Posted on October 3rd, 2008 by Zettel Film Reviewer
Tweet Rendition – Gavin Hood Coup-de-Cinema is the only term I can think of to describe the quite extraordinary twist that ends this otherwise workmanlike, enjoyable but unremarkable political thriller. The practice of political ‘rendition’ is new enough not to appear in the dictionary as a separate meaning from one of its literal senses of […]
Filed under: 3 star, Drama, Gavin Hood, General, Hollywood, Philosophical, Political, War | No Comments »
Posted on October 1st, 2008 by Zettel Film Reviewer
Tweet Lions For Lambs – Robert Redford Lion For Lambs fails its own ethic. Its central message is that a better future than the appalling post-9/11 mess of US foreign and domestic politics, requires its brightest and best young people to become engaged in social and political affairs and not to evade the deep challenges […]
Filed under: 3 star, Drama, General, Hollywood, Philosophical, Political, Robert Redford, War | No Comments »
Posted on September 29th, 2008 by Zettel Film Reviewer
Tweet Syriana – Stephen Gaghan Pascal’s wager: we can’t know whether God exists so we should weigh the benefits of belief. If we assume He does exist and act virtuously, then even if He doesn’t we have lost nothing. However if we assume He doesn’t and act badly then eternal punishment is the penalty. For […]
Filed under: 2 star, Action, Drama, General, Hollywood, Philosophical, Political, Stephen Gaghan, War | No Comments »
Posted on September 26th, 2008 by Zettel Film Reviewer
Tweet The Passenger – Michelangelo Antonioni Uncompromising and austere, Antonioni, like a painter, demands everything of his audience. He once described his actors as ‘living pigment’ – mere elements in his ‘picture’, not its raison d’être. His is not a hostile universe: worse – it is an absolutely indifferent one. Hostility might induce rebellion. Our […]
Filed under: 5 stars, Antonioni, Drama, Europe/World cinema, General, Philosophical, Political | No Comments »
Posted on September 25th, 2008 by Zettel Film Reviewer
TweetLord Of War (LOW) – Director Andrew Niccol Philosophy distinguishes between the mention and use of a word. “‘Love’ is a four-letter word” is mention; “I love you deeply” is use. Roughly: mentioning a word is to make a trivial observation about language; using a word is to connect, engage with reality. This meretricious, cynical, […]
Filed under: 0 stars, Action, Andrew Niccol, Drama, General, Hollywood, Humorous, Philosophical, Political, War | No Comments »
Posted on September 23rd, 2008 by Zettel Film Reviewer
TweetThe Happening – M Night Shyamalan Bad Night at the movies. M Night Shyamalan has produced a first: the only movie ever where the trailer is actually better than the movie. We are familiar with ‘comedies’ where the only funny bits are all the in the trail, but MNS has gone one better – not […]
Filed under: 0 stars, Action, Drama, Fantasy, General, Hollywood, Humorous, M Night Shyamalan, Philosophical, Political, Sci-Fi, War | No Comments »
Posted on September 22nd, 2008 by Zettel Film Reviewer
Tweet A Cock And Bull Story (Tristram Shandy) – Michael Winterbottom Eric Morecombe, Andre Previn’s lapels in hand, responding to the maestro’s accusation that he has just played all the wrong notes, famously replies with mock menace – “No, I played all the right notes….but not necessarily in the right order”. An apt metaphor for […]
Filed under: 3 star, Comedy, Europe/World cinema, Fantasy, General, Humorous, Michael Winterbottm, Philosophical, Political | No Comments »
Posted on September 21st, 2008 by Zettel Film Reviewer
Tweet The Hero – Zhang Yimou It is rare that one can recommend a film simply because of its stunning visual style. The cinematography (Christopher Doyle), editing and especially vibrant colour throughout create a movie that, irrespective of anything else, is always fascinating to watch. I have not seen a film before where a different […]
Filed under: 4 stars, Action, Drama, Europe/World cinema, General, Humorous, Philosophical, Political, Romance, War, Zhang Yimou | No Comments »
Posted on September 21st, 2008 by Zettel Film Reviewer
Tweet Far From Heaven – Todd Haynes Spoofs of James Bond movies never seem to work because they play off a genre which itself lives on the very edges of credibility. The problem for me with FFH is similar in that its director, Todd Haynes, tries faithfully and lovingly to recreate the already emotionally florid […]
Filed under: Drama, General, Hollywood, Philosophical, Political, Romance, Todd Haynes | No Comments »
Posted on September 17th, 2008 by Zettel Film Reviewer
Tweet Signs This is a new genre of movie – the paranoid film. It’s progenitor is Orson Welles’ controversial mock-realistic radio broadcast of War of the Worlds which notoriously provoked panic and had thousands of frightened, bewildered Americans running for cover. Signs has given its star Mel Gibson his best ever opening weekend at the […]
Filed under: 1 star, General, Hollywood, M Night Shyamalan, Philosophical, Political, Sci-Fi | No Comments »
