Positive Movie Reviews ( monsieur_monde )
Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy, Tomas Alfredson
" Stylish and confidently understated saga of a quiet man pitted against the external forces of politics, society and family. Outstanding "
Dead Man's Shoes, Shane Meadows
" Hard-nut brother avenges small-town goldie-looking-chain-esque hoods in a massively disturbing, unmistakably English black comedy. "
In Bruges, Martin McDonagh
" Two hitmen in Bruges await further instructions on a job while suffering existential crises. Balls funny black comedy. "
Apocalypto, Mel Gibson
" This film is a massive success considering the last non-English Mel Gibson flick is the shame of the silver screen "
Drive, Nicolas Winding Refn
" Swings between long shots of a laconic hero to ultra-violence with shocking ease, reminiscent of Clint's on-screen glory days "
Dances With Wolves, Kevin Costner
" Hugely sentimental, wildly unsophisticated and yet massively entertaining account of the 'Indian problem' in North America. Costner gold "
The Tourist, Florian Henckel Von Donnersmarck
" Crime/romance caper that starts promisingly enough,then runs out of steam like the orient-express-esque thriller it borrows so heavily from "
In The Name Of The Rose, Jean-Jacques Annaud
" Super-brain Connery stands as an unrepentant master of reason while others look for witches and his sidekick has-it-off with a peasant "
Tyrannosaur, Paddy Considine
" Dark but optimistic bringing together of suburban and inner-city violence. powerfully told. brutally simplistic "
The Rum Diary, Bruce Robinson
" Colourful and highly entertaining film that perfectly captures the look of the era,but fails to capture the spirit of the book "
Snowtown, Justin Kurzel
" Bleak re-telling of the actions of the notorious South-Australian serial killer.Zero redemption from a film which spirals towards a disturbing finale "
Ratatouille, Brad Bird
" There are two reasons I nearly didn't review this...one is it's good,but not great.the second is I couldn't spell ratatouille "
Revolutionary Road, Sam Mendes
" Powerful drama following one couple's graft against 1950s conformist America. Great casting and performances. Great story. Great film. "
The Assassination Of Richard Nixon, Niels Mueller
" Sean Penn as the flawed idealist who attempted to kill President Nixon. Under-stated,powerful and character driven.This is a fantastic movie "
The Wrestler, Darren Aronofsky
" Impressively unsentimental sports movie where every triumph is an act of defiance,not against adversity,but against desperation,despair,and desolation. "
My Dog Tulip, Paul Fierlinger
" Scatologically delightful animated flick about a man and his dog in post-war England. Adapted from the pen of JR Ackerley "
Drowning Mona, Nick Gomez
" As the bodies start to pile up, so do the suspects...and the small town antics. Danny DeVito gold. "
The Mosquito Coast, Peter Weir
" Utopias compete for attention of the locals in this moving reinterpretation of missionary zeal "
The Assassination Of Jesse James By The Coward Robert Ford, Andrew Dominik
" Friendship, rivalry, jealousy. Good old fashioned storytelling with strong, epic undercurrents, and all stylishly packaged and presented "
Rabbit-proof Fence, Phillip Noyce
" Powerful Aussie-odyssey of three girls and their journey back from the government training camp for mixed-race kids. "
Ask The Dust, Robert Towne
" Competent but not brilliant cinematic incarnation of John Fante's classic, and fortunately retains the refrain 'lover of man and beast alike' "
Sin City, Robert Rodriguez
" Incredible. As time goes on, it becomes more apparent that the real directorial force has always been Rodriguez. "
Con Air, Simon West
" Bad-ass criminals breaking out of a prison plane ruin a just man's trip home. Made in Hollywood. "
Cop Land, James Mangold
" All star cast in a moody and under-rated cop thriller. Stallone puts in a career defining performance,and upstages bigger names "
Face Off, John Woo
" Utterly absurd but entirely self-contained high-camp action flick. Thoroughly enjoyable. "
Negative Movie Reviews ( monsieur_monde )
Inception, Christopher Nolan
" DiCaprio's permanently furrowed brow mirrored my confusion at how this half-baked drivel made it out of the director's lame head "
Horrible Bosses, Seth Gordon
" My ability to hate Jennifer Anniston is as boundless as her talent is absent. "
Green Lantern, Martin Campbell
" The action scenes in this film are actually pretty good, but it does nothing counter the endless emptiness between "
Traffic, Steven Soderbergh
" Drug film that casts its net too wide,crowbaring characters into drug-life cliches.Not bad exactly,but a long way from good. "
Batman Begins, Christopher Nolan
" Lacking in menace and suspense,and so resoundingly dull,and whose success is possibly responsible for the dripping-tap of lame superhero movies since "
Positive Album Reviews ( monsieur_monde )
Bubblegum, Mark Lanegan
" Lanegan expertly navigates this impossible to define album through the genres masterfully, sticking only to one principle,'give it big balls' "
Grinderman, Grinderman 2. , Grinderman
" Retains the balls-naked rawness of the first Grinderman album, but fills it out a little, just enough. Barn-stormingly electrifying "
Natural History, I Am Kloot
" Cemented in Manchester-indie-roots but spared the anthemic feedback of their peers. Ideal for a sunday afternoon "
Scott 4, Scott Walker
" Former Walker-brothers frontman strikes out alone, taking the wall-of-sound with him.String-laden tracks bridge the gap between crooner and cool mother "
Led Zeppelin 3, Led Zeppelin
" Subtler,more reflective and more folk-orientated than previous or later output.. and split right down the middle by a searing blues epic "
Tellin' It, Ann Peebles
" Released following the success of 'Can't Stand the Rain',though with none of the ineffable greatness,this is still a terrific soul album "
If This Is Heaven, Ann Peebles
" A late 70s release,and moving closer to disco than staying with soul,but it keeps the simplicity that made it worthwhile before "
I'm Wide Awake It's Morning, Bright Eyes
" Moving and powerful contemporary folk album, with moments of greatness that are seldom interrupted. "
Coney Island Baby, Lou Reed
" The recording of this seems almost like an afterthought to the process of Lou writing it in his magnificent head.Lazy... terrific "
Mule Variations, Tom Waits
" Just discovered this in a pile of i-tunes albums.Boy have I been missing out.Bitches brew of grit, dirt, blues, and gospel. "
Blues Funeral, The Mark Lanegan Band
" A voice dragged across the desert by a runaway wagon-train. A band soaked in whorehouse run-off. Terrific "
Negative Album Reviews ( monsieur_monde )
There are currently no negative reviews.
Positive Book Reviews ( monsieur_monde )
Nausea, Jean-Paul Sartre
" Readable and pretty funny explanation of the angst of freedom without meaning.Evokes a French world of wine and impressionable women "
Sweet Thursday, John Steinbeck
" Steinbeck turns his razor sharp pen to the bums of small town California.Bursting with humour and empathy,masterstroke of creativity "
Fun Home, Alison Bechdel
" Moving memoir told with humour and force, and perfectly presented in the graphic novel form. "
Karoo, Steve Tesich
" Hurtles through the minefield of middle-aged-alcoholism with a caustic and visceral wit.Dark and moving,Saul Karoo's downfall will leave it's mark "
Moby Dick, Herman Melville
" Opens with speed and humour before grinding to halt around the facts of whales and the whaling industry... disappointing "
The Sportswriter, Richard Ford
" Failed novelist-turned-sports-journalism fails to cope with the death of his son and failure of his marriage.Bleak,disturbing and hilarious "
Fear Of Flying, Erica Jong
" Feminism confronts existentialism and they have a very naughty time. At least I think that's what it was about "
The Master And Margarita, Mikhail Bulgakov
" Psychedelic and satirical, this is the book that inspired The Stones' Sympathy for the Devil. "
The Notebooks Of Don Rigoberto, Mario Vargas Llosa
" Vargas Llosa uses modern taboos as a checklist for the plot of this surprisingly boring but magnificently titled novel "
Travels With Charley, John Steinbeck
" An aging Steinbeck looks back over his life and the narrative of his country,always accompanied by his loyal friend Charley "
Adventures In The Screen Trade, William Goldman
" Hollywood memoir from one of the big script-writers of the 70s.Great anecdotes,practical advice,and critical analysis of classic movies "
Miserable Miracle, Henri Michaux
" A poet,artist and teetotaler records and re-tells his experiences with mescaline through the typed word,scrawled notes and pen & ink sketches "
Dancing Lessons For The Advanced In Age, Bohumil Hrabal
" Rapid re-telling of an old man's romantic conquests in one breathless sentence. Some other things are also mentioned. Magic "
Cup Of Gold, John Steinbeck
" Steinbeck's only historical novel,a buccaneering romp around the Spanish main,but flooded with his trademark inter-generational humanity...which separates it from Disney "
Dreams From Bunker Hill, John Fante
" An aging Fante resurrects the incomparable Bandini for one final outing. Good, not great, but intriguing end to a magnificent saga "
Negative Book Reviews ( monsieur_monde )
There are currently no negative reviews.
Positive Television Reviews ( monsieur_monde )
Rich Hall's Continental Drifters, BBC4
" Cheaper and better than a 9000 pound a year Film Studies course... watching this is going on my CV "
Nathan Barley, Channel 4
" A Charlie Brooker and Chris Morris collaboration that nails the moustache-touting/technology-brandishing/bmx-riding hipsters to the cross and let's them hang. "
Lost Kingdoms Of Africa, BBC4
" Gus Caseley-Hayford gushes romantically and in breathy whispers over a series of historically overlooked kingdoms.Informative,but a little slow. "
Sun, Sex And Suspicious Parents, BBC3
" Get-what-you-ask-for television continues apace... this time showing parents what their naughty little soldiers get up to after a few goldschlagers "
Danny Dyer's Deadliest Men 2, Sky1
" 45 minutes of Danny Dyer failing to ask any questions of value to England's regional hard men,but I love it "
The Medieval Mind, BBC4
" Unconventional and irreverent re-examination of life during the Middle Ages by Robert Bartlett, who is clearly enjoying himself greatly. "
Negative Television Reviews ( monsieur_monde )
Life's Too Short, BBC2
" A dwarf impersonating David Brent. Loads of jokes about AIDS. On balance, bullshit "
Positive Games Reviews ( monsieur_monde )
There are currently no positive results.
Negative Games Reviews ( monsieur_monde )
There are currently no negative reviews.
