La Grande Illusion – Review

Jean Renoir’s french 1937 classic, focuses on two french prisoners of war and their attempts to escape during World War 1. Often considered Renoir’s masterpiece and sometimes even the best French film ever.

The film stars the incredible Jean Gabin, who produces a phenomenal and unforgettable performance and you truly feel the hardship and trauma that the soldiers went through during the first world war. Eric Von Stroheim, plays the German soldier with a strong exterior but an eventually sympathetic side to one of the French soldiers. As always his performance is beautiful and flawless. He will always be one of the greatest, yet sadly most forgotten actors of his time.

Jean Renoir’s anti-war film, really hits you with a mix of emotion and genius. With an unbelievably clever sense of foreboding for the devastating 2nd World War. It’s very difficult to fault this film, which really has it all, with a mixture of humour and tragedy. It’s an incredible tale which absorbs you in the moment and is undoubtably one of the greatest war films ever made. With love, death and disaster, this film is a roller coaster of emotions but overall, a flawless film.

One of the greatest films ever made, quoted by Woody Allen to be the greatest film ever made, it’s difficult to not feel a huge sense of admiration for this masterpiece.

Overall: 10/10

Solaris (1972) – Review

Tarkovsky’s, greatest ever film, the sci-fi phenomenon, Solaris. The film follows a psychologist sent into space to discover what caused the crew to go insane.

The film is a journey of discovery you follow with Kim Kelvin, the psychologist battling against what is real and what’s not as he finds out for himself what the crew went through and his own psychological journey through insanity.

It’s an incredible story that keeps you enchanted throughout leaving you speechless as you follow the protagonists adventure. Tarkovsky directs this film almost perfectly. For me Tarkovsky, is quite possibly the greatest Sci-Fi director of all time and this film hugely emphasises that.

It’s very close to flawless with brilliant acting, great directing, but the one aspect that makes this film incredible is the hugely aesthetically pleasing cinematography. Along with the production design, it just looks magnificent and could quite easily be argued to be one of the most beautiful shot films ever made.

A space film that really equals and possibly surpasses the brilliance of more contemporary films such as that of 2001: A Space Odyssey and Gravity.

One of Russia’s greatest ever creation’s in cinema.

Overall: 9.5/10

Napoleon (1927) -Review

The biopic of Napoleon Bonaparte, focuses on his youth and early military career. A four hour, french silent phenomenon that helped change cinema forever.

The huge length of this classic, will put a lot of people off this film yet when you find the time and manage to sit through it, you leave stunned and amazed by just how incredible this film is.

By far the defining film of Abel Gance’s career as a director, this film really is the first fantastic war film. The sequences of battle are just incredible and you really get to see just how many strides this made in cinema. The intense music adds to what is a brilliant and energetic film.

Yes, it’s very long, possibly unnecessary for what it is, and maybe strung out a bit too much, but you have to really sit and enjoy the beauty of this classic. The cinematography is some of the best of all time, with the shots of battle still incredible to this day. In 1927, the possibilities were far less than they are today, yet this is still just as amazing as many war films created today. It’s one of the most beautifully shot films ever made, with innovative idea’s such as the 3 different shots stitched together to get the huge view of the battle fields. It’s a defining film of the silent era and quite easily matches the greatness of those such as Battleship Potemkin and The Passion of Joan of Arc. Once again the French helped created one of the most memorable silent films of all time.

A true gem of French Impressionist cinema.

Overall: 9/10

Straight Outta Compton -Review

The current film topping the box office and exciting film fanatics and N.W.A fans alike. The film, like any biopic, is sure to be far better received if you’re a fan of the artists the film is based on. Yet, even if you’re not a fan of rap music but love good films, this is definitely one of the best biopics of recent times.

The film follows the group N.W.A from their live’s filled with crime and adversity as teenagers, trying to make a way out from the streets and into a career in music. It’s an inspirational story, yet still has a heavy focus on current racism and police wrong doings, which fill the news today.

The film has a huge energy during the first half which really indulges you into the music and their early career but during the second half you enter an almost different film, filled with betrayal and really adds a huge sombre tone as we pay respect to the late ‘Eazy E’.

As a fan of N.W.A, it’s brilliantly done, you get the full cycle of their career together, from growing up as friends to the eventual break down and the decisions to go in their own directions. It’s a brilliant testament to the group and really shows the impact they had.

On a film level, the acting was surprisingly good, with actors who are clearly not household names but really take the stage and show their talent. The film is brilliantly directed by F. Gary Gray, for surely the best film of his career, it’s beautifully shot but this film was always going to have a massive emphasis on its sound mixing and editing. Which is done perfectly. The film is very good. Yet the film is obviously better if you’re an N.W.A fan.

It’s always hard to review a biopic with an obvious bias to your feelings towards the person or persons the film is about. However, putting those thoughts aside, it’s a very good film with a very deep and strong message about the ever existing atrocity of racism in America today.

It’ll be a long shot for a Best Picture nomination but it would be surprising if it was unable to get a few nominations for its sound work.

Overall : 8/10

The Passion of Joan of Arc – Review

The 1928 classic focuses on the trial of Joan of Arc and is known to be one of the most groundbreaking films of all time. But is it really that good?

Well in short, yes. If not better than the acclaim it’s achieved. Wherever you look you’ll see this considered as one of the best silent movies ever made and once you watch it you’ll understand why. Maria Falconetti gives in my opinion, the greatest silent performance of all time, with the emotion feeling so real and heartbreaking. The cinematography is genius, revolutionary and just outstanding. It brings the film to life and adds to the hugely unique style of this film. Carl Theodor Dreyer shows his pure talent as a director with his own masterpiece and really shows us why he’s a director who shouldn’t be forgotten. The sound adds to the intense feeling of the film, whilst complementing Falconetti’s beautiful acting.

The story of what would seemingly have a very thin plot and couldn’t really go very far, completely surpasses all expectations and will have you gripped from start to finish. This is mainly through the beautiful direction and the realism Falconetti shows.

If you’re not a fan of silent films, then this may be the film to begin with, as the film is just a masterpiece to look at. It’s one of the greatest classics of all time; quite possibly the greatest ever silent film.

It cannot be missed.

Overall: 10/10

5 of the greatest actors of all time

(This is not a Top 5! There are many more actors who are hugely innovative, clever and talented as an actor. This will be a list I update frequently along with Foreign Films, Directors and I will shortly add my first blog on some of the greatest Actresses.)

1. Marlon Brando – Brando was an icon, a heart-throb, but mainly a hugely talented actor. He was able to be versatile in his roles, from a drama like Streetcar Named Desire, to the musical Guys and Dolls, he never failed to excite and entertain audiences with his charming yet sometimes brutish manner. He’s the winner of 2 Academy Awards and both are certainly two of the greatest performances of all time: On The Waterfront and The Godfather.

2. Daniel Day Lewis – One of the greatest contemporary actors, his method acting is so strong it’s quite easy to forget he’s just playing a role. Although he does very few roles and is not exactly hugely loved, he is undoubtably one of the greatest actors of all time. His most astonishing role is that of, My Left Foot, a role which amazed critics and viewers. He holds 3 Academy Awards: Lincoln, My Left Foot and There Will Be Blood.

3. Jack Nicholson – An actor who has been performing for over 50 years, with his funny and charming demeanor. He has played a huge amount of roles, playing hugely contrasting characters but each time, never fails to amaze. He really became famous through Easy Rider and since then has never looked back. He’s the winner of 3 Academy Awards: As Good As It Gets, Terms of Endearment and One Flew Over The Cuckoo’s Nest.

4. Dustin Hoffman – Another actor who has been on our screens for 50 years, picking up his first Academy Award nomination an incredible 46 years ago, yet still he carries on entertaining us. An actor who really can play any role, he may not have starred in any brilliant films of late but through the 70’s – 90’s he constantly starred in great films with astonishing performances. He’s the winner of 2 Academy Awards: Rain Man and Kramer vs Kramer.

5. Robert De Niro – An actor whom was at his best through the 80’s-90’s, usually playing the criminal, with a violent and immoral character he shocked us and excited us. He like Hoffman, has settled for lesser roles nowadays but to really respect him, you have to look to his classic films. His most respected role: Raging Bull is claimed by some as the best performance of all time. Winner of 2 Academy Awards: Raging Bull and The Godfather Part 2.

10 of the greatest directors of all time

This list will explore some of the best directors in the film industry of all time, looking at their best films, a brief overview of each director and my personal favourite of their films. (In no particular order.)

1. Akira Kurosawa

Possibly the greatest Japanese director of all time and with his huge influences on films such as The Magnificent Seven and Star Wars, he will always be renowned as one the greats. He spent a lot of his career focusing on samurai films, with his most famous being that of ‘Seven Samurai’ a film in which was the idea behind The Magnificent Seven, yet still in my opinion being a far better production than that of its re-invention. In his later career with the movement to colour, he created the visual masterpiece ‘Ran’. Still today, many Director’s are hugely influenced and in admiration because of the genius of his work. However, with Akira Kurosawa comes an actor who is almost constantly overlooked and forgotten which is that of his most commonly used leading actor Toshiro Mifune. Kurosawa was the winner of the very prestigious Oscar Honorary Award.

Some of Kurosawa’s greatest works:

Rashomon

The Hidden Fortress

Ikiru

Throne of Blood

Yojimbo

Seven Samurai

Ran

My personal favourite: Seven Samurai – its story is gripping, with a brilliant talent of acting. Yet the direction and production design steals the show creating an absolutely breathtaking classic.

2. Fritz Lang

A director who dominated much of German Expressionism. His idea’s revolutionised cinema and is still renowned today as the creator of one of the greatest Sci-Fi films of all time ‘Metropolis’. The film has grown in popularity over time, yet it was hugely impactful when it first hit screens, it is said to have been Adolf Hitler’s favourite film. Lang was a director who pushed boundaries and made the most of his ability as a director.

Some of Fritz Lang’s greatest works:

Fury

Metropolis

M

Dr Mabuse: The Gambler

Testament of Dr Mabuse

Destiny

My personal favourite: M – This was a very difficult decision for me as I’m a huge fan of all of his works, whilst loving Metropolis and the Dr Mabuse films, I will always be a huge fan of M. I think he took a huge chance on the film with the huge controversy it would cause, yet he created it anyway. With Peter Lorre’s acting, the beautiful cinematography, directing and the eerie and creepy sound, it is an absolute great film. A unique and unforgettable story, this is a true classic.

3. Steven Spielberg

Spielberg is now one of the best known contemporary directors. He has created some groundbreaking films, whilst being a fantastically versatile director, creating films from all different genres. He is the winner of 3 Academy Awards and vast amounts of nominations. He’s a director whom will surely go down as one of the most revolutionary and genius directors of his time. He has countless classics and with surely many more to come.

Some of Spielberg’s greatest films:

Close Encounters of the Third Kind

E.T

Schindler’s List

Lincoln

Jaws

Saving Private Ryan

My personal favourite: Schindler’s List – one of the greatest films ever made on World War 2, focused on the Jewish point of view from the holocaust. It’s heartbreaking, with incredible directing and acting. It will leave you emotional and stunned.

4. Alfred Hitchcock

Hitchcock was a genius of his time and is now so regularly known everywhere, with his Best Picture winning ‘Rebecca’ and his timeless classic and one of the most loved films of all time ‘Psycho’. He made thrillers his own and created tension which has never been equalled, working with some of the greatest actors of all time. He will always be one of the most appreciated directors.

Some of Hitchcock’s greatest films:

Rebecca

Psycho

North by Northwest

Notorious

The Birds

Vertigo

Rear Window

My personal favourite: Psycho – not just due to the absolutely huge appreciation by critics and all film lovers but because it was one of the greatest and tense films I’ve ever watched. It will leave you disturbed and amazed by the strange story, the eerie acting and the stunning iconic music.

5. Billy Wilder

A director who worked in the same period as that of Alfred Hitchcock, with an equal talent but sometimes overlooked due to Hitchcock’s brilliance. He was a versatile director who could create works of all different genres from his brilliant comedy ‘The Apartment’ to his great Drama ‘Sunset Boulevard’. He is one of the most decorated directors with winning an incredible 6 Oscars, if you watch his films you’ll soon realise why.

Some of Wilder’s greatest films:

The Apartment

Some Like It Hot

Sunset Boulevard

Witness For The Prosecution

Double Indemnity

Stalag 17

The Lost Weekend

My personal favourite: I could not choose one favourite, his different genres and styles left me split, yet I’m a completely huge fan of Sunset Boulevard/Witness For The Prosecution/Some Like It Hot.

6. Ingmar Bergman

Ingmar Bergman is a director who is loved by film critics but can also split people’s decisions with his very disturbing and sometime convoluted plots. He was a swedish director who was at his best through the 50’s-60’s. Whether you like him or not he’s definitely a director you should watch and decide for yourself. He was nominated for an incredible 9 Academy Awards.

Some of Bergman’s greatest films:

Persona

Seventh Seal

Fanny and Alexander

Wild Strawberries

Cries and Whispers

My personal favourite – Persona: I must say personally I am not a huge Bergman fan, yet I am able to appreciate his great skill and imagination as a director. Yet when I watched Persona, my view was changed when I was absolutely amazed and absorbed by the ingenious and beautiful film.

7. Federico Fellini

Fellini was an Italian director who was known for his films of realism and inventive ideas. He was at his peak during the 50’s-70’s and is loved by film fans and critics alike. Nominated for an unbelievable 12 Oscar’s with many of his films winning the Best Foreign Film Award he’s a director you cannot miss.

Some of Fellini’s greatest works:

White Sheik

La Dolce Vita

Nights of Cabiria

8 1/2

Amarcord

La Strada

My personal favourite – Nights of Cabiria, I’m a huge Fellini fan and although this is not considered his greatest, I was in love with the film. It was completely heart breaking and very easy to be absorbed by the leading actress.

8. Stanley Kubrick

Stanley Kubrick is one of the most well-known American director’s despite not making very many films, each was beautifully directed and inventive. He was very versatile, creating films from all different genre’s from Sci-Fi to War to Crime to Horror. Despite only winning one Academy Award he was nominated for many more and is still appreciated as being one of the greatest of all time.

Some of Kubrick’s greatest films:

The Shining

Clockwork Orange

2001: A Space Odyssey

Dr Strangelove

Barry Lyndon

Lolita

Paths of Glory

Full Metal Jacket

My personal favourite: Full Metal Jacket, I love most of Kubrick’s films but this for me was just incredible. I’m a huge fan of War films and I love his film on World War 1 ‘Paths of Glory’ but it doesn’t begin to compare to Full Metal Jacket. In my opinion the greatest Vietnam War film surpassing the likes of Dear Hunter, Apocalypse Now, Platoon and many more. The film is almost in two parts, with beautiful cinematography, outstanding acting and a really great and gripping story.

9. Frank Capra

The great director of the 30’s and 40’s creating endearing and lovely stories. The winner of 3 Academy Awards, he was known for using James Stewart as his leading actor. One of the greatest and sweet actors of the 40’s. Known for the greatest Christmas film of all time ‘It’s a Wonderful Life’ Capra will always be one the great old Hollywood directors.

Some of Capra’s greatest films:

It’s a Wonderful life

Mr Deeds Goes To Town

Mr Smith Goes To Washington

Meet John Doe

It Happened One Night

My personal favourite: Mr Deeds Goes To Town, although I love ‘It’s a Wonderful Life’, Gary Cooper leads a brilliant and funny story which will leave you smiling and admiring the beauty of this classic.

10. Francis Ford Coppola

Coppola is one of the greats and is obviously best known for his unforgettable hit ‘The Godfather’ whilst also creating the classic Vietnam War film (also starring Marlon Brando) Apocalypse Now. Many forget that even without the Godfather trilogy he is still an incredible director. Loved by critics and the winner of 5 Academy Awards, he’s one of America’s best.

Some of Coppola’s greatest films:

The Godfather trilogy

Apocalypse Now

The Conversation

American Graffiti

The Rainmaker

My personal favourite: The Godfather – undoubtably one of the best films ever made and what I believe to be a flawless film.

So there is 10 of the greatest directors of all time, I will soon add another list including 10 more directors who can equal the talent of these geniuses.

Birdman – Review

When I watched this film, it had just began to appear in cinema’s, it was achieving rave reviews everywhere and was currently the biggest film of the year. However, as I watched the trailer and looked at the film, my first reaction was one of confusion. I didn’t like the trailer, I wasn’t really very excited and my only reason for going to the cinema was because I was a huge fan of Alejandro G. Iñárritu’s earlier works such as ‘Amores Perros’ and ‘Babel’ and basically I just wanted to see what all the fuss was about. So what did I think?

Well, the film follows an actor, who was once a well known respected film-star, known for his leading role in the super-hero film ‘Birdman’ (A fictional film, with a joke upon Michael Keaton’s earlier role as Batman). This follows our protagonist Riggan (Michael Keaton) try build a relationship with his daughter Sam (Emma Stone). The film has the sub story of his relationship with his daughter and the idea of his old self and who he has become – a washed up old actor who’s barely remembered. However, he sets up to create a new hit broadway play, hoping to claw back some of the fame and respect he once had.

Well, before entering the cinema the plot to me seemed to be very dull and ordinary without any real place this film could go. However, I walked out of the cinema in pure amazement. The plot which seemed very thin, came to life and was so capturing. You begin to really understand Michael Keaton’s character and feel his anger and disappointment at what his life has become. There is a real connection with his character and this is undoubtably due to his impeccable acting performance. Michael Keaton really came back out of nowhere to show the world just how good he was, ironically, this was quite similar to the premise of the film. Whether he should have won the Oscar over Eddie Redmayne is an argument in which I do not wish to divulge. They were both incredible performances and either one was deserving.

Not only this but the characters of Edward Norton and Emma Stone are wonderfully created, Emma Stone plays the beautiful yet angry teenager with a lot of resentment towards her Dad. Which I couldn’t believe just how good she was, for me it was the defining film of her career and was an idea of what we get to see from this hugely talented actress in the future. She was maybe unlucky to miss out on an Oscar but definitely deserving of her first ever oscar nomination. Whereas Edward Norton comes as the actor to join in the broadway performance, who is hugely talented and wants to make the show into something brilliant. As always with Norton, his performance is just brilliant. For me the great scene where he decides to completely re-make one of the broadway scenes and show Keaton’s character how to perform it, is just pure acting gold. He came up for his 3rd Oscar nomination and was a sure winner until the unmatchable performance of J.K Simmonds (Whiplash). Yet, Edward Norton is still one of the greatest contemporary actor’s to hit our screens. So overall, despite no acting performance bringing in any Oscar’s, it was an incredible display by all 3 of them.

Now, the acting on its own was enough to make this film great, however, that acting is not what grabbed my attention. It was the unforgettable cinematography. The idea was to make the film seem like it’s what long and interrupted shot, which would seem an impossible task, yet it was performed outstandingly. The lighting in the shots was breathtaking. Emmanuel Lubezki, took him his second consecutive Oscar (the year before winning for the Sci-Fi hit Gravity) with one of the best styles and shooting of a film I have ever witnessed.

For the final part, you can not overlook Alejandro G. Iñárritu’s genius. To make what seemed like such a very thin plot into something hugely fascinating and interesting. The writing was just perfect for the film and it would be very difficult to flaw. Yet, his directing was just on a whole new level, he made the film his own and wasn’t afraid of taking risks. The whole concept of the film was widely considered that it would fail. Yet he tried anyway and took a chance. He’s not a director who feels the need to play safe and choose an easy option and for that we were privileged with an utterly unique and original film.

The film ended up winning 4 Oscars’ 3 of which to Alejandro G. Iñárritu for Directing, Writing and of course the prestigious award for the Best Picture. Whilst also taking home the winner for Cinematography which was a very much unchallenged category for Birdman. Whilst also being nominated for 5 more in Acting and Sound, it was obvious that this was loved by film goers and critics.

So did this deserve to win Best Picture? Many argued that Boyhood was more original, far more clever and an actual better film. Yet, in my opinion this was an absolutely brilliant film and by far deserving of the Best Picture honour. In a year which created many great films such as: Grand Budapest Hotel, Boyhood, Whiplash, Imitation Game and many more. This came out on top and I’m sure will become a true classic in years to come.

9/10

German Expressionsim

German expressionism was a creative movement made in Germany which began in the 1920’s and through to the early 1930’s. During this period, it created some of the most unforgettable and mesmorising films of all time. If you have never seen a film created during this period, I would strongly urge you.

The directors managed to come up with idea’s which were so creative and fascinating they are still rarely equalled. This period ranges from a selection of silent movies and talkies, during the switch to sound in 1927 (Through the classic ‘The Jazz Singer’ ) so whether you enjoy silent movies or not, there is something for everyone. They are also not subjected to one director or one genre, they covered a vast range of genre’s with their huge idea’s. Going from Fritz Lang’s unforgettable Sci-Fi hit Metropolis which later went on to influence Star Wars and directors such as Kubrick and Spielberg who still use its influences in their films.

Whilst also creating Murnau’s creepy and eerie groundbreaking Horror, Nosferatu. The use of shadows in this film were an ingenius creation by Murnau, with the same idea’s being replicated across the world even today. With an outstanding performance by Max Schreck many would still claim, that Nosferatu is completely superior to the American’s ‘Dracula’ despite Dracula being created 9 years later and with the addition of sound.

Whilst creating hugely controversial works with the likes of ‘M’ (See my ’10 Must See Foreign Films’ to read more on this film) looking at the life of a child murderer and Pandora’s Box, the film which follows a young prostitute in her life.

German Expressionism broke boundaries in cinema, created unsurpassed ideas and was a huge milestone in cinema. Even today, many of the works created in this short amount of time have never been equalled. If you’re an avid film lover and are yet to see German Expressionist films, then you’ll be hugely surprised.

So as a reference here are some of the greatest of German Expressionist films to watch if you’re interested:

– The Cabinet of Dr.Caligari

– Faust

– M

– Metropolis

– Dr Mabuse the Gambler ( The sequel is equally incredible ‘The testament of Dr Mabuse’)

– Pandora’s box

– Nosferatu

– The Last Laugh

The two directors to really look at would be F.W. Murnau and Fritz Lang, the two created multiple hits and revolutionised cinema and will always be known as two of the greatest of all time.