The buzz on Matteo Garrone’s mafia epic Gomorrah was more than any movie could really hope to stand up against (Martin Scorsese: “Best mob movie ever!”*), but even if it’s no timeless masterpiece, there’s still quite a lot to love in its panoramic, ensemble-based view of a Neapolitan crime syndicate, a depiction close enough to […]

In Bruges is the first feature-length movie to be written and directed by Martin McDonagh, one of the key English language playwrights of the last 15 years. This leads me to two competing thoughts: -Everything about In Bruges is explained by the fact its creator is based in theater. -Nothing about In Bruges suggests that […]

The makers of American Gangster should count themselves lucky to have Denzel Washington, and more importantly Denzel Washington’s face. It’s quite an interesting face. Not exactly the face of a classic movie star, though he has their charm; not the face of a ’70s Method actor, though he has their intensity. It is his face […]

On 20 December, 1999, sovereignty of the Portuguese city-state colony of Macau was transferred to the People’s Republic of China. At that time, Macau was a sort of semi-lawless frontier region, and it was for this reason that it makes the ideal setting for Hong Kong director Johnny To and screenwriters Szeto Kam–Yuen and Yip […]

The hype is right about one thing: The Departed is certainly a return to form for Martin Scorsese. There is however a difference between returning to form and returning to peak form, and this is where the remake of the much-superior Infernal Affairs can’t quite justify all its praise: it is stylish and fun, but […]