The Director's Suite Cast

Sherlock Holmes popularity has exploded over the past few years, with films and a current TV series to accompany. But let us go back to one of the early film adaptations of the classic character, that being 1959's 'The Hound of the Baskervilles'; one of the characters more famous stories. With the new Sherlock fan base, I believe it is essential that they go back and revisit this classic, on account that we have quite possibly the best representations of Sherlock and Watson in film history. Being a Hammer production, there are obvious horror elements that enter this film. The film starts off giving us the back story to the evil and wealthy Sir Hugo Baskerville, it depicts his last night hunting down a young girl and killing her; only for himself to be attacked by a hound. The hound that attacks him is apparently meant to be a hound from hell, sparking a legend which nicely transitions into the 'current' day (seven centuries later)  with a Dr. Richard Mortimer explaining the story to Holmes. A recent death has occurred to a Sir Charles Baskerville , which mirrors that death of Sir Hugo, he was found dead of a heart attack on the moores. This is when we are introduced to Sherlock who is portrayed by Peter Cushing, who plays the role so incredibly well; intelligent, switched on and always questioning situations. André Morell plays Dr. Watson, he decides to play the character straight with no bumbling or silliness associated with the character.

Cannibal holocaust was probably one of the most notorious films of the 20th century, it was in fact banned for over 25 years down here in Australia. I remember picking up a jbhifi catalogue back in 2005 and in complete and utter shock to read that it was getting an uncut release in Australia in a deluxe dvd set. I immediately picked it up and still stay strong to that release even til this day. 9 years later siren does the film justice once again in this stunning blu ray set.
So what is cannibal holocaust? Well if you are a hardcore horror fan you would already know, but to others; it is a found footage film. Now days we have hundreds of trashy found footage films, cannibal holocaust was the pioneer for the fake documentary genre. 
The film opens with absolutely beautiful shots of the amazon river from the sky, most viewers would think they are about to watch some type of national geographic documentary.  

After winning first prize at the Palme d'Or in Cannes last year, Blue is the Warmest Colour or its French title La Vie D'Adele has become the most critically acclaimed release of French cinema for 2013.

Directed by Abdellatif Kechiche, this romantic drama is set in Lille, Northern France starring Adele (Adele Exarchopoulos), a fifteen year old high school student who begins dating a boy she met at school. During their relationship, Adele passes by a woman with blue hair and becomes attracted to her to the point of obsession.

What defines Blue potentially as an all time great is the stand out performances by its leading actresses. Exarchopoulos' role as Adele has been absolutely spectacular. Her ability to naturally express on-screen emotions from joy, lust and despair is easily conveyed to the audience; she becomes a character that we can empathise with, and reminds us of the emotional roller-coaster that comes with growing up. Seydoux's performance as Emma is just as commendable, that delivers a compassionate yet raw chemistry with Adele. Their shared happiness is contagious and their hardships are enough to bring the slightest tear to your eye.

Overall, Blue is the Warmest Colour is one of the most true-to-life motion pictures for 2013. This film is less about the contemporary challenges of LGBT relationships, and more about the complexities of romantic relationships and youth. A landmark for both French and romantic cinema, I highly recommend it to those yearning for intense drama and a heartfelt love story.


Verdict: 4.5/5