Films/DVD Asylum

Posted by Doug Flynn (A) on August 21, 2010 at 17:18:07

Mesrine - A 2 part series on the life of notorious French gangster Jacques Mesrine, played brilliantly by Vincent Cassell. Unlike most movies which cover certain aspects of a character's life, these movies cover pretty much everything he did from his teenage years onwards. And he certainly was a busy chap, having seemingly robbed every bank and broken out of every prison on several continents. I really enjoyed these movies - they are intelligent and fast-paced. Picture quality is excellent.

A Prophet - The story of an arab prisoner who rises through the ranks in the French penal system. There's a lot of social commentary (involving French/Arab/Sicilian relations) which non-French viewers probably won't comprehend. I didn't get the central premise of movie - ie. that he's a prophet (did I miss something?). I found the movie ultimately uninvolving. PQ is excellent.

Harry Brown - Michael Caine plays an old geezer living on a British housing estate who turns vigilante after a friend of his is murdered. The bad guys are way over the top. The movie tries to weave the Police investigation into his activities into the plot, but fails (the Police dialog is ludicrous). The movie is grey and gritty (if its intention was to depress the viewer then it succeeds). The ultra-violence makes the whole story unbelievable. Unsatisfying. PQ is OK.

Hunger - Set in the Maze prison in Belfast, this is a stunning art-house offering from first-time director Steve McQueen. There is virtually no dialog for most of the movie. I found it mesmerizing in its starkness. Definitely not a mainstream movie. PQ is excellent.

Gommorah - Chronicles the Mafia's activities across many different areas, ranging from environmental pollution to drug distribution. The problem with this movie is that there isn't a cohesive plot. It's just a series of vignettes, which although interesting in themselves, don't add up to much. There are some great moments, such as the assassination in the beauty parlour. PQ is very good.

Pierrepoint - The story of Albert Pierrepoint, Britain's most prolific hangman, played well by Timothy Spall. As a character study this movie worked, but there really wasn't that much to work with in terms of plot. He was basically an ordinary geezer who ran a pub with his wife, but who was a hangman in his spare time (well, a guy's got to have a hobby!). A mixed bag. PQ is very good.