Somethink Old Somethink New

Old: Time Masters (1982)

Director: René Laloux

French Animation wizard Rene Laloux’s first feature the wondrously curious Fantastic Planet (1973) opted to reflect the face of humanities future with that of its savage past, such regression is absent in this superb follow-up which is a fusion of parable and paradox, fable and fairy tale in the incredibly imaginative world of the Time Masters.

The Magical journey begins with a 7 year old boy named Piel who at one point lived a sheltered existence with his parents on the distant planet of Perdide as the only human presence, however his parents are killed leaving him to traverse the near barren world alone with his innocence and salvation acting as both his biggest hope and greatest danger. Peridide proceeds to offer an Alice in Wonderland-esque collection of oddly formed creatures and twisted natural structures.

Piel’s salvation rests in the hands of an incongruous bunch, Jaffar is the friend of his father tasked with his rescue, aboard his ship is a cruel Prince Matton and a loving Princess Belle (both operating in exile aboard Jaffar's ship), a wise old man with knowledge of the planetary system and a pair of telepathic aliens. The dynamics among crew lead them into harms way in particular a haunted planet inhabited by faceless angels, a form of religious symbolism detailing the contradiction of spiritual identity and conformity. 

With its eclectic approach to style, tone and narrative Time Masters is an enigmatically elusive experience which will provide plenty of need as well as reward for repeat viewings; puns aside a timeless piece of animation.

9/10

New: Enough Said (2013)

Director: Nicole Holofcener
Stars: Julia Louis-Dreyfus and James Gandolfini

The late James Gandolfini in one of his last roles before his passing will go down as one of his best, casting aside the tough wise guy aura with which we have become accustomed to. In his portrayal of Albert , Gandolfini finds a seldom seen openness and subsequent vulnerability which affords him a magnetism with both the audience and their sympathies.

Providing the Ying to Albert’s Yang is an inspired piece of casting with Julia-Louis Dreyfus whose petite feminine grace is juxtaposed by the oafish qualities of her would be love interest. Dreyfus effortlessly transitions from her familiar domain of the small screen, bringing with her Elaine from Seinfeld’s propensity for physical humour; few could make dragging a masseuse bed up a set of stairs look so arduously funny.

Director Nicole Holofcener works wonders in delivering this 40-something centric naturalistic love story, capturing the essence of a blossoming mature love which pierces the exterior and finds a level of depth that enables our damaged divorcée couple to successfully search and find a mutually slow developing attraction.

It wouldn't be a romantic comedy without the misunderstandings and misjudgments which don’t require detailing here, but with the help of its subplots Enough Said looks into the challenges of finding love later on in life and how relationships of the past leave lasting legacies; some good some bad.

8/10

For Big Jack

News broke earlier in the month of the retirement of a true great in the shape of Jack Nicholson, a man that has produced some of the most inspiring and memorable performances to grace the big screen over the best part of the last 4 decades. So I thought I’d compile my favourite Jack Nicholson movies.

5. The Departed (2006)

Arguably in his last notable offering Nicholson fulfils one of the key functions of any noteworthy crime/thriller picture; that of the villain. Jack’s performance is every bit the contradiction of the Boston crime lord he depicts who alongside his Irish hoodlums possess a terrifyingly brutal snarl and swagger, yet is piloted by an intense cunning and calculative measure to stay ahead of the game, pitting Matt Damon and Leo DiCaprio against each other.
 

4. The Last Detail (1973)

 

This particular detail maybe Big Jack’s most humorous, two Navy men are tasked with transferring (by land) a hapless Randy Quaid to a Navy Prison for stealing for $40 from a collection box, however “Badass” Buddusky  (Nicholson) has other ideas and turns the job into an Odyssey of Booze, Broads and brawls by way of big city delights  in order to show his new found charge a good time before his 8 year stretch.

3. The Shining (1980)

Stanley Kubrick’s The Shining  really is as good as horror can get and Nicholson’s contribution as twisted patriarch Jack Torrence is an essential piece of the puzzle. The Torrence family must endure the on screen descent and disintegration of Jack’s psyche in to a murky murderous mental state caused by the fortified surroundings of his temporary employment in a Colorado hotel with its mysterious effects. 

2. The Passenger (1975)  

 

Nicholson pairs up with Italian director Michelangelo Antonioni's The Passenger as he plays a Journalist going the extra mile for a story whilst stuck in sub Saharan Africa. When Locke (Nicholson) assumes the identity of a recently deceased gun runner it sets into play a gripping journey of chicanery, romance and escapism of attempting to live the life of a stranger.

 

1. One Flew Over The Cuckoo’s Nest (1975) 

Randal P. McMurphy (Nicholson) is born of a fiercely simplistic combinational philosophy: the love for the freedoms and liberties of life with a disgust for any form of restrictive and joyless boundaries. Mac as he likes to be known is faced  with a torturous test of his sensibilities, opting to spend the rest of his short jail term in a mental  ward in order to escape some hard time, he struggles to cope with his fellow patients physical and mental incarceration, which is embodied through his  newly acquired nemesis Nurse Ratched who sets out thwart and repress any form of emancipation.

New: The Wolverine (2013)

The Wolverine (2013)

Director: James Mangold

Stars: Hugh Jackman, Tao Okamoto, Rila Fukushima

There is no doubt about it The Wolverine feels somewhat like a breath of fresh air amidst the blizzard of exploding buildings and planes and crashing and banging which has been a feature of the summer blockbuster season of 2013. Director James Mangold offers up the years more mature entry into the bottlenecking pantheon of modern day superhero movies, rich in thematic substance and decorated with a “more is less” approach to its action sequences Mangold shows what can be done with a smaller budget and a willingness to invest in time tested film making conventions and attention to detail.

Returning Hugh Jackman produces arguably his most polished performance as the gruff and embattled mutant, banishing the wretched stink of X-Men Origins before it. Jackman embodies two separate characteristics, when duty calls and wrongs need righting he is the hack and slash indestructible hero Wolverine. The flipside to the Wolverines rugged coin is Logan, a tortured soul bearing a gift of near immortality that is a curse, whose dreams serve only to haunt him and his good deeds return to punish him. Logan with all of his baggage is summoned to Japan to the deathbed of an old friend but soon discovers that there is something more sinister afoot.

The Japanese setting is a key contributor to the Wolverines success as such the film infers and speaks of the complexities of Eastern Cultures, the mesh of grounded traditional values entwined with the endless possibilities of science and technology. Themes of mortality and the near morbid relationship East Asia has with death and notions of mortality are established early on as we witness grizzly acts of Hara Kari, Mangold then refines this into reoccurring motifs and plot strands which drive the narrative. Yashida the aforementioned aged old pal reduced to his death bed is not ready to let go of life and embrace his end, whilst mutant Yukio has a similar cross bear in that she can foresee the deaths of others.

The Pan-Asian tone also filters through into the cinematography taking on the look of an authentically Eastern picture, even the set pieces such as a blistering foot race and battle through a crowded downtown Tokyo has respectful and proximal qualities. In much the way Nolan’s Dark Knight skilfully placed a comic book villain in the world of a gritty crime thriller Mangold’s work here is of a similar essence with Logan embroiled in the world of Yakuza, Ninja and some explosive family dynamics which make for his best big screen outing to date.

8/10

Top Five Japanese Films

Ran (1985)

Master Japanese Film Maker Akira Kurosawa’s take on Shakespeare’s King Lear is a stunning and epic Japanese period piece which tells the story of a power struggle between three sons as their aging Warlord father decides to abdicate rule of his empire. What ensues is a tale of betrayal, treachery and revenge as the family unravels as we watch on helplessly.

Memories of Matsuko (2006)

When Shou learns of his estranged Aunts death and is subsequently asked to clear out her apartment, he begins a journey back in time through fragments of memories to discover the way she lived and how she died. The result is a most unforgettable film made of part musical, comedic and tragic components amounting to something of a cinematic obituary. 

Departures (2008)

Departures as with many Japanese films concerns itself with mortality, however what makes this unique is its exploration of the vocational properties of death. A classical trained Cellist through unemployment unwittingly lands work as an undertaker, but his new career carries little honour and plenty of stigma in the eyes of his family as well as his own self imposed reservations. Winner of a Best Foreign Language Oscar.

Tekkonkinkreet (2006)

Tekkonkinkreet certainly possesses many qualities regularly found in the superhero genre. Two homeless young orphans with special abilities look to traverse the line between law and order with that of the criminal underworld to protect their city (name Treasure Town) from a new nefarious force which threatens to destroy it. Street violence is presented through the pseudo infantilised imaginations of our young subjects which manifests in the surrealist nature of the animation and the world they operate within.


Grave Of The Fireflies (1988)

A heartbreaking story of how innocence is both lost and found in the doldrums of war and the fight for survival during World War 2. Infant Child Setsuko becomes dependent on her 14 year old brother Seito as their family is separated during a series of Air Raids. The pairs initial sanctuary with relatives turns hostile and the two are soon homeless, this leaves Seito with little choice than to steal and loot in order to provide sustenance for Setsuko’s ever increasing state of vulnerability. Grave if the Firefiles is a moving venture into the siblings unconditional love for each other right to the bitter end of the war.      

Not For Valentines

The night after the night before, here are 5 films you shouldn't have watched this Valentines Day (or maybe you should have)


5. Catfish (2010)

Directors: Henry Joost, Ariel Schulman
Stars: Yaniv Schulman, Ariel Schulman, Henry Joost

In an age where millions of us are hooking up online, Catfish highlights the potential pitfalls of dating in these technological times of near infinite anonymity. There is still debate over the documentaries merits (a result of the involvement of Paranormal Activity creators Ariel Shulman and Henry Joost) but the narrative renders such thought irrelevant, a sort self fulfilling prophecy,Yaniv Schulman (brother of Ariel) is the central character who is in a typical  "on-line relationship"  and we must believe that he himself believes the basis of said relationship is all that it appears, so to convince us the team track the plethora of phone calls, letters, and facebook antics to unveil the truth.

4. Tokyo Decadence  (1992)

Director: Ryû Murakami
Stars: Miho Nikaido, Yayoi Kusama, Sayoko Amano


Ai (Ironically the Japenese word for love) is an escort going through a crisis of confidence, her life has spiraled into a world of bizarre bondage, kinky threesomes and generally every hedonistic impulse her body can be used for. All the while she pines for a lost love which along with a visit to an eccentric fortune-teller fuels her epiphany. Stylistically there is heavy European influences with lingering shots and deeply silent voids, but ultimately this is a film exploring a nations relationship with its own dark sexual desires and fantasies


3.Shame (2011)
Director: Steve McQueen
Stars: Michael Fassbender, Carey Mulligan, James Badge

Michael Fassbender plays Brandon a man incapable of love or loving, but well versed in the physical urges one might associate with it. Director Steve McQueen's follow up to 2008's Hunger relies on a similarly visceral thematics as we observe the same ritualistic, opportunistic, and catastrophic abuse of the body, here it takes place in office restrooms, strangers beds, hotel hookers and nightclub alleyways. Throw into the mix the arrival of sister Carey Mulligan who has her own set of problems and Brandon's life is about to implode into the myriad of dramas their clashing life styles bring about.


2.From the Life Of The Marrionettes (1980)

Director: Ingmar Bergman

Stars: Robert Atzorn, Christine Buchegger, Martin Benrath

One of regular features in the vast back catalogue of Ingmar Bergman is his take on marriage, 'Life of Marrionettes the follow up to the acclaimed Autumn Sonata (which also concerns itself with holy matrimony) is a dark and murky journey. Set in West Germany the film charts the psychological breakdown of a German couple whose relationship is beyond oblivion, punctuated by the opening scene murder of a prostitute by Husband Peter (Robert Atzorn) we then investigate events before the grisly crime and interrogate the mental profiles of those who knew him, chiefly Wife Katarina (Christine Buchegger) in an attempt to piece the murderous puzzle together.

1. Blue Valentine (2010)
Director: Derek Cianfrance

Stars: Ryan Gosling and Michelle Williams

The title says it all, Ryan Gosling and Michelle Williams are tasked with providing an insight into the struggles of the modern day American marriage.Husband Dean (Gosling) is made of a fierce simplicity, he works ordinary job with his bare hands, has an irksome outlook on life and a hunger for emotional contact. Wife Cindy is a more calculated configuration of aspirational intelligence, passive aggression and sporadic extroversion. Director Derek Cianfrance expertly fragments and patches together the couples past and current states and allows us to judge for ourselves where it went wrong, if it was doomed from the start or if they can make it through their troubles.

New: Django Unchained

Django Unchained (2012)

Director: Quentin Tarantino
Writer: Quentin Tarantino
Stars: Jamie Foxx, Christoph Waltz and Leonardo DiCaprio

It’s difficult to know how to treat Quentin Tarantino films of late, his film making hasn’t in anyway matured since his stunning arrival onto the scene 21 years where he produced landmark moments in 90’s cinema; influencing a generation of film makers in the meantime. In fact when you think back to the grisly sharp teeth of Resevoir Dogs, the alluring malignance of Pulp Fiction and the Jackie Brown’s fierce sense of humour you can make the case that if anything there has been a regression in Quentin’s development, his films have become over reliant on a tired arsenal of unmistakable “Tarantinoisms” which are beginning to fail the and belie his talents, Django Unchained his latest release is a perfect example of this.

Djano, essentially a Western concerns itself with the cultural politics of mid 19^th century America, an America still very much embracing the hurt and pain of slavery with seemingly no remorse but instead a sense of pride and entitlement. Scars of subjugation manifest in tangible marks of branded flesh and distorted whip afflicted skin, yet the real damage is evident in the less striking devotion to servitude, custom and an collective acceptance of fate. Tarantino has always used conventional narrative in his features revenge, good, evil and this is no different when a sophisticated Germanic bounty hunter played by Christoph Waltz frees Jamie Foxx’s eponymous slave they form a deadly yet profitable alliance collecting high price Bounties for villainous scum; a Riggs and Murtaugh of their time if you will. Django’s end game though is to rescue his wife from the clutches of sadistic Leonardo Dicaprio and his veil of suave southern eccentricity. 

Django's problem are for all of the well written dialogue and characters which are handled superbly by the star cast, Tarantino's inability to quieten the discord between the salience of capturing the distressing plight of slaves who are subject to torture, murder and even the human dog fighting of “Mandingo bouts”, with the kitschy stylistic devices such as the incongruously eclectic sound track accompanied by the overtly graphic and comic violence he seems to have become enamoured with since Kill Bill. All of which only serve to cheapen and diminish the films meaning and strength, perhaps Quentin could one day not make a Tarantino movie and we could see how truly talented the man is.

7/10

For 2012 (Top 10)

10. Cabin In The Woods

Director: Drew Goddard
Stars: Kristen Connolly, Chris Hemsworth and Anna Hutchison

We’ve all seen this setup before, a group of High School social imperialist plan a getaway at a creepy isolated location where bad things are set to happen. However in what was to be one of the year’s pleasant surprises The Cabin In The Woods provides a superbly knowing venture through the mechanics and conventions of the horror genre.  Many will draw comparisons with Wes Craven’s Scream series which is justifiable enough but there are more laughs to be had here, more satire and more jokes being made at itself in this glorious joyful of a genre.

9. Once Upon A Time In Anatolia

Director: Nuri Bilge Ceylan
Stars: Muhammet Uzuner, Yilmaz Erdogan and Taner Birsel

Nuri Ceylan’s Once Upon A Time In Anatolia may be the most visually arresting film of the year, his slow burning drama follows the process of a murder investigation and search for the missing body in the vast Anatolian steppes. The strength of the film is the stunning cinematography that illustrates and transcends the story as it unfolds, we join the search party in the bleakest hours of the night where blinding car lights, flickering flames and hand lamps are the guiding lights. Morning light when it comes is stark contrast as the Darkness offers the beacon of light upon the lush natural colours of the untouched landscape. All of this while we observe our subjects converse of other juxtapositions such as a mothers death in child Birth, corpses in the summer time and a young girl's beauty in a dying town.

8. The Raid 

Director: Gareth Evans
Stars: Iko Uwais, Ananda George and Ray Sahetapy 

A Welsh director and an Indonesian setting are the unlikeliest of combination in the year’s best out and out action flick. Gareth Evans guides us through the Jakartan slums and into the midst of the eponymous Raid which sees Jakarta’s finest attempt to infiltrate a tower blocker poisoned with gangs and drug lord inhabitants. The film respectfully follows convention, we have an unsuspecting would be hero rookie cop Rama (Iko Uwais) with problems of his own beyond that of the job namely his status as an expectant father and the knowledge of his brother operating on the wrong side of the law. Anyone watching for narrative reasons need not bother, The Raid is all thriller with little filler, a savage ballet with heart pumping, breathtaking stunt work that will leave your veins adrenaline filled once it is all over. 

7. Killer Joe

Director: William Friedkin
Stars: Matthew McConaughey, Emile Hirsch and Juno

William Friedkin is a little long in the tooth these days yet the disgustingly delightful antics of Killer Joe shows he hasn’t lost his ability to polarise audiences. Set in deepest darkest Texas with shades of the Cohen’s at their most jet black and David Lynch at his most sexually psychotic and you are half way there. Throw in a terrific cast led by the resurgent Matthew McConaughey as Joe who is indeed a killer hired by a hapless Father and son duo (Thomas Haden Church and Emile Hirsch) to speed up their claim to an estranged matriarch’s life insurance policy, when revelations and problems come to the forefront. Charged with sex and violence, piloted by dark humour and the complexly feeble minds of its characters  Killer Joe is a Texan journey not to be missed

6. Untouchable

Directors: Olivier Nakache, Eric Toledano
Stars: François Cluzet, Omar Sy and Anne Le Ny

French buddy romance Untouchable is an easy target for cynics and misers alike, it tells the story of a rich quadriplegic white guy (Francois Cluzet ) and his poor black would be carer (Omar Sy) who overcome their dissimilarities and become the most adhesive of mates.  From such an ostensibly predictable pretext comes a touching, humorous and life affirming experience which explores every element of their personal and collective discord; from writing poetry to quoting Al Pacino lines, appreciating classical music to throwing shapes to pop music or writing love letters to spouting corny pickup lines, everything is so well observed and charming about the discovery of how their differences make them so similar.    

5. The Dark Knight Rises

Director: Christopher Nolan
Stars: Christian Bale, Tom Hardy and Anne Hathaway

Christopher Nolan completes his Batman adventure with the blisteringly epic Dark Knight Rises, retaining the brooding sense of menace that will no doubt distinguish his series from the that of Tim Burton  and Joel Shumacher efforts before it. In making TDKR the big question was always going to be replacing Heather Ledger and his iconic Joker, Nolan brings in another mad man wanting to bring Gotham to its knees. Bane (Tom Hardy) is antithesis of the Joker, opting for an archly deranged sense of military order instead of his predecessors penchant for controlled chaos. Standing in his way Bruce Wayne (Christian Bale) 8 years on is a weakened man from his confrontation with the clown,   bearing scars that are both visual and hidden, donning the cowl and cape returns him to the lost symbol of The Batman but with his psyche damaged and infrastructure wilting can they both withstanding this latest battle. 

4. A Royal Affair

Director: Nikolaj Arcel
Stars: Alicia Vikander, Mads Mikkelsen and Mikkel Boe Følsgaard 

Mads Mikkelsen produces one of the years finest performances in A Royal Affair, portraying an 18^th century German Doctor who becomes tangled in a web of romance, betrayal and politics within Denmark's monarchy of the time. Oddball King Christian VII hires brilliant physician Johann  Struensee (Mikkelsen) to become hs royal doctor however a resultant bond between the two develops as the sycophantic doctor embraces the Kings reckless nature which manifests in whore house visits and other unbefitting behaviours for a king. A love triangle ensues when Christian’s distant Queen Caroline becomes attracted to the German who proceeds to utilise his influence on the royals in pursuit of his own ideals, taking on political and religious significance which would change northern Europe forever, remarkable stuff.

3. Marley

Director: Kevin MacDonald

The Music, the man and the myths are all unearthed here in the years best documentary, Marley may not have the style or cleverly crafted subtleties of last years Senna but the similarities are abundant.  From the Kingston Ghetto’s, palliative care of frozen Europe where he spent much of his last days and glorious career that lay between. British Director Kevin MacDonald’s feature manages to be both respectful and challenging in providing insight into the life of someone whose music still to this day transcends generations and races. Through exploring the metamorphosis of the genre itself and the explosive political landscape of his beloved Jamaica at the time Marley avoids being both self aggrandising and hagiographic in the best possible way because let’s face it Bob did all that himself with his accomplishments and lasting legacy.

2. Angels' Share

Director: Ken Loach
Stars: Paul Brannigan, John Henshaw and Gary Maitland

You could do worse than describe Ken Loach’s Angels' Share as the British answer to Sideways, where Alexander Payne uses Wine as a  Metaphor for the love, Loach uses Whiskey to illustrate our personal histories and need for second chances. Veteran director Loach's mercurial blend of his trademark social realism, with a fantastical caper and riotous laughs which will have you welling up with emotion as well as bellyaches. The film follows a bunch of petty and not so petty criminals whose Community Service Co-ordinator Harry (John Henshaw) takes the group to a Whiskey Distillery, he forms a bond with a particularly troubled member of the group Robbie (Paul Brannigan) who possesses a natural nose for Whiskey tasting, leaving the group with the opportunity to make some money and turn their lives around.

1. Moonrise Kingdom

Director: Wes Anderson
Stars: Jared Gilman, Kara Hayward and Bruce Willis

A delightful composite of sprawling untouched Rhode Island scenery, quirky visual devices and off beat character inversions make up Wes Anderson’s outstanding New England odyssey. Moonrise Kingdom is part commentary on the failings of authority figures, where parents (Francis McOrmond and Bill Murray), scout master (Ed Norton), Law Enforcement (Bruce Willis) and Social Services (Tilda Swinton) struggle to come to terms with the escalating panic and revelations brought about by the disappearance of a pair of young runaway lovers. On the flip side Anderson points to the maturation of his young characters who among other things write elegantly apologetic letters, handle their growing adolescent sexuality and reconcile with the error of the ways. At it's core Moonrise Kingdom is served by the sweetest of romances between debutants Jared Gilman as Sam a proficient and resourceful boy scout and Kara Hayward a beautiful literature and music loving girl, their relationship and friendship blossoms on screen in alluring fashion.

New: Skyfall

Skyfall (2012)

Director: Sam Mendes
Stars: Daniel Craig, Javier Bardem and Naomie Harris

Perhaps it is time that movie franchises started trusting real film making talents to pilot their projects, Sam Mendes’ Skyfall is the latest exhibit which proves that regardless of budget, cast or brand name ultimately the key ingredient is that of the visionary in the director’s chair. There is no secret additive for Mendes just a reluctance to sacrifice core story telling principles adding heft to the psyche of his characters and the meaning to their actions, this may well be the 40 or so minutes missing from its hapless predecessor if one were to compare the running times.

 Never has a Bond been so open, so vulnerable so visibly scarred and defeated as the one we witness here, the fatigue of the game now an authentic badge of comprehension and empathy. It may have taken 3 films but Daniel Craig’s 007 trademark is established as a wall of fierce solemnity which hinge every glare, grimace and scowl to a reserved, introverted manner. 

After a mission takes a bad turn Bond must return from a self imposed exile to aid M (Judi Dench) who is reacquainted with a previously excommunicated charge turned evil (Javier Bardem), MI6 is set for a revelatory episode where everyone involved must reengage with their own personal demons in order to invoke the fortitude needed to rebound.

Of course there will always be the time and need for tradition the girls, the cars, the villain but even  these are not wasted on throw away nostalgic references, instead they are used to skilfully form the thematic structure of the film which concerns itself with the past and the ways in which it manifests itself in the present; Skyfall transcends this by respecting the legacy of whence it came and simultaneously ushering in a new dawn.

8/10

Top 5 espionage thrillers

5. Three Days of the Condor (1974)

Robert Redford’s CIA researcher takes a well timed lunch break from the New York book shop which provides operational cover, only to return to the massacre of his colleagues. The quest for the truth is a murky journey obscured by danger and paranoia with only a hapless Faye Dunaway whom he imprisons for an ally.  

4. Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy (2011)

Disgraced into early retirement George Smiley played by an in form Gary Oldman is brought back into sniff out a double agent embedded in the belly of MI6, to make things interesting his old gang are among the top suspects. Swedish Director Tomas Alfredson’s direction is a masterful display of control and patience as he refines every inch of detail and builds to riveting climax.

3. The Ipcress File (1965) 

Harry Palmer (Michael Caine) is the spectacled, proletarian, anti Bond, his life is free of the glitz and glamour of his more illustrious contemporary. We observe Palmer’s mundane process in great detail, everything from supermarket shopping to displays of petty rebellion which add to his charm and appeal. An investigation is launched into the serial disappearance of British scientists in an apparent Cold War fueled “Brain Drain” and Palmer finds himself way over his head.

2. Munich (2005)

Spielberg’s Ying to his Schindler’s List’s Yang is an explosive tale of revenge and devotion to the cause as Eric Bana heads a cell of Israeli agents tasked with delivering systematic retribution for the atrocities committed during the Munich games of ’72. Bana plunged deep into the dark world of state terrorism and shady informants whichbring into dispute the validity of his actions.

1. The Day Of The Jackal (1973)

An international Chess match/Cat & Mouse game ensues when the French secret service learn of an intricate plot to eradicate Head of state Charles de Gaull through a lone assassin. France’s best detective Claude Lebel (Michael Lonsdale) is assigned to track down would be meticulous killer Jackal (Edward Fox) across Europe as he tries to cross the border and into Paris. With superbly written detail and immersive execution The Day Of The Jackal is a timeless masterpiece.