1970s) is always interesting and thought provoking. As the film proceeds many of the clips are repeated, leading to a sense of an extended film poem.

My only reservation is that it comes across as slightly bland, with a lame and woolly conclusion that 'the answer lies in the soil'.

There are images of positive solidarity and community, and there are horrible images of fox-hunting and inequality, but it feels lightweight in comparison to some of the more political documentaries.

Fascinating insights into life in a rural Chinese village abound in this short sharp tale.

None of the characters are sympathetic or even likeable, but Song Chuan still manages to tell an intriguing tale of flawed lives and selfish actions.

The camerawork is excellent and the colour palette is bright and primary, like the emotions that drive the key players.

This film presents a very modernised China, but questions the erosion of values and community.

Something of a mess! There are interesting elements, but these are soon lost in a badly edited tale that plays silly games with reality and fantasy.

I hope that Charlize Theron can find a script better worthy of her acting skills next time.