Tannhäuser Gate

UK Release Date:  09 September 1999 Director:  Stanley Kubrick Cast:  Tom Cruise, Alan Cumming, Todd Field, Nicole Kidman, Sydney Pollack, Marie Richardson, Rade Šerbedžija, Vinessa Shaw Runtime:  159 mins Rating:  ⭐⭐⭐ ⭐ ½ Review: A warped and demented experience,  Eyes Wide Shut  is an erotic, exploitative  psychosexual odyssey. Stanley Kubrick dissects the hereditary human weakness to be desired, presenting a  nightmarish look at animalistic lust.  Characters left tortured by Freudian imagery, craving a sense of sexual validation.  Displaying the torment of the sexual fantasy - both with visible actions and passionate ambitions -   and the threatening strain it puts on a relationship.  Yet, for a film that openly tackles unadulterated sexual thoughts, the thematic through lines are juxtaposed by a flamboyant dreamlike backdrop. Heightened, vibrant colours placing emphasis on the surreal nature of the narrative....

UK Release Date: 20 December 2011 Director: David Fincher Cast: Steven Berkoff, Daniel Craig, Rooney Mara, Christopher Plummer, Stellan Skarsgård, Yorick van Wageningen, Robin Wright Runtime: 158 mins Rating:  ⭐⭐⭐ ⭐ ½ Review: David Fincher's The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo opens with mystery and is then immediately followed by an abrasive opening title sequence. A computer generated, black liquid-ooze created by Tim Miller's Blur Studio visually depicting  brief glimpses of the film's future imagery.  Flashes of  hornets, a dragon, a spreading fire - vivid symbolism of Lisbeth's story.  Bolstered by a violent, raspy rendition of Led Zeppelin's Immigrant Song  from Karen O, Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross. Karen O's v ocals struggle to reach the surface - the song constantly feels like a desperate gasp for air, a cry for help. Eliciting  feelings of discomfort and distress.  It's an impressive and inspired collaboration that captures the chall...