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nishy2012
Reviews
Tyrannosaur (2011)
Best film I've seen this year
I usually avoid film reviews so that I don't pre-judge the films before viewing but was aware that this film was very highly rated. After viewing I can see and agree why. The film is brutal and honest in the acting, the storyline, the settings, everything is just superb. The lead actress gives a wonderful performance, I was familiar with her from the TV series Peep Show as a comedy actress but in this serious role she is just tremendous. The misanthropic main character is played with gritty realism by the Scottish lead actor and is totally believable, I've met characters like this and to see it brought to the screen is a fantastic achievement from the director. As a Brit I am happy to see us make great films like Tyrannosaur, up with the best in the world. Not quite ten out of ten, but very close!
Contagion (2011)
great soundtrack, shame the film is not so good
I don't see reviews of films before I watch them to avoid pre-judging what I watch. I was surprised to see this one was critically acclaimed, according to wikipedia. I enjoyed the techno soundtrack and the various locations that this film was shot in, you can see a lot of money has been spent getting this right. As for the storyline, well it's just not very contagious shall we say. The best parts of the film are linked into quite a good techno soundtrack so you almost feel you are watching a music video with a lot of people getting sick in it. I did get quite chilled out watching these sequences in the film. As for the characters portrayed by a lot of big-name stars, I think most of the performances were dialled in for a fat pay-cheque. I didn't connect with any of the characters and was strangely unconcerned when various of them kicked the bucket due to the virus. The storyline is solid, just very dull and tedious. I don't really reoommend paying to see this film.
A Lonely Place to Die (2011)
Not that great
I watched this on DVD and was actually going to stop watching after the first ten minutes as I found the characters that uninteresting and disengaging. It gets more interesting as they find the girl but then the storyline gets a bit ridiculous, i don't understand why the gunmen feel the need to shoot all the climbers instead of going and getting the girl with the gun as a threat? Obviously there would be no film then but surely they wouldn't compromise themselves by shooting that many people? Also the festival was a bit bizarre in the Scottish backwater setting, not likely that you are going to see Mardi Gras type ladies baring all in chilly Scotland! The reason I say this wasn't a bad film is that it keeps you watching but when you analyse it afterwards even suspension of disbelief doesn't make this into anything more than an average flick.
Resistance (2011)
Michael Sheen used to sell this movie and he's not in it much
This is a TV movie if anything, very average and predictable. Michael Sheen is listed as one of the stars yet he is only in it for about five minutes, maybe ten at a push. Some of the reviews on IMDb are laughable regarding this film, like the chap who said he never posts reviews, well neither do I but after reading the first one I have to say that this is a very mundane film and I agree with what he wrote completely. The Welsh countryside is beautifully shot by the film-maker but that is not really a reason to watch this film. My advice is to wait till it comes on TV and if you are bored then this might kill time but it is certainly not very special, interesting or anything else.
Snowtown (2011)
very tedious and confusing film
I saw this film get good reviews and thought I would give it a go, like you do. I sat through it to the end even though nothing really seemed to happen and the events in the film were quite random and I did start hoping it would finish soon. I think the film-makers were assuming people would have prior knowledge of the events of the film before viewing it, as it seemed to veer from scene to scene quite randomly, i got the gist of what was happening but it was not really compulsive viewing. The story matter is based on real-life events and I found it to be grim viewing, with little reward or insight into the characters, and I felt the boy playing the lead was not very interesting to watch. I guess I expect to be entertained or gain some insight into something when I watch a film but in this case neither of these things happened. Quite dull all in all.