Drive (2011)

Drive feels like the kind of film Quentin Tarantino could have made 15 years ago. Gritty, stylish and further cementing Gosling as one of Hollywood's most intersting actors.

The Town (2010)

Decent, just can't help but we've seen it all before and better film was hidden in there somewhere.. still worth checking out though.

Janck 3.5 stars (Feb 2011)




Enjoyable enough crime thriller which although is solidly made, does not stick too long in the memory to make it a classic. Directed by Ben Affleck, the end result is very 'safe'.

Mitch 3.5 stars

London Boulevard (2010)

Average crime thriller with a cast of familiar faces, however this isn't as clever or killer as you're left hoping it should be.


3 stars

The American (2010)

No real thrills or spills, but The American is a beautifully crafted piece of work.

Janck 4 stars (Jan 2011)





Crime drama offers plenty of intrigue, and the Italian village backdrop offers enough escapism to ensure this is another solid Clooney picture.

Mitch 3.5 stars

Revanche (2008)

Austrian crime drama with depth of character. Some narrative implausibility detracts slightly from a well rounded drama, although the tight direction and memorable cinematography justify the Oscar nomination.


3.5 stars

Machete (2010)

Enjoyably trashy violence, one-liners and paper thin acting from a cast studded with cameos. Robert Rodriguez delivers a blood splattering machete fest.


3.5 stars

Carlos (2010) aka "Carlos the Jackal"

TV mini-series chopped down for a UK cinema release, think along the lines of The Baader Meinhof Complex and Mesrine then you'll know what to expect.

Brooklyn's Finest (2009)

Largely derivative cops 'n robbers crime drama, although some good castings (and a few The Wire cameos) make this tick along. Is a stretch at over 2 hours runtime though.


3 stars

Bad Lieutenant: Port of Call - New Orleans (2009)

Slightly twisted crime drama lets Nic Cage run loose and bend and break the rules at will. Naughty man.


3.5 stars

Rapt (2009)

Män som hatar kvinnor (2009) aka "The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo"

Very much like an extreme episode of Inspector Morse.

The Killer Inside Me (2010)

Dark and controversial, usually a recipe for success, but in this case leaves you wanting that little bit more.

Animal Kingdom (2010)

A long way from Erinsborough.

Fong juk (2006) aka "Exiled"

Wild shootouts just about keep this confusing crime flick ticking along, but I expected more.

Un prophète (2009) aka "A Prophet"

I often like to complain when a film is anything over 90 minutes long (if it's good enough for football then it's good enough for movies) but even at over two and a half hours long I didn't want A Prophet to end.. profonde douceur.

Janck 4.5 stars (Mar '10)


Gritty French prison drama which i wanted to love, but ending up liking a lot. Some superb performances are marred by a script this is meandering and, at times, unfocussed. Though do not let that detract from a solid drama that kills the rest of it's Hollywood peers.


Mitch 4 stars

L'ennemi public n°1 (2008) aka "Mesrine: Public Enemy No. 1"

Part deux doesn't disappoint, in fact I'd say it makes for a more coherent and exciting film.. probably the best film I've seen this year to date.

Der Baader Meinhof Komplex (2008) aka "The Baader Meinhof Complex"

An interesting period of history, this entertaining film shows plenty of the "what" and "how" but not enough of the "why".

Janck 3.5 stars (July '09)



A touch long, but still engaging. This re-telling of actual events makes for a surprisingly good screenplay. Solid German export.

Mitch 4 stars

Gomorra (2008) aka "Gomorrah"

If you thought Italian organised crime was all guns, goomahs and Goodfellas then Gomorrah will come as a brutally real slap in the face .. madonn'!

Janck 4 stars (Feb '09)




Gritty antidote to the scores of Hollywood mafia movies. Lacks structure, but adds to the realism.


Mitch 4 stars

Brother (2000)

Takeshi Kitano takes his uncompromising style of Yakuza warfare to the streets of LA. I can't help but think this would've been a better movie had the action stayed in Japan, rather than the "United Gangsters of Benetton" story that developed Stateside.

3 stars

Romanzo Criminale (2005)

This epic tale of the rise and fall of the Banda della Magliana's Roman empire of drugs, money, girls and political movings is a gangster story straight from the Scorsese school of movie making. It's a shame that the film didn't go into more detail about some of the 'strategy of tension' conspiracies touched upon, but at 147 minutes long I think they are best saved for another movie.

4 stars