The last time I looked Anna Karenina was a long-assed book; 864 pages of philosophy, love and peasants. Anyone taking on the task of doing a film adaption is going to have to be selective about the story they wish to tell. In director Joe Wright’s film latest adaption he had the help of legendary …
Category Archives: cinema
Cogito Argo Sum
After the release of Gigli, it would have been very hard to imagine a universe where Ben Affleck becomes a director and gets nominated for an Oscar. Hell, after Pearl Harbor it was hard to imagine him having a career at all. Yet somehow the likeable Affleck has overcome adversity (if that’s not to …
Fifth avenue. 5am
Sam Wasson’s fascinating little bio of the making of Breakfast at Tiffany’s ‘Fifth Avenue 5am’ not only made me want to review the film it also made me want to re read the book. On doing both I began to realize how different they were from one another and how right Wasson is in declaring …
The Raid.The action movie redeemed.
It’s not very often you go to your local multiplex to find an Indonesian subtitled film on the bill. In fact, it’s never. At least I can’t remember it ever happening before. Does this mean we’re all becoming incredibly sophisticated and art house? Nope. It means that someone in Asia has come up with an …
Dance Dance Dance
I have a fear of Wim Wenders. I’ve tried medication and therapy but nothing seems to work. It all started as a teenager. I went to see ‘The State of Things’ at a local art house cinema. It’s a film about running out of money to make a film and sitting around the set waiting …
Hoodies 1 Aliens 0
Following on from the big South African hit ‘District 9’, that showed you could make a lo-budget special effects sci-fi film as long as you had a story worth investing in, comes ‘Attack the Block’ The basic premise: aliens start beaming down to a tough, inner city London housing estate. Ensue shit fight. Like Shaun …
Don’t go into the mountains
I’ll give you a tip. If you happen to be walking in the Scottish Highlands and come across a child hidden in a hole in the ground, leave her there. It may seem heartless but I promise you, no good can come of saving her. I know because that’s what the characters in ‘A Lonely …
Kill List
If you’ve ever watched Get Carter and thought ‘You know what this film lacks? Some weird mask-wearing occultists with torches’ Or watched ‘The Wicker Man’ and thought ‘If only there were some hired killers in this movie’ , then I think ‘Kill List’ might be the film for you. The plot: a hitman, scarred by …
The End of the World is Trier
Be it ‘The Walking Dead’ or ‘Take Shelter’ it seems the modern world and in particular America, is full of apocalyptic visions. The latest addition to the genre comes courtesy of Danish director, Lars Von Trier. His film ‘Melancholia’ concerns a planet of that name, which is about to give everyone a very bad hair …
Film Bore
I confess I have a problem that no self-respecting university educated man or woman should admit to. Most art house films bore me. Even many of the ones I profess to like I watch as if I’m doing something good for myself like eating broccoli. I have no such problem with literary novels. My enjoyment …
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