Reviews by George Williamson

Order by: Date, A–Z

• 
  Kinky Boots (2005)

  Review preview for Kinky Boots

  It's the same old sentimental tripe that gets rolled out again and again.

  Shoemaker opts for drastic footwear design in a bid save family business.
• 
  Mirrorball - Fresh Tracks 1 (2004)

  Review preview for Mirrorball - Fresh Tracks 1

  This latest season of Fresh Tracks sometimes seems a little stale.

  A selection of new promo videos from Mirrorball.
• 
  The Magician (2005)

  Review preview for The Magician

  For a film shot in 10 days on a budget of around $3000, it's quite an achievement.

  Documentary filmmaker follows a Melbourne thug about his business.
• 
  The Life I Want (2004)

  Review preview for The Life I Want

  The central performances from Luigi Lo Cascio and Sandra Ceccarelli are sublime, free from the usual heavy handedness used to indicate acting within a film.

  Troubled romance between stars on an Italian film set.
• 
  Happy Families (2004)

  Review preview for Happy Families

  Mostly excellent.

  A collection of shorts from America, South Korea and Israel showing very strange sides to family life.
• Mirrorball KeepInTime (2005)

  Turntablists meet the drummers from the records that they spin.
• 
  Popular Music (2004)

  Review preview for Popular Music

  The film feels fractured, with bizarre transitions and editing, which often leave you wondering quite what's going on.

  In the Swedish backwoods rock-and-roll becomes act of rebellion for pubescent teenagers.
• 
  Grizzly Man (2005)

  Review preview for Grizzly Man

  Herzog delivers an excellent documentary that gives a strong sense of meaning to Treadwell's strange life and violent death.

  Werner Herzog examines the psyche of Timothy Treadwell, a man who lived and died with bears.
• 
  Iron Island (2005)

  A society of people live on a derelict oil tanker in the Persian Gulf. Are they being misled?
• 
  Sugar (2005)

  Review preview for Sugar

  As a surreal piece, it feels too much like a horror film, and viewed as a horror film, it lacks direction.

  A horrific discovery in a one room apartment leads into a surreal, claustrophobic nightmare.
• 
  Screaming Masterpiece (2005)

  Review preview for Screaming Masterpiece

  It's an interesting film that includes some really fantastic music and, although some of the musicians appear pretentious and self-important, the interviews produce enlightening insights into their roots.

  A look at the Icelandic music industry, its roots and stars.
• 
  Les Yeux Clairs (2005)

  Review preview for Les Yeux Clairs

  Boutefeu's wonderful acting paints a vivid portrait.

  Well-acted drama about a sheltered bipolar girl who inadvertantly goes on a road-trip.
• 
  Astronauts (2004)

  Review preview for Astronauts

  Astronauts is a fast, fun film.

  Acid comedy about a junkie trying to clean up.
• 
  Police Beat (2005)

  Review preview for Police Beat

  Police Beat is a strange little film. Niang is stiff and wooden at times, but, at others, the flow is perfect.

  The life of a Seattle cop, who worries more about his personal life than city crime.
• 
  The Puffy Chair (2005)

  Review preview for The Puffy Chair

  Realistic and deeply heartfelt.

  Surprisingly real road trip movie about a quest to find a piece of furniture.
• 
  Charlie And The Chocolate Factory (2005)

  Review preview for Charlie And The Chocolate Factory

  It's a slick and intoxicating vision to say the least.

  Extravagant remake of the Roald Dahl story about a boy who wins a Golden Ticket visit to an eccentric millionaire's sweet factory.
• 
  Good Boy! (2003)

  Review preview for Good Boy!

  A sentimental mishmash

  Comedy in which a boy learns the lessons of life from a talking dog from outer space.
• 
  Aram (2002)

  Review preview for Aram

  Robert Kechichian manages to build a keen sense of this darkness and tension.

  An Armenian terrorist returns home to see his family and exact revenge.
• 
  Four Eyes (2003)

  Review preview for Four Eyes

  A great film made on a minuscule budget.

  Dark Scottish comedy as a man tries to support his family by selling double glazing for the boss from hell.
• 
  Torremolinos 73 (2003)

  Review preview for Torremolinos 73

  It treads a fine line between the serious and the comic.

  Comedy in which an encyclopedia salesman and his wife start shooting “scientific reproduction” Super 8 films.
• 
  Tube (2002)

  Review preview for Tube

  An acceptable popcorn-munching no-brainer.

  Explosive action thriller set on a Korean subway.
• 
  Interstella 5555 The 5tory of the 5ecret 5tar 5sytem (2003)

  Review preview for Interstella 5555 The 5tory of the 5ecret 5tar 5sytem

  The story is sillier than any animation since Jem & The Holograms, but is perfectly crafted to mix with Daft Punk's music.

  Daft Punk and Leiji Matsumoto’s animated house odyssey.
• 
  Christmas (2003)

  Review preview for Christmas

  Shot entirely digitally, King manages to use the medium perfectly, adding to the feeling of suburban seediness and heightening a sense of alienation.

  A dysfunctional New Zealand family Christmas.
• 
  Elgar (1962)

  Review preview for Elgar

  Ken Russell's direction is stunning.

  Made-for-TV documentary about the British composer.
• 
  It Kinda Scares Me (2001)

  Review preview for It Kinda Scares Me

  An exceptional documentary.

  Documentary about a group of adolescents in Tel Aviv.
• 
  Fellini: I'm A Born Liar (2001)

  Documentary of a final interview with Federico Fellini, plus rare footage.
• 
  Le Souffle (2001)

  Review preview for Le Souffle

  Although the work is artistically impressive, and the cinematography excellent, you find yourself asking, is this an original and good movie?

  Harsh coming of age drama set in rural France.
• 
  One Hour Photo (2002)

  Review preview for One Hour Photo

  Writer/director Mark Romanek steers clear of the yearning pitfalls that we expect, delivering a conclusion that is both insightful and surprisingly original.

  Robin Williams assumes the stalker role in this offbeat thriller.
• 
  Breath Control: The History of the Human Beat Box (2002)

  Review preview for Breath Control: The History of the Human Beat Box

  Shot in an interview style, Breath Control is not particularly revolutionary... However, what really sets it apart is the director's love of his subject.

  The phenomenon of human beat boxing revisited as a documentary.
• 
  Dark Water (2002)

  Review preview for Dark Water

  It doesn't have the depth, or intrigue of Ring, and yet is satisfyingly unpleasant at times.

  Obvious but effective Japanese horror from the director and writer of Ring.
• 
  Confession (2001)

  A husband suspects his wife of infidelity and tries to make her confess.
• 
  Detained (2001)

  Review preview for Detained

  Anat Even and Ada Ushpiz manage to present these stories in a way that is less about the conflict and more about the human plight of the three women.

  Powerful documentary about the life of three Palestinian widows and their families.
• 
  The Backyard (2002)

  Review preview for The Backyard

  Backyard is as staged as the action you see on television. Knowing this, however, doesn't detract from a queasy feeling and sense of exploitation.

  A shockingly graphic documentary about the backyard wrestling phenomenon.
• 
  Every Day God Kisses Us On The Mouth (2001)

  Review preview for Every Day God Kisses Us On The Mouth

  redolent with imagery and running metaphors that are deeply relevant to Romanian politics and social structures, but to an outsider they make the film seem beautifully surreal.

  An alcoholic butcher finds himself sucked into a world of murder he can't escape.
• 
  Without A Clue (1988)

  Review preview for Without A Clue

  Nothing can save the film from blandness, or disguise a tiresome, silly plot.

  A mistaken identity comedy, where Sherlock Holmes is a drunk actor, guided by the real sleuth, Dr Watson.