Based on the best-selling novel of the same name by Yann Martel, Life of Pi was initially courted by M. Night Shyamalan, Alfonso Cuaron and Jean-Pierre Jeunet before Ang Lee took on the task of filming a seemingly unfilmable book. A Canadian author (Rafe Spall) is sent in search of a mysterious Indian-born Canadian called Pi (Irrfan Khan) because he's told that he has a story … [Read more...]
Holy Motors (2012, France) review by That Art House Guy
On stumbling out of Holy Motors, my head was full of questions. Not least of which was ˜how do I write a review of this?' Director Leos Carax has eschewed traditional review fodder, such as structure, character development and suchlike, making it tricky to know what to write about. So, by way of review, here are a few of the questions that were rolling around my addled brain … [Read more...]
Silver Linings Playbook (2012) review by That Art House Guy
Pat Solitano (Bradley Cooper) is a man with problems. He has just been released from an institution, where he has spent eight months after beating the man who was sleeping with his wife half to death. He has been diagnosed with severe bi-polar disorder and his wedding song is a major trigger causing out of control episodes. Back home, he has move in with his parents and … [Read more...]
Review: Rise of the Guardians (2012)
Perfectly positioned before the Christmas period and after the staggering success of The Avengers, Rise of the Guardians, based on a series of books called The Guardians of Childhood, unites a series of mythical creatures into an an Avengers-like team of children's defenders. Created by Dreamworks Animation it follows on from box office successes like Kung Fu Panda 2 and How to … [Read more...]
Beasts of the Southern Wild (2012) review by That Film Guy
Produced by the self-proclaimed "grassroots, independent filmmaking army" Court 13 and very loosely based on the one-act play Juicy and Delicious by Lucy Alibar, Beasts of the Southern Wild is the directorial debut of Benh Zeitlin. A magical realist fable about a potential 'end of days' storm and the return of mythical creatures, Beasts of the Southern Wild is quite unlike any … [Read more...]
Rust and Bone (2012, France) review by That Art House Guy
Rust and Bone is the latest film from Jacques Audiard, following on from critically acclaimed works A Prophet, The Beat That My Heart Skipped and Read My Lips. So there are some heavy expectations weighting on Rust and Bone. However, the early critical response was good and the film competed for the Palme D'Or at Cannes. Unfortunately for Audiard, he has the bad habit of … [Read more...]
Bigger Stonger Faster (2008) review by The Documentalist
Arnold Schwarzenegger, Jay Cutler, Hulk Hogan, The Ultimate Warrior, Barry Bonds and Marion Jones. What do these superstar athletes all have in common? The use of steroids to reach the top. To most this will not come as any surprise and with endless doping scandals having rocked most sports at one time or another, the 2008 documentary feature Bigger Stronger Faster explores … [Read more...]
Review: Seven Psychopaths (2012)
In 2008, Martin McDonagh released In Bruges. It was the tale of two hitmen, played by Colin Farrell and Brendan Gleeson, hiding out in Bruges, waiting for orders from their boss, Harry, played by Ralph Fiennes. The film was very highly received, and won a BAFTA for Best Original Screenplay. It had a limited release in the US, but still managed to gross $33 million on a $15 … [Read more...]
Review: End of Watch (2012)
End of Watch is a new installment in the buddy patrol cop genre, set in gangland Los Angeles focusing on Brian Taylor (Jake Gyllenhaal) and Mike Zavala (Michael Pena). The movie swiftly establishes the level of violence with a high speed pursuit ending in a shootout and the reputation of the films two stars as the gunslinging good guys, all before the opening credits roll to … [Read more...]
Down Terrace (2009) review by That Film Punk
Ben Wheatley's third feature film, Sightseers, hit UK cinemas November 2012 on the back of a wave of critical acclaim, including hugely positive reactions at that year's Cannes Film Festival. Trading on an effortless blend of brutal violence and razor-sharp wit, Sightseers demonstrates Wheatley's expert skill at juggling genres. His debut feature, Down Terrace, was crucial in … [Read more...]