The found footage genre of film-making has opened the door for new directors to create marketable low budget films. Made with the use of camcorders and lower cost cameras, these pseudo-documentaries have a strong history within the sometimes more forgiving horror genre and have conditioned audiences not to expect Hollywood special effects. From The Blair Witch Project to … [Read more...]
Love Crime (2010, France) review by That Art House Guy
Love Crime was completed in 2010 but took a year to reach US cinemas and it was over two years before UK audiences had a chance to watch it. It's a little difficult to understand why, as there seems to be no reason why this clever, twisty thriller couldn't gain an audience. Set in the world of corporate high flyers, Love Crime follows the relationship between Christine … [Read more...]
Review: Third Contact (2012)
When encountering low budget films from unknown film-makers certain allowances have to be made. Without the expensive post-production process these often young newcomers to film have to find ways to become creative in the way in which they construct their films. Those now considered ˜great' in the lexicon of directors all started with small, personally-charged pieces of work … [Read more...]
Dead Man Down (2013) review by That Film Brat
Dead Man Down revolves around Victor (Colin Farrell), a bodyguard for a vicious kingpin named Alphonse (Terrence Howard), who has been receiving various letters with parts of pictures, notes, and various other threats, and is slowly closing in on them. Victor must unravel the secret of who is threatening his boss, why, and how it connects to a mysterious woman (Noomi Rapace), … [Read more...]
Trance (2013) review by That Film Guy
Master of the combination genre film Danny Boyle is at it again with his first post-Olympic opening ceremony film Trance. One part psychological thriller, one part gangster heist, it even contains smatterings of action and body shock horror. The plot revolves around a young art house auctioneer Simon (James McAvoy) who is part of a plot to steal Francisco Goya's masterpiece … [Read more...]
Compliance (2012) review by That Film Brat
Compliance, the latest film from writer/director Craig Zobel, is based on the true story of a man who calls up restaurants around the US and tricks people into stripping and performing....unsavoury acts by convincing them he is a police officer. There were over 70 incidents involving this reported across the country, and now Zobel has made a movie based around it. The actual … [Read more...]
Review: Stolen (2012)
[pullquote cite="" type="left, right"][amazon text=Amazon&template=carousel&chan=that film guy&asin=B00CLC5XUC][/pullquote] 2008's Taken was a big hit when it came out. It combined great action, a thrilling story, and a very bad ass protagonist, to make a flawed but extremely fun action movie. The film spawned a number of imitators, mostly cheap … [Read more...]
The Paperboy (2012) review by That Film Guy
Director Lee Daniels follows his breakthrough hit Precious with The Paperboy, a trashy Southern exploitation thriller based on the 1995 novel of the same name by Pete Dexter. When idealistic journalist Ward Jansen (Matthew McConaughey) returns to his hometown in Florida with writing partner Yardley Acheman (David Oyelowo), he plans to help exonorate death row inmate Hillery Van … [Read more...]
Faster (2010) review by That Film Guy
Following his run of family-friendly films, Dwayne 'The Rock' Johnson was clearly keen to get back to more adult, muscle-flexing fair. Enter Faster, a throwback to the pulp action thrillers of the 1970s directed by George Tillman Jr. and co-starring Billy Bob Thornton and Maggie Grace. … [Read more...]
Welcome to the Punch (2013) review by That Film Doctor
British films tend to have a certain stereotype associated with them. Bridget Jones' Diary, Four Weddings and a Funeral, The King's Speech, there's a certain ˜Britishness' that's expected from UK-made films; that is, if they are to be successful. This says more about the cultural pastiches that circle the globe than the quality of UK films, yet there is certain ˜recipe' for a … [Read more...]