01 May 2009

Anything For Her - released 5 June


A superlative French thriller that draws favourable comparison to Guilliaume Canet’s 2007 crossover success Tell No One, in Anything for Her (Pour Elle) Fred Cavaye explores similar themes of obsession and love while progressing with a tightly scripted plot at breakneck speed.

Lisa (Diane Kruger) and Julien (Vincent Lindon) lead a happily married life with their young son. This state of bliss is turned upside down when armed cops knock down their door and arrest Lisa for murder. Julien cannot bear to be without her and sets out to break her free - even if it means that he has to kill in order to do it.

The film’s strength largely lies in Lindon’s performance. He is solid, charismatic and believable as the average Joe schoolteacher pushed to his extremes by love and the possibility of that love being lost.  There is never the sense that events are implausible; out of control and mad, yes,  but always believable. The film constantly asks: what would you do in the same position?

 

Tormented. out May 22. take it away. please ! please!


Oh dear. Essentially Hollyoaks with blood or an episode of Skins meets Scream, Brit- high school horror Tormented has its target audience firmly in view. Sadly this does not seem to include anyone a; over the age of 15 or b; seen more than a handful of decent movies (horror or otherwise). Even the basest teen soap has more wit and vigour than this frankly embarrassing offering.

The plot, such as it is, concerns the suicide of bullied teen Darren Mullet and his apparent re-appearance as a vengeful zombie ghost thing eager to get back at the cast of gormless, braying good looking bastards who did for him in the first place.

Displaying varying degrees of idiocy, the clichéd bunch of Emos, slappers, geeks and jocks get bumped off in disappointingly boring fashion. The final ‘twist’ is laughable and seeks to act as some sort of get out clause for the mirthless crap that preceded it.

Avoid like the plague. It’ll probably be huge.

Note: Incredibly Empire magazine which I enjoy and respect gave this pile an extremely generous and good review. Why ??! Seriously, any horror  fan (or sentient being) will be switched off by this. The fact that it's rated a 15 should tell you that it's not in the so shit or rank that it's good category...whatever.... 

Blog updates

Have been a bit quiet on the old blog front lately... apologies to the warm souled few for this...updates a plenty everywhere coming up x 

Is Anybody There? - Rel. 1 May - Michael Caine on top form


10 year old Edward (Bill Milner) lives a lonely existence in a sea-side retirement home with his stressed out parents (David Morrissey, Anne-Marie Duff) and a cast of eccentric geriatrics. Bored and increasingly obsessed with death, he is abruptly brought out of his morbid shell by the arrival of “The Amazing” Clarence (Michael Caine) an anarchic retired magician.

Mining similar territory to last year’s Brit-hit ‘Son of Rambow’ (also featuring rising child star Milner) ‘Is Anybody There?’ is a charming and often very funny slice of 80’s family nostalgia that – thanks to Peter Harness’ terrific script – always manages to ring true.

Unsurprisingly, Caine lights up the screen whenever on it and he and Milner develop a chemistry that imbues the drama with a real depth of emotion and credibility. Backed up by a strong supporting cast of familiar faces (Leslie Philips, Sylvia Syms) this is a quintessentially English story that should find itself a wide audience.

7/10