Articles + Quotes on Film & TV

I write this knowing full well that the first season that I have recently finished watching, was released three years ago and that this series is about to start with its fifth season, but for all those who haven't started, I thoroughly recommend that you do. Anyone who loves the films with Tommy Lee Jones, Fugitive and US Marshals, will be won over by the pilot. Most TV series these days, with drama as their main genre, will be well scripted, acted, all the rest, but will be a chore to get through. Every episode, after it ends, you take a few deep breaths and remember that its done, you don't need to watch it again. Justified on the other hand, has enough humour and likeable characters to make every episode enjoyable to watch and re-watch over and over again. It is a drama, but with a comedic side to make you laugh, even after some horrible event. The main character, US Marshal Raylan Givens, (portrayed by Timothy Olyphant) is reassigned to his hometown of Harlan, in the ...

The director of The Da Vinci Code and the writer of Frost/Nixon create a movie about racing car drivers, James Hunt and Niki Lauda, and it is nothing short of a very enjoyable thrill/dramatic/comedy ride for the whole two hours. What is truly special from the excellent acting ability of the two leads, Chris Hemsworth, (sounding eerily like the late great Heath Ledger) as James Hunt and Daniel Bruhl as Niki Lauda, is that even if you haven't watched a single formula one race or like the motor industry at all, you still care how they fare in this passion of theirs, as their lives take some ups and intense downs. The script and the acting truly make this film shine, and the detailing in costume and production design (its set in the 1970's) take it to a whole new level. What I really think makes the tension rise and fall, is the score from Hans Zimmer. Truly spectacular.

... i.e. in films and TV shows. A moment please, in respect of the humble cardigan. The woolly garment, specifically the ones where the many strands of wool were visible to the mortal eye. Previously only worn by those announcing to the world at large that they were in, how shall I put it - their olden years, or just cold and that was the first item they came across, has been adopted by the younger crowd and people with attitude. First example to come to light, Tom Hardy as Forrest Bondurant in Lawless. Worn during a confrontation with "law" enforcement officials, its hard to believe that it is a cardigan at all. Mr Hardy is not only a great actor, but also changing accepted rules of clothing at the same time. Second, Guy Pearce as Jack Irish in the television movies. Just as confident as Mr Hardy's character, he wears the humble cardigan more than once, without any fanfare. True, this is the same actor who once donned dresses and heels in an earlier film, but...

The real magic of this show, is how they manage to incorporate several genres into three (so far) excellent pieces of truly entertaining television. Fantasy, supernatural, thriller, historical fiction, drama - family and otherwise, time travel - with all that that entails, horror, comedy - the banter between the two leads, Ichabod Crane and Lieutenant Abby Mills (Tom Mison and Nicole Beharie respectively) is one of the biggest highlights. Ichabod discovering what technology has achieved, probably the second biggest. The expression on his face when he is testing the automatic window switch is priceless. Ichabod Crane, at the beginning of the pilot, is fighting in the American Revolutionary War. He's also looking for someone in particular and finds him, shortly before shooting and then when that fails, cuts off his head. He's wounded in the exchange and wakes up in a cave, in the 21st Century. It seems the now headless horseman is back and along with the Lieutenant, who h...