- In Their Room – Review - 8 December, 2014
- Sir Ian McKellen backs Wonderkid - 4 November, 2014
- Boys – Review and DVD competiton - 13 October, 2014
Okay, I have a confession: I caught all three of these films at the 20th LA Film Fest last month. But out of jealousy I hid them away from you. Well, mainly Rydal from The Two Faces of January. You will forgive me when you see who he is . . .
Jersey Boys
I am sure we all have seen the musical (if not you can see it at the Picadilly Theatre in London) telling the true life story of how The Four Seasons came into being. It follows the rag to riches story of Frank Valli and company, and their struggles as both artists and Italian-Americans.
Clint Eastwood took on this ambitious project and takes us into the pre-Beattles era of rock ‘n roll. The vocals are amazing, the cinematography is exquisite and it feels like we’ve been transported back in time.
The Two Faces of January
Amini carries us away to the idyllic setting of Patricia Highsmiths’ psychological thriller. Colette (Kirsten Dunst) and Chester (Viggo Mortensen) are an American couple on holiday with seemingly innocent intentions. When the holiday is interrupted, the curious tour guide Rydal, played by the sexy Oscar Isaac, must help them escape.
The heat rises as the tension between Rydal and Colette’s reaches fever point, all the while their lives are at risk. It’s a high adrenaline, high tension film which will both make your heart stop and your pulse quicken.
Someone You Love
World-famous singer Thomas Jacob (Mikael Persbrandt) comes home to Denmark from LA after being sober for six years to record a new album. However, his estranged daughter shows up on his doorstep begging for money and dragging her young son into their world. Now Thomas has a chance to redeem himself as a parent, but he doesn’t want to.
Eventually he realizes that his grandson has the gift of music and like an olive-branch this unifying talent brings them together. This film may not have the big romance scene or the shirtless hottie, but it reveals a very sincere and heart warming truth which is why such a film is so good. It is brutally real and doesn’t need any tassels to wow us, as it is the raw emotion that truly wins us over.
Have you seen any great indie films this summer? Care to share them with us?
