Archive for the ‘biography’ Category

Shite, more like

Now you’ve read the sub-head, you may be of the impression that I didn’t like Shine. That is not strictly true. There’s a lot to like about it. Unfortunately, when you find yourself in possession of the facts, there’s a lot to hate about it too. It’s round about now that ‘Big Loveable Col’ would normally regale you with snippets of info about how good the camerawork was, how well scripted the thing was, etc. This time, however, I think it’s time for a slight detour from the norm, as this is essentially a film exploiting a man with a serious mental illness. Sounds like a lot of fun, doesn’t it?

Read the rest of this entry »

The brotherhood of man

Picturenose welcomes New Europe correspondent Andy Carling to the fold, with his take on one of the funniest and most affecting music biopics for years. Let’s rock!

The world of film hasn’t been kind to Heavy Metal, but this has changed with a remarkable documentary that will appeal to even those with no interest in the music.

Read the rest of this entry »

No regrets

Some films sort of sneak up on you – while I had obviously heard of singer Édith Piaf before watching Olivier Dahan’s La môme (2007) and while I was aware that, despite her remarkable voice, nearly everything she sang sounded very, very depressing, I had not the first clue concerning the extraordinary life led by one of France’s all-time divas.

Read the rest of this entry »

Kane scrutiny: Still able?

An attempt to stand on the shoulders of giants – a look at Orson Welles’s Citizen Kane (1941), which is enjoying a return to UK cinemas.

Here there be tygers – how to proceed with a ‘review’ of a film that has topped critics’ Top Ten lists virtually since its release, thus making a serious play for the honour of ‘Best Film Ever’?

Read the rest of this entry »

Berlusconi, gently skewered

Nanni Moretti (The Last Customer (2003), La stanza del figlio (2001)), a cult director in Italy, brings a unique perspective to this take on ‘Il Caimano’, the second-longest serving prime minister in the country’s history (1994 to 1995, 2001 to 2006, 2008 onwards).

What is fascinating is how Berlusconi’s story goes hand in hand with the film’s other central character, cult director Bruno Bonomo (Silvio Orlando), who is struggling, after an extended absence from the silver screen, to turn the vision of young writer Teresa (Jasmine Trinca) into celluloid reality. Thus, in much the same way as Spike Jonze’s excellent Adaptation (2002), we are watching both the creative process and parts of the finished product at the same time.

Read the rest of this entry »

Dilligent on Dillinger

He’s one of America’s finest directors, but his previous film, Miami Vice (2006), was a huge disappointment. So, how has the collaboration of Michael Mann with two of the younger generation’s leading actors, Johnny Depp and Christian Bale, worked out in Public Enemies (2009)?

Read the rest of this entry »