"Brothers of the Head", directed by Keith Fulton and Louis Pepe

Movie, 2005

Gritty film about the rise of a pub/punk rock band fronted by Siamese twins. The film pulls off the trick of being sympathetic, critical and non-exploitative, partly through using narratives - most prominently the mockumentary mix of interviews and Ken Russell's fictional cinematic take. The story is, however, tried and tested. Sex, drugs and rock and roll are reeled out and held for criticisms and critiques. As cliches, they're used to reflect on the plight of the twins, but they're cliches all the same; ironically, the interest in the film is in the voyeuristic view of the twins. Not a bad film, though not great. 

"Macbeth", directed by Justin Kurzel

Movie, 2015

A film which turns the play on its head, from a pacy plot which builds tension, to something pushing style at the expense of substance and in shortening the running time, makes the whole thing drag. An achievement of sorts. While there are some interesting ideas, including the battle scenes, the whole piece feels like a series of disjointed moments and there are times when the director's vision and cinematography go into overdrive and swamp everything else. Not the greatest introduction to the Bard.