Four 5 star films again this month, but loads that were brilliant but had niggly things about them. Yeah, it's been a good month for watching movies.
Here's my 5 star choices -
THE GOLDEN DREAM - Beautiful film making, this feels so real, performances, naturalistic shooting and narrative really help that feel. A visual metaphor which punctuates the act breaks resonates more and more throughout. Seek this out, it's absolutely heart breaking, and the young cast are impeccable. Another film I don't want to give too much away about.
CENTURION - On another viewing this wouldn't be a 5 star film, but I really enjoyed it. Was completely in the mood for it. It felt like a great bank holiday movie with added gore, and after Doomsday it restored my love for Neil Marshall.
WHO'S AFRAID OF VIRGINIA WOOLF - This is almost a perfect movie. My third or fourth time watching it and I love how the tension builds, the cinematography is so sharp throughout, and the ending still catches me off guard in it's bizarre sweetness and affection. Watch it for Burton and Taylor but leave feeling nourished on every level.
MAMMOTH - In March I reached the end of my Lukas Moodysson marathon, and through Hole in my Heart and Container, although both had their merits, it felt like a marathon. this was his first film mainly in the English language. It did have a completely different feel to it. This time focusing upon an affluent family rather than the down trodden, it continues his theme of responsibility to children, advancing them from bringing them into the world from Container to being present for them. People are calling We are the best his return to form, which I also watched this month and loved, but I think he'd already returned to form with Mammoth.
