Four Films.

Here are some potted reviews of some of the films I have been in to see in the past couple of weeks.

The Purge. This film was set in a distopian USA in 2022. The New Founding Fathers ( Tea Party/NRA?) have assumed power and have reduced crime to 1% by having 'The Purge', a 12 hour period where any crime against anyone not in government will go unpunished.

The film is the story of one family's struggle against a marauding group, when the son lets their 'prey' in to their fortified home. The plot is transparent with the twist well sign posted. This is a brutally violent film where no one ends up holding the moral high ground. Enjoyable but predictable.

Byzantium. A vampire film with a difference. Mother and daughter have to move from home to home to avoid detection by some mysterious assailants. They move to a seaside hotel and life settles into a routine. Their safety is threatened when the daughter begins a relationship with a local boy.

The way that Vampires are created is very specific and complicated and not automatically evil. This is a very entertaining film with some different takes on vampirism. It does get get quite bloody in the lead up to the finale. A thoughtful ending: not really a twist, as it is the only logical ending. I really enjoyed this film.

The Ice Man. Based on a true story, this film tells the story of the rise of  hitman Richard Kuklinski and how he manages to balance his gruesome day job with a family life. A wonderful performance from Michael Shannon as the cold blooded killer who would do anything for his family. Not for the faint hearted. Well worth a watch.

After Earth. This is a family film. A film by the Smith/Pinkett family. I found it self indulgent and disappointing, despite some good concepts that were not fleshed out. I tried hard to enjoy it, but it just didn't do it for me. May well have gone straight to DVD if it were not for the stars!