An old goatherd struggles through his last days on the job, a baby goat struggles with his first. Le Quattro Volte is a look at the ever-turning cycles of life and nature, set in the old world of rural Italy.
On paper, this film looks ruddy good. The story of three brothers torn apart by their part in the Algerian war for independence from French rule – it’s the sort of film that uses the words passion, destiny and tragedy in its promo, a lot. I like that – I’m all for having my heart ripped out and smashed up in front of me. However, despite the heart-breaking, tumultuous relationship between France and Algeria, this film lacks one of its advertised elements – passion.
We’re back in South-East London as the Only Fools & Horses period-drama-sitcom-spin-off-prequel returns for a third and, given the tragic events of the weekend, probably final outing.The usual host of dodgy characters, hooky gear, crooked cops and terrible French make Rock & Chips a nostalgic journey through Trotter family history – but if you’re after vintage Sullivan you might want to stick with UK GOLD.
Because there’s nothing less attractive to a wet-lipped young maiden than a tattooed, pierced, bad-ass motorcycle demon with a past so tortured he like, can’t even talk about it (until he does). I always wondered what Beauty and the Beast would be like if, instead of good, it was like, really, really awful. Now I know.
One for the art house scene, (pending an over-blown Hollywood remake starring oh, I dunno- Morgan Freeman and Thandie Newton) the absorbing The First Grader is making waves amongst the limited release crowd and gaining teary-eyed buzz on this year’s festival circuit.
The gang is back for a few more last jobs as they endeavour to take a corrupt Brazilian businessman to the cleaners and start a new life as millionaires. Boasting added Dwayne Johnson, Fast Five promises to race circles around the so-called law of diminishing returns.
There’s a lot of firsts in Attack the Block – it’s the first feature from writer-director Joe Cornish (of Adam and Joe fame), it stars a host of first-time actors, and it may be the first time that Nick Frost has done anything without Simon Pegg (or, at the least, Bill Nighy). It’s also destined to be in first place on a lot of ‘Films of 2011’ lists. Witty, scary and replete with incidences of the word ‘murk’, Attack the Block is utterly brilliant.
You can’t choose your family, but at least you can choose your friends, right? Guillaume Canet attempts to vocalise the complicated emotion-bank that is friendship by presenting two weeks of holidaying bessie mates, none of whom are Zach Galifianakis or Seth Rogan. Character substance over impromptu-tattooing? What brave new world is this…
Snipe London
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