FILM OF THE WEEK
COPSHOP
A remote police station near the Nevada desert under siege is the setting for this exciting thriller, inspired by RIO BRAVO and ASSAULT ON PRECINCT 13. John Carpenter 1976 thriller was of course a modern take on the classic 1959 western directed by Howard Hawks with John Wayne as the Texan sheriff. Here the story follows Valerie Young (Alexis Louder), a feisty officer, who during night duty arrests Teddy Murretto (Frank Grillo), after he punches her unprovokedly in the street. He is a charming con artist and believes jail is probably the safest place to keep away the vicious hitman Bob Viddick (Gerard Butler), who gets closer to his target by the minute. Then unsurprisingly Bob also gets arrested and soon enough finds himself next to Teddy’s prison cell…
Joe Canahan, the filmmaker of THE GREY and SMOKIN’ ACES, directs with style this satisfying thriller that will give much pleasure to the genre’s plethora of aficionados. It is taut and tense with a start making performance from Louder, in one of the most exciting female action roles in years. Grillo is also on fine form as the charismatic anti-hero while surprisingly Butler is on a quite restrained form.
Enjoyable stuff!
THE COLLINI CASE
A fascinating premise for this intense courtroom drama with a tremendous performance from Franco Nero, as Fabrizio Collini, an Italian man in Germany accused of murder. All the evidence is against Collini, while young and inexperienced attorney Caspar Leinen (Elyas M’Barek) reluctantly takes on the case especially since the murder victim was his girlfriend’s grandfather and a father figure when he was young. Still, Caspar is determined to uncover the dark reality behind this brutal murder…
The performances are outstanding, but the real standout is Nero’s utterly mesmerising presence. A man of few words but his long silences and depth of character speak volumes. You are in for a treat if you like strong courtroom dramas like Costa Gavras’ intelligent MUSIC BOX with Jessica Lange!
THE WAR BELOW
Just when you thought you’ve seen everything about World War I and the horrifying life in the trenches, especially after Sam Mendes’ masterpiece 1917, here comes another true story, which surprisingly has not been told before.
William Hackett (Sam Hazeldine) is keen to join the army but is turned down because of his health condition as a miner. However, he is recruited for a special mission during the Battle of Messines in 1917…
It is a remarkable achievement for first time director J.P Watts, who suitably creates a dark, claustrophobic atmosphere for this unexpected war drama.
THE CAPTAIN OF AUSCHWITZ
As the title suggests, this powerful film takes place during the Holocaust and follows the story of Teddy “Teddy” Pietryzykowski, who in 1940 was one of the first inmates of camp Auschwitz- Birkenau. Before the war, Teddy was a boxing champion in Warsaw and now during his 3-year-imprisonment, he becomes once again a celebrity and a symbol of hope in this living hell…
Another moving, and truly inspiring true story set during the Holocaust where millions perished while many others struggled to survive against the odds.
PLAN A
Another true and urgent story set in Berlin of 1945 about the aftermath of World War II. Abba Kovner (August Diehl) lost his family and everything he owned during the war and now he’s sworn to revenge after he joins a group of other Holocaust survivors. The plan is to kill thousands of Germans but first they must find a way to poison the city’s drinking water…
Diehl, the charismatic actor from Terence Mallick’s A HIDDEN LIFE, is a strong, luminous presence and carries this powerful film almost singlehandedly. He shares a strong chemistry with Sylvia Hoeks, as the young woman he meets in the group of determined activists.
It is written and directed with passion by brothers Doran and Yoav Paz.
FRIGHTFEST (PT2)
More delights from this year’s Festival.
THE SHOW: Alan Moore, the eccentric British writer, penned this intriguing film directed by Mitch Jenkins, which tells the story of Fletcher Jenkins (Tom Burke), a private investigator on a mission in Northampton to retrieve a stolen artefact. But his investigation forces him to encounter voodoo gangsters and masked avengers. A promising premise but finally it is let down by the slow pacing and disappointing finale.
DAWN BREAKS BEHIND HER EYES: A German gothic thriller which pays tribute to 70’s exploitation from the Berberian Sound Studio. It opens in a haunted castle before the action changes gear to something totally different. Kevin Kopacke sets up the right tone from its bizarre opening when a couple inherits the run-down castle and pulls the carpet under our feet just at the right moment.
THE LAST THING MARY SAW: An ambitious period horror set in Southold New York that recalls the legend of Lizzie Borden. The forbidden relationship of Mary (Stefanie Scott) with her maid Eleanor (Isabelle Fuhrman) leads to a spiral of tragic events. It is hugely atmospheric with careful production values and designs which add to the authenticity of this tragic tale. Not as compelling as the recent LIZZIE with Chloe Sevigny and Kristen Stewart but a worthy addition to the genre.
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