Reviews by George Williamson

Order by: Date, A–Z

• 
  Miracle In Milan (1950)

  Review preview for Miracle In Milan

  Special effects are obviously dated, but their quaintness only adds to the film's charm.

  An allegorical neorealist fantasy examining social dynamics in post-war Italy.
• 
  Monsieur Hire (1989)

  Review preview for Monsieur Hire

  Patrice Leconte is an enduring master of French cinema, coaxing the absolute best from well-seasoned players.

  A middle-aged outsider becomes obssessed with a woman.
• 
  Mongol (2007)

  Review preview for Mongol

  Mongol charges onto the screen from the beautifully desolate steppes, leaving clouds of dust, severed limbs and burning yurts in its wake. This is a classic epic.

  Biopic covering the early life and battles of the man who, as Genghis Khan, would go on to conquer half the known world.
• 
  Next Door (2005)

  Review preview for Next Door

  The production design is fascinatingly intricate - the endless dimly lit corridors of the girls' flat are beutifully grubby and claustrophobic - and the music is aptly menacing.

  Dumped by his girlfriend and seduced by his neighbours, John is beginning to lose his mind.
• 
  Night Watch (2005)

  Review preview for Night Watch

  Heredia is fresh and perfectly cast as the hyperactive rent boy and his vital energy really pushes the film along, making up for the fairly ordinary cinematography and shaky camera work.

  A streetwalker roaming the streets of Buenos Aires meets long dead friends.
• 
  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.
• 
  The Order Of Myths (2008)

  Review preview for The Order Of Myths

  The Order of Myths is more than a look at the celebration of Mardi Gras, it's a deep gaze into the history and the people of Mobile.

  Using dual Mardi Gras parades, The Order of Myths delves into cultural exploration and integration in a community still stuck in tradition.
• 
  The Other (1972)

  Review preview for The Other

  What might once have been seen as a dark and mysteriously chilling tale of rural horror feels ridden with cliches.

  A pair of twins dabble with the supernatural in the backwoods of 1930s New England.
• 
  Pageant (2008)

  Review preview for Pageant

  Pageant is a little more mainstream than might have been hoped, but it's still an entertaining portrait of some wonderfully larger than life characters, a mind blowing amount of effort and an incredible desire to win.

  An in-depth look at drag queens in preparation for the Miss Gay America.
• 
  Patti Smith: Dream Of Life (2008)

  Review preview for Patti Smith: Dream Of Life

  Some sections of the film feel like a soapbox for her to stand on, to proselytize her personal politics; to bolster her image as a radical poet.

  Intimate portrait of the icon.
• 
  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.
• 
  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.
• 
  Primer (2004)

  Review preview for Primer

  Made on a budget of $7000, this is an incredible achievement.

  Two garage engineers, working with super conductors, stumble across a side-effect that opens infinite opportunities for time travel.
• 
  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.
• 
  Red Awn (2007)

  Review preview for Red Awn

  While the events unfolding may be rather depressing, the film remains compelling.

  A father and son attempt to repair a relationship damaged by the former's absence.
• 
  Saltire Society Award For Short Documentary (2004)

  Review preview for Saltire Society Award For Short Documentary

  These are all good films - some traditional, some genuinely different and new.

  A collection of the best of Scottish short documentaries from the last year competing for the Saltire Society Award
• 
  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.
• 
  sleep furiously (2007)

  Review preview for sleep furiously

  If you've a personal interest in the lingering death of culturally stagnant Welsh valley communities then this may be interesting, otherwise it's best avoided.

  Rural Wales faces change from all sides as the population ages.
• 
  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.
• 
  Smart People (2008)

  Review preview for Smart People

  Smart People is definitely well acted and enjoyable, but aside from keen performances from Quaid and Page there's nothing that really elevates.

  Can a little romance and a bit of brotherly bonding help a self-absorbed professor confront his life?
• 
  Speed Racer (2008)

  Review preview for Speed Racer

  At times the neon-tinged speedfreak race sequences are CGI-sublime, utterly divorced from realism, a loving reinterpretation of the garish original anime series; but they can't hide a litany of tedious cliches.

  Family values versus corporate dirty tricks in futuristic motor racing spectacular.
• 
  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.
• 
  Summer (2008)

  Review preview for Summer

  Summer is sublime.

  Now a carer for his dying friend, a former prisoner laments the way that he has frittered away his life.
• 
  Summer Hours (2008)

  Review preview for Summer Hours

  Superficially Summer Hours is an examination of the emotional fallout from the death of a loved mother, but digging deeper reveals insightful comment on nostalgia, mortality, property and family.

  Drama about a priceless art collection and a family's decision about how best to use it, for both memory and intrinsic worth.
• 
  Superhero Movie (2008)

  Review preview for Superhero Movie

  Superhero Movie follows almost exactly in the footsteps of its forebears, the Scary Movie films; this time the parody is aimed at the bloated belly of comic book hero movies.

  A parody of the superhero genre.
• 
  A Thousand Years Of Good Prayers (2007)

  Review preview for A Thousand Years Of Good Prayers

  While the lighter sections are wonderful to watch, the film doesn't fare as well when dealing with more serious portions of the story.

  Cultural and generational gaps explored by aging Chinese man visiting his daughter.
• 
  The Treatment (2006)

  Jake Singer needed a shrink, but now could he be driving him crazy?
• 
  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.
• 
  Twelve And Holding (2005)

  Review preview for Twelve And Holding

  The performances from the central three child actors are refreshingly good.

  A tragic accident changes the course of three children's lives.
• 
  Unmade Beds (2009)

  Review preview for Unmade Beds

  Strives for profundity but instead grates irritatingly.

  Two young foreigners find romance in the vibrant, artistic underground of London's East End.
• 
  The Upsetter: The Life Of Lee Scratch Perry (2008)

  Review preview for The Upsetter: The Life Of Lee Scratch Perry

  The Upsetter is must see film for fans of Dub and Reggae who want to learn about the roots of the music as told by one of its forefathers.

  Documentary focussing on the Jamaican music producer.
• 
  Weekdays (2005)

  Review preview for Weekdays

  The dialogue is sparse and when the characters do speak, it's clunkily written, laden with insipid profundities, and often badly delivered.

  An unknown woman goes about her daily life - clubbing, fucking and lunch with grandma.
• 
  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.
• 
  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.