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Men In Black 3

It’s not a sequel that needed to be made, but thanks to the charm of its leads and a tone that harks back to the wit and humour of the original, it’s a pretty enjoyable trip.

Bel Ami

The excellent female support cast saves this patchy effort, which is let down by its leading man and a flat screenplay.

The Dictator

A disappointing, often repulsive and mean-spirited mess of a film with seemingly only one real criterion on its agenda: to shock and offend.

The Woman In Black

Packed with atmosphere, this old-fashioned but deftly told ghost story delivers ample chills and thrills.

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Brighton Rock (Film)

by Cara Nash | April 11, 2011 15:26 | Edited April 11, 2011 15:28

While not flawless, it’s atmospheric, well performed and there are enough interesting ideas here to justify this adaptation.

As The Coen Brothers made clear with True Grit, Rowan Joffe's Brighton Rock isn't a remake of John Boulting's classic film, but rather a new adaptation of Graham Greene's iconic novel. It tells of petty gangster Pinkie Brown (Sam Riley), who sparks a fateful relationship with a young waitress, Rose (Andrea Riseborough), after she acquires evidence that could convict him of murder. Joffe distinguishes his take on the material by shifting events from the forties to the sixties, when the Mods and Rockers own the streets, and there's a buzz of change in the Brighton sea air.

 

Ever since his stellar breakthrough performance as Joy Division's frontman Ian Curtis in Anton Corbijn's Control, Sam Riley has been a talent to watch. Here, the actor invests the dangerously charismatic Pinkie with a brutality so casual that it's truly chilling. Andrea Riseborough (Made In Dagenham, Never Let Me Go) skilfully transforms Rose from naive innocent to willing co-conspirator, lacing her performance with the faintest steeliness. The pair are backed by a veteran British cast (Helen Mirren, John Hurt, Andy Serkis), but it is Riley and Riseborough who are most compelling, keeping the answer to the mystery of whether Pinkie ever felt anything for Rose looming tragically until the very end.

 

Brighton Rock marks the directorial debut of Joffe (the screenwriter behind The American), and while not flawless, it's a solid affair. The unravelling of sinister acts in a seemingly idyllic beachside village works well, revealing that beauty can hide ugly truths. The film, however, is let down by its thinly conceived religious imagery, which seems more like half-nods to the source material than meaningfully explored themes. Nevertheless, while some may question the need to retell this classic story, there are enough fresh ideas to ensure that it's an interesting and largely enjoyable ride.