HiFi’s Film Reviews

About me: Movements restricted by an electronic bracelet, I daily escape into the limitless world of film, which I then review with an ignorance masked by boundless pretentiousness.

353 Films have been rated or reviewed by HiFi.

13 Hours: The Secret Soldiers of Benghazi (2016): Remarkably, for a Michael Bay picture, it's populated with stereotypes instead of cartoons. Hence the three stars.
Nightcrawler (2014): Three excellent performances (Gyllenhaal, Ahmed, Russo) but really it works neither as satire nor as character study – I thought its aim was off and it was pointlessly nasty, but brilliantly done...
John Wick (2014): The first half hour goes by at a snail's pace, then the film dispiritedly wanders through the usual tropes. Style over substance, and not much of either. Can't believe 86% on Rottentomatoes. WTF?
Invaders, The (TV Series) (1967-1968): Enjoying this a lot, third time around – first saw it in the '60s! Paranoid and relentless, true, and cranked out in the sausage–factory manner of the era, but fairly gripping and replete with familiar character actors, which is enough to keep me happy.
Blackhat (2015): Mann chucks in a few trademark action set–pieces but fails to enliven the relentlessly dull script. Zero–chemistry cast, wafer–thin characters, murky DV cinematography. Not good.
Core, The (2002): Stupidest movie, ever! But kind of fun...and I could feel the hand of Irwin Allen guiding it all from beyond the grave. PS somebody should have told the filmmakers that for shenanigans of this order the presence of Oliver Platt is de rigueur.
Firm, The (1993): Solidly enjoyable, everyone plays together well, and that's Dave Grusin giving a masterclass in how to score a movie with just a piano.
Secret Window (2004): The intriguing premise and the impressive cast got my hopes up, but they were dashed by the numbskull resolution, bah!
Zodiac (2007): Slightly oppressive, putrescent look to the film which adds to the intense atmosphere. Long, detailed and, despite the subject matter's potential for exploitation, admirably unsensational. Solidly realised in every department.
It Follows (2014): Beautifully photographed, and the score evokes John Carpenter's efforts. However, I found this desperately unsuspenseful, and wonder why all the accolades? The young cast are OK, but are scarcely required to do anything other than look blank. Puzzling...
Copycat (1996): Rings changes on the usual tropes, but often goes pointlessly over–the–top. Nicely written and performed – people say things people don't usually say in this kind of movie, in ways they don't usually say them – and Hunter, as usual, is excellent.
Pelican Brief, The (1993): Has a very good cast, is nicely photographed and there are a number of Pakula's tense, competently handled signature sequences, but is just a potboiler compared to his best work. Which is probably also true for Horner's score.
High Crimes (2001): Meh, should be tried for implausibility and deus ex machina. A good cast, especially Freeman and Adam Scott, but any other Carl Franklin film would be preferable.
Apollo 13 (1995): Howard carefully balances spectacle and character, rendering the incredible events in scrupulous detail (with a tiny bit of poetic license), while still managing to make it all hugely entertaining. A must–see.; Blu-Ray ~~$20~~ $15
Better Call Saul (TV Series) (2015): Highly enjoyable first season, with an excellent cast. However, I couldn't help but be reminded of formulaic '60s TV – there's a way in which, deep in its soul, it's very, very conventional.
Along Came a Spider (2000): Muddled, shoddy, implausible, and something of a waste of a pretty decent cast. Kiss the Girls is definitely better...
Silicon Valley (TV Series) (2014): Begins well and keeps improving. Comedy of frustration, with memorable characters and endlessly quotable dialogue. Adeptly written and performed. A tonic.
Red Lights (2012): Begins promisingly, but is then comprehensively (no, really!) bungled. When I thought the sinking feeling had bottomed out, there were lows still to come...
Upside of Anger, The (2004): Beautifully done all 'round. Top marks for Binder's writing and direction, and the cast is excellent.
Mean Season, The (1985): Moody cinematography and score, but a rambling, incoherent script with little to say about the issues on display. Jordan has fun, but the rest of the cast is upstaged by the windswept vegetation.
Eastbound and Down (TV Series) (2009): Very good cast, and occasionally hilarious, but a bit one–note and repetitive. I didn't make it through the first season...
Veronica Mars (2014): Not wonderful, but enjoyable enough – guess that makes me a fan. Apparently there are more episodes planned this or next year, instead of a movie sequel.
Veronica Mars (TV Series) (2004): Flatmate made me watch this, and I enjoyed every minute. Maintains a remarkable consistency throughout the 3 seasons, and is at heart laudably blue–collar and suspicious of those in power.
Darkman (1990): Noisy and cartoonish, but a lot of fun. The leads are great, and Friels makes a meal of his part (while sporting a convincing American accent).
Summer of Sam (1999): Overlong, unfocused, gaudy, loud and leering, but a host of excellent performances and an admirable breadth and ambition.
Dollhouse (TV Series) (2009): Possibly not Whedon's finest, but absorbing, thought–provoking and improves greatly in season 2. Excellent cast, with the prodigiously versatile Gjokaj a standout.
Bridge Too Far, A (1977): Impressively mounted, but the net effect is negligible. Acting (dis)honours to Ryan O'Neal. Skip this and read Roy Urquhart's book.
Silver Linings Playbook (2012): Reaches the parts other rom–coms don't, but once the story kicks into gear the mental health aspect is revealed to be window–dressing. Very good cast, and the Chris Tucker rehabilitation begins here...
Unit, The (TV Series) (2006): Apart from Patrick, and the ever–watchable Haysbert, this is like The A Team meets The Real Housewives of Delta Force. Slightly disappointing, given the creators' pedigrees. 'Sere' is a strong episode, though.
Homeland - Season 5 (TV Series) (2015): Tradecraft and procedural howlers, Carrie's ugly cryface, characters behaving absurdly and getting away with it – in short: Homeland. But this season's much tighter than 4, and pretty gripping. And Miranda Otto is mesmerising. Well worth a look.
10 Cloverfield Lane (2016): Keeps you guessing, but there are only two guesses. And then the ending: discuss. Resourceful female character crawling through ducting: Ridley Scott should sue. Fairly underwhelming , despite Goodman's presence.
Hail Caesar! (2016): Immaculately mounted misfire. Some great supporting faces, nifty sound design and Ehrenreich's charming cowboy star, but when you consider the calibre of actual '50s Hollywood insider movies, this is pretty small beer.
Carol (2015): I've always found Haynes' films visually ravishing but not emotionally compelling. This breaks the mould. It's excellent in every respect. Oh, and for the stunning photography, Edward Lachman, A.S.C. deserves a place in the pantheon.
Big Combo, The (1955): Lots to enjoy – Conte, Van Cleef and Holliman, Alton's beautiful photography and the somewhat purple script – but too little of the menace and unease I expect from this genre, and too much plodding procedural–ness.
Goon (2011): Didn't expect to like this, but I did. As Aroview says, perfectly cast, and while your mind is boggling at the carnage, there's a sweetly daffy romance and Schreiber's Canadian accent to enjoy.
Person of Interest (TV Series) (2011): Actually two shows: one is fairly silly, hackneyed and slapdash; one is something quite marvellous, usually signalled by the appearance of Amy Acker's 'Root', and the more paranoid story arcs that accompany her.
House of Cards - Season 1 (TV Series, US) (2013): Not nearly as clever as it thinks it is, and someone needs to rein Spacey in (which will never happen). Good supporting cast, especially Corey Stoll.; DVD ~~$15~~ $11.25
Parallax View, The (1974): It's more a collection of masterful set–pieces than a coherent whole. The airliner sequence is particularly impressive, achieved almost without dialogue. Top marks for Willis, production designer Jenkins and Michael Small's unsettling score.; Blu-Ray $34.95
Deadpool (2016): Refreshing change from the usual po–faced superhero shenanigans. Probably not as slick structurally as it is stylistically, but you'll be having too much fun to notice. Or care.; Poster (VG) $15
State Of Play (2009): Yes, in the spirit of, but not a patch on. Quite suspenseful, but somewhat ham–fisted, and doesn't the final revelation kind of undercut all the political angles? PS the whole newsroom watching Crowe's two–finger typing is pretty funny...
All the President's Men (1976): People talking, typing, telephoning – so, pretty uncinematic, then – but made gripping by a lucid script, a raft of committed performances, Willis' understated but effective cinematography, and Pakula's evident intelligence as a filmmaker.
Hobbit, The - The Desolation of Smaug (2013): Surprisingly enjoyable. Felt like a very tarted–up 7th Voyage of Sinbad. Only a nodding acquaintance with the book – in a way its saving grace: wholly Jackson's creature, now, with his fabricated elf/dwarf romance the most compelling feature.
Flight of the Phoenix (2004): Maximum popcorn, with beautiful desert photography. I always enjoy this, and if you approach it as a Monster Garage/Survivor crossover episode, you won't be disappointed. Plus, there's aaaaabs aplenty!
Man on Fire (2004): Starts well, nice photography, Denzel's great, the relationship with the mother & daughter's convincing, but the film degenerates into cartoon violence. And it's very long. Gaudy junk, but absorbing enough.
Grand Budapest Hotel, The (2014): Charming Ruritanian bagatelle with deep undercurrent of melancholy, stuffed to the gunwales with high–powered thesps and production design. Fiennes' wonderful performance glues it all together. A mixed bag, but full of marvellous confectionery.
Monuments Men, The (2014): A bit like those star–studded romps of the '60s & '70s. Meandering, shallow, and while it misses no opportunity to pontificate about preserving art in order to honour Hitler's victims, actually seems to be doing them a disservice.
Saving Private Ryan (1998): Spielberg sets the scene with such terrifying realism, but the rest seems contrived, manipulative, awkward, dishonest. In a word, Spielbergian.; DVD ~~$19.95~~ $14.95
Star Wars: Episode VII - The Force Awakens (2015): They fitted a new engine and tyres, tightened up the steering, polished the wood and chrome, took off the embarrassing fluffy dice and hood ornament. But it's still just a fairly basic family saloon.; Blu-Ray ~~$19.95~~ $14.95
Inside Llewyn Davis (2013): Noirish folk–themed odyssey which seems closest in spirit to 'A Serious Man'. Isaac's wonderful performance kept me right there with the character, every step of the way...
Captain America: The Winter Soldier (2014): I had fun, but these don't seem like movies to me, more like the ganglia of the Marvel universe – everything's paying off, servicing, setting up or referencing something else.; Blu-Ray $59.95
Sullivan's Travels (1941): Anti – 'message' movie with a message? I have trouble decoding all the levels of irony in this, but a marvellous entertainment nonetheless. AND it has Veronica Lake...
Palm Beach Story, The (1942): I didn't enjoy this as much as The Lady Eve, it seemed a bit static and wordy, with the comedy tacked on instead of integral. But what words – "It's one of the tragedies of this life that the men most in need of a beating up are always enormous".
Flight (2012): A bit of a grind, with some elements integrated poorly or handled cursorily. Denzel's great, and the crash is thrillingly (if implausibly) rendered, but Zemeckis' butterfly net isn't quite big enough to scoop up 'message' AND 'entertainment'.
Judge, The (2014): Every cliche in the book, a cast that really should know better, and it's very long. What's good? The score (although Thomas Newman could have done it in his sleep) and the cinematography, when it's not marred by overripe CGI.
Confessions of a Shopaholic (2009): Wow, what a cast. Lithgow! Kristin Scott Thomas! John Goodman! They even unearthed Julie Hagerty, and the two leads are great...but the script's a steaming pile. Oh well.
Night of the Hunter, The (1955): C'mon people! Five stars for the set design, process photography and Stanley Cortez' camerawork alone. And then there's the unearthly atmosphere, the performances...a wondrously strange masterpiece.
Ride the High Country (1962): The most startling thing for me was the Coarse Gold sequence, told convincingly (and disturbingly) from Elsa's perspective. Not bad for a purportedly macho director...
Bridge of Spies (2015): Perilously close to made–for–TV–movie storytelling (worthy, plodding, unimaginative) but immaculately mounted. Rylance is great as Abel.
Sicario (2015): Strangely paced, weakly scripted, and getting a tad James Bond towards the end. Hard to see what this contributes that wasn't already done (better) by Traffic. Blunt's character seemed pointless, ineffectual. Nice score and cinematography.
Martian, The (2015): OK, but the pacing is all over the place, the supporting characters mere thumbnails and the video diary device overused. For space rescue – Apollo 13. For man alone – Castaway. Sorry, but it's that simple...; DVD $14.95
Homeland - Season 4 (TV Series) (2014): A fairly straightforward spy drama, now. The usual problematic depiction of Middle Easterners, the usual nodding acquaintance with credibility. Does get pretty thrilling towards the end. Quinn's a standout – they could build the series around him.
Homeland - Season 3 (TV Series) (2013): Wildly uneven. Some great moments (the Tower of David!), great acting, great characters, but you could write a thesis about the frittering away of what made this a great show. Still, I do have some affection for the hot mess...
Homeland - Season 2 (TV Series) (2012): So good that time stood still – up 'til episode 10, then the show jumped the shark, in my humble opinion.
Homeland - Season 1 (TV Series) (2011): Complex, intelligent, thought–provoking TV drama of the highest order. Nearly lost me with too much Brody domestic drama, but came back gangbusters. I missed it first time 'round, but thank goodness for DVDs, huh?; DVD ~~$15~~ $11.25
Just Like Heaven (2005): The two leads work well together, transforming what could have been a steaming pile into something that's at times quite moving. And nobody does shlubby scruff–hunk like Ruffalo...
Third Miracle, The (1999): As the Aroview says, doesn't quite succeed dramatically – some of the Harris/Heche scenes are a bit woolly – but remarkable for being thoughtful and thought–provoking in a genre usually given to excess and empty spectacle.
Harry Brown (2009): Grim, unedifying stuff. Politically unsophisticated, slow and laborious, and in places leeringly sensationalistic (what circle of hell did that drug dealer come from?). For all its faults, I preferred Gran Torino.
Mad Max: Fury Road (2015): Relentlessly linear, but awesomely designed and choreographed. Max was a bit too much of a cipher for me, and with about 40 minutes to go I found myself in another room dusting – it just seemed to be repeating itself.; DVD $19.95
Moneyball (2011): Not yer usual sports flick, what with Sorkin's involvement. More like a Philip Glass composition: sombre, repetitive, with a sustained intensity. Still thrilling, as you're rooting for the underdog. PS, Pitt's had some work done on his face, right?
Trainwreck (2015): Has a decent cast (Swinton's enjoyably coarse) and is at times quite moving, but it's wildly uneven, lacks structure and is only intermittently funny. And, at heart, it's fairly conventional – even conservative.
2012 (2009): Emmerich remaking 'The Day After Tomorrow', which I prefer, with more and biggerer explosions, once again reuniting the family and destroying the world. Highlights: Platt chewing the scenery, Billingsley's gloomy professor.; DVD ~~$10~~ $7.50
Larry Crowne (2011): Larry – affable and resourceful throughout – has no character arc (Joss Whedon calls it 'Airforce 1 Syndrome'). The rest (apart from Takei) is at best inept, at worst plain embarrassing. Glimpses of what it could have been, but only occasional ones.
Whiteout (2009): Not the epic tale of typing correction one might expect from the title. I'm flailing for an Arctic simile to sum it up. This'll do: being served 'dairy dessert' instead of real icecream. It's close enough, but there's a nasty chemical aftertaste.
Out of Time (2003): The Aroview's got it right – I'd just like to mention the cherishable Billingsley, whose odd rhythms enhance anything he's in...
Adventures of Baron Munchausen (1989): Part Dali, Melies and a kind of PG Jodorowsky, a tale of the triumph of the imagination over homicidal bureaucracy. Thank goodness for John Neville – nowadays we would have had to endure Johnny Depp...
Lincoln (2012): Like a filmed play, but none the worse for that. I expected to be beaten around the head with the big issues, but this seemed subtle and – dare I say it – mature. Convincingly performed and staged, a living history lesson that's well worth seeing.
Tora! Tora! Tora! (1970): Star–studded cast, spectacular reconstruction of the attack, plodding but even–handed depiction of the events leading up to it. Old–fashioned even for 1970, but not without its rewards, among them an interesting portrait of Yamamoto.
Hunger Games: Catching Fire (2013): Seems to take forever to get going, but overall a satisfying instalment in one of the more thoughtful franchises.
Ex Machina (2015): Stylish, suspenseful and well–performed, but did rather grind along. I don't think the intriguing premise was satisfyingly explored. Maybe excising some shots of hot naked chicks and Wallpaper–mag interiors would have given more time for that...
Rewrite, The (2015): A canny cast, and the director lets scenes breathe and find their own rhythm. Not great, but, when it finally gets going, actually rather charming.
Imitation Game, The (2014): Ah, biopics: composite characters, telescoped timelines, dramatic liberties. Cumberbatch is good, but the machinery you can hear grinding away in the background isn't the Enigma–cracker. I'd prefer to watch a documentary on this fascinating subject.
Aloha (2015): Meandering, insubstantial and a waste of a good cast. To be brutally honest, I found the 'making of' doco more interesting than the film itself.
Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, The (2011): Well–photographed and acted, stylish and gripping, but a bit redundant, methinks. However, the killer playing 'Orinoco Flow' on his reel–to–reel to get in the slayin' mood made this writer's day.
Olive Kitteridge (TV Mini-Series) (2014): A couple of plot contrivances aside, an astonishing piece of work from all concerned. Bitterly funny and true, the best TV I've seen in ages.
St. Vincent (2014): The script's a bit hand–me–down and threadbare (think Walter Matthau's undershirt) but the playing makes up for it. Was that Murray doing a smarmy Venkman smile at the end? Hope so.
Love & Mercy (Love and Mercy) (2014): Respectful and detailed, and the unusual structure probably offers more insight than a linear narrative would. Not sure if it quite comes off, but the reconstruction of the 'Pet Sounds' sessions is worth anyone's money.; DVD ~~$19.95~~ $14.95
Dive Bomber (1941): If 'Casablanca' isn't just a movie, but 'movies', THIS Curtiz effort is 'offcuts of movies'. A grab–bag of genres, stodgily told. Enjoyable enough, but aren't those same 3 planes buzzing the field in every shot?
Mildred Pierce (TV Mini-Series) (2011): Faithful and minutely detailed, but the Curtiz version better serves the spirit of Cain's vivid prose, and I'd swap Winslet's worthy drudge for Crawford in a heartbeat. Worth watching for the sterling supporting cast, but a long haul.
Ruby Sparks (2012): A woman writes a script about a man who writes a woman and learns about love...have fun decoding the levels of narcissism and wish–fulfilment! Stylish and well–performed. I don't know if I fully swallowed the conceit, but good enough.
Captain Phillips (2013): I wasn't expecting much, and was pleasantly surprised. Straightforward, gripping and avoids heroic cliche. The freshman Somali actors playing the pirates are extraordinary.
Look of Love, The (2013): Coogan and Winterbottom must be able to do this kind of thing in their sleep, which was the state it inspired in me. Dreary stuff.; DVD $29.95 | Blu-Ray $34.95
American Hustle (2013): Convoluted scams and period trappings aside, a highly enjoyable character study, with the starry cast playing convincingly against type.
Bird (1988): Wow! Biopics usually seem to be about ticking boxes, wheeling figures on and off. This one actually has LIFE! The design evokes without overwhelming, the cast play with consummate ease, and Venora and Whittaker's scenes together are mesmerising.
28 Days (1999): I don't know how 'realistic' a depiction of rehab this is, but it's well–handled and the cast are terrific. Could have been sooooooo much worse...
Definitely, Maybe (2008): Reynolds must have made a pact with the devil to parlay his anodyne charms into stardom. But the cast is great, and, so help me, I enjoyed it.
49th Parallel (1941): Really rather marvellous. Great cameos from some of the big British stars of the day, wonderful travelogue photography from Freddie Young, and a stunning Vaughan Williams score.
Roger Corman Collection #2 (Creature from the Haunted Seas, It Conquered the World) (1956-1961): Hold the phone, I like CftHS! It has a nutty, on–the–fly feel to it. Knocked out at the end of location shooting for another movie (typical Corman) and scripted by Robert Towne, methinks. I laughed.
Things to Come (1936): You've never HEARD such dialogue: Wells, the great writer, just can't write lines fit to speak. But the best moments are pure art direction – WCM's actual career – and well worth a look.
Land Of The Lost (2009): Not the WORST Ferrell movie, surely? Actually quite a lot of fun for the undemanding audience, among whose number I find myself.
Conviction (2010): Predictable, pedestrian, with little of the complex moral landscape that made 'Dead Man Walking' interesting. Driver, as usual, is one of the few reasons for seeing it through.
Lady Eve, The (1941): Watch Stanwyck in the long takes and marvel at her precision, versatility and charm. And that's only ONE aspect of the riches on display...''Let us be crooked but never common''.
Gone Girl (2014): OK–ish, but ruined by plot and procedural inconsistencies. Some good dialogue and performances (Dickens, Coon) but its reach exceeds its grasp.
Horrible Bosses (2011): Capable cast, but the poor script leaves them high and dry. And they've made a sequel, the unscrupulous...millionaires. As Cheech and Chong would say, ''Lucky we didn't step in it''.
Taken (2008): Resistance is futile, forget any objections (villains of varying degrees of swarth, the daughter's virtue preserved while all about are losing theirs, etc.), sheer momentum carries the day.
Girls - Season 2 (TV Series) (2013): The difficult second album, somewhat a rehash of the first. Funny and moving in places, but the resolution feels tacked–on rather than earned. Good enough, but roll on #3...
Vertigo (1958): Slow, but riveting, and the cast are excellent. Expressionistic colour, beautiful photography, fantastic score. A truly disturbing meditation on the nature of desire, with detective plot as McGuffin...
Escapist, The (2008): The escape is pretty thrilling, with its Michael Nymanish score driving things along, and there's plenty of ACTING on display, but this seemed like a fairly pointless exercise to me. Something for the director's CV?
Looper (2012): Unfocused, unimaginative. I found myself waiting for the next interesting face or bit of tech to materialise. Improves slightly when Blunt and the kid appear, but overall I wasn't convinced, or absorbed.; DVD ~~$20~~ $15
Chef (2014): Sentimental, somewhat creaky, framework fleshed out with such exuberance and humour that you'll be having too good a time to notice. In a reversal of the usual state of affairs, the French are planning a remake (just kidding).
Bone Collector, The (1999): The ending probably doesn't merit the elaborate setup, but an enjoyable enough potboiler. Telling that Denzel's character is physically incapable of consummating the relationship with his spunky protege. No subtext there...
Magic in the Moonlight (2014): Beguiling premise, with some funny lines, beautiful photography and a great cast, but it never comes to life. All dressed up with nowhere to go, drowning in verbiage and crucially lacking in charm.
Seeking a Friend For the End of the World (2012): Shortcomings? Sure, but nothing ruinous. Knightley kept in check, Carell convincingly multilayered. Well worth seeing, if only as the flipside to '2012'–style apocalyptic schtick.
In a World... (2013): Familiar tropes, but in unexpected combinations and from inventively skewed angles. Nicely done, in every respect, and never precious. Bell is definitely one to watch.
Behind the Candelabra (2013): Beautifully appointed, at times credibly tender, but ultimately tedious. The mention of 'Hush, Hush, Sweet Charlotte' made me long for that film's Grand Guignol nastiness.; DVD ~~$20~~ $10
Philomena (2013): Didn't realise the film's power until I lost my temper relating it to someone. Understated and unsensational, with excellent performances from the two leads.; DVD ~~$19.95~~ $14.95
Limitless (2011): It's a shame the scriptwriters hadn't taken the brain–enhancing drug. There were a couple of good scenes of people running. And as for Bradley Cooper, I have an abiding desire to see him punched in the face. But that's just me.
Wolf of Wall Street, The (2013): Two–and–some hours of raucous, sometimes very funny (but repetitive) amorality, then Scorsese hedges his bets in a disappointingly conventional manner.
Journey to the Centre of the Earth (1959): Great fun, beautifully shot (in Carlsbad Caverns), terrific cast & score. A simple pleasure from a pre–CG era. And the subtext of the ending? Discuss...
Circle of Friends (1995): Safe and familiar territory, but nicely handled with plenty of good performances. The underrated Driver's film debut, and she shines.
Good Will Hunting (1997): Good performances, but essentially about fairly pleasant people facing fairly surmountable obstacles. Not that that's a bad thing: if the dramatic arc was any steeper it'd be a Charlize Theron movie, and nobody, least of all this writer, wants that.; DVD ~~$19.95~~ $14.95
Lincoln Lawyer, The (2011): Pretty lazy scriptwise, and McC is a 'knacktor' (is much going on behind the drawl & swagger?), but watchable.Good supporting cast (including Michael Pare's neck). The film's weakness is its refusal to let you find Mick unlikeable.
Crazies, The (2010): The best of this kind of thing that I've seen in a while. Gripping, well acted and satisfying. Nicely paranoid and downbeat. And Olyphant is always very watchable...
Guard, The (2010): The garish colours, the colourful characters, the waggishly postmodern dialogue. Always seems to be peering over its shoulder at the crime cinema of yore. I had fun, but it left me shrugging. The thinking person's 'Hot Fuzz'?
Good Morning, Vietnam (1987): Good performances, and Williams is on fine form at the mic. but, honestly, this is a heavy–handed, simplistic and patronising movie. Incongruous score by Hollywood legend Alex North. For prime Levinson, try 'Tin Men'.; DVD ~~$19.95~~ $14.95
Music and Lyrics (2006): Wafer thin and contrived, with no chemistry between the leads –it's like they're in different movies–but I've watched this twice and enjoyed it both times, so I guess something (maybe the TV–honed supporting cast) carries the day (or I'm an idiot).
Absolute Power (1996): The acting wattage more than compensates for any script deficiencies, and, while not prime Eastwood, this is still very watchable.
True Grit (2010): Impeccably crafted, if not particularly inspired, with a host of excellent, unshowy performances (Bridges losing out slightly to Wayne in the charm stakes). The real star for me was the language: biblical, shaggy–dog, eloquently base. Recommended.
Avengers, The (Marvel's Avengers) (2012): Initially found it tedious and long–winded but I warmed up to it. Is it just me, or does this seem, well, anonymous? The post–credits scene of our heroes dining out was the most Whedonesque thing about it...
Skyfall (2012): Not bad for a blockbuster, I guess, and Deakins' camerawork was ravishing, but it struck me as smug and tedious. It would only have taken a couple of keystrokes for Harris' character to end up with the top job, but I guess that's for another century...
Edge of Darkness (TV Mini-series) (1986): I loved this when it came out but two rewatchings later it doesn't seem so good. Peck overacts badly and the script's weak and woolly. Heresy, I know. Watch it for Baker, Kay and McNeice and try to ignore the dreadful score.
Gravity (2013): It flew by, it looks great, but I couldn\'t help thinking it\'s just an episode of \'I Shouldn\'t Be Alive\' with out–of–this–world production values.; DVD ~~$15~~ $11.25
Dave (1993): Hopeful, Capra–esque comedy. Wonderful cast. \'Heartwarming\' in the best sense.
Battleship (2012): Damn, our curiosity has landed us in deep do–do and only Navy heroism (and firepower) can save us....truly awful, I suppose, but I enjoyed its bargain–basement Bruckheimerness.
Magic Mike (2012): Immediately engaging, but sags badly in the middle and leaves the characters looking rather lifeless. However, Tatum\'s fantastic dancing and the pretty cinematography are pleasant distractions...
Advise and Consent (1962): Political skulduggery since has far outstripped this, but still a gripping, expertly assembled piece with a great ensemble cast. The real star: Sam Leavitt\'s mobile camera and Cinemascope frame.
Heat, The (2013): Formulaic, but the two leads give laugh–out–loud value. Women wasting scumbags – that kind of makes this a sequel to 'Zero Dark Thirty', huh?
Wild Bunch, The (1969): Lives and breathes with a fierce vitality. A masterpiece.
We Bought a Zoo (2011): Eye–wateringly conventional storytelling, but appealingly performed and stunningly photographed (Rodrigo Prieto). Enjoyable, undemanding fare.
Star Trek - Into Darkness (Star Trek XII) (2013): More of a TRUE Star Trek movie than the previous one: under all the sexed–up rebootedness there\'s a good old artery–clogging slab of Roddenberry cheese. I enjoyed every minute.
Paradine Case, The (1948): Stodgy and overlong, but great supporting cast and photography (Lee Garmes). Worth seeing just for Joan Tetzel, Laughton perving on Ann Todd, and Barrymore conveying a whole, sad relationship in a couple of lines, a couple of expressions.
Cruel Sea, The (1952): There\'s a wonderful moment when a seaman watches a blazing ship sink: all you see is his reaction. A film from another age: the actors act, the audience uses its imagination. Great stuff.
North by Northwest (1959): The thing that struck me this time was how incredible Ernest Lehman\'s script is. A classy, timeless entertainment. AND Eva Marie Saint!; DVD ~~$24.95~~ $18.70
Hatari (1962): A wonderful film of miraculous warmth and ease. Thrilling action, but my favovrite scenes are between Martinelli & Red Buttons. Terrific.
Battle: Los Angeles (2011): Gosh, almost total rubbish. Every stale old (and new) war–movie cliche gets an airing. Terrible score.
My Life In Ruins (2009): Leaden pacing, flaccid comedy, national stereotypes, 'important' lessons. Dreyfus (on autopilot) is having fun, I most emphatically was not.
Sense and Sensibility (1995): Beautifully mounted (interiors by Vermeer?) and a wonderful cast. The way careless words evoke a symphony of hurt on Thompson\'s face: stunning. It\'s worth watching the film just for her performance.
Smell of Reeves & Mortimer, The (TV Series) (1993): Not so much a comedy as a parallel universe ruled by a surreal, mind–altering Morecambe and Wise. Wonderful songs – \"Like a shrimp in a suitcase laying on a window ledge...\". Just go there, you won\'t be sorry...; DVD $29.95
Adam's Rib (1949): Very good, but fairly leaden in places. I know it\'s heresy, but I preferred \'Pat & Mike\'. David Wayne seems to be having the most fun as an acid–tongued gadfly in love with Hepburn\'s character.
Pat and Mike (1952): Terrific. I know it\'s heresy, but I enjoyed this more than \'Adam\'s Rib\'. Great chemistry between the stars, great supporting players. Still smiling, me.
Bored to Death (TV Series) (2009): Terrifyingly familiar narcissistic child–men in a Wes Andersony NY. The female characters are ciphers, but this is funny, inventive and has a genuine tenderness to it. Danson: incredibly deft comic actor. The show: magic.
Safety Not Guaranteed (2012): I wanted to like this, but it\'s undercooked in almost every respect. The two stars are for Plaza – an able performer, and when the deadpan breaks it\'s like the sun coming out...
Girls - Season 1 (TV Series) (2012): I thought this would be all hip gab and zeitgeist schtick but was surprised by the real tenderness and generosity towards the characters. Wonderfully written, directed and performed. Genius, obvy.
Iron Sky (2012): Grindingly inept tosh, lacking even the gleeful idiocy of low–budget disasters of yore. No stars, avoid.
Moonrise Kingdom (2012): Wry, poignant paean to true love, solidarity, second chances and the power of the imagination. Wholly wonderful, not to be missed.
Justified - Season 1 (TV Series) (2010): Perfect cast, but overall this is disappointingly conventional – even \'cookie–cutter\'. I\'m afraid I rather lost interest.; DVD ~~$30~~ $22.50
Pride and Prejudice (2005): Pallid leads, an excess of melodrama and the camera dithers over period detail. Some humanising of what were only caricatures in the BBC version, but inferior in almost every other way. Ehle and Firth were sorely missed (by me).
Extras - The Special (2007): Some slightly heavy–handed emphasis in places, but overall this is wonderfully done.
Extras - Series 2 (TV Series) (2006): As good as anything great, so – great, then. Jensen\'s a masterclass in comic reaction.
Five-Year Engagement, The (2012): The Farrellys blend romance and queasy comedy more organically, but this is still very funny (if a bit long). Great supporting cast, and the two leads have something reminiscent of old Hollywood stardust, IMHO.
Crumb (1994): Commentary from experts, contemporaries and former girlfriends; family background (they\'re a sad, disturbing yet oddly engaging bunch); career chronology; plenty of Crumb opinion. Crumb, like his work, provokes a complicated, ambivalent response.
Future, The (2011): There are a couple of slight overreaches and miscalculations, but the rest of this astonishing film resonates like a bell.
Haywire (2011): Or 'Bourne a Woman'. Airport novel premise, '3 Days of the Condor' music. Murky DV ('experimental' Soderbergh) and starry cast ('mainstream' Soderbergh). Fun when it gets going. Carano: beautiful and kick–ass!
Hunger Games, The (2012): Lawrence's fine performance anchors the centre, while Ross deftly balances spectacle and character. The romantic subplot is a bit clunky, but this is still impressive and I can't wait for the sequel(s).
Jeff, Who Lives at Home (2011): Appealing and unpredictable, but somehow less than the sum of its parts. There\'s enough here for a short film, but at feature length it seems stretched and underwritten. Helms and Segel are great, though.
Breach (2007): Thank heavens for Billy Ray...meticulous, unflashy direction and mise–en–scene (sorry, pretentious) and knockout performances from everybody. Mychael Danna's score comprehensively rips off Carter Burwell, however.
Von Ryan's Express (1965): Nice cinematography, crisp and effective score from Jerry Goldsmith, good cast, great fun, \'nuff said.
An Affair to Remember (1957): Meant to sparkle like pink champagne, but doesn\'t. Stiff, awkward and unconvincing. This kind of film would usually have stalwart supporting actors but they\'re conspicuously absent. Look elsewhere, friend.
They Call Me Mister Tibbs! (1970): Workmanlike, with vague plotting and too much domestic drama. Decent score and cinematography, and I always enjoy watching Anthony Zerbe, but on the whole not very engaging.
Portlandia (TV Series) (2011): Delirious stuff. My favourite sketch is the \'safe–word\' couple (with Carrie playing the man, Fred the woman). The quality falters slightly in the final episode, but otherwise...genius!
Heat (1995): Always a pleasure. Stylish, intricate, involving. Impeccably cast down to the smallest roles. I don\'t think Mann has surpassed this.
Salmon Fishing in the Yemen (2011): A good cast drowning vertically (as Clive James would say) while Hallstrom, the cinematographer and the composer man the syrup–spigot. No truth, intelligence or drama and not much comedy. \'Drivel, Actually\'.
McKenzie Break, The (Escape) (1970): Detailed, authentic. Wonderful \'you are there\' cinematography. Good performances, and the characters aren\'t the usual cliches. It peters out a bit in the second half, but a superior example of this kind of thing. Well worth a look.
Eulogy (2004): This is pretty funny and has a charming, capable cast (there are some nice scenes of ensemble stonedness), but the script is a bit woolly – some character arcs defy belief, some go nowhere. Worth seeing just for Azaria – always comedy gold.
Killing, The - Series 2 (TV Series) (Forbrydelsen) (2009): Briefer, tighter, better than series 1. Very talky and pretty conventional, but addictive. The cadaverous Suurballe deserves his own show, and Grabol looks sensational in helmet and flak vest...; DVD $39.95
Semi-Tough (1977): Ritchie satirises the institutions but is characteristically gentle and generous towards the people involved. Great cast, with Reynolds underplaying nicely and Clayburgh just being wonderful.
Splice (2009): Natali\'s great, IMHO, but this is fairly weak. It needed more science (or more madness), some Cronenberg–level creepiness and the script could have been much tighter. Oh well, we\'ll just have to be happy with \'Cube\' and \'Cypher\' then.; DVD ~~$19.95~~ $14.95
Volver (2006): I\'ve never been an Almodovar fan, but I enjoyed this. There were sequences when I was drumming my fingers, but overall – great. Excellent performances, and the tricksiness – camera angles etc. – for once seems at the service of the story.
Rum Diary, The (2011): Lavishly mounted, but a bland Depp and too many scenes that don\'t have quite the requisite impact mean the full 470 proof isn\'t distilled from the promising ingredients. Rispoli\'s great, though.
Barney's Version (2010): After days of humdrum viewing this refreshingly grownup entertainment came as a real tonic. Understated yet evocative design and photography and a superlative cast (especially Hoffman and the incandescent Pike).
Runaways, The (2010): Dispiritingly safe trawl through Rawk cliches that needed someone like Larry Clark to bring it to life. Great design, and the cast do their best, but the evidence suggests Sigismondi couldn\'t write a shopping list or direct traffic.
Love and Other Drugs (2010): Mind–boggling conflation of \'Up in the Air\' and \'Sweet November\'. Nothing to do but ogle the pretty leads while contemplating what must surely be the most bizarre product placement in the history of cinema.
Dante's Peak (1997): Impressive effects, but not enough in the way of dumb fun, offbeat sidekicks or snappy one–liners to distract me from wondering how it is that unattached heroes frequently end up with instant families at the end of action movies.
How To Lose Friends And Alienate People (2008): I always enjoy this, despite the fact that the satire gets completely sideswiped by romcom conventions. Pegg and Dunst are pretty appealing, and you\'re rooting for them from the get–go. Isn\'t that what romcoms are all about?
Cliffhanger (1993): The most fun I\'ve had watching Sly. Juicy cast (Rooker, Lithgow, Goodall), great stunts and scenery. \"You want to kill me, don\'t you Walker? – well, take a number and get in line\". I\'ve seen this too many times...
Super 8 (2011): Beautiful photography and a great cast, but just never seems to build up a head of steam despite all the flying objects. Good fun, though, and another nice turn from Elle Fanning, who mercifully lacks her sister\'s steely calculation...
Cowboys and Aliens (2011): OK, but the concrete spreads outward from your bone marrow and by the end of the film it\'s set...entertaining in places, but everybody\'s floundering and Craig looks like a frog with that hat on.
Gainsbourg (2010): At first: damn, another biopic. Then: pretty cool. Then: damn, another biopic. Fairly unenlightening, really. Just listen to \'Melody Nelson\' and make the rest up yourself...
Five Easy Pieces (1970): Nicholson\'s already slipping into mannerism at this early stage, but this is a great, bleak and often extremely funny film. Excellent cast, with memorable turns from Black and Susan Anspach (whatever happened to her?).
Stay Hungry (1976): Scion of once–great southern family slums it with charming oddballs and gets his values recalibrated. Great performances all round. Maybe not totally coherent, but very enjoyable and well worth watching. And, damn, that Sally Field...
Dodsworth (1936): Pretty studio–bound, but highly enjoyable nonetheless. Huston (a mammoth star at the time) is appealing in a Will Rogers way, and the rest of the cast are great – especially Mary Astor as the woman we all realise is the right one for him...
Stardust Memories (1980): His public are feebs and freaks, beautiful women are endlessly available, and his existential musings are the stuff of Philosophy 101. Beautiful photography (Gordon Willis again) but, sheesh, enough already!
Umbrellas of Cherbourg, The (1964): Once acclimatised to dialogue sung as recitative I loved it – the bright, pop surface with the sadness underneath. And the scene in the gas station at the end...
Rabbit Fall (TV Series) (2007): OK, but marred by weak writing and direction and a general woolly–headedness. For a half–hour drama the creators need to make every minute count, and they don\'t. However, it improves in season 2, and I do want to find out what happens next...
Breaking Bad - Season 1 (TV Series) (2008): Completely addictive (sorry!) with an excellent cast, pitch–black humour and an unpredictable rhythm. A standout among the premium cable shows.
Game of Thrones - Season 1 (TV Series) (2011): Gripping and visually breathtaking, but a lot of standing around in mud or castle corridors delivering reams of exposition does slow the pace...still, classy entertainment with maybe (I can\'t believe I\'m saying this) too much gratuitous sex.
Sherlock - Series 2 (TV Series) (2012): While I enjoy the \'Jazzing the Classics\' approach, I do object to the inability to respect the spirit of the stories (especially re:Holmes vs. Adler) or trust the audience (the reveal at the end of \'Reichenbach\').
Sucker Punch (2011): Movie–length pop video. I'm afraid I couldn't watch it all. However, on the positive side, if you've ever lusted after your daughter's school friends, then this is the film for you.
I Love You Phillip Morris (2009): Difficult to portray passion without becoming tedious or ludicrous, and this avoids both but the central relationship still didn't hold my attention. A fun and sometimes profound docudramedy, but it evaporates quickly.
Eat Pray Love (2010): Narcissistic cultural–imperialist wish–fulfillment doesn't come sliced any thicker than this tripe, and it doesn't even work as a movie. Nice performance from Jenkins, but this is one picturesque third–world bridge too far.
True Blood - Season 1 (TV Series) (2008): I didn\'t expect much but was slowly drawn in. Wesley, Ellis and Ryan Kwanten in particular give good value. Has a nice \'blue collar\' feel not so evident in the later seasons. Well made, full of dark humour.; DVD ~~$20~~ $15
Twelve O'Clock High (1949): Sober, solid, well made and impressively performed war drama focussing on the psychological effects of ‘maximum effort’. Set–bound, but not so’s you’d notice. Exciting climactic bombing run. Nice understated performance from Jagger.; DVD ~~$15~~ $11.25
True Blood - Season 2 (TV Series) (2009): The best season, IMHO. Has a crazed momentum which I loved. Great performances, especially Forbes – much underrated.; DVD ~~$25~~ $18.75
True Blood - Season 4 (TV Series) (2011): Expertly made popular entertainment of the highest order. Pam\'s episode 12 tirade hilariously gives the negative in the \'Every man living (or undead) desires Sookie\' debate. The second–best season after No. 2, IMHO.
True Blood - Season 3 (TV Series) (2010): The weakest season, IMHO. Too much standing around explaining the plot to each other, not enough action or character development. Still pretty good, though.
Sherlock - Series 1 (TV Series) (2010): Sprightly, stylish and great fun. In my humble opinion Cumberbatch has earned a place beside the other great Holmeses (Jeremy Brett and Basil Rathbone).; DVD $69.95
Social Network, The (2010): For what does it profit a man to gain the whole (virtual) world, and forfeit his soul? Once the buzz dies down this strident, simplistic film will have the shelf life of \'Rogue Trader\'. So by all means see it sooner, rather than later.
Cyrus (2010): Nice to see restraint from actors who usually play quite broadly. Made me realise that the lummox–like Reilly has quite a delicate touch (I hereby approve his casting as me in any future biopics). Well worth seeing.
Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy (2011): Lacks the claustrophobic seediness of other Cold War spy dramas, but absorbing and brilliantly performed nonetheless. Great score, and the production design is a lesson in perfectly evoking an era without falling into cliche.
Crazy Heart (2009): Nice photography & credible singing but flaccid and facile (flaccile?) and Gyllenhaal is excruciating. Bad has the smoothest alcoholic recovery in film history. Made me long for something with guts, like \'Georgia\'.
Killing, The - Series 1 (TV Series) (Forbrydelsen) (2007): The world loves this, so I\'m probably crazy to think that if you strip away the exotic language and locale you have a tedious, cliched crime drama that\'s structured like an Agatha Christie novel. Me, I\'m off to check out \'The Shadow Line\'.; DVD ~~$39.95~~ $29.95
Wire, The - Season 1 (TV Series) (2002): The show moves forward slowly on a broad front but accumulates an overwhelming power. The sheer scope is incredible – so many characters (of such complexity), so many storylines. Worthy of close attention, and second to none.
From Here to Eternity (1953): A bit flat, but the acting\'s the thing: Casting the female leads against type works for Kerr, but I don\'t think Reed\'s anyone\'s idea of a Taxi–dancer; Lancaster\'s wonderfully authoritative; Clift\'s method–stuff is simply mesmerising.; DVD ~~$24.95~~ $18.70
Bunny and the Bull (2009): Feels like a short expanded to feature length and some of the comedic business is a bit flat, but overall this is charming, funny and even quite moving. Awe–inspiring production design on what must surely have been a zero budget.
They Who Dare (1953): Acres of meandering tedium, relieved only by Bogarde nutting off (probably whilst thinking of tearing his agent a new one). However, the brave commandos do succeed in bravely blowing up some model aeroplanes...unspeakable tosh.
Net, The (1995): Most enjoyable in the first half, it then descends into sub–Hitchcock (actually sub–sub–Hitchcock: sub–De Palma!) territory with extra layers of credulity–straining internet gubbins. Dennis Miller\'s a hoot, though.
While You Were Sleeping (1995): It\'s very saccharine, but the old–hand supporting players are fun to watch and you can see why Bullock ruled the screen as queen of this sort of thing – she\'s completely endearing.
Sapphire and Steel (TV Series) (1979- 1982): Pretty silly, tons of exposition, totally cardboard sets and McCallum has a poker up his...but its real strength is the way it engages your imagination as an active participant. Just something you don\'t often get on TV nowadays...; DVD ~~$40~~ $30
Harsh Realm (TV Series) (1999-2000): Nicely made, but ignores intriguing premise\'s potential, rapidly becoming a \'this week our heroes...\' show. Perks up when O\'Quinn or Hayward appear, but it needed Joss Whedon\'s flair to get the best out of it, and Carter\'s not that guy.
Drive (2011): Grips immediately, beautiful–looking, idiosyncratic use of music. However, the characters are all ciphers and the lone, laconic Samurai thing\'s been done to death, no? Kind of cinematic Nouvelle Cuisine.; DVD ~~$19.95~~ $14.95
Red Dragon (2002): No, sorry, despite having the same writer this doesn\'t hold its own against \'Silence of the Lambs\' – it\'s a hollow, ham–fisted embarrassment. Avoid this, read the book.
Danger Diabolik (1968): Stylish, exaggerated, with a wonderful score and some great matte–painting and back–projection. Very flat and uninvolving in places, but overall it\'s great fun and Diabolik & Eva\'s \'contra mundum\' romance is pretty endearing.; Blu-Ray $24.95
Score (1973): Kind of a tongue–in–cheek (!) \'Dangerous Liaisons\'. Probably Metzger\'s best, and a personal favourite. One of the film\'s strengths is that the fun on display isn\'t exclusively hetero. Thoroughly enjoyable, one of a kind.
Paperhouse (1988): Aside from the supernatural aspect, a sympathetic exploration of the way children cope with the unpredictability of the adult world. Burke brilliantly portrays a real girl, warts and all. Very well done, genuinely unnerving. Only quibble: overblown score.
Zombieland (2009): After the initial excitement I felt myself turning to concrete – it\'s not very well written or directed. The cast seem to be floundering. Sorry to be a buzzkill. Maybe I need to drink more. Definitely.
Fanboys (2008): When one joke falls flat there\'s another along before you know it...likeable cast including Seth Rogen with abominable teeth...it\'s hard to take against a film with such a lot of good–natured zip.
Greenberg (2010): Cringemaking sex, semi–abusive relationships, unpleasant characters. Greenberg becomes a slightly more engaging jackass at the party, Gerwig seems to have wandered in from a Bujalski film. Well crafted, but to what end?
Wild Palms (TV Series) (1992): Kind of total rubbish, but if you let yourself be whisked along and don\'t mind the almost total incoherence it\'s actually very enjoyable – our slightly more distant past\'s view of our slightly more recent past = Sci Fi!
Take Shelter (2011): Immaculately crafted, but Nichols seems so busy rigorously avoiding any stylistic flourishes, special pleading or filmic cliches that he somehow forgets to establish any persuasive identity for the characters or the film itself.
Rocker, The (2008): A masterclass in the effects of an appealing, comedically deft cast on fairly anodyne material. Wilson is a hugely enjoyable grotesque.
MacGruber (2010): Dire. Avoid. And I\'m not convinced of Kristen Wiig\'s \'comic genius\', either. For some idea of the level this is pitched at, the villain\'s name is \'Cunth\'.
Winter's Bone (2010): Tragic tale of people so poor they can\'t afford personalities. Lawrence\'s uncanny ability to keep a straight face despite severe tickling is well utilised. Well crafted, but uninspired – and uninspiring – storytelling. Oh, and the banjos...
Dirty Harry (1971): Without decoding the politics, this is a stylish procedural that turns into a battle between archetypes. Robinson has a Kabuki–like face and is one of the great lip–actors. Striking visual compositions, judiciously employed score.
Public Enemies (2009): Well, he left the cinematographer, the production designer and the actors to their own devices and had a holiday...hard to believe this is the director of \'Manhunter\' and \'Heat\'. A disappointment.
Guns of Navarone, The (1961): Enjoyable piffle, slightly better than \'Where Eagles Dare\'. Only Quayle and Baker manage to hold on to their dignity. The storm scene illustrates that, in the good old days, even the greatest stars sure worked hard for the money.
Nun's Story, The (1958): Very long, very precise depiction of religious life. Wonderful location shooting. Excellent supporting cast. Fairly understated for Zinneman. Hepburn \'disappears into the role\'.
Star Trek III - The Search for Spock (1984): The interstellar bromance continues. Sort of mac–and–cheese: comforting, familiar, of dubious food value and you feel slightly disgusted at yourself afterwards. But I did watch it all, so go figure. Oh, and Robin Curtis makes a better Saavik than Alley.
Star Trek - The Motion Picture (1979): Yes, the money\'s on screen, and they never let you forget it for a minute (twenty, actually, as they fly around the Enterprise before the plot lumbers into action). OK, but the next couple are better...
Star Trek II - The Wrath of Khan (1982): Yes: Alley, alternately sleepy and grumpy, who really doesn\'t grasp the way Vulcans act. Nice hair, Montalban! Also, nice quote (referencing \'Moby Dick\'). Probably the most consistently enjoyable instalment.
Star Trek IV - The Voyage Home (1986): I know I\'m rating this the same as III but they\'re all of a piece, really. In this one the comedic pluses are outweighed by Shatner\'s heroics (it must be in his contract). Piles on the implausibility at warp–speed.
Man Who Knew Too Much, The (1956): Infinitely superior to the original, IMHO. I love the way the external pressures make the couple more resourceful, but also show up the cracks in their relationship. The fight in the taxidermist's is pure Hitchcock – funny but unsettling. Great cast.
Midnight Run (1988): Wonderful odd–couple chemistry, superlative supporting cast (Farina, Kotto, Pantoliano, Ashton), uncharacteristic Danny Elfman score. Hugely enjoyable, unreservedly recommended.
He's Just Not That Into You (2008): Or doesn't know he is until spunky Goodwin wises him up. What an unappealing bunch – Affleck and Aniston seem the most sympathetic. Connelly's character must grow up to be Tea Leoni's in 'Spanglish'. I wasn't that into it...
Jack and Sarah (1996): Somewhat preposterous, but Grant is always very watchable and Eileen Atkins and Judi Dench have fun nibbling the scenery. Has the \'Four Weddings\' mix of humour and moments of emotional truth that make it, in the end, quite satisfying.
Thing Called Love, The (1993): Fresh, funny and involving with a wonderful young cast. Bullock\'s hilariously charming and Mathis is, as usual, a complete knockout. I don\'t know what Phoenix\'s fatal affliction is supposed to have been – mumbling?; DVD ~~$19.95~~ $14.95
Broken Arrow (1996): I\'ve watched this too many times. Travolta chewing scenery,Gunton oozing malice, Mathis\' spunky heroine, Zimmer\'s sub–Morricone score. Fairly stupid and probably not the best Woo film, but a personal favourite. Ideal popcorn fare, great fun.
2010: The Year We Make Contact (1984): Much better than you\'d expect. Hyams can be a bit of a genre hack but this is a superior effort. Nicely cast, great effects, absorbing, enjoyable.
Mulholland Drive (2001): Everybody I know was trying to decode the plot, but I just loved it – I thought it made perfect sense on an emotional level. Sure, there are some hackneyed Lynchisms, but who else does what he does? Inland Empire, now that\'s another thing entirely...
In Her Shoes (2005): Many pleasures here. It\'s slightly mechanical (more diagram than screenplay) but the acting more than makes up for it. Hard to single out any of the wonderful cast, but it\'s always great to see Norman Lloyd...
Lake Placid (1999): Most of the fun comes from watching the sterling Gleeson, Platt and Betty White steal every scene they\'re in...actor–crocs? Hugely enjoyable.
Negotiator, The (1998): Great fun. Is it my imagination, or is Spacey doing a Gene Hackman impression (\"I\'m very angry with you right now\") in the scene where he\'s trying to negotiate his wife out of the bathroom?
Blood Simple (1984): Possibly the best modern noir. Carter Burwell brilliantly incorporates environmental sounds into the score. If the characters would only stop and discuss things all the unpleasantness could be avoided. But they don\'t...
Shadow of a Doubt (1943): Be careful what you wish for...wonderfully macabre with a host of great performances, beautiful cinematography and Uncle Charlie\'s memorably creepy speech about \"Horrible, faded, fat, greedy women\". One of Hitchcock\'s best.
Pee-Wee's Big Adventure (1985): Fantastic, hilarious, anarchic. This and \'Beetlejuice\' are Burton\'s best, IMHO.
Juno (2007): Made me grind my teeth.
Bourne Identity, The (2002): Slightly ludicrous premise (Swiss bank account? Multiple passports? Gun? What could I possibly be?) but cranks along splendidly, with the wonderfully real Potente supplying a much–needed human dimension.
Pan's Labyrinth (El Laberinto del fauno) (2006): Stunning, heart–wrenching feat of cinema. What I took to be one of the underlying ideas – that the imagination is at best a temporary refuge from evil – is nicely astringent.
Everything You Wanted to Know About Sex (Everything you always wanted to know about sex* *But were afraid to ask) (1972): Some sketches are better than others, but the best are brilliant – Gene Wilder and the sheep, the Antonioni parody (which has to be seen to be believed). Rib–tickling, generous.
Bananas (1971): A scattershot string of gags with another great Hamlisch score. Not as good as \'Take the Money\' but still pretty hilarious. There\'s something endearingly unselfish about these earlier films. A tonic.
Metropolitan (1989): Great gabfest – like a David Mamet or Hal Hartley film in that the artificiality and unnatural rhythm propel you to something satisfying on a deeper level. Brilliantly done by a cast of unknowns, especially the charming Farina.
American Psycho (2000): Seems to be saying that Bateman\'s tragedy is that his transgressions (his only hope of self–definition) count for nothing in the heartless world he inhabits. Excellent, disturbing. \"Now try getting a &#$%! table at Dorsia!\".
Rachel Getting Married (2008): Hathaway\'s great & avoids the Helen Hunts. Real star is Declan Quinn\'s docu–style camera. Unfortunately the faces of the people of colour function only as part of the production design – merely decorative, never allowed to become real characters.
Right Stuff, The (1983): Thrilling, funny, awestruck, ironic. This pretty much captures the tone of Wolfe\'s book. Seamlessly integrates original footage (that's the real Grissom and Shepherd just before Freedom 7's blastoff). Excellent cast. A feast.
Existenz (1998): Subtly effective production design, score and cinematography. Perfect performances. Involving, disturbing and darkly humorous.
Play It Again, Sam (1972): This is the one I keep going back to. For me his most satisfying comedy. Interesting that it was scripted but not directed by him.
Beverly Hills Cop (1984): Wonderful. It\'s simply and effectively put together, the excellent cast are having a ball, the music\'s perfectly integrated, and Eilbacher gets to play a female character who\'s neither feisty cliche nor dolly bird.
Sunset Boulevard (1950): Very modern in its pitch–black humour and cynical view of humanity. The cinematography and design perfectly evoke an atmosphere of decay. Stunningly written and performed, it\'s one of Wilder\'s best and a personal favourite.
Sabrina (1954): \'As close to heaven as you could get on Long Island\'. Wonderful–looking and wickedly droll, with a brilliant cast, but the romantic resolution always leaves me a little cold – isn\'t Bogart a little old? Still, Audrey\'s best, IMHO.
Be Kind Rewind (2008): Wonderful, almost Capra–esque, premise. The movie reshoots are hilariously inventive, but the (seemingly) improvised dialogue can get a little wearying. Heart\'s in the right place, but.
Frost/Nixon (2008): Great stuff. Is Langella\'s Nixon more layered and sympathetic – human – than the man himself? Anyway, it\'s a stunning performance. My only quibble: it\'s a shame the wonderful Rebecca Hall didn\'t get more to do. Riveting indeed.
Green Hornet, The (2011): Gondry swaps lo–fi quirk for hi–tech anonymity. Chou, Diaz–feisty; Waltz–wasted; Rogen\'s shambolic persona and delivery (he co–wrote)–overused. Amusing \'Big Trouble in Little China\' spin on hero/sidekick dynamic, but overall a bit pointless.
Broadway Danny Rose (1984): Warm and very funny. The comics in the diner seem to have wandered in from a Barry Levinson film. Mia\'s wonderfully unrecognisable. I lost it in the Macy\'s storage shootout. Extras cast by Diane Arbus? Stunning cinematography (Gordon Willis).
Husbands and Wives (1992): Caustic, brilliantly done. Superb cast, especially Davis. The scene where Pollack drags his girlfriend from the party is truly disturbing. I can\'t explain why I like this, but I\'m always mesmerised...best mid–late period Allen?
Manhattan (1979): I don\'t get it – is he mocking the characters, or are they mouthpieces for his values, which you\'re meant to accept? Yes, beautiful looking, but (for me) the smugness sours it.
Stage Fright (1950): Wyman\'s great (the scene with the glasses!), all the British character actors are a real treat, Todd\'s terrifying (the bars of light across his face as he reveals his homicidal nature). Probably minor Hitchcock, but well worth seeing.
How to Steal a Million (1966): Contrived codswallop, but still pretty enjoyable. Hepburn\'s too old for this gamine business, but still very watchable. She and O\'Toole have real chemistry (especially in the broomcloset scene) – no wonder Mel Ferrer was jealous.
Autumn in New York (2000): No, don\'t...for pity\'s sake...please, watch anything else...can\'t breathe...hellllllllllllpppppppppppp...
Small Time Crooks (2000): Crikey! 91 minutes you\'ll never get back...see \'Take the Money and Run\' instead, and never know how much you are in my debt...
Take the Money and Run (1969): As above: more a collection of gags than a movie, this is still thoroughly enjoyable and even quite endearing. Droll narration, wonderful cast (the luminous Janet Margolin!) and one of my alltime favourite soundtracks (from Marvin Hamlisch, no less.)
Anatomy of a Murder (1959): A surprisingly modern, completely absorbing and truly subversive view of the law and its practitioners. Beautifully photographed, with a stunning cast (Remick and Gazzara are particularly good). Knocks other courtroom dramas into a cocked hat.
Born Yesterday (1950): Holliday\'s unexpected changes of pitch and intonation bring many a funny line to life. A bit stagey and preachy in places but hugely enjoyable, especially Crawford and Holliday\'s scenes together.
To Catch a Thief (1954): Very slight but visually gorgeous, irreverently funny & laced with Hitch\'s jaundiced view of human nature and relationships. Worth seeing just for Jessie Royce Landis, and (FYI) there are no modern equivalents for Kelly and Grant. George Clooney, ptui!
Insomnia (2002): I think this is my favourite Nolan movie. Leaves the viewer as disoriented and morally adrift as Pacino\'s character. Excellent performances all round. A gripping, challenging piece of work.
Bridges of Madison County (1995): If, like me, you\'d dismissed this before even seeing it, you\'ll be gratified to find that it\'s a resonant and elegantly directed romance from that old master, Eastwood. Excellent performances, great movie.
Best Years of Our Lives, The (1946): Best Picture Oscar? I was expecting something awful...instead: thoroughly engaging for its nearly three hours. Great cast, especially the three leads. Excellent.
In the Line of Fire (1993): Nail–biting suspense, well executed set–pieces, gentle humour (\"I know things about pigeons, Lily\"), fine performances, excellent Morricone score. As Aroview says, expertly done.
Play Misty for Me (1971): Clint\'s directing debut, and apart from the narrative–slowing musical interludes in the middle a taut, economical vintage with top notes of Hitchcock and Siegel. Great stuff.
Living Out Loud (1998): There\'s a quietly subversive vein of female desire running under it all. Sterling cast. Well worth seeing – it does stick in the memory.
Primer (2004): A primer in the principles of great Science Fiction: screw the effects, it\'s all about the ideas. Completely baffling, and excellent.
Spanish Prisoner, The (1998): Intricate, claustrophobic. Very well done on what must have been a fairly small budget. All the performances strike exactly the right notes, especially Scott, Pidgeon and Martin. Just when you think you\'re on solid ground...
Melinda and Melinda (2004): Forget the rest, this is the best of recent Woody. Great cast, especially the virtuoso Sevigny. I thought the blurring of the line between comedy and drama was deliberate...
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...
Erin Brockovich (2000): Perfectly scripted, shot, scored, cast and paced film that shows just how good mainstream cinema for grownups can be.
Jane Austen Book Club, The (2007): Very well put together, with a superlative cast of old hands (Baker, Brenneman, Bello, Smits) and new talents (Blunt\'s nuanced performance is a delight), this is a superior example of chick flickery. Highly enjoyable.
Walking and Talking (1996): Well made and sympathetically played by an impeccable cast, with Keener and Schreiber the standouts. Fairly light, but insightful and funny. A personal favourite.
Beeswax (2009): At first this seems like unusual subject matter for a drama, but it slowly develops its own uniquely hypnotic rhythm. Bujalski works all kinds of small miracles, not least the getting of naturalistic performances from non–actors.
Ghost World (2001): Just great. Buscemi and Birch (whatever happened to her?) excel. The comic book\'s brilliant, too.
Comic Book Villains (2001): Something of a masterclass in the effects of weak direction on a weak script. The cast of indie/frat movie regulars give it their all, but they\'re on a hiding to nothing. Shame, because there\'s a decent little movie lurking in there somewhere...
Funny People (2009): Like \'Knocked Up\', the uncomfortable mix of comedy and drama made me queasy. I did watch it, but I think I prefer the Seinfeld/Larry David \'No Hugging, No Learning\' approach. And it is so very long...
No Way Out (1987): Star–making turn for Costner. Patton (sexually jealous henchman) and Hackman (amoral weasel) have fun chewing the scenery. Plenty of nail–biting suspense. Well–paced, slick and enjoyable.
Long Kiss Goodnight, The (1996): Jackson and Davis are terrific, the Shane Black script is full of gems (Brian Cox\'s tirade about the dog!) and the whole thing hurtles along like a juggernaut. A kinetic, smartass guilty pleasure.
Bitter Moon (1993): Irresistibly perverse and brilliantly sustained, with great work from Coyote. A must–see.
Bridesmaids (2011): The talented cast have comic chops aplenty, there are some scenes of great buddy chemistry between Wiig and Rudolph and a nice romantic–lead turn from O\'Dowd . Somewhat gross and status–anxiety laden but quite satisfying (if a bit too long).
Family Plot (1976): Poor reputation, but completely delightful. A return to the comedy–suspense of \'North By Northwest\' (Both scripted by Ernest Lehman). Wonderful cast, especially Harris and Dern. Great score by (gasp) John Williams.
Young and Innocent (1937): Enjoyably familiar Hitchcock fare. Highlights: the strangely menacing birthday party, the climactic tea dance, and the entrancing Nova Pilbeam.
Dial M for Murder (1954): Not the greatest Hitchcock film, but there are pleasures...Anthony Dawson\'s seedy conman, John Williams\' patented air of distraction. Grace Kelly is more than competent as the endangered wife. Ticks along nicely.
Saboteur (1942): Familiar Hitchcock premise with some wonderful interludes along the way, and some great character turns from Norman Lloyd, Otto Kruger and Alan Baxter. Lloyd\'s reminiscences in the \'making of\' documentary are not to be missed.
Notorious (1946): Lots of cruel sexual manipulation going on here...one of Hitchcock\'s best, with a great cast (including Rains & Calhern), Ted Tetzlaff\'s chiaroscuro cinematography and steadily...building...tension.
Philadelphia Story, The (1940): Peerless, perfectly cast and performed. They really don\'t make them like this any more...
Mighty Boosh, The (TV Series) (2004): All great comedy has an element of terror. As surreal as the Goons, as woolly and slapdash as the Goodies, this centers around a wonderfully chalk–and–cheese duo. Sometimes it even manages to be strangely beautiful. Series 2 is the best, IMHO.
IT Crowd, The (TV Series) (2006): Tacky, cheap–looking, set–bound, this almost seems like a relative of \'When the Whistle Blows\'. For all that, it\'s screamingly funny and the cast are brilliant. Well worth a look.
One, Two, Three (1961): Relentless cold–war satire. Cagney barks his lines with lunatic glee. Frenetic, but fun.
Forgetting Sarah Marshall (2008): Charming, hilarious. The best of the Apatow bunch. Great cast with Segel and Mila Kunis the standouts. And there\'s a vampire puppet musical...what are you waiting for?
Damages (TV Series) (2007): Builds tension by skilfully cutting backwards and forwards in time. Compelling and addictive with great performances, especially Danson who\'s brilliant as a narcissistic, amoral scumbag.
Out of Sight (1998): Hugely entertaining. Next to \'Jackie Brown\' the most succesful Leonard adaptation. A brilliant cast, it looks great and the soundtrack is perfect. Lopez has never been better: \"You wanted to tussle, we tussled\".
Detour (1945): Fatalistic, claustrophobic, every turn in the downward spiral registering on Tom Neal\'s tormented matinee–idol features. Wonderfully oppressive.
Scott Pilgrim Vs The World (2010): Great fun, but I thought it too episodic and repetitive to be fully satisfying. And for a Michael Cera film, god help me, I preferred \'Nick & Nora\'s Infinite Playlist\'. Winstead isn\'t really a match for Kat Dennings in the indie–chick stakes.
Lady from Shanghai (1948): Very slight subject matter in the hands of a genius, like Paderewski playing \'Chopsticks\'. Truly demented, wonderful–looking and with one of the great, great character turns from Glenn Anders as Grisby. Unforgettable.
Notting Hill (1999): I\'m not sure how good this is but I keep coming back to it. It\'s perfect for what it is, a kind of brilliantly executed cinematic comfort–food. Great supporting cast.
Unforgiven, The (1960): A very odd part for Hepburn (but she handles it well), and a bit of a dog\'s breakfast of a film, but strangely compelling and memorable. Lancaster is very vivid, and the undertone of thwarted passion brings the film to life.
Breakfast at Tiffany's (1961): As much as I love Audrey, I think she's miscast and the film is pretty empty. I still cry at the end, but it's while I'm thinking her best film is 'Sabrina'.
Last Seduction, The (1993): Wonderfully perverse Swiss watch of a film, with Fiorentino (and John Dahl) in never–better form. Everything cranks along splendidly, especially Joseph Vitarelli\'s music.
Avanti (1972): Unlikely candidates for romance find each other. Really very good and definitely worth seeing. Charming, deftly handled and sweet (but not cloying). I can\'t think of a modern equivalent.
Some Like It Hot (1959): One of the great comedies, amen.
Housekeeper, The (Une Femme de Menage) (2002): Brilliantly says \"Ha, told you so!\" to middle–aged male desire. Watch it and shake your head in rueful recognition. Has Berri done anything this good in ages?
Bucket of Blood, A (1959): Briskly executed, very funny. Shows what can be done with little money and not a little imagination...see it and become a low–budget filmmaker, like legions before you...great music from Fred Katz.
Sweet Smell of Success (1957): Ealing director MacKendrick went to the US and turned out this flinty, relentless masterpiece. One of the great films of this or any era. You simply must see it.
A-Team, The (2010): Appealing, proficient and funny cast (except Bradley Cooper, who is a fleshmuppet) bobbing around in a stew of action–movie gristle and stodge. Almost unwatchable.
Black Narcissus (1946): Beautifully photographed – at Pinewood studios! – full of repressed, simmering sexuality (David Farrar\'s shorts!) it shows how expressionistic and emotional Powell and Pressburger\'s films can be...watch in awe.
Canterbury Tale, A (1944): Wonderfully bizarre – seems to change genre from scene to scene. Definitely worth watching, it will radically expand your conception of \'wartime British cinema\'.
Firefly (TV Series) (2002): What Tom H and Boha said, but I\'ll give it one more star...a great world to live in for its 14 episodes. The last one, \'Objects in Space\', is some kind of small masterpiece. A show that you\'d be crazy to miss. Whedon\'s best, IMHO.
Strange Love of Martha Ivers (1946): Tense, doom–laden atmosphere. Great cinematography. Wonderful cast, especially Lizabeth Scott – \'The Queen of Film Noir\'.
Funny Face (1956): Highlights: Astaire dancing with his umbrella in the courtyard; Hepburn singing \'How Long Has This Been Going On?\'. Thoroughly entertaining.
Paris When it Sizzles (1964): Surprisingly enjoyable despite its awful reputation. Everyone plays it to the hilt with Curtis funniest as a self–absorbed Method thesp.
Clear and Present Danger (1994): Gripping, well constructed and sustained. Great action sequences. Perfectly cast down to the smallest roles – especially the villains.
Pajama Game, The (1957): Fantastic, unmissable. A non–pharmaceutical treatment for depression. I recommended it to a friend who doesn\'t like musicals and they loved it.
Paul (2011): A bit lazy. The script soon runs out of idea and then...there\'s a car chase. A Randy Quaid cameo might have improved it. For a truly funny sci–fi comedy, rent \'Galaxy Quest\'. Pegg and Frost, see me after class.
Now, Voyager (1942): Compelling is the word – I was glued to the screen. Davis was never more appealing, in my opinion. Great cast, music, cinematography. And for a \'tearjerker\' it fairly rips along.
Way Ahead, The (1944): Stirring stuff, completely beguiling. It must have been just the ticket in 1944. The depiction of basic training is surprisingly kinetic, and the sinking troopship sequence had me on the edge of my seat. Wonderful cast.
Point Break (1991): "Cliffs on both sides, I'm not gonna paddle to New Zealand!" Breathless action, archetypal conflict, the most quotable film, ever! This just never stops being fun. Whatever happened to Lori Petty?; DVD ~~$19.95~~ $14.95
Hurt Locker, The (2008): A deeply conventional film, within coo–ee of being a Tom Cruise vehicle. A couple of scenes feel like they may be based on experience, the rest is a BIG STATEMENT from a director who can neither abandon nor reinvent war–movie tropes to any worthwhile end
Treme - Season 1 (TV Series) (2010): Great atmosphere, music, ensemble cast – but lacking the strong narrative engine of 'The Wire'.
Boat That Rocked, The (Pirate Radio) (2009): Written and directed by someone who has never seen a film. Lots of talented actors, including Ralph Brown, swanning around in sixties gear in search of something to do – which reminds me: rent Withnail and I.
That 70s Show (TV Series) (1998-2005): Just watched the first season – funny, charming, great cast. A tonic.
Generation Kill (TV Mini-series) (2008): Lucid, complex, disturbing, with no easy answers or glib morals. Now, if all TV was this good...

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HiFi’s Film Reviews