Film Reviews by GI

Director Neil Marshall's debut feature shows just how much of a horror film fan he is as it has homages and influences galore. They're fun to spot although many are just plain obvious, from Predator (1987) to Alien (1979) and American Werewolf in London (1981) and just about every haunted house and slasher film you can think of. To be honest this all makes the film that more entertaining and what a rollercoaster ride it is, fast paced, bloody, really funny and full of action this is a joy. In the Scottish highlands a small platoon of British soldiers are sent on an exercise where they have to try and evade capture by the SAS. Led by old hand Sgt Wells (Sean Pertwee), who is the father figure, they have to navigate their way through forests and gullies and for the most part they gripe and groan but try their best. But they have been set up as bait and when they're attacked by a bunch of ravenous beasts they have to run for it holing upon an apparently deserted farmhouse. But their troubles are only just beginning. It's a wonderfully fun horror film and one that undermines traditional heroic masculinity and utilises horror tropes in a refreshing way. Best of all it doesn't hang about but rattles along at a fantastic and exciting pace with some bold and gore and a few plot twists. Yes it's a werewolf film with soldiers and as has been quoted in an essay on the film, "they go together like tea and scones." This is pure fun and has Kevin McKidd (from Trainspotting and the TV series Rome) as a soldier who finds his leadership skills and Liam Cunningham (from Game Of Thrones) as a devious SAS Captain. If you haven't seen this then check it out you will not be disappointed.

A compelling, beautifully scripted tragedy set in the 1930s and 40s, a time of class divided Britain and a story of forbidden love, a loss of childhood innocence and misunderstandings. Cecilia (Keira Knightley), the oldest daughter of a landed aristocratic family and Robbie (James McAvoy), the gifted son of the family housekeeper, are in love, a relationship unlikely to be socially accepted. But when Cecilia's young and innocent sister Briony (Sairose Ronan) witnesses them in the throes of passion she is unable to comprehend what they are doing. Later when her cousin (Juno Temple) claims to have been raped Briony assumes Robbie is the culprit and gives false evidence, this has a devastating effect on all their lives for many years ahead. As their lives are changed further by the outbreak of war Briony (played by Romola Garai as the older character) seeks redemption as she realises the terrible thing she did as a child. With it's central scenes set on the Dunkirk beaches and the impressive one take shot as we follow characters around the scenes of the British army stranded and waiting for evacuation this is a superb film. It is edited to give alternate views of events to highlight the misrepresentation that the young Briony gives to them and which form the basis of the tragic story. It's a sad story too but also a tender and at times very romantic one of love and loss. The coda performed by Vanessa Redgrave as the elderly Briony is a masterclass in acting, it'll bring a tear to your eye. Impressive film making and a wonderful cast that includes Benedict Cumberbatch, Harriet Walter, Daniel Mays and Brenda Blethyn. A film to make sure you see if you've missed it.

A derivative plot and routine action set pieces makes this the disappointment of the year. Despite its top cast it never lifts beyond something seen a thousand times before, there's no tension, no suspense and just lots of muted gunfire. In fact it feels like a silly Charlie's Angels rip off with a very bad script. In short five female agents from different intelligence agencies go rogue and join forces to track down a gizmo that can take control of any computer based system, that acts as the McGuffin for the story, as various double crossing baddies go for it too. Jessica Chastain, Diane Kruger, Penélope Cruz, Bingbing Fan and Lupita Nyong'o try their best but its a dead loss with lots of fights in lifts and corridors or similar confined spaces and betrayals and allegiance changes. It's a silly film and let's hope there's no sequel which the ending suggests is on the way. Groan.

A fairly standard violent action thriller starring Charles Bronson and directed by veteran J. Lee Thompson. It's a cut above many of the films Bronson was churning out in the late 70s and early 80s mostly for Cannon films although he made this for a different production company. Perhaps that's why it's more than just violence for violence sake and has a decent story although there are plot holes you can drive a bus through!. Bronson is Holland, a former professional assassin now living a peaceful life, who is coaxed out of retirement after his friend is tortured and killed by the notorious 'El Doctor' (Joseph Maher), a man who is employed by repressive South American regimes to torture dissidents. With his target heavily guarded Holland goes for his employees and his sister in order to lure his man into the open. Bronson gets to be his usual cold, ruthless character despatching the bad guys in various ways. The setting in South America gives the film partly a western vibe and whilst the ending is apt it's also a little disappointing. But this is one of the best films Bronson made at the tail end of his career and its worth seeking out if you've not seen it. José Ferrer and Theresa Saldana support.

There's a power behind this drama of siblings reuniting in the turmoil of the Irish border issues that stretch back to the days of the Troubles to the Brexit fiasco today. Yet despite the prologue of the film that highlights all the political catastrophes this is a small family drama about two sisters and their trauma over the slightly mysterious death of their mother. When Kelly (Nika McGuigan) returns home to Ireland after having been missing for a year her sister, Lauren (Nora-Jane Noone), has mixed feelings as she believed her to be dead. But they soon begin to reunite causing complex problems for those around them. This is a film about family suffering, here against the backdrop of the Irish border. The director cleverly uses the colour red as the indicator of emotions out of control in what's an interesting film, if a little baffling at times.

This sci-fi horror film has grown in stature over the years after a poor release strategy and clumsy re-editing saw it fail at the box office. Rumours and hopes of the infamous über gory director's original cut still do the rounds but we're yet to hear if the footage has survived to enable one to be put together. In the meantime we have this Alien (1979) influenced film where the Event Horizon, a prototype deep space exploration craft, reappears on the edge of the solar system seven years after it disappeared without trace. A search and rescue ship is sent to see if anyone aboard has survived including Dr Weir (Sam Neill), the inventor of the the revolutionary 'gravity drive' system which allows the Event Horizon to travel faster than light. The crew led by Miller (Laurence Fishburne) soon discover that the ship seems to have a life of its own and they are unprepared for the horrors unleashed on them. The director Paul Anderson always claimed that under pressure he removed too much of the film and it does seem to rush along somewhat too quickly hardly giving the viewer time to grip the plot and take in the very clever visuals. The dark, moody atmosphere and grubby spaceships are very reminiscent of Ridley Scott's Nostromo spaceship with the long , poorly lit corridors and the faintly lit technology of the future. The cast are all on top form and include Kathleen Quinlan, Jason Isaacs, Joely Richardson and Sean Pertwee and again their characters and attitudes pay homage to the crew of Nostromo from Alien. But there's no extra-terrestrials here as this is a haunted house themed film with demonic possession thrown in for good measure. There's lots to admire here even though the film feels underdone, it has tension, disaster and violence so its a pity we haven't been given the full version which, shocking or not, is no doubt the better film. What we have is worth checking out if you've not seen it.

In many ways this tale of a dysfunctional family reminded me of Animal Kingdom (2010) where an innocent joins a loving and close family only to discover they are a ruthless crime lords. This narrative is familiar and stretches back to The Godfather (1972) and this Scandinavian film takes the basics and lends it a modern, disturbing edge. Ida (Sandra Guldberg Camp), a seventeen year old withdrawn girl, is sent by a stretched social services to live with her Aunt Bodil (Side Babett Knudsen) after her mother dies in a car accident. Welcomed by Bodil and her three adult sons she soon discovers that the Club they run is a front for a loan shark business where intimidation, threats and violence are used on defaulters. Ida finds herself easily drawn into the life of crime until one day things go very wrong and she realises there's a price to pay. This is an interesting film and Kampp gives a subtle performance of a girl both trapped yet unleashed into a world she doesn't understand. It's in the complex relationships between the family members that the film is focused and consequently this is not a film with action although shocks do occur. Worth checking out.

There's something quite magical, mystical and uplifting in this tale of true love and destiny. A wonderfully clever idea and beautifully structured romantic film that posits that love will find a way and that memories are important even when relationships end. This is a story about Joel (Jim Carrey) and Clementine (Kate Winslet), who meet, fall in love and each brings out a side in each other they didn't know they had. Joel tends to be withdrawn while Clementine in impulsive but when their relationship sours Joel is heartbroken and angry when he discovers Clementine has undergone a revolutionary procedure to have all her memories of Joel erased. Partly in revenge and partly for self preservation Joel decides to have the same treatment but whilst under the anaesthesia he fights to retain at least one memory of Clementine as they all gradually start to fade. With a large section of the film told from the perspective of the unconscious Joel trying to control his memory this is an intricate story edited perfectly and balanced with the involvement of the four members of the team carrying out the procedure: Tom Wilkinson as Harold the pioneer who devised it, Mark Ruffalo and Elijah Wood as his assistants and Kirsten Dunst as the office girl. Their part in the story is far more involved than at first revealed. The film is humorous, sad and delves into the shadows of the inner self and the human desire to eradicate painful memories, it's a wonderful and unforgettable film and one to revisit every so often because it's a real joy.

John Carpenters cult sci-fi thriller still entertains even though in many respects it hasn't aged well. Viewed as an alternative future story where a dystopian USA, heavily crime ridden, with the world in the throes of a world war, is now a fascist state. To cope with crime there is now only one prison, a walled in Manhattan island, with a heavy security force surrounding it and one rule, "Once you go in, you never come out". When the President's plane crashes inside the prison the Security boss, Hauk (Lee van Cleef) has to send in former special forces soldier Snake Plissken (Kurt Russell), who is a new prisoner just arrived, with a promise of freedom if he gets the president back. There's a time clock running to add to the tension. Plenty of gritty action and chases through the rubbish strewn streets at night before the hero gets captured and has to battle to escape. Russell, here shaking off his Disney persona and channelling a Clint Eastwood impersonation, has managed to create a hugely memorable character, a classic American anti-hero. " Call me Snake" has become one of the most famous quotable lines in this superbly fun film. It's actually set in 1997, hence the need to view it as an alternative future, and the technology on display is very dated but once you get past that this is a film all about an iconic character facing insurmountable odds to win the day. Carpenter brings in horror aspects with his depiction of the world inside the prison, with 'crazies' who live in the sewers and other weird and violent aspects including the dangers of driving down Broadway! In many ways this is a satire on America, the fear of the night and gang culture. Veteran British actor Donald Pleasance plays the President as a cowardly narcissist and Harry Dean Stanton is great as a prisoner that is forced to choose sides. The film boasts Ernest Borgnine and Isaac Hayes as the main baddie. This is one of Carpenter's best films and definitely a must see, and you'll hum the theme music for days afterwards.

An incoherent and muddled film from director Abel Ferrara who seems to be channeling Michael Mann type stylings with chiaroscuro lighting in city nighttime scenes and blurry handheld camera work offering lots of grainy close ups. Even the soundtrack is very reminiscent of Mann's films. But there's an incomprehensible narrative that ultimately leads to a boring film. You watch hoping something good is going to happen but no, you're just disappointed. Ethan Hawke, no doubt attracted to getting to play two parts, is ostensibly some sort of American soldier cum mercenary who is in Rome to prevent a terrorist attack on the Vatican. He's also interested in finding his twin brother who may be dead, maybe in prison or held hostage... to be honest I'm confused about this. There's some strange scenes involving Russian gangsters and lots and lots of characters watching footage on cameras or computers which after awhile becomes all very meaningless. This ends up as a boring exercise in indulgent film making and it's not worth your time believe me.

You will laugh, you will gasp and you will groan at this, another hi octane yet imbecilic comedy action movie that has Quentin Tarantino mixed with Michael Bay stylings all over it. There's little doubt everyone is having loads of fun in this romp full of cartoon violence, sassy dialogue and an occasionally confusing story. It's all about a silver briefcase, acting as the film's McGuffin, that is on a Japanese bullet train heading to Kyoto where it's to be collected by the big baddie (Michael Shannon) channeling a sort of Keyser Söse. On the train are an assortment of professional assassins who basically fight for possession of it during the course of the film including Brad Pitt as an underworld fixer with a new found attempt at positivity despite being plagued by bad luck, Aaron Taylor Johnson and Brian Tyree Henry as a pair of gangster types who get most of the best lines, and Joey King as a schoolgirl like assassin who has a more devious agenda. There's a few more too, oh and there's a poisonous snake loose too. It's all very Kill Bill without the originality. It's not a dead loss and there's some fun to be had watching this especially on the big screen but ultimately it's a mindless comedy actioner with a good cast.

A 'David vs Goliath' story, based on a real one and with an award winning performance by Julia Roberts. She plays the title character, a sassy, street smart single mother who struggles financially while trying desperately to get a job without any qualifications. She eventually finds a job as a clerk in a small LA law firm owned by lawyer Ed (Albert Finney). But unpopular with the other staff because she's very direct and dresses provocatively Ed allows Erin to look into what he sees as a small property case involving a big power company. But Erin, who is extremely smart, uncovers a scandal where the company have dumped a cancer causing poison into a small town's water supply and are trying to hide their culpability. This soon turns into the biggest lawsuit case Ed has ever been involved in much to his consternation. Not only is this a great character piece but it's also a fascinating and uplifting story of fighting a massively rich company whose corruption knows no bounds. There's sadness here and also anger that in the land of the free this casual disregard for human life to secure profit really happened on such a scale. Roberts plays Erin as a larger than life charismatic person but who hides her demons. This is played out at just the right pitch in her new and gentle relationship with biker George (Aaron Eckhart). The film ensures that whilst Erin is the focus of the narrative she never overrides the drama of the victims in the story. In that sense this is a first class story and a film that deserves rediscovering.

The Predator franchise hasn't been very successful, after the stunningly brilliant original film (1987) came a series of dafter and unfulfilling sequels that have never been well received. But now we have a new film and it's a corker too. Returning to the essence of the original film and some neat links to it we have a prequel set 300 years before the first film. A young Comanche woman Naru (Amber Midthunder) is an expert tracker and keen hunter, she joins her brother's hunting party despite their attitudes to her being just a woman. But an alien predator is also in the forest and so begins a battle between them. This has everything a Predator movie should have, it's tense, neatly gory and essentially a battle of wits as the Indian warrior has to learn how to defeat this incredible enemy. The effects are good and there's neat details for the Predator fan to check out. Some of the script's lines reflect back to the original film and there's also links to Predator 2 (1990). It's a real pity this has not been given a cinema release and you'll have to check it out on Disney+ in the UK. Thoroughly enjoyable and exciting.

A great prison escape drama based on real events and the last collaboration between Clint Eastwood and director Don Siegel. Typical of both star and director it's a film that doesn't waste anything, it's a taut, well told story with an occasionally clumsy script moment and interestingly it isn't structured as a star vehicle considering Eastwood's box office pull in the 70s. Shot on the actual Alcatraz island this tells the story of the escape by three men, Frank Morris (Eastwood) and the Anglin brothers (Fred Ward & Jack Thibeau) who managed to burrow out of their cells and with makeshift life rafts disappear into the San Francisco Bay. Not only is their plans for the escape create the usual tense drama as discovery is always potentially possible but Siegel also has time to deviate away to reveal the sort of life at Alcatraz as a maximum security prison was for the prisoners. To ensure the film sides with the escapees (and to some extent the prisoners in general) the story creates a fictional head warden played with delicious nastiness by Patrick McGoohan. His casual coldness to all things exemplified in his crushing of the emblematic flower which is part of the narrative centring on the character of Doc (Roberts Blossom) who acts as the films heart. Interesting story in a lean and well made film and a solid Eastwood performance. Definitely a film to seek out if you've never seen it.

Director Ron Howard has the straight forward story telling ability to draw tension, stress even, from stories where the viewer already knows the outcome, Apollo 13 (1995) for example. Here he does it again with a simple story of the rescue of twelve Thai schoolboys and their football coach who become trapped in a large 'tourist' cave when monsoon rains unexpectedly arrive and cause the cave to flood. It's a story of ordinary heroism when Thai Navy SEALS assisted by cave diving experts Rick Stanton (Viggo Mortensen) and John Volanthen (Colin Farrell) at first find the boys all alive after several days of their being alone in the cave and having to navigate treacherous passages and strong floodwater currents to reach them. The expected claustrophobic scenes make for a thrilling and occasionally edge of your seat experience. But this is only the first part of the story as how to get them out becomes the major plot issue. With casualties forecast by the straight talking Stanton he comes up with the daring and highly risky plan to use Australian cave diver and qualified anaesthetist, Harry Harris (Joel Edgerton), to put the boys to sleep one by one and drag them through the long, torturous dive to get them out. Howard draws every emotion from the scenario including the plight of the smallest boy forced to be the last to make the journey as finding a facemark to fit him proves difficult. On the surface there is the political struggles of the local Governor who realises he's to be the fall guy if anything goes wrong. Howard also rightly and smartly doesn't overcook the potential 'white' saviour issue which is partly unavoidable by making sure that Mortensen, Farrell etc play their parts as unassuming as possible, they're simply experts who volunteer to help. The narrative does introduce a slight friction between the Thai SEALS and these foreigners but it's never pushed as a major plot device. Overall this is a riveting and moving story of a real event allegedly quite accurate, as a film it's definitely worth checking out.