Author: Alan Dunn

Alan Dunn, Cinema Without Borders' Blog Editor, lives in UK. In 2006 he completed his undergraduate course in Media Studies at the University of Paisley and was awarded an Upper Second Class Honors Degree. In 2007 Alan went on to undertake a yearlong postgraduate course in Film and Television Studies at the University of Glasgow, graduating in 2008 with a Master Degree. Cinema has been a lifelong passion of Alan Dunn and he enjoy researching and writing about it.

The Artist is set during the declining years of silent cinema, in which huge star George Valentin develops a fondness for rising beauty Peppy. However when the talkies takeover, so does Peppy’s fame, eclipsing poor George who finds himself, his art form and his love, destined for the scrap heap.It’s easy to see why critics have gone bonkers for The Artist. In a time when output seems to be saturated in special effects, big stars and most detested of all, 3D films, a silent black and white film whose biggest name is John Goodman is so refreshingly retro and ingenuously…

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Following a playground dispute between two 11 year old boys, their parents get together to discuss how best to handle the matter in a civilised way. However it’s not long before niceties turn into a verbal knife fight….The genius of this film lies with its simplicity; barring the opening and closing sequence, the entire film takes place in a plush New York City apartment. Furthermore it involves only 4 main actors, each bringing their own flare to this explosive mix. In the one corner we have Jodie Foster and John C. Reilly, her an uptight bleeding heart liberal with very…

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Set in New York, Michael Fassbender plays a cool headed businessman consumed by sex addiction. An unscheduled visit by his flaky and vulnerable sister leads him to face up to his demons.Upon viewing I was left cold by this film, its stark visuals, lack of dialogue and abundance of sex just by passed me. Fassbender’s character was not someone to whom I could relate to, and admittedly I dismissed this film too readily as over hyped arty crap. I just plain did not get it. The point it was trying to make simply didn’t click with me. But strangely throughout…

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It seemed inevitable that at some point someone would attempt to make a film exploring the life of one of the 20th Centuries most memorable and controversial characters, it’s just a shame that this particular film is far too sugary and one sided. For although Mrs Thatcher vacated Number Ten some 22 years ago, this film still seems too soon, and too eager to portray Mrs Thatcher in nothing but a good light. Feelings about ‘that woman’ (as my mother refers to her) still remain raw and increasingly bitter. In fact the further north you travel in the UK, feelings…

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Tilda Swinton stars as Eva, and the film recounts her life before and after her son going on a massacre at his high school. The phrase ‘hard watching’ was invented for this type of film, which is particularly heavy and grim but also hugely engrossing and undeniably masterful. The twin performances of Tilda Swinton and Ezra Miller (Kevin) make for truly spectacularly chilling viewing. Swinton starts the film as a care free adventurer and gradually becomes a postnatal depressed mother and struggles to relate to the deeply troubled Kevin (the most evil infant since chucky). As time goes on, Kevin…

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Antonio Banderas stars in this unsettling Frankenstein tale of grief, vengeance, obsession and plastic surgery. Laced with an air of mystery and a twist that defines the entirety of the film, the narrative becomes difficult to discuss without piercing or ruining the enjoyment of viewing. So without giving too much away, it stars Banderas as a highly skilled surgeon who becomes obsessed with one particular project after his wife is left horrendously burned following an accident. As his life begins to unravel, he goes to extreme measures to find solace. Banderas is both emotional and stoic, a loving family man…

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My Week With Marilyn is the true account of a young man (Eddie Redmayne, earthy good looks, like a handsome Dean Gaffney) who finds himself a position as a runner on the film set of The Prince and The Showgirl, a bumbling rom com based around the pairing of Sir Laurence Olivier (Kenneth Branagh on fine form) and Marilyn Monroe (Michelle Williams). He then discovers himself in the eye of the storm as Miss Monroe’s crazy life whirlwinds all over the production, and he gets a glimpse at the girl behind the glamour.This narrative of this film is truly overshadowed…

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Cheer up, it’s not the end of the world… Melancholia is a film about two very different stories colliding (which for the plot is actually rather fitting). One in which a deeply depressed Kirsten Dunst sets ablaze to the happiest day of her life (a wedding so dire it makes Eastenders look like an episode of Glee) and the second story about a new planet hurtling across the galaxy on a collision course with earth. The film focuses on 2 sisters Justine (Kirsten Dunst) and Claire (Charlotte Gainsbourg) with the first chapter revolving around Justine’s disastrous wedding day. Organised by…

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127 HoursDirector: Danny Boyle.Starring: James Franco. Synopsis: Adventurer Aron Ralston goes out exploring mountains without telling anyone where he’s gone. His boundless energy and enthusiasm soon finds him in peril after a freak fall leaves him arm trapped between a boulder and a cave wall. With no one around for miles, how long before he must take drastic action? It’s one of those films that whilst your watching it your brain is thinking out what it would do if you stupidly got yourself in such a dangerous situation; would you scream yourself hoarse for help? Would you consider suicide? How…

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Please Give is a hugely enjoyable comedy drama from writer/director Nicole Holofcener which similar to her previous work such as 2006’s Friends with Money, offers a multi-strand narrative sprinkled with wit and humor. The film focuses on two neighboring families in a plush New York tower block. Behind one door is the fantastic Catherine Keener as affluent Kate, a loving mother to surly teen Abby (Sarah Steel) and a picky wife to her business partner husband Alex (Oliver Platt). Behind the other door is cantankerous 91 year old Andra, an elderly crank who is dependent on her two granddaughters, the…

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