The Double Life of Veronique (1991)

             Imagine if each of us is matched somewhere in the world, 

             by our exact double - 

                   someone to share our thoughts and dreams.

               



                 Starring         Irene Jacob

                 Directed by   Krzysztof Kieslowski

                 Written by    Krzysztof Kieslowski and Krzysztof Piesiewicz

              

I loved this one. It is quirky, different and beautifully shot. 

There are no car chases or murderers on the run, just a wonderfully crafted and mesmerizing movie. It's a work of art as much as it is a movie and it had me glued to the screen. This was right up my alley, it's just the kind of oddball, quirky thing that I enjoy.

Brilliantly acted by Irene Jacob and she is incredibly beautiful as well. I can't praise this enough. I must watch more foreign movies, especially directed by Krzysztof Kieslowski.

Mesmerizing 

10/10

The Plague ( 2006 )

Every child under the age of nine has fallen asleep and won't wake up. Until now.

Starring James Van Der Beek and Ivana Milicevik.

Written by Hal Masonberg and Teal Minton.  A production by Clive Barker's Midnight Picture Show.

Directed by Hal Masonberg.





This started off so well and grabbed my interest from the first second but after about half an hour it just turned into another zombie flick.



How many times can you watch a zombie invasion movie? The acting is average. The plot has been done (ironically) to death and the production is okay. But what could have been something amazing and original became boring. Plenty of blood, gore and scares but sadly a lack of anything original or entertaining. The ending was unusual and unconvincing.




6/10

Where Sleeping Dogs Lie ( 1991 )

        A struggling writer moves into an abandoned mansion and discovers

                        it's gruesome history.

       



        Starring Dylan McDermott and Tom Sizemore and Sharon Stone.

        Written by Yolande Turner and Charles Finch. Directed by Charles Finch.








This is like a soft porn film where somebody has taken all the soft porn out and left us with a pile of dodgy acting, terrible backing music and poor production.


The ending is obvious after about 20 minutes and the only good thing about this movie is one scene where Sharon Stone gets out of a swimming pool! This is atmospheric and creepy but sadly lacking in any excitement or production values. And the least that can be said about the cardboard extras at the end, the better.






4/10

The Fourth Kind ( 2009 )

Starring Milla Jovovich, directed by Olatunde Osunsanmi and written by Olatunde Osunsanmi and Terry Robbins.





This is a controversial film that claims to be based on true events and whether it is or not, it's a fantastic movie, Do me a favour. Watch this in the dark and close the curtains and enjoy it for what it is.

It's creepy and gripping and haunting and terrifically acted by everyone, especially the lovely Milla Jovovich. I don't know if the events in the film actually happened or whether it's a big fat lie and part of me wants it to be a lie because otherwise some really messed up stuffed happened back in 2000!




But true or untrue, it's well worth a watch. So go on get this and turn off that light. You won't be disappointed.





10/10

The Rundown (Welcome To The Jungle ) 2003

A bounty hunter is given one last job before retirement, to find a mobster's son and bring him home. From the jungle!

Starring Seann William Scott, Dwayne Johnson ( The Rock ) and Christopher Walken.

Written by R.J Stewart and James Vanderbilt. Directed by Peter Berg.







This is funny and entertaining and it's got everything you would expect from an action movie. Including thrills, laughs, action sequences and one liners.


It's not often that something makes me laugh so much but this did. The plot is nothing we haven't seen before and The Rock's acting is more than a little bit wooden but overall I really enjoyed it. Seann William Scott was hilarious and the stand out performer. It's worth watching just for him.





8/10

Winter's Bone

Released in 2010. Starring Jennifer Lawrence, screenplay written by Debra Granik and Anne Rosselini and based on a novel by Daniel Woodrell.





This is dark and gritty and left of centre and is the kind of thing I love watching late at night, curled up on the couch. It's not comfortable watching but it isn't meant to be. It is set in a rough neighbourhood and is probably the worst place to be a postman or a door to door window salesman.

This sucked me in and had me gripped until the end. Great acting throughout and a terrific story.






4/5

Premonition (2007)

A woman's husband dies in a car crash and she wakes up the next morning to find that he is still alive. Caught in a time slip, can she stop it and save her husband before it's too late?

In many ways this movie is right up my street. It is twisty and creepy and had me hooked from the first second and it has just enough Sci-Fi to satisfy my inner geek.




It's a psychological thriller starring Sandra Bullock and Julian McMahon and directed by Mennan Yappo. I enjoyed it so much it could have been made for me. I was on the edge of my seat all the way through and the only thing that spoiled it was the ending. It was a disappointment and this great movie deserved a better one. A great story that didn't seem like it had a big budget with some decent acting, a pity about the damp squid of an ending.





4/5