Berberian Sound Studio is the second film from writer / director Peter Strickland, following on from 2009's critically acclaimed Katalin Varga. Set in the 1970s, it centres on Gilderoy (Toby Jones), an unworldly, middle aged sound engineer who travels from his home in Dorking to the titular sound studio somewhere in Rome. Gilderoy has been employed to mix the audio for … [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...]
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...]
The Angels’ Share (2012) review by That Art House Guy
Ken Loach is something of a national treasure; a British director who is a genuine auteur, successful on his own terms and never having felt the need to head to Hollywood to make movies. He's also a strange sort of national treasure “ they're usually lovable, comforting figures whereas Loach has spent his career making confrontational, fiercely political, gritty films, like … [Read more...]
Fast Girls (2012) review by That Film Guy
With the Olympic Games being hosted in Britain in 2012, it made sense to try and squeeze every possible penny from the event hence the release of comedy-drama Fast Girls. Developed from a script by British actor-director Noel Clarke, Fast Girls was forced by the Olympic Committee to remove any mention of said event, forcing a rewrite to base the action in a fictional … [Read more...]
Strippers vs Werewolves (2012) review by That Film Klown
Do you lie awake at night wondering who would win an epic battle between strippers vs werewolves? Well worry no more¦ because after watching this film you won't care about anything. We here in The Room love hilariously terrible films. Some films are brilliant and some are brilliantly bad, but sadly Strippers vs Werewolves walks the fine line between the two. It is boring, … [Read more...]
Kill List (2011) review by That Art House Guy
Kill List is a low budget (approximately £500,000) British thriller/horror movie, that was shot in Sheffield and released towards the end of 2011, directed by Ben Wheatley. It was trailed with the prominent use of a curious, unexplained symbol “ something like half occult sign, half rifle sight, which hinted at some of the mysteries to come. … [Read more...]
Harry Brown (2009) review by That Film Dude
Harry Brown is an odd film. It feels like the sort of thing that would have been made in the 1970s in the wake of Dirty Harry and Death Wish, and it's hard to believe that the fact that the main character is called Harry is a coincidence. It's not that bad a film, but it just doesn't feel like it belongs in the 21st Century; its message is essentially that violence can solve … [Read more...]
Children of Men (2006) review by That Film Guy
Dystopian futures are one of the most well-realised forms of science fiction in literature and film. From George Orwell's iconic 1984 all the way to films like The Road Warrior, the idea that we, as a species will inevitably destroy our own civilisation have fascinated and engaged us for decades. In 2006 Mexican director Alfonso Cuaron, fresh off dragging Harry Potter and the … [Read more...]
Dreams of a Life (2011) review by That Art House Guy
In January 2006, the repo men arrived at Joyce Carol Vincent's bedsit in Wood Green, north London. She was heavily in arrears in her rent and they had come to collect. When there was no answer, they broke the door down, and inside, they found a skeleton lying on the sofa. Joyce had been dead for almost three years. The television was still on and there was a small pile of … [Read more...]