ALLAN HUNTER at the Movies SHORTLY BEFORE his death in 1996, the great Polish filmmaker Krzysztof Kieslowski was working on a new trilogy of films inspired by the concepts of Heaven, Hell and Purgatory. The first screenplay was filmed in 2002 by director Tom Tykwer. Now, Oscar-winning ‘No Man’s Land’ director Denis Tanovic has assumed […]

ALLAN HUNTER at the Movies URBAN PREJUDICES lock horns with deep-rooted rural values in ‘Junebug’, a slight but perceptive first feature film from director Phil Morrison. A prodigal son’s homecoming is played for gentle comedy and quiet despair in a wry, deadpan screenplay by Angus MacLachlan that allows the performers to get their teeth into […]

ALLAN HUNTER at the Movies BETWEEN 1934 and 1956, Albert Pierrepoint was responsible for the deaths of more than 600 individuals. Some might consider him one of Britain’s most notorious serial killers, but in fact death was his profession. He was a hangman who took great pride in his work. ‘Pierrepoint’ tries to convey the […]

ALLAN HUNTER at the Movies SCOTTISH DIRECTOR Michael Caton-Jones has kept a low profile in recent years. All that is about to change as he releases two new films on the very same day. One of them is the big budget Sharon Stone vehicle ‘Basic Instinct 2’. The other is ‘Shooting Dogs’, a restrained and […]

The Broch, Fraserburgh, 25 March 2006

ALLAN HUNTER at the Movies A SMART, SINEWY thriller in the tradition of ‘The Usual Suspects’, ‘Inside Man’ is the most entertaining film that Spike Lee has made in a long while. The quintessential New York filmmaker brings style and polish to a fresh, involving screenplay that recalls such landmark 1970s thrillers as ‘Dog Day […]

ALLAN HUNTER at the Movies ONE OF THE most pleasing Oscar victories this year was the choice of ‘Tsotsi’ as Best Foreign Language Film. This impressive South African production won the Audience Award at last year’s Edinburgh Film Festival, and has gone from strength to strength as it has journeyed around the world. Based on […]

ALLAN HUNTER at the Movies IT IS THE season for serious-minded, heavyweight Oscar-winners. If you are searching for a lighter alternative then there is no better recommendation than ‘The World’s Fastest Indian’, a beguiling, old-fashioned heartwarmer inspired by true events from the 1960s. It’s star attraction is a thoroughly charming performance from Anthony Hopkins that […]

ALLAN HUNTER at the Movies OIL CAN BE a curse and a blessing. The economic benefits to an area are often incalculable. The political fall-out is never-ending. In the wide-ranging drama ‘Syriana’, oil is at the root of all evil. Stretching from the Persian Gulf to Beirut and the playgrounds of Europe, this ambitious mosaic […]

ALLAN HUNTER at the Movies JOHNNY CASH was one of the great icons of popular American music. He had an unforgettable rumble of a voice that rose from the depths of his soul and spoke of pain, heartache and regret. It would be hard for any single film to do justice to his life, but […]