Rolling Thunder (1977)

A hard Rane's gonna fall.. boom-tish!

William Devane, Tommy Lee Jones, Luke Askew, Dabney Coleman and Sheriff Rosco P. Coltrane. What more do you want?

Letterboxd Review

Combat Shock (1986)

A fucking grim, Agent Orange infused, grade 'A' namsploitation PTSD meltdown with a mutant baby with a belly full of cats and reverb.

Frankie Teardrop

Letterboxd Review

'71 (2014)

It's 1971, the height of the troubles in Northern Ireland and a young soldier (Jack O'Connell) is left behind after his platoon come under attack while supporting a Royal Ulster Constabulary (RUC) raid on a house near the Falls Road in Belfast.

What starts off as a simple tale of a soldier finding his way back to base, slowly turns into a critique of the RUC's and, more importantly, the Military Reaction Force's (MRF) tactics during a period when Belfast was a Molotov cocktail just waiting for a match. In fact O'Connell's character can almost be thought of as a McGuffin, driving the story forward but having little actual importance, he could be any soldier, an "Everysoldier". What is important is what happens around him; the murders, violence, betrayals, alliances, apathy, anger. That's not to say that O'Connell sleepwalks through the role though. His performance is subtle and ever-changing, showing innocence, naivety, sadness, bewilderment and a genuine concern for the people of Belfast.

Another large part of the film is dedicated to the growth of the, then in their infancy, Provisional Irish Republican Army (PIRA) and their conflict with the old guard of the Irish Republican Army (IRA). Sometimes this comes over as a little too black & white and straightforward with the PIRA being portrayed as young firebrands using any means necessary to remove the British from Irish soil and the traditional values of the soldiers of the IRA.

There are some truly shocking moments that will make even the most hardened war film viewers gasp. Filmed in Sheffield and Blackburn, the film makers make a great job of portraying an almost Beirut-like, war-torn Belfast full of boarded-up houses, burning cars, and warren-like alleys.

A couple of pieces of dialogue sum up the film pretty well:

• When the wee kid asks O'Connell "You're not Catholic with a name like that. Are you protestant then?" he replies "Dunno".
• Then later a conversation between O'Connell and a young woman: "Derby and Nottingham don't really get on", "Oh, why's that?", "Don't really know".

Says it all really.

To give you an idea of the number of deaths during this period, during the years 2003 to 2011, 179 British soldiers died in Iraq. In years 1971 to 1978, 544 British soldiers died in Ireland/Northern Ireland. This doesn't even take into account civilian deaths (1118). I wonder if we've forgotten about this terrible period in our country's history far too quickly.

Anyway, here's some homework for you:

• The incredibly dodgy Military Reaction Force 
• Provisional Irish Republican Army 
• Royal Ulster Constabulary 
• Conflict deaths in Northern Ireland (1969 to 2010) 

And for all you old punks out there, here's some Angelic Upstarts:

Last night another soldier, last night another child
No one seems to worry, no one sees his mother cry

Can you see that smart, clean soldier,
Standing straight and oh so proud
He wants to fight for Queen and country
He wants to make his family proud

A job with the future, his way to get out of it
It's his sense of romance, it never ends that way
Last night another soldier, last night another child
No one seems to worry, no one sees his mother cry

They're just facts and figures on your TV screen
Another child and another soldier, is peace just a dream

In the country strange and foreign all the people resent him
He can't cope with his problems, all the fears and hatred

Now he wish he never went he wish he never thought of it
It's not the same as fighting armies looking for the terrorists

They're just facts and figures...

Can you hear the mocking laughter from the ones that gain by it
They're not in line for the bullets, they're the ones who started it

They're just facts and figures...

Last night another soldier, last night another child
Just a number in the papers, another one of the innocent

They're just facts and figures..

Letterboxd Review

Kokoda (2006)

March Around The World 2015 Challenge - Australia

"Wallamaloo, you stupid bastard!"

In 1942 a battalion of poorly trained and ill equipped, conscripted Australian soldiers (named Chocos, as they were expected to melt under the heat of battle) were left to hold against the advancing Japanese army on the Kokoda trail in New Guinea. This is the story of one platoon's desperate fight to survive.

Rather ridiculously, Australia seems to be a forgotten force in WWII as far as the rest of the world is concerned and it's good to see a film about the large contribution that they made in the Pacific. What is a shame however is that the film sank without a trace and there are only three reviews on letterboxd - so let's sort that out, eh?.

A decent war film full of small acts of heroism, cowardice, terror, brutality, sweat, overheating Bren guns, moments of peace, comradeship, ultra-cool uniforms, stubbornness, sudden death, dirt, rain, hats, and above all the will to survive. The pacing is a little slow at times but it's well shot with tight, claustrophobic camera-work, good performances and a very nice sound design. Kokoda is a film that deserves way more exposure than it got.

"Courage Endurance Mateship Sacrifice"

Original letterboxd review

Jack Ryan: Shadow Recruit (2014)

I was a big Tom Clancy fan until he wrote that awful, hate filled, bag of shit, Teeth of the Tiger, which I loathed so much I actually put it in the recycling bin rather than let anyone else read it. The previous Jack Ryan films were a bit of a mixed bag but were ok, not great but ok. So now we have a reboot, Jack Ryan: Shadow Recruit. The title reminds me of one of those teen spy films there was a spate of a few years back: Stormbreaker, Agent Cody Banks, you get the idea.

We start off with Ryan's back story, which is accurate and told pretty well which then shifts into the main storyline which seems to be based loosely on the book Debt of Honor, which I really enjoyed. So far, so good. But what could have been a decent espionage thriller turns into your basic heist movie when they totally ignore the interesting parts of the narrative and instead focus on breaking & entering, James Bond gadgets, car chases and shoot-outs. The rest is crammed into the last twenty minutes in such a complete mess of exposition that we have no idea what the fuck is going on. But that doesn't matter 'cause Ryan's now in hot pursuit on a fucking motorbike.

Instead of Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy we get Die Hard with a history degree. Jack Ryan was a desk jockey not Jason fucking Bourne! I'm really fucking annoyed right now.

Kenneth Branagh directed this? Really?

Original letterboxd review

Ivan’s Childhood (1962)

My Tarkovsky journey has started.

Stunning. The photography, the shot choice, the editing, the acting, the contrast, the dialogue, plot, location, composition, set design, everything; just stunning.

It's the little things that make this a stand out film. Ivan's jumper made from the left over bits of wool. The young age of the senior lieutenant because everyone else has been killed. The chicken on a string that can supply a vital egg for its owner. Galtsev lighting the wrong end of his cigarette. The engraving of the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse. The reasons are not specified, just implied.

The destruction of youth, The death of hopes, dreams and the future.

Beautiful and heartbreaking.

Original letterboxd review

How I Live Now (2013)

I get not telling us exactly why the conflict (I don't think an actual war was ever specified) happened but this doesn't excuse simple logical flaws. The information we are given is that the bomb was exploded by terrorists. How then do, I assume, a few terrorists, even if supported by a nation state, wage enough of a ground offensive to cripple an entire nation in such a short amount of time. I know we have several precedents for this (Ukraine for one) but the UK has a large standing army and I'm sure the UN would probably send a peacekeeping force and the US would also step in to ensure stability.

Also, how did they find their way home without a compass and map. It's pretty easy to miss a location if you are even a degree off course - the bird idea just doesn't cut it.

Anyway, gripe over.

The film is beautifully shot and the acting is pretty decent, bar the performance for the kid who plays Joe, the family friend. The conflict seemed very real and some scenes were extremely powerful, in fact a little to powerful for a lot of younger and probably older teens (this is a UK 15 certificate).

How the film compares to the book; I can't say. I borrowed the book off my daughter Ellie duing a flight to Norway and didn't finish it but enjoyed what I read.

Overall a great young adult drama, beautifully shot with good editing and performances.

Just remember kids; don't fuck with your cousins... literally.

Original letterboxd review

I Am Soldier (2014)

I wanted a bit of fluff for a Friday night and got it. A "Who Dares Wins" for the millennium. The story follows a soldier through SAS selection and into a final, brief, anti-terrorist mission. Tension is maintained throughout and includes a fine torture resistance section with sleep deprivation, lights and noise generators. The only part where the movie trips up is a pointless love interest which only slows down the pace. The direction is economical and tight, acting is fine with lots of stoney faces, and the story minimal, but as a "boys own" adventure it delivers. Good fun.

Original letterboxd review

Red Dawn (2012)

Whatever happened to kids walking down rail tracks in search of a dead body. I've a feeling that this is how Michael Bay would direct a coming of age film. Jingoistic crap, but sort of fun.

Suck my fat one, you cheap dime store hood!

Original letterboxd review

Kelly’s Heroes (1970)

A one word review: Oddball!

Original letterboxd review