August Film Highlights

Read more at the 50 Word Film Reviews blog...

The Girl Who Played with Fire (2010) Noomi Rapace, Michael Nyqvist, Lena Endre, Peter Andersson. Dir: Daniel Alfredson.

Lisbeth is accused of the murder of 3 people, Blomkvist must dig deep into her dark past in order to save her. Never quite catches fire like the previous instalment, but the ending sure does leave you desperate for more. The actors, photography and direction remain impeccable.

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Soylent Green (1973) Charlton Heston, Edward G Robinson, Leigh Taylor-Young, Chuck Connors. Dir: Richard Fleischer

Earth is overcrowded; mankind relies on the Soylent company for food, and one of their former executives has been murdered. A sour but quite brilliant piece of science fiction. Well realised, despite modest effects, it believably portrays what our future might be, and provides disturbing food for thought.

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The Killer Inside Me (2010) Casey Affleck, Jessica Alba, Kate Hudson, Bill Pullman. Dir: Michael Winterbottom

A sheriff begins an abusive relationship with a prostitute, awaking a desire for sadism and murder. Affleck is brilliant as the sweet voiced young psychopath, but this noir tale of dark goings on in a small town offers very little that’s not been seen before, besides the brutal violence.

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Fallen Angel (1945) Alice Faye, Dana Andrews, Linda Darnell, Charles Bickford, John Carradine. Dir: Otto Preminger.

A broke publicity man falls for a waitress, but marries a widower for her money; then the waitress is murdered. Has its moments, Andrews redemption, Carradine’s as a dodgy psychic... but thin characterisations let it down. Waitress is such a cow, it’s hard to fathom why everyone wants her.

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Oldboy (2003) Choi Min-sik, Yu Ji-tae, Kang Hye-jeong. Dir: Park Chan-wook.

A man kidnapped, locked-up and released after 15 years, without explanation, picks up a hammer and looks for answers. Grabs you by the throat and doesn’t let go, right up to the jaw-dropping finale. The only way to be free is to leave the past behind... Brutal and completely brilliant.

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The Invisible Man (1932) Claude Rains, Gloria Stuart, Henry Travers, William Harrigan. Dir: James Whale.

A man who cannot be seen goes insane and terrorises a small town. The first and best version; the dramatic, but often hilarious script, is killer, and the effects are still impressive. Whale is at the top of his game and Rains manic performance is the icing on the cake.

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