Saturday, July 7, 2018
First Lines: Diana Wynne Jones - Howl's Moving Castle
In the land of Ingary, where such things as seven-league boots and cloaks of invisibility really exist, it is quite a misfortune to be born the eldest of three.
Miller's Crossing (1990)
An advisor to a Prohibition-era crime boss, tries to keep the peace between warring mobs but gets caught in divided loyalties.
Highly referential (and entertaining) neo-noir thriller, splendidly staged and cast and full of the Coen Bros' dark humour.
Halliwell**: "Sombre, solidly made thriller, directed with a macabre skill."
Maltin**1/2: "Moody, stylish, and pretentious take on gangster films...Dense and dour, it's almost doggedly off-putting at first, but gets more involving as its serpentine story unfolds. Some bravura moments..."
Phantom Thread (2017)
Set in 1950's London, a renowned dressmaker's fastidious life is disrupted by a young, strong-willed woman, Alma, who becomes his muse and lover.
Meticulously produced period tale, with stellar performances, faultless cinematography and an excellent score, clearly references such Goth classics as Rebecca and Jane Eyre, but eschews the darker aspects of the plot in favour of the complex artist/muse relationship - and takes it a step further.
Friday, July 6, 2018
First Lines: Paul Auster - City of Glass
It was a wrong number that started it, the telephone ringing three times in the dead of night, and the voice on the other end asking for someone he was not.
Thursday, July 5, 2018
Wednesday, July 4, 2018
Perrier's Bounty (2009)
A gangster named Perrier looks to exact his revenge on a trio of fugitives responsible for the accidental death of one of his cronies.
Violent crime drama with some very black humour is watchable thanks to a good ensemble and lively direction.
Maltin***: "Dark humor cleverly softens the intensity of violent acts, which - one is ashamed to admit - generate a lot of laughs. Entire ensemble shines."
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