Restoration (Michael Hoffman, 1995)

I really was looking forward to a great film with Robert Downey Jr and Restoration, which also featured the fantastic Sam Neill, was interesting, however, it just wasn’t as engrossing as I expected (or wanted it to be). The start took a while to get into but it did get better, particularly during the last third of the film (from the introduction of Meg Ryan’s character, which was totally unexpected). I couldn’t believe Meg Ryan would star in a drama period film like this, as opposed to You’ve Got Mail or the warm and funny Kate and Leopold. Also, have to mention Hugh Grant who played a royal painter − that was a surprise as well, keeping in mind his usual choice of films. I guess it also didn’t help that it took a few sittings for me to see the whole film, instead of viewing it all at once.

Inglourious Basterds (Quentin Tarantino, 2009)

I found Inglourious Basterds to be a very entertaining Tarantino film and probably one of my favourites by the director. I like how Tarantino subverts the power of the protagonists, giving power to the victims. The film is essentially about a Jewish girl who takes revenge for her family’s death at the hands of Colonel Hans Landa in Nazi−occupied France by arranging to burn down her cinema, where the premiere of a German film is to take place (and which will be attended by top German officials, ie. Hitler, Goebels). This plan ends up crossing paths with a group of Jewish−American soldiers (the ‘Basterds’) who have their own scheme to blast the theatre.

Blow (Ted Demme, 2001)

This is a great, multifaceted and engaging story about an intriguing figure in the drug world: George Jung, responsible for establishing the cocaine market in the USA during the 1970s. The film Blow challenges some of the stereotypes in what is quite an amazing, very human portrait of a drug dealer – you know you have a well-written character, when you find yourself sympathising with a drug trafficker!