pigeoncake Reviews

Raining Stones (1993)

Very close to the bone

[8/10 · 31 August 2005]

Christ this film is set in Middleton, pretty much where I live. I remember seeing this when I was about 10 years old and being taken aback at it's accuracy. Everything about it is working-class Manchester, portrayed objectively for the most part. Mancunians appreciate honesty, self mockery and self reflection. My dad and my brother both like this film and I can see why - they're part of it in a sense, as am I. It's not all about struggling to pay the rent, queueing up in the dole office and chugging through the drizzle ridden streets in a Ford Transit - it's about looking at your own life and your own culture being represented by a director who tries to keep things as organic as possible. It's about recognising your environment, where you have come from.

Hotel Rwanda (2004)

Powerful original pre-release poster

[8/10 · 31 August 2005]

I have yet to see this film but I would like to comment on the first pre-release poster I saw on a huge billboard. The image was very minimal and stark. A black background with a horizontal side-view of a shiny, scuffed machete blade. The only text being a very amateur looking 'Hotel Rwanda' in gold coloured Times New Roman font. Why was this image so powerful? Firstly I could see no clues as to what this poster was advertising, apart from the title obviously but the image itself didn't look like other movie posters, there was something nonconformist and more real about it. No airbrushing, no stylised fonts - just a stark, quite unsettling image of a weapon designed to cause a lot of damage. As much as the poster shook and to some extent impressed me because of it's originality, I thought it was tad insensitive but perhaps that is good for westerners who know so little about what happened. A few days later I could no longer see the original poster, it had been replaced with a more acceptable Hollywood style image, still depicting the machete blade only with airbrushed sad faces of the central characters inside it. That kind of killed my curiosity a bit but nevertheless I'll be renting this out when I have some money. Oh and I rated it 8 to be polite as I haven't seen it yet!

Alexander (2004)

A reason why this film is important.

[7/10 · 8 January 2005]

Apart from it's historical quality, films like this are important because they tell us something about our time. The controversy over Alexander's 'gayness' demonstrates the general stupidity of a society stuck so far up it's own arse, people can't handle the fact that such a hero would "lie with another man". This righteous religious brainwashing has people actually thinking they're being right & good, it's the type of crap that's going to end this planet.

This was set over 2 millenia ago and it begs the question 'Have we really progressed?'... 'Have we bollocks' is the answer

GRRR!

Napoleon Dynamite (2004)

A believable nostalgic comedy - very subtle & involving

[8/10 · 5 January 2005]

Firstly, when I say "nostalgic" I don't mean it takes me back to a certain time because it's set in modern day isn't it? I just think the word nostalgic helps describe the overall feeling and ambiance the film generates.

Another thing that's impressive about ND is it's alternative portrayal of high school American life, it has the cool kids, bullies and geeks but they don't all live in a huge penthouse in some rich leafy suburb.

All characters are thoroughly well played, almost as if they're not acting & just being themselves. It's one of those films that has a universal appeal but counts on it's geographic location for the brand of humour...

I'm from northern England myself & I'm sure this film has as much relevance to people living where it was set as, say for instance 'Twenty Four Hour Party People' has to me.

Napoleon Dynamite is one of those well executed & cleverly observed comedies that are very rarely put on general release. One of those films whose quality won't be seen for a good while I imagine.