Film & Television – Page 50 – Darrin // Nightingale

17 February 201314 July 2024

Chained (2012)

I don’t review films very often. I watch so many, I’d do nothing else if I were to write something about each of them. But I liked Jennifer Lynch ‘s latest feature so much I felt compelled to make comment. Chained is quite possibly the best film I’ve seen so far this year.

I’m a big fan of Vincent D’Onofrio and you get him at his best. It’s like watching Private Pile’s brother taking his knife out for some fun. There’s menace in those eyes, and the way he holds his shoulder, that permeates the words that come from his mouth. Every sinew of his on screen being sweats threat.

D’Onofrio reminds me a little of the late Chris Penn, and a lot like Mr Penn, if he lost a little weight the cinema going majority might realise that he is actually Robert De Niro in his prime.

Eamon Farren is emotionally engaging as the victimised Rabbit who, despite all that is thrown at him, desperately clings to an overwhelmed humanity. A huge chunk of the credit for the films success has to go to Ms Lynch, who true to her pedigree keeps you engaged to the end.

Just when you think you have the measure of the story, the characters, where it’s all going, she takes a skull cracking left turn that’s as shocking as it is poignant.

31 December 201210 March 2023

2012

Keeping track of the things I watch in 2012.

Les aventures extraordinaires d'Adèle Blanc-Sec — Les aventures extraordinaires d’Adèle Blanc-Sec

Don't Be Afraid of the Dark — Don’t Be Afraid of the Dark

Vallanzasca - Gli angeli del male — Vallanzasca – Gli angeli del male

I Don't Know How She Does It — I Don’t Know How She Does It

Elle s'appelait Sarah — Elle s’appelait Sarah

L'homme qui voulait vivre sa vie — L’homme qui voulait vivre sa vie

Tropa de Elite 2: O Inimigo Agora é Outro

Mission: Impossible - Ghost Protocol — Mission: Impossible – Ghost Protocol

What to Expect When You're Expecting — What to Expect When You’re Expecting

Seeking a Friend for the End of the World

Your Sister's Sister — Your Sister’s Sister

8 February 201210 April 2025

Bert Jansch – Dreamweaver

Way back in 1999 I shot and directed a documentary about Bert Jansch called Dreamweaver. It was made with no money, shot on borrowed cameras, and took a year to make. Late in the production we managed to get a meeting with the head of 4Music. On the back of that meeting, we were given enough money to pay the cost of post-production, and a slot on Channel 4. Dreamweaver aired 28 June 2000. Yesterday I was trawling YouTube, and came across Dreamweaver in its entirety.

I can only think Bert’s recent death prompted its appearance. In many ways it’s a film for his fans. There are full performances from Bert, no talking heads getting in the way of his playing. Not my choice. Personally I think that was a mistake, I think it detracts from what could have been a more fluid telling of his story, but that was the agreement the producer made with Bert, and those were the parameters I had to work within. That’s why, every so often you get those textured wipes. It was my attempt to differentiate elements of the story that would normally have been defined by music. I have to say I was a little surprised to see it there on YouTube. I’ve seen clips, one or two songs here and there, but not the whole thing. Truthfully I don’t know how I feel about its appearance. Ideas about copyright, ownership, and getting paid, all come to mind. Some fairly primal emotions are dragged up when I think about the production, especially the latter stages. Suffice it to say, the producer and I went our separate ways, and I haven’t seen him since. All I can do now is tell myself what I told myself back then, I didn’t do it for the money, I did it for the experience, for the credit. At least the YouTube uploader was kind enough to list me as the director.

31 December 201110 March 2023

2011

Keeping track of the things I watch in 2011.

Das weiße Band - Eine deutsche Kindergeschichte — Das weiße Band – Eine deutsche Kindergeschichte

World's Greatest Dad — World’s Greatest Dad

31 October 201114 July 2024

The Social Network (2010)

THE SOCIAL NETWORK has to be one of the best films of the year. David Fincher is back on form following the ever so slightly melancholic chore that was Benjamin Button. His direction is subtle, even masterful, wise enough to simply get out of the way, and let Aaron Sorkin’s writing shine.

From the opening scene, Sorkin draws you in, leads you through what, in a lesser writer’s hands, might end up looking like a childish squabble.

If you don’t know The Social Network is about the creation of Facebook, and the ensuing fallout. How much of what we see is true is anyone’s guess, but Sorkin doesn’t let the truth get in the way of a good story, allowing the various parties to have their say, even if it contradicts what is being said elsewhere.

He lets you make up your own mind, decide for yourself who is lying, and who is telling the truth. In doing so he manages to make you engage with some of the most unlikeable people you’re ever likely come across. They are elitist self-centred egomaniacs, their narcissism verges on the psychopathic, but Sorkin even manages to make you feel for them.

When the depositions are over, and the lawyers have retired to thrash out the settlement, Zuckerberg retreats into his virtual world, and check his ex’s status on Facebook. It’s hard not to feel something for him at this point, all of his “motivated” behaviour, and all he wants is to be liked by a girl. It’s that or he is dangerous psychopath stalking an ex, you decide.

Interesting, engaging, and definitely worth seeing more than once.

Director: David Fincher
Writer: Aaron Sorkin
Production Year: 2010
Rating: 12A
Running Time: 121 minutes

31 December 201020 December 2025

2010

Keeping track of the things I watch in 2010.

Cirque du Freak: The Vampire's Assistant — Cirque du Freak: The Vampire’s Assistant

Give 'em Hell Malone — Give ’em Hell Malone

The Bad Lieutenant: Port of Call - New Orleans — The Bad Lieutenant: Port of Call – New Orleans

She's Out of My League — She’s Out of My League

The Sorcerer's Apprentice — The Sorcerer’s Apprentice

11 October 201014 July 2024

The Disappearance Of Alice Creed (2009)

THE DISAPPEARANCE OF ALICE CREED is an interesting low budget thriller from first time writer/director J Blakeson.

Two men fortify a derelict apartment, kidnap a woman, tie her to the bed, and demand a two million pounds ransom from her father. Eddie Marsan is delightfully menacing as Vic, the criminal mastermind with the perfect plan. Martin Compston turns in a similarly impressive performance as Vic’s obedient conspirator Danny.

Gemma Arterton impresses most, rising to the challenge, giving her most believable performance as the kidnapped Alice Creed. To be honest I wasn’t expecting much from this film, I knew almost nothing about it going in, so was genuinely surprised by at least one of the plot points.

Although we have only three actors, and a limited number of location, it punches well above its weight. The writing is tight, the direction precise, defiantly worth seeing at least once.

Director: J Blakeson
Writer: J Blakeson
Production Year: 2009
Rating: 18
Running Time: 96 minutes

3 October 201014 July 2024

[REC] 2 (2009)

[REC] 2 is a worthy sequel to the one of the best horror films of recent times. Picking up exactly where [REC] left off, an official from the Ministry of Health, and three members of a GEO (SWAT) team, are sent into the quarantined building to verify the infection has been contained.

When they encounter the infected residents, and the health official, Dr. Owen, is able to fight them off with a rosary and a religious mantra, it quickly becomes apparent that the infection is actually a manifestation of demonic evil, and Dr Owen is a priest sent by the Vatican to recover a blood sample from the source of the infection, the Medeiros girl.

As Owen and the team search for the girl, the second act takes a left turn, as three thrill seeking teenagers follow the father of a quarantined girl into the building. Trapped inside they quickly become grist to the mill, providing a level of histrionics only a teenage girl can bring.

Act three brings the story full circle, as the journalist from [REC] makes a dramatic reappearance. Her story brings a satisfying, if icky, conclusion to events.

From the opening sequence Balagueró and Plaza manage to maintain the frenetic pace of the original. The three acts, with three very different points of view, open out the story enough to keep it fresh and interesting.

They also manage to ramp up the first person camera thing, that was so important to the original. The GEO team wear helmet cams, the thrill seeking teenagers camcorders. We cut between their multiple points of view, putting us right in the middle of the action, without ever losing that dynamic first person quality.

With two more films in the pipeline. [REC] Genesis and [REC] Apocalypse, the franchise looks set to stay. With luck they will be able to take the story in a new direction, without losing the frantic, constant climax, feel of these two.

A genuine scary horror film, definitely worth your time.

Directors: Jaume Balagueró & Paco Plaza
Writers: Jaume Balagueró, Paco Plaza & Manu Díez
Production Year: 2009
Rating: 18
Running Time: 85 minutes

30 September 201014 July 2024

The Horde (2009)

THE HORDE is a no holds barred blood fest of a zombie film from France. The setup is simple. Four Parisian cops raid an abandoned tower block intent on taking revenge on the gangsters who killed their comrade. But when the dead inexplicably start to rise, the two factions are forced into an uneasy truce, so they can escape the tower, and the hordes of undead.

The embittered policemen and hardcore gangsters all have a sense of nihilism that only add to the “end of days” tone. Directors Dahan and Rocher make the most of the claustrophobic situation, combining the action and horror in equal measure, managing to put on screen some of the best close quarter zombie fighting I’ve ever seen, the zombies keep coming, they keep fighting, and just when you think it’s going to stop, it keeps going some more.

I particularly liked Jo Prestia pummelling to death a pair of flesh hungry zombies. Claude Perron’s toe to toe fist fight with a zombie in an apartment kitchen, finally offing the she-zombie with a fridge and a gob of disdainful spit. There’s also a delightfully over the top Yves Pignot’s unleashing of an unrelenting burst of machine gun fire at a corridor of zombies. My favourite, Jean-Pierre Martins stranded atop an abandoned car in an underground car park, hordes clawing for his flesh, while he just keeps chopping away at them with a machete. This exact image haunts my nightmares.

It is not a perfect film, the ending is weak, there’s a disturbing undertone of misogyny running throughout. Character development plays second string to the action, but that’s nothing you wouldn’t expect from a film of this type.

At the upper end of the low budget horror genre, not for the squeamish, definitely worth seeing.

Directors: Yannick Dahan & Benjamin Rocher
Writer: Arnaud Bordas, Benjamin Rocher, Yannick Dahan & Stéphane Moïssakis
Production Year: 2009
Rating: 18 Running
Time: 90 minutes

5 September 201014 July 2024

Pontypool (2008)

PONTYPOOL is interesting take on the zombie film. Set for the most part in the local radio station, Stephen McHattie is convincing as Grant Mazzy, a shock jock from the big city reduced to plying his ware on CLSY, a local radio station broadcasting to the small Ontario town of Pontypool.

A slow day of appalling weather quickly takes a turn for the worst, as reports start to come in of people having seizures, developing strange speech patterns, and committing appalling acts of violence.

As events unfold it becomes apparent that the violence is being spread by a virus contained in the English language, but Mazzy thinks he has found the cure, or is Mazzy actually spreading the virus with his broadcast?

From the opening sequence you know this is something more than your average zombie film, there isn’t a lot of the usual bloody horror you’d expect. It builds tension by feeding you images from Mazzy’s broadcast. The horror for the most part in your head, and is all the better for it. It is an interesting little film, that poses some very interesting questions about the nature of language. It is, dare I say it, an esoteric zombie film?

Director: Bruce McDonald
Writer: Tony Burgess
Production Year: 2008
Rating: 15
Running Time: 96 minutes

Category: Film & Television

Chained (2012)

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2012

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Bert Jansch – Dreamweaver

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2011

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The Social Network (2010)

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2010

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The Disappearance Of Alice Creed (2009)

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[REC] 2 (2009)

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The Horde (2009)

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Pontypool (2008)

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