Film Review: Paranormal Activity (2007)

Director: Oren Peli
Running time: 86 mins (approx)
Certification (UK): 15

Watched at the cinema Saturday 28th November 2009.

PLEASE NOTE: THERE MAY BE SPOILERS IN THIS REVIEW.

Katie and Micah are a young couple who have been living together for about three years. When strange noises in the night start to occur, Micah decides to find out what’s causing it by recording themselves at night using his video camera.

At first it’s a bit of fun, they joke around and nothing scary really happens. Katie has arranged for a psychic to come and see them. She tells him that she has been experiencing these events since she was eight years old. The psychic says that she is being haunted by a demon, not his field of expertise, and leaves them the number of an expert. He warns them not to antagonise the demon or things could get very ugly. In the night the door moves and this is caught on film. Micah is determined to solve this mystery without any outside help. As the nights progress, more and more strange events occur and Katie gets more and more anxious. At one point she even gets up, stands by the bed for an hour and then goes and sits outside in the yard. Micah finds her, but she has no memory of how she got there. I won’t say too much more, but needless to say the film builds to a pretty scary ending!

Considering the reported budget of US$15,000, I thought it was a very well made film. Made entirely in one house with very few actors and most of the action being filmed on just one camera. Also, some really effective use of sound, whenever the demon was about to put in an appearance we had an eerie low hum. Great performances from both Katie Featherston as Katie and Micah Sloat as (not surprisingly) Micah. They both really captured the mood and played their parts really well.

Over all, a pretty scary movie, it certainly made me jump more than once! If I have one criticism, it’s that Katie seems a little too normal. If this thing has been happening nearly all of her life, then surely she would be slightly more paranoid. Don’t get me wrong, she appears genuinely scared at points, but then appears normal the following day. Having said that, it is without doubt the scariest film I’ve seen in a very long time!

My score: 7.6/10

LINKS:
IMDb Site: http://uk.imdb.com/title/tt1179904/
Official Site: http://www.paranormalactivity-movie.com/
Trailer: http://uk.imdb.com/rg/VIDEO_PLAY/LINK/video/imdb/vi309003545/

Film Review: VANTAGE POINT (2008)

Director: Pete Travis
Running time: 86 mins (approx)
Certificate (UK): 12A

Watched on DVD Saturday 28th November 2009.

PLEASE NOTE: POSSIBLE SPOILERS IN THIS REVIEW.

Set in Salamanca, Spain, this film tells the story of an assassination attempt on the American President. Seen through the eyes of eight witnesses, we get eight different points of view of the attack. From these different perspectives we can then determine who is responsible.

The president is attending a summit in Spain to work out a treaty on terrorism. Starting with the coverage of a TV station we see the events leading up to and including the assassination attempt on his life. We then rewind and see the same events from the perspective of presidential guards, Thomas Barnes and Kent Taylor. Barnes has just returned to duty having been injured protecting the President from a shooting attempt. As with each of the different ‘vantage points’ used, we get to see a little bit more of the action and glimpses of who is behind the assassination attempt. An American tourist, Howard Lewis has an interesting perspective, being in the crowd with his video camera as events unfold. I won’t detail all of the perspectives; I’ll be here all night!

A very well made and exciting film with a great car chase thrown in. Filmed partly in Mexico and also in Spain, it had the look and feel of a Spanish town. Good performances from all of the major cast, Dennis Quaid as Thomas Barnes, Matthew Fox as Kent Taylor, Forest Whitaker as Howard Lewis, Bruce McGill as Phil McCullough, Édgar Ramírez as Javier, Saïd Taghmaoui as Suarez, Ayelet Zurer as Veronica, Zoe Saldana as Angie Jones, Sigourney Weaver as Rex Brooks and William Hurt as President Ashton.

Over all, a decent action thriller, but it had one major fault. We are never told why the bad guys are trying to kill the President. I guess it is assumed that US foreign policy is to blame, but there is no background at all on the terrorists. This, for me, totally unbalanced the plot and made a bit of a mockery of the whole film. I’m still going to give it a reasonable score because the production was pretty good, it’s just a shame the script didn’t give us a bit more depth.

My score: 6.6/10

LINKS:
IMDb Site: http://uk.imdb.com/title/tt0443274/
Official Site: http://www.sonypictures.co.uk/movies/vantagepoint/
Trailer: http://uk.imdb.com/rg/VIDEO_PLAY/LINK/video/imdb/vi1420951833/

Film Review: THE X-FILES: I WANT TO BELIEVE (2008)

Director: Chris Carter
Running time: 104 mins (approx)
Certificate (UK): 15

Watched on DVD Sunday 22nd November 2009.

PLEASE NOTE: POSSIBLE SPOILERS IN THIS REVIEW.

A young female FBI agent is abducted from her home in Virginia. A psychic ex-priest, who also happens to be a convicted paedophile, has led the FBI to a clue to her whereabouts. Unfortunately, this leaves the FBI in an awkward situation and they are forced to contact Dana Scully in the hope that she can find Fox Mulder, who is the only man with experience of this kind of thing. Scully is now working as a full-time doctor and wants nothing to do with the FBI, but she contacts Mulder and persuades him to come out of hiding.

The lead FBI agent, ASAC Dakota Whitney, has nothing to go on except a severed arm, not belonging to the missing agent, that Father Joseph Crissman led them to in a frozen lake. There is much scepticism about Father Joe, particularly from her colleague Agent Mosley Drummy. Mulder, however, is prepared to listen to the priest and he eventually leads them to the abductors. I won’t say too much more, not wanting to give away too many spoilers.

It was good to see Mulder and Scully back on the screen again; even Walter Skinner puts in an appearance towards the end of the film. As usual, David Duchovny as Fox Mulder and Gillian Anderson as Dana Scully were excellent is the roles we’ve come to know them so well for. They were ably supported by Amanda Peet as ASAC Dakota Whitney, Billy Connolly as Father Joseph Crissman, Xzibit as Agent Mosley Drummy and, of course, Mitch Pileggi as Walter Skinner.

A very well made film that, like the TV series, was quite slowly paced, but kept you interested. There was just one thing that irked me a bit, the character of Father Joe was dropped about three quarters of the way through. They a built him up a lot throughout the film and all of a sudden he was just cast aside, which seemed a bit callous. Apart from that, a pretty good effort, no great special effects or action sequences to speak of, but a very atmospheric piece that was quite reminiscent of the TV show I grew to love.

My score: 6.9/10

LINKS:
IMDb Site: http://uk.imdb.com/title/tt0443701/
Official Site: http://xfiles.com/
Trailer: http://uk.imdb.com/rg/VIDEO_PLAY/LINK/video/imdb/vi4142334233/

Film Review: CLOVERFIELD (2008)

Director: Matt Reeves
Producers: J.J. Abrams & Bryan Burk
Running time: 81 mins (approx)
Certificate (UK): 15

Watched on DVD Saturday 21st November 2009.

PLEASE NOTE: POSSIBLE SPOILERS IN THIS REVIEW.

Manhattan, evening, a group of friends are throwing a party for Rob who has got a promotion at work and is moving to Japan. His brother Jason and his girlfriend Lily are throwing the party and Jason has got Hud, one of Rob’s best friends to document event for Rob to take to Japan with him. Hud is interested in one of the guests, Marlena, who doesn’t show much interest in him. Also at the party is Beth, an ex of Rob who he still has feelings for but has turned up with her new boyfriend. As you can tell, it’s gonna be a swell night!

Just after Rob and Beth have just had a big row and she has left, there is, what appears to be, an earthquake and all the power goes out. It comes up again and someone switches on a TV where a reporter says a tanker has exploded on the harbour. Most of the guests rush to the roof to see what’s happening. Another explosion, this time on land heralds the approach of the monster. Deciding it’s not safe on the roof, they rush down to the street where something big is thrown into a building further down and bounces to land just outside. It is the head of the Statue of Liberty! Rob, Jason, Hud, Lily and Marlena decide to try to get out of Manhattan and head for the Brooklyn Bridge. While crossing the bridge, Rob receives a call from Beth saying that she was trapped. At this point the bridge is attacked by the monster and one of their number doesn’t get away. The rest of the film deals with Rob’s attempts to get to Beth and the efforts of the military to defeat the monster. I won’t go into details, don’t want to give too many spoilers away!

It would be hard not to draw parallels with the amateur footage shot during the 9/11 attacks. The scene where a building collapses and a wall of smoke and dust blows down the street is uncannily similar. In fact, the filmmakers admit as much in the extras on the DVD. It is also very hard not to draw parallels with Godzilla, although different, a monster attacking New York is always going to look similar to the 1998 Roland Emmerich film.

I have to take my hat off to the filmmakers for the way the film was shot. It cannot have been easy to stage the footage they got. Also the special effects were pretty good, the main monster and the smaller ones both looked pretty scary. A good job by all of the main cast, Lizzy Caplan as Marlena, Jessica Lucas as Lily, T.J. Miller as Hud, Michael Stahl-David as Rob Hawkins, Mike Vogel as Jason Hawkins and Odette Yustman as Beth McIntyre. Although there was a bit of over-acting going on at times, it was nowhere near as bad as in The Blair Witch Project (1999)!

Over all, a pretty exciting film with lots of edge-of-your-seat action. The first twenty minutes are pretty dull, but once the monster makes an appearance, things really hot up very quickly. Made in a documentary style, similar to The Blair witch Project, as already stated, I quite enjoyed not knowing where the next attack was coming from, or who might be the victim.

My score: 7.9/10

LINKS:
IMDb Site: http://uk.imdb.com/title/tt1060277/
Official Site: http://www.cloverfieldmovie.com/
Trailer: http://uk.imdb.com/rg/VIDEO_PLAY/LINK/video/imdb/vi78774553/

Gig Review: MOTÖRHEAD + THE DAMNED + GIRLSCHOOL at the Leeds O2 Academy 20th November 2009

GIRLSCHOOL:

Girlschool are: Kim McAuliffe (Vocals/Guitar), Jackie Chambers (Lead Guitar), Enid Williams (Bass/Vocals) & Denise Dufort (Drums).

Unfortunately we missed the first half of Girlschool’s set due to the lateness of our departure from base. I have heard some of their studio stuff and I must say I haven’t been all that impressed. Now having seen them live, I have changed my opinion. They really know how to get the crowd moving and play some pretty good tunes too! I even recognised some of the tracks, ‘Hit & Run’ I remember from way back, ‘Emergency’ from the 1981 ‘St. Valentine’s Day Massacre’ EP with Motörhead has always been a classic and they closed the show with ‘Race With the Devil’, a track I always liked, but hadn’t realised it was Girlschool who recorded it! A great show from the entire band, they put a lot of energy into their performance and it showed!

My score: 8/10

Official site: http://www.girlschool.co.uk/


----o0o----

THE DAMNED:

The Damned are: Captain Sensible (Guitar/Vocals), Pinch (Drums), Cave Vanian (Vocals), Stu West (Bass) & Monty Oxymoron (Keyboards)

I haven’t seen The Damned live before, but, having been into Punk a long time ago I am pretty familiar with quite a lot of their early stuff. They opened with ‘New Rose’ a loud bawdy number that got the crowd moving. It was quite funny watching the people around me in the crowd, there were several bemused faces, but also quite a few singing along & I guess, like me, quietly reminiscing the late 70’s & early 80’s. There were several tracks I didn’t recognise, but I didn’t mind, they were OK, but not the classics I wanted to hear. The band then surprised me and played two tracks from my favourite Damned album, ‘The Black Album’. It was really great to hear ‘Curtain Call’ and ‘History of the World Part 1’, both of which are a bit avant-garde and a bit of a departure from the more raucous numbers. Towards the end of the set the better known tracks, ‘Neat Neat Neat’, ‘Eloise’, ‘Love Song’ and finally the classic ‘Smash it Up’ closed the show… Well, almost closed the show… Captain Sensible attempted a solo performance of ‘Happy Talk’ as they left the stage and had to be ‘assisted’ off by one of the road crew! Although I’m not sure they were for everyone at a Motörhead show, I quite enjoyed The Damned. Even after all these years both Captain Sensible and Dave Vanian still know how to put on a good show!

My score: 8/10

Official site: http://www.officialdamned.com/


----o0o----

MOTÖRHEAD:

Motörhead are: Ian “Lemmy” Kilmister (lead vocals and bass guitar), Phil Campbell (guitar and backing vocals) & Mikkey Dee (drums and percussion)

By the time Motörhead hit the stage the place was pretty full. Lemmy announced “We are Motörhead… and we play Rock and Roll!” and they opened up with a couple of classics of which ‘Over the Top’ was best received. With the usual appearance of ‘Metropolis’ I was nearly tempted to go in search of a T-shirt, but endured this dirge of a track, I don’t know why they always play it! I’m pretty glad I stayed because they soon redeemed themselves with ‘Killed by Death’, one of my all-time favourite Motörhead tunes! The set was littered with classics; the likes of ‘Stay Clean’, ‘I Got Mine’ and ‘Just cos You Got the Power’ were all well received. A smattering of new tracks also put in an appearance along with a cover of a Twisted Sister track whose title, I’m afraid, escapes me right now. Of course, at the end of the set we got the classics ‘Bomber’, ‘Ace of Spades’ and they ended with ‘Overkill’. Over all a really good show from the boys, I really enjoyed it. Towards the end I finally broke for the merchandise stand & got a T-shirt. I then watched the end of the show from the back, which gave me the advantage of being able to see, and I could also hear the music properly.

My only complaints are that the venue, when full, is not very condusive to being able to see the stage, particularly if, like me, you’re only 5 feet 7 inches tall! Secondly, don’t get me wrong, I like loud music, but when it’s so loud it is distorted to the extent that it doesn’t sound like music any more, then it’s not too enjoyable. It was only when I stood at the back towards the end that I could see most of the stage and I could actually hear the band. Over all, a pretty enjoyable show, slightly ruined by a venue that didn’t make it easy to see and an over-enthusiastic sound engineer.


My score: 7.5/10

Official site: http://www.imotorhead.com/

Film Review: 88 MINUTES (2007)

Director: Jon Avnet
Running time: 108 mins (approx)
Certificate (UK): 15

Watched on Sky+ Friday 20th November 2009.

PLEASE NOTE: POSSIBLE SPOILERS IN THIS REVIEW.

This is a taught thriller set in Seattle where Jack Gramm, a forensic psychologist for the FBI lives and works. Nine years previously his evidence had convicted brutal serial killer Jon Forster, a.k.a. the Seattle Slayer and it is nearing the time of his execution. Jack is now a successful lecturer at the local university as well as working for the FBI.

With just a few hours to go before the execution, Jack receives a mysterious phone call informing him that he has just 88 minutes to live. The time, 88 minutes, is very significant to Jack, but I will not divulge it here. In trying to find out who is behind this call, and all the while suspecting Forster, Jack reveals a twisted plot that leaves several bodies in its wake. Somebody is copying the Seattle Slayer’s crimes and leaving evidence implicating Jack. I won’t say too much more, not wanting to give away too many spoilers, but needless to say it all culminates in a big show-down where the copy-cat is revealed.

A well made film, although I did find it a little stale. I didn’t really engage with any of the main characters and the story had elements of many of this type of thriller I have seen before. Decent performances from all of the main cast members, Al Pacino as Jack Gramm, Alicia Witt as Kim Cummings, Leelee Sobieski as Lauren Douglas, Amy Brenneman as Shelley Barnes, William Forsythe as Frank Parks and Neal McDonough as Jon Forster. I thought Neal McDonough was particularly good as the slightly psychotic Forster.

Over all, a pretty well made thriller that didn’t quite tick all the boxes for me. Maybe because Pacino played the part of Gramm in his ‘larger than life’ style, it gave the character a bit of arrogance that I did not find particularly appealing. I did like the twist at the end though.

My score: 5.5/10

LINKS:
IMDb Site: http://uk.imdb.com/title/tt0411061/
Official Site: http://www.sonypictures.com/homevideo/88minutes/
Trailer: http://uk.imdb.com/rg/VIDEO_PLAY/LINK/video/imdb/vi2058486041/

Film Review: TWILIGHT (2008)

Director: Catherine Hardwicke
Running time: 118 mins (approx)
Certificate (UK): 12

Watched on Sky+ Friday 20th November 2009.

PLEASE NOTE: POSSIBLE SPOILERS IN THIS REVIEW.

I guess I’m definitely not the target audience for this film, however, I feel I can therefore be a little more objective about it. Set in the small town of Forks in Washington State, it tells the story of Bella Swan and her love for the vampire Edward Cullen. Bella has recently moved to live with her father, Charlie, to allow her mother and step dad to go on the road.

On her first day of school, Bella meets Edward who, at first doesn’t seem to like her. He then disappears for a few days, during which a man is mysteriously killed by what is thought to be a wild animal. On his return, Edward seems to have changed and starts taking more of an interest in Bella. Edward is being fostered by Carlisle Cullen and his wife Esme, there is also Alice, Emmett and the twins Rosalie and Jasper. Bella’s father is the local sheriff and his best friend Billy Black and his son Jacob also have a part to play in this tale. Edward’s attraction to Bella grows strong and she, in turn, begins to fall for him. Eventually she figures out exactly what Edward is and confronts him with it. She is not scared and they begin to see each other, secretly at first, but then in the open. Bella is taken to meet Edward’s family who, it turns out, do not feed on humans, but are kind of vampire vegetarians and only feed on animals. I won’t tell any more as I don’t want to give away too many spoilers, I’m sure there must be one or two out there that haven’t seen this yet.

A beautifully shot movie with, surprisingly, not too many special effects. A pretty good soundtrack too, but any soundtrack with the band Muse in it can’t be all bad! Decent performances from all of the main characters, Kristen Stewart as Bella Swan, Robert Pattinson as Edward Cullen, Billy Burke as Charlie Swan, Gil Birmingham as Billy Black, Taylor Lautner as Jacob Black and Peter Facinelli as Carlisle Cullen. I particularly enjoyed Billy Burke as Bella’s understated father; I think he really nailed that part.

Over all, although I haven’t read the book and, as I said at the beginning, I’m certainly not the target audience, I quite enjoyed this film. I didn’t really engage with the characters too much though. The plot was not too difficult to follow and it was quite entertaining. I can’t give it too high a mark though because I felt there wasn’t enough of an edge to it. For instance, Bella should have been scared when she figured out Edward was a vampire, but she wasn’t and we, as an audience, just had to accept that, which, to me, made the vampires seem a lot less threatening than they should have been.

My score: 6.2/10

LINKS:
IMDb Site: http://uk.imdb.com/title/tt1099212/
Official Site: http://www.stepheniemeyer.com/twilight_movie.html
Trailer: http://uk.imdb.com/rg/VIDEO_PLAY/LINK/video/imdb/vi710344729/

Film Review: CHANGELING (2008)

Director: Clint Eastwood
Running time: 141 mins (approx)
Certificate (UK): 15

Watched on Sky+ Thursday 19th November 2009.

PLEASE NOTE: POSSIBLE SPOILERS IN THIS REVIEW.

Based on true events and set in Los Angeles in the late 1920’s through to the mid 1930’s, this film tells the tale of Christine Collins and her search for her missing son Walter. At a time when police corruption is rife she battles the LAPD and the mayor’s office in her efforts to find the truth. This is, at times, a harrowing tale and one of great courage on Mrs Collins part despite the odds being stacked against her.

Coming home late from work one evening, single parent, Christine Collins finds her son, Walter, is missing. She goes around the neighbourhood, but there is no sign of him. She calls the police but they are indifferent to her pleas for help. Eventually they do turn up but seemingly do little in the way of investigation. A boy matching Walter’s description is eventually found several months later and the police, needing some good press, arrange for the press to be present at the reunion. The boy is clearly not Walter but the police captain J.J. Jones, insists he is despite Mrs Collins saying so. Adamant that the police have got it wrong, and with the help of the Reverend Gustav Briegleb, Christine gets testimony from Walter’s dentist and teacher stating that the boy is not Walter. This is still not good enough for the Captain Jones and eventually Mrs Collins is thrown into the psychiatric ward at the Los Angeles hospital. Meanwhile the case of a serial killer is revealed and it is though the Walter may have been involved. I think that’s enough of the plot, I don’t want to give too much away.

A beautifully made film, the locations and feel of it were just right for the period. Also a really fitting score written by Clint Eastwood (Damn, he so talented!), set the mood perfectly. A tremendous performance by Angelina Jolie as Christine Collins, she has really gone up in my estimation with this one! Honourable mentions go to John Malkovich as Rev. Gustav Briegleb, Jeffrey Donovan as Captain J.J. Jones, Colm Feore as Chief James E. Davis, Jason Butler Harner as Gordon Northcott, Amy Ryan as Carol Dexter and Michael Kelly as Detective Lester Ybarra.

This is a pretty long film, over two hours, and it has quite a slow pace, but it’s worth persevering with. I found it truly inspiring the way Christine would not give up on her son despite the authorities telling her otherwise. I really enjoyed it and this is, I hope, reflected in my score.

My score: 8.2/10

LINKS:
IMDb Site: http://uk.imdb.com/title/tt0824747/
Official Site: http://www.changelingmovie.net/
Trailer: http://uk.imdb.com/rg/VIDEO_PLAY/LINK/video/imdb/vi3944284185/
Further reading: http://www.latimesinteractive.com/advertising/changeling/Changeling-V5.html

Film Review: HOW TO LOSE FRIENDS AND ALIENATE PEOPLE (2008)

Director: Robert B. Weide
Running time: 94 mins (approx)
Certificate (UK): 15

Watched on Sky+ Sunday 15th November 2009.

PLEASE NOTE: POSSIBLE SPOILERS IN THIS REVIEW.

Based on the autobiographical book by Toby Young, this film charts the rise to fame of magazine journalist Sidney Young. From a failing magazine in London, he is lured to the bright lights of New York City by ‘Sharps’ magazine boss Clayton Harding. This is where most of the film is set, although there are scenes set in both London and Los Angeles.

Having arrived in New York, Sidney, looking to make an impression, can do nothing right. He finds that things are done very differently in the Big Apple and he finds it difficulty to tow the line. The only one of his colleagues that will talk to him is fellow journalist Alison Olsen. It turns out that Alison is having an affair with another colleague who happens to be married. Throw into the mix Publicist Eleanor Johnson and her starlet Sophie Maes, who Sidney is very interested in, and we have a bit of a comedy on our hands.

This is a British comedy, there’s no getting away from it. Although most of the action takes place in New York, there is a very British sense of humour about it. Well shot with a really good soundtrack. Good performances from all the leading roles, Simon Pegg as Sidney Young, Kirsten Dunst as Alison Olsen, Danny Huston as Lawrence Maddox, Gillian Anderson as Eleanor Johnson, Megan Fox as Sophie Maes, Max Minghella as Vincent Lepak, Jeff Bridges as Clayton Harding and Miriam Margolyes as Mrs. Kowalski (Sidney’s landlady).

I guess my main problem with this film is that I didn’t really care for the main character very much. He was such an arsehole at the beginning of the film I really didn’t care whether he got the girl or not towards the end. No reflection on Simon Pegg’s performance, I think it’s more to do with the writing. So, over all, a very British romantic comedy set in New York that maybe alienated the audience a bit too much from one of the main characters. Could have been better.

My score: 6/10

LINKS:
IMDb Site: http://uk.imdb.com/title/tt0455538/
Official Site: http://www.howtolosefriendsmovie.com/intl/uk/
Trailer: http://uk.imdb.com/rg/VIDEO_PLAY/LINK/video/imdb/vi903610649/

Film Review: 2012 (2009)

Director: Roland Emmerich
Running time: 158 mins (approx)
Certification (UK): 12A

Watched at the cinema Saturday 14th November 2009.

PLEASE NOTE: THERE MAY BE SPOILERS IN THIS REVIEW.

The Mayans predicted the world would end in the year 2012. Like many predictions of Earths’ destruction, it was forgotten until, in 2008, a scientist in India found the effect a massive solar flare was having on the Earth’s core. The radiation was acting like a microwave, destabilising the core and eventually the Earth’s crust. Governments were informed and plans were formed to save what they could of humanity… Those that could pay anyway.

During the destruction of the Earth we follow, amongst others, the fortunes of failed writer Jackson Curtis, his estranged wife and two children, and scientist, and government advisor, Adrian Helmsley. Having met Helmsley when Jackson takes the kids to Yellowstone for a holiday, our heroes take separate routes to salvation. It is apparent that something is up in Yellowstone and crazy reporter, Charlie Frost is on the case. Jackson meets Charlie and they discuss his theories. During this discussion Charlie lets out the fact that he has a map showing the location of giant ships being built by the governments of the world. To cut a long story short, when it all goes to hell in L.A., Jackson remembers the map and during their escape they manage to get to Yellowstone and retrieve it. Now desperate to get to China they luckily bump into Jackson’s boss, Russian billionaire Yuri Karpov, who happens to have a ticket for one of the ships. They manage to get to China where Jackson and his family are dumped by the greedy Russian. Meanwhile, Helmsley has been advising the president on how best to handle the crisis. Trying to persuade him to let the people know the world is about to end is quite a hard job! Eventually the president has a change of heart right at the last minute and decides to ‘Go down with the ship’, leaving his daughter escaping to China with Helmsley. There’s so much more to tell, but I’ll leave the plot here… I think you’ve had enough spoilers for one day!

Visually, the film is quite stunning; most of the effects are quite breathtaking on the big screen. Adequate performances from all of the major cast members, honourable mentions to John Cusack as Jackson Curtis, Amanda Peet as Kate Curtis, Chiwetel Ejiofor as Adrian Helmsley, Thandie Newton as Laura Wilson (The President’s daughter), Woody Harrelson as Charlie Frost and Danny Glover as President Thomas Wilson. I must admit I loved Woody Harrelson’s over-the-top cameo as Charlie Frost, worth seeing just that section of the movie alone.

I found the film exciting and, once all the destruction started, quite a roller coaster ride. Unfortunately, what let it down was the fact that it was just too long at 158 minutes and the fact the there were far far too many clichés in the storyline. It’s almost as if Roland Emmerich decided to put in bits of every other disaster movie ever made! Also, the story was a tad on the lame side, or have I just seen one too many disaster movies. Over all, a very good special effects movie that was let down by being a tad too long, had far too many clichés and had a storyline that was a little lame.

My score: 6.4/10

LINKS:
IMDb Site: http://uk.imdb.com/title/tt1190080/
Official Site: http://www.sonypictures.co.uk/movies/2012/
Trailer: http://uk.imdb.com/rg/VIDEO_PLAY/LINK/video/imdb/vi3444113945/

Film Review: MISS PETTIGREW LIVES FOR A DAY (2008)

Director: Bharat Nalluri
Running time: 92 mins (approx)
Certificate (UK): PG

Watched on Sky+ Saturday 14th November 2009.

PLEASE NOTE: POSSIBLE SPOILERS IN THIS REVIEW.

Not the kind of film, I guess, you’d expect to find in my blog, but I must admit to being a bit of a fan of Frances McDormand. Ever since I first saw her in Fargo (1996) I have been an admirer of her work. In fact I recently watched and reviewed her most recent film, Burn After Reading (2008). But I digress; this film is set in London just before the outbreak of World War II, where Miss Guinivere Pettigrew is a rather unsuccessful nanny. Via a bit of subterfuge she ends up at the door of Delysia Lafosse, an American club singer and socialite who is in need of a social secretary. And this is where Miss Pettigrew’s day begins.

It’s quite a complicated plot, so I’ll just give you a taste of the action. Thinking that she is to be employed as a nanny, Miss Pettigrew thinks nothing when asked by Delysia to get Phil out of bed. She soon discovers that Phil is a little older than she had expected. He is putting on a show in the West End and Delysia has been trying to persuade him to give her the leading role. Having got Phil out of the flat, it’s not long before Nick arrives. Some quick thinking on Miss Pettigrew’s part gets him on his way and they head for a fashion show where they meet Joe Blumfield and his much younger on/off fiancée Edythe DuBarry. After the show, they take Miss Pettigrew to Edythe’s boutique and get her a make-over and some new clothes. On returning to the flat they discover Michael Pardue, Delysia’s pianist at the club and who is the only one who truly loves her for who she is, but she still has higher ambitions… Told you it was complicated! I won’t say any more, but believe me, its well worth watching.

A really well made film, I liked the kind of washed out colour effect used which fitted the period really well. Great performances from all of the leading cast, in particular Frances McDormand as Miss Guinivere Pettigrew, Amy Adams as Delysia Lafosse, Lee Pace as Michael Pardue, Ciarán Hinds as Joe Blumfield, Shirley Henderson as Edythe DuBarry, Mark Strong as Nick Cordorelli and Tom Payne as Phil Goldman. It starts of as a kind of screw-ball comedy come farce, but there is an underlying seriousness that is brought out in conversations between Guinivere and Joe. They are both of a similar age; both remember the First World War and both lost loved ones in that conflict. I think, because of that serious aspect, I enjoyed this film a lot better than I would have done otherwise. Overall then, a really enjoyable gentle comedy with a hint of reality which, I think, gave it a little edge over similar movies.

My score: 8.3/10

LINKS:
IMDb Site: http://uk.imdb.com/title/tt0970468/
Official Site: Miss Pettigrew Lives for a Day - Official Site
Trailer: http://uk.imdb.com/rg/VIDEO_PLAY/LINK/video/imdb/vi800194841/

Film Review: TAKEN (2008)

Director: Pierre Morel
Writers: Luc Besson & Robert Mark Kamen
Running time: 90 mins (approx)
Certificate (UK): 18

Watched on Sky+ Sunday 8th November 2009.

PLEASE NOTE: POSSIBLE SPOILERS IN THIS REVIEW.

A retired CIA agent, Bryan Mills, wants to re-connect with his 17 year old daughter, Kim, in L.A. His ex-wife, Lenore, has re-married and Bryan knows he cannot compete with Kim’s stepfather. Weary of the world, Bryan is very cautious when Kim announces that she wants to go off to Paris with a friend for the summer holidays. He eventually relents and they set off for their big adventure, not realising that not everyone they meet is as nice as they may seem.

Kim is on the phone to her father when she sees her friend Amanda being kidnapped; she knows she will be next, so Bryan tells her to shout out any details about them she can. Using these few clues, and with the help of some of his CIA colleagues, he goes to Paris to find her. What ensues is a very brutal investigation, in which no stone is left unturned in Bryan’s determined effort to find and rescue his daughter from the Albanian white slave traders who have taken her. I won’t go into details, but, believe me; it’s definitely not for the squeamish!

A thriller with plenty of well made action sequences, particularly the outside shots set in Paris. Plenty of explosions and lots of violence. Good performances from the leading cast members, Liam Neeson as Bryan Mills, Maggie Grace as Kim, Olivier Rabourdin as Jean-Claude and Famke Janssen as Lenore, although Kim, played by Maggie Grace did come across is a bit whiney and annoying. The French police, and in particular the Albanians, came out of this quite badly, the Police for being corrupt and the Albanians for being slimy gangsters. I’m sure it’s not the case for all of them! Over all, if you like violent revenge thrillers then this is the film for you. If you’re a bit squeamish, I’d avoid it. Personally, I liked it a lot!

My score: 8/10

LINKS:
IMDb Site: http://uk.imdb.com/title/tt0936501/
Official Site: http://microsites.craveonline.com/taken/
Trailer: http://uk.imdb.com/rg/VIDEO_PLAY/LINK/video/imdb/vi3488219417/

Film Review: GHOST TOWN (2008)

Co-Writer/Director: David Koepp
Running time: 99 mins (approx)
Certificate (UK): 12A

Watched on Sky+ Sunday 8th November 2009.

PLEASE NOTE: POSSIBLE SPOILERS IN THIS REVIEW.

First of all, I must admit to not being the greatest Ricky Gervais fan in the world. I have seen, and enjoyed, his TV series ‘Extras’, but most of what I’ve seen of his other output hasn’t really hit the mark IMHO. This film is set in Manhattan where Bertram Pincus is a dentist who doesn’t really like people. Frank Herlihy is a businessman who is cheating on his wife and, at the moment of his death, happens to be outside the building where Bertrum Pincus lives.

Having been in hospital for a routine operation, Bertrum Pincus discovers he can see dead people, or ghosts if you prefer. One of these ghosts happens to be a very pushy individual named Frank Herlihy, who insists Bertrum splits up his ex-wife, Gwen and her new fiancé, Richard. Frank believes Richard is using Gwen to get at the money she got from his life insurance. Reluctantly, Bertrum agrees, but as fate would have it, he finds himself falling for Gwen.

A really well made film, I particularly like the use of music throughout, it set the tone perfectly. Great performances from all of the cast, in particular, Ricky Gervais as Bertram Pincus D.D.S., Téa Leoni as Gwen and Greg Kinnear as Frank Herlihy. As a romantic comedy, I really enjoyed this film, I felt it got a bit lost in the middle, but came back strong at the end. As I said at the beginning, I’m not the greatest fan of Ricky Gervais, but I have heard that this is much better than The Invention of Lying (2009), which I’m prepared to believe, although I haven’t seen it yet. Over all, a really engaging romantic comedy. It looks like they had a lot of fun making it too; some of Téa Leoni’s laughter looked really genuine!

My score: 7.5/10

LINKS:
IMDb Site: http://uk.imdb.com/title/tt0995039/
Official Site: http://www.ghosttownmovie.com/intl/uk/#/home
Trailer: http://uk.imdb.com/rg/VIDEO_PLAY/LINK/video/imdb/vi3501196057/

Film Review: PRIDE AND GLORY (2008)

Director: Gavin O'Connor
Running time: 125 mins (approx)
Certificate (UK): 15

Watched on Sky+ Saturday 7th November 2009.

PLEASE NOTE: POSSIBLE SPOILERS IN THIS REVIEW.

Set in the Washington Heights district of New York, this gritty police drama depicts the consequences of corruption in the New York Police department. It also tells how these events effect the Irish-American family, the Tierney’s, caught up in the centre of it all.

Four police officers are killed in a shootout in Washington Heights and Ray Tierney is persuaded by his father, Francis Sr., to join the investigation team. They uncover a corruption scandal that involves Ray’s brother-in law, Jimmy Eagan. Jimmy is an out-of-control cop who, along with his colleagues, has been involved in dealing drugs for some time. His boss, Ray’s brother Francis Jr., was unaware that Jimmy had strayed so far because of his own problems at home with his wife who has cancer. Jimmy has alienated many of the more unsavoury elements in the district and this, in the end, proves to be his undoing.

A very well made film with some great performances from all of the main cast members. Honourable mentions go to Edward Norton as Ray Tierney, Colin Farrell as Jimmy Eagan, Jon Voight as Francis Tierney Sr., Noah Emmerich as Francis Tierney Jr. and Jennifer Ehle as Abby Tierney.

Unfortunately, I couldn’t decide whether the film was a family drama or a crime thriller. It seemed to flip between both stories, which, I think unbalanced it and which I also found quite distracting at times. Also, I thought the film was a little too long and, maybe because of the ‘flipping’, a bit too slowly paced for my liking. Over all, some great performances, but a film that is a bit too long and paced a little too slow.

My score: 6/10

LINKS:
IMDb Site: http://uk.imdb.com/title/tt0482572/
Official Site: http://www.prideandglorymovie.com/
Trailer: http://uk.imdb.com/rg/VIDEO_PLAY/LINK/video/imdb/vi3217162521/

Film Review: CITY OF EMBER (2008)

Director: Gil Kenan
Running time: 90 mins (approx)
Certificate (UK): PG

Watched on Sky+ Sunday 1st November 2009.

PLEASE NOTE: POSSIBLE SPOILERS IN THIS REVIEW.

Set in a future where the Earth’s surface has become uninhabitable and so, in order to save the human race, a group of scientists and engineers build the subterranean City of Ember. A case is entrusted to the mayor with a clock built in that counts down for two hundred years. This case contains the secret of the City and the key to the way to the surface. Unfortunately, with the passage of time, the case was lost and eventually opened alone on a shelf. With the city now beyond its two hundred year lifespan, the generator that keeps it alive is failing and the food is beginning to run out.

Two children, Lina Mayfleet and Doon Harrow, are curious as to why the generator is failing and why it is illegal to leave the city. Doon’s father, Lorris, is an inventor and encourages his son to question the world around him. Lina has lost both her parents and, along with her little sister Poppy, is cared for by their grandmother. Both children have just come of age and, as tradition holds, they are assigned jobs by the Mayor. This is done quite randomly by picking them out of a bag. Doon wants to work with the generator, but ends up in the Pipe Works. Lina gets her wish and ends up as a messenger. But when Lina discovers the case and begins to piece together the clues inside, both of them are in for a great adventure!

First of all, I must give praise to the set designers and builders; they have done a great job of putting together an underground city. Great cinematography and lighting too. Great performances from our two main cast members, Saoirse Ronan as Lina Mayfleet and Harry Treadaway as Doon Harrow. Decent performances also from Tim Robbins as Loris Harrow, Bill Murray as Mayor Cole, Martin Landau as Sul, Toby Jones as Barton Snode, Mackenzie Crook as Looper and Marianne Jean-Baptiste as Clary. I guess the thing that let it down for me was that, although it was quite exciting at times, and the subject matter really interested me, I never really engaged with any of the characters. Some of the city residents weren’t particularly likeable, especially the mayor, and so I didn’t really care whether they were saved or not. Over all, a fair effort that didn’t quite hit the mark.

My score: 6/10

LINKS:
IMDb Site: http://uk.imdb.com/title/tt0970411/
Official Site: http://www.cityofember.com/
Trailer: http://uk.imdb.com/rg/VIDEO_PLAY/LINK/video/imdb/vi543359001/

Film Review: THICK AS THIEVES (aka THE CODE) (2009)

Director: Mimi Leder
Running time: 104 mins (approx)
Certificate (UK): 15

Watched on Sky+ Sunday 1st November 2009.

PLEASE NOTE: POSSIBLE SPOILERS IN THIS REVIEW.

Keith Ripley is a notorious art thief who has been pursued by New York cop Lt. Weber for many years without any conviction. Ripley has more recently managed to avoid going to jail with the help of his god daughter, and lawyer, Alexandra Korolenko. As you might guess, Ripley has ties with the tight knit Russian community in New York.

Gabriel Martin is a young thief from Miami who is befriended by the veteran Ripley. Now, Ripley wants Martin to help him pull of an audacious robbery on a vault containing some priceless Russian artworks. He needs to do this in order to pay off a debt owed to the Russian mob by his former partner Victor Korolenko, Alexandra’s father. After meeting Alexandra, Gabriel pursues her despite Ripley’s warnings not to do so. The mob brings Ripley and Martin to meet the boss, known as Nicky. In order to ensure they carry out the job properly, Nicky arranges for Alexandra to be his guest until the goods are in his possession. This is where it gets interesting for our crooked duo.

A quite well made film, with New York as a backdrop you can’t go too far wrong with locations. Decent performances from all of the main characters, Morgan Freeman as Keith Ripley, Antonio Banderas as Gabriel Martin, Radha Mitchell as Alexandra Korolenko and Robert Forster as Lt. Weber, although none of them were really stretched. I guess in the end, although there was a major plot twist, which I didn’t really expect I found the film a little slow paced and dull. It just needed a little more action and maybe a little less dialogue. Over all, given the quality of the cast, I expected better.

My score: 6/10

LINKS:
IMDb Site: http://uk.imdb.com/title/tt1112782/
Trailer: http://uk.imdb.com/rg/VIDEO_PLAY/LINK/video/imdb/vi1787036185/