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Category Archives: Comment
Upcoming movies: The losers
By Ray Bennett A snapshot preview of some of the movies to be released over the holiday period and into the New Year. These are the ones that don’t work.
FILM REVIEW: ‘American Sniper’ and ‘Unbroken’
By Ray Bennett Upcoming Hollywood war films “American Sniper” and “Unbroken” are long and grim with a great deal of violence and suffering and they just seem … empty. Directed by Clint Eastwood, “American Sniper” tells of Chris Kyle (Bradley … Continue reading
Posted in Comment, Film
Tagged 'American Psycho', 'Unbroken', Angelina Jolie, Bradley Cooper, Clint Eastwood, Jack O'Connell
Comments Off on FILM REVIEW: ‘American Sniper’ and ‘Unbroken’
Top 10 movies of 2013
By Ray Bennett It’s a very tough call to rank the best movies of 2013 as the top bunch are all so good, but here’s my list:
Posted in Comment, Film
Tagged '12 Years a Slave', 'All Is Lost', 'American Hustle', 'Blue Jasmine', 'Captain Phillips', 'Gravity', 'Her', 'Labor Day', 'Nebraska', 'Rush'
Comments Off on Top 10 movies of 2013
My picks for the 2013 Academy Awards
By Ray Bennett Anticipation of this year’s Academy Awards was a pleasure with many great films and terrific performances but then came the nominations for the prizes that lead up to the Oscars and it all went pear-shaped. Inexplicable awards … Continue reading
Posted in Comment, Film
Tagged Academy Awards, Oscars
Comments Off on My picks for the 2013 Academy Awards
Lancaster, Curtis and La Lollo fly high in ‘Trapeze’
By Ray Bennett LONDON – One year before Burt Lancaster and Tony Curtis made cynical music together in Alexander Mackendrick’s “Sweet Smell of Success”, they spent some time flying through the air for Carol Reed in “Trapeze”. The 1956 circus … Continue reading
Posted in Comment, Film
Tagged 'Trapeze', Burt Lancaster, Carol Reed, Gina Lollobrigida, Second Sight, Tony Curtis
Comments Off on Lancaster, Curtis and La Lollo fly high in ‘Trapeze’
Krakow festival puts some steel into film music
By Ray Bennett KRAKOW, Poland – Julie Taymor talks about meeting Paul McCartney and Yoko Ono when she made “Across The Universe”, which is filled with Beatles music. Taymor and McCartney alone sit next to each other in a screening … Continue reading
Posted in Comment, Film, Music, News
Tagged Diego Navarro, Elliot Goldenthal, Jan A.P. Kaczmakek, Julie Taymor, Krakow Film Music Festival, Paul McCartney, Robert Piaskowski, Tenerife International Film Music Festival, Tom Tykwer, Transatlantyk, World Soundtrack Awards, Yoko Ono
Comments Off on Krakow festival puts some steel into film music
Best Film in 2011: ‘The Artist’, plus more of the year’s best
By Ray Bennett Here are my choices for the best in film in 2011. Some of these films will be released in the UK over the next couple of months but they are all eligible for the major awards. Best … Continue reading
Posted in Comment, Film
Tagged Best Film 2011, My Film Picks 2011, The Artist, Top 10 Films 2011
Comments Off on Best Film in 2011: ‘The Artist’, plus more of the year’s best
West End theatre thrives on excellence and originality
By Ray Bennett LONDON – If all the world’s a stage, then it never has been more true than in the British capital right now. The nation’s economy is in dire straits, but that hasn’t stopped theatergoers from flocking to … Continue reading
Posted in Comment, News, Theatre
Tagged Almeida Theatre, Max Weitzenhoffer, Michael Attenborough, National Theatre, Nice Burns, Nick Starr, Nymax Theatres, West End Theatre
Comments Off on West End theatre thrives on excellence and originality
London Critics’ Circle awards pick some real winners
By Ray Bennett My votes had little bearing on the outcome at the London Critics’ Circle Film Awards for movies released in 2009 but there’s no argument that several winners deserved their prizes, especially “Fish Tank.” It claimed honors as best … Continue reading
Posted in Comment, Film
Tagged 'A Prophet', 'Fish Tank', Andrea Arnold, Kathryn Bigelow, Katie Jarvis, London Film Critics' Circle 2009 Awards, Michael Fassbender
Comments Off on London Critics’ Circle awards pick some real winners
Upcoming movies: The winners
By Ray Bennett A snapshot preview of some of the movies to be released over the holiday period and into the New Year. These are the ones that work.