Picturenose

Cruise controls

A double first for me. The first first (?) is that I am writing a review for the first time in a good long while. I’m sure James will thank me for the input in his own inimitable way. The second is that I am reviewing a film that stars Tom Cruise that I actually enjoyed. I wouldn’t normally spoil these lovely pages by lauding the stunted one’s celluloid output, but - and credit where it’s due - this is actually not half bad, Cruise or no Cruise.

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Blood money

It’s always a difficult call, making movies about the greatest atrocity in the history of mankind, namely the Shoah (Holocaust). After all, it can be argued, what right do we have, as mere spectators, to be ‘entertained’ by the recounting of events that, quite simply, cast doubt on the very existence of the God worshipped by the Jewish community, including the six million who were slaughtered in the Final Solution?

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A hero’s reign in Spain

In the first Picturenose contribution to our new partnership with Cineuropa.org, James finds much to enjoy in a historical biopic starring Viggo Mortensen.

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Striking back against the Empire

Ken Loach’s controversial, Palme d’Or-winning study of Republicans v the Brits in 1920s Ireland raised the hackles of several well-known UK critics (who, customarily, didn’t feel the need to actually see the film) as well as Irish commentators. It’s normally a sign that an artist has got something right when he angers both sides of a debate and claims of bias seem moot when a film comprises such lyrical beauty, steadfast portrayals and a marvellous, articulate script.

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Blues heaven…
It was with a poignant shrug, a sigh and a great deal of whining on my part that I was first dragged bodily toward watching this movie, many years ago. The object of my desire at the time had said: “It looks great - it’s the first in a trilogy of semi-autobiographical films about the playwright Neil Simon.” Imagine my excitement. It didn’t take long, however, for me to be introduced once again to a concept not unfamiliar to me - that of being proven horribly wrong.

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