Mojo

This is a massively underrated film, after studying this for analytical review for uni, I had to watch it several times and the more I watched it the more I loved it, I would find myself discovering new meanings and connections every time, I think it's funny and actually I thought baby was a psychopathic but lovable character with daddy issues, he was my favourite character and I loved how he is so unpredictable

A clever, economical play founders and collapses in its author's adaptation, in the most obvious way-- Butterworth indulges a character's psychotic eccentricities until a viewer cringes each time he re-enters the picture. Too bad he knocks the film so badly out of whack-- the two stooges whose interplay so delighted NY stage critics become spear-carriers in this rewrite. Harold Pinter has a talent for playing creeps, but the films one redeeming feature is Ian Hart, a good actor who here has gravity and authority, but he can scarcely keep the camera, so inclined is Butterworth to let the nutcase role to show off some more.

I don't know how he did it but Jez Butterworth was able to collect some of the brightest British actors into his beautiful, little Debut Movie and what a movie it was!!! Set in 1950's Lonodn Soho, the story revolves around the lives of the people working in The Atlantis Club, one of the hippest joints around. Johnny Boy (Hans Matheson) is a sensation - he woos the girls, is a role model to the boys and can boogie-woogie like no other. Plus, he's making a whole lot of dough for the owner (Ricky Tomlinson). Thats when he starts to get some attention by local villain, Mr. Sam Ross (Harold Pinter) and has a proposition..... For me it's a wonderful film, and full of superb actors, for example, Ian Hart who seduces you into his world, one that you will never get out of. A gem of a movie which deserves a DVD release....NOW!!!!

This is truly terrible: painfully irritating stylised performers screech and mug gratingly incoherent dialogues which take place in scenes which seem to have no purpose, no beginning, middle or end, cut together without any apparent narrative or even cognitive intention, all in the service of some entirely uninteresting and almost undetectable "story". What makes it worse is the film's pretentions to "style": suddenly a remote-head crane shot spirals downwards, and, without any apparent reason there are sudden whip-pans or wobblyhand-held sections: all this "style" merely serves to magnify the almost unbelievably huge misconception of the project and the almost offensive vacuity of the material. Definitely a candidate for the worst film ever made.

Worst film ever made?! I think not! It is different, I'll give you that, but the performances and feel of the film is quite haunting and stay with you long after. Jez Butterworth has great vision and this was (originally) from a stage play (which is always a risk) but it comes to screen very well. I feel its an underrated movie which needed more attention when it was released at the cinema. I do hope it gets the DVD release it deserves. The cast do a great job, it has become a kind of cult film to people I know have seen it. I am disappointed by the only review there was of it, so felt compelled to write my own. It may not be everyone's cup of tea but if you like films which are a bit different, try it.