It's getting a bit late.

'Balibo' (2009) directed by Robert Connolly

This film tells the powerful and confronting story of the Indonesian invasion of East Timor in 1975. It focuses on the killing of five Australian journalists by following a sixth Australian journalist who is investigating their disappearance. The film is beautifully shot and the story is very carefully structured as the film builds momentum and tension steadily. The structure of the film dealt with two different time frames, separated by three weeks. I found it an interesting choice to structure the film in this dual narrative way because perhaps due to this fact, I felt less engaged with the characters of the five journalists. This was because much of their story was told as though their fate had already happened, given that the primary world of the film is set three weeks after the events that lead to their deaths. Much of the scenes involving the journalists had a kind of flashback or memory-like quality, the image itself seemed more grainy, the colour more saturated. This perhaps made the action in these scenes feel less immediate and the inherent tension and danger one step removed.

'Adventureland' (2009) directed by Greg Mottola

An immensely enjoyable coming of age/teen romance story about a guy who works at a theme park over summer. The main strength of this film is the writing which is incredibly subtle and doesn't aim for cheap laughs. Also, the entire cast is excellent and everyone in the film seems to really add something extra to each scene. The male and female leads have great chemistry, their scenes together are very strong and give the film a real emotional weight. There are definitely funny and quirky moments too but they all seem to drive the plot forward. The main thing is that it doesn't feel like there are any superfluous moments in the film designed just for laughs. Instead the laughs are generally character based and serve to develop the characters further.

'Deep Water' (2006) directed by Louise Osmond and Jerry Rothwell

This is a fascinating documentary about amateur sailor Donald Crowhurst who, in 1968, set out to win the first solo non-stop round the world yacht race. This film builds tension and drama very effectively as the story behind this man is slowly revealed piece by piece. This is a story told largely through the use of interviews and stock footage from the time. Perhaps most interestingly, footage is also used that was shot by Crowhurst himself while engaged in the race. Through this, the film is able to explore Crowhurst's complex psychological state, delving into the immense stress and fear that he faced and the horrible situation that he found himself in. It makes for compelling viewing and it's an incredible story that is expertly told in this documentary.

'In The Loop' (2009) directed by Armando Iannucci

Transferring the world of the television series 'The Thick Of It' onto the big screen, this film is a subtle but hilarious take on international politics. This is a brilliantly written film with very snappy dialogue and some of the most creative swearing you'll ever hear in a movie. It's very cleverly executed with plot points that layer upon themselves, conjuring up numerous twists and changes in direction. Seemingly minor domestic events soon become large scale international affairs as the actions of characters on different sides of the planet are shown to be intrinsically linked. It definitely keeps the audience on their toes as the direction of the film's plot is likely to change quite suddenly, yet the film always feels very satisfying. The acting is brilliant, in particular Peter Capaldi, who reprises his role as the delightfully aggressive and foul-mouthed Malcolm Tucker.

'Drag Me To Hell' (2009) directed by Sam Raimi

This is such an outrageously fun movie, it's the film equivalent of a really good theme park ghost train. Harking back to Raimi's earlier work, this film is full of great scares and really illustrates that Raimi is a master of the horror genre. It's got all the necessary elements; a gypsy witch, a soul-eating demon straight from the depths of hell and all manner of ghosts, ghouls and a more than adequate amount of gruesome bodily fluids. While keeping you on the edge of the seat, this film also has a really sharp sense of humour and doesn't take itself too seriously at all. It has some hilariously quotable lines and the twist ending, while being signposted early, is still delivered in such a way that it really hits you.

A couple more films in the last twenty-four hours.

'Fanboys' (2008) directed by Kyle Newman

Set in 1998, this film is about a group of 'Star Wars' fans who travel across the USA to break into Skywalker Ranch to steal a rough cut of 'The Phantom Menace' before it's release. It's essentially another road trip movie featuring a group of young adult males although refreshingly, unlike most recent films of the genre, this film isn't totally preoccupied with sex. This film is quite sweet really, highlighting the friendships between the main characters, who are all united by their common love of 'Star Wars'. The film works because the relationships in the film seem very grounded in reality and although the film is full of 'Star Wars' references, the characters aren't portrayed as stereotypical nerds. The film celebrates it's main characters rather than making fun of them. It's an entertaining film that hits all the right notes, it's funny enough, well written and full of great cameos.

'Don't Look Back' (1967) directed by D.A. Pennebaker

A pretty interesting documentary about Bob Dylan. Basically D.A. Pennebaker followed Dylan around with a camera for three weeks while he toured England and this film is the result of that footage. The film captures just a small segment of a period in the life of Bob Dylan. It's an interesting glimpse at the artist although I always felt as though it was nothing more than a glimpse and that much is left to the viewer's interpretation. It's a film of sketches, disjointed scenes and broad brush strokes of an enigmatic character. It's full of amusing exchanges and intriguing conversations as well as featuring numerous clips from performances. Interestingly, there is very little authorial intrusion in this film, instead D.A. Pennebaker lets the footage tell the story. This gives the film a compelling fly-on-the-wall quality.

Sipping a vodka and orange juice currently. This blog is encouraging me to watch more movies and write more and that's gotta be a good thing, surely.

'Midnight Cowboy' (1969) directed by John Schlesinger

What a movie. A thoroughly entertaining performance from Jon Voight from the very beginning of the film and then, as the film progresses, Dustin Hoffman just about manages to eclipse Jon Voight. This is a great pairing of actors, the chemistry between them is often hilarious and touching, culminating in a dramatic and climactic point at the end of the film that really encapsulates their bond. This is excellent storytelling, so much happens in this film, it is at sometimes brutally dark and other times very light and comical, all with a strong emphasis on character. There are very experimental camera techniques used too but you watch this film for Hoffman and Voight whose performances had me transfixed.

Thought I'd better start some movie blog to keep track of the movies I've been seeing and to keep up my writing. I'm not really writing reviews, just sketches or thoughts or whatnot or whatever.

'The Girlfriend Experience' (2009) directed by Steven Soderbergh

Quite a flat, subdued film about the day to day life of a high class call girl (Sasha Grey). It employs a variety of storytelling techniques, a stilted voiceover, an interview with a journalist, sketches of meetings with clients and a distorted non-linear timeline. It's a highly stylistic and experimental film which features seemingly improvised performances that are quite subtle. Overall though, I found that it was a little difficult to engage with the main character. Just as she maintained a wall between herself and her clients in the film, so too did it feel as though there was a wall between her and the audience of the film. She seemed more a figure of intrigue rather than a fully fleshed out personality. Having said that, this is still worth a look.

'George Washington' (2000) directed by David Gordon Green

A stunning film. Just really strong moments and interesting, unique characters, the kind that you don't really see in movies. The film centres around a small town and the characters in it, chiefly a group of kids. The acting is incredibly focussed, particularly from the child actors and the dialogue feels very realistic and natural while simultaneously being very poignant. Tragedy and moments of complex emotion are treated with a lot of subtlety while remaining incredibly resonant. It is also a beautifully shot film, the use of colour and the way that each shot is framed gives it a really cohesive style.