Blog archive
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