Based on a true story, The Railway Man follows Eric Lomax, a World War II veteran who was taken prisoner by the Japanese and forced to work on the Thai-Burma railway. After building a radio to listen to broadcasts from the outside world, he is found out by his captors and is mercilessly tortured. Years later, his old friend (Stellen Skarsgard) tells him his main torturer … [Read more...]
Review: 12 Years a Slave (2013)
Around awards time at the beginning of every year a host of films vie for everyone's attention. There are a selection of film types that do so by tackling ˜worthy' subject matters, or hold historically importance. Some are artistic, some powerful, others move you, astound you with their beauty or overwhelm you with their raw emotionally charged nature. Then every once in a … [Read more...]
Review: Saving Mr. Banks (2013)
The two decade crusade by Walt Disney to bring his daughters favourite book Mary Poppins to the screen forms the dramatic thrust of Saving Mr. Banks. Based on a script that was on the ˜Black List' of Hollywood's best unmade films in 2011, director John Lee Hancock has brought it to the screen in a charming and sometimes heart-breaking fashion. … [Read more...]
Review: JFK (1991)
In every discussion of conspiracy theories, one historical event and figure comes up time and time again. United States President John F. Kennedy was shot and killed on November 22nd 1963 by a lone gunman Lee Harvey Oswald. That is if you believe the findings of the Warren Commission, which it is clear that director Oliver Stone does not. His 1991 film JFK sought to show the … [Read more...]
Review: The Fifth Estate (2013)
One of the most controversial, and in his own way, influential figures of the 21st Century thus far is WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange. In The Fifth Estate, the latest biopic (of sorts) from director Bill Condon, we are shown the events surrounding the relationship between Assange (Benedict Cumberbatch) and Daniel Berg (Daniel Bruhl). … [Read more...]
The Grandmaster (2013, Hong Kong) review by That Art House Guy
Wong Kar Wai is a legend of Hong Kong cinema, his reputation established by movies such as In The Mood For Love and Chungking Express. These films are remarkable for their unique visual aesthetic, all neon and rain, and for their atmosphere of melancholy and yearning. But Wong's last couple of films have been misfires “ the uneven sci fi of 2046 and the unsuccessful foray into … [Read more...]
Behind the Candelabra (2013) review by That Film Guy
Having announced his retirement from directing, Academy award winner Steven Soderbergh has managed to cheat his announcement by producing a made-for-TV film based on the life of Liberace: Behind the Candelabra. Released in cinemas outside of the US, this biopic examines the relationship between Liberace (Michael Douglas) and his young chauffeur Scott Thorson (Matt Damon). … [Read more...]
Erin Brockovich (2000) review by The Documentalist
When Julia Roberts was at the peak of her career and commanded more box office than most male actors in Hollywood there was a certain expectation that went along with her films. Most were highly successful and there was little complaint from anyone despite the monotony. Erin Brockovich was released just about in the middle of this period sandwiched between crowd favourites … [Read more...]
I Love You Phillip Morris (2009) review by That Film Student
Based on a remarkable true story, I Love you Phillip Morris details the countless escapes of Steven Russell a fraudster who is still currently serving his 140-year sentence in Texas. Initially a cop with a young family and a wife who adores him, we are taken aback (to say the least) when ten minutes in there is a rather explicit (shall we say) revelation, that Steven (Jim … [Read more...]
Hyde Park on Hudson (2012) review by That Film Guy
Hyde Park on Hudson is the country home of the mother of Franklin Delano Roosevelt (Bill Murray), the 32nd President of the United States. In 1939 he hosted the first visit to America of a British monarch, King George VI (Samuel West) and his wife the Queen, Elizabeth (Olivia Colman). It happened to coincide with a blossoming relationship between him and his 5th cousin, Daisy … [Read more...]