Reviews by George Williamson

Order by: Date, A–Z

• 
  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.
• 
  Art School Confidential (2006)

  An artist learns to adapt his vision to the world around him.
• 
  Astronauts (2004)

  Review preview for Astronauts

  Astronauts is a fast, fun film.

  Acid comedy about a junkie trying to clean up.
• 
  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.
• 
  Battle Royale II: Requiem (2003)

  Japanese high school kids are forced to hunt down a dangerous renegade, or die.
• 
  Before The Flood (2004)

  Documentary charting the relocation of the people of Fengjie, a city that will shortly be submerged beneath the Yangtze river.
• 
  Before The Music Dies (2006)

  Modern music is going to hell in a handbasket - or so this documentary would have us believe.
• 
  The Benny Hill Annual 1976 (1976)

  The bawdy comic institution, or chronic British embarrassment, returns.
• 
  Black Sheep (2006)

  Five stories of bad taste and humour on the streets of Berlin.
• 
  The Boat That Rocked (2009)

  Review preview for The Boat That Rocked

  A depressingly mainstream plot played out by one dimensional pantomime heroes and villains.

  The story of a boat-based pirate radio station which the government tries to ban.
• 
  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.
• 
  Cassandra's Dream (2007)

  Review preview for Cassandra's Dream

  Woody Allen is responsible for many favourite films and a fair number of questionable ones; Cassandra's Dream is by far his worst yet.

  Two brothers in need of money are confronted with a terrible proposition.
• 
  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.
• 
  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.
• 
  Confession (2001)

  A husband suspects his wife of infidelity and tries to make her confess.
• 
  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.
• 
  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 Devil And Daniel Johnston (2005)

  Review preview for The Devil And Daniel Johnston

  Daniel's music is heard throughout, adding immeasurable depth to his story.

  Biographical documentary about an underground singer/songwriter extraordinaire.
• 
  Dummy (2008)

  Review preview for Dummy

  While the movie has some interesting ideas, the acting from the leads really lets it down.

  A coming of age drama about two young brothers whose mother dies suddenly, leaving them to fend for themselves.
• 
  Eden (2008)

  Review preview for Eden

  This film is adapted from a stage play by Eugene O'Brien and has made the transition to screen very smoothly.

  The disintegration of a marriage.
• 
  Elgar (1962)

  Review preview for Elgar

  Ken Russell's direction is stunning.

  Made-for-TV documentary about the British composer.
• 
  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.
• 
  Fear(s) Of The Dark (2007)

  Review preview for Fear(s) Of The Dark

  Fear(s) of the Dark is a collection of great animations, but while each of its chapters are great, the overall film doesn't gel brilliantly.

  Ten animations from the dark side.
• 
  Fellini: I'm A Born Liar (2001)

  Documentary of a final interview with Federico Fellini, plus rare footage.
• 
  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.
• 
  Frankie (2005)

  Review preview for Frankie

  Fabienne Berthaud's film meanders between dissonant, ethereal scenes in the sanatorium and the frenetic action of a photographer's studios... the contrast between these two worlds is absolute.

  A fashion model crumbles beneath the incessant pressure of an ugly industry.
• 
  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.
• 
  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.
• 
  Gretchen (2006)

  An awkward teenager seeks revenge for a broken heart.
• 
  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.
• 
  HP Lovecraft's The Dunwich Horror (2010)

  Review preview for HP Lovecraft's The Dunwich Horror

  A unique experience and profoundly enjoyable.

  A lavish audio production of one of HP Lovecraft's classic tales of terror.
• 
  How Is Your Fish Today? (2006)

  Review preview for How Is Your Fish Today?

  A fascinating film for anyone interested in China or progressive documentary filmmaking.

  Critical documentary in dramatic camouflage?
• 
  Humpday (2009)

  Review preview for Humpday

  A mumblecore masterpiece.

  Two old friends take male bonding a little too far.
• 
  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.
• 
  Iron Island (2005)

  A society of people live on a derelict oil tanker in the Persian Gulf. Are they being misled?
• 
  It Kinda Scares Me (2001)

  Review preview for It Kinda Scares Me

  An exceptional documentary.

  Documentary about a group of adolescents in Tel Aviv.
• 
  Jindabyne (2006)

  Review preview for Jindabyne

  The plot of Jindabyne is interpretable on myriad levels; the racial conflict between the slighted aborigines and the white population, personal values versus tribal ties, trust between husbands and wives.

  A close-knit Australian community is rocked when four men discover a murder victim’s corpse and do nothing about it.
• 
  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.
• 
  The Legend Of Fong Sai-Yuk (1993)

  Review preview for The Legend Of Fong Sai-Yuk

  Fortunately the elaborate back-story is more than a springboard for the action sequences - which are some of the very best you’re likely to see - and actually stands up as comic glue for the proceedings - even if some of the humour is lost in translation.

  A folk hero takes on a ruthless emperor.
• 
  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.
• Mirrorball|Fresh Tracks (2006)

  Review preview for Mirrorball|Fresh Tracks

  This year's selection is emminently missable.

  Apparently the best the promo industry has to offer. Looks like they're in trouble.
• Mirrorball|Global Selection (2005)

  Review preview for Mirrorball|Global Selection

  Rarely will you see a collection of music videos so widely varied and yet of such consistently high quality.

  A very fine selection of the best and most innovative of global music videos this year.
• Mirrorball|Made In Japan (2006)

  The coolest and craziest videos that the Japanese promo industry has to offer.
• 
  Mirrorball Animation (2005)

  Review preview for Mirrorball Animation

  A longer review than I planned, but that's only because there is simply so much good stuff in this collection of animated shorts that anything less wouldn't have done it justice.

  A collection of the best animated music videos that 2005 had to offer.
• 
  Mirrorball Best Of The Best (2005)

  Review preview for Mirrorball Best Of The Best

  A fantastic nostalgic trip.

  The second selection of new promo videos from Mirrorball.
• 
  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.
• 
  Mirrorball - Fresh Tracks 2 (2005)

  Review preview for Mirrorball - Fresh Tracks 2

  Memorable videos include Evan Bernard's inspired A-Z of drugs stereotypes promo for Soulwax - it's an alphabetic cornucopia of narcotics and their effects.

  The second selection of new promo videos from Mirrorball.
• Mirrorball KeepInTime (2005)

  Turntablists meet the drummers from the records that they spin.
• 
  Mirrorball Made In Japan (2005)

  Bizarre and brilliant creations from the Far East.
• 
  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.