Friends with Benefits (2011)

Friends with Benefits is a romcom for straight people who have come around to the idea of fuck buddies.

It's a significant film in a genre which hasn't caught up with the sexual liberation of the 70s, not to say the modern era's promise of guilt-free sex and emotional blackmail-free relationships.

Surprisingly, the film is also proof that it's possible to make a charming and funny romcom out of modern social mores.

Read my full review at Fridae, first published on 28 September 2011.

Colombiana (2011)

An excuse for producer Luc Besson to indulge in his fetish for gun-totting action females of a certain age and body type.

Colombiana is Leon with Zoe Saldana as a grown-up, avenging angel version of the Natalie Portman character.

The story is as improbable and flimsy as any other Besson production but you may watch this for the set pieces.

Read my full review at Fridae, first published on 28 September 2011.

Attack the Block (2011)

The gimmick in this alien invasion flick is the identity of Earth's heroes.

They're not patriotic soldiers, super scientists, or Hollywood Everymen. They're a bunch of problem youths and gangsters from the projects.

In terms of subversiveness, this feels like Spike Lee just made an alien invasion flick.

Read my full review on Fridae, first published on 28 September 2011.

Dolphin Tale (2011)

Harry Connick Jr, Ashley Judd, and Kris Kristofferson operate the Clearwater Marine Aquarium, whose dolphins are rescued from beaching incidents, rehabilitated, and set free into the wild.

They do not, however, perform a country music number in the film.

Instead, they guide a young child and the movie audience to care about marine mammal conservancy. Heartwarming, no?

Read my full review at Fridae, first published on 28 September 2011.

Johnny English Reborn (2011)

Rowan Atkinson used to make deliciously funny television. Then he invented Mr Bean.

Johnny English, Atkinson's James Bond parody, is far more Bean than Blackadder - which means it is funny in the laziest way possible. No real genre parody or satire here.

Watch it if you remember Atkinson as Bean and actually want more of that. Skip if you think Blackadder remains the best comedy he's done.

Read my full review at Fridae, first published on 21 September 2011.

Blitz (2011)

This entry in the odd couple police buddy genre has an out of control police inspector pair up with an urbane, paperwork-friendly gay cop.

The iron fist and the velvet glove team up to catch a cop killer in this adaptation of Ken Bruen's crime novel series.

The plot is predictable, the pairing works fine, but Aiden Gillen steals every scene he's in, and gives this film much needed manic energy.

Read my full review at Fridae, first published on 14 September 2011.

Contagion (2011)

From Hollywood, a disaster movie that isn't outrageously unbelievable? Better check if pigs are flying outside your window!

Steven Soderbergh's disaster movie criss-crosses the globe, following the path of a deadly bird flu virus, the mayhem it causes, and the human response it provokes.

Shot more like a documentary, Soderbergh leaves the histrionics and genre conventions behind. Turns out, the movie is actually more watchable than disaster movies.

Read my full review at Fridae, first published on 14 September 2011.

I saw the Devil (악마를 보았다) (2011)

A secret agent chases after a serial killer.

The twist is it's not even a fair fight. The agent is toying with the serial killer and exacting a sweet, cold, and long revenge.

Given the extreme violence and gore and the nastiness of the revenge, the film plays it too straight and fails to understand what goes into a revenge tragedy. Watch The Devil's Rejects instead to see how this is done right.

Read my full review at Fridae, first published on 14 September 2011.

A little bit of heaven (2011)

Here's a modern take on classic Hollywood's triple hanky weepies.

The gimmick: the heroine expiring from a terminal condition is not that virtuous but rather a funny, sassy, liberated, sexually explicit modern girl.

My verdict: It works. Raunchy comedy takes the sting and tedium out of the developing melodrama.

Read my full review at Fridae, first published on 14 September 2011.

Chalet Girl (2011)

Former youth sports champion turned fast food worker lands job in holiday chalet, picks up new sport, snag rich, caring boyfriend.

It's a sports underdog film, a romcom, and a fish out of water comedy all at once.

This film is so easy-going, you may not notice what a challenge it is to mash together several B-movie genres into one film without drawing attention to the exercise.

Read my full review at Fridae, first published on 14 September 2011.

The Hanged Man (El Juego del Ahorcado) (2008)

Best friends bond, celebrate mutual sexual discovery following a traumatic rape and the murder of the girl's rapist.

I'll describe what follows as I know what you did last summer" shorn of its horror genre conventions and transplanted into arthouse thriller territory. I haven't seen anything like it before, and would gladly watch it again.

Read my full review at Fridae, first published on 7 September 2011.

Walk on Water (ללכת על המים) (2004)

Worlds collide when a homophobic Nazi hunter is tasked to locate an octogenarian Nazi through his gay grandson.

Part road movie in occupied/apartheid Palestine, part awkward buddy movie, part thriller, Walk on Water manages to well... walk on water instead of sinking in its heavy material.

Read my full review at Fridae, first published on 7 September 2011.

City of your final destination (2009)

Think of this as Passolini's Teorema in reverse: an Everyman visits a filthy rich family and gets screwed up by every member so he can discover himself.

Played depressingly straight despite the sheer comedy in its premise, it's a very tedious film.

The period colour, gorgeous sets, and shimmering cinematography are the only reminder that you're watching a James Ivory film. Sadly, it's inferior to any Merchant-Ivory production.

Read my full review at Fridae, first published on 7 September 2011.