A Field In England is bound to divide opinion; it may even be designed to do so. The latest offbeat offering from director Ben Wheatley (Kill List, Sightseers, Down Terrace) is a weird, trippy English Civil War film (a largely ignored genre thus far) shot in black and white on a micro-budget. It's not an easy watch but it's never anything but compelling. … [Read more...]
No (2012, Chile) review by That Film Guy
Nominated for Best Foreign Language Film Oscar at the 85th Academy Awards, No is Pablo Larrain's final installment in his General Pinochet trilogy. Named after the advertising campaign which aimed to overthrow the dictator's rule; Rene Saavedra (Gael Garcia Bernal) is a money-hungry advertising executive who is asked to run the 'No' campaign, which aims to have a democratically … [Read more...]
Cloud Atlas (2012) review by That Film Guy
In general films released today follow a broad structure of three acts, with the setup, the obstacle and the resolution. There are some films however that bend and manipulate this structure and try and create something more fluid. Then there are films that are pure and utter madness. A chaos of ideas and themes that distinctly do not follow the classical structure. Based on the … [Read more...]
Lincoln (2012) review by That Art House Guy
Steven Spielberg is one of the most admired and best loved directors in Hollywood, and undoubtedly one of the most influential people in the movie business. However, there is a suspicion that his powers could be on the wane, after a number of slightly underwhelming films in recent years such as War Horse and the best forgotten Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull. … [Read more...]
Anna Karenina (2012) review by That Film Dude
There have been many adaptations of Anna Karenina, Tolstoy's alarmingly massive novel about high society in imperial Russia, often considered one of the greatest novels ever written. This latest comes to us from director Joe Wright with a screenplay by Tom Stoppard, and stars Keira Knightley, Jude Law and Aaron Johnson. … [Read more...]
Chariots of Fire (1981) review by That Film Guy
From the opening notes of Vangellis' much parodied theme, there can be no doubt that you are watching Chariots of Fire. The fact that the film is book-ended by the same sweeping scene of the protagonists raining on the beachfront provide what is the best moment of the entire film as everything else in between is as dry as sandpaper. Released in 1981 Chariots of Fire rode the … [Read more...]
Bel Ami (2012) review by That Film Guy
Based on a 1885 French novel of the same name by Guy de Maupassant, Bel Ami is a film directed by Declan Donnellan and Nick Ormerod. It follows Georges Duroy (Robert Pattinson) a poor ex-soldier who is introduced to Parisian society in the late 19th Century. Once established he begins to seduce the wives of high-profile people, notably Clotilde de Marelle (Christina Ricci), … [Read more...]
Review: Albert Nobbs (2011)
Based on a short story by George Moore, Albert Nobbs is a period drama set in Ireland in the 19th century. The film, which probably would've gone under most peoples' radar on release, found itself in the odd position of having two Oscar nominated performances. Glenn Close for her role as Albert Nobbs and Janet McTeer for her role as Hubert Page. While neither actor won, they … [Read more...]
Review: Jane Eyre (2011)
Jane Eyre is one of the most famous literary works of Charlotte Bronte and one that has been adapted numerous times for stage and screen. 2011 saw the release of Cary Fukunaga's take in the canonical work, using the script penned by Moira Buffini sees the casting of Mia Wasikowska as the titular character and Michael Fassbender as her Rochester. It took a healthy $32m at the … [Read more...]
Review: The Help (2011)
[pullquote cite="" type="left, right"][amazon text=Amazon&template=carousel&chan=that film guy&asin=B006FVIBCW][/pullquote] The 1960s was a time of upheaval and change in USA. The equal rights movement was picking up steam and African-American people all across the country were making a stand for equality and equal voting rights. It is in this politically-charged … [Read more...]