williammjeffery

A 91-minute analysis of the famous shower scene from Hitchcock's 'Psycho' and how it changed the course of cinema. The first of its kind, a feature length documentary on one scene. The film gets its name '78/52' from 52 shots in a 78 second sequence. It's very entertaining and incredibly rich with goodies you never considered went into the making of the famous scene. I loved the archival Hitchcock commentary they recovered. Though, as I personally feel the movie horror scene has drastically changed (you can decide for the better or for worse), to have young horror film makers (of some damn awful films) and irrelevant actors interviewed to share their thoughts in quite enthusiastic ways suggests that Hitchcock's achievement is less pioneering than the film makes it seem. That aside, I'm surprised they pulled it off, you can tell the director (who is obviously a massive Hitchcock nerd) adores the content and it really shows.

After a woman's husband and son die in a bomb attack, her life collapses and she must come to terms with injustice in what is another film about xenophobia, reconciliation and ultimately European identity by German- Turkish writer/director Faith Akin. Diane Kruger delivers a powerhouse performance as she gives her character enough emotional depth without overdoing it to bring her grief and anger to life. Inspired by xenophobic murders in Germany by a neo-Nazi group, the film sets out with good premise, starts strong but then falls into familiar narrative territory before concluding with an ending that would dissatisfy some audiences. It labels itself as a political film but doesn't have a solid stab for it to deliver in what is otherwise an entertaining, sometimes intense picture.

A Young farmer struggles to come to terms with his sexuality until a Romanian migrant worker that arrives to help for lambing season opens his mind. This is an intense, challenging yet beautiful drama that begs to be watched. Similar in its themes to Brokeback Mountain, it explores gay sexuality with hope in tough circumstance, with an isolating, turbulent backdrop of the Yorkshire countryside. The depiction of animal husbandry among the absence of human tenderness is interesting. There are narrative clichés and it's a tough watch but it's a deeply rewarding experience.