Eric Lomax’s story is one of sorrow, redemption and forgiveness. There is a sadness and a beauty in the real tale that would have made for a stunning cinematic adaptation. Sadly, The Railway Man fails, in all possible ways, to tell this story. In 1942, Lomax, who was a British army officer, found himself in a Japanese … Continue reading
Monthly Archives: January 2014
The Wolf of Wall Street.
A familiar force is present in Scorsese’s latest cinematic whirlwind in the form of editor Thelma Schoonmaker. Wife of the late and great Michael Powell, one of Scorsese’s cinematic idols, Schoonmaker has edited every film of Scorsese’s since Raging Bull and it could be argued that she is equally responsible for creating that precise feeling I get … Continue reading
12 Years a Slave.
Out of this year’s nine Academy Award ‘Best Picture’ nominees it is possible that 12 Years a Slave has had the most publicity; closely followed by Gravity. Adapted from the memoirs of Solomon Northup, 12 Years a Slave tells a story of truth; a fact that makes the film even harder to watch and more tragic to accept. The injustice of … Continue reading
American Hustle.
American Hustle is a delightful whirlwind of nail varnish, comb-overs, quiffs and hairspray. The eccentric costumes are fitting of both the time setting of the film as well as the characters – whose natures are artificially glamorous, fake and nasty. David O. Russell has created a film with a fun and nostalgic visual aesthetic that reflects … Continue reading
Frozen.
In 2010 Disney released Tangled. Despite trying to do something new and refreshing Tangled ended up feeling a little too familiar with the modernised fairytale being thoroughly worn out since the success and originality of Shrek. Tangled also demonstrated Disney’s attempt to step up their game as collaborators and partners and animation rivals Pixar churning out a vast number of high quality … Continue reading
Worst Films I’ve Seen: 2013.
The less said the better. 1. Puffball: The Devil’s Eyeball 2. Last Days 3. Jason Takes Manhattan 4. Weekend at Bernie’s 5. Big Trouble in Little China 6. Naked Lunch 7. Syriana 8. The Ladykillers (2004) 9. The Misfits 10. The Acid House EURGH…Thanks for reading and let’s all keep supporting our beloved film industry. Continue reading
Best Films I’ve Seen: 2013.
I managed to watch 280 new films during 2013. I fell just short of my usual goal of 300. Here is my top 20: 1. A Woman Under the Influence 2. Whatever Happened to Baby Jane? 3. The Spirit of the Beehive 4. The White Ribbon 5. Leaving Las Vegas 6. 2001: A Space Odyssey 7. Purple Noon (Plein Soleil) 8. The Passion … Continue reading
Worst New Releases: 2013.
Amongst the thrills, laughter and emotion that the best cinema of 2013 brought us, there was also some yawns, some boredom and plenty of cringe-worthy moments. 2013 was as full of terrible tripe as it was mastery. Luckily, I avoided 99% of the rubbish due to good judgement. This is perhaps the only joy I … Continue reading
Best New Releases: 2013.
2013 has certainly been an exciting year for cinema. Amidst the many hours I’ve spent in dark cinema screenings, a few films have stood out. The following list documents what I consider to be the best new releases I’ve seen since January. This post will be followed up by a piece discussing the worst releases … Continue reading
Reel Insights 