I came out of this literally feeling shell-shocked and certainly would not say it was an enjoyable experience. Peter Jackson took old WW1 footage
and jazzed it up with colour and a very well-constructed script based simply on quotes and eye-witness accounts of survivors using former soldiers to do the voiceovers.
It tells the story of WW1 from 1914 to 1918 from enlistment to demobbing at the end and the disappointment that the civilian population really had no idea what went on in France in the middle and were not really interested.
The feelings and observations are true to many documented wars and the value of this film is more as a warning about the brutality of such events and how as humans we would do well to avoid them.
Jackson pours on the gas as the documentary progresses and the bombardments in the trenches,
the raids, the incursions with tanks
become unwatchable as we witness the extraordinary amount of slaughter,
in conditions that are truly subhuman. For that reason, the film serves as a taste of what to expect to counter those who think warfare is a walk in the park.
As a film I found it uncomfortable, if technically very competent and there were moments I had to look away even though the gore is less than in a Hollywood bloodfest.
♦♦♦♦+
by joining a group of elite spies.
They are trained up by the Matron (Charlotte Rampling in not her best role),
and then sent off to chase moles and hunt down plants. Our heroine Dominika who goes under countless other names ends up in Budapest and establishes contact
with American Nate Nash (what a name!), played by Joel Edgerton with a minimum of appeal. 
And the machinations of agents and double agents start to grind in. There are no less than three sadistically violent scenes that we could have done without. Accent stability is also an issue though Lawrence does better
than Jeremy Irons or Rampling. And the denouement is sort of predictable in what has been a confused plot.
Despite all this, and a need for some editing, the movie does keep your attention with attractive scenes of Budapest to boot.
, a 42 year old psychology lecturer who returns to his home town after his wife leaves him for another woman and his previous work let him go. Thanks to his contacts at university, the Dean (Tom Nowicki) takes him on in the faculty and wants to set up a psychology department in a nearby house that is currently being used by a support group that want to buy it. Dave is sent to infiltrate the group
and stop this possible purchase leaving the way open for the university to use it. He discovers the group is an LGTB support group and he starts to learn about the real life of people he has condemned in his Christian teaching. He is also under fire by a gay student who challenges the Church’s interpretation of the Bible on this. To add spice he is staying with his liberal and eccentric aunt who is all in favour of such groups.
The film takes place in 1975 as he returns from Belgium to his hometown Sines, a small fishing port, south of Lisbon. There he and some friends squat in a family mansion and turn it into a literary centre with a library and regular meetings and rave parties.
Al lives there openly with his boyfriend
and some other hangers on. After two years, the local courts seek to evict them at the point when the two main characters’ relationship falls apart.
and some well written individual scenes, it is somewhat light on the narrative. At least there are few hysterical scenes but at times the actors are a little too serious and monotone. Ricardo Teixeira
and José Pimentao have good chemistry in the sex scenes and Rita Loureiro as a slightly bitter and used stepmother convinces most of the female cast. So, kudos for tackling this bio but at the end of the day it seems a bit underwhelming.
but deliver babies, save cats, attend car crashes and also try to keep their home lives functioning in the stress of this largely volunteer work. Roschdy Zem
as Philippe the station chief has the weight to carry this and the main story involves new senior recruit Benedicte (Emilie Duquenne of Rosetta fame)
who botches her first job and is the subject of jealousy and contempt from at least one of her male colleagues.
There are no real surprises here, nor anything wrong and it could be a telefilm but for good photography and a sympathetic direction. Sunday afternoon fare.
which basically preaches love and music as weapons to fight repression and tyranny. Guava Island is such a place and everyone wants to leave it except for Deni (Glover) who wants to make people happy through music.
Several songs punctuate the movie which blends cartoon, a concert cum carnival 
and some harder scenes.
The photography is excellent and colourful and the setting in a run-down Cuba is convincing.
The music works well.
What we get is almost colourful clichés of poor children, a sewing factory, and Rihanna striding around in a striped boob tube top.
Talk about painted in! So, a strange overall feeling about this. It is enjoyable enough but feels quite frothy and empty while trying to be meaningful and messagy at the same time.
a Brit who survived in a Thai jail by making the prison’s Muay Thai boxing team
and nearly killing himself in the process is compelling viewing.
who were real prisoners we are thrust into a world where violence rules and yet we understand almost nothing. Secondly, Joe Cole
does a superb job as Billy. Much of what he experiences has to pass through his face and body and this we get to see clearly. The sheer evil of this place, full of cynical and desperate men,
gangs and the like who simply want the next prey is very well depicted as are the occasional random acts of kindness from fellow boxers or from the ladyboy Billy befriends.
and in the process we see an entertaining movie: one man’s battle to survive in a hostile environment and get wise along the way. A sleeper.
Then Oren is killed in a car crash and Thomas
takes it upon himself to fly to Israel and basically stalk the widow and get into her life by getting a job at her café. Things start to escalate as Thomas makes himself invaluable
without letting his secret out but Anat (Sarah Adler) slowly begins to piece things together.
as Thomas explore what it means to have loved and to be grieving. Add the issues of cooking and eating in Israel (kosher) into the recipe and you have a thoughtful work
on cross-cultural issues today: Jerusalem is not so modern or liberal as much of the world it is part of. And as you have guessed there is also a question of sexuality with Oren and Thomas apparently being bisexual. Nice direction by newie Ofir Raul Graizer, good photography by Omri Aloni and a soft soundtrack by Dominique Charpentier to accompany the melancholy greys
of both Berlin and Jerusalem.
this film is no picnic. I guess it is necessary that every few years we get one of these to show just how hard the problem is and as the final credits say, how underfunded this area is from governments when it kills so many people. 
Felix van Groeningen debuts as director here and he has some nice touches: a classy soundtrack and a real focus on the frustrations that parents feel. The actors are good – Timothée Chalamet
confirms early promise and Steve Carell
is much underrated. Maura Tierney chimes in with a good performance as Carell’s second wife,
trying to bring up two young kids
with a drugged out adolescent rocking the boat constantly. And he seems a nice kid, just addicted.
and I have to say that by the end I stopped caring so much, as the movie failed to give me anything novel or sublime to hold onto other than good intentions.
before heading off to the USA to study. He arrives back with a male lover in tow, Christian (Zanjoe Marudo). 
When Andi gets into major financial strife and finds herself pregnant, the couple decide to help her and offer to adopt her child as their own.
and in true histrionic style the Filipinos put it all in there. Much seems forced and unauthentic but for all that the movie is watchable if in need of a good edit and a punchier script. It is Angel Locsin who carries the film
and who I warmed to most. Milby
and Marudo have less chemistry and fewer acting chops. Good photography probably makes the difference between this being an obvious if confusing dud and a little light relief from Asia.
passionfilm 