David Cronenberg poses some interesting questions on the nature of evil in his latest thriller. Eastern Promises is a brooding, atmospheric snapshot of a murky London underworld. Apart from focusing on a crime subculture hitherto untreated by films, it presents a mesmerising study of what happens when the world we know brushes up against what lies beneath. Read the rest of this entry »

A beautifully shot film in a gorgeous location, this could have been a really great film but for a bit of a sloppy plot and a pretty sub-standard supporting cast. Nolte is very good as the rough-diamond heroin-junkie ex(?)-thief, and his character is nicely developed, but the heist plot is rather unconvincing.

The period around the late 60’s and early 70’s was something of a golden age for crime films. There was something about the sterile light and the grainy film largely in use, along with a prevailing tendency to present stark stories with hard-edged anti-heroes - even the Westerns of the period adopted the flavour. And among crime films of the period, none stands out more than John Boorman’s seminal masterpiece, Point Blank. Read the rest of this entry »

The latest film from Quentin Tarantino is a clear case of style over substance. But it struck me as I was watching: I don’t think he needs any substance. His style packs such a punch that even a piece of self-indulgence like Death Proof manages to provide a pretty satisfactory couple of hours of entertainment. Read the rest of this entry »

James Cagney and Humphrey Bogart together on the silver screen? How can you lose? Read the rest of this entry »

Tough action film from Sam Peckinpah. It doesn’t pull any punches and, like many Peckinpah movies, it portrays women in a pretty weird way. But it’s very exciting and I like how it avoids moralising about the characters - it’s just a dog eat dog world, and the only reason you root for the main characters is because they’re less despicable than everyone else!

Pure class! Don’t expect another Se7en, this is a completely different beast - in a way, a far more mature film - less shocking (although it will shock in parts) and more emotionally involving. Read the rest of this entry »