MOVIE REVIEW
Centurion (2010)
Gaia Elkington/Pathe Films
Several centuries after they did their thing, the Ninth Legion of Rome are back in business. Kevin Macdonald's film version of "The Eagle of the Ninth" will be along later, bringing with it Channing Tatum as a Roman centurion. But first, here's Michael Fassbender and a handful of British notables being hacked into small cubes by pissed-off Picts in "Centurion."
The best thing about "Centurion" is that it does not shoot for the moon, happy to be a low-ball gore fest of hacking, and slashing, and guts by the gallon, the kind of film where if someone's helmet comes off, it invariably still has his head inside.
Continue reading “These Romans Are Crazy” »
MOVIE REVIEW
Nowhere Boy (2009)
Icon Film Distribution
Biopics of musical figures are becoming commonplace. What was fresh with "Ray" and "Walk the Line" is now not so much. And when the subject of your film is famously bigger than Jesus, it’s difficult to bring a unique selling point to your movie. John Lennon inspires deathless admiration for his music, his sardonic wit and his guitar playing. But this movie is not really about him. It’s about the women who brought him up.
Continue reading “Just Like Starting Over” »
MOVIE REVIEW
Don’t Worry About Me (2009)
The Times BFI 53rd London Film Festival
David Morrissey makes his directorial debut with an adaptation of stage play “The Pool,” effectively a double-hander exploring a developing relationship between Londoner David (James Brough) and Liverpudlian lass Tina (Helen Elizabeth) over the course of a single day in the city.
Venturing north to Liverpool on the pretext of returning a misplaced presentation to his one-night stand, David gets short shrift from his conquest’s boyfriend and ventures off into the night to drown his sorrows. Waking up in the street sans wallet, David attempts to win his fare home at the bookies but instead catches the eye of pretty assistant Tina who gives him a tip on the dogs. Buoyed by his good fortune, they go for coffee, and on a whim David persuades Tina to throw a sickie so they can spend the day together. As Tina gives David a guided tour of her hometown, they tentatively get to know each other, sharing a moment in time away from their real lives.
Continue reading “There Beneath the Blue Suburban Skies” »
MOVIE REVIEW
Is Anybody There? (2009)
Nick Wall/Big Beach Films
“Is Anybody There?,” the latest in a long line of painstakingly sweet British coming-of-age stories, features the requisite elements of such a cinematic production. Peter Harness’s screenplay showcases distant parents, a wide-eyed, curious adolescent, an oddball setting and a surly older father figure. Director John Crowley gives the material a tone that oscillates between humor and sadness, and the heavenly clouds that gather over the seaside setting ideally suit the narrative’s evocation of the major stages in the circle of life.
Continue reading “Curious Case of Friendship that Transcends Age” »