Empire of the sun

Christian Bale's finest performance, arguably, thus far - in his debut film as a 13 year old. To put a 13 year old through every scene of a film, through a range of emotions that even the best would struggle with and essentially carry a movie of scale, needs balls. Steven Spielberg manages to do so in 1987 - and with some fine photography & direction. 

Christian Bale plays Jim Graham, a young British boy who has grown up in the Shanghai expat bubble scene as WWII enters its end game. Loses his parents through a tragic turn of events and spends the next 4 years more than surviving through all kinds of John Malkovich type hooligans. 

Outstanding.

Rating: * * * +

Burn After Reading

Ever wondered how a John le Carré spoof would turn out? Well you can stop wondering and walk into this flick by the Coen Brothers. The scene is Washington DC where mists of blackmail and clandestine affairs hover over the lives of men who work at Langley. A laugh riot whose tone is set in grave seriousness and lives in the realm of the surreal.

Rating: * * *