THOUGHTS FROM EARLY 2007 AND BEFORE...

THE PRESTIGE

I haven't added anything here for a couple of years but was compelled to after seeing Chris Nolan's The Prestige. I'm so way beyond being jealous of Nolan's success because he's on his way to being a true master of the medium. This is as sophisticated and complex a piece of film making as you could wish for. Technically it is flawless on every level and creatively it pretty much hits the bullseye. Never a huge fan of Hugh Jackman he is excellent here and Christian Bale - as ever - is terrific. Could be accused of intellectual coldness over emotional resonance but I'm not certain I agree because the subtext deals with that as well. Terrific movie. (I just watch this again on Blu Ray and it really is a superb film.)

AND WHILE I'M ADDING NEW FILMS....

THE DEPARTED

So glad Scorcese has stopped chasing Oscars and gone back to rip-roaring stories about good guys and bad guys. This is a sheer pleasure to watch with a dynamite script by William Monahan. Genuinely funny in places, excellent performances right down to the smallest supporting player and twisting and turning as well as Infernal Affairs ever did. A great night out - and ironically, I'll bet it snags Scorcese the Oscar after all.

This is so out out of date now, sorry - just haven't had time for anything recently...

SAW: Goddamn why didn't I think of this?! Partly because I'm way to obsessed about internal logic and character arcs. This film is wonderful fun and really compelling in its own gruesome and stylish way. The performances are not the strongest thing about it but it's pretty clear to me that none of this matters to the audience. It is so damn tricksy and clever and totally pulls it off whilst not making a single bit of sense. There is sheer joy in telling a story that could only ever work in the cinema for a particular audience. Sure it rips off (or pays homage to) pretty much every single great serial killer/horror movie of recent years but still manages to slay you with a great twist. Shot in 18 days for 1.2m and I suppose that explains the issues with performance; simply no time for finessing anything. I'm sure everyone would have done better with more time but then again I don't think this film would have worked as well if it had been better made because then I'd certainly have been questioning the plot more. Great fun, Superb debut from director James Wan.

THE TERMINAL: This didn't get much love from the critics, or audiences and I see why, since it's amazingly saccharine and a little cloying but that's because I think too many people are looking at it as a 'real' movie. To me it was quite simply a fairy tale and on that level was pretty okay. Spielberg is a genius at the incidental character stuff and that's where the movie shines; in its small pleasures and moments, not the big sweeping stuff that is a little sickly. The set was stunning and performances all bang on. I don't think there's anything wrong at all beyond it not really fitting with what audiences want any more. Too glossy and shiny for its own good. There's probably a much grimmer and real indie film to be made about Alfred Merhan, the guy who really is trapped at Charles De Gaulle Airport but I'm not sure I'd want to see it. The whole thing is too depressing.

METALLICA: SOME KIND OF MONSTER. I'm not a huge Metallica fan but I really love some of their stuff (when it's great it's magnificent, everything that heavy rock should be) so I was keen to see this documentary and all the extra features that came with the DVD. It's fascinating and depressing in equal measures. To see these monsters of rock examining their navels at the behest of some creepy, touchy feely therapist made me squirm. I wanted James Hetfield to just smack him one and send him on his way. I'm not denying that rock gods should be happy too but I think these guys would have found their way regardless. That therapist (on $40,000 a week, or so I thought I heard in the doc) was just a leach and making things worse. But it seemed to summarize pretty much everything about a specific aspect of recent American psychology; the 'let's talk about our feelings' and share our thoughts/ 12 step program. therapy fixes everything bullshit. Dig in and deal with it folks. Maybe this touchy, feely thing is restricted to the coasts but I'm not sure. Their producer Bob Rock was doing a better job of keeping them all together. Anyways, it was a well made documentary. Special interest it had to be said and not really a movie as such but I welcomed the insight it gave me into a great rock band.

CELLULAR: The very definition of slick, manufactured Hollywood hokum. Call me shallow but I enjoyed this. It was well crafted, structured and played out according to the rules of the movie game. Escalation and little twists and reversals abounded. A great 90min of pointless, glossy, silly entertainment, nothing more. And that's nothing to be ashamed of.

LAUREL CANYON: Smart, well crafted character study. Very nicely played by most of the cast and proof positive, finally, that Kate Beckinsale can act as well as look beautiful.

BUBBA HO-TEP: What a marvelous, poignant and strange horror movie. Too bizarre to explain and very crude in so many ways - especially the horror element - but just a stroke of genius in the central idea.

THE BOURNE SUPREMACY: Really loved the first one. Felt this was more of the same but a little thinner in every respect. After all the positive word of mouth and hype I was expecting something really kick ass but it just never got going for me. Partly I think this is because that whole shaky cam-psuedo-documentary thing that Paul Greengrass delivers so well just got on my tits. Over cutting of action just makes me feel like it hasn't be staged well enough to show in its entirety - and I'm sure that's not the case here because it was very well done. I dunno, maybe I'm just being pissy. It's still a million miles better than any Bond film I've seen and is the certainly the way to go with intelligent action thrillers. Karl Urban kicks ass too.

COLLATERAL: Missed it at the flicks but regretting it now. This is another fantastic piece of work from Michael Mann. I loved it, really. The performances are spot on and the script is very smart. It's mostly shot on Hi-Def digital video and makes such good use of what that format offers. The way the city looks at night and the amount you can see into the twilight. People have criticized it for becoming an ordinary action thriller in the last act and though it does end in some running, chasing and shooting I think it earns the right to do that and because of what comes before, it actually feels like it matters. Fantastic.

ROUNDERS: Forgotten how much I liked this. Strong performances from Matt Damon and Edward Norton, even if I have a little issue with the motivations within the story. Solid directin from John Dahl. I'm getting into Poker now, so at least I finally understand what they're all talking about.

25th HOUR: Powerful drama. Spike Lee. Smart script. Edward Norton. Great acting. Flawed but terrific. Say no more. Except that the last fifteen minutes are a mistake but up to that point it's really superb. I still think Clockers is Spike Lee's masterpiece.

THE STATION AGENT: Story of a midget who inherits a run down train station in a small town. Sounds awful and is a typical indie pic; all characters and no story - or maybe the story is the characters.. Anyway, I loved it. Peter Dinklage gives a revelatory performance and one that made me somewhat ashamed for never having seen small people as 'real' folks before. He's a damn fine actor, tall or short and I'm only sorry that he's not going to get used as much as he should because he's small. All other performances good. But, to be fair, not very much happens so it's not going to be for everyone.

SHATTERED GLASS: I like movies that show me the workings of world's I have no idea about and yet still manage to be about some universal truth so that I 'get' what the story is. I had no idea about fact checking in magazine journalism, indeed, had never given it a moment's thought but this manages to make it interesting and dramatic enough to hang a film on. Hayden Christensen once again proves that it's George Lucas's direction that makes bad actors rather than the actors themselves being bad. He gives a pretty decent portrayal of Stephen Glass the journalist who simply made up good stories rather than actually do any journalism (and on the DVD extras the real Stephen Glass is interviewed, coming over as a total scumbag.) However, the movie belongs to Peter Saarsgard who delivers an incredibly nuanced and real performance. Worth watching for him alone.

INTERNAL AFFAIRS: A genuinely classic cop story from the 80's. Richard Gere in a career best performance (I kid you not, he's fucking fantastic here.) and Mike Figgis pulling the strings on a phenomenal script by Henry Bean (who wrote and directed The Believer, see below). Not to be confused with Infernal Affairs, the Hong Kong crime story that everyone is raving about.

THE BELIEVER: Ryan Gosling is going to be one of the best actors of his generation. I will put money on it. This is a tough, intelligent film that at first seems to covers similar ground to American History X but I think is far more intelligent and profound. It's not slick or very excitingly shot but is grounded by intelligent writing from director Henry Bean (who co-wrote the superb thriller DEEP COVER and oddly the new super hero movie ELEKTRA, go figure.)

WONDERLAND: Another great performance from Val Kilmer in this Boogie Nights type story of murder in the porn industry. Ultimately though, it doesn't really have anywhere to go as a story. I'm getting a little sick of 'druggie' movies but this was worth a look for the performances and some stylishly done scenes. Josh Lucas is really doing some great work at the moment. Made good use of the non-linear narrative style as well.

TRUST: This oddball indie comedy by Hal Hartley from 1990 has long been one of my favourite films. It has the always excellent Martin Donovan as a really screwed up young man who carries a hand grenade around with him. (he's kinda like an indie version of John Bender from Breakfast Club). The film is willfully odd and - like David Mamet - Hartley has his own unique rythms of speech, but I find it rather magical. Evne though I pretty much loathe european and UK indie films, American ones still retain enough of that mainstream need to tell a story that they work for me. I'm also fan of his Simple Men and Unbelievable Truth as well but Trust is his masterpeice. Can't get it on DVD which I think is a terrible shame when you think that every other piece of shit is available right now.

DODGEBALL: Another good time at the cinema. Utterly devoid of anything but entertainment value but actually rather slyly clever when viewed for a second time on DVD.. Wonderfully underplayed by Vince Vaughan and overplayed by Ben Stiller. Some cracking jokes and laugh-out-loud cameo moments. Laughed my ass off. How can people being smashed in the face with a ball just be so damn funny? Maybe I'm sick.

THE GIRL NEXT DOOR; Damned if I didn't enjoy this. It made me feel bloody old though when I suddenly realised that my aspirations should have moved on from being Emile Hersch to being Tim Olyphant. It's politically a bit dodgy when you get down to it but the heart is in the right place. Pretty nicely played even if Eliza Cuthbert is not exactly a dead ringer for any porn actress I've ever seen. Tim Olyphant is brilliant as always - how come this guy isn't a bigger star? Is it just the name?

THE HOUSE OF SAND AND FOG: I was expecting a thriller but really it's a drama and suceeds on that level fantastically well. Excellently played by everyone - Ben Kingsley continues to amaze each time he finds a role to get his teeth into - but finally it's thoroughly depressing. A thoroughly adult and mature film without any clearly defined bad and good people. Motivations are valid (okay maybe the cop is a little forced) and behaviour is real with the writing hinting at many levels of meaning. Terrific.

THE VILLAGE: Flawed but brilliantly made. It's not the twist ending thats' the problem, it's the way it's played out in the last act and the fact the climax is handed over to a blind character who is stumbling about in the woods. It just lost me then because I couldn't believe that part of it. It felt like the screenplay was just spewing out the necessary mechanics and obfuscation needed to make the story play rather than being more organic. To me, this film was lost in the edit and not in the directing. Still, he shoots better than almost anyone else around right now.

I, ROBOT: Great summer sci-fi entertainment with an intelligence not totally smothered by spectacle. I really like Alex Proyas as a director and though this was hardly his trademark dark and shadow it had it's moments. Personally I think Will Smith was miscast and then trying too hard but it was very entertaining. Along with Spidy2 it was the popcorn flick of the summer,

SPIDERMAN 2: The more I think about this, the better it gets. Too much Aunt May and I have no love for Kirtsen Dunst so I find it a little hard to understand Peter Parker's obsessive desire for MJ but pretty much everything else was wonderful. Thematically it's got so much going and Tobey Maguire is such incredible perfect casting. The scene where he stops the train and is just utterly exhausted by his efforts and then defended by the people he saved...sublime.

SPARTAN: Huge Mamet fan. Think Val Kilmer has untapped genius as an actor and is beginning to come into his own now that his youth is behind him. (All that arrogance now mitigated by age and disappointment is perfect.) Sure, like all Mamet, the film is more about language and ideas than actually being terribly cinematic and it makes me wish someone else was directing the actual camera and cinematic aspects but I still love the ideas and fierce intelligence that is behind it all.

BAD SANTA: A riot. Brilliant misanthropic idea delivered with such a vile relish it's utterly stunning. I'm pretty glad the Coen brothers didn't direct this as I don't think it would have had the edge Terry Zwigoff gave it.

OPEN RANGE: Loved it. I like Costner enormously even if he has made a few poor choices recently. This is a beautiful and mature film.

HARRY POTTER 3. Best of the bunch so far. Great look, decent performances with spot on effects.

DEAD END: Strange and interesting low budgeter about a family trip to visit relatives for the Xmas holidays. They find themselves on a road that never seems to end with no sign of the turning they're looking for. It's not totally successful with, I think, the twist a little too easy to spot but having said that it really did manage to convey some tension and though not especially horrifying it is a little disconcerting. Worth a rent.

ETERNAL SUNSHINE OF THE SPOTLESS MIND: Terrific. Clever and well crafted with the genuine emotion that Kaufman hasn't quite managed to get into his previous films. Kate Winslet was superb and Carey excellently understated. What can I say, just amazing.

HELLBOY: One of the best comic book adaptations I've seen. Ron Perlman is quite wonderful under all the red makeup and Del Toro's directing is robust and inventive. The story itself lets down the great characters by being a little pedestrian. I hope there'll be a sequel but I'm not holding my breath. (Have heard there WILL be a sequel!!)

MAN ON FIRE: Denzel Washington is superb and I think the film is brilliantly inventive in its stylings but there is a strong argument to be made that it's all buried under a blizzard of over-directing and cutting. Without doubt a well made film but I just wanted Tony Scott to let his style settle down a bit so that a stunning screen actor could do what he does best. I think the film has real power and is not afraid to let rip with the violence and chaos. Not for everyone but it worked for me.

MASTER AND COMMANDER: Even though I think Peter Weir is one of the best directors around with a pretty faultless track record for quality films with powerful themes, great visuals and excellent scripts I wasn't totally crushed that I missed M&C at the theater. Men on tall ships sailing after other men on tall ships so that they can fire canons at each other is not a must see for me. And I love Russell Crowe. He's a genuinely gifted actor and one of the few unabashedly masculine leading men working today.

But I liked this film. Not loved but really liked. Hardly exhilarating in terms of the action (despite what the promotional material would have you believe) but just so damn smart, well put together and played out. A real craftsmanlike attention to detail suffuses every frame of this film. Crowe is good and Paul Bettany is terrific as his intellectual companion and ships doctor. An invisible blend of CGI, models and real ships gives the film a strong grounding in reality as does the obvious attention to detail. I can understand why this wasn't a massive success and feel bad that such evident quality was somewhat shunned by the audiences (myself included). Maybe I should watch it twice to make up for it...

SCHOOL OF ROCK: Jack Black is the man (though not The Man as described in this film.). Utterly predictable and yet satisfying in all the right ways. Dead Poets for the metal generation. And it's nice to see rock music front and canter for once and not rap music. But that's just my taste.

ONCE UPON A TIME IN MEXICO: I only watched this to see what the HiDef Video looked like. Seemed to work very well. As for the film - a little bit blah really. Nothing more interesting than El Mariachi - just all a little more comic book and over all sillier. Lots of bullets and Johnny Depp once again saving a movie. Rodriguez is clearly a top director but is he a writer with stories worth telling? I'm not sure yet.

BIG FISH: Nicely handled tall tale. Not life changing but touching and well played with some lovely touches.

DREAMCATCHER: Erm....Damn it, I liked this movie. It's a total mess in terms of what it is but why should everything go in a box? Good central performances and a nice look to the movie. A narrative that really doesn't go where you expect - at least not to my mind. Only a crazy person would have put all these elements in one movie then given it a big budget, star cast and expected it to work. It's a B-movie all dolled up and trying to look like mainstream entertainment but it really isn't. For all the bad rap this got it's no weirder or worse than your average Japanese horror that everyone fawns over. Crap but worthy. And who can keep a straight face with alien ass weasels that erupt out your butt? Farting is not the stuff of horror movies.

MR IN-BETWEEN: Very interesting Brit crime movie. Strange, unusual and slightly dreamlike. Seems its trying to be a more mythic, supernatural tale and works on that level but doesn't completely suceed as a full on gangster movie - which is fine by me cos I'm sick of them. Had a little of the Peter Greenaway about it, I thought. Andrew Howard, who hasn't done much, is an actor worth watching out for, great face and intensity.

IN THE CUT: Don't know why this got such a bad press. I thought it was smart, arty and well made. Certainly not for everyone and it was a little willfully indie in approach. Jane Campion's best film since 'The Piano'. Mark Ruffalo is a top actor.

RETURN OF THE KING: Feels like the end of a three year journey. It felt good knowing that each year there would be a new installment of this epic series. Now it's over. Well, not really. Not until the extended DVD comes out because only then will it really be revealed as to what was intended for this movie. It felt chopped up and messy for the first hour and only got into it's stride in the second half. It's amazing and wonderful and exhilerating with some of the most astonishing visuals ever created for cinema. It has morality and power and meaning but I just think it could have been cut a little better. A minor complaint. It's a milestone and I'm so glad they exist.

SUNSHINE STATE - Directed by John Sayles. This guy is a brilliant and constantly inventive writer/director. He's frequently brought in to polish up and give depth to mainstream blockbusters and then, as a director, he makes smaller, more considered films. 'Sunshine State' is an ensemble piece about the selling (or not) of a a small stretch of Florida beach front and how this affects the locals. There's not much story, very little action but it is a rich and rewarding film. Sayles is a superb writer and coaxes great performances from a cast of familiar faces. It isn't quite the towering achievement of Lone Star but was a rewarding watch. Not for everyone to be sure but then again, what is? IMDB details here

ADAPTATION - Loved Malkovich but thought this was really pretty weak. Clearly some dazzling ideas in the first half and very funny jokes if you're in the film industry and a writer. Nic Cage is amazing as the twins. Don't see why the superb Chris Cooper got an Oscar - he's been much better in other things. The film totally implodes in the last 30 minutes. Is that the joke? The funniest thing is that the movie Charlie Kaufman's imaginary brother is writing is pretty much the exact plot for 'Identity' - and that more people went to see Identity than they did this.

I bought this on DVD and like it more each time I watch it. I don't love it but I really admire it.

PIRATES OF THE CARIBBEAN - Expertly made, enormous fun. Best blockbuster of the summer. And isn't it about time somebody recognized just how brilliant Johnny Depp is? Just look at what he's done with his career. Also probably the best use of CG effects I've seen in ages. Moonlight and pirates - lovely.

TERMINATOR 3 - it's a blast. But T2 is impossible to better. Don't know where all that money went.

PUNCH DRUNK LOVE - damn PTA knows how to shoot stuff. It looks wonderful. I've never seen an Adam Sandler movie before and thought he was really very fine in this. In fact everything is well done. It's more a question of if you like this kind of willfully odd little movie. I liked it a lot. Didn't care for the way the music was mixed so high. I got the point but it excluded me rather than brought me into the character's frame of mind. Still PTA has gotta be one of the best shooters around.

CITY OF GOD - amazing. I was just totally stunned by this film. I don't think I've ever seen a Brazilian film before. As a sprawling 'crime drama' set in the shanty towns of Rio it could have been pretty depressing but it isn't. Superbly made on pretty much every level and very well acted (always hard to tell with a subtitled film though.) I found out that they were all amateurs and it was a sort of community project, which just makes it even more impressive. I found it pretty compelling. Really strongly recommend this as a powerful drama. A little long perhaps but a triumph none the less. Just incredible energy and drive. Loved it. IMDB Details here

AMADEUS - DIRECTOR'S CUT

Oh my god. What a wonderful and amazing film. I don't really care for classical music, being a bit of a rock and roller at heart but that is totally irrelevant to having an appreciation of the near genius level that this film reaches. In terms of performance, script, direction and design coming to together to create something which is both powerful and intellectually exhilarating as well as being emotionally profound. I'm aghast at how far ahead of everything else I've seen recently this is. It was pretty well rewarded in 1985 when it came out and, of course, I was just a kid and totally obsessed with those 80's vacuums of action movies then so it's nice to rediscover something.

F.Murray Abraham is simply amazing as Mozart's biggest fan and hated enemy. The conflict he brings to the screen is really jaw-dropping. Tom Hulce too is wonderful. There's a scene at the end where Mozart is dictating his own requiem mass to Salieri...wow. Incredible use of music (as there should be) and the most terrific restrained direction. Milos Foreman is no hack and his record of films speaks for itself but this might actually be better than One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest, mmm... not sure...

Clearly not everyone is going to go for this and I could, perhaps, have lived without the extended opera scenes but it made no difference to final power and brilliance of this film.

The DVD is pretty cheap to buy now so I implore you, go out and get this.

Just to see how I'm right, click here for more reviews

or here for another gusher

BRUCE ALMIGHTY

Jim Carrey, comic god? Literally. Super high concept, mainstream movie that made me laugh out loud a few times. If they'd just made it all a little meaner at the end. No, not meaner, but just less preachy. Don't suppose there was any way round this and, to be honest, it doesn't matter. The gags work. Jennifer Aniston is underused. Jim Carrey still kicks it out. All he needs to do is find a role that can combine his genuine dramatic talents and his schtick - perphaps that was CABLE GUY? Maybe. Anyway, it is a good way to spend an hour and half of your life.

THE UNTOUCHABLES

Picked this up in a DVD sale. I wanted it but as it's got no extras I wasn't going to pay full price. It still plays very well after all these years. Looks lovely on widescreen. May be one of DePalma's best (most restrained) films - or is that Carlito's Way...? - anyway, it's a good yarn very well told. Of course the talent involved helps; David Mamet writing it assures the best dialogue and the richest of themes and ideas. Costner when he was just rising to superstar status and his very serious/righteous persona didn't grate too much. Connery being himself, DeNiro adding the power behind the scenes and Andy Garcia in one of his earliest roles. All in all a top class Gangster movie. Not Miller's Crossing or Godfather but a different beast and worth it for all that.

FARGO

Just bought this now it's finally out on DVD. Nothing to say but Brilliant. It seems so complex but is so simply and beautifully put together. A must for any DVD collection.

THE QUIET AMERICAN

Nice to see an intelligent and measured drama about human issues that also is a very smart metaphor for international politics. Based on a Graham Greene story and adapted pretty well I think by Christopher Hampton (Dangerous Liaisons) it does boast a big brain. Has two nice central performances in Michael Caine and Brendon Fraser to keep it well above average but it feels a little restrained for me. I really didn't take Phillip Noyce's style of directing; some scenes the actors are almost talking TO the camera. I understand it but didn't like it. Far from making me feel more involved it kept bumping me out of the story. Certainly worth watching but I can't understand what the fuss was about politically - it seems to me that we need films like this more now than ever. I'd love to have seen what a really unashamedly ballsy/bombastic director like Oliver Stone did with the same material though.

CLAY PIGEONS

Even from the trailer I thought this might be an odd film. The trailer didn't give much of a clue to the genre - was it a comedy, a thriller...what? And that, in fact turns out to be the problem (much like mine, is it a horror or a war movie?). Great cast; Joaquin Phoenix, Vince Vaughn, Janeane Garofalo, top producers Ridley and Tony Scott.

The film turns out to be a character driven serial killer movie with a deep vein of black comedy running through it. It lurches a little from scene to scene but is rewarding simply for Vince Vaughan - and in fact all the performances are interesting but it's not consistent. Different actors seem to be coming to the film with a different impression of what they're doing. It's really not going to be for everyone's tastes but worth a rent if you're up for something slightly to the left of what you expect.

DONNIE DARKO

The danger of having a film so hyped is this...you end up not being surprised at how clever or different it is because it's exactly what you were expecting all along. Having said that, I love this film. It is without doubt, a smart and interesting movie and left me with only a tiny feeling of 'is that all?' at the end. I'm also pretty certain that if you deconstructed it the plot doesn't work. Jake Glynehall (sp?) was superb. The ideas were smart and interesting. Direction was oddly flat in some places and clever and trixie in others. I'm just jealous cos this was a very admirable film. Spend some time with it.

NOTE: Bought this on DVD and re-watched it. The more I watch it, the more I love it. A grower and brilliant in it's way. Still doesn't make sense when you take it apart but quite an achievement.

NOTE, NOTE: Bought the Director's Cut... I feel now it should have been left ambiguous and confusing. Too much explaining seemed to take away some of the edge. Shame because I had grown to really love it..

THE ROAD TO PERDITION

Finally saw this movie. I hate Sam Mendes, he's so good and apparently a nice guy as well. This is an incredibly well crafted film - almost to the point of being sickly. Like eating too much rich food. Beautiful to look at with some lovely touches. It is stunningly crafted, really. And in spite of being miscast, Tom Hanks, once again delivers a fully committed and believable performance. As does pretty much everyone. I wonder what it would have been like if a more realistic dangerous bastard actor had been cast as the killer - probably wouldn't have worked at all but would have felt more real. It's a smart minimalist script which is rich in theme and story. All round a better film, I think, than American Beauty.

Criticism: The pacing is a little samey. It doesn't build very well or increase in speed or tension towards the end. Everything is measured and slow. I felt it could have kicked in a little. Still, a small price to pay. I see why it wasn't a massive hit but, for me, kudos to all involved. Esp Conrad Hall - the master.

ONE HOUR PHOTO

Mark Romanek has made some genuinely stunning pop promos (Nine Inch Nail, 'Closer' is my fav) so it was never going to be a question of this film looking good. It was more of; can it deliver on its promise... yes and no. I admired it so much on many levels. Robin Williams was well cast and kept a nice lid on it. Using him was an excellent choice because of our familiarity being used against us. The direction/photography and technical credits were all superb and yet...and yet. It didn't quite wrench me.

I liked the way it didn't pander and it certainly didn't conclude in the expected way. And this is almost my main problem - in trying to be different and confound our expectations it had to rely on deliberate misdirection. Most film narrative works this way - it's as much about what you don't see as what you do see - but this time I felt a little cheated.

Still, really good and worth a rent if you like unusual, intelligent and emotionally charged thrillers.

FAVOURITES

(in no special order, I swear. )

BLADE RUNNER - smart, genre-bending, human, did I mention smart? Don't care what Harrison Ford says, it's his finest hour. I actually prefer the one with the voice over. So shoot me.

ALIEN & ALIENS - the reason I wanted to be a film maker. Both deliver on their own terms. My money is personally on ALIEN.

LA CONFIDENTIAL - Almost everything is good about this film. I love Ellroy.(actually went to a talk he gave in LA and he came over as a bit of jerk unfortunately...oh well.) Superb adaptation of an almost impossible book. Top directing and performances. Love Crowe's signature violence and vulnerability. Not sure about James Cromwell as Dudley Smith though...

WONDERBOYS - talking of Curtis Hanson... A film so good they released it twice and still no one went to see it. It's literary, smartly written and beautifully played by Tobey Maguire, Michael Douglas et al. I can see why it didn't stick but it doesn't make it a lesser film to me.

CHINATOWN - dripping in style. Note perfect from Nicholson and such wonderfully complex and subtle (and sometimes not so subtle) narrative. Took a couple of viewings to fully appreciate it but now it's right up there. I even like THE TWO JAKES. Recently re-watched it on DVD and it is as interesting and complex and well made as I remember.

GROUNDHOG DAY - might actually be a perfect comedy film. Apart from Andie McDowell being so damn wet and feeble. Everything else - superb. High concept delivered as it should be. "Don't drive angry."

HAPPY TEXAS: Comedy. This film was picked up by Miramax for a whole bunch of money a few years ago and did zero business. Don't know why; it's wonderful fun. Not everything works but when it does... watch for Steve Zahn teaching a dance class. Priceless.

FIGHT CLUB - pure genius. I think Fincher is probably the best technical director working today. Also check out Chuck Palahniuk's (www.chuckpalahniuk.net)other novels. God I want to make 'CHOKE' or SURVIVOR or LULLABY; all brilliant.

THE MAN WHO WOULD BE KING - Watch this film. High adventure. Caine and Connery, neither have ever been better. It's nothing fancy in terms of camera direction but it is rock-solid story telling from a master.

TALK RADIO - Oliver Stone turning on a dime. Brilliant. Stunning performance from Eric Bogosnian. Why doesn't this guy do more film work? Oliver Stone films; always worth watching. Seems to have gone quiet recenty.

SEVEN - A pretty dumbass pitch when you think about it but elevated to sheer genius by a cracking script, casting and stunning direction. A bench mark for the dark thriller. I aspire to this kind of quality. A Fincher gives great commentary on the DVD.

LORD OF THE RINGS - of course. Prefer the first part. It seemed to have more narrative drive. But Andy Serkis's Gollum is pretty amazing. (but then again, I'm biased). This is the film that will open the doors to fantasy movies and that can only be a good thing since it's a genre I adore.

ROAD TO PERDITION - Just saw this. Incredible hand crafted, highest quality film making. Not perfect but pretty good. Easy to admire harder to love.

THE COMPANY OF WOLVES - dark magic on the screen. A fairy tale fantasy world. Beautiful and unreal. Major touchstone for me.

UNBREAKABLE - I can see why this didn't hit huge but I think it's Shyamalan's best film. Sombre, intelligent, beautifully crafted and well played. Even with what is essentially a silly idea at the core and a rather forced twist it is marvelous. And that score from James Newton Howard....sublime.

TERMINATOR & T2 - gotta be on any list. Definitive sci-fi action. Changed film FX for all of us. Cameron probably is the king of the world...

THE ABYSS - too much tension. Heart pulsing. Ed Harris being amazing. Michel Biehn delivering the goods. Friendly aliens didn't work for me. But my god, how good is that first three quarters?

SEXY BEAST - great looking movie from Jonathan Glazer but this whole thing turns on Ben Kingsley's jaw- dropping performance.

THE WAY OF THE GUN - a bit rambling in places but it's smart and complex. Does it make sense when you boil it all down? No idea. Don't care; I liked the ride and the violence and dialogue and...pretty much everything. Another reason why Benicio Del Toro is right up there.

JASON AND THE ARGONAUTS - seminal film. Even the crappy acting and flat directing is forgiven in the face of Talos the Bronze Man, the Hydra and the Skeletons.

GODFATHER 1&2 - 'nuff said.

APOCALYPSE NOW - but not the redux which, I think, is too flabby and unfocused. Interesting though.

AMERICAN WEREWOLF IN LONDON - best werewolf film ever. Character, pathos, comedy, horror and startling special effects, which still hold up.

THE THING - tension, atmosphere, structure, did I mention tension. Carpenter's best IMHO. Russell's best IMHO. Oh yeah, some neat effects too.

MANHUNTER - the first and best of the Lector films. Michael Mann. Visual genius. Perfect casting. William Petersen just wonderful. Tom Noonan perfect. Everything perfect. True genre art. What was that Red Dragon remake?

SNATCH - seems to be the in thing to hate Guy Ritchie but I just love this film. Makes me laugh and is so well put together. Hope he delivers the goods again sometime in the future.

TWELVE MONKEYS - form and function in perfect harmony. Gilliam is a genius. David People's is also a genius. Willis is perfectly cast and the story has so much power. It goes a bit wonky in a few places but I don't care.

KING KONG - because I love monster movies and adventure movies and this is where it all began. I love all Ray Harryhausen movies - I just love adventure movies with monsterous creatures.

TOY STORY - pefect. No, really. It's perfect.

FARGO, MILLERS CROSSING, BARTON FINK but the best of the best of the Coen's THE BIG LEBOWSKI

THE KING OF COMEDY - it makes me wince.

TAXI DRIVER - because you have to admire the master.

GANGS OF NEW YORK - flawed indeed but my god so much power and Daniel Day Lewis...words cannot describe how much I loved what he did in this film. Kudos to writers and designers on this too.

JURASSIC PARK - because it made me believe that anything was possible again. When the T-Rex busts through the fence...jaw-on-floor time.

JAWS - possibly the best mainstream movie ever made. I'll fight you over it.

TIME BANDITS - so close to perfect. I love this film. I want to be the kid in this film.

DINER - great characters, performances and dialogue. So much life and energy.

BUGSY - superb script. Warren Beatty is soooo perfect. Listen to the words he's given and how it's delivered. Wonderful artistry all round. Can watch this over and over. Always find something new.

THE EVIL DEAD - just proves it can be done.

THE BIG SLEEP - Clever and intriguing. Bogart is wonderful. So complex and I still really can't figure it out.

DAWN OF THE DEAD - horror at its very best. Social commentary, good characters and fucking terrifying. DAY OF THE DEAD - truly frightening and disturbing. None of the humour of Dawn; it's just nasty and very memorable.

FERRIS BUELLER'S DAY OFF - when I was teen, this was the perfect film. Still makes me smile.

MIDNIGHT RUN - is it the best buddy film of all time? Maybe after Butch and Sundance. Certainly DeNiro's finest hour. Superb dialogue, character and good action.

GLENGARRY GLEN ROSS - Performance and blistering dialogue combined. Understated direction. And what a cast...Everyone note perfect. Love Mamet. STATE AND MAINE, HEIST - always rewarding in some way.

BADLANDS - I remember seeing this and just marvelling at it. It's not nice but it is beautiful and lyrical. I don't think Terrance Malik is as wonderful has he's cracked up to be. Days of Heaven was the DOP's film but everything else about it was just boring.

GOODFELLAS - masterclass. Never quite bought DeNiro in it for some reason but it carries you on its skill and energy. Liotta's just great.

DEEP BLUE SEA - sorry but I like it. Great animatronic sharks. I like shark movies.

ANGEL HEART - Towering. Alan Parker's best by far. Clever and dark. Love characters who are looking for themselves. Beautifully shot.

THE USUAL SUSPECTS - not just for the twist though, god knows it's brilliant, but for the story and atmosphere. I didn't guess it.

MEMENTO - easy to hate Chris Nolan off the back of this. Smart film, well executed. Very jealous.

HEAT - sprawling and overlong but worth it for the nuggets of brilliance. And I DO like the DeNiro/Pacino coffee shop scene even though it feels crowbarred into the story. Val Kilmer keeps a lid on it and makes a good job of things too.

THE SALTON SEA - Can't figure why no one likes this. I think it's superb. Flawed but rich and weird and compelling.

DONNIE BRASCO - Al Pacino. Al Pacino. Al Pacino. Mike Newell's direction is so subtle and perfect it allows a whole life to exist on the screen. And Johnny Depp keeps up. Love this film.

CHOPPER - didn't know what the fuss was about Eric Bana until I saw this. The thing which started the heat on him and deservedly so. Smart direction on a small budget. Very funny and pretty disturbing when you look at it. But Eric Bana; hope he can find projects that allow him to deliver on this promise.

SLINGBLADE - very hard to get in the UK but worth hunting out. Maybe a little overlong and sometimes slow but Billy Bob completely becomes the character. It's touching and depressing and uplifting.

X-MEN - just for Wolverine. Love those claws. Hope X2 is bigger and badder.