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Reviews by Darren Amner

Order by: Date, A–Z

  • 27 Dresses (2008)
    Review preview for 27 Dresses

    Heigl delivers a star-making turn and easily carries the film.

    Darren Amner · 3 out of 5
    A perpetual bridesmaid is torn between loyalty to her sister and passion for her sister's fiance.
  • Adam Resurrected (2008)
    Review preview for Adam Resurrected

    The characters in this film suffer torment and pain, much like the audience.

    Darren Amner · 1 out of 5
    A vaudeville star - forced in a concentration camp to act like a dog - is haunted by his past.
  • Addicted (2002)
    A twisted tale of forbidden love.
  • The Amazing Grace (2006)
    Review preview for The Amazing Grace

    Colouring the palette with romance and sad music is no distraction and only adds to the fact that this film is deeply unfulfilling.

    Darren Amner · 1 out of 5
    The story of what inspired John Newton to write the hymn Amazing Grace.
  • The Brothers Grimm (2005)
    Review preview for The Brothers Grimm

    For fans of Gilliam, there is much to enjoy, such as his quirky humour and ever-present oddball supporting characters.

    Darren Amner · 3.5 out of 5
    Bogus ghostbusters finally meet their match in a genuine enchanted forest.
  • The Beast Stalker (2008)
    Review preview for The Beast Stalker

    A lot of credit must go to Director Dante Lam who helms this movie with real confidence, using nice directorial flourishes, tight pacing and tense action pieces.

    Darren Amner · 4 out of 5
    A cop responsible for a child's death, recklessly tangles with a kidnapper despite the possible consequences.
  • Beautiful Boxer (2003)
    True story about transgender kick boxer Nong Toom.
  • The Black Balloon (2008)
    Review preview for The Black Balloon

    A wonderful family drama.

    Darren Amner · 4.5 out of 5
    An insightful family drama, about a young man who must deal with more than his fair share of troubles, like his autistic brother. Also, young love and being a new boy in school.
  • Blood Car (2007)
    Review preview for Blood Car

    Blood Car is as silly as it sounds, part satire, part-horror and as cheap on thrills as it is on budget.

    Darren Amner · 2 out of 5
    Troma-esque weirdness as a vegan invents a vehicle more reminiscent of Audrey II in Little Shop of Horrors. Minus the crap Broadway songs, of course.
  • Breach (2007)
    Review preview for Breach

    You could describe Breach as a thinking man’s Bourne.

    Darren Amner · 3.5 out of 5
    A young, ambitious FBI agent is ordered to spy on his boss, who the organisation believe has been betraying his country for 20 years.
  • Brick (2005)
    A teenager investigates the underworld of a local high school.
  • Brideshead Revisited (2008)
    Review preview for Brideshead Revisited

    A pleasant way of spending a couple of hours but by no means the masterpiece the filmmakers and fans hoped it would be.

    Darren Amner · 2.5 out of 5
    A man reflects on his conflicting passions for a brother and sister whose lives were dominated by Catholic guilt.
  • Brokeback Mountain (2004)
    The illicit love of two cowboys.
  • Bug (2006)
    Review preview for Bug

    The script is well layered and clearly is designed to secure repeat viewings.

    Darren Amner · 2.5 out of 5
    A lonely woman finds romance with a stranger only for things to turn nasty when her ex-husband gets out of jail.
  • Candy (2006)
    A junkie poet falls in love.
  • Casanova (2005)
    Review preview for Casanova

    A swashbuckling romp that has enough seduction and romance to float a gondola down the canals.

    Darren Amner · 3.5 out of 5
    Has the serial seducer finally met his match?
  • Chapter 27 (2007)
    Review preview for Chapter 27

    Leto is a great actor and gives his all when playing this much-loathed individual but what works against him is a lacklustre script and direction.

    Darren Amner · 1.5 out of 5
    The days leading up to the assassination of John Lennon.
  • Chéri (2009)
    Review preview for Chéri

    The script is, at times, very funny, though the use of a very droll narration is unnecessary.

    Darren Amner · 3 out of 5
    An retired courtesan embarks on a passionate love affair with the son of a former colleague.
  • Dark Horse (2005)
    Review preview for Dark Horse

    Certainly a film for art house audiences, but also a nice first time introduction to Danish cinema that is bold and confident.

    Darren Amner · 3.5 out of 5
    When a graffiti artist in Copenhagen meets a girl on magic mushrooms, his slacker days are numbered.
  • Day Watch (2006)
    Review preview for Day Watch

    A unique brand of storytelling from a Russian perspective.

    Darren Amner · 3.5 out of 5
    The forces of good and evil battle over a device with the power to save or destroy Moscow.
  • The Deaths Of Ian Stone (2007)
    Review preview for The Deaths Of Ian Stone

    The pace moves quickly and splices together some good scares, gore and action.

    Darren Amner · 3.5 out of 5
    Waking up each morning is murder for a man facing multiple existences.
  • Death Defying Acts (2007)
    Review preview for Death Defying Acts

    Zeta-Jones is adequate... but she and Pearce have zero romantic chemistry together.

    Darren Amner · 2 out of 5
    Harry Houdini falls for a gypsy 'psychic' in an Edinburgh-set period romance.
  • Death Sentence (2007)
    Review preview for Death Sentence

    Death Sentence is a gritty throwback to the films of the Seventies like Death Wish, and it has you rooting all the way for this ordinary man to dish out his own brand of justice.

    Darren Amner · 3.5 out of 5
    The story of a man who will stop at nothing to protect his family.
  • Disturbia (2007)
    Review preview for Disturbia

    Director Caruso balances humour with intense set-pieces to craft a fun thrill-ride.

    Darren Amner · 3.5 out of 5
    A teenager becomes convinced his neighbour is a serial killer.
  • Escape From Hong Kong Island (2004)
    Review preview for Escape From Hong Kong Island

    Chan gives a performance of real depth, displaying a wide range of emotions and great physical comedy.

    Darren Amner · 3.5 out of 5
    A stock trader in Hong Kong discovers that power and wealth is nothing if you are not happy.
  • Eldorado (2008)
    Review preview for Eldorado

    Lanners' script is witty and moves at a steady pace.

    Darren Amner · 2.5 out of 5
    A car dealer and a hapless burglar go on a road trip across Belgium.
  • Elizabethtown (2005)
    Review preview for Elizabethtown

    A love letter to the resilience of the bereaved.

    Darren Amner · 4 out of 5
    A man heads for a funeral and finds love on the way.
  • ER - The Complete 11th Season (2005)
    Review preview for ER - The Complete 11th Season

    This show has great drama, writing and it’s as funny as it is moving.

    Darren Amner · 4 out of 5
    More trials and tribulations in the emergency room.
  • Fever (1999)
    A down-on-his-luck artist with a fragile state of mind is implicated in a murder.
  • Ferris Bueller's Day Off (1986)
    Review preview for Ferris Bueller's Day Off

    Featuring snappy dialogue, catchy pop tunes and memorable cinematic set-pieces that stand the test of time, Ferris Bueller's Day Off is a thought-provoking look at adolescence.

    Darren Amner · 4 out of 5
    A teen plots a day off school.
  • Four Brothers (2005)
    Review preview for Four Brothers

    Instantly forgettable.

    Darren Amner · 2.5 out of 5
    Nobody messes with the Mercers.
  • Franklyn (2008)
    Review preview for Franklyn

    Gerald McMorrow has conjured up a film that spans many genres, coupling inventive storytelling with a strong visual aesthetic.

    Darren Amner · 4 out of 5
    Futurisic thriller which paints a picture of London in which there is no separation between Church and State.
  • Frontier(s) (2007)
    Review preview for Frontier(s)

    Ridiculous lines and arrogant, heartless protagonists leave you feeling you have seen this type of film many times before.

    Darren Amner · 2 out of 5
    Thieves on the run fall prey to vicious neo-Nazis. Plus read our .
  • Good Dick (2008)
    Review preview for Good Dick

    Good Dick is for romantics who like their movies sprinkled with something a little different.

    Darren Amner · 3 out of 5
    Offbeat romance between a damaged young woman and with Marianna Palka and Jason Ritter.
  • Hardware (1990)
    Review preview for Hardware

    There is plenty of gore to enjoy and the visuals are captivating in an artsy cyberpunk kind of way.

    Darren Amner · 3 out of 5
    British futuristic sci-fi horror on a tight budget.
  • Half Nelson (2006)
    Review preview for Half Nelson

    Half Nelson is a believeable film, depressing at times but smart and moving.

    Darren Amner · 3 out of 5
    A drug-addicted teacher is befriended by a student.
  • High Life (2008)
    Review preview for High Life

    Olyphant has a great seductive charm and impeccable comic timing.

    Darren Amner · 4 out of 5
    Drug-addicted petty criminals try to pull off a major heist.
  • Hot Tamale (2006)
    Review preview for Hot Tamale

    Uninspiring soap melodrama.

    Darren Amner · 1 out of 5
    A man set on a career in salsa goes on a road trip that leads his path to cross with criminals.
  • I Sell The Dead (2008)
    Review preview for I Sell The Dead

    Monaghan and Fessenden are cast perfectly and have a great onscreen rapport, reminding me of a re-vamped Abbott and Costello.

    Darren Amner · 3.5 out of 5
    A grave robber looks back on the life he has led and the unburied bodies that haunt his memories.
  • Jennifer's Body (2009)
    Review preview for Jennifer's Body

    Jennifer's Body is a sexy, smart mouthed horror that cannot be knocked for ambition or cleverness.

    Darren Amner · 3 out of 5
    A provocative cheerleader becomes possessed by a demon and starts killing her male classmates.
  • Just Walking (2008)
    Review preview for Just Walking

    A stylish femme-thriller with good twists and turns.

    Darren Amner · 3.5 out of 5
    An ex-con plans to get her own back on her thug of a husband by ripping him off.
  • Kokoda: 39th Battalion (2006)
    Review preview for Kokoda: 39th Battalion

    Biting and gripping Grierson doesn't skimp on the gore and displays war how it really is, grimy, gritty and extremely bloody.

    Darren Amner · 3 out of 5
    Australian forces clash with the Japanese during the Second World War.
  • Lars And The Real Girl (2007)
    Review preview for Lars And The Real Girl

    Turning its back on cheap laughs the film contains bountiful amounts of humanity.

    Darren Amner · 3 out of 5
    A quiet young man falls in love with a woman who is perfect in every way - except that she's inflatable.
  • The Lives Of The Saints (2006)
    Review preview for The Lives Of The Saints

    A breath of fresh air for the British film industry.

    Darren Amner · 3.5 out of 5
    A small boy grants wishes, but what should people wish for?
  • The Last King Of Scotland (2006)
    Ugandan dictator's rise to power as seen through the eyes of a young doctor.
  • The Living End (1992)
    Review preview for The Living End

    This film will only appeal to Araki fans who wish to discover his roots.

    Darren Amner · 2 out of 5
    People with HIV, from very different backgrounds, go on the run.
  • Lost Boys: The Tribe (2008)
    Review preview for Lost Boys: The Tribe

    As Edgar Frog Feldman is back to his wise-cracking best.

    Darren Amner · 3 out of 5
    Vampire sequel, sees a boy try to hunt down the leader of the pack after his sister falls for a local bloodsucker.
  • Love Live Long (2008)
    Review preview for Love Live Long

    Figgis plays with colour, angles, split screens, and frames his film as artfully as possible.

    Darren Amner · 3.5 out of 5
    A Gumball Rally driver forms a potentially dangerous relationship with a mysterious woman.
  • Marebito (2004)
    Review preview for Marebito

    I was creeped out for sure but cared little for the outcome.

    Darren Amner · 2 out of 5
    Gory J-horror about a cameraman obsessed with capturing fear on film.
  • Marin Blue (2008)
    Review preview for Marin Blue

    Filmed with limited resources, Marin Blue is a great festival entry, with a lovely dreamlike feel.

    Darren Amner · 3 out of 5
    Story of an unusual romance between a narcoleptic woman and a man who can't recall his past.

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