Pearce’s Film Reviews

242 Films have been rated or reviewed by Pearce.

Celine & Julie Go Boating (Celine et Julie vont en bateau) (1974): A spectacular movie which wrings magic from every frame despite using no special effects whatsoever: a symbol drawn absently with a shoe, the wind through the trees, a shot of a cat, and we're convinced something uncanny has happened.
10 (1979): This was a genuine surprise, what looked from the outside like a sexist comedy turned out to be a penetrating examination of male sexual inadequacy and ego, with expert slapstick to make it more palatable to a wide audience.
American Gigolo (1980): Unusual and highly stylised character study with many unexpected touches. Great early role for Bill Nunn.
Wing Chun (1994): One of the few old–school martial arts movies to put Michelle Yeoh front and centre, this silly comedy succeeds almost entirely on her enormous charisma and screen fighting skill. It's more than enough.
Girlfight (2000): I hate to bag on a fellow reviewer but putting Girlfight in the same category as Million Dollar Baby is like saying The Devil Wears Prada is like The Diving Bell and the Butterfly.
Crimes of the Future (1970): A more elaborate but less interesting companion to Stereo, this goes a bit deeper into the body horror that would characterise Cronenberg's career.
Stereo (1969): Hypnotic to the point of being sleep–inducing, this is a deceptively calm beginning to the director's feature film career.
Vampires (1998): I saw this the same night as Bride of Chucky and was appalled that the then–newest John Carpenter movie was so easily outclassed by Child's Play 4.
Puppet Master: The Littlest Reich (2018): This retread goes for mindless button–pushing over innovation or entertainment and finishes with a frustrating non–ending which hints at a sequel that isn't getting made. Some amusing bits and a nice cast but mostly a waste of time
Dagon (2001): On the one hand, this is just about the most faithful HP Lovecraft adaptation of all time. On the other hand, it's kind of a remake of Splash.

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Pearce’s Film Reviews