Month: November 2013

Review: The Selfish Giant (2013)

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The-Selfish-Giant-film-st-010_zpsc71ca4df

Three year’s after receiving recognition and numerous awards for her documentary on the troubled life of playwright Andrea Dunbar, writer and director Clio Barnard returns to the fold with The Selfish Giant, a poetic and beautiful social realist fable that finds her back on the run-down, doubtful council estates of Bradford. Inspired by Oscar Wilde’s short story of the same name, the film is a difficult, but beautiful watch – one that seizes the audiences attention from the off and rarely lets up. Continue reading “Review: The Selfish Giant (2013)” →

Review: The Family (2013)

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The Family

The Family hails from Nikita and Léon writer, director and producer extraordinaire Luc Besson. But, while it’s decently made and contains an assortment of stout performances from a host of competent actors, it never reaches the heights it so ambitiously aims for, and will undoubtedly leave a sense of utter – and entirely valid – amazement as to how it’s possible for so much to go so drastically wrong when so many talented individuals are involved lingering in the air long after the end credits roll. Continue reading “Review: The Family (2013)” →

Review: In Fear (2013)

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In Fear

The unassuming and labyrinth Irish countryside provides the setting for In Fear, a distressing micro-budget horror from first time writer and director Jeremy Lovering that’s sadly let down by an ending that works against what’s been built up over the course of the rest of the film. Unlike other films of its ilk, In Fear’s success boils down to its ability to instil genuine dread through its cramped and unfamiliar environment, rather than using quick, gimmicky shocks for effective, yet quick and hit-or-miss scares. Continue reading “Review: In Fear (2013)” →

Review: Blue Is The Warmest Colour (2013)

Jamie Neish2 Comments

Blue Is The Warmest Colour

It’s been quite the year for Blue Is The Warmest Colour, French director Abdellatif Kechiche’s take on Julie Maroh’s novel of the same name. Soon after the film dazzled critics and scooped the highly coveted Palme d’Or at the Cannes Film Festival, talk turned sour as a spat erupted between its director and two leads about the supposedly horrible working conditions on set. In truth, none of that matters as much as the film itself. And what’s been achieved here is nothing short of breathtaking, and the honours it should – and likely will – receive are deeply warranted. Continue reading “Review: Blue Is The Warmest Colour (2013)” →

Review: The Hunger Games: Catching Fire (2013)

Jamie Neish4 Comments

Catching Fire

The Hunger Games managed to achieve what the entire Twilight series had tried so hard, yet failed to do: appeal to critics and audiences, while also satisfying the loyal fan base of its adored source material. It had its fair share of impediments though, and was weighed down by the fact it skimmed over many of the bigger issues in favour of displaying a sparkly fantasy tale. Thankfully, with The Hunger Games: Catching Fire, the second instalment in a four-part film series, those complications are been ironed out to an impeccable degree by new director Francis Lawrence. Continue reading “Review: The Hunger Games: Catching Fire (2013)” →