Reviews

In The Cut

Dour, long-winded erotic thriller, directed by Jane Campion like her favourite recent films have all been made by Joel Schumacher. Meg Ryan, apparently auditioning for a re-make of Klute, is the New York teacher shagging Mark Ruffalo's homicide cop who she begins to suspect is a serial killer. Bollocks, frankly.

Andrew Bird – Weather Systems

This Chicagoan is unique in being an astonishing violin virtuoso devoting himself almost entirely to pop music. Founding Andrew Bird's Bowl Of Fire in the mid-'90s, his best work (2001's The Swimming Hour) takes in Appalachia, jump-blues and orch-pop in a flash-flood of American tradition. With Mark (Lambchop) Nevers producing, Weather Systems distills that same musical heritage into a new, supple-fresh language of strings, glockenspiel, wurlitzer and tape loops.

The Liars – They Were Wrong, So We Drowned

Curious Blair Witch-style project from US avant-grungers

Ghost – 00100

Japanese freak-rock bonanza

Vinny Peculiar – Growing Up With…

Autobiographical angst from glum northern troubadour

Frank Sinatra – The Voice Of Frank Sinatra

The Voice's 1946 coming-of-age with repertoire, running order and artwork restored. Plus 10 extra tracks from '47

Gary Jules – Greetings From The Side

Hit-maker's deft debut available outside US for the first time

Grand Theft Parsons

Retelling of the Gram Parsons story. Execrable

Ichi The Killer

Ninth-rate martial arts animé about a killer with the mind of a six-year-old child. Frankly, a six-year-old child would have written something more entertaining than this—the only imagination on display here is reserved for the gore and violence, which is accompanied by a great deal of noise but no sense, and even the animation is unimpressively low-rent. Utterly worthless.

The Italian Job

This not-as-crap-as-you'd-fear rehash of the much-loved '60s caper, with director F Gary Gray ensuring it isn't all just gung-ho car-chase action, throwing in stylish backdrops and a good joke or two for good measure. A shame, then, that the charisma-free Mark Wahlberg leads, and perhaps they should've opted for a fresh title, but a stellar cast including Ed Norton, Charlize Theron and Donald Sutherland can't be all bad. Lively enough.
Advertisement

Editor's Picks

Advertisement