Films Seen In 2005

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Dead Man's Shoes
Some may think the british film industry is dead, but Dead Man's Shoes stomps all over that theory. A raw and surprisingly affective tale of small town revenge, Shane Meadows film breathes new life into a genre that's riddled with unoriginality. Paddy Considine tears up the screen as 'Richard', a former soldier who returns to a Derbyshire town to avenge his retarted brothers tormentors. Every facial expression, every line of dialogue, his body language I believe wholely. The films tagline reads "He's In All Of Us". Well his performance will defenitely stay in my mind for a long time to come. Can't wait for the DVD, which incidently has been confirmed by Meadows to feature his short film 'Northern Soul' as an extra.

Koktobel
Boring. This film destroyed my soul. Most road movies have a plot that drives it's characters from A to B. The difference here is B has nothing to offer that makes the journey important. I've heard Koktobel being praised for it's cinematography. Yes, there are particular shots and sequences that impress, but the film is let down by the severe lack of editing, and most of all an almost non-existent plot. Did the film-makers drink as much vodka as their characters? I think so...

Te Doy Mis Ojos (Take My Eyes)
I admire this film for many reasons. But mainly for a script that defies sensationalism, and for the pitch-perfect performances from the two leads, Laia Maru and Luis Tosar. I look forward to seeing more of them and director Icair Bollain's talent in the future.

Hotel Rwanda
"After they see this, people are gonna say 'my god thats terrible' and then go on eating their dinners".

This one line, spoken by American cameraman 'Jack' (Phoenix)to the heroic Paul Rusesabegina (Cheadle) pretty much sums up the ignorance of the western world on issues such as the Rwandan genocides. If Rwanda had been an oil rich country I guess that would have been a different story. I thank Terry George and Keir Pearson for bringing this film to the screen. And handling the subject matter with the utmost respect. Hotel Rwanda is ten years too late to make any difference in Rwanda, but it will certainly leave it's mark on the rest of us. Cheadle and Okenedo thoroughly earn their Oscar nominations in what I believe to be the performance of their careers. Simply breathtaking.

Bad Education
Pedro Almoldavar's latest film provides a spellbinding insight into how reality is transformed by fantasy. The film takes a little time to find it's stride, but WOW does it hit you for six when it finds it. I'm wracking my brains trying to think of a film that's as unpredicatble as Bad Education, but not one title springs to mind. I loved the cinematography, the use of vibrant colours framed by typical film-noir neutrals. The performances are great all-round, especially Garcia-Bernal who impressively juggles multiple roles. Bad Education will be one of those films that's always never far away from my DVD player.

Scarface
I'm pretty sure I enjoyed this film the first time I viewed it, many moons ago. On 2nd view I'm now of the opinion that if you look past the memorable lines and Pacino's performance, Scarface is a bland film backed by a script that lacks serious depth. Not a patch on Howard Hawks' 1932 classic.

Last Resort
Last Resort is a gem of a movie that captures the harsh realities of the UK asylum system. A world most of us will never have to experience. Pawel Pawlikowski's first feature length production is also a brave piece of film-making in the sense that it doesn't pander to the Hollywood formula in style or structure we’re all too used to today. The films climax is powerful and keeps you wondering on the fate of the characters for quite a while after the viewing. Completely shot with handheld cameras Last Resort almost has the feel of a documentary, built-up by an intricately structured script, and the fabulous performances of the lead trio. This brings me to mention that man Paddy Considine again. From what I've seen so far Considine doesn't have a bad performance in him. Here his acting is more subtle and understated than it is in Dead Man's Shoes, and My Summer of Love (another Pawlikowski film) but it also shows he has incredible range. Pawlikowski and Considine are definitely fast becoming personal favourites; I recommend you check them out if you haven't already.

Sideways

Sideways won me over for the first hour of it's running time whilst driven by it's characters. But the second-half felt like the plot was somewhat forced. However, it's still a movie i'd reccommend for the performances of it's main four characters alone.

Code 46

I've never been a huge fan of the sci-fi genre. In general I find most sci-fi films big on ideas but lacking in character. Michael Winterbottom and Frank Cottrell-Boyce have produced a rare gem in Code 46, a film that has both in abundance, and a beautifully shot film to boot. Had the lead roles gone to lesser talents than Tim Robbins, and Samantha Morton the film may have suffered. For me they gave Code 46 that dramatic edge the genre often lacks. Code 46 isn't the easiest of films to follow, however I expect any questions left from the first viewing to be cleared on the second watch.

Fear And Loathing In Las Vegas

Aarghh! I should have known better than to watch this movie. Fear and Loathing is a classic example of why great literature should never leave the page for a screen. I loved Hunter S. Thompson as a writer, but the same things that made the book a fun read, made the film a repetitive drag. I'll be stocking up on ether in a bid to erase this mess from my memory. The only survivor will be Benicio Del Toro, once again immersing himself in a character to an extent that he becomes virtually unrecognisable.

Layer Cake

On my first viewing I'll admit I was expecting another Snatch, or Lock stock, and I was a little disappointed when I didn't get that. But, Layer Cake is an altogether different beast. It still has the odd comical moments that made Vaughn a successful producer, but now from behind the camera he delivers us a more serious take on London's underworld, reminding me more of 'The Long Good Friday' than Snatch. Daniel Craig is as impressive as ever in the lead. Michael Gambon shows up for a decent cameo. Colm Meaney basically plays Colm Meaney (no surprise there). Oh, and my eyes are not averse to a little candy served up in the flavour of Sienna Miller. However, I still have no idea if Law's latest squeeze is talented, as her character vanished faster than it appeared. The film entertained me, it held my interest but it seemed to me that Vaughn was trying to hard to impress on his first jaunt behind the camera. I found the use of flashbacks within flashbacks confusing and unnecessary. This is one for DVD, you'll probably need 2 viewings at least.

Meet The Fockers

This farcical comedy pretty much falls flat. It's a shame as the cast certainly had the potential to make the film a more memorbale experience. I lust for the return of the quality character driven comedy material Hollywood used to put out. Meet The Fockers provided me with a few laughs, but most were the product of the behaviour of animals and kids and not the stellar cast. An altogether forgettable experience I fail to be able to recommend.

The Royal Tenenbaums

I have no idea why it took me so long to get around to seeing this movie, all I know is that I'm extremely glad that I eventually did. The Royal Tenenbaums is a trully unique, intelligent, touching, and wickedly funny film. I haven't stopped smiling since the end credits faded to black thirty minutes ago. Repeat viewings are guaranteed in abundance.

Rushmore

(From Meet The Fockers comments above: I lust for the return of the quality character driven comedy material Hollywood used to put out.) Well, my lust has been fulfilled. The Anderson/Wilson writing partnership demonstrates a unique ability for integrating comedy with character study. Can't wait to sample Steve Zissou and Bottle Rocket. Although as entertaining as it was, Rushmore still fell a little short of Tenenbaums in the laughs department for me.

Closer

Is Closer a love story? Yes and no. The issues brought to the front by the plot mainly deal with the insecurities that can spawn from a close relationship. Fear of rejection, self-denial, obsession, anti-trust. All this make Closer much more interesting than the average sugar-coated yarn. It's a mature film with a perfectly executed plot, sharp dialogue, and characters as real as your neighbours or colleagues.