Insidious

15, 2011, Directed by James Wan
Starring: Rose Byrne, Patrick Wilson, Barbara Hershey, Ty Simpkins

From the director of mammoth horror franchise Saw and producer of on-its-way mammoth horror franchise Paranormal Activity, you would be forgiven for watching Insidious from behind your hands with a large amount of trepidation. The plot follows stereotypical hokum horror pokum, merging slamming doors with things that go bump in the night, but throws the haunted house idea to the side by focusing on… a haunted son. When Dalton slips into a comatose state, it becomes clear that some angry spirits are hanging around in the dead of night. For the first 45 minutes, Insidious provides not only mandatory jolts, but genuine scares; spooky set-pieces with blink-and-you’ll-miss-it imagery that will have viewers reaching for the rewind and pause buttons. Additionally, at times the scares are so well-constructed you have an overwhelming sense you could be watching the horror film of the decade. It’s a crying shame then that what the film descends into is something that the original Saw and Paranormal Activity both scored miles above. Predictable, if contrived plot twists harmed by clichéd performances from the unfortunate cast (who do all they can - especially Barbara Hershey in Black Swan mode for her second spooky supporting role of the year). Some fear-inducing creations aside, it is the unseen potential of the project, not to mention the gimmicky contrived climax, that heightens the disappointment. However, rest assured – you will never look at Darth Maul in the same way again.

2/5



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Insomnia

2002, 15, Directed by Christopher Nolan

Starring: Al Pacino, Robin Williams, Hilary Swank, Maura Tierney

After directing the convention-busting, highly original Memento, Christopher Nolan set his sights on Insomnia, the remake of a Norwegian crime film.  Working on a script reworked by Hilary Sweitz, which sees Al Pacino’s sleep-deprived detective holed up in Alaska to uncover a teenage girl’s murder, Nolan has skilfully crafted a rarity: a crime thriller short on action sequences, but high on dialogue and great performances. Set in an Alaskan town in which darkness is not present to signify night, this could potentially disorientate the viewer, just like it does Pacino’s Will Dormer. Caught in a tough place that would count as a spoiler to reveal here, Pacino becomes a portrait of a man whose lack of sleep unhinges his life drastically. The image of light flooding through the blinds when the clock says 3:50 am is unusual and one in which you can rationally sympathise with Dormer’s inability to control what he needs so desperately. Insomnia is a study of the human mind; a question of responsibility and morals. A great cast (Robin Williams as detective novelist Walter Finch being the most memorable) with pitch-perfect dialogue and stylistic (at times) direction, Insomnia will definitely keep you awake for its duration. Check out this overlooked film. 


4/5

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It's a Wonderful Life

1937, U, Directed by Frank Capra

Starring: James Stewart, Donna Reed, Lionel Barrymore, Henry Travers

  

This classic, which sees James Stewart’s suicidal George Bailey restore his faith in the world with the help of Clarence the Angel, is as much a part of Christmas as pulling crackers… and what a cracker this is. Truly a film for the ages, this is one of those rare treats that you do not just have to sink your teeth into at the festive time of year. To say this is dated in a detrimental manner would be an atrocity – intriguingly, this was a flop on release – but part of the film’s charm lies in the fact that it was made in the thirties. Capra manages to deliver on such a level that It’s a Wonderful Life has slotted into generational status; deliciously heart-warming without ever resorting to over-sentimentality.

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In the Loop

2009, 15, Directed by Armando Iannucci

Starring: Peter Capaldi, Tom Hollander, Chris Addison, Gina McKee

Physically and grammatically, the characters of In the Loop are squarely out of it.

What is clear is that they are more caricatures… embodiments of real-life figures (Peter Capaldi’s scathing, profanity-barking Malcolm Tucker being Alastair Campbell). What is unforeseeable is war, according to Tom Hollander’s bumbling minister of international development Simon Foster; and so begins his climb of a mountain of conflict as he accidentally begins a military invasion. His grammatical error causes a war inside the loop people are so desperate to be in, which in itself is an embodiment of the world crisis these hapless politicians are so desperate to avoid. A step-brother of BBC’s The Thick of It, In the Loop is an embodiment of a ticking bomb that rests dangerously close to the bone. Once detonated, resignations are filed, garden walls collapse – and the viewer is more In the Loop than these political plonkers ever will be

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