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DVD Review: 'The Servant' (rerelease)
52 minutes ago
★★★★★ The first in a trilogy of Harold Pinter and Joseph Losey collaborations that also includes Accident (1967) and The Go-Between (1970), The Servant (1963) is a tense psychological drama that studies the theme of servitude, whilst also offering a brutal indictment of the British class system. James Fox stars as Tony, a wealthy young Londoner who hires valet Hugo Barrett (Dirk Bogarde). Initially, Barrett takes to his role and subtly suggests that the house could do with some alterations. Gradually, Barrett begins calling the shots, yet he and Tony form a seemingly friendly bond, whilst dually retaining their conflicting social positions.
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- CineVue UK
Competition: Win 'The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey'
6 April 2013 12:32 AM, PDT
To celebrate the release of The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey (2012) on Blu-ray 3D, Blu-ray, DVD and digital download on 8 April, Three lucky winners have the chance to get their hands on a copy of the film on DVD, courtesy of Warner Bros. Home Video. Directed by the visionary Peter Jackson, best know for helming the hugely successful The Lord of the Rings saga, The Hobbit trilogy sees the Kiwi filmmaker returning to his beloved world of Middle-earth for a three-part prequel to his previous Oscar-winning fantasy outings. This is an exclusive competition for our Facebook and Twitter fans, so if you haven't already, 'Like' us at facebook.com/CineVueUK or follow us @CineVue before answering the question below.
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- CineVue UK
Special Feature: Eva Mendes talks 'Place Beyond the Pines'
5 April 2013 2:18 PM, PDT
She takes art classes, she meditates, and as a child wanted to be a nun. The fact that Eva Mendes counters these characteristics by living up to the tag of being one of the world's most glamorous actresses, as well as being an ambassador for brands as diverse as Magnum ice cream, Calvin Klein and Pantene, leads us to suppose this must be someone completely comfortable in her own versatile image; true or false? For a star who pulls off glamorous - whether in a flowing white dress or a figure-hugging black number - with such aplomb, it's something of a surprise to see the supremely talented Mendes cast as Romina, a single mother beaten by life's experiences in The Place Beyond the Pines (2013).
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- CineVue UK
Competition: Win tickets to see Pasolini's 'Theorem'
5 April 2013 7:59 AM, PDT
On Friday 12 April, the BFI will rerelease Pier Paolo Pasolini's seminal drama Theorem (1968) to coincide with a retrospective of the director's films at the BFI Southbank (until 30 April) and in anticipation of a season devoted to British star Terence Stamp (1-27 May), before playing further at venues nationwide. To celebrate this reappraisal of one of the controversial Italian director's finest hours, we have kindly been provided with Three pairs of tickets to see the film at a screening of choice, courtesy of the British Film Institute. This is an exclusive competition for our Facebook and Twitter fans, so if you haven't already, 'Like' us at facebook.com/CineVueUK or follow us @CineVue before answering the question below.
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- CineVue UK
Competition: Win 'Schindler's List' on Blu-ray
5 April 2013 4:52 AM, PDT
One of the most powerful films of the last 20 years, Schindler's List (1993) tells an extraordinary true story of courage and faith. Director Steven Spielberg personally supervised this brand new high definition restoration of the film from the 35mm original negative, so that viewers can see this powerful story as never before. To celebrate the film's 20th Anniversary Blu-ray rerelease this Monday (8 April), we have Three copies of this harrowing drama to offer our readers, courtesy of Universal Studios Home Entertainment. This is an exclusive competition for our Facebook and Twitter fans, so if you haven't already, 'Like' us at facebook.com/CineVueUK or follow us @CineVue before answering the question below.
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- CineVue UK
Competition: Win 'Room 237' on DVD *closed*
5 April 2013 3:16 AM, PDT
In Rodney Ascher's Room 237 (2012), we hear from people who believe they have decoded the far-reaching theories, hidden symbols and messages buried in Stanley Kubrick's 80s horror masterpiece, The Shining. Carefully examining the film forwards and backwards, Room 237 is equal parts captivating, intriguing and provocative. To celebrate the film's DVD release this coming Monday (1 April), we've been handed Three DVD copies of Ascher's compelling documentary to offer our readers, courtesy of Metrodome Distribution. This is an exclusive competition for our Facebook and Twitter fans, so if you haven't already, 'Like' us at facebook.com/CineVueUK or follow us @CineVue before answering the question below.
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- CineVue UK
Film Review: 'Papadopoulos & Sons'
5 April 2013 2:17 AM, PDT
★★☆☆☆ Despite the best intentions, Marcus Markou's family affair Papadopoulos & Sons (2012) - made in conjunction with brother, Andrew, through Double M Films - was never likely to emulate the success here in the UK of Joel Zwick's hammy yet humorous Us comedy, My Big Fat Greek Wedding (2002). A far more restrained, London-based riches-to-rags parable, Markou's film strains to be both comic and touching, often missing its marks by some margin. Game of Thrones' Stephen Dillane heads up a relatively little-known cast as Harry Papadopoulos, a successful entrepreneur on the verge of losing everything.
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- CineVue UK
Film Review: 'Home' ('Yurt')
4 April 2013 2:04 AM, PDT
★★☆☆☆ Best known for his Palme d'Or-winning turn in Nuri Bilge Ceylan's Uzak (Distant, 2002), actor-turned-director Muzaffer Özdemir's debut film Home (Yurt, 2011) is an introspective examination into the sustained cultural shift within modern Turkey, and the issues this raises for its people. Returning from Istanbul to his childhood village in the province of Gumushane, downhearted architect Doğan (Kanbolat Gorkem Arslan) is under doctor's orders to take a brief sabbatical from his high-pressure job. It's the perfect opportunity for Doğan to go back to his roots and hopefully find the origins of his existential funk.
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- CineVue UK
Film Review: 'Thursday Till Sunday'
4 April 2013 12:08 AM, PDT
★★★★☆ Taking the cinematic conventions of the road movie and weaving them into an intimate portrayal of a family on the brink of breakup, Thursday Till Sunday (De jueves a domingo, 2012) is a well-acted and heartfelt coming-of-age tale. Ten year-old Lucia (Santi Ahumada) and younger brother Manuel (Emiliano Freifeld) set off on a trip with their parents across an arid, picturesque Chilean countryside for a long weekend of camping. Unbeknownst to the children, their parents are at an emotional crossroads, and the dissolution of their marriage grows increasingly clear as the four of them venture further into the landscape.
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- CineVue UK
Preview: Red Band trailer for Refn's 'Only God Forgives'
3 April 2013 4:09 PM, PDT
As the age-old saying goes, "If it ain't broke, don't fix it." Frenetic director Nicolas Winding Refn has clearly taken this mantra to heart for new film Only God Forgives (2013), which sees the Dane reunited with hot property Ryan Gosling following the success of his ultra-stylish 2011 crime thriller Drive. A near-dead cert for a world premiere outing at this year's Cannes Film Festival, Winding Refn's bloody new feature has just received its first trailer (Red Band no less) courtesy of Yahoo! Movies, offering us a tantalising glimpse at one of the most eagerly anticipated independent films set for release this year. Set in Thailand's boxing underworld, Gosling plays a wanderer once again out for revenge.
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- CineVue UK
Film Review: 'The Expatriate'
3 April 2013 10:33 AM, PDT
★★★☆☆ This week, Aaron Eckhart throws his hat into the cerebral action hero ring for Philipp Stölzl's The Expatriate (Erased, 2012), an American espionage thriller which has more than a whiff of déjà vu about it. Imagine a less icily-efficient Jason Bourne, with a petulant daughter in tow, and you're somewhere close to what's offered up here. The Dark Knight's former nemesis, Eckhart, plays the titular character, Ben Logan. Forging a new future in Belgium after a dark past, he's juggling daddy duties with his recently-displaced older teenage daughter Amy (Liana Liberato), whilst working as a consultant for a high-profile security devices company.
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- CineVue UK
Film Review: 'All Things to All Men'
3 April 2013 10:13 AM, PDT
★★☆☆☆ Hot on the heels of Eran Creevy's slick London cat-and-mouse chase Welcome to the Punch (2013) comes George Isaac's All Things to All Men (2013), a British crime flick with as much ambition as its title. But where Punch abstracted the nation's capital, filtering it through layers of Hong Kong cool, Isaac's tame thriller takes a more literal approach to the city, breaking out the tourist traps every few minutes. If it wasn't for the presence of a talented cast and a few decent set pieces, it could almost be a tourist video. Rufus Sewell gives good grit as veteran cop Parker (that's right, another one), who's been playing the game for years.
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- CineVue UK
Film Review: 'A Late Quartet'
3 April 2013 5:31 AM, PDT
★★☆☆☆ Classical music has always been an opulent breeding ground for cinematic stimulation; from Miloš Forman's Amadeus (1984) to Michael Haneke's The Piano Teacher (2001), the emotionally expressive prowess of the medium has been a rich source of inspiration for decades. Attempting to capture the essence of the pursuit is Yaron Zilberman's A Late Quartet (2012), the tale of an illustrious string ensemble pushed to breaking point by a myriad of passionate, domestic quarrels. Zilberman brings together a stellar cast to form the film's Fugue String Quartet, including Phillip Seymour Hoffman, Catherine Keener and Christopher Walken.
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- CineVue UK
Film Review: 'Spring Breakers'
3 April 2013 3:32 AM, PDT
★★★★☆ A fluorescent, hypnotic orgy of guns, girls, drugs and electro, American indie cinema's enfant terrible Harmony Korine eschews the low budget trappings of his previous feature, 2009's bizarre Trash Humpers (which voyeuristically followed a group of garbage-mounting Nashville pensioners), for the sun-drenched, liquor-soaked Florida coastline of Spring Breakers (2011). Here, four bold and brash college students initially bite off more than they can chew during their summer 'spring break' festivities before ingratiating themselves into a world of armed robbery, gang warfare and - as is age appropriate - melancholic Britney Spears ballads. Read more » »
- CineVue UK
Film Review: 'Dark Skies'
3 April 2013 1:10 AM, PDT
★★☆☆☆ Distancing himself from the CGI-heavy aesthetics of previous efforts Priest (2011) and Legion (2009), director Scott Stewart's Dark Skies (2013) attempts to combine the carefully orchestrated suspense of a haunted house horror with the ominous, extraterrestrial threat of a sci-fi allegory. However, this enticing blend ultimately churns out a curious, yet sterile and clichéd examination of contemporary economic anxieties. Soaring through the white picket fences and immaculately mowed lawns of American suburbia, Dark Skies paints an instantly recognisable depiction of a 21st century idyll - a portrait of freedom and comfort.
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- CineVue UK
DVD Review: 'Room 237'
2 April 2013 3:58 PM, PDT
★★★☆☆ Beginning with a lengthy disclaimer distancing itself from the evidently non-plussed Stanley Kubrick estate, Rodney Ascher's theory-laden docu-essay Room 237 (2012) falls somewhere between the redundant and the reverential. Offering up a series of curious readings into Kubrick's 1980 horror classic, The Shining - ranging from the coercive to the downright crackpot - Ascher provides five of the late American director's most feverish supporters with the stage needed to wax lyrical about the hidden messages and secret codes hidden within his labyrinthine tale of ghostly encounters and attempted familicide.
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- CineVue UK
DVD Review: 'The Man with the Iron Fists'
2 April 2013 1:40 PM, PDT
★☆☆☆☆ There's hardly much more to say about Neanderthal martial arts movie The Man with the Iron Fists (2012) other than it is an affront to the defining contributions made by directors such as Ang Lee and Wilson Yip over the years. This deeply cerebral genre has been completely macerated by director RZA, best known for his hip-hop career with Wu Tang Clan, and 'presented bys' gore guru Quentin Tarantino. We have been spoilt in recent years - certainly blessed with a mini Golden Age due to advances in cinematography and choreography - but this tactless portrayal of warriors and warlords will be forgotten in an instant.
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- CineVue UK
DVD Review: 'The Heist'
2 April 2013 4:00 AM, PDT
★★☆☆☆ Crime capers have long been a staple element of the cinematic diet and often lent additional frivolity by charging a group amateurs with pulling of required larceny. That is very much the case in the unimaginatively titled comedy The Heist (2009) helmed by the director of Bill and Ted's Bogus Journey (1991) and The Borrowers (1997), Peter Hewitt. It's never particularly inventive stuff, though it adds an nicely original motive for the central robbery and has a trio of more-than-reliable performers as the bungling thieves that keep proceedings humorous, if never getting anywhere close to being uproariously funny.
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- CineVue UK
DVD Review: '12 in a Box'
2 April 2013 3:22 AM, PDT
★★★☆☆ With a love of Ealing comedies worn proudly on its sleeve, British caper 12 in a Box (2007) arrives on DVD this week following a limited theatrical run back in March. Although it's taken a little longer than anticipated to reach the stage of public consumption since its completion, John McKenzie's farce comes with acclaim on the festival circuit and the seal of approval from Albert S. Ruddy. Luckily, the reservations that might be natural for a film that has struggled to find its way to audiences are, in this case, unfounded; McKenzie directs a thoroughly enjoyable romp with a wonderfully serpentine story.
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- CineVue UK
DVD Review: 'Vito'
2 April 2013 2:00 AM, PDT
★★★★☆ Some films, though hard to watch, make enlightening viewing. Vito (2011), the new biographic documentary by director Jeffrey Schwarz about the American film journalist and gay activist Vito Russo, is one such exercise. The film charts Russo's life from his childhood in New Jersey to his role as one of the leading lights at the centre of New York's gay community during the 1970s and 80s. One often has to question what facilitates the wider release of a made-for-tv documentary (as this is), and whether it succeeds in its objectives. Fortunately, as a study of an influential period in the history of cinema the film is fascinating.
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- CineVue UK
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