Film Reviews by GI

The name Fred Rogers will be unfamiliar in the UK but in the US he was a children's TV icon running a popular show, 'Mr Roger's Neighborhood', from 1963 to 2001, which made him a national treasure. Tom Hanks plays the ever so kindly Rogers in what isn't a biopic story as such but is based on his relationship with hardbitten and cynical reporter, Lloyd Vogel (Matthew Rhys). Vogel is assigned to do a short piece on Rogers, a role he takes on reluctantly, but he finds that the TV persona that Rogers displays is actually not an act and very soon Vogel's interview becomes Rogers' insightful examination of Vogel's personal problems. This is a story of a man impervious to cynicism, who senses unhappiness in people and actively tries to help them and his opposite, a man embittered by his failed relationship with his father (Chris Cooper) and who is constantly angry with the world. This makes for an actually quite touching film enhanced by Hanks ability to play the inimitable Rogers so well. A film I found myself enjoying despite myself and you don't have to have any prior knowledge about Fred Rogers (I didn't) to quickly grasp who he is and what this film is about. This is really a story of a man finding happiness with his life. It's really quite lovely.

A dark, brutal thriller that oozes originality and a kind of mystical aura to the story. With the influence of Taxi Driver (1976) running through this is a compelling character study of a traumatised Gulf war veteran haunted by his past and with frightening memories of childhood who now hires himself out as a 'fixer'. He has a reputation for getting results especially in finding missing teenagers and is willing to resort to uncompromising violence when it's required. Joaquin Pheonix plays Joe, a dark. brooding man who lives with his elderly mother. He's hired by a US Senator to find his 13 year old daughter who failed to come home one evening. With one small clue Joe manages to find her in the clutches of a brothel specialising in underage girls but her rescue begins a chain of violent events and Joe finds himself caught up in a murderous conspiracy. He reacts in the only way he knows how! Pheonix gives an awesome and at times terrifying portrayal of a man bordering on insanity but managing to retain a semblance of reality as he channels the violence within him towards those in his path. He's like a seething volcano and unstoppable once erupted. But this is more than just a violent revenge/vigilante film, there's a clever complexity to the character and the events in which he finds himself and Scottish director Lynne Ramsay twists the film to imply a blending of nightmare and reality. This is a first class piece of film making and highly recommended if you've not seen it.

A strange film that has a dreamlike quality to the narrative. Clearly a criticism of the populist and nationalist government in Brazil it is set in a remote Brazilian village that finds itself more and more isolated. The water supply is cut off, coffins are being delivered to the village and the telephone network is disconnected. As the villagers start to deal with this they find that people are being shot and that a group of safari type tourists are moving in on the village to shoot people for sport. They find the villagers are not an easy push over. Satirical and very bloody this is somewhat of a weird and surreal film. It's certainly an interesting variation on films like Battle Royale (2000). Worth a look.

There is no doubt that the real events behind this film is a remarkable story but unfortunately, whilst it looks great, the film is a plodding affair. It tells the tale of Jan Baalsrud, a Norwegian commando trained by the British who with eleven others attempt to land in occupied Norway in the winter of 1943 with a mission to sabotage German strategic airfields and such. But they are betrayed and only Jan escapes during the German ambush. The film then becomes a long, drawn out survival narrative of Baalsrud, making an attempt to escape to Sweden across the wilderness whilst wounded and frostbitten. Jonathan Rhys Meyers plays the rather clichéd Gestapo officer, with facial duelling scar attached, who attempts to hunt him down. The director, Harald Zwart, adds in various hallucination scenes where Jan is holed up, literally for weeks in some cases, to try and spice up the story but it just ends up making it more prolonged and eventually tedious. A pity because as I say the story is of an astounding feat of bravery but as a cinematic war drama it needed some action.

For a film-maker of Clint Eastwood's skill and pedigree this is a mind bendingly dull film. It's probably one of the most conservative and crass pieces of cinema I've seen in quite awhile. It's well known that Eastwood loves waving the American flag at us and in many of his films this can be forgiven because surrounding it has been a good film. Not here though. This retells the story of a genuinely heroic event where three American friends, on holiday in Europe, along with other passengers (who get scant mention in this film!), took down a terrorist on a train preventing him from mass murder. The few minutes of that actual event is strung out into a narrative that forces the viewer on a crash course into the boring past lives of these three (lives where guns, christianity and delinquency are thrust down ones throat as good American values!) and then onto their very dull European holiday where they take endless selfies, drink endless coffees and/or beers and slap each other on the back a lot. The film is not improved by the rather weird decision to have the actual three guys play themselves in the movie. They can't act....at all. The wooden performances makes them come across as rather dense and perhaps they are but it detracts from their courageous act, the purpose of the film in the first place! Either way this is a poor film, monotonous and dull.

Fantastically entertaining sword & sorcery film adapted from a graphic novel and digitally produced to give it what was then a unique look (Sin City had a similar style a year earlier). Director Zack Snyder wisely made the film bloody, violent and very adult so its cartoonish look is overridden by the sheer spectacle and the wonderful slow motion battle scenes, strange creatures and often graphic violence. The story is built around real events namely the Battle of Thermopylae that took place in 480BC when a small band of Greek Spartan warriors held off a huge invading Persian army. Graphic novelist Frank Miller turned the history into a very popular fantasy epic and this film recreates his novel for the screen along with depraved beast like men, weird orgies and macho heroism. Gerard Butler, in his best ever role, is King Leonidas who having been forbidden to go to war by the deformed priests who control the laws of his land, takes 300 of his best warriors in defiance of them to defend a small pass against Xerxes (Rodrigo Santoro), Ruler of Persia, and his massive army. The support cast are fantastic and includes Michael Fassbender in his film debut, Dominic West, David Wenham and Vincent Egan. This is a film about heroism, utilising the old Greek myth type stories of old, a film that in earlier times would have been made with stop motion. What's great about this is it's simply great fun from start to finish. Every image is beautifully rendered and the action is exciting stuff. A film that takes facts, adds legend, myth and fantasy to make a contemporary action movie that really rocks.

A deliciously gory and entertaining modern horror film with a unique setting. Adapted from a graphic novel the film is set in Barrow, Alaska, the most northerly town in the USA and every year the town has a complete month where the sun doesn't rise. Many people leave the town for this time but many also stay and as everyone is preparing for the annual 30 days of night the Sheriff, Eben (Josh Hartnett), is baffled by a series of strange crimes where peoples mobile phones are stolen, generators are vandalised and dogs are killed. He soon arrests a stranger (Ben Foster) but the discovery of a body is quickly followed by the town being attacked by a strange cult with an uncontrollable blood lust and a few survivors try to hide out until the sun returns. This is a modern day take on the vampire film and truly gruesome they are too. Danny Huston is excellent as the leader of the nasties. This is not a film that dwells on the old tropes of the sub genre so there are no wooden stakes or garlic etc although the issue of sunlight is the key to the milieu. Horror films are thematically about some inner fear and vampire based stories are the fear of strangers, foreigners, disease and often uncontrollable lust. This film doesn't have any of the sexual desire themes but it strongly focuses on foreign intruders and consequently resonates with modern fears of immigration etc. But that aside this is action filled, bloody and downright good fun so if you love a good horror film then this is for you and even if you're not usually drawn to such films this one is worth trying because it's rather good.

Similarly themed to High Noon (1952) this tense, revisionist western is a classic of the genre. Shot in stark black and white at a time when colour was prevalent especially in westerns it creates a parched, desperate landscape that matches the growing tension of the story. After a robbery outlaw Ben Wade (Glenn Ford) lingers over a prostitute in the nearby town and gets caught. Expecting his large gang will come to free him a reward is offered for a volunteer to get him on the 3.10 train to Yuma prison. Broke and struggling rancher Dan (Van Heflin) needs the money and despite his wife begging him to stay out of the matter Dan takes on the job. The long wait for the train to arrive while Ben's gang congregate around the town ready to free him is only the beginning Dan also has the long walk to the station to overcome. The use of time to increase the sense of danger and the gradual desertion of allies makes for a top class drama here. This is a basic tale of good vs evil and ultimately a slice of redemption too. It's not an action western by any means but certainly one that began a trend in a more darker vision of the genre in the vein of a film noir. The dynamic between Ford and Heflin is superb and makes the film so good as they spar with each other and debate their respective morals. A stone cold classic and definitely a film every cinephile should make sure they see.

A tour de force performance by Riz Ahmed makes this a deeply moving and powerful drama. He plays Ruben, a former drug addict and now the drummer in heavy metal band Black Gammon along with his girlfriend Lou (Olivia Cooke). They live life on the road together travelling America on tour in their winnebago. But Ruben's life is thrown into total disarray when he loses his hearing. His frustration and utter desperation are wonderfully portrayed by Ahmed assisted by the use of a muted soundtrack to simulate his limited hearing and the closing in of his world. He is forced by Lou to join a community for the deaf where it's taught that deafness is a condition that can be lived with and not something to be cured. But Ruben is desperate to get his old life with Lou back. A well deserved Oscar nomination for Ahmed and a host of other BAFTA and Oscar nods are all justified in this compelling drama. Mathieu Amalric has a small support role. Highly recommended.

A very original romcom filmed at the 2010 T In The Park music festival and cleverly structured around the actual festival goers who were unaware that a movie was in the making. It's a delightful and humorous film with Luke Treadaway as Adam, the lead singer of a world renowned rock group The Make, who are appearing at the festival. He gets into an argument with Morello (Natalia Tena), who heads up all girl punk group The Dirty Pinks, who are also performing. Seeing them arguing a stranger suddenly handcuffs them together and disappears into the crowd. Forced to spend time together, even with Adam having to be on stage with Morello's band, they also have to contend with their jealous girlfriend and boyfriend as well as deal with Adam's very drunk manager. This is a quirky little British film and the setting makes it very appealing especially if you've been a festival goer as it captures the sheer mania of being at an event like this. Deep down it's a lovely, heartwarming romance set in the world of contemporary music and the result is a cheeky little film of real charm. Music lovers will also enjoy the snippets of bands playing at the festival.

A new adaptation of Daphne Du Maurier's classic gothic novel has much going for it but it's ultimately somewhat disappointing. This is possibly because one has come to expect something quite radical and unnerving from director Ben Wheatley but here he seems too restrained and of course there is always the temptation to compare this with Alfred Hitchcock's celebrated 1940 film. The two leads of Armie Hammer and Lily James are ok, although Hammer sort of lacks the icy English snobbery that the character demands but as two beautiful lovers they fit the bill well enough. He's Maxim De Winter, a rich country gent in 1930s England and who whilst on holiday in Monte Carlo meets and woos the naive young woman and proposes. But taking her back to his country estate in Cornwall soon brings dark memories for all concerned as the house is dominated by the memory of his first wife Rebecca who has recently drowned in a boating accident. Representing this is the scheming and malevolent housekeeper Mrs Danvers (Kristen Scott Thomas) who's devotion to the deceased Rebecca sets her on a plan to destroy the new marriage. The film has that balmy colour palette that sets it as a period piece and the mystery aspects of the story are well told especially if you are unfamiliar with it but it doesn't fully push the sheer darkness and gothic aspects of the tale. The unnamed new wife starts to find some resolve to fight back against Rebecca but all a little too flimsily and I'm not sure what the final scenes are trying to indicate. In any case this may find an appeal to a modern audience but the 1940 film is far, far better version of this great story.

This courtroom drama is both intentionally timely and quite electrifying mainly due to the outstanding cast and performances. It recreates events from 1968 when various anti Vietnam War groups congregated in Chicago to demonstrate at the Democratic Party Convention. They were met by an aggressive police response and eight (this is whittled down to seven in the course of the story) leaders of the various groups were selected by the new Nixon administration for a show trial accused of conspiring to start a riot. The courtroom scenes are really good with Mark Rylance as the increasingly frustrated defence attorney, his frustration caused by the obvious bias of the trial judge played with vigour by Frank Langella. Some of the flashback scenes to the events are occasionally a little clunky when they are intermixed with future scenes of Abbie Hoffman (Sacha Baron Cohen in a rare but excellent dramatic role), one of the defendants, giving a talk to students. But overall this is a sharply told drama highlighting America's prickly relationship with social dissent despite their pretentions of democracy and freedom. The most disturbing scenes are of those involving Bobby Seale (Yahya Abdul-Mateen II), the Black Panther leader, who is one of the defendants even though he wasn't even in Chicago at the time. Cast includes Eddie Redmayne, Joseph Gordon-Levitt and Michael Keaton. An absorbing film, interesting, well told and one that plots a path between past events and current ones. Recommended.

This is an amiable mystery drama with plenty of humour and a balmy vision of Victorian England. A spin off of the now ubiquitous Sherlock Holmes franchise where the teenage sister, Enola (Millie Bobby Brown), of Sherlock and Mycroft has been home schooled and raised by their bohemian mother (Helena Bonham Carter). When she disappears Enola, something of a sleuth herself and very able in the martial arts department, commits to finding her. This is despite her brothers intention of sending her to a boarding school for young ladies. Enola slips away and heads for London where she becomes embroiled in a plot involving a missing Viscount. It's all good fun and with Enola talking to and making expressions to camera it's stylistically reminiscent of TVs Fleabag and Killing Eve (not really surprising since director Harry Bradbeer was involved with Killing Eve). The downside is the story is a bit weak and spread over too long a running time so the film does stretch the patience on occasion. Henry Cavill as Sherlock and Sam Calflin as Mycroft do a good turn as does Fiona Shaw as the headmistress of the Girls School. The set up suggests a sequel or even a series for TV however this film is family entertainment that can be enjoyed by everyone even though it lacks a credible baddie and the plot didn't have enough detecting and went for too much fighting instead.

This is a gothic noir set in the backwoods and about 'poor white trash' in an ensemble tale spanning from the end of the Second World War into the mid 60s. The narrative circumnavigates around Arvin (Michael Banks Repeta as a child then Tom Holland as the older) who grows up in a small Ohio town of Knockemstiff (not made up apparently!) where his war traumatised father is a devout christian and forces his son into various sacrifices in order to try and save his wife from cancer. Of course this fails and death, corruption and murder follow Arvin around. This is all covered through various characters including a married couple who are on a depraved killing spree (Jason Clarke & Riley Keough), a corrupt town sheriff (Sebastian Stan) and a perverted and thoroughly icky priest played with smarmy perfection by Robert Pattinson. This is a thoroughly macabre story, well produced but too long and to be honest I struggled to see what the actual point was. Death and misfortune follows Arvin wherever he goes even to the very end where his final association is with a suitably enigmatic character whose identity I assume I guessed correctly - the film doesn't confirm or deny my theory. This is watchable and sometimes very intriguing but overall it's all a little vague and unsatisfying, worth the time for the great performance of Pattinson though.

This surreal, ever so weird drama does give you feelings of disquiet and occasionally foreboding but ultimately I found it lacking in depth and just a little too far out there to make it either riveting or enjoyable. Director Charlie Kaufman has a gift for comedy which is sadly missing here although the claustrophobia and themes of loneliness and hopelessness this film purveys have a way of getting under the viewer's skin. An unnamed young student has reluctantly agreed to go with her boyfriend Jake (Jesse Plemons) to meet his parents. They undertake the journey in a snowstorm and the woman is already having doubts about the future of her relationship with Jake. When they arrive at his parents farm the nightmarish elements of the film really begin, with his strange parents (Toni Collette and David Thewlis) who's appearances keep changing along with the furnishings and photographs. Insisting on going home their drive back gets repeatedly interrupted especially when Jake decides to stop at his old high school. If you need to your films to have a straight forward story then this isn't for you, as the narrative veers off in some very strange and incomprehensible directions. This is an unexpected and unsettling psychological drama and isn't for everyone and to be honest I didn't enjoy it as much as some of Kaufman's earlier work.