Ring

I very much enjoy horror movies, but after getting scared shitless at the US version of The Grudge, I've always been a bit wary of watching Japanese horrors... purely because I knew they would scare the crap out of me a million times more than an American remake would.

I didn't know much about Ring, expect that anyone who watches this videotape will die within a week.

I got a bit annoyed with the subtitles in this film. They were in white, which was a bit stupid especially when the screen went white.. you couldn't read them. Meh. Didn't get that.

Anyway, it was definitely a creepy film. I liked the plot.. it was a cleverly written story but with distinctively average acting... which I suppose doesn't really matter in a film which is just meant to scare the bejesus out of you. The wee Japanese kid was creepy.. as always :P

Also, it may be the creepiest DVD cover I've ever seen. That eye is terrifying.

7/10

Black Book

This was the second time I'd watched Black Book and I enjoyed it as much as the first time.

The film follows Ellis de Vries (played by Carice van Houten), a Jew who spies on the Nazi's for the Dutch Resistance. The film is in Dutch and German, with a tiny bit of English towards the end.

Carice van Houten is really good in this film. Her character is tough, strong and is not afraid to do anything for the Resistance. There is a scene in which Ellis wears the most beautiful long red dress and has a red flower in her hair. She looks stunning. I've always been a sucker for 1940's fashion.

Sebastian Koch plays Hauptsturmfuhrer Muntze, who for a high ranking SS officer, is unbelievably likeable. He's sensitive and collect stamps for crying out loud! The chemistry between Koch and van Houten is excellent and really makes the film a success.

A really good war movie with great acting, wonderful costumes and a gripping plotline. Definitely worth a watch.

9/10

Eastern Promises

I've never been a huge fan of crime action dramas, but there was something about the advertising for this film that made me want to see it. Perhaps it was the intruiging story, perhaps it was the fact that Viggo Mortensen was in it. It just looked like a good film.

And it is. It follows Anna, a midwife, who sets out to find the relatives of a young girl who died in childbirth. The girl had a Russian diary and Anna is looking for someone to translate. She stumbles across the Russian mafia and soon discovers secrets that the family had tried to keep hidden.

Viggo Mortensen as Nikolai, the family's driver and "undertaker" is the best thing about this film. I've always liked him as an actor, as he takes his roles very seriously. For this film, he spent a few months in Russia, learning the language. All of the acting in this film is very good, but Viggo Mortensen just stands out. He really deserved his Best Actor Oscar nomination for this film.

It's very violent at times, quite gruesome. Good film overall, and definitely worth a watch.

8/10

The Lives Of Others

"The Lives Of Others" (or to use it's German title - "Das Leben Der Anderen") was a film I've had sitting on my DVD shelf for a few months that I never got round to watching.

Until now! This film is fantastic. Set in East Germany in the 1980's, the film follows a playwright who is under surveillance by the Stasi (State Security), in particular one man, played by Ulrich Muhe.

The plotline is brilliant, and I was gripped from beginning to end. There's no action in the film, but instead most of the scenes are tense and quiet, which I'm sure keep the viewer enthralled throughout.

The acting is super. Especially from Ulrich Muhe, who plays Stasi Captain Wiesler. Such a shame he passed away in 2007, he is an extremely good actor.

I also have to mention Sebastian Koch as playwright Dreyman. I've seen one of his films before (Black Book) and was very impressed with him. He's super in this. And I have what my sister would call "an old guy crush" on him.

If you don't mind subtitles, then you MUST see this film. The best film I have seen for a long time.

10/10