Film Reviews by GI

What a great action/adventure film this is. Set in 1916 during the Mexican revolution and a rich Texas landowner, Grant (Ralph Bellamy) hires four mercenaries to rescue his wife who has been kidnapped by a Mexican rebel. This is a story of loyalty tinged with selfishness that was unusual in American westerns like this at the time it was made. With fantastic battles against the harsh desert and set piece gun battles with bandits this is not a film about honour as much as about earning living. It's a classic example of where the American western did away with it's traditional codes and replaced them with violence for money. Lee Marvin plays the leader of the mercenaries, a man who sticks to his contract, aided by Dolworth (Burt Lancaster) an explosives expert, Ehrengard (Robert Ryan) a skilled horse wrangler and Jake (Woody Strode) an expert tracker who all naïvely go on their mission for the cash even though the criminal is an old friend and comrade in arms, Raza, played here against type by Jack Palance in a rare romantic part. The prize is Claudia Cardinale, one of the most beautiful women to ever grace a cinema screen. One of the wave of 'professional' westerns with a touch of Sergio Leone's style of his 'Dollar Trilogy' about it with emphasis on the harsh land as the enemy to be beaten or joined. This is an example of the type of western that abandoned the legends and myths of a John Ford style for a more stark, violent and realistic vibe. This is a fantastic film and well worth you seeking out if you've never seen it, not only for the great cast but it's a tightly controlled story with some wonderful cinematography and great action. It's a forgotten gem.

This is one of those crime thrillers that not only has a great plot that goes in unexpected directions but it's also one that has you thinking about just how clever it is long after its over. It has all the hallmarks of a Hitchcock film with its whodunnit nature, its changes in direction and its flawed characters. Director Denis Villeneuve constructs the film in a way that makes you immerse yourself into the film and gets the viewer to start questioning what is going on and it opens up discourse on what exactly is happening and why. In this it's a very intricate film and makes it an immensely enjoyable experience. When two young girls go missing from their neighbourhood the police, in the guise of Detective Loki (Jake Gyllenhaal, in a really very clever performance), soon arrest a suspect, Alex (Paul Dano) but have to release him for lack of evidence. But Keller (Hugh Jackman), the father of one of the girls, is convinced of Alex' guilt and desperate to find his daughter decides to take the law into his own hands forcing him into confrontation with Loki. On the face of it this is a rather simple plot but Villeneuve then slips in developments that constantly keep you hooked in. The story is a disturbing one but its also quite restrained in what is depicted avoiding any clichéd gore or gratuitousness in a film that deserves seeing again if you have already and definitely one to seek out if you've not. The support cast is great too: Viola Davis, Melissa Leo, Maria Bello and Terence Howard.

This slow burning frontier western from writer, director, actor and composer Viggo Mortensen is rather an intriguing film. All the tropes of the western are present, revenge, violence, corruption, but delivered in a narrative that has a gentle rather beautiful arc, all delivered with a great visual eye and wonderful characters many of whom are also typical, such as the weasly Town Mayor (Danny Huston), the corrupt land baron (Garret Dillahunt), and the psychotic violent son (Solly McLeod). However this is a story of French Canadian immigrant Vivienne (Vicky Krieps), a fiercely independent woman who breaks off a relationship with a wealthy man to take up with Olsen (Mortensen), a Danish immigrant who takes her to his small shack in Nevada where they live in relative peace near the local town dominated by the Jeffries clan (Dillahunt and McLeod). When the Civil War breaks out Olsen heads off to war leaving Vicky alone and where she receives the unwelcome attention of the younger Jeffries. The ingredients of the western are all here but they are presented in a structure that weaves between different time lines that may jar at first but soon fall carefully into place. Mortensen presents the wild violence of frontier life in the 1860s but weaves the unique romance of the two main characters into it in a story that inevitably heads for tragedy. In that sense this is a rather compelling western made by a filmmaker who's self effacing nature leads to a fulfilling film.

A well crafted Tony Scott thriller led by two great actors going head to head and wonderfully containing all the elements you need for a tense and exciting submarine story. A US nuclear submarine heads out to sea during a time of heightened international tension with Russia and the threat of war imminent. The Captain, Ramsey (Gene Hackman), is a well respected, tough and experienced commander but his second in command is the new and relatively untested Ramsey (Denzel Washington). Receiving orders to launch their nuclear weapons Ramsey doesn't hesitate but a comms breakdown and action against an enemy sub makes Hunter cautious to ensure the orders to launch are correct. The ensuing conflict between these two forms the centre of the narrative. As loyalties shift in the crew and danger from attacks and damage grows the conflicts on board threaten everyone's lives. The cast here are excellent and include Viggo Mortensen and James Gandolfini with a cameo from Jason Robards. The film is well written (with contributions apparently from Quentin Tarantino) and there's a subtle racism theme in the script. The claustrophobia of the submarine is captured wonderfully as the plot unfolds. The only real issue is the ending which undermines the build up of animosity between Ramsey and Hunter that is deliberately built throughout the film and nearly tips over into bloody violence. A shame really but it can be forgiven I suppose considering the film is thoroughly entertaining otherwise.

This is a tense, sharp crime thriller that it is hard to beat. Director David Fincher has created a wonderful film here with some innovative and exciting use of the camera, which goes into places that are very clever and exciting. Set almost entirely in a Manhattan townhouse the narrative never lets up and the plot is always surprising and keeps the story rattling along at a nerve wracking speed. Jodie Foster is Meg recently separated from her rich husband who moves into a new home with her diabetic daughter, Sarah (Kristen Stewart). The house has a 'panic room' hidden in the master bedroom. This is a secure room that the residents can hide in if they are attacked. On their first night in their new home three men break in (Forest Whitaker, Dwight Yoakem & Jared Leto) and Meg and Sarah hide inside the impenetrable panic room. Unfortunately what the three men are after happens to be inside that room and they have to devise a way to get Meg & Sarah to come out. For a story set in a confined space this is remarkably good and Foster is exceptional as the uptight and emotionally vulnerable woman who finds a steely resolve in fending off the three men. A really great film and one that I highly recommend if you've never seen it.

Rob Reiner's fairytale film has become something of a cult favourite and it's a film that is enjoyed by children and adults alike. This is not least because it has some riotous humour and subtle adult themes but it's also an exciting swashbuckler in the vein of Errol Flynn and Douglas Fairbanks with monsters, enchanted forests, giants and an evil prince. Narrated by a Grandfather (Peter Falk) reading a story to his poorly grandson about Buttercup (Robin Wright in her film debut), a commoner living in the fantastical land of Florian, where her and Westley (Cary Elwes) are deeply in love. He goes off to find his fortune in order to marry her and after 5 years when he hasn't returned Buttercup is told he is dead and she is then coveted by the nasty Prince Humperdinck (Chris Sarandon). Betrothed Buttercup finds herself in various predicaments until a mysterious masked stranger helps her aided by a vengeful spaniard (Mandy Patinkin) and a friendly giant. A great cast including Billy Crystal, who is hilarious here, Peter Cook, Mel Smith, Christopher Guest and Carol Kane makes this a joy to watch at anytime. This is a film that your children will love because it has action, fantasy and love, it's all influenced by Tolkien and Grimm fairytales and I guarantee you'll love it.

If you love to watch the preparation of lovingly concocted dishes filtered through a soft focus interpretation of the Belle Époque period of France then this is a film for you. I found it a beautiful film to look at but ultimately quite a laborious watch as it's an ode to the delights of food and thus a quest for the pleasure in the subtleties and delights of being alive and yet it lingers just too long over every detail. The story follows Dodin (Benoît Magimel), a gourmet chef, who lives on his reputation in relative luxury inventing subtle ways to prepare traditional dishes. He is aided by Eugénie (Juliette Binoche), his cook for the past twenty years who can interpret his ideas and prepare the dishes exactly as he envisaged them. Dodin is in love with Eugénie and desperately wants to marry her but she is reluctant. Her recent fainting episodes suggest a potential malady that concerns Dodin. As a romance this lacks a zest of passion and as a narrative about food it has to be of interest otherwise it's a film that leaves you a bit empty. There is a charm to the film and the two leads perform admirably but for a film that is over two hours long it doesn't exactly grab the attention.

With stunning visuals recreating a pastoral and beautiful 18th Century England this is a wonderful adaptation of possibly the most famous romantic novel. Keira Knightley has her detractors but they are wrong, she is a marvellous actor and here she is simply wonderful and considering she's in scenes with the great Judi Dench and holding her own is enough to identify her as an actor of great range and depth. She plays Elizabeth Bennet, the second of five sisters. Her nervous and indiscreet mother (Brenda Blethyn) is desperate to see them all married off. So when the rich Mr Bingley (Simon Woods) takes an interest in the eldest Jane (Rosamund Pike) the family is thrown into chaos in the hope he makes a proposal. But it's in the relationship between Bingley's friend, Mr D'Arcy (Matthew MacFadyen), and Elizabeth that the narrative is concerned. This is a romantic drama about manners, about class and ultimately about true love that surpasses all social conventions. There have been numerous adaptations of this novel both in cinema and television but I really love this particular one. It's cast is fantastic with Donald Sutherland as the henpecked but wise Mr Bennet and Judi Dench as a Duchess, you'll also spot Carey Mulligan and the fantastic Tom Hollander as the ridiculous Mr Collins (an inspired piece of casting as the character in the novel is very tall!). If you love a good romance then please watch this it's a wonderful film, it has humour and warmth and if you're a total softie like me then it'll bring the odd tear to your eye too. Oh and read the novel it's magical.

Ian McKellen is clearly in his element in this period thriller set in 1930s London where he plays Jimmy, a renowned yet odious theatre critic for a popular newspaper. He's built his reputation over 40 years and now enjoys being thoroughly cantankerous and able to enjoy the guilty and illegal delights of gay sex in the park often close to police arrest. His biggest pleasure seems to be is dishing out awful reviews of actress Nina Land (Gemma Arterton), whose confidence is fractured as a result. However when Jimmy finds his job on the line by his new boss (Mark Strong) he comes up with a nasty and devious plan to save himself using Nina as his tool. There's no doubt the talent on show here marks this film as something worth seeing. Arterton is superb easily holding her own against McKellen's villain aided by Strong, who is always good, and Alfred Enoch as Jimmy's assistant and lover, Romola Garai and Lesley Manville add to the great cast although both are sadly underused. The film starts as a quite funny black comedy but it eventually turns into a dark conspiracy thriller and in some ways this is a shame. McKellen's Jimmy is a thoroughly unpleasant character but at his most appealing when he's using his wit and intellect to deal with those around him, he's less of an appeal when he resorts to actions to survive. Overall an entertaining film and one worth checking out.

This Finnish/Russian production is basically a romantic road movie albeit set on a claustrophobic train where two unlikely passengers are forced together. Laura (Seidi Haarla) is a Finnish student studying in Moscow who is encouraged by her teacher and lover to head to the bleak city of Murmansk to view the ancient cave paintings. Laura finds she is on the long train journey forced to share a compartment with the boorish, rude and often drunk miner, Lyokha (Yuriy Borisov). She considers abandoning the trip half way due to his behaviour but a call to her lover reveals that perhaps their relationship isn't all that Laura assumed and so she is sort of trapped into continuing the journey. But as they interact more Laura and Lyokha begin to see in each other something missing in both their lives and a gentle attraction and romance begins. As relationship dramas go this is interesting, touching and a small window into modern life in Russia. It's not a film that necessarily runs a predictable happy course but it does engross the viewer in these two unhappy and beguiling characters.

Pride is a great, uplifting, heartwarming, hilarious and eye opening British drama set in 1984 during the Miner's Strike and documenting the relationship which developed between Welsh miners and a London based group, Lesbians & Gays Support The Miners (LGSM). This is a clash of cultures themed film that gives full applause to the human spirit of friendship and trust even in the face of bigotry, violence and hatred. A great cast that includes Dominic West, Bill Nighy, Paddy Considine and Imelda Staunton tell the story of a small group of gay men and women led by Mark (Ben Schetzner) who decide to collect money in support of striking Welsh miners many of whom are at first less than enamoured to be associated with the gay fraternity. But as their mutual need for support and barriers break down a bond forms between them. In amongst this drama is the story of Joe (George MacKay), a young man living under the narrow minded middle class dominance of his parents, who has yet to come out as gay and finds happiness with the group. This is a marvellous, quite lovely film that never fails to make you laugh, cry and feel good after watching it. Definitely a film to seek out if you've never watched it.

A lean, suspenseful and very satisfying B movie style horror film where during a Florida hurricane a father and daughter find themselves trapped inside their house as rising floodwaters bring forth hungry alligators. Most of the film has them trapped in the labyrinthine basement as they are in turn injured, thus bleeding, and stalked by some very big 'gators. It steals heavily from Deep Blue Sea (1999) and you'll spot the influences of Jurassic Park (1993) and of course Jaws (1975) and even Aliens (1986) but it's all done in a neat, sturdy story that has tension, scares and some quite bloody moments. British actor Kaya Scodelario, who made her name from the Maze Runner films, and Barry Pepper are the two leads in this competent little film that is great fun. And the playing of See You Later, Alligator over the end credits just tops it all off.

A ghost story that essentially steals from a whole host of other better films including Let The Right One In (2008), The Ring (2002) and The Babadook (2014) amongst others and whilst it's very predictable and utilises well worn narrative tropes it does begin with an interesting allegory around parental child abuse but eventually descends into a nasty spook story. Eight your old Peter (Woody Norman) is a withdrawn kid, bullied and friendless, who gets the attention of kindly teacher Miss Devine (Cleopatra Coleman). But at home Peter has to tread warily around his creepy parents (Lizzy Caplan, Antony Starr), while emotionally dealing with finding a skull in his backyard, and hearing strange knocking and voice from inside the walls of his house. This all builds up to a malevolent ghost creature emerging coinciding with a home invasion scenario, which means the film goes for horror over subtlety. This is a shame as the final result is a fairly routine horror film that lacked any real originality or indeed scares.

It's easy nowadays to overlook Christopher Nolan's earlier films following his huge blockbusters such as Inception (2010), Interstellar (2014), Dunkirk (2017) and Tenet (2020). But they are definitely worth checking out again and especially if you've not seen them. Like those others films The Prestige has all of Nolan's trademarks, adult themed, enigmatic story with a convoluted plot, great cast and his mix of genres. Here we have a Victorian era set mystery drama with fantasy and science fiction elements and a narrative strewn with clues and misdirection making for a very entertaining film. Hugh Jackman and Christian Bale play two friends Robert and Alfred, who both have ambitions to be successful stage magicians. When an onstage accident results in the death of Robert's wife (Piper Perabo) he blames Alfred and a bitter feud develops between them. As they become more famous each tries to outdo the other with more and more daring and fantastical magic tricks. Eventually this leads to tragedy but all is not what it seems! Aided by Michael Caine, Scarlett Johansson, Rebecca Hall, Andy Serkis and David Bowie this is a story that draws you along trying to unravel what is going on. Like the magic of the story the film uses 'sleight of hand' to throw you off the scent although watching carefully does reveal plot elements but you have to be on the ball to spot them. This is a wonderfully original film and one that has become overlooked of late so I highly recommend it.

Basically a biopic of the early career of Clarice Cliff, a working class young woman who overcame the patriarchal world of design pottery and became a key designer in the 1920s. Apart from telling her story the film thematically looks at the plight of skilled and talented women battling to overcome the entrenched sexism of a male dominated industry. Phoebe Dynevor plays Cliff as a bright and cheerful young woman living with her younger sister and her laundress mother (Kerry Fox) in the industrialised midlands of England, an area smothered in the smog and soot of factories where Cliff dreams of bright colour and eccentric designs for the pottery made in the factory where she works. Unbeknown to her employees Cliff has studied and trained herself in all aspects of the trade and manages to convince the owner, Shorter (Matthew Goode), to allow her to make her own, controversial designs for tableware. She has to overcome the traditions of the industry where men decide what women like! It's an interesting story, well told. David Morrissey has a small role as the factory foreman in a film that is worth checking out especially if the story of Clarice Cliff is unknown to you.