REVENGE

This terrific revenge thriller marks the outstanding directorial debut of French filmmaker and writer Coralie Faegeat. She tells the story of Jen (Matilda Lutz) an attractive young woman who is enjoying a sexy getaway with her lover Richard (Kevin Janssens), a wealthy married man in a luxurious but remote destination reached only by helicopter. Their perfect weekend is suddenly interrupted when two of Richard’s seedy friends arrive for a hunting trip…

Faegeat’ assured direction demands attention from its opening sequence and doesn’t let go till the final credits. Her exciting thriller is one of those films that the less one knows about the plot the better. Personally I knew nothing about the story and I was totally mesmerised by the experience – so try and avoid watching the trailer if you can, as it gives too much away.

Matilda Lutz is a striking presence and manages to transform herself in a remarkable way throughout the action. Faegeat’s classy filming style accompanied by giant close ups bring to mind early Sergio Leone films where most men are extremely ugly and thuggish. Bruce Willis move over – a new action heroine has arrived!

 

ENTEBBE

This over familiar true story is told with a fresh eye by Jose Padiha’s urgent and energetic piece of film making. The action takes place in the summer of 1976 – an Air France flight from Tel Aviv to Paris via Athens in taken over by four hijackers, two Palestinians and two left wing German activists.

During the seventies following these events two very mediocre movies came out almost simultaneously which celebrated the nationalistic spirit of Israel’s gung ho operation to rescue the Jewish hostages. No one was spared including Idi Amin’s innocent bystander soldiers. Charles Bronson was the Brigadier General Dan Shomron in RAID ON ENTEBBE while Helmut Berger was the German activist Wilfried Bose in VICTORY AT ENTEBBE with Elizabeth Taylor as one of the hostages.

In this new film Padiha elicits strong performances from Rosemunde Pike and Daniel Bruhl as the politically driven Germans but overall this doesn’t say anything new despite the production’s valiant efforts.

 

THAT GOOD NIGHT

The late John Hurt is very touching in one of his last performances in Eric Styles’s sensitive film adapted from N J Crisp’s stage play. He plays Ralph, a once famous screenwriter in his seventies now living in the Algarve with his Swedish wife Anna Sofia Helin). He decides to reconnect with his estranged son Michael (Max Brown) following an unexpected diagnosis with a terminal disease…

Eric Styles uses well the Portuguese locations in his engaging film which is worth seeing just for Hurt’s dignified presence alone. It is a fine tribute to Hurt’s illustrious career in a rare leading role which is well supported by Charles Dance as the mysterious man who keeps on visiting Ralph with a strange proposition.

 

SHERLOCK GNOMES

The garden gnomes from GNOMEO AND JULIET are still celebrating their happy co-existence until they discover that someone is kidnapping garden gnomes all over London. They have no alternative but to call the services of Sherlock Gnomes (voice by Johnny Depp) who soon arrives on the scene with his partner Watson (Chiwetel Ejiofor)…

Director John Stevenson keeps the action flowing in this inventive animation feature which is co-produced by Elton John, who lends many of his songs to compliment the action along with a new score from Chris Bacon.

Good, undemanding family entertainment!

 

MANSFIELD 66/67

The iconic Jayne Mansfield deserves a better film that this curiously enjoyable but uneven documentary.

Mansfield’s blossoming career in the fifties and sixties rivalled those other sex goddesses of the time like Marilyn Monroe and Sophia Loren but sadly her glamorous life came to a sudden following her tragic car accident.

There are valuable contributions from John Waters and Mary Woronov with some enjoyable clips from her film but unfortunately there is too much material of the satanic influence of Anton Lavey, who many believe he may have been connected to her untimely death. And the less said about the amateur dramatics of the performance art students, who keep on prancing around throughout the project the better!

 George Savvides

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