New Trailer - A Dangerous Method

Ever since my first encounter with David Cronenberg's unique brand of body horror upon my chance viewing of The Fly in my early teens I have been enamoured with his output. Even though Cronenberg has strayed away from the style of films that created his initial success, his bold move into different genres has proven successful with A History of Violence and Eastern Promises. His latest effort, A Dangerous Method, marks his third collaboration with Viggo Mortensen alongside a stellar cast including Michael Fassbender, Vincent Cassel and Kiera Knightley. Following Freud and Jung during the development of psychoanalysis, the film appears to be a gripping drama that may well contain some powerhouse performances from the lead actors. Fingers crossed that this turns out to be as good as it looks.

New Trailer - The Last Circus

This looks like one of the most insane films ever made. Be warned this is the red band trailer so there is lots and lots of violence and gore - just the way I like it.

New Release - The King's Speech

The King’s speech is a heartwarming, inspirational and humorous tale that weaves between elements of serious drama and comedy with ease, thanks in large to excellent performances from the entire cast, with Colin Firth standing out as the stammering King George VI in one of his finest starring roles to date. Geoffrey rush is ever watchable as Lionel Logue, the speech therapist that comes to George’s aid in anticipation of his potential to take the throne, and their often troubled relationship provides much of the humour as George’s stubborn nature prevents pronunciation progress ( now I would like to see King George get his chops around that phrase), despite Logue’s best efforts to conquer his stammer.

Alongside the King and his speech therapist, Guy Pearce and Helena Bonham Carter are riveting to watch as his self-righteous younger brother and dedicated wife and although Timothy Spall has a limited amount of screen time, his humorous portrayal of Winston Churchill is an important presence, with his stoic nature and determination providing the King with some much needed confidence.

As the king’s speech is a character driven plot, it is imperative that we can empathise with the cast and Hooper has done an exceptional job at lightening the tone in key moments throughout the film – to ensure that we warm towards the king and his entourage – whilst still maintaining the importance of the fascinating historical events that unfold as the plot progresses. It is an impressive feat to bring so much drama and tension to a single moment in history and the build-up to the film’s climax is perfectly paced as our faith in the king’s ability to perform his speech begins to waiver, and at times it is easy to forget that this is a historical drama as the wit and audacity of certain characters appears very current without feeling out of place in 1930s Britain.

Basing the premise of an entire film on a speech impediment was a brave move from director Tom Hooper and one that has paid off fantastically with the film receiving a total of seven Golden Globe Nominations as well as being a hot contender for a number of Oscars. Awards discussions aside, The King’s Speech is a wonderful film that completely surprised me with its enormously enjoyable storyline and engaging insight into the impact that speech impediments can have on their hosts.

This is arguably British film making at its finest with top-notch performances from a fantastic ensemble cast, brilliant direction from Tom Hooper, and a storyline that inspires and amuses in equal measures all adding up to make the King’s Speech an unmissable film.

If you like this you will enjoy these:

Frost/Nixon
The Madness Of King George
Quiz Show
Quills

New Release - We Are What We Are

We are what we are is the rarest of beasts, a macabre tale that has the power to delight and disturb in equal measures with its unique take on a family under turmoil. Unlike the majority of horror films that focus on the victims and their struggles against evil, this unflinching portrayal of cannibalism follows a family of killers and their struggle to survive in the harsh and unforgiving environment of the Mexican suburbs.

After the head of the family meets a gruesome end, it falls upon his eldest son, Alfredo, to take responsibility for the surviving members; his younger siblings and his grieving mother. Each of them have their own agendas and it is not long before these conflicting issues result in horrifying consequences for both the family and the people they prey on for food. The less known about the storyline the better, which is why my description of the plot is suitably vague, as the majority of the films more unsettling moments come as a complete surprise for the unsuspecting viewer.

Apart from Antichrist, this is the only film I have viewed where audience members have left the cinema during the more graphic scenes, and this certainly confirms that We are what we are is a very powerful film, not for the faint hearted but very rewarding for those that persevere. With cinematography on par to that of the hauntingly beautiful shots seen throughout Let the Right One In and a subject matter as realistically brutal as the gruesome deaths of the unsuspecting victims in The Texas Chainsaw Massacre, this is a perfect example of an atmospheric horror that chills you to the core by combining a stark yet realistic situation with unflinching scenes of violence.

The majority of modern horror films rely on cheap scares and shock tactics to batter the viewers senses and it is encouraging to see that there are still directors out there who clearly have a great respect for the genre and shift their focus towards creating a brooding atmosphere and a compelling storyline. This brave and accomplished attempt at reinvigorating a stale genre certainly marks Jorge Michel Grau as a promising director for the future and whilst We are what we are may not be the masterpiece that horror fans are hoping for, it certainly comes pretty damn close.

8/10



If you liked this you will enjoy these:

The Texas Chainsaw Massacre (1973)
Don't Look Now
Let The Right One In
The Devil's Backbone