Film Reviews by GI

A rather cluttered and confusingly structured police procedural allegedly inspired by a true case. The prominence of Mel Gibson on the film's poster etc is clearly to influence audiences into thinking he's a lead player here but he's actually in a minor role although is given a backstory that seems like filler. The actual story is fairly routine. A number of bodies are discovered buried in to the New Mexico desert all of which turn out to be missing young women many of whom were sex workers. The local police investigation leads to the uncovering of police corruption but fails to nail the killer of the women. Gibson is an FBI profiler brought in to assist. Most of the characters are standard American cop ones drawn from the usual character traits you find in films of this type. Curtis '50 Cent' Jackson is the local police chief who basically has little to do here with the main focus of the narrative being on the lead detective (Brian Van Holt) who has a personal reason for pursuing the case albeit he has tunnel vision over who he suspects. Sadly the story behind this film no doubt is an interesting one but this film doesn't service that story very well and I guarantee you'll be disappointed by the end result if you manage to keep up with the confusion of the editing.

A well constructed historical drama with some bloody battle scenes and a story that has been told in multiple ways, multiple times before although here there's a majesty to it and a considered lead performance from Guy Pearce. He plays Munro, a former British soldier and now lay preacher, who travels to New Zealand in 1830 to be the priest for a white settlement. With an early introduction to the violent rivalries between the local Maori tribes he also soon sees the bigotry and colonial hatreds of the whites towards their hosts but who are willing to commit murder over the slightest offence. Setting off to try and bring some peace to local warring chiefs he soon finds himself questioning his past, his loyalties and getting involved in the fight. It's a watchable film and is probably a bit of a passion piece for director Lee Tamahori who has concentrated on authenticity and thematically attacking the colonial history of the British who bought disease, guns and worse still Christianity with all it's bloody morality!! It's worth checking out.

This is the second film in what has become known as John Ford's cavalry trilogy along with Fort Apache (1948) and Rio Grande (1950). This is the best of these three films and the only one shot in technicolour and it's one of Ford's finest motion pictures. John Wayne, playing a much older man, is Captain Nathan Brittles. He commands a troop of cavalry in a remote fort and he's less than a week before retirement. When renegade Indians rise up he is ordered on his last patrol to take his commanding officer's womenfolk to a nearby stagecoach station for safety. But he fails to achieve his mission due to being attacked. On his final day as a soldier he disobeys orders and personally takes command of some of his men and foils the Indians plans. It might surprise those familiar with Ford's films just how little actual action there is in this film, despite this it is a film filled with danger and adventure but has that lyrical and poetical quality that Ford so easily brought to his films. Wayne is exceptional and this is one of his finest roles and he's supported by many familiar actors from other Ford westerns including Victor McLaglen, John Agar, Joanne Dru and Harry Carey Jr. There's the usual mix of Irish humour, including a hilarious bar fight and quite a bit of flag waving but the propaganda aspects can be forgiven because this is a major work and a classic Hollywood film. A wonderful film, you'll be just stunned by the magnificent scene shot in the thunderstorm, it's the work of a real artist. A masterpiece.

Guy Ritchie's take on the famous sleuth is great fun, a sort of a cross between a 70s Hammer film and a modern action adventure. Robert Downey Jr in the title role carries it all off with aplomb in an amusing take on the character and with Jude Law as Dr Watson they make for a great double act. Holmes and Watson have captured the evil Lord Blackwood (Mark Strong) for a series of murders (the film hints that Blackwood is Jack the Ripper) and he is executed. But then mysteriously he rises from the grave and is intent on taking over the country. Holmes must stop him with the help of his old flame Irene (Rachel McAdams) who is secretly in the employ of Professor Moriarty (a voiceover cameo from Jared Harris). It's a great, fun filled story involving devil worship and political intrigue, with plenty of comic book fighting and Ritchie's typical use of slow motion. Great support cast including Eddie Marsan as the inept Inspector Lestrade and the delectable Kelly Reilly as Watson's fiancée. For Sherlock Holmes fans there's lots of references to the original stories and novels to spot but overall this is an action packed family film that you can enjoy time and time again. Definitely one to check out if you've yet to see it.

A worthy sequel and another fun filled action adventure film with the great duo of Robert Downey Jr as Holmes and Jude Law as Dr Watson. It was inevitable there would be a sequel because the first film was such a success. Here Holmes is pitted against his most famous adversary Professor Moriarty (Jared Harris) who is attempting to push Europe into war so he can benefit from the armaments industry, a theme that has resonance in the present day. Director Guy Ritchie fills the film with some exciting and stunning action set pieces such as the slow motion chase through a forest with artillery fire exploding through the trees. The plot is clever and intricate with a consistent chess theme running throughout. There's a great cast to including Noomi Rapace, Paul Anderson and Stephen Fry as Mycroft Holmes and Rachel McAdams pops up reprising her role from the first film. An action packed, fun filled slice of entertainment and if you loved the first one you'll love this one too. What we need now is number 3.

Considering it's seven Oscar nominations and that it appears on many peoples favourite films lists it's still a surprise that this was a box office failure. A film that only gained a huge fanbase once it was released for video and it continues to be enjoyed today and has been heralded as one of the greatest of modern movies. A prison drama that has a fantastic authenticity in every small detail and a tale of friendship and regrets. Tim Robbins plays Andy, an intelligent banker convicted in 1947 of the murder of his wife and her lover, he steadfastly denies his guilt but receives two life sentences and is sent to Shawshank Prison in Maine. Despite the harsh regime and routinely being raped Andy soon finds a routine and becomes friendly with 'Red' (Morgan Freeman), who has already served 20 years of a life sentence. Through Andy's quiet demeanour and intelligence he begins to have an affect on prison life not least by helping the guards with their financial and tax issues. Eventually Warden Norton (Bob Gunton), a bible thumping disciplinarian, has Andy become bookkeeper for his corrupt dealings with local businessmen. But all the time Andy has been making his own plans. The great thing about this film is that it has the usual plot developments you'd expect but always goes further with them in some surprising ways. It leaves lots of interesting questions including is Andy innocent of his crimes or not? Ultimately it's a film about two friends and a condemnation of a system that was brutal and inhuman. The memorable scenes are not always the major ones either; for instance the scene when Andy locks himself in the warden's office and plays opera through the prison PA is a very moving one. Bob Gunton as Norton is one of the great screen villains, a subtle sadistic character and often forgotten when discussing this film. This is definitely a fantastic film and it's probably time you watched it again and if by some remote chance you've never seen it then it is one I guarantee you will love.

Director Sam Peckinpah's penultimate film fits somewhat into the genre of southern road movie action comedies that Burt Reynolds did so well. As this film stands it's a mishmash that never really comes together in that there's an attempt at comedy but the main thrust of the film seems to be a contemporary western pitting rebel truckers against corrupt lawmen. The difficulty here, as with other Peckinpah films, is unravelling what were his intentions and what ended up on screen after studio interference. History tells us that Peckinpah was not at his best by this time, an alcoholic and addicted to drugs, making him unpredictable and inconsistent. There is reputedly a Peckinpah cut of this film that may still exist and has been cited as far better than the film we have today. Perhaps one day it may emerge in similar ways to some of his other films that suffered under studio editing. As Convoy stands Burt Reynolds (who was offered this apparently) would have been a better casting than Kris Kristofferson as he had the comedic charisma to carry it off. Equally if Peckinpah intended a more dramatic action film than Steve McQueen (also rumoured to have been offered it) would have been a better fit. What is now available is a film that struggles to fit enough in to a feature length movie making it, at times, a bit of a chore to watch. There are snippets of Peckinpah's style and genius if you look close enough but overall this is a weak entry in his canon. Based on a 1976 novelty song by C.W. McCall made during the height of the CB radio craze, although the song has little story to it, this is a tale of a trucker who falls foul of a corrupt sheriff (Ernest Borgnine) and has to flee. He finds that truckers from all over join him on the road as the police try to stop them. Peckinpah employs his trademark slow motion for many of the crash set pieces and a big bar fight. There's a weak romance thrown in with Ali McGraw as the love interest although her role is so minimal as to be pointless. Fans of Peckinpah will spot a variety of his usual actors and James Coburn is one of the assistant directors. The film has recently been restored to 4K UHD and it's worth checking out but fans of Peckinpah will note this is way below his best work.

This is still hilarious even after many viewings and the little, subtle homages to a host of other films and links in the script pop up more and more whenever you watch this cult classic. A pastiche of all those classic George A. Romero zombie films this is a British satire on the mediocrity of modern living, on love and relationships and most of all an ode to friendship. It is genuinely a laugh out loud comedy and still the best of the Simon Pegg/Edgar Wright/Nick Frost 'cornetto' films. Shaun (Pegg) lives a mundane life in London, works in a boring electrical shop, has a lazy loser of a best friend, Ed (Nick Frost) and has just been dumped by his girlfriend, Liz (Kate Ashfield). Then a plague strikes and everyone turns into a shuffling, groaning zombie. Shaun, his mum, Ed, Liz and two friends hole up in the local pub, The Winchester but the zombie horde outside grows ever larger. A wonderful support cast that includes Penelope Wilton, Bill Nighy, Peter Serafinowicz and Liz Davis. You can also spot cameos from Martin Freeman, Matt Lucas, Rafe Spall, Jessica Hynes and Reece Shearsmith. Very original, wonderfully scripted this is a comedy cult classic and definitely a film everyone must see.

Dark, gothic avenger narrative based on a comic strip and set in a dystopian cityscape. It's all very atmospheric and fun to watch although the film is infamous in that it's star Brandon Lee died as a result of an on set incident making the film rather poignant in some ways. He plays Eric, a guitarist, who is murdered along with his fiancée, the night before their wedding by a violent gang. A year later Eric is resurrected and guided by a mysterious crow to avenge their deaths. He hunts down the gang killing each in turn eventually leading to the big baddie played by Michael Wincott. There's plenty of violence, the addition of the supernatural element gives the film an edge and I suspect the influence of Highlander (1986) may at play here and I'm convinced the character of Eric and the style of the violence in turn influenced John Wick (2014). In any event this is an adult comic book film that entertains and has that wet, moody visual style that makes it like a goth metal rock video.

One of the greatest westerns ever made and an important American film in its own right. Beautifully filmed mostly on location with the back drop of snowy mountains and constant storm tossed clouds. This is essentially a range war narrative with a big cattle baron attempting to chase away humble homesteaders who resist him. But thematically this is a film about the forging of community and in that sense it has a political and moral slant to it. Ultimately the need for violence to resolve matters is the climax of the story. The plot follows a relatively standard and classical story line of a land disrupted by powerful forces the people cannot resist until the arrival of the stranger who, by violence, restores the peace but cannot himself share in it. Joe Starrett (Van Heflin) is a small farmer living with his wife (Jean Arthur) and son (Brandon De Wilde). Along with other farmers they are harassed by Ryker (Emile Meyer) a rich cattle man who wants the farmers off the range. He uses intimidation and threats but Joe keeps the community together but it's beginning to crack. Then a stranger, Shane (Alan Ladd) rides out of the wilderness and finds some solace with Joe and his family. Ryker hires a ruthless gunfighter (Jack Palance) to start murdering the homesteaders but Shane is also a gunman and decides to stake all to protect the community. Ladd was a strange choice for the central role and this is probably his best film, he's not an actor that you'd think has the depth to play a western anti hero but it's difficult to think of anyone else playing it now and its interesting how the character maintains a mystery even at the end. Director George Stevens also amplified the gunfire to make it more realistic and the shootings are very realistic for the time and showed death by gunshot far more grittily than previously seen in films. Hugely influential on film makers such as Sergio Leone, Sam Peckinpah and Martin Scorsese this is a significant film and certainly one you should check out if it's somehow passed you by.

A dark, brooding story of toxic masculinity and ultimately vengeance set in the Irish countryside where two sheep farming families harbour grudges while dealing with their own family strife. American actor Christopher Abbott, impressively able to speak Irish here, plays Michael, who seems unable to ever please his bullying and ailing father (Colm Meaney) especially as there's past trauma in their family. Michael also has to deal with neighbouring farmers Gary (Paul Ready) and his son Jack (Barry Keoghan). There's an old hatred between the two farmers aggravated by Gary's wife formerly being Michael's girlfriend. When Jack stupidly steals two of Michael's best rams it sets of a chain of events that leads to violence. The film has an interesting structure and you get to see the events from different perspectives which makes the film all the more engaging. There's a savage and impressive music score too in this great first feature from director Chris Andrews although I found the ending a little underwhelming.

Director Nicolas Roeg's bizarre exploration of a mismatched relationship and told within a survival narrative that includes romance and bitterness and a journey of self discovery. Loosely based on a true story this has Amanda Donohoe as a young, bored woman, Lucy, who answers a 'lonely hearts' advertisement of a middle aged man wanting a 'wife' to spend a year on a tropical desert island alone with him. She warms to Gerald, a hedonistic and somewhat contradictory character and accepts his invitation. Oliver Reed plays Gerald in what is very clearly an interpretation of his own personality. And whilst this adventure is Gerald's idea and dream it's Lucy who embraces the island and the freedom it offers. However they are both unprepared for the rigours of the experience and whilst Gerald still harbours the fantasy of a free love sexual life on the island Lucy is more for the nature and pleasures that the isolation brings causing significant strain on their strange relationship with each other. The film charts an interesting relationship though and Roeg is clearly attempting to highlight the contrast between a dream and reality. Certainly a film for fans of this director although it lacks his trademark surrealistic story telling.

A highly entertaining thrill ride. Ninety minutes of pure excitement that will have you on the edge of your seat throughout. Blake Lively plays Nancy, a surfer who has had dreams of surfing off the idyllic Mexican beach that her late mother loved but doesn't count on being trapped just 200 yards from shore when a predatory shark begins to stalk her. Ever since Jaws (1975) cinema has occasionally returned to that morbid fear of being in the sea with a hungry shark and there have been some dodgy films as a result. But this is simply fantastic fun. The narrative is essentially a survivalist thriller with one character (some minor players come and go!!) who becomes trapped on a small rock whilst a very large shark circles around and the tide is rising meaning she'll soon lose her sanctuary. The film is quite tense and Lively is really good, with minimal dialogue and a simple plot that does go in some unexpected directions. I really recommend this because it really entertains.

Danny Boyle's first film and what a belter it is too. A British thriller with three flatmates Juliet (Kerry Fox), David (Christopher Eccleston) and Alex (Ewan McGregor) who all live in a spacious Edinburgh apartment. They are looking for a someone to join them as they have four bedrooms and eventually take on the enigmatic Hugo (Keith Allen). Unfortunately Hugo dies in his room leaving behind a suitcase stuffed with money. After much debate the three decide to keep the money and dispose of Hugo's body. A fateful decision as soon some nasty thugs come looking for the money and the friends begin to fall out especially David who is the most affected by their actions. A serious film but with distinctive dark comic undertones exploring the moral dilemma of whether to keep a life changing amount of money but by doing so means committing a horrendous criminal act first. The narrative never lets you know how things will turn out as the three friends change allegiances as circumstances unfold. The film is chillingly sinister but also smart, stylish and very original. All the performances are superb including Ken Stott as a nosy police detective and this is a film that shows just how good independent cinema can be. A must see film.

Like all rock music documentaries it's an easier watch if you're a fan of the subject. Here is another Blur documentary, there's been a few over the years, which covers a year when they got back together, made a new album after eight years and went on tour culminating at Wembley. The four are all affable lads with Damon Albarn looking like a scruffy street trader (Albert Steptoe!!), Graham Coxon moaning about his dodgy knees and sounding like Dudley Moore, Alex James chain smokes the whole time and Dave Rowntree ends up on crutches! They all reflect and have opinions on various aspects of life and being English but the apparent deliberate decision to truncate all the songs lets the viewer and fan down aa tad. An interesting and engaging documentary from a very talented band although Pauline Black of Selecter has the most meaningful and thought provoking comment regarding the state of English society.