ZZZ) £ ~ Indie flicks 4-5 stars

Exceptional!!! Without doubt one of the best films that I have watched in a long time. A gritty, true to life storyline with very natural performances, particularly from the two main characters. This film held me from the get go and never failed to grab my attention throughout. Quite a frightening reality, which makes it a sensational Drama.

This is a film that should be on everyone?s ?must see? list (or at the very least every Brit?s ?must see? list).

People who are easily offended by bad language should probably give it a miss.

Finally I get to see it! I love watching this type of film, way after all the hype settles down.

Despite everyone ranting and raving about this film (which can sometimes lead to disappointment) I was blissfully unaware of how the storyline would unfold and really enjoyed that aspect of the film.

Dev Patel is a very natural Actor and gave a very enjoyable performance.

Whilst from a British point of view, this seemed to give us some sort of insight of the people on the poverty line in India, I was still able to watch with my Flixster Friend?s (Prith) comment about this not necessarily being portrayed correctly, in mind.

Either way this was fascinating, entertaining and dispite the hype ? nothing like I?d thought it be, in fact better.

From book to film this intriguing story is quite an insight into the war-torn years in Afghanistan. Directed by Marc Forster, the film appears authentic and natural.

The Kite Runner takes a little while to show which direction it is heading in, but during that period the foundations of the tale are set and character development is established.

The film evolves into a class dividing, guilt ridden, culture changing journey, which questions loyalty and friendship to the deepest of levels.

My one complain if any, is that the older Amir, was less of a good Actor than the boy who took the part of the younger Amir.

A film that will get people talking about it?s controversial title and explicit sex scene, this is not a film for everyone.

A more realistic approach to this type of Horror film (which was more of a Thriller) and it had its? fair share of tense moments. The film will definitely appeal more to the 18-30 age group, especially those who holiday to party. Considering its? low budget, I feel it?s a well put together film.

Special Features reveal plenty of interviews with Cast, Director, Co-writer and Producer.

The Orphanage is a Thriller which gives some wonderfully tense moments and really made me jump on a couple of occasions.

Not your average ghost story, this is a beautifully created horror, whilst managing to steer away from predictable route, so many take and instead providing a genuine realistic account of an unknown world.

I had hoped to watch the original first, however, this was certainly a a much enjoyed re-make.

Some great performances here particularly Naomi Watts and Devon Gearhart (who took the part of the son), who certainly in one scene did a great job. Michael Pitt as always plays sinister well in a quiet psycho type way.

What I like most about this film is the lack of explanation and justification behind it and the lack of analysis of the characters. The audience participation added to the creativity of the piece.

Interesting, enjoyable and pretty unique.

Ben Affleck works with brother Casey Affleck in his Directional debut Gone Baby Gone. This interesting Thriller gives a different angle of investigation for this theme and defintely triggers thoughts of real life cases with similar media attention.

Adapted from a novel, Ben Affleck managed to create an element of grittyness, with enjoyable performances from all of the main cast, especially Amy Ryan who was very convincing in her role.

One thing I did struggle with slightly was hearing Casey Affleck speak at times and I'm not sure whether this was down to him or his accent (something I've never found with an American film before).

A story which shines through the simplistic approach and does well to stay away from the Hollywood glamourisation.

A film that has completely blown me away on many levels.

A true story of a journey of self-discovery and search for identity, living a simplistic lifestyle, travelling a Nomadic adventure. A film of rebellion and anti-conformity.

This film is beautifully made in every sense of the word. The views of nature were captured in great detail, the acting was of high standard and very natural, the relationships between people and their relationships with the material world were completely in depth.

Excellent work here by Emile Hirsch who jusifyably portrayed this true life character's journey and of course Kudos to Sean Penn for the Screen play and Direction in this film and for choosing a project with such human insight.

Although a short role, it has to be said that the older guy in this film (whose name I can't seem to get at the moment) played a blinding role and a totally believable performance.

Inspirational, breathtaking, liberating and one hell of a life experience. The best film I have watched for a long time and this has instantly become one of my favourite films of all time. I shall now be buying the book..

UPDATE:

Second viewing already plus reading the book. I have fallen in love with the philosophy behind the story and have found a deep fascination and admiration into the character Alexander Supertramp.

Ben Kingsley is the most likeable Hitman ever, this film has such a subtle humour to it, it?s strange to say, but it has a feel good factor about this film.

A great performance from Kingsley as always and a good performance from Tea Leoni.

It?s not the type of comedy where you role around the floor laughing, but if you have a dark side which is drawn to black comedy, then this is certainly worth a watch.

Totally unique, a film portraying a message that would benenfit many people to watch. Animated in sillouette style, this very serious subject matter is tackled controversially, yet in an educational way.

This film isn?t just about Culture, Religion, Polictics, battle of the sexes or Coming of age ? it?s a combination of all.

Refreshingly unique

A gangster movie with a difference, it?s subtle, non-flashy, yet it includes all the vital ingredients and perfection of a top-notch Organised Crime film.

Viggo Mortensen was brilliant in this role, the super-cool Russian ?driver? for the son of a crime family, is slick, smart and undeniably cold. I?ve never really been blown away by Mortensen?s talents, but this role for me, showed that he can deliver an impressive performance. Cassel as always was great (and a little trivia here) took just a few weeks to learn conversational Russian for this role.

The storyline is fairly simplistic and not too ambitious as far as films in this genre usually go, yet the result is a new angle with a big impact.

This is my second viewing of this film and I was just as impressed second time around.

An extremely surprising find with possibly Ethan Hawke?s best performance to date, plus great performances from both Phillip Seymour Hoffman and Albert Finney. The flashbacks are a tad tiresome at times, but the editing of them are very clever in the storytelling. A unique angle for the ?robbery? theme films and one that just got better and better as it went on.

After a fairly slow start, there emerges one of the best films of the last few years. It takes everything predictable and turns it on its head. This film (for me) is by far the best film The Coen Brothers have ever made.



There are times throughout, that I almost forgot that it's a bad man, hunting another bad man and found myself feeling sorry for the guy.



The acting was of great quality and Javier Bardem played one of the best killers ever to be casted in a film.



With regard to the ending, it was abrupt and maybe considered as somewhat of an anti-climax, but this to me gave the film some realism and again an unpredictability.

An interesting look at the true story of Albert Pierrepoint, Britain's most notorious hangman, a great performance from Timothy Spall and great supporting role from Juliet Stevenson. Gave an insight into capital punishment from the executioner's point and public opinion against capital punishment.

This film left me utterly speechless. This great British Drama is shot as a devil's advoate kind of view, showing two sides to every story.

Certain parts of the film led me and (I'm sure others) to recall a very similar well known British case.

The actions to the film lead you to make your own opinions and your mind is questioning every part of this dilemma.

Superbly acted, gritty, emotional, real hard hitting stuff with a controversial issue. Amazing! Kudos to the Director and leading actor for this one.

I am now intriged by Pedro Almodóvar's work and intend to work my way through this list.



This is by far my favourite role for Penelope Cruz, who has always been an actress I can take or leave. Her role as a hard working Mum on the poverty line and coping with a series of events causing just a little bit of chaos, which take several twists and turns.



A totally original piece and one I certainly recommend

Stunning performances all round, eye-opening contents inspired by true events and real people.

The title of this film gives nothing away as to what type of film this is. It's a film that requires your full attention and to some will be well worth it.

A refreshing teen movie with a difference. The appeal here is the quick dialogue and of course the wonderful actor Joseph Gordon-Levitt.

This film does take a lot of concentration and I feel it's an either love or hate style of film, either way it's pretty original

Worthy of all the recommendations, I received, I guess this story fits my liking for tragic romances. The views of China are breathtaking and great performances from Norton and Watts who managed to pass as sounding English where so many fail.

This isn't the type of film you can describe very well to someone else without giving away the storyline, so I just recommend that you watch it.

Had absolutely no idea what this film was going to be about, but with so many recommendations I had to watch it.

My only complaint about this film, if any, would be that it was ever so slightly drawn out, however I'm not sure the desired effect would happen if it wasn't. The film itself reminded me of 'Crash' in the style of the filming, but not by content. The storyline is actually a very simple one, but very cleverly done.

I've seen many a sub-titled film, but not one that shows more than one language being spoken.

There was one particular part, I thought was especially good, when filming as if through the deaf girl's eyes.

VERDICT: A fantastic film, unlike any other storyline, give it a watch, I shouldn't think there would be many dissapointed with this one.

Very impressed, not what I was expecting tomorrow. Great storyline, magical, unexpected and held me all the way through, pleasantly surprised as I wouldn't normally go for this genre.

VERDICT: Definitely worth a watch, would certainly recommend it

Having not received many reviews or recommendations for this film, I thought it was sure to be a very average film and yet I was pleasantly surprised, it?s definitely my type of film.

Centred around all the main people effected when a dead girl is found and creatively chaptered, to enable the viewer to experience the effects and emotions felt by each individual surrounding the storyline, it was a unique style used for this type of film and with a good standard of Actors, this was a very enjoyable film.

Impressive illustrations and the manorisms of the stars were all captured brilliantly, particularly Robert Downey Jr. Love the suit too! Of cours this also is a unique cartooned way of seeming like a regular film, particularly with the topic, something I've only seen before in Anime.

Fascinatingly weird and utterly brilliant, a story which unravels slowly and reveals an outstanding ending.

The controversial appearance of Bale in this film is so devastating to watch. He truly ran risks to his health for this role, losing 63 lb to accomplish the look, which although is a rather drastic action, it's not exactly a recommended way of doing things, however, the story obviously benefitted from the transformation.

A superb performance by Bale and for those of you who enjoy the weird and wonderful, this was will dazzle.

This film gets better for me with every watch.

The first part of a revenge story where East meets West in the trademark flashback storytelling way of Quentin Tarantino.

The best thing about this film, is that depending on who's watching it, they will get very different experiences from it. Personally I grew up watching Martial Arts films and so picked up on how this film compliments early style Martial Arts movies, similarly it covers many other areas, such as Swordsmanship, Anime, Wirework, sub-titles, platform choreography and even a Western theme, which appeals to QT's interest for Grindhouse theatre.

The whole film is like animation brought to life, with an over-emphasis on colour and costumes, over-emphasised quotable dialogue and a well thought out soundtrack. We also see something new here, by bringing a several females in as deadly assassins (who incidently are not just looking good kick ass chicks, they have earned their place here).

All together Kill Bill Vol 1 is a well thought out, creatively stunning film.

A powerful film with powerful performances to match. An amazing tale based on a true story, a truly enlightening story of one man's love of his family and bravery to save people whilst others were being brutally murdered.

This film requires your full attention and you'd be a harder person than me if this doesn't effect your emotions.

VERDICT: A definite recommendation.

A truly amazing tale with equally amazing performances. Dame Judi Dench was a very eerie, frightening character and Cate Blanchett seems to have mastered so many accents.

The storyline cleverly is based around two focus points. It?s been a while since I?ve seen such a film with this standard of acting and the narration through worked really well, so many narrated films can be annoying.

Gritty, emotionally powerful, raw and what British Films should be made of. With an almost frightening reality to it, none of the cast could be faulted in this and the acting was of such a high standard that parts could have been mistaken as a documentary.

VERDICT: An absolute must see.

An impressive film which shows a realistic story based around drug muelling. Great performances all around, but particularly from Catalina Sandino Moreno who played the lead character.

A Drama which really pulls you in and see the circumstances from different viewpoints.

Definitely a recommendation ? an instant favourite for me.

Worth the watch, bear with the beginning. I found this more gruesome than most violent and scary films I've watched

An extreme decision made by a group of teenagers for an extreme case of bullying. Based on a true story

With part of the same cast as Lock, Stock and of course appearances by Brad Pitt and Benico Del Torro, this film shares the same principles of Lock, Stock, whilst raising the stakes. Themed with unlicensed fighting, this film takes you into a part of the criminal underworld, rarely shared. The characters are again developed well and intertwine nicely and comically.

Possibly one of the weirdest films ever made, a young Jake Gyllenhaal leads the cast in an unexplicable storyline. I have watched this film over and over and have never stopped thinking of questions to ask, I still don?t understand it fully, but I think that?s the beauty of this film and the biggest appeal to it.

There?s something quite addictive about this movie, the biggest challenge at all is trying to explain the storyline to someone who hasn?t watched it.

If ever there was a film that required multiple viewings it's this one!

I'm still fresh from watching this film, with my brain enthusiastically trying to piece together all the pieces of the puzzle, but if I never manage to, it will still be a most enjoyable film.

For anyone willing to stray from traditional story telling, this one might just blow your mind!

Requiem for a dream is a cleverly put together story, showing the lives of four drug addict, three addicted to narcotics and one to prescribed drugs.

The acting is great all around, the creative filming allows the viewer to understand the feelings of the characters and the music really dramatizes the situation.

Best performance has to go to Ellen Burstyn

I was really expecting some kind of over the top, Hollywood action film and was pretty impressed to see a more serious, quite realistic type of film, with great acting. Don Cheadle is fast becoming one of my favourite actors.

Admittedly this film has it's boring parts, but made quite an impact in other parts.

Utterly brilliant! Completely worthy of all it's praise. If you like films where various stories intertwine then this is an absolute must.

The acting, the plot and pretty much everything about this film was gritty and realistic.

VERDICT: You do need patience with this film, but one I definitely recommend people to see

Slightly corny, low budget English film and one I have watched so many times, a comedy slant on London Gangster's brought to you by an all star British cast. With music by Oasis and various comical kareoke songs, this film will have you laughing and wincing at the same time, my favourite watch over and over type of film.

A very well put together story, intertwining the lifes of several people who have become involved in an escalation of events. The film that made Guy Ritchie and Jason Statham a name. Great characterisation used and good use of soundtrack. A film I never seem to get bored of watching.

Probably the most underrated of the Tarantino movies, with great development of characters, a clever plot and as always great music.



Great acting all round, but I have to say I loved Robert De Niro's character, quet and moody he was great. Samuel L Jackson, once again looked great in character and came across pretty intimidating. Pam Greer certainly carried off the lead role well.



VERDICT: I would definitely recommend

You need a lot of concentration for this film, it starts at the end and works back to the beginning. Guy Pearce plays a man who after an incident cannot make new memories and relies on the facts tattoo'd on his body and the photographs he carries around to work out who his wife's killer is.

Quite slow moving at times, but a very unique and original storyline with a lot of character. I am very impressed with the performance from Vincent Gallo in this film, who incidentally Directed and wrote this too. Christina Ricci was also great in this film.

A progressive tale, which draws you in and constantly challenges your view on the situation throughout.

Intriguing and enjoyable, a great Indie Flick.

I've lost count how many times I've watched this film now.

The Harsh shocking reality of Danny Boyle's film adapted from the novel by Irvine Welsh, was a controversial revolution at it's release and it still remains (in my opinion) the best film of it's genre, a timeless classic highlighting the problems of this huge epidemic.

The film that brought Ewin McGreggor to fame and by far his best performance to date. All the actors were cast extremely well included Carlyle's portrayal of 'Begsby' proving the hard man doesn't need to be a big mean looking man.

Re-watched this film and found it as powerful as the first time I'd watched it. This to date is definitely Edward Norton's role of a life time, he made parts cringeworthy and you just couldn't wait for him to be turned around, Edward Furlong played a fantastic part too. There was something in this movie that made it feel so real. This film isn't a promotion for violence, it's a promotion for peace.

Wow! Billy Bob Thornton's performance in this film was amazing. Billy Bob, not only starred in this amazing film but also wrote and directed it and hit the jackpot on all three. It's a long viewing, but most certainly needed, great performances all around.

If you're easily offended by bad language do not watch this film. It's a very gritty down to earth story of one family's troubles.

Kathy Burke and Ray Winstone's acting were very believable, they did an amazing job. Brits will also recognise many of the rest of the cast too.

The film with the best film ending ever! David Fincher?s ?Seven? is one of those films you can endlessly watch over and over and never become bored of, when I remember back to the first time of watching it, the storyline was impressive, there were many tense moments and of course it has become one of the best and most remembered Serial Killer movies ever made. Kudos to Kevin Spacey for his short, but great role as John Doe.

I have to leave a speech from the film which is too long to put into the quote section above:

David Mills: Wait, I thought all you did was kill innocent people.
John Doe: Innocent? Is that supposed to be funny? An obese man... a disgusting man who could barely stand up; a man who if you saw him on the street, you'd point him out to your friends so that they could join you in mocking him; a man, who if you saw him while you were eating, you wouldn't be able to finish your meal. After him, I picked the lawyer and I know you both must have been secretly thanking me for that one. This is a man who dedicated his life to making money by lying with every breath that he could muster to keeping murderers and rapists on the streets!
David Mills: Murderers?
John Doe: A woman...
David Mills: Murderers, John, like yourself?
John Doe: [interrupts] A woman... so ugly on the inside she couldn't bear to go on living if she couldn't be beautiful on the outside. A drug dealer, a drug dealing pederast, actually! And let's not forget the disease-spreading whore! Only in a world this shitty could you even try to say these were innocent people and keep a straight face. But that's the point. We see a deadly sin on every street corner, in every home, and we tolerate it. We tolerate it because it's common, it's trivial. We tolerate it morning, noon, and night. Well, not anymore. I'm setting the example. What I've done is going to be puzzled over and studied and followed... forever.

Billient, still as good today as when I first saw it, great twist, great cast, great story.

VERDICT: One of those films you will see in any film fanatics collection

Good British cast, good storyline about greed

A great film an unlikely story between a hit man and a little girl. Definitely recommend watching

Another great from Tarantino. Who hasn't seen this film?

The story revolves around a robbery that you never see happen. Reservoir Dogs, a timeless piece, everytime I watch it I notice something different about it. A great cast of actors in Tarantino's debut film. I like the way Tarantino appears in his films, but only takes a small part.

Reservoir Dogs has one of the best movie soundtracks in my opinion, let's face it, who doesn't think of the 'ear' scene when they hear 'Stuck in the middle'?

Do have 2 questions though, which I probably missed: In the scene where Mr Orange shoots Mr Blonde, who turns the radio off?

At the end of the film, Mr Black aims a gun at Joe, Joe aims one back at Mr Black, Chris Penn's characterpoints his gun at Mr Black, they all shoot at the same time and all three men fall down. Who shot Chris Penn's character? You do see Mr Pink come out after holding his gun, but he was hidden under the ramp, you never actually see anyone shooting Chirs Penn's character.

VERDICT: An absolute must see for any film fanatic, everyone should have this one in their collection

Perfection! An absolute phenomenal film with Nicholson's finest performance to date in my opinion.

Great characterisation here with all the patients and a real insight into hospitals for mental health in that era, especially the use of electric shock treatment.

This should be in the collection of anyone who calls themselves a movie addict.

A bit drawn out, but an extremely enjoyable film. Performance by both were great, but Steve McQueen's role was pretty outstanding. For the age of this film, they dealt with some of the topics really well and the make up for Steve McQueen though his punishment, is a pretty amazing transformation.

VERDICT: One of the best older films I've seen, definitely recommend it.

Alfred Hitchcock?s most famous film, inspired by the Serial Killer Ed Gein. This sinister tale still works with great effect today and Anthony Perkins was perfect for this role. The set, the plot and the music all add to the eeriness of this film and must have been quite a fright to people at the time of it?s release, it was also, (I thought) very forensically aware for it?s time, in regards to the ?clean up?.

Hitchcock at his best!!!!