Category: Review

Review: Black Pond (2011)

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While walking his dog in the nearby woods, Tom Thompson (Chris Langham) stumbles upon Blake (Colin Hurley), a hapless man who catches his attention enough to warrant an invitation for tea. Back at the house, Blake meets Tom’s uneasy wife Sophie (Amanda Hadingue) and ends up spending the time. When Blake returns from a walk the next day with news that their dog has died, Tom hurriedly pulls together the family, including Blake, for a funeral. But, when Continue reading “Review: Black Pond (2011)” →

Review: Damsels In Distress (2011)

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Three students – Violet (Greta Gerwig), Rose (Megalyn Echikunwoke) and Heather (Carrie MacLemore) – at Seven Oaks University College strive to eradicate the low standards and suicidal tendencies of their peers with a treatment course that includes doughnuts and impromptu dance numbers. When the trio welcome sophomore transfer Lily (Analeigh Tipton) into the fold, they must step up their efforts to ensure their new recruit doesn’t fall foul to the trials Continue reading “Review: Damsels In Distress (2011)” →

Review: Silent House (2011)

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Sarah (Elizabeth Olsen), a quiet and cagey teenager, returns to her family’s holiday home with her father, John (Adam Trese), and uncle, Peter (Eric Sheffer Stevens), to ready it for sale. After an argument erupts and Peter leaves, Sarah and her father are left alone in the boarded up house, with no electricity and only candlelight to see by. When Sarah starts to hear odd noises from above, her father is sent to investigate, heralding a series of traumatic events as Sarah is left Continue reading “Review: Silent House (2011)” →

Review: The Lucky One (2012)

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Logan (Zac Efron), a marine on tour in Iraq, discovers a photograph of an unknown woman in the aftermath of an explosion. The picture quickly becomes something of a guardian angel to Logan, protecting him from harm until he finds himself firmly back on home soil. Intent on paying his respects, he ventures to North Carolina with his beloved dog Zeus in tow. Upon arrival, he meets Beth (Taylor Schilling), the woman in question, but can’t find the words to share his story. He subsequently becomes her employee, which leads to rather dramatic Continue reading “Review: The Lucky One (2012)” →

Review: Piggy (2012)

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Joe (Martin Compston), an introverted and easily alarmed delivery boy, starts to warm to his intimidating surroundings as he spends more and more time with his older brother, John (Neil Maskell), and his current flame, Claire (Louise Dylan). But when John is murdered after a calamitous run-in with a violent mob, Joe quickly sinks back into his formerly reclusive life. That is, until Piggy (Paul Anderson), John’s former friend, arrives. Hellbent on exacting revenge on those who killed John, Piggy leads Joe down a lethal path – one that will alter his life Continue reading “Review: Piggy (2012)” →

Review: The Monk (2011)

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Abandoned on the doorstep of a monastery in Spain, Ambrosio (Vincent Cassel) becomes a devout friar known far and wide for his ethics and traditionalism, much like the Capuchin monks who raised him. However, after suffering a series of terrorising dreams, he becomes entranced by a masked figure who takes shelter in the monastery. Discovering the figure is actually a woman named Valerio (Déborah François), Ambrosio seduces her, beginning his slow descent into a world of sin.

The Monk, based on Matthew Lewis’ revered and controversial eighteenth century novel of the same name, positions itself strongly as a character-driven Continue reading “Review: The Monk (2011)” →

Review: The Avengers (2012)

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After laying hands on “the Tesseract” (a cube shaped source of energy capable of opening portals between worlds), Asgardian demi-God Loki (Tom Hiddleston) becomes hell bent on conquering Earth once and for all. Realising they don’t have a human army resilient enough to check his wrath, S.H.I.E.L.D. director Nick Fury (Samuel L. Jackson) calls upon six individuals with superhuman abilities – Iron Man (Robert Downey Jr.), Captain America (Chris Evans), Thor (Chris Hemsworth), Hulk (Mark Ruffalo), Black Widow (Scarlett Johansson) and Hawkeye (Jeremy Renner) – in a plan codenamed the “Avengers Initiative”, to Continue reading “Review: The Avengers (2012)” →

Review: Safe (2012)

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Ex-cop turned cage fighter Luke Wright (Jason Stathan) finds himself embroiled in a three-way throw-down between the Russian Mafia, corrupt NYC officials and the Chinese Triad when he stumbles upon Mei (Catherine Chan), a 12-year-old Chinese girl who saves him from attempted suicide. Vowing to protect Mei from all and sundry, Luke thrusts himself back into his old, destructive life.

Unlike many films of its ilk, Safe resists the temptation to explode into one relentless action sequence after the other from the offset. Instead, writer and Continue reading “Review: Safe (2012)” →

Review: Breathing (2011)

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Roman (Thomas Schubert), an institutionalised young offender, finds himself on the brink of another parole hearing. Advised to take part in the work-release program to better his chances, Roman takes on employment at a local mortuary. After he happens upon a body bag labelled with his surname, he’s moved to track down his absent mother (Karin Lischka) who helps force him to come to terms with his past actions, his potential freedom and the rocky road to stability.

Rooted in the affliction felt by an adolescent haunted by his past, Austrian actor best known for his role in Stefan Ruzowitzky’s The Counterfeiter Karl Markovics’ Continue reading “Review: Breathing (2011)” →

Review: North Sea Texas (2011)

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Pim (Jelle Florizoone), a courteous dreamer, lives in a quaint Belgian town with his sexually promiscuous mother, Yvette (Eva Van Der Gucht), and her foolish boyfriend, Etienne (Luk Wyns). Feeling contained by his surroundings, Pim starts to fantasise about what life must be like outside his towns limited offerings and about a possible relationship with handsome boy-next-door Gino (Mathias Vergels).

Crafted out of a delicacy and honesty towards emphasising the fragility of an adolescent’s existence and their wide-eyed imagination, North Sea Texas bears Continue reading “Review: North Sea Texas (2011)” →