It's no secret that Madonna likes and identifies with strong women. So when her second directional effort turned out to be about scarlet-woman du jour Wallis Simpson, no one was much surprised. W.E follows the story of rich, lonely New Yorker Wally Winthrop and her obsession with the affair which rocked the pre-WW2 nation. The split narrative jumps between the story of Wallis … [Read more...]
Review: Tyrannosaur (2011)
Tyrannosaur is the directorial debut of British actor Paddy Considine. Based on a short film written and directed by Considine called Dog Altogether, it brings back the same actors, Peter Mullen and Olivia Colman but goes into more depth about their lives in the Midlands. The story is loosely based on Considine's upbringing but is in not autobiographical. One third of the films … [Read more...]
Review: Shame (2012)
Steve McQueen is a visual artist, writer and film-maker from London whose second directorial feature, Shame, was released in 2012. His debut feature, Hunger, about the Irish hunger strike in 1981, helped launch his feature-film career and propel Michael Fassbender from aspiring actor to mainstream star-in-waiting. In this second collaboration, McQueen and … [Read more...]
Review: A Better Life (2011)
As any University student studying film will tell you, The Bicycle Thief is the most famous of the Italian neo-realist movement after World War II. The movement remained relevant for a decade between 1943 and 1953, but its influence continues to this very day, notably Chris Weitz's (The Twilight Saga: New Moon) A Better Life, which is a modern-day homage to The Bicycle Thief. … [Read more...]
Review: The Descendants (2011)
Matt King (George Clooney) is a property magnate in Hawaii whose life is turned upside down when his wife has a boating accident and slips into a coma. His daughter Alexandra (Shailene Woodley), angry with her mum about the situation tells Matt that she was having an affair with another man. Angry and betrayed, Matt begins searching for the man, juggling the responsibilities of … [Read more...]
Review: War Horse (2012)
Based on the 1982 children's novel by Michael Morpurgo, War Horse charts the life of a horse born and raised in Devon who gets drafted into military service. It was initially adapted into a highly successful stage play before Steven Spielberg announced his intentions to turn it into a Hollywood film. Hiring Richard Curtis and Lee Hall to write the screenplay, Spielberg himself … [Read more...]
Review: Slumdog Millionaire (2008)
Based on the 2005 novel Q&A, Slumdog Millionaire became Danny Boyle's most successful film to date, including helping him win best Film and Best Director Oscars at the 81st Academy Awards. Boyle's 8th directorial feature takes the lessons he learnt from filming The Beach and improves upon them. Replacing huge film sets with handy-cams he was able to get the natural feel … [Read more...]
Review: Animal Farm (1954)
Animal Farm was a 1945 novel written by British author George Orwell. The book has become one of his most famous works. The story is a metaphor for the Russian revolution, and has been celebrated as one of the best English language books ever written. In 1954, John Halas and Joy Batchelor created an animated film adaptation which became known as the first British animated film … [Read more...]
Review: The Artist (2011, France)
The Artist arrives on our screens amidst a blizzard of Oscar hype. It's is a rare thing “ a genuinely silent movie. Since the advent of ˜talkies' in 1929, these have been few and far between, and there certainly hasn't been a silent mainstream cinematic release in the 21st century. Its silence is perhaps appropriate, as its story centres on silent movie star George Valentin … [Read more...]
Review: The Hurt Locker (2009)
[pullquote cite="" type="left, right"][amazon text=Amazon&template=carousel&chan=that film guy&asin=B002KAIVMC][/pullquote] Kathryn Bigelow is a film director best known for her 1991 surfer heist movie Point Break. In 2009, she became the first woman to win an Oscar for best director at the 82nd Annual Academy Awards for her gritty war drama The Hurt Locker. That … [Read more...]