Lars and the Real Girl

// May 9th, 2008 // No Comments » // Film Reviews

A lonely, pathologically shy and socially paralysed 27 year old man orders a life-sized, anatomically correct sex doll from the internet and forms a relationship with her. Does that sound like a story you’d like to spend an evening exploring? If not, you may find that your initial scepticism fades as this well crafted and intelligent film progresses.

Written by regular Six Feet Under contributor Nancy Oliver and directed by Craig Gillespie (Mr. Woodcock), Lars and the Real Girl never veers into the vulgarity or lewdness that such a storyline might lead toward and turns out to be really quite warm-hearted and touching. (more…)

The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford

// April 25th, 2008 // No Comments » // Film Reviews

I have a soft spot for slow moving, lengthy, operatic films and this one was right up my street. Weighing in at 160 minutes you had better make sure you are sitting comfortably beforehand. From the very beginning you are taken in by the beautiful cinematography and the haunting soundtrack. Roger Deakins is the man getting the credit for the overall look of the film. The englishman is best known for his sterling work with the Coen brothers in films such as Fargo, The Man Who Wasn’t There, O Brother Where Art Thou? and No Country For Old Men and also on Martin Scorsese’s Kundun. This film has a sepia tonality which evokes picture postcards of the “old West”, an occasional blurring of the edges giving a dreamlike quality and makes fabulous use of the open spaces and cloudscapes of Canada (standing in for Missouri).
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88 Minutes

// April 11th, 2008 // No Comments » // Film Reviews

Do you love the TV series 24? Would you like to see a film by the same director, using the same “real-time” crime thriller concept and starring academy award winning actor Al Pacino? If the answers to those questions is a resounding YES then you’d be forgiven for having high expectations for a viewing of 88 Minutes by Jon Avnet. Trouble is, you’d be bitterly disappointed.
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