Film Reviews by GI

Stanley Kubrick's First World War drama is a film of sheer brilliance. It was only his second feature film (he had made some shorts before) and it marked him as a significant director and effectively launched his career. Having secured a major star in Kirk Douglas for the lead role the mould was set for a masterpiece and the film is still revered today. Set on the Western Front in 1916 and the French army decide to launch a futile attack on a fortified German position. When the attack fails General Mireau (George Macready) accuses his men of cowardice and has three of them selected at random to be court martialled. Colonel Dax (Douglas), the three's commander and a former lawyer decides to defend them. Not only does this film have a very realistic battle scene and a superb recreation of the trenches (even Winston Churchill was impressed by the authenticity) but it is also a drama about immorality, shameless ambition and corruption as well as the degeneracy of class over humanity. It's riveting stuff and it's one of those films that is really a must see at all costs because this is a topnotch movie.

This documentary is more like an extended 'audience with....' rather than a detailed, warts and all, look at the life and career of the often ego inflated but somewhat iconic William Shatner. The film is basically him sitting in a big warehouse speaking about his views on life, death, the Earth and such like and you get very little about his journey through acting, into the legendary role of Captain Kirk and beyond. So if you're hoping for all the insider info on his infamous rift with Leonard Nimoy and the rest of the cast of Star Trek you'll be disappointed. Shatner does for the most part take himself very seriously although there are chinks that he gets that he's often a figure of fun and he gives his insight on being a comedian, not something he's particularly known for! But it's ultimately a bit boring really.

Writer and director Robert Eggers' passion piece, his remake of the infamous 1922 German Expressionist classic Nosferatu: A Symphony Of Horror. If you don't know it's essentially the Dracula story with some differences and name changes but most of the elements will be recognisable for anyone familiar with the Dracula novel and various film versions. Eggers talent lies in his atmospheric creation of his cinematic worlds and here he has the sombre, grey and dour world of 19th century Germany as his backdrop and where an ancient evil is awakened from slumber by the naive sexual appetites of a young woman. Lily-Rose Depp as Ellen is the heart of this film, Depp gives this role an erotically charged core as her dreams summon the vampire Count Orlok who becomes obsessed with her. We only see the creature in shadow form for much of the film keeping the tenseness there but the reveal is slow in coming. It's the voice that stirs the film and Bill Skarsgård as the vampire in full prosthetics gives us a unique presentation of the vampire. However what the film lacks is a sense of dread, it's just not scary and the scenes of vampire attack are more disgusting than frightening. Willem Dafoe as the eccentric Professor who arrives with knowledge to help destroy the creature hovers between being a comedy character and the key to the film's narrative progress. Sadly Aaron Taylor-Johnson is trapped in an underwritten role and never gets to shine here. Nicholas Hoult, Emma Corrin, Ralph Ineson are all good in their roles with Simon McBurney excelling as the Count's weird acolyte. Anyway essentially the story is that having strange erotic yet frightening dreams young married woman Ellen inadvertently awakens the long 'undead' vampire Orlok. His lust for her results in Ellen's husband, Thomas (Hoult), an estate agent, being sent to Transylvania by his boss to finalise Orlok's purchase of a house in their town. Orlok makes his way to the German town where Ellen awaits and causes mayhem on his way there and eventually with those closest to Ellen but a Doctor (Ineson) and a batty Professor (Dafoe) team up with Thomas and others to bring him down. Eggers cinematography is quite exquisite throughout this film and it's this that gives the film its unique approach to the story but narratively it's a film that is somewhat underwhelming. It never seems to lift the expected heights of terror that is implied by the atmosphere and build up in the beginning of the film. In many ways this has extraordinary cinematic traits but I came away a little disappointed overall.

Clearly influenced by, if not based on, the early career of David Bowie this ode to 'Glam Rock' is littered with Bowie references not least the title which is also the title of a Bowie song. Essentially this is a rise and fall of a megastar narrative with the price of fame the theme that runs through as it recreates the strange days of the early 70s as flower power and hippies gave way to the glitter and glamour of a new music genre where sexuality was the driver for difference. The story here follows a journalist, Arthur (Christian Bale) who in 1984 is given an assignment to track down Brian Slade (Jonathan Rhys Meyers), an enormously successful rock star who faked his own death on stage and was ridiculed for it subsequently disappearing into obscurity. The hunt for Slade takes Arthur back to his own connections with the world of glamrock and the leading lights of the day. The story of Brian is told in a series of flashbacks especially his rise to fame under the tutelage of his money oriented manager (Eddie Izzard) and his friendship with American singer Curt Wild (Ewan McGregor), a character based on a hybrid of Lou Reed, Iggy Pop and Kurt Cobain. Like many films in this genre it deals with the depravity brought on by unlicensed freedom with drink, drugs and sexual excess leading to inevitable self destruction. The film certainly captures the visually spectacular and theatrical elements of the time and boasts Toni Collette as Brian's American wife. This is definitely a film to check out if you've not seen it.

There's no getting away from the somewhat surreal aspect to this rather standard music biopic of Robbie Williams. That is the very obvious gimmick of portraying him as a chimp! I get the the idea; difference, cheeky, a scamp and perhaps even the hint of being a bit out of control but I'm not convinced it's enhances this film beyond the story which is another 'price of fame' narrative with the charismatic singer revealing his depression, alcoholism, drug addiction and emotional baggage built up from his childhood principally around his father who deserted him as a boy. However once you get past the monkey thing the film is entertaining and an interesting account of a somewhat unique character in British music. The film gets across the toxic world of the music industry but the use of the chimp guise soon wears off and offers little to the film overall.

Director Sam Peckinpah's last western and an evocative, melancholy film that is a masterpiece. A revisionist western that actually celebrates the myths of the old west rather than debunk them with Peckinpah subverting the narrative form to produce one of the finest motion pictures you could ever wish to see. Heavily cut by the studio and disowned by Peckinpah there are now three versions of the film after the film was restored. The original theatrical 106 minute version is a mess and it was rightly ignored for many years but in 1988 a 122 minute version was released which is probably Peckinpah's early cut, it's flawed but is the more complete film. Then in 2005 a careful restoration based on Peckinpah's notes was put together into a 115 minute version, now known as the 'Special Edition'. This last one is my preferred cut but if you love this film then check out the 1988 cut too. The film doesn't follow a standard plot, indeed it could almost be classed as plotless. It's really a series of vignettes that gradually move towards the final confrontation between the two main protagonists. This is a story that has been told many times in cinema. Former outlaw friends Pat Garrett (James Coburn) and Billy Bonney (Kris Kristofferson) have become enemies after Garrett becomes a lawman. They essentially circle around the country seeking redemption in one form or another until their final showdown. This is a film about dying, it deals with the growth of corrupt business quashing the land, it's freedoms and those that live by its natural laws. Garrett sells out and hates himself for it whereas Billy resists change but knows it'll be his undoing. Beautifully shot this is a remarkable film and one you need to see and see again. It's cinema magic and truly awe inspiring.

I've had to re-evaluate this science fiction/horror as on first viewing I dismissed it as just another Alien derivative. And there's no doubt it is massively influenced by Ridley Scott's iconic film with oodles of homage scenes and connections that whilst obviously deliberate are really rather interesting especially when you consider that the story involves a huge powerful company that basically covers up the events of the film for nefarious purposes. Indeed at one point the Weyland-Yutani logo can be spotted. So whilst it's a helluva stretch this could almost be viewed as part of the Alien universe....perhaps! Anyway on second viewing I really enjoyed this and would argue it's been rather underrated. Especially fgood is Kristen Stewart in the lead action role and getting to do her Ellen Ripley complete with 'Alien 3' buzzcut. Although the film is set deep beneath the ocean rather than in outer space this is still a film firmly in the science fiction genre. A massive underwater installation that supports a drilling operation seven miles down in the ocean is hit by an unexpected earthquake killing all but a handful of survivors including engineer Norah (Stewart) and Captain Lucien (Vincent Cassel). As the small group navigate the hazardous journey through the large but wrecked installation and are forced out onto the ocean floor at depths of over 6 miles in an attempt to find a way to get back to the surface they find that something big and nasty has been unleashed. The film has the claustrophobic and tense build top and plenty of glimpses of strange things in the murky depths. It's a film well worth further viewings as it's actually a real treat if you are a fan of the Alien series.

Stage play adaptations are risky affairs because, for me, it's a difficult transition from the stage to the bigger and more ambitious medium of cinematic film and it often doesn't work and I'm not sure it does here. But the film does have some interesting moments and with Meg Ryan co-writing, directing and starring after an acting hiatus there's a pleasure of seeing her give this her all, a clear passion piece. Set in the transitional space of a US airport, snowed in passengers are stranded including Ryan's Willa and David Duchovny's Bill. By pure chance the two were former lovers many years ago and are now forced together where old feelings and disputes are unravelled. This is basically a romcom, Ryan's most enduring genre, although there's more rom than com. It's a two hander narrative as Willa and Bill talk their way through their past and current situations. Ryan adds an element of fantasy to the drama that occasionally makes you question the situation and I'm not fully convinced that works well here, and the gimmick of the airport tannoy messages seeming to talk just to them is distracting. This is an example of where a film makes you yearn for the stage play as it's clear this is a story best told in a theatre rather than up on a cinema screen and the occasional switch to an external view of the snowy airport doesn't make this anymore interesting.

Whilst this is clearly intended as a big budget star vehicle principally for Jennifer Lawrence but also for Chris Pratt it's also a hugely entertaining and quite impressive science fiction film. The Starship 'Avalon' is on a 120 year journey to a distant new human colony with 5000 passengers and 258 crew on board, all of whom are in hibernation with the ship on auto pilot. The somewhat clichéd meteor storm causes some malfunction and Jim (Pratt) is awakened 90 years too early. Alone and desperate he attempts to get back into hibernation but nothing works and his only company is the robotic bartender Arthur (Michael Sheen). After a year Jim makes the horrendous and immoral decision to awaken another passenger and picks the beautiful Aurora (Lawrence) with whom he has become obsessed. This starts the narrative first onto a romance arc and eventually it spirals into a disaster action story as the ship is more damaged than anticipated. In between there are themes of loneliness, desperation and betrayal and Lawrence and Pratt have great screen chemistry. Laurence Fishburne supports and Andy Garcia has a cameo. There are several cinematic homages not least to 2001: A Space Odyssey (1968) and The Shining (1980) - the bar is modelled on the bar in the latter film. But this is a film for two big Hollywood stars and they don't disappoint. Even if you're not a sci-fi fan this is worth checking out because it's such a delight. It has love, happiness, sadness, drama and some great action set pieces and effects. Check it out if you've missed it to date.

This adventure drama is a fantastic film based on a bestselling novel that was claimed to be a true story but it's since been exposed as a work of mostly fiction. But that doesn't take away from this brilliant film. It's essentially a prison escape story set in the 1920s where Henri (Steve McQueen in arguably his best role), nicknamed Papillon due to the butterfly tattoo on his chest, a Parisian safe breaker, is framed for murder by the state and sentenced to life on a penal colony in French Guiana. Determined to escape he befriends Louis (Dustin Hoffman giving a typical intense performance) who has hidden reserves of cash. However escape attempts are met with extremely harsh punishments worse than the abysmal conditions in which the prisoners are kept. The film is brutal but it's also a story of friendship and the resilience of the human spirit. An epic, compelling and exciting film and one that you should check out if you've never seen it.

After Peter Jackson made fantasy cinema a respectable genre for adults with his The Lord of The Rings trilogy it opened the door for innovative and imaginative film maker Guillermo del Toro to emerge with this dark, adult fairy tale. It's literally running with symbolism and themes so much that a detailed critical analysis requires almost a book. Set in Spain in 1944 and the Civil War is over with the fascist's having been victorious. But rebels continue to hide out in the forests hunted by the paramilitary government forces. Young Ofelia (Ivana Baquero) travels with her heavily pregnant mother to join Ofelia's new stepfather, Captain Vidal (Sergi López - in a cold, frightening performance). Vidal cares nothing for Ofelia who burys herself in fairy story books until one day she wanders into some nearby ruins and makes a very strange encounter. While Vidal captures and tortures the young idealist rebels Ofelia embarks on three tasks given to her by her new found 'friend'. It's a remarkable story and the film doesn't hold back with some gruesome scenes and one of the most original and quite nightmarish monsters in cinema history. With it's stark condemnation of fascism and revealing images relating to the Holocaust this is a thematically detailed study of how political extremism can push people to discard all human morality and at the sometime it reveals how the innocence of a child is the light that forever shines. A most original film and one that deserves multiple viewings to appreciate the many things going on. The imagery alone is captivating making this is a unique film and a modern masterpiece. A real treasure of a film.

Originally set to be directed by Don Siegel but credited to TV director William Wiard (although rumoured that star Steve McQueen directed much of it) it can only be guessed at what Siegel would have done with this. Whilst McQueen is interesting in the lead role the film sort of plods along rendering it a mediocre addition to the cycle of historical westerns that emerged in the mid 70s to mid 80s. Based on the true life of the title character, a former tracker, Indian fighter and scout who drifts into Wyoming at the turn of the 20th Century and is hired by a cattleman's association to hunt down rustlers plaguing the territory. Horn proves just a little too good at the job and so is framed for a murder so as to get rid of him. There's no heroism on offer here, it's a tale of an assassin devoid of morality who sees his job as basically murdering the opposition of the corrupt group of ranchers who hired him. There's a half baked romance with a school teacher (Linda Evans) pointlessly thrown in probably to give McQueen's character some softer edges for the audience. The film sets itself completely into the camp that Horn was set up and innocent although historically there are differences of opinion. As McQueen's penultimate film, and made while he was seriously ill with cancer, it's a competently made and interesting western but it's far too unstructured and meandering to rank with other similar films of this type and period. There's some good western character actors in support roles including Slim Pickens, Elisha Cook Jr, Richard Farnsworth and Roy Jenson.

As a dedicated lover of the Ealing Comedies and indeed British cinema of the 1950s in general this adaptation of a celebrated comic novel is just too silly to appeal today even if it's viewed as a precursor of the Carry On series. Essentially a farce with some comedy of manners thrown in it's a daft story told in episodic form of three 'gentlemen' in early 20th Century England escaping from their various strifes by going on a boating holiday on the Thames. They are thoroughly inept at all aspects of the trip from pitching tents, cooking and generally cause mayhem everywhere they go even when pursuing three lovely sisters who they meet en route. Laurence Harvey is the nominal star, a surprise casting choice as this is far too light for the serious films he is more famed for. British comedy star Jimmy Edwards and later Disney stalwart David Tomlinson are his companions. Shirley Eaton and a young Jill Ireland make up the cast in a this British comedy that is more interesting for it's bold technicolour presentation than it's place in the comedy genre that has many more far better films. Flimsy with too much slapstick sequences but one to check out from an interest perspective.

The highlight of this romance film is the two endearing and intelligent central performances from Florence Pugh and Andrew Garfield who have a magnetic screen chemistry and make the film very watchable. They play Almut and Tobias who meet in bizarre circumstances and soon fall in love despite one particular issue being between them. Tobias works for Weetabix in what is essentially a dull job whereas Almut is an award winning chef and restauranteur as well as having a very interesting past. Their lives together are shown in various snapshot episodes as the film flits between timelines that works well for the narrative giving the viewer an overarching sense of the relationships highs and lows. They have a child together although never marry and for the most part are very happy until a life changing event occurs. This is extremely watchable if a little contrived and there's a delightful, powerful and humorous birth scene that takes place in a Service Station toilet. It's witty and touching film with a bittersweet ending and Pugh especially gives a powerhouse performance that is a joy to behold, she is possibly one of our greatest modern day actors. Garfield's is a more gentle and perhaps nuanced one of a man who can't quite believe he can have the happiness that this relationship has brought him. The film is a delight and definitely worth your time.

This road movie creates a fictionalised account of an episode in the life of artist Audrey Amiss here played with manic intensity by Monica Dolan. The real Amiss was an artist who had spent many years in mental institutions and in this film her original artwork is littered throughout. The fictional Amiss lives in London but due to her mental health issues she is visited every two weeks by a psychiatric community nurse, Sandra (Kelly Macdonald) who receives the abuse and insults from Audrey as all part of the job. But when Audrey asks Sandra to take her to an area gallery where she claims her work is to be exhibited she reluctantly agrees only to find the gallery is in Sunderland nearly 300 miles away. But off they go on this trip where Sandra has to deal with Audrey's incessant talking, self justifying and erratic behaviour but of course they inevitable find a bond especially when Sandra convinces Audrey to visit her sister (Gina McKee). The film is heartfelt, humorous and a simple enough tale with a boisterous performance by Dolan although Macdonald's role is overshadowed somewhat. It's enjoyable enough but it lacks the satisfactory story arc and ending that is promised but never really arrives.