The Year and the Vineyard (El Año y la Viña) is lovely. That’s the only way to begin this review, because it is a film that makes you feel so warm inside, you want to run through meadows shouting about its loveliness. A Spanish fantasy-comedy-romance, which blends time-travel with friendship, love and gentle, sweet humour, The Year and the Vineyard is a seventy-four minute joy.
by Hayley Charlesworth
The Year and the Vineyard (El Año y la Viña) is lovely. That’s the only way to begin this review, because it is a film that makes you feel so warm inside, you want to run through meadows shouting about its loveliness. A Spanish fantasy-comedy-romance, which blends time-travel with friendship, love and gentle, sweet humour, The Year and the Vineyard is a seventy-four minute joy. It's the middle of 2014 as as you wrack your brains as to how quickly the year has gone, it's time to celebrate the goodness that has descended onto our screens already. So far, the cinematic fares have been so impeccable, it's easy to claim 2014 as one of the best years of cinema. And the treats just keep on coming, with So join the I'm With Geek film team as they reminisce on their favourites and herald those that they are looking forward to. Do you agree? by Hayley Charlesworth Charles Dickens’ Oliver Twist story has been told and retold numerous times in cinema, from Roman Polanski’s take to the iconic musical adaptation. But one version seems to have slipped under the radar. Twist, from director Jacob Tierney, relocates the story from Victorian London to early-2000s Toronto, and tells the story from the perspective of the Artful Dodger, or Dodge as he is known here. by Hayley Charlesworth It’s Canada Day, and what better way to celebrate than with the most awesome Canadian action comedy film of all time? Granted, that is a very small category, but it should not diminish the excellence of Scott Pilgrim vs the World. Part coming-of-age comedy, part epic video game battles to the death, Scott Pilgrim is a truly unique vision from UK director Edgar Wright (he of The Cornetto Trilogy) based on Canadian Bryan O’Malley’s even funnier comic book. It also marks the high point of Michael Cera’s career, and proves that there’s an even better Culkin than Macauley out there, so there’s that. by Hayley Charlesworth With the cinematic release of young adult behemoth The Fault in Our Stars this week, all attention has turned to the successes and failures of young adult adaptations in cinema. And while most of the attention these days seems to be focused on teenagers surviving supernatural or dystopic worlds, John Green’s story of cancer sufferers in love reminds us that teen success can also be found much closer to our reality. In celebration, I’m With Geek runs down just some of the best book-to-film young adult adaptations. by Hayley Charlesworth A combination of heist movie, surrealism and comedy, La Distancia is one of the most gloriously strange films at the East End Film Festival. Sergio Caballero's second feature is a delightful, increasingly bizarre sci-fi set in Siberia, in Catalonian. And at only roughly 80 minutes long, it's a snapshot of peculiarity that doesn't get old. by Hayley Charlesworth In the world of the dance movie, the ballerina is king, or rather queen. After all, ballet has provided us with classics like The Red Shoes and critically acclaimed films such as Black Swan. However, ballet also gave us Center Stage, a film with absolutely stunning choreography but an incredibly clichéd script, starring a younger Zoe Saldana and Sandy Cohen from The OC. by Hayley Charlesworth Dickens is no stranger to the cinema screen. Adaptations of his work have lit up the silver screen for decades, and The Invisible Woman, released on DVD this week, is only the latest in that long list. But why is Dickens' work such an important source of inspiration for film-makers? There's his colourful, unique characterisation, endlessly relatable situations of society's downtrodden, or simply fantastic storytelling. Whatever the reason, Dickens' work has made for some fine cinema. Here are just some of the very best. |
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