Film Review: THE ELEPHANT MAN (1980)

Director: David Lynch
Writers: Christopher De Vore, Eric Bergren & David Lynch (screenplay), Frederick Treves (book “The Elephant Man and Other Reminiscences”), Ashley Montagu (in part on the book “The Elephant Man: A Study in Human Dignity”)
Running time: 124 mins (approx)
Certification (UK): AA

Genre: Biography/Drama
USA Release date: 10^th October 1980

Watched on Sky+ Saturday 23^rd March 2013.

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

I first saw this film many years ago and since then it’s become quite iconic. There have been many comedy sketches based on the character of John Merrick (The Elephant Man in question); or rather John Hurt’s superb portrayal I should say. There have also been several documentaries about the life of John Merrick and those that shaped his life. Needless to say I thought it about time I gave it another look when it appeared in the TV listings this week. Here’s a very brief summary before I give you my thoughts.

John Merrick (John Hurt) is a man who has a disfiguring condition that leaves him at the whim of the unscrupulous. These include Bytes (Freddie Jones), who makes money by showing him off to the public as ‘The Elephant Man’. But when surgeon Frederick Treves (Anthony Hopkins) comes across him in a travelling show, he takes pity on him and takes him in. He lives at the hospital where Treves works, where he learns to speak and is soon turns out that he is actually quite intelligent. The head of the hospital, Carr Gomm (John Gielgud) agrees to let him stay and even see’s off Bytes when he comes around looking for his ‘golden goose’. Merrick continues to improve and even has visits from the great and the good; including actress, Mrs. Kendall (Anne Bancroft). But we haven’t heard the last of Bytes quite yet, and with the unwitting assistance of the night porter (Michael Elphick), he gets back into the hospital… and it’s on that cliff-hanger I’ll leave it.

Filmed entirely in black and white I found this quite an interesting take on John Merrick’s story. Of course a lot of poetic license is used, but the essence of the man and his story are there. I have to admit I love John Hurt’s performance; I can’t imagine anyone else getting that much emotion through so many prosthetics! Of the other performers, I thought Freddie Jones as the side-show entrepreneur was excellent also. Over all, although it does have its faults, I did enjoy this one; it’s quite poignant in places and you find yourself really touched by John Merrick; a little over-long, but well worth a look.

SteelMonster’s verdict: RECOMMENDED

My score: 8.1/10.

IMDb Score: 8.3/10 (based on 98,714 votes when this review was written).
http://uk.imdb.com/title/tt0080678/

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

Rotten Tomatoes ‘Tomatometer’ Score: 91/100 (based on 34 reviews counted at the time of going to press).

Rotten Tomatoes ‘Audience’ Score: 90/100 (based on 61,440 user ratings counted at the time of going to press).
http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/1006527-elephant_man/

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FAVOURITE QUOTES:
Bytes: Life!... is full of surprises. Consider the fate of this creature's poor mother, struck down in the fourth month of her maternal condition by an elephant, a wild elephant. Struck down!... on an uncharted African isle. The result is plain to see... Ladies and gentlemen... The terrible... Elephant... Man...

Carr Gomm: Can you imagine the kind of life he must have had?
Dr. Frederick Treves: Yes, I think I can.
Carr Gomm: I don't think so. No one could possibly imagine it! I don't believe any of us can!

Mothershead: Sir! I don't quite... I don't quite understand why it is you allow that sort of people in there.
Dr. Frederick Treves: Why? Because he enjoys it, and I think it's very good for him.
Mothershead: Yes, but, sir, you saw the expression on their faces. They didn't hide their disgust. They don't care anything about John! They only want to impress their friends!
Dr. Frederick Treves: I think you're being rather harsh on them, don't you, Mrs. Mothershead?
Mothershead: I beg your pardon!
Dr. Frederick Treves: You yourself hardly showed him much loving kindness when he first arrived, did you?
Mothershead: I bathed him, I fed him, and I cleaned up after him, didn't I? And I see that my nurses do the same. And if loving kindness can be called care and practical concern, then I did show him loving kindness, and I am not ashamed to admit it!

John Merrick: There's something I've been meaning to ask you for some time now.
Dr. Frederick Treves: What's that?
John Merrick: Can you cure me?
Dr. Frederick Treves: No. We can care for you, but we can't cure you.
John Merrick: [matter-of-factly] No. I thought not.

John Merrick: I am not an elephant! I am not an animal! I am a human being! I am a man!

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

Film Review: IMMORTALS (2011)

Director: Tarsem Singh
Writers: Charley Parlapanides & Vlas Parlapanides
Running time: 110 mins (approx)
Certification (UK): 15

Genre: Action/Drama/Fantasy
UK Release date: 11^th November 2011

Watched on Sky+ Sunday 11^th November 2012.

PLEASE NOTE: THERE MAY BE SPOILERS IN THIS REVIEW.

The poster proudly boasts “From the makers of 300”; now I quite liked ‘300’ and so I thought I’d give this one a go. Made in the same style with a comic-book look and feel to the visuals it does very much grab you, in the visual sense at least. The trouble with a lot of Greek legends is that there’s an awful lot of back-story to get through before you can relax and enjoy the film. This is no exception; quite a lot of time is taken up with explaining just who is who and who’s a god and why this king wants that etc… It all can be a bit of a hard lump to swallow at the beginning of the film but once you’re past that it’s pretty straightforward stuff.

I must say I did enjoy the visual style of this one, with a large amount of CGI work that is all very well done, it’s a treat for the eye… if a little dark (in the visual sense). The plot is pretty complicated but here’s a very brief (spoiler free – I hope) synopsis: The brutal King Hyperion (Mickey Rourke) wants the Epirus Bow, a mythical weapon that will enable him to release the Titans from their prison deep within the walls of Mount Tartaros. A young man, Theseus (Henry Cavill) has vowed vengeance on Hyperion after he murders his mother. A priestess, Phaedra (Freida Pinto) holds the key to the location of the bow but she manages to evade capture and escapes with Theseus. Add to this the gods, led by Zeus (Luke Evans) and a mysterious old man (John Hurt) who has been a friend to Theseus since birth and there, in a nut-shell, you have it.

The performances were all pretty good with Mickey Rourke standing out for me; he has such a great screen presence. A very violent film with plenty of claret on show, which will please all the splatter-fest fans. It’s all very well done but does rely heavily on the CGI to carry the story across. The question is, does the story have enough weight to come across through all the effects? Well, for me, it does… but only just.

SteelMonster’s verdict: RECOMMENDED (Just)

My score: 5.8/10

IMDb Score: 6.1/10 (based on 83,306 votes at the time of going to press).
http://uk.imdb.com/title/tt1253864/

MetaScore: 46/100: (Based on 23 critic reviews provided by Metacritic.com at the time of going to press).

Rotten Tomatoes ‘Tomatometer’ Score: 35/100 (based on 113 reviews counted at the time of going to press).

Rotten Tomatoes ‘Audience’ Score: 49/100 ‘Liked it’ (based on 59,712 user ratings counted at the time of going to press).
http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/immortals_2011/

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FAVOURITE QUOTES:
Theseus: Stand your ground! Fight for order! Fight for the man beside you! Fight for those who bore you! Fight for your children! Fight for your future! Fight for your name to survive! Fight! For immortality!

Zeus: It's not living as such that's important, Theseus. It's living rightly.

Stavros: Good to see you're still alive. Worried that cow had gotten the best of you.
Theseus: It almost did. She saved my life.
Stavros: Looks like she did more than that.
Phaedra: [Looks down embarrassed]
Theseus: Careful.
Stavros: Just 'cause you have that bow doesn't mean I'm going to treat you any differently.
Theseus: Good. We march to the monastery.
[Turns and starts walking away]
Theseus: We have a war to fight.

Stavros: Hyperion's legions are gathering at Tartarus. That's where Hellenists will fall.
Phaedra: That future's not set.
Stavros: But likely. It'll be a slaughter.
Phaedra: You have no faith.
Dareios: Heathens.
Stavros: That is true, Dareios. But not always. When I was just a boy, I prayed to the Gods, for a horse. The Gods never answered me. So I stole one, instead.
Dareios: We're surrounded by heathens.
[Falls dead with a knife in his back]

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

Film Review: MIDNIGHT EXPRESS (1978)

Director: Alan Parker
Writers: Billy Hayes & William Hoffer (book), Oliver Stone (screenplay)
Running time: 121 mins (approx)
Certification (UK): 18

Genre: Drama/Biography/Crime
USA Release date: 6^th October 1978

Watched on Sky+ Sunday 9^th September 2012.

PLEASE NOTE: THERE MAY BE SPOILERS IN THIS REVIEW.

I first saw this film many years ago and I have to admit I wasn’t all that impressed with it back then. So I thought I’d give it another look having a much wider experience of the world of cinema and the world in general for that matter. I think this time I had a greater appreciation of it but at the same time I could still see things I didn’t like so much. Here’s a very brief summary then I’ll explain.

The film charts the true story of how Billy Hayes ends up in a Turkish prison for smuggling hashish. He is picked up at the airport and found to be in possession of two kilos of the stuff. Wishing to make an example of him, the authorities throw Billy into the brutal Shagmahr prison in Istanbul. Having been beaten by the cruel head of the prison guard, Hamidou, he is befriended by a fellow American, Jimmy Booth, an Englishman, Max and a Swede, Erich. They all have varying sentences but all live in the hope of getting out someday. A kind of trustee, Rifki, sells them tea and blankets and stuff, if the price is right, and he is universally hated because he’s always snitching to the guards. As time passes Billy never becomes accustomed to prison life and despite the efforts of the American Consul, his father and a local corrupt lawyer he finds himself stuck there with a four year sentence. Wishing to make a further example of him the prosecutor appeals to a higher court and Billy ends up being sentenced to thirty years! He now has no option but to try to escape. I will leave it there as I don’t want to enrage the Spoiler Police any more then I have to.

Very well made with some great visuals on show; you really get a feel for the place. I can’t say I was enamoured with the music though, yes there were a few Turkish themes but then there was this electronic music that seemed to cut right across the grain. How the music won the Oscar in 1979 I will never know! All the performances were very good; Brad Davis does a decent job in the lead roll as Billy Hayes without being particularly outstanding. Randy Quaid did some great scenery chewing as Jimmy Booth, John Hurt was excellent (as ever) and Max and Norbert Weisser did a decent job as Erich. Of the bad guys, I thought Paolo Bonacelli did a very good job as the slippery Rifki and Paul L. Smith did a great job as the brutal head guard Hamidou. Finally honourable mentions go to both Irene Miracle as Billy’s girlfriend, Susan and Mike Kellin as Billy’s father.

For a film that won two Oscars; ‘Best Music, Original Score’ and ‘Best Writing, Screenplay Based on Material from Another Medium’; I found it a little disappointing. Other nominations included ‘Best Actor in a Supporting Role’ for John Hurt which I thought was well deserved. I think what lets it down is the performance of Brad Davis in the central role. He doesn’t quite carry it off and, because the whole film hangs on his part, it suffers because of it. It’s almost like he’s trying just a little bit too hard at times and you can see it on the screen. Even so, it’s an intriguing tale with some nice touches; for example the use of the sound of Billy’s heartbeat as he’s going through customs as the beginning of the film; very effective. Over all, well worth a look but not particularly for the central role; there is still much to admire though, hence my score.

SteelMonster’s verdict: RECOMMENDED

My score: 7.8/10

IMDb Score: 7.6/10 (based on 33,564 votes at the time of going to press).
http://uk.imdb.com/title/tt0077928/

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

Rotten Tomatoes ‘Tomatometer’ Score: 95/100 (based on 21 reviews counted at the time of going to press).

Rotten Tomatoes ‘Audience’ Score: 62/100 ‘Want to See’ (based on 29,228 user ratings counted at the time of going to press).
http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/midnight_express/

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FAVOURITE QUOTES:
Tex: Boy oh boy, you picked a bad time to fly, Billy. They're guerrillas all over the place blowing up planes and all. They hit four planes in four days. But I guess you young people don't read the news anymore. That, and with our people back home kicking up a shitstorm about the flow of heroin from Turkey...
Billy Hayes: I didn't have heroin. It was just a little hashish.
Tex: That doesn't matter. A drug's a drug.
Billy Hayes: It was only two kilos.
Tex: It doesn't matter if it was two kilos or 200 kilos. The Turks love catching foreigners. They want to show the rest of the world that they're fighting the drug trade.
Billy Hayes: Who are you? What's your name?
Tex: That's not important.
Billy Hayes: Are you with the American consulate here in Istanbul?
Tex: Something like that.

Jimmy: So... Billy, what are you in for? Hash?
Billy Hayes: Yeah.
Jimmy: Where'd they get you?
Billy Hayes: The airport... trying to get home.
Jimmy: You go through customs?
Billy Hayes: Yeah, I was busted right at the plane.
Jimmy: Aw, man that's heavy. That's very heavy.
Erich: It's bad if they get you for smuggling, but if they make it possession, the sentence is lighter. The best thing for you to do, Billy, is try to make bail. If you make bail, you're free. You can easily get yourself a fake passport on the black market, or get yourself across the border into Greece.
Jimmy: Dream on, Erich. They'll never grant bail to foreigners whom may be a flight risk.
Erich: But if you argue in court about you being innocent...
Jimmy: This ain't the good ol' USA! This is Turkey, man! It's a fuckin' accident here if you're innocent! There ain't nobody here that is innocent!

Billy Hayes: [voiceover] To the Turks, everything is "shurla burla", which means "like this, like that". You never know what will happen. All foreigners are "ayip", they're considered dirty. So is homosexuality, it's a big crime here, but most of them do it every chance they get. There are about thousand things that are "ayip", for instance, you can stab or shoot somebody below the waist but not above because that's intent to kill. So everyone runs around stabbing everyone else in the ass. That's what they call Turkish revenge. I know it must all sound crazy to you, but this place is crazy.

Billy Hayes: What is a crime? What is punishment? It seems to vary from time to time and place to place. What's legal today is suddenly illegal tomorrow because society says it's so, and what's illegal yesterday is suddenly legal because everybody's doin' it, and you can't put everybody in jail. I'm not saying this is right or wrong. I'm just saying that's the way it is. But I've spent 3 1/2 years of my life in your prison, and I think I've paid for my error, and if it's your decision today to sentence me to more years, then I...
[he becomes overcome with anger]

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

Film Review: ALIEN (1979) – (Theatrical Release)

Director: Ridley Scott
Writers: Dan O'Bannon (story/screenplay), Ronald Shusett (story)
Running time: 117 mins (approx)
Certification (UK): 15

Genre: Sci-Fi/Horror
UK Release date: 1^st November 1979

Watched on DVD Sunday 3^rd June 2012.

PLEASE NOTE: THERE MAY BE SPOILERS IN THIS REVIEW.

The tag line on the poster says ‘In Space No One Can Hear You Scream’ which promises the viewer a terrifying experience. Well, having seen it many times over the years, it’s no longer terrifying, but it still has a relentless aura about it that still gives me goose bumps. Needless to say I am a bit of a fan of Ridley Scott’s first foray into sci-fi/horror. There is probably no need for a plot summary, but there may still be a few waifs and strays out there who haven’t seen it yet, so I’ll make it brief and as spoiler-free as I can.

When towing vessel Nostromo brings its crew out of stasis it is not because they are home, as expected. It turns out an alien signal has been detected and they’ve been diverted to investigate. When they land on the planet they sustain some damage and while it’s being fixed by Brett and Parker; Dallas, the skipper, goes with Lambert and Kane to investigate the signal. The planet is very inhospitable and so the team is monitored by Science Officer, Ash. Meanwhile Ripley does some analysis on the signal and discovers it may not be a distress call, as first thought; she believes it’s a warning! The away team discover a crashed alien ship and go in to investigate. When they return Kane has something attached to his face… Something that could be very dangerous indeed… I had better leave it there or the Spoiler Police (Alien Division) will have me investigating crashed alien craft (again).

From the very first scene to the very last this film both looks and sounds quite menacing. The design and the music are all superb and the performances, although a little chaotic at times are all excellent. Of course the stand-out performance comes from, the quite young at the time, Sigourney Weaver as Ripley. In a role she was to make her own she was a little raw, but you could see the quality there. Next up (for me) was Ian Holm as Ash; he played what must have been a difficult part very well. Yaphet Kotto as Parker and Harry Dean Stanton as Brett played the blue collar grunts very well, and also provided some much needed comic relief here and there. Tom Skerritt did ok as Dallas, although I felt it wasn’t a particularly demanding role. Veronica Cartwright did a decent job as Lambert and John Hurt, who has one of the most iconic scenes in sci-fi film history, played it with great aplomb. Finally a word for Jones the ship’s cat (uncredited)… Some great cat acting from that kitty.

The film has quite a slow pace that slowly builds to an almost frenetic conclusion. I must admit that having seen the follow-up ‘Aliens’ (1986), directed by James Cameron, I lost a little of the love I had for this one. You’ll be pleased to know I’ve grown up a bit since then and can now see the merits of both films. There is a certain quality to every scene in this film, whether it’s the sound design, the music or just the sets themselves, it looks and sounds quite brilliant. It’s creepy as hell and I believe Ridley Scott has learned the art of allowing the audience enough of a glimpse for them to make up the rest of the monster in their own minds. This is (of course) where all the best monsters lurk… It’s not perfect though, there are a few rough edges here and there, but even so well worth a look!... HIGHLY RECOMMENDED.

My score: 8.9/10

IMDb Score: 8.5/10 (based on 285,345 votes at the time of going to press).
http://uk.imdb.com/title/tt0078748/

MetaScore: 83/100: (Based on 22 critic reviews provided by Metacritic.com at the time of going to press).

Rotten Tomatoes ‘Tomatometer’ Score: 97/100 (based on 86 reviews counted at the time of going to press).

Rotten Tomatoes ‘Audience’ Score: 90/100 ‘Liked it’ (based on 406,570 user ratings counted at the time of going to press).
http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/alien/

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

FAVOURITE QUOTES:
[first lines]
Brett: This is the worst shit I've ever seen, man.
Parker: What you say? You got any biscuits over there?
Ripley: Here's some cornbread.
Parker: Cornbread. Yeah.
Lambert: I am cold.
Parker: Still with us, Brett?
Brett: Right.
Kane: Oh, I feel dead.
Parker: Anybody ever tell you you look dead, man?

Kane: The pit is completely enclosed. And it's full of leathery objects, like eggs or something.

Dallas: Something has attached itself to him. We have to get him to the infirmary right away.
Ripley: What kind of thing? I need a clear definition.
Dallas: An organism. Open the hatch.
Ripley: Wait a minute. If we let it in, the ship could be infected. You know the quarantine procedure. Twenty-four hours for decontamination.
Dallas: He could die in twenty-four hours. Open the hatch.
Ripley: Listen to me, if we break quarantine, we could all die.
Lambert: Look, could you open the god-damned hatch? We have to get him inside.
Ripley: No. I can't do that and if you were in my position, you'd do the same.
Dallas: Ripley, this is an order. Open that hatch right now, do you hear me?
Ripley: Yes.
Dallas: Ripley. This is an order. Do you hear me?
Ripley: Yes. I read you. The answer is negative.

Brett: Here kitty, kitty, kitty. Meaow. Here Jonesy.

Ash: Ripley, for God's sake, this is the first time that we've encountered a species like this. It has to go back. All sorts of tests have to be made.
Ripley: Ash, are you kidding? This thing bled acid. Who knows what it's gonna do when it's dead?
Ash: I think it's safe to assume it isn't a zombie.

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

Film Review: 44 INCH CHEST (2009)

Director: Malcolm Venville
Writers: Louis Mellis, David Scinto
Running time: 95 mins (approx)
Certification (UK): 18

Genre: Drama/Crime
UK Release date: 15^th January 2010

Watched on Sky+ Saturday 28^th January 2012.

PLEASE NOTE: THERE MAY BE SPOILERS IN THIS REVIEW.

This is one of those films I have wanted to see for some time now. From the writers of ‘Sexy Beast’ (a film I very much enjoyed) I was really looking forward to more of the same. I can see where they were going with it, but it didn’t quite have the same impact as their previous effort. I think the idea was solid enough, but what they did with it really didn’t quite work out (for me). I will tell you more after this brief summary.

When Colin Diamond’s wife, Liz, tells him she’s leaving him for another, he is devastated. He gets her to give him the name of the other man and he, and some friends, take him to a room for a talk. It is here where the majority of the action takes place. Even before the man is brought out of the cupboard they have him stashed in we have some quite explicit dialogue and flashbacks of what had transpired in the previous 24 hours. Colin’s ‘colleagues’, Meredith, Old Man Peanut, Archie and Mal have already softened ‘Loverboy’ up for him, but now it’s up to him to decide what’s to be done. Asking the others to leave the room, he talks through the various options open to him. I will leave it there or the Spoiler Police will be looking into the disappearance of that waiter a few months back.

A very well made film with some very colourful characters and some great dialogue, but it does have the look and feel of a stage play. I guess this is because the majority of the action takes place in one room. One thing I cannot fault is the performances; everyone was superb! And so special mentions go to; Ray Winstone as Colin Diamond, Ian McShane as Meredith, John Hurt as Old Man Peanut, Tom Wilkinson as Archie and Stephen Dillane as Mal.

There is an awful lot of dialogue in this film and much of it contains extreme swearing, but much of it I found was quite philosophical. I think the trouble is, there’s far too much of it and, at times, it doesn’t help the story move along very smoothly. I found the ‘hallucination’ scenes very confusing and they got more bizarre the longer they went on! It ended up being quite a strange film in the end that left me kind of flat. I can’t really recommend it for that reason, but if anyone out there feels like giving it a look I’d be interested to hear what you made of it.

My score: 5.7/10

IMDb Score: 5.8/10 (based on 3,175 votes at the time of going to press).
http://uk.imdb.com/title/tt0914837/

Rotten Tomatoes ‘Tomatometer’ Score: 40/100 (based on 77 reviews counted at the time of going to press).

Rotten Tomatoes ‘Audience’ Score: 36/100 (based on 13,005 user ratings counted at the time of going to press).
http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/44_inch_chest/#

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

FAVOURITE QUOTES:
Warning: Strong Language.
Archie: Are you hearing this? What you've done? What you're responsible for? Are you proud of yourself? Was it worth it? All this pain.
Mal: Fucked his wife. Fucked his fucking wife. You fucking wife-fucker, you. You fucked his fucking wife, you wife-fucking cunt. Another man's wife. Are you stupid, are you fucking thick, you cunt? Fuck another man's wife? You don't do that. It ends in this. This. This is where it ends. You listening, you hearing me? Shitter? Little shitter?
Archie: You should have got your own fucking wife to fuck!
Mal: You're in deep shit mate. You're in the worst possible place a man could find himself.

Colin Diamond: I want you dead. I think you owe me that. I do. Because that's what you've done to me. You've fucking killed me.

Colin Diamond: I bet she's never farted in front of you, has she? Has she? No- I thought not. I mean, that's not romantic, is it? You just want the perfume clouds, the romance, the magicalness of it all- the false crap. Well, I've got news for you, Sonny Jim- that's not love. Love's hard work, hard graft. Love can be murder. Love is watching what she wants to watch on the telly, taking her the papers and a cup of tea on a Sunday morning in bed and inquiring to how she might be feeling, "You all right, Liz?" whilst plumping up her pillows. And she might get irritated by that, but you gotta take it on the chin and broad shoulders, because she's the queen, and you're the bee- the Dad. And so what if you cook the dinner and you get no thanks for it? Don't do it if you expect thanks. That's not why you do it. And yes, you forgot the dripping tap for ten years, and then one day- for whatever reason, fuck knows why- you get off your fat ass and you find yourself under the sink with a spanner in your hand and you're smiling like fuck- because you know it's gonna please her. And if she don't notice it, she don't notice it- it don't matter. It's fixed. It's plumbed. It's the maintenance of a marriage, the nuts and bolts, the nitty gritty, the reality- that's life, that's love, it ain't easy- nobody ever said it was gonna be easy. It's fucking hard work. But, you know, love can be... lovely. One day, you'll be in the bathroom, having a shave in front of the mirror, all soap on your face, and you feel her approaching you. She's hung a pair of tights, hanging on the radiator. And as she leaves, she pats you on the bum and gives you a tiny smile- almost not a smile- but a smile nevertheless. And it will mean the world to you- the whole. incredible world- the fucking universe.

LINKS:
(Note: All were working at the time of going to press)
Official Site: http://www.44inchchestfilm.com/
Trailer:

Film Review: TINKER TAILOR SOLDIER SPY (2011)

Director: Tomas Alfredson
Running time: 127 mins (approx)
Certification (UK): 15

Genre: Thriller
UK Release date: 16^th September 2011

Watched at the cinema Saturday 1^st October 2011.

PLEASE NOTE: THERE MAY BE SPOILERS IN THIS REVIEW.

Having seen the critical acclaim this has got I had to see it when it finally landed at The Picture House, my local cinema. I remember the TV adaptation of this John le Carré novel, starring Alec Guinness, being aired, but I never really watched it at the time. So it was all new to me and I have to say I was impressed. It’s not for everyone, it has quite a slow pace and there are no frenetic fight scenes, chase sequences or gun battles, it’s all very calm. Here’s a brief summary before I give you my thoughts.

It is the 1970’s and the cold war with Russia is at its height. Control has had word that there is a double agent at the top of the organisation and decides to leave, taking George Smiley with him. Some time later, Control is dead and George is asked to come back to find out who the mole is. He enlists the help of Peter Guillam, an agent, and former Special Branch Police officer, Mendel. The suspects are; Percy Alleline, Bill Haydon, Roy Bland and Toby Esterhase. The investigation begins by looking at an incident in Budapest involving another agent, Jim Prideaux, who was shot by Russian agents. Another source of information is Ricki Tarr who comes to George wanting to trade what he knows for the life of a Russian woman he has fallen for. There are plots within plots in this very complicated story and there’s no way I’m gonna give the game away or the Spoiler Police will have me marched off to Siberia as quickly as I can say ‘spy’.

Beautifully shot with really sharp imagery, I’m always impressed by that when I see a film on the big screen. The incidental music was good, but, for me, there wasn’t enough of it… many long silences in the dialogue. Moving on to performances, well, I have to say that Gary Oldman as George Smiley was superb! He really nailed it and went up a great deal in my estimation. I also thought the performances of; Tom Hardy as Ricki Tarr, John Hurt as Control, Mark Strong as Jim Prideaux and Benedict Cumberbatch as Peter Guillam were all most excellent! I really hope at least one of them gets an Oscar… if not a BAFTA. Oh, it was also nice to see an appearance from Kathy Burke as Connie Sachs.

As I said at the beginning, this film will not suit everyone, it had a very complicated plot and it’s one you really have to concentrate on or you’ll miss something. Concentration was quite hard at the viewing I was at because it was quite hot and stuffy in there. Not to worry, I stayed awake for the duration and really enjoyed what I saw. It’s the kind of film, I think, you might have to watch a few times to get the little nuances put in there, little clues to the identity of the mole. Some of it is told in flashback and it can be a little confusing at times figuring out whether it’s a flashback or not… It certainly keeps you on your toes! I will certainly be seeing this again at some point. So, for those that like a good cold war thriller, a slow burning plot with many twists and turns, then this one comes very highly recommended.

My score: 9.1/10

IMDb Score: 708/10 (based on 2,892 votes when this review was written).
http://uk.imdb.com/title/tt1340800/

Rotten Tomatoes Score: 97/100 (based on 38 reviews counted when this review was written).
http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/tinker_tailor_soldier_spy/

FAVOURITE QUOTES:
Ricki Tarr: Mr Guillam, I'm sorry I was out for so long.
[Guillam attacks Tarr]
George Smiley: Ricki's been helping us, Peter! He's been telling us all about his adventures.
Peter Guillam: He's a double, George! There is no mole! Irina's been locked up by Moscow!
[turns on Tarr]
Peter Guillam: I stole that, because of you! I spied on my own, because of him! Do you know how that makes me feel?

Control: I know that Moscow has planted a mole, and I know it is one of five men.
[starts placing out chess pieces with photos on them]
Control: Allenine: Tinker. Haydon: Tailor. Bland: Soldier. We leave out "Sailor", too much like "Tailor". Esterhase: Poorman.
Jim Prideaux: And the fifth?
Control: Smiley.

Easterhase: [to Smiley] Things aren't always what they seem.

LINKS:
Official Site: http://www.tinker-tailor-soldier-spy.com/
Trailer:

Film Review: THE PROPOSITION (2005)

Director: John Hillcoat
Running time: 104 mins (approx)
Certification (UK): 18

Genre: Crime/Drama/Western
UK Release date: 10th March 2006

Watched on Sky+ Saturday 12th March 2011.

PLEASE NOTE: THERE MAY BE SPOILERS IN THIS REVIEW.

This one was recommended to me after I watched, and very much liked, The Road (2009) by the same director. Although it’s set in Australia in the 1800’s, it has very much the look and feel of a Spaghetti Western. It’s an interesting film with some nice ideas, but I just didn’t seem to be able to connect with any of the characters. More of my thoughts later, here’s a brief summary first (summary haters and those that don’t wish to know anything about the plot please track down that murderer while I write the next paragraph).

Charlie Burns and his young brother, Mike are captured by Captain Stanley and his troops. They are wanted in connection with the brutal rape of the pregnant Mrs Hopkins and the murder of her entire family at their homestead. The older brother, Arthur, has escaped into the hills. Stanley propositions Charlie with either tracking down and killing his brother Arthur or seeing his beloved younger brother Mike hang in nine days. He takes off in search of Arthur but events out in the bush and back in town are about to take a turn for the worse for both Charlie and Stanley… I’ll leave my summary here so as not to incur the wrath of the spoiler police.

It’s a pretty well made film, as I said, in the style of a Spaghetti Western. Some stunning scenery on view, credit to the cinematography for that. Decent performances all round, particularly from Guy Pearce as Charlie Burns and Ray Winstone as Captain Stanley. Both stood out in this one. Emily Watson was also good as Martha Stanley, as was John Hurt as the bounty hunter, Jellon Lamb.

As I said at the beginning, I found it quite hard to connect with any of the characters, good or bad. I guess they had no redeeming features in my eyes. I like the concept of the film, but the way it was executed, cutting back and forth between Charlie’s search for his brother and events back in town with Captain Stanley, didn’t work for me. I found it a bit of a mess over all, but not all bad, there are some scenes in there that I really like, but maybe not enough to make me want to watch it again.

My score: 6.7/10

LINKS:
(RT = Rotten Tomatoes)
IMDb Page: http://uk.imdb.com/title/tt0421238/
RT Page: http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/proposition/
Official Site (Australian): http://www.sonypictures.com.au/movies/theproposition/index.html
Trailer: http://uk.imdb.com/video/screenplay/vi3589800217/

Film Review: OUTLANDER (2008)

Director: Howard McCain
Running time: 110 mins (approx)
Certificate (UK): 15

UK Release Date: 24th April 2009

Watched on DVD Sunday 31st May 2010.

PLEASE NOTE: POSSIBLE SPOILERS IN THIS REVIEW.

I bought this disc on a whim, I hadn’t heard anything about the film but something about it appealed to be. Too often these types of purchase end up quite disappointing, but fortunately the gods smiled on me this time. Don’t get me wrong, it’s far from prefect, but it does what it says on the tin. It’s exciting, entertaining and there’s a dragon (of sorts) in it.

In the year 709AD a spaceship crash lands in a lake in what is now Norway. Two occupants make it to the shore before the ship sinks. One of them removes his helmet and passes out, the other does not move. When the first one awakes, he finds his companion has died. He retrieves a device from the lake and discovers where he has landed. The device ‘downloads’ all the available information about the language and culture of the region directly into his brain. Exploring, he finds a village, totally deserted; it has been attacked by some large creature. Catching sight of riders in the woods he starts to run, but is run down by one of the riders. Waking up in another settlement, he gives them his name, Kainan. The settlement is ruled by Rothgar, whose daughter Freya is promised to Wulfric who will be the next king. The village that Kainan had found was ruled by Gunnar who is away trading. They fear that Gunnar will blame them for the raid. Kainan tells them that the village was destroyed by a Moorwen, an alien creature he had inadvertently brought on his ship. Before long the Moorwen attacks the settlement and it also attacks Gunnar returning from his trading trip. The leaders combine forces to fight off this alien foe and they turn to Kainan for help.

It’s a very well made film with, for the most part, some excellent special effects. The story, although slightly predictable, was quite enjoyable and the fight scenes were all very well done. Pretty good performances from all of the main cast; James Caviezel as Kainan, Sophia Myles as Freya, Jack Huston as Wulfric, John Hurt as Rothgar and Ron Perlman as Gunnar.

I guess my only criticism is with the accents. Why do half of the cast seem to think Vikings spoke with Irish accents? I find it really irritating! Apart from that it was a pretty good effort. It did tend to get a bit baggy in the middle, but over all pretty entertaining, if a bit gory at times. If you like a bit of blood and guts, some swordplay and a touch of Sci-Fi thrown in, then it’s recommended.

My score: 6.6/10

LINKS:
IMDb Site: http://uk.imdb.com/title/tt0462465/
Official Site: http://www.outlandermovie.co.uk/
Trailer: http://uk.imdb.com/rg/VIDEO_PLAY/LINK/video/imdb/vi3628270361/