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In the Heat of the Night 1967
Sidney Poitier's big city cop is obliged to aid a rural Mississippi police chief to solve a murder. A traditional presentation of southern racism, where the white people are uniformly portrayed as racist, redneck idiots. The only subtlety is to be found in Rod Steiger's police chief, who recognises Poitier's talent, but is also inclined to believe in the superiority of whites. The action drags a little in parts, but it is a solid outing overall. I'm not sure I've…
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The Imposter 2012
Unsettling documentary about a troubled drifter who goes to extreme lengths to impersonate a missing Texas teenager. The film is really well shot and effectively makes use of several innovative techniques; for example, the imposter himself reenacts the key scenes of his story, which really brings the action to life. I was left vaguely dissatisfied at the apparent lack of resolution at the end, but it might be said that most stories end in this manner - the film is no weaker for it, in any case.
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Undefeated 2011
A wonderfully entertaining documentary which follows the fortunes of a high-school football team in Memphis for a season. Maybe there could have been more discussion of the 'white saviour' criticism the coaches seemed to be receiving, but this doesn't diminish the emotional strength of the film. One of the major strengths is the surprisingly intimate level of access which was granted to the makers, which resulted in a lot of touching scenes. Excellent.
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Zero Dark Thirty 2012
A pretty disappointing look at the hunt for Bin Laden. It seemed quite inauthentic in parts - Jessica Chastain's character seems like a composite of about ten different people, and yet she is still entirely one-dimensional. It's also pretty dubious from a moral standpoint - the film seems wholly convinced of the merits of torture. I won't be watching it again in a hurry.