The Three Burials of Melquiades Estrada - Sean M

The western genre has had a revitalisation lately with films such as The Proposition. The Three Burials of Melquiades Estrada is a good addition to this genre, but what makes this film distinctive is that it is set in the modern day, and deals with the U.S.'s tentative relationship with Mexico.

The protagonists of the film are Pete, a Texas cattlemen mourning the murder of his Mexican friend, and Mike the Border Guard who accidently killed him. Once Pete works out that Mike was responsible for his friends death, he abducts him, and they begin a journey through the mountainous border country to fulfill a promise and bury Melquiades Estrada in his home town in Mexico.

This is a film which sits squarely in the domain of the western, playing on the usual themes of isolation, friendship, restrained violence and redemption. As always the harsh and beautiful landscape is a important character, shaping and influencing the characters as they move through it. Tommy Lee Jones, who directs as well as playing the character of Pete, displays his empathy for the cause of the Mexicans and weaves a thread through the film which suggests that their lives are not disimilar to those of people living north of the border.

7 out of 10

Walk the Line - Sean M

Walk the Line is the latest offering in the rather crowded genre of music biopics. This particular one deals with Johnny Cash. It has all the standard hallmarks of its predecessors; the rise out of poverty, the breakthrough, the struggle with success and personal demons, the redemption. Essentially this is a love story, between Johnny and his wife to be June Carter, on the road together, married to other people but desperately wanting to be together.

The performances are excellent. Both lead actors apparently sang all their own songs, and both Joaquin Phoenix and Reese Witherspoon are extremely convincing. Cash's dependence on pain killers is handled a little heavily, and at times you wish they would just get on with it, but the film's heart is in the right place and ultimately its an enjoyable experience.

7/10

V for Vendetta - Sean M.

V for Vendetta is unabashedly a political film, it wears its colors on its sleeve. Set in a future which seems scarily close to reality, its about a masked crusader rallying against a government which, seizing on a crisis, has implemented totalitarian rule. Based on a graphic novel by Alan Moore, who also wrote the graphic novels that From Hell and The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen were based on, this is by far the best adaptation of his work. Australian James McTeague, who worked as assistant director to the Wachowski brothers on the Matrix sequels, was asked by the Wachowskis to direct this film for their production company.

Hugo Weaving shines in a difficult role, given that his character wears a mask throughout the entire film which is never removed. Natalie Portman, as Evey, gives us insights into the reality of life in this distopian world. John Hurt is creepy as the Big Brother figure of Chancellor Sutler.

This is a film which warns us against complacency when it comes to monitoring those who govern, and the insidious creep of legislation which curtails our individual freedoms.

Four stars out of five for me.

Sin City - Sean M

Sin City is an andrenaline ride, revelling in its comic book origins, drawing on them for visual inspiration and over the top plot lines. Much attention has been drawn to its violence, which is extremely graphic and not for the faint of heart, but the directors overcomes this by deliberately caricaturing the dwellers of the city, and injecting a constant stream of humour. Three different stories have been amalgamated together for this film, with the main characters played by Bruce Willis, Clive Owen and Mickey Rourke. These are just some of the many Hollywood stars who have been attracted to this script. This is a great film, one which I absolutely encourage people to see, but take into account that its come from a comic book and that it is very violent.