The Believer * * * 1/2

Director: Henry Bean.
Screenplay: Henry Bean.
Starring: Ryan Gosling, Summer Phoenix, Billy Zane, Theresa Russell, Glenn Fitzgerald, Ronald Guttman, Henry Bean.

Three years previous to this, director Tony Kaye and star Edward Norton addressed white supremicist racism in “American History X”. This shares similiar themes but focuses more on the hatred toward Jews. The real similarity between the films though are blisteringly powerful performances from both lead actors.

Daniel Balint (Ryan Gosling) is a yeshiva-educated young Jewish man in New York who rejects his heritage and chooses to become a neo-Nazi skinhead. His passion is frighteningly real which leads to looming dangers for himself and his community.

The comparisons are inevitable and although both powerful and controversial films in their own right, with “American History X” and “The Believer” it’s the tour-de-force performances from Edward Norton and Ryan Gosling that really take centre stage. Gosling is no less effective than Norton’s Oscar nominated turn and after seeing this, it’s getting to the stage that it seems there’s no limits to his acting range. He is this film. Don’t get me wrong, writer/director Henry Bean crafts some strong and intelligent dialogue, but it’s Gosling’s delivery of anti-semitic vitriol that packs the real power. The problems it faces are having a less than par supporting cast and a made for television budget. The flaws show but it’s still a savage examination of anti-semitism and one worthy of attention.

A brave film anchored by a bold and brave performance. It’s easy to see why this put Ryan Gosling on the map, he delivers a ferocious piece of work.

Mark Walker

Once Upon A Time In The Midlands * * *

Director: Shane Meadows.
Screenplay: Shane Meadows, Paul Fraser.
Starring: Robert Carlyle, Rhys Ifans, Shirley Henderson, Ricky Tomlinson, Kathy Burke, Finn Atkins, Andrew Shim, James Cosmo, David McKay, Vic Reeves, Bob Mortimer.

Shane Meadows is without doubt, one of the best British directors around at present. He knows his way around the working class lifestyle of Britain with a welcome and refreshing outlook that has, until his arrival, been commandeered by the likes of Ken Loach and Mike Leigh.

Waking up in a drunken haze Glaswegian crook Jimmy (Robert Carlyle) sees his ex, Shirley (Shirley Henderson), being proposed to on a daytime TV chat show. She spurns the proposal of Dek (Rhys Ifans) live on air, leading Jimmy to head back to his old town to claim back Shirley and his young daughter (Finn Atkins), that he left behind years ago.

After “TwentyFourSeven” and “A Room for Romeo Brass”, this completes Shane Meadows’ so called ‘midlands trilogy’ and with the actors involved, this has an abundance of quality. Despite this though, it’s the weakest of the trilogy. That’s not to say that there’s nothing to enjoy, there is, and its plentiful. It just seems a bit too lighthearted in comparison with Meadows’ other films. The excellent actors involved put in fine performances. Ifans and particularly Carlyle are two of the best in the business; Henderson is one of the most underated of actresses, deserving of far more attention and adding Kathy Burke and Ricky Tomlinson for some mild comic relief is always welcome. However, with this undoubted talent onscreen, it only makes it more frustrating that they aren’t pushed to the extent that they’re capable of. I suppose this is down to Meadows prefering a more humourous approach and if you’re aware of this beforehand then you might not feel as disappointed with the lack of danger that he normally applies to certain characters. His use of a spaghetti western theme throughout a ‘kitchen-sink’ family drama is a wonderful touch though.

A good little comedy/drama that certainly entertains but it lacks any real emotional punch and should have made more of the fine ensemble of actors. Meadows’ most impressive cast, yet strangely, one of his least impressive films.

Mark Walker

Phone Booth * * * 1/2

Director: Joel Schumacher.
Screenplay: Larry Cohen.
Starring: Colin Farrell, Kiefer Sutherland, Forest Whitaker, Katie Holmes, Radha Mitchell, Josh Pais.

I’m not a massive fan of Joel Schumacher. He’s a very frustrating director, who only occasionally delivers the goods. His limited talents are better served when working with a low budget and you don’t get much lower than practically a whole film set inside a phone box. It works though, thanks to a brilliant performance from Colin Farrell.

Stu Shepard (Farrell) is an arrogant, swindling, talent agent who talks the talk and walks the walk. At least, that’s what he thinks. Unbeknownst to him, is that somebody, somewhere (voiced by Keifer Sutherland) has been following his movements each day and decides to make him pay for his lies and deceit by holding him hostage in a telephone booth and systematically revealing to him, everything he knows and intends to expose.

Filmed in real time and never straying from the confines of the claustrophic phone box (with the exception of a few split-screen moments), Schumacher manages to crank up the tension with ease. It’s a simple idea but highly effective, which is in part to an absolutely fantastic Colin Farrell, channeling a tense DeNiro-like performance, full of amorality and disregard to eventual sensitivity and redemption. It’s a hard task for Farrell, considering he’s never off screen but he nails it and delivers one of his finest screen moments. There is also fine support in Forest Whitaker as the detective on the scene and Keifer Sutherland’s creepy monotone voice is a character in itself.

This film has it’s critics but there’s no denying the grip it has on you and the fine acting delivered from a very basic premise.

Mark Walker

Waking Life * * * * 1/2

Director: Richard Linklater.
Screenplay: Richard Linklater.
Starring: Wiley Wiggins, Ethan Hawke, Julie Delpy, Adam Goldberg, Nicky Katt, David Sosa, Alex Jones, Otto Hofmann, Richard Linklater.

Richard Linklater has always been an interesting director. He has ranged from his debut independant hit “Slacker” to romantic drama “Before Sunrise”, through anti-corporate polemic “Fast Food Nation” and cult sci-fi “A Scanner Darkly”. He is effortless in his range and always involving – probably none more so than this unsung gem.

The story simply consists of a man who walks through life as if in a dream. He talks to a variety of people about the meaning of life and our perceptions of it, striving for answers as to his direction.

With “Waking Life” Linklater explores the bigger questions in life. It has many insightful philosophical ramblings and monologues on the nature of our existence, the purpose of our being and the difference between our dream state and waking life and whether dreams can be controlled and how much they have to tell us. Using an animation technique called ‘rotoscoping’ – which he later used to equally excellent effect in “A Scanner Darkly” – Linklater has crafted a highly innovative and wonderfully surreal piece of work. Discussing essays by paranoid science fiction writer and philospher Philip K. Dick to ‘Lucid Dreaming’ and posing deeply involving existential questions without ever answering them fully, teasing us to question ourselves and become part of the protaganists dreamlike journey.

A very intriguing and visually inventive film that has been sadly overlooked by many. An existential treat.

Mark Walker

Catch Me If You Can * * * *

Director: Steven Spielberg.
Screenplay: Jeff Nathanson.
Starring: Leonardo DiCaprio, Tom Hanks, Christopher Walken, Martin Sheen, Amy Adams, James Brolin, Jennifer Garner, Elizabeth Banks, Nathalie Baye.

Sometimes well known directors can take unexpected turns outwith their comfort zone, once in a while. Martin Scorsese and Francis Ford Coppola have done it. Recently David Fincher has done it. Steven Spielberg is no exception and this happens to be one of his more successful attempts at something different.

Based on the true story of 16 year-old Frank Abagnale, Jr. (Leonardo DiCaprio) who, when devastated by his parents’ divorce, runs away from home and embarks on an audacious career as a conman. Travelling across the globe, Frank impressively convinces and cons his way as an airline pilot, doctor and lawyer, swindling millions of dollars in the process and all the while pursued by dogged FBI agent Carl Hanratty (Tom Hanks).

Spielberg has changed direction and shifted genres a number of times throughout his career. Some more successful than others but thankfully for us, this 60′s set caper falls into the previous category and is a particular treat. His direction is pretty low-key, allowing his actors to take centre stage, and they don’t disappoint. DiCaprio is an actor that adds intense depth to his roles and here it’s no different. That, along with Hanks doing his always reliable and identifiable ordinary guy is the perfect balance and Christopher Walken’s brief but tormented role as Frank’s father is emotionally charged and one of his finest to date. It’s a film that could so easily have been whimsical or unconvincing but Spielberg and the actors make something more personal and heartfelt. Despite the premise being about the chase between Hanratty and Frank – which does serve as the films drive – its actually more about the broken lives of the characters, their loss and the longing for something more. All subtly and expertly crafted and delivered.

It’s a lot of fun but also quite heartbreaking at times and has as much pathos as it does humour. Another piece of quality from the great director.

Mark Walker

The Mothman Prophecies * * * 1/2

Director: Mark Pellington.
Screenplay: Richard Hatem.
Starring: Richard Gere, Laura Linney, Debra Messing, Will Paton, Alan Bates, Lucinda Jenney, David Eigenberg, Ann McDonough.

As soon as I see Richard Gere’s name in the credits of a film, I’m instantly put off. The man has made an absolute fortune without having any real ability and in this he, yet again, proves he has a very limited range. Thankfully though, there is more to this film than Gere and his usual dull repetitive approach.

John Klein (Gere) is a Washington journalist, who after the death of his wife in a car accident, is somehow drawn to Point Pleasant, a small town in West Virginia, where strange and unusual events are happening to the locals. They are all living in fear, having premonitions and reporting sightings of a large black winged figure around the area. This is also the same dark figure that Klein’s late wife claimed to have seen before her death, causing further obvious interest from the journalist and also putting his own life in danger.

Supposedly based on actual events, this is a surprisingly tight and engaging little super-natural thriller. As mentioned earlier, Richard Gere is a plank of wood but the support from the always excellent Laura Linney and the wild eyed Will Patton are very welcome indeed. There is brilliant use of atmosphere and low-key music that raise this film above a particular standard and has many genuinely creepy moments. It doesn’t try to be too fancy but wisely and effectively leaves a lot to the imagination and just gets on with telling an unsettling story. Which it does, to good and chilling effect.

Like a feature length espisode of “The X-Files”, this is a gripping little mystery.

Mark Walker

25th Hour * * * * 1/2

Director: Spike Lee.
Screenplay: David Benioff.
Starring: Edward Norton, Philip Seymour Hoffman, Barry Pepper, Brian Cox, Rosario Dawson, Anna Paquin.

During the early to mid-1990′s Spike Lee was a director who could do no wrong in my eyes. His films were of a very high calibre and then he hit a dip in form, seemingly never recovering. This however, was a reminder of how good he can be.

Monty Brogan (Edward Norton) is a Manhattan drug dealer who has to confront the choices he has made in life on his last day before serving a seven-year prison sentence. He spends his last 24hours of freedom with his girlfriend Naturelle (Rosario Dawson) his father (Brian Cox) and his two best friends Frank (Barry Pepper) and Jake (Philip Seymour Hoffman), all the while determining who really sold him out.

This is a Spike Lee “joint” I don’t mind taking a hit off, at all. Filled with very intense and dramatic conversations and confrontations between the characters, delivered with superb performances. Norton and Hoffman have already cemented their reputations but Pepper is a highly under-rated actor that I predict will be winning awards very soon with the quality he consistantly delivers. It’s a real joy to watch them bounce off each other, adding real gravitas to some well written dialogue. Lee’s direction is also up close and personal, giving it a further sense of realism. The post 9/11 psyche of New Yorkers is a running theme throughout and even one scene has two characters overlooking ground-zero as they discuss the end of an era. Lee also explores the multi-cultural diversity of the city, like he has done previously in “Do The Right Thing” and “Jungle Fever”, among others. The diversity is also played out in the three friends, with very different values. It’s an ambitious film with nearly every other scene or character, subtly displaying metaphor for the fragile state of the city they inhabit.

Despite a running time that slightly overstays it’s welcome, this is a highly charged and thought-provoking allegory of capitalist America and boasts three superlative, indefatigable performances from Norton, Pepper & Hoffman.

Mark Walker

Love Liza * * * 1/2

Director: Todd Louiso.
Screenplay: Gordy Hoffman.
Starring: Philip Seymour Hoffman, Kathy Bates, Jack Kehler, Stephen Tobolowsky, Annie Morgan, Kelli Garner.

Despite him regularly being the support with smaller roles, Philip Seymour Hoffman was an actor that always grabbed my attention with his consistently excellent performances, while the bigger ‘stars’ around him struggled to keep up. This was the film that gave Hoffman a rare lead role, helping him cement his reputation as one the finest actors of his generation.

Following his wife’s suicide, computer designer Wilson Joel (Philip Seymour Hoffman) is left with a goodbye note he cannot bring himself to read. His grief takes a peculiar turn when he becomes addicted to sniffing gasoline and becomes involved in flying toy planes just to feed his petrol habit.

Sometimes a film comes along that’s not entirely classic stuff but gives an exceptional actor a showcase role and a chance to show what they can do. This is that very film for Hoffman. His performance is marvellous, shifting effortlessly from one emotion to another as he conveys the depths of his despair and emotional suffering. This is an actor displaying his full acting range and when his performance was lavished with superlatives, it deserved every one of them. The film itself is an offbeat little drama, that doesn’t follow the conventions of it type. It has touches of brilliance and director Todd Louiso (in his debut) shows that he can confidently craft a good character study. The supporting roles are also well played by the ever-reliable Kathy Bates as Wilson’s mother-in-law and especially Jack Kehler as Wilson’s childlike friend Denny – who all but reprises his small role of The Dude’s landlord in the “The Big Lebowski”. The problem with the film though, is the pace. It’s only 90mins long but feels longer somehow, as sharing a character’s mental and emotional anguish isn’t good for the time flying.

If sitting through a film where the main character is in a constant state of suffering and losing his grip on reality, doesn’t appeal to you then avoid this, but by avoiding you would only miss out on an acting masterclass.

Mark Walker

The Magdalene Sisters * * * * *

Director: Peter Mullan.
Screenplay: Peter Mullan.
Starring: Geraldine McEwan, Nora-Jane Noone, Anne-Marie Duff, Dorothy Duffy, Eileen Walsh, Mary Murray, Britta Smith, Frances Healy, Rebecca Walsh, Eamonn Owens, Eithne McGuinness, Phyllis McMahon, Sean Mackin, Stephen McCole, Peter Mullan.

Writer/Director Peter Mullan follows up his surreal and blackly humourous Scottish family drama “Orphans” with this hard-hitting account of the agonising and torturous true-story of the abuse of young women from Ireland in the name of religion.

In the 1960′s, young women where incarcerated in a Irish convent, run by the Catholic church, for committing such ‘misdeeds’ as flirting with boys, becoming pregnant out of wedlock, and being raped. They are physically and psychologically abused by the head nun and her sadistic staff, who are convinced they are doing the Lord’s work.

Having based his screenplay on actual Magdalene inmates’ experiences, Mullan achieves an authenticity of what life was like for the young women that had to endure the injustices, humiliation and brutality of these asylums. At times it’s very difficult to stomach, such is the sheer power and uncompromising telling of this harrowing story and it’s full of overwhelmingly excellent performances. Geraldine McEwan as Sister Bridget, the head nun, gives one of the most absolute personifications of evil ever commited to the screen and Eileen Walsh is heart-breakingly compelling as the naive, downtrodden and religiously devoted Crispina. Her performance was worthy of so much more recognition than she recieved. Speaking of which, the entire cast and crew deserved more awards attention on it’s release. Had this been directed by someone with a higher profile than Mullan and his crew, this film would have been hailed as a masterpiece. As it is, it’s had to rely on word-of-mouth to find an audience but this doesn’t lessen the effect or superb work by everyone involved here. Mullan’s direction is flawless, the cinematography by Nigel Willoughby is stark, and almost de-saturated, adding to the overall feeling of desperation and loneliness of the women and as mentioned, the performances are perfectly pitched from a largely unknown cast. It may be hard for some to accept this behaviour went on but it’s even harder to accept that these asylums lasted until 1996, when the last one was finally shut down.

A harrowing and emotionally charged drama that while based on fact, is highly subversive. If the Vatican condemns a film on it’s release (which it did with this) then there’s no doubt that you’re in for a hard-hitting film. Painful, provocative and important.

Mark Walker