MamaGravity good back-story, and good acting

KnotStronger This is a must-see and one of the best documentaries - and films - of this year.

Stephan Hammond It is an exhilarating, distressing, funny and profound film, with one of the more memorable film scores in years,

Staci Frederick Blistering performances.

LeonLouisRicci Another Neo-Noir, this One from Austrailia, in the Tradition of John Dahl's Red Rock West (1993) and Oliver Stone's U-Turn (1997). Throw in a Little Coen Brothers and a Dash of Everything Else Ever in this Type of Thing and You have a Watered Down Version of Some Very Good and Entertaining Films in the Neo-Noir Genre.Unfortunately this is Nothing New and so Irritatingly Nothing New and that Keeps it from Becoming Remarkable. It isn't Bad its just a Bit Wearisome and Not that Well Crafted. There are Some Glaring Edits and Transitions that are Head Scratchers and Confusing. The Gist is that They just don't Make Any Logical Sense.The Appearance of a Formerly Beat Up Car, looking Raring and Ready to Go and the Jarring Scene where Our "Victim" of the Femme Fatale is Shown One Minute in a Watery Well and the Next is in Some Subterranean Situation of Tunnels and a Surprise.It is Worth a Watch for Some Striking Cinematography and a Quirky Score and the Thing Moves Along at a Pounding Pace. There is Fun to be had here if the Thinking Cap is Removed and the Popcorn is Buttery, but there isn't Much Style and the Inclusion of the Marching Bands as Something Edgy is More Corny than Cool.

cmoyton If you are going to rip off another movie it's a prerequisite that an effort is made to bring something new to the table . For a while at least Tarantino did it , making plagiarism an art form. When it fails all is left is a lame copycat - a la Swerve. Yes there are elements of U Turn here but mostly this is Nicholas Cage noir thriller Red Rock West revisitedYoung, honest but somewhat naiver ex army jobless drifter ends up in a rural backwater town he cannot escape. -Hooks up with a couple who happen to be a corrupt sheriff and his scheming femme fatale wife-A stash of stolen money-A hit-man in the town in pursuit -The film climax on the freight train carriage Sounds familiar ? Even tracking shots zooming in on the town road sign. Sigh. Sure there are some variations in the set up and script between the movies but the core of this film is a rip off. Add to that the cod Spaghetti western and coffee table muzak score. Not much to recommend Nic Cage at his peak, Dennis Hopper, J.T Walsh and Lara Flynn Boyle versus this lo brow Australian effort. No contest.

ptb-8 This gets a 6 out of ten and that is ONLY for the photography. Sadly SWERVE actually crashes from sheer improbable plot points and absurd action moments that leave the viewer less and less enthusiastic as the silliness rolls on. The opening sequence is terrific and if you saw U TURN in 1997 you will feel this film is almost an Australian remake. Once the deceit and double deceit begins to overtake the plausibility of choices (oh I dropped my car keys down that well where we just dumped a body) and stunts (Cop leaps onto roof of speeding train nonsense) SWERVE careens out of control of the reality it strives to show. Good looking Aussie cast and very well realized production, SWERVE starts to ask too much of its audience when THE NARROW MARGIN sequence takes over and we are on a speeding train complete with every cast member who hasn't been whacked... and a few who have. The lead character really could just have gone home at any time leaving the femme fatale in the dust, and the most eyerolling moment comes when he retrieves his car and comes speeding back to town (why?) for a beer at the pub. In a previous scene all 4 tyres were shot out from the car and the window smashed. However after retrieving his keys he just speeds back into town car all fixed up somehow... especially when the car was damaged in front of the crime scenes on a property surely under investigation by now. Also magically their house has a second floor which is never seen from outside as every shot shows it as a single floor dwelling... but inside there is a stairway up to another floor. It all gets sillier and asks the audience to be really dumb and not think for a minute about what just happened and go with whatever is on screen exactly this every second. It copies a lot of U TURN ans some of NARROW MARGIN and wants to be NORTH BY NORTHWEST. It is none of those at all. The audience tolerance for the implausibility takes a u-turn when the chief cop rushes to the local railway station to catch up with his wife and our hero leaving on a train (like it is 1955) ...he gasps as the train rolls out of the station... all of which begs the obvious question: why did he not just radio ahead to the station ID himself and tell the stationmaster to hold the train?. SWERVE is another good looking well made film that will only appeal to morons, and those few who might rent the DVD one day in a weekly stack of 10 for $5. There is a character killed who we do not see previously: his body is found (in the mineshaft... yes the ol' silver mine) and they later discuss him as if we know who he is. At 83 minutes SWERVE did not avoid the speedy editing scissors either.

Tony Rome This film just had its North American premiere this evening at The Hamptons International Film Festival. The crowd loved this picture. It is big on action and suspense, and it has a strange twist, which I will not disclose. The story is set in a small village in Australia, in which an innocent by standard is inadvertently drawn into a web of sex, drugs, money, and murder. These are all elements that make a good action film. The acting is very well done, the photography and direction are excellent, and Emma Boothe is really sexy. The film received a standing ovation in East Hampton NY, it should hopefully get a wide release *****