Posted on February 26th, 2009 by Zettel Film Reviewer
Gran Torino - Clint Eastwood
Dirty Harry got to be old. And mean. I guess we expected that. Curmudgeonly, cranky, rollie-smoking, beer-drinking – a can and by-the-neck man, nary a glass in sight – ex-Korean War vet Walt Kowalski isn’t actually cop Harry Callaghan, just a kind of alter ego ‘with-no-name’ grown old, prejudices intact: justice [...]
Filed under: 3 star, Clint Eastwood, Drama, General, Hollywood, Philosophical, Political | No Comments »
Posted on February 24th, 2009 by Zettel Film Reviewer
Oscar 2009 - Update
Well my predictions just get worse. Glad I was wrong about Kate. Thrilled I was right about Man On Wire – if you haven’t seen it, make sure you do. Inspirational. I’m as disappointed about Benjamin Button as I was in 2006 when Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu’s masterly Babel was also virtually ignored [...]
Filed under: Journalism, politics | No Comments »
Posted on February 23rd, 2009 by Zettel Film Reviewer
Oscars 2009 - Nominations Predictions, Choices and Comments
London: 01.40 GMT - Just in under the wire before the announcements are made.
I do this every year as a kind of personal aide-memoire. Historically I’ve been crap at prediction. And my personal preferences, though supported by arguments in reviews are always at root personal. So as a [...]
Filed under: Hollywood, Journalism, Oscar Winner | No Comments »
Posted on February 22nd, 2009 by Zettel Film Reviewer
Vicky Christina Barcelona - Woody Allen
Woody Allen doesn’t simply film women: he makes love to them with the camera. I don’t really know how healthy this is or even by what criterion of health one should judge it. Cinema is irreducibly voyeuristic so we are complicit. If you doubt me consider this: by instinct Allen’s [...]
Filed under: 3 star, Comedy, Fantasy, General, Hollywood, Humorous, Romance, Woody Allen | No Comments »
Posted on February 21st, 2009 by Zettel Film Reviewer
The Curious Case Of Benjamin Button
This simply is the best film of the Oscar year 2008/9. Don’t let negative reviews put you off. It always arouses my interest when a film receives diametrically opposing reviews. It proves that thought and critical faculties are alive and well. Was there ever a genuinely original work of art [...]
Filed under: David Fincher | No Comments »
Posted on February 18th, 2009 by Zettel Film Reviewer
Doubt - John Patrick Stanley
God I hate this beautifully acted film. Seldom has so much talent been squandered on such a shallow, mealy-mouthed apologia for the Catholic Church’s shameful history of dealing with the long-term, life-destroying abuse of children by Catholic Priests. Even setting this morally muddled, spiritually vapid drama in 1964 when Writer-Director John [...]
Filed under: Uncategorized | No Comments »
Posted on February 9th, 2009 by Zettel Film Reviewer
BAFTA – Winners 2009
A mystery: why is a film setting a ‘feel good’ fairytale in a Mumbai slum called “courageous”? I applaud the four technical BAFTA awards to Slumdog Millionaire; especially the award of best music to A R Rahman’s superb musical score. Editing, cinematography, sound – no complaints there either.
But calling Slumdog Millionaire the [...]
Filed under: Journalism | No Comments »
Posted on February 3rd, 2009 by Zettel Film Reviewer
Ruth
You are my dawn
the first light of my days
As I awake from rumpled sleep
I think of you
and my world’s at peace
You are my morning
the warmth of my new day
and on my present journey
I think of you
and my doubts are stayed
You are my noon
my solace at midday
As I rest from my day’s tasks
I think of [...]
Filed under: Emotions, Family, Spiritual | No Comments »
