scottieweiss Reviews

Love Is All You Need (2012)

Wonderful Film

[30 April 2013]

The brief preview I read of this film described it as an antidote to "shrill, soulless Hollywood romantic comedies" with the power to "restore your faith in the entire genre". I was unsure whether it would live up to such high praise, but decided to give it a go.

The film follows the story of Ida, a lovely lady recovering from chemotherapy and the antics of her unappreciative husband Leif. Separately we follow her daughter Astrid as she prepares to wed her fiancé Patrick in a beautiful secluded grove in Sorrento. But marriage is not portrayed in this film as a straightforward or predictable process, and hints of challenges soon begin to emerge, both for the engaged couple and for Ida herself.

My attention was gripped more than anything by the characters themselves. All confused to some degree, I found them likable to a person - even Leif, whose "activities" were less than admirable. Their hidden depths are revealed through their struggles. I'd like to give a special nod here to Pierce Brosnan's Philip. Emotionally constricted from the start, his defensiveness and wariness gradually ease to reveal a man of real depth and warmth.

The photography in this film is gorgeous, but there again, it's only important as the backdrop to the characters' personal development. It's also a very humorous film in places, and I found the two hours flew by. 10/10.

The Wicker Man (1973)

A great and disturbing film ( theatrical cut review )

[15 August 2008]

A claustrophobic tension pervades this film from the first moment, when a devout Presbyterian policeman sets of on a journey to a remote Scottish island, to investigate the disappearance of a missing girl. He receives a frosty reception from the villagers upon arriving on the island. He also suspects them of stonewalling but is impotent to counter their response effectively. This dynamic sets a pattern for much of the film.

Howie, played to perfection by Edward Woodward, is further disturbed to learn the islanders practice ancient pagan rituals, in stark contrast to his absolute devotion to the Christian faith. The more frightened he becomes, the more dogmatic his reactions, and the less he's able to see what is happening around him. His interplay with the charismatic community leader, played brilliantly by Christopher Lee, only adds to his distress in his search for answers. Howie correctly perceives that the pagan religion is being used by Summerisle as a form of social control, but is unable to counter Summerisle's challenges to his own religious beliefs.

Symbolism is very important in this film. The meanings of various animals and shapes may baffle you when you first see the movie. If you can hang on till the final 20 minutes, everything becomes wonderfully and completely clear. It's well worth the wait. It's a superbly written and acted movie, that will leave the viewer with questions about society and life long after the final credits have rolled.