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...]
Hitchcock (2012) review by That Film Guy
Alfred Hitchcock might just be the most famous director of all time. His works, now many decades old are still looked upon with great fondness and you'd be hard-pressed to find someone who doesn't like any of his back catalogue. Hitchcock has a reputation that is at least, partly based in reality, for punishing his leading actresses to get the best performances out of them, … [Read more...]
Braveheart (1995) review by That Film Guy
Following on from The Man Without a Face, director and 80s megastar Mel Gibson turned his eye toward a historical epic about a Scottish legend; William Wallace in Braveheart. The film was a huge commercial and critical success earning $210m from a budget of $53m as well as winning the Best Director and Best Film Oscar at the 68th Academy Awards. … [Read more...]
The Sapphires (2012) review by That Film Guy
Based on a play by Tony Briggs of the same name, and inspired by a true life story, The Sapphires is an Australian dramatic comedy set in the late 1960s about a group of aboriginal soul singers. Obviously attempting to grab the same audience as 2008's Dreamgirls, The Sapphires opened strongly in its native Australia before bombing in France. It follows the story of a group … [Read more...]
Argo (2012) review by That Film Guy
Based on real-life events and the improbable story of the rescue of on-the-run US embassy workers in Iran in the late-1970s, Argo stars and is directed by Ben Affleck and co-produced by George Clooney. In many ways Affleck's acting career has a similar trajectory to Clooney's and it's interesting to see their directorial careers continue this similarity. Both started as … [Read more...]
Untouchable (2011, French) review by That Film Dude
Untouchable, based on a true story recounted in a book by Abdel Sellou, was a major event in France when it was first released, becoming the second most successful French film ever, and holding the number one spot at the box office for ten consecutive weeks. Its overseas release is presumably hoping to replicate the huge success of The Artist, and it's probably only a matter of … [Read more...]
Made in Dagenham (2010) review by That Film Guy
Loosely based on the real events, Made in Dagenham sees Rita O'Grady (Sally Hawkins) positioned into a position of responsibility during contract negotiations with trade unions during the late 1960s. She suddenly finds herself leading her colleagues in a strike, influenced by floor manager Albert (Bob Hoskins) and demanding equal pay to their male colleagues. The resulting … [Read more...]
Searching for Sugar Man (2012) review by That Art House Guy
In 1970, Sixto Rodriguez, a construction worker from Detroit, released his first album Cold Fact. Those who had worked on it were really excited about it “ and predicted big things for the singer songwriter whose impassioned lyrics reminded them of Bob Dylan. Reviews were good, but nobody bought the album. It was the same with his second attempt, Coming From Reality. Sales were … [Read more...]
Review: We Bought a Zoo (2012)
King of schmaltz Cameron Crowe is known for wearing his heart on his sleeve. He ˜had us at hello' in Jerry Maguire and in We Bought a Zoo he brings us an unfailingly optimistic look at love, loss and having the bravery to start again. The film is centered around Benjamin Mee (Matt Damon) and his recently bereaved family as they try to move on from the tragic loss of Mrs Mee … [Read more...]
Review: Persepolis (2007, France)
Persepolis is an animated movie based on a graphic novel of the same name by Marjane Satrapi. Based on her own experiences, Satrapi herself co-wrote and co-directed the movie alongside Vincent Paronnaud, bringing her style of illustration to the big screen. The movie tells Satrapi's own story, that of a young girl growing up in Tehran, the capital of Iran. The film begins with … [Read more...]