An Education Review: A Lesson In Acting
October 29, 2009 by Jez Sands
Filed under - Home, Film Reviews
AN EDUCATION: On General Release Across the UK from Friday 30th October 2009
An Education is a witty and snappily paced drama based on journalist Lynn Barber’s memoir which features excellent performances from its cast, notably so from Carey Mulligan, whose performance will almost certainly net her an Oscar.
Set in 1961, before Beatlemania and the swinging 60s changed society forever, Jenny (Carey Mulligan), a 16 year old schoolgirl, is studying hard in a bid to get into Oxford, a place which her controlling father (Alfred Molina) is convinced she should go to.
She yearns to escape her dull lower-middle class suburban life and dreams of culture, art and Parisian joie de vivre. Read More…
Dead Man Running Review: A Load Of Cockney
October 28, 2009 by Emily Moulder
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DEAD MAN RUNNING: On General Release 30th October 2009
When we heard that 50 ‘Fiddy’ Cent was going to be in a new British gangster movie we were all atwitter.
When we heard Danny Dyer was going to be playing the same character he always does in a new British gangster movie, we just sighed.
Though Dyer doesn’t break knew ground in Alex De Rakoff’s Dead Man Running, he does play second fiddle this time around to Tamer Hassan. Read More…
All Tomorrow’s Parties Review: The Best Weekend You Never Had
October 23, 2009 by Emily Moulder
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ALL TOMORROW’S PARTIES: On General DVD release from Friday 2nd November 2009
If you like partying all weekend, getting off your face on…. fizzy drinks, and listening to some of the coolest indie bands around then chances are this movie was made for you.
All Tomorrow’s Parties is a collection of fan filmed footage from the festival of the same name, which takes place in East Sussex and Somerset at out of season holiday camps each year.
If you don’t dig festivals or live music then you could be wasting your time on this but whether you love them or loathe them this is more of an experience than a film. It’s loud, sweaty, sexy and enthralling.
There’s no plot, no characters (unless you count the musicians) and there’s no point. It’s mostly a matter of sitting back and being sucked into the festival. Read More…
The Goods – Live Hard, Sell Hard Review: Good Enough
October 21, 2009 by Emily Moulder
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THE GOODS: LIVE HARD, SELL HARD: On General Release From Friday 23rd October 2009
If you’re a fan of Entourage then you probably know how persuasive Jeremy Piven can be as the workaholic agent, Ari Gold.
So I can’t say I was surprised to see him play the ultimate salesman, the man who could sell snow to an Eskimo, Don Ready in The Goods.
A desperate car dealer who’s about to lose his dealership hires Don Ready and his team of hard hitting salespeople to help him survive a Fourth of July sale weekend. But Don is still struggling with a mysterious incident from his past whilst falling for the car dealer’s daughter, Ivy. Read More…
Cirque Du Freak – The Vampire’s Assistant Review: Lacking Bite
October 21, 2009 by Danielle Jacoby
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CIRQUE DU FREAK – THE VAMPIRE’S ASSISTANT: On General Release across the UK from Friday 23rd October 2009
Vampires are totally in right now, hence the wave of horror mollifying tween-targeted blockbusters.
The latest being Cirque du Freak, Paul Weitz’s adaptation of the popular Brit neck-biter series by Darren Shan. All of the vamp-pop elements are there: pre-pubescent half-vamps and ethical struggles.
But despite the aid of Oscar-nominated actors John C. Reilly and Salma Hayek, and a dazzling fantasy world thanks to big-budget special effects, Cirque du Freak plays it safe with sheer sappiness and a “Be who you are” motto. And there were such high hopes for this one. Read More…
9 Review: Armageddoll
October 19, 2009 by Chris Harding
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9: On General Release across the UK from Wednesday 28th October 2009
Oddly, both of the last two films that our lovely editor here at OTB asked me to review I approached with a sense of dread.
So when his e-mail dropped into my inbox with an offer to see 9 I was delighted to be given something I was looking forward to.
Ever since I’d seen the 11 minute Oscar-nominated short of the same name, I’ve been excited about the beautiful steampunk aesthetic and the complex fantasy world we’d been given a brief glimpse of. Read More…
Colin Review: Dead On Its Feet
October 17, 2009 by Leonie Mercedes
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COLIN: In selected cinemas from Friday 23rd October 2009
A film made for £45?
For that measly sum you couldn’t even buy a Friends DVD boxset but plucky director Marc Price claims he’s pulled off shooting an entire movie, bringing us Colin.
Colin documents the first days of a man’s transition into zombiedom after being bitten. We follow him shuffling around a cadaverous, post-apocalyptic London as he searches for victims to chow down on and dodges the living’s attempts to finish him off. Read More…
Fantastic Mr Fox Review: We Can Dig This
October 15, 2009 by Sean Marland
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FANTASTIC MR FOX: On General Release Friday 23rd October 2009
While Mr Fox falls just short of being truly fantastic, he certainly is very good.
A star-spangled cast has more than done justice to a well-loved tale and created an inventively hilarious film which is as charming as it is original – Roald Dahl would have been pleased.
As most of us know, Fantastic Mr Fox follows the story of a fantastic woodland animal with a sense of ambition to match, as he struggles against farm owners, Boggis, Bunce and Bean (who – as the rhyme informs us – are all equally mean).
But director Wes Anderson has added extra zing to the already immensely popular fable Read More…
Ong Bak 2 – The Beginning Review: Kung Poo
October 14, 2009 by Jez Sands
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ONG BAK 2 – THE BEGINNING: On General Release across the UK from Friday 16th October 2009
Tony Jaa made a big impact with his first film Ong Bak in 2003.
It featured Muay Thai kickboxing on a level never before seen on the big screen, bringing it to a mainstream Western audience for the first time. In addition to this Tony Jaa did all of his own stunts and used no wires or supports in his performances. The result was a blisteringly fast, brutal and exciting martial arts romp which revitalised a rather flagging genre.
Ong Bak: The Beginning tries to go even further by incorporating other martial arts into the mix. Read More…
The Imaginarium Of Dr Parnassus Review: Tripping The Light Eclectic
October 12, 2009 by Matt Risley
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THE IMAGINARIUM OF DR PARNASSUS: On General Release across the UK from Friday 16th October 2009
You can’t help but picture Terry Gilliam’s directorial career as a long lost Python sketch.
A calamity-fallen expressionist playwright who’s only left more and more exasperated by the ludicrous, surreal and often pointless machinations of an ever escalating series of interfering busy bodies.
Initially it was interpersonal quarrels, then the interruptions of snooty finger-wagging studio producers, until finally the highest power going (yes, there’s something more autonomous and terrifying than corporate bigwigs) stuck his deistical oar in to nab the life of his lead star.
You can already see the giant comedy foot come crashing down onto the finished film reel the day he finally completes a hassle-free production. Read More…
