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Reviews
Stiletto (2008)
Not bad at all
I was expecting very little from this, given the low rating here, but found myself pleasantly surprised. This is really a much better film than it's being given credit for. There's a depth of characterisation in the script that you don't find in the average B-movie. The cast, too, are well above average. Most of the actors are past-their-prime Hollywood notables who may not earn the big bucks any more but can still turn in a decent performance.
The action sequences are decent and, for the most part, realistic.
I was surprised to discover that the burly cop was actually the writer of the script.
All in all, this is definitely worth a watch.
Centurion (2010)
Enjoyable hack and slash romp
This film is enjoyable if you take it for what it is: a simple hack and slash romp. It's certainly not another Gladiator. It has nothing like that film's subtlety or moral depth. Nor are its action scenes on a par, although they are good.
The script could probably have benefited from another round of drafting. Some of the story elements don't make a lot of sense if you think about them too much; others are insufficiently well-developed.
Dominic West is excellent as the Roman general; Olga Kurylenko and Dave Legeno are both striking, although they have no speaking parts.
The camera work was evocative and moody, certainly on a higher plane than the script.
Much like Marshall's Doomsday, this is an enjoyable action flick as long as you sit back and don't think about it too much.
London to Brighton (2006)
Masterpiece
This film really took me by surprise. What I was expecting was some amateurish first film effort which I hoped would have enough good ideas to make it worth a full viewing; what I got instead was a minor masterpiece of cinema. I cannot remember the last time I saw a British film with such story-telling verve. It's amazing to think that this is a first feature from writer\director Paul Andrew Williams, made on a nothing budget. I can't wait to see what he produces in the years to come.
The unfolding of the story is masterfully done. The small details of character interaction are incredibly well observed. This is the future of British cinema, not endless rehashes of Jane Austen and insipid rom coms.