Aroused by Gymnopedies

Jimunopedi ni Midareru
2016 / 83m - Japan
Drama, Romance
3.0*/5.0*
Aroused by Gymnopedies poster

Yukisada's entry in Nikkatsu's Roman Porno reboot. While not bad, the constraints of the genre work against the film. The drama is laudable, but there are just too many interruptions that distract from Itsuji Itao's emotional struggles.

Operation Odessa

2018 / 95m - USA
Documentary
2.0*/5.0*
Operation Odessa poster

Light-hearted crime doc. Some shady people talk with much glee and joy about their past crimes, namely the sale of a Russian submarine. Sadly the result isn't all that believable and by the end it feels like an unnecessary glorification of dumb people doing dumb shit.

Love Beats Rhymes

by RZA
2017 / 106m - USA
Drama, Musical
2.5*/5.0*
Love Beats Rhymes poster

Somewhat lustless drama about a young girl chasing dreams of wealth and fame through hip-hop. The stand-off between poetry and hip-hop isn't very convincing, the romance is flakey, but at least Azealia Banks' performance lends credibility to the musical side of the film.

The Darkest

2017 / 67m - France
Horror
3.0*/5.0*
The Darkest poster

Effective little horror film that stumbles during its finale. Splashes of dry comedy and purity of concept can't prevent that the reveal takes away a lot of the painstakingly built up tension. decent enough filler, but it doesn't live up to its full potential.

Pushing Tin

1999 / 124m - USA
Comedy, Drama, Romance
1.0*/5.0*
Pushing Tin poster

Lifeless comedy that gets dragged down by its annoying leads. Not even Billy Bob Thornton can save this film from disaster. The direction is dim, the story is boring and the characters aren't fun, nor funny. A film best forgotten.

Danny Boyle's early 00 horror film that helped to breathe new life into the zombie genre. The crappy DV quality of the film is inescapable, but within those confines Boyle created a tense, sharp and engaging little horror film that still stands proud.

Ayla

by Elias
2017 / 86m - USA
Drama, Fantasy, Horror
1.0*/5.0*
Ayla poster

Kickstarter project that can't escape its amateur roots. Director Elias tries to make it moody, mysterious and dramatic, but the result is a shoddy, badly acted and unattractive affaire that fails to engage on any level.

Playtest

2016 / 57m - UK
Sci-fi, Thriller
1.5*/5.0*
Playtest poster

Half Magic

2018 / 94m - USA
Comedy, Romance
1.0*/5.0*
Half Magic poster

Horrible sex comedy, featuring a predominantly female cast. That does little to elevate the comedy though. There are feeble attempts at girl power, but it's not a good sign when the funniest bits come from the one character that's supposed to be an asshole.

Side Job

Kanojo no Jinsei wa Machigaijanai
2017 / 120m - Japan
Drama
3.5*/5.0*
Side Job poster

Solid drama from Ryuichi Hiroki, where he returns to the Fukushima disaster area to see how many people are still struggling with the aftermath. It's a little too disjoined for its own good, but there some poignants moments and surprising insights that make this worth the while.

The Outsider

2018 / 120m - USA
Drama, Thriller, Crime
3.5*/5.0*
The Outsider poster

A surprisingly successful mix between Japanese and American crime cinema. Leto and Asano put in strong performances, the cinematography deserves credit and the film is respectful towards its foreign setting, while bringing something of its own to the table.

Sacred Mother Kannon

Seibo Kannon Daibosatsu
1977 / 90m - Japan
Drama
3.0*/5.0*
Sacred Mother Kannon poster

Interesting Wakamatsu. Not as overtly political as his most of his work, instead it features a clear yet slightly repetitive narrative that holds up well enough. The characters are blunt and enigmatic, the film looks nice and the pacing is on point.

Playtime

1967 / 115m - France
Comedy
1.5*/5.0*
Playtime poster

Noisy and grating. The direction is unique, which is laudable, but the soundtrack is horrible and while a lot is happening, none of it is very funny. The shallow tech doom commentary embedded in the film only makes things worse.

The Titan

2018 / 97m - UK
Sci-fi, Thriller
3.0*/5.0*
The Titan poster

Proper genre cinema ruined by the umpteenth failed attempt at priotizing subpar drama. The end of humanity, the possibility of space travel, mutating humans ... it's all there, but Ruff seems more interested in the emotional toll on the test subject's life. The result felt needlessly contrived.

Butterfly Cemetery

Hu Die Gong Mu
2016 / 95m - China
Fantasy, Horror, Mystery
3.0*/5.0*
Butterfly Cemetery poster

At its best, a moody, atmospheric and well executed fantasy horror film. At its worst, a shlocky, amateurish CG crapfest. The weirdest thing is that it can turn around several times within a single scene. China should really go easy on the CG, it ruins too many good movies.

Sweet Alibis

Tian Mi Sha Ji
2014 / 113m - Taiwan
Comedy, Romance
3.5*/5.0*
Sweet Alibis poster

Fun crime comedy, but ultimately just a little too slick and too wrapped up in its own twists. Lien fares better when he does drama or romance, but his crime comedies aren't that bad. Lush cinematography, good pacing and decent acting make this into a solid film.

I Kill Giants

2017 / 106m - UK
Drama, Fantasy, Thriller
3.5*/5.0*
I Kill Giants poster

Creative and interesting fantasy film that gets bogged down by an annoying lead character (not the actress mind, she's great) and too strong a focus on a tried and tested drama formula. Still, a very promising first feature for Anders Walter, hope to see more of him.