Second Coming Mini-Review

Second Coming Mini-Review

Unambiguous title aside, Debbi Tucker Green's superb debut about a supposed Immaculate Conception, makes minimal concession to religion throughout its absorbing run-time. Set in urban London, it tells the quietly powerful story of Jacqueline Trent (a virtuoso Nadine Marshall) and how her inexplicable pregnancy gnaws away at her friends, family (Idris Elba as her husband, Mark, and JJ, played by the hugely promising Kai Francis-Lewis) and, inevitably, her sanity. The main cast are quietly stunning in challenging, layered roles filled with guilt, regret and thinly masked rage. Green acquits herself marvellously, finding visually dynamic methods of shooting the mundane locations of this secular parable. A frigid therapy session late in proceedings, shot in one increasingly uncomfortable shot is nothing short of miraculous (get it?). As Jacqueline's denial grows ever deeper, and Mark's frustation reaches boiling point, decades of misunderstandings and unresolved history is unleashed, allowing the characters, and  by proxy the film, to let loose in a barrage of deeply troubling scenes of a family in crisis. Matters are in no way improved by Jacqueline's refusal to acknowledge the baby-sized elephant in the room. Regrettably, Green lacks the strength of her social-realist convictions; settling for a misjudged conclusion which leaves marginal room for interpretation. For such a deftly handled movie elsewhere, the ending feels forced and unnecessarily po-faced. If the finale leaves much to be desire, the overall impact of the film makes it forgivable. Moving, honest and enthralling throughout, Second Coming is one of the best British films of the year...

Five-Word Verdict: "Come, let us adore it"

Score: 4/5

3 Women Blu-ray Review

3 Women Blu-ray Review

Review: Roger Altman's 1977 classic 3 Women, loosely inspired by Persona (my favourite film of all time), is a masterpiece in unease and discomfort. Whether or not you enjoy it is up to you, but one thing is certain: it is absolutely unmissable. Or you could just see Ted 2. Your choice, really. Roger Ebert's favourite film of the year on release, this disquieting portrait of obsession will bury itself into your subconscious and refuse to leave. The film follows Pinky (Sissy Spacek, walking the line between irritating and compelling perfectly) as she joins the staff of a Palm Springs day spa and becomes infatuated with her colleague (Shelley Duvall, stealing the show as the delusional Millie). The third woman of the title, Janice Rule as Willie, plagues the movie with disturbing murals of demonic, well-endowed...things (yours truly is evidently an expert in description), becoming a key motif as the increasingly disturbing relationship between Pinky and Millie goes fully down the rabbit hole. Lesser filmmakers may have produced a shlocky, brain-dead male fantasy from the palpable sexual tension of the premise, but Altman assurredly clinical direction gives it a far more cerebral edge. Released 2 years after Eraserhead, it had a clear on David Lynch's later psychosexual lesbianic headtrip Mulholland Drive. Best described as a bizarro blend of Bergman's philosophical musing on identity and Stanley Kubrick's unsentimental perspective on the human condition, this is bold, uncompromising and wholly absorbing filmmaking from one of the greats of modern American cinema. Devoutly singular yet utterly engrossing; essential viewing, even if just to say you have.

Extras: This magnificent new package from Arrow Films' Academy label includes an excellent analysis of the film with David Thompson, author of Altman on Altman, as well as an archive interview with Duvall, a behind-the-scenes photo gallery, a trailer and a new 4K restoration, making this the best-looking dream you'l ever experience (warning: not guaranteed).

3 Women is out on Blu-ray on 13th July

Five-Word Verdict: A masterful diatribe of humankind

Score: 5/5

The Happiness of the Kakaturis Blu-ray Review

The Happiness of the Kakaturis Blu-ray Review

Review: The issue with reviewing a film as twistedly insane as The Happiness of the Kakaturis is trying to convey just how sick, perverse and down-right strange it really is. Under the expert control of Japanese cult legend Takashi Miike, this pitch-black comedy horror-musical is a must-see for Miike purists, but absolutely not for the uninitiated. Combining his customary bloodlust with technically astonishing musical numbers and bizarre animated deluges, Miike has created that rare thing: a truly unique experience. Whether or not this experience proves pleasurable will hinge largely on one's penchant for horror tropes and screwball comedy. And Japanese pop music. It doesn't happen often, but I am honestly lost for words here. I'm reasonably sure I liked this movie, but looking back now, I'm starting to doubt myself. Perhaps that is the film's greatest strength: putting an audience in an indescribable headspace from which even the most evangelical of film critics emerge uncertain. I can't honestly call it a great film, yet Miike's technical proficiency and the (very occasionally) heartfelt story of family and acceptance make this acid-level headtrip, at the very least, an unforgettable one. Side note: a Being John Malkovich-style trip into Miike's mind would be deeply fascinating, whilst also deeply disturbing. Just like his films, then...

Extras: Besides Arrow Video's ever-impressive restoration and collector's booklet, this edition features commentaries with Miike and critic Tom Mes, a new interview with Miike, a making-of documentary, archive interviews with the main cast, a featurette on the animations, a visual essay on Miike's career by Mes and trailers (everyone loves a trailer to the film they've just watched, right?)

Score: 4/5 (I think)

Extras: Nothing is real. Help me.

The Happiness of the Katakuris is out on Blur-ay on 22nd June

Milano Calibro 9 Blu-ray Review

Milano Calibro 9 Blu-ray Review

Review: The first instalment of Italian director Fernando di Leo's "Milieu Trilogy", Milano Calibro 9 is a strikingly evocative entry into the poliziottesco (crime thriller) sub-genre. Utilising a muscular (in more ways than one) lead performance Gastone Moschin, this chilling depiction of Milan's sleazy underbelly stands as a unsung classic, due for re-appraisal with the arrival of a pristine 2K re-release from Arrow Video. Moschin plays Ugo Piazza, an ex-con just released from prison, who is greeted by the sociopathic Rocco (the impressively moustached Mario Adorf) and led back into the world of treachery he is so desperate to escape. Lionel Stander fills the Marlon Brando role as the Americano, orchestrator of this barely-controlled madness. Replacing the genre's typical exploitative sleaze with a thoughtful, almost tender approach, di Leo soap opera proves all the more affecting for its (comparably) subdued nature. The outbursts of ultraviolence are beautifully framed in all their barbarous glory: one-take beatings and a show-stopping climactic shoot-out put most American thrillers to shame. The unsapring dialogue, courtesy of di Leo and Giorgio Scerbanenco, author of the source novel, is particularly strong in the ideological debates between the hot-headed commisioner and his newly appointed colleague. This juxtaposition of intellectualism and poor taste give the production an unpredictable edge, along with cosmopolitan appeal. See it for astute social commentary. See it for the heart-pounding slaughter. See it for the gorgeuous Barabara Bouchet. Regardless of your motives: see it.

Extras: Besides the exemplary restoration and Arrow's customary collector's booklet, this worthy package also includes documentaries on the making of the film, poliziottesco, and the careers of both di Leo and Scerbanenco, an interview with Mochin and trailers.

Five-Word Verdict: A masterpiece, through and through.
Score: 5/5

Jurassic World Mini-Review

Jurassic World Mini-Review

It's taken 22 years and 3 attempts, but we finally have a Jurassic Park sequel worthy of the title, courtesy of the director and writer of the wonderful indie sci-fi comedy Safety Not Guaranteed (stop reading this and watch that movie. You're welcome.): Colin Trevorrow and Derek Connolly. The world's mutual man-crush Chris Pratt and Bryce Dallas Howard lead this playful send-up of Hollywood's attitude towards sequels of (understandably) dormant franchises: bigger, scarier, more teeth. As it turns out, when the bean-counting executives of the now-functioning dinosaur theme park create a new hybrid attraction, this model is far from fool-proof. Trevorrow frames his barely-family-friendly film with a Spielbergian sense of awe, the frequent low-angle shots giving a true sense of scale to the chaotic proceedings. The director's lack of blockbuster experience is easily masked by his expert handling of the numerous heart-pounding action scenes, the standout being a spine-prickling jungle chase, facilitated by the joyously dopey inclusion of human-trained velociraptors. Unfortunately, his mastery with a camera does not extend to his and Connolly's slightly lacklustre screenplay, which opts for stupid-for-a-stupid-movie subplots about militarised dinos and two precocious (if serviceable) kids for his leads to rescue, instead of, you know, the thousands of other innocent people being eaten alive. Michael Giacchino has always excelled in nostalgic charm and childlike wonder, and his latest score may be his finest work to date; perfectly blending John Williams' classic themes with new, pulse-pounding compositions. The two leads share an easy-going chemistry, making their inevitable romance both believable and compelling, however unnecessary.  Jurassic World is a silly, explosive and surprisingly brutal crowdpleaser that knows exactly what it is and excels at it, whilst providing a sly nod to its own existence. I loved it, and if you can tune into its brand of gleeful destruction, so could you...

The Spider Complete Series DVD Review

The Spider Complete Series DVD Review

Review: At one point in The Spider, Ole Christian Madsen's brilliant Danish noir thriller, femme-fatale Lisbeth Gordan (the radiant Stine Stengade) tells her beau, the over-zealous reporter Bjarne Madsen (Submarino's Jakob Cedergren) that "you're sick. Journalism is a disease and you've got it". This delightfully vitriolic outburst is customary both of the miniseries' excellent hardboiled dialogue and its generally pessimistic worldview. There are no heroes in this story, merely residents of various subscripts of grey. Due for a UK DVD release on 15th June (from the lovely people at Arrow Films. Seriously, these guys are the best!), now is a perfect time to discover easily one of the best TV shows of the 00s. Cedergren commands the screen as a journalist increasingly overwhelmed by his duties, desperate to lead a normal life with Lisbeth and support his self-destructive brother Ole (Lars Mikkelsen, recently seen playing Magnussen in BBC's Sherlock). His latest endeavour, to uncover a gangster's corruption of the police department could well destroy everything he hopes to build. The cast are universally magnificent, Cedergren being the clear standout with a staggeringly honest portrayal of an imperfect man navigating a morally ambiguous underworld. The mystery itself, although disorientatingly complex at times, coolly pulls you into a web of intrigue (ha!), before bunking off major players with gleeful abandon, all under Madsen's (the showrunner) careful control as he slowly tears down the life of his on-screen counterparts. Boasting a wickedly dark sense of humour, a hypnotic score from Soren Hyldgaard and some of the Dutch-est Dutch angle ever to grace the small screen, this is unmissable television for crime fans and  hat enthusiasts alike...

Extras: None. 

Five-Word Verdict: "I really need that hat"

Score: 4½/5

The Hound of the Baskervilles Blu-ray Review

The Hound of the Baskervilles Blu-ray Review

This review is written by someone ignorant of the original story. Some points made in this review may be the fault of the source material rather than the film in question. Enjoy!

Review: Hammer Horror lend their usual brand of campy shlock to this 1959 adaptation of the classic Sherlock Holmes story, with stellar performances with Peter Cushing as Holmes and Christopher Lee as the terrorised old money Henry Baskerville. Not, as Arrow Video's press notes would have you believe, the genius detective's "most terrifying adventure!", although that does not negate the film's many inspired moments, largely courtesy of a chilling score and the starkly beautiful Dartmoor setting (actually the exotic locales of...Surrey.) The mystery offers few surprises for Doyle fans or people who spend too much time watching movies (yours truly would know nothing about that. Obviously.), yet serves as a satisfactory background for wonderful interplay between the perfectly cast crop of characters. Andre Morell makes an excellent Watson, far more jovial than more recent versions. The supporting cast also includes Francis de Wolff and Ewen Sollon are both excellent as Dr Mortimer and the scheming farmer Stapleton, whose webbed hands become an unlikely plot point in later proceedings. Cushing is the Holmes to whom all other versions must be compared. Never before or since has an actor more convincingly captured the essence of the timeless character; his fervent intelligence and boyish enthusiasm embodied perfectly in every scene. Unfortunately, as is the way for many Hammer productions, the film is a slow-burn building to a rushed denouement. Sherlock doesn't appear on Dartmoor until passed the half-way point, with the final twist coming in exactly five minutes before the end of the movie (including credits). You get the sense that if director Terrence Fisher (a Hammer veteran, responsible for many of their best works) and writer Peter Bryan had  the patience to stick with the story for a while longer, this could reside in classic status. For now though, it remains a well-played and proficiently told gothic horror in search of a more engaging mystery.

Extras: Along with Arrow's standard high-definition transfer, collector's booklet and reversible cover art, this impressive set also includes a brand new documentary on the film (featuring critic Kim Newman and Sherlock co-creator Mark Gatiss), a new commentary with Hammer experts Marcus Hearn and Jonathan Rigby, a featurette on Morell's work with Hammer, an archive interview with Lee, excerpts from the story, a theatrical trailer and an "extensive" image gallery (judge for yourselves on that last one)

Five-Word Verdict: Benedict Cumberbatch can step aside

Score: 3½/5

The Hound of the Baskervilles is out on Blu-ray on 1st June