thisyear-10904 Reviews

Dragged Across Concrete (2018)

Not for everyone but really good

[9/10 · 15 September 2023]

So this is a kind of anti-buddy movie. Or a realistic idea of what a buddy movie in real life would be like. Or something. Anyway, it's interesting that the ex-buddy movie king himself is in this. Mel Gibson is brilliant in this film, reminding me of his cracking performance in Payback where his character was dragged across concrete I suppose. But this film is very different to Payback in content if not so much style. Where Payback has a slow, resigned pace reflecting the character's attitude, Dragged Across Concrete seems to have a slow, stylised pacing to say something about the world in which the characters live. And where Payback had a decidedly "Hollywood" feel to the action, DAC goes the other way, giving us a single long shot of Vince Vaughn eating a sandwich. Because a stake out is boring in real life, so we get to see that. All this slow pace, deliberate dialogue, unusual reactions and so on feels difficult at first but then it feels right and thoroughly engrossing and interesting to watch.

The violence is very heavy and the sort that is strangely blocked out making it more disturbing. A bit like David Lynch used to do so well and memorably. Just like real violence, it's unpredictable and stays with you for a while.

Finally I think there might be an issue with how women are portrayed in this film for some people. But I think the point is this world is cruel to many women and somehow it feels appropriate for this telling of a story where horrible men rule the narrative and heaven forbid a woman should get in their way of whatever that thing is they want.

Blue Ruin (2013)

Brilliant if simplistic drama

[7/10 · 12 September 2023]

Enjoyed this low budget drama but felt like the story line was too simplistic. However, well directed with a simple style to match the simple story of revenge and what it means to those who seek it out. The acting throughout is top level, despite (or maybe because of) the low budget. I always feel like a smaller budget means the film has to focus on getting the characters right over a plot filled with expensive effects, explosions, car chases - whatever.

I like seeking out small films, especially low budget to see what the film makers can achieve. This is a great example of that.

All in all an really good film worth your time.

Nebraska (2013)

Quiet, slow, beautiful

[8/10 · 22 April 2019]

This is a slow, thoughtful film and all the better for it. Bruce Dern is of course superb and leads a wonderful cast. They all play everything to the gentle pace this delicate story deserves. The black and white photography is a bold choice and works so well, giving the story a simple beauty and a sharp poignancy to the landscapes that surround the story that surround the characters. Visually it reminds us of Paper Moon and although can't hold up to that masterpiece is still an affecting, funny and moving story.

Ashes (III) (2015)

Wonderfully acted

[8/10 · 29 March 2019]

A wonderfully acted film with a powerful and moving ending. The film is well paced, not too slow as I have seen some reviews say. I thought the pace was right for the story of these people who are all lost and who are all stuck in the past, unable to move forward. There are a couple of sequences with hardly any dialogue that I thought were brilliant. I also thought it was quite a spiritual story, with a few religious symbols and themes.

A well told, emotional story about loss and the power of forgiveness.

Argo (2012)

BASED on truth. Not truth.

[8/10 · 18 March 2019]

There seem to be a lot of negative reviews for this film. Much of them based on the liberties taken with the exact detail of what happened compared to this fictional retelling. It's true there a big inconsistencies, and the filmmakers even give a belated acknowledgement to the situation in the end credits. But a film is not a documentary. A film captures the essence of a true story, the feeling, the truth of the emotion. Argo does that really well. Plus it's an entertaining and powerfully told story which gives us an insight into an important event. Ben Affleck is turning out to be a superb director. He deserves the credit he received for this film and hopefully we'll see more from him behind the camera.

Bullitt County (2018)

Superb

[9/10 · 17 March 2019]

It's clear from the opening shot of this film that we are in safe directorial hands. Interesting, unusual, bold and then as it turns out, quite an important shot for the holistic story. And it's a sign post to what we should expect going forward, because this is a film that will hold your attention even though it's a little different from the norm. Bullitt County feels like a Coen Brothers film, especially their earlier work with perhaps a nod to Fargo. That's not to be underestimated. The fact that you can even compare a film to the Coen Brothers work is very, very special. But that's what we have here.

Bullitt County introduces a small group of characters and we watch how they react in a limited number of locations as the story exposes itself to them. This is the trope of the low budget, independent film but it's only in this logistical regard that the budget is exposed. Because everything about this film is top notch, technically and artistically. This is especially true of the acting. Everyone from top to bottom are thoroughly superb. They are believable, interesting, compelling, and their relationship to each other is authentic. That elusive "chemistry". We really care about these people and what is - and has - happening to them.

The film is a story in multiple genres, starting out as an ensemble drama with some well played light comedy but we feel like there's a shift in tone coming, and it does - with a bang. The only misstep for me in the plot is how we arrive at that major turning point of the story. The characters' sense of danger - their motivation to do what they do - should have been pushes a little further. This is a writing issue that I would have liked to see worked a little harder. But the way the actors handle the scene, and the way it is directed, saves the day, keeping us locked into the story with another clever single shot that mirrors the opening shot of the film. It's a brave and talented director that can play such drama off screen (or just off) using a single static take. And it works beautifully.

So yes, the fabulous acting stands forefront in this film but it's not just the talent of the actors that deserves attention. David McCracken's direction is brilliant, and this is just his second feature. There are no telling signs of lack of budget or experience. All scenes fulfil their potential for drama and character, and are properly paced. There doesn't appear to be any missed shots that needed to be filled with a sneaky edit or sound fix. Even the great Tarantino fell foul of that for his second film Pulp Fiction. McCracken knows how to cover a scene, when to move the camera and when not to. There's an artistry sorely lacking in feature film making today. People in the movie industry really need to take notice. The potential for something very special indeed is waiting right here.

The budget of a film is irrelevant to the audience experience but it is relevant to the achievement of the filmmakers. The biggest achievement here is the filmmakers have made the first part of that statement true - this is just a really good film - doesn't matter what it cost.

Glengarry Glen Ross (1992)

Masterclass

[10/10 · 1 February 2019]

An absolute masterclass in acting. Everyone is utterly brilliant. Obviously it's adapted from the play but the style doesn't try and pretend it's not. The camera just observes, like the audience in a theater, but that's not to say the film isn't cinematic. Beautifully lit and staged, with music that just sits nicely in the background lifting and dropping to push the story of these salesmen who live on a knife edge. They are all pretty selfish but each one has a motivation that feels very real and desperate. The only real villain of the piece is Alex Baldwin who is so amazing in just one scene. If you love cinema and/or theater, let yourself become engrossed in some of the best dialogue you'll ever hear, from some of the finest character actors we'll ever see. Don't miss this film.

Death at a Funeral (2010)

Not as bad as other reviews suggest

[6/10 · 9 January 2019]

Death at a Funeral is a remake of a film with the same name directed by American legend Frank Oz which is what got me to it. The creator of The Muppets and also a great director (Dirty Rotten Scoundrels, Little Shop of Horrors are favourites of mine). So why this remake? I bet there was a really good business reason as there always is in Hollywood, and it's not a patch on the original but with a host of legendary black comedians, the film plays on high energy and screw ball comedy. The plot - about the funeral of an accountant's father and the chaos that ensues - is simply a device to get a disparate group together so we can watch them bounce off the walls. Not entirely original but it's the execution that counts and here's where the movie just about passes the grade.

Worth a watch for the talent but check out the original version first.

Crazy Heart (2009)

Wow. Amazing.

[10/10 · 8 January 2019]

I was late getting to this film but worth the wait! A simple, not entirely original story: Bad Blake, an ageing, has been, alcoholic singer/songwriter on the road to ruin tries to revive his career and life. The simple plot works though because this is a character study of the highest order. Jeff Bridges makes us feel this man is real with a performance totally deserving of the Oscar he won after 5 previous nominations. As well as the broad bravura acting on display, it's the small details that he finds that make it so wonderful to watch - dropping his cigarette in a glass he's just asked someone to hold, reaching for a door chain that isn't there, finding a business card a woman gave him after an unfulfilled evening with a woman he likes.

Crazy Heart is a film about loss and about new beginnings. Maybe an old cliché retold but not a cliché character or moment here.

Monster's Ball (2001)

Powerful and moving drama

[10/10 · 6 January 2019]

One of my favourite films of all time. A powerful story of people lost and how love can save them. The father son relationship between Billy Bob Thornton and Heath Ledger is particularly emotional and feels very real. All the characters are so unwilling to change but desperately need to. When they do, redemption awaits. This feels like a European film with its simple approach to storytelling and focus on character and it's all the more affecting for it.