100 Words… – Page 13

100 Word Review – Let The Right One In (2008)

July 12, 2015March 6, 2016Posted in 100 Words..., FantasyTagged 1980s, Fantasy, gore, Horror, John Ajvide Lindqvist, Kare Hedebrant, Lina Leandersson, Sweden, Swedish, Tomas Alfredson, VampiresLeave a comment

Don’t bother with the Americanised version, there is no way it could out-shine this masterpiece of chilling Swedish filmmaking.

Oskar (Kare Hedebrant) is a young boy living with his mother in an apartment block in early 1980s Stockholm. Bullied at school, he is hopelessly lonely until he meets Eli (Lina Leandersson).

Adapted from a masterful novel by John Ajvide Lindqvist and directed by Tomas Alfredson (Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy) this is a fantasy horror made the way they should be; bleak, at times sweet, and always beautiful. None of those sparkling vampires, the sort in Lindqvist’s world are truly terrifying.

100 Word Review – The One I Love (2014)

July 11, 2015March 6, 2016Posted in 100 Words..., Drama, Fantasy, RomanceTagged Charlie McDowell, Drama, Elisabeth Moss, Fantasy, Justin Lader, Mark Duplass, Romance, Ted DansonLeave a comment

There is not much I can say about this film without spoiling it, so here goes.

Ethan (Mark Duplass) and Sophie (Elisabeth Moss) seek marriage counselling from a therapist (Ted Danson) who recommends a romantic weekend away to help fix the holes in their relationship.

Debut feature film from director Charlie McDowell (Danson’s stepson) and screenwriter Justin Lader, it was more devised than written. Almost all of the dialogue was improvised around the storyline and for the more complicated scenes Lader would write a few pages as a guide the night before.

The end result is surreal, revealing and eerie.

100 Word Review – Obvious Child (2014)

July 10, 2015March 6, 2016Posted in 100 Words..., Comedy, Drama, F-Rated, RomanceTagged Comedy, Drama, Gillian Robespierre, independent, Jack Lacy, Jenny Slate, Paul Simon, RomanceLeave a comment

Named after the Paul Simon song, this is a wonderful feature about the trials and tribulations of being a twenty something woman surviving in the modern world.

Donna (Jenny Slate) is a stand-up comedian coping with a nasty break up when she meets Max (Jack Lacy) and has a one night stand that changes her life and forces her to confront adult life.

Written and directed by Gillian Robespierre, based on her short of the same name, there is a distinct voice running throughout that, while it may not be to everyone’s taste, I cannot wait to hear more from.

100 Word Review – Across The Universe (2007)

July 9, 2015March 6, 2016Posted in 100 Words..., Comedy, F-Rated, RomanceTagged 1960s, Comedy, Evan Rachel Wood, Jim Sturgess, Julie Taymour, Musical, psychadelic, Romance, The BeatlesLeave a comment

Based on the music of The Beatles, this is a musical you don’t need to have seen to know the words to.

Jude (Jim Sturgess) moves from Liverpool to America where he meets and falls in love with Lucy (Evan Rachel Wood). Set in the 1960s, the socio-political climate of the time makes for a dramatic background to this moving love story.

Director Julie Taymour (Frida, Titus) truly transports her audience. The film’s littered with references to the period, particularly within the music industry, but even if you only pick up the odd one it still makes for mesmerising viewing.

100 Word Review – Truly Madly Deeply (1990)

July 8, 2015March 6, 2016Posted in 100 Words..., Comedy, Drama, F-Rated, Fantasy, RomanceTagged Alan Rickman, Anthony Minghella, Comedy, Drama, Fantasy, ghost, Juliet Stevenson, Romance, Whoopi GoldbergLeave a comment

Despite the absence of Whoopi Goldberg, this film is a billion times better than Ghost.

Nina (Juliet Stevenson) and Jamie (Alan Rickman) are in love, completely and utterly. When Jamie dies, Nina expects to be haunted by him, but perhaps not literally.

Written and directed by Oscar winning Anthony Minghella (The English Patient, The Talented Mr Ripley), this is one of those films that will stick with you. Minghella wrote the film specifically for Stevenson and there is no doubt without her and Rickman’s tremendous performances there would not be a film.

It is full of heartbreak, humour and hope.

100 Word Review – Total Recall (1990)

July 6, 2015March 6, 2016Posted in 100 Words..., Sci FiTagged 1990s, Arnie, Arnold Schwartzenegger, dystopian, future, Michael Ironside, Paul Verhoeven, Philip K Dick, Sci Fi, Sharon Stone2 Comments

Based on Philip K Dick’s story, We Remember It For You Wholesale, this is Arnie at the very peak of his brilliance.

Douglas Quaid (Arnold Schwarzenegger) can’t afford to go to Mars, but he can afford to have an adventure implanted into his memory of being a spy on Mars. But is it really a false memory? Why are people trying to kill him. He must get to Mars!

Full of the paranoia typical of Dick, and the explosions and shouting you get in every Arnie flick, all tied together by the satirical vision of director Paul Verhoeven (Starship Troopers).

100 Word Review – The Innocents (1961)

July 5, 2015March 6, 2016Posted in 100 Words..., FantasyTagged adaptation, Deborah Kerr, Fantasy, Gothic, Henry James, Horror, Jack Clayton, supernatural, Thriller, Truman CapoteLeave a comment

A truly chilling adaptation of Henry James’ classic gothic novel The Turn of the Screw.

Miss Giddens (Deborah Kerr) is a young governess hired by an absent uncle to look after two young children in a large house with a mysterious past.

The trailer for this film is extraordinary (see below) but to my mind it fails to accurately capture how terrifying parts of this film are. I am a wuss, but it is full of suspense and dread.

Directed by Jack Clayton (The Great Gatsby, Room at the Top) and adapted by Truman Capote, this is skilled cinematic genius.

100 Word Review – We are The Best! (2013)

July 3, 2015March 6, 2016Posted in 100 Words..., Comedy, Drama, F-RatedTagged 1980s, adaptation, Coco Moodysson, Comedy, comic book, Drama, Lukas Moodysson, Netflix, punk, Sweden, SwedishLeave a comment

Currently available on Netflix, this is a must-watch film that everyone can enjoy.

Three young girls in 1980s Stockholm join forces against their school, their parents and The Man to create their own punk band. Who cares if they can play their instruments or not? It’s about more than the music.

This film, as the trailer (below) says, is “for anyone who’s ever been 13”, full of anarchy, chaos and humour. It’s written and directed by Lukas Moodysson, based on his wife Coco’s comic book.

It is a guaranteed feel-good film that will leave you feeling empowered and wishing for youth.

100 Word Review – Hello, Dolly! (1969)

July 2, 2015March 6, 2016Posted in 100 Words..., Comedy, RomanceTagged Barbra Streisand, Comedy, Gene Kelly, Michael Crawford, Musical, Oscars, Romance, Wall.E, Walter Matthau1 Comment

Barbra Streisand is one of the most fabulous people to walk the Earth, and this wonderful film is just one of her many gems.

Dolly (Streisand) is a rich widow who uses her many talents to improve the lives of those around her, namely as a matchmaker.

Based on the much-loved Broadway musical, directed by Gene Kelly (Singin’ In The Rain) and co- starring Walter Matthau and Michael Crawford, it’s little wonder it won three Oscars.

Funny, sweet, sad, romantic and jam-packed with songs that are liable to have you dancing in the aisles (one of which featured on Wall.E).

100 Word Review – Frances Ha (2012)

July 1, 2015March 6, 2016Posted in 100 Words..., Comedy, Drama, F-RatedTagged Comedy, Drama, Greta Gerwig, New York, Noah BaumbachLeave a comment

A truly wonderful film that speaks to the heart of anyone who’s ever pretended to be an adult.

Frances (Greta Gerwig) is an awkward twenty-something living in New York, surrounded by people who seem to have their life together but never seeming to manage it herself.

Co- written by Gerwig and director Noah Baumbach (The Squid & The Whale, screenplay of Fantastic Mr Fox), the feature was shot entirely in black and white. Combined with the light-hearted soundtrack, it gives the whole film a quirky feel completely in keeping with the main character’s eccentricities. Funny, sweet and genuinely moving, it’s fantastic!