Screen
Saturday 23 May 2009
Mark of an Angel
I recommend Mark of an Angel staring Catherine Frot, a great performance in an unsettling thriller based on a true story. Why are the French so good at making thrillers?
— Andy
Tags: drama, france, in cinemas, recommended, thriller
Saturday 20 December 2008
Dirty Pretty Things
Stephen Frears’ film about a couple of illegal immigrants living in London with two good performances from Chiwetel Ejiofor and Audrey Tautou. A very seedy side of London is exhibited, although as the plot develops I was left believing less-and-less in it as it became ever more fantastical; however, this makes Dirty Pretty Things an enjoyable film to watch.
— Andy
Tags: audrey tautou, chiwetel ejiofor, indie, london, stephen frears, thriller, uk
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
Monday 02 June 2008
Heartbeat Detector
Heartbeat Detector (La Question humaine) is a French corporate thriller currently in cinemas. It’s a very slow paced film that seems to be going no where for a long time, but then small events in the film ripple out to reveal a deep plot underlying the whole movie. Heartbeat Detector tackles some very heavy themes, of which I will not spoil here. At first this movie looks like a dull uneventful art house movie, but by the end I was stunned by the revelations and the questions they raise about the corporate world. This is not a film for everyone, but if you’re patient with it you’ll see an intelligence in the plot and twists not seen very often in the cinema.
— Andy
Tags: 2007, drama, france, in cinemas, thriller
Saturday 17 May 2008
Live Flesh
Live Flesh (Carne trémula) is a bit different for an Almodóvar film, in part because the lead characters are male and the story is based on a Ruth Rendall novel. It’s not his best work, but still good, particularly towards the second half when the plot starts to thicken. Penélope Cruz makes a brief appearance at the start as the mother of the protagonist Victor.
— Andy