Film Review: No Distance Left to Run

Film Review:No Distance Left to Run

A music documentary by Dylan Southern and Will Lovelace that captures the 2009 reunion and tour from the British Quintet. A comprehensive documentary that captures a celebration of music and friendship. The directors did they're homework on this one for sure starting the film out with the beginning to the close end of Blur to the several side projects that they have taken. It's filled with commentary from the band and live behind the scene footage unearthed to the screen. I found the film to be refreshing and very enjoyable with it's colorful images. It's a time line of one of the quintessential bands of the 90s. Starting off with Damon and Graham meeting each other in grade school then reconnecting at Goldsmith University to form Blur with Alex James and Dave Roundtree. If you were curious about the 90s British music movement then this would be a must have for the library also for any Blur fan out there. This is going in my film collection.

4 out of 4 stars.

To Kill a Dead Man by Portishead

To Kill A Deadman
by Portishead

A 1994 short film written by Geoff Barrows of Portishead and directed by Alexander Hemming. It's pretty interesting to see the band create this little short. It's very spy and neo film noir type of style. Overall it's pretty cool that they made this when they where starting out. It stars the entire band in the video and Beth Gibbons is lovely as her voice. Check it out.

Film Review: Black Swan

Film Review:Black Swan

Darren Aronofsky directed this horror themed thriller film of pressure and the presence of a doppelganger. The film stars Natalie Portman as the main character playing the young perfectionist to take on the task of the white swan but also find trouble undertaking the transformation of the black swan. Her friend Lily played by Mila Kunis fits the part for the black swan perfectly whom becomes competition that leads to her losing touch of reality. Her overbearing mother has a failed ballet career and puts the pressure by reliving her career through her daughter. It's terrible how this happens and adds to her caving in under pressure. The film was shot in a real type format rather than the pretty film stock. It gave it a sense of raw realness to make many of the shots believable. The camera work in the film was impressive with the many scenes having a horror type element leaving you at the edge of your seat in wonder. Natalie Portman does not get naked in the film if you were looking for a cheap thrill, just to let you know but there is a sultry scene in the film that heats up the coldest theatres. There was months of training for the film and ballet is just more than standing in the middle of a stage with a tutu looking cute. It's serious pressure. I found this film to be simply amazing and see it winning many awards for ceromonies to come. This is the same director from requiem for a Dream and Pi. Expect intense. I highly reccommend to watch this.

four out four stars.

Film Review: Lynch (one)

Film Review:Lynch (one)

A documentary on the creative film director David Lynch while finishing his film Inland Empire. The film is over two years of footage of David Lynch working and discussing his process in film with many in depth interviews that reveals a more personal side and perspective. The director of the film basically lived with him and followed him during this period. The film starts out with his obsession with taking photos and one of his many journeys in Polish abandoned factories. Lynch seems to be a rather calm and collected individual that has a racing imagination that he produces onto film. I found it rather amusing to watch him talk to a camera for online updates for his personal website that is ran by him to his fans and he has a few quirks caught on film. Overall I found this film to be entertaining and inspiring for anyone in the film community or would like to see how things get done in a more different fashion. He just seems like a cool person overall. I plan on purchasing this as an early Christmas gift for myself. I would recommend this film for the curious and the fan.

3 out of 4 stars

Film Review: Them

Film Review:Them

Co Directed/ Written by David Moreau and Xavier Palud, the tension in this French horror film is from start to finish that will keep you at the edge of your seat. The film is supposedly based on a true story and as the film progresses I can actually see this happening in real life from some twisted types. The begins with a young couple from France moving into a lovely home nestled in the countryside of Romania. Later during the evening they are being chased for their life by a group of small hooded people with the intent of putting them into harms way with a tense feel. The ending of the film leaves you in a confused state though. The cinematography in the film is superb but there's not much of a plot in the film except for an isolated couple running for their lives from a band of small hooded killers in a very brutal manner. I found this film to be enjoyable and tense at the same time.

3 out of 4 stars.

Film Review: Monsters

Film Review:Monsters

Written, Cinematographered and directed by Gareth Edwards in this low budget Sci-Fi thriller. A space probe crashes in Mexico with an alien life form that multiplies in great numbers which causes a panic in the Southern part of North America. A photojournalist is on a last minute errand to escort his boss's daughter around the alien infested hot zone but insteads ends up going through the infestation zone to find more than just another photograph to place in a magazine or newspaper. The creatures in the film resemble large octopus from the very depths of the ocean but instead from space. The special effects were great and the visual aspect of the film was very realistic. Most of the script in the film was improvised which impressed me and gave it a real time effect in the dialog. All of the extras where actual villagers in regular settings with no notice that they were being filmed. A very guerrilla style shot film to say the least. There's a few scenes in the film that kinda reminded me of other films such as Cloverfield when the monsters connected and showed only harm when they were just protecting their offspring from air raids and such. Other scenes pay homage to Jurassic Park and Jaws but you'll have to watch the film to find out. I found the film to be artistic and innovative in the style it was filmed. The film kept me at the edge of my seat in curiosity. I found this film overall brilliant and would recommend it.

3.5 out of 4 star rating.

Film Review:Following

Film Review: Following

Following is the first film that Christopher Nolan directed. He spent a whole year working on this film which was filmed every Sunday during that time while holding onto his day job. The film tells the tale of a mans obsession with following people to find what they do and how they do it which leads him into a situation of course that hits him right into a pigeon type scenario. The film is shot in black and white which carries a modern day film noir type feel with a touch of suspense in an art house type sense. I found the film interesting and would watch it again during some coffee during the day but would consider this a sleeper of a film. It was well shot and the characters in the film were believable. I can see a situation like this taking place in a well populated city such as New York or Chicago. Overall I would check this out if your into Hitchcock. Curiosity killed the cat would be the summary of the film.