richard english

The definitive film noir., 1 Oct 2002

Truffaut's masterpiece - a stunning journey into the heart of darkness at the centre of all film noir. It's all here - dimly lit tenements, sleazy dives, shadows and alleyways. And guns. Lots of guns. Paying homage to the classic RKO and Warner Bros gangster films of the 30s, 'Shoot the Pianist' became perhaps one of the defining achievements of a genre that is both hard hitting and beautiful. Seen Bryan Singer's 'The Usual Suspects'? Curtis Hanson's 'L.A. Confidential'? Joel Coen's 'Blood Simple'? Quentin Tarantino's 'Pulp Fiction'? Watch this film and you'll realise just how powerful and defining a film this actually is. The story - club musician in trouble with the mob - is hardly the… Read more

Industrial fantasy, 30 Sep 2002

While many were disappointed with the Coen brothers' follow-up to the dark Hollywood satire 'Barton Fink', 'The Hudsucker Proxy' is perhaps one of the Coen's best films.
True, it bombed at the cinema. True, it often seems the Coens get lost in their desire to better Frank Capra. True, it seems the big money has gone to their heads...but take a look at the script where the characters use recycled dialogue and archaisms, consider the use of set design to illustrate the size and decadence of industry, Consider the casting of Tim Robbins as Norville Barnes, Jennifer Jason Leigh as Amy Archer, Paul Newman as Sidney J. Mussberger, Bruce Campbell as Smitty. The Coens may not be working in the… Read more