Taxidermia

(György Pálfi/2006/Hungary)

A triptych of body horror tales aligning three generations of men with phases of history of Hungary, Taxidermia revels in grotesquery. The grandfather is shown as a soldier in World War II, treated abysmally by his superior he fantasises about the wife and daughters he peeps on and ejaculates fire. When he his discovered in actual congress with his superiors wife he is shot and the resultant child is raised as part of the Lieutenants family. This son grows up to be a champion speed eater in post war communist Hungary and aspires to be an Olympic champion in the “sport”. His own son comprises the final chapter and he is a taxidermist who finishes the film by immortalising himself as a work of art. At every turn this film pushes the boundaries of tolerance in the viewer. Each story escalates the emphasis on bodily functions, distorted and distended to points of squeamish extremity. It’s a rough ride but Taxidermia isn’t just a visual endurance test, it is making connections between the psyche of the Hungarian people and historic moments in the country, a treatise on Hungarian self perception. It’s a well considered metaphoric piece of work and utterly disgusting in parts but at the same time thought provoking and affecting.

(3.5/5)

Dunkirk

(Leslie Norman/1958/UK) 

Recounting both a British army units retreat through German occupied France towards Dunkirk for evacuation and a civilian war effort in Britain which sees commercial ships take part in the evacuation operation, Dunkirk very effectively represents the dread and chaos of World War II’s Operation Dynamo. The early parts of the film build the characters and the sense of camaraderie to the extent that their experience of the evacuation becomes visceral. It’s a very good portrayal of a singular event in the war. A couple of interesting facts around the film for music fans are the cover of The Smiths single How Soon Is Now? is a still of Sean Barrett as the character Frankie and also the beach scenes were shot at Camber Sands not far from the All Tomorrow’s Parties site.

(2.5/5)

Girlhood

(Céline Sciamma/2014/France) 

Focusing on a group of young second generation immigrant girls in Paris Sciamma shows how easy it is for these young women to be swayed into lives of misdemeanours and gang crime. Presenting their vulnerability through the story of 16 year old Vic who turns from her difficult domestic situation to the acceptance and rebellious fun of a girl gang she befriends at school the film is unique in its point of view I think. It’s a story of missed opportunity and, unfortunately, typical youthful kicking against an environment that doesn’t care about them. The film stays realistic throughout and reflects an objective view of Vic’s transition from diligent school girl to drug dealing gang member. The changes in her personality and how she presents herself to the world are indicative of how affecting the pressures around her are and how trapped she becomes in a persona she envisaged would be an escape. I thought this was a great film that tells its story with direct and concentrated focus on realism and truth. 

(3.5/5)

End of Watch

(David Ayer/2012/USA) 

Following two cops on patrol in Los Angeles this movie works well in capturing the atmosphere of both the neighbourhoods and what it’s like as a cop to work there. Gylenhaal and Michael Peña are very good as the partners and have the banter and demeanours down pat. However things go awry in the latter half of this flick as things slowly move from the realms of reality into Hollywood fantasy land. Having successfully set up the show Ayer strays into action movie territory with a finale that’s more TJ Hooker on PCP than true life LAPD. It’s a film that lets itself down by reverting to generic titillation having started out with genuine engagement. 

(2.5/5)

AVP: Alien vs. Predator

(Paul W.S. Anderson/2004/USA) 

On the one hand this smacks of a cynical exercise in franchising (hey no shit!) and on the other it could be the perfect mash up of two of the most compelling sci-fi monsters from the 80’s. In reality it’s a bit of both, I parked my eye rolling and enjoyed it for the silliness it is. In fairness Anderson pulls off a decent action flick that doesn’t stray too much into either cheap pay offs or taking itself too seriously. It doesn’t tax the brain too much so I won’t tax yours with any further discussion, it’s a gum chewer.

(2.5/5)

Tank 432

(Nick Gillespie/2016/UK)

The presence of Ben Wheatley as a producer makes this of immediate interest and it is obvious why he would have a hand in this film, Gillespie having worked with him previously and it being a story rooted in paranoid and hallucinatory psychological horror similar to his own works Kill List and A Field in England. Tank 432 however does not live up to the excitement that Wheatley’s name arouses because Nick Gillespie fails to generate the same engagement in the audience. First of all there’s no context, we are thrown into the midst of a mercenary mission that is going awry, there’s some weird shit going down and then they find a tank. An abandoned, broken down tank that they get locked into and cue the paranoid, claustrophobic to do that is Tank 432. The characters are paper thin, eliciting little sympathy and the whole thing putters along without really going anywhere. It’s unfortunate because Gillespie shoots a good film, Tank 432 looks good, the eerie visual ambience is spot on but the plot doesn’t match up and it’s all a bit hysterical without any good reason to be. Mark it down as disappointing.

(1.5/5)

Der Bunker

(Nikias Chryssos/2015/Germany) 

Der Bunker is a colourfully bizarre film about a guy who rents a room from a couple and ends up schooling their son who they are convinced will be the next president of the USA. I felt it was a little weird for weird’s sake at times but it is funny and dark, a kind of absurdist horror that’s certainly memorable if equally baffling. On a chewing the cud level there’s themes about overzealous parenting, children not flying the coop (or not being allowed to!) and the effects of that and maybe some Freudian tit bits about disenfranchised fathers and reversed Oedipus soaked mums. It’s all very strange but it’s well put together with a creeping sense of unreality. A grand way to spend 90 minutes but not the kind of movie that lights my fire I’m afraid.

(2/5)