Artless_Dodger

Excellent performances and interesting source material (MR Carey adapting his own novel), plus imaginative direction (Scottish director Colm McCarthy), create a chilling sci-fi tale of hungries (zombies) versus humanity.

The opening sequence sets the tone. Melanie, a young, polite, and courteous girl manacles herself into a wheel chair. She seems entirely innocent and harmless, yet her captors fear otherwise. She and other children, each similarly restrained, are given an armed escort to a classroom. It's an arresting start and it grabs our attention. Sennia Nanua plays Melanie and the story revolves around her. We watch society collapsing through her eyes, see her threatened by the human beings around her, and fear for her. We watch her do terrible things, and yet we root for her. Everything is uncertain. Nothing is as it seems. It's a brilliant performance from a new talent, and it serves the film perfectly.

Melanie is surrounded by contrasting emotions from those nearest to her. Gemma Arterton is excellent as protective and caring psychologist/teacher Helen Justineau, fiercely defending Melanie against the machinations of Dr Caroline Caldwell (Glenn Close) who sees Melanie as a specimen to be dissected. Paddy Considine convinces as Sergeant Eddie Parks, a tough, no- nonsense soldier fighting a losing battle.

Colm McCarthy brings this all together superbly, belying the film's modest budget. Striking visuals and frenetic action are never allowed to overwhelm the characters, who take centre stage. And at it's heart is Melanie. Confusing, ambivalent, terrifying, lovable Melanie. It's a wonderful turn from Sennia Nanua.

Highly recommended, and vastly superior to most of the genre.

A beautiful study of ageing and loss, featuring a wonderful central performance from Michael Caine. Playing Fred Ballinger, a veteran composer and conductor on holiday in the Swiss Alps, Caine impresses as a man for whom his music was seemingly everything yet he now languishes in a peripheral life, unwilling to conduct his most famous work one more time.

Ballinger's friendship with Mick Boyle (Harvey Keitel on top form) gives the film much of it's heart. Old friends, they have a lifetime of shared memories and their scenes sparkle with wit and humour. More troublesome for Ballinger is his relationship with his daughter, Lena (a fine Rachel Weisz), for she never felt she mattered to her father as much as his music did.

Paolo Sorrentino's film is never less than visually stunning. Gorgeous landscapes and beautifully constructed scenes showcase the characters fragility. The film is beautifully paced, like a gentle octogenarian afternoon. Lovely support from Paul Dano and Jane Fonda as two American film stars, he quietly intellectual, and her brash and monstrous. It's the performances that really make this film tick but add the landscapes and the wonderful music (David Lang), and you have something very charming indeed.

Slow. Ponderous, even. But charming and played to perfection. Highly recommended.