film reviews, interviews, features | BRWC

Author: Alton Williams

  • Film Review with Robert Mann – London Boulevard

    London Boulevard *½

    As a writer William Monahan is preceded by a somewhat mixed track record. At the height of his game he wrote 2006’s critically acclaimed The Departed but more recently he has been associated with this year’s underwhelming Edge of Darkness.
    Suffice to say, the distributor of London Boulevard chose to highlight Monahan’s association with the former film in its marketing. Based on the 2001 novel of the same name by Ken Bruen, London Boulevard sees Monahan making his directorial debut and taking on the British gangster movie, a genre that is full of many classics but also many blunders. What camp does London Boulevard fall into? Sadly, it is the latter.

    Mitchell (Colin Farrell) is a South London criminal who has just been released from prison. Greeted on the outside by his friend Billy (Ben Chaplin), he immediately finds himself drawn back towards a criminal life. This, however, is not the life he wants and when he encounters Penny (Ophelia Lovibond), a woman who presents him with an honest job opportunity, he sees the means to begin a life on the straight and narrow. Penny is the best friend of Charlotte (Keira Knightley), a famous movie star who has become reclusive and is constantly being hounded by the paparazzi as her marriage is falling apart and her only companion is assistant Jordan (David Thewlis). The job starts out simply as that of a handyman but it isn’t long before he finds himself becoming a protector of sorts and a romantic connection forms between Mitchell and Charlotte. His criminal past, however, is intent on catching up with him and Mitchell must contend with crime boss Gant (Ray Winstone), who will stop at nothing to make Mitchell become a gangster once again. With himself and those he loves, including his troubled sister Briony (Anna Friel), threatened, Mitchell decides that the only way to start his new life is to give Gant exactly what he wants – become a gangster and take out those who are intent on hurting him.

    William Monahan’s future in the film industry is not bright. For his first attempt at directing London Boulevard is an extremely weak, almost pathetic piece of filmmaking and even his writing reaches a new low here. Coming across like an imitation of countless other better crime movies, the storyline is weakly plotted and packed to the brim with clichés and plot holes, the dialogue completely fails to sizzle – Monahan seems to think that having the characters swear a hell of a lot (the c word is thrown about repeatedly) is all it takes to deliver convincing gangster speak, he’s wrong – the characters are poorly drawn and underdeveloped and just seem to be conforming to classic stereotypes – the criminal who wants to go straight, the crime boss who won’t let him, the celebrity tired of being in the spotlight, the alcoholic sister and even a crooked cop (played by Eddie Marsan) – and, for a film that seems to be trying so hard to be serious, it really is difficult to take anything that happens in it seriously. The speed at which the relationship between Mitchell and Charlotte develops, or even the fact that a romance forms between them at all, is entirely implausible, no insight at all being given into how or why they fall for one another and no development of the romance being shown other than them simply not being in love at all one minute and completely the next. And a subplot involving Mitchell out to enact vengeance on the people who killed a friend is hardly explored and only seems present to make some semblance of sense out of the completely unsatisfying conclusion. Simply put, the story is a complete mess, the plot meandering from one scene to the next and the film really starting to drag sometime before the end. In terms of the visuals the film has a lot more to show for itself, the cinematography actually being rather good and there being some distinctive creative flourishes on display but, sadly, these are underserved by the lacklustre writing and not helped by acting that is for the most part just tolerable and nothing more. Colin Farrell’s London accent isn’t very convincing, his native Irish coming through on more than a few occasions, and the fact that he features among a cast of actors who are speaking with London accents that actually do sound authentic only serves to draw greater attention to the fact. And, aside from a spirited performance by Anna Friel, there is little else of note to be found in the cast which, at its lowest level, features several horribly miscast actors, among them Sanjeev Baskar as a doctor who takes a liking to Mitchell’s sister. As a drama, this is a film that completely fails to grip and, with the exception of the good cinematography it is hard to actually suggest anything about this film. There are quite a few really good British gangster movies. London Boulevard is most definitely not one of them.

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    Review by Robert Mann BA (Hons)

    © BRWC 2010.

  • Rabbit Hole Trailer



    Here is the trailer for Nicole Kidman’s new film Rabbit Hole.
    Life for a happy couple is turned upside down after their young son dies in an accident. Based on a play by David Lindsay-Abaire.

    © BRWC 2010.

  • Amy Hawes Interview

    Amy Hawes Interview

    Amy Hawes is a lovely film and TV Runner based in Glasgow.  She’s using the new system of crowd funding to raise funding for her short film, Falling For Fitzgerald.  I managed to spend a few moments with her and blast her with questions.
    So, tell me about Falling For Fitzgerald.  What’s it all about? It’s a short film about Melanie who is going through a slightly miserable time in her life. Nearly thirty, she’s broke and had the most rubbish of romantic experiences. Ever-so-slightly self-delusional, she harbours an undying love for her best friend Fitzgerald, who never in a million years would be interested in Melanie even if he wasn’t gay. When Fitzy needs to persuade his reclusive and narrow-minded aristocratic parents that he really isn’t interested in sleeping with other men, honest, Melanie agrees to a ridiculous deal whereby she pretends to be his fiance in exchange for a big wad of cash. However, during the upper-class incarceration, Melanie’s imagination starts to get the better of her. 

    How/where did you get the idea? I originally wrote this story for a 2,000 word women’s literature competition. It’s amazing what the mind can come up with if it’s got 24 hours to do it in and some rather stringent competition boundaries. 

    Is there any of Melanie in you, or vice versa? Yes, unfortunately – I’d be lying if I said there wasn’t. When I was younger I was ever so slightly more Fatal Attraction then I care to remember, and I know what it’s like to pin all your hopes on something unobtainable that you reckon is going to solve all your problems. However, I hope that these days I can recognise when I’m being ridiculous, which is all a bit too self-aware for Melanie. 





    Why have you gone the crowd funding route? I discovered the concept of crowd-funding recently and think it’s absolutely fantastic. It means I have the potential to reach literally hundreds if not thousands of funders. The difficulty of course is making sure my message reaches them, which is where fantastic sites where I can discuss my cause like this come in!

    Has twitter/facebook helped you? Oh yes, 100%. Probably about 60% of my funding so far has come from friends on facebook that can see what I’m doing on my status updates, and they’re intrigued and want to help. Of course, you know you’re doing really well when absolute strangers donate and that’s generally happened through referrals on twitter. I think the difficulty is the balance of knowing when it’s ok to blab on about your project, and knowing when you’re just being repetitive and boring. Just because I’ve posted my funding page link up 20 times on twitter today, doesn’t mean anyone’s going to click on it anymore than had I just done it a couple of times, and it’s going to put people off donating if you’re not interesting with your updates. 




    What do we get for our money? Here is a detailed breakdown of the “perks” you will get if you donate money to “Falling for Fitzgerald”:



    Email List ($1 minimum)
    You get on the email list, where you will receive photos and constant updates about the project.

    Thank you credit ($5 minimum)
    You get on the email list, where you will receive photos and constant updates about the project. Plus you’ll get a thank you in the credits!

    Signed photo ($10 minimum)
    You get on the email list, where you will receive photos and constant updates about the project, a thank you in the credits, and a signed still from the film (emailed if outside of the UK).
    DVD ($15 minimum)
    You get on the email list, where you will receive photos and constant updates about the project, a thank you in the credits, a signed still from the film (emailed if outside of the UK) and a copy of the film on DVD (digital download if outside of the UK).
    Glasgow Premiere ($20 minimum)
    You get on the email list, where you will receive photos and constant updates about the project, a thank you in the credits, a signed still from the film (emailed if outside of the UK) and a copy of the film on DVD (digital download if outside of the UK), plus invitation to the private premiere screening of the “Falling for Fitzgerald” (Glasgow).

    Extra part ($25 minimum)
    You get on the email list, where you will receive photos and constant updates about the project, a thank you in the credits, a signed still from the film (emailed if outside of the UK) and a copy of the film on DVD (digital download if outside of the UK), plus invitation to the private premiere screening of the “Falling for Fitzgerald” (Glasgow), as well as an extra part in the film.
    Executive Producer credit ($45 minimum)
    You get on the email list, where you will receive photos and constant updates about the project, a thank you in the credits, a signed still from the film (emailed if outside of the UK) and a copy of the film on DVD (digital download if outside of the UK), plus invitation to the private premiere screening of the “Falling for Fitzgerald” (Glasgow). You will also receive an Executive Producer credit in the film.
    Professional 1hr Violin Lesson ($60 minimum)
    You get on the email list, where you will receive photos and constant updates about the project, a thank you in the credits, a signed still from the film (emailed if outside of the UK) and a copy of the film on DVD (digital download if outside of the UK), plus invitation to the private premiere screening of the “Falling for Fitzgerald” (Glasgow). You will also receive a free professional violin lesson in Glasgow (1 hour).
    Advertising space in credits ($100 minimum)
    You get on the email list, where you will receive photos and constant updates about the project, a thank you in the credits, a signed still from the film (emailed if outside of the UK) and a copy of the film on DVD (digital download if outside of the UK), plus invitation to the private premiere screening of the “Falling for Fitzgerald” (Glasgow). You will also receive “Sponsored By” advertising space in the end credits of the film.

    Unique website video ($350 minimum)
    You get on the email list, where you will receive photos and constant updates about the project, a thank you in the credits, a signed still from the film (emailed if outside of the UK) and a copy of the film on DVD (digital download if outside of the UK), plus invitation to the private premiere screening of the “Falling for Fitzgerald” (Glasgow). You will also receive a unique, personalised video (max 3 minutes) for your website, and our eternal gratitude.





    How are you finding time to fit this in, with your day job and all? The reason I’m making “Falling for Fitzgerald” right now is for it to be a spring-board into finding myself some more work. I only graduated from uni a year ago, and the first job I had I was made redundant from seven months later because of job cuts at the company. Therefore the answer to this is that I’ve got a lot of spare time on my hands at the moment, and I’m putting all my energies into making this film the best it can be, with as big a budget as I can find. I feel like I’ve got a lot at stake over how well the whole process turns out. 




    What are you hoping for when it’s out? I hope that I’ll be able to come away with a really high quality-looking short film that everyone involved will be proud to say they worked on. I want to be able to submit it to prestigious film festivals and make myself noticed with a view to furthering my career in the film and television industries. 

    Any films you have seen that have left a lasting impression with you? All films should leave an impression with you, whether for good reasons or bad. The Swimming Pool, Closer, Amelie, Donnie Darko, Goodbye Lenin, The Hours and Run Lola Run are some of my all-time favorites, possibly because they all have amazing soundtracks. For me, the right soundtrack is as important as the right actors.




    Anything you want to get off your chest right now ?! I just want to say, if anybody’s reading this who is trying to find work in the TV and Film industry (particularly in Scotland) and you’re feeling depressed and disheartened because it’s HARD, then I feel your pain. Don’t give up, try throwing yourself into something crazy and who knows what might happen? 
    Thanks Amy!

    © BRWC 2010.

  • After Dark’s New Film… HUSK!

    After Dark are best known for what is in my opinion the best horror film festival (apart from Frightfest in London of course) After Dark Horrorfest: 8 Films To Die For.

     Every year they come up with a great selection of horror films that will find their way to you eventually. And every so often then finance and release one under the After Dark Films label.
    Most famous of these would be An American Haunting back in 2006 and followed it up with Captivity and Frontiers among others.


    Husk, the sixth chilling feature film as part of the AFTER DARK ORIGINALS is a gruesome tale written and directed by Brett Simmons (Mark Of Love) based on Simmons’ short film of the same name. The film stars Wes Chatham (The Unit, In the Valley Of Elah), C.J. Thomason (The Big Bank Theory), and Devon Graye (Scar 3D and Showtime’s Dexter).

     It tells the story of what happens when a murder of crows smash into a windshield causing a car to crash, the group of young friends, inside, are forced to abandon the vehicle. Stranded beside a desolate cornfield, they see a light on in a window and decide to go in search of help. They head into the fields but instead of finding sanctuary they discover something evil and unnatural lurking in the corn.

     Here’s hoping that this one is a winner I’m a huge fan of horror and as with every year I end up loving most of the films these guys back for Horrorfest so a film made by them from start to finish is high on my radar.

    © BRWC 2010.

  • Film Review with Robert Mann – Unstoppable

    Unstoppable ****

    An action thriller set aboard a train that stars Denzel Washington and is directed by Tony Scott – where have I seen that before? Oh, that’s right, it was last year’s The Taking of Pelham 1 2 3. Apparently, Tony Scott and Denzel Washington are really into trains right now as their latest film (their fifth collaboration)
    , Unstoppable’ (not to be confused with the straight to DVD film of the same name starring Wesley Snipes, which even boasted surprisingly similar poster art), is their second consecutive film together to be based around happenings aboard a train, even though the situation in this film is rather different to their last collaboration. Unlike Pelham 1 2 3, their new film finds its inspiration in real life events (although many details have been changed) and also unlike that film it is not a hostage movie. Instead, Unstoppable is based on the CSX 8888 Incident (also known as the “Crazy Eights” Incident) which took place in 2001 and involved an unmanned runaway train with hazardous cargo that ran for two hours at speeds up to 47 miles per hour through the US state of Ohio before it was brought to a stop with the help of a second locomotive that caught up with it and coupled to the rear of the runaway. The inspiration for this film is certainly quite inspirational, the true story of normal people whose bravery transforms them into true heroes being exactly the kind of thing that you would expect to attract moviegoers and make a lasting impression after leaving the cinema. But, as this film is very much in the style of the kind of blockbuster movie that would have been big during the 90s and not so much now (as was also the case with The Taking of Pelham 1 2 3), will Unstoppable actually find a particularly appreciative audience and, more importantly, does it deserve to?

    Starting his new railway job, fresh-faced Will (Chris Pine) doesn’t get a warm welcome from the old-timers. But he’s forced to work with veteran Frank (Denzel Washington) when disaster strikes in the form of a runaway train. Let loose on the railway lines as the result of a mishap by rail worker Dewey (Ethan Suplee), the train is unmanned, carrying hazardous chemicals and gathering speed, a metal leviathan destroying everything in its path. “We’re not just talking about a train,” warns dispatcher Connie (Rosario Dawson), “we’re talking about a missile – the size of the Chrysler building”. As the train races towards a heavily populated area, Frank has a solution: “The only way to stop that kind of power is to grab it by the tail and pull it in the opposite direction…” Ignoring the orders of corporate boss Galvin (Kevin Dunn), Will and Frank risk both their jobs and their lives as they race to stop the train before its lethal cargo causes one of the biggest disasters the state of Pennsylvania has ever seen.

    Unstoppable is not a film that comes with much depth. It doesn’t need to, though, its slight storyline being plenty sufficient for the film’s simple needs, the characters engaging and convincing enough and the banter between the two leads sounding authentic and occasionally amusing. This is an action thriller first and foremost and in this regard it is easily one of the most intense movies you will see this year. Tony Scott’s trademark instantly recognisable fact moving camerawork and fast cut editing style lends itself perfectly to the kinetic action that is on display here. You might think that the premise of this film wouldn’t allow for many particularly exciting action sequences but you would be wrong as this film proves to be an unstoppable (sorry, I had to say it) adrenaline rush from start to finish, the tension never letting up and a real sense of urgency being present constantly. Sound is an effective tool in crafting the tension here, this being a very loud movie and the sound of the speeding train being very foreboding, creating a real impression of the threat it poses. The acting here is nothing especially memorable but as the characters are everyday rail workers this much is to be expected. Nonetheless, both Denzel Washington and Chris Pine prove charismatic and believable in their roles, making us truly care for their characters as their very lives are threatened. The fact that the heroes of the piece are, for once, not spies or superheroes but just normal everyday people only serves to make the whole thing all the more inspiring. So, packing a lot more kick than their last train movie together, Denzel Washington and Tony Scott have scored a real winner with Unstoppable, a film that certainly won’t change your life but, if you’re just looking for an action movie that really delivers the good, will keep you very entertained for 100 minutes.

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    Review by Robert Mann BA (Hons)

    © BRWC 2010.