July Jung directs Kim Si-Eun, Bae Doona and Choi Hee-jin in this Korean drama following a teenage intern who tries to survive the dehumanising work practices and exploitative systems at a call centre.

Heavy handed, didactic procedural that rings true and lands a flurry of ice cold punches in the second half. The whole earnest endeavour is buoyed by Kim Si-Eun’s tough / fragile Sohee.

7

Perfect Double Bill: Nobody’s Daughter Haewon (2013)

I write regular features about live comedy for British Comedy Guide here https://www.comedy.co.uk/people/bobby_carroll/features/

Robert Bresson directs Martin LaSalle, Marika Green and Pierre Leymarie in this French arthouse drama about a man who turns to petty crime to test his philosophies about man and society.

He meets many men in cafes and forms instant intimacies. Every theft is a seduction of touch, an erotic invasion of space. Surprised this isn’t considered a queer coded classic. Such a huge strand of DNA in Paul Schrader’s creative vision that it feels like I have watched this before. But I easily prefer Schrader to Bresson.

7

Perfect Double Bill: L’Argent (1983)

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Barbet Schroeder directs Sandra Bullock, Ryan Gosling and Michael Pitt in this psychological thriller where two high school students attempt the “perfect murder” but one tough but damaged detective sees through their scheme.

Sandy playing against type and she doesn’t do an awful job of it. There’s one punch pulled. If they really wanted to make her complex, up the stakes and define what a walking disaster area her tough cookie is then she should have fucked her teen suspect when it was there on a plate. Baby faced Babyduck with blue balls from Bullock! That aside… More a How-You-Catch-Em than a Whodunnit. Went down pretty easy as multiplex filler back in the day and went down pretty easy again as a Saturday night special. I use the “special” word with caution. There ain’t particularly anything groundbreaking here. The Leopold and Loeb stuff has been explored by better movies decades ago. Pitt and Gosling are only adequate composites at this nascent stage of their respective careers. There’s little memorable about Murder By Number but it does the job with minimal flair. The title ends up being prophetic.

5

Perfect Double Bill: The Vanishing (1992)

I write regular features about live comedy for British Comedy Guide here https://www.comedy.co.uk/people/bobby_carroll/features/

Michael Patrick Jann directs Kirsten Dunst, Ellen Barkin and Brittany Murphy in this mockumentary following a beauty contest where foul play is afoot.

And… Amy Adams. Allison Janney. Kirstie Alley. A fantastic female dominated cast and some good jokes. The wet paint dance routine gag is a corker. Does become a bit repetitive and then sinfully goes on for too long. Yet the sight of Dunst gleefully dancing (which happens often and at length) sure felt like CINEMA to me.

6

Perfect Double Bill: Bring It On (2000)

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Kiah Roache-Turner directs Alyla Browne, Ryan Corr and Penelope Mitchell in this Aussie horror comedy where a little girl adopts a killer alien spider in her family’s building.

Very much a game of spot the influences. I have no real problems with a movie celebrating Arachnophobia / Gremlins / Critters / Aliens (/Evil Dead Rise?) but this never finds that celluloid delirium to make it anything more than a one watcher. Flirts with bad taste but not in a way that demands a cult following. Not going to lie, I had higher hopes for this daft, creepy little try hard.

5

Perfect Double Bill: Eight Legged Freaks (2002)

I write regular features about live comedy for British Comedy Guide here https://www.comedy.co.uk/people/bobby_carroll/features/

Louis Garrel directs himself, Roschdy Zem and Noémie Merlant in this French romantic crime comedy drama where a depressed adult son grows suspicious of his mum’s new husband – a reformed ex-con.

All over the shop in terms of tone but kinda sweet. All the competing layers coalesce together nicely. A frippery but a frippery for adults at least.

6

Perfect Double Bill: The Beautiful Person (2008)

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Tom Shadyac directs Eddie Murphy, Eddie Murphy and Jada Pinkett-Smith in this comedy where a clumsy overweight professor invents a formula that turns him into a confident ladies’ man.

The opening act has some very amusing broad comedy but all the energy, fantastic make-up FX by Rick Baker and budget doesn’t have enough direction or intent to find a satisfying conclusion.

5

Perfect Double Bill: Bowfinger (1999)

I write regular features about live comedy for British Comedy Guide here https://www.comedy.co.uk/people/bobby_carroll/features/

Robert Lorenz directs Liam Neeson, Kerry Condon and Jack Gleeson in this Irish period thriller where a retiring hitman must protect the sleepy village he hides out in when the IRA comes to town.

Liam Neeson in a genuinely decent one shocker. A relaxed pace and minimal blarney. This feels pretty heartfelt for a post In Bruges thriller. Lovely ensemble and location. You care about the characters as much as the face offs. Once you get to know this community any threat to them has far more impact no matter how low stakes the tension might be. Joffrey Baratheon makes his big adult acting comeback and stands out as a wild eyed charmer who isn’t as bad as you’d first expect. More from him please, more like this from our Liam too.

7

Perfect Double Bill: Calvary (2014)

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Guy Nattiv directs Helen Mirren, Camille Cottin and Liev Schreiber in this biopic recreating the manoeuvrings of Golda Meir, the 4th Prime Minister of Israel, during the Yom Kippur War.

Well acted but leaves a bad taste in the mouth. Arty when it should be nuanced. The fag budget for this one must have been through the roof.

4

Perfect Double Bill: The Iron Lady (2011)

I write regular features about live comedy for British Comedy Guide here https://www.comedy.co.uk/people/bobby_carroll/features/

Marcus Nispel directs Karl Urban, Moon Bloodgood and Clancy Brown in this period action adventure pitching the Viking hordes against the noble Native Americans.

A bold Eighties horror movie inspired production design and some very, very violent action. Dredd V The Kurgan. Sounds right up my alley?! And for 30 minutes it is. Then Pathfinder becomes so repetitive that I started washing up, shaving, brushing my teeth, etc and it soon became relegated to background noise. Am I to blame?

5

Perfect Double Bill: Apocalypto (2007)

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