HiFi’s Film Reviews

353 Films have been rated or reviewed by HiFi.

500 Days Of Summer (2009): Whatever merits it may have as a film, the way it seems so carefully (cynically?) pitched (music, \'it\' stars, IKEA!) towards a modern, young, hip audience is, to me, unbearably smug and unspeakably nauseating.
Somewhere (2010): The slow pace and minimal narrative focus your attention on the details, which accumulate into something quite affecting. Dry, subtle humour, a winningly unselfconscious performance from Elle Fanning, and IMHO the ending belies Aroview\'s last statement
Two-Lane Blacktop (1971): American road movie with a very European sense of alienation? Hellman must be the most personal, idiosyncratic US director. The only modern parallel I can think of for this film is \'Gerry\' by Gus Van Sant.
Return to Me (2000): Solidly enjoyable, if somewhat cloying and preposterous. Duchovny and the undervalued Driver are charming, Hunt and Belushi have the comic chops. Great (if slightly caricatured) work from the supporting cast. A personal favourite.
Shooting, The (1965): Hypnotic existential western. Very satisfying on an unexplainable level. Oates is the essence of film acting.
Brown Bunny, The (2003): Oops, Vincent, your ego is showing. I personally found this extremely hard to swallow.
Welcome to the Dollhouse (1996): Remarkably compassionate, brilliantly executed, devastatingly funny and achingly familiar. How come no director since has fully utilised Matarazzo\'s impressive talent?
Bad Santa (2003): OK, but too \'one–note\' for me and I\'ve seen Billy Bob\'s badass schtick once too often. Bernie Mac is intimidatingly hilarious, John Ritter is hilariously craven, but the film wastes Lauren Graham and that, I\'m afraid, is unforgivable.
OSS 117: Lost in Rio (2009): As you would expect from a retro spy–spoof, this has wonderful sets, music, costumes, cars and...back–projection! Dujardin canters through it all with relish (?!) while the lovely Louise Monot rolls her eyes. Great fun.
Good German, The (2006): Nice to see back–projection in a modern film, but it doesn\'t really add up to much. Like the Aroview says, there\'s always the real thing...

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HiFi’s Film Reviews