Crisp Criticism - "Only Lovers Left Alive", "Dom Hemingway", "Brick Mansions"

by

Julien Faddoul

Only Lovers Left Alive **

A 1000-year-old married couple, who live on drinking blood, struggle to tolerate a dim-witted 21^st century.

All the director's insignias are on display here, most of which are his interest in strict codes of behaviour among minorities and his distaste for a philistine-laden world. As usual, all of his desperate elements never cohere as a whole and one is left to wallow in the gorgeous images, sounds and jokes.

wd – Jim Jarmusch

ph – Yorick Le Saux

pd – Marco Bittner Rosser

m – Jozef van Wissem

ed – Affonso Goncalves

cos – Bina Baigeler

p – Reinhard Brundig, Jeremy Thomas

Cast: Tilda Swinton, Tom Hiddleston, Anton Yelchin, Mia Wasikowska, John Hurt, Jeffrey Wright, Slimane Daziph

Dom Hemingway *

After spending 12 years in prison for keeping his mouth shut, a notorious safe-cracker is back on the streets of London looking to collect what he's owed.

An attempt by both its eminent star and studious director to expand their range. The result doesn't end up supporting either of them very much.

wd – Richard Shepherd

ph – Giles Nuttgens

pd – Laurence Dorman

m – Rolfe Kent

ed – Dana Congdon

cos – Julian Day

p – Jeremy Thomas

Cast: Jude Law, Richard E. Grant, Demian Bichir, Emilia Clarke, Kerry Condon

Brick Mansions

An undercover Detroit cop navigates a dangerous neighborhood that's surrounded by a containment wall with the help of an ex-con in order to bring down a crime lord and his plot to devastate the entire city.

Another ridiculous action-film from the Besson-crew with nothing making sense and everyone acting as stupid clichés. But it's amusing, it's harmless and it's less than 90 minutes. Make of it what you will.

d – Camille Delamarre

w – Luc Besson, Bibi Naceri   (Based on their screenplay for District B13)

ph – Christophe Collette

pd – Jean-Andre Carriere

m – Marc Bell, Trevor Morris

ed – Carlo Rizzo, Arthur Tarnowski

cos – Julia Patkos

p – Luc Besson, Claude Leger, Jonathan Vanger

Cast: Paul Walker, RZA, David Belle, Gouchy Boy, Catalina Denis, Ayisha Issa, Carlo Rota, Andreas Apergis, Richard Zeman