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jane-83
Reviews
The Boy in the Striped Pajamas (2008)
Understated and intelligent... a very good film.
I went to see this with an open mind and was not disappointed. Although as others have said the two boys could not have met unobserved for so long, if you are prepared to overlook this you have a wonderful film. Almost as painful to watch as the inmates' suffering are the terrible effects on Bruno's family as it becomes harder for them to be able to ignore what is going on around them. The Lieutenant seems to be a stereotype until the dinner scene, when suddenly even he becomes a real human being.
Nearly all the horrific events are implied and off-screen, but the constant understated references are very clever: the black clouds blowing over the garden, and the chillingly brilliant scene with Gretel's dolls stored in the cellar, so innocent in itself but so evocative of what was really happening.
I would not class this as a children's film, but the way it is done from Bruno and Shmuel's perspective means that (older) children can relate to the characters. Nobody in the cinema said a word when the credits rolled when I saw it, it is so powerful. See this film.
The Descent (2005)
This is why cavers should leave a call-out...
I am a caver, and knew that the sets were mostly studio before I saw it, so was very pleasantly surprised by just how good the sets are. A few inaccuracies- mostly the cast's clothing- but also some amazingly realistic touches: in the close-up of them rigging the traverse across the chasm, there is coloured tape around the krab (fastener) so the owner can tell it is theirs. Yep, we all do that. I also loved the part in the same scene where the first obsolete equipment is found in a "new" system... uh-oh. Also the night before, with them all drinking beer in the cabin- yes, all the cavers I know do exactly that!
I liked the fact that the Crawlers mostly were real actors, not CG- much more work involved and they look good close-up. The Descent is a great horror film, but it would also be a great movie if there were no monsters and it just followed them trying to find a way out.
Put me off caving? No way. But it has made me wary of vans and trucks with loads of scaffold poles and pipes!
Ringu 2 (1999)
YOU SAW IT!!!
Ringu and Ringu 2 are not two separate films, but one film in two parts and if you've seen the magnificent original you MUST see this. One noticeable contrast is that Ringu 2 gets going immediately. It has a less threatening atmosphere than Ringu, but its pace is just as gripping. A lot is explained from the first movie- but not everything, so you still have a lot to think about- and it is still suitably open-ended to have you wanting to know what happens next. There are some great performances, particularly from our old friends Sadako and Yoichi. There isn't a moment like The Definitive Scene in Ringu (we all know the one!) but the sequence where Masami approaches the TV set in the hospital is brilliant, and another really good moment is the part where the reporter encounters technical difficulties trying to erase the interview with one of Sadako's viewers. And that is just the beginning of his problems! It helps to see more of Shizuko and Sadako, and the little you see of their relationship makes you want to check out Ringu 0, which I haven't seen yet. ******POSSIBLE SPOILER WARNING******* I loved the scene where Sadako chased Mai and Yoichi up the well shaft, caught them- and it turned out that all she wanted was to ask Mai a question! Which doesn't get answered, although my guess is that it has to do with the second video ghost. I wasn't expecting the ending that the film has, either. Good stuff. This film-in-two-parts is well made, well-acted and absolutely captivating. Well done, Nakata-san.
When the Wind Blows (1986)
Blimey, ducks - there's only three minutes to go....
This film is an amazing contrast: its extremely dark subject matter is totally belied by the beautifully-drawn backdrops and sweet cartoon style. As adult animations are so rare this style grabs you at once, and it is impossible not to be gripped. Anyone who doesn't remember the Cold War should note that the advice about the doors and painting the windows white was the true advice at the time. Where this film is so effective is its perfect charicatures of elderly folk determined to keep the British stiff upper lip, with no idea about nuclear weapons. My grandparents are exactly like this couple, I could see my nan also bringing in the washing during the four-minute warning. We never see the couple's son but his refusal to adhere to the government's "Protect & Survive" advice, singing the Tom Lehrer song down the phone to his father, is a far more realistic attitude towards what is about to happen. Living only 12 miles from London when I first saw this film I was inclined to agree with the son (and still do). Although the geopolitical map of the world is different now this is still an immensely valuable film as it shows what the risks were during the Cold War and is a chilling reminder that although the Cold War may be over, the weapons are still here. It could not be more different in presentation to the equally brilliant but far more horrifying Threads - but the message is the same.
Threads (1984)
A great example of television at its most thought provoking
When this came out it was rare to see material like this on British television. As this was shown while the Cold War was still on it was very topical and only too easy to imagine being for real. I was eleven years old at the time, and I already had some understanding of what this was about. This was when the Cruise missiles were brought over and the Doomsday Clock was set to 11.55pm. Everyone I know who saw this film has never forgotten it. What was so brilliant about Threads was the way it was not a big blockbuster-type programme full of action. Most of the scenes are domestic and are therefore much easier to relate to than the films you see set in bunkers. The characters were also ordinary, not all military heroes like on the big screen. I clearly remember the one image that I found really disturbing was when the heat and blast melted and shattered the milk bottles on the doorstep- imagery doesn't get more everyday or ordinary than that. It is a shame this film has disappeared into obscurity. Whilst it was not dissimilar to "The Day After" it was extremely powerful, and watching it gave a sense of how awful it would be, whether or not you survived the initial blast, if we ever resort to atomic warfare. For those of us who grew up in the Cold War it is a reminder of how the world has changed- and perhaps also a warning, as the world is currently quite uncertain again.