Reviews by Gary Duncan

Order by: Date, A–Z

• 
  9 Songs (2004)

  Review preview for 9 Songs

  Not surprisingly, for a movie dripping in bodily fluids, it's about as sexy as cold rice pudding.

  Two people meet at a gig and have lots of sex, while Michael Winterbottom watches.
• 
  Aguirre: The Wrath Of God (1972)

  Review preview for Aguirre: The Wrath Of God

  Breathtakingly visual and epic in its ambitions.

  Klaus Kinski plays a mad conquistador searching for El Dorado.
• 
  As Tears Go By (1988)

  A jaded triad tries to stop his "little brother" going down the same path to violence he did.
• 
  Bad Education (2004)

  Two young school friends meet after 16 years, with tragic consequences.
• 
  The Butterfly Effect (2004)

  Time travel thriller about a college student who gets to play God and change the future.
• 
  Carlito's Way (1993)

  Al Pacino is a recovering drug dealer trying to go straight in the mean city.
• 
  Carry On Christmas Special (2005)

  Festive fun from the Carry On gang.
• 
  Cabin Fever (2002)

  Review preview for Cabin Fever

  Having set things up nicely, writer/director Eli Roth then loses the plot.

  Deadly virus attacks teens in the woods.
• 
  Cyrano de Bergerac (1950)

  José Ferrer stars in this classic tale of the French swordsman with the prominent protuberance.
• 
  Le Doulos (1963)

  Review preview for Le Doulos

  Belmondo oozes Gallic charm, as the Bogart-like Silien, and Paris itself is beautifully captured by cinematographer Nicolas Hayer.

  Stylish French noir thriller, starring Jean-Paul Belmondo.
• Don't Move (2004)

  A successful surgeon has a passionate, destructive affair with a girl from the scuzzy side of town.
• 
  The Edukators (2004)

  Review preview for The Edukators

  eingartner keeps us guessing and the deliberately ambiguous ending offers plenty of possibilities but no answers.

  Political activists want to change the world by "edukating" the rich.
• 
  Enduring Love (2004)

  A man is driven mad by a stalker.
• 
  The Four Minute Mile (1988)

  Review preview for The Four Minute Mile

  Even with the benefit of hindsight, The Four Minute Mile is an exciting ride.

  Sporting whodunnit about the breaking of the famed racing barrier.
• 
  Gang Of Four (1988)

  Review preview for Gang Of Four

  I'm no expert on the New Wave, but it seems Rivette's interpretation of it is pretty obvious – to make films that are completely unwatchable.

  Four students face trouble after one of them meets a mysterious stranger.
• 
  Ghosts Of Cité Soleil (2006)

  Review preview for Ghosts Of Cité Soleil

  The UN describes Haiti as the most dangerous place on earth and this haunting documentary shows us why.

  A look at the lives and origins of the young gangsters who control Haiti's shanty towns.
• 
  I, Robot (2004)

  Review preview for I, Robot

  It's familiar stuff, but it's rarely been done with such polish and gusto.

  Will Smith saves the world again, this time from robots.
• 
  King Kong (1933)

  Review preview for King Kong

  This 1933 classic is still the big daddy of all monster movies.

  Still the big daddy of all monster movies.
• 
  Los Debutantes (2003)

  Review preview for Los Debutantes

  In the end, Waissbluth, Rios et al are let down by the story.

  Chilian noir thriller involving an exotic dancer, teenage brothers, a sugar daddy and whipped cream.
• 
  Mambo Italiano (2003)

  Review preview for Mambo Italiano

  The script (Steve Galluccio, Emile Gaudreault)... is sporadically funny, although lacks bite, and there are too many safe options.

  Gentle comedy about a gay scriptwriter 'coming out' to his family.
• 
  The Mahabharata (1989)

  Review preview for The Mahabharata

  Holds your attention to the end.

  A marathon drama based on the Indian epic poem about rivalries in a family.
• 
  Mr Brooks (2007)

  Review preview for Mr Brooks

  A thoughtful and engaging piece - it might not be as clever as it thinks it is, but at least it tries.

  A glimpse into the life of a serial killer who must struggle against his alter ego as he attempts to quit.
• More (1969)

  Review preview for More

  The ingredients are there for a compelling story, but everything falls flat as the central relationship trudges along without ever really knowing where it's going.

  Sex drugs and death in Ibiza.
• 
  The Nasty Girl (1990)

  Review preview for The Nasty Girl

  Verhoeven paints a convincing picture of a small town with a big secret and asks serious questions about a still sensitive subject.

  A young German student gets more than she bargained for when she writes an essay about her home town during the Third Reich.
• 
  Northfork (2003)

  Review preview for Northfork

  It's a small film - it was shot on a shoestring in 24 days - that tackles big themes, such as love, loss, life and death, and never takes itself too seriously.

  The town of Northfork, Montana, is about to be dammed and flooded, but some of the residents are determined to stay in their surreal American fairytale.
• 
  The Official Story (1985)

  Review preview for The Official Story

  Aleandro beautifully captures Alicia's sense of loss as everything around her falls apart.

  A mother begins to question her own family after coming to suspect her adopted daughter was stolen from her real parents.
• 
  Roma (1972)

  Review preview for Roma

  Nostalgic, but never sentimental

  Impressionistic portrait of the Eternal City.
• 
  Reservoir Dogs (1992)

  Review preview for Reservoir Dogs

  Tarantino's talent for dialogue is what catapults Dogs into instant-classic status.

  Quentin Tarantino’s ultra-cool reworking of the tired old heist genre.
• School For Seduction (2004)

  Review preview for School For Seduction

  Written with Kelly Brook in mind and the much-maligned former host of Channel 4's Big Breakfast just about pulls it off, despite her ropey Italian accent.

  Romantic comedy about an Italian temptress who teaches the art of seduction to a group of Geordie women.
• 
  Song For A Raggy Boy (2003)

  Review preview for Song For A Raggy Boy

  Raggy Boy is based on a true story and never allows itself to conform to Hollywood's twee 'Oirishness'.

  Autobiographical account of life as a boy offender in an Irish Catholic reform school.
• Shopping (1993)

  Review preview for Shopping

  Everything hangs on Billy, but he's empty.

  Joyriding action with Jude Law and Sadie Frost.
• 
  Swept Away (1974)

  Review preview for Swept Away

  It isn't a bad film - it just doesn't amount to much.

  A rich socialite and a working-class deckhand are thrown together on a Mediterranean island.
• St Elmo's Fire (1985)

  Review preview for St Elmo's Fire

  The film is like a time capsule and you can't help watching it with a car-crash fascination.

  Eighties kitsch that follows a group of college buddies as they make their way in the real world.
• 
  Tarzan (1999)

  Review preview for Tarzan

  The film mixes good old-fashioned storytelling with state-of-the-art animation, and it's a winning combination.

  Animated version of the ape-man story... with added sugar.
• Till Death Us Do Part: The Complete 1974 Series (1974)

  Review preview for Till Death Us Do Part: The Complete 1974 Series

  It's meant to be offensive, and it is. The real problem is that it's just not very funny.

  Foul-mouthed rantings from Alf Garnett, the Cockney bigot.
• 
  Tarnation (2003)

  Review preview for Tarnation

  A nasty, shoddy, exploitative piece of self-promotion that leaves a bitter taste in the mouth.

  One man's ultra-personal documentary about growing up with a schizophrenic mum.
• 
  Vendredi Soir (2002)

  Review preview for Vendredi Soir

  A beautiful, sensual film that offers a new take on that oldest of clichés, the one-night stand.

  A one-night stand between strangers who meet in a Parisian traffic jam.
• 
  A Wedding (1978)

  Review preview for A Wedding

  Altman handles it all beautifully, with his trademark 'hands off' direction and overlapping dialogue capturing the mood perfectly.

  Trouble at a high society wedding.
• Whicker's World - Vol 1 (2005)

  Review preview for Whicker's World - Vol 1

  The secret of Whicker's success is that he never allows his ego to get in the way. He asks the questions, then shuts up and listens.

  Selection of Alan Whicker interviews.
• 
  The World At War (1974)

  Review preview for The World At War

  The most comprehensive account of World War Two ever seen on film.

  The definitive history of World War Two, narrated by Laurence Olivier and Eric Porter