Film Review: VALKYRIE (2008)

Director: Bryan Singer
Running time: 114 mins (approx)
Certificate (UK): 12

Watched on Sky+ Sunday 31st January 2010.

PLEASE NOTE: POSSIBLE SPOILERS IN THIS REVIEW.

This film tells the story of a failed attempt on the life of the German leader during World War II, Adolf Hitler. The attempt was not made by the Allies, but rather people within his own military. So the setting is Germany, towards the end of World War II in 1944 where a group of men have decided they have had enough and want to salvage what they can before Germany falls to the imminent allied invasion.

We begin in North Africa, where a German Colonel, Claus von Stauffenberg has orders to march on, but is more interested in saving the lives of his troops. Unfortunately their column is attacked and he is badly injured, losing a hand, some fingers from the other hand and an eye. On his return to Germany, he is stationed at military HQ in Berlin. Here he is approached by Major-General Henning von Tresckow and General Friedrich Olbricht to join them in their plot to assassinate Hitler. He agrees, but finds some of their other conspirators, being non-military, not to his liking. Eventually he comes up with a plan to use ‘Operation Valkyrie’ to secure Berlin after Hitler has been killed. The plan relies on the cooperation of General Friedrich Fromm, who is loyal to Hitler. They decide to go ahead anyway, and re-write Valkyrie to suit their purposes. Von Stauffenberg is given the job of getting Hitler to sign the order, which he eventually does. With everything seemingly in place, they just have to carry out the assassination. This is where things start to go wrong for the conspirators. I will leave it there; I don’t want to give too much away now…

A very well made film with an excellent cast, plenty of excitement that kept me enthralled throughout. I guess, because it was based on real events, and I knew the eventual outcome, it took away some of the mystery from the story. Very good performances from all of the leading cast, Tom Cruise as Colonel Claus von Stauffenberg, Kenneth Branagh as Major-General Henning von Tresckow, Bill Nighy as General Friedrich Olbricht, Tom Wilkinson as General Friedrich Fromm, Carice van Houten as Nina von Stauffenberg, Thomas Kretschmann as Major Otto Ernst Remer, Terence Stamp as Ludwig Beck and Eddie Izzard as General Erich Fellgiebel.

Over all, quite an exciting film if you don’t know the eventual outcome, though the excitement is tempered somewhat if you do. Some excellent performances, in particular a mention for Tom Cruise, who put in one his best IMHO. Also, it’s nice to see a World War II film from the German point of view for a change.

My score: 7.4/10

LINKS:
IMDb Site: http://uk.imdb.com/title/tt0985699/
Official Site: http://valkyrie.unitedartists.com/
Trailer: http://uk.imdb.com/rg/VIDEO_PLAY/LINK/video/imdb/vi3544383513/

Film Review: DOUBT (2008)

Director: John Patrick Shanley
Running time: 104 mins (approx)
Certificate (UK): 15

Watched on Sky+ Sunday 31st January 2010.

PLEASE NOTE: POSSIBLE SPOILERS IN THIS REVIEW.

First of all, I am not a Catholic and so I never went to a Catholic school. My only knowledge of such institutions has been gleaned from films, TV and news reports. I mention this so you know that I’m looking at this film with the eyes of an outsider. The film is based on a play written by the director and is set in a Catholic school run by nuns in The Bronx in 1964.

The priest, Father Brendan Flynn is a forward thinking man who wants to update the teaching practices at the school. Sister Aloysius Beauvier is the principal and is somewhat resistant to his proposals. Another teacher, Sister James, likes Father Flynn’s ideas, but is subordinate to Sister Aloysius. Things come to a head when the only black child in the school is singled out for special attention by Father Flynn. One day the boy is called to the Father’s office from Sister James’s class and when he returns the acts a little strangely. Sister Aloysius takes this as a sign that there has been something inappropriate between the two. She accuses Father Flynn and he explains that the boy had been caught drinking communion wine. The Sister is not satisfied with this explanation and goes out of her way to prove otherwise. I’ll leave it there as I’ve given enough away already!

First of all, great performances from all of the leading cast. Special mentions must, without doubt, go to, Meryl Streep as Sister Aloysius Beauvier, Philip Seymour Hoffman as the charismatic Father Brendan Flynn and Amy Adams as Sister James, all put in tremendous performances. A really well made film that kept me engaged all the way through, although I felt it did get a little bit bogged down towards the end.

I’ll admit to having been a bit of a fan of the work of Philip Seymour Hoffman since I first saw him in Magnolia way back in 1999. The combination with Meryl Streep worked perfectly in this context. Over all, a well directed and very enthralling drama with some truly excellent performances, recommended.

My score: 8.1/10

LINKS:
IMDb Site: http://uk.imdb.com/title/tt0918927/
Official Site: http://www.doubt-themovie.co.uk/
Trailer: http://uk.imdb.com/rg/VIDEO_PLAY/LINK/video/imdb/vi2652373017/

Film Review: EDGE OF DARKNESS (2010)

Director: Martin Campbell
Running time: 117 mins (approx)
Certification (UK): 15

Watched at the cinema Saturday 30th January 2010.

PLEASE NOTE: THERE MAY BE SPOILERS IN THIS REVIEW.

This film is based on a mini-series made by the BBC in 1985 which was directed by a certain Martin Campbell. I remember the series very well, partly for a stellar performance from Bob Peck and partly for an excellent score from Eric Clapton amongst others. Of course, the story has been updated and locations have been changed to make it more commercial, but the basics of it are still there.

Thomas Craven is a Boston detective and his daughter has come to pay him a visit. He lives on his own and it’s quite apparent that his daughter, Emma, is not well. They are just leaving the house to go and see a doctor when a man drives up and shoots Emma, fatally wounding her. The police assume that Thomas was the intended target and he, of course, is mortified at the loss of his daughter. He looks into his current cases but can find no reason for anyone to want him out of the way. And so he begins to look into his daughter’s life. He goes to see her boyfriend who is very paranoid and refuses to tell him anything, but he does give him the keys to her apartment. There he finds a Geiger counter and discovers that she had been exposed to radiation. Thomas is visited by the enigmatic Jedburgh, a man employed by the US government to cover things up. He tells Craven that his daughter was the intended target of the assassin and that it has something to do with her work at a company called Northmoor, run by Jack Bennett. Taking matters into his own hands, Craven now begins his own investigation into Northmoor and this leads to a discovery that could bring down the government.

This film is well made; however, I feel that it worked better on TV. I was fine with the relocation and the updates to the narrative but I did feel that it was all a bit rushed towards the end. Maybe there will be an extended director’s cut that will be more to my liking. Having said that, there were some very good performances, Mel Gibson as Thomas Craven, Ray Winstone as Jedburgh, Danny Huston as Jack Bennett and Bojana Novakovic as Emma Craven.

I don’t quite know how I feel about the performance of Mel Gibson in this one. One minute he’s moody and distraught and the next he’s kicking ass or playing it like the charming Riggs from the Lethal Weapon films. It was good to see him on the big screen again though, after a bit of a break. Over all, quite a slow paced and very dark thriller, it’s had mixed reviews, but I quite liked it. The TV version, I feel, was better, but if you haven’t seen that, then this is a decent attempt to put the story on the big screen.

My score: 7.8/10

LINKS:
IMDb Site: http://uk.imdb.com/title/tt1226273/
Official Site: http://edge-of-darkness.warnerbros.com/
Trailer: http://uk.imdb.com/rg/VIDEO_PLAY/LINK/video/imdb/vi2723086873/

Film Review: WALL-E (2008)

Director: Andrew Stanton
Running time: 95 mins (approx)
Certificate (UK): U

Watched on DVD Wednesday 27th January 2010.

PLEASE NOTE: POSSIBLE SPOILERS IN THIS REVIEW.

As I may have mentioned before, I’m quite a big fan of animated films. I have some friends who will only watch anime, but I have a much broader palate. I very much enjoyed Up (2009) last year, but for some reason or another I kept missing the chance to see this one. So I dug out the DVD and found a time slot to watch it.

All life has left the Earth, it sounds pretty bleak, but it’s not really, they’ve gone on a big space ship while an army of robots cleans up the place. And now, some 800 years later, there’s only one robot left, Wall-e. He spends his days collecting and compacting garbage and making enormous towers out of it. He’s not alone though, and insect, probably a cockroach, is his companion. Wall-e lives in the back of an old truck, where, apart from a bunch of spare parts, he also has a collection of interesting things he’s found over the years. Amongst these is a video of an old musical that he plays every night, and a plant that he found. One day he’s going about his business when a spacecraft arrives and drops off another robot, EVE. After a bit of a sticky start, they begin to talk and Wall-e shows EVE around. She has spent most of her time going around scanning everything she sees, looking for something. Later, with a big storm brewing, Wall-e takes EVE to his ‘house’; he shows her some of the things he’s collected. When she sees the plant she immediately puts it inside her chest and shuts down. Wall-e is dumbfounded and tries to revive her, but fails. All he can do is wait with her until the spacecraft returns, which eventually it does. As it takes off, Wall-e stows away and he is taken to another, much larger ship, the Axiom where the humans are. I think that’s enough spoilers for one day.

This is a very well made film with some great comic touches, particularly in the opening scenes. The first third of the film was really engaging and very entertaining, however, as soon as Wall-e and EVE make it to the Axiom it becomes much more predictable, which is a shame. There isn’t a great deal of dialogue, but it was all done well, honourable mentions go to the voice talents of, Ben Burtt as Wall-e & M-O, Elissa Knight as EVE and Jeff Garlin as Captain McCrea.

Over all, quite an engaging film for the first part that loses its way a little towards the middle and becomes a little too predictable towards the end. Nevertheless, it’s very entertaining and a lot better than many other animated features I’ve seen in recent years. It’s not brilliant, but it’s very very good and I can recommend it.

My score: 8.1/10

LINKS:
IMDb Site: http://uk.imdb.com/title/tt0910970/
Official Site: http://www2.disney.co.uk/DisneyMovies/Walle/
Trailer: http://uk.imdb.com/rg/VIDEO_PLAY/LINK/video/imdb/vi2192703769/

Film Review: PERFUME: THE STORY OF A MURDERER (2006)

Director: Tom Tykwer
Running time: 147 mins (approx)
Certificate (UK): 15

Watched on Sky+ Sunday 24th January 2010.

PLEASE NOTE: POSSIBLE SPOILERS IN THIS REVIEW.

This is the second time I’ve seen this film, but the first time I’ve attempted a review. I admit I loved the film first time around and, I’m very pleased to say, I haven’t changed my opinion of it on a second viewing. Based on a novel by Patrick Süskind it tells the story of Jean-Baptiste Grenouille and his quest for the ultimate perfume.

Set in the early 1800’s in Paris where Jean-Baptiste Grenouille is born under a fish stall in a market. He is quickly orphaned, but has an extraordinary sense of smell. He just smells everything, piecing together the world around him by its odours. At thirteen he is sold by the orphanage to a tanner, where he works long and hard. One day he is chosen by the owner to go into the city on deliveries with him. This exposes Jean-Baptiste to even more scents and he finds one scent irresistible, that of a young woman selling fruit. So taken is he that he follows her and, before he knows it, in trying to keep her quiet while a couple walk by, he accidentally suffocates her. This doesn’t appear to matter to Jean-Baptiste, he now sniffs every part of her, trying to get her scent, but eventually it fades. Now he has a purpose, to discover how to capture and keep the scent of a woman. As fate would have it, he has to deliver to an old perfumer, Giuseppe Baldini, who is down on his luck. Jean-Baptiste demonstrates his abilities by divining the ingredients of a rival’s perfume and even improving on it. Baldini is so impressed, he buys Jean-Baptiste from the tanner and they begin to work together. Jean-Baptiste persuades Baldini to teach him everything he knows about making perfumes if he makes scents for him. Having learned everything he can from Baldini, but not the thing he really wants to know, Jean-Baptiste leaves for the town of Grasse where Baldini says he can get what he wants. Arriving there, Jean-Baptiste soon learns new techniques in capturing aromas and, after a few failed experiments, he perfects a way to capture the scent of a woman. What follows are a series of mysterious murders and Jean-Baptiste puts together the thirteen scents he needs to make the most perfect perfume. He has his sights on the last scent, that of Laura, the daughter of the well to do, Richis, who, in order to protect his daughter takes her away from the town, not knowing the Jean-Baptiste is in hot pursuit. I won’t say any more about the plot, I think that’s enough for one day!

This film is beautifully shot, has an epic plot and is very well performed and I don’t understand why it isn’t more highly rated. Yes, it’s a little too long, but I’ve found it enthralling both times I’ve seen it. Excellent performances from all of the leading cast, Ben Whishaw as Jean-Baptiste Grenouille, Dustin Hoffman as Giuseppe Baldini, Rachel Hurd-Wood as Laura, Alan Rickman as Richis and John Hurt as the narrator.

There is a scene near the end of the film where Jean-Baptiste is about to be executed and, if you’ve seen it, you’ll know what I mean; it’s one of the most beautifully imagined scenes I’ve ever seen. As I’ve already said, the film is a bit too long, but apart from that I can find little else wrong with it. If you can spare the time I urge you to watch this film, hopefully you’ll thank me!

My score: 8.7/10

LINKS:
IMDb Site: http://uk.imdb.com/title/tt0396171/
Official Site: http://www.perfumemovie.com/
Trailer: http://uk.imdb.com/rg/VIDEO_PLAY/LINK/video/screenplay/vi897581337/

Film Review: STARSHIP TROOPERS 3: MARAUDER (2008)

Director: Edward Neumeier
Running time: 105 mins (approx)
Certificate (UK): 15

Watched on Sky+ Sunday 24th January 2010.

PLEASE NOTE: POSSIBLE SPOILERS IN THIS REVIEW.

In the past I have seen the original Starship Troopers (1997) and enjoyed it because it was quite different to all the other sci-fi films out at the time. Later on I saw the straight to DVD/Video release, Starship Troopers 2: Hero of the Federation (2004), which was a much grittier story set in the same universe, also quite enjoyable. And so we now come to the third instalment. Just one of the characters from the original has survived this far, Johnny Rico and he is in command at an outpost called Roku San that is being attacked by Earth’s arch foe, the arachnid bugs.

During a visit by Sky Marshal Omar Anoke, the base is overrun and Rico disobeys the orders of his superior, Dix Hauser and is placed under arrest. During their escape the Sky Marshal, his pilot, Captain Lola Beck and four other crew members are shot down and stranded on a bug planet. They send a distress call but it is deliberately ignored back on Earth by Admiral Enolo Phid, who has designs on the Sky Marshal’s position. Hauser, Anoke’s aid, hears about the distress call and decides to go behind the back of the Admiral and launch a rescue mission. Just one problem, the best man for the job is under arrest and has been sentenced to death. By faking his execution, Hauser gets Rico out of prison and into a top secret program called Marauder. Assembling a team of just seven, Rico sets off to the rescue. The story has quite a bit more depth than I’ve described here, but I think you have enough there to know it’s not the greatest plot ever written.

The stoty is set in a future where Earth is ruled by whet seems to be a very fascist regime; I find a lot of the political views distasteful. That’s not to say I don’t understand why it’s taken this turn, a democracy would still be arguing the toss as they’re being overrun, I’m just intrigued to know how Earth got that way before the bugs were discovered. But I digress; it’s not the best made film in the world, the special effects look quite dated, although the hordes of bugs still look pretty good. Most of the dialogue is pretty forgettable, along with most of the performances. Although I will give praise to Jolene Blalock, who stood out as Captain Lola Beck. So, just honourable mentions go to Casper Van Dien as Colonel Johnny Rico, Stephen Hogan as Sky Marshal Omar Anoke, Boris Kodjoe as Gen. Dix Hauser, Amanda Donohoe as Admiral Enolo Phid and Marnette Patterson as Holly Little.

Over all, not a great film, but if you leave your brain at the door and just want some mindless violence, then this is the film for you. For me, yes, it was entertaining in parts, but as a whole it lacked the originality of the first film and the grittiness of the second.

My score: 5.0/10

LINKS:
IMDb Site: http://uk.imdb.com/title/tt0844760/
Official Site: Starship Troopers 3 - Official Site
Trailer: http://uk.imdb.com/rg/VIDEO_PLAY/LINK/video/screenplay/vi2397110553/

Film Review: TRANSPORTER 3 (2008)

Director: Olivier Megaton
Writers: Luc Besson & Robert Mark Kamen
Running time: 104 mins (approx)
Certificate (UK): 15

Watched on Sky+ Saturday 23rd January 2010.

PLEASE NOTE: POSSIBLE SPOILERS IN THIS REVIEW.

I must first admit to being a bit of a fan of the work of Luc Besson ever since I saw the brilliant Léon (1994). He has been involved in the writing of all three films in this series and I have seen, and enjoyed, them all. He brings a certain style to the work that just isn’t present in the work of writers working out of America. The setting is, of course, Europe, and the transporter of the title, Frank Martin, has got troubles, yet again.

Having retired from his work, Frank is living a relaxing life in the south of France. He goes fishing with his friend, Inspector Tarconi and generally enjoys his new found freedom. That is until one evening when an ex-colleague crashes through the wall of his house with a girl asleep in the back of his car. Frank calls an ambulance not knowing that if the driver strays too fear from the vehicle a bracelet on his wrist will explode, killing him instantly. Unfortunately Frank realises this too late for his friend. The explosion knocks him out and he finds himself in a strange room with a bracelet attached to his wrist. A Mr Johnson enters the room and persuades him to come out of retirement. He has to take a girl, Valentina, to a destination that is set on the GPS they have fitted to his car. Unknown to Frank, Valentina is the daughter of a Ukrainian diplomat who is being blackmailed by a large American corporation to allow the dumping of toxic waste in the Ukraine. As you can guess, Frank is not happy with the situation and is soon causing problems for his new ‘employers’.

Now, I know it’s not the greatest piece of cinema, but I did find it very entertaining. The film was very well made with the fight sequences and car chases being choreographed perfectly. I found the pacing to be excellent also; I wasn’t looking at my watch once! Very good performances from all of the leading performers, Jason Statham as Frank Martin, Natalya Rudakova as Valentina, François Berléand as Inspector Tarconi and Robert Knepper as always excellent as the bad guy Johnson.

As I said at the beginning, I have been a bit of a fan of Luc Besson for quite a while and I must say that, although it’s not his best work, I enjoyed this film very much. It doesn’t tax the ‘little grey cells’ too much, but it is entertaining and I guess that’s what it is meant to do.

My score: 6.7/10

LINKS:
IMDb Site: http://uk.imdb.com/title/tt1129442/
Official Site: http://transporter3film.com/
Trailer: http://uk.imdb.com/rg/VIDEO_PLAY/LINK/video/imdb/vi3362652185/

Film Review: TRANSSIBERIAN (2008)

Director: Brad Anderson
Running time: 107 mins (approx)
Certificate (UK): 15

Watched on Sky+ Saturday 23rd January 2010.

PLEASE NOTE: POSSIBLE SPOILERS IN THIS REVIEW.

I always find films that involve a journey quite interesting. Maybe because of the ever changing scenery, or maybe because of the interesting people that are met on the way, I’m not sure. And so I came to this film with some anticipation. The setting is, not surprisingly, the Transsiberian railway that runs from Vladivostok on the East cost of Russia through to Moscow. There is also a line that joins the Transsiberian that runs north from Beijing in China.

A young American couple, Roy and Jessie have been doing some work for their church in Beijing and have decided to travel back to the States overland, and so they take the Transsiberian from Beijing. They share a cabin with another couple, Carlos, from Spain and Abby from Seattle. Carlos and Abby are worldly wise and advise the somewhat naive Roy and Jessie on how best to avoid attracting attention from the authorities. Jessie seems to get particular attention from Carlos, who shows her a collection of Russian nesting dolls that he says he plans to sell in Amsterdam. During a stop, Roy and Jessie get separated when Roy is accidentally left behind. Jessie has to wait at the next stop for Roy to come through the following day. Carlos and Abby decide to wait with her. Whilst there, Carlos takes Jessie out to photograph an old abandoned church out in the frozen countryside, leaving Abby back at the hotel. He starts to make a move on Jessie and, at first she responds, but then backs off. Carlos doesn’t like this and pursues her through the woods. Jessie, now desperate, picks up a piece of wood and hits him with it. She hits him with it several times and before she knows it, he’s dead. She heads back to the hotel and goes to the train station where Roy has just arrived. They continue their journey with a new cabin-mate, a narcotics detective, Grinko. He tells them how smugglers were now using mules to get heroin into the country and forming it into everyday objects. Looking in her case later, Jessie finds the Russian dolls Carlos had shown her earlier… I think that’s enough spoilers for now.

Quite a well made film with some good performances; some of the cinematography was really excellent. The setting was a little constricting, but the story seemed to flow quite well despite this. As I said, good performances from all of the leading cast, Woody Harrelson as Roy, Emily Mortimer as Jessie, Ben Kingsley as Grinko, Kate Mara as Abby, Eduardo Noriega as Carlos and Thomas Kretschmann as Klozak.

This is a film of two halves, the first half up to the murder of Carlos, and the second half involving the mysterious Detective Grinko. Although I found the first half slightly predictable, I thought the second half didn’t quite live up to expectations. It seems to be a recurring theme with modern thrillers; it’s almost as if writers have forgotten how to write an ending. Over all, it’s not a bad film, a good one to watch on a rainy Sunday afternoon perhaps.

My score: 6.3/10

LINKS:
IMDb Site: http://uk.imdb.com/title/tt0800241/
Official Site: http://www.firstlookstudios.com/films/transsiberian/
Trailer: http://uk.imdb.com/rg/VIDEO_PLAY/LINK/video/imdb/vi2246508825/

Film Review: THE READER (2008)

Director: Stephen Daldry
Running time: 119 mins (approx)
Certificate (UK): 15

Watched on Sky+ Wednesday 20th January 2010.

PLEASE NOTE: POSSIBLE SPOILERS IN THIS REVIEW.

This is another film that has had critical acclaim, in particular for the performance of Kate Winslet, but more of that later. For the most part the story is told in flashback, but this does not distract the viewer because it is done in large sections. The story begins in Germany in 1958…

A teenage schoolboy, Michael Berg is heading home in the rain; he is feeling unwell and finds himself in the entrance to some flats. He has been sick and a woman, Hanna Schmitz, cleans him up and walks him home. A doctor is called and he is diagnosed with scarlet fever and consigned to bed for three months. He has not forgotten the woman who helped him and goes to see her with some flowers as a thank you. There is an instant attraction between the two and they end up in bed together. They continue to see each other and eventually Hanna persuades Michael to read for her. This becomes a regular thing, he would read to her and then they would make love. Then one day Hanna gets news at work that she is to be promoted from her job as a tram conductor and would have to work in the office. She is not pleased and ends up having a row with Michael. It’s his birthday as well. For reasons unknown at the time, when Michael has gone to his birthday party, she packs her bags and leaves. We now go forward in time to 1966 where Michael is now a law student in Berlin. He is in an advanced class and they are going to watch the trials of some Nazi war criminals. They take their places in the gallery and suddenly, as he’s sorting out his notebook, Michael hears a voice he remembers. It is Hanna, and she is one of the accused! I won’t say too much more, not wanting to be accused myself of giving away too many spoilers.

This is a really well made film drama, it’s not the kind of thing I’d usually watch, but I found it really compelling. A tremendous performance from Kate Winslet as Hanna Schmitz, I thought she played it perfectly. I also have to give praise to David Kross as the young Michael Berg and Ralph Fiennes as the older Michael Berg, both put in stellar performances.

Although it’s still a touchy subject matter, the Holocaust, I found it was handled very sensitively and fairly. I don’t want to say too much about it for fear of spoilers, but I found the ending quite touching. I think the only slight niggle I had was, towards the end there were a lot of long silences between dialogue which I did find slightly distracting. Apart from that, a really good romantic drama and I can recommend it to you.

My score: 7.8/10

LINKS:
IMDb Site: http://uk.imdb.com/title/tt0976051/
Official Site: http://www.thereader-movie.com/
Trailer: http://uk.imdb.com/rg/VIDEO_PLAY/LINK/video/imdb/vi1750597657/

Film Review: WALTZ WITH BASHIR (2008)

Director: Ari Folman
Running time: 90 mins (approx)
Certificate (UK): 18

Watched on Sky+ Sunday 17th January 2010.

PLEASE NOTE: POSSIBLE SPOILERS IN THIS REVIEW.

This film has been critically acclaimed and so I was looking forward to seeing what all the fuss is about. It is a documentary style film made using animation to show what is being talked about, a very clever device.

In 1982 the Israeli army invaded Lebanon and took over the city of Beirut. One of the soldiers involved in this operation was the director, Ari Folman. In the years since the invasion he has lost his memory of these events and wants it back. He goes out and interviews old comrades and friends who were there, in the hope that he might get his memories back. What we see on the screen is an animated representation of the events as told by these soldiers.

At times the events are quite surreal and you find yourself thinking that he must be making it up, but I’m assured it’s all true. I did find it quite hard to watch with the dialogue being in Hebrew and having to read the subtitles made it hard to concentrate on the excellent imagery. Talking of which, the animation is really excellent, I can tell a lot of effort was put into this, and it shows.

Over all a very thought provoking film about a rather brutal offensive that ends with some quite disturbing imagery. Definitely not one for the squeamish, but worth watching for the excellent animation. Sorry for the short review, but I think you would get more from watching it for yourself, it’s quite an extraordinary piece.

My score: 7.6/10

LINKS:
IMDb Site: http://uk.imdb.com/title/tt1185616/
Official Site: http://waltzwithbashir.com/
Trailer: http://uk.imdb.com/rg/VIDEO_PLAY/LINK/video/imdb/vi3976855577/

Film Review: THE BOOK OF ELI (2010)

Directors: Albert Hughes & Allen Hughes
Running time: 118 mins (approx)
Certification (UK): 15

Watched at the cinema Saturday 16th January 2010.

PLEASE NOTE: THERE MAY BE SPOILERS IN THIS REVIEW.

This film is about the quest of one man to get a book to the place it’s supposed to be, to use his words. Now, I’m not a religious man but I can see the value this book might have in a world torn apart by war. It is a post-apocalyptic world, thirty years after it was destroyed. Those that were not killed scratch a living out of what’s left, and many have turned to cannibalism. A lot were blinded by the flashes in the sky but survived. As stated in the film, after the war people destroyed the bible blaming it for what happened, but Eli has the last remaining copy.

Always moving west, Eli is a loner on the road. Like everyone out there he knows it’s a very dangerous place. He kills animals for food and gets clean water where he can. He is set upon by hijackers but Eli is a ferocious fighter and thus far has come out on top. One day he wanders into a small town run by Carnegie, a determined man who has been sending out men in search of a particular book, the very one Eli has in his possession. Carnegie has a mother and daughter, Claudia and Solara in his entourage, Claudia was blind before the flash, but Solara is not. In trying to persuade Eli to stay, as he can see the value of a man who can fight like him, he sends Solara to his room and she discovers the book but promises not to tell. Carnegie finds out about the book and sends his henchman, Redridge to get it but Eli has already gone. Eli starts heading west again only to find Solara following him. Redridge wants Solara and makes a deal with Carnegie to get the book in exchange for her. And now the chase is on, will Eli and Solara escape or will they be caught? I think that’s enough spoilers for one day…

This film was shot in a similar way to 300 (2006) with a kind of washed out comic book feel to it and, for me, it worked. I guess a lot of the landscapes were CGI and these were very well done as well. Great performances from all of the leading cast, Denzel Washington as Eli, Gary Oldman as Carnegie, Mila Kunis as Solara, Ray Stevenson as Redridge and Jennifer Beals as Claudia. Honourable mentions also go to Frances de la Tour and Michael Gambon as Martha and George, a mad old couple who Eli and Solara find on their travels.

Although it’s a fairly straightforward story I found it a very entertaining and compelling film to watch, the 118 minutes went by pretty quickly, which is always a good sign. It did get a bit bogged down in the middle, but redeemed itself with a totally unexpected twist at the end. Don’t worry; I’m not going to tell you what it is. Over all, I can heartily recommend this film, it ticked a lot of boxes for me and, although not perfect, it’s a damn good effort.

My score: 7.9/10

LINKS:
IMDb Site: http://uk.imdb.com/title/tt1037705/
Official Site: http://www.sonypictures.net/movies/bookofeli/
Trailer: http://uk.imdb.com/rg/VIDEO_PLAY/LINK/video/imdb/vi862650905/

Film Review: JULIA (2008)

Director: Erick Zonca
Running time: 144 mins (approx)
Certificate (UK): 15

Watched on Sky+ Saturday 16th January 2010.

PLEASE NOTE: POSSIBLE SPOILERS IN THIS REVIEW.

OK, so I’ll admit to being a bit of a fan of Tilda Swinton, she has appeared in some of my favourite movies, always putting in great performances. So it is with much anticipation that I hit ‘Play’ on the remote. I wasn’t disappointed with Tilda, she put in a great performance, as usual, but, as ever, there were other problems that blunted my enjoyment. More of that later, first I’ll give you a quick summary.

Julia is an alcoholic; it seems she can’t go just one day without getting wasted. She loses he job and is forced to go to an AA meeting by her sponsor, Mitch. She hates going to these things because she never bought into the whole ethos of the thing. There she meets her neighbour, Elena, whose eight year old son, Tom, is living with his grandfather because his father died from drug abuse and also because of Elena’s drinking problems. Elena tells Julia of her plan to kidnap Tom and take him to Mexico, where she is from. At first Julia is against it, but when she realises Tom’s grandfather is very rich she changes her tune. But now Julia decides she wants to Kidnap Tom by herself and keep the ransom for herself. She tries to enlist the help of an old friend, and crook, Nick, but he wants nothing to do with it. She does, however, manage to get a gun from another acquaintance, Leon, who she rips off. She finally follows Elena’s plan and kidnaps Tom. Hiding in the desert, she phones the grandfather and arranges the ransom payment. The drop off goes wrong and Julia and Tom end up crossing the border into Mexico where they end up in lawless Tijuana and this is where tings really get out of hand!

A pretty well made film, slightly overlong for my liking, but not a bad effort all in all. I found I could easily engage with Julia’s character and actually cared about what was going to happen to her, even though a lot of the time I felt her troubles were self inflicted. A great performance then from Tilda Swinton as Julia and really good performances from the rest of the leading cast, Saul Rubinek as Mitch, Kate del Castillo as Elena, Aidan Gould as Tom, Jude Ciccolella as Nick, Bruno Bichir as Diego and Horacio Garcia Rojas as Santos.

Although Julia does not have children of her own, you can see a growing relationship developing between her and Tom as they spend more time together. This is brought across very well in the performances of Tilda and Aidan. I was really enjoying the film until the plot took us to Mexico where it kind of jumped off the rails. The storyline became more and more ridiculous and, I’m sorry, but I found I lost all sympathy for Julia right up until the very end where she did redeem herself slightly. Over all, a very good film that could have been a truly great film but for the last quarter.

My score: 6.7/10

LINKS:
IMDb Site: http://uk.imdb.com/title/tt0903627/
Official Site: Julia Official Site
Trailer: http://uk.imdb.com/rg/VIDEO_PLAY/LINK/video/imdb/vi944636697/

Film Review: MAX PAYNE (2008)

Director: John Moore
Running time: 96 mins (approx)
Certificate (UK): 15

Watched on Sky+ Wednesday 13th January 2010.

PLEASE NOTE: POSSIBLE SPOILERS IN THIS REVIEW.

Based on the video game of the same name, this film plots the efforts of detective Max Payne to find who murdered his wife and child. It is set in one of those dark comic book cities where everyone and everything is exaggerated, especially the violence.

Max Payne works in the cold case office of the police department during the day and at night he’s chasing up leads, trying to find who murdered his family three years previous. One night his enquiries lead him to a party where he meets Natasha Sax and her sister Mona, Natasha goes with him back to his apartment. The next morning Max is taken by his former partner, Alex Balder to a crime scene. Natasha has been brutally murdered and Max’s wallet has been found there. It’s clear that Max had nothing to do with the murder but he is now the prime suspect. Alex continues to investigate the murder and finds that a bird wing tattoo on Natasha’s arm is similar to that of one of Max’s wife’s murderers found dead at the scene. He tries to contact Max but can only get his voicemail. When Max finally gets the message he heads over to Max’s apartment only to find him dead. It’s a complicated plot with many twists and turns, I hope I’ve whetted your appetite…

Made in the familiar comic-book style, this film had the grim edgy look you’d expect. Some fine CGI work as well. The only thing that was wrong was the plot. I personally couldn’t connect with the cold Max and thus found it hard to sympathise with his plight. Having said that, there were decent performances from all of the major cast, Mark Wahlberg as Max Payne, Mila Kunis as Mona Sax, Beau Bridges as BB Hensley, Ludacris as Lt. Jim Bravura, Chris O'Donnell as Jason Colvin, Donal Logue as Det. Alex Balder and Olga Kurylenko as Natasha Sax.

As I’ve already said, the plot let this movie down, it looks very good, they’ve obviously spent a lot of time on the look of it. Unfortunately they didn’t take the same care with the plot and the dialogue. A shame because I was really looking forward to enjoying this film. Ah well, maybe next time around…

My score: 5.4/10

LINKS:
IMDb Site: http://uk.imdb.com/title/tt0467197/
Official Site: http://www.maxpaynethemovie.com/
Trailer: http://uk.imdb.com/rg/VIDEO_PLAY/LINK/video/imdb/vi3542614041/

Film Review: MIRRORS (2008)

Director: Alexandre Aja
Running time: 108 mins (approx)
Certificate (UK): 18

Watched on Sky+ Sunday 10th January 2010.

PLEASE NOTE: POSSIBLE SPOILERS IN THIS REVIEW.

I really shouldn’t watch so many scary movies, but sometimes I can’t help it. Fortunately I had the good sense to watch this one (mostly) during daylight hours, otherwise getting to bed could have been a creepy experience. The film is set in modern day New York.

Ben Carson is an ex-cop who has been battling alcoholism after an incident that’s not really explained in the plot, but I guess it’s what made him quit the force. He is living with his sister, Angela, having split from his wife Amy and his two kids, Michael and Daisy. He takes a job as a security guard at a former department store that had been badly damaged in a fire some years previous. There is some problem with the insurance and so it has remained empty. Ben is working the night shift and soon realises the creepy old building is holding a secret behind its many mirrors. He starts to see things in the mirrors, like, for instance, a door opening and when he turns round, its shut. He sees victims of the fire burning in the mirrors; it’s all pretty creepy stuff. All is ok, though until one day he realises the visions are following him and he can see strange events in mirrors everywhere. More worryingly, these events are beginning to affect his family. He asks whoever, or whatever it is behind the mirrors what they want and they scratch the name ‘Esseker’ into the glass. Only after his sister is murdered, does Ben realise it’s only a matter of time before they move on his children and so he has to act fast and find the mysterious ‘Esseker’ before it’s too late! I think that’s enough spoilers for one day, hope that’s whetted your appetite.

First of all, I must say it’s nice to see Kiefer Sutherland playing a character who is not Jack Bauer. Don’t get me wrong, I love ‘24’ and have watched every season, but I only ever seem to see him playing that CTU operative. But I digress, this is a pretty well made film with some OK effects, obviously they didn’t have a massive budget. Having said that, it’s reasonably well made, the tension is built up well and there is a nice twist at the end. Decent performances for all of the major cast, Kiefer Sutherland as Ben Carson, Paula Patton as Amy Carson, Cameron Boyce as Michael Carson, Erica Gluck as Daisy Carson, Amy Smart as Angela Carson and Mary Beth Peil as Anna Esseker.

As I’ve already said, a reasonably well made horror that has a couple of scary bits in it. I think my main problem is, I was never truly convinced by the demons, or entities, or whatever they were supposed to be, behind the mirrors. I guess I know they don’t exist in real life and hence weren’t as scary as they were meant to be. Maybe in a setting other than contemporary New York, they might have been slightly more menacing. There is a good twist at the end though which is worth watching for.

My score: 5.9/10

LINKS:
IMDb Site: http://uk.imdb.com/title/tt0790686/
Official Site: http://www.mirrorsmovie.com/
Trailer: http://uk.imdb.com/rg/VIDEO_PLAY/LINK/video/imdb/vi1518141721/

Film Review: EXIT WOUNDS (2001)

Director: Andrzej Bartkowiak
Running time: 98 mins (approx)
Certificate (UK): 18

Watched on Sky+ Saturday 9th January 2010.

PLEASE NOTE: POSSIBLE SPOILERS IN THIS REVIEW.

First of all I’ll have to admit to not being a great Steven Segal fan. I thought Under Siege (1992) was pretty good, and the sequel wasn’t too bad, but the other films of his I’ve seen haven’t really impressed me. And so somebody, a Segal fan, recommended ‘Exit Wounds’ to me and I said I’d give it a look.

The setting is the mean streets of Detroit where, renegade cop, Orin Boyd has just saved the Vice Presidents life. His reward, he’s sent to the toughest precinct in the city, the Fifteenth. Soon after, the robbery of a police evidence store of $5 million of heroin begins to make Boyd suspicious. He has already had a run in with narcotics cop, Matt Montini, where he also ran into drug dealer Latrell Walker and club owner T.K. Johnson. Boyd’s boss, Annette Mulcahy, teams him up with young cop George Clarke who wants to clean up the department. After several run-ins with some rather nasty bad guys, it soon becomes apparent that there are some very corrupt cops in the precinct. Can Boyd and Clarke, with the help of Walker and Johnson, who turn out to be not quite so bad in the end, find out who the corrupt cops are and kick their butts!

Not a bad film, even quite entertaining in parts, but I did find it slightly predictable that the narrative was just used as a vehicle to get Segal into another fight. Don’t get me wrong, the fight scenes are very professionally done and Steven Segal is a great exponent of the art. It just all seems a little too contrived at times. Reasonable performances from the major players, Steven Seagal as Orin Boyd, DMX as Latrell Walker, Isaiah Washington as George Clarke, Anthony Anderson as T.K. Johnson, Michael Jai White as Lewis Strutt, Bill Duke as Chief Hinges, Jill Hennessy as Annette Mulcahy, Tom Arnold as Henry Wayne and Eva Mendes as Trish.

As I said earlier, not a bad film, it’s just not the kind of film I’d usually watch. I have seen much worse films featuring Steven Segal. This is certainly not his best work, but it’s entertaining enough. Plenty of fight scenes and stunts that are very well done, just a shame the story didn’t quite match the action. It’s worth watching the conversation at the very end between Anthony Anderson and Tom Arnold; it’s very rude, and very funny!

My score: 5.3/10

LINKS:
IMDb Site: http://uk.imdb.com/title/tt0242445/
Official Site: http://www.exitwounds.net/
Trailer: http://uk.imdb.com/rg/VIDEO_PLAY/LINK/video/screenplay/vi1592066329/

Film Review: FINAL DESTINATION 3 (2006)

Director: James Wong
Running time: 93 mins (approx)
Certificate (UK): 15

Watched on Sky+ Wednesday 4th January 2010.

PLEASE NOTE: POSSIBLE SPOILERS IN THIS REVIEW.

I really should stop watching teen horror flicks. The trouble is, one day somebody will make a good one, and I don’t want to miss it! The graduation class at McKinley High are celebrating with an evening out at an amusement park. All is going well, but Wendy feels uneasy about something.

Wendy’s friends persuade her to go for a ride on the big dipper. As she takes her seat she has a premonition about the ride crashing and killing everyone aboard. She freaks out so much that the operator has to get her off. She goes and several others leave the ride also. Still freaking out, she is being escorted away from the ride when it crashes, killing everyone left on board. We now go forward several months where Wendy is still coming to terms with the loss of her friends, including her boyfriend, on the ride. Kevin, the boyfriend of he best friend, who was also killed, tells her about an event several years ago where a boy freaked out just before a flight left the ground. Seven passengers left the plane, which crashed on take-off. The survivors all died in mysterious circumstances, in the order they would have died on the plane, in the months that followed. Can Wendy and Kevin work out who was on the Roller Coaster and warn them before it’s too late? That’s enough spoilers for one day…

There is quite a lot of gore and use of the CGI computers in this production. Having said that, it’s not quite as bad as I thought it would be. Reasonable performances from the leading cast, Mary Elizabeth Winstead as Wendy Christensen, Ryan Merriman as Kevin Fischer, Kris Lemche as Ian McKinley, Alexz Johnson as Erin and Sam Easton as Frankie Cheeks.

A fairly entertaining, if very predictable film, I guess being the third in a series doesn’t really make it easy for the writers and production team. Reasonably well made with a couple of good effects although it did lack any humour. Over all, a pretty gory teen horror that’s a bit depressing at times and has a very predictable ending.

My score: 5/10

LINKS:
IMDb Site: http://uk.imdb.com/title/tt0414982/
Official Site: http://www.newline.com/properties/finaldestination3.html
Trailer: http://uk.imdb.com/rg/VIDEO_PLAY/LINK/video/screenplay/vi984023321/

Film Review: 1408 [Director’s Cut] (2007)

Director: Mikael Håfström
Running time: 108 mins (approx)
Certificate (UK): 15

Watched on Sky+ Monday 4th January 2010.

PLEASE NOTE: POSSIBLE SPOILERS IN THIS REVIEW.

I have seen the theatrical cut of this film before and, to be honest, there’s not a lot added to the ‘Director’s cut’ version. Mike Enslin is an author who writes about scary hotels and such like. He has never seen a ghost and does not believe in such things as demons. Basically, he’s very cynical about the whole thing; however, his books are fairly successful.

One day, whilst going through his mail, Mike comes across a postcard from the Dolphin Hotel in New York. On the back of the card is the message “don’t enter 1408”. This intrigues him and, after having been at first rebuffed by the hotel, he gets his agent, Sam Farrell, to get him a night in that room. Arriving at the hotel, he is met by Gerald Olin, the manager and warned not to spend the night in that room. Despite a file full of evidence of murders, suicides and mysterious deaths, Mike insists that he stay in 1408. Eventually Olin relents and gives Mike the key. On entering he sees just a normal hotel room. Looking around, he describes the setting to his Dictaphone. Just when everything’s looking normal, the radio switches on, and then a picture appears crooked, and then a toilet roll end gets mysteriously folded. Thinking there must be someone else hiding in the room, Mike begins to search. He finds a lot more than he bargained for.

I haven’t read the Stephen King short story on which this movie is based, but I gather it’s somewhat better than the film. Quite well made with plenty of spooky special effects. Decent performances from the cast, John Cusack as Mike Enslin, Samuel L. Jackson as Gerald Olin, Mary McCormack as Lily (Enslin’s ex-wife) and Tony Shalhoub as Sam Farrell.

I guess the main problem, for me, was that the room didn’t really scare me. Yes, weird things happened, but I guess I didn’t care enough about Mike Enslin for it to affect me in any meaningful way. The action did get a bit too ‘off the wall’ towards the middle but the ending was pretty good. There was definitely something lacking though. Over all, a fair effort to make a scary film, but one that failed to hit the mark IMHO.

My score: 5.4/10

LINKS:
IMDb Site: http://uk.imdb.com/title/tt0450385/
Official Site: http://www.1408-themovie.com/
Trailer: http://uk.imdb.com/rg/VIDEO_PLAY/LINK/video/screenplay/vi3115516185/

Film Review: THE SIMPSONS MOVIE (2007)

Director: David Silverman
Running time: 87 mins (approx)
Certificate (UK): PG

Watched on Sky+ Sunday 3rd January 2010.

PLEASE NOTE: POSSIBLE SPOILERS IN THIS REVIEW.

I’ll first admit to being a bit of a fan of the Simpsons, and I have seen this movie once before when I was really tired and ended up falling asleep. That’s no reflection on the film, it’s more a reminder to me not to try and watch films when I’m tired. Anyhow, I digress, Springfield Lake is on the edge of going toxic and Lisa persuades the town to stop dumping trash in it. Things are so bad that just one more item will push it over the edge.

Homer has rescued a pig from Krusty the Clown and has been keeping him at home. At first he’s called ‘Spiderpig’ and later ‘Harry Plopper’. Marge is worried about his ‘leavings’ but Homer reassures her that he a built a silo to contain it. Unfortunately it’s full (already) and Marge tells him to take it to the Hazardous Waste Depot and dispose of it. Homer gets distracted and in a rush to get some free doughnuts he dumps the silo in the lake. The EPA (Environment Protection Agency) hears about this and persuades the president to put a dome over Springfield. Having found out who is responsible, an angry mob come for Homer but he, Marge, Bart, Lisa and Maggie escape through a sink-hole to the outside of the dome. Homer now persuades Marge and the kids to move to Alaska, where they find out that the government now plans to blow up Springfield! Can Homer do the right thing and redeem himself?

Of late the Simpsons episodes on TV haven’t been that good and so it is with some trepidation that I watched this film. I was very glad I did as it was somewhat of a return to form. It was great that they got all the original cast to do the voices, Dan Castellaneta, Julie Kavner, Nancy Cartwright, Yeardley Smith, Harry Shearer and Hank Azaria. I won’t say who did which voices; I’ll be typing all night! You can look them up on the IMDb site (link below) anyway.

A most enjoyable film that did meander a bit in the middle, but had plenty of gags both for Simpsons fans and non fans alike. If you haven’t seen it and have a spare ninety minutes or so, it’s worth a watch.

My score: 7/10

LINKS:
IMDb Site: http://uk.imdb.com/title/tt0462538/
Official Site: http://www.simpsonsmovie.com/
Trailer: http://uk.imdb.com/rg/VIDEO_PLAY/LINK/video/screenplay/vi2918056729/

Film Review: SURVEILLANCE (2008)

Director: Jennifer Chambers Lynch
Running time: 97 mins (approx)
Certificate (UK): 18

Watched on Sky+ Sunday 3rd January 2010.

PLEASE NOTE: POSSIBLE SPOILERS IN THIS REVIEW.

This is a very violent and, at times, quite disturbing film, having said that, it’s also a very interesting film. Made in a very muted style and set in the Santa Fe desert, it tells how two FBI agents go about questioning the survivors of a brutal attack by a couple of serial killers.

The FBI agents in question, Elizabeth Anderson and Sam Hallaway arrive at a police station where the survivors are being held. They are, Bobbi Prescott, a young woman who is also a drug addict, Stephanie, a nine year old girl whose family were victims of the killers and Officer Jack Bennett, a police officer who lost his partner in the attack. The three are split up and interviewed separately, with proceedings being monitored by Agent Hallaway in another room. Interviewing Bennett is his boss, Captain Billings; Anderson is interviewing Stephanie and Officers Degrasso and Wright interview Bobbi. Starting from the beginning they go through the events of the day, occasionally changing events to cover-up some wrongdoing. As events unfold it becomes clear that the killers are not too far away and somebody knows who they are. I think that’s enough to wet you appetite…

As I said at the beginning, this is a very interesting film, although I do wonder where the writer has met such dumb cops. I mean shooting the tyres out of passing cars so they can harass and intimidate the drivers! If that actually goes on in the Santa Fe area then I for one won’t be visiting any time ever! Ignoring the stupid cops, it’s a pretty good film although there are some very disturbing scenes. Good performances from all of the main cast, Julia Ormond as Elizabeth Anderson, Bill Pullman as Sam Hallaway, Ryan Simpkins as Stephanie, Pell James as Bobbi Prescott, Kent Harper as Officer Jack Bennett and Michael Ironside as Captain Billings.

Over all, a pretty violent film in the tradition of films about serial killers. There is a pretty good twist at the end which, I wasn’t entirely surprised by but still fitted in with what had preceded. I liked the muted style and the way it was produced. I’ll be interested to see further work from this director, who is the daughter of director David Lynch by the way.

My score: 6.4/10

LINKS:
IMDb Site: http://uk.imdb.com/title/tt0409345/
Official Site: http://www.magnetreleasing.com/surveillance/
Trailer: http://uk.imdb.com/rg/VIDEO_PLAY/LINK/video/imdb/vi1844707865/

Film Review: SHERLOCK HOLMES (2009)

Director: Guy Ritchie
Running time: 128 mins (approx)
Certification (UK): 12A

Watched at the cinema Saturday 2nd January 2010.

PLEASE NOTE: THERE MAY BE SPOILERS IN THIS REVIEW.

I went to a matinee showing of this film and the cinema, in their infinite wisdom decided to show it in the little theatre upstairs. This isn’t usually a problem, but when it’s packed to the rafters it’s not the most pleasant cinema experience in the world. Having said that, I did enjoy the film. Holmes and Watson occupy rooms at 221b Baker Street, however, their idyll is soon to be disturbed because Watson has got engaged and plans to move out with his new bride. It’s Victorian London and they currently have more pressing matters, the game’s afoot!

We begin with Holmes and Watson closing in on Lord Blackwood, who is in the throws of performing a satanic ritual in the catacombs below London. They successfully apprehend him and he is arrested by Inspector Lestrade. Sentenced to death, Lord Blackwood calls for Holmes and warns him that there will be four more murders. Having been hanged and pronounced dead, by Watson, his body is interred. The following day his tomb has been opened from the inside and he has been seen wandering about the graveyard. It seems Holmes and Watson have another mystery to solve. At this point, Irene Adler, a former adversary of Holmes appears on the scene and commissions him to find a man involved in the Blackwood case. This will lead them to a conspiracy that threatens the bedrock of British society. She is in the employ of a very mysterious stranger, a professor of some kind. I think that’s enough to whet you appetite… I don’t want to give away too many spoilers now do I?

A well made film with plenty of action and some really great comedic moments. I loved the interplay between Holmes and Watson; they were almost like an old married couple at times, which was really amusing. Great performances from all of the leading cast, Robert Downey Jr. as Sherlock Holmes, Jude Law as Dr. John Watson, Rachel McAdams as Irene Adler, Mark Strong as Lord Blackwood and Eddie Marsan as Inspector Lastrade.

Although there was much to admire, I must say that, at times, I did find the dialogue a bit baggy. It got bogged down in a couple of places, which didn’t help the flow of the film. Also, the look of the film was a bit grainy, which made for a very dark aspect to it. Having said that, it’s still a very enjoyable film and one I will watch again at some point.

My score: 7.5/10

LINKS:
IMDb Site: http://uk.imdb.com/title/tt0988045/
Official Site: http://sherlock-holmes-movie.warnerbros.com/
Trailer: http://uk.imdb.com/rg/VIDEO_PLAY/LINK/video/imdb/vi781780249/

Film Review: SLUMDOG MILLIONAIRE (2008)

Directors: Danny Boyle & Loveleen Tandan (co-director: India)
Running time: 120 mins (approx)
Certificate (UK): 15

Watched on DVD Friday 1st January 2010.

PLEASE NOTE: POSSIBLE SPOILERS IN THIS REVIEW.

I have heard a lot about this film since its release almost a year ago, but it has not been until now that I’ve had a chance to watch it. I must say that most of the good things I’ve been hearing are true! The setting is India, where a young man, Jamal K. Malik, from the slums of Mumbai has the chance of winning 20 million rupees! He is on the show ‘Who Wants to be a Millionaire’ and things are getting tense as he gets nearer to the big prize.

We start with Jamal in a police station being questioned as to how he was cheating on the game show. Unfortunately for the police he cannot say because he is not cheating. Eventually they settle down and put on a tape of the show and the film goes into flashback and tells how he knew each answer from the events of his life to date. We begin when he is seven where Jamal and his older brother, Salim, run from the police at the airport where they were playing cricket. They run through the slum that is their home and end up being caught by their mother. Later on, after their mother has died, Jamal befriends Latika, a girl who also has no family and they live together until they are taken in by an orphanage. Here they become street beggars and after one particularly nasty experience at the hands of the guy running the orphanage, Jamal and Salim run away but Latika is unable to escape with them. The rest of the film tells how Jamal tries to re-unite himself with the love of his life and how he came to be on ‘Who Wants to be a Millionaire’. I think that’s enough spoilers for now.

A really well made film where the narrative keeps you guessing all the time. I enjoyed the look into the lives of the less fortunate in India which, at times, looked pretty brutal. Also some great visuals in this movie, but then, I’m told, India is a quite visually stunning place. Great performances from all of the leading cast, Dev Patel as Jamal K. Malik, Anil Kapoor as Prem (the host of the TV show), Freida Pinto as Latika, Azharuddin Mohammed Ismail as Youngest Salim, Ayush Mahesh Khedekar as Youngest Jamal, Rubina Ali as Youngest Latika, Tanay Chheda as Middle Jamal, Ashutosh Lobo Gajiwala as Middle Salim, Tanvi Ganesh Lonkar as Middle Latika and Madhur Mittal as Older Salim.

Over all, a great film that takes you on a journey full of unexpected twists and turns. I found it very entertaining and very different to most mainstream films made today. If you haven’t seen it I can heartily recommend it, very compelling and a joy to watch, if a bit harrowing at times.

My score: 8.5/10

LINKS:
IMDb Site: http://uk.imdb.com/title/tt1010048/
Official Site: http://www.foxsearchlight.com/slumdogmillionaire/
Trailer: http://uk.imdb.com/rg/VIDEO_PLAY/LINK/video/imdb/vi2220163097/

THE Andys_Films_etc AWARDS 2009

Introduction:
Since I started seriously reviewing the films I’ve watched, starting on 1st June 2009, I’ve had in mind that I would do a list of my favourite films seen during the year, or half year as it turned out. And so we find ourselves here. Not all the films considered were made in 2009, if fact most were not and I will include films I’ve watched both at the cinema and at home on either TV or DVD. I have split the awards into several categories which will become evident as you read on. I hope you enjoy this article as much as I enjoyed putting it together.

The Categories:
Best Animation
Best Sci-Fi
Best Fantasy
Best Action/Adventure
Best Horror
Best Drama
Best Thriller
Best Comedy
Best Film Seen On TV
Best Film Seen On DVD
Best Film Seen At the Cinema
Best Overall Film

BEST ANIMATION:
Qualifying Films:
The Tale of Despereaux
Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs
Dr Seuss: Horton Hears a Who
Igor
Kung Fu Panda
Space Chimps
Up
The Nightmare Before Christmas
9
Star Wars: The Clone Wars

…and the winners are (in reverse order)…
3rd Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs
2nd The Nightmare Before Christmas
1st Up


BEST SCI-FI:
Qualifying Films:
Star Wars: The Clone Wars
2012
Cloverfield
Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen
Avatar
District 9
I Am Legend
Moon
Surrogates
The X-Files: I Want to Believe
Fahrenheit 451
Babylon AD
City of Ember

…and the winners are (in reverse order)…
3rd Avatar
2nd District 9
1st Moon


BEST FANTASY:
Qualifying Films:
V for Vendetta
Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince
Hellboy II: the Golden Army
Inkheart
Scorpion King 2
The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian
Speed Racer
Pan’s Labyrinth

…and the winners are (in reverse order)…
3rd Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince
2nd V for Vendetta
1st Pan’s Labyrinth


BEST ACTION/ADVENTURE:
Qualifying Films:
Eagle Eye
Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull
Pathfinder
Rambo
Rocknrolla
Taken
The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor
Tropic Thunder
Chaos
Quantum of Solace
Vantage Point
Death Race
Journey to the Center of the Earth
The Forbidden Kingdom

…and the winners are (in reverse order)…
3rd Rambo
2nd Taken
1st Quantum of Solace


BEST HORROR:
Qualifying Films:
One Missed Call
Paranormal Activity
The Cottage
Dorian Gray
Quarantine
Shutter
The Covenant
The Descent: Part 2
W Delta Z
Twilight
Awake
Black Water
Blindness

…and the winners are (in reverse order)…
3rd Awake
2nd Paranormal Activity
1st Blindness


BEST DRAMA:
Qualifying Films:
Street Kings
Changeling
Gone Baby Gone
Pride and Glory
Summer of Sam
Telstar
Australia
Frost/Nixon

…and the winners are (in reverse order)…
3rd Gone Baby Gone
2nd Frost/Nixon
1st Changeling


BEST THRILLER:
Qualifying Films:
The Crew
Thick as Thieves
21
88 Minutes
Angels & Demons
Bangkok Dangerous

…and the winners are (in reverse order)…
3rd 21
2nd The Crew
1st Angels & Demons


BEST COMEDY:
Qualifying Films:
Burn After Reading
Cool Runnings
Ghost Town
How to Lose Friends and Alienate People
The Rocker
What Happens in Vegas

…and the winners are (in reverse order)…
3rd Cool Runnings
2nd Ghost Town
1st Burn After Reading



BEST FILM SEEN ON TV 2009:
Qualifying Top 10:
Miss Pettigrew Lives for a Day
Gone Baby Gone
Ghost Town
Shine a Light
The Nightmare Before Christmas
Frost/Nixon
Blindness
Taken
Burn After Reading
Changeling

…and the winners are (in reverse order)…
3rd Changeling
2nd Miss Pettigrew Lives for a Day
1st Blindness


BEST FILM SEEN ON DVD 2009:
Qualifying Top 10:
I Am Legend
Death Race
Rambo
The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian
Pan’s Labyrinth
The X-Files: I Want to Believe
Quantum of Solace
V for Vendetta
Cloverfield
Hellboy II: the Golden Army

…and the winners are (in reverse order)…
3rd Quantum of Solace
2nd V for Vendetta
1st Pan’s Labyrinth


BEST FILM SEEN AT THE CINEMA 2009:
Qualifying Top 10:
Angels & Demons
Avatar
Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs
District 9
Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince
Moon
Paranormal Activity
Surrogates
Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen
Up

…and the winners are (in reverse order)…
3rd District 9
2nd Moon
1st Up

And so we come to the final category.
Of the 82 films I’ve watched and reviewed this year, 52 were on TV, 16 on DVD and 14 I saw at the cinema. None of these films will qualify for next year’s awards, so I can’t have the same winner every year. It’s been a very good year and I’m looking forward to 2010, let’s hope it’s even better!


BEST FILM 2009:
Qualifying Top 10:
Avatar
Blindness
Changeling
District 9
Frost/Nixon
Miss Pettigrew Lives for a Day
Moon
Pan’s Labyrinth
Up
V for Vendetta

…and the winners are (in reverse order)…
3rd District 9
2nd Up
1st Pan’s Labyrinth