Festen....

or "Celebration"; it's translated title, is a dogme 95 film made in Denmark in 1998 by Thomas Vinterberg. Put quite simply this is a stunning film, it is to happy families what Guantanamo Bay is to human rights.
Its everything that European Art-house film making should be- daring, fresh, innovative, and definitely not mainstream.
Think you've got a disfunctional family?- then try this one for size (it might actually make you feel better!). It will stun you, make you laugh, and cringe in similar amounts. Amazing performances shine in this hand-held, naturally lit and sound-recorded masterpiece. I haven't seen it since the first time years ago on TV- it didn't disappoint, in fact, it's hard not to be affected in some way by this movie.

(To enjoy the full impact of this film, I suggest avoiding all reviews- as they almost alway contain major spoilers.)

Ong-Bak

Ong-Bak is a no-nonsense, old-school martial-arts experience. Plot is thin, acting usually on the melodramatic side, with everything geared around action sequences. And what action sequences they are- amazing chase through the streets of Bangkok, and wire-free fighting that'll make your hair stand on end. I want to see more of this stuff- Tony Jaa is remarkable. There is a hint of Thai about this film- with religion and spiritualism more prominent than you'd find in a Hollywood flick of the same genre. Great fun- recommended.

Apocalypto

"Another chase scene through the jungle?" must have been muttered by the cast of this film a few times. So here's the positive: loads of action throughout. Unfortunately there are more than a few down sides: pretty grim sadistic violence (made me wince a few times- decapitations, disemboweling etc), rather repetitive (jungle chases), just a little unbelievable. All in all, I really wouldn't recommend this one, though it isn't the worst movie I've seen.

Casino Royale

James Bond: Vodka-martini.
Bartender: Shaken or stirred?
James Bond: Do I look like I give a damn?



This sums up the refreshing new look at Bond found in Casino Royale. Most of the old cliches are gone, the Bond girl is intelligent and plays a significant role through the whole movie. If you enjoyed The Bourne Identity/Supremacy then this is for you. I would go as far as to say that this film is such a departure from the Bond model that if you see it, you shouldn't think of it as a Bond movie- just a damn good action thriller.

Pan's Labyrinth...

Is a Spanish film by Guillermo Del Toro. I knew it was fairytale like, but I hadn't realised just how grown up this one was going to be: not one for the kids....
Very dark, gritty, gothic tale with very adult themes and quite graphic violence- beautifully filmed- quite powerful.

The Departed:

believe the hype.
Twists and turns, great performances and flawless direction. Not a nice film, but it's a gangster movie- what do you expect?

Books n Movies

Book I'm reading at the moment: The Revenge of Gaia, James Lovelock, very good so far, but rather frightening (exactly the intended reaction I think).

Update on Gaia: Put simply, one of the most significant books I've ever read. Everyone should read this- you may not agree with everything Lovelock says, but I guarantee you'll see enough strong evidence for dramatic global heating to start you thinking- and maybe make you realise it's not someone elses problem. Lovelock isn't just scare-mongering- but is also offering some ideas for us to survive.





Films I've seen recently:


A Scanner Darkly - surreal drug induced science fiction- superb. One of my favourite directors.





Volver - another surreal treat- entirely warm and human- Spanish director Almodovar on top form.





The Black Dahlia - Please don't waste your money, get LA Confidential on DVD instead.