There is a consistently high quality to the movies featured in this week's film reviews on The Arts Desk, from delightful remakes to outstanding 19th century dramas to heart-wrenching documentaries.
Making his directorial debut, French actor Daniel Auteuil has chosen to remake the Marcel Pagnol film that first brought him acclaim, 'The Well-Digger's Daughter'. Textually faithful to the original, this family drama is set in Provence and is about the fallout when the eponymous 18-year-old daughter gets involved with a young soldier.
'Wreckers' is the promising debut feature from DR Hood, which has much to admire. David and Dawn are a happy couple who grow apart when David's brother Shaun arrives, fresh from Afghanistan and evidently suffering from post-traumatic stress. Leaving a lingering impression of relationships and ambitions turning sour, the film is bolstered by an impressive cast.
The late Ral Ruiz's 'Mysteries of Lisbon' is an epic period drama set in post-Napoleonic Portugal and is an extraordinary piece of cinema, based on Camilo Castelo's 1854 novel. It is filmed in deliberately muted tones with the odd surreal touch and is both intense and sombre.
Nick Hasted was left haunted by Carol Morley's documentary 'Dreams of a Life', which attempted to artistically reconstruct the life of Joyce Vincent. She was a 38-year-old woman whose mysterious death made headlines in 2006 when her remains were found in her London flat in front of the TV. The questions surrounding how this glamorous woman came to such a sad end were manifold, and no real answers were found.
And finally, The Arts Desk has put together a handy Film Guide listing the current movie releases on offer, which includes a critical overview, star rating and a link to the full reviews. The writers have also compiled their round-up of the top film box sets released just in time for Christmas, from 'Harry Potter' to Andrei Tarkovsky.
Making his directorial debut, French actor Daniel Auteuil has chosen to remake the Marcel Pagnol film that first brought him acclaim, 'The Well-Digger's Daughter'. Textually faithful to the original, this family drama is set in Provence and is about the fallout when the eponymous 18-year-old daughter gets involved with a young soldier.
'Wreckers' is the promising debut feature from DR Hood, which has much to admire. David and Dawn are a happy couple who grow apart when David's brother Shaun arrives, fresh from Afghanistan and evidently suffering from post-traumatic stress. Leaving a lingering impression of relationships and ambitions turning sour, the film is bolstered by an impressive cast.
The late Ral Ruiz's 'Mysteries of Lisbon' is an epic period drama set in post-Napoleonic Portugal and is an extraordinary piece of cinema, based on Camilo Castelo's 1854 novel. It is filmed in deliberately muted tones with the odd surreal touch and is both intense and sombre.
Nick Hasted was left haunted by Carol Morley's documentary 'Dreams of a Life', which attempted to artistically reconstruct the life of Joyce Vincent. She was a 38-year-old woman whose mysterious death made headlines in 2006 when her remains were found in her London flat in front of the TV. The questions surrounding how this glamorous woman came to such a sad end were manifold, and no real answers were found.
And finally, The Arts Desk has put together a handy Film Guide listing the current movie releases on offer, which includes a critical overview, star rating and a link to the full reviews. The writers have also compiled their round-up of the top film box sets released just in time for Christmas, from 'Harry Potter' to Andrei Tarkovsky.
About the Author:
Steve Alexander is an arts writer with a good knowledge of the latest film reviews. For more information on the top movie releases in the UK, visit theartsdesk.com.
