The Life and Death of Colonel Blimp (1943)

The Second World war and Boer war veteran Major Clive Wynne-Candy (Roger Livesey) finds himself in charge of a home guard unit under attack from a young ambitious lieutenant.

Wynne-Candy,now a rotund and seemingly blustery old duffer is outraged when the Lieutenant and his troops invade his London Club breaking all the rules of fair warfare.

The two men argue then wrestle each other and end up falling into a swimming pool. As Wynne Candy emerges from the pool he has now become a young man and his life in the military is told in a series of flashbacks.

Audacious and simply brilliant, Blimp is years ahead of its time in its structure and sentiments.

Although this is far from been an anti-war movie, it certainly isn't a drum beating, flag waving slice of propaganda.

Made at the height of the Second World War, Colonel Blimp is more of an attack on the British military system and its rather staid institutionalism's. Winston Churchill disliked the movie and made moves to get it banned because of the appearance of a sympathetic German although many historians note the resemblance between Blimp and Churchill himself.

Made in 1943, Blimp is now rightly considered a masterpiece of British Cinema, the acting is exemplary, Roger Livesey gives the performance of his life and Deborah Kerr is simply mesmerising.

A considerable legacy of Powell and Pressburger films, the colour cinematography leaves the viewer in awe and introduced the legendary Jack Cardiff as one of the camera operators.

Blimp is a lovely, sad romantic (and at times, very funny) movie that leaves more questions than answers, its complex and bold narrative is startling and is a triumph of deft editing.

The Life And Death Of Colonel Blimp is one of the finest war movies ever, one of the best British movies of all time and quite possibly a contender for one of the best movies of all time.

Secuestro express (2005)

Every sixty minutes, a person in Latin America is abducted. 70% of the victims do not survive.
Secuestro Express is based in Caracas, Venezuela and is the story of a young couple from a wealthy background who are the latest unwilling victims of three organised and dangerous kidnappers. The kidnappers earn a living by extorting money from rich parents after they have carried out their kidnaps. Carla and Martins ordeal looks like lasting the night.
Express works better as a political statement than an enjoyable movie.
Working the cameraman to the max, Express is a kinetic and frenzied dog of a film.
The acting is mediocre at best and its most well known actor Ruben Blades is given very little to work with.
Director Jonathon Jakubowicz`s pretentious screenplay, in a meaningful attempt to deliver on its social agenda fails because of its trashy and exploitative nature.
In an effort to ram home its anti-Capitalism message, Secuestro strains a little too hard and only ends up confusing the viewer.
Caracas, in the worst advert ever for the Venezuelan tourist board is displayed as a dangerous, sordid and uncompromising city where no-one can be trusted (not even the police) and violent death is only a heartbeat away.
As a thriller, Express doesn't quite work, its hard to actually care for any of the characters and the tension ebbs away towards an inevitable climax.
The message serves an uncomfortable truth but to serve up a trio of murderous psychotic gunmen as modern day Robin Hoods only helps to undermine an already deeply flawed movie.
Interesting as a parable of modern day life in Latin America but this film shouldn't be construed as anything else but a decidedly average pot-boiler.

36 (2004)

Two Parisian cops are on the trail of a murderous and well drilled gang of armed robbers.

Their paths clash as each is up for the position of CID Boss and the catching of the criminals becomes a sideline when a corrupt power struggle begins to develop.

36 Quai des Orfevres is the address of the C.I.D headquarters in Paris as familiar to the French as Scotland Yard is to the English.

Although delivering an extremely entertaining film, the Director, Olivier Marchal (himself a Gendarme for 12 years) over indulges himself and the serpentine plot almost spirals out of control.

Without a doubt, 36 is a flawed, cliche ridden production but it is also stylish and fast paced and the acting from two serious heavyweights, Daniel Auteuil and Gerard Depardieu is impeccable.

As a realistic portrayal of inner city French policing, 36 falls way short. The main protagonists are heavy drinking, unscrupulous and occasionally brutal guardians of the law.

There are a few too many killings which hinder the plot and I'm sure the Paris tourist board are not too happy that their city is portrayed as a crime ridden war zone.

There are also some serious holes in the plot that you could drive a seriously big truck through but for all its faults, 36 is a very likable movie.

It is intense, super slick and relentless and as entertaining a movie you could possibly wish to see. Catch it now before Hollywood re-makes it.

The King(2005)

Elvis(Gael Garcia Bernal) recently released from the Navy seeks out the father he has never known.

His father, David Sandow (William Hurt) is now a hellfire preacher in the bible belt of America and is married with 2 children and at first wants little to do with his long lost son.

Elvis begins an illicit affair with Sandow's 16yr old daughter and begins to slowly worm his way into the pastors family structure.

If you are currently on suicide watch or suffering from a serious bout of depression, I would strongly advise you not to watch this film, feel good movie is definitely not the way I would describe it.

This shouldn't put you off though, this is an impeccably acted film which deals with the everyday subjects of incest, redemption,family and religion.

The king is unsettling and at times difficult to watch, it is also potent and shocking.

Bernal is mesmerising as the lonely drifter and continues to prove his versatility as his star-meter continues to grow. He is ably backed up by Hurt who subtly convinces the audience of his obsessive faith.

A troubling movie that wallows in its own degradation and challenges the very fabric of life itself, how far can forgiveness stretch and do we all pay for our past sins.

A picture that is challenging and entertaining, the King is a morally twisted parable that defies pigeonholing but ends up been one of the best films of the year.

Sympathy for Lady Vengeance (2005)

Recently released from prison after spending 13 years inside for the kidnapping and murder of a young child, Lee Geum-Ja begins her rehabilitation and plots her revenge against the man really responsible for the heinous crime.

South Korea is one of the few countries in the world where, until recently, Hollywood productions did not enjoy a dominant share of the domestic market and with movies such as A Tale Of Two Sisters, Oldboy and Sympathy for Lady Vengeance, Western audiences continue to be equally delighted and perplexed.

Sympathy is not a straightforward revenge thriller, its a tale of redemption and distortion and is played out on a grandeur scale.

Lee Geum-Ja (as played by the excellent Lee Young Ae) has a complex disposition and is portrayed as kind hearted and generous and brutal and psychotic (sometimes, in the same scene).

Her motives soon become clear and we are subject to savage prison scenes as Lee Geum-Ja makes many allies amongst her fellow inmates.

Early in the movie director Park Chan-Wook masterfully draws the audience in with his dazzling visuals, the opening credits being a highlight, later on the lighting becomes darker as the movie takes on a more profound tone.

Sympathy is at times mesmerising, there are no body ridden shootouts and much of the gore and violence happens off screen yet this is a cold and calculating movie and at times is very disturbing. It is unflinching in its portrayal of retribution and its characters are fleshed out in such a way that we understand their anguish and terror.

This is Korean cinema at its very best tackling subjects Hollywood would never touch, Sympathy is also the best of Parks "revenge" trilogy beating even "Oldboy" with its majestic storytelling.

A Gothic, potent and dark tale, sympathy is a movie that believes in its own convictions and drags the viewer into its sordid tale of revenge and suffering.Highly recommended.

Black Narcissus (1947)

The year is 1947 and in an India still months away from Independence, five Catholic Nuns travel to a remote location in the Himalayas to set up a school and dispensary for the locals.
Under the leadership of Sister Clodagh (Deborah Kerr), the nuns begin to face mounting difficulties and insurmountable obstacles. As the surroundings and atmosphere begins to play tricks with the sisters emotions, tensions rise and the Nuns begin to question their faith.
Thrown into this mix, English agent Mr Dean (David Farrar) suddenly finds himself the recipient of unwanted attention.

Erotically charged melodrama that is years ahead of its time, for a 1947 PG certificate movie, ( Original rating A) Black Narcissus pushes the boundaries of sexual tension trumping any movie made in this enlightened age.
Deborah Carr smolders as the Sister Superior, her austere and unyielding manner betraying her conflicting emotions, she is backed up by a stunning tour De force from Kathleen Byron
whose gradual descent into madness coincides with her loss of faith and sexual re-emergence.
Byron is Mister Hyde to Carr's Dr Jekyll.
The rest of the acting is a little stifled, Farrar plays the blunt Englishman with a dash of arrogance and aloofness while Sabu is basically a liability as the Young General.
Considered by many film critics to be one of the finest colour films ever, Narcissus is a challenging landscape of images (astonishing, considering must of the photography was created in a studio and the outdoor locations were shot in England).
The legendary Jack Cardiff's cinematography is simply breathtaking and leaves the viewer in awe.
Many stand-out scenes include the bell ringing, the Christmas concert and the confrontation between Sister Clodagh and a newly de-frocked Sister Ruth.

Unquestionably Micheal Powell and Emeric Pressburger are amongst the most innovative filmmakers of all time and in Black Narcissus they possibly created their masterpiece and arguably one of the best British films of all time.

Sophie Scholl:The Final Days(2005)

This movie is a historical recreation of the last days of Sophie Scholl, a member of a non violent German resistance movement during the Second World War.
After the German army suffered heavy losses at the battle of Stalingrad, a small number of University students appalled with the stories of Nazi atrocities that were filtering through to them set up an anti war group called the White Rose.
In and around Munich University, a campaign is Spearheaded by the students as they organise leaflet handouts and daub graffiti over government buildings attacking Hitler and his policies.

After a leaflet drop in the main square of the University, Sophie and her brother Hans are spotted by the janitor and are subsequently arrested by the Gestapo.

After a period of interrogation and cross examining, Sophie, Hans and their friend Christoph Probst are charged with high treason, troop demoralization and aiding the enemy.

They are sentenced to death and are executed by guillotine only six days after their arrest.

German Cinema continues to reach deep into its soul in examining and questioning the actions of the Nazis during the second World War.

Following on from the utterly stunning "Downfall", Sophie Scholl offers a realistic and convincing backdrop of ordinary people in extraordinary circumstances anchored by a truly unforgettable performance by Julia Jentish (bearing a remarkable resemblance to the American Actress Claire Danes) as Sophie.

As the opening scenes play out like a first rate espionage romp, the movie soon turns into a courtroom thriller and Jentish finds the perfect pitch along with the rest of the cast.

Alexander Held as Sophie's interrogating officer who is subtlety forced to re-examine his beliefs has the other standout performance.

The director Marc Rothemund meticulously recreates the era working from long buried historical records, many of the protagonists are depicted as flawed individuals and only the President of the peoples Court, Roland Freisler comes across as a stereotypical fanatical Nazi . This is a straightforward tale of heroism and bravery, there are no fancy camera angles or gimmicky editing and the audience are subjected to a matter of fact re-telling from one of the darkest periods of modern history.

Many stand out scenes include Sophie's last meeting with her parents before her execution and the actual executions which are carried out as the viewer sees a blank screen, but it is the courtroom scenes which have the most impact as we watch a powerful and evil regime ( represented by Freisler) challenged by 2 young students.

Sophie Scholl is not a familiar name in Britain but it is hard to over estimate the regard she has in Germany. A recent magazine in Germany with a readership of 4 million voted her "the most important women of the 2oth century and young viewers of a German TV channel voted her "the most important German of all time".

This is a film people need to see, it has a far greater impact due to the fact it is actually German rather than an American or British production.

As a movie, Sophie Scholl offers a lasting tribute and makes a statement relevant to today's society, as people all over the world have much greater freedom of speech, we must never forget the reasons we are in that position.