The Twilight Samurai - A samurai loses his wife to consumption and has to raise two kids alone, look after his senile mother
and be a samurai. He is heavily in debt and things are looking quite bleak. Happiness arrives in the form of a childhood friend but she is being assaulted by her violent and drunken husband.
This is a fabulous film that really touches the heart. It's not all sword-fighting and kung-fu so if you are looking kind of film don't watch this. Great drama and excellent performances. I totally recommend this.
Confidences Trop Intimes - A woman visits a therapist but goes to the wrong place and ends up spilling all her secrets to a financial advisor instead. The trailer makes it look like more of a comedy than it really is. There are some humourous moments but mostly it is a quite deep and talky drama. It's all about Life, sex and death. I found it very intriguing and I thought about it quite a lot afterwards.
I thought Fabrice Luchini was very good as the accountant.
House Of Wax - Very silly film and not scary at all. Entertaining after a fashion with some gruesome & imaginative deaths. Anybody who wants to see Paris Hilton get her head impaled on a metal pole should watch this, everybody else shouldn't really bother.
The League Of Gentlemen's Apocalypse - Having now seen this I think it got unfairly slagged on it's release. I really enjoyed it. There are some ropey bits but mostly it's very entertaining and amusing. Fans of the programme should like it. I certainly enjoyed it more than the last series of LOG. Geoff Tipps was a character I didn't really like in the series but he is the star here. Aces.
Sin City - I was afraid that this was so over hyped I would end up being disappointed but happily that was not the case. 10 out of 10 for originality and style. High marks also for the performances from all the actors. Marv and Hartigan are the stand out characters but none of the rest are superfluous or boring. A triumph.
Friday Night Lights - Normally I would avoid a film about American Football but this had great reviews so I took a chance. It ended up being in my top films of the year. I know bugger all about this sport but I was gripped the whole way through. The football scenes were thrilling and the individual characters had emotional depth. The whole town shuts down to watch these kids play on friday nights and the pressure on them is intense. I never realised Americans took this so seriously. I recommend this to one and all.
The Bunker - Some German soldiers on the run from persuing Americans hide in an old bunker manned by an old geezer and a young boy from the SS. I kept waiting for it to get going but it never really did. More of a drama or mystery than a horror. It could have been an interesting film, sadly it wasn't.
Soldier Of Orange - WW2 film shot from the Dutch perspective. A young Rutger Hauer and his university mates are on the verge of graduation when Holland is invaded by the Nazis. The film follows the path each friend takes. There is a German born one, A Jewish one, a playboy, a member of the resistance etc.
The film is quite original as it shows that not everybody is a hero who wants to do their bit for Queen and country. An interesting flick.
The Man Without A Past - A man arrives in Helsinki and gets so badly beaten he cannot remember who he is or where he comes from. He has no money and nowhere to go and no one will give him a job. He has to start slowly putting his life back together from the fringes of society. This is a very quiet, still film. No big declarations of love or sudden improvements in fortune. It is also gently funny and I liked it very much and found it satisfying. Watch it if you get the chance.
Evil (Ondskan) - Erik Ponti is a troublemaker who gets sent to boarding school after getting expelled from yet another school.
At first he tries to fit in but soon gets in to trouble when the rules of the school prove to be very unfair. This school is run on an honour system by the older students and the teachers don't interfere in discipline. They turn a blind eye to some extemely brutal behaviour.
The older boys try to grind Erik down but he won't let them. This is based on a true story that shocked Sweden when the truth came out.
It's a very good film but pretty disturbing. You will be rooting for Erik the whole way through. The lead (Andreas Wilson) is quite easy on the eye too.
Forza Milan
Champions of Europe 2007
