London River

London River 2009

• Director: Rachid Bouchared
• Seen by this director: Indigénes
• Based on the book: No
• Cast: Brenda Blethyn, Sotigui Kouyaté, Sami Bouajila
• Personal “oh yeah him/her” reaction, i.e. have seen this actor in:
• Brenda Blethyn – Vera, Atonement, Pride and Prejudice, Saving Grace, Little Voice, Secrets and Lies, Henry VI Part One,
• Sotigui Kouyaté – Dirty Pretty Things
• Sami Bouajila – Rouge, Indiginés, The Siege
• Why? Good film
• Seen: Once before. Now 17 May 2024 

       Elizabeth (Blethyn) lives a quite rural life on Guernsey. There is a bombing in London with many fatalities and she becomes worried when her daughter Jane doesn’t return her calls. She goes to London the try to find her.

       Meanwhile, Ousmane (Kouyaté) is in London looking for his missing son Ali. A photo leads them to one another. Elizabeth is very upset over Ousmane’s blackness and the fact that Jane was studying Arabic with Ali. It is discovered that Jane and Ali were living together. Elizabeth is appalled by the Muslims in Jane’s life, but her continued search for Jane brings her into repeated contact with Ousmane. Her racism is gradually overruled by their shared worry, grief and understanding.

       Such a powerful, heartfelt film.      

5 * of 5  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

  

A Thousand Kisses Deep

 

A Thousand Kisses Deep 2011

• Director: Dana Lustig
• Based on the book: No
• Cast: Jodie Whittaker, Dougray Scott, Emilia Fox, David Warner, Allan Corduner
• Personal “oh yeah him/her” reaction, i.e. have seen this actor in:
• Jodie Whittaker – Doctor Who, Journeyman, Trust Me, Broadchurch, Adult Life Skills, Black Sea, Good Vibrations, Attack the Block, Marchlands, Perrier’s Bounty, The Babes of St Trinian
• Dougray Scott – Doctor Who, My Week with Marilyn, United, To Kill a King, Ever After, Deep Impact
• Emilia Fox – Merlin, Keeping Mum, The Pianist
• David Warner – Many
• Allan Corduner – Woman in Gold, Utopia, Dancing on the Edge, Defiance, Vera Drake, The Merchant of Venice, Daniel Deronda, Topsy-Turvy
• Why? Jodie Whittaker
• Seen: 16 May 2024 

       Mia (Whittaker) finds herself in a time warp through which she can observe and even participate in her past, especially her painful obsession with the gorgeous but married and violent musician Ludwig (Scott).

       The story understandably gets muddled with Mia running into her younger self and trying to give her advice, and her young drunken mother (Fox), but it’s captivating. Whittaker is good as always, as is the rest of the cast, and Lily the cat is beautiful.      

3½ * of 5  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Spy

 

Spy 2015

• Director: Paul Feig
• Seen by this director: The Heat
• Based on the book: No
• Cast: Melissa McCarthy, Rose Byrne, Jude Law, Jason Stratham, Miranda Hart, Allison Janney
• Personal “oh yeah him/her” reaction, i.e. have seen this actor in:
• Melissa McCarthy – The Heat, The Life of David Gale, White Oleander
• Rose Byrne – X-Men, I Give It a Year, The Place Beyond the Pines28 Weeks Later, The Dead Girl, Sunshine
• Jude Law – many
• Allison Janney - many
• Why? Might be fun. Jude Law’s presence doesn’t hurt.
• Seen: 27 April 2024 

       Is Jude Law the next James Bond (fine by me…). Um, probably not but he does a lovely parody. Oh, I get it. The whole film is a parody. Overweight, lovelorn, desk-bound CIA agent Susan (McCarthy) finds herself against all odds in the field in Paris to catch the bad guy – bad gal actually – who has a nuke and plans to sell it to an even badder guy.

       It’s funny. I like McCarthy and the others are good too. A feminist spoof of 007 – what’s not to like?      

4* of 5   

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Woman King

 

The Woman King 2022

• Director: Gina Prince-Bythewood
• Seen by this director: Beyond the Lights, The Secret Life of Bees
• Based on the book: No
• Cast: Viola Davis, Thuso Mbedu, Lashana Lynch, Sheila Atim, John Boyega, Jordan Bolger
• Personal “oh yeah him/her” reaction, i.e. have seen this actor in:
• Viola Davis – Widows, Fences, Suicide Squad, Get on Up, Prisoners, Beautiful Creatures, Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close, The Help, Disturbia, Solaris, Antwone Fisher, Far from Heaven, Kate and Leopold
• Why? Viola David and the subject
• Seen: 26 April 2024 

       It’s been called an epic film and compared to Braveheart which a pity because I think Braveheart is one of the worst films ever made. This one is absolutely not. Despite its flaws it’s a powerful film about the African nation Dahomey and its army of women warriors who fought against black and white slave traders. It is no doubt romanticised but it still offers a glimpse into African history seldom seen in films (or anywhere).  The acting is strong and the characters diverse enough to capture our sympathy.

       Better that expected.      

4* of 5   

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Red State

Red State 2011

• Director: Kevin Smith
• Seen by this director: Dogma
• Based on the book: No
• Cast: Michael Parks, Melissa Leo, John Goodman
• Personal “oh yeah him/her” reaction, i.e. have seen this actor in:
• Michael Parks – Django Unchained, Argo, The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford, Kill Bill 1&2
• Melissa Leo – Snowden, London Has Fallen, Oblivion, The Space Between, Welcome to the Rileys, Veronica Decides to Die, Frozen River, Homicide Life on the Streets, The Ballad of Little Joe
• John Goodman - many
• Why? Possibly Good
• Seen: 25 April 2024 

       Three horny boys are lured with the promise of group sex into a fanatical Christian sect.  The local cops find out about it and a vicious gun battle breaks out.

       I’d like to say that it’s unrealistic and exaggerated but knowing what’s going on in the US with the right-wing gun-crazy Christians these days, I can’t.

       As a film it’s quite exciting with decent actors who do OK with the two-dimensional characters. It doesn’t really go anywhere though. 

2½ * of 5  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Mama

 

Mama 2013

• Director: Andy Muschietti
• Based on the book: No
• Cast: Jessica Chastain, Nikolaj Coster-Waldau, Megan Charpentier, Isabelle Nélisse, Daniel Kash
• Personal “oh yeah him/her” reaction, i.e. have seen this actor in:
• Jessica Chastain – X Men, Molly’s Game, The Martian, Interstellar, The Help, The Tree of Life, Coriolanus, Take Shelter, Jolene
• Nikolaj Coster-Waldau – Game of Thrones, Oblivion, Kingdom of Heaven
• Why? Possibly interesting
• Seen: 22 April 2024 

       Lucas (Coster-Waldau) and his rock musician girlfriend Annabelle (Chastain) take in his nieces who have been missing for five years. To survive, the girls have invented an imaginary carer they call ‘Mama’.

       How imaginary is she?

       It’s quite spooky, Chastain is good, the ghostiness is plausible and it’s a handsome production.

       One of the better ghost films I’ve seen.      

3½ * of 5  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Graffiti Bridge

 

Graffiti Bridge 1990

• Director: Prince
• Seen by this director: Under the Cherry Moon
• Based on the book: No
• Cast: Prince, Morris Day, Ingrid Chavez
• Personal “oh yeah him/her” reaction, i.e. have seen this actor in:
• Prince – Purple Rain, Under the Cherry Moon
• Morris Day – Purple Rain
• Why? Prince
• Seen: 21 April 2024 

       Prince was gorgeous, there’s no question about that, and he was a musical genius. I saw him in concert in Stockholm once upon a time. Very cool.

       According to some reports (I just read Sinead O’Connor’s Remembering), he wasn’t such a cool person.

       This film? Some kind of rivalry between greedy commercial club owner Morris Day (Day) and spiritual godly club owner Kid (Prince).  Non-story, horrible script, horrible acting.

       Prince, you may be not always be cool but you’re usually better than this. You should have stopped with Purple Rain or even Under the Cherry Moon, which I actually liked, unlike almost everybody else.

       Because he really is a cutie and there are snippets of good music:      

1 ½ * of 5