I'm becomming ga bit of a regular here on this thread...
'Nosferatu, eine Symphonie des Grauens - 1922' (2007 officially restored version).
1922's Nosferatu. A masterpiece. A classic and above all inventive and still eerie.
Ironically this version, if unauthorised, is still the most accurate in terms of adapting the book 'Dracula' by Bram Stoker until the last third of the film where Murnau offers a very satisfying and different concluding act.
Its an altogether much more atmospheric, graphic, scary and menacing film than other early adaptations that were heavily restrained to the point of neck bites, showing of fangs and even the vampire's ultimate demise taking place off camera. American productions especially came across as fine productions, but lacked mood, atmosphere and above all were very 'stagey' as if the crew filmed a theatre play.
The impressionism, ahead of its time technique in storytelling, editing and 'effects', plus Max Schrek's breathtaking portrayal of the rat like Orlok himself, meld to form a masterpiece of horror.
I am still amazed even today that it was the first Dracula adaptation, was made a decade before the next adaptation and is still vastly superior to anything of the period as well as the adaptations that later followed.
8/10
Outlaw (2007)
4 unconnected, but violated by crime, people meet through a mutual contact and form a shaky group that dishes violence back to the criminals as vigilantes.
Being a UK film, this has very different angles on vigilantism and character conflict.
It uses English social commentary and issues felt in the population purely in that country about crime, war and society to build a very convincing story about people that couldn't be more different taking up arms against drug dealers, street gangs and organised crime.
Taking up arms, once again this is in England, takes the shape of melee combat and blunt weapons and the film certainly has a lot of bone crunching moments and sound effects.
This film by Nick Love changes the usual Hollywood, no... it ignores the usual Hollywood stereotypes and story conventions completely.
The semi-documentary style, that is now the accepted term for mostly hand held jittery shooting, is handled well, reminiscent of the TV series 'The Shield'.
The story and the characters' inner conflicts and issues regarding beatings and revenge killings are so well written and acted by the well chosen cast. You really belive these guys are real people.
The only reservation I have is that although one of them is a soldier (Sean Bean), the others seem to take to guns somewhat easily during their main act of revenge in the film. There is no real explanation, but one assumes that Bean's character has trained them briefly.
A really solid action/drama that I really enjoyed and I think we are seeing an emerging trend for young film-makers to make these kinds of films outside of the so called 'Hollywood' sensibilities and system.
7/10
