Breaking up is so very hard to do (Out this week - 14/01/11)

We're still wading through prestige pictures here in the UK, with some awards calibre performances ready to shine through. Whilst I personally am checking out the low brow option at the multiplexes the other two top scorers both look interesting, with the clear film of the week being:



Blue Valentine

Ryan Gosling and Michelle Williams (both of whom are very close to oscar nods for their work) headline this make-up/break-up relationship drama from director Derek Cianfrance. The process by which they made the film is as fascinating as the story - using different film stocks for each of the time periods covered, putting up the actors together in a house so they really know each others thoughts etc.

Runs like a Gay Excitometer: ●●●●●●○○○○



Conviction

Tony Goldwyn's true life-tale of a mother who enrols in law-school in order to begin a 18 year battle to free her wrongly convicted brother almost screams movie of the week, but it's empowering story and A-list cast (Hilary Swank, Sam Rockwell, Melissa Leo, Minnie Driver and Juliette Lewis) are enough to make it worthwhile.

Runs like a Gay Excitometer: ●●●●●●○○○○

The Green Hornet

Seth Rogen and Evan Goldberg may seem an unlikely pair of writers to embark on a superhero movie, given their last collaboration was Pineapple Express, but then the hornet is no ordinary superhero. As the deconstruction of comic book fanboy cinema continues it'll be interesting to see where this fits in the canon.

Runs like a Gay Excitometer: ●●●●●●○○○○

Henry's Crime

Just when you thought it was safe to return to the cinema Keanu Reeves has returned with this low key crime caper (he's robbing the same bank, again) with Vera Farmiga and James Caan lending some credibility.

Runs like a Gay Excitometer: ●●●●●○○○○○

Yamla Pagla Deewana

It's the Bollywood films that will probably benefit most from the recent changes in my grading system - whether it will be enough for any of them to be film of the week remains to be seen. This one's about a prodigal son returning to the bosum of his con-artist family.

Runs like a Gay Excitometer: ●●●○○○○○○○

Final Sacrifice

Also known as Last Letters from Monte Rosa it's a low budget second world war movie focussing on the relationships between German and Italian soldiers during the Allied invasion of Italy. I'm not sure about relationship between this film and Ari Taub previous war movie The Fallen is, but it looks like a very similar feel.

Runs like a Gay Excitometer: ●●○○○○○○○○

Travellers

It seems unlikely but this is the second week running where I've issued a one blob rating, and I fully stand by it. This dreadful looking indie brit follows a group of high flying city boys as they go into the Wilderness (of Surrey!!!) and get involved in a deadly game of cat and mouse with some Irish travellers.

Runs like a Gay Excitometer: ●○○○○○○○○○