Tag Archive: Albert Finney


THE DEVIL’S IN THE DETAILS

Filed under: Movies — 1 Comment
February 21, 2014

BEFORE THE DEVIL KNOWS YOU’RE DEAD directed by Sidney Lumet (USA, 2007)

before-the-devil-knowsSadly, this movie title now seems more than a little ironic.

It comes from a Irish proverb (“May you be in heaven half an hour before the devil knows you’re dead”)  and turned out to be Lumet’s swan song (he died in 2011) as well as being one of a long list of films that stand as testament to the greatness of the late Philip Seymour Hoffman.

To say that it is a story of a dysfunctional family is a massive understatement.

Hoffman plays Andy Hanson who bullies younger brother Hank (Ethan Hawke) into carrying out the botched robbery of a ‘mom and pop’ store and Albert Finney is the overbearing father who discovers the horrible truth about his sons. Continue reading →

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BEST OF BRITISH CULT MOVIES: 40 – 31

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November 2, 2011

Continuing my list of the Fifty Greatest British Cult Movies, here is my selection from  40 -31:

40. SCUM Alan Clarke (1979)

Alan Clarke was known for his direct, no frills approach to film. He cut his teeth on TV, notably with Play For Today. This exposé of the brutality in the borstal system was originally made for that slot but was considered too violent for home consumption. Scum is another hard man role for Ray Winstone. Not for wimps.

39.  THE COMPANY OF WOLVES  Neil Jordan (1984)

“The worst wolves are hairy on the inside”. Angel Carter’s short story is a feminist retelling of Little Red Riding Hood. The visually striking movie is not an entirely successful adaptation but manages to keep the ideas alive. Continue reading →

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