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Winter's Bone 2010
Watched by Robin Layfield 28 Apr, 2012 Excellent drama. Tense, threatening and populated with a convincing cast. Winter's Bone tells the story of a teenager struggling to care for her family and finding her home under threat of repossession after her father skips bail.
Backed into a corner, she has no choice but to pursue the truth, whatever it might turn out to be.
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No Country for Old Men 2007
Watched by Robin Layfield 30 Sep, 2011 Beautifully filmed, visually stark and gripping story of a domino effect caused by a shootout that changes one man's life forever.
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Spirited Away 2002
by Robin Layfield 18 Mar, 2012 This is no Hollywood fairy tale.
I admire John Lasseter for getting behind Studio Ghibli's output and not letting these films become Americanized. They are quirky and mysterious and beautiful, often equally grounded between European and Japanese folklore, stealing cultural elements from both.
Miyazaki has a number of tropes that he likes to lean on: physical changes, witchcraft, rain, umbrellas, warty grandmothers, transport and a theme of remembering who you are. These are all present in Spirited Away in abundance.…
