Patrick_Allan Reviews

Talk to Her (2002)

Stunning, both visually and semantically

[9/10 · 30 December 2003]

On watching "Talk To Her", one of the first things you will notice is the beauty of film-work involved. The colours are rich and saturated, the image is crisp and the camera work is superb. Smooth panning shots and steady zooms guide you safely though s slightly fractured narrative, cutting between the past, present and future on occasions.

This discontinuity, however, isn't confusing to the viewer and is, in fact, far from it. The cast act and speak so clearly that it is a perfect introduction to anyone new to foreign language film and, aside from the minor plot-line of bullfighting, there aren't an abundance of Spanish cultural references.

This film, essentially, is a complex story laid out in an extremely simple form. It is not a film you will forget and, no doubt, will think about a lot after watching it. Also, unlike a lot of critically acclaimed films, you will not be cogitating over the events that took place in the film, you will be asking yourself how they apply to your life and relationships with others. Despite "Talk To Her"'s tragic story, it is an incredibly fun film to watch and discuss with others and a film I am extremely glad I added to my collection, having heard little about it at the time I bought it. 9/10

Spirited Away (2001)

Incredible escapism

[8/10 · 2 October 2003]

I love Miyazaki's work, simply because of the sheer escapism involved in watching it. His films take you away from the cinema to somewhere completely different, which is something I love films to do to me. Spirited Away was no exception, and although I didn't find it as incredibly moving or as enchanting as Mononoke Hime, it's still easily one of the best films I've seen in cinemas this year.

Anyone can enjoy this film, no matter what background they're from or what genres of film they favour, it's a brilliant story and beautiful artwork. I'd love to see Spirited Away again, and can't wait until it's released on Region 2 DVD. You must see this film, whether you're a fan of anime, fantasy or not.

Scum (1979)

Gripping and shocking

[8/10 · 2 October 2003]

I'd had the opportunity to watch Scum a long time before I actually did, and I was always turned off it by the very sensationalist box and taglines. I've never been a fan of "The film they tried to ban" and similar phrases being used as advertisement for a film, so when I sat down to watch the film today I was very surprised.

It doesn't need phrases like that to advertise it - it's bleak and horrific, and should be advertised as a serious drama rather than some kind of exciting gore-fest. As well as being powerful and thought provoking, it's gripping too, and you won't feel bored when watching it. Although there is a lot of stuff crammed in there, and some scenes are very prolonged, at just over and hour and a half it's the perfect length to achieve what it sets out to do. This is one film you won't be bored watching.

I'm actually surprised that this film doesn't have more of a recognition or following nowadays, and isn't seen in the last light as Kubrick's "A Clockwork Orange" and Lindsay Anderson's "If...".

The Terminator (1984)

An incredible film, and one that needs no introduction

[10/10 · 17 July 2003]

I first saw Terminator when was a kid (way under 18 years old

which was the certificate at the time) because it was the film to

see. When we were 8 years old this was our equivalent of a video

nasty and when my mother found out I'd seen it she went berserk!

Of course, anyone who's seen it and appreciated it will understand

that it's far from nasty and in fact isn't very violent at all considering

that most of the violence is carried out against a machine.

Nowadays I still regard this as a 'must-see' film but for completely

different reasons.

Until recently I looked at the IMDb top 250 films and wondered why

this was rated so highly. I liked it, but didn't think it deserved to be

in the top 250 films at all. Now I look at it and think it should be

higher. The story behind The Terminator is excellent, and the

action scenes that go along with it are breathtaking. There are so

many moments of high tension in this film you will definitely not be

able to look away from the screen. I'm very rarely scared for a

character's life in films, but there are some moments in this where

I seriously think James Cameron is going to kill one of them off

unexpectedly. A lot of scenes are very powerful too, probably

because of the musical score which has stuck with the series

through to the new T3 (at least I have gathered that from the

trailer). The acting is top class too, and I find it hard to believe that

Schwarzenegger was original cast as Kyle Reese, the good guy,

when he is so perfect in his role as The Terminator. No one could

have fulfilled the role better than Arnie!

As I've said, this film needs to introduction as I'm sure most

people have heard of it, but those who haven't seen it should do so

most definitely. It's not just a Schwarzenegger action flick, it's a

brilliant powerful sci-fi too, and should be seen by all film fans.

Citizen Toxie: The Toxic Avenger IV (2000)

Solid Troma Gold

[6/10 · 15 July 2003]

Now although I'm not strictly a comedy fan, I couldn't stop laughing when I watched Citizen Toxie. Call me immature but this was exactly what I was looking for. Something trashy you can watch at any time without committing your attention too much. The random breast shots will grab it back anyway. This film had everything a true Troma classic should - gore, nudity and toilet humour all mixed together with a classic trashy cult. I mean, any film that isn't a porno and features Ron Jeremy has to be brilliant, admit it. This is the path Wes Craven should have taken when he was making Scream - forget slick cinematic techniques and subtle takes on slasher flicks, The Toxic Avenger Part 4 ripped it out of about every film imaginable so explicitly that you couldn't help but laugh. Hard. It even went for a crazy twist ending too, but wasn't as successful as more serious films. If you're looking for something cheap, trashy, non-committing and better than The Toxic Avenger parts 2 and 3, this is the film for you. It's not too long and won't take up too much of your time, and you'll be recalling lines and situations weeks after seeing it.

Mortal Kombat (1995)

Laughable, but incredible!

[6/10 · 15 July 2003]

Mortal Kombat is by no means an intelligent film. It isn't deep either, and the martial arts aren't especially original, overly impressive or violent, but it's an amazingly enjoyable film. From start to finish I sat bolt upright almost forgetting to blink taking in the action, loud techno and dodgy one-liners. As a huge fan of the Mortal Kombat game series since I was a kid, this film meant a lot to me. It was everything I wasted the last five years with on the big screen with real humans and inevitable cash-ins. It even came complete with quotes straight from the game such as "Finish him!", "Get over here!" and "Flawless Victory" as spoken by the head programmer, Ed Boon himself. The narrative itself is extremely simple, with classic binary oppositions of good vs evil and regular humans vs freaks and sorcerers. It's Earthrealm vs Outworld in an adrenaline pumping tournament ripped straight out of Enter the Dragon. There's nothing cinematically brilliant about this experience, it's just put excitement, perfect for watching with a group of friends or on a late hyperactive night. Definitely a film for fans of the series and people who spent too much time on the Sega when they were younger!

The Game (1997)

Very pleasantly surprised

[7/10 · 13 July 2003]

Another student brought this into my film studies class because he was studying David Fincher as an auteur, and without thinking about who the director was I looked at the box art (a picture of Michael Douglas) and made a very premature assumption of the quality of the film. We had the choice of either watching this or "Seven", and I was quietly wishing he had chosen Seven.

Fortunately, very early into the film I became hooked. From the start, the plot was fantastic and every time a new twist in the plot unfolded I became hooked even more. Then, disaster struck. The lesson was only and hour long and I had to stop watching. I'm a student with no money - how was I supposed to get this film so I could see the second half!? The part of this film I'd watched amazed and intrigued me so much that I had to find a copy of this film any way I could.

That night, I was going to rent the DVD at Blockbuster - something which I rarely do because it's so costly. When I was on my way there, my friend invited me to stay at his house and watch some Ruggero Deodato films (his subject for the auteur project). How could I refuse? The next morning we went to a bootfair, and armed with a little bit of cash I went around looking for videos to add to my collection. By this time I'd completely forgotten about renting "The Game" and I didn't expect to see it being sold at a bootfair. You'd have to be insane to get rid of a film like what I'd seen half of! Thing is, I did! It was a timecode version from a rental store I assume. The BBFC certificate logo had TBC stamped all over it and the sleeve was double sided with two versions of the cover art on.

It was easily worth the two pounds I spent on it! The rest of the film was even better than the half I had already seen. As the film progresses, there are so many twists and turns in the plot you almost forget what film you're watching! Michael Douglas is very convincing, and seems as confused as the viewer, as does Sean Penn. I was extremely surprised with Deborah Unger's performance too, having only seen her in David Cronenberg (the auteur I'm studying)'s "Crash". Her roles in the two films are so incredibly different I didn't realize it was her at first!

If you want a gripping thriller, go for this one. You won't want to be in the same situation I was and have to stop watching half way through, it's so gripping you'll be on the edge of your seat until the closing credits. Watch it if you're looking for something slightly different to the norm too, as with all Fincher's films. Whatever you're looking for, you won't be disappointed with "The Game" unless you're so much of a pedant you have to point out every flaw in the plot (all of which can be justified).

This film will have you paranoid and slightly doubtful about everything you do for quite a while after watching it.