Benjamin Esposito sits at his desk and tries to make the words come. We see two scenes he's striving to describe “ lovers breakfasting together for the final time; a train pulling away from a station and separating a couple; the brutal murder of a young woman. Esposito is a retired legal counsellor and he's decided to write a novel based on a case twenty five years old, but … [Read more...]
Review: The Grey (2012)
The Grey is an American survival thriller starring Liam Neeson and directed by Joe Carnahan. Inspired by a short story called Ghost Walker, it follows a group of men who survive a plane crash in Alaska and find themselves on the run from a vicious pack of wolves. Shot in 40 days on location in Alaska, The Grey teams Carnahan up with producer Ridley Scott and star of one of his … [Read more...]
Review: SUPER (2010)
Films based on comic books, notably superheroes, have seen an explosion in popularity in recent years. Along with adaptations of the most famous titles, the last few years have seen a new sub-genre appear, those of the pseudo-heroes. Films such as Kick-Ass and Defendor have taken the conventions of the comic book genre and toyed with various elements to create a more … [Read more...]
Review: Pulp Fiction (1994)
In 1992 Quentin Tarantino introduced himself to the world with his directorial debut Reservoir Dogs. Notable for its unusual take on a heist film, set as it is before and after but with no footage of the actual event, the film became a huge critical success and took $14m from a budget of $1.4m. This success lead to him receiving funding for his next project, co-written by his … [Read more...]
Review: Mission: Impossible – Ghost Protocol (2011)
The Mission: Impossible movie franchise has never been widely regarded as good. I have a particular soft spot for Mission: Impossible 3, but I am the first to admit that it's mindless fluff. Mission: Impossible: Ghost Protocol (if most of the time a colon means a bad movie, this one has two) is the first M:I film to receive generally positive reviews. Is this a turn around for … [Read more...]
Review: Mesrine: Killer Instinct (France, 2008)
It is a truth universally acknowledged that films with a colon their title are usually rubbish. From the made for TV films with names like Tough Love: The Jackie Donovan story, to blockbusters like The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn Part 1 and Mission: Impossible, exceptions are few and far between. Fortunately, Mesrine: Killer Instinct is one of them. Killer Instinct is the … [Read more...]
Review: The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo (2011)
Steig Larsson's Millennium trilogy came out of nowhere to become the biggest publishing phenomenon since Harry Potter. With David Fincher directing this Hollywood movie of the first book, The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo, coming a mere 2 years after the Swedish language version, is it a case of too much too soon? Fincher, known best for his work on Se7en and Fight Club is able … [Read more...]
Review: Dream House (2011)
[pullquote cite="" type="left, right"][amazon text=Amazon&template=carousel&chan=that film guy&asin=B00A13OCAA][/pullquote] Sometimes a film comes along that makes you lose all faith in the critics. Dream House has been met with universally negative reviews, but I am determined to defend this intelligent and enjoyable little thriller. A lot of the disappointment may … [Read more...]
Review: Infernal Affairs (2002, Hong Kong)
[pullquote cite="" type="left, right"][amazon text=Amazon&template=carousel&chan=that film guy&asin=B004D39GG4][/pullquote] In 2002, two of the biggest names in Hong Kong cinema, Andy Lau and Tony Leung, teamed up to star in (and in Lau's case to co-direct) Infernal Affairs. The film was a box office smash in Hong Kong, and also received huge critical acclaim, … [Read more...]
Review: The Awakening (2011)
[pullquote cite="" type="left, right"][amazon text=Amazon&template=carousel&chan=that film guy&asin=B007EBZX14][/pullquote] Ghost stories have always been a popular narrative genre in literature dating back as far as you care to remember. We as an audience like to be scared and nothing is more terrifying than the unknown, or int he case of ghost stories the question … [Read more...]