Steve's Film and Book Blog

Natalie Portman as Cathy in new Wuthering Heights?

bluedoor29 — Sun, 13 Apr 2008 09:37:47 +0000

I can’t think of a single film I’ve seen her in, aside from Leon, where I haven’t been disappointed – not least the recent My Blueberry Nights.

Hot Fuzz

bluedoor29 — Wed, 19 Mar 2008 09:56:11 +0000

Simon Pegg as a top cop transferred to a Gloucestershire village for making his colleagues in the Met look as though they are under performing.

The Lives of Others (Das Leben der Anderen)

bluedoor29 — Thu, 13 Mar 2008 22:59:27 +0000

An engrossing film about the last years of the GDR and the power of the Stasi to control and destroy the lives of the people.

One of the Stasi’s top interrogators, Wiesler is imprisoned within his own belief in the ideology of socialism until he starts to carry out surveillance on two artists – a playwright and his girlfriend, a famous actress in East Berlin. He begins to cover up what he discovers about the writer and in doing so sets off a train of events leading to the death of the actress and the curtailment of his own career.

Juno

bluedoor29 — Thu, 13 Mar 2008 22:49:13 +0000

Saw this last night with Kate. We were both blown away by Ellen Page’s performance as the 16-year old who surrenders her virginity to her orange TicTac addicted boyfriend only to find herself pregnant.

Kate’s verdict? “Sad” – because she gave up her baby for adoption.

Gregory’s Girl

bluedoor29 — Thu, 13 Mar 2008 22:43:27 +0000

OK, it was released in 1981, and it’s a cosy little film about teenagers growing up in a Scottish new town. But who cares? It’s brilliantly acted by a largely unknown cast.

John Gordon (or was it Gordon John at that time?) Sinclair was perfectly cast as the gauche, gangly adolescent, totally infatuated with Dorothy, but totally clueless about girls.

Claire Grogan is perfect as Susan, who fancies Gregory and sets out to win him with a little help from her friends (“we help each other out”).

And the music is great, too.

Volver

bluedoor29 — Wed, 05 Mar 2008 06:56:53 +0000

Directed by Pedro Almodovar and starring Penélope Cruz and Carmen Maura. In Spanish ‘volver’ means ‘to go back’ or ‘to return’. For Penélope Cruz this was very much a return, to acting in Spanish, in a film by her favourite director.