Lifer Movies

Title: Natural City Should be Known As: Korean Blade Runner Rating: 3.5/5 Genre: Sci-fi, Drama, Action, Romance Starring: Ji-tae Yu (Oldboy) Director: Byung-chun Min Language: Korean If you need a single phrase to summarise it, “Korean Blade Runner” fits perfectly. In fact, the director apparently made the comparison himself, and many of the DVDs have this proudly branded on the front so let it be known that it's nothing if not apt. Yet, I also feel compelled to make a Tarantino comparison; in the same way that he treads a fine line between 'homage' and 'rip-off' with many of his films this feels the same, and neither are any the worse for it. No, you should not watch this instead of the classic Ridley Scott work but instead think of it as something of an unofficial sequel further exploring the depths of his dystopian vision. It doesn't take long for the film to get under way with a rapid romp through a medical centre to find rogue combat cyborgs led ...

Title: Ergo Proxy Rating: 4/5 Genre: Animé, Sci-Fi, Drama, Mystery Duration: 25mins (23 Episodes) Director: Shuko Murase Still my mind is reeling from the complex plot posed by Ergo Proxy; this is not the kind of storyline that ever makes itself clear with many important plot details requiring a little thought to reach the logical conclusion; it wont explicitly tell you the answer to many of the riddles repeated throughout the course of the series but for the attentive they are present and waiting to be put into their proper context. Naturally experience with the notion of a dystopian world such as this from other such films – the likes of Dark City, Blade Runner, and perhaps a sprinkling of Dune all spring to mind – will make the transition into this world far more painless as whilst many of the many facets for the directors philosophical ranting feels explored by others before, the manner they are seamlessly combined with devious and mysterious characters comes close to drawin...

Title: Strangers on a Train Rating: 3.5/5 Genre: Crime, Film-Noir, Thriller Starring: Farley Granger, Robert Walker Director: Alfred Hitchcock It would appear as though I am committing some form of critic’s blasphemy, starting my first foray into the work of one of the most celebrated directors of all time – with one of his most renowned films no less – and the result is one of mild bewilderment. If this is what can be expected of his greatest accomplishments, then I dread to think what one of his worst films would have presented me for whilst certainly not a dire effort by any stretch of the imagination, it would appear his reputation as a master of cinema comes as more than a little unfounded. With a superb script formed from a novel by “Patricia Highsmith,” the simplicity of the proceedings proves to be its greatest strength; following the two lead roles from the first meeting all the way to the bitter end, it is the crazy idea of one Bruno Anthony (Walker) – a man desperat...

Title: Brick Rating: 3/5 Genre: Crime, Thriller, Mystery, Film-Noir Starring: Joseph Gordan-Levitt, Nora Zehetner An unknown director, a cast of unknowns, and yet a plot idea that couldn’t keep me away; this is no mystery story of ‘who did it,’ but rather uniquely utilising a high school as the backdrop, and those within it as the main protagonists. The manner this was done was not to make it seem ‘smaller,’ or to diminish the characters intellect but rather to provide a change of scenery for a murder-mystery plot that had seen itself worked too many times. Unfortunately, this film probably would have been better without it. It is that fateful day when Brendan (Gordan-Levitt) receives a phone call from an old flame asking for his help, filled with words he didn’t understand and clearly in distress he sets out to explore just what happened. With the help of ‘Brain’ (Matt O’Leary) it isn’t long before he finds her dead along the riverbank. Determined to find out what happened, he soon fi...

Title: Kiss Kiss Bang Bang Rating: 4/5 Genre: Comedy, Mystery, Thriller, Film-Noir Starring: Robert Downey Jr., Val Kilmer, Michelle Monaghan Director: Shane Black (Lethal Weapon) “You don't get it, do you? This isn't "good cop, bad cop." This is fag and New Yorker. You're in a lot of trouble.” Following on aptly from my previous review (Blade Runner) is another in a similar vein but with a delightfully comical twist, doing what his ‘Lethal Weapon’ series did for Action films in an entirely new style. Its rare to watch something for the first time and recognise what should become regarded as a cult classic (in fact, the aforementioned Blade Runner was initially harshly criticised) but this has paid delightful tribute to those before it, satirically mocking it without ever feeling condescending towards those it pays tribute to. Hitting the ground running we are introduced to the characters in such a way to not feel boring, learning more through their actions than a...

Title: Blade Runner (Directors Cut) Rating: 4.5/5 Genre: Sci Fi, Thriller, Film-Noir Starring: Harrison Ford, Rutger Hauer I don’t believe it’s possible to really call yourself a sci-fi fan without having watched this. With effects well before its time, painting a picture of a futuristic dystopia – a direct contrast to the ‘shiny’ future featured in so many films within this genre before it – from the dark and dingy alleys to the advertisements lighting up the city, amidst a swarming chaos of people and burning fires that so effectively capture the mood of what is essentially a film-noir, so effectively proving what can be accomplished in the absence of CGI. Loosely based upon the Phillip K. Dick novel ‘Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?’ It follows the story of Deckard (Ford), a blade runner who is many ways above the law, despite being inescapably tied to it (his reluctance becoming ever more apparent as the film unfolds). Required to hunt down and ‘retire’ replicants – artificiall...