Sunday 19 January 2014

January 2014

'Jack Reacher' (2012)
dir: Christopher McQuarrie
DP: Caleb Deschanel


Sophomore effort by McQuarrie after his debut as director of 'Way Of The Gun' over a decade ago. Better known as a writer of muscular pics with a brain-'The Usual Suspects', 'Valkyrie'.  Stages the dynamic action scenes with clarity and gets a lot from an eclectic cast inc. Werner Herzog as the villain and a cameo from Robert Duvall.

Stylishly photographed by veteran DP Deschanel.  The picture was shot at unusual and interesting locations around Pennsylvania.
A follow up film mining the source novels by Lee Child would not be unwelcome. It's easy to see why Cruise has tapped McQuarrie for a fifth Mission:Impossible film.

'Jeune er Jolie' (2013)
Dir: Francois Ozon

'Cutie and the Boxer'  (2013)
dir: Zachary Heinzerling
Touching documentary on husband and wife creative force Ushio and Noriko Shinohara. Twenty years younger than her husband Noriko has struggled to find her own identity as an artist since meeting him in the 60s.

'1: Life on theEdge' (2013)
dir: Paul Crowder
Thrilling history of Formula 1 racing and the efforts to improve the safety record of the sport. Every surviving Grand Prix winner from the past 40 years appear on camera making the absence of those killed on the race circuit felt that much more.

'The Great Beauty' (2013)
dir: Paolo Sorrentino

'Urbanized' (2011)
dir: Gary Hustwit

Urban planning in the 21st century

'The Hunt' (2013)
dir: Thomas Vintergerg

'Hansel & Gretel: Witch hunters'  (2013)
Dir: Tommy Wirkola
Evil Dead for kids!

'Lovelace' (2013)
dir: Rob Epstein Jeffrey Friedman
Exploitation in every sense.  'Boogie Nights' lite

'American Hustle' (2013)
dir: David O. Russell

With countless swooping camera moves Russell is aiming for 'Goodfellas' or 'Boogie Nights' but coming off shallow.  A handsome and very game cast dress up in silly 70s wigs and give it all they've got.

'Inside Llewyn Davis' (2013)
dir: Joel & Ethan Coen

'Blue Is the Warmest Colour' (2013)

'August Osage County' (2013)

'Le Week-end' (2013)
dir: Roger Michell

'Dom Hemingway' (2013)

'Filth' (2013)
dir: Jon S. Baird

'Dom Hemingway' (2013)
dir: Richard Shepherd

'Kevorkian'  (2010)
dir: Matthew Galkin

'A Hijacking' (2012)
dir: Tobias Lindholm

'The Act of Killing' (2012)
dir: Joshua Oppenheimer

'Seven Psychopaths' (2012)
dir: Martin McDonagh

'Human Nature' (2001)
dir: Michel Gondry

'Detachment' (2011)
dir: Tony Kaye

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