Film Reviews by GI

In the hands of director Nicolas Roeg and writer Dennis Potter it's of no surprise that this erotic thriller has a depraved and twisted aura to it. It's a story of repressed guilt and traumatic emotion that spills forth into a tale of sexual frustration and murder. Theresa Russell is Linda, a bored Southern housewife desperate for a baby but deprived by her nerdy doctor husband, Henry (Christopher Lloyd). He's more interested in his elaborate model railway set up and the adulation he gets from his nurse colleague who indulges his sexual fantasies and the hero-worship from his fellow train enthusiasts. As Linda becomes more depressed she threatens suicide but is shocked when an enigmatic young Englishman, Martin (Gary Oldman) shows up claiming to be the child she gave up for adoption many years ago after being raped as a teenager. Oldman gives his early twitchy, manic and unpredictable style to Martin who flits between a seducer to a dangerous man/child as Linda struggles with the erotic emotions she feels for him. At all times the narrative never lets you grasp fully what is real or imagined. This is an interesting addition to the cycle of erotic thrillers of the 80s. such as Body Heat (1981), Body Double (1984) and Blue Velvet (1986) and that enigmatic sense to the narrative is very reminiscent of David Lynch's film although typical of Roeg. Viewed today this still pushes boundaries and does feel as if at any point it will tip over into bad taste but it's a film worthy of discovery if you've never seen it.

I'm not a fan of big musical shows and the accompanying show tunes are lost on me consequently cinematic adaptations are not a genre I relish. Having said that this one is certainly big, colourful and extravagant and far too long, with a 'Part 2' coming along as well, this became quite a tedious experience. Firstly I have to say that as a prequel to the timeless The Wizard Of Oz (1939), this lacks the mythological aura of that great film and it's extremely difficult to get to grips with the lead character in Wicked as an early version of the iconic, cackling Wicked Witch Of The West played so brilliantly by Margaret Hamilton in the 1939 original. That aside what we have here is a teen coming of age narrative shifted over to a musical fantasy film. Essentially Ariana Grande plays Galinda, the entitled, spoilt yet hugely popular girl at Uni' pitted against the bullied, different (because she's green), Elphaba (Cynthia Erivo), a loner yet very gifted student at the Oz Uni'. Forced to share a room together these two battle one another until they bond and become friends (during a very bizarre scene at a party). Ultimately the film sets up for the rivalry between these two to be continued in the next film. There's a lot of Harry Potter influence on show here but the film never feels like an interesting story. It offers nothing new to the Oz universe other than a sugarcoated story of an underdog wrongly maligned and pushed towards a spiral of hate. Jeff Goldblum is underused as the Wizard delivering basically a Goldblum style of speech. I'm sure the cast had a great time and as I said the film looks great but it's a real trial in attempting to stay interested and focused. There are some great scenes such as the monkeys getting their wings but these come intermittently. A family film that will appeal to youngsters and fans of the stage show but it didn't do anything for me.

This is a quite bizarre and yet intriguing adult fantasy drama given some added gravitas in that it's directed by George Miller and I suspect was passion project for him. There certainly seems to be a heartfelt intend behind this grown up adventure that actually lacks any real narrative drive. Tilda Swinton plays a nerdy, academic spinster Alithea, who specialises in the study of ancient stories and how their structures have permeated throughout the ages. Despite convincing herself she likes her lifestyle she is in fact lonely. On a trip to Istanbul for a convention she buys a small glass ornament in a curio shop and back in her hotel room she attempts to clean it releasing a genie here called a Djinn, played by Idris Elba. He grants her the inevitable three wishes but Alithea is wary in that she thinks this is all a figment of her imagination and that ancient stories highlight the danger of wishing hastily. The Djinn eager to grant them and gain his freedom then recounts his various interactions with humans over the centuries in stories told in flashback eventually resulting in Alithea asking for something that neither of them anticipated. Strangely this is all presented in a quite underwhelming film where the two main characters discuss much in a hotel room. There's no doubt a message in here somewhere but it all feels a bit static with no real story to grasp the audience. Interesting but somewhat disappointing too.

This second in what is clearly to be a trilogy was shot back to back with the first film. It's a visually lovely, action packed sequel with a quite complicated plot and brings Eva Green's character, the sultry, sexy femme fatale Milady de Winter to the centre of the story. Being the devious agent of Cardinal Richelieu (Eric Ruf) she is involved in a conspiracy to cause war between France and England and there's an assassination plot against the King with the mastermind behind it being a neat plot twist and not the obvious. There's plenty of swordplay and our intrepid four Musketeers are on hand to save the day especially d'Artagnan (François Civill) who is out to rescue his lover from Milady's evil clutches. This is an entertaining addition to the many adaptations of this great story with a solid recreation of 17th century France. It's all very gonzo and a little daft but fun all the same.

This remains one of Clint Eastwood's finest achievements as an actor but more importantly as a director. For me it's a superior film to his award winning Unforgiven (1992) but that maybe just a personal opinion. Here his style is strongly influenced by his collaborations with Sergio Leone and evidence of Leone's close ups juxtapositioned with wide shots just before explosive action litter the film. Based on a celebrated novel (Gone To Texas - a very good read by the way) this western is set at the close of the Civil War. Rebel guerrilla fighter Josey Wales refuses to surrender as he's still filled with hatred following the massacre of his family earlier in the war and shown in the pre-credits scenes. Hunted by the Union army and lawmen he makes his way to Texas collecting a motley bunch of companions along the way including an old Indian, Lone Watie, brilliantly played by Chief Dan George in a tour de force performance that is funny and warm, he is the heart of the film. Sondra Locke, who later appeared in many of Eastwood's films, also appears as a young girl rescued by Josey during his journey. The film is littered with great characters and there's a real feel for the time and history making this one of the great westerns and it certainly ranks alongside John Ford and Howard Hawks films. There's some neat yet slightly restrained violence and a real heartfelt story. This is a masterpiece and definitely a film all real enthusiasts should make sure they see.

This is a very effective supernatural ghost film with a great story and some very uncomfortable scenes. It's what a good horror film should be, scary and terrifically creepy. The title is an ironic twist on the pain caused when loved ones don't talk, a theme that runs though the narrative. Mia (Sophie Wilde) is a young woman who's mother killed herself but she has been assured her death was an accident, a lie told by her father to protect her. Being lonely Mia spends much of her time at the home of her best friend, Jade (Alexandre Jensen). These two and Jade's younger brother, Riley (Joe Bird) get caught up with a group of other students who have found a way to conjure up spirits through holding a mummified hand and saying 'talk to me'. The trouble is that dabbling with these dark forces soon has consequences that bring violence and horror amd Mia makes a stupid decision when she believes her mother's ghost has turned up. This is a bold horror film that harks back to The Sixth Sense (1999) and has similarities to Hereditary (2018). It certainly takes the teen movie into a very unsettling territory. Miranda Otto costars in a film well worth checking out.

Sequel or remake of the 1996 film is a matter of debate, I'm firmly of the view this is an updated remake as the narrative follows a similar structure but it lacks a sense of originality and the relationship tensions that Helen Hunt and Bill Paxton brought to the earlier film are surely missing here. But this is all about the tornadoes I suppose and here we have plenty of them and two teams chasing them. Daisy Edgar-Jones plays Kate, a talented country girl with an instinct for knowing when tornadoes are going to pop up who has developed a career in climate but due to a tragedy she has given up storm chasing. She's lured back by an old friend with a plan to fire chemicals into the heart of a tornado that will cause them to collapse. On the road Kate is frustrated by the storm chaser, Tyler (Glenn Powell), a former rodeo star out for the thrills of it. Of course they eventually join up to get the job done and there's a good mix of disaster genre tropes and action set pieces. But it's all a little underwhelming and Edgar-Jones, such a talented actor, doesn't have enough to shine here. The promise of romance is never fulfilled and what we're left with is a reasonably entertaining disaster film that lacks the characters so brilliantly conceived in the 1996 film. It's ok but instantly forgettable.

This is a neat science fiction thriller influenced by High Noon (1952) and Alien (1979) and in turn it has influenced more recent films like Moon (2009). Sean Connery plays Marshall O'Neil who arrives at a remote mining installation situated on one of Jupiter's moons. The mine is run by a huge industrial company who is represented by the General Manager Sheppard (Peter Boyle). When several suicides occur O'Niel begins an investigation and finds that Sheppard and the Company know the reason and there's a cover up. When O'Niel threatens to expose what's happening two hitmen are sent to kill him. Seeking help from his security team he finds they won't risk their own necks so he's forced to stand alone. This is an unpretentious little gem and whilst the technology on show will appear dated today it's still a cracking film and with it's use of an all-powerful company as the antagonist you'll see the Alien connection as well as the depiction of space as a grimy, industrial world rather than a shiny, sterile one. Connery is as laid back as normal and he's aided by Frances Sternhagen and James Sikking in support roles. If you like a good adult sci-fi then this is definitely one to check out should you have missed it up to now.

A novelty western that is a bit daft, poorly scripted riddled with clichés and tries too hard making for an unsatisfactory addition to the revisionist styleof the genre that had taken hold in the early 70s. It has a clash of culture theme but really seems to be just an implausible way of mixing the western with the samurai genre. With it's spaghetti western stylings and shot in Spain by British director Terence Young this has some of the customary bloodshed and violence that was a trademark of westerns made at this time but it lacks any sense of originality despite the storyline. Two outlaws, Link (Charles Bronson) and Gauche (Alain Delon) rob the train on which the Japanese ambassador is travelling to visit the President. Gauche steals a prized sword intended as a gift and then betrays Link leaving him for dead. This sets the story up as a long journey across the desert as Link sets out for vengeance forced into the company of the Japanese Ambassador's bodyguard (Toshirô Mifune) who has orders to recover the sword. The two don't get along but have to tolerate each other and of course soon begin to bond on the trail. There's plenty of unpleasantness throughout the narrative not least the portrayal of women who are all prostitutes, mostly get ill treated or made to satisfy the male characters including Ursula Andress who gets second billing despite a relatively minor role. There's an Indian raid thrown in to give the film some climactic action. Of all the great westerns that litter the 70s this isn't one of them. It has that east meets west element making it perhaps something to watch out of interest but it's a minor work despite the international cast.

James Cameron's unashamed pastiche of the James Bond movies and an adaptation of a French film, The Jackpot (1991). It's fun, action packed and clearly star Arnold Schwarzenegger is having the time of his life. The Bond connections are littered throughout the film and are presented as homages that are designed to be recognised but from a director signalling his love and respect for that franchise. Schwarzenegger plays Harry, a super spy who works for a shady Government agency led by Trilby (Charlton Heston in a great cameo and channelling a Nick Fury look and vibe). He leads a double life though as his wife, Helen (Jamie Lee Curtis) and daughter Dana (Eliza Dushku) believe him to be a boring salesman. When Harry suspects his wife is having an affair he utilises his agency's resources to catch her out but ends up discovering she's bored and seeking some excitement so he decides to involve her in his dangerous mission to root out a ruthless group of Islamic terrorists. This of course doesn't go to plan. The film is action packed, with some fantastic set piece stunts and it's all played for laughs with the comedy coming thick and fast. The famous strip tease scene with Curtis has been much discussed over the years and has been considered as female empowerment or a very overt example of cinema's objectification of the female body. Whatever your view here it's definitely sexy and fun. This is one of Schwarzenegger's films that is often overlooked when discussing his other more cult favourite ones but it is an influential action comedy that shows his development as a movie star and Cameron's pure love of action films. There's little doubt in my mind it's gone on to influence other films not least the Mission Impossible series. Recently restored for 4K UHD presentation this is worth checking out again if it's been awhile since you've watched it.

Michael Caine has been reported as saying that this film was too small for it's own good resulting in it getting little distribution or renown whereas it's quite an amusing black comedy enhanced by Caine as the corporate manager overlooked for promotion in favour of a younger man. He plays Graham, married to a nagging wife but bolstered by the anticipation of a long yearned for promotion. When he is bypassed and after a bizarre incident on the subway Graham discovers a dark side that enables him to remove the obstacles to his happiness. I think if this were made today it would be a Netflix or similar release or even a TV drama as it's a relatively short film which makes it all the more watchable as plot wise it rattles along at a good pace. Caine plays the part of Graham as quite nuanced but with a fiery anger that is a little unsubtle at times. Elizabeth McGovern plays a love interest who starts to suspect Graham is hiding secrets and in some ways this is story a little like Falling Down (1993) of a man who is pushed to breaking point and reacts in a very dark way. Well worth checking out, if like me, it has passed you by until now.

A vey entertaining supernatural mystery thriller with shades of The Exorcist (1973) and other similar religious possession type films. The inclusion of a cover up/conspiracy plot makes the film all the more watchable and the two stars Patricia Arquette and Gabriel Byrne are both excellent. Byrne is Father Andrew, a catholic priest, who specialises in investigating alleged religious miracles and he's adept at debunking them. His Vatican based boss (Jonathan Pryce) sends him on an assignment to Pittsburgh where a young woman, Frankie (Arquette), a party girl hairdresser with no religious beliefs or history, has begun showing strange wounds that appear to be the wounds of Christ known as stigmata and having hallucinations. Andrew, sceptical and thorough, soon finds that he is having difficulty explaining what's causing Frankie's trauma and soon he begins to witness strange events around her. This is a very watchable and enjoyable piece of horror hokum that has a good story, some neat effects and doesn't try to overly shock or add too much gore.

Sharply written, sexy, and thoroughly entertaining this comedy crime/thriller hits all the right notes. It's a real gem of a movie, a genre piece that has a fantastic cast and a superb plot. George Clooney stars as Jack Foley, a career bank robber who fears growing old in prison so decides to breakout. Unfortunately the plan gets interrupted by US Marshall Karen Cisco (Jennifer Lopez) who happens to be visiting the prison at the moment of Jack's escape so he and his partner Buddy (Ving Rhames) are forced to take her hostage. A romantic bond forms between them on the road and later when Jack goes to Detroit for one last diamond heist Karen is on his trail. The cast are all on top form including Don Cheadle, Albert Brooks, Catherine Keener, Dennis Farina and Nancy Allen with cameos from Michael Keaton and Samuel L. Jackson. This is funny, full of action and with a moving romance chucked in for good measure. This is what a good crime thriller should have and it is everything a good adult film should be. If you've never seen this then check it out, you will not be disappointed.

This enjoyable creature-feature is a bit of a throwback film reminiscent of the 50s cycle of giant creature stories and it's all played for larks with the director, Kiah Roache-Turner, displaying his fanboyish love of a host of other films not least Predator, the Alien series and of course Arachnophobia. But all that's ok because it adds to the fun of the film which comes along with plenty of neat jump scares and a well presented creature. This is a spider which arrives in a tiny meteor into the apartment building of 12 year old Charlotte (Alya Browne). She finds it and not knowing its origins thinks it'll make a cool pet and keeps it in a jar calling it 'Sting'. But it grows rather quickly and is soon meandering around the heating ducts of the building killing pets and then of course people. The script throws in some family tensions and there's the quintessential baby that's going to need protecting. It's all strongly derivative of Alien, Aliens and Alien 3 but it makes for a fun horror film.

A survival thriller that keeps you watching although it drags in the final sections and is a bit devoid of heightened tension and if you are looking for gore you'll be disappointed too (there is a little). But it's a decent enough thriller that includes some relationship tensions and actually puts people into the water to face the dangers that come their way. Set in the Caribbean where five girlfriends, part of a wedding party, head out for the day to heal some tensions between some of them. Unfortunately one gets badly bitten by a shark and as they head back in their little boat everything that can go wrong does and they end up in the water miles from anywhere and sharks are about! Not only that but one of them can't swim either. It has all the staple characters from the gung-ho adventure junkie who leads the excursion but has failed to ensure they are properly equipped, to the drippy, panicky one and it's fairly easy who work out who will survive and who won't. All good clean fun, it's not Jaws and it won't feature in any Top 10 list of the best shark films.