Movie of the week – Blood Simple
Still their finest achievement, the Coen Brothers’ 1984 debut Blood Simple returns to cinemas in a newly restored version of the 2001 director’s cut. The Coens took a classic noir tale of infidelity and deception and relocated to an unfamiliar Texas setting, creating something that seemed entirely new. Watch out for a couple of “how did they do that?” camera tricks and an iconic performance from the great character actor M Emmet Walsh as a decidedly sleazy private eye.
Blade Runner 2049
Speaking of ’80s noir updates, Blade Runner 2049 is the long awaited sequel to Ridley Scott’s cult 1982 sci-fi thriller. With Denis Villenuve directing and Roger Deakins providing cinematography, it’s as visually lush as you would expect, but at close to three hours it’s a slog, thanks to an uninteresting storyline that mostly plays out in a series of blandly written conversations.
The Mountain Between Us
In The Mountain Between Us, Kate Winslet and Idris Elba survive a plane crash in the wilds of the rocky mountains. As they attempt to escape their predicament, romance blossoms, and it all plays out in predictable fashion. Despite casting two charismatic performers, the film fails to generate any heat, and there’s a palpable lack of passion between the central characters.
The Glass Castle
One of the year’s most misguided films is The Glass Castle, which recounts the abusive relationship between writer Jeannette Walls (Brie Larson) and her alcoholic, wayward father Rex (Woody Harrelson). The movie goes out of its way to excuse Rex’s behaviour, almost making Jeanette the villain as it guilts her into a reconciliation. Horrid stuff that leaves a foul taste in the mouth.
By Eric Hillis of themoviewaffler.com
