Dogville, Ice Age 3. Les Sept Jours du Talion

Finally getting around to uploading some old blogs! Enjoy.

#1 -DOGVILLE

Stars -Nicole Kidman, Paul Bettany, Lauren Bacall, Stellan Skarsgard, John Hurt

Director -Lars Von Trier

Memorable Quote -"Oh, I think you have plenty to offer Dogville."

Review - Dogville may seem like a long film when you start off, but it is worth it. The setting is fantastic: at first it seems as though the chalk outlines and meagre props are weird, but the further you get the more fitting it is, and it allows you to see the whole cast going about their business at once – which is especially poignant during the first rape scene. Later it all makes sense, when you realise that Grace is almost acting in a play of her own rather than allowing the events to become real to her. The moment when she gets into the car and begins the argument about being stubborn triggers a certain surreal realisation akin to that which strikes you in Fight Club. I hate to use the word perfect, but I cannot think of any other way to describe the way that twist hits you in the face! For once I forget the Kidman is Kidman, something that is not normally possible, and Bettany is absolutely fantastic here as ever. The rest of the cast paint detailed pictures of the closeted townspeople, and all in all thus has redeemed my earlier (negative) view of Von Trier massively. 5/5

#2 - ICE AGE: DAWN OF THE DINOSAURS

Stars - John Leguiziamo, Queen Latifah, Dennis Leary, Simon Pegg

Director - Carlos Saldanha, Mike Thurmeier

Memorable Quote -

Review - Ice Age 3 is a great little cartoon in the tradition of the first two films of the franchise, and though generally speaking these kid friendly series try to go on for too long this one has not yet outstayed its welcome. More than this one will stretch the patience of parents, no doubt, but the kids will continue to love them as the formula is a solid one. There is nothing wrong with this bit of harmless entertainment, thought I did spend half the movie rereading the cast list in astonishment and wondering if that really was Simon Pegg’s voice. 3/5

#3 - LES SEPT JOURS DU TALION

Stars -  Claude Legault, Rémy Girard

Director - Daniel Grou

Memorable Quote -n/a

Review - This is a really interesting one. Going in to it you almost expect a torture porn, Martyrs-style film, but what you get feels more like an Eastern European arthouse take on the genre. The start is gentle and soaked with tristesse, more reminiscent of ‘4 Months, 3 Weeks, 2 Days’ than Martyrs, as large swathes of the film contain no music or dialogue but simply quiet sounds and images which are for the most part still: footsteps, the sound of a leather jacket creaking as the wearer slowly rocks backwards and forwards, the wind blowing. The effect is eerie and mournful, as the grey and blue palette mutes this world yet further and pans introduce the only real movement in many scenes. Snippets tell a story, and the shots are all tasteful; the first moment of true nudity, as the killer is shown in a full body shot, marks the film’s transition into the seven days for which it is named and the second act of the plot. Everything is done in a subtle and understated manner – the metaphor of the deer is presented, but not laboured upon overly, as it might have been in the hands of another director. Unexpectedly, this film that should from the plot have been tacky and bloody is instead a rare gem of beauty. 5/5

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