July 7th 2014 (UK) Archives - Big Gay Picture Show

Starring: Sophie Nelisse, Emily Watson, Geoffrey Rush, Nico Liersch, Ben Schnetzer
Director: Brian Percival
Running Time: 131 mins
Certificate: 15
Release Date: July 7th 2014 (UK)

Perhaps unsurprisingly, while an awful lot of films have been made about the Second World War, not that many have looked at the German side from a sympathetic perspective. However millions of ordinary people had to live under Nazi rule whether they agreed with Hitler’s policies or not, and while a lot purely submitted to the evil whims of the regime, others did what they could to oppose.

The Book Thief, based on Marcus Zusak’s novel, takes us back to this time and the life of young Liesel (Sophie Elisse), who is separated from her communist mother and sent to live with an ordinary couple, Hans (Geoffrey Rush) and the stern Rosa (Emily Watson). Initially she is illiterate and despite the difficult situation she has come from, relatively oblivious to the world around her. [Read more…]

Starring: Ralph Fiennes, Tony Revolori, F. Murray Abraham, Jude Law, Adrien Brody
Director: Wes Anderson
Running Time: 95 min
Certificate: 15
Release Date: July 7th 2014 (UK)

I should probably start off by saying I’m generally not a great fan of director Wes Anderson. I’ve found most of his films far too pleased with themselves and so obsessed with their own quirkiness that it actually got in the way of the film rather than enhancing it.

That said, The Grand Budapest Hotel is the first Anderson movie I’ve enjoyed from end to end since the director’s debut, Bottle Rocket. Previously Anderson’s idiosyncratic style has leaned towards farce while pretending it was something else. With his last film, Moonrise Kingdom he went full farce for large chunks of the film, and they were undoubtedly the best bits. [Read more…]

The Book Thief (Blu-ray Review)

The Grand Budapest Hotel (Blu-ray Review)