Film Club Review – In the Loop

In the Loop Although a movie has many aspects, each individual film usually has one of these aspects which the rest are centered around. Some times they are centered around characters, sometimes around plot, other times around setting…. and sometimes they are centered around dialogue. In the Loop is one of the latter. This movie […]

Film Club Review – Giant

I’ve heard Giant described as a “low-rent Gone with the Wind.” That’s not too off the mark. I’d describe it as Gone With the Wind without a purpose. Giant’s main problem is its lack of focus. It seems to be all over the map, trying to be too many things at once and not really […]

Film Club Review – Modern Times

I will not claim that I am a Chaplin expert as I have only seen three of his films, the other two being City Lights and The Gold Rush. But compared to those other two, Modern Times falls slightly short. It is very strong elements but also some weaker aspects. The main problem though is […]

Film Club Review – Sunshine: Revisited

A while back I was recommended Sunshine in the film club I am a part of.  My review, which I also posted on this blog, was one of the weirdest I’ve written since it was one of the oddest movie experiences I’ve had. I didn’t even give it a rating at all. My original review […]

Film Club Review – Man on Wire

Its fascinating how a documentarian can take a subject which doesn’t seem like it would have a lot to it and turns it into an interesting and compelling story. That’s what happens here with Man on Wire, the story of a man in the 70s, Phillipe Petit, who decides to tightrope walk between the world […]

Flim Club Review – City Lights

City Lights City Lights is a silent movie which was released in a time when talkies were taking over and silent films were soon to be no more. But being a silent movie, this story about a tramp who falls for a blind girl and tries to find enough money to support her and pay […]

Film Club Review – Encounters at the End of the World

Encounters at the End of the World Werner Herzog’s documentary about Antarctica is a coin with two sides, one positive and one negative. On the positive side, it is a really interesting look at this little-understood continent. Herzog shows us lesser explored aspects of Antarctica and not just the “fuzzy penguins” (though even Herzog himself […]

Film Club Review – The Lives of Others

This German film tells the story of a Strasi surveillance investigation of a playwright and his girlfriend in East Germany during the cold war. Wiesler, the agent in charge of the surveillance begins taking an emotional interest in his subjects as he listens to their every move. What follows is a great suspense tale with […]

Film Club Review – Mr. Smith Goes to Washington

I don’t know why its taken me so long to watch this movie. I suppose its just one of those that fell through the cracks. But man am I sure glad I watched it now. I was one of the first collaborations between Frank Capra and Jimmy Stewart and dealt very coherently and intelligently with […]

Film Club Review – Seven Pounds

I don’t know how much of a plot summary I should give for Seven Pounds, since I’m not sure how much of it is intended to be a mystery. If it is supposed to be a mystery, its pretty easy to figure out. None-the-less, I won’t give any of it away. The vague description is […]

Film Club Review – Galaxy Quest

Galaxy Quest When I first heard about Galaxy Quest’s premise, I thought it sounded pretty stupid and headed t no mind. But when I actually thought about it further, its a pretty hilarious concept. The cast of a Star Trek-esque television series is recruited by actual aliens who believe their show is real and need […]

Film Club Review – All About Eve

All About Eve All About Eve is the story of a young wanna-be actress, Eve, who manages to work her way into the life of a Broadway star, Margo, and follow her ambitions through upstaging and backstabbing. They say that this is the defining performance of Betty Davis’ career as the aging actress Margo, and […]

Film Club Review – The Battle of Algiers

The Battle of Algiers I can imagine that when Battle of Algiers came out in 1966 it had a pretty big impact upon the filmmakers of that time. This Italian-made French film tells the story of the Algerian revolt against French occupation in the 1950’s. Pontecorvo really dances with the political lines and sympathies in […]

Film Club Review – The Man Who Knew Too Much

The Man Who Knew Too Much Does Hitchcock ever disappoint? Here he tells another tale of a regular joe caught up in a game of spies and intrigue. This is a really solid plot which grabs you from the start and pulls you along on suspicion of almost every character and significance in almost every […]

Film Club Review – The Royal Tenebaums

The Royal Tenenbaums What an odd little movie. The RTs is about a family of geniuses who are incredibly quirky and dysfunctional. The father, who is a complete ass, is trying to made amends with his former wife and children. The humour is incredibly subtle, probably the most subtle I’ve ever witnessed. However, that made […]