barry_mooney

This is definitely one of those films that is best seen with as little prior knowledge as possible. I saw The Broken Circle Breakdown at a small cinema in Plymouth with only a vague idea that it had something to do with bluegrass music, of which I knew hardly anything. The music was actually very good but the film is far from a story about Belgian musicians playing American music. In fact, this is a fairly simple tale and, although told in a interesting way, there isn't an awful lot going on. However, what this delightful film manages to do brilliantly is throw up some big questions on topics such as love, life & belief that really get you thinking.

The past-present-future style works well to gradually unfold the details of what is happening. I found that this added very much to the tension and emotion of the film, not unlike Incendies (2010) which, although very different in subject matter, had a similar feel. Broken Circle is not as 'heavy' as Incendies and even has several smile-worthy moments to balance out the intensity.

I can see why some people might be upset by certain anti-religious aspects of the film but I thinks it's healthy for beliefs to be challenged. Similarly, some people seem to have been annoyed by the time-line jumping about but I think this actually works to great effect, especially if you don't know anything about the story beforehand. Overall, I would highly recommend Broken Circle; it's refreshing to see something genuinely different that generates real feelings for the characters and stays with you for more than ten minutes after the ending! 8/10

Having looked forward to Django for a very long time, I saw it last night (the UK release date) and it was almost too good to be true. Few things in life live up to your expectations, but this film delivers on virtually ever level.

Django Unchained is stunning to look at; the cinematography is incredible from the very start and it soon becomes clear that Tarantino has put his heart & soul into this film. I would highly recommend seeing it on the big screen; there are so many scenes that take your breath away and several that justify the (rather expensive) cost of seeing a film at the cinema these days.

The story gets going very quickly and, although not the most complex plot in the world (as with other QT films), it is very engaging with many surprising moments and easily holds your attention for the whole 165 minutes. Some have said that 120 minutes would have been plenty, but when a film is this good I'm more than happy for it to keep going!

As you'd expect from a Tarantino film, the characters are well thought- out and quite intriguing. Several stand out as very interesting indeed but it would be hard to go into that without spoilerage. However, I will say that the portrayal of these interesting characters from the cast is fantastic with Christoph Waltz, Leonardo DiCaprio and Samuel Jackson delivering career-best performances in my mind. Jamie Foxx is also brilliant but it's certainly not all about him (despite the title!) and although he's perfect for playing Django (especially the attitude), his character is quite straight-forward. Walton Goggins is also very good and appears perfectly cast in a role that he seems to relish. The sudden appearance of Quentin himself brings a smile and I loved the back-and- forth between him & Django. I don't think there's any danger that he'll be stealing any acting Oscars though!

Along with the characters, the dialogue is first class with so many fantastic moments that it's hard to describe what a great screenplay Tarantino has produced. Shultz and Candie have some incredible lines to deliver and some of Django's insolent one-liners are instant classics. Along with the length of the film, another often-heard criticism is the 'excessive language' used. I didn't find this at all and found the language to be appropriate and proportionate to the times and the situation. Violence and language are just favourite sticks that some like to wave at Mr Tarantino in order to get a reaction. We all know what to expect from a Tarantino film and if anyone is concerned about swearing or bloodshed then a wide berth would be recommended.

The topic of slavery is refreshingly different and I think it's a brilliant idea for Quentin Tarantino to tackle it in this manner. It feels like we the audience are experiencing disgust at this repugnant world through the eyes of Dr Shultz, the foreign outsider. As you would expect, it is very shocking in places and we are left in no doubt as to QT's opinion on this shameful part of America's history. That said, it feels like he has held back to a certain extent and, although he walks right up to the line, he doesn't cross it in my opinion. You get the impression that he could easily have been far more graphic, but that would have changed the overall feel of the film. As it is, Django Unchained succeeds in being simultaneously funny, informative, shocking, intriguing, rewarding, surprising and, above all, highly entertaining. Great stuff.

So far I have only given 10/10 to two films; Pulp Fiction and Leon. Is Django as good as those two? After just one viewing it is hard to say but, at this moment in time, I would say yes. It is most certainly a 9/10 but my experience suggests that most Tarantino films tend to get better with multiple viewings so I think a 10 is appropriate. Can't wait to see it again!

The first time I watched Persepolis it was a joy to see something refreshingly different that was so informative, entertaining and moving. It really does stand out as a very well-crafted work of art.

The story of Marjane's younger years is interesting enough, but the highly-stylized delivery of the (mostly) black & white animation gives an added dimension that transforms the film from brilliant to classic. It's quite fast-paced from the start and there is no time wasted on ponderous scenes. In fact, I would go so far as to insist that a second viewing is necessary to fully take it all in.

It would give a false impression to describe Persepolis as 'educational' but it certainly is eye-opening and the times during which Marjane grew up are pretty historical. However, the background of the politics and the unfolding of the Iran-Iraq war are explained in a fairly simplified manner that fits well with the story being told from the perspective of a young girl. By the end of the film I found myself feeling very much more informed on Iranian history and also having a new-found respect for the people who live there. But it's also the story of Marjane finding her place in the world and remaining true to herself, which transcends the setting and could be applicable to anyone, anywhere, at any time.

The pace slows down towards the end, which is a little unfortunate, but I guess it ties in nicely with Marjane growing up and moving on. The ultimate clincher for me was that I didn't want the film to finish and felt sad when it finally ground to a halt. Persepolis should never be dismissed as just a cartoon about Iran; it's so much more than that and should be seen by as many people as possible. I would also recommend the DVD 'making of' extras; it was very interesting to see Marjane herself talking about creating the film and to discover quite how much work goes into making it look (and sound) so good!