Cinerama
I have nneglected my duties as a film reviewer over the last few weeks and have decided to rectify the situation to some extent by offering cut down notes on a number of the films that I have seen over that time. If you think I scatter around those little asteriscs too liberally, in the spirit of brevity, I have kept to my favourites.
The Machinist *****
A fascinating and disturbing study of guilt. (Christian Bale has managed to get himself unfeasibly skinny for the role of the eponymous factory worker). Most thought provoking, (for someone like me).
Little Miss Sunshine ****
This has been much hyped and rightly so. Disfunctional family attempts to support youngest daughter in her dream of success in one of those weird child beauty pageants they do in the States. Not what it seems, very funny and in the end, makes a point. (One criticism is that a repeated and nevertheless funny joke based on a mechanical problem with their transportation annoys me slightly as as it would not be possible).
Pan's Labyrinth ****
Very unusual, stylish, violent, engaging cross between a war thriller and fairy tail; honest. Brilliant nevertheless. Features the guy who played Harry in Harry he is here to help; Sergi Lopez, as a very nasty nutter, a role in which he is entirely believeable.
Volver****
An unusually accessible Almodovar film. Troubles in a Spanish family for Penelope Cruz to work out. The film is touching and atmospheric and now I can see what the all the fuss about Penelope Cruz is for. I really cared by the end.
I Vitelloni***
The adventures of a group of young men (vitelloni are calves), attempting to find their way in life, in a seaside town in Italy. Fredrico Fellini brilliantly makes me squirm at how people can be such idiots. Had to admire it even if not enjoy it. Once again (it was made in 1953) he manages to make a film that doesn't really date.
Sideways*****
Another film that makes you want to squirm a bit but which is perhaps more forgiving. Two very different (early middle-aged male) friends go off wine-tasting in Northern California in the week before the not very successful actor,(the other one is a penurious wannabe writer) is due to get married. A number of extreme situations in which they find themselves force them to face their own and each other's problems. Very very funny, brilliant acting.