THE ACT OF KILLING (DIRECTOR'S CUT) - FILM REVIEW

Release Date: 28^th June 2013

Age Certificate: 18

Running Time: 159 mins

Director: Joshua Oppenheimer

Writers: ----------------

Stars: Haji Anif, Syamsul Arifin, Sakhyan Asmara

Last night I went to watch The Act of Killing (Director’s Cut) at the ICA Cinema. I sat down in the room that only sat 45 people and let the weird, disturbing documentary unfold. This film isn’t for everyone and I don’t think it was for me unfortunately. 

A documentary that challenges former Indonesian death squad leaders to re-enact their real-life mass-killings in whichever cinematic genres they wish, including classic Hollywood crime scenarios and lavish musical numbers. 

The Act of Killing surprisingly revolves around killing and the consequences of killing. There’s not really anything else I can say about this film, it’s just troubling. There is something about it where you don’t know whether you should burst out laughing or be worried about how weird these killers are. 

The big downside to this film is that you don’t care whether these ‘gangsters’ are psychopathic or actually feel sorry for what they have done. Either way you look at it they have killed about 1000 people each. EACH! It’s just sick. And to add to it they are making a film about murdering. They can’t let go, their life is killing. 

Like I said I saw the director’s cut and things needed to be cut out and I’m glad they were for the theatrical release, there were shots in there that had no meaning and seemed to drag on for way too long. Another thing which is annoying me is the reviews this film is getting, look, don’t get me wrong I don’t mind sitting down watching a nearly three hour very slow foreign film, it’s just it didn’t make me feel anything like a documentary should. 

7.3/10

SAVAGES FILM REVIEW

 Release Date: 21st September 2012

Age Certificate: 15

Running Time: 130 mins

Directors: Oliver Stone

Writers: Shane Salerno Don Winslow and Oliver Stone.
Stars: Aaron Taylor-Johnson, Taylor Kitsch and Blake Lively

Another Sky Movies film, and this time I’m reviewing ‘Savages’, Oliver Stone’s 2012 film. You always enjoy the anticipation to sit down and watch an Oliver Stone film because his forte is making controversial films. ‘Savages’ brings us drugs, guns, explosions, sex and some more violence. A nice family film. 

Weed growers Ben and Chon face off against the Mexican drug cartel who kidnap their shared girlfriend.

The film brings some good acting to the table, especially by Aaron Taylor-Johnson, his character is the one that the audience is supposed to care for. This is because he doesn’t kill anyone and has a conscience; he is more of the brains behind this drug interface. 

Chon, played by Taylor Kitsch, is the muscle behind the operation. Their relationship is obviously tight as they both share the same girl. And that girl is Blake Lively, she played her role well in The Town, and she played this one okay to. However, in The Town she did play a ‘women who gets around’ and in ‘Savages’ she lets two guys share her. So yes, she probably has been type casted. 

Benicio Del Toro also does a very good job of being the ‘bad guy’, very creepy and very unpredictable which is what you need to make a good villain. Also...John Travolta is in this film! And he actually isn’t that bad. That’s as much as I can say about him though. 

The story is intriguing I’ll give it that but I’m just saying if you were a leader of a drug operation you would keep your daughter in your sight all of the time and protected. But that isn’t the thing that ruins this film, the ending does. They play out about ten minutes of the scene and then rewind, it’s like they said, ‘you know what I didn’t like that, let’s shoot it again’. It was stupid. 

Oliver Stone has added another controversial film to his list. It went down a treat in some parts, kept you wanting to watch until the end. However, when the end did come I felt like crawling up into a ball and crying.    

7.0/10

The Fear of the Spotlight - My Short Film

This is my short film. It's a psychological short made during mid July of 2013 by Dylan Hayes. I hope you enjoy and would love any feed back, it would be greatly appreciated, thanks.