A personal journal of film and documentary reviews, and reviews of anything else that intrigues me.
Reviews of films from the United Kingdom (England, Northern Ireland, Scotland, Wales).
Alfred Hitchcock, “Secret Agent” (1936) The surprising thing about this film is that lead actor John Gielgud plays such a wooden and unappealing “hero” here after a…
Alfred Hitchcock, “Downhill” (1927) Before he found his niche as Master of Suspense, the young Alfred Hitchcock made a few films in several genres that include…
Alfred Hitchcock, “The Lodger: A Story of the London Fog” (1927) Only the third film made by a young Alfred Hitchcock, “The Lodger …” already has…
Alfred Hitchcock, “The 39 Steps” (1935) Very loosely based on John Buchan’s novel “The Thirty-Nine Steps” – it’s best if you don’t read the novel first…
Alan Lowery and John Pilger, “The War You Don’t See” (2010) Last night (Sunday, 10 April 2011), I caught this documentary presented by veteran Australian journalist…
Alfred Hitchcock, “Frenzy” (1972) Coming at the tail-end of the UK film director’s illustrious career, “Frenzy” is a straightforward murder thriller set in London in the…
Peter Greenaway, “The Draughtsman’s Contract” (1982) British director Peter Greenaway’s first full-length feature film is a lovely feast for the eyes and ears, and the…
Alan Bridges, “The Shooting Party” (1985) Mainly notable for being the last movie to feature James Mason before his death in 1984, this film about a group of…
Sally Potter, “Orlando” (1992) Based on British writer Virginia Woolfe’s novel “Orlando: a Biography”, this film by Sally Potter is a flimsy work that fails to…
Gareth Edwards, “Monsters”, Vertigo Films (2010) Some time in the not too distant future, a NASA space probe has gone and collected some alien…