Silent Youth (Germany: 2012): The start of something big, or just a bad date?

Posted on March 7, 2015 by Peale

Martin Bruchmann and Josef Mattes

What would happen if two people started a journey of discovery and just didn’t want to ever talk to each other? As far as “first encounter” movies go, Silent Youth is very low key, but audacious in its own way, creating awkward silences where we normally expect bonding.

Rating

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Kundo: Age of the Rampant (Korea: 2014)

Posted on March 6, 2015 by Peale

Jung-woo Ha: the clear-eyed, incorruptible, horse-hung butcher for justice.

Jung-woo Ha and Dong-won Kang shine in this period-action film about a clash of two men cast aside by Joeseon society. Director Jong-bin Yoon pulls Kundo together from a mix of styles, heavy on the Spaghetti western, but true to contempory Korean martial arts action. Overall, the film stays light and fun, but the slow exposition over the 137 minute run time keeps this good film from greatness.

Rating

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Kingsman: The Secret Service (USA: 2015): Guess who wins the tournament? Yeah, it’s the hero.

Posted on March 1, 2015 by Peale

Colin Firth and Taron Egerton

Matthew Vaughn returns to familiar territory with Kingsman. With violence and a sexual reference guaranteed to earn an R-rating, but a story clearly aimed a teens, one wonders if the whole project was worth the effort.

Rating

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What we do in the Shadows: (New Zealand: 2014): Five Vampires and a Guy Named Stu

Posted on February 15, 2015 by Peale

Winner of the People’s Choice Award at last year’s Toronto Film Festival, Jemaine Clement and Taika Waititi’s Vampire mockumentary, What We Do in the Shadows, is finally making the rounds in the US. It answers some pressing questions we’ve had about the prospects for the undead since terrorizing peasants from haunted castles is no longer in fashion. Surprisingly, they are doing just fine in Wellington, New Zealand, repairing their love lives and arguing about household chores.

Rating

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In Bloom (USA: 2013): Summer breakup film for the cold winter evening.

Posted on February 5, 2015 by Peale

Tanner Rittenhouse & Kyle Wigent

Youth really does seem wasted on the young in CM Birkmeier’s drama about the end of a two year relationship. In Bloom starts slowly, but gets more lively after the separation. It makes me wish they’d ended it earlier and had some fun moving on.

Rating

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No Night is Too Long (UK: 2002): Forgettable mystery involving a lad who no one can forget (apparently)

Posted on February 5, 2015 by Peale

Lee Williams and Marc Warren: Blink and you’ll miss the acting

The whole effort is blandly acted and forgettable. Need proof? I had forgotten I had watched it before.

Rating

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Jongens (Boys) (Netherlands: 2014): Pleasant summertime love for a cold winter evening

Posted on February 4, 2015 by Peale

Ko Zandvliet and Gijs Blom

**What Jongens lacks in tension, leads Gijs Blom and Ko Zandvliet make up for in charm in this enchanting story of first love.**

Rating

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Brazil (UK: 1985): A Review at 30

Posted on February 1, 2015 by Peale

An entry in a periodic series of reviews of films celebrating milestones in 2015

Brief Review: Terrorism, state torture, the ease at which our humanity can be manipulated away and clinging to the hope that escaping into dreams of love can break us free. I wish I could say its themes are dated. Brazil is still visually stunning. There may be a handful of better dystopian films, and certainly ones that pack more thrills, but since the root social problems that the movie explores are still with us, Brazil remains a vital expression of our fears of the present.

Rating

Release Date: February 22, 1985

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White-Haired Witch of Lunar Kingdom (China: 2014): Sometimes it’s a better movie if they DON’T fall in love.

Posted on January 28, 2015 by Peale

Sure, the colors are vibrant, the scenery is gorgeous, and the stars are pleasant to look at in Zhang Zhiliang romantic wuxia epic…but why introduce a powerful kick-ass female lead if love is just going to drag her down?

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My Beautiful Launderette (UK: 1985): A review at 30

Posted on January 25, 2015 by Peale

An entry in a periodic series of reviews of films celebrating milestones in 2015

Brief Review: The novelty of the Hussein family embracing Thatcherism may have worn off, but the film could be worth a look for early glimpses of at the time emerging star Daniel Day Lewis and a generally fine ensemble cast.

Release Date: August 18, 1985

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Author Archives: Peale

Silent Youth (Germany: 2012): The start of something big, or just a bad date?

What would happen if two people started a journey of discovery and just didn’t want to ever talk to each other? As far as “first encounter” movies go, Silent Youth is very low key, but audacious in its own way, creating awkward silences where we normally expect bonding.

Kundo: Age of the Rampant (Korea: 2014)

Kingsman: The Secret Service (USA: 2015): Guess who wins the tournament? Yeah, it’s the hero.

Matthew Vaughn returns to familiar territory with Kingsman. With violence and a sexual reference guaranteed to earn an R-rating, but a story clearly aimed a teens, one wonders if the whole project was worth the effort.

What we do in the Shadows: (New Zealand: 2014): Five Vampires and a Guy Named Stu

In Bloom (USA: 2013): Summer breakup film for the cold winter evening.

Youth really does seem wasted on the young in CM Birkmeier’s drama about the end of a two year relationship. In Bloom starts slowly, but gets more lively after the separation. It makes me wish they’d ended it earlier and had some fun moving on.

No Night is Too Long (UK: 2002): Forgettable mystery involving a lad who no one can forget (apparently)

The whole effort is blandly acted and forgettable. Need proof? I had forgotten I had watched it before.

Jongens (Boys) (Netherlands: 2014): Pleasant summertime love for a cold winter evening

**What Jongens lacks in tension, leads Gijs Blom and Ko Zandvliet make up for in charm in this enchanting story of first love.**

Brazil (UK: 1985): A Review at 30

White-Haired Witch of Lunar Kingdom (China: 2014): Sometimes it’s a better movie if they DON’T fall in love.

Sure, the colors are vibrant, the scenery is gorgeous, and the stars are pleasant to look at in Zhang Zhiliang romantic wuxia epic…but why introduce a powerful kick-ass female lead if love is just going to drag her down?

My Beautiful Launderette (UK: 1985): A review at 30

Brief Review: The novelty of the Hussein family embracing Thatcherism may have worn off, but the film could be worth a look for early glimpses of at the time emerging star Daniel Day Lewis and a generally fine ensemble cast.

What would happen if two people started a journey of discovery and just didn’t want to ever talk to each other? As far as “first encounter” movies go, Silent Youth is very low key, but audacious in its own way, creating awkward silences where we normally expect bonding.

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Matthew Vaughn returns to familiar territory with Kingsman. With violence and a sexual reference guaranteed to earn an R-rating, but a story clearly aimed a teens, one wonders if the whole project was worth the effort.

Share this:

Share this:

Youth really does seem wasted on the young in CM Birkmeier’s drama about the end of a two year relationship. In Bloom starts slowly, but gets more lively after the separation. It makes me wish they’d ended it earlier and had some fun moving on.

Share this:

The whole effort is blandly acted and forgettable. Need proof? I had forgotten I had watched it before.

Share this:

What Jongens lacks in tension, leads Gijs Blom and Ko Zandvliet make up for in charm in this enchanting story of first love.

Share this:

Share this:

Sure, the colors are vibrant, the scenery is gorgeous, and the stars are pleasant to look at in Zhang Zhiliang romantic wuxia epic…but why introduce a powerful kick-ass female lead if love is just going to drag her down?

Share this:

Brief Review: The novelty of the Hussein family embracing Thatcherism may have worn off, but the film could be worth a look for early glimpses of at the time emerging star Daniel Day Lewis and a generally fine ensemble cast.

Share this:

**What Jongens lacks in tension, leads Gijs Blom and Ko Zandvliet make up for in charm in this enchanting story of first love.**