Film Reviews by GI

This is a wonderfully scripted farce from the Coen Brothers, a situation comedy that relies on assumptions, greed and stupidity to weave a convoluted tale that satirises the spy film genre. With it's top cast this is a film worthy of re-evaluation, it's adult and very funny and it's great to see these actors playing against type. The plot involves a floppy disc that contains the rather boring memoirs of Osborne Cox (John Malkovich), a former CIA analyst sacked for his drinking problem. His snobbish wife Katie (Tilda Swinton) wants a divorce and expects her married lover, Harry (George Clooney), a sex obsessed Treasury Agent, to move in with her. The disc gets lost and is found by two hapless gymnasium employees, Linda (Frances McDormand) and Chad (Brad Pitt) who think they've come across secret intelligence files. Their attempts to bribe Osborne results in all the characters getting embroiled together in some very unexpected ways. The film has some very unexpected surprises and you'll gasp with some shocked laughter at times and like all of the Coens' film it goes in directions you will not anticipate. This is what makes their movies such great fun and here in this comedy they are clearly having a great time with the characters most of which were written specifically for the actors playing them. Brad Pitt especially excels as the amiable but thoroughly stupid Chad. This is an underrated film but one I recommend because it's adult comedy that is well written, and wonderfully performed.

Award winning biopic that follows the last year of the life of Judy Garland. Renée Zellweger totally dominates the role and her vocal performances are astounding. This is a story about the price of fame and celebrity and includes flashbacks to Garland's time as a child actor being exploited and abused by movie mogul Louis B. Mayer (Richard Cordery). The main story deals with Garland's arrival in London in 1968 to do a series of concerts at The Talk Of The Town. She's been forced into it due to financial difficulties and a custody battle with her ex husband over her two youngest children. Relying on alcohol and drugs she has to be coaxed on to the stage each night by her assistant Rosalyn (Jessie Buckley). Garland is portrayed as a sad victim, exploited all her life and now in mental and physical decline. the magic is that when eventually faced with an audience she sparkles into life as a performer of rare talent. Zellweger gives a first rate performance not only singing all the songs herself but also creating the vulnerability that controlled Garland's feelings and life. This is an entertaining film, with a touch too much sweetness to balance the melancholy and it does gloss over Garland's reliance on drugs, which eventually killed her but it's well worth checking out.

One of the greatest cop thrillers ever made. Exciting, gritty and with a great plot that has twists and turns with one of the best car chase sequences as a centrepoint to the film. Steve McQueen plays San Francisco detective Frank Bullitt who is assigned to guard a Chicago gangster who is to give evidence against the mob. When he is murdered Frank defies the DA Chalmers (Robert Vaughn) and goes on his own investigation to find out who did the killing. But he soon becomes embroiled in a case of mistaken identities and political intrigue. With some realistic violence and that very fast paced iconic chase sequence with McQueen doing much of the driving in a Ford Mustang fastback this is a fantastic film. The film's climactic foot chase through San Francisco airport ends what is overall one of the best cop films you'll ever see. It was very influential in films like Dirty Harry and The French Connection (both 1971) for example. Here is an action film that has mystery, film noir styling, chiaroscuro lighting especially in the night and indoor sequences and a star at the top of his game. Jacqueline Bisset supports as McQueen's girl and there's Robert Duvall in a support role too. One of those films everyone should see.

A classic British thriller shot in black and white, this mystery drama from director Otto Preminger is captivating. It's very film noir in style but it's the great story that hooks you in. Carol Lynley plays Ann Lake, a naïve American who has just moved to London with her journalist brother, Steven (Keir Dullea) and her four year old daughter Bunny. Pressured by time Ann drops Bunny off at her new nursery school but when she returns the child has gone missing and no one can remember seeing her. Soon the police in the form of Superintendent Newhouse (Laurence Olivier) arrive and he quickly begins to suspect that Bunny doesn't exist and begins to investigate why Ann should have invented her. There are mysterious characters littered throughout not least the mysterious former Headmistress of the school (Martita Hunt) and Ann's landlord, the seedy Horacio Wilson (Nöel Coward). Preminger's skill is making the viewer begin to suspect different characters too as the narrative picks up pace. The film, whilst tame by todays standards, did push boundaries back in the mid 1960s with it's references to abortion and the odd swear word but this is great British crime film and one that offers a vision of London in the mid 60s adding a good dose of nostalgia and definitely one to seek out if you've never seen it.

This is a great sports themed romcom, very funny, adult and sexy and although it's set in the world of minor league baseball you don't have to be either a fan or indeed know anything about the game to enjoy this. Kevin Costner plays Crash Davis, a veteran baseball player, who is drafted in to mentor the new fast pitcher, Ebby Calvin 'Nuke' LaLoosh (Tim Robbins) who is the new signing for the Durham Bulls team. Nuke is a super fast pitcher but is something of a dope and the experienced yet cynical Crash has to get him ready for potential promotion to the major leagues. Trouble starts very early when they become love rivals over Annie (Susan Sarandon). She is a devoted fan of the team and habitually hooks up with one player every season. This year she finds it difficult to choose between the young Nuke or the more romantic Crash. The film is witty, hilarious and great fun. Costner shows his knack for comedy and Sarandon and Robbins are superb here (as a real life couple they have cited this as their favourite film). The story delves into the tough life of playing in minor leagues desperately trying to make it to the big time but at the same time it's a delightful romantic comedy that is well worth checking out.

Essentially a crime thriller with a road movie style and a twisted love story at its heart. This film ended a string of masterpiece films from director Sam Peckinpah that studied flawed (anti) heroes who are destined through a failed machismo to die violently. This is possibly Peckinpah's most self referential film and one where he was allowed to make and edit the film exactly as he wanted it. For many this is his best film others find it a challenge. It's certainly a provocative one, the title alone highlights this, but it's also one of the most interesting and compelling American films to come out of the 1970s. Peckinpah had an abiding passion for Mexico and many of his films have either key scenes set there or have characters trying to escape to there. This film is entirely set in Mexico and tells the story of Bennie (Warren Oates), a down on his luck bartender cum piano player, in a seedy Mexican bar. When he learns a big crime lord has put out a contract on the life of his love rival Alfredo, Bennie sees an opportunity to get rich. Knowing Alfredo has died in a car accident, Bennie, along with his prostitute girlfriend (Isela Vega), goes in search of where Alfredo is buried in order to steal his head and claim the reward. But events along the way cause Bennie to change his motivations from greed to revenge. With Peckinpah's trademark, balletic use of slow motion and with a poetic style of storytelling this is a land mark film, and whilst it maybe a challenging one for audiences today I can guarantee you'll find this quite different, challenging and yet very watchable.

An entertaining satire from director Adam McKay that cleverly examines the state and ridiculousness of modern political ideologies, media and celebrities all wrapped up in a disaster/apocalyptic narrative. Jennifer Lawrence is a young astronomy student studying under the always anxious Professor Mindy (Leonardo DiCaprio). They discover a comet that is on a collision course for the Earth but become increasingly frustrated that the President (Meryl Streep) and media, in the guise of Cate Blanchett, treat it as a political problem they need to bury in order to secure reelection and to increase TV ratings. Super rich media guru Peter Isherwell (Mark Rylance) sees it as an opportunity to try and get richer. The US administration is portrayed as a Trumpian band of self serving fools but as dangerous to the very future of humanity. In this regard the film is a bit of a blunt instrument and it could've benefited from a few more laughs. But with its depictions of a society obsessed with image, mobile phones and where people will believe anything despite clear evidence to the contrary. When the comet is clearly visible in the sky and people are urged to 'just look up' to show they're being lied to the President launches a counter campaign telling them 'don't look up'. Well worth a watch this has some good sci-fi scenes and a great cast including Jonah Hill as the President's son and chief of staff, Timothée Chalamet, Ron Perlman and Himesh Patel.

A magical and delightful animated film that is a Christmas classic. It has an aura of mystery, fantasy and an 'englishness' that makes it nostalgic and quite wonderful. Based on the children's book by Raymond Briggs it is the story of a little boy who awakes one winter morning to discover a heavy snowfall has occurred overnight, in his excitement he plays all day in the garden and builds a snowman. That night, unable to sleep he goes outside to look at his creation to suddenly find the snowman magically comes to life and takes him on an adventure to visit Santa. The animation, grand orchestral soundtrack, the story and of course the song Walking In The Air (not sung by Aled Jones in the film by the way) makes for a lovely film that has a poignancy and a real feel for Christmas's past, present and future. Originally presented without any introduction scenes three different ones were added over the years including one with David Bowie. For me it didn't need any of them and the original version is the better for being without one. This is a film to show your children because it's actually something quite special, but then again I'm a bit of an old softy!

This is one of the closest adaptations to Charles Dickens famous Christmas ghost story and it's a marvellous recreation of Victorian England and arguably has the greatest Scrooge actor in Alastair Sim. The film is all dark shadows, doom & gloom lighting and filled with wonderfully constructed characters played by a host of British talent. The story is well known and there are only slight deviations from the novel. Ebenezer Scrooge is a rich businessman who ensures his fortune is secured by stinginess and intolerance of his fellow man. But visited by four ghosts on Christmas Eve changes his view of life for the better. The narrative structure allows flashbacks to tell his life story and in doing so gives his character heart and an element of real sadness. George Cole plays the young Ebenezer, Patrick Macnee is the young Jacob Marley with Michael Hordern the elder. You'll also spot Jack Warner in a cameo and the wonderful Mervyn Johns as Bob Cratchit. A thoroughly delightful Christmas film and still the best of the many versions made since.

Paddington Bear is almost a British institution as most children grew up reading the famous books by Michael Bond. This live action film adaptation really nails the character, not only of the bear from darkest Peru but also of the human characters - The Browns, Mrs Bird and Mr Curry. The great thing is the film is hilarious, heartwarming and thoroughly great family entertainment. After his home in Peru is destroyed in an earthquake a young and rare bear stows away on a ship to London to find the explorer who first discovered his family years before and taught them English. But alone and afraid in London he is taken in by the Browns who name him Paddington after finding him at the rail station but the nasty Millicent, a taxidermist covets Paddington for his rarity and intends to kill and stuff him. Hugh Bonneville, Sally Hawkins and Julie Walters are all on fine comedy form and Peter Capaldi and Nicole Kidman play the baddies with Ben Whishaw voicing Paddington. A family film that warms the cockles especially as a Christmas time one that is simply wonderful.

A light comedy that has wit and a certain charm and yet it's all a touch dull. There's a clash of cultures theme going on in the background here with a story, supposedly based on a real one, that didn't work for me although the film explains it's a cultural norm, something I found hard to believe. Anyway it's about a young Chinese born girl, Billi (Awkwafina) who has been raised and lives in New York. She regularly contacts her beloved grandmother, Nai Nai (Shuzhen Zhao), who lives in China by phone and is distraught when she discovers Nai Nai has less than a few months to live due to cancer. The surprise is that the family have decided to hide this from Nai Nai and they've bought forward a family wedding in China as a ruse to get together with her. Having an American way of thinking Billi thinks this is wrong but goes along with it and at the family gathering the issues between the various factions in the family come to the fore. This is a pleasant enough family comedy drama but it just didn't liven up enough for me despite an especially good performance from Awkwafina.

It's quite surprising to remember that this wasn't that big a success when it was released considering it is now a perennial Christmas favourite and often thought of as the ultimate romantic comedy. The intertwining stories of loves lost and found that are told on the five weeks run up to Christmas are a mixed bag and there are some misfires in there. These can be forgiven because they are well concealed by the sheer fun and magic of the film as a whole. Outstanding are Alan Rickman and Emma Thompson as the married couple shattered when he has a brief affair with his secretary. Thompson's performance here is magnificent and on every viewing you can't help feel her pain and sadness. Hugh Grant as the UK Prime Minister is great casting although the choice of TV soap actress Martine McCutcheon as his ideal girl is one of the film's odd decisions and their story arc doesn't fully work. But the dance scene in 10 Downing Street has fallen into the famous scene category. Liam Neeson as a bereaved husband helping his young stepson deal with unrequited love is a great story as is Andrew Lincoln's love for his best friend's wife. The comedy mostly works especially Bill Nighy as the has-been rock star Billy Mack who's Christmas pop song is used to link the stories. Nighy is always great and here is no exception. The film may have become too familiar to too many but on a cold winter evening in front of the fire it never fails to bring a smile and the odd tear to your eye.

This comedy drama suffers by a lack of both although there is a certain charm to the story and the film tries to avoid any clichés in its tale of a relationship between two women, one highly successful and the other trying to find her place. Dakota Johnson is the best thing here, her ability at funny expression and gentle asides gives the few laughs the film has. She plays Maggie, the put upon assistant to Grace (Tracee Ellis-Ross), a hugely successful pop singer but who is now finding her popularity is on the wane. Maggie tries to influence her career as she harbours ambition to be a record producer and instinctively knows how to get the best from Grace on record. But her money hungry manager (Ice Cube) will have none of it. When Maggie finds a young talent in street singer David (Kelvin Harrison Jr) she has to lie to get him to agree to let her produce a record for him. This causes all sorts of issues as you can imagine. Romance flits in and out of the story and there's a story twist that you'll see coming a mile away and is pretty daft anyway. It's in the film's sparky relationship between Maggie and Grace that the film has some interest, just not enough. Bill Pullman cameos as Maggie's dad and otherwise this is watchable but not as good as hoped.

Like much of director Abel Ferrara's work this is a cold, unfeeling film that drags somewhat and it's quite a bleak viewing experience. A mafia gangster film set in the 1930s where three criminal brothers have a mini empire. When the youngest Johnny (Vincent Gallo) is killed the elder two Ray (Christopher Walken) and Chez (Chris Penn) vow to find the killer and have their revenge. Their chief suspect is Gaspare (Benicio Del Toro), a smooth, nasty gangster who is a part rival of the brothers and they know Johnny was sleeping with Gaspare's wife and assumes he knows this too. Their plans and plots bring about family recriminations that will affect them all. Penn plays his usual unpleasant, bullying character with zero redeeming features and it's hard to pin down where Walken's character fits. The support cast is impressive and includes Isabella Rossellini and Annabella Sciorra. Bloody and violent this is probably a gangster film that has slipped your net so it's worth checking out.

The quintessential buddy cop movie and something different for Christmas, from the opening soundtrack song 'Jingle Bell Rock' to a shoot out at a Christmas tree sale this is a seasonal treat. A real thrill ride despite it having some very daft moments and pushing the boundaries of credibility. But it's so much fun not least because of the great onscreen partnership of Danny Glover and Mel Gibson. Gibson gets to do his unstable, borderline psycho act against Glover's grumpy by-the-book family man. It works well especially with the great Gary Busey as the chief bad guy. If you've never seen this then in short Glover is an LA detective with a lovely family who investigates the apparent suicide of the daughter of an old army buddy. He is given a new partner the psychotic (or is he??) Gibson who is grieving for his recently deceased wife. Together they expose a major drug smuggling operation. It's all shooting and chasing from there with some martial arts, a bit of comedy, some torture and it'll bring a smile to your face. It steals a scene and style from Dirty Harry (1971) and in turn the following year's Die Hard (1988) nicked the ending. I never took to the three sequels which get weaker as they went on but this original is still a film to enjoy time and time again.