Tag Archives: 2012

What I’m Watching – May 2013

Posted on May 6, 2013 | Leave a comment

This list only includes films I watched for the first time this month. My most recent viewing is the top entry.

Psycho (Dir: Alfred Hitchcock, 1960) *****

The Hangover Part III (Dir: Todd Phillips, 2013) **

O Brother, Where Art Thou? (Dir: Joel Coen, 2000) ****

The Great Gatsby (Dir: Baz Luhrmann, 2013) ****

Fast & Furious 6 (Dir: Justin Lin, 2013) ***

Trance (Dir: Danny Boyle, 2013) ***

Spring Breakers (Dir: Harmony Korine, 2012) *****

The Place Beyond The Pines (Dir: Derek Cianfrance, 2012) *****

Star Trek Into Darkness (Dir: J.J. Abrams, 2013) ****

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Review: Maniac (2012)

Posted on March 15, 2013 | 1 Comment

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***THIS REVIEW WAS ORIGINALLY POSTED ON THE HOLLYWOOD NEWS, HERE***

Director: Franck Khalfoun.

Starring: Elijah Wood, Nora Arnezeder, Megan Duffy, America Olivo.

Running Time: 89 minutes.

Certificate: 18.

Synopsis: Frank (Elijah Wood) is an attractive yet awkward shop owner with a fetish for scalps. As his mental state worsens when a young artist, Anna (Nora Arnezeder) enters his life, his potent thirst for blood threatens to ruin any chance of a normal friendship.

Opening to slick city streets and electronic beats, Franck Khalfoun’s remake of William Lustig’s 1980 cult horror is reminiscent of the Los Angeles presented in Nicolas Winding Refn’s Drive. But don’t be fooled, as the contemporary city setting is soon unveiled as a dirty, dangerous place where the days are bathed in claustrophobic greyish hues and not even an apartment corridor or parking lot is safe. Continue reading →

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Yes, Yes, Well Done Affleck, But…

Posted on March 4, 2013 | Leave a comment

Don’t get me wrong, I liked Argo – I really, really liked Argo – but it wasn’t my favourite film of 2012. That title belongs to Shame, with Beasts Of The Southern Wild in second place.

So thank you Steve McQueen for using Twelve Years A Slave to bring this little one…

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…and this, err, not so little one together.

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What I’m Watching – March 2013

Posted on March 2, 2013 | Leave a comment

This list only includes films I watched for the first time this month. My most recent viewing is the top entry. Embargoed films get their respective star ratings when allowed.

Rock Of Ages (Dir: Adam Shankman, 2012) ***

Silver Linings Playbook (Dir: David O. Russell, 2012) ****

Salmon Fishing In The Yemen (Dir: Lasse Hallström, 2011) **

Dan In Real Life (Dir: Peter Hedges, 2007) ***

Trainspotting (Dir: Danny Boyle, 1996) *****

Stoker (Dir: Park Chan-Wook, 2013) *****

Les Miserables (Dir: Tom Hooper, 2012) ****

Side Effects (Dir: Steven Soderbergh, 2013) ****

Robot & Frank (Dir: Jake Schreier, 2012) ***

Paper Man (Dir: Kieran Mulroney, Michele Mulroney, 2009) ***

Morning Glory (Dir: Roger Michell, 2010) ***

The Incredible Burt Wonderstone (Dir: Don Scardino, 2013) ****

What’s Eating Gilbert Grape (Dir: Lasse Hallström, 1993) ****

Adaptation. (Dir: Spike Jonze, 2002) ****

Raising Arizona (Dir: Joel Coen, 1987) *****

Jeff, Who Lives At Home (Dir: Jay Duplass, Mark Duplass, 2011) ****

Safety Not Guaranteed (Dir: Colin Trevorrow, 2012) *****

The Grey (Dir: Joe Carnahan, 2011) ***

Margin Call (Dir: J.C. Chandor, 2011) ****

The Girl Who Kicked The Hornet’s Nest (Dir: Daniel Alfredson, 2009) ***

Oz The Great And Powerful (Dir: Sam Raimi, 2013) ***

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Review: Cloud Atlas (2012)

Posted on February 16, 2013 | 1 Comment

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***THIS REVIEW WAS ORIGINALLY POSTED ON THE HOLLYWOOD NEWS, HERE***

DIRECTOR: Lana Wachowski, Tom Tykwer, Andy Wachowski.

CAST: Tom Hanks, Halle Berry, Jim Broadbent, Doona Bae, Jim Sturgess, Ben Whishaw, Hugh Grant, James D’Arcy, Hugo Weaving, Keith David, David Gyasi, Xun Zhou, Susan Sarandon.

SYNOPSIS: Six stories from different moments in time become intertwined as random acts change the course of history. From modern-day farce to post-apocalyptic warfare, everything is connected.

David Mitchell’s 2004 novel, Cloud Atlas, is a magical mixture of six seemingly unrelated historical yarns that weave together through time to become interlinked by specific, consequential ripples. With a formidable artistic trio at the helm, Mitchell’s majestic and lauded work has been transformed into a lovingly crafted, jaw-dropping epic from Tom Tykwer and the Wachowskis.

Where the novel is read as separate chapters within the sextet’s respective timelines, Alexander Berner’s remarkable editing results in a singular, fluid tale. Slices of sci-fi, historical spectacle, political thriller and good, old-fashioned slapstick are layered harmoniously with unprecedented ease – an impressive feat that should not be undervalued. A modern-day caper set in an old people’s home may appear farfetched, but where the low-key comedy is merged seamlessly into the expansive world of Neo Seoul, you feel safe that these directors can master any genre. Continue reading →

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Review: Lincoln (2012)

Posted on January 24, 2013 | Leave a comment

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DIRECTOR: Steven Spielberg.

CAST: Daniel Day-Lewis, Tommy Lee Jones, Sally Field, David Strathairn, James Spader, John Hawkes, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Lee Pace, David Costabile, Gulliver McGrath, Hal Holbrook, Joseph Cross, Michael Stuhlbarg, Jared Harris, Tim Blake Nelson, Gloria Reuben.

SYNOPSIS: With the American Civil War reaching its inevitable conclusion, President Abraham Lincoln (Day-Lewis) races against time to abolish slavery before the Southern States attempt to quash his efforts. Though an early peace would save lives, Lincoln must decide whether to free the country’s slaves or end the war.

Based in part on Doris Kearns Goodwin’s book, Team Of Rivals, Steven Spielberg’s commitment to lovingly recreating an authentic ambience makes Lincoln translate as a thoroughly engrossing historical experience. Continue reading →

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Review: Zero Dark Thirty (2012)

Posted on January 22, 2013 | Leave a comment

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***THIS REVIEW WAS ORIGINALLY POSTED ON THE HOLLYWOOD NEWS, HERE***

DIRECTOR: Kathryn Bigelow.

CAST: Jessica Chastain, Jason Clarke, Joel Edgerton, Jennifer Ehle, Mark Strong, Kyle Chandler, Chris Pratt, Mark Duplass, Harold Perrineau, Edgar Ramirez, James Gandolfini.

SYNOPSIS: Following the terrorist attacks of September 11th, 2001, CIA operative Maya (Chastain) starts a resolute pursuit of Osama Bin Laden, the man behind countless Al Qaeda acts of destruction. After years of searching, a new lead comes to light in 2011 that may finally help her get her man.

American cinema has a habit of skewing history in its favour – Pearl Harbor, anyone? But though Zero Dark Thirty starts with a heartbreaking American phone call, the splicing of footage and news from around the world ensures that its devastation is felt intimately by everyone. Continue reading →

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What I’m Watching – January 2013

Posted on January 8, 2013 | Leave a comment

This list only includes films I watched for the first time this month. My most recent viewing is the top entry. Embargoed films get their respective star ratings when allowed!!

Hidden (Caché) (Dir: Michael Haneke, 2005) ****

Funny Games (Dir: Michael Haneke, 1997) *****

Love Is All You Need (Den Skaldede Frisør)

Welcome To The Punch

Broken City

Wreck-It Ralph (Dir: Rich Moore, 2012) ****

Bernie

Zero Dark Thirty (Dir: Kathryn Bigelow, 2012) ****

Maniac

Song For Marion (Dir: Paul Andrew Williams, 2012) ***

I Give It A Year (Dir: Dan Mazer, 2013) **

Django Unchained (Dir: Quentin Tarantino, 2012) ****

The Sessions (Dir: Ben Lewin, 2012) ****

Flight (Dir: Robert Zemeckis, 2012) ****

Hitchcock (Dir: Sacha Gervasi, 2012) ***

Lincoln (Dir: Steven Spielberg, 2012) *****

Tiny Furniture (Dir: Lena Dunham, 2010) ****

Jack Reacher (Dir: Christopher McQuarrie, 2012) ****

Quartet (Dir: Dustin Hoffman, 2012) ***

The Impossible (Dir: J.A. Bayona, 2012) ****

Rise Of The Guardians (Dir: Peter Ramsey, 2012) ***

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Happy New Year From Your Man Of Last Year

Posted on January 1, 2013 | 2 Comments

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Oh, he knows he’s cool.

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Critic Circle Update: Because I Got Slack, And That.

Posted on December 24, 2012 | Leave a comment

San Francisco, Satellite Awards, Chicago, St. Louis, Indiana, Toronto, Florida, Dallas-Ft. Worth, Austin, Black Film Critics, Utah, Dublin, Women Films Circle – I feel I may have neglected you slightly.

With thirteen different lists of winners to report back on, well, I’ll keep it brief, but a list of Best Picture, Director, all four Acting winners, Best Screenplays, Cinematography, Documentary, Animation and Foreign Film can be found below.

It’s mainly all about Zero Dark Thirty and Daniel Day-Lewis as expected, but there are some interesting wins to pick up on (namely thanks to Toronto) and prizes to whoever finds The Artist hidden within.

Check it all out below: Continue reading →

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