Film Review: SIDE BY SIDE (2012)

Writer/Director: Christopher Kenneally
Running time: 99 mins (approx)
Certification (UK): 15

Genre: Documentary
UK Release date: 15^th February 2013

Watched on Sky+ Sunday 18^th August 2013.

PLEASE NOTE: THERE MAY BE UNINTENTIONAL SPOILERS IN THIS REVIEW.

I have wanted to see this one since a certain Mark Kermode waxed lyrical about it on his radio show several months ago. I knew it would never show at my local cinema and so I was resigned to seeing it on TV. Fortunately those enlightened people at Film4 decided to put it on their channel this week and so I happily watched it this morning.

The film is hosted by Keanu Reeves who is seen conducting all of the interviews and looks genuinely interested in the subject. We are taken through the history of filmmaking, from its early beginnings and right up to the digital technology of today. A lot is made of the effects the leaps in technology have had and the repercussions for the future of the industry are discussed. Along with many directors like; Danny Boyle, James Cameron, Lena Dunham, David Fincher, George Lucas, David Lynch, Christopher Nolan, Robert Rodriguez, Joel Schumacher, Martin Scorsese and Steven Soderbergh, amongst others; he also talks to many of the other people involved in the process; cinematographers, directors of photography, editors and the like. Although no real conclusions are drawn I found it well balanced with both sides of the argument being well covered. The argument? I hear you ask. Well at the beginning the question is posed as to whether the digital technology of today has brought about an end to movies being shot on 35mm film.

The film goes in to quite a lot of technical detail about the technology of filmmaking; most was easy to follow, but I can see how it might put a few off. Some very interesting questions are posed; particularly revealing are the comments on the fad for 3D; something the studios seem to love at the moment. The music wasn’t all it might have been as well; it sounded a little like I was watching an 80’s infomercial about a film camera company at times. A well balanced piece although I did find it was beginning to drag a little towards the end. Still, well worth a look for any fan of the movies, I can’t see it having a much broader appeal though. On a personal note; I don’t really care what technology is used to make a film; to me the important thing is the story. Without a well scripted story, to my mind at least, there’s no point in even starting.

SteelMonster’s verdict: RECOMMENDED

My score: 8.2/10.

IMDb Score: 7.6/10 (based on 5,574 votes when this review was written).
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt2014338/

MetaScore: 82/100: (Based on 20 critic reviews provided by Metacritic.com at the time of going to press).

Rotten Tomatoes ‘Tomatometer’ Score: 95/100 (based on 64 reviews counted at the time of going to press).

Rotten Tomatoes ‘Audience’ Score: 86/100 (based on 7,024 user ratings counted at the time of going to press).
http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/side_by_side_2012/

If you’re crazy enough… You can find me on Facebook at:
http://facebook.com/andy.steel3

LINKS:
(Note: All were working at the time of going to press)
Official Site: http://sidebysidethemovie.com/
Trailer:

Film Review: MEA MAXIMA CULPA: SILENCE IN THE HOUSE OF GOD (2012)

Writer/Director: Alex Gibney
Running time: 106 mins (approx)
Certification (UK): 15

Genre: Documentary
UK Release date: 15^th February 2013

Watched on Terrestrial PVR Sunday 4^th August 2013.

PLEASE NOTE: THERE MAY BE UNINTENTIONAL SPOILERS IN THIS REVIEW.

As someone who is not religious you would have thought a documentary about the Catholic Church would have little appeal for a man like me. You couldn’t be further from the truth, I actively research all religions because I believe the better informed you are about the world, the better you can understand it. But enough about me, we are here to talk about the film.

The film is about child abuse carried out by Catholic Priests and how it was covered up by the Catholic Church. A subject, I’m sure, many of you will have read about of seen in the news over the past few years. The main focus is on a School for the deaf, St John’s in Milwaukee, and the actions of a particular Priest, Lawrence Murphy (now deceased). Several of his students talk about the abuse they suffered at his hand and the filmmakers set out to explore how the affair was dealt with by the Church authorities. The abuse took place between the early 1950’s and the early ‘70’s and it has taken until now for it to be acknowledged. Not least due to the efforts of several of the students who never gave up trying to be heard. The filmmakers widen the scope and look at how this kind of thing has been going on, not just in North America, but all over the world and for a very long time. They even reveal just how high up the cover-up went.

If Dan Brown had written a novel about a cover-up in the Catholic Church on the scale depicted in this film, it would be treated as a great work of fiction. The trouble is, it’s all true and that’s the most shocking thing about it. It is a very well made film that has a compelling flow to the narrative and this is helped with some nicely chosen musical backdrops. The only thing that lets it down is a lack of balance, but then, as it says in the film, the Vatican refused to be interviewed for this film. Not that they could have put up any defence. I found it a gripping watch that did get a little emotional at times. Well worth a look whatever religion (or not) you are.

SteelMonster’s verdict: HIGHLY RECOMMENDED

My score: 8.8/10.

IMDb Score: 7.6/10 (based on 931 votes when this review was written).
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt2111478/

MetaScore: 73/100: (Based on 16 critic reviews provided by Metacritic.com at the time of going to press).

Rotten Tomatoes ‘Tomatometer’ Score: 98/100 (based on 48 reviews counted at the time of going to press).

Rotten Tomatoes ‘Audience’ Score: 92/100 (based on 1,508 user ratings counted at the time of going to press).
http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/mea_maxima_culpa_silence_in_the_house_of_god/

If you’re crazy enough… You can find me on Facebook at:
http://facebook.com/andy.steel3

LINKS:
(Note: All were working at the time of going to press)
Trailer:

Film Review: UNDEFEATED (2011)

Directors: Daniel Lindsay, T.J. Martin
Running time: 113 mins (approx)
Certification (UK): 12

Genre: Documentary/Sport
UK Release date: 3^rd August 2012

Watched on Sky+ Sunday 14^th April 2013.

PLEASE NOTE: THERE MAY BE UNINTENTIONAL SPOILERS IN THIS REVIEW.

I hadn’t heard about this documentary until I found it in the TV listings the other day. Although I’m not a fan of Grid-Iron football (I am British after all), I decided to give it a look. What I discovered was a fantastically inspiring tale of a high school football team and how their coach turns them around from a bunch of losers to a winning team despite all the odds being stacked against them. It won the Oscar for Best Documentary in 2011 and I can see why!

So what’s it all about? Well a North Memphis high school football team, the Manassas Tigers haven’t won a game in almost fourteen years. Their coach, Bill Courtney is determined to change all that. There are many problems off the field with his players getting into trouble and even being arrested in a few cases. But he is a determined man and he wants the best for the team. They have one key player, O.C. Brown and he is struggling academically and so they arrange for him to live with one of the coaches for a few days a week so he can get the extra tuition he needs. No tutor is willing to go to O.C.’s neighbourhood it seems. As the season progresses and the team begins to put a string of wins together coach Courtney can see they might have a crack at the play-offs. This is important because no team from that school has ever won a play-off game. I’ll leave it there; don’t want to give the ending away.

I found this a very inspirational film with insights into the lives of the players and the coaches alike. Admittedly, a lot of the focus is on Coach Courtney, but we do get glimpses of the lives of the players too. Not only star player O.C. Brown, but players like Montrail 'Money' Brown, who struggles with a bad injury part-way through the season. It was great to see how both the coach and his team-mates stood by him throughout. Also there was bad boy Chavis Daniels, who had problems with discipline but overcame them to become an iatrical part of the team. Even if, like me, you’re not particularly a fan of the game this inspirational film is well worth a look!

SteelMonster’s verdict: HIGHLY RECOMMENDED

My score: 8.9/10.

IMDb Score: 7.3/10 (based on 2,299 votes when this review was written).
http://uk.imdb.com/title/tt1860355/

MetaScore: 71/100: (Based on 29 critic reviews provided by Metacritic.com at the time of going to press).

Rotten Tomatoes ‘Tomatometer’ Score: 96/100 (based on 94 reviews counted at the time of going to press).

Rotten Tomatoes ‘Audience’ Score: 88/100 (based on 3,015 user ratings counted at the time of going to press).
http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/undefeated_2012/

If you’re crazy enough… You can find me on Facebook at:
http://facebook.com/andy.steel3

FAVOURITE QUOTES:
NONE AVAILABLE.

LINKS:
(Note: All were working at the time of going to press)
Trailer:

Film Review: BRITAIN IN A DAY (2012)

Director: Morgan Matthews
Running time: 90 mins (approx)
Certification (UK): TBA

Genre: Documentary
UK Release date: 11^th June 2011

Watched on Sky+ Monday 11^th June 2012.

PLEASE NOTE: THERE MAY BE SPOILERS IN THIS REVIEW.

Made along very similar lines to ‘Life in a Day’ (2011), [my review here] this documentary is made from short films and clips made by people in the UK on 12^th November 2011. It was organised by the BBC and the film premiered on BBC2 this week. I must say I enjoyed it very much, particularly the music, which really fitted the visuals very well.

Several threads are followed throughout the day, but the film takes us through from the early hours until late at night. An eclectic mix of themes, everything from sport to babies to weddings to pets (and much more). At times very touching and also quite infuriating in places too, it really takes you through the whole gamut of emotions. At the end of it I must say I was left with a feeling of pride that I live in such a diverse and brilliant country… Please don’t turn it into America!... Don’t get me wrong, I like America, there are many wonderful things about it. I just feel that in the modern world with instant communication and modern media Britain is losing its identity and (for me) that’s not necessarily a good thing. (Sorry for getting a bit political there).

Back to the film, just like ‘Life in a Day’, there is no voice-over, just the people of Britain telling their own stories on one particular day. I really enjoyed it, particularly the story of the wedding, that really touched my heart. It maybe loses some impact because it has been done before, but even so, it’s well worth a look… Recommended.

My score: 7.8/10

IMDb Score: 7.3/10 (based on 15 votes at the time of going to press).
http://uk.imdb.com/title/tt2119395/

MetaScore: No Data: (Based on 0 critic reviews provided by Metacritic.com at the time of going to press).

Rotten Tomatoes ‘Tomatometer’ Score: No Listing (based on 0 reviews counted at the time of going to press).

Rotten Tomatoes ‘Audience’ Score: No Listing (based on 0 user ratings counted at the time of going to press).

If you’re crazy enough… You can find me on Facebook at:
http://facebook.com/andy.steel3

FAVOURITE QUOTES:
None available.

LINKS:
(Note: All were working at the time of going to press)
My review of ‘Life in a day’: http://thoughtsofasteelmonster.blogspot.co.uk/2011/11/film-review-life-in-day-2011.html
Official Site: http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p00kqz5p
Teaser Trailer:

Film Review: MAN ON WIRE (2008)

Director: James Marsh
Writer: Philippe Petit (book)
Running time: 94 mins (approx)
Certification (UK): 12

Genre: Documentary/Biography
UK Release date: 1^st August 2009

Watched on Sky+ Saturday 26^th May 2012.

PLEASE NOTE: THERE MAY BE SPOILERS IN THIS REVIEW.

This film was on TV a couple of years ago at Christmas but I sadly missed it then and ever since I’ve been scanning the TV listings for a repeat. Well it finally came and I got a chance to see this fascinating documentary. It tells the story behind Philippe Petit’s death defying high-wire walk between the twin towers of the World Trade Center (I’ll use the American spelling just this once) back in 1974.

Even before the Twin Towers were built Philippe was fascinated by the idea that he might walk between them on a high wire. To this end he pulled off a couple of stunts in the years leading up to his attempt. First he and a group of friends strung a high wire between the towers of the Notre Dame cathedral in Paris and he walked between then, performing stunts as he went. Of course he was arrested afterwards. Next he went to Sydney, Australia and pulled off a similar stunt between the towers at one end of the Sydney Harbour Bridge… Again he was arrested afterwards. All this was building up to his attempt to walk between the Twin Towers which would take several years to plan. Other people, Americans, were brought in, not all of whom were trusted by some of the French contingent of the team. It was planned like a meticulous heist and when the day finally came… Well, I guess I’ll leave you to find that bit out for yourselves.

A very well made documentary with certain scenes from the story being reconstructed using actors. These are inter-cut with interviews, archive footage and stills of the events being described. It’s all very well done although I did feel they went into a little too much depth in places. Over all though, a very enjoyable watch and a tremendous achievement by Philippe Petit and his team. I must say I was quite blown away by his daring and the, almost military precision required by the team to pull it off… Highly RECOMMENDED.

My score: 8.3/10

IMDb Score: 7.9/10 (based on 18,869 votes at the time of going to press).
http://uk.imdb.com/title/tt1155592/

MetaScore: 89/100: (Based on 31 critic reviews provided by Metacritic.com at the time of going to press).

Rotten Tomatoes ‘Tomatometer’ Score: 100/100 (based on 150 reviews counted at the time of going to press).

Rotten Tomatoes ‘Audience’ Score: 88/100 ‘Liked It’ (based on 21,218 user ratings counted at the time of going to press).
http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/man_on_wire/

If you’re crazy enough… You can find me on Facebook at:
http://facebook.com/andy.steel3

FAVOURITE QUOTES:
Mark Lewis: I never doubted Philippe's talent, his prowess on the wire. It was the unforeseen things that really worried me. You know, America's a very litigious society... you know, involuntary manslaughter, assisted suicide... I didn't want to be liable for the death of a friend.

Philippe Petit: If I die, what a beautiful death!

Alan Welner: The fact that I could not speak French, and didn't know what the sound was or what had happened with the wire... was probably just as well.

Philippe Petit: Life should be lived on the edge of life. You have to exercise rebellion: to refuse to tape yourself to rules, to refuse your own success, to refuse to repeat yourself, to see every day, every year, every idea as a true challenge - and then you are going to live your life on a tightrope.

Sgt Charles Daniels: ...I observed the tight rope dancer... because you couldn't call him a walker... approximately half-way between the two towers. I personally figured I was watching something that somebody else would never see again in the world. Thought it was once in a lifetime.

LINKS:
(Note: All were working at the time of going to press)
Official Site: http://manonwire.com/
Trailer:

Film Review: SENNA (2010) - Revisited

Director: Asif Kapadia
Writer: Manish Pandey
Running Time: 103 mins (approx)
Certification (UK): 12

Genre: Documentary/Biography/Sport
UK Release Date: 3rd June 2011

Watched on Sky+ Saturday 10^th March 2012.

PLEASE NOTE: THERE MAY BE SPOILERS IN THIS REVIEW.

This is my second viewing of this remarkable documentary, I first saw it at the cinema back in July 2011. I must admit a second viewing hasn’t dampened my enthusiasm for this great piece of work. I will admit to being a Formula 1 fan and I remember most of the events depicted here very well, but never saw them from Senna’s point of view before. It’s a story that has has great drama, passion and emotion and even non-F1 fans have given it high praise.

The film tells the story of the Brazilian driver Ayrton Senna from his early days in carting through his rise to fame and fortune in Formula 1 to his untimely death in an accident in 1994. We are told about the feud he had with fellow driver, Alain Prost, and the battles they had both on and off the track. How he dealt with the politics of the sport and how he became a huge star, giving hope to millions, back home in Brazil. We also see events from the point of view of his family, journalists and commentators and those that worked closely with him.

I love the way this film was put together, there is no commentary and no interviews with people made after the fact. It’s all archive footage and interviews, mostly with Senna himself, that tells the story, much of it in his native Portuguese (with subtitles – you have been warned). As has been said many times before, real life can be so much better than fiction and this story has so much drama and emotion in it I firmly believe, in this case at least, it’s true. The section of the film concerning his death I remember watching events unfold live on TV very well. It was the blackest day in Formula 1 history and I don’t think I’ll ever forget it. It is depicted with a lot of emotion and I will admit to the odd manly tear at that point.

To many, Ayrton Senna was the greatest driver ever to race in Formula 1. I’ll admit that I wasn’t his greatest fan at the time; I wanted the British drivers to win (of course). However, always admired his talent and now I know more about him I am inclined to think that, yes, he was one of the greatest. This is a truly remarkable film and one I can highly recommend to both fans of the sport and those that don’t follow it alike. It’s a remarkable story and one I’m sure you will find yourself thinking about for a long time afterwards.

My Score: 9.1/10

IMDb Score: 8.6/10 (based on 14,373 votes at the time of going to press).
http://uk.imdb.com/title/tt1424432/

Rotten Tomatoes ‘Tomatometer’ Score: 92/100 (based on 115 reviews counted at the time of going to press).

Rotten Tomatoes ‘Audience’ Score: 96/100 (based on 12,051 user ratings counted at the time of going to press).
http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/senna/

If you’re crazy enough… You can find me on Facebook at:
http://facebook.com/andy.steel3

FAVOURITE QUOTES:
Jean-Marie Balestre: The best decision is my decision!

LINKS:
(Note: All were working at the time of going to press)
Official Site: http://www.sennamovie.com/
Official Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/sennamovie
Trailer:

Film Review: LIFE IN A DAY (2011)

Director: Kevin Macdonald
Collaborating Director: Natalia Andreadis
Co-Directors: Lisa Cottrell-Bentley, Jane Haubrich, Soma Helmi, Frederic Lumiere, Joseph Michael & Joaquin Montalvan
Executive Producers: Ridley Scott & Tony Scott
Running time: 95 mins (approx)
Certification (UK): 12A

Genre: Documentary/Drama
UK Release date: 17^th June 2011

Watched on Sky+ Sunday 6^th November 2011.

PLEASE NOTE: THERE MAY BE SPOILERS IN THIS REVIEW.

I remember the beginnings of this idea being released into the world. We, the world in general, were asked to film something, anything, on 24^th July 2010 and post it to a special YouTube page. 80,000 clips and films were submitted, totalling 4,500 hours of footage from 192 countries. It fell to director Kevin Macdonald and his team to whittle this down into a 90 minute film. And boy what a film! There are very few documentaries I’ve seen that are better than this. Such a diversity of cultures, subjects and people, it really opened my eyes.

The format basically follows the time arc of the day, from the early hours of the morning right through to the following midnight. There were pieces from a vast array of peoples from all around the globe, some quite touching, some disturbing and some just plain silly. I must warn you that there are one or two scenes that some may find upsetting and there is a little swearing. Quite a variation in picture quality didn’t really detract from what is quite a stunning piece of work. It’s all held together with a beautiful musical soundtrack by Harry Gregson-Williams and Matthew Herbert.

I really enjoyed watching the diversity on show here and I had to keep reminding myself that all these things happened on the same day. For me, the star of the show was the Korean guy who was cycling around the world. He just wanted to reunite North and South Korea and he had such optimism. It’s beautifully put together with various themes running through it. Never boring, no voice-over, just the people of the world telling their own stories… Highly Recommended.

My score: 8.9/10

IMDb Score: 8.1/10 (based on 1,675 votes at the time of going to press).
http://uk.imdb.com/title/tt1687247/

If you’re crazy enough… You can find me on Facebook at:
http://facebook.com/andy.steel3

FAVOURITE QUOTES:
None available.

LINKS:
Official Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Life-In-A-Day-UK-Official/221537331206023?sk=app_106878476015645
Official Twitter: http://twitter.com/#!/LifeInADayUK
Official Site: http://movies.nationalgeographic.com/movies/life-in-a-day/
YouTube Channel (You can watch the entire thing here): http://www.youtube.com/user/lifeinaday
Trailer:

Film Review: AMERICAN: THE BILL HICKS STORY (2009)

Directors: Matt Harlock and Paul Thomas
Running time: 102 mins (approx)
Certification (UK): 15

Genre: Documentary/Biography
USA Release date: 14^th May 2010

Watched on Sky+ Monday 29^th August 2011.

PLEASE NOTE: THERE MAY BE SPOILERS IN THIS REVIEW.

To the people in the know, Bill Hicks is revered as one of the greats. I must admit I wasn’t all that familiar with his work before seeing this documentary. I may have seen the odd snippet here and there, maybe even caught part of the odd TV appearance when getting back late from the pub, but this is the first time I’ve actually sat down and watched any his work properly. You’ll be pleased to know you’ve got a convert right here! I can see why he was so successful over here in the UK; his style of humour is just the kind of thing we love. But I digress, here’s a bit about the film.

We are told the story of Bill Hicks right from birth until his death, tragically young, only 32 years later. It’s quite fascinating how he started out as a teenager with his friend Dwight Slade, and how they’d sneak out of the house to go and play gigs at a local comedy club. He gains some success and ends up solo when Dwight has to move away and we follow his career through alcoholism, drug abuse and back again. It’s only when he cleaned up that he had his greatest successes though. Sadly he never really made it really big in his home country during his lifetime, but he left us with some truly memorable and thought-provoking comedy… In my book, a genius.

Rather than just having lots of talking heads in between scenes of Bill on stage, the filmmakers used some photo-animation to illustrate certain parts of the story. This worked very well and served to keep the audience interested in the narrative. Many of his friends and family contribute to the story, which gives this version of events a lot of credence. I found I was not only intrigued by his life story, but also by his comedy. I will certainly be looking at more of the work of Bill Hicks… Recommended.

My Score: 8.2/10.

IMDb Score: 7.9/10 (based on 1,716 votes at the time of going to press).
http://uk.imdb.com/title/tt1179947/

Rotten Tomatoes Score: 82/100 (based on 55 reviews counted at the time of going to press).
http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/american-the-bill-hicks-story/

LINKS:
Official Site: http://www.americanthemovie.com/
Trailer: