"Actor: Jace Alexander"

• Matewan | DVD | (02/04/2001) from £N/A   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £15.99

  A little-known chapter of American labour history is brought vividly to life in this period drama from writer-director John Sayles. It's a fictional story about labour wars among West Virginia coal miners during the 1920s, but every detail is so right that the film has the unmistakable ring of truth. The tension begins when the Stone Mountain Coal Company of Matewan, West Virginia, announces a lower pay rate for miners, who respond by calling a strike under the leadership of a United Mine Workers representative (Chris Cooper). Proving strength in numbers, the miners are joined by black and Italian miners who initially resist the strike, and a fateful battle ensues when detectives hired by the coal company attempt to evict miners from company housing. Violence erupts in a sequence of astonishing, cathartic intensity, and Matewan achieves a rare degree of moral complexity combined with gut-wrenching tragedy. The film salutes a pacifist ideal while recognising that personal and political convictions often must be defended with violence. To illustrate this point, Sayles enlisted master cinematographer Haskell Wexler, who creates the film's authentic visual texture--a triumph of artistry over limited resources. The result is a milestone of independent filmmaking, and Matewan remains one of Sayles's finest achievements. --Jeff Shannon, Amazon.com

• Love And A .45 | DVD | (07/06/2004) from £N/A   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £9.99

  The violent story of two young lovers on a doomed journey outside of the law, Love & a .45 is perhaps most notable for the appearance of a pre-fame Renee Zellweger. The premise is not particularly original but has spawned some great movies over the years, from Bonnie and Clyde to A Life Less Ordinary. CM Talkington's film, however, fails to break free of cliché--whether it be through its cinematic techniques (voice-over, Tom Verlaine's blasting rock score) or Texan white-trash characterisation. There is much inspiration to be drawn from such a background (witness Brad Pitt's brooding performance in Kalifornia) but Gil Bellows simply isn't given the raw materials to work with. As for Zellweger, she spends most of the film wearing very few clothes, waving a gun around and generally being a million miles away from Bridget Jones. For a much better example of the couple-on-the-road movie look to True Romance or Jonathan Demme's underrated classic Something Wild. As for Love & A .45, it misses the target. On the DVD: the DVD format does enhance Love & A .45 to some degree. The picture quality is as bold and brash as the movie itself, and Verlaine's score sounds fantastic in Dolby Digital. Other than this slight additional polish to the original product, there's little of substance here.--Phil Udell