A PRAYER BEFORE DAWN
Jean-Stephane Sauvaire’s compelling film based on a true story is a harrowing and truly cinematic experience with a highly committed performance from Joe Cole as Billy Moore, a young English boxer who gets arrested in Thailand for using drugs. He spends the next three years in two of Thailand’s most notorious prisons where he sinks deeper into a world of drugs and extreme gang violence. There is no escape from this living nightmare until the authorities allow Billy to take part in the Muay Thai boxing tournaments…
Joe Cole made his name as Cillian Murphy’s younger brother Tommy in PEAKY BLINDERS but here he proves he is more than capable in carrying a whole film almost singlehandedly. He is a striking presence and his lean, well-formed white body sticks out amongst the other prisoners like a fly in a glass of milk.
Director Jean-Stephane Sauvaire is a true visionary and a poet who makes great use of the claustrophobic prison environment which he films with imagination and style.
It is a horrific, violent world as brutal as that of Billy Hayes who was stuck in a Turkish prison in MIDNIGHT EXPRESS in another true story. This is such an extreme story it could only be true. Essential Viewing!
HOTEL ARTEMIS
Drew Pearce’s highly original concept has cult written all over it. He sets his action in 2028 during violent riots in Los Angeles and follows the story of Jean Thomas known as The Nurse (Jodie Foster), who is in charge of a secret member – only hospital strictly for criminals.
Waikiki (Sterling K. Brown) and his younger brother Honolulu (Brian Tyree Henry) arrive at this hidden hospital known as Hotel Artemis with gunshot wounds following a botched up bank robbery and it is not too long before the notorious gangster and owner of the hotel, named The Wolf King (Jeff Goldblum) arrives on the scene…
It may be a bit rough around the edges but Jodie Foster’s vanity free performance manages to keep it together. The plot is complicated and almost incomprehensible at times but overall it is a remarkable achievement for a first time director.
SKYSCRAPER
This enjoyable cross between DIE HARD and THE TWERING INFERNO reunites Dwayne Johnson with Rawson Marshall Thurber, his CENTRAL INTELLIGENCE director.
There are no surprises in this routine summer blockbuster but Dwayne Johnson powerful presence is used well here. He plays Will Ford, a former FBI Hostage Rescue Team leader whom we see in a pre-credit sequence losing one of his legs in a failed assignment. Now his new job as an expert on skyscraper security leads him and his family to China but it is not too long before he finds himself in the middle of a blaze in the world’s tallest building and he is framed for it…
Dwayne delivers the goods and so is Neve Campbell as his feisty and resourceful wife trapped in the skyscraper with their two children. The villains are more of the stereotypical kind lacking Alan Rickman’s depth in DIE HARD with Noah Taylor signalling his bad intentions from his very first entrance making good use of his Adolf Hitler looks.
GENERATION WEALTH
Lauren Greenfield, the director of THE QUEEN OF VERSAILLES delivers another compelling documentary about American greed and its endless obsession with material things, which also arrives via the recent Sundance London Film Festival. Her analytical, well-structured film revisits a glamorous and care free group of Californian teen agers twenty years later, where they talk about their disappointments in life as well as the sour effects of their American Dream. She also spends a lot of time examining her own past with her family as well as with her journalist mother who first inspired Lauren to pursue a career in photo journalism.
An intelligent film very much worth seeing!
SPITFIRE
As the title suggests this nostalgic documentary celebrates the glory years of this “most beautiful of machines” says one RAF officer or “a killing machine” says another.
As World War II was approaching the English engineers were working round the clock in order to finish this new plane which became a vital force against the enemy. Many surviving pilots reminisce about their love for this engine as well as about their adventures during the war. Even women had a vital part in transporting the planes and one magnificent lady who is now nearly 100 years-old talks candidly about her experiences and passion for spitfires.
The music may be occasionally verging on the sentimental but overall this is a special celebration on the valiant work of these fine men and women who constantly put their lives on the line for their country.
THOMAS & FRIENDS: BIG WORLD! BIG ADVENTURE!
This charming CG animation feature follows the adventures of Thomas the Tank Engine (voice John Hasler), the daring Blue Engine who decides to become the first ever to travel across the globe. His dream begins to become a reality after he meets Ace (Peter Andre), a manipulative racing car…
It is a fine, big adventure with likable, colourful characters. The action effortlessly moves from Africa to Rio before Thomas is drawn to the cold mountains of China.
It is an enjoyable film for all ages with a strong message about love, friendship but most importantly diversity especially after Thomas falls for Nia (Yvonne Grundy) a smart Tank engine from Kenya.
MAYHEM
Joe Lynch’s highly energised horror seen at last year’s Frightfest is now available on DVD from Kaleidoscope.
Derek Cho (Steven Yeun) is having a perfectly ghastly day – he first loses his job and then he gets trapped in the office after the building is put under quarantine when a dangerous virus begins to spread…
It is a fun premise with an engaging performance from Steven Yeun, who is in practically every single scene and carries the film efficiently. The comedy and horror is well balanced by Joe Lynch who draws decent performances from his cast. He may tread familiar territory but overall he delivers the goods effectively.
George Savvides
