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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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My Son, My Son, What Have You Done (Film)

by Tim Cooper | August 22, 2011 16:26 | Edited August 22, 2011 16:30

While the Herzog and Lynch collaboration is sure to spark interest, this unfortunately sees the fine cast playing second fiddle to the film’s distinct cinematic style.

Loosely based on actual events, My Son, My Son, What Have Ye Done is the story of Brad McCullum, a son driven so mad with oppression and delusion that he ends his own mother's life.

 

Werner Herzog and David Lynch are considered to be two of the most influential and important directors ever to commit work to the screen. The idea alone of these two minds at work together, with Herzog directing and Lynch producing, will spark much interest and debate, as individually their films always do. Herzog's commonly used theme of a man's lone descent into madness drives the story. However, the director has also used many of Lynch's trademark touches, such as symbolic dreamlike moments, a stark cinematic tone and a haunting soundtrack.

 

The story is mostly told in flashbacks, starting with detectives Havenhurst (Willem Dafoe) and Vargas (Michael Pena) arriving at the scene of the murder. Michael Shannon plays Brad McCullum. Brad lives in America with his overbearing and invasive mother (Lynch regular Grace Zabriskie), much to the behest of girlfriend Ingrid (Chloe Sevigny). His release and warped redemption ideas are found through acting in the ancient Greek play "Orestes" by Euripides, the story of a son ordered to kill his mother by the god Apollo.

 

The actors are well cast, including regular collaborators Udo Kier and the always entertaining Brad Dourif. While most of the acting is convincing, it is not at all urgent given the circumstances the characters are in. Michael Shannon, whose emotional range consists of just looking intense and talking slowly for the duration of the picture, unfortunately disappoints. This leaves the fine cast playing second fiddle to the film's distinct style.

 

Shot on digital and containing great Herzog/Lynch moments, fans should find enjoyment while perhaps not being totally satisfied. Others may be left a bit bewildered by the cinematic style and detached approach towards the central characters.