jonathandoe_se7en

For years after seeing Metallica's "One" video I had wondered where the images of the poor wounded soldier had come from, then earlier this year I found out. I watched Johnny Got his Gun for the first time last week, and I must say it was a bit of an anti-climax. For the most part Joe just lies in a bed, his thought's made clear to us in a mixture of voice over, flashbacks and surreal dream sequences. The theme of the film is very important, being trapped inside you're own mind, having to die alone, the futility and stupidity of war, but the film is just to drawn out, with not enough of the text of Trumbo's novel translating to the screen. The book is too cerebral to work as a film.

Another problem with the film is that people in other comments have given away Joe's afflictions; part of the horror of the film is the slow realisation that Joe has lost his arms, then his legs, then his face... If this was a surprise we might be able to feel more for Joe, but we don't know enough about the character to really feel for him, he's far too anonymous, the most we can do is pity him, this may be the point of the film I'm not sure... But if Trumbo wanted us to identify with Joe he went about it the wrong way.

The acting isn't bad, Bottoms does very little, the main standout is Jason Robards as Joe's father, and Donald Sutherland turns up as the human manifestation of Christ. But far too many of the scenes just don't work (I found the scene where the nurse gets involved with Joe whilst he dreams about his former girlfriend both laughable and in poor taste). The ending just about manages to save the film, being sad without being what you would have predicted, but I can't help feeling that the film worked better with Metallica's heavy metal in a four-minute video clip. The novel may be a classic, but the film is not.

A Matter of Life and Death, what can you really say that would properly do justice to the genius and beauty of this film. Powell and Pressburger's visual imagination knows no bounds, every frame is filled with fantastically bold compositions. The switches between the bold colours of "the real world" to the stark black and white of heaven is ingenious, showing us visually just how much more vibrant life is. The final court scene is also fantastic, as the judge and jury descend the stairway to heaven to hold court over Peter (David Niven)'s operation.

All of the performances are spot on (Roger Livesey being a standout), and the romantic energy of the film is beautiful, never has there been a more romantic film than this (if there has I haven't seen it). A Matter of Life and Death is all about the power of love and just how important life is. And Jack Cardiff's cinematography is reason enough to watch the film alone, the way he lights Kim Hunter's face makes her all the more beautiful, what a genius, he can make a simple things such as a game of table tennis look exciting. And the sound design is also impeccable; the way the sound mutes at vital points was a decision way ahead of its time

This is a true classic that can restore anyone's faith in cinema, under appreciated on its initial release and by today's audiences, but one of my all time favourites, which is why I give this film a 10/10, in a word - Beautiful.

This should not be compared to over-rated rubbish like Lock Stock... Sexy Beast is an interesting and grown-up crime thriller, thick on style and character. The story is all about loyalty and betrayal, a two act story involving retired hood "Gal" Dove (Ray Winstone), living the good life in a Spanish villa, he has it all, good friends, a good woman by his side, nothing could ruin this, that is until Don Logan (Ben Kingsly) arrives with a proposition.

I'm not going to go into the second act, because it will only ruin the surprise of the film, all I can say is that Sexy Beast if top notch entertainment. The two main characters are fantastic, Winstone's subtle performance has been overlooked by most, possibly down to Kingsly's terrifying portrayal of Logan, who would have thought he could be so electrifying, the scene where he talks to himself in the mirror is brilliant. But Winstone is just as good; you can almost smell his fear.

The rest of the characters are slightly under developed, Ian McSahne's crime lord Teddy Bass is practically a caricature of every London hood that's ever been portrayed. But first time director Jonathan Glazer makes up for that with his assured handling of the actors and the material, never letting his pop promo roots (Radiohead, Blur) take over the story. There are many surreal sequences in this film, which might be off putting to some, but for the most part Sexy Beast is a great way to pass ninety minutes.

7/10