Weekly Review -- Valentines and... werewolves?!

Dog Soldiers (2002) -- As I have said in my Werewolf Hunter review, the number of successful werewolf movies was at an all-time low in the past few years. Dog Soldiers is a good action/horror entry, with enough originality to make it a cut above the rest. At the beginning, we see a group of soldiers on an exercise in the Scottish highlands. The ragtag group includes hardened Sgt. Wells (Sean Pertwee), by-the-book Pvt. Cooper (Kevin McKidd) and soccer-obsessed Pvt. Kirkley (Chris Robson). During their routine, the group happens upon a scene of a massacre, finding only one survivor, Captain Ryan (Liam Cunningham). Ranting and raving, the captain seems to hint at what took place. Soon enough, the soldiers realize that they are being hunted by a lycanthrope and, aided by zoologist Megan (Julianne Moore lookalike Emma Cleasby), try to survive the night. The isolated and unfamiliar nature terrain is perfect for a werewolf tale, embodying the characters' claustrophobia and enhancing their new status as prey. Each of the soldiers is distinctly drawn out, although I had a problem with some of the characters having been taken almost directly from Aliens. The film also showcases a strong female character in Megan, showing that recent British horror is more progressive in this regard than recent American horror. I liked the occasional touches of humor, like Kirkley's soccer adoration and the last image at the end credits (make sure to keep watching!). I felt that some of the film's gore was unnecessary, but the good thing is that it actually proved to be essential to the story. The script is clever, with some truly poignant moments; the dialogue between Wells and Cooper near the end is brutally honest and uncompromising. The film veers off course a bit in the last 45 minutes, getting lost in its effects and shoot-outs, but gets back on track due to interesting interactions between the characters and intelligent twists. With well-timed scares, humor and appropriate settings, this is a film that all action and horror afficionados should see.

7/10


The Truth About Love (2004) -- Memorable romantic comedies are a rare find nowadays. Many lack whimsical charm and humor; some others lack chemistry between the leads (!); some others yet are not big on clever writing. This film was a pleasant surprise. Alice (Jennifer Love Hewitt) receives a Valentine from a secret admirer. Little does she know that the card comes from her husband Sam's (Jimi Mistry) best friend Archie (Dougray Scott), who has had an intense crush on Alice for a while. Since Alice makes the card known to Sam, she decides to test him and sends him an anonymous card herself. From that moment, a sexy game of kiss-and-tell unravels, revealing more about the players than they have (probably) wanted to know. The screenplay is poignant and mature. It serves up meaningful dialogue, cares about the characters and does not ignore them for the sake of frivolous gags. Scott puts his heart into his performance as the lovelorn, smart Archie, while Mistry is convincing as Alice's wheeling-and-dealing husband. The supporting characters are original, too, from Alice's promiscuous sister (Kate Miles) to Branka Katic's aggressive Katya. The biggest discovery for me, though, was Hewitt's performance. I have never been really impressed by her, but here she gives a subtle and touching performance as the disillusioned and resourceful wife. The ending scenes are a bit of a minus, stretching the fantasy element almost too far and testing the carefully attained viewing audience's patience, but they do not deter from the sweet honesty of the film. This is one Truth worth learning.

8/10