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The Army Of Crime (out 01 February 10, Cert.15) Virginie Ledoyen, Simon Abkarian, Robinson Stevenin, Jean-Pierre Darroussin, Yann Tregouet, dir. Robert Guediguian, 2009, cert. 15 MonkeyScore: 78% France, under the German Occupation. Many immigrants have found refuge in the country of human rights after conflicts, persecution and genocide in their homelands. They come from Armenia, Hungary, Spain, Italy or Poland, some are Jewish, some are Communists. As the French authorities cross a moral line and start actively helping the Nazis, the Immigrants Work Force groups they are part of get involved in the Résistance. A group of immigrant résistants led by Armenian exile Missak Manouchian join in the fight against the aggressor with a series of bloody terrorist acts against the Germans. Exploring a theme similar to Tarentino's Inglorious Basterds, there is a distinct lack of Hollywood action fodder in Guediguian's film. The story and characters take a while to develop, giving Abkarian's Manouchian credible time to make the decision to take arms. This said the film is at times on the slow side, and maybe a tad too deferential towards its real-life subjects, too. The Army Of Crime explores a rather sombre page of France's history through a talented young cast that bring vitality and freshness to a touchy theme. |
Michael Clayton (out 01 February 10, Cert.15) George Clooney, Tom Wilkinson, Sidney Pollack, Tilda Swinton, Michale O'Keefe, dir. by Tony Gilroy, 2007,
cert. 15 MonkeyScore: 74% George Clooney stars as Michael Clayton, a "fixer" for a big law firm who finds himself caught up in the deadly web of a corporate cover-up. His latest assignment is to sort out the mess left by attorney Arthur Edens (Tom Wilkinson.) Edens, after six years working on defending major chemical corporation U/North in a benchmark 3 billion dollar class-action suit, goes off his meds and breaks down while taking depositions. As Clayton finds out, the stakes are incredibly high. Tilda Swinton won herself both an Oscar and a BAFTA for her role as the corporate director trying to save her company from malpractice exposure at all cost. Might not be worth upgrading from DVD if you already own it, but if this superb drama was missing from your collection now is your chance! |
The Invention Of Lying (out 01 February 10, Cert. 12) Rickie Gervais, Jennifer Garner, Rob Lowe, dir. by Ricky Gervais / Matthew Robinson, 2009, Cert. 12 MonkeyScore: 72%
The Invention of Lying takes
place in a present time where no lies, big or small, exist. Abrupt
honesty is the norm, and there is no fiction of any kind. Mark Bellison
(Gervais) is a documentary screenwriter on the chubby side. He gets
fired, seeing his chances to seduce his dream girl Anna (Garner) hit
rock bottom. As he accidentally stumbles upon lying, his world and
outlook on life take a turn for the brighter with unexpected
consequences. Penned by, starring and co-directed by Ricky Gervais, The Invention of Lying could have ended like most of his comedy to date: amusing but throw-away. Yet somehow it manages to add up to more than the sum of its parts. The story is quite original and told with subtlety by an immensely talented cast. It is laugh-out-loud funny and equally touching: Gervais has found a way to broach the concepts of God and the after life with humour and humility. A real joy of a film. Charming.
Aliens In The Attic (out 01 February 10, Cert. PG) Carter Jenkins, Austin Butler, Ashley Tisdale, Ashley Boettcher, dir. John Schultz, 2009, cert. PG Review coming soon MonkeyScore: tbc% |
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