Neon Kino

Act of Valour ★☆☆☆☆

2012-03-21T03:13:00.003-07:00

Featuring a cast of active-duty Navy SEALs and based on 'real life acts of valour', former film stuntmen Mike McCoy and Scott Waugh's 2012 directorial debut Act of Valour is an adrenaline-soaked action adventure fuelled on tired clichés and a simplistic grasp of world politics - a banal and incredibly manipulative piece of military recruitment with all the charm and charisma of an 18th century press gang.

The assassination of an US Ambassador in the Philippines illuminates a potentially devastating plot to undermine the integrity of America's democracy. The extent of these activities isn't truly understood until a team of highly trained Navy SEALs rescue an informant from a heavily guarded terrorist base. What they discover is every honest American's nightmare scenario – with a team of corrupt Russian arms dealers in cahoots with Muslim extremists to use the secret tunnels built by the Mexican drug cartels to smuggle suicide bombers into America. The SEALs must then navigate through a treacherous series of shoot-outs, nautical assaults and dodgy European accents if they're to save their country from the duel threat of 'terror and tyranny'.

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Unedited Ending:

It's the film's unabashed call to arms which is perhaps the most repulsive element of Act of Valour, with the film's atrocious reliance on the popularity of video games only match by its ideological depravity. From its pre-deployment beach party where we're introduced to these elite soldiers and informed of their tragic pasts and previously directionless lives (one was a shelf stacker whilst another was found 'dirt poor' in Trinidad) this heavy handed depiction of the army as a redemptive and educational career choice becomes painful to endure. If it wasn't for the film's complete lack of subtly then it might have been considered a dangerous piece of governmental propaganda, luckily though even the most impressionable minds should be able to see past Act of Valour's aspirations to be a clever piece of promotional filmmaking for the continued army recruitment drive for the ongoing battle against terror.

With an ethical code evolved from a foreign policy built on fear and paranoia, watching Act of Valour's Seal’s defend such stalwart American ideals as freedom and democracy is a hilarious, yet often painful experience. With its villains perceived as little more than the same stereotypical, one dimensional malevolent enemies of liberty and independence we've been subjected to time and time again, it becomes easier to see why America's foreign policy is often viewed with such contempt across the globe.

We Bought a Zoo ★★☆☆☆

2012-03-17T06:21:00.007-07:00

Light on animal shenanigans but high on schmaltz, Cameron Crowe returns to narrative filmmaking after a brief sabbatical to make music documentaries with We Bought a Zoo a family friendly tale based on the real life story of former UK journalist Benjamin Mee (Matt Damon), who after the untimely death of his wife uprooted his family to a new and remarkably different lifestyle in the country.

Using a familiar Hollywood mould, We Bought a Zoo transfers the film’s plot from Dartmoor Zoo in England, to sun-drenched California. Despite this change in location the pleasant climate hasn’t dampened Mee’s grief for the loss of his wife. His two children are dealing with it quite differently, with his Daughter Rosie (Maggie Elizabeth Jones) too young to understand, whilst Dylan (Colin Ford) has directed his disenfranchisement at his gothic art work and getting himself expelled from school. Mee comes across the Zoo which would soon become his home whilst searching for a new house away from the painful memories evoked by his wife’s recent departure. After a drawn out search he finally finds the perfect rural family home, the only catch is that it comes with a barely functioning zoo attached – with part of the sale agreement being that the owner maintains the upkeep of this ailing wildlife sanctuary. At first this fresh challenge excites Mee, but it doesn’t take too long before bureaucracy and the financially crippling cost of food bills begins to take its toll – endangering the future of ‘Rosemoore Wildlife park’ before it’s even had a chance to reopen. Thankfully help arrives in the form of his brother (Thomas Haden Church) and the motley crew of Zoo keepers he’s inherited (played by Scarlett Johansson, Angus MacFadyen, Elle Fanning and Patrick Fugit).

Constantly pushing beyond the boundaries of acceptable sentiment into the type of contrived emotional manipulation you’d expect from the most repugnant of made-for-TV family films, We Bought a Zoo can at times make for a gruelling viewing experience. Just when it looks like Crowe has found the right tone to carry his film forward, he quickly oversteps the mark into a series of overly mawkish set pieces, with this loose dramatic interpretation lacking the foundations required to carry its heavy handed, overly saccharine storyline. It’s a shame as beneath the warm and fuzzy facade of the film lies an interesting tale of repressed grief and the traumatic effects of maternal loss on a close knit family – unfortunately when this narrative device is used it’s done so in such a maudlin way that it’s impact is instantly diluted, quickly evolving into a collection of absurd and hideously misguided dream sequences.

The overpowering soundtrack by Sigur Rós’ Jonsi attempts to cover up the ineptitude of the film’s clumsy script, however, it’s excessive use soon becomes increasingly grating and instead of masking the atrocious delivery by the actors it only illuminates their failings. It’s difficult to tell if the stunted performances from Damon, Church and Johansson stems from the film’s weak script or a genuine lack of interest in the project – either way their wooden depiction of these one dimensional characters doesn’t go unnoticed.

What perhaps is most exasperating about We Bought a Zoo is it’s implausibility (despite being based on true events) and its disregard for common sense. At no point does anyone question the motives behind Mee’s rash actions, and the financial effects on his family this life changing sacrifice involves. Benjamin’s brother desperately attempts to be the voice of reason, constantly trying to bring a much needed dose of realism into his brother’s extravagant plans – however, much like the father in Marry Poppins (Who’s insightful warning to save your money and invest it wisely was regarded with the highest disdain – despite now being the type of ethos we wish our bankers followed) is instantly shot down, portraying him like a clueless fool unable to relinquish himself from the real world and become a carefree dreamer – a dangerous message to preach during such an economically unstable period of history.

Far too boring for kids (who’s recent cinematic intake has resulted in a more sophisticated and discerning audience) whilst too detached from reality for adults, it’s hard to see what type of audience will actually enjoy We Bought a Zoo with its incredibly formulaic story failing to capitalise on its intriguing source material. Indeed, the moment the film succumbs to such new age rhetoric as “Let a little sunshine in” you become certain that there’s little here other than a collection of cheap, nauseating narrative devices accompanied by a collection of severely underused animal extras – an inoffensive, yet totally misguided film that’s ultimately forgettable.

Once Upon a Time in Anatolia ★★★★★

2012-03-15T06:19:00.000-07:00

Nuri Bilge Ceylan first broke onto the world cinema scene when his shortfilm Koza (1995) was nominated for the Best Short Film Palme d’Or at The CannesFilm Festival. Since then, he’s gone on to be nominated for the prestigiousPalme d’Or award four times, won the Best Director prize for Three Monkeys(2008) and the Grand Jury Prize twice – first for Uzak (2002) and then for OnceUpon A Time In Anatolia. The film showcases Ceylan’s ability to tap into hisnation’s culture whilst also creating something sublimely beautiful that can beappreciated on a global scale.

Opening with apainterly presented wide shot of the Anatolian steppes, Once Upon A Time In Anatoliaobserves a painstakingly meticulous investigation into a mysterious murder. Wefollow a local police chief and his crew of diligent yet dim-witted assistantsas they escort a pair of criminals around the seemingly endless valleys of thispicturesque Turkish countryside, in search of the illusive body. They’re joinedby a doctor and a prosecutor whose job it will be to examine the body oncefound. However, whilst Once Upon A Time In Anatolia may appear to be anarchetypal crime-drama, this simple facade masks a much deeper, philosophicalfilm…

Bel Ami ★☆☆☆☆

2012-03-14T08:05:00.000-07:00

Boasting an ensemble cast which includes Uma Thurman, Christina Ricci, Kristin Scott Thomas and Robert Pattinson, Declan Donnellan and Nick Omerod's Bel Ami (2012) attempts to combine the sumptuous settings and period sensibilities of Guy de Maupassant's original novel with a slice of contemporary drama - sadly culminating in an abysmal experiment that lacks any of the lavish charm of it source material.

Set in turn-of-the-century Paris, Bel Ami chronicles Georges Duroy's (Pattinson) ascent from an impoverished ex-soldier to perhaps the most successful man in France. After a chance encounter with an old army college, Georges finds himself working for a prestigious Parisian newspaper. Whilst his prowess with the pen may lack the verbose approach of his contemporaries, his ability to manipulate the wives of these powerful men soon sees him at the pinnacle of this socioeconomic ladder - with his powers of seduction leaving a trail of destruction and heartbreak behind him.

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Rendez-Vous with French Cinema 2012: Full lineup announced

2012-03-14T07:48:00.000-07:00

UniFrance Films recently announced the full line up for this year's Rendez-Vous with French Cinema - a celebration of French filmmaking held across five cinemas in London (21-24 March) and Edinburgh (23-25 March). This unique festival boasts a wide range of premieres, exclusive screenings and visiting guest talent - including high profile actors Catherine Deneuve, Tahar Rahim and critically acclaimed directors Christophe Honoré and Mia Hansen-Løve.

Every single film in this year's programme has already received a distribution deal, with forthcoming releases from such high profile companies as Artificial Eye, New Wave Films and Peccadillo Pictures amongst a selection destined to please even the most ardent of Francophiles.

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Project X ★☆☆☆☆

2012-03-01T08:40:00.001-08:00

From producer Todd Phillips (The Hangover [2009], Old School [2003]) and first time director Nima Nourizadeh, Project X (2012) is a found footage-style examination of high school culture that successfully manages to sink to the lowest depths of entertainment.

The moment Project X's destructive catalyst Costa (Oliver Cooper) declares to the camera during the film's opening scene that he's going to 'get his dick wet' we know what type of humour we're about to become subjected to. He's organising a 'game changing' house party for his incredibly uncool friend Thomas' birthday (Thomas Mann) - conveniently having the whole event filmed as an additional gift. Thomas' parent are away celebrating their anniversary, leaving their apparent 'loser' of a son home alone for the weekend. What transpires is a monumental party that any ageing rock star would be pleased to call their own. However, things soon escalate out of control, with Thomas's party falling into chaos at a rate only match by the film's rapid descent into a loathsome collection of increasingly inane jokes and set pieces.
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Carancho ★★★☆☆

2012-03-01T08:38:00.000-08:00

From Palme d'Or-nominated director Pablo Trapero and starring one of the most recognisable faces in South American cinema, Ricardo Darin (The Secret in Their Eyes [2009]), Carancho (2010) is a morality tale with a twisted noir mentality - an unconventional romance set against a repugnant and deeply disparaging depiction of Buenos Aires.
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Spirit Awards 2012: Award Predictions:

2012-02-25T05:37:00.001-08:00

You'd be forgiven for not having noticed the buzz emanating across the Atlantic for the 28th annual Film Independent Spirit Awards which commence tonight (10pm ET/PT) thanks to this Sunday's more recognizable and prestigious Academy Awards. The Spirit Awards, created in 1984 and previously known as the FINDIEs (Friends of Independents) have become famous for celebrating artistic-driven filmmaking and recognizing the finest achievements of today's independent filmmakers. Below is a list of the nominees for all the major awards plus our predictions:

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Berlinale 2012 Round Up

2012-02-23T08:13:00.000-08:00

This year's 62nd Berlinale (like most film festivals) was a bit of a mixed bag, containing some exceptional examples of provocative world cinema and, as to be expected, numerous film's which failed to entertain in the slightest - some far too pretentious, others just downright poor.
Of the many highlights, three films stood out from the festival's competition strand (sadly, Paolo & Vittorio Taviani's Golden Bear-winning Caesar Must Die - which apparently isn't a swiftly made sequel to Rise of the Planet of the Apes - screened before our own coverage began). The most astounding was Miguel Gomes' Tabu, an enthralling piece of nostalgic cinema which, unlike The Artist, that won audience's hearts with its playful love letter to the silent era, created something genuinely original and thought provoking with its use of 1930s filmmaking techniques.

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Iron Sky ★★☆☆☆

2012-02-23T08:09:00.000-08:00

Easily one of the most anticipated films at this year's Berlinale (for right or for wrong) was Timo Vuorensola's Iron Sky (2012), with tickets for this 'Nazi's from the Moon' sci-fi parody selling out within a couple of minutes. Such a ludicrous premise was never going to result in a prize-winning film, yet Iron Sky transcends the absurd into a yet-unknown stratosphere of ridiculous filmmaking.

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The End of Puberty ★★☆☆☆

2012-02-23T08:07:00.001-08:00

An unique twist on the body-swap sub genre, Kimura Shoko's debut film The End of Puberty (Koi ni itaru yamai, 2011) is a kooky comedy about a young girl and her biology teacher, who inexplicably find that they've exchanged sexual organs during intercourse - only in Japan could you find such an outlandish premise.

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The Student Comedies (BFI Ozu Collection) ★★★★☆

2012-02-23T08:05:00.000-08:00

The Student Comedies consist of four incredibly rare films by the acclaimed Japanese director Yasujirô Ozu. This lovingly restored collection is part of the BFI's ongoing venture to release all 32 of the surviving films he made for the Shochiku Studio. This 2-disc box set finally brings Ozu's student-themed silent comedies to DVD for the first time - including a newly commissioned score by composer Ed Hughes.

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Headshot ★★☆☆☆

2012-02-23T08:02:00.000-08:00

A story of corruption, deceit and exploring the true definition of justice, Pen-Ek Ratanaruang's Headshot (2011) is a Thai film noir with an enticing twist - its central protagonist Tul (played by Jayanama Nopachoi) is a hitman, who after miraculously surviving a gunshot to the head, finds himself seeing everything upside down - literally.

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Just the Wind ★★★★☆

2012-02-23T07:53:00.000-08:00

Benedek Fliegauf's hard-hitting Hungarian drama Just the Wind (Csak a szél, 2011) is a chilling story of a Romany community living amongst an atmosphere of fear and paranoia, that will certainly find itself fighting amongst the best of the Berlinale for its prestigious Golden Bear award.
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Francine ★★★★☆

2012-02-23T07:51:00.001-08:00

Starring Academy Award-winning actress Melissa Leo, Brian M. Cassidy and Melanie Shatzky's Francine (2012) is a surprisingly provocative piece of stripped-down social realism that's subtle approach belies its powerful core themes.

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Rent-a-Cat ★★★★☆

2012-02-23T07:43:00.000-08:00

Tonally a million miles away from the dark subject matter of most of this year's Berlinale lineup, Naoko Ogigami's Rent-a-Cat (Rentaneko, 2011) is a delightfully twee story of self discovery which successfully blends elements of Amélie (2001) with the sweet sentiment of Studio Ghibli.

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As Luck Would Have it ★★★☆☆

2012-02-23T07:40:00.000-08:00

From acclaimed surrealist director Álex de la Iglesia and starring Salma Hayek, As Luck Would Have (La Chispa de la Vida, 2011) it is a satirical comedy that aims to expose our society's cultural dependency on the output of the sensationalist media industry, fuelled by a mixture of human misery and morbid fascination with fame.

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Position Among the Stars ★★★★☆

2012-02-23T07:38:00.000-08:00

Over a decade in the making, Position Among the Stars (2010) is the final instalment of Dutch director Leonard Retel Helmrich's trilogy of documentaries following the lives of the Sjamsuddin family. Acting as a portal into the lives of just one of many improvised families currently living amongst the fragile shanty towns of Jakarta, Helmrich's intensely beautiful study of this domestic microcosm of Indonesian life is as socially important as it is enjoyable.
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Tabu ★★★★★

2012-02-20T06:30:00.000-08:00

Miguel Gomes' third feature Tabu (2012) is an impassioned love story which draws its influences from the early romantic era of 1930's Hollywood filmmaking - and is already one of the stand-out films at this year's Berlinale.

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Home for the Weekend ★★★☆☆

2012-02-20T06:27:00.000-08:00

Home for the Weekend (Was Bleibt, 2012) is an astute and compassionate domestic drama which oozes the sort of effortless naturalism filmmakers rarely capture. Directed by Hans-Christian Schmidt and starring Lars Eidinger, Corinna Harfouch and Sebastian Zimmler, this touching tale of one family's failed efforts to deal with the sickness of its matriarchal figurehead has a bittersweet aftertaste.

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Friends After 3.11 ★☆☆☆☆

2012-02-20T06:25:00.000-08:00

In March 2011, Japan was struck by a catastrophic earthquake, with the devastating tsunami that followed causing a meltdown at the Fukushima nuclear power station that sent ripples of discontent throughout the country. Director Iwai Shunji's Friends after 3.11 (2011) is a deeply personal documentary which uses the statements of some of his closest friends to express the views of a society in a state of political despondency.

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Jayne Mansfield's Car ★★☆☆☆

2012-02-20T06:22:00.000-08:00

Directed by and starring Billy Bob Thornton, Jayne Mansfield's Car (2012) is a fractured comedy drama set in the 1960s that's built around a conflict of cultures. Boasting an ensemble cast which includes Robert Duvall, John Hurt and Kevin Bacon, Thornton's latest offerings is one of the hottest tickets at this year's Berlinale.

Flowers of War ★★★☆☆

2012-02-20T06:19:00.000-08:00

The Flowers of War (Jin Ling Shi San Chai, 2011) is a dramatic portrayal of the horrendous Nanking massacre which occurred in 1937. Directed by Zhang Yimou and starring Christian Bale (soon to be seen reprising his role in the final chapter of Christopher Nolan's Batman trilogy, The Dark Knight Rises) The Flowers of War attempts to depict the true horror behind this tragic chapter of Chinese history.

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Sister ★★★★★

2012-02-20T06:17:00.000-08:00

Following the success of her 2008 debut Home, director Ursula Meier returns with Sister (L'enfant d'en haut, 2011), a moving adolescent drama set against the backdrop of the Swiss Alps, and starring Kacey Mottet Klein, Léa Seydoux , Martin Compston and Gillian Anderson.

Keyhole ★★★★☆

2012-02-20T06:15:00.000-08:00

Whilst Michel Hazanavicius' The Artist (2011) is sweeping up awards across the globe for its masterful use of cinematic nostalgia, it seems odd that the German expressionist-inspired works of Guy Maddin remains resigned to the appreciation of arthouse cinephiles. However, his most recent production Keyhole (2011) doesn't look like changing that dynamic, pushing his abstract approach passed the realms of worldwide accessibility.

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Shadow Dancer ★★☆☆☆

2012-02-20T06:13:00.000-08:00

Director James Marsh returns to fiction after a successful foray into documentary filmmaking with Shadow Dancer (2012), a harrowing thriller focusing on the troubles in Northern Ireland. Set in Belfast during the height of the IRA bombings, Marsh's psychological tale of the domestic implications of this much published conflict stars Clive Owen, Gillian Anderson and Andrea Riseborough - fresh from an ill advised appearance in Madonna's much derided W.E. (2011).

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Captive ★★★☆☆

2012-02-20T06:10:00.000-08:00

Directed by Brillante Mendoza and starring the incredibly watchable Isabelle Huppert (The Piano Teacher [2001], White Material [2009]) Captive (also referred to as Captured) is loosely based on the true story of an accidental kidnapping of a group of holiday makers and missionaries in the Philippines in 2001.

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Berlinale: Potential Highlights

2012-02-08T02:13:00.000-08:00

This month sees the Berlin International Film Festival celebrate its 62nd incarnation, and the CineVue team members will be braving the cold weather, wheat beer and pork-based snacks of the German capital to bring you as much coverage as we can. Previously, we mentioned some of the highlights from the festival's recently released programme. However, the most fascinating aspect of the festival is often its Panorama and Forum strands, which year-upon-year house some of the most challenging and enjoyable pieces of world cinema. Here's a brief rundown of some of this year's potential highlights.

A Dangerous Method ★★★☆☆

2012-02-08T02:10:00.000-08:00

Provocative Canadian director David Cronenberg is renowned for delving head first into the darkest recesses of our fears and deep seated desires. His career to date has resulted in a back catalogue of psychologically-probing pieces which constantly test his audiences and have garnered him some much deserved critical acclaim - making him the perfect candidate to direct A Dangerous Method (2011), an adaptation of Christopher Hampton's 2002 play The Talking Cure and John Kerr's 1993 book, A Most Dangerous Method.

Midnight in Paris ★★★★☆

2012-02-06T05:30:00.000-08:00

Woody Allen’s recent output can best be described as inconsistent. Only fleetingly finding the unique comedic essence which made his previous work so gratifying, Midnight in Paris see’s Allen take a much safer approach, imbuing his narrative with a fantasy element which allows him to take advantage of cinema’s recent fascination with the past, whilst simultaneously being able to subtly injecting his own identifiable sense of humour.

Owen Wilson and Rachel McAdams play Gil and Inez, an engaged couple who couldn’t be any more different. They’re in Paris to enjoy a holiday of sightseeing and shopping before their impending wedding – but the underlying romance of the city soon begins to magnify their dramatically different life perspectives.

Gil is a self confessed ‘Hollywood Hack’ who dreams of breaking away from writing formulaic blockbuster screenplays and finish his novel, Inez, on the other hand is a materialistic women, brought up by status obsessed parents and unable to understand Gil’s new found obsession with the idealistic Parisian lifestyle he’s rapidly become besotted with.
The cracks of their relationship begin to rapidly reveal themselves when Gil – on a midnight stroll through Paris whilst Inez goes dancing with her unbearably pretentious friend Paul (Michael Sheen) – discovers a old 1920′s car which seamlessly transports him back in time and into a series of choice encounters with some of histories most renowned literary and artistic legends – including Scot Fitzgerald, Ernest Hemingway and Picasso.

It’s these deliciously nostalgic vignettes of 20′s Paris which transform Midnight in Paris from a wry anti-romantic comedy into a shamelessly enjoyable experience. Whilst it may all be undeniably outlandish, self-absorbed and clearly milking its romanticised vision of the past, Midnight in Paris never feels overly contrived – with Allen’s well harnessed ‘tongue-in-cheek’ approach successfully pulling us in to Gil’s magical excursions.

Whilst Midnight in Paris is by far Allen’s best work of the last ten years it still suffers from the usual problems which generally accompany this much loved director. Despite some eye catching performances by Marion Coltiard and McAdams, Allen’s women are all very thinly drawn, appearing as either obstacles or muses and little else. However, in his decision to cast Owen Wilson as his main protagonist he has successfully found someone to take over his usual preference to star in front of, as well as behind the camera. Wilson’s idiosyncratic demeanour is wonderfully reminiscent of seventies
Woody Allen making him the perfect actor to replicate this director’s distinctive style.

Midnight in Paris is a wonderful piece of escapist drama, that through it’s deluded protagonist leads us on a fascinating journey of self discovery – and whilst we the audience may choice to position ourselves as far away as possible from Allen’s incredibly self-obsessed characters, it becomes difficult not to become completely fascinated with their whimsical encounters and activities

Journey 2: The Mysterious Island ★★☆☆☆

2012-02-04T04:19:00.000-08:00

Directed by Brad Peyton and starring Dwayne Johnson (AKA The Rock), Vanessa Hudgens and Michael Caine, Journey 2: The Mysterious Island (2012) is a high octane, stereoscopic 3D adaptation of Jules Verne's The Mysterious Island - which despite giving little consideration towards its literary source, is undeniably an exhilarating family friendly, action adventure that’ll no doubt thrill younger audiences.

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One Day ★★★☆☆

2012-02-04T04:16:00.000-08:00

Based on David Nicholls’ eponymous novel and directed by An Education’s Lone Scherfig, One Day is a heartbreaking romance that spans over twenty years and stars Christopher Nolan’s future Catwoman, Anne Hathaway alongside Jim Sturgess (Heartless, Upside Down).

Emma (Hathaway) and Dexter (Sturgess) meet in Edinburgh during the early hours of St Swithin’s Days. They’re celebrating their graduation with friends and get left together once their acquaintances begin pairing off for the night. Dexter kindly offers to walk Emma home, leading to a drunken get together which looks set to explode into a physical relationship. However, their sexual encounter is aborted when Dexter- tired of waiting for Emma to ‘prepare’ herself – is caught trying to sneak out. After an awkward conversation Dexter stays but the two decide to become ‘just friends’ – resulting in a complex friendship based on the foundations of an unconsummated attraction and hindered by a sense of ‘What could have been’.

What follows is two separate, yet interweaving narratives which tell the stories of Emma and Dexter’s lives. As the pair gets older their lives take very different paths, however, Emma’s letters and poems to Dexter keep them in touch, whilst his late night drunken phone calls are evidence that he still holds her very close to his heart. As the years go by the two meet at key moments of their lives, slowly dismantling the self imposed obstacles which separate them and quickly realising that they belong together.

One Day’s most endearing feature is how brilliantly it depicts the constantly changing dynamic of Emma and Dexter’s relationship. When one is up, inevitably the other is down, whether it be Dexter enjoying his hedonistic lifestyle as a late night TV presenter whilst Emma toils away in one of London’s grimiest Mexican restaurants, or when She finally becomes a published writer whilst Dexter struggles to cope with his slump into depression – caused by his crumbling career, dependency on drugs and his failed marriage. Whilst admittedly they’re all very ’1st world problems’ and unlikely to evoke much sympathy from many viewers, it’s how Emma and Dexter fight past these unavoidable obstacles to eventually find each other which makes the film’s final act so harrowing.

Another remarkable element of Scherfig’s One Day is its delightfully accurate setting. Using pre-millennium London as the backdrop for the majority of the film’s action, One Day takes us through a nostalgic step back into the horrors of the nineties – complete with all its detestable florescent clothing and quintessentially English humour.

Where One Day does show signs of inadequacy is with the casting of it two lead roles. Sturgess manages to depict the loveable rogue characteristics of Dexter very well – yet whilst it’s admirable that we remain hopeful his destitute years will swiftly pass, Sturgess is far more successful at making Dexter seem vile and detestable than he is in convincing us that he has a heart of gold hidden behind his hideous late night TV presenter facade.

Hathaway’s performance is however a much more complex facet to critique. Whilst appearing warm and incredibly loveable – dealing with the emotional core of her role admirably well, her accent does need to be addressed. Aiming to portray a Yorkshire accent, she all too often fails to hit the right notes – making it all too apparent when she does and thus amplifying her previous failed attempts. It’s a shame that so much hard work is undone by one miniscule, yet incredibly noticeable flaw, however, anything which so starkly removes the audience from the film’s narrative deserves to be mentioned.

All in all, One Day is an incredibly accomplished romance which successfully manages to tell its wide ranging story without ever losing its audience’s attention. Adapting a love story which crosses numerous years is no mean feat and whilst nowhere near perfect, One Day remains a stunningly assured attempt at a monumental challenge.

Eliminate: Archie Cookson ★★★☆☆

2012-01-28T02:07:00.000-08:00

Independently financed and produced, Robin Holder's directorial debut Eliminate: Archie Cookson (2010) is an offbeat espionage thriller that successfully transcends the limitations of it meagre budget, with a cast including Paul Rhys, Claire Skinner, Paul Ritter and Georgia King.

Archie Cookson (Rhys) is a clumsy and naive government linguistic spy whose penchant for red wine has steadily resulted in a decrease in the quality and content of his work. Estranged from his aristocratic wife and their incredibly intelligent son, Archie's life is a far cry from the adventure and excitement of most movie spies. One fateful day he's handed two mysterious tapes that just so happen to contain some highly incriminating information. His procession of these incredibly secretive tapes leaves him in a precarious position and totally out of his depth, resulting in Archie becoming a wanted man and fleeing from his one time friend, Ennis (Ritter) whilst also attempting to reconcile the numerous issues with his wife and son.

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Like Crazy ★★★☆☆

2012-01-25T04:36:00.000-08:00

Drake Doremus' Like Crazy (2011) is the latest in a long line of American independent films which have recently taken a bitter-sweet approach towards romance. Up-and-coming duo Felicity Jones and Anton Yelchin (with support from Jennifer Lawrence) star as a pair of hopeless romantics imprisoned by their deep emotional connection, who through one misguided decision, find themselves on separate sides of the Atlantic Ocean.

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Melancholia ★★★★☆

2012-01-25T00:58:00.000-08:00

Lars von Trier's most accomplished movie since 2003's Dogville was sadly overshadowed by the controversy this constantly provocative director evoked at last year's Cannes Film Festival, with the praise it deserved sadly diluted by his remarkably thoughtless remarks. This is a huge shame, as not only does Melancholia (2011) boast an award-winning star turn by Kirsten Dunst (in a career best performance), but was also one of last year's most aesthetically pleasing films.

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Coriolanus ★★★☆☆

2012-01-18T04:24:00.000-08:00

Coriolanus is of one of William Shakespeare's most complex plays, making it a rather ambitious adaptation for Ralph Fiennes to choose as his directorial debut. Despite being one of Shakespeare's lesser known tragedies, its tale of greed and power is certainly strong enough to build the foundations of any film. Starring Jessica Chastain, Vanessa Redgrave, Gerard Butler, Brian Cox and Fiennes himself (in no less than the starring role), Coriolanus (2011) boasts a cast more than capable of delivering the Bard's multifaceted prose with the reverence it deserves.

Shame ★★★★☆

2012-01-12T04:12:00.000-08:00

Director Steve McQueen re-unites with Hunger (2008) star Michael Fassbender in Shame (2011), another visually sumptuous exploration of the human struggle between mind and body. Whereas Hunger focused on men's ability to suppress his natural bodily drives, McQueen's latest offering finds itself enslaved by natural impulses, painting a fascinating portrait of the inherent sexual desires which most manage to control through self imposed ethics. Also starring Carey Mulligan, Shame is a provocative and intimate drama built around powerful performances.

Whisper of the Heart ★★★★☆

2012-01-10T06:49:00.000-08:00

Directed by Hayao Miyazaki's former protege Yoshifumi Kondo (who sadly died before he could succeed Miyazaki), 1995 film Whisper of the Heart, much like Isao Takahata's masterpiece Only Yesterday, is a lovingly crafted and well observed story about adolescent self discovery - and to this day remains one of the most remarkable films produced by Studio Ghibli.

The Big Picture ★★★☆☆

2012-01-10T02:20:00.000-08:00

The Big Picture (2010) sees director Eric Lartigau attempt to adapt Douglas Kennedy's US-based novel of the same name within a French setting. Considering the wealth of well-made thrillers to emerge from the French film industry, it seems like the perfect environment in which to tackle Kennedy's prose. Starring current French heartthrob Romain Duris, The Big Picture is a film built around its multi-layered protagonist, which likes to ask many questions - but which answers very few.

In a Better World ★★★★☆

2012-01-09T09:06:00.000-08:00

Ever since capturing last year's Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film, In a Better World (2010) has found its painterly presented tale of morality come under a lot of scrutiny. However, Susanne Bier's strikingly beautiful film deserves to be viewed separately from the buzz surrounding its prestigious award and be observed for what it is - a powerful domestic drama played out on a epic scale, with two of the most assured child performances of the year courtesy of Markus Rygaard and William Jøhnk Nielsen.

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Cell 211 ★★★★☆

2012-01-08T13:44:00.000-08:00

Deservedly joining the ranks of other such fascinating penal system dramas as; Hunger, A Prophet and The Escapist, (which also chose to use the judicial incarceration of criminals as the basis of their powerful character studies), Daniel Monzon’s eight time Goya winner Cell 211 is a fraught and exhilarating prison thriller which stars Alberto Ammann and Luis Tosar.

Cell 211 tells the story of two very different men thrust into an unconventional union during a fierce prison riot. Juan (Ammann) is a newly recruited prison guard who admirably comes into work a day early to get a head start on his upcoming duties. His pregnant wife believes he’s being too diligent, yet so desperate to impress is Juan that he ignores her and heads to the maximum security prison that’ll soon become his workplace. During his induction a skirmish breaks out, resulting in Juan becoming injured and left in an empty cell by his future co-workers so that they can selfishly flee for safety. A full blown riot follows, organised by renowned inmate Malamadre (Tosar), a man of intimidating physical strength whose known history as a psychopathic killer has made him the natural leader of this group of dangerous reprobates. Once he regains consciousness Juan quickly realises that if he’s to survive he must endeavour to appear to be one of these felons, resulting in a tense and absorbing series of events which soon escalate past the point of no return –creating a fascinating game of false identities and survival against a suffocating atmosphere of fear and anxiety

Monzon has successfully created a pulse racing, angry piece of genre cinema, complete with a frantic pace and the right balance of twists and turns to keep its audience engrossed throughout. Despite its shallow and misguided attempt to add a dark political edge to the proceedings (which feels like it’s done out of necessity rather than an intended pieces of satire), the intoxicating degree of black humour and adrenaline fuelled action keeps things’ captivating – from the moment the first punch is pulled, to its gun slinging finale, Cell 211 is anything but boring.

Cell 211’s prison setting feels both claustrophobic and gruesome, yet remains incredibly intriguing, like a secretive world we can’t pull our eyes away from. Creating a superb microcosm of a society built on raw immoral human behaviour, Cell 211 presents a horrifying insight into the flexibility of our self imposed ethics, and the devastating potential of mankind. This is only amplified by Monzon’s decision to compromise the film’s hero, pushing Juan to perform the most heinous of actions and in turn adding gravitas to the film’s sense of unease – slowly leaving us (like most of these inmates), unsure of whom we can trust.

There are some narrative flaws which prevent Cell 211 from becoming the necessary pieces of social drama many have claimed it to be. On reflection the film’s numerous incomprehensible scenes (many of which defy the laws of logic), grate slightly, whilst the film’s blossoming relationship between Malamadre and Juan is completely implausible, yet thanks to some assured direction Monzon prevents the film from becoming completely derailed into the ridiculous. Cell 211 feels like a film constantly about to boil over into the absurd; however, Monzon never gives the audience time to contemplate the feasibility of the onscreen action thanks to some stylish camera work and an over reliance on sharp, frantic cuts.

Cell 211 is a gripping and wholeheartedly enjoyable thriller which never lets its electrifying pace drop for a second. Stuffed fuller than a plump Christmas Turkey with tension and excitement Monzon’s testosterone fuelled prison drama is a perfect piece of high octane, escapist viewing that whilst not the socially important drama it intends to be, makes for a riveting piece of entertainment.

The London Short Film Festival 2012: Preview

2012-01-06T05:37:00.000-08:00

Tomorrow night (6 Jan) sees the annual London Short Film Festival (LSFF) celebrate its 9th incarnation with a special opening night part at the ICA bar. Taking place throughout 24 different venues across the capital over the course of 11 days, this year's festival boasts around 70 various events - each showcasing a variety of cutting-edge, home-grown independent films.

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A Lonely Place to Die ★★★☆☆

2012-01-03T00:40:00.000-08:00

Combining the adrenaline-fuelled pursuits of abseiling and mountain climbing with the heart-pounding tension of a horror flavoured thriller, director Julian Gilbey's A Lonely Place to Die (2011) attempts to meld these exhilarating aspects into an exciting survival drama. Starring Melissa George, Ed Speleers and Sean Harris, A Lonely Place to Die was distinguished enough to be chosen as the closing night film for this year's Film4 FrightFest - an impressive honour to be bestowed upon any home-grown horror film.

Set in the remote Scottish Highlands, we join five mountaineers on what appears to be a well deserved break from their mundane domestic lives. It's unclear just how close these five strangers are but it soon becomes apparent they'll have to work together if their trip is to go ahead as planned. After a brief scare whilst attempting to ascend a rather tricky slope, the group decide that the next day they'll be less daring and travel across the countryside to a more manageable climb, where the visibility isn't hampered by the rolling Scottish mist.

2011: End of Year Review!

2011-12-23T01:58:00.000-08:00

It’s been a fantastic year for cinema, despite the medium facing much adversity. The dissembling of the UK Film Council looked set to further widen the distance between British cinema and Hollywood but with films such as The King’s Speech, Wuthering Heights and Jane Eyre still proving there’s life in British period sensibilities being depicted on the big screen and both Attack the Block and Kill list showing how British cinema has transgressed into genre cinema - the future couldn’t look brighter.In comparison it’s been a remarkably sour year for Hollywood Blockbusters. With the conclusion of the Harry Potter Franchise and the lack of any Pixar releases (other than the lukewarm anticipation for Cars 2), family films failed to light up the box-office in their usual fashion. Twilight: Breaking Dawn pt1 managed to evoke some mainstream excitement even if its incredibly flawed script and poor performances left critics cold. Overall there have been very few credible films to emerge from the mainstream.

Before commencing this rundown of the year’s greatest cinematic achievements it seems only fair to mention those that have somehow passed through the net. Tyrannosaur is another critically acclaimed British film which I’m yet to see, primarily due to its graphic depiction of animal cruelty, however, I’m still fascinated to see Paddy Constandine’s directorial debut. Finally there’s Hugo, Scorsese’s first foray into family film’s and from what I’ve heard a magnificent example of how best to use 3D – although it’ll have a hard time trumping Puss in Boots for the award of most enjoyable kids film of the year.

This year’s film festivals have once again showcased a wealth of filmmaking talent. The only rule of my end of year list is that all entries must have been released during the calendar year –thus leading to some notable exclusions, many of which will no doubt find themselves battling it out for top spot next year. Steve McQueen’s fantastic expose of sex addiction Shame, not only enhanced Michael Fassbender’s burgeoning reputation as one of the greatest actors currently working but also proved that McQueen’s remarkable debut, Hunger (My best film of the last decade) wasn’t a fluke. The Dardenne brothers continued to display their remarkable ability to capture the beauty which resides in even the most depressing of environments with their note perfect The Kid with a Bike, an exceptional investigation into the effects of paternal rejection. 2011 also saw new work from three of Eastern Europe’s greatest working directors. Nuri Bilge Ceylan continued his trend of capturing the world through the most visually stunning composition with Once Upon a Time in Anatolia (perhaps his most accomplished piece of work so far), whilst Bela Tarr’s directorial swan song, The Turin Horse, perfectly rounded of an incredibly consistent career capturing the darkness which shrouds our life in despair and misery. Alexsandr Sokurov’s Faust divided audiences with its unconventional adaption of Goethe’s famous prose, yet managed to mesmerise many with its dreamlike tale of mortality and power.

The festivals were also full of plenty of hidden gems, many of which will probably never be blessed with a theatrical release. Amongst the big hitters at this year’s London Film Festival was Lisa Aschan's undeniably astonishing and profoundly beautiful She Monkeys which whilst far from being a classic, certainly earmarked this young Swedish director as a name to watch out for. Yorgos Lanthimos’s follow-up to his critically acclaimed and Oscar nominated Dogtooth, Alps successfully captured the ridiculousness of human nature and whilst understandably not as groundbreaking or shocking as his previous effort, still made for an incredibly unique viewing experience. Another low-key feature which won much praise from both audiences and critics was Mark Jackson’s Without , an incredibly dark yet powerful drama about an psychologically damaged girl left alone to care for a catatonic old man in a remote American town. Without was an immersive, unnerving, darkly comic and deeply chilling meditative study of human behaviour and emotional fragility that stuck with me long after viewing. Two of the year’s most enjoyable films were premiered at this year’s 65^th Edinburgh International Film Festival. Rabies is the first slasher film to come out of Israel but shows no signs of immaturity, thrusting out of blocks with a ferocity rarely seen in modern day horror films. Rabies' lack of any discernible plot and absence of a conceivable explanation as to why all those who enter its seemingly pleasant woodland end up committing the most unequivocal acts of utter madness never distracts from the overall enjoyment of what has to be one of the most strangely unapologetic pieces of ultra violence since A Clockwork Orange (1971). This nihilistic, gutsy film’s combination of rich ideas and a cultivated ability to deliver all the scares you desire from a good piece of suspenseful gore is an unconventionally infectious product of a thriving Israeli film industry. Finally The Last Circus by acclaimed surrealist director Alex de la Iglesia is by far the maddest film I’ve seen all year. Revolving around a love triangle which includes two feuding clowns, this off the wall horror/thriller transcends the bizarre to create a unique and unforgettable film which shatters genre conventions whilst creating a visually stunning study of Franco’s Spain - an elaborate yet insanely enjoyable piece of entertainment .

2011 was the year of the documentary. Perhaps down to the lack of funding available to filmmakers or the realization that audiences were growing tired of the escapist, mindless fare of Hollywood, but documentaries were once again in vogue. Senna was clearly the most talked about and rightly so, its fascinating insight into the life and death of Ayton Senna transcended the trappings of its genre to become one of the most necessary cinematic biopics ever made. Errol Morris returned this year with his incredibly off the wall investigation into the life of Joyce McKinney and the ‘manacled Mormon’ story which took fleet street by storm in the seventies. Tabloid was not only a wonderfully jovial expose of the underhand tactics of the tabloid press (very fitting during the recent Levison enquiry) but a thoroughly entertaining ‘who dunnit’. Dreams of a Life had to be the most effecting non-fiction story of the year, with the tragic death of Joyce Vincent proving that even in these days of social networking it’s still easy to slip through the cracks of society. Other notable documentaries included The Interrupters, Calvet and Bobby Fisher against the World helped make it a totally enthralling year for real-life stories.

So on to the Top 20 Films of 2011 there are some notable exclusion which sadly didn’t make the grade, the quality of which is testament to just have great a year it’s been for cinema. In any other year well-made and enjoyable genre films like Attack the Block, Kill List, Farewell and Super 8 could quite easily have propped up a top ten of insightful, snobbish, critical picks of the year. So too would Kelly Reichardt’s slow paced but elegantly imagined Meek’s Cutoff and Woody Allen’s light-hearted return to form Midnight in Paris. Anyway, enough with the commiserations here’s my top twenty picks of 2011.

Top 20

20. Kaboom

A totally childish and brainless film, Akari’s homoerotic, testosterone fuelled twin peaks pastiche is still a thoroughly enjoyable film and destined to become a cult classic – plus also the only time I’ve ever and will ever come out a film and say “that was fun but could have done without the lesbian side story”

19. Drive

Pure exploitation cinema, Nicolas Winding Refn’s exceedingly stylised genre film wooed audiences with its electro inspired soundtrack and over use of Ryan Gosling’s ovary melting smoulder. Sadly it lacked enough substance to make it a necessary piece of cinema but as a piece of escapism it work tremendously.

18. Take Shelter

A refreshing answer to the special effects laden disaster films of Hollywood, Take Shelter's focus on the devastating ripples of mental illness on a family household may not be perfect but it certainly hasn’t hindered the reputations of both its stellar cast and promising director.

17. Snowtown

Thoroughly depressing and often disturbing, Snowtown is not one for the weak willed. However, if you can mentally prepare yourself for the harrowing tale at the heart of this emotionally devastatingly drama, you'll discover a beautifully-filmed horror story, far more psychologically affecting that anything else you'll see this year.

16. Weekend

Too much emphasis was placed on Weekend being a homosexual romance film, when it fact it was purely an exceptionally crafted love story that felt as moving as it was fresh and original.

15. The Guard

The Guard’s fantastic balancing act between black humor, thrilling action and genuine emotion (all achieved so effortlessly) makes it one of the year’s most enjoyable films – and one you’ll find yourself desperate to submerge yourself in time and again.

14. Senna

This historical record of possibly the most charismatic sportsmen of modern times manages to not only act as a snapshot documenting the history of Formula One but transcends the sport and creates a highly emotive drama that will speak to a wider audience than those with a vested interest in the sport. It’s an exquisitely enjoyable journey that like Senna’s career, feels all too brief.

13. Incendies

Incendies deep down is simply an old fashioned family drama, cloaked behind a shroud of mystery and set against a backdrop of conflict. Yet, the level of artistic panache involved in creating this highly evocative film results in so much more, culminating in a sumptuously presented movie which manages to entertain the sense whilst simultaneously stimulating the brain – a triumph in modern storytelling.

12. Another Earth

Whilst for some Another Earth may fail in reaching the elevated stratosphere of ideas its high concept script is reaching for, considering its meagre budget and cast of relative unknown actors, Cahill's film is an exceptional piece of independent science fiction which richly deserves the high praise it's already been receiving.

11. Melancholia

Sadly the controversy which surrounds the film’s debut at this year’s Cannes film festival has diluted the praise deserved of Von Trier’s best film since Dance in the Dark. A beautifully crafted allegory for depression, Melancholia’s strikingly bleak story is utterly mesmerizing.

10. Tomboy

This subtly natural observation of the difficulties which envelop the seemingly all important search for acceptance amongst pre-teens is a lovingly crafted, confident and refreshingly unique film, which perfectly encapsulates its subject matter in what can only be described as a joyfully pure and lovingly sweet tale which deserves to be seen by a much larger audience.

9. A Seperation

Winner of this year’s BBC4 World Cinema Award, A Separation has everything you could wish for from a film – wonderful performances, remarkable direction and a thoroughly gripping narrative which drags you through a range of emotions

8. Submarine

Full of loving nods to the French New Wave, Richard Ayoade’s remarkable debut is a wonderfully unique film that shines a fresh light onto the difficulties of adolescence. Perhaps one of the most enjoyable teen dramas’s to ever have been produced on these shores.

7. Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy

certainly this year’s most accomplished thriller, only let down by the constraints of its run time which, in itself is a compliment to the film’s range of thoroughly interesting characters . Many won’t be surprised by the unmasking of the ‘mole’, guessing his identity long before Oldman’s Smiley has even begun putting the pieces together, however the joy gained whilst viewing Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy is more about the journey than the final destination.

6. Margaret

It’s remarkable to think that we almost never got to see Kenneth Lonergan’s follow-up to his remarkable debut You Can Count on Me – although those living outside the media sanctuary of London may still be suffering with the disbelief that this fantastic film has yet to receive anything other than an incredibly limited release. This powerful drama throws you through a range of emotions and effectively shines a light onto America’s dubious foreign policy.

5. We Need to Talk About Kevin

We Need to Talk About Kevin is a bold, inventive and intensely unnerving psychological drama which feels part domestic tragedy, part horror story. An intimate character study of one woman’s struggle with maternal responsibilities, this is one of the most shocking, yet beautifully crafted film’s to ever grace the big screen.

4. How I Ended this Summer

A wonderfully tense and exhilarating exploration of solitude and isolation. The desolate Arctic landscape almost steals the spotlight from two of the most remarkable performances of the year.

3. Le Quattro Volte

Le Quattro Volte is a remarkable, existential portrait of life and death, a film which pushes the boundaries of what a movie can be. You’ll be hard pressed to find a more enlightening or rewarding experience than this.

2. Tree of Life

Rating Malick’s film against others seems almost unfair to the rest of the competition, so vast and epic is the scale of his work. In The Tree of Life he seamlessly turns the mundane activities of a working class family into a painterly presented piece of high-art – whilst his depiction of creation through to death is perhaps the most poetic portrayal of mortality ever laid onto celluloid

1. The Artist

More than just an enjoyable pastiche of silent cinema and the glitz and glam of 1920’s Hollywood, The Artist is a lovingly created present to anyone who loves cinema – a resounding triumph in filmmaking and one of the most gratifying cinema experiences ever

Awards:

Best Director: Thomas Alfredson (Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy) - Boasting an ensemble cast of the crème-de-le-crème of British acting talent, Alfredson’s Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy successfully allowed them all to shine equally whilst also recreating a much loved British classic with a mesmerizing degree of style and panache.

Best Actor: Anna Paquin (Margaret) Kenneth Lonegran’s much delayed Margaret hung entirely on the performance of its young female lead. Paquin excels in this difficult role, simultaneously detestable and intriguing. Considering Margaret was originally completed in 2006, it makes you wonder where Paquin’s career might have gone had this wonderful film been seen earlier

Worst Film - Soul Surfer: Soul Surfer's disturbingly simplistic and sanctimonious direction dilutes its stories genuinely interesting, real-life events into little more than Christian propaganda

Star of 2011: Jessica Chastain (Tree of Life, Take Shelter, The Debt, The Help) Seemingly arriving out of the blue, Jessica Chastain appeared to be ever present in the theatrical release schedule this year – each time radiating with an intoxicating aura which demanded your attention

Top 5 DVD Releases:

5. Alice: Jan Svankmajer’s grim re-telling of Alice in Wonderland was finally given the re-release it deserved. Thanks to the BFI this incredibly dark fairy tale is once again available to view in the UK in glorious Blu-Ray high definition.

4. Deep End: Skolimowski may have dived head first into the deepest part of the male psyche, but by no means does he sink under the pressure. Instead, Deep End is a film which manages to propel past its self imposed obstacles, which could otherwise have left it stranded in a sea of teenage confusion.

3. Silent Running: Often overlooked in favor of Stanley Kubrick’s phenomenal 2001: A Space Odyssey Douglas Trumball’s cult classic sci-fi, Silent Running was this year re-issued by Eureka; Masters of Cinema. Almost any of Eureka’s releases this year could have been included in this list, so impressive is the thought and hard work they put into all their releases, however, Silent Running is a film that’s been lying dormant waiting for the opportunity to be shown in HD and with the sudden resurgence of old-school science fiction its release couldn’t have been better timed.

2. Tarkovsky Collection: Artificial Eye had already released the Russian master’s films on DVD before, however this lovingly created set contains all his films in one beautifully presented collection, a must for any art-house fanatic.

1. Great White Silence: This painstaking restoration blew audiences away at 2010’s London Film Festival. Using actual footage from Captain Scott’s doomed attempts to reach the South Pole, this beautiful documentary is absolutely mind-blowing. Acting as a vivid window in which to view the past, this truly remarkable film is a fabulous insight into the perils which faced Scott and a lovingly crafted ode to the pioneers of early cinema

Notable Mentions: The BFI’s restoration of Renoir’s French Cancan, Artificial Eye’s re-release of the only Soviet film to win the Palme D’or, The Cranes are Flying and Sergei Parajanov’s exquisitely orchestrated and haunting piece of abstract cinema The Colour of Pomegranates

Most Anticipated films of 2012

1. Prometheus: Ridley Scott and a much delayed return to science fiction, what could go wrong? Very little from the look of the cast list (Michael Fassbender, Guy Pearce, Noomi Rapace) and the first few images we’ve been privy to – looking very Alien-esque which in itself is certainly worth getting very excited over.

2. Dark Knight Rises: Anticipation has been high for Christopher Nolan’s final Batman instalment ever since The Dark Knight wowed audience across the globe, yet the slow trickle of images and footage over the last few weeks has only increased this excitement and seems to confirm that Nolan looks set to end his caped crusader trilogy in style.

3. Seven Psychopaths: In Bruges director Martin McDonagh once again reunites with Colin Farrell in what is intended to be a much darker comedy than his previous effort. Based on a screenwriter who gets embroiled in a dog kidnapping ring, this looks set to be one of 2012’s diamonds in the rough.

4. Looper: Director Rian Johnson’s last effort, Brothers Bloom, whilst genuinely entertaining, felt like a bit of a disappointment after his remarkable debut Brick. His next venture is a hitman/sci-fi/thriller which re-unites Johnson with Brick leading man, Joseph Gordon Levitt and also stars Bruce Willis!

5. Martha Marcy May Marlene: Already gaining critical praise from its Cannes and London Film Festival screenings, this dark domestic drama about occult brainwashing is already a must see for 2012

A Seperation ★★★★★

2011-12-22T03:43:00.000-08:00

Earlier you'll have noticed I managed to get the remarkable How I Ended Last Summer into Subtitled Online's top 50 World cinema releases of 2011. Well the same happend again for A Seperation:

“Winner of this year’s BBC4 World Cinema Award, A Separation has everything you could wish for from a film – wonderful performances, remarkable direction and a thoroughly gripping narrative which drags you through a range of emotions.” (Patrick Gamble)

Read the full list here

Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows ★★★☆☆

2011-12-15T07:10:00.000-08:00

Robert Downey Jr reprises his role as Arthur Conan Doyle’s world famous detective, Sherlock Holmes, in Guy Ritchie’s Steam-punk inspired sequel, A Game of Shadows – once again reuniting a cast which included Jude Law, Rachel McAdams and Eddie Marsan whilst also installing some fresh blood in the shape of Stephen Fry, Jared Harris and Girl With the Dragon Tattoo star Noomi Rapace.

Following on from Ritchie’s financially successful Sherlock Holmes, we join the film’s titular hero (Downey Jr) as he comes to terms with the impending wedding of his former colleague Watson (Law). This wedding spells the end of their hugely successful detective partnership, leaving Holmes alone to deal with what appears to be a treacherous period of history, with Europe’s leading nations only moments away from full blown war and international relationships fraying under a period of escalated tension.

How I Ended This Summer ★★★★★

2011-12-14T02:58:00.001-08:00

I managed to get the incredible How I Ended This Summer into Subtitled Onlines top 50 World Cinema Releases of 2011. Without giving too much away, I can assure you it'll feature quite highly in my end of year list (coming later this month)

“A wonderfully tense and exhilarating exploration of solitude and isolation. The desolate Arctic landscape almost steals the spotlight from two of the most remarkable performances of the year.” (Patrick Gamble)

Read the article here

Richard Attenborough Awards - CineVue

2011-12-12T05:25:00.000-08:00

CineVue are extremely happy to announce that they've been nominated for Best UK Film Blog Site 2011 at this year's Richard Attenborough Film Awards. Voting will begin at 12pm GMT (noon) on 12 December 2011 via the awards official site filmoftheyear.co.uk/public-vote and will close on 20 January 2012, with the winners in all categories announced by film critic James King on Thursday 26 January. If you enjoy our site, please click here and register your vote for CineVue as Best UK Film Blog.

Every vote counts so please click the link above!

Thank You

Puss in Boots ★★★★☆

2011-12-09T01:05:00.001-08:00

" Puss in Boots will undoubtedly find a place in the heart of any cat lover. "

When word first broke about the forthcoming release of Puss in Boots the news was met with much trepidation but very little surprise. Dreamworks had already proved they were prepared to milk the Shrek franchise for every last dime, with two sequels (each displaying a decrease in quality and invention) and multiple Christmas spin offs. It would be fair to say then that expectation for this latest venture into the fairytale inspired world of Shrek was low at best. However, through the combination of a superbly well written script and some fantastic animation, Puss in Boots is much more than a money grabbing extension of the Shrek universe but rather a wonderfully conceived family movie which deserves to be judged on its own merits

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Another Earth ★★★★☆

2011-12-09T00:56:00.001-08:00

"an impressively haunting tale of loss set against the backdrop of a new world"

Winner of the Special Jury Prize at this year's Sundance Film Festival, director Mike Cahill's celestial cinematic voyage Another Earth (2011) is a fantastic example of how science fiction should be used - transcending the spectacle associated with the genre in search of something more metaphysical, whilst commendably remaining firmly based in the roots of human behaviour.

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The Interrupters ★★★★☆

2011-12-05T04:12:00.000-08:00

Last month saw the release of the longlist for the forthcoming Best Documentary Oscar at next year's Academy Awards. Controversy soon followed as it transpired that not only had Asif Kapadia's remarkable film Senna (2010) been excluded from the list, but so too had Steven James' critically acclaimed and fascinating 2011 documentary The Interrupters, an inspiring film which follows the turbulent activities of Chicago's 'violence interrupters' across the course of a year in the city's notorious Englewood borough.

Puss in Boots ★★★★☆

2011-12-04T10:15:00.001-08:00

Perhaps one of the best 'family' films released this year. Only this delightful photo of my cat Kubrick can sum up how happy it made me....

Here's his impression of 'Puss' attempting the big, old soft eyes

We Have a Pope ★★★☆☆

2011-12-02T09:36:00.001-08:00

"a hugely enjoyable experience "

We Have a Pope (Habemus Papam, 2011) is Italian director Nanni Moretti's follow up to 2006's The Caiman, his cinematic attack on former Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi. Whilst a deeply satirical examination of the Catholic Church, We Have a Pope is also a warm and gentle comedy about human frailty and the misguided attempts we make to alter our own fate.

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Poetry ★★★★☆

2011-11-28T04:26:00.001-08:00

" Poetry is a superbly well crafted story that flows as elegantly as its namesake"

The intensity of language and the beauty it conveys are visually explored in Chang-dong Lee's Poetry (2010), a film which manages to fashion the vividly imaginative nature of a poem, against a narrative saturated with themes of human misery and which includes a breathtaking performance from one of South Korea's most revered actresses – Jeong-hie Yun.

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Horrible Bosses ★★☆☆☆

2011-11-26T02:31:00.000-08:00

"it’s ultimately a stupid, childish and completely forgettable film which entertains only mildly more than its irritates"

Boasting a cast of American sitcom luminaries such as; Jason Bateman (Arrested Development), Jenifer Aniston (Friends) and Jason Sudeikis (30 Rock, Saturday Night Live), Seth Gordon’s Horrible Bosses is yet another Hollywood foray into the realms of frat-comedy.

Nick (Bateman) is a financial trader who’s playing the long game. He’s spent his working life taking crap in order to slowly rise up the ranks, however, his life has become a miserable and degrading one, with the constant mockery of his vicious and manipulative boss, Mr Harken (Kevin Spacey), beginning to take its toll. Nick reaches boiling point when the promotion he was assured would be his falls through, with Harken enveloping the role and its lucrative salary.

Nick’s long time friends, Kurt (Sudeikis) and Dale (Charlie Day) are also in similar predicaments. Kurt enjoyes an almost father-son relationship with his mentor and boss (Jack Pellit, played by Donald Sutherland) but when he suddenly dies from an unexpected heart attack, Kurt’s left working for Pellit’s son, a jealous, unbearably crude, cokehead (Colin Farrell) – a thoroughly detestable man with a horrendous comb-over and an unrelenting hunger for Asian prostitutes. Dale completes this disenfranchised trio, yet somehow his friends fail to see the problem behind his work issues. He’s a dental assistant plagued by the sexual advances of his dirty talking, nymphomaniac boss Dr Harris (Aniston), who seems intent on sullying his relationship with his fiancé.

Due to the current financial crisis they feel trapped within their jobs, with the only feasible escape route apparently the murder of their respective bosses. None of this naive troupe have any experience in this field, so decide to hunt down a hitman. Their trip across to the other side of the tracks leads them to a rather hapless ‘murder consultant’ (Jamie Foxx) who decides their best course of action would be to adopt a Strangers on a Train approach and kill each other’s bosses. However, things don’t go according to plan and a series of botched surveillance operations lead the film’s ill-fated protagonists into a spiraling web of criminal activity

Calvet ★★★★★

2011-11-25T00:51:00.000-08:00

"Allan's Calvet is almost as painterly presented as the artist in question's masterpieces"

Dominic Allan's Calvet (2011) screened to much critical acclaim at this year's Edinburgh International Film Festival, slowly becoming one of the festival's surprise hits and leaving audiences completely shell-shocked by its intense and beautifully depicted story.

After a terrifying journey to hell and back, Jean Marc Calvet must now face his biggest demon. After rising from the ashes of a life shrouded in paranoia, this now famous artist must embark on a harrowing voyage back through his troubled past in order to find the son he abandoned almost eighteen years ago in this thoroughly touching documentary.

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The Deep Blue Sea ★★☆☆☆

2011-11-23T02:07:00.000-08:00

"all too safe, unadventurous, cold and formal for a director of Davies' stature"

Chosen as the closing night film at this year's BFI London Film Festival and starring Rachel Weisz, Simon Russell Beale and Tom Hiddleston, The Deep Blue Sea (2011) marks Terrance Davies' return from a self-imposed, 11-year hiatus, and once again sees this acclaimed British director delve into the crippling effects of romance and the emotionally suffocating constraints of post-war Britain.

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New Directions in German Cinema

2011-11-23T01:54:00.000-08:00

" thoroughly entertaining, informative and educational with a wealth of knowledge on every page"

The Tauris World Cinema Series aims to celebrate the richness of film across the globe, with previous incarnations having examined the cultural importance of cinema in East Asia, Brazil and Turkey – to name just a few. New Directions In German Cinema continues Tauris’ rich tradition of spotlighting the diversity of world cinema, this time shining a light on the constantly evolving cinema of Germany – one of the most pioneering countries in the medium of film.

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Three Colours Trilogy ★★★★★

2011-11-21T02:31:00.000-08:00

"These three remarkable films truly deserve to be restored into high definition"

Finally released on Blu-ray this month, Krzysztof Kieślowski’s Three Colours Trilogy stars Juliette Binoche, Julie Delpy and Irene Jacob in three of the most revered pieces of European cinema ever made. Named after the colours of the French flag (Blue, White and Red), the films are loosely based on the three political ideals of the French Republic; Liberty, Equality and Fraternity.

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Snowtown ★★★★☆

2011-11-16T03:25:00.000-08:00

"far more psychologically affecting that anything else you'll see this year."

Daniel Henshall and Lucas Pittaway display some phenomenally assured performances in Justin Kurzel's directorial debut Snowtown (2011) - an uncomfortably harrowing and gritty account of Australia's most notorious serial killer (John Bunting) and the infamous 'bodies in the barrels' case which shocked the world.

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Gigola ★★★☆☆

2011-11-14T05:40:00.000-08:00

"naughty but nice, titillating but never exploitative, Gigola evokes a charming and phenomenally cool atmosphere."

Laure Charpentier's Gigola (2010) premiered at last year's London Gay and Lesbian Film Festival to riotous applause. Starring newcomer Lou Doillon as an immaculately presented tomboy and empowered prostitute, Gigola is a refreshing piece of gay cinema which oozes with Parisian charm and eroticism.

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Tabloid ★★★★☆

2011-11-10T02:59:00.000-08:00

"McKinney's story is utterly fascinating and only accentuated by her eccentricity"

Academy Award-winning director Errol Morris (Thin Blue Line [1988], Fog of War [2003]) returns with his ninth feature-length documentary Tabloid (2010), an intriguing and jovial examination of the sensationalism which fuels tabloid journalism. Morris found the perfect subject in Joyce McKinney for his exposé of how truth can often be distorted by the mainstream media. Her stranger-than-fiction story switches between the accounts of a deluded fantasist and old-school romantic, continually blurring the lines of fact and fiction.

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Top 5 Horror Films

2011-11-09T03:14:00.000-08:00

I initially started this list to coincide with the recent Halloween festivities; however circumstances beyond my control unfortunately prevented this from happening. This much delayed Top 5 Horror Films is a little late to the party but by no means redundant. Obviously this is a very personal list and whilst I deeply admire such classic horrors such as Rosemary’s Baby, The Shinning and The Exorcist and have a soft spot for less known but still incredibly enjoyable films like Rabies, The Innocents, Session 9 and Devil’s Backbone they sadly failed to make the final cut.

Please feel free to comment and any further suggestions are duly welcome

Eyes without a Face

Franju’s Eyes Without a Face is a mesmerising and unnerving tale about a brilliant surgeon (Dr Genessier), who kidnaps young women in order to steal their facial features to repair his beloved daughters face – desecrated after a car crash. Despite it being her father performing these horrific acts, it’s actually his ethereal daughter who provokes the most unsettling reaction. The way she glides from room to room with her expressionless face is far more disturbing than the non-consensual cosmetic surgery, creating a sterile, languid but totally gripping gothic horror

[Rec]

Whilst the premise for [Rec] (documenting a zombie virus outbreak) and its ‘found footage’ approach where both nothing new, directors Balaguero and Plaza managed to create a film which felt as unique, as it was horrifying. A disturbingly realistic horror, the genuine threat which seems to emanate from the screen induces a dangerous unhealthy adrenaline rush. With an abundance of energy and an amalgamation of the best techniques of all the most loved horror films [Rec] is not just an accomplished pastiche but one of the greatest Zombie films ever made

House

Ohbayashi’s 1977 surreal horror House pushed the boundaries of how terror was depicted through a mixture of highly stylish filming techniques. This ‘haunted house’ story is equal parts high-school comedy, J-horror and madcap fantasy that’s clearly influenced by the possessed, demonic animals of Japanese folklore (namely the countries malevolent view of felines – apparent in the film’s incredibly sinister white cat Snowy). Filmed through a haze of over saturated colours and featuring some incredibly quirky set pieces (sound tracked by an equally peculiar score), House is one of the strangest and fascinating horror films you’ll ever see.

Alien

A psychological horror hidden behind a sci-fi facade, Alien is perhaps the greatest monster movie ever made. Combining the suffocating claustrophobic setting of Das Boot with H.R Giger’s grotesque, strangely phallic, acid bleeding creature, Alien successfully transfers the most effective elements of horror into deep space with relative ease.

Audition

A widower agrees to screen girls at a special audition. They’re deceived into thinking their auditioning for a role in a new film; however it’s actually a cunning ploy to find our lonely protagonist a new wife. What at first looks to be an unconventional romance film soon blossoms into one of the most disturbing domestic horrors ever made. Indeed the less you know about Audition the more affecting its disturbing final act becomes. Often described as a ‘gearshift’ movie, Takashi Miike’s film has a deceptively restrained opening (admittedly with some subtly unnerving clues as to how things will transpire) before descending into a disturbingly sinister movie about the maddening affects of passion and affection.

Jack Goes Boating ★★★☆☆

2011-11-09T02:05:00.000-08:00

"an assured debut "

American Independent cinema has, over the last decade, built an image for itself based on a foundation of awkward, damaged, middle class nobodies who appear deeply disenfranchised with their seemingly mundane lives. Perhaps it’s a sign of the countries zeitgeist, both disassociating itself from the greedy upper classes who still cling to their Darwinian social stature beliefs (which died out at roughly the same time as the eighties), whilst simultaneously ignoring its worryingly high level of unemployment and the ever increasing wealth divide...

Philip Seymour Hoffman’s name is as synonymous with this evolution of independent cinema as Jean-Luc Godard is to the French New Wave. He’s a man all too familiar with playing vulnerable, awkward characters that seem to radiate with a certain fear of rejection, so obviously the perfect choice to not just star but also direct Jack Goes Boating, a film stepped in emotional repression and self confusion.

This slow burning portrait of the ‘real’ New York City, acts as an accurate depiction of this vibrant cities true social economic standard of living. Its subject matter is two quintessentially middle class couples at opposite ends of their respective relationship’s lifespan. Jack (Hoffman) and Connie (Amy Ryan) are two shy forty something’s, seemingly lost amongst the chaos of modern life but are lucky enough to have found someone with whom to share their troubled journey. Ironically they’re introduced to each other by Clyde and Lucy, an unstable married couple whose faltering marriage is beginning to crumble under the stress of years of unspoken issues and grievances.

These paralleled stories depicting both the birth and death of a relationship culminate in a contrasting mix of emotional highs and lows that ultimately turns this subtle tale of the comforting qualities of love (albeit set amongst an atmosphere of its potentially devastating after effects) into something with a level of hidden depth rarely seen within modern cinema. Adapted from a lucrative west end theatre show of the same name, the producers decision to maintain the wealth of the original cast is obviously the key element to this films overall success. With each actor having previously spent months performing as the same character, their performances explode with an unbridled level of realism that’s hard not to find yourself truly immersed in.

The film’s only real failing is its attempts to add an element of ‘quirkiness’ to the overall feel of the film - as if it feels it needs this to truly be accepted by an indie-art-house audience. Unfortunately it never seems to gel with the film’s more successful poignant moments and disappointingly prevents Hoffman’s new role as film director being quite the success many hoped it to be. Despite this Jack Goes Boating certainly an assured debut which promises a bright future ahead.

Sky Movies Go Special Screening of 'The Ring' (FlickFeast Feature)

2011-11-09T02:00:00.000-08:00

"perhaps a well thought out metaphor for the impending death of terrestrial television "

Whilst most self respecting Londoners were spending their Friday night slumped over a bar, or staggering across The Strand in search of something fried and calorie heavy to satisfy their alcohol fuelled appetite, there was something rather bizarre occurring beneath the hectic evening streets of London.

Deep within the impressive catacombs of the RSA Vaults, Sky Movies were promoting their latest venture into digital media – Sky Movies Go. For those who have escaped the heavy handed marketing of the UK’s largest satellite television provider, Sky Movies Go basically equates to Sky subscribers being able to watch their favourite shows on the go through their web enabled, portable devices (IPads and similarly unnecessary but hugely desirable tablets). To mark the occasion and coincide with the impending Halloween festivities, there was a special screening of Gore Verbinsky’s The Ring (sadly not the Nakata original). The film was screening on Sky Movies at midnight, with audience members at the vaults being plugged into IPads and collectively sharing the same viewing experience – streaming the movie simultaneously whilst listening through headphones.

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BFI LFF 2011 Top 5

2011-10-29T05:45:00.000-07:00

After two-and-a-half weeks of cinema heaven, he 55th BFI London Film Festival came to a close this past Thursday with the UK premiere of Terence Davies' The Deep Blue Sea. It also marked the final LFF for Sandra Hebron, who steps down as the festival's Artistic Director after nine successful years at the healm, to be replaced by Clare Stewart, an Australian who ran the Sydney Film Festival for five years. To commemorate this changing of the guard, here's our roundup of the best (and worst) films to have screened at LFF this year. We're already looking forward to 2012!

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Target ★☆☆☆☆

2011-10-28T05:40:00.000-07:00

"overly-complicated, hideously long and mind numbingly incoherent"

Russian cinema has a long and rich history of producing exceptional sci-fi movies. From the pioneering silent films of Protazanov and Zhuravlyov, to the deeply philosophical films of Tarkovsky and Lopishansky, Russia has always used this speculative science based genre to comment on social issues rather than merely forms of escapism. Alexander Zeldovich's Target (Mishen, 2011) attempts to continue this tradition with his heavily stylised and hugely ambitious disquisition of greed, mortality and natural human behaviour.

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Children Who Chase Lost Voices From Deep Below ★★★★☆

2011-10-27T01:07:00.000-07:00

"any single frame could easily be removed and held-up as an accomplished piece of art"

Director Makoto Shinkai's previous effort 5 Centimetres Per Second (2007) is one of the most beautiful animes to ever grace the screen. Its tale of unrequited love told across three stages created a story more emotionally devastating than even the most assured romantic film. Children Who Chase Lost Voices from Deep Below (2011) is a far more conventional anime film, recalling the fantasy and wonder of Studio Ghibli, yet still retains the same artistic flare which marked Shinkai as one of anime's most promising directors.

We Have a Pope ★★★☆☆

2011-10-26T04:52:00.000-07:00

"...a hugely enjoyable experience that’s sadly let down by a rather lacklustre and uninspiring ending..."

We Have a Pope is Nanni Moretti’s follow up to The Cayman – his cinematic attack on Berlusconi. Whilst a deeply satirical examination of the Catholic Church, We Have a Pope is also a warm and gentle comedy about human frailty and the misguided attempts we make to alter our own fate.

A new Pope is to be elected and hordes of devout believers have flocked to the Vatican, waiting in anticipation to see the smoke from the chimney of the concave turn from black to white. Inside we join the selected few who have been chosen as potential candidates. Each seems anxious over the impending vote, however, it’s not due to an inherent desire to be chosen but rather the fear that they might be. The responsibility of leading well over a billion followers has each of them petrified, a sentiment echoed by Moretti’s decision to allow us to pry into their prayers, where a cavalcade of apprehensive voices plead not to be chosen.

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The Great Bear ★★★☆☆

2011-10-26T04:40:00.000-07:00

" a genuinely sweet and moving story"

Danish cinema has enjoyed a remarkable resurgence of late, with Susanne Bier's Academy Award winner In a Better World (2010) and the consistently provocative work of Lars von Trier. However, Denmark is a country that has so far never been famed for its animation output - something Esben Toft Jacobsen is looking to amend with The Great Bear (2011).

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Faust ★★★★☆

2011-10-25T11:05:00.000-07:00

"a thoroughly entertaining investigation into the existence of the soul and its uses"

Acclaimed Russian director Alexander Sokurov looks set to divide audiences at this year's 55th BFI London Film Festival with his deeply profound, Venice Golden Lion-winning variation on Goethe's tragedy Faust (2011) - an unique and transcendental adaptation, with all the characteristic flare and style we've come to expect from this pioneering director.

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Footnote ★★★☆☆

2011-10-25T08:42:00.000-07:00

"there remains much to love from this gloriously enjoyable film"

Following his Oscar-nominated, deeply moving anti-war film Beaufort (2007), director Joseph Cedar continues to raise his profile with Footnote (2011), a uniquely comedic exploration into issues of pride, sacrifice and jealousy through a fragile family dynamic which won him the prestigious best screenplay award at the 2011 Cannes Film Festival.

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Old Dog ★★★★☆

2011-10-23T14:11:00.000-07:00

"what it lacks in funding it more than makes up for in sentiment"

Director Pema Tseden has almost single-handedly reinvented Tibetan cinema. His previous two films, The Silent Holy Stones (2005) and The Search (2009), both screened at the Vancouver International Film Festival to great critical acclaim. Like his previous efforts, Old Dog (2011) is set in the Tibetan region of the Chinese province of Qinghai, however, his latest venture is yet to receive approval from the Chinese film bureau to be released locally - making its BFI London Film Festival appearance something of a rare treat.

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Trishna ★★☆☆☆

2011-10-23T14:07:00.000-07:00

"a peculiarly dull tale of romance that lacks any substantial passion."

Acclaimed director Michael Winterbottom is renowned for his ability to switch between genres with relative ease, with past successes including Jude (1996), 24 Hour Party People (2002) and The Killer Inside Me (2010). His latest venture is an adaptation of Thomas Hardy's penultimate novel Tess of the d'Urbervilles set in present day India and stars Freida Pinto, Riz Ahmed and Roshan Seth.

Guilty ★★★★☆

2011-10-21T02:24:00.000-07:00

" a powerful, heartbreaking and intense drama "

Concerning the most horrific legal scandal in modern French history, director Vincent Garenq's Guilty (Présumé coupable, 2011) is a gripping drama based on the memoirs of Alain Marecaux (Philippe Torreton) who was wrongly accused of several accounts of child molestation and thrust into a terrifying web of false testimonies and heavy handed police investigations.

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The Kid With a Bike ★★★★★

2011-10-21T01:51:00.000-07:00

"a resounding success"

Directed by two time Palme d’Or-winning Belgium duo Jean-Pierre and Luc Dardenne, The Kid with a Bike (Le Gamin au Vélo, 2011) continues this remarkably consistent sibling partnership's ability to capture the poetic essence beneath the misery which often consumes life.

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Take Shelter ★★★☆☆

2011-10-21T01:48:00.000-07:00

"A refreshing answer to the special effects laden disaster films of Hollywood"

Screening at this year's 55th BFI London Film Festival, Take Shelter (2011) once again unites Shotgun Stories (2007) director Jeff Nichols and actor Michael Shannon. Set against a backdrop of Middle American domestic life, Take Shelter is a far more visual film, combining elements of terror with a kitchen sink drama that confirms both men as masters of their chosen trade.

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The Future ★★☆☆☆

2011-10-20T08:46:00.000-07:00

" an overbearingly idiosyncratic mess of a film that lacks the subtle charm of her debut"

Miranda July's 2005 surreal debut feature, Me and You and Everyone We Know showcased her enormous potential, with fans of quirky, independent, cinema desperate to see what she’d produce next. Narrated by a caged, injured cat, The Future (2011) expands upon July’s unique ability to capture the difficulties of developing relationships and the awkwardness of making emotional attachments.

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Dragonslayer ★★★☆☆

2011-10-20T07:29:00.000-07:00

" a punk rock manifesto for a disenfranchised, recession hit youth"

Director Tristan Patterson's award-winning documentary Dragonslayer (2011) (SXSW Grand Jury Prize for best documentary feature) documents the life of Josh 'Skreech' Sandoval, a jaded skateboarding veteran living in the sun-drenched, extreme sports-loving town of Fullerton, California.

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We Need to Talk About Kevin ★★★★★

2011-10-20T07:04:00.000-07:00

"a bold, inventive and intensely unnerving psychological drama "

★★★★★

Directed by Lynne Ramsay (Ratchater, Morvern Callar) and based on Lionel Shriver’s hugely popular and critically acclaimed novel, We Need to Talk About Kevin is a visually sumptuous, meticulously acted and highly ambitious literary adaptation which is by far one of this year’s greatest cinematic achievements.

Elena ★★★★☆

2011-10-20T07:01:00.000-07:00

"A pitch perfect example of European arthouse cinema"

Director Andrei Zvyagintsev broke onto the scene with his remarkably assured 2003 debut The Return, a visually alluring and emotionally engrossing story of two young boys who embark on a road trip with their long lost father. His third feature Elena (2011) also deals with fraught domestic relationships and is a welcome confirmation that this promising Russian director is worthy of his early praise.

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Return ★★☆☆☆

2011-10-20T06:56:00.000-07:00

"one of the most forgettable films of this year's LFF"

★★☆☆☆

Following the recent influx of anti-war films with a more inwardly-looking perspective, Liza Johnson's debut feature Return (2011) - which screens at this year's 55th BFI London Film Festival - stars Linda Cardellini as a female officer unable to reintegrate into society after the horrors she witnessed in Afghanistan, alongside Michael Shannon and John Slattery.

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Headhunters ★★☆☆☆

2011-10-20T06:51:00.000-07:00

" horrifically incoherent, chaotic and ultimately a throwaway piece of cinema "

Adapted from Jo Nesbø's international bestselling novel Headhunters (2011), director Morten Tyldum's third full length feature is a taut Norwegian thriller, full of Scandinavian humour that’s already lined up for an invertible Hollywood remake.

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The Artist ★★★★★

2011-10-18T05:45:00.000-07:00

"A joyous and enchanting adventure into the golden age of Hollywood that's impossible not to fall madly in love with."

A categorical success at this year's Cannes Film Festival, Michel Hazanavicius' The Artist is a gloriously executed love letter to the silent era of Hollywood, featuring an award-winning performance by Jean Dujardin (Best Actor at Cannes). A thoroughly enjoyable romp, The Artist looks set to be a crowd favourite at this year's BFI London Film Festival and a major contender for the Best Picture Oscar at next year's Academy Awards.

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The Dish and the Spoon ★★★☆☆

2011-10-18T05:37:00.000-07:00

"Whilst its disjointed plot can at times seem a little jarring, it successfully lodges itself in your subconscious"

Alison Bagnall's witty and original romance The Dish and the Spoon (2011) is a gutsy independent love story which belies its modest budget, whilst also showcasing rising American actress Greta Gerwig's unique ability to be quirky, whilst also profoundly beautiful.

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Alps ★★★★☆

2011-10-17T05:53:00.000-07:00

"Alps successfully captures the ridiculousness of human nature"

Alps is the eagerly awaiting follow up to Yorgos Lanthimos’s critically acclaimed, Oscar nominated, Dogtooth and certainly one of the hottest tickets at this year’s London Film Festival.

Much like Dogtooth, Alps’ surreal story is more effective the less you know about it. The film focuses on four peculiarly mismatched colleges. There’s a young, nubile gymnast, her demanding coach, an entrepreneurial paramedic and a caring, emotionally detached nurse. Together they’re collectively known as ‘The Alps’. They work as ‘substitutes’ but not in the conventional sense of the term, with the services they offer in keeping with Lanthimos’s obsessions with the mechanics of Hollywood and an inherent desire to escape the hardships of modern life. Needless to say what occurs is an absurd mix of jet black comedy and uncomfortably bizarre set pieces which, culminate in a series of surreal events.

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Without ★★★★☆

2011-10-17T05:45:00.000-07:00

"an unnerving, darkly comic and deeply chilling meditative study of human behaviour"

Nominated for the Sutherland Award at this year’s BFI London Film Festival, Mark Jackson’s Without is a slow burning drama which recalls the subtle beauty of Kelly Reichardt’s minimalist style and her ability to capture the raw beauty of rural America.

Joslyn (Joslyn Jensen) is a recent high school graduate who takes a job caring for Frank, a disabled, catatonic, wheelchair bound, old man. Frank’s family have gone on holiday, leaving Joslyn alone with him in their isolated, Washington State island home. Before leaving they run her through an endless list of incredibly pedantic do’s and dont’s, including the varying volumes the television must be kept at, the food she can and can’t eat and oddly of most importance is that she “must not put the knives in the dishwasher!” There’s no internet connection, or any real phone reception, just her, Frank and the peaceful Island countryside which surrounds this remote community.

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Hut in the Woods ★★☆☆☆

2011-10-16T16:52:00.000-07:00

"an empathetic portrayal of the crippling and destabilising effects of mental illness"

Hans Weingartner, the acclaimed director of The Edukators, returns with his third feature Hut in the Woods, a whirlwind journey into one man’s spiralling decent into madness and his inventive attempts to find redemption.

Martin (Peter Schneider) was a gifted mathematician, living in Berlin with a promising career and a steady girlfriend. However, when he returns from a six month spell in a psychiatric unit he finds he’s lost it all, with his girlfriend having moved on and the job saved for him by his former employers rescinded due to concerns over his ability to cope under pressure.

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She Monkeys ★★★★☆

2011-10-16T02:58:00.000-07:00

"an undeniably astonishing and profoundly beautiful experience"

Swedish director Lisa Aschan's remarkably assured debut feature She Monkeys (2011) is a hormonally-charged, coming-of-age drama, depicting the conflict between two competitive teenage girls, and stars Mathilda Paradeiser, Linda Molin and Isabella Lindquist.

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Early One Morning ★★☆☆☆

2011-10-16T02:55:00.000-07:00

"Early One Morning's detached mood is hard to become truly engrossed in"

Director Jean-Marc Moutout returns to the BFI London Film Festival with Early One Morning (2011) - starring Jean-Pierre Darroussin, Valérie Dréville and Xavier Beauvois - as he continues his exploration of the insular and alienating world of executive business and showcases a similar degree of visual panache and assured direction.

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Pariah ★★★★☆

2011-10-15T06:25:00.000-07:00

" A wonderful example of independent filmmaking"

Written and directed by Dee Rees as an expansion of her Sundance Film Festival short film, Pariah is a refreshingly natural film which explores themes of sexuality and acceptance without ever pandering to generic plot holes and melodrama of similar teen dramas.

Pariah opens in a seedy back alley strip bar where Khia’s “My Neck, My Back (Lick it), with is exploitative lyrics and earth shattering bass reverberates at an ear damaging decibel level. Amongst this deeply misogynistic setting we join two effeminate looking young men thrusting dollar bills at the scantily clad dancers aiming to please them. It isn’t until we join them later on the night bus home we discover these soft skinned young men are actually teenage girls in masculine attire and the horribly lit bar was in fact a lesbian nightclub.

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Everything Must Go ★★☆☆☆

2011-10-15T06:22:00.000-07:00

"all we’re left with is a misguided and emotionally numb affectation of other, more assured dramas"

Adapted from a Raymond Carver story, Dan Rush’s Everything Must Go stars Will Ferrell as a washed up alcoholic whose life has hit rock bottom.

Nick Halsey (Ferrell) is an executive salesman who, after a drunken incident whilst away on a business trip, loses his job and his wife all in the same day. After being ordered to pack up his desk, he returns home to find the locks have been changed, his bank account closed and all his belongings lay carelessly on the front lawn. With nowhere else to go and no money to remove his things, he decides to camp out in his front garden, sleeping on his lazy boy chair whilst drinking excessively to numb the pain.

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Dolphin Tale 3D ★★★☆☆

2011-10-15T06:18:00.000-07:00

" Dolphin Tale 3D should be applauded for never manipulating the audience into a forced emotional response "

Charles Martin Smith’s, inspired-by-true-events, feel-good family movie, Dolphin Tale 3D exhibits an admirable refusal to cave-in to generic Disney dramatic devices, creating a restrained children’s movie about the importance of family and education.

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Le Quattro Volte ★★★★★

2011-10-10T06:36:00.000-07:00

"you’ll be hard pressed to find a more enlightening or rewarding experience than this"

Whilst critics fell over themselves for Terence Malick’s metaphysical journey The Tree of Life (2011) there was another, less successful but in no way inferior existential examination into creation and spirituality - Michelangelo Frammartino's sublime Le Quattro Volte (2010).

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Potiche ★★★☆☆

2011-10-10T06:34:00.000-07:00

" a hugely enjoyable ode to the delightfully playful cinema of France during the 1950s and 60s"

Set in the 1970s and showcasing the crème-de-le-crème of French film talent, Potiche (2010) is a lovingly nostalgic journey into the flamboyant films of Jacques Demy and Jean Renoir. Directed by renowned filmmaker François Ozon and starring legendary French actors Catherine Deneuve and Gerard Depardieu, Potiche is a comedy about the emancipation and political awakening of a trophy wife and has all the ingredients required to create a stylish portrait of continental whimsy.

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Johnny English Reborn ★☆☆☆☆

2011-10-06T14:15:00.000-07:00

"more often than not the script’s slap-stick humour fails to hit the target"

It was 2003 when Rowan Atkinson first entered the world of government agents and espionage as Johnny English, a jovial and light-hearted parody of the James Bond franchise. It seems strange then that it’s only now we’re being presented with a follow-up, with Johnny English Reborn perhaps one of the most unlikely of sequels to materialise over recent years.

The Good, The Bad and The Multiplex

2011-10-06T14:10:00.000-07:00

"The book’s accessibility is the key to its success. This isn’t a book for hardened film snobs, neither is it an ‘idiot’s guide’ to cinema."

Infuriated with the mundane, blockbuster heavy listings of your local cinema? Resent paying over the odds to sit in a stale, soulless auditorium, watching an oversized digital projection whilst eating extortionately priced junk food? Then you’ll find yourself right at home with The Good, The Bad and The Multiplex, the new book (and podium from which to preach all that is wrong with modern day cinema) by outspoken film critic Mark Kermode.

The Good, The Bad And The Multiplex will feel like common ground to those familiar with Simon Mayo and Mark Kermode’s weekly Radio Five film show, fleshing out the numerous arguments which present themselves, with the only difference being that there’s no calming influence to prevent these feelings of disenfranchisement sky rocketing into full blown rants – albeit deeply informed and impassioned rants.

The Lost World

2011-10-04T05:02:00.000-07:00

" This is a once in a lifetime experience which shouldn’t be missed."

Harry O. Hoyt's The Lost World (1925) screened as part of the Barbican's 'Silent Film & Live Music' series and was presented in partnership with 'Bristol Silents'. Scissor Sister’s musical director and keyboard player John Garden has composed an original score for this unique presentation of a seemingly lost classic - restored from nine separate prints to create its longest running incarnation.

O. Hoyt's adaptation of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's novel The Lost World may have been originally released over 80 years ago, but its story about a prehistoric world hidden beyond the boundaries of mankind's exploration is one which still resonates with audiences today - recently proven by the re-release of Stephen Spielberg's Jurassic Park (1993).

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Chalet Girl ★★★☆☆

2011-10-03T09:11:00.000-07:00

"Felicity Jones is outstanding"

An intrinsically British Rom-com which somehow manages to transcend the stale, formulaic approach of the genre, Chalet Girl (starring up-and-coming British actress Felicity Jones) hides a quite charming story behind its hideously cheap and schmaltzy facade

Following the tragic death of her mother, former pro skateboarder Kim (Felicity Jones) sacrifices her promising career in order to take care of her unemployed father (Bill Bailey). Her part time summer job working in one of London’s numerous rundown fried chicken restaurants has somehow become her full time job and the realisation soon hits that her life is going nowhere fast

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Instant Score: 3/5
Retrospective Score: 3/5
Total: 6/10

Broken Lines ★★☆☆☆

2011-09-30T08:35:00.000-07:00

"a Kitchen sink drama that’s sadly as dull as dishwater"

Immersed deep within the multicultural surroundings of North London’s Finsbury Park, this intrinsically British drama attempts to evoke the gritty realism that has become a staple of our modern national cinema.

When the death of his father demands he returns to his childhood roots, Jake (Dan Fredenburgh) is reminded of his Jewish heritage and finally must confront the demons he ran away from so many years ago. Jake’s soon to be wed to Zoe (Olivia Williams), a caring and supportive fiancée but his recent family tragedy has started to reveal the cracks of their seemingly perfect relationship. Jake’s midlife crisis becomes the catalyst for a lurid affair with B (Doraly Rosa) a disenfranchised waitress working in a working men’s cafe round the corner from his father’s old shop. B however, has her own domestic troubles, with her life little more than a mundane series of events, consisting of nothing more than her humdrum job and caring for her recently paralysed husband Chester (Paul Bettany), a former boxer who now relies on her support but who finds it difficult to accept his dependency. All four characters are thrust unwillingly into a downward spiral of deceit and betrayal with little chance of salvation for anyone involved.

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Instant Reaction: 2/5
Retrospective Score: 2.5/5
Total: 4.5/10