An Evening Illuminated

I Fidanzati (1963)

2012-03-08T17:30:00.003Z

Italy

Feature Film | Romantic Drama | Italian | 1h17m

aka: The Engagement / The Fiances

Cast: Carlo Cabrini, Anna Canzi

A young welder agrees to move to Sicily to work for eighteen months, but spends his time remembering with regret the acrimonious way that he parted from his fiancée. However, a series of heartfelt letters between the two slowly rekindles their once dwindling love, in Olmi’s melancholically charming romantic drama. The restrained performances of Cabrini and Canzi, coupled with the Italian auteur’s strikingly unusual storytelling, prove decidedly affecting. Recommended

Sound of the Mountain (1954)

2012-03-05T12:43:00.004Z

Japan

Feature Film | Drama | Japanese | 1h36m

Original Title: 山の音 | aka: Yama no oto / The Thunder of the Mountain

Cast: Hara Setsuk, Yamamura Sō, Uehara Ken, Sugi Yōko, Nagaoka Teruko, Tanami Yatsuko, Nakakita Chieko, Sumi Rieko, Toake Hisao

A middle-aged man grows ever closer to his mistreated daughter-in-law, as his uncaring son’s philandering ways becomes ever more apparent; but his own daughter, who is also experiencing marital difficulties, comes to resent their relationship, in Naruse’s terribly affecting family drama. The Japanese auteur’s gentle direction, Mizuki’s subtle adaptation, Saitō’s bold, yet unobtrusive, score, and the outstanding performances of Yamamura and Hara combine to decidedly beautiful effect. Essential Viewing

The Last Seduction (1994)

2012-03-03T11:48:00.002Z

USA/UK

Feature Film | Thriller | English | 1h50m

Cast: Linda Fiorentino, Peter Berg, Bill Pullman, J.T. Walsh, Bill Nunn

A no-nonsense New Yorker absconds to a small town near Buffalo with a suitcase full of her husband’s drug money – and, with sex, lies, and general skulduggery, manages to manipulate a local rube into unknowingly helping her to get away with it, in Dahl’s grimily sexy thriller. Fiorentino excels as the sociopathic femme fatale, in a smartly written and generally well-crafted film. Recommended

You Instead (2011)

2012-03-01T13:50:00.003Z

Feature Film | Rom-Com | English | 1h20m

aka: Tonight You're Mine

Cast: Luke Treadaway, Matthew Baynton, Natalia Tena, Ruta Gedmintas, Sophie Wu, Gavin Mitchell, Alastair Mackenzie, Kari Corbett, Clare Kelly

A pair of bickering rock stars, handcuffed to each other by a mischievous preacher at a music festival, come to think differently about one another after spending 24 hours together, in Mackenzie’s diverting, but hopelessly predictable, rom-com. The film has a certain rough’n’ready charm, which manages to alleviate, for its first three quarters at least, any qualms one might have about its somewhat trite boy-meets-girl plot, but the decidedly cheesy ending, which will have even the most soft-hearted of rom-com lovers cringing with embarrassment, manages to just about ruin all that came before. Not Recommended

The Half Hidden (2009)

2012-03-01T12:50:00.004Z

Sweden

Four-Part Television Serial | Drama | Swedish | 3h53m

Original Title: De halvt dolda

Cast: Bruno Årfors, Ulf Friberg, Kristoffer Berglund, Henrik Ljung, Christoffer Hedén, Anna Littorin, Anastasios Soulis, Jens Hultén, Kenneth Söderman, Ia Langhammer, Tom Ljungman, Axel Lindqvist, Otto Flytström, Gustaf Mardelius, Albin Weidenbladh, Freddy Åsblom, Marie Richardson, Jarmo Mäkinen, David Dencik, Anja Lundkvist, Jacob Ericksson, Anna Ulrika Ericsson, Margreth Weivers-Norström, Johannes Wanselow, Björn Wahlberg, Annika Hallin, Rasmus Troedsson, Malin Cederblad, Liv Mjönes, Fredrik Hammar

This remarkable four-part television serial follows the barely, but significantly, connected lives of a raft of beautifully (and decidedly empathetically) drawn characters in both the present day and in 1970, depicting a number of childhoods blighted by religion, alcohol, and neglect. Outstanding characterisation, skilful direction, eye-catching photography, labyrinthine plotting, flamboyant editing, affecting performances, and a stunning, yet discreet, score combine to heart-rending effect. Essential Viewing

The Thief (1952)

2012-02-29T12:52:00.002Z

USA

Feature Film | Thriller | None | 1h25m

Cast: Ray Milland, Martin Gabel, Harry Bronson, Rita Vale, Rex O'Malley, Rita Gam, John McKutcheon, Joe Conlin

A nuclear physicist with a sideline in spying for, presumably, the USSR finds his already stressful life become ever more so, when a member of his spy ring is knocked down by a car whilst carrying microfilm that could potentially expose him to the authorities, in Rouse’s brave, but vaguely gimmicky, espionage thriller, which tells its story entirely without dialogue. Milland’s performance is excellent and the film-making of Rouse is generally first-rate, but the score is sometimes rather overemphatic and the ending fails to convince. Worth a Watch

X: Night of Vengeance (2011)

2012-02-28T09:32:00.005Z

Australia

Feature Film | Thriller | English | 1h30m

Original Title: X

Cast: Viva Bianca, Hanna Mangan-Lawrence, Peter Docker, Stephen Phillips, Eamon Farren, Belinda McClory, Darren Moss, Freya Tingley

A 17-year-old novice and a 30-year-old veteran’s big money trick turns to nightmare, when their dodgy client has his head turned into a bowling ball by a corrupt and decidedly deranged cop, whilst they cower in the bathroom, leaving the pair with no option but to flee for their lives, in Hewitt’s stylishly entertaining, but oft unconvincing, thriller. The director’s assured visual touch and Mangan-Lawrence’s convincingly vulnerable performance impress throughout, but much of the plotting lacks plausibility and the characterisation credibility. Worth a Watch

Jane Eyre (1943)

2012-02-27T20:35:00.001Z

USA

Feature Film | Romantic Drama | English | 1h37m

Cast: Orson Welles, Joan Fontaine, Margaret O'Brien, Peggy Ann Garner, John Sutton, Sara Allgood, Henry Daniell, Agnes Moorehead, Aubrey Mather, Edith Barrett, Barbara Everest, Hillary Brooke

After a childhood blighted by cruelty and suffering, an orphaned girl grows up to become a loving governess to a French child, with whose brooding guardian she falls in love. Unfortunately, the object of her affection has quite the dirty little secret tucked away in his attic, in Stevenson’s handsome, but rather imperfect, romantic period drama. Though well-acted and decidedly beautifully crafted, this adaptation of Brontë’s much-filmed novel never really takes enough time to tell its story, and often feels horribly, horribly rushed. Never the less, it remains diverting and eye-catching throughout. Worth a Watch

Best Laid Plans (2012)

2012-02-27T13:26:00.004Z

Feature Film | Crime Drama | English | 1h48m

Cast: Stephen Graham, Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje, Emma Stansfield, Maxine Peake, David O'Hara, Lee Ingleby, Peter Wight

In Blair’s diverting crime drama, a small-time criminal, in debt to a local gangster, finds himself forced to coerce his slow-witted gentle giant of a flatmate into a series of illegal cage fights, in order to save his own skin. But, unable to cope with the stress and guilt that he subsequently feels, sees his drink and drug use escalate to dangerous levels. However, romance unexpectedly enters both of their lives, giving them a brief glimmer of hope for a better future. Though generally well crafted, this film, inspired by John Steinbeck's Of Mice and Men (1937), never really feels entirely convincing (and at times feels more than a little clichéd), but the fine performances of Graham and, in particular, Akinnuoye-Agbaje more than hold the attention throughout. Worth a Watch

Southern Comfort (1981)

2012-02-27T12:52:00.004Z

USA

Feature Film | Thriller | English & Cajun French | 1h46m

Cast: Keith Carradine, Powers Boothe, Fred Ward, Franklyn Seales, T.K. Carter, Lewis Smith, Les Lannom, Peter Coyote, Carlos Brown, Brion James

Members of a platoon of Louisiana National Guardsmen, on manoeuvres in a remote Cajun swamp, find themselves lost and fighting for their lives, when their blatant disrespect for the local population takes a turn for the bloody, in Hill’s engrossing allegorical thriller. Committed performances, strong writing, and some bold direction combine to good effect. The Cajun music, which dominates the film's remarkable climax, is also quite delightful. Recommended

Her Heart Still Beats (2011)

2012-02-26T17:01:00.003Z

USA

Short Film | Horror | English | 25m

Cast: Fiore Leo, Leighsa Burgin, William Bloomfield, John Martellucci, Michael Capozzi

In Di Nunzio’s unnerving short film, which was inspired by Edgar Allan Poe’s The Tell Tale Heart (1843), a man explains to his arresting officers the reason why he murdered his wife and buried her in the woods, telling them that he had become murderously possessed with the thought that her eye had become infected with evil. Well-paced and strikingly photographed, with a chillingly convincing performance from Leo in the central role, this promising short has much to recommend it, but unfortunately the supporting performances are only merely adequate at best, whilst the score, in the early stages at least, often feels a little obtrusive. Worth a Watch

Inside Men (2012)

2012-02-24T12:22:00.005Z

Four-Part Television Serial | Crime-Drama | English | 3h56m

Cast: Steven Mackintosh, Ashley Walters, Warren Brown, Kierston Wareing, Leila Mimmack, Nicola Walker, Hannah Merry, Donna Alexander, Irfan Hussain, Gregg Chillin

This engrossing BBC serial, which employs three intertwining narratives to depict the build-up to, the fallout from, and the execution of, a daring heist, tells the story of a crime through the eyes of three employees of a cash-counting warehouse – the inside men of the title, who plan and execute (with a little help from outside) the £170million robbery. Intricate plotting, credible characters, gentle social commentary, and some fine performances combine to winning effect. Recommended

The Big Empty (2003)

2012-02-23T09:09:00.004Z

USA

Feature Film | Sci-Fi Comedy-Mystery | English | 1h34m

Cast: Jon Favreau, Rachael Leigh Cook, Joey Lauren Adams, Sean Bean, Adam Beach, Kelsey Grammer, Jon Gries, Daryl Hannah, Gary Farmer, Brent Briscoe, Melora Walters, Bud Cort

In Anderson’s hugely entertaining sci-fi comedy-mystery, a struggling actor, $27K and change in debt, agrees to courier a mysterious blue suitcase out to the desert to a man named Cowboy for $27K and change, but this seemingly simple, though decidedly dodgy, deal becomes complicated by a hard-drinking nymphet, her jealousy-crazed boyfriend, a truck stop full of UFO nuts, a rather scary client, an unnerving FBI agent, and a murdered, headless neighbour. Filled with wonderful comic detail and a raft of enjoyable cameos, The Big Empty is a film that tends to improve with subsequent viewings. Recommended

In the Soup (1992)

2012-02-22T19:58:00.005Z

USA/Canada/France/Italy/Spain

Feature Film | Comedy | English | 1h33m

Cast: Steve Buscemi, Seymour Cassel, Jennifer Beals, Pat Moya, Will Patton, Sully Boyar, Steven Randazzo, Francesco Messina, Jim Jarmusch, Carol Kane, Stanley Tucci

In Rockwell’s shabbily entertaining little comedy, a struggling, wan’o-be film-maker foolishly accepts the funding of a charming, but duplicitous, gangster to film his 500-page opus, Unconditional Surrender, in which he hopes to cast (and woo) his beautiful next-door neighbour. But the ageing criminal seems more interested in the felonious act of money raising than in the film itself. Buscemi and Cassel are predictably excellent, whilst the raft of cameos – in particular, Boyar’s affecting turn – prove enjoyable. Recommended

After Hours (1985)

2012-02-22T11:56:00.005Z

USA

Feature Film | Comedy | English | 1h37m

Cast: Griffin Dunne, Rosanna Arquette, Verna Bloom, Thomas Chong, Linda Fiorentino, Teri Garr, John Heard, Cheech Marin, Catherine O'Hara, Dick Miller, Will Patton, Robert Plunket, Bronson Pinchot, Rocco Sisto

In Scorsese’s blackly comic nocturnal nightmare, a self-centred word processor’s late evening jaunt to Soho for a date with a girl that he met in a coffee shop quickly takes a turn for the worse when he loses all of his money and finds himself surrounded by various oddballs and weirdoes, but comes to worse still when a gang of vigilantes mistakenly take him for a prolific local burglar. Sharp writing, dynamic direction, a delicious score, and a raft of memorable performances combine to generally, and oft painfully, hilarious effect. Essential Viewing

A Question of Attribution (1991)

2012-02-21T13:33:00.007Z

UK/USA

Television Play | Drama | English | 1h10m

Series/Strand Title: Screen One (1989-1994)

Cast: James Fox, David Calder, Geoffrey Palmer, Prunella Scales, Jason Flemyng

In Alan Bennett’s fascinating piece of speculative historical fiction, a painting, formerly attributed to Titian, becomes the centre of a number of conversations between a former Soviet spy, Sir Anthony Blunt, and his new secret service handler, as well as a surprising encounter between the soon-to-be-disgraced art historian and Her Majesty the Queen. Fine performances, excellent writing, and unobtrusive direction combine to enthralling effect. Recommended

Track 29 (1988)

2012-02-21T12:44:00.006Z

Feature Film | Comedy-Drama | English | 1h31m

Cast: Theresa Russell, Gary Oldman, Christopher Lloyd, Colleen Camp, Sandra Bernhard, Seymour Cassel

A childlike Englishman arrives on the doorstep of an unhappily married American housewife, claiming to be the son that she was forced to give up for adoption as a 15-year-old, but his generally inappropriate behaviour and his uncanny similarity to his rapist father would suggest that all is not quite as it seems, in Roeg’s nightmarish, yet frequently hilarious, realisation of Potter’s reworking of his 1974 BBC play Schmoedipus. Roeg’s visual flair, Russell and Oldman’s deliciously OTT performances, and Lloyd and Bernhard’s hilarious turns combine to scabrously entertaining effect. Recommended

Starman (1984)

2012-02-20T11:49:00.005Z

USA

Feature Film | Roantic Sci-Fi | English | 1h55m

Cast: Jeff Bridges, Karen Allen, Charles Martin Smith, Richard Jaeckel, Robert Phalen, Tony Edwards, John Walter Davis, Ted White

In Carpenter’s entertaining, if somewhat familiar-feeling, romantic sci-fi road movie, an extra-terrestrial, shot down by US missiles, takes the physical form of a woman’s dead husband, and forces her to drive him across the country to reconvene with his mother ship. However, despite being born of tumult, their relationship slowly develops into something much more touching. Never the less, coming across like E.T. (1982) for adults, the film’s ideas never really feel fresh enough to fully satisfy. Worth a Watch

Mass IFF 2012: Call for Entries

2012-02-19T08:56:00.005Z

The Massachusetts Independent Film Festival is calling for entries.

"The Massachusetts Independent Film Festival is a truly independent festival. We are dedicated to showcasing a wide variety of films from all genres. Everything from dramas, art house fare, to horror and thrillers that some festivals unfairly ignore are welcome here. Every year we look to shine the spotlight on New England filmmakers, but we're also on the lookout for independent voices all over the country and world. We give real independent filmmakers a chance to screen their work, and interact with a broad audience."

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The Bad News Bears (1976)

2012-02-18T10:50:00.006Z

USA

Feature Film | Sporting Comedy | English | 1h42m

Cast: Walter Matthau, Tatum O'Neal, Vic Morrow, Joyce Van Patten, Ben Piazza, Charles Matthau, Jackie Earle Haley, Alfred W. Lutter, Chris Barnes, Erin Blunt, Gary Lee Cavagnaro, Jaime Escobedo, Scott Firestone, George Gonzales, Brett Marx, David Pollock, Quinn Smith, David Stambaugh

In Ritchie’s enjoyably unsentimental sporting comedy, a washed-up, perma-drunk, small-time ballplayer is hired to coach a talentless little league baseball team, but at first fails to invest any real effort into the role. However, before long he is not only heavily invested in the fates of the kids, but is taking things just that little bit too seriously. Though some of the plotting is a tad hackneyed and predictable, not to mention rushed in spots, the charm of the performances and the odd moment of irreverence here and there make it a generally pleasant viewing experience. Worth a Watch

Pete Smalls Is Dead (2010)

2012-02-17T09:03:00.009Z

USA

Feature Film | Comedy-Mystery | English | 1h35m

Cast: Peter Dinklage, Mark Boone Junior, Tim Roth, Theresa Wayman, Ritchie Coster, Rosie Perez, Emily Rios, Steve Buscemi, Michael Lerner, Seymour Cassel

In Rockwell’s hugely enjoyable satirical comedy, a down-on-his-luck Laundromat-owner flies to Los Angeles to find the $10,000 that he needs to get his beloved dog, Buddha, back from a loan shark, whilst also attending an old friend’s funeral, but ridiculously sexy French editors, pretentious widows, dodgy producers, spacy friends, and the residents of little Armenia complicate matters somewhat. Some well-drawn characters and exuberant plotting, a raft of enjoyable cameos, the odd moment of directorial magic, and an anchoringly earthy central performance from Dinklage combine to oft delightful effect. Recommended

Come Clean (1931)

2012-02-15T09:39:00.008Z

USA

Short Film | Comedy | English | 30m

Cast: Stan Laurel, Oliver Hardy, Mae Busch, Gertrude Astor, Linda Loredo, Eddie Baker, Charlie Hall

When the Laurels come over unannounced, wanting ice cream to boot, Ollie is sent out by his better half to get it. But, accompanied by his dim-witted pal Stan, only succeeds in picking up a half-drowned woman of loose morals instead, who demands to be looked after by her pesky saviours. Messrs Laurel and Hardy, realising that Mesdames Laurel and Hardy are unlikely to be all that chuffed with their new houseguest, do their best – which is never really good enough – to shake her, in this hugely entertaining star short. Filled with lovely comic detail, the film is perhaps most notable for Loredo’s inimitably screeching cries of “Staaaaan-ley”. Recommended

Chickens Come Home– (1931)

2012-02-15T09:08:00.007Z

USA

Short Film | Comedy | English | 30m

Dir: James W. Horne | Dialogue: H.M. Walker | Ph: Jack Stevens | Prod: Hal Roach | Ed: Richard Currier

Cast: Stan Laurel, Oliver Hardy, Mae Busch, Thelma Todd, Norma Drew, James Finlayson, Patsy O'Byrne

Things are going well for Messrs Laurel and Hardy; they are successful businessmen, and the latter is running for mayor, to boot. So when the shapely form of a youthful indiscretion comes-a-blackmailing, Ollie has a job on to keep it from his wife and the electorate, in this mildly diverting comic short. The separating of the two comedians for much of the runtime and the film’s atypical backdrop prove a brave, but failed, experiment. It certainly has its moments, though. Worth a Watch

A Free Soul (1931)

2012-02-14T20:12:00.007Z

USA

Feature Film | Drama | English | 1h33m

Cast: Norma Shearer, Leslie Howard, Lionel Barrymore, Clark Gable, James Gleason, Lucy Beaumont

In Brown’s gripping melodrama, a good girl from a moneyed family falls for the considerable charms and exciting lifestyle of a handsome mobster, but makes a pact with her alcoholic defence attorney father to never see him again if he can give up the demon drink. Brown’s direction and Daniels’s photography impress, whilst the performances often prove scintillating. However, the plotting never entirely convinces, and Shearer’s melodramatic, silent movie thesping clashes somewhat with the generally naturalistic performances of the rest of the cast. Worth a Watch

I'd Climb the Highest Mountain (1931)

2012-02-14T17:02:00.004Z

USA

Animated Short Film | Musical Comedy | English | 7m

Series/Strand Title: Screen Songs with the Famous Bouncing Ball

Dir: Dave Fleischer | Prod: Max Fleischer | Animation: Seymour Kneitel & Reuben Timinsky

An intrepid mountaineer finds his progress slowed by his rather rotund climbing partner, in this delightful Fleischer Brothers short – one of their Screen Songs with the Famous Bouncing Ball. The animation is charming and inventive, and the song itself proves surprisingly catchy. Recommended

Dizzy Red Riding-Hood (1931)

2012-02-14T16:28:00.005Z

USA

Animated Short Film | Musical Comedy | English | 6m

Dir: Dave Fleischer | Prod: Max Fleischer

Cast: Ann Little

When Bimbo’s offer to accompany Betty Boop’s Little Red Riding-Hood through the forest to her grandma’s house is rebuffed, he follows her anyway, slaying a wolf along the way, whose pelt he uses to disguise himself in order to seduce the lupine-loving object of his affections, in this blackly comic Fleischer Brothers short. Jazzily rhythmic animation, seductively musical dialogue, and some deliciously twisted plotting combine to thoroughly entertaining effect. Essential Viewing

Bimbo's Initiation (1931)

2012-02-14T16:13:00.003Z

USA

Animated Short Film | Horror-Comedy | English | 6m

Dir: Dave Fleischer | Prod: Max Fleischer | Animation: Grim Natwick

Cast: Mae Questel

In this tremendously entertaining Fleischer Brothers cartoon, Bimbo falls down an open manhole into a nightmarish world inhabited by a strange subterranean community, which attempts to recruit him. However, he resists its underhanded ways, until the shapely form of Betty Boop manages to coax him without much prodding at all. Filled with wonderfully inventive moments throughout, such as the discovery of the strange contraption above, Bimbo's Initiation proves something of a delight. Recommended

Bimbo's Express (1931)

2012-02-14T15:22:00.005Z

USA

Animated Short Film | Musical Comedy | English | 6m

Dir: Dave Fleischer | Prod: Max Fleischer

Cast: Mae Questel

In this mildly diverting Fleischer Brothers short, Betty Boop, busily trimming her toenails in preparation for moving house, finds her morning disturbed by the arrival of the moving men – the leader of whom, Bimbo, takes an instant liking to her, and serenades her with the song Hello Beautiful. One or two inventive touches aside, Bimbo's Express proves fairly run-of-the-mill, if entertaining, stuff. Worth a Watch

Autumn Fire (1931)

2012-02-14T14:54:00.005Z

USA

Short Film | Romantic Drama | None | 15m

Dir: Herman G. Weinberg | Ph: Herman G. Weinberg

Cast: Erna Bergman, Willy Hildebrand

A woman, alone in an autumnal rural landscape, and a man, alone in a dockside industrial one – parted lovers – pine for each other, before being gloriously reunited, in Weinberg’s beautifully and sensually composed city symphony-cum-rural portrait-cum-sentimental romance. Weinberg's cine-poem was apparently made by the film historian in order to woo a woman, who did in fact subsequently become his wife. The version commonly available on the internet is appropriately set to the bitter-sweet strains of Debussy. Essential Viewing

Any Little Girl That's a Nice Little Girl (1931)

2012-02-14T13:56:00.006Z

USA

Animated Short Film | Musical Comedy | English | 6m

Series/Strand Title: Screen Songs with the Famous Bouncing Ball

Dir: Dave Fleischer | Prod: Max Fleischer | Animation: Seymour Kneitel

Cast: Billy Murray

A feline Don Juan courts the alluring charms of fellow cat Lulu Belle (a sort-of prototypical Betty Boop), in this forgettable Fleischer Brothers short – one of their Screen Songs with the Famous Bouncing Ball. The animation lacks invention, and the song itself is unremarkable. Not Recommended

Beau Hunks (1931)

2012-02-14T09:50:00.004Z

USA

Short Film | Comedy | English | 37m

aka: Beau Chumps

Cast: Stan Laurel, Oliver Hardy, Abdul Kasim K'Horne (James W. Horne), Charles Middleton, Broderick O'Farrell, Harry Schultz

After being jilted by his beloved Jeanie Weanie, Ollie decides that he and Stan should join the foreign legion to help forget, only to discover that most of the other new recruits are carrying tear-stained photographs of her as well; but exhausting walks through the desert and war with the blood-thirsty Riffs soon manages to take his mind off things, in this patchy Laurel and Hardy vehicle. Hardy’s apparent serenading of Laurel in the opening scene is a decided high point, but much of what follows proves rather familiar, and even a tad tiresome, though never less than diverting. Worth a Watch

M (1931)

2012-02-13T20:39:00.005Z

Germany

Feature Film | Crime Drama | German | 1h57m

Cast: Peter Lorre, Ellen Widmann, Inge Landgut, Otto Wernicke, Theodor Loos, Gustaf Gründgens, Friedrich Gnaß, Fritz Odemar, Paul Kemp, Theo Lingen, Rudolf Blümner, Georg John

When the police’s search for a serial child killer begins to interfere with their own illicit activities, the city’s criminal fraternity bands together to track him down, employing the invisible talents of the beggars’ union to scour the streets for him, in Lang’s extraordinary police procedural-cum-thriller-cum-courtroom drama. A remarkable performance from Lorre, a unique screenplay, Wagner’s stunning photography, and the innovative use of sound and silence combine to quite astonishing effect.

Essential Viewing

Caught Plastered (1931)

2012-02-13T12:31:00.004Z

USA

Short Feature Film | Comedy | English | 1h8m

Cast: Bert Wheeler, Robert Woolsey, Dorothy Lee, Lucy Beaumont, Jason Robards, Charles B. Middleton, De Witt Jennings, Josephine Whittell, James Farley

In this delightful Wheeler and Woolsey comedy, two down-on-their-luck vaudevillians wander into a new town and come to the aid of an elderly woman whose drugstore seems destined to go out of business, but find their attempts to revive her flagging business complicated by both romance and an underhanded bootlegger, who is looking to buy her shop on the cheap. Several memorable performances, an unusually relaxed pace, a number of near-the-knuckle gags, and some surprisingly fluid film-making combine to decidedly charming effect. Recommended

The Mad Genius (1931)

2012-02-12T19:34:00.008Z

USA

Feature Film | Drama | English | 1h21m

Cast: John Barrymore, Marian Marsh, Charles Butterworth, Donald Cook, Luis Alberni, Carmel Myers, André Luguet, Frankie Darro

A clubfooted frustrated dancer manipulatively moulds an athletic young boy, whom he kidnapped from an abusive father, into the ballet superstar that he wishes he could have been, but fails to control him when love’s young dream captures his heart, in Curtiz’s stylish melodrama. Inventively expressive mise en scène, striking deep-focus photography, and some deliciously full-blooded performances combine well, but a rather rushed-feeling ending and some generally illogical plotting detract somewhat. Worth a Watch

Monkey Business (1931)

2012-02-12T13:39:00.004Z

USA

Feature Film | Comedy | English | 1h17m

Dir: Norman McLeod | Scr: S.J. Perelman & Will B. Johnstone | Ad. Dialogue: Arthur Sheekman & Nat Perrin | Ph: Arthur L. Todd

Cast: Groucho Marx, Harpo Marx, Chico Marx, Zeppo Marx, Rockliffe Fellowes, Harry Woods, Thelma Todd, Ruth Hall, Tom Kennedy

The four Marxes stow away on a US-bound transatlantic cruise liner, and divide their time between working as bodyguards for two rival gangsters, chasing young ladies (literally in Harpo’s case), avoiding the attentions of the ship’s captain and crew, and generally causing mayhem and merriment, in this gag-packed, constantly hilarious Marx Brothers film. Highlights include: Harpo’s hijacking of a Punch and Judy show; Groucho’s flirting with a gangster’s moll; and Chico’s “snooping” barber. That said, there isn’t a duff moment in the entire film anyway.

Essential Viewing

Blonde Crazy (1931)

2012-02-11T13:11:00.006Z

USA

Feature Film | Crime Comedy | English | 1h19m

aka: Larceny Lane

Dir: Roy Del Ruth | Scr: Kubec Glasmon & John Bright | Ph: Sid Hickox | Ed: Ralph Dawson | AD: Esdras Hartley

Cast: James Cagney, Joan Blondell, Louis Calhern, Noel Francis, Ray Milland, Guy Kibbee, Polly Walters, William Burress, Maude Eburne, Nat Pendleton

A cocksure bellboy-cum-aspiring grifter takes on as a partner a pretty blonde chambermaid, and the two set off across the country in search of easy marks, but romance and rival confidence tricksters scupper their progress, in this shabbily entertaining crime comedy. Charming performances, sizzling dialogue, and some generally fun plotting just about make up for the oft rather clumsy direction and editing.

Worth a Watch

Laughing Gravy (1931)

2012-02-10T14:44:00.004Z

USA

Short Film | Comedy | English | 20m/31m

Dir: James W. Horne | Dialogue: H.M. Walker | Ph: Art Lloyd | Prod: Hal Roach | Ed: Richard Currier

Cast: Stan Laurel, Oliver Hardy, Laughing Gravy, Charlie Hall, Charles Dorety, Harry Bernard

Stan’s bout of hiccoughs alerts their mean-spirited landlord to the existence of his and Ollie’s verboten pet dog, Laughing Gravy, who he kicks out, without a second thought, into the cold and snowy night. Inevitably, their attempts to retrieve him end only in pain, suffering, and their own impending homelessness, in this oft hilarious Laurel and Hardy short, which is available in both a two- and a three-reel version, with each having a markedly different ending. The shorter version, with its uncharacteristically dark finale, is the punchier and more memorable one; whilst the longer version is even more uncharacteristically sentimental – but still good fun, never the less. Recommended

One Good Turn (1931)

2012-02-10T14:17:00.005Z

USA

Short Film | Comedy | English | 20m

Cast: Stan Laurel, Oliver Hardy, Mary Carr, James Finlayson, Billy Gilbert

Homeless and without a penny to their name, Stan and Ollie go from door to door offering to work for food, in this entertaining, but rather uninspired, Laurel and Hardy short. They strike it lucky when a kindly old lady takes them in and feeds them, but mistakenly come to believe that she is about to be evicted when they overhear her rehearsing a community play, and set about raising the $100 that she (doesn’t really) need to avoid eviction by attempting to sell their decrepit 20-year-old car… things, predictably, do not go well. Mary Carr’s turn proves memorable as the old lady, but Finlayson and Gilbert’s talents are wasted in small roles. Worth a Watch

Le Million (1931)

2012-02-10T13:31:00.005Z

France

Feature Film | Musical Comedy | French | 1h21m

Original Title: Le million

Cast: René Lefèvre, Annabella, Louis Allibert, Vanda Gréville, Paul Ollivier, Odette Talazac, Constantin Siroesco, Raymond Cordy, Jane Pierson, André Michaud, Pitouto

In Clair’s thoroughly entertaining and decidedly inventive musical comedy, a penniless artist, just as all of his creditors appear on his doorstep demanding to be paid, discovers that he has won a million guilders on the Dutch national lottery, but unfortunately, having left the winning ticket in his jacket at his fiancée’s flat, who, after a lovers’ tiff has given it away to an on-the-run thief fleeing from the police, who in turn has sold it to a prominent New York-bound opera star, he must put the champagne on ice until after he is able to track it down – a task complicated by the fact that a friend-of-twenty-years of his will stop at nothing to get to it before him. The performances are generally delightful, the sets and camerawork arresting, and the use of music and song – particularly to illustrate internal thoughts – strikingly innovative. Enchanting. Recommended

The Smiling Lieutenant (1931)

2012-02-09T12:07:00.004Z

USA

Feature Film | Musical Rom-Com | English | 1h29m

Cast: Maurice Chevalier, Claudette Colbert, Miriam Hopkins, Charlie Ruggles, George Barbier, Hugh O'Connell

In Lubitsch’s wonderful pre-code musical rom-com, an errant smile and a misplaced wink lead to the unlikely (forced) marriage of a Viennese army lieutenant – who has been busily breakfasting with a sexy local violinist – to a visiting princess from a tinpot neighbouring country. And so, with him preferring a more earthily sexual bed-mate, her apparently prim-and-proper ways prove something of an impediment to their union’s consummation. Colbert and, in particular, Hopkins are delightful, as, respectively, the violinist and the princess, whilst Ruggles’s decidedly unkingly king elicits most of the laughs. However, Chevalier is, of course, merely Chevalier. Recommended

The Miracle Woman (1931)

2012-02-09T11:39:00.007Z

USA

Feature Film | Romantic Drama | English | 1h30m

Cast: Barbara Stanwyck, David Manners, Sam Hardy, Beryl Mercer, Russell Hopton, Charles Middleton, Eddie Boland, Thelma Hill

Disillusioned with the church after the mistreatment and subsequent death of her pastor father, a young woman hooks up with a dangerous chancer and becomes a miracle-performing evangelical preacher, but her meeting of, and falling for, a young blind man leads to her gradually seeing the error of her ways, in Capra’s gently affecting morality tale. The editing is a little ungainly at times, and some of the performances are a tad stilted, but Stanwyck’s magnificent turn in the central role more than makes up for any of these minor quibbles. Recommended

In the Presence of a Clown (1997)

2012-02-08T14:26:00.005Z

Sweden/Denmark/Finland/Germany/Iceland/Italy/Norway

Television Play | Drama | Swedish | 1h59m

Original Title: Larmar och gör sig till

Cast: Börje Ahlstedt, Marie Richardson, Erland Josephson, Pernilla August, Anita Björk, Agneta Ekmanner, Lena Endre, Gunnel Fred, Gerthi Kulle, Johan Lindell, Peter Stormare

After spending time in an asylum in 1925, as a result of the attempted murder of his young fiancée, Carl Åkerblom, along with said girlfriend and a professor with whom he shared a ward, sets about making the world’s first and only living talking picture – a film about the doomed, and decidedly fictional, romance between Franz Schubert and the Countess Mizzi Veith, in Bergman’s intense, theatrical drama. The outstanding Börje Ahlstedt reprises a role that he had previously taken in two other Bergman/Åkerblom-family dramas – as do Pernilla August and Anita Björk. Richardson and the ever-excellent Josephson also excel. Recommended

If It's a Man – Hang Up! (1975)

2012-02-06T16:44:00.005Z

Television Play | Mystery-Thriller | English | 1h7m

Series/Strand Title: Thriller (1973-1976)

Cast: Carol Lynley, Gerald Harper, David Gwillim, Tom Conti, Michael Byrne, Paul Angelis, John Cater, Colin Etherington, Sue Holderness

A beautiful model, desired by the all the men that she meets, begins to receive obscene phone calls, which, as they become ever more menacing, start to take a toll on her wellbeing, in this diverting, but vaguely implausible, little thriller. Though it remains thoroughly unpredictable throughout, the performances of the cast, playing somewhat unconvincing characters, are (barring the excellent Angelis) only ever adequate at best. Worth a Watch

Contagion (2011)

2012-02-06T16:17:00.005Z

USA/UAE

Feature Film | Drama | English (and some Cantonese) | 1h46m

Cast: Matt Damon, Marion Cotillard, Kate Winslet, Gwyneth Paltrow, Bryan Cranston, Jude Law, Laurence Fishburne, Sanaa Lathan, Elliott Gould, Amr Waked, Demetri Martin, Jennifer Ehle, Chin Han, John Hawkes

Depicting a deadly viral pandemic from several points of view as it spreads across the world, Soderbergh’s gripping drama, which perhaps should have been a three- or four-part television serial rather than a theatrical release, would almost certainly have been more successful if extra time had been given to each narrative strand, as some of them feel rather underdeveloped. However, the performances are all good and it is generally well crafted, but the score does feel a tad generic at times. Worth a Watch

Screamer (1974)

2012-02-05T10:47:00.004Z

Television Play | Thriller | English | 1h5m

Series/Strand Title: Thriller (1973-1976)

Dir: Shaun O'Riordan | Scr: Brian Clemens | Prod: John Cooper | Mus: Laurie Johnson | PD: Bryan Holgate

Cast: Pamela Franklin, Donal McCann, Frances White, Jim Norton, Derek Smith, Wolfe Morris, Peter Howell, Harry Walker, Stephen Bateman, Ambrosine Phillpotts, Michael Hall, Carinthia West

Appearing to be well on the mend, a young American woman is released into the care of friends after being hospitalised for several months with psychological problems following a brutal rape, but comes to believe, despite a suspect being in custody, that she has seen her attacker again, and sets about gaining vengeance, in this factually and psychologically unconvincing, not to mention rather predictable, but nevertheless strangely compelling, little thriller. Franklin, in the central role, does well with a difficult part, though. Worth a Watch

Ring Once for Death (1974)

2012-02-04T12:04:00.007Z

Television Play | Thriller | English | 1h5m

aka: Death in Small Doses

Series/Strand Title: Thriller (1973-1976)

Cast: Michael Jayston, Nyree Dawn Porter, Barry Nelson, Thorley Walters, Janet Key, Victor Winding, Clare Sutcliffe, Richard Oldfield

A murderous butler, who, assisted by a drunken struck-off doctor and a similarly amoral maid, slowly poisons his single, female employers in order to assume power of attorney, soon finds that he has bitten off more than he can chew, when he inadvisably decides upon a city-based, socially active woman for his next mark, in this mildly diverting little thriller. Though the distinctively voiced Jayston’s excellent performance more than holds the attention throughout, the whole thing proves just a little bit too straightforward and predictable to compare favourably to the best of Thriller (1973-1976). Worth a Watch

Scoop (2006)

2012-02-04T11:22:00.004Z

UK/USA

Feature Film | Comic Mystery-Thriller | English | 1h36m

Cast: Scarlett Johansson, Woody Allen, Hugh Jackman, Ian McShane, Charles Dance, Romola Garai

An American journalism student, summering in London with family friends, is tipped off by a recently deceased reporter that an esteemed lord’s son is in fact a notorious serial killer, and, with the aid of an irreverent American conjurer, sets about uncovering the scoop of the century, but finds her investigation hampered by inconvenient romantic stirrings, in Allen’s much derided, but really rather fun, comic mystery-thriller. Though the plot might not stand up to much scrutiny, the amusing performances of Johansson and, in particular, Allen somehow manage to carry it through. Worth a Watch

The Double Kill (1975)

2012-02-03T11:49:00.005Z

Television Play | Thriller | English | 1h7m

Series/Strand Title: Thriller (1973-1976)

Cast: Gary Collins, Penelope Horner, James Villiers, Peter Bowles, Stuart Wilson, John Flanagan, Hilda Fenemore, Griffith Davies, Michael Stainton

In this wonderfully unpredictable Hitchcockian thriller, the American husband of a rich Englishwoman spends his evenings in local pubs and bars advertising the fact that their stately home, with all its gold, silver, and expensive paintings, is anything but burglar-proof, in the hopes of catching one in the act who he can then persuade to murder his wife for him. Eventually, he manages to snag one and makes a deal with him, but his seemingly fool-proof plan soon goes awry, as he fails to take into account the murderous burglar’s enigmatic motives and a detective superintendent’s underhanded investigative methods. Excellent. Recommended

Groundhog Day (1993)

2012-02-03T11:33:00.006Z

USA

Feature Film | Fantasy Rom-Com | English | 1h41m

Cast: Bill Murray, Andie MacDowell, Chris Elliott, Stephen Tobolowsky, Brian Doyle-Murray, Marita Geraghty

A cynical, world-weary television weatherman finds himself living the same day – Groundhog Day, probably his least favourite day – over and over again; a situation that has him go from dismay through impish joy to despair and finally acceptance, as he gradually comes to be a better human being, spurred on by the (forever destined to be?) unrequited love that he develops for his producer, in Ramis’s inspired, smart, and oft hilarious comedy, which has proven itself, over the years, to be effortlessly rewatchable. Murray, in the central role, is predictably excellent. Recommended

File It Under Fear (1973)

2012-02-02T12:40:00.006Z

Television Play | Mystery-Thriller | English | 1h8m

Series/Strand Title: Thriller (1973-1976)

Cast: Maureen Lipman, Richard O'Callaghan, James Grout, John Le Mesurier, Colin Fisher, Rose Hill, Richard Pendrey, John Nightingale, Jan Francis, Jenny Quayle

When a string of young women begin to turn up strangled, a librarian comes to believe that she knows the identity of the killer, but the police are slow to believe a frustrated old maid such as her (29-years-old!), whilst we, the viewers, quickly earmark two or three other suspects as well, in this thoroughly and entertainingly unpredictable mystery-thriller. Well-crafted, with good performances, particularly from Le Mesurier, this Thriller (1973-1976) episode is perhaps as interesting for its glimpse at contemporary societal attitudes as it is for its well thought out mystery plot. Recommended

Black Cat, White Cat (1998)

2012-02-02T11:44:00.007Z

FRY/Austria/France/Germany/Greece/USA

Feature Film | Crime-Comedy | Romany | 2h7m

Original Title: Crna mačka, beli mačor

Cast: Bajram Severdzan, Srdjan Todorović, Branka Katić, Florijan Ajdini, Ljubica Adžović, Zabit Memedov, Sabri Sulejmani, Jasar Destani, Stojan Sotirov, Predrag Laković, Miki Manojlović, Salija Ibraimova

A small-time and decidedly incompetent wheeler-dealer is unwittingly double-crossed by a local gangster, who demands he pay off his sham debts by having his son marry the unbalanced thug’s one-metre-and-a-razorblade-tall sister. Alas, in Kusturica’s riotously funny Romany comedy, the two youngsters have decidedly different ideas on the matter. And so, of course, chaos ensues… With its relentless pace, raucous music, full-blooded performances, and mischievous wit, Black Cat, White Cat proves an anarchic delight. Recommended

The Wind Will Carry Us (1999)

2012-02-01T17:57:00.007Z

Iran/France

Feature Film | Comedy-Drama | language | Persian

Original Title: باد ما را خواهد برد | aka: Bad ma ra khahad bord

Cast: Behzad Dorani, Farzad Sohrabi, Shahpour Ghobadi, Masood Mansouri, Masoameh Salimi

A Tehranian photo-journalist, masquerading as a telephone engineer, travels to a remote hillside village to document an ancient funereal ritual, but finds his underhanded methods frustrated by both the old woman’s inconvenient reluctance to die and the unbounding hospitality of the locals, in Kiarostami’s wittily thought-provoking and humanity-drenched culture clash comedy-drama. A strong central performance and a thoughtful script, presented with the Iranian auteur’s trademark formal audacity against a wonderful backdrop, combine to delightfully lyrical effect. Essential Viewing

MollyCam (2008)

2012-02-01T13:25:00.007Z

Denmark

Feature Film | Drama | Danish | 1h30m

Cast: Lea Baastrup Rønne, Kristian Halken, Olaf Højgaard, Ashok Pramanik, Lotte Munk Fure, Rami Mohamed, Anne Katrine Andersen, Nis Bank-Mikkelsen

Despite a distinct lack of evidence and a number of inconsistencies to her account of events, a middle-aged police detective decides to investigate a camcorder-loving 18-year-old girl’s claims to have been gang-raped by her boyfriend and his friends, and quickly, for one reason or another, begins to become obsessed with the case and/or her much-filmed sexual veracity, in Rais-Nordentoft’s vaguely salacious, yet thoughtful and potent, Danish drama. Recommended

After Life (1998)

2012-02-01T12:39:00.007Z

Japan

Feature Film | Fantasy-Drama | Japanese | 1h58m

Original Title: ワンダフルライフ | aka: Wandafuru raifu

Cast: Arata, Oda Erika, Terajima Susumu, Naito Takashi, Kagawa Kyōko, Tani Kei, Naito Taketoshi, Yuri Toru, Iseya Yūsuke, Yoshino Sayaka, Shirakawa Kazuko, Shiga Kotaro, Hara Hisako

With a series of interviews, workers at an afterlife sorting station help the recently deceased to pick just one memory from their lives, which will be recreated for them on film, allowing them to take it with them into eternity, in Kore-eda’s decidedly low-key, yet terribly affecting, fantasy-drama. Mixing scripted footage with candid interviews that elicited real memories, After Life beautifully explores all the big questions about love, life, and death. Exquisite. Essential Viewing

Birdsong (2012)

2012-01-31T17:27:00.012Z

UK/USA

Two-Part Television Play | War Romance | English & French | 2h47m

Cast: Eddie Redmayne, Clémence Poésy, Joseph Mawle, Richard Madden, Laurent Lafitte, Matthew Goode, Anthony Andrews, Marie Josee Croze

An officer in the British army, serving in the trenches at the Somme during the First World War, remembers the brief, but passionate, affair that he had with a married French woman in the same region several years earlier, in this handsome and affecting two-part drama. The performances are all good, with Redmayne’s nuanced turn in the central role proving particularly affecting; the production values are outstanding; and the pacing, for the most part at least, is unusually and delightfully leisurely. It does, however, feel a tad rushed towards the end, and may well have benefited from being an extra half an hour or so longer. Recommended

A Rather English Marriage (1998)

2012-01-31T11:57:00.005Z

Television Play | Comedy-Drama | English | 1h40m

Cast: Albert Finney, Tom Courtenay, Joanna Lumley, John Light, Iain Jones, Katie Carr, Caroline Carver

After the deaths of their respective wives, a brash former RAF man and a meek retired milkman move in together, and the two, despite the odd bump in the road, soon form a mutually beneficial relationship, in this witty and moving television play. Finney and Courtenay are, of course, wonderful, but the plotting is a bit too contrived to fully convince. Still, the film will likely elicit enough laughs and tears to more than make up for its weaker moments. Worth a Watch

Killed the Family and Went to the Movies (1969)

2012-01-30T13:28:00.006Z

Brazil

Feature Film | Drama | Portuguese | 1h18m

Original Title: Matou a Família e Foi ao Cinema

Cast: Márcia Rodrigues, Renata Sorrah, Antero de Oliveira, Vanda Lacerda, Paulo Padilha, Rodolfo Arena

A man murders his parents and then goes to the cinema, where he watches a film about a young lesbian couple whose love struggles to combat the established order, in Bressane’s energetically anarchic feature. Episodically structured, with a decidedly unreliable narrative, this experimental underground film, though generally diverting enough, often feels like it was probably more fun to make than it is to actually watch. Godard-lovers will likely prove amused, though. Worth a Watch

Junkmail (1997)

2012-01-30T12:39:00.006Z

Norway/Denmark

Feature Film | Romantic Black Comedy | Norwegian | 1h23m

Original Title: Budbringeren | aka: Junk Mail

Cast: Robert Skjærstad, Andrine Sæther, Per Egil Aske, Eli Anne Linnestad, Trond Høvik, Ådne Olav Sekkelsten, Trond Fausa Aurvaag, Henriette Steenstrup

In Sletaune’s scuzzily and stylishly entertaining black comedy, an immoral and decidedly unconscientious postman falls for the similar charms of a local laundress. But instead of wooing her in a traditional way, he takes to stalking her and breaking into her flat. However, perhaps unsurprisingly such behaviour soon lands him in trouble, as before long he finds himself at the centre of a not-so-heady mix of suicide, assault, robbery, mail fraud, and dodgy karaoke. The deadpan Skjærstad, part of a generally very good cast, proves excellent in the central role. Recommended

The Green Man (1990)

2012-01-30T12:10:00.006Z

UK/USA

Three-Part Television Serial | Supernatural Horror | English | 2h52m

Cast: Albert Finney, Linda Marlowe, Sarah Berger, Nicky Henson, Michael Hordern, Josie Lawrence, Michael Grandage, Natalie Morse, Michael Culver, Robert Schofield

A perma-drunk, sexually voracious country inn proprietor’s life begins to spiral out of control, when the ghost of a notorious 17th century rapist and murderer begins appearing to him, but the intervention of God himself looks to bring back balance, in this diverting BBC three-parter. Finney is excellent as the larger-than-life central figure, but the drama as a whole lacks subtlety, and could certainly have done with a sight more ambiguity. No more than an enjoyable time waster, then. Worth a Watch

I'm the Girl He Wants to Kill (1974)

2012-01-29T12:37:00.006Z

Television Play | Thriller | English | 1h5m

Series/Strand Title: Thriller (1973-1976)

Dir: Shaun O'Riordan | Scr: Brian Clemens | Prod: John Sichel | Mus: Laurie Johnson | PD: Stanley Mills

Cast: Julie Sommars, Robert Lang, Anthony Steel, Tony Selby, Ken Jones, Geoffrey Whitehead

A knife-wielding killer chases a lone American woman, who a couple of months earlier had witnessed his fleeing from the site of a murder, around a locked-down 12-storey office block, but finds her wits more than a match for his underhanded cunning, in this well-crafted and terribly suspenseful little thriller. Robert Lang, as the killer, in a near enough dialogue-free part, proves particularly menacing. Recommended

The Day He Arrives (2011)

2012-01-28T16:50:00.008Z

South Korea

Feature Film | Drama | Korean | 1h19m

Original Title: 북촌방향 | aka: Book chon bang hyang

Cast: Yu Jun-sang, Kim Sang-jung, Song Seon-mi, Kim Bo-kyung, Baek Jong-Hak

A former film-maker, now working as a teacher in the countryside, goes to Seoul unannounced to visit an old friend, and spends his time there drinking, flirting, smoking, and recriminating, in Hong’s unconventionally structured, yet witty and touching, (existential) slice-of-life drama. The performances are all excellent, with Yu’s central turn proving particularly affecting. However, it is the bafflingly unheralded Korean auteur’s dreamily unreliable narrative structure that most sets it apart from other similarly themed works. Recommended

An American Werewolf in London (1981)

2012-01-27T09:18:00.005Z

UK/USA

Feature Film | Horror-Comedy | English | 1h37m

Cast: David Naughton, Jenny Agutter, Griffin Dunne, John Woodvine, Lila Kaye, David Schofield, Brian Glover, Don McKillop, Paul Kember

In Landis’s hugely entertaining horror-comedy, an American tourist manages to survive a werewolf attack in the Yorkshire Moors, an attack that killed his best friend, but soon finds his life beset with terrifyingly violent nightmares and ghoulish visions. However, none of which gets in the way of him sparking up a steamy relationship with his comely young nurse. The next full moon, on the other hand… With winning performances, excellent effects and make-up work, delightful use of moonful music, and one of the best endings that you’re ever likely to see, An American Werewolf in London manages to find just the right balance between horror, comedy, and romance. Recommended

I Start Counting (1969)

2012-01-26T20:42:00.004Z

Feature Film | Thriller | English | 1h45m

Cast: Jenny Agutter, Bryan Marshall, Clare Sutcliffe, Simon Ward, Gregory Phillips, Lana Morris, Billy Russell, Madge Ryan

A 14-year-old catholic girl’s romantic infatuation with her 32-year-old adoptive brother perversely fails to dampen when she comes to believe that he may be a local serial killer, in Greene’s idiosyncratic, unpredictable, and strangely affecting thriller. The performances are generally good, with Agutter’s, despite her inappropriately clipped accent, being the pick of the bunch. The disquietingly and incongruously cheery music also adds to the film’s distinctive tone. Recommended

Kiss Me and Die (1974)

2012-01-26T17:19:00.007Z

Television Play | Mystery-Thriller | English | 1h4m

Series/Strand Title: Thriller (1973-1976)

aka: The Savage Curse

Cast: Jenny Agutter, George Chakiris, Anton Diffring, John Sharpe, Stephen Greif, Russell Hunter, Peggy Sinclair

An American private detective comes to a small English village in search of his brother, who disappeared there not long after arriving two months earlier, and falls for the same woman that he did, in this vaguely predictable, though strangely compelling, Edgar Allan Poe-inspired mystery-thriller. The performances are generally good, with Russell Hunter’s perma-drunk poacher being particularly noteworthy, but the production values are somewhat lacking and prove rather distracting at times, particularly during the action-packed finale. Entertaining, never the less. Worth a Watch

An Autumn Tale (1998)

2012-01-26T09:42:00.006Z

France

Feature Film | Romantic Drama | French | length

Original Title: Eric Rohmer: Contes des quatre saisons – Conte d'automne

Cast: Marie Rivière, Béatrice Romand, Alain Libolt, Didier Sandre, Alexia Portal, Stéphane Darmon, Aurélia Alcaïs

An increasingly lonely 45-year-old widowed vineyard owner finds her love life being meddled with by both her best friend and her son’s girlfriend, who look to set her up with two markedly different men, in Rohmer’s oft sublime, though never entirely convincing, relationship drama. The pacing, photography, and dialogue are all rather seductive, but some of the characterisations feel a little off. Charming, never the less. Recommended

Eternity and a Day (1998)

2012-01-25T18:44:00.009Z

Greece/Germany/France/Italy

Feature Film | Drama | Greek | 2h17m

Original Title: Μια αιωνιότητα και μια μέρα

aka: Mia aioniotita kai mia mera

Dir: Theo Angelopoulos | Scr: Theo Angelopoulos, Tonino Guerra, & Petros Markaris | Ph: Giorgos Arvanitis & Andreas Sinanos | Prod: Theo Angelopoulos, Eric Heumann, Amedeo Pagani, & Giorgio Silvagni | Mus: Eleni Karaindrou | Ed: Yannis Tsitsopoulos

Cast: Bruno Ganz, Isabelle Renauld, Fabrizio Bentivoglio, Achileas Skevis, Alexandra Ladikou, Despina Bebedelli, Eleni Gerasimidou, Iris Chatziantoniou, Nikos Kouros, Alekos Oudinotis, Nikos Kolovos

In the company of a seemingly-destined-for-tragedy Albanian street kid, a terminally ill poet spends his last day wallowing in the memories of moments and episodes from his past, in Angelopoulos’s terribly sad, yet achingly beautiful, examination of a life coming to an end. Composed of long, slow, elegant pans, zooms, and tracking shots, the film quietly casts the viewer under its melancholically alluring spell. Tremendously affecting. Essential Viewing

Amateurs (2001)

2012-01-25T12:02:00.006Z

Norway

Feature Film | Crime Comedy | Norwegian & Swedish | 1h28m

Original Title: Amatørene | aka: You Really Got Me

Cast: Robert Skjærstad, Andrine Sæther, Philip Zandén, Trond Høvik, Per Schaaning, Bernhard Ramstad, Bjørn Sundquist, Berit Boman

In Sletaune’s short and not-so-sweet black comedy, a disgruntled drummer arranges for his band’s obnoxious frontman to be kidnapped by a pair of – it turns out – incompetent criminals, in order to pocket the ransom money. However, so incompetent are they that they soon lose the loathsome Swedish headbanger to a rival kidnapper – a bankrupt, put-upon fast-food peddler, who chances upon the victim whilst out in the woods attempting to commit suicide. But will this born loser prove any less incompetent? Generally well crafted, with some good performances, particularly from the excellent Skjærstad, the film proves to be thoroughly entertaining, if somewhat insubstantial. Worth a Watch

The Descendants (2011)

2012-01-25T11:33:00.004Z

USA

Feature Film | Drama | English | 1h55m

Cast: George Clooney, Shailene Woodley, Amara Miller, Nick Krause, Beau Bridges, Robert Forster, Matthew Lillard, Judy Greer

When it becomes evident that his wife is not going to awaken from her coma, a Hawaiian lawyer, in the middle of a potentially lucrative land deal, with his two daughters in tow, attempts to deal with her imminent death, whilst also endeavouring to find the man with whom she had been having an affair, in Payne’s engrossing, but never entirely convincing, family drama. Woodley does well as the eldest daughter, but Clooney’s turn lacks the gentle melancholy with which he had previously infused so many of his better performances, and which would surely have benefitted this film immensely. Worth a Watch

Blithe Spirit (1945)

2012-01-24T19:00:00.004Z

Feature Film | Supernatural Comedy | English | 1h36m

Cast: Rex Harrison, Constance Cummings, Kay Hammond, Margaret Rutherford, Hugh Wakefield, Joyce Carey, Jacqueline Clarke

When a novelist arranges a séance with a seemingly batty old woman as research for his next book, little does he expect that the ghost of his first wife – much to the chagrin of his second one – will take the opportunity to return to their marital home and cause untold problems, in Lean’s hilarious, frequently insightful, and generally thoroughly entertaining adaptation of Coward’s playlet. The great playwright’s peerlessly pithy and risqué dialogue, wonderfully brought to life by the excellent cast, proves delightful, driving the film towards its pleasingly inevitable conclusion. Recommended

Heaven Knows, Mr. Allison (1957)

2012-01-24T13:37:00.004Z

USA

Feature Film | War Drama | English & Japanese | 1h48m

Cast: Deborah Kerr, Robert Mitchum

A shipwrecked US marine washes ashore a pacific island, and discovers that its only resident is one solitary nun. Out of necessity the two quickly bond, but thoughts of a hazardous raft journey to Fiji are soon dashed when a boatload of Japanese soldiers arrives, putting their immediate safety at risk. Still, despite the circumstances – or perhaps because of them – their relationship surprisingly threatens to develop romantically, in Huston’s entertaining Second World War drama. Kerr and in particular Mitchum in a very physical role both excel. Worth a Watch

The Bothersome Man (2006)

2012-01-24T13:29:00.006Z

Norway/Iceland

Feature Film | Comic Fantasy | Norwegian | 1h35m

Original Title: Den brysomme mannen

Cast: Trond Fausa Aurvåg, Petronella Barker, Per Schaaning, Birgitte Larsen, Johannes Joner, Ellen Horn, Anders T. Andersen

A man struggles to adjust to his new life in a city filled with blandly tasteless food and blandly tasteful furniture, where everyone seems blandly content with their bland lives, in Lien’s enigmatic, blackly comic gem, in which he declares grey, bland, bourgeois modernity to be literally hell on earth. The deadpan Aurvåg brilliantly brings Schreiner’s thoughtfully bonkers script to life, captured in every possible shade of grey by Rosenlund’s eye-catching photography. Recommended

Cottage to Let (1941)

2012-01-23T20:57:00.005Z

Feature Film | Comedy-Thriller | English | 1h30m

Cast: Leslie Banks, Alastair Sim, John Mills, Jeanne De Casalis, Carla Lehmann, George Cole, Michael Wilding, Frank Cellier, Muriel Aked, Wally Patch

A renowned inventor, working on a potentially ground-breaking new bombsight at his overcrowded country cottage, becomes the target of a Nazi spy ring, in Asquith’s amusing, but convoluted, wartime espionage comedy. Quite who did what to whom and why is often hard to ascertain, but a wonderfully assembled cast, the hammiest death scene ever committed to celluloid, and a scene-stealing mini-George Cole ensure that it is never anything less than entertaining. Worth a Watch

The Man Who Could Work Miracles (1936)

2012-01-23T19:07:00.006Z

Feature Film | Comic Fantasy | English | 1h22m

Cast: Roland Young, Ralph Richardson, Edward Chapman, Ernest Thesiger, Joan Gardner, Sophie Stewart, Robert Cochran, Wally Patch, George Sanders, Ivan Brandt, Torin Thatcher

When an ordinary man realises that he can perform miracles – a power gifted to him as part of a heavenly experiment – George McWhirter Fotheringay (Young) takes on board the advice of all and sundry with regards to the problem of how best to use his powers to make the world a better place, but soon finds himself being corrupted by the weight of his burdensome gift, in this oft hilarious, though ultimately only merely diverting, H.G. Wells adaptation. The effects work is good and the dialogue witty, with some well-judged comic performances proving tittersome, but the whole thing feels just that little bit too talky and didactic to fully entertain. Worth a Watch

Dirty Girl (2010)

2012-01-23T09:39:00.004Z

USA/South Korea/UK

Feature Film | Comedy-Drama | English | 1h30m

Cast: Juno Temple, Jeremy Dozier, Milla Jovovich, Mary Steenburgen, Dwight Yoakam, William H. Macy, Nicholas D'Agosto, Pat Healy

An aggressively sexual teenaged girl and an overweight, deeply unpopular male classmate strike up an unlikely friendship and take off on a road trip to California – she, not so keen on the idea of becoming a Mormon like her soon-to-be stepdad, does so in search of her biological father, and he, under the threat of being sent to military school, does so to avoid his own homophobic one, in Sylvia’s sporadically entertaining feature debut. The well-assembled cast does reasonably well with the material, and there are one or two inspired moments along the way, but the film never really manages to find an adequate balance between comedy and drama. Worth a Watch

Cemetery Man (1994)

2012-01-18T09:50:00.008Z

Italy/France

Feature Film | Horror Comedy | English | 1h45m

Original Title: Dellamorte Dellamore

Cast: Rupert Everett, François Hadji-Lazaro, Anna Falchi, Mickey Knox, Fabiana Formica, Clive Riche, Katja Anton, Barbara Cupisti, Anton Alexander

A cemetery caretaker, who nightly does battle with zombies rising from the grave, falls instantly in love with, and becomes obsessed by, a beautiful young widow (and her two doppelgängers), but soon finds his life spiralling out of control, in Soavi’s strange, but hugely entertaining, existential rom-zom-com. Though the film is decidedly imperfect, its disquieting, dream-like tone, hugely unpredictable plotting, and oddly thoughtful subtext more than compensate for any of its rough edges. Recommended

The Skin I Live In (2011)

2012-01-18T09:13:00.009Z

Spain

Feature Film | Thriller | Spanish | 1h57m

Original Title: La piel que habito

Cast: Antonio Banderas, Elena Anaya, Marisa Paredes, Jan Cornet, Roberto Álamo, Eduard Fernández, José Luis Gómez, Blanca Suárez, Susi Sánchez, Bárbara Lennie

Following the tragic deaths of his wife and daughter, an unstable plastic surgeon finds himself driven to create fire-proof human skin, using swine DNA. However, with this kind of research being frowned upon by the medical community, he conducts his experiments in secret, using a human guinea pig for his trials – though, crucially, not a particularly willing one. Though beautifully crafted and impeccably performed, Almodóvar’s latest proves too reliant upon narrative twists to fully engage the viewer, and as a consequence lacks the emotional power of his best work. Hugely entertaining, never the less. Recommended

Drive (2011)

2012-01-17T11:58:00.011Z

USA

Feature Film | Thriller | English | 1h40m

Cast: Ryan Gosling, Carey Mulligan, Bryan Cranston, Albert Brooks, Oscar Isaac, Christina Hendricks, Ron Perlman

A taciturn driver of the stunt, racing, and getaway varieties gets himself mixed up in a deadly battle with local gangsters, when his affection for his pretty neighbour and her young son clouds his usually coldly clinical judgement, in Winding Refn’s sickeningly violent, yet strangely tender, existential thriller. Stylishly shot and enigmatically performed, the film grips with a visceral, yet thoughtful, power throughout. Recommended

Hanna (2011)

2012-01-16T19:29:00.007Z

USA/Germany

Feature Film | Thriller | English (plus a smattering of others) | 1h51m

Cast: Saoirse Ronan, Eric Bana, Cate Blanchett, Tom Hollander, Jessica Barden, Olivia Williams, Jason Flemyng, Martin Wuttke

A young girl, raised in isolation to be a killer, slays the woman that she believes to be responsible for the assassination of her mother, and consequently makes her way back to Germany to reconvene with her father, little knowing that the real killer is still at large and in hot pursuit, in Wright’s vaguely ridiculous, but completely absorbing, revenge thriller. The remarkable performance of Ronan as the young girl drives the film and gives it some gravitas, whilst also subsuming, disguising, and making palatable much of the flashness and silliness that surrounds it. Recommended

Black Swan (2010)

2012-01-16T13:47:00.013Z

USA

Feature Film | Horror | English | 1h48m

Cast: Natalie Portman, Mila Kunis, Vincent Cassel, Barbara Hershey, Winona Ryder, Benjamin Millepied

A hardworking if somewhat uptight ballerina is cast in the role of the swan queen in her company’s production of Swan Lake, and slowly, as the pressure put on her by her cliché-spouting director and rather negative mother starts to mount, begins to lose touch with reality, in Aronofsky’s visceral, unpredictable, and decidedly horrific melodrama. Portman’s central performance, as the mentally disintegrating dancer, is particularly noteworthy in a generally very well-crafted film. Recommended

Silent Souls (2010)

2012-01-16T13:24:00.012Z

Russia

Feature Film | Drama | Russian | 1h15m

Original Title: Овсянки | aka: Ovsyanki

Cast: Igor Sergeev, Yuriy Tsurilo, Yuliya Aug

A middle-aged, unmarried factory worker from a region of central Russia that still shows traces of pre-Slavic Merjan culture helps a friend to prepare for the funeral pyre of his recently deceased young bride, taking to the road with him in customary fashion to journey to the site of their riverside honeymoon, in Fedorchenko’s strangely and affectingly sensual film. Krichman’s stylish (though never flashy) photography and Karasyov’s outstanding, decidedly eerie score add greatly to the film’s alluringly melancholy tone. Recommended

Double Tide (2010)

2012-01-16T13:14:00.012Z

USA

Feature Documetary | None | 1h39m

Dir: Sharon Lockhart | DP: Richard Rutkowski | Prod: Sharon Lockhart | Ed: May Rigler

Featuring: Jen Casad

Comprised of just two static shots of a woman picking clams at low tide – one of about 30 minutes, and the other of about an hour – Lockhart’s beautiful film is likely to prove to be of interest for only the most committed of advocates for CCC/Slow Cinema, but for those that can commit to its gentle pacing and barely noticeable rhythms, it will likely prove a quite remarkable experience. The first half, filmed at dawn, begins in a haze of grey, as the morning mist envelops the peaceful Maine coastline, before gently dispersing to reveal its beautiful land/seascape. The rising sun, just peeking out from behind a line of trees, adds a little colour to what at first appears to be a black and white film. All the while, Jen Casad, the film’s nominal subject, squelches about, back-breakingly collecting her wares, to a soundtrack of bird calls and ships’ horns. The second half, filmed at dusk, reveals Casad’s work environment in all its glory and splendour, with the sky composed of an array of blues and purples, gently reflected in the patchy pools of water below. And where the first half saw the land/seascape slowly reveal itself before us, here in the second half, equally beautifully, we see it slowly disappear, ever dimming, behind the encroaching nightfall. Recommended

United (2011)

2012-01-16T12:05:00.007Z

Television Play | Drama | English | 1h31m

Cast: David Tennant, Jack O'Connell, Sam Claflin, Dougray Scott, Dean Andrews, Kate Ashfield, David Calder, Neil Dudgeon, Tim Healy, Melanie Hill, Philip Hill-Pearson, Thomas Howes, Ben Peel

This handsomely crafted BBC drama documents Manchester United’s tragic 1957/58 season, from the breaking into the first team of 19-year-old Bobby Charlton (O'Connell), through the Munich air disaster – which resulted in the deaths of eight first team players in February ’58 – to the team’s against-all-odds reaching of the 1958 FA Cup final. Discreet direction, a sensitive script, striking photography, and fine performances (particularly from Tennant and O'Connell) combine to poignant effect. Recommended

This Is England '88 (2011)

2012-01-15T20:31:00.012Z

Three-Part Television Serial | Drama | English | 2h27m

Cast: Joe Gilgun, Vicky McClure, Thomas Turgoose, Andrew Ellis, Andrew Shim, Chanel Cresswell, Charlotte Tyree, Danielle Watson, George Newton, Hannah Walters, Helen Behan, Johnny Harris, Kriss Dosanjh, Lyra Mae Thomas, Michael Socha, Rebecca Manley, Rosamund Hanson, Stacey Sampson, Stephen Graham, Steve Brody

In Meadows’s decidedly imperfect, but painfully visceral and almost unbearably moving, follow-up to the inconsistently entertaining This Is England '86 (2010) and its brilliant predecessor This Is England (2006), the lives of Woody, Lol, Shaun, et al. continue to diverge at pace. Lol (McClure, outstanding) is living alone, struggling to cope with the twin burdens of parenthood and the memory of her abusive father and his grisly demise. Woody’s (Gilgun, excellent) newfound domestic bliss fails to cover up the feelings of loss and betrayal that he still harbours. And Shaun (Turgoose), still going out with Smell (Hanson), has his head turned by a pretty classmate (Tyree), who is appearing alongside him in a college play. Recommended

Life in a Day (2011)

2012-01-14T18:23:00.013Z

UK/South Korea/USA

Feature Documentary | Dozens of languages | 1h35m

Dir: Kevin Macdonald | Prod: Liza Marshall | Mus: Harry Gregson-Williams & Matthew Herbert | Ed: Joe Walker

Compiled from 4,500 hours of footage submitted by people from 192 different countries, Kevin Macdonald’s very affecting documentary paints a touching, skilfully edited portrait of human life on earth on the 24th July 2010. And, filled as it is with scenes that will likely make you laugh, cry, wince, stir, tut, and – above all else – empathise, Life in a Day is a work rich in rare, world-shrinking humanity. Recommended

Perfect Sense (2011)

2012-01-14T12:01:00.007Z

UK/Denmark/Ireland/Sweden

Feature Film | Horror | English | 1h32m

Cast: Ewan McGregor, Eva Green, Connie Nielsen, Stephen Dillane, Ewen Bremner, Denis Lawson, Alastair Mackenzie

As a mysterious pandemic sweeps the world, depriving its inhabitants, one by one, of their senses, and in so doing – at first somewhat slowly and sputteringly, but then extremely expeditiously and emphatically – bringing about the end of the world, a chef (McGregor) and an epidemiologist (Green) tentatively form a romantic relationship, in Mackenzie’s well-crafted and affecting apocalyptic horror film. Nuttgens’s muted photography, Richter’s persistent yet beguiling score, and Engels’s melancholically poetic narration all add to the film’s alluringly fatalistic lyricism. Recommended

Perras (2011)

2012-01-13T13:05:00.006Z

Mexico

Feature Film | Drama | Spanish | 1h37m

Cast: Claudia Zepeda, Karen de la Hoya, Scarlet Dergal, Alenka Rios, Steph Boumelcroud, Andrea Pedrero, Kariam Castro, Denis Montes, Eva Luna Marenco, Natalia Zurita

A class-full of 14/15-year-old girls is kept back after school when it emerges that one of them has committed a heinous act. Confined to the classroom, and threatened with expulsion, they confront and accuse each other as they attempt to out the likely suspect, in Ríos’s inventive and stylish, though rather salacious and exploitative, exploration of the lives of a group of girls on the cusp of womanhood. Though often eye-opening, much of it feels designed for provocative, sensational effect, rather than as a serious examination of the various social problems that it raises. Still, as a piece of oft-dazzling teensploitation it proves guiltily pleasurable enough. Worth a Watch

One Minute of Darkness (2011)

2012-01-13T12:47:00.010Z

Germany

Television Play | Crime Drama | German | 1h29m

Series/Stand Title: Dreileben (2011)

Original Title: Eine Minute Dunkel

Cast: Stefan Kurt, Eberhard Kirchberg, Imogen Kogge, Timo Jacobs, Ioan Gyuri Pascu, Holger Doellmann, Paraschiva Dragus, Jacob Matschenz, Luna Mijovic

A child-like convicted murderer goes on the run in the wooded hills that surround his home town after escaping police custody whilst paying respects to his dead mother. However, an on-sick-leave detective slowly comes to suspect that he might not even have been guilty to begin with, in Hochhäusler’s engrossing and very human television play – the final and perhaps most accomplished part of the Dreileben trilogy. Kurt and Kirchberg excel, respectively, as the fugitive and the ailing detective, in the two main parts, imbuing their roles with great pathos and humanity. Recommended

Don't Follow Me Around (2011)

2012-01-12T19:35:00.009Z

Germany

Television Play | Drama | German | 1h29m

Series/Strand Title: Dreileben (2011)

Original Title: Komm mir nicht nach

Cast: Jeanette Hain, Susanne Wolff, Misel Maticevic, Malou, Lisa Kreuzer, Rüdiger Vogler, Stefan Kurt

A police psychologist is sent to a small town to aid in the search for an escaped killer and in the investigation of local police corruption, but finds more interest and intrigue in the realisation that she and an old friend, with whom she is staying, once unknowingly shared a boyfriend, in Graf’s absorbing, gently affecting chamber piece – the second part of the Dreileben trilogy. The mesmerising Hain excels in a particularly well written part, aided by decent turns from Wolff and Maticevic. Recommended

Beats Being Dead (2011)

2012-01-12T16:40:00.008Z

Germany

Television Play | Romantic Drama | German | 1h28m

Series/Strand Title: Dreileben (2011)

Original Title: Etwas Besseres als den Tod

Dir: Christian Petzold | Scr: Christian Petzold | Ph: Hans Fromm | Prod: Florian Koerner von Gustorf & Michael Weber | Mus: Stefan Will

Cast: Jacob Matschenz, Luna Zimic Mijovic, Vijessna Ferkic, Rainer Bock, Konstantin Frolov, Florian Bartholomäi, Stefan Kurt

With a police search for an escaped murderer going on in the background, a duplicitous male nurse and a hot-headed hotel maid spark up a fiery relationship, in Petzold’s disquieting, creepily scored television play – the first part of the Dreileben trilogy. And although the yo-yoing central romance often proves decidedly annoying, the film ultimately (just about) succeeds thanks to the gradual accumulation of socio-political subtext and allegorical detail, which greatly enrich a second viewing. The ending, if a tad predictable, also proves rather powerful. Worth a Watch

Skeletons (2010)

2012-01-12T11:51:00.006Z

Feature Film | Fantasy Comedy | English and Bulgarian | 1h34m

Cast: Will Adamsdale, Andrew Buckley, Tuppence Middleton, Paprika Steen, Jason Isaacs, Josef Whitfield

A pair of travelling psychic detectives, who go from home to home excising the skeletons from people’s cupboards, struggles to get started on the case of a missing husband and father, when their own personal problems begin to catch up with them, and the actions of the decidedly dysfunctional family with whom they are staying begin to affect them, in Nick Whitfield’s innovative, melancholically funny, and generally quite bonkers Kaufmanesque sci-fi-comedy. The strangely touching performances of Adamsdale and Buckley, Nicholson’s muted photography, and Simon Whitfield’s outstanding, vaguely off-key score all add greatly to the film’s unique tone. Recommended

The Mystery of Edwin Drood (2012)

2012-01-12T11:18:00.006Z

UK/USA

Two-Part Television Play | Mystery | English | 1h58m

Cast: Matthew Rhys, Rory Kinnear, Freddie Fox, Tamzin Merchant, Sacha Dhawan, Amber Rose Revah, Alun Armstrong, Julia McKenzie, David Dawson, Ron Cook, Ian McNeice, Janet Dale, Ellie Haddington, Alfie Davis

When his nephew (Fox) mysteriously disappears, an opium-addicted choir master (Rhys), whose coveting of the young man’s 17-year-old fiancée (Merchant) has resulted in drug-fuelled murderous fantasies, fails to remember if he has actually carried out the deadly deed, but is quick to point the finger of blame at a short-tempered Indian man (Dhawan) anyway, in Hughes’s speculative adaptation of Dickens’s unfinished novel. Decent performances and handsome production values grab the attention, but overly quick pacing and implausible plotting detract somewhat. Diverting, never the less. Worth a Watch

The Slap (2011)

2012-01-11T18:35:00.011Z

Australia

Eight-Part Television Serial | Drama | English & Greek | 7h20

Cast: Jonathan LaPaglia, Sophie Okonedo, Alex Dimitriades, Essie Davis, Lex Marinos, Sophie Lowe, Blake Davis, Melissa George, Anthony Hayes, Diana Glenn, Toula Yianni

The slapping of an unruly child at a 40th birthday party barbecue reverberates through the lives of all those that witnessed it, affecting them for months to come, in Matchbox Pictures’ grippingly ambitious adaptation of Tsiolkas’s acclaimed novel. Separated into eight equal parts, with each part concentrating on a different character, this well-acted serial provides a fascinatingly varied look at contemporary, suburban, multi-cultural life. Recommended

Once Upon a Time in Anatolia (2011)

2012-01-10T19:53:00.016Z

Turkey/Bosnia and Herzegovina

Feature Film | Drama | Turkish | 2h30m

Original Title: Bir Zamanlar Anadolu'da

Cast: Muhammet Uzuner, Yılmaz Erdoğan, Taner Birsel, Ahmet Mümtaz Taylan, Firat Tanis, Ercan Kesal, Erol Eraslan, Uğur Arslanoğlu, Murat Kılıç, Şafak Karali, Emre Şen, Burhan Yildiz

Several police officers, accompanied by a public prosecutor, a doctor, and a couple of diggers, set off, under the direction of a pair of confessed killers, into the night-shrouded Anatolian steppes in search of a recently buried body, in Ceylan’s haunting, humanity-drenched police procedural drama. The performances from the entire cast are of a remarkably high standard – with the turns of Uzuner and Birsel proving particularly nuanced and affecting – and, for once, actually manage to just about outshine the Turkish director’s typical formal elegance. As a result, then, this is perhaps his most moving film to date. Essential Viewing

The Sunset Limited (2011)

2012-01-10T14:59:00.011Z

USA

Television Play | Drama | English | 1h31m

Cast: Samuel L. Jackson, Tommy Lee Jones

A devout, working-class Christian, who has done away with all of his worldly possessions – all but his bible – attempts to convince a suicidal, atheistic professor of God’s love for him, but their polarised views leave them with little to agree upon, as they match wits in the workingman’s barren apartment, in Tommy Lee Jones’s mesmerisingly uncompromising and thoughtfully challenging HBO film. Predictably, Jackson and Jones both excel with McCarthy’s intelligently written material. Recommended

The Shadow Line (2011)

2012-01-10T14:48:00.014Z

Seven-Part Television Serial | Conspiracy Thriller | English | 6h53m

Cast: Chiwetel Ejiofor, Christopher Eccleston, Stephen Rea, Rafe Spall, Antony Sher, Richard Lintern, Kierston Wareing, Malcolm Storry, Freddie Fox, David Schofield, Sean Gilder, Lesley Sharp, Clare Calbraith

The Murder of a just-released-from-prison gang boss impacts upon the lives of a number of people on both sides of the law, in Blick’s stylish, formally adventurous conspiracy thriller. The performances are generally impressive, with Rea’s restrained turn and Spall’s gloriously ott work proving the pick of the main cast, though Wareing seems a little earthy and naturalistic for her part, never really getting to grips with the tone of the piece. Sher and Schofield, in smaller parts, also catch the eye. A thoroughly unpredictable delight. Recommended

Holy Flying Circus (2011)

2012-01-10T14:20:00.013Z

Television Play| Comedy | English | 1h30m

Cast: Darren Boyd, Charles Edwards, Steve Punt, Rufus Jones, Tom Fisher, Phil Nichol, Simon Greenall, Jason Thorpe, Michael Cochrane, Mark Heap, James Laurenson, Tom Price, Stephen Fry

Set at the time of the release of their 1979 masterpiece Life of Brian, this stitch-poppingly, trouser soilingly, and irreverently hilarious BBC4 comedy follows the attempts of the Pythons to battle against religious protest and censorship, concentrating on the differing approaches taken by the Basil Fawltyesque John Cleese (Boyd, spot on) and The Nicest Man in the World, Michael Palin (Edwards, excellent). The performances are all generally very good, with Rufus Jones, playing both Terry Jones and Terry Jones in drag as Palin’s wife, being perhaps the pick of the bunch. A madcap delight. Recommended

The Entire History of You (2011)

2012-01-10T14:11:00.014Z

Short Television Play | Sci-fi | English | 49m

Series/Strand Title: Black Mirror (2011)

Cast: Toby Kebbell, Jodie Whittaker, Tom Cullen, Amy Beth Hayes, Rebekah Staton, Rhashan Stone, Phoebe Fox, Jimi Mistry, Daniel Lapaine, Karl Collins, Elizabeth Chan, Mona Goodwin, Kemal Sylvester

The final episode of Black Mirror sees writing duties handed over from Charlie Brooker to Jesse Armstrong, co-creator of Peep Show, Fresh Meat, and The Old Guys. However, despite his comedy credentials, this is a particularly bleak affair, almost completely devoid of humour, though filled with enough pathos and insight to make it compelling, affecting, and decidedly disturbing viewing.

Set in a not so distant future, in which most people have been fitted with a chip that records and stores all that they see and hear, ready for playback and editing, both on the eyes themselves and on large television screens, this short television film depicts the final days of a spectacularly imploding marriage. The technology itself is ever present, but the central plot, driven by a husband’s all-consuming jealousy of, and suspicion about, his wife’s relationship with an old flame, whom they encounter at a dinner party, could easily, with just a couple of tweaks, be re-written as a straight drama – and one, for that matter, that would almost certainly be just as moving. However, said technology does give the piece added depth and nuance, forcing us to question the ever more dominant and intrusive part that similar technology plays in our everyday lives, with one particular social networking site – forever looking to document our every move – springing immediately to mind.

With its thought-provoking script, discreet direction, striking photography, affecting performances, and distinctive though unobtrusive score, The Entire History of You is perhaps the best of the three Black Mirror films, and certainly, whatever the case, an excellent piece of decidedly plausible science-fiction. Recommended

We Need to Talk About Kevin (2011)

2012-01-10T13:55:00.013Z

UK/USA

Feature Film | Drama | English | 1h52m

Cast: Tilda Swinton, John C. Reilly, Ezra Miller, Jasper Newell, Rock Duer, Ashley Gerasimovich

A woman remembers with regret and sorrow the relationship that she shared with her troubled son, who grew up to become a mass murderer, in Ramsay’s typically lyrical adaptation of Shriver’s high school shooting novel. Swinton is, of course, excellent, and Miller proves decidedly mesmerising. However, it is Ramsay, with her ever so sensual approach to visual storytelling, here perfectly capturing the complex, abstract emotions felt by her guilt- and grief-stricken protagonist, who again, as with her previous features, delivers the most memorable contribution. Recommended

Young Islands (2011)

2012-01-10T13:44:00.011Z

USA

Feature Film | Drama | English | 1h22m

Dir: Kevin Chenault | Scr: Kevin Chenault | Prod: Jill Nellis & Tabitha Timmons | Mus:Jesse Gallamore

Cast: Steven Hamilton, Joseph Dodd, Brooklyn Harper, Lisa Garrett, Sarah Beaven, Rick Kersting, Brittany Morris, Trena Morris, Jesse Gallamore, Steve Grey, Josh Gapinski

A fume-huffing, bed-wetting teenaged boy, freshly back from summer camp (and about to be shipped off to another one), wanders aimlessly around his small town neighbourhood, attempting to come to terms with the feelings that he has for his best friend, whilst also dealing with the break-up of his parents’ marriage, in Chenault’s gently affecting, lugubriously paced, and near enough plotless debut. And with mise en scène and sound design of a quality that belie both their youth and inexperience and the production’s very low budget, this is a work that sets the film-makers up as talents to watch. Recommended

Melancholia (2011)

2012-01-10T13:38:00.014Z

Denmark/France/Germany/Sweden

Feature Film | Sci-fi Drama | English | 2h16m

Cast: Kirsten Dunst, Charlotte Gainsbourg, Kiefer Sutherland, Charlotte Rampling, John Hurt, Alexander Skarsgård, Stellan Skarsgård, Brady Corbet, Udo Kier

A severely depressed young woman spends the end of the world with her anxiety-ridden sister and her family, in von Trier’s beautifully and soulfully downbeat film. The performances, particularly from the excellent Dunst and Gainsbourg, are generally very good, though the clashing-accents syndrome, caused by the internationally-assembled supporting cast, sometimes threatens to irritate. However, the photography is slick, yet transporting, and the use of fragments from Wagner’s Tristan and Isolde skilled and moving. Recommended