Review: Saboteur

Stylishly shot wartime thriller by Hitchcock.  Cummings is a competent charismatic lead and well supported by Lane as his more sceptical foil.

At its heart, it's a chase movie - but one with a few interesting encounters along the way. It's interesting to see that it's society's misfits and excluded who tend to end up believing our hero's story first, while the bad guys are all members of the elite.

The climatic scenes atop the Statue of Liberty are still rather vertigo inducing - especially given the unusual choice to dump the overwrought soundtrack.

Verdict: Thriller with a touch of social commentary.

Review: Good Kill

Sobering and dislocating story of modern day drone warfare and its impacts on the various actors involved.

Once again, Niccol's thoughtful script leads us into darker temptations - especially once Christians in Action get involved with the missions (a revealing expansion of the acronym, CIA).  Unlike his previous films, however, it does take a bit more of a tell rather than show approach.

Although critical on balance, it does reveal the sometimes surprising benefits of drone warfare. For example, infantry are able to get a good night's sleep because a drone is keeping look out.

Verdict: Thought-provoking suspense.

Review: Nanny McPhee and the Big Bang

Frequently uproarious follow-up to the original. This time the action has moved to the Second World War, and McPhee is called upon to sort out the differences, and difficulties of two sets of cousins.

It's a lot more expensive looking than the first with some Disney animation like imagination and British wit in the realisation of some of the many humorous sequences. Thompson has crafted a superb script which shows a deep understanding of what kids (of any age) find funny.

Verdict: You'll believe pigs can fly, dance, synchronise swim etc. 

Review: Peace on Earth: The Christmas Truce of 1914

Boyle's short book does an excellent job of explaining both the circumstances which led up to the infamous Christmas day truces of the first World War as well as what took place.

What emerges is a subtle realisation on both sides that the war won't be a quick one as well the terrible weather,  their common humanity - and in many cases, common language.

There's humour too. I particularly liked the following exchange when British troops are invited to join in a sing-a-long:

British: We'd rather die than sing  German
German: It would kill us if you did.

The details of the locally agreed truces are also fascinating including terms like agreeing to fire warning shots above each other's heads if compelled to shoot by their superiors.

Verdict: Useful backgrounder

Review: Scooge

The 1935 film version of A Christmas Carol is an interesting view as it's the first sound version and is within living memory of the Victorian era it tries to evoke.  It's a scratchy looking and sounding film, but somehow that adds to the authentic feel.

Hicks makes for a compelling Scrooge, and Calthrope's Cratchit is also likeable.

Unusually, Marley's ghost is invisible and with the exception of the Ghost of Christmas Present, the other ghosts are also represented in an impressionistic way - with the Ghost of Christmas Yet to Come being particularly effective.

It does take a while to get going, but the 60 min version I saw feels pacey enough for a film this old.

Verdict: Classic Christmas Carol.

Review: Edward Scissorhands

Poignant dark comedy fable which just manages to avoid falling into sentimentality. Wiest is excellent as a breezy Avon mum who adopts unfinished emo looking man-boy, Edward (Depp in a near voiceless, but still highly expressive role).  I also now appreciate Arkin's Dad - a man trying to apply what he knows and understands to a situation which is completely alien to him.

It's one of Burton's more satisfying films. They always look incredible, but for me often fail to involve.  In the case, the spectacle is less detailed than his later works and the story and characters more involving.

Allegories and homages aplenty to be found too cf Edward's rich imagination and uniqueness compared with the bland pastels and Stepford wives like quality of his surrounding neighbourhood.  The scenes towards the end are reminiscent of Whale's Frankenstein movies.

Verdict: Classic modern fantasy

Review: Nanny McPhee

Thompson gives a great  performance as the eponymous character - a darker version of Mary Poppins who arrives to help Firth's Mr Brown tame his badly behaved and very large family.

The various set pieces have been carefully crafted to appeal to kids with a sense of humour of all ages as she dispenses various and necessary lessons.

Verdict: Witty fable.