Favorite films

Recent reviews

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  The Act of Killing 2012

  ★★★½ Watched 16 Feb 2018

  While fictional killers can be brushed aside, real killers, in documentaries, are often unsettling and disturbing. What they are often not is fascinating. Anwar, once a perfunctory murderer in the Indonesian genocide of the 60’s, shines brightly in his later years, deft on his feet, and warm with his words as he delights in being the centre of attention and, indeed, bringing attention to the work of his life that claimed a million communist lives, a thousand of which he…

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  West Side Story 1961

  ★★★ Watched 08 Jan 2018

  What plays amazingly in this opening, past of course the New York fly-by, is how a dance sequence sets up the rivalry between gangs with hardly a word. It’s a fantastic use of the musical medium. It felt right, it felt good, and if you’re not on board at that point you never will be.

  The simplified Romeo & Juliet plot arc is less interesting than the living the two groups are doing, and how they are fighting. More interesting again…

Popular reviews

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  Bridge of Spies 2015

  ★★★★½ Watched 24 May 2016 1

  I know Tom Hanks is just an actor but if my liberty is ever in question I want him fighting for it. And when I get married I want him to be the celebrant who marries me. He can sign my work cheques, manage my tax, sell my house and teach my kids at school.

  I trust Tom Hanks.

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  Scream 1996

  ★★★½ Watched 01 Jun 2016

  I have always been advocate for seeing a film with as little prior knowledge as possible, extending to watching it with fresh eyes and leaving any baggage, tangible or otherwise at the door. This was particularly difficult with Scream which was not only showing me everything I’ve seen before, but also explicitly bringing attention to the fact with character commentary. That it manages to stay engaging is a huge credit to the film.

  The plot is simple (we don’t want…