Screen
Sunday 21 December 2008
The Beat That My Heart Skipped
An amazing film with a superb performance from Romain Duris; his character is so complex that you can’t help but be gripped by the movie. The soundtrack, mixing classical and electro music, is excellent too. This is easily one of the best films I’ve seen in a while; it is a shame I missed it when it was originally on in cinemas.
— Andy
Tags: crime, drama, france, paris, recommended, romain duris
Thursday 04 December 2008
Changeling
Changeling is a film based on a disturbingly true story, directed by Clint Eastwood and bizarrely written by the creator of Babylon 5. The truth of this story means that it is somewhat difficult to classify in a specific genre as the film flows from one to another as the story unfolds, taking some surprising directions. It is a powerful story that not knowing of the event beforehand made the twists and turns of the plot rather shocking. Occasionally the emotional responses seemed to miss the beat; for example the somewhat lack of horror at the mother’s discovery of her missing child early on in the film. However, the story was intriguing and easily kept my attention till the end.
— Andy
Saturday 15 November 2008
Mischief Night
Mischief Night is a decent and enjoyable film set in Leeds following the events of an ensemble of characters in the lead up to Mischief night. The film is produced by the people behind the television series Shameless and it shows. The different plot lines of the characters twist and turn in unexpected directions leading up to the big night which changes the lives of each of them. Mischief Night tackles some grim subjects such as racial divisions, Jihad, criminal gangs, and child abductions, yet it comes out with an upbeat mood and a charm that makes you warm to the characters. One thing that did puzzle me throughout though was that the days seemed very long and bright for the time of year it is supposedly set in. It must have been filmed earlier in the year.
— Andy
Sunday 09 November 2008
Zodiac
This is a really good movie; it approaches the real life story of the San Francisco bay serial killer ‘Zodiac’ in a very mature and intriguing way, delivering a real sense of frustration that the case cannot be brought to a close. It is interesting to see how limited the investigative process is due to a lack of the information technology that we take for granted in the 21st century. Zodiac is a long film, but it is worth sticking with. I particularly liked the character of Robert Graysmith, played by Jake Gyllenhaal; his enthusiasm and determination was very admirable even if some of its consequences were not so great.
— Andy
Tags: 2007, crime, drama, jake gyllenhaal, usa
Sunday 06 July 2008
TV: Criminal Justice
This has kept me hooked all week! Criminal Justice has been a surprisingly intelligent and engaging mini-series for the BBC. Its depiction of the criminal justice system seemed real and the characters were well drawn. It was easy to connect to the accused and feel compassion for his predicament (despite Ben Whishaw’s slight over-acting — was I alone in noticing that?), although the little twist towards the end made me start to doubt everything I’d understood up to then. Unfortunately the final episode seemed to go a little out of control and felt out of place with the preceding episodes, but I can forgive them for that. It’s good to see some quality drama being broadcast on BBC One for a change.
— Andy