Reviews

Some films i feel you can watch and just think there is something wrong and you don't really feel anything from it. There is nothing that shocks you whether it be the story or the acting. Schindlers list is one of those films like a lot of other Spielberg greats (Saving Private Ryan,Jaws)really grips you.This is probably the most powerful epic of any historical event ever made. Everything about it is perfection for a good movie. From the incredible performances by Liam Neeson as Oskar who i felt had deserved an academy award more than any actor alive for his performance and also for Ralph Feinnes as a terrifying Nazi and Ben Kingsleyalso gives another memorable performance as Jewish factory worker Izthak Stern right to the dazzling cinematography (the film was shot in an amazing black and white style to give it a more historical and realistic look). I think my favourite scene of the film has to be at the beginning when you see the all the Jews being evacuated and terrorised by German soldiers and then suddenly a little girl appears in a red dress which is the only coloured part of the film. That to me is shot that will go down in movie history.Many people believe that Spielberg is the kind of guy who is always going to be remembered for masterpieces like E.T,Jaws and the Indy trilogy. In my opinion this is the film where we knew that Spielberg was right next to Martin Scorsese and Spike Lee was one of todays greatest living directors.

I saw Nick Broomfield's documentary of 2pac and Biggie after seeing 'Kurt and Courtney'and i loved that and just the whole style of Broomfields movies.Also already being a huge Tupac and Biggie fan anyway i was really exited about this film and i must say i was not disappointed whatsoever.The film is told in such a unique style and was amazing to me the things that Broomfield and us as an audience find out on his journey to find out more about the Biggie/Tupac murders. The people he interviews such as a confined prisoner who was believed to have helped Suge Knight organise the Biggie murder,ex-police officer Russel Poole who was investigating the Biggie murder and the corruption on his own police force surrounding it and even a prison interview with Death Row records producer and friend of Tupac, Suge Knight. The information they all nervously give Broomfield and his crew make it a very astonishing film and one to really listen to.This film should not go missed. 10 out of 10.

In the the late 1980's early 9o's there have been many action buddy comedies 'Beverly hills cop', 'Bad Boys' and 'Bulletproof'and they have all been great. But if i had to say none of them can compare to such a masterpiece as Midnight Run. The film is full of tense and exciting moments of action and humour from both De Niro and Grodin who in this film I think are both at the top of their game. Their chemistry in playing hard ass bounty hunter and sensitive criminal is fantastic. It is such a shame there was no talk of a sequel in mind, especially since it is such an original and cool story and we were gagging to see De Niro return as Jack Walsh again. The film also gives us an impressing supporting cast with Dennis Farina (Snatch, Get Shorty) as an angry mobster and Yaphet Kotto (Alien)as an angry cop on the trail for them both.An easy 10/10. Brilliant piece of movie making.

Rumble fish is to me probably one of the greatest films in the last century.The film just tells you so much about how important friendship and loyalty is when it comes to the hardship of everyday life and growing up. Matt Dillon and Mickey Rourke are nothing short of perfect as Rusty James and his older brother the 'motorcycle boy'and are also backed up by a strong ensemble cast featuring Nicolas Cage (in one of his first ever roles) Laurence Fishburne who had another early role after 'Apocalypse Now' and Diane Lane as Rusty's love interest Cherry.Now obviously most of the cast coming from the previous 'The Outsiders'which was another Coppola classic about growing up, but i have to say i liked this more. It is more serious and has more realism. The outsiders was more of a heart breaker though. I enjoyed this film very much altogether because of the ultra stylish camera-work, cinematography and incredible performance from Mickey Rourke. 10/10.

Barfly I think is another great film that is not afraid to tell the truth! a film that does not hold back on things that need to be said in films. The film is based on a true story on an alcoholic and poet Henry Chinaski(Mickey Rourke in an unforgettable role) who does nothing all day and night except cruise bars, drink himself to death and purposely get in to fights with other barmen and customers.He soon meets another alcoholic Wanda Wilcox (Faye Dunaway at a should of been Oscar winning role)when they meet in a bar one night they soon realise how alike they are and how they are the people who the city they live in would rather forget and they soon form a special bond. The films story is totally compelling and unforgettable, the cinematography and realism and forgetting to mention Rourke and Dunaway acting their hearts out. This is a gem of a movie. 10/10.

I saw Bullet about a year ago after really getting into Mickey Rourke films and i have to say i really liked it a lot. I can see why some critics flushed it, yet not all of them the film is very different from Rourke's usual work and nothing like other ghetto greats like 'Boyz n the hood' and 'Above the rim'the film has a kind of quirky way about it especially since it's story centres around a Brooklyn born Jewish junkie(instead of African-American)and his rivalry with drug dealer Tank (a small yet great cameo from Tupac Shakur)and also his social problems with friends Lester (who he thinks might be gay) and his two brothers Ruby (Adrien Brody)a painter who is looking for a way to get out of the whole street life and Louis (amazingly played by Ted Levine) who is a freaked out ex-soldier who still thinks the war rages on. So the story is very different,but in a good way i think. The acting is superb and directing from Brit Julien Temple is great. 9/10.

Before i saw this film i had already been a huge Denzel Washington fan anyway with 'Training Day' and 'He got Game' but i have to say this goes above all the rest of any of either Denzel's or Tony Scott's work. The film is outrageously cool and is one of the most compelling and realistic revenge movies ever made. Easily. Denzel gives his most frightening performance ever as John Creasy and is backed up by Chris walken and Mickey Rourke. Both in great roles. When i first heard about it i thought it was'nt going to anything special with films like 'Kill Bill'and 'Walking Tall'just coming out i thought it was just going to be your average revenge film. But its not at all. With the setting being in Mexico City which i have heard is a terrible place for any human being these days,the cracking storyline and twists which regularly pop up and an awesome realism to it it's very different from any of Scotts films and any other revenge thrillers. Altogether i thought it was terrific and was a killer to any other film you would probably see this year. So if you see only one film in 2005, make it Man On fire. You'll love it.

Tupac Resurrection is a great documentary about a man who probably experienced more pain in his life than any Hip hop artist or any famous person in the world. The film gives us everything you ever wanted to know about the man himself from the stories behind his poetic music, his childhood and growing up in violent ghettos with his mother (Afeni Shakur who was a well known crack addict)and to his times on Death Row records which set the spark to the Tupac/Biggie feud. What i like most about this film though is how the narration is actually done by Tupac himself! that makes it very realistic and quite spooky in a way,especially since nothing like that has ever been done before in a documentary. Obviously to be into a film like this you might have to be into a bit of rap music and be familiar with Tupac, But if not it does not matter because the film is just a too good story to miss. The soundtrack is also hot, featuring 'Runnin' (dying to live) a song with both Biggie and Tupac recorded while both men were alive which was never released until now and a couple of other great Tupac hits only now released. Altogether i loved this film an easy 10 out of 10.

Nowhere to hide has to be one of the most perfectly made cop/villain thrillers i have ever seen. The movie has such a a great, yet tense feel to it and is so determined to blow the audiences minds away. The groundbreaking camera-work, beautiful cinematography, tense and violent action (featuring some of the coolest fight scenes i have ever seen) and a to die for soundtrack make this film in my opinion one of the greatest cop thrillers that has been made today. Laying right up there with 'Heat' and 'Infernal Affairs'. This film i think is not only a must see for Asian extreme fans, but for any one a fan of thrillers. 9 out of 10.

old boy is a fantastic exploration of the violence of how a man can be if you do the wrong things to him (say put him in a prison for 15 long years with no particular reason). The story starts with our main man Oh Dae-Su who is kidnapped and locked in a tiny room for 15 years with absolutely no contact with any of the outside world. After learning that his wife was murdered and that he is framed for it he is soon released, holding a mobile phone and a wallet full of cash with a young girl to help him on his trail for revenge to the men who took what is left of his life away from him. I don't want to go into the story too much because it is just totally incredible and almost too hard to explain.Just watch and enjoy this highly realistic,disturbing and drop dead unbelievable tale of revenge and of a man who has been wronged and in undeniable pain. Definitely one of the best foreign films ever made and a film that will stay with you forever. 10 out of 10.

I saw this film last Christmas eve and i can't remember whether i was totally mesmerised or totally disturbed by it. The film is so well told yet made in the strangest way imaginable. The film is told backwards. Literally. The end credits begin at the beginning and goes from the end to the beginning of what happened. It is about two fiends Marcus (magically played by Vincent Cassel)and Pierre (Albert Dupontel)who are out on a sick and disturbing quest to revenge the violent man who viciously raped Marcus's girlfriend Alex (Monica Bellucci)in one of the most disturbing scenes known to cinema (a 10 minute rape scene) I suppose though you have to appreciate the incredible story, acting and the very important theme of the film. Don't walk home alone. Well thats what i think anyway. Also the beginning and end of the film might make some viewers quite dizzy and sick. But i loved the movie. 9/10

I saw this film after becoming addicted to 'Boyz n the hood'and 'Higher learning', I think John Singleton is one of the greatest filmmakers working today and Poetic Justice is a great example of a truly dedicated and talented filmmaker. The story starts off with Justice (played brilliantly by Janet Jackson, what a surprise)who witnesses the slaying of her boyfriend at a movie, justice becomes very depressed with life and feels nothing but loneliness. She expresses this by writing poems in a notebook to reveal her pain for her lost love and for the pain of living in America's South central l.a district. Lucky (again played greatly by Tupac Shakur in i feel his most personal and greatest role from 'Juice' right up to 'Gang Related')is a postman with nothing to look forward for in his life except to look after his daughter and a dream of rapping his pain for the hood. Together they go on a road trip with two other friends and learn on how to live again and to find their way in life. The performances are great, Singletons direction is wonderful. If your a fan of other 'hood' movies than this you might find a little different from the others. But nonetheless a deep hearted gem. 9/10

It's funny how all the amazing crime/action films we see today such as 'Goodfellas'' Reservoir Dogs' and 'Heat'are some of the greatest to ever come out of Hollywood, but then i realize how no one remembers films like 'Hard Boiled','City on fire' and of course the Better tomorrow series! which are just some of the not only excellent HK films ever made but probably the greatest of all kick-ass action flicks. A better tomorrow is incredible and one of my all time favourites, not just because of its amazing violence and cool gun play but because of Woo's genius directing, the friendship and brotherhood which i think makes the characters like Mark lee (Chow Yun fat) and Kit (Leslie Cheung) so likable. It is also easy to notice the way how people like Martin Scorsese and Tarantino get their influences from. Obviously if your not a fan of the HK genre this will not appeal to you, But if your an action fan then don't hesitate this film is a gem!

I knew right away i had to see Vol.2 after i saw the first half. Tarantino has created something in Kill Bill movies that is totally mind blowing. The interesting characters, the killer soundtrack and the action sequence from the swordplay to the hand to hand combat. The second half i think i enjoyed more because it seemed to explore more of the characters and what has happened to all of them. Thats why i loved the Pai Mei scenes with the bride because it gives you all the answers of how she became such a deadly d.i.v.a. Not forgetting to mention the excellent fighting sequences by Pai Mei.It's also very cool to see more of Bill a.k.a Snakecharmer,Elle Driver a.k.a Clifronia Mountain Snake and my complete favourite in the whole movie Budd a.k.a Snakecharmer played by the great Michael Madsen (who i loved in Donnie Brasco and The Getaway) they are all amazing in their violence skills and character. This is a brilliant ending to a brilliant whole movie.

Ever since i saw 'Reservoir Dogs', 'Pulp Fiction' and 'Jackie Brown'. All my in my all time top ten favourites, all i've ever waited for is the next film from Tarantino and here it is! KIll Bill vol.1 is probably after Takeshi Kitano's 'Zatoichi'the best violent swordplay film ever made! The choreography of this film done by the magic Yeun Woo-Ping( i believe he did the Matrix movies and Jet Li movies) is some of the best ever done in an action film. The story you can tell has Tarantino's signature all over it from the characters to the dialogue to the hot soundtrack! I have to say my favourite thing about Kill Bill though is definitely the characters right from the Bride to the man from Okinawa. It was also good to see Darryl Hannah in a bad role for once as the crazy Elle Driver. My favourite scene is in fact not the end showdown but the beginning fight the bride has with Jeannie Bell a.k.a Copperhead which is brilliant and hilarious especially when she tries to shoot her through the cereal box and the bride gives her one right in the chest in front of her daughter. Maybe a lot would agree it's not as good as Dogs or Pulp Fiction but i loved it right from the start to the end of vol.2

We all know Quentin Tarantino's amazing masterpieces 'Pulp Fiction','Jackie Brown''True Romance','Natural born killers' and both 'Kill Bill' movies and i still don't know out of all of them which is his best. Everyone of course would say 'Pulp Fiction' and probably so would i, but every time i watch a Tarantino i always still think Dogs. Mainly because it was his debut film and for a debut it is one of the best films ever made, the characters are so colourful (not just their names) and interesting to hear talk (Tarantino's brilliant dialogue), the acting by all men is some of the best by anyone who has ever played a criminal(Keitel,Buscemi,Madsen). Michael Madsen is magnetic as Mr.Blonde who has got to be one of my all time favourite screen villains. The torture scene, i mean OH MY GOD!. An easy ten out of ten.

I brought City by the sea recently after missing seeing it first time around and i must say i was very much impressed by this great cop thriller. Robert De Niro is at his toughest and best as a cop who has a son Joey a now known drug addict and thief wanted for a murder he did not commit! Now one of the things i like best about this film is that before i saw this i saw James Franco who plays Joey in both 'Spider-Man' films and i did not really think he was a good actor at all, then i was totally bewildered when i saw him in this. He is amazing in this film, almost better than De Niro in his role.Almost. William Forsyth who plays the evil drug pusher chasing after Joey for the murder of the guy he apparently killed is a right evil piece of work. All in all the very new and fresh story is well told, the acting well what do you expect (De Niro, Mcdormand and Franco)the violence is also very mega. Not as good as all the other De Niro classics 'Taxi Driver' 'Cape Fear' and 'Goodfellas' but certainly very watchable and enjoyable.

I brought this film from ebay a couple of months ago as you can never find it anywhere in England. Iwatch it and i thought it was an abslute perfection from the amazing Spike Lee and far superior to a lot of his other movies at the time. I like this Lee film in particular though because it is more character driven and has more emotion to most of Lee's films. Denzel Washington has again proved he is one of the all time greatest living actors with his strong performance as Jake Shuttlesworth who makes friends in the film with a prostitute (beautifully played by Milla Jovovich). But what also surprises me about this film is the fact that the main character Jesus Shuttlesworth played by Ray Allen is not even an actor! Yet his performance is extraordinary in this is one of the best i've seen in any Spike Lee film just after Denzel's in Malcolm x and Edward Norton's in 25th Hour. All in all the stylish story, acting,cinematography and the mastery of Lee's directing this is one of my instant Spike LEE classics. Ten out of ten.

I have now seen all of Michael Moore's documentaries and films and i just have to say whether a lot of the things he says are lies or truthful i do not know but i do know that as a filmmaker, he is one of the truly greats! Next to 'Fahrenheit 9/11' and 'Tupac Resurretion' this is one of the best and most powerful documentaries i have seen. Moore has a real talent of being able to capture the tragic and cruel reality of America today and Bowling for Columbine does that better than any other documentary made today. It really is just so powerful and really shows us the tragedy of not just what happened at Columbine high school but about how and why America is swimming with violence and poverty.Some of my favourite scenes in this film are the trip to South central L.A, Marilyn Manson's interview and all the archive footage of America's stupidity towards wars and violence with Louie Armstrong playing ' What a wonderful world'The fact is America is going crazy today, especially when it comes to the subject of gun shooting and hunting, i know England is not exactly perfect but then again we're the ones who only have 68 gun murders a year as to the amount America has. I think Moore proves a good point by making this film and that is the big question.Why does America have such a violent reputation these days and past?, and the fact that it is so easy for a six ear old child to walk into a school and shoot another child of the same age, and all because he can pick it up at his uncle's house. Altogether with its strong points and power i think this film is Moores best and an easy ten out of ten.

I have seen Taxi Driver 18 times now and i'm only 15(obviously i should'NY be watching it but who would miss this). It's just simply one of the most precious and coolest films ever made from the the De Niro/Scorsese combo.Everything from the mass violence to the seedy street atmosphere, the pure talented direction of Scorsese (who also had an amazing cameo as the freaky ass homicidal passenger) to the chilling and incredible performance from De Niro as Travis which is without a doubt one of the best psycho's ever.Because of him i now think it is so cool just to be able to the words 'You talking to me?' this film is amazing and for crying out loud why has'NY Martin Scorsese got an Oscar yet. The man is a film genius and not one yet.

I have now seen this film about 38 times and i still absolutely adore this instant classic! being a huge De Niro fan and of mafia films too i knew that i would love this and i did. The incredible story by Chazz Palminteri (who also plays Sonny magically in the movie)is great and stays true to it's roots, the tensity shown between the Italian- Americans and the African- Americans and of course the fact that De Niro is in it and It was his first job as director. The Film is about a young boy who grows up in the Bronx streets of New York and after he sees someone killed in front of him by Sonny the 'boss of the neighbourhood' he makes the choice not to tell the police and Sonny immediately takes a liking to the boy. Soon he grows up in to a young man, now with two fathers one his real dad a bus driver (played by Robert De Niro)and the other is Sonny who both tell him which choices he should make in life if he values his future and soon he will find that out the hard way.I myself is still a teenager, but i know what a good film is . This is a perfect film.