Angus, Thongs and Perfect Snogging Dir.Gurinder Chadha (2008)

This film is not only painfully embarassing it is also full of destructive messages. Filled with plenty of homophobic remarks which attempt to reinforce the "humour" and add to the message that brains are an unnecessary luxury and that there is one definable image of attraction / beauty.

The most disturbing thing is British Indian Director, Gurinda Chadha has opted to cast the 'loser' of the group as an Asian girl. Very strange.

Boys are the only thing that matter in this film.

It is disturbing, disgusting and mindless adding to the already fame / beauty / sex obsessed society in which we live in. Awful, tasteless and totally uncool.



0/10

Dead Man Walking (1995) Dir.Tim Robbins

Tim Robbins directs a film based on a true account of a nuns relationship with a convicted murderer and rapist.

Susan Sarandon gives a stunning performance as Sister Helen Prejean, hailing from a wealthy background she lives a modest life in the ghetto of Louisiana. She is drawn to the case of Matthew Poncelete a convict on death row. She begins visiting him at prison and offering spiritual guidance when his appeal falls through.

Sean Penn plays the convicted murderer, he claims he is innocent and was merely present at the murder until Sister Helen encourages him to confess.

"The truth will set you free"

A very tricky film to produce but Tim Robbins works with it very well by celebrating forgiveness and provoking deep thought amongst the audience. Sean Penn manages to provoke sympathy to his chracter. Perhaps empathy. Here is an ill educated man who admits to the brutal crime, does he surely deserve to die?

Sister Helen has a confrontation with the victims parents and this scene proves the film to be very open minded and objective with the issue at hand. However the ending of the film is one of the most emotional and remarkable scenes in in film history.
As Matthew is strapped to the table he is elevated by the guards to the window where the witnesses including Sister Helen are sat and delivers his brutally honest and heart breaking speech.

The film focuses on the pros and cons of the death penalty but ends with the encouragement of forgiveness and compassion. A genuine film with an excellent cast and director. Tim Robbins keeps the film faithful to the real life book by Sister Helen. Hope, forgiveness and political injustice surrounds this film.

10/10

Rachel Getting Married (2008) Dir. Jonathan Demme

Certainly not one of Demme's most polished films but alluring none the less. Rachel Getting Married adopts a documentary style in showcasing ex-addict Kym (Anne Hathaway) return to home for her sisters wedding. The film acts as a looking glass into a dysfunctional wealthy family's life.

The film has strengths and these lie within the characters and the unfolding of their relationships with each other due to a troublesome past. An excellent cast but with mediocre characters.

Anne Hathaway gives a superb performance proving herself to be a dynamic and talented actress despite having taken one dimensional roles in the past. The family's obsession with multi-culturalism is rather irritating here, we're not sure who all the ethnic people are but we know there present for Rachel's Wedding.

Don't expect too much from the film.

3/10

Celebrating Gangster Films

The BFI kicks off it's gangster season on July 8th with William A. Wellman's The Public Enemy (1931). Expect Al Capone, Bonnie and Clyde and many more iconic gangsters to grace the screens of the Southbank Center.

For further information & bookings click here.

The Return of Heathers!

July's issue of EMPIRE magazine included an exclusive interview with Winona Ryder where she revealed there will indeed be a sequel to the cult classic, Heathers (1988).
"Whatever you hear, there is a sequel in the works..and Christian has agreed to come back.." - Winona Ryder

Ryder goes onto say how writer Dan Waters and director Michael Lehman are hesitant to reveal anything further on the project. Could this be a reminder to the young generation that the edgy Mean Girls (2004) was indeed based heavily on Heathers? Despite Tina Fey's remark that it had no connection to the cult classic, it clearly did.

Are teen black comedies finally making a come back? What a great time for it to emerge! With films like The House Bunny (2008), High School Musical and celebrity magazines urging teens to look and think in a superficial certain way, this is a blessing!

The purpose of black comedies are complex, they always make a taboo subject area or a serious issue, a lighter one and in turn provoke exploration and deep thought amongst the audience.

There also seems to be an essence of a healthy type of anger at societal pressure such as looking a certain way, the obsession with fame, seemingly mundane marriage life etc.

Morality doesn't usually exist in black comedies which is extremely liberating - The insanity of the situation is comfortable and intriguing to watch.

If you would like to check out some Black Comedies that are truly original and fantastic, here are a few:

The Ladykillers (1955)
Jawbreaker (1999)
Death Becomes Her (1992)
Beetlejuice
Serial Mom (1994)
I Wonder Who's Killing Her Now?
Dead Man on Campus (1998)
The Hospital (1971)

SherryBaby (2006) Dir. Laurie Collyer

The moment I read the back of the dvd cover, I was instantly drawn to the film. This is a story of the rehabilitation of an ex-convict who has just been released from prison thereby promising a character based story. I've never really admired plot based films, the best films have great characters so I was excited to endure Sherry Baby.

We first see Sherry in the opening sequence; listening to her ear phones staring out of the bus window bopping her head whilst she looks around the town. As she gets off the bus a man in a suit barges past her and she shouts out to him to acknowledge he has pushed her. As she looks around the public for validation and sinks into her brown paper bag for a cigarette, we are instantly drawn to Sherry the misfit, the misunderstood, the confrontational, the drama queen, the innocent. All these things.

The somewhat compulsive, ex-heroin addict, Sherry Swanson, is played by the ingenious, Maggie Gyllenhaal. She arrives at her half-way house and the audience learns she is keen to see her daughter Alexis as soon as possible. Gyllenhall is remarkable in this film, we see Sherry slowly try and piece her life back together again by getting a job, attending support groups, forming a relationship with a man and with her daughter.

The sheer brilliance of the film is it's raw honesty about life - Sherry comes to accept she can not look after her daughter on her own and needs support. We learn of her troublesome childhood and presenthood involving her father and come to admire her strength.

A beautiful film reflecting a young woman trying to live - At times the film doesn't really know where it's going but Gyllenhaal manages to lead the way.

8/10

Louis Theroux: A Place For Paedophiles

Last night on BBC 2 Louis Theroux graced our screens on his much talked about, controversial, new documentary. Based in California, Coalinga Hospital homes over five hundred convicted sex offenders.

The documentary sheds light on the mysterious question...'what happens to them after they're convicted'. Well, they play guitar, partake in Halloween parties, play sport as well as partake in intense therapy every day.

The usual 'On the fence, English gent' that we know Louis to be clearly felt uncomfortable in these surroundings and one has to congratulate him for finally challenging his subjects with blunt questions.

Theroux interviewed several paedophiles including Mr Rigby, a former junior athletics coach who lured the young into taking part in sexual initiations. Mr Lamb, who confessed to molesting 50 children. One man had undergone castration in an attempt to secure his release.

Even though, most of the men speak profoundly & honestly about their 'disorder' it just doesn't seem genuine. It's almost like they have memorised these lines from their psychotherapy sessions. It's all a bit strange and fake.

This documentary casts off forever any memories of Theroux's earlier career of moving in with D-listers and getting us to laugh at them, he spent a week almost living with paedophiles in a Californian hospital.

Having said this, the documentary as a whole is petrified of these men and lacks any perceptive insights. Instead, there is the obvious, these men are child like themselves, these men are in denial, these men will never be free etc. The efficient editing and Theroux's attempts to imitate the wondrous Nick Broomfield was obvious from the beginning.

None the less, this documentary undoubtedly reached in over 2 million viewers due to the subject matter. I feel like Theroux has no passion for telling stories nor does he have an opinion. He has been quotes saying: 'When I work, I like to be invisible'. Some may say this is key in becoming a documentary film maker as you get more out of your subjects...

However, I think there is a moment when your increasing absence contaminates an investigative documentary. Thereoux is a total bore following the Broomfield trend of interesting subject matter.

If you would like to watch the documentary please click here.

Sunset Boulevard (1950) Dir.Billy Wilder

Sunset Boulevard takes a cynical look at the film industry & is one of the masterworks of cinema. Co-written and directed by the great Billy Wilder, the movie is an unusual mix of black comedy and film noir. It is a accessible, well crafted Hollywood movie, but at the same time it has the density and originality one would expect from an art-house film.

The film opens with police vehicles driving down palm tree lined streets as a male narrator says in voice-over: "Yes, this is Sunset Boulevard, Los Angeles, California… A murder has been reported from one of those great big houses in the ten thousand block." Soon the police arrive at a mansion, where floating in the swimming pool is a dead body. The audience is instantly drawn into the film.

The most cinematic scene appears early on in the film; the shot of the dead man floating in the pool surrounded my paparazzi is stunning to the eye and makes a blunt statement on the film as a whole.

The story flashes back to six months earlier, and we meet Joe Gillis (William Holden), a hopeless young screenwriter. While driving along Sunset Boulevard, Joe's tire goes flat so he pulls into the driveway of a run-down mansion. The mansion reminisces the one described in Dicken's classic novel, Great Expectations. At the house he encounters a woman he recognizes as Norma Desmond (Gloria Swanson), a movie star of the silent era. When Joe remarks to Norma that she used to be big, she retorts, "I am big. It's the pictures that got small." - Classic.

Joe soon learns Norma has written a screenplay she expects to play the lead in the movie made from it. When Norma discovers Joe is a screenwriter, she hires him to edit her screenplay. Then the aging former actress gradually makes the handsome Joe her gigolo. Joe moves into Norma's gloomy mansion, where she is attended by her faithful servant Max (Erich von Stroheim). Two or three evenings a week Max runs the projector while Joe and Norma sit watching her old silent films.

Ironically the movie we see them watching is Queen Kelly (1929), which starred Gloria Swanson and was directed by Erich von Stroheim.

Norma becomes increasingly happy as she comes to believe she will soon be the leading lady in a movie. Meanwhile Joe grows restless and gets involved with a perky young, ambitious script reader (Nancy Olson), this results in tragic consequences. But the events are so traumatic for Norma that she loses touch with reality.

Under the delusion that shooting has begun on her comeback film, Norma utters one of the most memorable last lines in all of cinema: "All right, Mr. DeMille, I'm ready for my close up."

Sunset Boulevard will speak loud for film lovers everywhere. A Billy Wilder classic.

10/10

Revolutionary Road (2008) Dir. Sam Mendes

The trailer for Revolutionary Road reflected this as a deeply philosophical film which raised questions about relationships, the idea of marriage itself and happiness.

Adapted from Richard Yate's 1961 novel, the film is predictable, irritatingly long and the acting is excessive . So, failed actress April and her corporate copywriter husband Frank have a home in Connecticut.

Sam Mendes is obsessed with reminding the audience it is the ninety fifties via the costume, random throw In's of societal pressure and the constant cigarette smoking.

Frank has an affair as does April, there is a random plan to ditch their dull life and move to Paris to truly start living, but it falls through. Their children are hardly ever seen in the film which is understandable as this is a film about marriage but their absence is sloppy and there are gaps in the plot. Who looks after them when they are out with neighbors? The film leaves time for the audience to wonder these minor issues.

These characters are not believable, a lazy performance by Kate Winslet and Dicaprio desperately tries to shine here but fails terribly. The only fine thing in the film is Kathy Bates whom plays Helen Givings and her mentally ill son, John Givings, played by Michael Shannon. They are a breath of fresh air to this claustrophobic, empty and ridiculous film.

My favorite sequence is John Givings arrival, his air time is very short but he is mesmerising, storming out with controversial lines about marriage, philosophy and life. Kathy Bates is also excellent, portraying a frustrated mother trying to make things normal.

There isn't much else to say about this film - I left feeling undoubtedly cheated. It is suprising that this is the same director that gave us the insightful and subtle, American Beauty.

MILK (2008) Dir. Gus Van Sant

"My name is Harvey Milk and I am here to recruit you!"

On of my favorite performances of the year was Sean Penn in MILK. This is a film about the first openly gay elected member of the Public office in the US. Very relevant for the current time we are in and an excellent portrayal of San Fransisco circa 1970.

The sheer excellence of the film is down to the screenplay, Sean Penn and the mere celebration of gay rights. Josh Brolin plays Dan White, Harvey Milk's opposition. This biopic is an excellent piece of film making, not only is the screenplay fantastic, the characters are very loyal to the real life people involved in Milk's legacy.

So, Milk moves to San Francisco from New York and opens up a camera shop in the cities flourishing gay district. Van Sant reveals Milk's death early on in the film and switches back to the beginning of his journey. The mood is essentially positive, light and warm. This is mainly due to Milk's friends and coworkers.

Emile Hirsch in particular gives a fantastically modern representation of a young, trendy gay man. The friends / coworkers bounce off each other and Penn delivers heartbreaking lines with the warmest sentiment.

At times, the focus on politics is lost and turned into a fluffy subject however we must remember this is essentially, a biopic. Alison Pill gives a mediocre performance of the only lesbian in the film, the fantastic Anne Kronenberg whom has openly congratulated Van Sant on the film. There is no doubt this is about gay rights not the lesbian movement.

A fascinating film which celebrates the legacy of Harvey Milk.