Jacobsnemesis

This is a really well paced, understated thriller that kept me on edge for the full running time. All three main actors are good, but a special mention needs to go to Peter Mullan, who yet again proves he's one of the finest Scottish actors of his generation.

No suspense. No Horror. A permanent stain on the franchise that makes you feel dirty after having watched it.

I had pretty much no expectations going into this film. I had avoided much of the marketing material beforehand and knew very little about it other than it being a sequel to Prometheus, which I actually thought was a half decent film and a worthy prequel to Alien.

I'm not sure what went wrong with this film, but it is no exaggeration to say it is one of the worst films I've had the misfortune of sitting through. There is not one redeeming scene. The story is disjointed and quite frankly a complete mess. The editing is horrendous, the score completely forgettable and the cinematography is weirdly terrible.

Even Michael Fassbender cannot save this awful dirge. The CGI xneomorph will haunt my dreams for quite some time. Not because it's an imposing and scary alien in this film, but because the CGI is some of the worst you'll see from a movie this year.

Alien and Alien 2 were as close to cinematic perfection as you're going to get. Please avoid this dreadful film.

64 (six-four) is quite an ambitious film considering in total, the running time is around 4 hours. It was split into two parts with the first being released in May and the 2nd part being released a month later. I watched both parts back to back, so this review treats both parts as one film.

64 opens up with a kidnapping which takes place around the same time as the end of the Shōwa period as Emperor Hirohito has passed away. It draws you in from the beginning with a fast paced "wild goose" chase as the father of the kidnapped child travels from place to place under the direction of the apparent kidnapper who is giving directions over telephone.

The initial kidnap plays as the backdrop to the entire film. The majority of the film is set in 2002, 14 years after the events at the start, but the story consists of flashbacks which reveal more about the events in 1989.

Kôichi Satô plays the central character. He is a PR officer in 2002 but was part of the Investigation unit looking into the kidnapping in '89. He also has a personal anguish of his own, which becomes more significant as the film develops. Satô is one of the highlights of the film. You feel sympathy for the character as he tries to juggle his day to day work (which is proving difficult with the press to handle) whilst dealing with his own inner demons surrounding the case in '89 and his own personal circumstances.

Their is a large cast of characters, but they're all played very well. The PR crew are all likable and the motivations of the different units of the Prefectural Police Department are well developed. A special mention also has to go to Masatoshi Nagase for his portrayal of the grieving father.

The story develops well in the 2nd part, although my only criticism is that part one felt well paced but part two struggles a little with maybe too much attention paid in the first half to the disgruntled press and then the second half feels a little rushed as things draw to a conclusion.

Overall, I would highly recommend 64. It's a smart thriller with great acting. The 4 hours will go in quickly if you decide to watch both parts back to back.