60-second cinema

some thought On the message boards at work, there's a thread in which people are posting their all-time favourite horror films. (Yep, we work really hard here.) It's interesting to see what kinds of thing people consider to be horror. In among the first few responses were a couple of votes for films in the Alien series. I thought these were just straightforward sci-fi. Good job I don't categorise my reviews by genre, I guess. :) And, for the record, my favourite horror so far is probably either Candyman or The Descent. What about yours?

6 out of 10 Entertaining enough, with the odd good laugh, Withnail & I is a comedy about two out-of-work actors living through an alcohol-fuelled haze. It's not hard to see why this film has a cult following, but that doesn't necessarily mean it's an outstanding example of its art. At least, not in my book. I suspect it just struck a chord with lazy, pissed-up students. Still, I used to be one of them myself and it's good to finally get this one under my belt. At least now I have a bit of context when the next Richard E. Grant wannabe "demands to have some booze". ;)

8 out of 10 Wow. This was... very difficult viewing. Stick with it through the first half hour of misery, however, and you’ll be rewarded. Perhaps not with any happiness — it’s pretty unrelenting in its gloom — but with a film that elicits a strong emotional response. Given the nature of those emotions, however, I feel compelled to point out that you should not watch this if you’re suffering from any kind of depression. Seriously; this film makes a great case for a “mental stability advisory” to go alongside the regular BBFC rating. As for the story itself, that’s laid bare in the first 20 seconds. It’s about a man whose 6-year old daughter was abducted while his back was turned, struggling to cope many months later. No; not struggling to cope; quite simply not coping. As I say, this is made crystal clear right at the start, but it’s only reinforced by the first half hour or so. Thereafter, things start to get a little...

9 out of 10 A slow-burning tale of dark undercurrents in late 70's, middle-class family life. What it lacks in sheer punch, it easily makes up for in well-observed relationship tension and the excellent performances from the star-studded cast. Sigourney Weaver, Kevin Kline, Elijah Wood, Christina Ricci, Tobey Maguire and Katie Holmes are the most recognisable names on the bill, but all actors can be proud of their involvement in this. As, of course, can director Ang Lee. Great film.

7 out of 10 James McAvoy plays Wesley Gibson a wimpy, low level office worker who hates his soul sapping job (and in particular his overbearing boss), and has a girlfriend who is cheating on him with his best friend. Yes, his life truly sucks the big one. Then he meets the enigmatic Fox, ( Angelina Jolie ) who tells him that the father that had run out on him when he was a baby, was a great assasin and was murdered by a man who is now after Wesley. If you have seen Timur Bekmambetov's earlier efforts particularly Daywatch you will have had a little taste of the visual style of Wanted. It's a fast-paced movie that does not take itself at all seriously. At times it not only stretches the laws of physics but also of credibility. It's perhaps neither as clever or as cool as it thinks it is, but what it is however is great fun. As long as you are prepared to enter the spirit of a film (that was after all based on a graphic novel), then you should enjoy this... just don...

7 out of 10 Last time I watched this, I gave it 4 out of 10. What the hell was I thinking? As I recall, I was unimpressed with transparent blood(!) and struggled to keep track of the characters' relationships. Whatever, it was all pretty clear this time and the blood was a non-issue. As it is, it's just another good revenge film from Park Chan-Wook, albeit with a sudden slowing of pace at the end. Looking forward to seeing Mr Vengeance now. :)

5 out of 10 While this goofball Steve Martin vehicle did have its fair share of laugh-out-loud moments, it also had its fair share of quieter spells. Sadly, a film with a few classic scenes doth not a classic film make. Good enough, but not great .

6 out of 10 Another Studio Ghibli animation recorded off the telly and so another watched with dubbing rather than subtitles. Surprisingly, it again worked rather well, with the eponymous crimson pig coming across as a distinctly likeable character from the get-go. I'm not even going to attempt to outline the story, mind; it's an odd mix of Western setting, humans-as-animals, a little bit of steampunk, and a curiously Japanese kind of romance (to my eyes). In other words, typical Ghibli. If you like their other stuff, you'll probably like this too. Not the most complex of their work, but still fairly entertaining.

8 out of 10 The story of the inspiration — and writer — behind Peter Pan, Finding Neverland was, for a while, a slow-burner, but never less than nicely rounded. Some might find it a little schmaltzy and predictable, but let yourself go. Soak it in and lose yourself in it and I swear you'll have a wonderful time.

6 out of 10 An entertaining look at the life of Tony Wilson and, more importantly, Factory Records and the artists and music the label brought to the fore. I'd always found Wilson to be a genial guy and, though it was news to me, it didn't surprise me too much to learn of the heartwarmingly ramshackle nature of his work. Overall, however, the film felt like little more than a nicely told, heartfelt documentary, rather than a story as such. At least it's good to know that the man himself got to see it and appreciate the warm sentiment felt toward him and his work before he popped his untimely clogs.