Film Reviews by DW

Four 50 minute episodes with a common theme. Not so much "true crime", more the results of it. This is an observational documentary so you don't see Werner Herzog, the film maker though his commentary is important.

Not for everyone but if you enjoy this sort of thing, why not give it a go.

This fine documentary does not answer a question I have about the motives of people who give priority to complete strangers over & above their commitment to own family members.

The articulate, persuasive & occasionally bombastic Pastor in a town in North Dakota provides shelter & help to many destitute in-comers who are looking for non-existent jobs. They, of course, mostly adored him for his charity but his long-standing parishioners soon got hacked off. Amazingly, his overlooked family were fully supportive.

If this doesn't sound like the sort of thing you could sit through enjoyably then please stick with it because the ending is truly shocking.

You may never have seen a film quite like this one. It's a two-hander (just him & her) set in a narrow three storey town house of small inter-connecting rooms. This couple, old friends, meet after a break of 4 years. The tense suspense created by a wonderfully convoluted script prevents you from looking away for a single second. And then, an ending that takes your breath away. (No exaggeration, I promise you).

The script writer & director are one & the same person. Such is the complexity of his script that it makes sense that he would not entrust anyone else to direct it. Brilliant.

I'm a great admirer of Stanley Tucci & this performance is, even for him, outstanding. He acts with his voice, his face & his body (often all at the same time) to give us a truly individualistic performance. (Nicola Walker, often seen on BBC, also has those same acting characteristics though I'm not saying I'd have liked her to be the co-star in this film: that would be just too much of a good thing & 5 stars would not be enough!

Director Nick Kelly got the backing he needed from Irish Film Board to take a realistic look at modern mental health issues. This story could happen in real life & that's one of a number of reasons to keep you focused, from start to extraordinary finish. The main roles were given to splendid performers who were not asked to act beyond their fine capabilities so I enjoyed some "perfect fit" performances.

The story follows a direct course (no flash backs) & does not get side tracked by an irrelevant romantic sub-plot. Most importantly, in the final 10 or so minutes the plot does a totally unexpected curve ball to conclude at a thought provoking conclusion. Brilliant.

The decision makers at Irish Film Board have every right to be pleased with their input. Good on you, boys!

Full of humour & some emotion too. Lots of improv from both leading actors on top of their games, their synergy makes this film special. This is not the usual domineering Jewish mother routine even if she holds to the view that "Yes, we could do it your way but my way is best".

Here are two aspects which alone make the watching of this film thoroughly worthwhile.

1. Towards the end there's a scene in which a name is revealed: a terrifically moving moment.

2. Stick with the closing credits because there's a mini-screen running un-seen scenes of mom & son in the dinky little car.

PS. I wonder if this is how Peter Kay got the inspiration for his brilliant "Car share".

A modern cop shop populated by highly improbable misfits gave us an over-dramatised visit to Fantasy Land. At break-neck speed, it moves through alternating scenes depicting shock, humour or pathos.

Everyone on both sides of the camera had a chance to re-invent this over-worked formula but they failed to grab the opportunity.

I'm not a big fan of the writing of James Ellroy but from what little I've read, I'd say this film is a fine depiction of the novel on which it's based so if you like to read Ellroy then you'll love this film. The pace is frantic & there's only a few "not much happening" moments so no time for a comfort break! Besides, you need to concentrate hard throughout in order to spot the baddies. (The goodies are, of course, dead easy to spot).

I did not watch to the end, nowhere near the end, in fact. This sort of British film may have been ok in the late 80's but it's not good enough now, by to-days standards.

Bill Nighy recently said he went off acting some time ago but it certainly didn't show in his performance in this outstanding production. Effectively, it's a 6 hour movie that trots along at a furious pace. When you see realistically demonstrated political corruption you stop to think about what little we're told and how much we'll never know.

I enjoyed some of the leading actor's performances more than others and could have done without the sex scenes whilst accepting that they were part of the plot line. However, the support actors were all excellent and played fully believable roles superbly.

Watch it if you can, it's a good 'un!

A US film with a unique story line is a rare & wonderful thing. especially when it's based on a true story. The opening scenes give you clues to the outcome of the full story which is then told in flashback. However, the climax is shocking. Sean Penn "lived" the part to perfection. As I invariably do, I looked closely at the supporting actors. Two were outstanding; his office equipment store boss & the loan company manager.

Details of the life the real Samuel Byck (not Bicke as in the film) are available in all the usual online places. Fascinating reading.

I try hard to avoid anything that includes Helen Mirren but I was told that this US tribute to the original BBC version was well worth a watch. And so it was, including an unexpected ending which concluded with the simple use of newspaper headlines to show us the aftermath of this investigation, nice touch.

So, apart from the unwelcome presence of HM, I thoroughly enjoyed this one & I hope you do too.

Every moment of this nice long film is a joy to behold. Sure, it's old, not in colour & the story line is whimsical. So what, it's still a fine example of the best of British films.

I'm pretty sure I first saw it as a young boy when it came to my local picture house in Birmingham. Second time around, the thing I noticed most was how full the sets were; the external shots are very "busy" & include lots of authentic signage but all of the internal scenes are a fascinating image of sets with vast numbers of furnishings, tools, stock & ornaments. The scene setters really knew what they were doing.

Some modern day commentators have said that this was not a happy band of actors but they weren't there so how would they know. Either way, it didn't stop all the actors putting in outstanding performances. Older fans of "Coronation Street" would be pleased to see old misery guts Albert Tatlock doing his stuff as one of the shoemakers.

I hope you enjoy this lovely film as much as I did.

I'm a great admirer of Mike Leigh's method of working but this film is dreadful.

Unusually, he's packed the cast almost exclusively with female actors & trusted them to grab the chance but they all let him, & themselves, down. With the exception of the lone male driving instructor (who probably got the part because Timothy Spall wasn't available) I didn't see any of the familiar actors who normally do Leigh proud. If he'd put the story line into the next age group we could have enjoyed the work of Alison Steadman, Brenda Blethyn & lovely Lesley Manville. For me, no Mike Leigh film is complete if it doesn't include Ruth Sheen.

The opening credits were fine but it went downhill from then on. Slow, plodding, some poor acting, little better than a poor made-for TV experience.

The screenplay was by the author of his book in the same name; the book gets some good reviews but it is obviously not a successful transfer to the screen.

Why do people bother to produce this sort of old tosh?

A nice little British "film" created by bolting together two hour-long ITV episodes. Not so much a "whodunnit", more a "whydunnit". The delicate frailties of family life are dramatically exposed.

An understated performance by the always-watchable Nicola Walker (playing a cop yet again) so we don't see her full range of acting mannerisms that are so enjoyable to watch.