film reviews, interviews, features | BRWC

Author: Alton Williams

  • Dear John Beats Avatar

    Dear John Beats Avatar
    Romantic drama Dear John has at last ended Avatar‘s blue glowing reign at the top of the US box office.
    Dear John, which stars Amanda Seyfried and Channing Tatum as lovers, took over £20 million to land the top spot – easily overtaking James Cameron’s 3D sci-fi epic which took over £6 million. The brand new drama also became the highest grossing film ever for a Super Bowl weekend.  

    Avatar is however America’s most successful film of all time after taking nearly £400 million since its release eight weeks ago.
    John Travolta’s action caper From Paris With Love was in third place after taking £5 million.
    Mel Gibson’s comeback movie Edge of Darkness was in fourth place, while Tooth Fairy rounded out the top five.

    © BRWC 2010.

  • The Pool Review

    The Pool Review
    If you are planning to see only one independent movie this year, let it be this one. The Pool is a great film. Full stop. And it’s one of those that you don’t want to read too much about, or it will spoil the surprise. Trust me, stop reading now and go and book a ticket. If you are still with me, let me tell you a little bit more.

    The Pool is the story of eighteen-year-old Venkatesh who works at a hotel in Goa and becomes obsessed with his neighbour’s swimming pool and the secret lives of its residents. Venkatesh’s life is thrown into turmoil when he is recruited to help sort out the garden of the pool’s villa. He slowly befriends the man who owns the house and his rebellious daughter and is forced to face a difficult decision about his future.

    The Pool, an accurate peak into Indian life, touches on several shades of friendship, envy, altruism and class issues with such a delicate, yet realistic outlook. American director Chris Smith manages to portray aspects of Indian culture with astounding intensity. The Pool, in Hindi with English subtitles, is shot entirely in the wealthy hills of Panjim, Goa and showcases the raw talent of Venkatesh Chavan and Jhangir Bhadshah, alongside the Indian cinema legend Nana Paketar (remember Salaam Bombay! by Mira Nair?) and Ayesha Mohan.

    So, go on, go and dip into The Pool. It will be a cinematic swim that will leave your feelings refreshed by the purity of Venkatesh’s way of life. Priceless.

    © BRWC 2010.

  • Google Paris Love Superbowl Ad

    Google Paris Love Superbowl Ad

    Usually, I make a little video to celebrate Valentine’s Day,

    This year, I haven’t been able to.  I’ve been too busy to even think of an idea, let alone film anything.  So I give you this as an apology.  Google have produced a little ad to be shown during the Superbowl in the US.  Simple and lovely, the ad is below.  Regarding my films for Valentine’s Day, I will slowly stick them up here again in the next few days.

    © BRWC 2010.

  • LFF 2010

    LFF 2010
    Festival Artistic Director Sandra Hebron announced The 54th BFI London Film Festival will take place from Wednesday 13 October through Thursday 28 October 2010.
                 
    The BFI London Film Festival champions creativity, originality, vision and imagination by annually showcasing the best of contemporary world cinema, documentaries, shorts, animation and experimental film. The Festival is a highly regarded and anticipated event in Europe’s cultural calendar, attracting leading international filmmakers, industry professionals and the media together with large public audiences to London for a two week showcase of the best in contemporary world cinema. 
    Last year’s Festival hosted 193 feature films and 113 short films from 46 countries including 15 world premieres. There were 515 screenings and 553 filmmakers in attendance, drawing the highest ever audience attendance of over 130,000 filmgoers. The Festival opened with the World Premiere of Fantastic Mr Fox and closed with the World Premiere of Nowhere Boy.

    © BRWC 2010.

  • Pixar Bits

    Pixar Bits

    UK rag The Daily Mail recently complied and printed a list of Pixar titbits.  I’ve included three here for you.
    Cheers to Ringworm for the hook up.

    1. In every Pixar film, spot the Pizza Planet Truck. In Up, you can see it when Carl’s house flies above his neighbourhood. Though originally a fictional restaurant, since its appearance in the Pixar movies there are now Pizza Planets at Disneyland Paris and Disney’s Hollywood Studios.

    6. The Buy n Large logo – from the 2008 hit WALL-E – features on the construction site equipment surrounding Carl’s house.

    SLIGHT SPOLIER
    15. Watch Up closely and you’ll see a pink teddy bear on the floor of the girl’s bedroom when Carl’s house goes floating by. The bear’s name is Lotso and it is said to be one of the new characters in Pixar’s Toy Story 3, due out this summer.

    © BRWC 2010.