DVD of the month
BEFORE I GO TO SLEEP
You wake every morning to find that
you have no recollection of the previous day’s events; despite thinking you’re in your twenties, you’re actually in your forties; and you view the people around you with confusion, fear and mistrust. You’re probably some sort of musician or film critic. Either that, or you’re Nicole Kidman in this flawed but thoroughly enjoyable adaptation of S.J. Watson’s best-selling psychological thriller.
‘BIGtS’, then, is like ‘Groundhog Day’ in reverse, or, if you prefer, ‘Memento’ in forwards. Following an “accident”, Copper-topped Cruise-dropper Kidman can’t remember anything pre-slumber and must piece her life together afresh on a daily basis, aided (or is she?) by husband Colin Firth and bonce-doctor Mark Strong. Is everything as it seems? Well, no. Of
course not. Duh.
Tere are some nice twists and deft misdirection as we get to closer to the nasty heart of the matter, and the performances are, as one would expect from a cast of this calibre, exemplary. As I said, it’s thoroughly enjoyable. Unfortunately, ‘BIGtS’ suffers slightly from evoking the memory of several films to which it’s inferior. Te aforementioned ‘Memento’ is one. More pertinently, David Fincher’s masterful ‘Gone Girl’ is cut from the same cloth, but it’s tailoring is in a different league. Tere’s probably some Hitchcock, too. I’m not sure. I forget.
Tere’s a lot to like about ‘BIGtS’, and I’d recommend it to anyone. But I doubt you’ll be thinking about it the next day. Jay Freeman
December FILM RELEASES
05 December Tusk Kevin Smith’s (Clerks) B-movie horror about a podcaster (Justin Long) who, whilst interviewing the weird and wonderful, gets captured by a man who intends to turn him into a walrus. Humorous yet disturbing, don’t go just because you liked Jay and Silent Bob; this is not that, ok?
12 December ElectricityBrit actress Agyness Deyn stars in this Hypnotic, aesthetically challenging but ultimately uplifting film about a young girl who suffers from epilepsy, and experiences powerful hallucinations whilst searching for her lost sibling. Uplifting, eye opening – brilliant.
19 December Night at the Museum: Secret of the TombI’m going to be honest. Tere’s one reason I picked this film – Robin Williams. Tis is the last screen appearance of a true funny-man, being funny alongside a cast of other funny people such as Ricky Gervais, Ben Stiller, Owen Wilson, etc. Proper legend.
26 December Exodus: Gods and KingsRidley Scott bashes the bible this month, as his epic tale of Moses rescuing the slaves from Egypt hits our screens. 10 commandments, 7 plagues, 3 dimensions, no surprises. Christian Bale stars… Christian? Hang on; I’ve got something for this… Smiley
DecemberDVD RELEASES
01 December Te Inbetweeners 2Another helping of hapless twattery from the fannytastic four (or four muffketeers, if you’d rather.) Tis time they go down- under (geddit?) and attempt clungy-jumping and tossing things on the Barbie, etc.
08 December Te Expendables 3With a script more bloated and clunky than its cast of doddering clumps, this third instalment of the bewilderingly popular franchise proves that a film can be so much less than the sum of its parts. Guff.
15 December Toast of London – Series 1 and 2Matt Berry’s surreal and absurdist look at the life of self-important but abjectly awful actor Steven Toast is a constant delight. Brilliantly crafted, beautifully played and laugh-out-loud funny, it’s destined for cult-classic status.
22 December Sex TapeUninspired and clumsy “locate-the- incriminating/embarrassing-thing” comedy elevated to watchability through charming and committed performances by Cameron Diaz, Jason Segel and, particularly, Rob Lowe. Jay Freeman
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