The Way Way Back - "You're a 3/10"
Jim Rash & Nat Faxon bring us they're highly anticipated follow up project after much success with their Oscar winning "The Descendants". The Way Way Back fits into the genre of "that summer that changed it all" and instead of being too cliche it's actually rather fresh and invigorating. Duncan is your everyday 14 year old kid seeking acceptance outside his dysfunctional family and is dragged along to his mothers boyfriend's beach house for the summer. His mother is played by Toni Collette who gives a solid performance of a woman with little left to hold onto in this world, reuniting with her "Little Miss Sunshine" co-star Steve Carell they share a brutal on screen relationship that is falling apart at the seams. Steve Carell plays "Trent" a surprisingly good passive-aggressive asshole who has it out for Duncan and doesn't hide the fact.
When they arrive at the beach house they are greeted by "Betty" played by the wonderful Allison Janney who serves as some welcome comedic relief & introduces Duncan to her daughter "Susanna" played by the gorgeous AnnaSophia Robb. Admiring from a distance is the name of the game as Duncan doesn't possess the ability to talk to girls UNTIL he meets the always charming Sam Rockwell who owns the local water park and offers him a job and shows him the ropes of social interaction, a department in which Duncan is clearly lacking. Writers Nat Faxon & Jim Rash both play very comedic roles as water park employees and their on screen chemistry is terrific. It's really sweet seeing Duncan & Susanna grow closer and closer as both their families are too preoccupied with each other to give the time of day to their children. Sam Rockwells character also helps Duncan deal with the abuse he's receiving from Trent.
As the summer plays out Duncan learns to tune out the abuse and make the most of his friendship with Susanna as he falls more and more in love with her, always seeking guidance from Sam Rockwell and generally doing well at making friends. It's not all sunshine and rainbows as some dark subplots not worth spoiling do play out but I can definitely say it's well worth watching, you'll laugh a lot, maybe even cry but you won't walk out yet again feeling burned by a mediocre film. I look forward to seeing what Jim Rash & Nat Faxon have for us next year. 4.5/5
Monday, 9 September 2013
Thursday, 25 July 2013
The Wolverine Film Review
The Wolverine - "That day ain't here yet"
The Wolverine returns in this 2013 sequel to "X-Men Origins: Wolverine" which didn't quite hit the mark, I'm pleased to say this one succeeds where the other did not. It's comic book reference heavy whilst also being simple enough for the casual viewer. There is much more character development in this film of the supporting role and for Logan himself. At times it was dull and we needed to keep the ball rolling so the pacing has some issues, it's not going 100MPH like the it's predecessor. Hugh Jackman seemed much more settled and comfortable in his role, I would think Director James Mangold had a large role to play in this as he is a tried and true actor director, his visual aesthetic for action was very appropriate, no quick cutting and extreme close ups like in the Bourne series. The camera doesn't jump and the action is in full frame.
Japan was a very interesting storyline to choose, a Japanese soldier Logan saved in WWII requests Logan's presence to say thank you, or does he have ulterior motives? The plot was coherent and had enough semi-twists to keep you guessing, the villains were actually a threat unlike in the terrible "Iron Man 3". These villains were formidable & it showed, Logan is vulnerable the entire film & his human side really shines, it was nice to see that he still cares about something, they made a point of showing how he is in the comics a guy with a hard edge but a heart. The action isn't terribly entertaining, younger boys and girls should be deeply satisfied with it, it's not rated MA15+ so the lack of blood in these films is getting tiresome especially since we came so close to an R rated Wolverine film.
It was fantastic to see the focus purely on Logan, the problem with Origins was that it was saturated with too many mutants and terrible hollow CGI. The CGI in this is fairly flawless and there are roughly 3 mutants in the entire film. The tone is consistent, it focuses on the right people and is the stand alone Wolverine film we wanted. It also sets up "X-Men: Days Of Future Past" with a fucking amazing post credits scene that you need to stick around for. I can't wait to get back to the original cast and have a true X-Men film.
Overall it's serviceable, not perfect but a big step up from Origins. I can't imagine too much disappointment, go in with low expectations and just enjoy an actor orientated director play with a superhero like "Wolverine". It redeemed the character and will renew faith for the entire X-Men franchise, especially since Brian Singer has returned to the directors chair. 3.6/5
The Wolverine returns in this 2013 sequel to "X-Men Origins: Wolverine" which didn't quite hit the mark, I'm pleased to say this one succeeds where the other did not. It's comic book reference heavy whilst also being simple enough for the casual viewer. There is much more character development in this film of the supporting role and for Logan himself. At times it was dull and we needed to keep the ball rolling so the pacing has some issues, it's not going 100MPH like the it's predecessor. Hugh Jackman seemed much more settled and comfortable in his role, I would think Director James Mangold had a large role to play in this as he is a tried and true actor director, his visual aesthetic for action was very appropriate, no quick cutting and extreme close ups like in the Bourne series. The camera doesn't jump and the action is in full frame.
Japan was a very interesting storyline to choose, a Japanese soldier Logan saved in WWII requests Logan's presence to say thank you, or does he have ulterior motives? The plot was coherent and had enough semi-twists to keep you guessing, the villains were actually a threat unlike in the terrible "Iron Man 3". These villains were formidable & it showed, Logan is vulnerable the entire film & his human side really shines, it was nice to see that he still cares about something, they made a point of showing how he is in the comics a guy with a hard edge but a heart. The action isn't terribly entertaining, younger boys and girls should be deeply satisfied with it, it's not rated MA15+ so the lack of blood in these films is getting tiresome especially since we came so close to an R rated Wolverine film.
It was fantastic to see the focus purely on Logan, the problem with Origins was that it was saturated with too many mutants and terrible hollow CGI. The CGI in this is fairly flawless and there are roughly 3 mutants in the entire film. The tone is consistent, it focuses on the right people and is the stand alone Wolverine film we wanted. It also sets up "X-Men: Days Of Future Past" with a fucking amazing post credits scene that you need to stick around for. I can't wait to get back to the original cast and have a true X-Men film.
Overall it's serviceable, not perfect but a big step up from Origins. I can't imagine too much disappointment, go in with low expectations and just enjoy an actor orientated director play with a superhero like "Wolverine". It redeemed the character and will renew faith for the entire X-Men franchise, especially since Brian Singer has returned to the directors chair. 3.6/5
Friday, 5 July 2013
Man Of Steel Film Review
Man Of Steel - "If you love these people so much, you can mourn for them!"
It's back to the drawing board for this iteration of "Superman". It was essential to course correct when attempting another superman film because "Superman Returns" was a critical and financial disaster, it was so dull with such little action and an abundance of terrible dialogue combined with an uninspiring Lois Lane and weak looking Clark Kent. Because Christopher Nolan's Batman's exist the tone needed to match those, which I felt it did, the action also needed to be revamped, there's little to no classic Superman saves in this film, it focused on Kryptonian V Kryptonian which makes for very visceral action sequences. Entire Cities are leveled, hundreds of thousands of people are slaughtered, it's a full blown alien invasion. Martha and Jonathan Kent are given much meatier roles, particularly Jonathan Kent who is the voice of reason in Clarke's mind, his moral center & guiding compass. Kevin Costner's performance was perfect, nothing negative to say there. His parental guidance was much more contemporary, advising Clarke to be secretive and not share his gifts with the world unless he has to because undoubtedly the world would turn on him. "We don't like what we don't understand"
Henry Cavill really captures the look of Superman with his perfect muscular physique, the deep voice, the deep set cheek bones he IS Superman. Amy Adams as Lois Lane is much more successful than Kate Bosworth but still doesn't compare to the perfect Erica Durance from "Smallville". The casting by and large is filled with competent character actors as opposed to "big names". Kevin Costner and Russel Crowe are the only real A-listers in the film. Casting Laurence Fishburne as Perry White was genius, he's criminally underused sadly, I hope his role is expanded in the sequel, but his performance is strong and centered, really the only man that can reign Lois Lane in. Michael Shannon as General Zod was an interesting choice, he's a very large intimidating man in real life so he suits the role, I can't say he necessarily "owned" the role, he was very good and convincing but nothing of Joker quality, he was on par with Tom Hardy as "Bane". Russel Crowe on the other hand completely owned the role of Jor-el, much better than the over rated Marlon Brando. Christopher Meloni was a welcome sight as Colonel Hardy, he was fearsome, the only human to survive a fight with a Kyptonian I believe. The casting is the best out of any Superman film.
The story and character development were aplenty, we pretty much received Clark Kent's entire life story from birth on Krypton to age 30 on Earth. Character motivations were explored sufficiently. The action was entertaining, the script whilst being nothing Oscar worthy was very well thought out for a Superman film, Zac Snyder's direction very much suited an action orientated Superman film, his visual aesthetic lends itself to a Superhero like this. None of his trademark slow-motion but still very good. The special effects are flawless, nothing seemed out of place or hollow. There's never a boring moment, the franchise is in competent hands it's just terrific to see the Man of Steel TRULY return to the silver screen. It's tonally much darker and adult themed, catering to an older audience. Overall it's great fun, visually pleasing however see it in 2D, as the 3D is useless and only there for cost. 5/5
Bechdel Test: The film has multiple female characters, but they don't converse this film fails the bechdel test
It's back to the drawing board for this iteration of "Superman". It was essential to course correct when attempting another superman film because "Superman Returns" was a critical and financial disaster, it was so dull with such little action and an abundance of terrible dialogue combined with an uninspiring Lois Lane and weak looking Clark Kent. Because Christopher Nolan's Batman's exist the tone needed to match those, which I felt it did, the action also needed to be revamped, there's little to no classic Superman saves in this film, it focused on Kryptonian V Kryptonian which makes for very visceral action sequences. Entire Cities are leveled, hundreds of thousands of people are slaughtered, it's a full blown alien invasion. Martha and Jonathan Kent are given much meatier roles, particularly Jonathan Kent who is the voice of reason in Clarke's mind, his moral center & guiding compass. Kevin Costner's performance was perfect, nothing negative to say there. His parental guidance was much more contemporary, advising Clarke to be secretive and not share his gifts with the world unless he has to because undoubtedly the world would turn on him. "We don't like what we don't understand"
Henry Cavill really captures the look of Superman with his perfect muscular physique, the deep voice, the deep set cheek bones he IS Superman. Amy Adams as Lois Lane is much more successful than Kate Bosworth but still doesn't compare to the perfect Erica Durance from "Smallville". The casting by and large is filled with competent character actors as opposed to "big names". Kevin Costner and Russel Crowe are the only real A-listers in the film. Casting Laurence Fishburne as Perry White was genius, he's criminally underused sadly, I hope his role is expanded in the sequel, but his performance is strong and centered, really the only man that can reign Lois Lane in. Michael Shannon as General Zod was an interesting choice, he's a very large intimidating man in real life so he suits the role, I can't say he necessarily "owned" the role, he was very good and convincing but nothing of Joker quality, he was on par with Tom Hardy as "Bane". Russel Crowe on the other hand completely owned the role of Jor-el, much better than the over rated Marlon Brando. Christopher Meloni was a welcome sight as Colonel Hardy, he was fearsome, the only human to survive a fight with a Kyptonian I believe. The casting is the best out of any Superman film.
The story and character development were aplenty, we pretty much received Clark Kent's entire life story from birth on Krypton to age 30 on Earth. Character motivations were explored sufficiently. The action was entertaining, the script whilst being nothing Oscar worthy was very well thought out for a Superman film, Zac Snyder's direction very much suited an action orientated Superman film, his visual aesthetic lends itself to a Superhero like this. None of his trademark slow-motion but still very good. The special effects are flawless, nothing seemed out of place or hollow. There's never a boring moment, the franchise is in competent hands it's just terrific to see the Man of Steel TRULY return to the silver screen. It's tonally much darker and adult themed, catering to an older audience. Overall it's great fun, visually pleasing however see it in 2D, as the 3D is useless and only there for cost. 5/5
Bechdel Test: The film has multiple female characters, but they don't converse this film fails the bechdel test
Sunday, 30 June 2013
World War Z Film Review
World War Z - "A week ago there was a memo sent from this installation containing the word Zombie"
A year before release red flags popped up, with one of the most plagued productions in history it was not looking good for World War Z. They had to re-shoot the entire 3rd act and Brad Pitt feuded with Director Marc Forster about script changes. Fast forward to release and ironically back from the dead World War Z is fantastic from beginning to end. A true blockbuster, a global trotting one that pretty much begins 3 minutes in and doesn't let up. Extremely fast paced we witness the initial spread of the virus that brings the dead back to life. They chose to use fast paced zombies as opposed to the brain dead walkers which I think for this film was a wise choice, they pose a more credible threat, harder to repel. Brad Pitt plays Gerry Lane an ex United Nations investigator who is pulled back into work to find the source of the outbreak in the hopes of creating a vaccine. After he is made a priority by the offshore US forces his family is evacuated to the safety of an aircraft carrier he is then given a choice, help stop the outbreak or be booted off the ship.
Gerry Lane is given a C-130 transport and a security team escort. This film really does feel global which was nice to see usually zombie films are set in the USA and we have to use out imagination but in this we see South Korea, Israel, India, America, Russia & Whales all go down as hoards of infected sweep the globe. I didn't mind the PG-13 rating as I didn't need the traditional zombie gore to be entertained. Brad Pitt really is a movie star, I cared about his character and his families well being, the film is also littered with cameos from famous actors who all deliver top notch performances. The set pieces in this film are amazing, particularly when they arrive in Israel where that have managed to erect giant walls to create a safe zone for survivors, and as seen in the trailer it doesn't last long. That entire set piece as we see the city fall is amazing, they run through hoards of screaming people and infected trying to get to a helicopter pad and it's heart pounding entertainment.
What makes this film a little more relatable is the fact that Gerry Lane isn't a hero or some amazingly skilled soldier he's just an investigator that doesn't fight unless he has to, essentially he's on the run for the whole film because it's pointless fighting millions of infected.
It's a great day for women it seems in the zombie apocalypse, the film brilliantly exploits the female soldiers in Israel, they are tough mother fuckers that aren't to be messed with, it was great to see it wasn't one big testosterone fest with men saving the day, through various circumstances a lone Israeli female soldier teams up with Brad and acts as his security force for the last half of the film and she is nothing but bad ass, a well trained killing machine. The re-shot 3rd act of the film is fantastic, this is where the horror elements come into play I won't spoil anything but it's the strongest segment of the film set in a semi-abandoned hospital. What's more to say really? It's fun, exciting, scary & overall a fantastic time at the theaters! I recommend everyone see it so we can get a sequel, I can't wait to see where he goes next. 5/5
Bechdel Test: There are multiple female characters however they don't converse, this film fails the Bechdel test
A year before release red flags popped up, with one of the most plagued productions in history it was not looking good for World War Z. They had to re-shoot the entire 3rd act and Brad Pitt feuded with Director Marc Forster about script changes. Fast forward to release and ironically back from the dead World War Z is fantastic from beginning to end. A true blockbuster, a global trotting one that pretty much begins 3 minutes in and doesn't let up. Extremely fast paced we witness the initial spread of the virus that brings the dead back to life. They chose to use fast paced zombies as opposed to the brain dead walkers which I think for this film was a wise choice, they pose a more credible threat, harder to repel. Brad Pitt plays Gerry Lane an ex United Nations investigator who is pulled back into work to find the source of the outbreak in the hopes of creating a vaccine. After he is made a priority by the offshore US forces his family is evacuated to the safety of an aircraft carrier he is then given a choice, help stop the outbreak or be booted off the ship.
Gerry Lane is given a C-130 transport and a security team escort. This film really does feel global which was nice to see usually zombie films are set in the USA and we have to use out imagination but in this we see South Korea, Israel, India, America, Russia & Whales all go down as hoards of infected sweep the globe. I didn't mind the PG-13 rating as I didn't need the traditional zombie gore to be entertained. Brad Pitt really is a movie star, I cared about his character and his families well being, the film is also littered with cameos from famous actors who all deliver top notch performances. The set pieces in this film are amazing, particularly when they arrive in Israel where that have managed to erect giant walls to create a safe zone for survivors, and as seen in the trailer it doesn't last long. That entire set piece as we see the city fall is amazing, they run through hoards of screaming people and infected trying to get to a helicopter pad and it's heart pounding entertainment.
What makes this film a little more relatable is the fact that Gerry Lane isn't a hero or some amazingly skilled soldier he's just an investigator that doesn't fight unless he has to, essentially he's on the run for the whole film because it's pointless fighting millions of infected.
It's a great day for women it seems in the zombie apocalypse, the film brilliantly exploits the female soldiers in Israel, they are tough mother fuckers that aren't to be messed with, it was great to see it wasn't one big testosterone fest with men saving the day, through various circumstances a lone Israeli female soldier teams up with Brad and acts as his security force for the last half of the film and she is nothing but bad ass, a well trained killing machine. The re-shot 3rd act of the film is fantastic, this is where the horror elements come into play I won't spoil anything but it's the strongest segment of the film set in a semi-abandoned hospital. What's more to say really? It's fun, exciting, scary & overall a fantastic time at the theaters! I recommend everyone see it so we can get a sequel, I can't wait to see where he goes next. 5/5
Bechdel Test: There are multiple female characters however they don't converse, this film fails the Bechdel test
Saturday, 22 June 2013
The Hunt Film Review
The Hunt - "I want a word with Theo. Look into my eyes. Look me in the eyes. What do you see? Do you see anything? Nothing. There's nothing."
Danish screenwriter and director Thomas Vinterberg's eighth feature film which he co-wrote with Danish screenwriter and director Tobias Lindholm and co-produced, premiered In competition at the 65th Cannes International Film Festival in 2012. A Danish production which was shot on location in Denmark and produced by Danish producer and screenwriter Morten Kaufmann and Danish producer Sisse Graum Jørgensen. It tells the story about Lucas, a recently divorced middle-aged man who just began working at a kindergarten and who wishes to spend more time with his teenage son Marcus who lives with his mother. After starting a romance with a foreign woman named Nadja things begin looking up for Lucas (Mads Mikkelsen), but one day during a conversation with Grethe who runs the day-care center, he learns that a girl named Klara has told her an unsettling story about him. In a matter of days a spark is turned into a flame and a harmonic village into an irrational witch-hunt against one individual.
One of the most moving pictures of the year and needs to be seen by radical feminists worldwide, not all men are untrustworthy rapists and child molesters, and when accusations are made evidence needs to be the number 1 priority. Innocent until proven guilty. Finely and acutely directed by Danish filmmaker Thomas Vinterberg, this instantly involving fictional tale which is narrated from multiple viewpoints, draws a profoundly heartrending portrayal of a little girl who after being unintentionally hurt by a well-liked man whom she has a childhood crush on, unknowingly and with only a few words incriminates him by expressing her anger to the head of the kindergarten. While notable for it's naturalistic rural milieu depictions. This somewhat romantic, at times humorous, atmospheric and tangible intrigue about family relations, friendship and irrevocable accusations, where a friendship is tested, a hunter becomes the hunted and the question of guilt transforms ordinary people into paranoid savages is impelled and reinforced by it's cogent narrative structure, subtle character development, mysterious characters, brilliant writing, the tailor-made though distinct and accomplished acting performances by Danish actor Mads Mikkelsen, who is definitely at a high point in his career, recently starring in the hit show "Hannibal" & winning best actor at Cannes film festival for his brilliant performance in "The Hunt"
It's an unflinching drama where a mans life is ripped from his hands, his world implodes and one little lie from a hurt little girl ruins everything. It is not a story told tenderly, it shows you just how soul destroying this innocent mans journey is, but its thrilling at the same time because it is so unpredictable, I had no idea how this tale would end which is the way films should be made. The cast is by and large unknown to me but they are fantastic, doesn't matter how large the role they nail it. It's haunting, touching & thought provoking but most of all very recommendable and a must see. Please go out and see "The Hunt" 5/5
Danish screenwriter and director Thomas Vinterberg's eighth feature film which he co-wrote with Danish screenwriter and director Tobias Lindholm and co-produced, premiered In competition at the 65th Cannes International Film Festival in 2012. A Danish production which was shot on location in Denmark and produced by Danish producer and screenwriter Morten Kaufmann and Danish producer Sisse Graum Jørgensen. It tells the story about Lucas, a recently divorced middle-aged man who just began working at a kindergarten and who wishes to spend more time with his teenage son Marcus who lives with his mother. After starting a romance with a foreign woman named Nadja things begin looking up for Lucas (Mads Mikkelsen), but one day during a conversation with Grethe who runs the day-care center, he learns that a girl named Klara has told her an unsettling story about him. In a matter of days a spark is turned into a flame and a harmonic village into an irrational witch-hunt against one individual.
One of the most moving pictures of the year and needs to be seen by radical feminists worldwide, not all men are untrustworthy rapists and child molesters, and when accusations are made evidence needs to be the number 1 priority. Innocent until proven guilty. Finely and acutely directed by Danish filmmaker Thomas Vinterberg, this instantly involving fictional tale which is narrated from multiple viewpoints, draws a profoundly heartrending portrayal of a little girl who after being unintentionally hurt by a well-liked man whom she has a childhood crush on, unknowingly and with only a few words incriminates him by expressing her anger to the head of the kindergarten. While notable for it's naturalistic rural milieu depictions. This somewhat romantic, at times humorous, atmospheric and tangible intrigue about family relations, friendship and irrevocable accusations, where a friendship is tested, a hunter becomes the hunted and the question of guilt transforms ordinary people into paranoid savages is impelled and reinforced by it's cogent narrative structure, subtle character development, mysterious characters, brilliant writing, the tailor-made though distinct and accomplished acting performances by Danish actor Mads Mikkelsen, who is definitely at a high point in his career, recently starring in the hit show "Hannibal" & winning best actor at Cannes film festival for his brilliant performance in "The Hunt"
It's an unflinching drama where a mans life is ripped from his hands, his world implodes and one little lie from a hurt little girl ruins everything. It is not a story told tenderly, it shows you just how soul destroying this innocent mans journey is, but its thrilling at the same time because it is so unpredictable, I had no idea how this tale would end which is the way films should be made. The cast is by and large unknown to me but they are fantastic, doesn't matter how large the role they nail it. It's haunting, touching & thought provoking but most of all very recommendable and a must see. Please go out and see "The Hunt" 5/5
Tuesday, 11 June 2013
Evil Dead FIlm Review
Evil Dead - "If we want to help Mia... we're gonna have to kill her."
This is not the most terrifying film you will ever experience. The first evil dead still remains one of the greatest timeless horrors in film history, one of the original cabin in the woods tales with a terrifying twist. This Evil Dead was in capable hands and they did manage to make a half decent film, but there were a few unforgivable mistakes. Ash should have been the central character, whether you reinvent that character or make this Evil Dead a sequel and cast Bruce Campbell again I'm not sure but Jane Levy as "Mia" the heroin addict was a little lackluster. Shiloh Fernandez plays "David" Mia's older estranged brother, he enlists the help of 3 friends to try and get Mia to quit Heroin cold turkey over the course of a weekend at his grandfathers cabin in the woods. This in itself is actually a plausible plot line that lends itself to the initial craziness of the film. As Mia begins to feel the effects of withdrawal the evil within the woods awakes and starts to prey on the 5 friends which she just thinks is side effects of heroin withdrawal. Little did she no that her curious cat of a friend Eric stumbled upon the infamous book of the dead in the basement and unleashed the demon. This is when the film blows it's load a little early and after some brief character development the demon reveals itself and methodically starts picking off our cast 1 by 1.
In the original Evil Dead there was plenty of build up and suspense and the horror sequences were used more sparingly so we wouldn't be desensitized to quickly, in this film it's total overload from the vomiting a torrent of blood to slicing your own tongue open to the famous tree rape scene it's a little too much a little too soon. It's far from being a bad movie, it just fails to deliver genuine scares or a feeling of dread. The gore is extreme, if you love your gore then this is the film for you, it's done really well and really creatively, the iconic basement of the cabin is a little more modernized and expanded upon particularly in the prologue scene. The prologue scene is the best part of the whole film sadly, it sets such a fantastic tone for the film or at least I thought it was going to. The prologue could win "best short film" at any festival hands down, it's so well crafted and reminds you of original Evil Dead trilogy but then the actual film starts and it just doesn't quite live up the hype. The casting for the most part is fine, the score is fantastic, the acting is serviceable for a horror film but the film really shines in the camera work. They really exploit the slightly comedic 70's crash zooms on objects of interest in the film, those were a welcome sight. The speed runs through the woods are also prevalent as well as the looming trees over the dirt paths and roads. It basically looks like the original Evil Dead covered the art department and the story took over the modernized Evil Dead.
Still recommendable, non die-hard Evil Dead fans should love it, definitely the ballsiest horror film of the last decade, it didn't take any prisoners, everyone was fair game and it gave the censor a big middle finger, because of that it has my respect. It's a fun ride, even if it did feel a little long for a 90 minute horror film. See it with a good audience the atmosphere will take care of itself, stay after the credits for a "groovy" post credits scene and just try to have fun with it. Not perfect, not horrible, almost right. 3.6/5
Bechdel Test: There are 3 female characters they talk to each other sometimes about things other than men, this film passes the Bechdel Test
This is not the most terrifying film you will ever experience. The first evil dead still remains one of the greatest timeless horrors in film history, one of the original cabin in the woods tales with a terrifying twist. This Evil Dead was in capable hands and they did manage to make a half decent film, but there were a few unforgivable mistakes. Ash should have been the central character, whether you reinvent that character or make this Evil Dead a sequel and cast Bruce Campbell again I'm not sure but Jane Levy as "Mia" the heroin addict was a little lackluster. Shiloh Fernandez plays "David" Mia's older estranged brother, he enlists the help of 3 friends to try and get Mia to quit Heroin cold turkey over the course of a weekend at his grandfathers cabin in the woods. This in itself is actually a plausible plot line that lends itself to the initial craziness of the film. As Mia begins to feel the effects of withdrawal the evil within the woods awakes and starts to prey on the 5 friends which she just thinks is side effects of heroin withdrawal. Little did she no that her curious cat of a friend Eric stumbled upon the infamous book of the dead in the basement and unleashed the demon. This is when the film blows it's load a little early and after some brief character development the demon reveals itself and methodically starts picking off our cast 1 by 1.
In the original Evil Dead there was plenty of build up and suspense and the horror sequences were used more sparingly so we wouldn't be desensitized to quickly, in this film it's total overload from the vomiting a torrent of blood to slicing your own tongue open to the famous tree rape scene it's a little too much a little too soon. It's far from being a bad movie, it just fails to deliver genuine scares or a feeling of dread. The gore is extreme, if you love your gore then this is the film for you, it's done really well and really creatively, the iconic basement of the cabin is a little more modernized and expanded upon particularly in the prologue scene. The prologue scene is the best part of the whole film sadly, it sets such a fantastic tone for the film or at least I thought it was going to. The prologue could win "best short film" at any festival hands down, it's so well crafted and reminds you of original Evil Dead trilogy but then the actual film starts and it just doesn't quite live up the hype. The casting for the most part is fine, the score is fantastic, the acting is serviceable for a horror film but the film really shines in the camera work. They really exploit the slightly comedic 70's crash zooms on objects of interest in the film, those were a welcome sight. The speed runs through the woods are also prevalent as well as the looming trees over the dirt paths and roads. It basically looks like the original Evil Dead covered the art department and the story took over the modernized Evil Dead.
Still recommendable, non die-hard Evil Dead fans should love it, definitely the ballsiest horror film of the last decade, it didn't take any prisoners, everyone was fair game and it gave the censor a big middle finger, because of that it has my respect. It's a fun ride, even if it did feel a little long for a 90 minute horror film. See it with a good audience the atmosphere will take care of itself, stay after the credits for a "groovy" post credits scene and just try to have fun with it. Not perfect, not horrible, almost right. 3.6/5
Bechdel Test: There are 3 female characters they talk to each other sometimes about things other than men, this film passes the Bechdel Test
Saturday, 8 June 2013
Fast & Furious 6 Film Review
Fast & Furious 6 - "You've got the best crew in the world standing right in front of you, give them a reason to stay."
Our globe trotting team are back this time to take down a European criminal known as Owen Shaw, Luke Evans nails the villain, his mannerisms and tone of voice are perfectly suited to a sinister individual. This film exceeds where 5 lacked a little even though Fast 5 was extremely entertaining. Fast 6 is more focused on a villain that the crew faces as opposed to being a heist movie like Fast 5. It creates an interesting dynamic between a notorious heist crew and the law enforcement agencies that need their help. A sweet bromance starts brewing between Hobbs and Dom which is quite comedic they have some terrific banter a lot of great back and forth dialogue. Fast 6 was advertised as Michelle Rodriguez's return to the Fast & Furious franchise which was supposed to be a selling point I suppose but I didn't really care, her character is emotionless and shallow, she's really just an insignificant love interested for Vin Diesel. But alas she returns with amnesia which is why she doesn't recognize any of the original crew. In a small way it creates a little bit of drama for Dom as he tries to rescue her from the clutches of Owen Shaw but her character ark is predictable.
The action is why people see these films and there is plenty to feast on. Director Justin Lin throws in some street racing as homage to the earlier films but it's mostly Crew V. Crew. London is the films setting and the cinematography is gorgeous, many familiar buildings and landmarks are used to help make it relatable to the audience. The acting on behalf of the cast is serviceable and Director Justin Lin plays to their strengths, so comedic banter is prevalent and the dramatic scenes are glancing and rare. There are some wonderful additions to the cast such as Gina Carano from "Haywire", she was hired specifically for her mixed martial arts skills, she's not a good actress so she has very little line work but she does throw down with the best of them. The most interesting addition to the cast was Johannes Taslim aka Jah from "The Raid: Redemption". Again hired for his martial arts skills, he has a fantastic hand to hand combat scene in the tubes of London's underground train network, his English isn't terrific so he's basically a glorified stuntman but a damn good one.
The most breath taking action sequence albeit ridiculous I've seen all year is left for last, you've seen it in the trailer as the Russian cargo plane attempts to take off from a London airport and the crew have to stop it, the runway must be 50 kilometers because it is a long damn scene, the choreography and blocking of this action set piece must have taken weeks of rehearsal as it shifts from a speeding convoy to multiple hand to hand combat scenes in the plane. It's truly a sight to see. The whole film is physics defying fun, don't take it too seriously and just enjoy the ride. It did feel a little long in the middle as they try to flesh out some character development between Dom and Letty which could have been left on the cutting room floor but other than that it's a near perfect summer blockbuster. Can't wait for Fast 7, it's definitely in capable hands. 4.5/5
Our globe trotting team are back this time to take down a European criminal known as Owen Shaw, Luke Evans nails the villain, his mannerisms and tone of voice are perfectly suited to a sinister individual. This film exceeds where 5 lacked a little even though Fast 5 was extremely entertaining. Fast 6 is more focused on a villain that the crew faces as opposed to being a heist movie like Fast 5. It creates an interesting dynamic between a notorious heist crew and the law enforcement agencies that need their help. A sweet bromance starts brewing between Hobbs and Dom which is quite comedic they have some terrific banter a lot of great back and forth dialogue. Fast 6 was advertised as Michelle Rodriguez's return to the Fast & Furious franchise which was supposed to be a selling point I suppose but I didn't really care, her character is emotionless and shallow, she's really just an insignificant love interested for Vin Diesel. But alas she returns with amnesia which is why she doesn't recognize any of the original crew. In a small way it creates a little bit of drama for Dom as he tries to rescue her from the clutches of Owen Shaw but her character ark is predictable.
The action is why people see these films and there is plenty to feast on. Director Justin Lin throws in some street racing as homage to the earlier films but it's mostly Crew V. Crew. London is the films setting and the cinematography is gorgeous, many familiar buildings and landmarks are used to help make it relatable to the audience. The acting on behalf of the cast is serviceable and Director Justin Lin plays to their strengths, so comedic banter is prevalent and the dramatic scenes are glancing and rare. There are some wonderful additions to the cast such as Gina Carano from "Haywire", she was hired specifically for her mixed martial arts skills, she's not a good actress so she has very little line work but she does throw down with the best of them. The most interesting addition to the cast was Johannes Taslim aka Jah from "The Raid: Redemption". Again hired for his martial arts skills, he has a fantastic hand to hand combat scene in the tubes of London's underground train network, his English isn't terrific so he's basically a glorified stuntman but a damn good one.
The most breath taking action sequence albeit ridiculous I've seen all year is left for last, you've seen it in the trailer as the Russian cargo plane attempts to take off from a London airport and the crew have to stop it, the runway must be 50 kilometers because it is a long damn scene, the choreography and blocking of this action set piece must have taken weeks of rehearsal as it shifts from a speeding convoy to multiple hand to hand combat scenes in the plane. It's truly a sight to see. The whole film is physics defying fun, don't take it too seriously and just enjoy the ride. It did feel a little long in the middle as they try to flesh out some character development between Dom and Letty which could have been left on the cutting room floor but other than that it's a near perfect summer blockbuster. Can't wait for Fast 7, it's definitely in capable hands. 4.5/5
Sunday, 2 June 2013
The Hangover Part III Film Review
The Hangover Part III - "Did you know your name used to be Carlos? I think it suits you better."
The original Hangover was a very competent comedy film where the dynamics of the main characters clashed and created all sorts of hilarity, the structure was also different and interesting, a lot of people didn't like The Hangover Part II because it adhered to the same structure but that's the selling point for me, get drugged > wake up > find Doug > hilarity ensues. With The Hangover Part III the structure is thrown out the window and it's just to put it bluntly a very boring film with little to no plot. Alan's father dies at the beginning of the film which brings the Wolf-pack together and they notice than Alan has changed, he treats his family very poorly & is no longer on his medication so the Wolf-Pack decide they should send him to a rehab facility to get better. Here is red flag number 1, in the original two films Alan is the lovable idiot with funny lines, in this one he's turned into an asshole with no redeeming qualities, he's not likable anymore and he's arguably the funniest character of the franchise. Red flag number 2 Bradley Cooper as Phil is no longer the lovable foul mouthed asshole, in fact he's not anything, he isn't mean in his usual charming fashion, he doesn't call anyone a cunt he's just there and frankly as an actor way above this material. The film focuses way more on Ed Helms as Stu, Zach Galifianakis as Alan & Ken Jeong as Mr. Chow who is unbearably irritating.
Chow is a character you have to use sparingly, introduce him halfway through the film as an antagonist that adds to the drama but don't ever leave the spotlight on him too long. In this film he's in almost Every.Damn.Scene and he serves no other purpose but to move the paper thin plot along. The plot is a joke, it's as simple as John Goodman play's a rich man who kidnaps Doug & forces the Wolf-Pack to find Mr. Chow because Chow stole $21,000,000 dollars in gold bars from him. Mr. Chow proves difficult to catch, always JUST out of arms reach and hilarity is supposed to ensue except it doesn't. Even Melissa McCarthy couldn't save this film with her slightly amusing cameo. If you're going to throw out the structure and revisit the same setting as the first film which is risky then change up the cast, why not include Doug on the adventure this time? Why not have a woman join the cast and let Melissa McCarthy accompany them? I feel it would have been a much better movie to adhere to the Hangover structure and just have them in a wild new setting, even crazier than Bangkok. They always talked about using South Africa in the third film but people got angry about Part II so now we have this lazy, dull unfunny film set in Las Vegas and they don't even exploit Las Vegas like they did in the first film, they visit one casino, that's it.
Todd Philips the director also wrote the screenplay and should get a lot of credit for coming up with the franchise and characters. 2/3 ain't bad but sadly like with a lot of trilogies the third film jumped the shark and needs to be desperately laid to rest. If you didn't enjoy the second film because of the structure then by all means you might enjoy this film, if you like the Hangover structure then you might be in the same boat as me and dislike this film greatly. It's just so disappointing because the first two Hangover films were the first American comedies to make me laugh out loud in the cinema in years, this one didn't even get a chuckle and had no vulgarity laced into the plot. I'm glad it's over and the cast are moving on I look forward to see what Bradley Cooper does next. 1/5
Bechdel Test: there are 2 female characters, they do not speak to each other, this film fails the Bechdel test
The original Hangover was a very competent comedy film where the dynamics of the main characters clashed and created all sorts of hilarity, the structure was also different and interesting, a lot of people didn't like The Hangover Part II because it adhered to the same structure but that's the selling point for me, get drugged > wake up > find Doug > hilarity ensues. With The Hangover Part III the structure is thrown out the window and it's just to put it bluntly a very boring film with little to no plot. Alan's father dies at the beginning of the film which brings the Wolf-pack together and they notice than Alan has changed, he treats his family very poorly & is no longer on his medication so the Wolf-Pack decide they should send him to a rehab facility to get better. Here is red flag number 1, in the original two films Alan is the lovable idiot with funny lines, in this one he's turned into an asshole with no redeeming qualities, he's not likable anymore and he's arguably the funniest character of the franchise. Red flag number 2 Bradley Cooper as Phil is no longer the lovable foul mouthed asshole, in fact he's not anything, he isn't mean in his usual charming fashion, he doesn't call anyone a cunt he's just there and frankly as an actor way above this material. The film focuses way more on Ed Helms as Stu, Zach Galifianakis as Alan & Ken Jeong as Mr. Chow who is unbearably irritating.
Chow is a character you have to use sparingly, introduce him halfway through the film as an antagonist that adds to the drama but don't ever leave the spotlight on him too long. In this film he's in almost Every.Damn.Scene and he serves no other purpose but to move the paper thin plot along. The plot is a joke, it's as simple as John Goodman play's a rich man who kidnaps Doug & forces the Wolf-Pack to find Mr. Chow because Chow stole $21,000,000 dollars in gold bars from him. Mr. Chow proves difficult to catch, always JUST out of arms reach and hilarity is supposed to ensue except it doesn't. Even Melissa McCarthy couldn't save this film with her slightly amusing cameo. If you're going to throw out the structure and revisit the same setting as the first film which is risky then change up the cast, why not include Doug on the adventure this time? Why not have a woman join the cast and let Melissa McCarthy accompany them? I feel it would have been a much better movie to adhere to the Hangover structure and just have them in a wild new setting, even crazier than Bangkok. They always talked about using South Africa in the third film but people got angry about Part II so now we have this lazy, dull unfunny film set in Las Vegas and they don't even exploit Las Vegas like they did in the first film, they visit one casino, that's it.
Todd Philips the director also wrote the screenplay and should get a lot of credit for coming up with the franchise and characters. 2/3 ain't bad but sadly like with a lot of trilogies the third film jumped the shark and needs to be desperately laid to rest. If you didn't enjoy the second film because of the structure then by all means you might enjoy this film, if you like the Hangover structure then you might be in the same boat as me and dislike this film greatly. It's just so disappointing because the first two Hangover films were the first American comedies to make me laugh out loud in the cinema in years, this one didn't even get a chuckle and had no vulgarity laced into the plot. I'm glad it's over and the cast are moving on I look forward to see what Bradley Cooper does next. 1/5
Bechdel Test: there are 2 female characters, they do not speak to each other, this film fails the Bechdel test
Thursday, 23 May 2013
Spring Breakers Film Review
Spring Breakers - "Just pretend it's a video game. Like you're in a fucking movie."
Spring Breakers is tough to decipher, on the one hand you have a typical Spring Break film focused on four very different girls who are friends with loads of drugs, booze, tits & ass, & on the other hand you have a spiritual journey set in the confines of a sometimes thrilling roller coaster of a narrative. The film is essentially about four girls who are childhood friends that don't have enough money to go to Spring Break in Florida so they rob a diner with fake guns and balaclavas. This is initially very confusing because there was no hint whatsoever that these girls were the violent kind. So they get down to Florida and there is loads of cringe worthy voice over from all four girls about "finding ourselves" & "what it means to be a young girl in this day and age". So be prepared for some very realistic boring girl talk that means nothing, it's time filler and cannon fodder. The four girls are played by Selena Gomez (Faith), Vanessa Hudgens(Candy), Ashley Benson(Brit) & Rachel Korine(Cotty). Only two out of four have any depth and are actually tolerable, that being Brit & Candy, the wild cards of the bunch, the violent two, sex crazed, drug riddled & crazy. After some predictable Spring Break shenanigans they are thrown in jail for illegal possession of narcotics and are promptly bailed out by the man DJing at the party they were at the night previous. At this point we are introduced to James Franco in honestly his best role ever as "Alien". A Florida native drug dealing gangster with horrible grills in his teeth and shocking dreadlocks. He is the most charismatic and hilarious character in the film, in all honesty it's worth paying the price of admission just to see his performance.
Our not so awesome foursome become a fivesome and this is where the story really picks up. The film is shot in such a way that it's utterly hypnotic, the camera sways like a drunk person is holding it and the composition of each shot is superb, the cinematography is gorgeous it really lends itself to the Florida setting. Also surprisingly there are a number of musical sequences in the film in particular the Britney Spears montage scene is one of the funniest most clever montages I've ever seen on film, I want to believe it's poking fun at montages and that was the directors intentions but who knows when it comes to Harmony Korine's films, trying to decipher his intentions are impossible. As the antics of our scantily clad females become more & more extreme some of the girls grow weary of how far things are being taken, Alien is a non-stop gun toting ATM machine which the girls are addicted to (surprise surprise) and he enables them to feel invincible and drives them to act out their animal instincts. This film is labeled as an Art-House feature set within the confines of a sexed up teen film and it is exactly that, it's well directed however the script is very tedious. The constant repetition of girls voice over is excruciating as they say the same old shit over and over again. "I've found myself" "I feel so spiritual" "This is the best time of my life" and the problem with this is you believe every word because you've heard girls talk like this. It's definitely worth a watch, plenty of tits and ass, violence, drug use and hilarious over the top characters as well as some very realistic relatable characters, it's not perfect but it's unlike anything you've ever seen. 4/5
Bechdel test: There are 4 main female characters, they do talk to each other and most of the time it is not about men, they talk mainly of money, sing terrible pop songs and talk about finding themselves. The film passes the Bechdel test.
Spring Breakers is tough to decipher, on the one hand you have a typical Spring Break film focused on four very different girls who are friends with loads of drugs, booze, tits & ass, & on the other hand you have a spiritual journey set in the confines of a sometimes thrilling roller coaster of a narrative. The film is essentially about four girls who are childhood friends that don't have enough money to go to Spring Break in Florida so they rob a diner with fake guns and balaclavas. This is initially very confusing because there was no hint whatsoever that these girls were the violent kind. So they get down to Florida and there is loads of cringe worthy voice over from all four girls about "finding ourselves" & "what it means to be a young girl in this day and age". So be prepared for some very realistic boring girl talk that means nothing, it's time filler and cannon fodder. The four girls are played by Selena Gomez (Faith), Vanessa Hudgens(Candy), Ashley Benson(Brit) & Rachel Korine(Cotty). Only two out of four have any depth and are actually tolerable, that being Brit & Candy, the wild cards of the bunch, the violent two, sex crazed, drug riddled & crazy. After some predictable Spring Break shenanigans they are thrown in jail for illegal possession of narcotics and are promptly bailed out by the man DJing at the party they were at the night previous. At this point we are introduced to James Franco in honestly his best role ever as "Alien". A Florida native drug dealing gangster with horrible grills in his teeth and shocking dreadlocks. He is the most charismatic and hilarious character in the film, in all honesty it's worth paying the price of admission just to see his performance.
Our not so awesome foursome become a fivesome and this is where the story really picks up. The film is shot in such a way that it's utterly hypnotic, the camera sways like a drunk person is holding it and the composition of each shot is superb, the cinematography is gorgeous it really lends itself to the Florida setting. Also surprisingly there are a number of musical sequences in the film in particular the Britney Spears montage scene is one of the funniest most clever montages I've ever seen on film, I want to believe it's poking fun at montages and that was the directors intentions but who knows when it comes to Harmony Korine's films, trying to decipher his intentions are impossible. As the antics of our scantily clad females become more & more extreme some of the girls grow weary of how far things are being taken, Alien is a non-stop gun toting ATM machine which the girls are addicted to (surprise surprise) and he enables them to feel invincible and drives them to act out their animal instincts. This film is labeled as an Art-House feature set within the confines of a sexed up teen film and it is exactly that, it's well directed however the script is very tedious. The constant repetition of girls voice over is excruciating as they say the same old shit over and over again. "I've found myself" "I feel so spiritual" "This is the best time of my life" and the problem with this is you believe every word because you've heard girls talk like this. It's definitely worth a watch, plenty of tits and ass, violence, drug use and hilarious over the top characters as well as some very realistic relatable characters, it's not perfect but it's unlike anything you've ever seen. 4/5
Bechdel test: There are 4 main female characters, they do talk to each other and most of the time it is not about men, they talk mainly of money, sing terrible pop songs and talk about finding themselves. The film passes the Bechdel test.
Tuesday, 14 May 2013
Star Trek Into Darkness Film Review
Star Trek Into Darkness - "I have no idea what I'm supposed to do, I only know what I can do!"
Star Trek Into Darkness is every bit as riveting and exciting as its predecessor if not more so. The scale is grand, the story is cohesive and thought provoking & it's a visceral experience at the movies. All of the cast return as well as welcoming three newcomers Benedict Cumberbatch as the villain "John Harrison", Peter Weller as "Marcus" & Alice Eve as "Dr. Carol Marcus" (hubba hubba). All play pivotal roles that shape the focus of the film in ways that I didn't expect. Director J.J. Abrams is very secretive & protective of his scripts so few details were released before its worldwide premier, which makes for a rewarding time at the movies with all the twists and turns having their intended impact. The acting in film is unbelievable, Benedict Cumberbatch as the villain with that deep baritone voice is excellent, he's a much better villain than Eric Bana was as he actually poses a plausible threat to not only the USS Enterprise but the whole of Star Fleet. Chris Pine really had to step it up in this sequel and boy does he deliver, a very emotionally impacting performance & you really feel for him.
Zachary Quinto returns as Spock, it was interesting to see another side of him, his character arc in this film is much greater as his human half plays a greater role than his Vulcan half. The story as a whole reaches deep into space and we finally get to see some of Star Fleets greatest enemies such as the Klingon's. But it's difficult to digress anything further without ruining the very well written plot. Michael Giacchino returns as composer and his score is prevalent. I really feel as if this is the Empire Strikes Back of the Star Trek franchise, whilst there's plenty of entertaining action it's the character arcs that are the big focus of this feature. Visually it's stunning, ILM return as the visual effects producers and the cinematography is gorgeous, especially in the space suit flight scene. What's great about this sequel is that all our favourite characters have already been fleshed out and introduced in it's predecessor so the story is what's most important. There are even moments where you could tear up a little, even with it being a science fiction film set 2000 years into the future, we as an audience can relate to it because the trials and tribulations of the characters on a personal level establish a reciprocal relationship. Particularly Spock and Kirk, whilst they do have some familiar banter it's more along the lines of "I'm your captain now, you're my friend and I need to have my back at all times if we are to succeed" which is where Spock's human half comes into play.
It's a Star Trek film for Trekkies and Non-Trekkies and just overall film lovers, it's thrilling, effective, emotional & highly recommendable. Chances are if you don't like this film you're dead inside and have no business going to the movies and your opinion is invalid. In all seriousness though go out and see it as it's a wonderful science fiction film with a terribly intimidating villain and a huge payoff in it's conclusion. It's also not white-washed the cast are a collective of races, black, white, Asian, Indian, Russian.....Alien it's for everyone as it should be. This can only install hope in Star Wars fans across the globe as J.J. Abrams gears up for Star Wars VII. 5/5
The Bechdel Test: There were 2 female characters Dr. Carol Marcus & Uhura however they did not converse.
Star Trek Into Darkness is every bit as riveting and exciting as its predecessor if not more so. The scale is grand, the story is cohesive and thought provoking & it's a visceral experience at the movies. All of the cast return as well as welcoming three newcomers Benedict Cumberbatch as the villain "John Harrison", Peter Weller as "Marcus" & Alice Eve as "Dr. Carol Marcus" (hubba hubba). All play pivotal roles that shape the focus of the film in ways that I didn't expect. Director J.J. Abrams is very secretive & protective of his scripts so few details were released before its worldwide premier, which makes for a rewarding time at the movies with all the twists and turns having their intended impact. The acting in film is unbelievable, Benedict Cumberbatch as the villain with that deep baritone voice is excellent, he's a much better villain than Eric Bana was as he actually poses a plausible threat to not only the USS Enterprise but the whole of Star Fleet. Chris Pine really had to step it up in this sequel and boy does he deliver, a very emotionally impacting performance & you really feel for him.
Zachary Quinto returns as Spock, it was interesting to see another side of him, his character arc in this film is much greater as his human half plays a greater role than his Vulcan half. The story as a whole reaches deep into space and we finally get to see some of Star Fleets greatest enemies such as the Klingon's. But it's difficult to digress anything further without ruining the very well written plot. Michael Giacchino returns as composer and his score is prevalent. I really feel as if this is the Empire Strikes Back of the Star Trek franchise, whilst there's plenty of entertaining action it's the character arcs that are the big focus of this feature. Visually it's stunning, ILM return as the visual effects producers and the cinematography is gorgeous, especially in the space suit flight scene. What's great about this sequel is that all our favourite characters have already been fleshed out and introduced in it's predecessor so the story is what's most important. There are even moments where you could tear up a little, even with it being a science fiction film set 2000 years into the future, we as an audience can relate to it because the trials and tribulations of the characters on a personal level establish a reciprocal relationship. Particularly Spock and Kirk, whilst they do have some familiar banter it's more along the lines of "I'm your captain now, you're my friend and I need to have my back at all times if we are to succeed" which is where Spock's human half comes into play.
It's a Star Trek film for Trekkies and Non-Trekkies and just overall film lovers, it's thrilling, effective, emotional & highly recommendable. Chances are if you don't like this film you're dead inside and have no business going to the movies and your opinion is invalid. In all seriousness though go out and see it as it's a wonderful science fiction film with a terribly intimidating villain and a huge payoff in it's conclusion. It's also not white-washed the cast are a collective of races, black, white, Asian, Indian, Russian.....Alien it's for everyone as it should be. This can only install hope in Star Wars fans across the globe as J.J. Abrams gears up for Star Wars VII. 5/5
The Bechdel Test: There were 2 female characters Dr. Carol Marcus & Uhura however they did not converse.
Sunday, 28 April 2013
Iron Man 3 Film Review
Iron Man 3 "Mr Stark, today is the first day of what's left of your life."
Iron Man 3 is Marvel's first step into phase two which will re-introduce all of the Avengers with individual films and setup "The Avengers 2". I'll be blunt, this movie left a horrible bitter aftertaste in my mouth. The Avengers wasn't a terribly good film but at least it was fun, Iron Man 3 had a shift in direction and tone which failed. Shane Black of Lethal Weapon & Kiss Kiss Bang Bang fame helms and writes the third installment of the Iron Man franchise which in the beginning was a really interesting choice, but after watching the film it has some horrible pacing issues and it lacks in action. Iron Man 1 was probably as perfect as we're ever going to get, Iron Man 2 was rushed and boring & Iron Man 3 suffers in the same area as all the Iron Man's do, which is villains. They're never a real threat, you know they're never going to win and it's a really tired, monotonous formula. There is a scene halfway through the film which was unpredictable but it polarizes your audience, your either going to love it or hate it & if you know the comics then you're probably going to hate it.
Iron Man 3 was marketed in such a way that we thought we knew what we were getting, they hired Ben Kingsley to play the Mandarin, of all the possible villains this was a very interesting and exciting choice, or at least it could have been, Marvel however decided to take a different path and shit all over that villain which begs the question why bother casting such a thespian like Ben Kingsley in the first place? His demeanor and voice are great, his costume is terrific but the character itself is empty & hollow. A real bitter disappointment. Guy Pearce another interesting casting choice, he nails his role as a man with a mission and a grudge, fueled by fire and hate he's believable but of course is he ever really going to be a threat to Tony Stark? Marvel's most profitable and popular hero? Pepper Potts role in this film is elevated so that she is central to the plot but don't get excited she isn't a strong female character in this, she's just used as a pawn, given no real dialogue and frankly her character's ark in this film is a little ridiculous. Don Cheadle was thankfully given a meatier role, some great banter between Rhodes and Stark & a great bromance. Paul Bettany returns as Jarvis a perfect voice for Tony to bounce ideas off but not really important to the plot.
It's a real shame this film couldn't step up and be the first truly terrific Marvel film, you can give the others a pass it was an interesting idea to setup the Avengers and combine them all to see if it works but you've grounded your characters, you've set them up it's time to bring out the big guns and give us a good story. Maybe Thor: The Dark World will step up and be the new crown jewel of Marvel, who knows. Ultimately disappointing, don't expect anything particularly amazing or cerebral, it's probably time for Robert Downey Jr. to exit the series and pass it on to a fresh young face. It's not important to see it on the big screen and the 3D isn't effective or impressive, it's just another cost, the film has a dark tint throughout the whole 130 minutes, much to long, many scenes could have been left on the cutting room floor. So if your desperate to see it, then choose a 2D session and go in with very low expectations. 1.8/5
Iron Man 3 is Marvel's first step into phase two which will re-introduce all of the Avengers with individual films and setup "The Avengers 2". I'll be blunt, this movie left a horrible bitter aftertaste in my mouth. The Avengers wasn't a terribly good film but at least it was fun, Iron Man 3 had a shift in direction and tone which failed. Shane Black of Lethal Weapon & Kiss Kiss Bang Bang fame helms and writes the third installment of the Iron Man franchise which in the beginning was a really interesting choice, but after watching the film it has some horrible pacing issues and it lacks in action. Iron Man 1 was probably as perfect as we're ever going to get, Iron Man 2 was rushed and boring & Iron Man 3 suffers in the same area as all the Iron Man's do, which is villains. They're never a real threat, you know they're never going to win and it's a really tired, monotonous formula. There is a scene halfway through the film which was unpredictable but it polarizes your audience, your either going to love it or hate it & if you know the comics then you're probably going to hate it.
Iron Man 3 was marketed in such a way that we thought we knew what we were getting, they hired Ben Kingsley to play the Mandarin, of all the possible villains this was a very interesting and exciting choice, or at least it could have been, Marvel however decided to take a different path and shit all over that villain which begs the question why bother casting such a thespian like Ben Kingsley in the first place? His demeanor and voice are great, his costume is terrific but the character itself is empty & hollow. A real bitter disappointment. Guy Pearce another interesting casting choice, he nails his role as a man with a mission and a grudge, fueled by fire and hate he's believable but of course is he ever really going to be a threat to Tony Stark? Marvel's most profitable and popular hero? Pepper Potts role in this film is elevated so that she is central to the plot but don't get excited she isn't a strong female character in this, she's just used as a pawn, given no real dialogue and frankly her character's ark in this film is a little ridiculous. Don Cheadle was thankfully given a meatier role, some great banter between Rhodes and Stark & a great bromance. Paul Bettany returns as Jarvis a perfect voice for Tony to bounce ideas off but not really important to the plot.
It's a real shame this film couldn't step up and be the first truly terrific Marvel film, you can give the others a pass it was an interesting idea to setup the Avengers and combine them all to see if it works but you've grounded your characters, you've set them up it's time to bring out the big guns and give us a good story. Maybe Thor: The Dark World will step up and be the new crown jewel of Marvel, who knows. Ultimately disappointing, don't expect anything particularly amazing or cerebral, it's probably time for Robert Downey Jr. to exit the series and pass it on to a fresh young face. It's not important to see it on the big screen and the 3D isn't effective or impressive, it's just another cost, the film has a dark tint throughout the whole 130 minutes, much to long, many scenes could have been left on the cutting room floor. So if your desperate to see it, then choose a 2D session and go in with very low expectations. 1.8/5
Thursday, 25 April 2013
Olympus Has Fallen
Olympus Has Fallen - "Lets play a game of "Go Fuck Yourself", you go first."
It's contemporary whilst also being a little out-dated but ultimately made just for fun. Antoine Fuqua directs this jumbled concoction of action inspired by Air Force One, Die Hard & Mission Impossible. If this film had of changed it's title to "Die Hard 5" and cast Bruce Willis in the lead role this with very few minor plot point changes it would have been the perfect Die Hard 5, it's a hard rated R with foul mouthed well rounded action orientated characters and centers around ONE MAN TO SAVE THEM ALL. It's charm definitely comes from Gerard Butler's performance which is so every-man and charming and down to Earth, he doesn't bullshit, he makes no bones about the fact that he's in an over the top action film in which you cheer for the hero and the resulting product is a decently made action flick, not perfect far from it, but it's fun.
The problem lies with the special effects, they are incredibly noticeable when outside, special effects are supposed to seamlessly glide into the film without being noticed however in this film all the exterior special effects are hollow and sub-par. Inside the White House it's less noticeable, the lighting is darker and there aren't any big explosions. The casting is a little strange, Morgan Freeman was definitely too relaxed and didn't seem to care about the material, it was really easy to tell that it was an easy paycheck, Angela Bassett is surprisingly bad, due to the fault of the director, Antoine Fuqua directed Denzel Washington in his Oscar winning performance in Training Day but in this the performances are very secondary to the minimal plot of the North Koreans taking over the White House and the subsequent action.
Aaron Eckhart is not a memorable president he's just another face in the crowd and not terribly important, Melissa Leo is ridiculous in her role, atrocious acting and at times cringe-worthy. If the plot had of been tweaked a little to include more characters in the quest to reclaim the White House, such as more Secret Service agents surviving and banding together to help Gerard Butler on his redemption story journey it would have made the film have some emotional impact, but because it's a lone survivor story you know that he's not in any real danger and he's just going to slaughter and decimate the hoards of North Korean insurgents. That's not to say that when Gerard Butler crushes a mans skull with the stone head of Abraham Lincoln in the Oval office it's not a bunch of fun, because it definitely is, it's just not the sort of action I seek out. 13-18 year old's would love this film and the roller coaster action that's in it. So don't go in expecting anything cerebral or thought provoking, it is what it is and it's quite competent. 2.8/5
It's contemporary whilst also being a little out-dated but ultimately made just for fun. Antoine Fuqua directs this jumbled concoction of action inspired by Air Force One, Die Hard & Mission Impossible. If this film had of changed it's title to "Die Hard 5" and cast Bruce Willis in the lead role this with very few minor plot point changes it would have been the perfect Die Hard 5, it's a hard rated R with foul mouthed well rounded action orientated characters and centers around ONE MAN TO SAVE THEM ALL. It's charm definitely comes from Gerard Butler's performance which is so every-man and charming and down to Earth, he doesn't bullshit, he makes no bones about the fact that he's in an over the top action film in which you cheer for the hero and the resulting product is a decently made action flick, not perfect far from it, but it's fun.
The problem lies with the special effects, they are incredibly noticeable when outside, special effects are supposed to seamlessly glide into the film without being noticed however in this film all the exterior special effects are hollow and sub-par. Inside the White House it's less noticeable, the lighting is darker and there aren't any big explosions. The casting is a little strange, Morgan Freeman was definitely too relaxed and didn't seem to care about the material, it was really easy to tell that it was an easy paycheck, Angela Bassett is surprisingly bad, due to the fault of the director, Antoine Fuqua directed Denzel Washington in his Oscar winning performance in Training Day but in this the performances are very secondary to the minimal plot of the North Koreans taking over the White House and the subsequent action.
Aaron Eckhart is not a memorable president he's just another face in the crowd and not terribly important, Melissa Leo is ridiculous in her role, atrocious acting and at times cringe-worthy. If the plot had of been tweaked a little to include more characters in the quest to reclaim the White House, such as more Secret Service agents surviving and banding together to help Gerard Butler on his redemption story journey it would have made the film have some emotional impact, but because it's a lone survivor story you know that he's not in any real danger and he's just going to slaughter and decimate the hoards of North Korean insurgents. That's not to say that when Gerard Butler crushes a mans skull with the stone head of Abraham Lincoln in the Oval office it's not a bunch of fun, because it definitely is, it's just not the sort of action I seek out. 13-18 year old's would love this film and the roller coaster action that's in it. So don't go in expecting anything cerebral or thought provoking, it is what it is and it's quite competent. 2.8/5
Friday, 12 April 2013
Oblivion Film Review
Oblivion - "I want mankind to survive, this is the only way. This is Jack Harper..... I'm good to go."
At first glance Oblivion looked like a promising science fiction film with a competent director at the helm. Joseph Kosinski, director of Tron: Legacy, is a man who knows how to make films look gorgeous. Tron wasn't terribly good but it looked beautiful & that was shot mostly with green screens. Oblivion (sigh of relief) was shot in Iceland on physical sets & it seems no expenses were spared Josephs visual aesthetic is awe inspiring, whether you're flying through the air with Jack Harper (Tom Cruise) or on the ground amidst the wasteland of earth it is jaw droppingly beautiful. Iceland had the perfect terrain and look to suit this film which was adapted from the graphic novel of the same name, the graphic novel by the way was written by the director himself. It's just so refreshingly original.
Story goes Jack Harper survived the war with the scavengers, an alien race who blew up Earths moon which decimated the gravitational pull between the two and the effect it has on the Earths tectonic plates and tidal forces. 80% of the Earth is uninhabitable and humans have been evacuated to "Titan" Saturn's largest moon. Jack and his partner Victoria (Andrew Riseborough) remain on Earth as part of the mop-up crew who repair drones, drones protect these giant vacuous machines which turns Earths oceans into energy which fuel "The TET" a colossal space station which orbits Earth. It is also the launch point for humans to get to Titan. Jack & Victoria have the perfect relationship, almost TOO perfect which raises questions. But NOTHING is really spoon fed to you which is why you can't treat this like a typical blockbuster, it makes you think, this isn't that God awful G.I Joe 2. Jack & Victoria co-exist perfectly, Victoria is the communications officer that watches Jacks back whilst he repairs drones on the surface, but most of the time they reside in the safety of their tower, satisfying each others needs, emotionally, sexually, that need for human contact isn't ignored. "We are an effective team". I applaud Joseph Kosinski for exploiting the limits of the PG-13 rating the Americans use, which means you can have minimal sexuality or offensive language, well there's plenty of both and it's definitely more adult themed than for children.
Oblivion is a breath of fresh air to the science fiction genre, I can't and will not say ANYTHING more about the plot as it's easy to spoil, all I'll say is the pay-off is extremely satisfying, visually breathtaking and NOT IN 3D! The cast are by and large great especially Morgan Freeman. "If you're looking for the truth, that's where you'll find it". The only casting issue was Olga Kurylenko as Julia, I haven't really seen her succeed in any of her previous films and there is very little chemistry between her and Tom Cruise which is disappointing considering the pivotal role she plays. Jessica Chastain was originally cast but had to drop out due to scheduling problems sadly, she would have made a terrific Julia. Considering the people who auditioned for the role I'm surprised they didn't go with Mary Elizabeth Winstead or Brit Marling. I mean Mary Elizabeth Winstead is almost a sure bet having proved herself to be a terrific female action star, reminiscent of a young Sigourney Weaver. That issue aside the film is pretty flawless, the plot is well written, the film well paced and the score resonates with you. Put your thinking cap on and enjoy this, they don't come along often. 4.7/5
At first glance Oblivion looked like a promising science fiction film with a competent director at the helm. Joseph Kosinski, director of Tron: Legacy, is a man who knows how to make films look gorgeous. Tron wasn't terribly good but it looked beautiful & that was shot mostly with green screens. Oblivion (sigh of relief) was shot in Iceland on physical sets & it seems no expenses were spared Josephs visual aesthetic is awe inspiring, whether you're flying through the air with Jack Harper (Tom Cruise) or on the ground amidst the wasteland of earth it is jaw droppingly beautiful. Iceland had the perfect terrain and look to suit this film which was adapted from the graphic novel of the same name, the graphic novel by the way was written by the director himself. It's just so refreshingly original.
Story goes Jack Harper survived the war with the scavengers, an alien race who blew up Earths moon which decimated the gravitational pull between the two and the effect it has on the Earths tectonic plates and tidal forces. 80% of the Earth is uninhabitable and humans have been evacuated to "Titan" Saturn's largest moon. Jack and his partner Victoria (Andrew Riseborough) remain on Earth as part of the mop-up crew who repair drones, drones protect these giant vacuous machines which turns Earths oceans into energy which fuel "The TET" a colossal space station which orbits Earth. It is also the launch point for humans to get to Titan. Jack & Victoria have the perfect relationship, almost TOO perfect which raises questions. But NOTHING is really spoon fed to you which is why you can't treat this like a typical blockbuster, it makes you think, this isn't that God awful G.I Joe 2. Jack & Victoria co-exist perfectly, Victoria is the communications officer that watches Jacks back whilst he repairs drones on the surface, but most of the time they reside in the safety of their tower, satisfying each others needs, emotionally, sexually, that need for human contact isn't ignored. "We are an effective team". I applaud Joseph Kosinski for exploiting the limits of the PG-13 rating the Americans use, which means you can have minimal sexuality or offensive language, well there's plenty of both and it's definitely more adult themed than for children.
Oblivion is a breath of fresh air to the science fiction genre, I can't and will not say ANYTHING more about the plot as it's easy to spoil, all I'll say is the pay-off is extremely satisfying, visually breathtaking and NOT IN 3D! The cast are by and large great especially Morgan Freeman. "If you're looking for the truth, that's where you'll find it". The only casting issue was Olga Kurylenko as Julia, I haven't really seen her succeed in any of her previous films and there is very little chemistry between her and Tom Cruise which is disappointing considering the pivotal role she plays. Jessica Chastain was originally cast but had to drop out due to scheduling problems sadly, she would have made a terrific Julia. Considering the people who auditioned for the role I'm surprised they didn't go with Mary Elizabeth Winstead or Brit Marling. I mean Mary Elizabeth Winstead is almost a sure bet having proved herself to be a terrific female action star, reminiscent of a young Sigourney Weaver. That issue aside the film is pretty flawless, the plot is well written, the film well paced and the score resonates with you. Put your thinking cap on and enjoy this, they don't come along often. 4.7/5
Thursday, 28 March 2013
The Host Film Review
The Host - "I haven't shot anyone in a while, I kind of miss the thrill..."
At first glance I was intrigued by the trailer so I read the novel in preparation in which Stephanie Myer stretches a love triangle and the total occupation of Earth from beginning to end over the course of 850 very long monotonous pages. Whilst feeling luke-warm at the end of the novel, hope remained for the film as it's written & directed by a very capable man named Andrew Niccol who wrote "Gattaca", "The Truman Show" & "Lord of War". A very tried and true cast was assembled and they managed to bring some life and depth into very boringly written characters. Saoirse Ronan stars as Melanie Stryder, one of the last remaining unoccupied humans along with her little brother Jamie, together they run from "Seekers", occupied people who are designated as the police force to chase down & occupy the "resistance" or the last remaining humans. One day as she scavenges food from an abandoned house that seemingly still has electricity and fresh food in the fridge she is discovered by Jared Howe, also human played by Max Irons (Jeremy Irons son). A perfectly quaffed hunk who sweeps her off her feet. The three of them then proceed to continue running from the occupation. This wouldn't be a Stephanie Myer movie without the inevitable pro-abstinence scene which is a huge face-palm. "I don't want you to feel obligated just because we might be the last humans on earth" "I always wanted to wait until I fell in love". Sigh can we get this ball rolling please at 40 minutes in.
One day as Melanie goes for food she is captured by a Seeker played by Diane Kruger who is well cast, her slight German accent seemingly fit well as the antagonist. Melanie is taken to a hospital for the procedure in which "The Host" would be implanted. However there seems to be a glitch in the Matrix Neo, as Melanie wakes up her Host named Wanderer hears the resistant voice of Melanie in her head begging her not to tell the Seekers where her brother and Jared are. Wanderer obliges and our adventure finally begins as Wanda/Melanie makes there way back to Jared in the middle of the desert where she is reunited with the resistance run by her Uncle "Jeb" played by the always superb William Hurt. Resistance fast becomes a stupid word to describe these people as they are just humans trying to survive in the desert and pose no credible threat to the occupation as they number around 60.
However they are hunted nonetheless and dwell in the caves of an extinct volcano in New Mexico. Wanda is treated with hostility and guarded around the clock but not killed because Jeb forbids it, eventually another hunky survivor named "Ian" (Jake Abel) falls in love with Wanda and our love triangle begins. There are many interior conversations between Melanie/Wanda which do nothing to drive the dull plot along. The bulk of the film revolves around the survivors living in these caves where tension rises two whole times! as two attempts are made on Wanda's life. However this introduces us to the character of Doc played by Scott Lawrence. Thankfully a 3-dimensional character who besides treating people also tries to extract Hosts out of occupied humans but fails miserably and kills the host along with the human which then leads to alcoholism IN THE BOOK but it's never touched on here which would have given the film some depth. I have no idea why it was written out. I can't deny it's a well made film with a capable cast, it just lacks in script and plot devices.
The film stays in one note the whole two hours, there are many long dialogue sequences that could result in action or tension but don't. This films ground rules limit the depth and variety of possible relationships, and "The Host" is top-heavy with profound, boring conversations, all tending to sound like farewells but never actually are. The movie is so consistently pitched at the same note, indeed, that the structure robs it of possibilities for dramatic tension. If you are a die-hard fan of the novel then you will undoubtedly be pleased and satisfied as I noticed many women in the audience were visibly wet................................with tears, for reasons that remain unknown to me. The dramatic moments that would warrant such tears are very few and far between. Perhaps for a younger female demographic this film would serve as entertainment but not for me. Credit for the production values but nothing else. 2/5
At first glance I was intrigued by the trailer so I read the novel in preparation in which Stephanie Myer stretches a love triangle and the total occupation of Earth from beginning to end over the course of 850 very long monotonous pages. Whilst feeling luke-warm at the end of the novel, hope remained for the film as it's written & directed by a very capable man named Andrew Niccol who wrote "Gattaca", "The Truman Show" & "Lord of War". A very tried and true cast was assembled and they managed to bring some life and depth into very boringly written characters. Saoirse Ronan stars as Melanie Stryder, one of the last remaining unoccupied humans along with her little brother Jamie, together they run from "Seekers", occupied people who are designated as the police force to chase down & occupy the "resistance" or the last remaining humans. One day as she scavenges food from an abandoned house that seemingly still has electricity and fresh food in the fridge she is discovered by Jared Howe, also human played by Max Irons (Jeremy Irons son). A perfectly quaffed hunk who sweeps her off her feet. The three of them then proceed to continue running from the occupation. This wouldn't be a Stephanie Myer movie without the inevitable pro-abstinence scene which is a huge face-palm. "I don't want you to feel obligated just because we might be the last humans on earth" "I always wanted to wait until I fell in love". Sigh can we get this ball rolling please at 40 minutes in.
One day as Melanie goes for food she is captured by a Seeker played by Diane Kruger who is well cast, her slight German accent seemingly fit well as the antagonist. Melanie is taken to a hospital for the procedure in which "The Host" would be implanted. However there seems to be a glitch in the Matrix Neo, as Melanie wakes up her Host named Wanderer hears the resistant voice of Melanie in her head begging her not to tell the Seekers where her brother and Jared are. Wanderer obliges and our adventure finally begins as Wanda/Melanie makes there way back to Jared in the middle of the desert where she is reunited with the resistance run by her Uncle "Jeb" played by the always superb William Hurt. Resistance fast becomes a stupid word to describe these people as they are just humans trying to survive in the desert and pose no credible threat to the occupation as they number around 60.
However they are hunted nonetheless and dwell in the caves of an extinct volcano in New Mexico. Wanda is treated with hostility and guarded around the clock but not killed because Jeb forbids it, eventually another hunky survivor named "Ian" (Jake Abel) falls in love with Wanda and our love triangle begins. There are many interior conversations between Melanie/Wanda which do nothing to drive the dull plot along. The bulk of the film revolves around the survivors living in these caves where tension rises two whole times! as two attempts are made on Wanda's life. However this introduces us to the character of Doc played by Scott Lawrence. Thankfully a 3-dimensional character who besides treating people also tries to extract Hosts out of occupied humans but fails miserably and kills the host along with the human which then leads to alcoholism IN THE BOOK but it's never touched on here which would have given the film some depth. I have no idea why it was written out. I can't deny it's a well made film with a capable cast, it just lacks in script and plot devices.
The film stays in one note the whole two hours, there are many long dialogue sequences that could result in action or tension but don't. This films ground rules limit the depth and variety of possible relationships, and "The Host" is top-heavy with profound, boring conversations, all tending to sound like farewells but never actually are. The movie is so consistently pitched at the same note, indeed, that the structure robs it of possibilities for dramatic tension. If you are a die-hard fan of the novel then you will undoubtedly be pleased and satisfied as I noticed many women in the audience were visibly wet................................with tears, for reasons that remain unknown to me. The dramatic moments that would warrant such tears are very few and far between. Perhaps for a younger female demographic this film would serve as entertainment but not for me. Credit for the production values but nothing else. 2/5
Tuesday, 26 March 2013
Jack The Giant Slayer Film Review
Jack The Giant Slayer - "We've faded into legend..."
Bryan Singer of Usual Suspects and X-men fame adapts "Jack The Giant Slayer" to the big screen for our viewing pleasure.....at least I'm sure that was his intention. All aboard the fairytale adaptation box office disaster train, next stop mediocrity. What really killed this film was the lack of defined tone, a defined villain, bad casting & surprisingly bad production values. It was surprising to see so many characters channel Monty Python type personalities, with campy over the top acting set in a film that takes itself way too seriously for what it is. The plot is the fairytale at its core but they tried to make it tonally dark but then slapped a PG rating on it. People literally get stabbed, shot with arrows in the face and decapitated but not an ounce of blood in sight which is ridiculous. The CGI of the giants is sub-par especially for a director who made two X-Men films look gorgeous. The cinematography is rather bland it looked like simple "point and shoot" in front of large green screens.
The pacing is noticeably irritating, there's very little action and when there is it comes in snippets and you have to wade through terrible character development for 2 hours just to get to the anti-climactic cliched "face-off" between the humans and the giants. The protagonists Jack (Nicholas Hoult) & Princess Isabelle (Eleanor Tomlinson) have no romantic chemistry and they hug an awful lot for complete strangers and in completely odd circumstances. Their performances are forgettable but what's sad is that, that applies for the whole cast. Ewan McGregor maybe guilty of cashing in on a big paycheck here, Ian McShane was laughable & Stanley Tucci who usually carries quality in his pocket was sorely underused and misdirected. Also too many of the central characters just suddenly die in the film where the score suddenly lifts into a dramatic rhythm that's supposed to evoke some emotion out of us, instead it has the reverse effect because you just don't care. The giants aren't terribly threatening, they don't pose a credible threat when they have two great weaknesses that are overly exploited in the film 1. A magic crown that conveniently controls them & 2. Arrows to the face even though they are all completely armored.
It's a dull film, with terrible pacing, horrible character development (if any), no chemistry between our two love birds, an anti-climactic ending and complete misdirection of the actors by the usually consistent Bryan Singer. Also the costume department failed miserably, the soldier uniforms looked like plastic and you could tell the swords were rubber when they wobbled mid-swing. Usually ensemble casts are his game just look at "Valkyrie" or "The Usual Suspects", something went terribly wrong with this script when they tried to make it dark but also market it towards families and children, they even went as far as to delay it 9 months and change the name from "Jack the Giant Killer" to "Jack the Giant Slayer" because that supposedly sounds less violent. The film was shot in 3D as opposed to being post converted but so what? 3D is huge turn off and adds 3-5$ a ticket which is why families (your target audience) didn't go and pay an arm and a leg to see your mediocre film. I can put this behind me and take solace in the fact that Bryan Singer is returning to the "X-Men" franchise with "X-Men: Days of Future Past". Pass on this 1.5/5
Bryan Singer of Usual Suspects and X-men fame adapts "Jack The Giant Slayer" to the big screen for our viewing pleasure.....at least I'm sure that was his intention. All aboard the fairytale adaptation box office disaster train, next stop mediocrity. What really killed this film was the lack of defined tone, a defined villain, bad casting & surprisingly bad production values. It was surprising to see so many characters channel Monty Python type personalities, with campy over the top acting set in a film that takes itself way too seriously for what it is. The plot is the fairytale at its core but they tried to make it tonally dark but then slapped a PG rating on it. People literally get stabbed, shot with arrows in the face and decapitated but not an ounce of blood in sight which is ridiculous. The CGI of the giants is sub-par especially for a director who made two X-Men films look gorgeous. The cinematography is rather bland it looked like simple "point and shoot" in front of large green screens.
The pacing is noticeably irritating, there's very little action and when there is it comes in snippets and you have to wade through terrible character development for 2 hours just to get to the anti-climactic cliched "face-off" between the humans and the giants. The protagonists Jack (Nicholas Hoult) & Princess Isabelle (Eleanor Tomlinson) have no romantic chemistry and they hug an awful lot for complete strangers and in completely odd circumstances. Their performances are forgettable but what's sad is that, that applies for the whole cast. Ewan McGregor maybe guilty of cashing in on a big paycheck here, Ian McShane was laughable & Stanley Tucci who usually carries quality in his pocket was sorely underused and misdirected. Also too many of the central characters just suddenly die in the film where the score suddenly lifts into a dramatic rhythm that's supposed to evoke some emotion out of us, instead it has the reverse effect because you just don't care. The giants aren't terribly threatening, they don't pose a credible threat when they have two great weaknesses that are overly exploited in the film 1. A magic crown that conveniently controls them & 2. Arrows to the face even though they are all completely armored.
It's a dull film, with terrible pacing, horrible character development (if any), no chemistry between our two love birds, an anti-climactic ending and complete misdirection of the actors by the usually consistent Bryan Singer. Also the costume department failed miserably, the soldier uniforms looked like plastic and you could tell the swords were rubber when they wobbled mid-swing. Usually ensemble casts are his game just look at "Valkyrie" or "The Usual Suspects", something went terribly wrong with this script when they tried to make it dark but also market it towards families and children, they even went as far as to delay it 9 months and change the name from "Jack the Giant Killer" to "Jack the Giant Slayer" because that supposedly sounds less violent. The film was shot in 3D as opposed to being post converted but so what? 3D is huge turn off and adds 3-5$ a ticket which is why families (your target audience) didn't go and pay an arm and a leg to see your mediocre film. I can put this behind me and take solace in the fact that Bryan Singer is returning to the "X-Men" franchise with "X-Men: Days of Future Past". Pass on this 1.5/5
Monday, 25 March 2013
Mama Film Review
Mama - "A ghost is an emotion bent out of shape, condemned to repeat itself time and time again."
Spin the "Guillermo Del Toro producing horror" wheel of fortune & your either gonna land on yay or nay. In this particular case it's yay. Every time it says "Produced" by Guillermo Del Toro instead of "Directed" by Guillermo Del Toro you're playing Russian roulette because you might end up with something atrocious like "Don't Be Afraid Of The Dark" or something rather special like "The Orphanage". Mama is a family drama set within in the confines of the horror genre but does its best to avoid cliches & it's a thrill ride. The prologue very skillfully makes you emotionally invest in the characters as you see Jeffrey (Nikolaj Coster-Waldau) drive his two young daughters away from their house in a distraught state of mind because it's hinted that Jeffrey has murdered his wife. Over dangerous icy roads they drive which leads to them cascading off a cliff face. The daughters are very young but the three of them survive and stumble into the woods unscathed and find an abandoned house. Jeffrey visibly breaks down into an emotional wreck and pulls out a gun, seemingly about to shoot himself in the head but he stops and sees his two daughters and the "oh no" moment happens. "Daddy there's a woman outside who isn't touching the ground". Not paying attention to whatever is outside Jeffrey aims the gun at his eldest daughters head and that's when the film maybe blows it's load too early and introduces us to "Mama".
For 5 years the girls go on living in the woods alone, isolated, uneducated, malnourished & with no emotional development until one day two hunters who were hired by Jeffrey's twin brother Lucas find them in a horrific state still at the abandoned house. They are ghastly creatures, they walk on all fours, speak in made up languages, dirty from head to toe. They are immediately adopted by Lucas and his girlfriend Annabel played by the always stunning Jessica Chastain who can seriously rock the "band chick" look. They don't have the means to take care of these children so they are all placed in a home where a psychiatrist can observe and continue his ongoing study of them and that's when things go awry. The cinematography in this film is beautiful, the camera might as well have been a trained dancer as it weaves through the house in very long takes. The casting was perfect, the two little girls are haunting, great chemistry between the entire cast but the standout for me was Daniel Kash as the psychiatrist "Dr Dreyfuss". His side storyline of investigating "Mama" is fascinating as he delves into history to find out who or what "Mama" is. His revelations are essential to the story and without his character the film would fall flat and turn into another iteration of "Paranormal Activity". His interest in the little girls might make you wary of him, I wasn't sure what road this film was going down but when his motivations were subtly revealed at the end it was a surprise and I love surprises. It's definitely a breath of fresh air to the horror genre, which is not taken seriously enough these days when there are some spectacular horror films being made like "Insidious", "Sinister", "The Collector" this just gives the genre more credit. The production really is top notch.
My only criticisms would be that "Mama" is a CGI character and it needed to be in some scenes but in others it would have been more effective as a woman with creepy make-up, find the middle ground and blend the two. Create a physical presence that the actors could play off. The jump scares are few and far between which is good because the sledgehammer effect is old and tired. The film definitely draws inspiration from Japanese horror with the little girls crawling through the house giggling and genuinely being disturbing. The film even employs the "What's under the bed" scenario except here it's incredibly effective and done differently. The third act (where many horror films go to die) just barely hung on, it was right on the cusp of getting too ridiculous with the CGI but it pulls back right at the climax and without spoiling anything throws what could have been a cliche ending out the window literally. I could predict what was going to happen & it did but at least it was original. Also was it really necessary to showcase Jessica Chastain's cleavage in every scene? God I must sound like a feminist but when you use her breasts to sell the movie to teenage boys it diminishes the credibility, I want to be sold your film and your story, if the plot requires overt sexuality then by all means go ahead I don't condone censorship. But when she's cradling these adorable children in her arms my eyes kept drifting to her funbags (which were nice by the way). Anyway see it cinemas, it's effect will be lost on a TV, highly recommended. 3.7/5
Spin the "Guillermo Del Toro producing horror" wheel of fortune & your either gonna land on yay or nay. In this particular case it's yay. Every time it says "Produced" by Guillermo Del Toro instead of "Directed" by Guillermo Del Toro you're playing Russian roulette because you might end up with something atrocious like "Don't Be Afraid Of The Dark" or something rather special like "The Orphanage". Mama is a family drama set within in the confines of the horror genre but does its best to avoid cliches & it's a thrill ride. The prologue very skillfully makes you emotionally invest in the characters as you see Jeffrey (Nikolaj Coster-Waldau) drive his two young daughters away from their house in a distraught state of mind because it's hinted that Jeffrey has murdered his wife. Over dangerous icy roads they drive which leads to them cascading off a cliff face. The daughters are very young but the three of them survive and stumble into the woods unscathed and find an abandoned house. Jeffrey visibly breaks down into an emotional wreck and pulls out a gun, seemingly about to shoot himself in the head but he stops and sees his two daughters and the "oh no" moment happens. "Daddy there's a woman outside who isn't touching the ground". Not paying attention to whatever is outside Jeffrey aims the gun at his eldest daughters head and that's when the film maybe blows it's load too early and introduces us to "Mama".
For 5 years the girls go on living in the woods alone, isolated, uneducated, malnourished & with no emotional development until one day two hunters who were hired by Jeffrey's twin brother Lucas find them in a horrific state still at the abandoned house. They are ghastly creatures, they walk on all fours, speak in made up languages, dirty from head to toe. They are immediately adopted by Lucas and his girlfriend Annabel played by the always stunning Jessica Chastain who can seriously rock the "band chick" look. They don't have the means to take care of these children so they are all placed in a home where a psychiatrist can observe and continue his ongoing study of them and that's when things go awry. The cinematography in this film is beautiful, the camera might as well have been a trained dancer as it weaves through the house in very long takes. The casting was perfect, the two little girls are haunting, great chemistry between the entire cast but the standout for me was Daniel Kash as the psychiatrist "Dr Dreyfuss". His side storyline of investigating "Mama" is fascinating as he delves into history to find out who or what "Mama" is. His revelations are essential to the story and without his character the film would fall flat and turn into another iteration of "Paranormal Activity". His interest in the little girls might make you wary of him, I wasn't sure what road this film was going down but when his motivations were subtly revealed at the end it was a surprise and I love surprises. It's definitely a breath of fresh air to the horror genre, which is not taken seriously enough these days when there are some spectacular horror films being made like "Insidious", "Sinister", "The Collector" this just gives the genre more credit. The production really is top notch.
My only criticisms would be that "Mama" is a CGI character and it needed to be in some scenes but in others it would have been more effective as a woman with creepy make-up, find the middle ground and blend the two. Create a physical presence that the actors could play off. The jump scares are few and far between which is good because the sledgehammer effect is old and tired. The film definitely draws inspiration from Japanese horror with the little girls crawling through the house giggling and genuinely being disturbing. The film even employs the "What's under the bed" scenario except here it's incredibly effective and done differently. The third act (where many horror films go to die) just barely hung on, it was right on the cusp of getting too ridiculous with the CGI but it pulls back right at the climax and without spoiling anything throws what could have been a cliche ending out the window literally. I could predict what was going to happen & it did but at least it was original. Also was it really necessary to showcase Jessica Chastain's cleavage in every scene? God I must sound like a feminist but when you use her breasts to sell the movie to teenage boys it diminishes the credibility, I want to be sold your film and your story, if the plot requires overt sexuality then by all means go ahead I don't condone censorship. But when she's cradling these adorable children in her arms my eyes kept drifting to her funbags (which were nice by the way). Anyway see it cinemas, it's effect will be lost on a TV, highly recommended. 3.7/5
Wednesday, 20 March 2013
A Good Day To Die Hard Film Review
A Good Day To Die Hard - "The shit we do for our kids. Yipee Ki-Yay Motherfucker!"
A Good Day To Die Hard was put into the hands of two half-whits who don't know how to make good motion pictures. Firstly it's directed by John Moore who's previous spectacular credits include "Max Payne" "The Omen" "Flight Of The Phoenix" & "Behind Enemy Lines". Get me a bucket. Secondly it's written by I believe William Shakespeare's great great great great great Grandson "Skip Woods" who won several Oscars for his genius scripts for "X-Men Origins: Wolverine" "The A-Team" & "Hitman". Combining these two forces is a recipe for disaster and the end product is a train wreck. Clocking in at 92 minutes this is the shortest of the Die Hard films but we were promised it was going to be fine because it's rated "R". Throw in a couple of "Fucks" a few head shots and let John McClane finally say "Yipee Ki-Yay Motherfucker" and all the fans will be happy. WRONG. What we have here is an incoherent shit-pile mixed with explosion porn, shockingly bad dialogue and NO VILLAIN.
There is no story in sight, John McClane is made aware his estranged son Jack McClane (Jai Courtney) has a bad rap sheet in Russia and is to charged with a myriad of crimes so John get's on a plane headed for Russia because "Family is Family". But not before there's a completely useless cameo from Lucy McClane his daughter from the previous Die Hard who serves up some "awww shucks here we go again" dialogue that is positively cringy. So John lands in Russia with basically zero information and somehow finds exactly where his son is being held and explosions ensue. We then learn as they reunite that Jack McClane is CIA and deep undercover trying to extract a Russian political fugitive and our senses are assaulted by a nauseating 15 minute truck chase through Moscow. That's where the story ends. For 90 minutes John, Jack & Mr. Russian run from the "Bad guys" where some spoon feeding to the audience is needed because there isn't even a hint as to what their motivations actually are. Something about a "file" is mentioned at one point but then it switches to "Enriched Uranium" but by this point we've given up caring and just hoping that the stripping scene in the trailer is coming up soon. Spoiler alert, the stripping scene was cut from the film. FUCK YOU. It's so unnecessarily convoluted and ridiculous you get to the point where it can't get any worse......but then we're introduced to the "tap dancing carrot eating pack leader of bad guys". The supposed "villain" of the film "Alik" literally performs a tap dance sequence for John & Jack whilst eating a carrot when trying to intimidate them. "I could have been a dancer!"
As we tumble further down the rabbit hole of vomit inducing incohesive scenes we arrive at Chernobyl where a bunch of useless double crosses happen and the invincible John & Jack fight off hoards of henchmen without EVER having to reload. The action sequences are so implausible that I just wanted to shut my eyes and remember John McClane walking barefoot over broken glass in Die Hard 1 and sustaining actual realistic injuries. In this film there are a plethora of scenes where our protagonists are flung off buildings into conveniently placed scaffolding and simply stand up without a scratch. I realize it's an action film, but this is set in the Die Hard universe where the first 4 were semi-realistic and had coherent story lines and memorable villains. It's a real shame that this script was green lit and a director was hired that Bruce Willis could walk all over. His performance isn't charismatic or memorable. It looked as if he didn't even want to be there. Also a little gem in the film indicates that soon Australian made Jai Courtney will be taking over the Die Hard franchise when John says "Hey don't laugh this will be you in 5 years". Perhaps that's what Die Hard needs, for John to retire the badge and pass it onto his son. I'll give the film credit for it's use of slow-motion in the end scene but that's it. Avoid at all costs. 0.5/5
A Good Day To Die Hard was put into the hands of two half-whits who don't know how to make good motion pictures. Firstly it's directed by John Moore who's previous spectacular credits include "Max Payne" "The Omen" "Flight Of The Phoenix" & "Behind Enemy Lines". Get me a bucket. Secondly it's written by I believe William Shakespeare's great great great great great Grandson "Skip Woods" who won several Oscars for his genius scripts for "X-Men Origins: Wolverine" "The A-Team" & "Hitman". Combining these two forces is a recipe for disaster and the end product is a train wreck. Clocking in at 92 minutes this is the shortest of the Die Hard films but we were promised it was going to be fine because it's rated "R". Throw in a couple of "Fucks" a few head shots and let John McClane finally say "Yipee Ki-Yay Motherfucker" and all the fans will be happy. WRONG. What we have here is an incoherent shit-pile mixed with explosion porn, shockingly bad dialogue and NO VILLAIN.
There is no story in sight, John McClane is made aware his estranged son Jack McClane (Jai Courtney) has a bad rap sheet in Russia and is to charged with a myriad of crimes so John get's on a plane headed for Russia because "Family is Family". But not before there's a completely useless cameo from Lucy McClane his daughter from the previous Die Hard who serves up some "awww shucks here we go again" dialogue that is positively cringy. So John lands in Russia with basically zero information and somehow finds exactly where his son is being held and explosions ensue. We then learn as they reunite that Jack McClane is CIA and deep undercover trying to extract a Russian political fugitive and our senses are assaulted by a nauseating 15 minute truck chase through Moscow. That's where the story ends. For 90 minutes John, Jack & Mr. Russian run from the "Bad guys" where some spoon feeding to the audience is needed because there isn't even a hint as to what their motivations actually are. Something about a "file" is mentioned at one point but then it switches to "Enriched Uranium" but by this point we've given up caring and just hoping that the stripping scene in the trailer is coming up soon. Spoiler alert, the stripping scene was cut from the film. FUCK YOU. It's so unnecessarily convoluted and ridiculous you get to the point where it can't get any worse......but then we're introduced to the "tap dancing carrot eating pack leader of bad guys". The supposed "villain" of the film "Alik" literally performs a tap dance sequence for John & Jack whilst eating a carrot when trying to intimidate them. "I could have been a dancer!"
As we tumble further down the rabbit hole of vomit inducing incohesive scenes we arrive at Chernobyl where a bunch of useless double crosses happen and the invincible John & Jack fight off hoards of henchmen without EVER having to reload. The action sequences are so implausible that I just wanted to shut my eyes and remember John McClane walking barefoot over broken glass in Die Hard 1 and sustaining actual realistic injuries. In this film there are a plethora of scenes where our protagonists are flung off buildings into conveniently placed scaffolding and simply stand up without a scratch. I realize it's an action film, but this is set in the Die Hard universe where the first 4 were semi-realistic and had coherent story lines and memorable villains. It's a real shame that this script was green lit and a director was hired that Bruce Willis could walk all over. His performance isn't charismatic or memorable. It looked as if he didn't even want to be there. Also a little gem in the film indicates that soon Australian made Jai Courtney will be taking over the Die Hard franchise when John says "Hey don't laugh this will be you in 5 years". Perhaps that's what Die Hard needs, for John to retire the badge and pass it onto his son. I'll give the film credit for it's use of slow-motion in the end scene but that's it. Avoid at all costs. 0.5/5
Wednesday, 13 March 2013
Side Effects Film Review
Side Effects - "They want to steal my life!"
Being fooled is part of the fun. Reported to be Steven Soderbergh's final film, instead of going out with a bang he delivers a post-modern Hitchcockian thriller. What's interesting about the characters is that everyone has a secret, a snake coiled & ready to strike. We are at the heart of mental illness, or at least we think we are. Set in the world of pharmacology we are shown a dubious side to psychiatrists as they gamble with medications to see what might work and the risks involved including these looming "Side Effects". Rooney Mara stars as Emily a girl who is depressed and fearful of the world, her husband Martin played by Channing Tatum is newly released from prison for insider trading on Wall Street which adds stress to Emily's life and eventually she snaps and drives her car into a brick wall at high speeds, she is admitted to the hospital where Dr. Jonathan Banks played by Jude Law is tasked with being her psychiatrist. He prescribes Zoloft to help with the depression but it doesn't work. Emily's home life is slowly shattering, she has lost her sex drive & Martin still hasn't found a job. Jonathan seeks out Emily's previous psychiatrist Dr. Victoria Siebert played by Catherine Zeta-Jones who in turn recommends "Ablixa" a new drug for depression that's in the trial stages.
It is next to impossible to discuss this film without spoiling it. The film does a brilliant job in making you think it's going to follow Path A. When suddenly it switches to Path B. It's a very rewarding film where the less you know about it the better, don't watch a trailer and you probably shouldn't even read this review. There are so many twists and turns in this film, that you have to go in with your thinking cap on just to keep up. I originally was skeptical of seeing it because it looked reminiscent of "Fatal Attraction" just another film where a female lead goes insane and that's the formula it would apply, except surprisingly it isn't! The way in which it was shot, along with the colour schemes made it hypnotic, the performances are terrific and it's the right running time. For heavy subject matter like this you can't make a 2 hour film, this settles on a comfortable 95 minutes. It's a breath of fresh air to the dramatic/thriller genre, I didn't like a single character in the film, their performances are all top notch but they aren't people you warm to. Even if you do find yourself siding with one character your allegiances will change as the story unfolds, which gives the story terrific character arcs.
If there are any criticisms it would be that the entire movie is based in the grey area, nothing is black & white and that the motions the protagonist goes through to achieve his/her goal are overly complicated to solve a reasonably simple issue. Sound vague? From start to finish it should keep you guessing as to what's real and what isn't, paranoia is always one of the most interesting thought processes an actress/actor can play with, and in this film it's handled delicately. The film never portrays mental illness carelessly rather it portrays it respectfully which is needed in today's society. Highly recommended, go in blind & come out satisfied. 5/5
Being fooled is part of the fun. Reported to be Steven Soderbergh's final film, instead of going out with a bang he delivers a post-modern Hitchcockian thriller. What's interesting about the characters is that everyone has a secret, a snake coiled & ready to strike. We are at the heart of mental illness, or at least we think we are. Set in the world of pharmacology we are shown a dubious side to psychiatrists as they gamble with medications to see what might work and the risks involved including these looming "Side Effects". Rooney Mara stars as Emily a girl who is depressed and fearful of the world, her husband Martin played by Channing Tatum is newly released from prison for insider trading on Wall Street which adds stress to Emily's life and eventually she snaps and drives her car into a brick wall at high speeds, she is admitted to the hospital where Dr. Jonathan Banks played by Jude Law is tasked with being her psychiatrist. He prescribes Zoloft to help with the depression but it doesn't work. Emily's home life is slowly shattering, she has lost her sex drive & Martin still hasn't found a job. Jonathan seeks out Emily's previous psychiatrist Dr. Victoria Siebert played by Catherine Zeta-Jones who in turn recommends "Ablixa" a new drug for depression that's in the trial stages.
It is next to impossible to discuss this film without spoiling it. The film does a brilliant job in making you think it's going to follow Path A. When suddenly it switches to Path B. It's a very rewarding film where the less you know about it the better, don't watch a trailer and you probably shouldn't even read this review. There are so many twists and turns in this film, that you have to go in with your thinking cap on just to keep up. I originally was skeptical of seeing it because it looked reminiscent of "Fatal Attraction" just another film where a female lead goes insane and that's the formula it would apply, except surprisingly it isn't! The way in which it was shot, along with the colour schemes made it hypnotic, the performances are terrific and it's the right running time. For heavy subject matter like this you can't make a 2 hour film, this settles on a comfortable 95 minutes. It's a breath of fresh air to the dramatic/thriller genre, I didn't like a single character in the film, their performances are all top notch but they aren't people you warm to. Even if you do find yourself siding with one character your allegiances will change as the story unfolds, which gives the story terrific character arcs.
If there are any criticisms it would be that the entire movie is based in the grey area, nothing is black & white and that the motions the protagonist goes through to achieve his/her goal are overly complicated to solve a reasonably simple issue. Sound vague? From start to finish it should keep you guessing as to what's real and what isn't, paranoia is always one of the most interesting thought processes an actress/actor can play with, and in this film it's handled delicately. The film never portrays mental illness carelessly rather it portrays it respectfully which is needed in today's society. Highly recommended, go in blind & come out satisfied. 5/5
Monday, 11 March 2013
Oz The Great & Powerful Film Review
Oz The Great & Powerful - "I might not actually be a wizard..."
You might not be a good actor either James or at least in this role. You are reminiscent of Hayden Christensen in the Star Wars Prequels & in similar territory when you think about it. Sam Raimi takes a beloved piece of art loved by generations of people and George Lucasifies it by replacing every physical set with a CGI world, bad acting & a worse plot. Yes this isn't a remake it's a prequel, just like the Phantom Menace. It's very unlike Disney to create a children's film with no subtle adult content or anything to keep the interests of anyone over the age of 15, but this is through and through a children's film & it's awful. The acting on behalf of almost everyone is wooden and uninspired, James Franco as Oz was a really poor choice of casting, if both Robert Downey Jr. & Johnny Depp pass on it, shelve the project and burn the script.
The script is horrendous, not an ounce of cohesive dialogue in sight, which would be fine if there was Michael Bay levels of action but there is not, in fact there isn't any action at all, not from the witches not from Oz & not from the flying monkeys. The witches were so boring and dull to watch, Michelle Williams as Glinda was all sugar and no spice, she's irritating and not important to the storyline at all and displays no sort of power in the film either and treats her precious wand as a child's toy to be played with. Mila Kunis as Theodora was atrocious, when she makes her transformation in the film it is comical rather than scary, in no universe does she even come close to Margaret Hamilton in "The Wizard of Oz". Her makeup looks like it's CGI rather than physical and her cackling laugh made me want to gag. The only positives of casting Mila Kunis was one shot of her ass and whoever the lucky make-up person was that got to paint her tits green. Rachel Weisz is the only actress to somewhat resemble a witch, her performance is fine and fine is the best you'll get in this seemingly 6 hour long film.
The production was a slap in the face to Victor Fleming who successfully transported us to the wonderful world of Oz in 1939 with gorgeous physical sets, vibrant colours, amazing make-up, adorable songs & an impressive cast. Sam Raimi incorporates the use of multiple green screens to create Oz and it looks ugly and fake. The CGI of the little China Girl is cringe worthy as you can clearly see that whenever Oz is handling her he's not actually gripping anything. Also at no point did I believe Oz was actually on a yellow brick road. This production wouldn't be complete without a faithful Jar Jar Binks to accompany Oz on his very boring journey. Zach Braff motion captures and voices the character of Finlay a flying monkey wearing a bell-hop costume, irritating is an understatement, useless is a better word as he serves absolutely no purpose in the film. In fact I wouldn't be surprised if he was cast purely so they could market this pile of shit to his million Facebook followers. Disney really tried to hammer the anti-violence message into the audiences head which explains the complete lack of action resulting in zero entertainment. Proceed with extreme caution, impossible to recommend. 1/5
You might not be a good actor either James or at least in this role. You are reminiscent of Hayden Christensen in the Star Wars Prequels & in similar territory when you think about it. Sam Raimi takes a beloved piece of art loved by generations of people and George Lucasifies it by replacing every physical set with a CGI world, bad acting & a worse plot. Yes this isn't a remake it's a prequel, just like the Phantom Menace. It's very unlike Disney to create a children's film with no subtle adult content or anything to keep the interests of anyone over the age of 15, but this is through and through a children's film & it's awful. The acting on behalf of almost everyone is wooden and uninspired, James Franco as Oz was a really poor choice of casting, if both Robert Downey Jr. & Johnny Depp pass on it, shelve the project and burn the script.
The script is horrendous, not an ounce of cohesive dialogue in sight, which would be fine if there was Michael Bay levels of action but there is not, in fact there isn't any action at all, not from the witches not from Oz & not from the flying monkeys. The witches were so boring and dull to watch, Michelle Williams as Glinda was all sugar and no spice, she's irritating and not important to the storyline at all and displays no sort of power in the film either and treats her precious wand as a child's toy to be played with. Mila Kunis as Theodora was atrocious, when she makes her transformation in the film it is comical rather than scary, in no universe does she even come close to Margaret Hamilton in "The Wizard of Oz". Her makeup looks like it's CGI rather than physical and her cackling laugh made me want to gag. The only positives of casting Mila Kunis was one shot of her ass and whoever the lucky make-up person was that got to paint her tits green. Rachel Weisz is the only actress to somewhat resemble a witch, her performance is fine and fine is the best you'll get in this seemingly 6 hour long film.
The production was a slap in the face to Victor Fleming who successfully transported us to the wonderful world of Oz in 1939 with gorgeous physical sets, vibrant colours, amazing make-up, adorable songs & an impressive cast. Sam Raimi incorporates the use of multiple green screens to create Oz and it looks ugly and fake. The CGI of the little China Girl is cringe worthy as you can clearly see that whenever Oz is handling her he's not actually gripping anything. Also at no point did I believe Oz was actually on a yellow brick road. This production wouldn't be complete without a faithful Jar Jar Binks to accompany Oz on his very boring journey. Zach Braff motion captures and voices the character of Finlay a flying monkey wearing a bell-hop costume, irritating is an understatement, useless is a better word as he serves absolutely no purpose in the film. In fact I wouldn't be surprised if he was cast purely so they could market this pile of shit to his million Facebook followers. Disney really tried to hammer the anti-violence message into the audiences head which explains the complete lack of action resulting in zero entertainment. Proceed with extreme caution, impossible to recommend. 1/5
Thursday, 7 March 2013
Anna Karenina Film Review
Anna Karenina - "I was eighteen when I got married, but it was not love."
A tale of love, loss, infidelity, politics & style over substance. Director Joe Wright bravely tackles Leo Tolstoy's epic 864 page novel set in high society Russia in the year 1874 which tells the story of Anna Karenina (Keira Knightley), the wife of a high ranking Russian politician "Alexei Karenin" (Jude Law) and her infidelity which leads to her downfall and public slut shaming. Anna is seduced by an up and coming Russian officer "Vronsky"(Aaron Taylor-Johnson) and subsequently abandons her child & husband which destroys Alexei Karenin's standing in society. "The man who can't govern his wife, has gone as far as he can go in government."She must pay the price and lose the perks of the upper class. She is driven by pure passion which I guess should have made us feel empathy for her, however in this adaptation Joe Wright strives for style over substance and the story gets lost in translation.
The production of this film is quite extraordinary, it's filmed almost entirely in the confines of a theater stage, the box, the main floor, the wings, the machinery & the trickery of backdrops ever changing to suit the scene. It all happens in real time.....sort of, if the scene requires a change of set or costume it's done during a scene with stage hands in full costume. The backdrops are changed in front of your very eyes and costume changes happen in the blink of an eye which is impressive and provides some comical relief. The cast is a collection of British talent. Jude Law in particular is a stand out, he has a very reserved performance in which his inner rage is visible but he can't fully express it as he must be the quint essential example of Russian rigor and remain in complete control. "I tried to save her. She chose him." He speaks in hushed tones and needn't do anything but walk into a room to demand everyone's respect. Keira Knightley is......Keira Knightley her performance doesn't change from one period piece to the next, it's good but not exciting, she continues to choose these roles and she's good in them but there are no longer any "wow" moments. Aaron Taylor-Johnson does a magnificent job portraying an ambitious rising soldier who makes women weak at the knees and as he seduces Anna Karenina it's very obvious that Mr. Kick-Ass has talent in dramatic roles.
As for the central story it was at times dull because it's hard to sympathize with Anna as society slowly turns on her. "Anna isn't a criminal, but she broke the rules!"It is in fact the supporting cast that have the most interesting subplots. Anna's brother Oblonsky played by the brilliant Matthew Macfadyen is hysterical, his whole demeanor, the way he takes nothing serious, how he openly tries to crack jokes with intimidating Russian higher ups is priceless, if only he had more screen time. If Joe Wright had of gone a little sillier and lighter on tone to accommodate for the tedious plot then it would have been a more entertaining film, but these adult themes require tension and drama which makes the famous story very difficult to adapt to the big screen. Tom Stoppard who wrote the script did as good a job as anyone could, his dialogue was rich, the way in which it was delivered was perfect, however it will obviously not interest everyone particularly the teenage demographic. It could have used a shorter running time also, at 130 minutes you do occasionally look at your watch wanting it to wrap up but overall an expertly crafted film with a tedious story to tell. It's definitely worth watching but don't go into it if you're not interested in the story because you will ultimately come out disappointed. 3.8/5
A tale of love, loss, infidelity, politics & style over substance. Director Joe Wright bravely tackles Leo Tolstoy's epic 864 page novel set in high society Russia in the year 1874 which tells the story of Anna Karenina (Keira Knightley), the wife of a high ranking Russian politician "Alexei Karenin" (Jude Law) and her infidelity which leads to her downfall and public slut shaming. Anna is seduced by an up and coming Russian officer "Vronsky"(Aaron Taylor-Johnson) and subsequently abandons her child & husband which destroys Alexei Karenin's standing in society. "The man who can't govern his wife, has gone as far as he can go in government."She must pay the price and lose the perks of the upper class. She is driven by pure passion which I guess should have made us feel empathy for her, however in this adaptation Joe Wright strives for style over substance and the story gets lost in translation.
The production of this film is quite extraordinary, it's filmed almost entirely in the confines of a theater stage, the box, the main floor, the wings, the machinery & the trickery of backdrops ever changing to suit the scene. It all happens in real time.....sort of, if the scene requires a change of set or costume it's done during a scene with stage hands in full costume. The backdrops are changed in front of your very eyes and costume changes happen in the blink of an eye which is impressive and provides some comical relief. The cast is a collection of British talent. Jude Law in particular is a stand out, he has a very reserved performance in which his inner rage is visible but he can't fully express it as he must be the quint essential example of Russian rigor and remain in complete control. "I tried to save her. She chose him." He speaks in hushed tones and needn't do anything but walk into a room to demand everyone's respect. Keira Knightley is......Keira Knightley her performance doesn't change from one period piece to the next, it's good but not exciting, she continues to choose these roles and she's good in them but there are no longer any "wow" moments. Aaron Taylor-Johnson does a magnificent job portraying an ambitious rising soldier who makes women weak at the knees and as he seduces Anna Karenina it's very obvious that Mr. Kick-Ass has talent in dramatic roles.
As for the central story it was at times dull because it's hard to sympathize with Anna as society slowly turns on her. "Anna isn't a criminal, but she broke the rules!"It is in fact the supporting cast that have the most interesting subplots. Anna's brother Oblonsky played by the brilliant Matthew Macfadyen is hysterical, his whole demeanor, the way he takes nothing serious, how he openly tries to crack jokes with intimidating Russian higher ups is priceless, if only he had more screen time. If Joe Wright had of gone a little sillier and lighter on tone to accommodate for the tedious plot then it would have been a more entertaining film, but these adult themes require tension and drama which makes the famous story very difficult to adapt to the big screen. Tom Stoppard who wrote the script did as good a job as anyone could, his dialogue was rich, the way in which it was delivered was perfect, however it will obviously not interest everyone particularly the teenage demographic. It could have used a shorter running time also, at 130 minutes you do occasionally look at your watch wanting it to wrap up but overall an expertly crafted film with a tedious story to tell. It's definitely worth watching but don't go into it if you're not interested in the story because you will ultimately come out disappointed. 3.8/5
Thursday, 28 February 2013
Hansel & Gretel: Witch Hunters Film Review
Hansel & Gretel: Witch Hunters "Whatever you do, don't eat the fucking candy."
Ever since Tim Burton's 2010 colossal billion dollar hit "Alice In Wonderland" studios have been seizing the rights to famous fairy tales and adapting them for the big screen. None of which have been anywhere near as financially successful. Snow White & The Huntsmen was a moderate success with $400,000,000 off a bloated $170,000,000 budget, Jack The Giant Slayer is set to bomb at the box office according to tracking, Hansel & Gretel is a very moderate success making $160,000,000 off a medium budget of $50,000,000. Red Riding Hood & Beastly were both huge financial failures. When will Hollywood take the hint and see that Alice In Wonderland was a rarity?
Hansel & Gretel is poorly cast, it was delayed 10 months to see if Jeremy Renner would become an A-List star from The Avengers & The Bourne Legacy & his on screen sister Gemma Arterton has a strong English accent for the entire film whilst Jeremy sported his Californian accent, figure that? Famke Janssen as the head evil witch didn't really bring the venom and sadistic tone as she did when she was the villain in "James Bond Goldeneye" she is still absolutely gorgeous but she looked bored and even admitted that she took the role to pay her mortgage off. The action sequences are dull, everyone constantly does the action roll to dodge flying objects or the "Neo Dodging Bullets Matrix Move" nothing is original. The weapons look like plastic, the music doesn't elevate the intensity it's just repetitive monotonous action.
However the make-up is extraordinary, when the witches are in full swing they are rotting, ugly creatures. And I silently applauded the production team for using physical prosthetic's for the troll "Edward" he wasn't a CGI character he was a man in a suit & he looked fantastically genuine, in fact the trolls action sequence was the most exciting sequence in the film. The time and effort that went into his suit must be appreciated. It's a shame our human leads just didn't have the chemistry to keep this film glued together. It's not a horrible film, but it's far from good, you could do a lot worse. From a technical standpoint it does stand out with physical sets, very little green screen, a lot of gorgeous makeup and prosthetic's, real explosions and trees splintering and buildings actually on fire. The script and casting is where it truly lacks. Some of the line delivery is cringe worthy and the script itself employ's the use of of swearing for the sake of swearing. "Let's say fuck and show some tits to make this an R rated film". I'm not against censorship at all, and I would never encourage censorship but don't use porny shots of women to try and get young boys into the cinema because then you're just selling sex instead of your adapted fairy tale. If you can see it with friends by all means you may enjoy it, just keep expectations really really low. I would pay to see a sequel just to watch the troll in action. 2/5
Ever since Tim Burton's 2010 colossal billion dollar hit "Alice In Wonderland" studios have been seizing the rights to famous fairy tales and adapting them for the big screen. None of which have been anywhere near as financially successful. Snow White & The Huntsmen was a moderate success with $400,000,000 off a bloated $170,000,000 budget, Jack The Giant Slayer is set to bomb at the box office according to tracking, Hansel & Gretel is a very moderate success making $160,000,000 off a medium budget of $50,000,000. Red Riding Hood & Beastly were both huge financial failures. When will Hollywood take the hint and see that Alice In Wonderland was a rarity?
Hansel & Gretel is poorly cast, it was delayed 10 months to see if Jeremy Renner would become an A-List star from The Avengers & The Bourne Legacy & his on screen sister Gemma Arterton has a strong English accent for the entire film whilst Jeremy sported his Californian accent, figure that? Famke Janssen as the head evil witch didn't really bring the venom and sadistic tone as she did when she was the villain in "James Bond Goldeneye" she is still absolutely gorgeous but she looked bored and even admitted that she took the role to pay her mortgage off. The action sequences are dull, everyone constantly does the action roll to dodge flying objects or the "Neo Dodging Bullets Matrix Move" nothing is original. The weapons look like plastic, the music doesn't elevate the intensity it's just repetitive monotonous action.
However the make-up is extraordinary, when the witches are in full swing they are rotting, ugly creatures. And I silently applauded the production team for using physical prosthetic's for the troll "Edward" he wasn't a CGI character he was a man in a suit & he looked fantastically genuine, in fact the trolls action sequence was the most exciting sequence in the film. The time and effort that went into his suit must be appreciated. It's a shame our human leads just didn't have the chemistry to keep this film glued together. It's not a horrible film, but it's far from good, you could do a lot worse. From a technical standpoint it does stand out with physical sets, very little green screen, a lot of gorgeous makeup and prosthetic's, real explosions and trees splintering and buildings actually on fire. The script and casting is where it truly lacks. Some of the line delivery is cringe worthy and the script itself employ's the use of of swearing for the sake of swearing. "Let's say fuck and show some tits to make this an R rated film". I'm not against censorship at all, and I would never encourage censorship but don't use porny shots of women to try and get young boys into the cinema because then you're just selling sex instead of your adapted fairy tale. If you can see it with friends by all means you may enjoy it, just keep expectations really really low. I would pay to see a sequel just to watch the troll in action. 2/5
Monday, 18 February 2013
Beautiful Creatures Film Review
Beautiful Creatures - "Keep your distance, if anything happens to my boy I won't hesitate to send you back to the very hell that spat you out"
Beautiful Creatures based on the novel of the same name is set in the religious extremist town of Gatlin South Carolina where classic works of literature like "To Kill A Mocking Bird" & "Slaughterhouse Five" are banned to preserve the innocence of the children, these very naive & religious children, a never ending cycle of prejudice and sheep worship plagues this town. It's a POV story told from the perspective of 16 year old Ethan Carter Wate played by the very charismatic and charming Alden Ehrenreich, a newcomer but showing early potential. One day the niece of the town shut in Lena Duchannes played by Alice Englert moves to town and enrolls in the local high school and with that comes very stereotypical high school consequences for the new kid. Pushed around and bullied until one day Lena Duchanes snaps and accidentally unleashes her powers on the students.
Turns out Lena is a caster and her powers are growing stronger every day leading up to her 16th birthday where she will be claimed for either the light or the dark. Whilst the deadline places a sense of urgency on our protagonists they never make the Twilightian mistake of taking themselves too seriously or hiring terrible actors for that matter. The jokes are flowing and they actually act like teenagers without irritating you, not an abundance of tears or brooding personalities or a depressing colour gradient filtered into every shot LIKE TWILIGHT. Ethan is a very relatable character who falls for Lena, sticks up for her and is willingly pulled into her dangerous extended family half of which are dark and half of which are light. Emmy Rossum plays Ridley Duchannes, Lena's evil cousin who is a vixen & a siren, can get men to do anything she wants and she exploits it which was good to see, she's not a half-assed villain.
We learn that as Lena's claiming day approaches conflicts arise as her thought to be dead mother "Sarafine" played by the devilishly fantastic Emma Thompson is on the warpath set to corrupt Lena and turn her dark so she can have her daughter back. However Lena has a guardian Macon Ravenwood played by the always excellent Jeremy Irons the town shut in who is reminiscent of Boo Radley from To Kill A Mockingbird. His intentions are clear and his determination is unwavering a really good character for him to sink his teeth into. As Ethan starts taking more and more risks to be with Lena we learn that he also has a guardian, his housekeeper Amma played by the gorgeous Viola Davis. She's completely strange and superstitious & also a seer. She can speak to dead relatives and has frequent visions. It shows that Viola Davis took the character seriously but also had a lot of fun with her. All in all the casting is literally perfect they all hit their marks, true to the characters and the accents are fantastic.
There are a few bumps in the road which stops me from really loving this film even though I liked it a lot. Whilst there is some really clever dialogue, sometimes it's not delivered perfectly. Also the special effects are not a strong point of this film, sometimes coming across a little distracting particularly the spinning dinner table scene. The costumes are terrific but it seems only the adult cast got to don the truly wonderful and campy extravagant costumes, whilst Lena went a little too Gothic and it didn't seem to fit. The music I hate to say is more often than not distractingly bad, the cues were awfully timed and the actual score was bland. It didn't enhance any of the intense moments but the intensity never fell flat due to the consistent acting. Overall it's a great adaptation of the book and it throws away the stupidly ridiculous ending of the novel and replaces it with something a little more realistic. It's not perfect but it's a fun time and one of the better adaptations of young adult fiction, makes you think what went wrong with Twilight and The Hunger Games. 3.5/5
Beautiful Creatures based on the novel of the same name is set in the religious extremist town of Gatlin South Carolina where classic works of literature like "To Kill A Mocking Bird" & "Slaughterhouse Five" are banned to preserve the innocence of the children, these very naive & religious children, a never ending cycle of prejudice and sheep worship plagues this town. It's a POV story told from the perspective of 16 year old Ethan Carter Wate played by the very charismatic and charming Alden Ehrenreich, a newcomer but showing early potential. One day the niece of the town shut in Lena Duchannes played by Alice Englert moves to town and enrolls in the local high school and with that comes very stereotypical high school consequences for the new kid. Pushed around and bullied until one day Lena Duchanes snaps and accidentally unleashes her powers on the students.
Turns out Lena is a caster and her powers are growing stronger every day leading up to her 16th birthday where she will be claimed for either the light or the dark. Whilst the deadline places a sense of urgency on our protagonists they never make the Twilightian mistake of taking themselves too seriously or hiring terrible actors for that matter. The jokes are flowing and they actually act like teenagers without irritating you, not an abundance of tears or brooding personalities or a depressing colour gradient filtered into every shot LIKE TWILIGHT. Ethan is a very relatable character who falls for Lena, sticks up for her and is willingly pulled into her dangerous extended family half of which are dark and half of which are light. Emmy Rossum plays Ridley Duchannes, Lena's evil cousin who is a vixen & a siren, can get men to do anything she wants and she exploits it which was good to see, she's not a half-assed villain.
We learn that as Lena's claiming day approaches conflicts arise as her thought to be dead mother "Sarafine" played by the devilishly fantastic Emma Thompson is on the warpath set to corrupt Lena and turn her dark so she can have her daughter back. However Lena has a guardian Macon Ravenwood played by the always excellent Jeremy Irons the town shut in who is reminiscent of Boo Radley from To Kill A Mockingbird. His intentions are clear and his determination is unwavering a really good character for him to sink his teeth into. As Ethan starts taking more and more risks to be with Lena we learn that he also has a guardian, his housekeeper Amma played by the gorgeous Viola Davis. She's completely strange and superstitious & also a seer. She can speak to dead relatives and has frequent visions. It shows that Viola Davis took the character seriously but also had a lot of fun with her. All in all the casting is literally perfect they all hit their marks, true to the characters and the accents are fantastic.
There are a few bumps in the road which stops me from really loving this film even though I liked it a lot. Whilst there is some really clever dialogue, sometimes it's not delivered perfectly. Also the special effects are not a strong point of this film, sometimes coming across a little distracting particularly the spinning dinner table scene. The costumes are terrific but it seems only the adult cast got to don the truly wonderful and campy extravagant costumes, whilst Lena went a little too Gothic and it didn't seem to fit. The music I hate to say is more often than not distractingly bad, the cues were awfully timed and the actual score was bland. It didn't enhance any of the intense moments but the intensity never fell flat due to the consistent acting. Overall it's a great adaptation of the book and it throws away the stupidly ridiculous ending of the novel and replaces it with something a little more realistic. It's not perfect but it's a fun time and one of the better adaptations of young adult fiction, makes you think what went wrong with Twilight and The Hunger Games. 3.5/5
Monday, 4 February 2013
The Impossible Film Review
The Impossible - "Lucas, do what you do best....help people"
The Impossible tells the true story of a tourist family visiting Khao Lak, Thailand a day before the devastating 2004 Indian Ocean Tsunami decimated the pacific basin, killing thousands. Maria & Harry Bennett (Naomi Watts, Ewan McGregor) are traveling from Japan to Thailand with their three young boys Lucas, Simon & Thomas (Tom Holland, Samuel Joslin, Oaklee Pendergast) and arrive Christmas Eve the night before, something is most certainly off, a fundamental shift in the atmosphere starts ringing alarm bells for the audience. Suddenly people are engulfed in a mammoth wave sweeping the hotel and everyone in it into a damning situation.
Maria breaks the surface of the water to see her son Lucas floating down stream barely conscious and alone. The two struggle to swim to each other as they are constantly tossed around underwater by strong currents, flinging them off cars, trees & all sorts of dangerous debris. Maria sustains incredible injuries but she and her son manage to cling to each other and begin their long and suffering journey to the nearest hospital, not knowing whats happened to Henry, Simon & Thomas. It's clear why Naomi Watts was nominated for an Oscar, her performance is stunning, she is somehow gorgeous even though she's covered in blood and dirt, the way she evokes such emotional torment trying to get her son to safety is heartbreaking.
Lucas becomes Maria's lifeguard escorting her to the nearest hospital and helping anyone he can as he is still able bodied. The filmmakers use actual Tsunami survivors as the extras, almost everyone you see that isn't part of the core story was effected by the 2004 Tsunami. It's a film about the people showing human spirit conquering the impossible. Ewan McGregor snubbed by the Oscars gives one of his best performances to date. He has to make one the hardest decisions a parent could make, leave his two sons in a safe zone to continue looking for his wife and son in hospitals and shelters. His lonely performance is endearing and treacherous, hope fades fast as each hospital turns up empty.
The direction is spot on, the use of special effects for the tsunami scenes are flawless, it seemed so real, the wave was so visually impacting. The score by Fernando Velazquez is very powerful, this film wouldn't be half as successful if it wasn't for the subdued & resonating music. There has been some criticism over the change of nationality of the family who are originally Spanish, changed to British, possibly to reach a wider audience and to market it to the west, but even the real life Maria said it didn't matter because the story is essentially about people. A haunting watch but worth it if you can handle some squeamish moments. One of 2012's best films, highly recommended. 5/5
The Impossible tells the true story of a tourist family visiting Khao Lak, Thailand a day before the devastating 2004 Indian Ocean Tsunami decimated the pacific basin, killing thousands. Maria & Harry Bennett (Naomi Watts, Ewan McGregor) are traveling from Japan to Thailand with their three young boys Lucas, Simon & Thomas (Tom Holland, Samuel Joslin, Oaklee Pendergast) and arrive Christmas Eve the night before, something is most certainly off, a fundamental shift in the atmosphere starts ringing alarm bells for the audience. Suddenly people are engulfed in a mammoth wave sweeping the hotel and everyone in it into a damning situation.
Maria breaks the surface of the water to see her son Lucas floating down stream barely conscious and alone. The two struggle to swim to each other as they are constantly tossed around underwater by strong currents, flinging them off cars, trees & all sorts of dangerous debris. Maria sustains incredible injuries but she and her son manage to cling to each other and begin their long and suffering journey to the nearest hospital, not knowing whats happened to Henry, Simon & Thomas. It's clear why Naomi Watts was nominated for an Oscar, her performance is stunning, she is somehow gorgeous even though she's covered in blood and dirt, the way she evokes such emotional torment trying to get her son to safety is heartbreaking.
Lucas becomes Maria's lifeguard escorting her to the nearest hospital and helping anyone he can as he is still able bodied. The filmmakers use actual Tsunami survivors as the extras, almost everyone you see that isn't part of the core story was effected by the 2004 Tsunami. It's a film about the people showing human spirit conquering the impossible. Ewan McGregor snubbed by the Oscars gives one of his best performances to date. He has to make one the hardest decisions a parent could make, leave his two sons in a safe zone to continue looking for his wife and son in hospitals and shelters. His lonely performance is endearing and treacherous, hope fades fast as each hospital turns up empty.
The direction is spot on, the use of special effects for the tsunami scenes are flawless, it seemed so real, the wave was so visually impacting. The score by Fernando Velazquez is very powerful, this film wouldn't be half as successful if it wasn't for the subdued & resonating music. There has been some criticism over the change of nationality of the family who are originally Spanish, changed to British, possibly to reach a wider audience and to market it to the west, but even the real life Maria said it didn't matter because the story is essentially about people. A haunting watch but worth it if you can handle some squeamish moments. One of 2012's best films, highly recommended. 5/5
Thursday, 31 January 2013
The Americans TV Review
The Americans - "The electricity stays on, the food is good, what's so bad about this place?"
Highly intriguing, FX delivers another promising drama, set in the cold war during the 1980's suburbia America. Philip & Elizabeth are masquerading as a typical American couple whilst secretly working for the KGB, spies on enemy soil. This type of show could only work on a cable show where the censor doesn't ruin the very adult themes. We're only one episode deep and already there is an abundance of rape, torture, murder, kidnapping, pedophile lynching & hand to hand combat. These violent themes aren't present just to shock the audience they're there to drive the story & the story is fascinating.
Keri Russel plays Elizabeth who is a cold, blunt instrument of the motherland Russia whilst her fake husband Philip played by Matthew Rhys is a more relatable human being who is torn between doing his duty and defecting to the Americans for an easier life, this decision weighs heavily on the marriage. They also have two biological children which complicate matters further. What the show did wonderfully was it refused to display any sort of affection or love to the children, they exist purely to sell the typical American family picture. Maybe I'm just overly cynical but it's a terrific element to the show, really drives home the state of mind these two spies share.
All the while the FBI is hot on the trail of KGB spies planted in America as President Ronald Reagan's paranoia deepens. And "who da thunk it" an FBI agent just happens to move into the same neighborhood as Philip and Elizabeth played by Noah Emmerich setting the tension level to off the charts. Have they been made? Are they on 24/7 watch? The writing is especially terrific, very fluid and action packed, never a dull moment.
The show also includes flashbacks to the 1960's in soviet Russia where the two meet and train as KGB officers as they prepare to infiltrate America. This gives a very necessary insight into their characters which in a way humanizes them. An emotional relief for the audience. It is an engrossing story, interspersed with great moments of tension, decadence, and charm (who would've thought Phil Collins and Fleetwood Mac could make such inspired choices for background score?). The writing is top-notch. Matthew and Keri are excellent casting choices, since portraying enemies as genuine people is not as easy as it looks. A very positive start from the show's makers. 4/5
Highly intriguing, FX delivers another promising drama, set in the cold war during the 1980's suburbia America. Philip & Elizabeth are masquerading as a typical American couple whilst secretly working for the KGB, spies on enemy soil. This type of show could only work on a cable show where the censor doesn't ruin the very adult themes. We're only one episode deep and already there is an abundance of rape, torture, murder, kidnapping, pedophile lynching & hand to hand combat. These violent themes aren't present just to shock the audience they're there to drive the story & the story is fascinating.
Keri Russel plays Elizabeth who is a cold, blunt instrument of the motherland Russia whilst her fake husband Philip played by Matthew Rhys is a more relatable human being who is torn between doing his duty and defecting to the Americans for an easier life, this decision weighs heavily on the marriage. They also have two biological children which complicate matters further. What the show did wonderfully was it refused to display any sort of affection or love to the children, they exist purely to sell the typical American family picture. Maybe I'm just overly cynical but it's a terrific element to the show, really drives home the state of mind these two spies share.
All the while the FBI is hot on the trail of KGB spies planted in America as President Ronald Reagan's paranoia deepens. And "who da thunk it" an FBI agent just happens to move into the same neighborhood as Philip and Elizabeth played by Noah Emmerich setting the tension level to off the charts. Have they been made? Are they on 24/7 watch? The writing is especially terrific, very fluid and action packed, never a dull moment.
The show also includes flashbacks to the 1960's in soviet Russia where the two meet and train as KGB officers as they prepare to infiltrate America. This gives a very necessary insight into their characters which in a way humanizes them. An emotional relief for the audience. It is an engrossing story, interspersed with great moments of tension, decadence, and charm (who would've thought Phil Collins and Fleetwood Mac could make such inspired choices for background score?). The writing is top-notch. Matthew and Keri are excellent casting choices, since portraying enemies as genuine people is not as easy as it looks. A very positive start from the show's makers. 4/5
Monday, 28 January 2013
Vanilla Sky Film Review
Vanilla Sky - "Once you've been driven off a bridge at 80 miles an hour, somehow you don't invite happiness in without a full body search."
Vanilla Sky is in a league of its own, visually, musically & emotionally. If you think this is a mere remake of "Open Your Eyes" then you're in need of a second viewing. It's a depressing film about the pursuit of happiness. Tom Cruise stars as David Aames, the man who had everything, or at least he thought he did. Good looks, money & women, what more do you need? What is happiness to you? What's missing in David's life is love, until he meets Sofia played by Penelope Cruz. When David meets Sofia his way of life is threatened by the board members of his company that wish to unseat him from his throne and 51% stake in the company. He is also being stalked by a supermodel Julie Gianni played by Cameron Diaz who is not forgiving of his interest in Sofia. "I refuse to be just your fuck buddy"
The film requires the audience to do some heavy lifting as the plot doubles back on itself after David's mental state is called into question by a deliberate car accident in which Julie tries to commit suicide with David in the passenger seat. He survives but his face becomes severely disfigured which lands him in front of the best plastic surgeons in New York as he desperately seeks reconstructive surgery as he barely recognizes himself in the mirror. The music plays such a pivotal role in the process of telling this story. Radiohead, Paul McCartney, Peter Gabriel, Jeff Buckley & The Chemical Brothers feature heavily in many scenes, it's a very fitting soundtrack that really drives the plot forward....and backwards. Nancy Wilson wrote a very heartwarming score to accompany these great artists that hammers the nail right into the heart as David's world slowly but surely turns into a nightmare.
It's difficult to write about without completely spoiling the end but it's a real humdinger of a twist. To deal with the events that take place in the film David receives psychiatric help from McCabe played by Kurt Russel but as we witness these sessions it becomes clear all is not as it seems. The beginning of the film opens with a very surreal scene http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HpOD5IwUUBE&feature=player_detailpage#t=139s in which David finds himself alone in Times Square, shot without the use of special effects, the production team were given unprecedented access to Times Square for three hours to film this scene. It set's the tone for the next two hours where you can't really tell what's a dream and what is real. It's a science fiction film that enthralls without having to rely on aliens and violence. It's probably Tom Cruises best performance to date too. Highly recommended if your into films that are a little left of center and edgy. 5/5
Vanilla Sky is in a league of its own, visually, musically & emotionally. If you think this is a mere remake of "Open Your Eyes" then you're in need of a second viewing. It's a depressing film about the pursuit of happiness. Tom Cruise stars as David Aames, the man who had everything, or at least he thought he did. Good looks, money & women, what more do you need? What is happiness to you? What's missing in David's life is love, until he meets Sofia played by Penelope Cruz. When David meets Sofia his way of life is threatened by the board members of his company that wish to unseat him from his throne and 51% stake in the company. He is also being stalked by a supermodel Julie Gianni played by Cameron Diaz who is not forgiving of his interest in Sofia. "I refuse to be just your fuck buddy"
The film requires the audience to do some heavy lifting as the plot doubles back on itself after David's mental state is called into question by a deliberate car accident in which Julie tries to commit suicide with David in the passenger seat. He survives but his face becomes severely disfigured which lands him in front of the best plastic surgeons in New York as he desperately seeks reconstructive surgery as he barely recognizes himself in the mirror. The music plays such a pivotal role in the process of telling this story. Radiohead, Paul McCartney, Peter Gabriel, Jeff Buckley & The Chemical Brothers feature heavily in many scenes, it's a very fitting soundtrack that really drives the plot forward....and backwards. Nancy Wilson wrote a very heartwarming score to accompany these great artists that hammers the nail right into the heart as David's world slowly but surely turns into a nightmare.
It's difficult to write about without completely spoiling the end but it's a real humdinger of a twist. To deal with the events that take place in the film David receives psychiatric help from McCabe played by Kurt Russel but as we witness these sessions it becomes clear all is not as it seems. The beginning of the film opens with a very surreal scene http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HpOD5IwUUBE&feature=player_detailpage#t=139s in which David finds himself alone in Times Square, shot without the use of special effects, the production team were given unprecedented access to Times Square for three hours to film this scene. It set's the tone for the next two hours where you can't really tell what's a dream and what is real. It's a science fiction film that enthralls without having to rely on aliens and violence. It's probably Tom Cruises best performance to date too. Highly recommended if your into films that are a little left of center and edgy. 5/5
Saturday, 26 January 2013
Before Sunset Film Review
Before Sunset - "
Life's hard. It's supposed to be. If we didn't suffer, we'd never learn anything"
Before Sunset is a rare example where the sequel turns out to be better than the first film. The team of Richard Linklater (director), Julie Delpy & Ethan Hawke waited 9 years to write an appropriate evolution of these two very complicated characters and it paid off, it was never going to be for a cash grab or shelling out a sequel to please the fans. It was necessary to let the characters age and then set the film 9 years after the events of "Before Sunrise" to deliver a realistic continuation of this story. It also takes place in real time, Jesse & Celine are given one afternoon together to at last reunite. The story follows them stroll through Paris for the afternoon before Jesse must catch a flight back to New York. Again just like the first film a deadline approaches but our characters have matured and essentially already know one another so there isn't an extreme sense of urgency like in the first film, which gives it a relaxed tone. It was shot in sequence over 15 days all shot during one of the hottest Parisian summers to date and only in afternoons to keep with the continuity.
With age comes wisdom so the conversations they explore in this film are entirely different to the first film, ranging from unjustified wars, religion or the lack thereof, the environment & failed relationships. None of love though which contradicts the genre the film is set in, a romance with no love but the potential for love. Just like the first film the screenplay was written by the the director alongside Ethan Hawke & Julie Delpy. For years they fleshed out dialogue that would be appropriate for the characters. It's not hard to see why it was nominated for an Oscar for best screenplay. The acting combined with the script is just so natural looking, it cements the audience in Paris as we accompany Jesse & Celine for one afternoon 9 years on. The dialogue is flowing, it's interesting & it's nothing short of poetic. There is unforeseen foreshadowing in the beginning of the film about cynicism and romantics which in turn leave the films tone completely up to the audience.
The film is crafted in such a way that 80 minutes of pure dialogue completely captures the audiences attention and never lets up. Why can't they just decide to be a couple already? We learn that Jesse is in a miserable marriage but has a 4 year old son he adores and Celine is in a relationship with a photographer who is away for 6 months of the year which is "convenient" for her. It begs the question have they been unconsciously longing for each other all these years? It's apparent the affection is still present and the ever nagging deadline of a flight back home becomes seemingly less & less important to Jesse as he continuously justifies to Celine that he has a little time left before having to depart. Not wanting to leave her company lest he never see her again. The ending to this film is so ambiguous and yet at the same time completely clear as to what happens to our characters. It ends with one line of dialogue from Jesse which could send his relationship with Celine down two very different roads. The audience get's to decide the ending which is why the script is so highly regarded. Everything is setup from the beginning of the film and as it progresses it's a ticking time bomb for the cynics and the romantics to make a decision on how the film ended. Highly recommended & has wonderful replay value. 5/5
Before Sunset is a rare example where the sequel turns out to be better than the first film. The team of Richard Linklater (director), Julie Delpy & Ethan Hawke waited 9 years to write an appropriate evolution of these two very complicated characters and it paid off, it was never going to be for a cash grab or shelling out a sequel to please the fans. It was necessary to let the characters age and then set the film 9 years after the events of "Before Sunrise" to deliver a realistic continuation of this story. It also takes place in real time, Jesse & Celine are given one afternoon together to at last reunite. The story follows them stroll through Paris for the afternoon before Jesse must catch a flight back to New York. Again just like the first film a deadline approaches but our characters have matured and essentially already know one another so there isn't an extreme sense of urgency like in the first film, which gives it a relaxed tone. It was shot in sequence over 15 days all shot during one of the hottest Parisian summers to date and only in afternoons to keep with the continuity.
With age comes wisdom so the conversations they explore in this film are entirely different to the first film, ranging from unjustified wars, religion or the lack thereof, the environment & failed relationships. None of love though which contradicts the genre the film is set in, a romance with no love but the potential for love. Just like the first film the screenplay was written by the the director alongside Ethan Hawke & Julie Delpy. For years they fleshed out dialogue that would be appropriate for the characters. It's not hard to see why it was nominated for an Oscar for best screenplay. The acting combined with the script is just so natural looking, it cements the audience in Paris as we accompany Jesse & Celine for one afternoon 9 years on. The dialogue is flowing, it's interesting & it's nothing short of poetic. There is unforeseen foreshadowing in the beginning of the film about cynicism and romantics which in turn leave the films tone completely up to the audience.
The film is crafted in such a way that 80 minutes of pure dialogue completely captures the audiences attention and never lets up. Why can't they just decide to be a couple already? We learn that Jesse is in a miserable marriage but has a 4 year old son he adores and Celine is in a relationship with a photographer who is away for 6 months of the year which is "convenient" for her. It begs the question have they been unconsciously longing for each other all these years? It's apparent the affection is still present and the ever nagging deadline of a flight back home becomes seemingly less & less important to Jesse as he continuously justifies to Celine that he has a little time left before having to depart. Not wanting to leave her company lest he never see her again. The ending to this film is so ambiguous and yet at the same time completely clear as to what happens to our characters. It ends with one line of dialogue from Jesse which could send his relationship with Celine down two very different roads. The audience get's to decide the ending which is why the script is so highly regarded. Everything is setup from the beginning of the film and as it progresses it's a ticking time bomb for the cynics and the romantics to make a decision on how the film ended. Highly recommended & has wonderful replay value. 5/5
Wednesday, 23 January 2013
Before Sunrise Film Review
Before Sunrise - "Listen, if somebody gave me the choice right now, of to never see you
again or to marry you, I would marry you. And maybe
that's a lot of romantic bullshit, but people have gotten married for a
lot less."
Rebellious director Richard Linklater writes and directs this indie drama & romance starring two famous actors before they were famous. Ethan Hawke stars as Jesse a lost individual from New York riding trains all over Europe. Julie Delpy stars as Celine a native on her way home to Paris after visiting Budapest, they coincidentally meet on a train passing through Vienna and strike up a conversation which leaves them wanting more of each other. Jesse convinces Celine to spend the night with him in Vienna before he departs for New York the next morning and very willingly she goes with him.
The script is so gripping partly because a lot of the dialogue was written by the two protagonists but also because it's real dialogue that people would actually say. The film explores self-fulfillment & self-discovery through a significant other. These two themes are expressed in a way that's realistic, two strangers meet on a train, make a connection and try to understand not only themselves but the world in an unknowable universe. The scenery of Vienna is gorgeous as they leisurely stroll through parks and cobblestone streets, walk alongside rivers and stargaze sipping wine. The performances are what makes this film transcend the genre, it's a romantic film but it bares no cliches of typical romance films, there is no real mention of loving each other against all odds. It's not a Romeo & Juliet piece. They are two rational early 20's adults that know they have 12 hours and they must make the most of it. Jesse isn't a brooding loner in need of opening up like every male protagonist in a Nicholas Sparks novel and Celine isn't a damsel in distress that need's a man to fulfill her. She's strong willed, incredibly intelligent & a realist.
As the film progresses and time ticks away they begin to trust each other and intimate details aren't glossed over, they're maturity exceeds their age. There are many long running scenes without any cut's in which pages of dialogue are spoken which engrosses the audience even more because it's like watching a play, gives it a sense of hyper-reality as if we were walking alongside Jesse & Celine silently observing. Which is a testament to Richard Linklater's direction. His visual aesthetic really suits Europe as he uses the locations as a third character. Vienna is every bit as important as the characters. When you're traveling overseas even though the characters have complete anonymity they're much more open to experiences outside their usual realm.
"Uh, yeah, sure. I know happy couples. But I think they lie to each other." What set's this apart from all other romance films is that by the end of the film the lead characters aren't hopelessly in love with each other, rather they just don't want to part ways. They want more time to get to know each other and explore the connection they've created. It's sweet, it's funny & it's a relationship between a boy and girl where love isn't the center of their universe. They don't necessarily complete each other but they're willing to try, only to be thwarted by time and distance. The ending my not suit everyone and if it doesn't I would encourage you to watch the sequel "Before Sunset". Arguably one of the greatest romance films of all time for both men and women. 5/5
Rebellious director Richard Linklater writes and directs this indie drama & romance starring two famous actors before they were famous. Ethan Hawke stars as Jesse a lost individual from New York riding trains all over Europe. Julie Delpy stars as Celine a native on her way home to Paris after visiting Budapest, they coincidentally meet on a train passing through Vienna and strike up a conversation which leaves them wanting more of each other. Jesse convinces Celine to spend the night with him in Vienna before he departs for New York the next morning and very willingly she goes with him.
The script is so gripping partly because a lot of the dialogue was written by the two protagonists but also because it's real dialogue that people would actually say. The film explores self-fulfillment & self-discovery through a significant other. These two themes are expressed in a way that's realistic, two strangers meet on a train, make a connection and try to understand not only themselves but the world in an unknowable universe. The scenery of Vienna is gorgeous as they leisurely stroll through parks and cobblestone streets, walk alongside rivers and stargaze sipping wine. The performances are what makes this film transcend the genre, it's a romantic film but it bares no cliches of typical romance films, there is no real mention of loving each other against all odds. It's not a Romeo & Juliet piece. They are two rational early 20's adults that know they have 12 hours and they must make the most of it. Jesse isn't a brooding loner in need of opening up like every male protagonist in a Nicholas Sparks novel and Celine isn't a damsel in distress that need's a man to fulfill her. She's strong willed, incredibly intelligent & a realist.
As the film progresses and time ticks away they begin to trust each other and intimate details aren't glossed over, they're maturity exceeds their age. There are many long running scenes without any cut's in which pages of dialogue are spoken which engrosses the audience even more because it's like watching a play, gives it a sense of hyper-reality as if we were walking alongside Jesse & Celine silently observing. Which is a testament to Richard Linklater's direction. His visual aesthetic really suits Europe as he uses the locations as a third character. Vienna is every bit as important as the characters. When you're traveling overseas even though the characters have complete anonymity they're much more open to experiences outside their usual realm.
"Uh, yeah, sure. I know happy couples. But I think they lie to each other." What set's this apart from all other romance films is that by the end of the film the lead characters aren't hopelessly in love with each other, rather they just don't want to part ways. They want more time to get to know each other and explore the connection they've created. It's sweet, it's funny & it's a relationship between a boy and girl where love isn't the center of their universe. They don't necessarily complete each other but they're willing to try, only to be thwarted by time and distance. The ending my not suit everyone and if it doesn't I would encourage you to watch the sequel "Before Sunset". Arguably one of the greatest romance films of all time for both men and women. 5/5
Monday, 21 January 2013
Compliance Film Review
Compliance - "My name is officer Daniels"
Sadly the events that take place in this film are entirely identical to what actually happened to these unfortunate fast-food workers in real life. This is based on a true story of a fast-food store (McDonald's) receiving a prank phone call in Kentucky USA from a man claiming he was "Officer Scott" of the local police department. The dramatization of the real life events make for a very disturbing film about human behavior and how we concede to authority. Becky played by Dreama Walker is having a normal day at the cash register serving customers when her store manager Sandra played by the terrific Ann Dowd receives the phone call from the perverted "Officer Daniels" played by Pat Healy. Daniels accuses Becky of stealing money from a customer she had served earlier in the day and without question Sandra the store manager begins to interrogate Becky. Very quickly the situation descends into a nightmare of submission and obedience to "Officer Daniels".
The script is what makes this film seem so disturbingly real, every line of dialogue isn't a Shakespearean work of art for the audience to marvel at. Collectively however what the script does is portray natural human conversation, small talk about the weather, your schedule for the day, relationships, very everyday normal dialogue between co-workers. Every performance in this film is completely grounded in reality from the wonderful direction of Craig Zobel. Even if it's a background store worker who has 3 lines of dialogue it all seems very real. There are long sequences of sustained slow motion that not only add this dream like quality to the film but also a sense of dread as to whats to come. You know this situation is only going to get worse, there are never any still shot's and whenever the camera is focused on Becky the protagonist it will slowly shift downwards as the life drains from her face.
The demands of Officer Daniels become increasingly disturbing as the film progresses. He is insistent that Becky has hidden stolen money on her person, which eventually leads to a strip search & it doesn't stop there, I won't go into more details about that as it would spoil the experience towards these grotesque scenes. This is not an entertainment film and I've never seen more people walk out of the cinema. I counted 9 people get up and leave and each of them were women who were undoubtedly offended by the subject matter of the film and how this female is treated by men. It's not a feminist vehicle film to open the worlds eyes about the objectification of women as Becky is very attractive nor is it a misogynistic film that is condescending. It's sadly a testament to the failure of education in America. It's hard to believe that Officer Daniels with just one phone call deluded the entire staff into doing terrible things. Not an ounce of proof was requested to verify the identity of the man on the phone even when his demands become completely outlandish and frankly disgusting. I highly recommend seeing this film, it will shock you and leave you dumbfounded. 5/5
Sadly the events that take place in this film are entirely identical to what actually happened to these unfortunate fast-food workers in real life. This is based on a true story of a fast-food store (McDonald's) receiving a prank phone call in Kentucky USA from a man claiming he was "Officer Scott" of the local police department. The dramatization of the real life events make for a very disturbing film about human behavior and how we concede to authority. Becky played by Dreama Walker is having a normal day at the cash register serving customers when her store manager Sandra played by the terrific Ann Dowd receives the phone call from the perverted "Officer Daniels" played by Pat Healy. Daniels accuses Becky of stealing money from a customer she had served earlier in the day and without question Sandra the store manager begins to interrogate Becky. Very quickly the situation descends into a nightmare of submission and obedience to "Officer Daniels".
The script is what makes this film seem so disturbingly real, every line of dialogue isn't a Shakespearean work of art for the audience to marvel at. Collectively however what the script does is portray natural human conversation, small talk about the weather, your schedule for the day, relationships, very everyday normal dialogue between co-workers. Every performance in this film is completely grounded in reality from the wonderful direction of Craig Zobel. Even if it's a background store worker who has 3 lines of dialogue it all seems very real. There are long sequences of sustained slow motion that not only add this dream like quality to the film but also a sense of dread as to whats to come. You know this situation is only going to get worse, there are never any still shot's and whenever the camera is focused on Becky the protagonist it will slowly shift downwards as the life drains from her face.
The demands of Officer Daniels become increasingly disturbing as the film progresses. He is insistent that Becky has hidden stolen money on her person, which eventually leads to a strip search & it doesn't stop there, I won't go into more details about that as it would spoil the experience towards these grotesque scenes. This is not an entertainment film and I've never seen more people walk out of the cinema. I counted 9 people get up and leave and each of them were women who were undoubtedly offended by the subject matter of the film and how this female is treated by men. It's not a feminist vehicle film to open the worlds eyes about the objectification of women as Becky is very attractive nor is it a misogynistic film that is condescending. It's sadly a testament to the failure of education in America. It's hard to believe that Officer Daniels with just one phone call deluded the entire staff into doing terrible things. Not an ounce of proof was requested to verify the identity of the man on the phone even when his demands become completely outlandish and frankly disgusting. I highly recommend seeing this film, it will shock you and leave you dumbfounded. 5/5
Saturday, 19 January 2013
Stand Up Guys Film Review
Stand Up Guys - "They say that we die twice, once when the breath leaves our body and once when the last person we know says our name"
Stand Up Guys is about men of a certain age and at that age life starts to take more than it gives. Val played by Al Pacino and Doc played by Christopher Walken share a very sweet friendship that recommences after Val get's released from prison after a 28 year stint for taking the fall for a job back in their hay-day that went awry. Their old boss "Claphands" tells Doc that he has 24 hours to kill Val because for 28 years he's held a grudge for Val accidentally shooting his son. This creates a great conflict for Doc as he is a lonely old retired painter without many friends left. Val deduces the situation and tries to make the best of the time he has left.
Pacino and Walken have a very comical bromance as they share their struggles of getting older and all the medication that comes along with it. "When we were growing up our doctors said don't do drugs, now they tell me I need em' to live!". It's a non-stop 24 hour ride where Pacino breaks his parole in every way imaginable from stealing a car, getting high on a cocktail of drugs and breaking his old friend "Hirsch" played by Alan Arkin out of a retirement home. Alan Arkin has a brief but memorable performance as the old getaway driver of their crew, his comical timing is impeccable but it's short lived. Julianna Margulies has a brief appearance as Hirsch's daughter that's quaint but really only there to move the story along. There are some really touching scenes between our protagonist's at a diner that creates an unexpected story arch and plot twist which really elevates the films tone, gives it a sense of importance. It makes us empathize with Doc's choice and his lonely life in general. Imagine having to shoot your best friend for something that happened a quarter of a century ago?
It's hard to describe it as anything BUT a guy's movie. The dialogue is very male orientated, the trouble they get up to is very boyish and shows that these old timers are still a couple of kids at heart. It's probably not meant for everyone but if you think you can enjoy these thespians for for 2 hours getting up to all sorts of trouble and just delivering really rich dialogue that sounds grounded in reality then you'll have as much fun as I did. Jon Bon Jovi supplied pretty much all the music to this film and it's just so fitting, none of it's pop music it's subtle acoustics, it's almost as if Bon Jovi is present in the film using his music as a character to really tell this story.
This is a low budget independent film that deserves an audience and it's easy to see why some of the greatest actors in the world signed on, it's a story rarely told that finds its foundation in a great script. It does have it's flaws with some unnecessary vulgarity here and there that fell flat instead of its intended purpose of shocking the audience. The ending to the film could have been cut short in my humble opinion, it didn't necessarily have to go out with a bang and it seemed a little over the top, but no film is perfect. Highly recommended 4/5
Stand Up Guys is about men of a certain age and at that age life starts to take more than it gives. Val played by Al Pacino and Doc played by Christopher Walken share a very sweet friendship that recommences after Val get's released from prison after a 28 year stint for taking the fall for a job back in their hay-day that went awry. Their old boss "Claphands" tells Doc that he has 24 hours to kill Val because for 28 years he's held a grudge for Val accidentally shooting his son. This creates a great conflict for Doc as he is a lonely old retired painter without many friends left. Val deduces the situation and tries to make the best of the time he has left.
Pacino and Walken have a very comical bromance as they share their struggles of getting older and all the medication that comes along with it. "When we were growing up our doctors said don't do drugs, now they tell me I need em' to live!". It's a non-stop 24 hour ride where Pacino breaks his parole in every way imaginable from stealing a car, getting high on a cocktail of drugs and breaking his old friend "Hirsch" played by Alan Arkin out of a retirement home. Alan Arkin has a brief but memorable performance as the old getaway driver of their crew, his comical timing is impeccable but it's short lived. Julianna Margulies has a brief appearance as Hirsch's daughter that's quaint but really only there to move the story along. There are some really touching scenes between our protagonist's at a diner that creates an unexpected story arch and plot twist which really elevates the films tone, gives it a sense of importance. It makes us empathize with Doc's choice and his lonely life in general. Imagine having to shoot your best friend for something that happened a quarter of a century ago?
It's hard to describe it as anything BUT a guy's movie. The dialogue is very male orientated, the trouble they get up to is very boyish and shows that these old timers are still a couple of kids at heart. It's probably not meant for everyone but if you think you can enjoy these thespians for for 2 hours getting up to all sorts of trouble and just delivering really rich dialogue that sounds grounded in reality then you'll have as much fun as I did. Jon Bon Jovi supplied pretty much all the music to this film and it's just so fitting, none of it's pop music it's subtle acoustics, it's almost as if Bon Jovi is present in the film using his music as a character to really tell this story.
This is a low budget independent film that deserves an audience and it's easy to see why some of the greatest actors in the world signed on, it's a story rarely told that finds its foundation in a great script. It does have it's flaws with some unnecessary vulgarity here and there that fell flat instead of its intended purpose of shocking the audience. The ending to the film could have been cut short in my humble opinion, it didn't necessarily have to go out with a bang and it seemed a little over the top, but no film is perfect. Highly recommended 4/5
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