Category Archives: Drama

Romance & Cigarettes (2005)

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2007 #13
John Turturro | 102 mins | DVD | 15 / R

Romance and CigarettesI was attracted to this because it was billed as a modern musical, with an impressive cast. Tsk.

Some people are put off by the musical tag — well, don’t be. The characters occasionally sing along to some popular songs (and sometimes to ones you’ve never heard in your life), and sometimes do fun dance routines. This sits at odds with the gritty-ish melodrama of the plot, but that’s the fun.

It’s worth a punt, but expect to dislike it.

3 out of 5

The Pursuit of Happyness (2006)

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2007 #11
Gabriele Muccino | 117 mins | cinema | 12A / PG-13

The Pursuit of HappynessWill Smith gives up the comedy act and blockbuster action for the sort of true story that you thought only happened in movies.

His relationship with his screen-son is impressive acting, ’til you realise it’s his real-life son too, but even that does little to undermine things. It manages to avoid the sugary sentimentality that you might expect and in the process makes for a fair tale of the underdog succeeding.

Cute kid too.

4 out of 5

The Last Days of Pompeii (1913)

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aka Gli Ultimi giorni di Pompeii

The Last Days of Pompeii2007 #9
Mario Caserini & Eleuterio Rodolfi | 88 mins | VHS

The fact that it’s an old silent film will be enough to put most people off. Some of those are worth seeking out, of course, but I would hesitate to recommend this one.

The score may be a little unfair as the plot and execution of it aren’t too bad, but somehow I can’t bring myself to give it any more.

2 out of 5

Boogie Nights (1997)

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Boogie Nights2007 #4
Paul Thomas Anderson | 150 mins | DVD | 18 / R

I loved Magnolia. I thought Punch-Drunk Love was dire. And this is how I come to Boogie Nights.

I didn’t fall for it in the same way I did for Magnolia, but it is nonetheless a very good film that shows a step on the path to that more complex and more rewarding picture. One I may get a better feel for when I see it again some day.

4 out of 5

Thumbsucker (2005)

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2007 #2
Mike Mills | 92 mins | DVD | 15 / R

ThumbsuckerI had no desire to see this film, for whatever reason, until I saw the trailer two or three (or more) times at my uni’s CinSoc, after which I thought it looked like it could be quite funny and cool. So I rented it, and it disappointed me.

It’s not a new Donnie Darko, as some would have you believe; it’s not that funny either, actually, or that quirky, really. It’s not the worst thing ever, but by and large it’s best avoided.

2 out of 5