Posted on November 2nd, 2008 by Zettel Film Reviewer
Tweet Quantum Of Solace – Marc Foster Daniel Craig’s is a ‘cut-to-the-chase’ Bond in every sense. Solace begins where Casino Royale left off and opens with a car chase. A bit of plot; then cut to the sea chase; a bit more plot and cut to the air chase. In between, a couple of Jason […]
Filed under: 3 star, Action, Drama, General, Hollywood, Marc Foster, Philosophical, Thriller | No Comments »
Posted on October 22nd, 2008 by Zettel Film Reviewer
Tweet The Pianist – Roman Polanski Films with a Holocaust setting pose acute and unique problems for critical and aesthetic analysis. In no other context of human behaviour are important distinctions between moral and aesthetic judgement so disturbingly blurred. The Holocaust stands apart as the most appalling of all examples of man’s inhumanity to man […]
Filed under: 4 stars, Drama, Europe/World cinema, Extended essay, Philosophical, Political, Roman Polanski, War | No Comments »
Posted on October 21st, 2008 by Zettel Film Reviewer
Tweet The Hunted – William Friedkin The Hunted is a nasty little film. Brutal and brutalising. Because it displays considerable mastery of many aesthetic techniques of film-making, the way in which is it bad raises interesting philosophical and aesthetic questions. It is what one might call an aesthetically immoral movie. The attribution of moral concepts […]
Filed under: 1 star, Action, Film Essay, Hollywood, Philosophical, War, William Friedkin | No Comments »
Posted on October 19th, 2008 by Zettel Film Reviewer
Tweet Lord Of The Rings – Return Of The King – Peter Jackson As the Laud of the Rings industry gears up for the Oscars, let’s get real. It will be a travesty if the Return of the King, the third and last in the Tolkein trilogy to be filmed, does not win a technical […]
Filed under: 3 star, Action, Fantasy, General, Hollywood, Oscar Winner, Peter Jackson, Philosophical | No Comments »
Posted on October 15th, 2008 by Zettel Film Reviewer
Tweet The Savages – Tamara Jenkins Dylan Thomas wrote perhaps the best words ever written about age and death: Do not go gentle into that good night, Old age should burn and rave at close of day; Rage, rage against the dying of the light. Dylan’s words have everything Tamara Jenkins’ over-hyped movie lacks: respect […]
Filed under: 1 star, Drama, General, Hollywood, Philosophical, Tamara Jenkins | No Comments »
Posted on October 14th, 2008 by Zettel Film Reviewer
Tweet The Proposition – John Hillcoat A new genre – the reductionist film. Everything reduced to the essential. Intelligence, coherence, credible artistic purpose – out. Who needs ‘em? Real characters with credible motivation in purposeful action that engages? Forget it. Superfluous. Distil to the essential. Consistency in tone and authoritative direction? Too cliched. Obvious. Let’s […]
Filed under: 1 star, Action, Drama, General, Hollywood, John Hillcoat, Philosophical, Western | No Comments »
Posted on October 13th, 2008 by Zettel Film Reviewer
Tweet Vantage Point – Pete Travis Is he raw about the rugby, chagrined about the cricket; morose about Manchester United, mourning Middlesbrough or even cheesed-off about Chelsea? These are heavy blows in the masculine game of life so perk up your partner and treat him to a good night out. This one even runs a […]
Filed under: 3 star, Action, Drama, General, Hollywood, Pete Travis, Philosophical, War | No Comments »
Posted on October 12th, 2008 by Zettel Film Reviewer
Tweet Sophie Scholl – Marc Rothemund True heroism, like martyrdom, must be imposed by fate, not sought. This is a profound moral principle that exercised Joseph Conrad in Lord Jim. Again, Robert Bolt’s Sir Thomas More in A Man For All Seasons does everything he can to avoid his looming martyrdom – except sacrifice his […]
Filed under: 4 stars, Drama, Europe/World cinema, General, Marc Rothemund, Philosophical, Political, War | No Comments »
Posted on October 10th, 2008 by Zettel Film Reviewer
TweetPicture to follow The Other Boleyn Girl – Justin Chadwick Robert Bolt and Fred Zinneman set the bar high. A Man For All Seasons won 6 Oscars in 1967 – best Picture, Director, Actor (Paul Schofield) Screenplay, Cinematography, Costume Design. Although set in the same chaotic period of English History, the special angle of interest […]
Filed under: 3 star, Drama, General, Hollywood, Justin Chadwick, Philosophical, Romance | No Comments »
Posted on October 9th, 2008 by Zettel Film Reviewer
Tweet Munich – Director Steven Spielberg “Inspired by real events” opens this movie. And it troubles me. Do we owe the 11 Israeli athletes murdered at Munich anything less than the truth? Not the absolute truth, that may not be known to anyone. But if we are to put their story at the heart of […]
Filed under: 3 star, Action, Drama, General, Hollywood, Philosophical, Political, Steven Spielberg, War | No Comments »
