aka La marche de l’empereur
2007 #49
Luc Jacquet | 77 mins | DVD | U / G
Luc Jacquet | 77 mins | DVD | U / G
One of the most surprising hits at the box office in 2005, as you’re probably aware this is a documentary about penguins. Specifically, it’s about their mating cycle — there’s little information outside of that. It does manage to touch on the sex, death and violence inherent in most nature things though, albeit in a family-friendly U-rated kind of way.
In fact, it’s a film very much about the story of the mating cycle, rather than about information-giving. Along with beautiful shots of Antarctica and cute shots of baby penguins, I suspect this is why it was more of a hit than a straight-up informative documentary would have been.
An adaptation of the first in Anthony Horowitz’s bestselling series of Alex Rider novels. It does a good job of translating the book, aided by an extensive cast of recognisable Brits (and some Yanks) and some entertaining action sequences.
“You’ve heard the story of Jesse James, of how he lived and died; If you’re still in need of something to read, here’s the story of Bonnie and Clyde.”
Godard’s first and most famous film; part of the beginning of the nouvelle vague, a French movement defining a particular youth culture at the time. OK, loose history lesson over.
2007 #45
As expected, this film pales in comparison to the 
Empire’s 15th best film of 2006 is very European. “How so”, you may ask? Well, firstly, it is French; but it certainly feels it: it takes a very good concept/plot for a thriller and then stretches it out a little thin, with a notably slow pace, and a concentration on the dramatic impact on characters rather than plot movements. Not necessarily bad things, and it walks a fine line somewhere between them working and them failing (that is to say, it’s not wholly successful). There’s an irritating apparent lack of resolution, though reading one theory in an online review has suggested maybe I missed (or misinterpreted) it.
100Films.co.uk 