The Go-Getter (2007)

A 19-year-old boy steals a car and takes a road trip in search of his estranged brother. Then the owner of the car phones him and he strikes up an unusual relationship with her. 

There’s lots that’s worthwhile about this independent film directed by Martin Hynes. Lou Taylor Pucci and Zooey Deschanel are both appealing in the main parts, and the core story is a good one, but it’s let down by some aesthetic choices. There are too many rather laboured dream sequences. (It’s quite telling that the picture on the DVD box is misleadingly taken from a scene that the main character only imagines.) The “cowboy” theme is overworked, too. The “suspense” about the car owner – Who is she? What does she look like? – is casually thrown away when the character is visualised as being with him on the journey before the couple actually meet. Also, I really hated the music by M. Ward – half-hearted, “stoner” songwriting that manages to be both mediocre and grating. 

If the road-trip narrative had been allowed to dominate, and a more realist approach had been taken regarding what we see on screen, it could have been far more compelling. Instead, it feels like a film for – and made by – easily impressed teenagers.

Absolute Power (1997)

Above-average political thriller. 

While robbing a billionaire’s mansion, a skilled burglar named Luther Whitney (Clint Eastwood) witnesses a crime involving the US President (Gene Hackman) and his secret service operatives. Because of the President’s careless actions in an affair with the billionaire’s wife, his mistress ends up getting shot. Detective Seth Frank (Ed Harris) begins to investigate the death, for which Whitney now finds himself the main suspect. 

All three male leads are charismatic and appealing. The secret service team are less impressive, although there’s a funny and clever scene in which the President dances with his Chief of Staff (Judy Davis). It’s moments like this – and a scene in which Ed Harris shows his attraction to the burglar’s estranged daughter Kate (Laura Linney) – that exhibit the warmth and intelligence that make the film so enjoyable. There’s also fun to be had in Whitney’s skill as a master of disguises, and there’s a fairly touching thread in which – despite everything – Luther and Kate begin to re-connect.

Stardust (1974)

In this satisfying sequel to That’ll Be the Day (1973), David Essex’s character is now a rock star on a steep rise to fame. Initially he’s in a band (played by actors including Keith Moon, Dave Edmunds and Paul Nicholas), but he later becomes a solo star on a path to self-destruction.

It’s highly entertaining. The story is the classic “rise and fall of a rock star”, but it’s handled well. Adam Faith is excellent as Jim MacLaine’s friend and manager, while Larry “J.R.” Hagman is suitably pushy and ruthless as an American manager and businessman. 

David Essex maintains a magnetic presence throughout, whether performing, smiling or – as his fortunes take a downturn – looking increasingly lost. 

The section in which he performs a ludicrous rock opera celebrating womanhood is suitably ponderous and overwrought.

That'll Be the Day (1973)

Brilliant drama set in England in the late 1950s. A young David Essex stars as Jim MacLaine, a boy who leaves school and goes off in search of women and adventure. Along the way, he works as a deckchair attendant and in a holiday camp. But when he has to return home to his mother (Rosemary Leach) and gets married to Jeanette (Rosalind Ayres), he has to decide whether to accept his responsibilities or continue to live a life of selfish freedom. 

David Essex is a revelation. I’d never seen him act before, and there’s no denying the charm and charisma he exudes with his cheeky smile and curious speaking voice. 

Ringo Starr features as another employee at the holiday camp. He's so recognisable as a Beatle that it’s difficult to see him in any other context. There are also roles for Billy Fury and Keith Moon. 

Impressively, there’s no concealing the grey, gritty quality of the shabby England so perfectly evoked.

Match Point (2005)

Excellent drama written and directed by Woody Allen. Critics were harsh on the fact that an American film set in London features some occasionally jarring turns of phrase (i.e., Londoners don’t call it "the" Tate Modern), but this in no way reduces the enjoyment.

Former tennis pro Chris (Jonathan Rhys Meyers) tries and fails to balance his relationships with his wife (Emily Mortimer) and mistress (Scarlett Johansson). In addition he wants to hang on to all the benefits of marrying into a wealthy family, who have secured him a lucrative career and given him a comfortable life. 

The film cleverly juggles major themes – the role of chance, ethics and love vs. desire – while evolving from a personal drama into a tense thriller in the second half. 

As with a lot of Woody Allen’s writing, there’s not a scene you could add or cut to improve the storytelling, so well-constructed is the escalating plot. Initially, I thought that Rhys Meyers was weak in the lead role, but as you find out what his character is capable of you begin to understand that the actor is playing the role perfectly. 

It’s a strong cast overall, with impressive performances by Brian Cox and Penelope Wilton, as Chris’s new in-laws, and Matthew Goode as their son Tom.

The Look of Love (2013)

Biopic of pornographer Paul Raymond starring Steve Coogan and directed by Michael Winterbottom. 

It’s told in flashback, giving an often (deliberately) rather depressing view of the seedy side of London from the 1960s to the 1980s. The film focuses on three of Raymond’s relationships: with his wife Jean (played by Anna Friel), with his girlfriend Fiona Richmond (Tamsin Egerton) and with his daughter Debbie (Imogen Poots). It’s implied that the father/daughter relationship was the most meaningful for both parties, and there’s a poignancy in how that unfolds – despite (or because of) the shabby details around how Raymond made his money.

Overall, while it’s expertly done – and Coogan is as watchable as ever – it's a bleak and oddly unrewarding affair.

Play Misty for Me (1971)

Psychological thriller with the emphasis on the “psycho”. A radio DJ in Carmel-by-the-Sea, California, is stalked by an obsessive fan, endangering his career, his relationships and ultimately his life. 

It’s absolutely terrifying. Clint Eastwood is superb as the DJ who doesn’t grasp the gravity of the situation quickly enough. Donna Mills plays his girlfriend Tobie (“the foxiest chick on the peninsula”). And Jessica Walter plays the stalker Evelyn, who is convincingly mad throughout. 

The scenery is terrific. The music played on the radio – popular jazz of the time – is wonderful. “Misty” itself is a song by Erroll Garner that features prominently.  The film also includes “The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face” by Roberta Flack, plus actual in-concert scenes shot at the Monterey Jazz Festival.

Dallas Buyers Club (2013)

A biopic of Ron Woodroof (1950–1972) starring Matthew McConaughey and directed by Jean-Marc Vallée. 

Diagnosed with AIDS and wary of the standard drugs being offered, Woodroof begins to import unapproved drugs from abroad into the USA. He then distributes them via his “Dallas Buyers Club”. Along the way he makes friends with a doctor (Jennifer Garner) and a Marc Bolan-loving transvestite (Jared Leto), while beginning to re-think some of his prejudices about sexuality. 

It’s a gritty and unsentimental portrait that gives you an insight into how misunderstood AIDS was in the 1980s. McConaughey is highly convincing in what must have been an especially challenging role given that he’s horribly ill for most of the film.

48 Hrs. (1982)

Directed by Walter Hill, this is a superb hybrid of cop drama, crime thriller and comedy. 

Nick Nolte plays a San Francisco policeman trying to track down two murderers. Helping him is a convict played by the endlessly charming Eddie Murphy, with his own connection to the case. It could have turned into a silly “bromance”, but the tough, witty script is thankfully devoid of sentimentality. 

The cars look fantastic. The music soundtrack by James Horner is unusual and distinctive. And the offbeat chemistry between Nolte and Murphy is absolutely spot-on.

The Bridges of Madison County (1995)

Romantic drama starring Clint Eastwood (who also directed) and Meryl Streep. She is a housewife living on an isolated Iowa farm in the mid-1960s. He is a National Geographic photojournalist documenting the area’s distinctive bridges. They spend four days together and fall passionately in love. But she has to juggle this life-transforming experience with the realities of her domestic commitments.

The two leads are both absolutely excellent – top-class acting, especially from Streep. On the downside, the framing story set in the present day is clunky and poorly acted. The son played by Victor Slezak is particularly awkward. But the main love story, which forms the bulk of the film, is touchingly “real”.

The Guernsey Literary & Potato Peel Pie Society (2018)

Romantic drama set during and just after World War II.

The “Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society” is an informal book club set up by a small group of people on Guernsey during the Nazi occupation. A London-based writer, Juliet (Lily James) begins a correspondence with one of them that leads to her visiting the island. As she slowly becomes drawn into their way of life, she also learns about their secrets. 

It’s a hugely entertaining drama. Some of the reviews, such as Peter Bradshaw’s for The Guardian, dismissed it as twee fluff, but there’s more grit there than you might imagine. There’s certainly human pain and suffering. (Then again, Bradshaw gave five stars to the truly awful Inside Llewyn Davis, so what does he know?)

The performances are superb. Lily James is as charming and lovable as ever. Penelope Wilton and Tom Courtney convey depth as two of the older members of the group. Katherine Parkinson exudes charm as the slightly scatty Isola Pribby, and Michiel Huisman has rugged appeal as the kindly pig farmer Dawsey Adams. 

A lot of little sub-plots add further depth and texture, although a fair amount has been cut from the novel by Mary Ann Shaffer and Annie Barrows to make it work on screen – leading to a couple of loose ends.

I was reminded of Local Hero at times – visitor from afar falls in love with a small coastal village and its way of life. And while it doesn’t have the laughs of that film, it’s similarly heartwarming.

Ghost (1990)

The passionate romance between New Yorkers Sam (Patrick Swayze) and Molly (Demi Moore) is cut short when Sam, a banker, is murdered. But his ghost learns that Molly, a sculptor, is in danger and tries to warn her with the help of a fake medium (Whoopi Goldberg). 

It’s a strange mixture of romance, drama, thriller, ghost story and comedy. Sometimes those elements seem to jar, but I rather liked the sense of incongruous genres slamming into one another. Also the story seems oddly preoccupied with the practicalities of being a ghost, despite some inconsistent “rules”, perhaps because the filmmakers were keen to show off the “walking through walls” special effects.

The biggest problem is Patrick Swayze’s acting. There are too many lingering shots of him supposedly looking surprised, bewildered or angry, but he doesn’t have the flexibility or emotional range to convey those feelings. A better choice might have been Michael J. Fox, whose natural charm and gifts for physical comedy would have fitted better. 

Despite all the limitations, it’s highly entertaining. And I’m always happy to hear “Unchained Melody” by the Righteous Brothers.

High Plains Drifter (1973)

Western. 

Clint Eastwood is a stranger who rides into a remote mining town whose inhabitants conceal a shameful secret. At the same time, the town folk learn that three dangerous local criminals are heading back that way... 

Written by Ernest Tidyman (who also wrote Shaft and The French Connection), it’s an odd film indeed – a sort of surreal, ambiguous morality tale with skewed morals. It even appears to be OK with the idea of rape. Maybe it was brave of Clint Eastwood to portray himself as someone so difficult to like, but this choice does have the effect that there’s absolutely no one in the film who you can relate to. 

Scary music by Dee Barton adds atmosphere.

The title is bafflingly unrelated to the story.

Hang 'Em High (1968)

Western. 

A cattle herder wrongly accused of murder (Clint Eastwood) is hung by a gang of nine men. Somehow he survives. After his innocence has been established, he begins working as a marshall and sets about tracking down the villains who wronged him.

It’s remarkable how young Eastwood looks. Hang 'Em High was made after the Sergio Leone trilogy, but somehow he seems less haggard and more baby-faced than he did in those films.

The “political” thread about Oklahoma’s bid for statehood is intriguing, as this seems to be used to justify the town’s bloodthirsty love of capital punishment. 

There are elements of horror and melodrama. When the romance with Inger Stevens kicks in, it seems to become a different kind of film altogether. The results are wildly uneven but still fascinating.

In the Line of Fire (1993)

Thriller starring Clint Eastwood as a Secret Service agent who tries to protect the US president from a crazed assassin (John Malkovich). He has a troubling history in that early in his career he failed to save John F. Kennedy when he was shot in 1963. Clint is assisted by his timid partner (Dylan McDermott) and by a female agent he’s initially disrespectful to (Rene Russo). 

It’s a superb and gripping drama. Eastwood delivers all of the usual tough-guy moments, but there’s a welcome sense of (self-deprecating) humour that gives this an edge. It also plays around with the notion of him being too old for this sort of work – rather than shying away from it – and extracts material from that. For example, we see him getting out of breath when he runs alongside the president’s car and that becomes a plot thread. 

Malkovich, who I really can’t stand, is his usual deeply creepy self, but it works this time because he’s playing a psychopath. Russo is excellent: her understated charm works well alongside that of the film’s star.  

Plus, it has the funniest last line of any film I’ve ever watched.

Jason Bourne (2016)

Bourne again? 

The fifth instalment in the series and – as of 2021 – the final part. Jason (Matt Damon) is still at large, but thanks to the hacking by old pal Nicky Parsons (Julia Stiles) he now has extra information about his past – and an insight into what happened to his father. 

In many ways it’s the same film yet again, but it’s such a good film that it’s worth remaking. This time, Tommy Lee Jones plays the corrupt head of the CIA. There’s also stuff about internet privacy with a social media corporation called Deep Dream (led by Riz Ahmed), plus an ambitious young CIA tech wizard who may or may not be helping J.B. (Alicia Vikander as Heather Lee). 

Paul Greengrass directs again, delivering incredible action sequences. The car chase in Las Vegas is especially dynamic. 

If there’s a fault it’s that there’s little psychological development for Bourne. Yes, there’s a thread about his dad but he has even less dialogue than usual. I’d have liked him to have shared more of a relationship with Nicky, or at least some “meaningful” glances, but following the first film there seems to have been a conscious decision for the series to avoid romance. It makes sense plot-wise because Bourne can’t stay in the same place for a couple of minutes before men in cars and copters arrive to kill him. But it would still have been nice to give him the extra depth of reconnecting with the woman who loved him.

The French Connection (1971)

Crime thriller starring Gene Hackman and Roy Scheider as New York cops “Popeye” and “Cloudy”, investigating a drug deal. 

There are plenty of thrilling moments, including a particularly exciting car/train chase scene, but it’s prevented from being a masterpiece by a few confusing plot elements. It’s frustrating because there’s so much that’s great about the film. 

Hackman gives the performance of a lifetime. There is something incredibly believable about him, so he makes the drama seem real. Scheider is also appealing, and the chemistry of the pair adds a great deal.

It looks fantastic, too, with the urban shots presented in a way that’s extremely gritty and convincing.

In 1975, Hackman starred in a sequel.