Yukster_uk Reviews

This Is England (2006)

powerful film

[9/10 · 7 May 2007]

Brilliant story, brilliant acting, funny, frightening and sad. So many films, you see Pele get shot or blown up all the time and it means nothing. In this film, the violence feels horrible, like you're being attacked. NOt everyone knows skinheads, but people will recognise characters from this film- growing up, wanting to fit in with older kids, trying to be cool, the posing aggressive sorts. Shane Meadows is a class director. Conflicted violent/ vulnerable characters are always interesting to watch, but in Woody they created a nice-guy type who is also compelling in his own way. One thing I didn't understand was this guy in their gang who was about 40 and seemed to tag along without anyone questioning.

Winter Soldier (1972)

soldiers telling the raw truth

[8/10 · 28 September 2006]

This film consisted almost entirely of talking heads, but held the attention of the audience from start to end at a screening organised by the Socialist Workers Party. It was introduced by a Vietnam veteran slating the UK Labour party for applauding Tony Blair "the 2nd most hated man in the world" on his farewell speech.

The film was mainly shot at a public hearing, organised by Veterans against the war (featuring John Kerry), where former soldiers talked about truly disgusting atrocities against men, women and children that they saw or themselves committed. They are described in a matter-of-fact fashion, because they were an everyday occurrence. They also talk about how they were trained, the dehumanising mindset they were trained in and the realisations they came to on returning to the US. Cut into this were interviews with audience members including a dissenting black veteran talking with members of VVAW about why he thinks there are not many Afro-Americans in their movement.

Too often when atrocities occur, it is the soldiers that are scapegoated, when it is governments that send them out brainwashed. This film gives them a chance to put their side of the story, causing conflicting emotions- should you feel disgusted with them as murderers or pity them as young conscripts deceived into fighting, brutally trained to act like animals. Though it is grim, it is also heartening that they had the courage to stand up against their government and attempt to stop the genocidal war. The sort of film GW Bush and Blair should have watched years ago.

Kidulthood (2006)

haters are lying

[8/10 · 16 March 2006]

This film was funny, fresh and (mainly) well-acted. They put up characters on the screen that most people would be able to recognise from their teenage years- all trying to be the man, prove themselves etc but internally confused. ENough times I laughed out loud- because the lines were true. There is a white character called Mooney who is always scared and trying to stop his mates doing stuff, always saying "I'm not scared". There's a scene where this kid tries to buy alcohol from a corner shop though he is obviously underage and calls the Indian shopkeeper "blud". Maybe some of it was far fetched, but most of the voters can't have seen it. Peopl say it is trying to be City of God but that is not really true. City of God is about life is a tough barrio, Kidulthood is set in Notting Hill, where very rich characters live alongside less well off people and both are seen on screen. Definitely worth going to see.

Bullet Boy (2004)

thoughtful film

[7/10 · 10 April 2005]

Went to see this because of Ashley Waltersplaying Ricky- he was outstanding in Storm Damage and it is good to see him on a comeback. The film got BBC funding whereas Plague- another UK drama dealing with similar issues did not. Good film worth going to see but not without faults. The Wisdom character is shown as an obvious bad influence,but unlike infilms like Mean Streets and Pope of Greenwich Village, the relationship between him and Ricky is not very developed- we do not feel the loyalty that Ricky tells us he has for his friend. The film would have been much better to show more of Wisdom and his worldview, but maybe the film makers did not want to glamourize crime. The Curtis and Rio characters were very well played- these child actors had humour and charm and the friendship seemed real. One of the best scenes is when Curtis, Ricky's brother, has to make a humiliating apology. The movie thrived on stillness- Ricky and Curtis stare and think very cinematic ally.

House Party (1990)

dance the running man

[9/10 · 24 September 2002]

very funny, energetic film with a great dance sequence and a really funny song in the prison. Kid and Play are a great double act and the writing is high quality. I saw a bit of this other Kid and Play film called Class Act and it wasn't half as good because all the jokes were predictable. You can't help but be cheered up by seeing House Party: the ancient, unused condom- how true.

Wolf Lake: Unaired Pilot (2001) Season 1, Episode 0

classy series

[9/10 · 9 June 2002]

this programme is extremely well written, funny and sinister. It is a pity they axed it because it is far better than most of the rubbish they broadcast. Lou Diamond Philips is cool in this and the Tyler Creed character is a charismatic villain. Looking like a werewolf myself, it was great how they cast the male actors to look lupine. People in the UK should watch this before its run ends- Tues 1230am, ITV.

Saroja (2000)

touching and brave

[9/10 · 10 February 2002]

this film tackles problematic issues in Sri Lanka, such as the war and racial intolerance. Sri Lanka is not geared to producing musicals in the same way that Mumbai is. This is a serious, well-made drama,(although one or two unintentional laughs enhance the enjoyment for me) focusing on a wounded Tamil Tiger soldier who sends his daughter to a Sinhalese border village to avoid starving to death in the jungle, after the Sri Lankan army destroys a Tiger base. The young child, Saroja, is taken in by a school teacher and his family, after befriending their daughter. Saroja persuades the teacher to go back and rescue her father. Problems arise when they try to conceal the identities of their new guests from the rest of the village. Similar villages have fallen victim to savage machete killings by Tigers seeking to prolong the war and provoke the army into similar massacres. The paranoia and fear that spreads through the village is powerfully evoked, with Janake Kumbukage being convincing as the teacher (playing a character at least 10 years older than himself). The two little girls in the film were without fault and their scenes avoided over the top sentimentality. Overall, an extremely touching and well-made film.

Death Line (1972)

under rated

[8/10 · 14 January 2002]

The premise for this film is brilliant. The underground setting is brilliantly used, with striking photography and visual story-telling. The film's last line is something like, "Did they really live like this?", seeing the squalor of the underground lair. Sequences are fantastically gruesome, in documentary style. Not only is the film well shot, it has some points to make about oppression. See this film if you get the chance, it deserves a much higher IMDb rating.

The Best Pair of Legs in the Business (1973)

Reg Varney is brilliant

[8/10 · 7 January 2002]

Reg Varney gives a genuinely affecting performance in this comedy drama. Seeing him, i expected it to be a cheesy 70's sex comedy but it wasn't at all. The film gives women some credit, and is not about nudity. Without the overuse of unsubtle "emotive"music it would have been better, perhaps like a Mike Leigh movie. Still, some parts were rather melodramatic and visually it was boring. Reg Varney deserved more credit for this effort.

Love and Death on Long Island (1997)

touching and funny

[3 November 2001]

This film was brilliantly put together. Hurt, #Priestley and Loewi deliver top notvh performances. It takes some time to warm up, the best scenes come when the action moves to Long Island. The ending is slightly confusing but touching. You are left wanting to know what happens neext to the characters. I agree with one other reviewer about a certain extended look that Priestley gives Hurt, it is mesmerising and shows excellent direction.

Die Bad (2000)

excellent

[9/10 · 28 October 2001]

This film consists of four linked segments, two of which were originally award-winning shorts. The first, "Rumble", depicts the build up and effects of a snooker hall scrap between art and tech college students, played by Seung-Wan Ryoo and Seung-Bin Park. We cut between the protagonists and an interview with the owner of the hall, who complains about the wild youths and a need for a government clampdown like in the 70's. The second, "Nightmare" follows one of the tech students (Seung-bin Park) on his release from jail after accidentally killing one of the art students in the first segment, and his entry into organised crime, as the protege of local heavy, President Kim. The third segment "Modern Man" consists of an epic car-park brawl between President Kim and Seung-Wan, (now a policeman) cut against frank interviews in which they talk about their jobs and their positions in society. In "Die Bad", Seung-Bin has become a powerful gangster and Seung-Wan's brother tries to join his group. Each segment has its own style and mood. There are moments of all-out action, drama, comedy and horror hence it is best not to reveal much of the plot, as it has many surprises. There are only 2 female speaking roles in the entire film, hence no sex bits, but this no bad thing as it addresses specifically male deficiencies, in a similar way to "La Haine". This also means there are a few gay subtexts to be found. For example, in "Nightmare", when Seung-Wan wakes up in a motel with President Kim, who calls him a "good-looking boy". Also, the Art student who ends up dead in "Rumble" is supposed to be really tough, but looks like he belongs in a boy band.

The fight scenes are filmed, choreographed and edited brilliantly. They never look staged and it is clear throughout that the director is not trying to make violence look cool. In "Modern Man", for example, the unending brawl is not just about two blokes hitting each other, it's about them being trapped- hence its cyclical time structure. In "Rumble", we see the youths' impressions of violence through clips of videogames and Bruce Lee films. Several times, people in authority shout "Who do you think you are?" at the young protagonists. At one point in "Modern Man", President Kim states nonchalantly, "I am a gangster, a thug". These sequences highlight the theme of the film, how disaffected men use violence to prove they exist. Die Bad, the feature, was reportedly shot for $3000, over a period of three years. Posters of "Romeo + Juliet" and "Tin Cup" are scene on walls during the film. Members of the cast worked during breaks from other bigger budget projects, using leftover film stock and fake blood. The ambition of Die Bad is massive and it is enormously successful. All the performances are brilliant; the film has great energy, originality and packs an emotional punch. There are no guns in the film, which may seem unrealistic, but if they were shooting at each other it would defeat the object, trying as it is to show something more primal. Near the end, a very sentimental piece of music was played, which (although I couldn't understand the Korean lyrics) seemed unnecessary and cloying, but this does not stop Die Bad from being an excellent film. Great things are expected of Seung-Wan Ryoo.

Once Were Warriors (1994)

Powerful story telling

[10/10 · 6 April 2001]

This was an excellent film on all fronts. The performances were matchless, the script was finely balanced. The reason it stays with you after you watch it is because the characters are so strong, there are no heroes or villains, just ordinary people. Perhaps towards the end it got slightly melodramatic but this was more than redeemed by an excecllent piece of camerawork on Jake Heke and a moving finale.

Relentless (1989)

Middling

[6/10 · 31 March 2001]

This film seemed to be put together in a very half-hearted fashion. The visuals were TV style and the script, from 'Field of Dreams's writer, was okay. There was one great bit between the detective and an old man eating prunes, if the rest of the film has matched this it would have been a classic. The cast gamely tried to make the film memorable,with Judd Nelson putting in a quality performance, but the story was too hackneyed. The worst part came with the obligatory T&A insert: Nelson suffocates a topless blonde.

Alligator (1980)

Alligator is punk rock

[9/10 · 31 March 2001]

This film has a superbly paced story and much style. It is great entertainment matched with wry comment from writer John Sayles: witness the rich old man who locks his posh car, allows his friend to get eaten and is then pounded flat by the monster. This could so easily have been boring and run-of-the-mill. Although accomplished on a low budget, the film makers put in much effort and created something unique.