“Gratuitous excess” Written by Marina Caitlin Watts — The Review Monster Baz Luhrmann is the latest director to take on the challenge of bringing the American classic to the silver screen.  His interpretation of F. Scott Fitzgerald’s novel “The Great Gatsby” turns a few swanky parties in the midst of wealthy Long Island towns into a scene of chaos. Continue reading »

1. DARK CITY (1998). Dark City centres around a man struggling with the memories of his past, some of which include a wife he cannot remember, in a hellish world with no sun and run by unknown beings with telekinetic powers. Their mission is to seek the souls of humans. This is a film I … Continue reading »

1. SEVEN SAMURAI (1954). A poor, helpless village under attack by bandits asks for the services of seven unemployed yet brutal samurai to help them defend themselves. Being rather unfamiliar with Akira Kurosawa, I wasn’t sure what to expect. Oh how I was foolish. Arguably the most famous Asian film of all time, this is … Continue reading »

 1. ZODIAC (2007). A cartoonist (Robert Graysmith) working for the San Francisco Chronicle becomes an amateur detective obsessed with tracking down the Zodiac killer. Following Graysmith’s book very carefully and not holding back on any of the gruesome details, David Fincher, yet again, proves why he is the current master of the suspense-thriller genre.  2. … Continue reading »

 1. BLACK BOOK (2006; THE NETHERLANDS). In the Nazi-occupied Netherlands during World War II, a Jewish singer, working for the Dutch resistance as a spy, infiltrates the regional Gestapo HQ, seducing a commander of the SD along the way. Being only familiar with Paul Verhoeven’s sci-fi work of the 80s and 90s (as well as … Continue reading »

 1. THE LEAGUE OF GENTLEMEN (1999-2002). Based in a fictional village called Royston Vasey, we follow a rather surreal, interweaving story that chronicles the mundane lives of such diverse, bizarre characters as: a transsexual taxi driver, a high-maintenance restart officer, a couple that never stop arguing, a frightening carnival owner who kidnaps women into marriage, … Continue reading »

1. A BOUT DE SOUFFLE (BREATHLESS) (1960). A young, meddlesome car thief kills a policeman and attempts to persuade a woman to flee to Italy with him. With its quick, witty dialogue and beautiful Paris landscape, Jean-Luc Godard’s magnum opus is, without a doubt, one of the most influential works of the French New Wave … Continue reading »

 1. BATTLE ROYALE (2000). In the future, the Japanese government have captured a class of ninth-grade students, forcing them to kill each other under the revolutionary “Battle Royale” act, a piece of legislation aimed at cleaning up the country by alleviating misbehaving, uncontrollable children. With the tagline of the film being Could You Kill Your Best … Continue reading »

1. GROUCHO MARX (1890-1977). He is well known as a master of quick wit and is widely considered one of the best comedians of the modern era. His rapid-fire, often impromptu delivery of innuendo-laden patter earned him many imitators and admirers. His distinctive appearance, carried over from his early career in vaudeville, included quirks such as an exaggerated stooped … Continue reading »

 1. JAMES DALTON / ROAD HOUSE (1989). A tough bouncer (“cooler”) trained in martial arts is hired to tame a dirty roadside bar. Played by: Patrick Swayze Famous quote: “Take the biggest guy in the world, shatter his knee and he’ll drop like a stone.”   2. MARION ‘COBRA’ COBRETTI / COBRA (1986). A merciless, tough-on-crime street … Continue reading »

1. In 2003, who became the first fictional human being to be nominated for a real-life Academy Award (for Best Original Screenplay)? 2. How many movies has Matt Damon starred in where some part of his character’s name appears in the title of the film? 3. Can you name an actor or actress that has starred … Continue reading »

1. MEMENTO (2000). A man that suffers from short-term memory loss uses tattoos, Polaroids and notes to hunt for the man he believes murdered his wife. Techniques used: Memento is presented as two different sequences of scenes: a series of colour sequences displayed in reverse order, and a series in B/W that are shown chronologically. The … Continue reading »

 1. KYUNG-CHUL / I SAW THE DEVIL Played by: Choi Min-sik (Oldboy); Character profile: Sexual deviant / Attacks are spontaneous / Uses whichever weapon is at his disposal; Quote: I don’t know what pain is. Fear? Don’t know that either.  2. BUFFALO BILL / SILENCE OF THE LAMBS Played by: Ted Levine (Shutter Island); Character profile: Kills females … Continue reading »

1. DAVID FINCHER (1962–present). Known for his dark, stylish, psychological thrillers, Fincher has an incredible ability to blend harsh reality and beautiful colour on the big screen. Notable films: Seven; Fight Club; The Game; Zodiac; The Social Network.  2. ALFRED HITCHCOCK (1899–1980). Billed as England’s greatest film director, Hitchcock is the undisputed master of suspense. Notable … Continue reading »

This is yet another masterclass from Charlie Kaufman and Spike Jonze. Following the success of their critically acclaimed Being John Malkovich in 1999, Adaptation, a 2002 comedy-drama film, was a highly anticipated follow-up from the dynamic duo – it certainly didn’t disappoint. As the story goes (both in Kaufman’s real life and his character’s life): Charlie … Continue reading »

What Sideways offers is a beautifully acted-out portrayal of redemption, friendship, wine drinking, and more wine drinking. Not being a huge admirer of his previous work – most notably his critically acclaimed 1999 comedy-drama film Election - I was slightly apprehensive when watching Sideways, despite rave reviews from friends. However, I knew never to trust my … Continue reading »

Being my all-time favourite film, I find it difficult to describe without an overwhelming use of superlatives. It is, quite simply, nothing short of magnificent. Despite being a rather lesser known brainchild of Quentin Tarantino, there is no doubt, in my mind, that True Romance offers and maintains the same quick-witted dialogue, array of streetwise, … Continue reading »

 Being a rather underachieving film for its time, The Game, a 1997 neo-noir, psychological thriller, for me, had everything: David Fincher (arguably Hollywood’s most courageous, stylish director of the dark thriller) at the helm, Michael Douglas and Sean Penn demonstrating their typical, energetically fierce selves, and a storyline like no other – I repeat “no … Continue reading »

Straight off the bat, if you are a serious film buff/cinephile/filmgoer/film aficionado (or any other suitable term for a lover of cinema) and you (as I do) seek individual performances of actors that are worthy of any Best Actor Oscar, watch this film now! Edward Norton is nothing short of incredible. His portrayal of Aaron … Continue reading »

Being a must-see for any serious film buff, Glengarry Glen Ross is the superbly acted depiction of desperation, deceit, and bleakness in an inner-city sales office. First and foremost, the film comprises one of the best casts ever assembled (Al Pacino, Jack Lemmon, Kevin Spacey, Alec Baldwin, etc.) for mainstream cinema. Despite being a predominantly … Continue reading »

1. HOOP DREAMS (1994). A film following the lives of two African-American boys who struggle to become college basketball players on the road to going professional. Documentaries don’t come much better than this. Here we have a sincere, compelling look at the lives and ambition of two inner-city basketball hopefuls.  2. THE KING OF KONG … Continue reading »

1. TWELVE MONKEYS (1995). In a future world devastated by disease, a convict is sent back in time to gather information about the man-made virus that wiped out most of the human population on the planet. Here we have proof again that Brad Pitt really is an exceptional character actor. As well as Terry Gilliam’s … Continue reading »

1. FARGO (1996). Jerry Lundegaard’s inept crime falls apart due to his and his henchmen’s bungling as well as the persistent police work of pregnant Marge Gunderson. For me, the Coen Brothers can be very hit or miss; bar a couple of gems (The Big Lebowski, No Country For Old Men), I believe them to … Continue reading »

1. LET THE RIGHT ONE IN (2008). Oscar, an overlooked and bullied boy, finds love and revenge through Eli, a beautiful but peculiar girl who turns out to be a vampire. And who said the Swedish film industry can’t rub shoulders with the rest of the world? I haven’t had much experience with Swedish films, … Continue reading »

1. KING OF COMEDY (1983). Aspiring comic, Rupert Pupkin, wants to achieve success in showbusiness but resorts to stalking his comic idol, a late night talk show host who craves his own privacy, in order to achieve this success. This is proof that De Niro really can do anything – gangster, comedian, serial killer, Vietnam … Continue reading »

1. ICHI THE KILLER (2001). As a sadomasochistic yakuza enforcer named Kakihara searches for his missing boss, he stumbles across Ichi, a repressed and psychotic killer who may be able to inflict levels of pain that Kakihara has only dreamed of. Straight off the bat, if you have a weak stomach or are easily shocked, … Continue reading »

1. GLENGARRY GLEN ROSS (1992). A look into the inner workings of a downright desperate and gloomy real-estate office. There isn’t much more to say about this male-oriented film other than it being a true performance piece containing true legends of the industry. Based on the award-winning David Mamet play of the same name, this … Continue reading »

1. THE LIVES OF OTHERS (2006). In 1984, East Berlin, an agent of the Stasi (secret police), whilst conducting surveillance on a writer and his lover, finds himself becoming increasingly absorbed by their lives. Before seeing this film, I had little knowledge of everyday life in East Germany during this period. This was a real … Continue reading »

1. LADY VENGEANCE (2005). After 13 years of false imprisonment for the kidnap and murder of a 6-year-old boy, the beautiful yet ruthless Geum-ja Lee wreaks havoc on the man who was actually responsible for the boy’s death. This is the third installment in Chan-Wook Park’s vengeance trilogy and is my personal favourite. What’s not … Continue reading »