Dead Man's Shoes (2004) plus trailer

A gritty, British revenge thriller with a towering performance from Paddy Considine, who single handedly carries the film with an astounding physical and an emotional performance. The film centres around Richard, a military man returning to his hometown in an unnamed Midlands suburban village. He wanders around the town to seek revenge on the tormentors who bullied his mentally challenged brother Anthony (played with great subtly and reserved interpretation by Tony Kebbell). When he comes across one of the local bullies, they soon realise their time is up, as Richard has nothing but death in his eyes.

With such an exceptionally simple concept comes a very powerful and moving tale of one brother who will do anything to wreak vengeance and make the bullies pay for the abuse they put his brother through. From the first initial confrontation in the pub when he spots Herbie (one of the gang members) the controlled turn of anger from Considine is both shocking and gripping at the same time. A complete composure which switches at a drop of a hat. It is an electrifying and absorbing performance which is only comparable to such an actor as say De Niro.

What gives this film a different slant on the whole revenge genre is that it is almost played out like a horror film (a slasher if you will). Richard incorporates many implements of a horror film. Stalk and slash comes to mind, as he breaks into their houses and leaves his mark on them. Though it is probably the use of the old military gas mask which is put to such great affect, where Richard appears on the front door step to frighten the persecutors. What's more, it is the way in which he has complete power over them and has the ability to show them he has no fear. And like a horror film, they are all picked off one by one...

The main reason to see this, is the performance from Considine who channels a raw energy to exhibit a controlled psycho to such touching and poignant moments when he is alone with his brother. Unfortunately some of the other actors are not as strong so the performances seem a little bit uneven. Tonality of the film is spot on though. It's a very sombre affair with a surprising amount of light humour thrown in too.

Overall, a surprisingly calm and tranquil ending with a predictable outcome but nevertheless an enjoyable journey. An affecting performance with a hybrid of genres which melded well together and never looked forced or added as an afterthought. A well written script by director (Shane Meadows) and star (Considine) and fully deserving a place in anyone's movie collection.

Acting 4/5

Technical Merit 4/5

Narrative 4/5

Entertainment 5/5

17/20

Before Sunrise (1995) with Trailer

Linklater's simple yet highly enjoyable film where the two main performers are the key to the films success. Before Sunrise is another one of Richard Linklater's experimental films where the dialogue and performances are the main focus and the usual filmic techniques (like multiple edits, shots and angles) are abandoned for a more free form and relaxing capture of what genuinely feels like a blossoming relationship.

Ethan Hawke and Julie Delpy are two strangers who meet on a eurorail heading towards Vienna. An argument between a German couple provides the excuse/reason for Celine (Delpy) to sit adjacent to Jesse (Hawke). Jesse takes this opportunity to talk to Celine. They sit together and share stories from childhood and the spark of a budding relationship begins to form. When the train finally stops in Vienna, Jesse plans to get off whereas Celine is suppose to be heading on and return home. Jesse decides to take a chance and invites Celine to spend a day in Vienna with him. He has no money for a hotel/accommodation and proposes that they spend the night exploring the city. With conversation flowing, it is clear that neither are ready to say goodbye, so with very little hesitation Celine departs the train with Jesse and we follow them as they wander through the streets of Vienna.

For those of you expecting dramatic action or dialogue, you are watching the wrong film. It goes from one conversation to another. It's set at a very leisurely pace as the two of them walk the streets of Vienna where they discuss things that come to mind. One scene has them being tracked through the streets in one continual shot which is marvellously done as both leads talk so naturally it feels like we are listening in on a private conversation. Their exchanges of conversation are not at all pompous or overly intellectual but consist of amusing observations, anecdotes and quirky ideas (like reincarnation and monkeys!)

There is one particular scene in the music store where they stand in a booth and listen to some music, quickly glancing at one another hoping for the other not to catch them looking. It's all too cute, touching and refreshingly genuine. This feels like a poignant moment in the film where as a viewer you finally allow yourself to hope and believe that from this chance encounter true love will in fact blossom. Unlike most romantic tales, this film doesn't hide the obvious attraction between the pair. There is no premise of unrequited love or denial of true feelings with the purpose of the film to show how against all odds this is overcome. The film purely relays all conversations shared from past experiences, ideals and opinions on everything no matter how insignificant, or obscure and from this their relationship grows. It's these little things that gives this film it's beauty and provides enjoyment. As their relationship unfolds it becomes more and more naturalistic and believable. Can two strangers meet and fall in love in one night? For those of you who hold some romantic notion/ideal then the answer would be yes, but for those cynics out there, you will probably think this is all too convenient. 

The two leads are extremely likable and very easy on the eyes, with a completely believable and very genuine look at two people falling for one another and with the film finishing with both characters promising to come back and reconnect, the film is left for us to imagine whether their love can truly blossom such is the way of the spirit of the film, very invigorating, imaginative and joyful to watch.

Acting 4.5/5

Technical Merit 4/5

Narrative 4/5

Entertainment 4.5/5

17/20

Cube (1997) With Trailer (contains a lot of plot points which may spoil ones enjoyment)

A group of strangers wake up to find themselves trapped in a never ending maze of rooms which all look identical but differ in colours and with some sprung with traps....That's all there is to it, to this simplistic yet highly inventive science fiction flick. Shot on a shoestring budget where each room is in fact just one room, lit and filmed in such a way, where our perceptions are skewed and the reality of thousand rooms seem possible.

Each person seemed to be picked at random where no one remembers how and why they were put in this giant maze. With the first character we come across merely on screen for a matter of minutes, is soon getting sliced and diced into a million pieces, we know it probably won't end well for the remaining people in the cube. The people that are left include a cop, a maths student, a doctor, an office worker, an escape artiste and an autistic adult. Each display the usual genre traits found within a film like this. A conspiracy theorist who suspects everything from the government to aliens, to a driven and angry man who will do anything to get out, a pessimist who see no point, to a maths whiz who may have the answer to solve the puzzle of the cube...which leaves our idiot savant. They all have a part to play in escaping to the real world and the only way they will do it, is by working together.

It's an original and obsorbing idea where the reason and logic of why they were ever put there isn't the driving force of the narrative or the most important thing. The questions are bought on by the characters when they bicker and argue about the purpose and reasoning behind the cube. The unravelling of each character is the main focal point and the inventive use of the rooms drives the film forward. As time goes by,  more secret is revealed. It's a study of the hidden side humanity and psyche.

Great use of low angle shots and tight close up provide a great sense of claustrophia which reflect in the characters' actions and repsonse to each other. As time wears on and hope begins to wan you already know where things are leading up to. A film not without faults though with such great ideas and vision it's hard not to like it's concept. Sure, some of the characters may seemed like they've just rolled off the factory line at villians r us but overall the characters are fully explored with each

given clear personality and purpose within the narrative.

Simple yet very effectively woven story with many clever ideas which pulls them off successfully and leaves you wanting more. With all small successful independant films though you know sequels will be made and made they were. They're not a patch on this original concept. Cube 2: Hypercube believes more is better and Cube Zero (a prequel)  tries to explain the unexplainable. Watch only to remind yourself what a great film this is, otherwise avoid.

Acting 3/5

Technical Merit 4/5

Narrative 4/5

Entertainment 4/5

15/20

Cypher (2002) Plus Trailer....which includes too many spoilers so view at your peril

The second feature from Vincenzo Natali (director of the cult film Cube, if you haven't seen it, go check it out) comes this tantalizing sci-fi with hints of film noir blended together to create a smart and puzzling piece of espionage, double-cross with numerous twists and turns.

Set in an alternative reality where a bored business man Morgan Sullivan (played with bookish awkwardness by Jeremy Northam) decides to apply for a job at a global computer firm Digicorp. He successfully passes the rigorous test and learns he is to work as a spy to steal information from their rivals Sunways Systems. Morgan is given a new identity (Jack Thursby) where he attends these business conferences to retrieve and relay information back to Digicorp.

Morgan starts off thinking that this would be an adventure where he can re-invent himself as the man he'd like to be. When he spots a mysterious woman (Rita played by Lucy Lui), he tries his luck, only to be blown off. As he sent on further conferences he starts to experience extreme headaches where masses of images explode in his mind which he doesn't comprehend. When he spots Rita again in his hotel again he follows her to the rooftop where she explains to him that all is not what it seems at the conferences he is going to.... and that's when the fun starts. Here is the beginning of the many twist and turns involved in the film.

Set in monochromatic colours, where there is light there is shadow and the whole film seems to be set in a neo film noir colouring of greys and whites. There is a distinct style that the film tries to go for and mostly achieves. A world, which is not dissimilar to our own, is bought to life by the high contrast and sharp detail by cinematographer Derek Rogers giving the whole feel a cold, calculated and cool precision look.

The performances by Jeremy Northam provides the main focus as we see his transformation from a bland everyday businessman into a paranoid agent who allegiances is divided and is unsure of who to trust and who to follow. By the end of the film he becomes a completely different person and is a measured piece of acting by Northam. Lucy Lui also plays the role of the femme fatale very well and isn't playing her usual spoilt brat routine (which is normally very unbearable for me). All other supporting cast do a decent enough job but it's not really a film to really rave on about the acting side of things.


The most impressive thing about this, is learning that the film was initial financed by family and friends on their credit cards and was only pick up later on by a major distributor and with a larger budget (even then it's only $7.5 million) to work on, it looks amazing. Shot in very little time, it's a puzzler that isn't too hard to work out (though you will need a little concentration to follow it) but to fully appreciate it, I would suggest you don't view the trailer, otherwise a lot of the key plot points maybe ruined and the surprises and twists will be foreseen. All in all it's very stylist sci-fi thriller with plenty to give the brain a workout.

16/20

Assault on Precinct 13 (1976) with Trailer

A modern interpretation of an old western classic (Howard Hawks' Rio Bravo), it is a tense and tightly movie directed by the master of horror John Carpenter. It uses the old classic formula of a siege film done with a really small budget and shot in a relatively small amount of time (20 days I believe).


This re-make is relocated to modern 1970s LA and the action is set primarily in a soon to be abandoned police precinct. The narrative is very simplistic but very effective. The screenplay is so efficient no action is played out without pushing the narrative further. Every little detail placed within the film allows the film to flow without any unnecessary dialogue.

Napoleon Wilson (Darwin Joston)

The film starts off with the mysterious and menacing street gang wandering through an alleyway where they are ambushed by the police and are shot and killed. The remaining gang members forge a blood pact and aim to take no prisoners for the consequences of the slaying of their fellow gang members. The whole set up is done very quickly thereafter. We are introduced to the hero, Ethan Bishop (Austin Stoker) and the archetypal anti-hero Napoleon Wilson (played with glee by the late Darwin Joston) in the first 10 minutes. Other characters come on screen and within minutes we can follow their preordain destiny. The father and daughter's path is on a collision course with the gang and the near abandoned police station is the setting for the unrelenting siege by the gang ready to kill any and all who get in their way.

The build up to it, is very expertly handled and the emotionless and remorseless gang move with such determination and purpose they become almost inhuman in their actions. Almost zombie like. There is hardly any dialogue and when they are shot and killed they barely make a sound and die lifelessly. It bears a remarkable similarity to The Night Of The Living Dead, what with both having black actors as their main leads and both being about the struggle and their ability to handle the unrelenting siege from the masses..

Ethan Bishop (Austin Stoker)

It is without a doubt a remarkable achievement from John Carpenter and his gift as a composer is apparent (as with majority of his features) and is very effective at conveying a sense of dread and suspense. You can always tell if it's a John Carpenter movie just by listening to the atmospheric ambiance and his adept nature in efficient story telling. The acting isn't always great but what the film lacks in dramatic acting it makes up for suspenseful action. Always enjoyable to watch and one of Quentin Taratino's favourite films (but that shouldn't be the only reason to watch it). Search it out and you will not be disappointed. Oh and please try not to confuse this with the recent re-make starring Ethan Hunt and Laurence Fishburne, even though its has a bigger budget and bigger stars doesn't make it a better film... I'll just leave you this comment....Got a smoke...?

17/20