Biopic

Gretchen Mol looks uncannily like Bettie Page - she has the same 'innocent' look that made Bettie Page into such an icon. This mainly black and white biopic of her life works very well - the late 1950's period feel is really spot on especially during the first half of the movie. Unfortunately during the last half of the movie nothing much happens but that said this still proves to be an interesting watch.

Was she as naive and innocent as she was made out to be? A country girl who was possibly taken advantage of - it's quite a sad tale in it's own way. But I still find it a little difficult to believe that she didn't understand how the bondage/spanking imagery was being used - to her apparently it was just dressing up and posing. BDSM/Fetish-wise of course it's not possible to stress just how important Bettie Page became. Beautiful to look at it may be, but regrettably this film barely scratches the surface of its fascinating subject matter. Worth a look if you're into the 50s icon scene.

A pshycological thriller/horror depicting the repeated sexual attack of a woman (Barbara Hershey) by an unseen supernatural attacker. Pretty dated nowadays, strong issues are tamed down compared with the 'full-on in your face' attitude of today. If made now it would be viewed as low budget, but considering its age, it's a classic! Quite scary when you consider it's based on true events. Admittedly it is loosely based in places the ending especially, but the fundamental issues are all there.

I Thought Russell Crowe was awesome in his moving portrayal of James Braddock, A true story about a down and out boxer who makes a magnificant comeback during the 1930s American depression to become World Champion. His portrayal was beautifully captured in his love for his game and his family. I wasn't convinced by Zellwegger's performance and still feel she was miscast in this one - none-the-less, decent as the loving wife but didn't have enough of a part to get her teeth into. The surprise for me was Craig Bierko as the great Max Baer who really stood out as the playboy brawler.



Even if you have no interest in boxing, the sheer honesty, love, pride and brilliant acting makes it wonderfully heart warming. This film is more than underrated and deserves so much more credit for its heart warming heroism depicted so beautifully.

A thoroughly enjoyable movie. If you don't know much about Ray Charles' life, you will by the end of this - enlightening and very entertaining. It traverses the range and styles of his music over a lifetime in the industry, mixed with flashbacks to his childhood. Beautifully set in it's time, the music is the original stuff and before you know it you are watching the story of Ray Charles starring Ray himself.

Directed, produced and starring Mel Gibson, 'Braveheart' is truly worthy of it's cinematic praise. Based on the real life warrior/soldier, William Wallace to the backdrop of The war between England and Scotland in 13th Century Britain and a poem by Henry the minstrel. Although not entirely accurate (e.g. Robert the Bruce did not betray William Wallce), his film is fantastic in more ways than one, definitely worth the watch - full of drama and intensity.

The real life story of a English blue blood who chucks away the life of comfort to be a bounty hunter in the seedy world of America's bail bond business. Keira Knightley just was not convincing enough. Disjointed, jerky, and quirky for the sake of it but for no apparant reason.

The Last King of Scotland is a faustian tale of a reckless young man's decline into a moral hell as he falls under the seductive sway of a charismatic leader - the brutal Ugandan dictator Idi Amin Dada (Forest Whitaker). In the first of a series of increasingly impulsive acts, Nicholas Garrigan (James McAvoy), a naïve young doctor just out of medical school, spins a globe and randomly chooses a post in a remote medical clinic in Uganda. This impetuous decision to go to Kampala, is an attempt to escape the career plans suggested by his domineering father, fatefully coincides with the political coup that leads to Idi Amin Dada's ascendancy to power.

Before he falls under the thrall of this champion seducer, we witness Garrigan embarking on a series of ill thought out seductions of his own. First, he delays his arrival at the clinic with a sexual liaison with a woman he meets on the bus, and then briefly after starting work there he impetuously kisses the missionary doctor?s wife (Gillian Anderson). Characteristically it is this recklessness that brings Garrigan to the attention of Amin and ultimately, which leads to his fall. This catastrophic flaw forms part of the films dramatic structure as Whitaker and McAvoy masterfully play off one another other in a mutual process of seduction and duplicity.

Forest Whittaker is simply stunning in his role and totally deserved the oscar, and cutie-pie James McAvoy was very impressive as the young Scottish doctor.

A great movie that pits youth, exurberance and naivety against the malevolant web of a fascinating, mad and evil ruler.

Julia gives a great performance - and being a real life drama it just gets to you. Brilliantly told story. Relaxed and supremely engaging.

Eastwood's love of the jazz is self-evident and there are many aspects of Bird that are lovingly crafted and skilfully executed. In the end, though, the film struggles to speak to an audience that isn't already familiar with Parker and his monumental importance to modern popular music. The film takes far too long to get going and could easily have been an hour shorter - jazz fans will tolerate the sluggish pace but it might leave the wider audience somewhat cold.

Whittaker's portrayal of Bird (Charlie Parker) is brilliant - he's taller than the real thing, but has obviously done his homework - even the way he fingers the sax is exactly like Parker's style. Really low-key and non-sensational film. Could have sensationalised the drugs, booze & womanizing but majors on the jazz instead. Nothing wrong with that approach and resulting film is thoughtful, evocative and ultimately engaging. A must see for jazz lovers.

Sex, violence and insanity, not your average costume drama but an excellent film nontheless. The Marquis de Sade is in a lunatic asylum, and the authorities make increasing efforts to prevent his shocking writings from getting out.



While it presents a rather sanitised version of the Marquis' life, it is great cinema. Rush's performance is spellbinding, witty, tragic in all the right places, a likable rogue, thirsty to push the boundaries of human sexual experiences. Kate Winslet is great as the asylum chambermaid fascinated by the sordid tongue of the inmate, and Joaquin Phoenix is suitably intense as the priest trying to rein in the porn writer's wilder excesses while coming to terms with his own need for love.



Not sure how to recommend this one, but if you are interested in the period and de Sade's life, it provides an entertaining flavour and may even encourage you to actually track down some of his writings.

No, this isn't a glitzy vehicle for glamourpuss Dors, instead it's a very sobering and stark criticism of capital punishment as a shopgirl waits out the final days of her life before she gets executed for a crime of passion. Based almost entirely in her prison cell, it's surprisingly effective thanks to a gutsy performance from Dors and a strong clinical approach to the subject from director Thompson.

Solid and interesting story of a woman on death row (or whatever we used to call it in this country when we still had such a thing). The film is split into two parts; half of it as the prisoner waits for death or a reprieve, half in flashback which explains how 'Hilton' came to murder a woman. For my money the prison scenes are successful and several of them are very touching whereas the flashback scenes paint the main character as unsatisfyingly wet - right up to the moment where she murders her rival. Still, overall the film is enjoyable and affecting and also gives some insight into a time which seems so far removed and different although in reality of course it is not that long ago. I particularly enjoyed the stunted emotions of Hilton's visitors in prison who are unable to express how they really feel. Diana Dors... Britain's answer to Marilyn Monroe back in the day, plays a blinder!

Nicole Kidman performance is captivating without being as rich as some of her previous and later works. However, once the initial furry set up has been established the movie doesn't endeaver to do much more with its brave story. There's some muttering about desire and more than what's needed on the nudism side of things, but nothing very substantial is offered. All the more annoying is that in real life her character, Diane Arbus, took her own life at 48, which is not shown or even mentioned in this loosely based biopic....

It's hard to shake off the feeling that this mesmerising but puzzling film is a biopic masquerading as a fantasy tale, or maybe its the other way round. Whichever it may be, this is a good attempt to do something with the genre, but unfortunately it doesn't grow on you like the fur on Downey Jr.'s skin. If you're ready for something a little out of the ordinary try this film.