Film Review: RIGHTEOUS KILL (2008)

Director: Jon Avnet
Running time: 97 mins (approx)
Certificate (UK): 15

UK Release Date: 25th September 2008

Watched on Sky+ Sunday 28th February 2010.

PLEASE NOTE: POSSIBLE SPOILERS IN THIS REVIEW.

A film starring both Robert De Niro and Al Pacino is a rare thing these days. I know they’ve appeared together before, most notably in the Michael Mann film Heat (1995). In that film they were on opposite sides of the law, in this one they’re both detectives working a serial killer case. The only trouble is one of them is a suspect.

Homicide detectives Tom ‘Turk’ Cowan and David ‘Rooster’ Fisk are partners working for the NYPD. A series of killings, known as the ‘poetry’ murders because the killer always leaves a verse with the victim, has our two detectives seemingly baffled. Another killing in a different district brings younger Detectives Simon Perez and Ted Riley into the investigation. All of the victims were low-lifes of some description, pimps, drug dealers and the like. Also in on the case is Cowan’s girlfriend, and forensic detective, Karen Corelli. They come to the conclusion that the killer must be a cop. While this is going on, Cowan and Fisk have been put under psychiatric evaluation by Lieutenant Hingis after an incident with a suspected drug dealer called ‘Spider’. Partly because of the way Cowan and Fisk are acting, and partly because of the evidence, the finger of suspicion eventually points to one of them as the suspect. I’ll leave my little synopsis there, don’t want to give away too much of the plot!

I have read that a lot of people have been disappointed by this film; I can’t say I entirely agree with all of the criticism. Yes, both De Niro and Pacino are too old to be running about like they do, but hey, it’s just a film. I had no problem with their acting though, both Robert De Niro as Tom ‘Turk’ Cowan and Al Pacino as David ‘Rooster’ Fisk put in perfectly adequate performances IMHO. Not much wrong with the supporting cast either, 50 Cent as Spider, Carla Gugino as Karen Corelli, John Leguizamo as Det. Simon Perez, Donnie Wahlberg as Det. Ted Riley and Brian Dennehy as Lieutenant Hingis were all fine.

I guess my main criticism comes from the plot. It goes along quite nicely, with lots of little twists and turns, right up until the last twenty minutes. It then gets really bogged down with too much dialogue that doesn’t really add anything to the story. I was quite enjoying it up until that point. Anyway, in conclusion, it’s not as bad as some may have you believe, but does get a little bit too turgid towards the end.

My score: 6.4/10

LINKS:
IMDb Site: http://uk.imdb.com/title/tt1034331/
Official Site: http://www.righteouskillthemovie.co.uk/
Trailer: http://uk.imdb.com/rg/VIDEO_PLAY/LINK/video/imdb/vi770113817/

Film Review: THE LOVELY BONES (2009)

Director: Peter Jackson
Running time: 135 mins (approx)
Certification (UK): 12A

UK Release date: 19th February 2010

Watched at the cinema Saturday 27th February 2010.

PLEASE NOTE: THERE MAY BE SPOILERS IN THIS REVIEW.

I have heard and read some very mixed reviews about this film and so I was interested to see it. I guess Peter Jackson is always going to have his work compared to ‘The Lord of the Rings’ trilogy, and because of that it’s going to be hard for them to get the recognition that they might if directed by someone else. For the record, I am a fan of his work but I’ll try to be objective in this review.

I have not read the book by Alice Sebold, with the same title, on which this film is based, but I will at some point in the near future. Susie Salmon was fourteen when she was murdered on December 6th 1973; she has never been kissed and will never grow up. Her body is never found, but her consciousness goes to a place known as ‘the in-between’, where she watches as her family try to come to terms with her loss and also try to discover what happened to her. Her father, Jack, becomes so obsessed with finding out what happened to his daughter that he ends up in hospital having stalked a man into a field and got beaten up for his trouble. Her mother, Abigail, cannot face it all and has to take some time away from the family. Abigail’s alcoholic mother, Grandma Lynn, comes to stay while she’s away. Her sister, Lindsey, frustrated with the whole situation, focuses her attention on a neighbour, George Harvey, who she is convinced has something to do with Susie’s disappearance. Through it all, Susie watches and tries to steer them in the right direction so that they can move on, and so can she. It’s very difficult to summarise the plot without giving too much away, so I’ll leave it there, I think I told you enough to know what the film is about.

It’s a beautiful film to look at, very clear images and some wonderful production. The time period the film was set was, for me, brought across perfectly, I’m only a few years younger than Susie would have been, and I remember the early 1970’s quite well. I thought the performance from Saoirse Ronan as Susie Salmon was quite brilliant, how she wasn’t nominated for any awards is beyond me. I also thought that Stanley Tucci as the creepy neighbour, George Harvey, was also very good. Decent performances from Mark Wahlberg as Jack Salmon, Rachel Weisz as Abigail Salmon, Susan Sarandon as Grandma Lynn and Rose McIver as Lindsey Salmon, although none of them were really stretched.

There has been a lot of discussion about the depiction of ‘the in-between’. Personally, I didn’t have a problem with it; I guess whenever you adapt a book the picture in the reader’s head will seldom match the vision of the director. I have also heard that the casting of Mark Wahlberg and Rachel Weisz as Susie’s parents was wrong because they are too young. I’ve looked up their ages and I don’t have a problem with it, they maybe look a bit too young by today’s standards, but people started families a lot younger in the 50’s and 60’s. So what can I say in conclusion? I found it a little too long, but for the first hour it was totally engrossing. The visuals are stunning and there are a couple of great performances. I guess if you haven’t read the book that I can recommend it to you, it’s worth seeing. I you have read the book, then I’ll leave it up to you (it’s a cop-out I know, but I haven’t read the book… yet.)

My score: 7.1/10

LINKS:
IMDb Site: http://uk.imdb.com/title/tt0380510/
Official Site: http://www.lovelybones.com/#home
Trailer: http://uk.imdb.com/rg/VIDEO_PLAY/LINK/video/imdb/vi2521171225/

Film Review: FOR YOUR CONSIDERATION (2006)

Director: Christopher Guest
Writers: Christopher Guest & Eugene Levy
Running time: 86 mins (approx)
Certificate (UK): 12A
Released in the UK: 9th February 2007

Watched on Sky+ Tuesday 23rd February 2010.

PLEASE NOTE: POSSIBLE SPOILERS IN THIS REVIEW.

I have been a fan of This Is Spinal Tap (1984) for many years, also co-written by Christopher Guest, and so I was intrigued to see this more recent effort. I wasn’t disappointed, although I didn’t find it as funny as Spinal Tap, the clever whit was still there and so a good time was had by all. The setting is a film set where a low budget film starring a couple of lesser known and slightly ageing actors is being produced.

Marilyn Hack and Victor Allan Miller, a pair of ageing actors are starring in the low budget production, “Home for Purim”. Also in the film are the young actors Corey Taft and Pam Campanella and the director is Jay Berman. Throw into the mix, Victor’s agent, Morley Orfkin, and the producer, Whitney Taylor Brown and that’s the main part of the ensemble. The production is going quite well until Marilyn hears a whisper that she may be up for an Oscar nomination. This gets the entire cast in a bit of a spin, especially when Victor is also mooted to be up for a nomination as well. Just to make it really crazy, we then hear that Pam is on the shortlist for a nomination too! We follow the cast as they totally transform, going on chat shows, making appearances and generally behaving like the stars they think they are. Then the guys at the top get involved, specifically the studio owner, Martin Gibb. He persuades them to change the film significantly before its release. And I’ll leave this little synopsis on the morning of the nominations, who will get a nod from the academy?

I found this a very enjoyable film to watch, the dialogue reminded me of some of the films of Woody Allen in parts. Some great performances, in particular, Catherine O'Hara as Marilyn Hack, Harry Shearer as Victor Allan Miller, John Michael Higgins as Corey Taft, Carrie Aizley as Pam Campanella and Eugene Levy as Morley Orfkin. Also a neat cameos from Christopher Guest as Jay Berman and Ricky Gervais as Martin Gibb.

Over all, a nice gentle comedy with some clever dialogue and some totally bizarre characters. Not the greatest comedy ever made, but quite enjoyable none the less. One I can recommend.

My score: 6.7/10

LINKS:
IMDb Site: http://uk.imdb.com/title/tt0470765/
Trailer: http://uk.imdb.com/rg/VIDEO_PLAY/LINK/video/screenplay/vi2600207129/

Film Review: PUSH (2009)

Director: Paul McGuigan
Running time: 107 mins (approx)
Certificate (UK): 12
Released in the UK: 20th February 2009

Watched on Sky+ Sunday 21st February 2010.

PLEASE NOTE: POSSIBLE SPOILERS IN THIS REVIEW.

I didn’t know a lot about this movie before I watched it, just the write-up on Sky TV and the vague memory of a long distant TV review. I really wish I’d looked into it further before investing an hour and fifty minutes of my life to it, in fact even more to write this review. As you can guess, it’s not the best film I’ve ever seen, not the worst, but a long way short of the best.

Nick Gant lives in Hong Kong, where he’s hiding from a government agency called ‘Division’. You see Nick has an ability, he can move objects with his mind. This is just one of many abilities various people have developed over the years. Some can see a short time into the future, some can track everyone who has touched an object by smelling it and some can push thoughts into your mind. After a visit one day from some ‘sniffers’ from Division, Nick is visited by Cassie Holmes, a teenager who can see the future. She tells him that there is a suitcase with six million dollars in it and she needs his help to find it. Nick has gambling debts and so feels there’s nothing to lose. They set off to find the case but are soon confronted by a gang of locals, also with abilities, who are seeking the same case. The woman with the group has the same ability as Cassie, but seems better at it than her. They escape the attack and make their way to the waterfront, where they find Kira Hudson, who holds the key to the mystery. She has recently escaped from Division having been injected with a drug that enhances abilities, in her case; she can push thoughts into someone’s mind. During her escape, she grabbed a sample of the drug and hid it somewhere in Hong Kong. The trouble is her memory has been wiped. They are now in a race against time to find the case before the local gang or Henry Carver, from Division can get to it.

Two things struck me about this film, firstly, it’s a very complicated plot, and secondly, it’s very like the TV show, "Heroes". Unfortunately both of these things detracted from what should have been a quite enjoyable film. I felt the writers, directors, producers, etc. were trying to be a little too clever with the plot and not hitting the mark. It wasn’t all bad though, a half decent performance from Dakota Fanning as Cassie Holmes and Djimon Hounsou was pretty good as the bad guy Henry Carver. Not so good were Chris Evans as Nick Grant (good at getting beaten up, but not much else) and Camilla Belle as Kira Hudson.

Over all, a pretty lame attempt at something that’s done a lot better on TV. Some of the special effects were quite good, but nothing to write home about, just a shame the plot got in the way of what could have been a decent film. Not really recommended, but if you’re feeling bored…

My score: 5.4/10

LINKS:
IMDb Site: http://uk.imdb.com/title/tt0465580/
Official Site: http://www.push-themovie.com/
Trailer: http://uk.imdb.com/rg/VIDEO_PLAY/LINK/video/imdb/vi2707750937/

Film Review: SOLOMON KANE (2010)

Director: Michael J. Bassett
Running time: 104 mins (approx)
Certification (UK): 15

Watched at the cinema Saturday 20th February 2010.

PLEASE NOTE: THERE MAY BE SPOILERS IN THIS REVIEW.

‘Solomon Kane’ is based on a character created by Robert E. Howard, the writer who also created the, ‘Conan the Barbarian’ in the 1930’s. So as you can guess, I was quite keen to see what the filmmakers have done with him. It is the 1600’s, and Solomon Kane, who left his home at a young age having argued with his father and having thrown his brother from a cliff, is the captain of as ship in North Africa seeking treasure. What he finds is not what he bargained for; he finds the devil’s reaper who tells him that because of his evil ways, his soul was forfeit. Not wanting to go to hell, Kane denounces violence and vows never to kill again before escaping.

Back in England, Solomon is staying at a monastery when Father Michael asks him to leave. He has had a vision and it’s time for Solomon to move on. With great reluctance Solomon leaves and heads west, towards his home. He is attacked on the road but is rescued by William Crowthorn and his family, wife Katherine, oldest son, Edward, younger son, Samuel and daughter, Meredith. They travel on together and Solomon begins to form a bond with them, particularly with Meredith and the young Samuel. Meanwhile, a band of warriors lead by a mysterious masked man is stalking the land, taking everyone they see as slaves or turning them, by evil magic, into soldiers. The family come across a place where some people had tried to burn a witch; everyone was dead with their eyes burnt out. They find a girl, the only survivor. Taking her with them, they continue on their journey, not realising that she is, in fact, the witch. Solomon discovers the deceit but the witch escapes, but not before marking Meredith. The family are then caught by the band of warriors and Meredith kidnapped. Enraged, Solomon now breaks his vow and kills as many of them as he can. Fatally wounded, William tells Solomon that he can redeem himself if he saves Meredith. This is now Solomon’s mission, which he carries out with zeal! I think that’s enough spoilers for one day.

Although quite slowly paced, I found this film very entertaining, the action sequences were very well done, the dialogue well paced and the special effects were excellent. I thought the mix of action and fantasy was very well judged, the balance was about right for me. Very good performances from James Purefoy as Solomon Kane, Pete Postlethwaite as William Crowthorn, Rachel Hurd-Wood as Meredith Crowthorn, Patrick Hurd-Wood as Samuel Crowthorn, Jason Flemyng as Malachi and Max von Sydow as Josiah Kane.

I suppose you can’t help but compare this film with the Conan the Barbarian films. I found it stood up well, set in a time that people can relate to and with much more dialogue, it’s very different, but I can see in the hand of Robert E. Howard there. Over all, it’s a very well made, even paced film with some very good performances, some great fight scenes and a great hero. I really enjoyed it and I can certainly recommend it to you.

My score: 8.2/10

LINKS:
IMDb Site: http://uk.imdb.com/title/tt0970452/
Official Site: http://www.solomonkane.com/

Film Review: THE WRESTLER (2008)

Director: Darren Aronofsky
Running time: 109 mins (approx)
Certificate (UK): 15

Watched on DVD Wednesday 17th February 2010.

PLEASE NOTE: POSSIBLE SPOILERS IN THIS REVIEW.

This is without doubt one of the best drama’s I’ve seen in a very long time. Made on a tight budget, which sometimes shows, it’s a film that really makes the audience engage with the characters and leaves you all chewed up inside, I loved it!

Randy ‘The Ram’ is a wrestler, it’s what he’s done all his life and now he’s coming to the end of his career. The only problem is, wrestling is all he knows. He has a part-time job at a local store, but relies on the little money he can make from wrestling to survive. He lives alone in a trailer and there’s a stripper, Cassidy, he has an eye on at the local bar. In the past he was quite a star, but now things have quietened down and he doesn’t have the pull he used to. But still, he makes a living, that is until one day he has a heart attack. They put him back together, but he’s told not to wrestle any more. Cassidy persuades him to contact his estranged daughter, Stephanie. That doesn’t go too well, but he persists and they go out for a day where he apologises for not being there when she was growing up and they seem to be slowly building a relationship again. I don’t want to give too much away, so I’ll leave my little synopsis there.

First of all, I must say it is a tremendous performance from Mickey Rourke as Randy, he really put his all into the part and it showed. I thought the writing; by Robert D. Siegel was spot on also, some great dialogue. The wrestling scenes were brutal and I must give credit to the stunt guys for that, excellent work. Both Marisa Tomei as Cassidy and Evan Rachel Wood as Stephanie were excellent as well. Also, a great soundtrack, but then I grew up with 80’s rock, so I might be a bit biased there.

Over all, a really engaging drama that grabs your attention and keeps you watching to the end. I found I really cared about the characters, particularly Randy and Cassidy. Maybe a little more on Stephanie wouldn’t have gone amiss, but that doesn’t detract from the finished article. Easily one of the best films I’ve seen so far this year and one that’s sure to feature in my end of year awards. Very highly recommended!

My score: 8.9/10

LINKS:
IMDb Site: http://uk.imdb.com/title/tt1125849/
Official Site: http://www.thewrestlermovie.com/
Trailer: http://uk.imdb.com/rg/VIDEO_PLAY/LINK/video/imdb/vi1387528985/

Film Review: THE CURIOUS CASE OF BENJAMIN BUTTON (2008)

Director: David Fincher
Running time: 161 mins (approx)
Certificate (UK): 12
Released in the UK: 6th February 2009

Watched on Sky+ Sunday 14th February 2010.

PLEASE NOTE: POSSIBLE SPOILERS IN THIS REVIEW.

David Fincher has directed some of my favorite films, both Se7en (1995) and Fight Club (1999) would easily make it into my top 100, maybe even my top 50. So it was with some anticipation that I watched this one. I was not disappointed, it’s a really great film that grabs your attention and doesn’t let go until it’s over. It’s not perfect, so few films are, but it’s certainly entertaining, if maybe a little too long.

Benjamin Button was born in 1918 in New Orleans on the day the Great War ended, that’s World War I for the uneducated. His mother had died giving him life and he looked old and wrinkled. His father, for some reason, took him out of the house and left him on the steps of an old peoples home run by Queenie. She took him in, not expecting him to live long, but, as it turned out, she was wrong. You see, for some reason, Benjamin was born old and, as we watch, he grows young. As time passes, he gets stronger and we learn about daily life at the home, the comings and goings and some of the characters that live and work there. One day, Benjamin meets a young girl calle Daisy, she is visiting he grandmother at the home. Although he looks in his seventies, he’s really about eight years old. They hit it off, and years later she has a great effect on Benjamin’s life. Eventually, when he’s seventeen, Benjamin leaves and joins the crew of a tugboat called “Chelsea”. They sail around the world and are in Russia when he meets Elizabeth Abbott, the wife of a British diplomat, with whom he has an affair. When World War II breaks out he stays with the tugboat and gets involved in some action, which he survives unscathed. On his return home his real father comes to him and tells of his regret for letting him go. He’s a rich man and he leaves it all to Benjamin. I won’t say any more anout the plot or I’ll be here all night, but needless to say he eventually meets Daisy again…

As I was watching this film I though it reminded my slightly of Forrest Gump (1994), but soon realised this film had a much bigger scope. It’s told mostly in flashback, with Daisy on her deathbed and her daughter, Caroline, reading Benjamin’s journal. I thought the make-up and special effects were really excellent, I really thought I was looking at an eighty year old Brad Pitt! Talking of which, Brad Pitt was really excellent as Benjamin Button and Cate Blanchett did a great job as Daisy. I must give honourable mentions to, Julia Ormond as Caroline, Taraji P. Henson as Queenie, Jared Harris as Captain Mike and Tilda Swinton as Elizabeth Abbott.

Over all, a really engaging film with a great cast, some great effects, that are subtly done and a really heart-warming ending. If anything, I found it a little over-long, but all in all, it’s one I can recommend.

My score: 8.3/10

LINKS:
IMDb Site: http://uk.imdb.com/title/tt0421715/
Official Site: http://www.benjaminbutton.com/
Trailer: http://uk.imdb.com/rg/VIDEO_PLAY/LINK/video/imdb/vi2171469849/

Film Review: DUPLICITY (2009)

Writer/Director: Tony Gilroy
Running time: 115 mins (approx)
Certificate (UK): 12

Watched on Sky+ Wednesday 10th February 2010.

PLEASE NOTE: POSSIBLE SPOILERS IN THIS REVIEW.

I’m not usually a great fan of films starring Clive Owen, but in this case I’ve had to make an exception. He’s as witty and charming as he usually is, but this time, playing opposite Julia Roberts he appears to have finally learned how to act. In all the other roles I’ve seen him in before he’s never really struck me as a leading man, but in this film I think he’s cracked it! But enough about him, let’s talk about the film as a whole.

Howard Tully and Richard Garsik are two big businessmen, and as such are very careful with their sensitive industrial secrets. To this end they employ teams of industrial spies to keep tabs on each other. Ray Koval is working for British Intelligence when he meets Claire Stenwick, who is working for the CIA at the time. After a bit of a false start they eventually hit it off and hatch a plan to get rich. They will go into the private sector with the idea of ripping off some rich businessmen. To this end Claire is employed by Garsik and sent to spy on Tully, later on, Ray is also employed by Garsik, but by now doesn’t know whether he can still trust Claire. With me so far? We are told that Tully is about to announce a new major product and Garsik wants to steal it. Claire and Ray also want to steal it, but do they trust each other? Just who can you trust in this twisted game? I guess you’ll have to watch the movie to find out…

I was pleasantly surprised by this film; I found it very entertaining with some really good performances. I liked the style of the film, the story is told partly in flashback, which really helped in keeping the story fresh. In each flashback a little bit more was revealed about out two main protagonists. I thought it was an excellent performance from Clive Owen as Ray Koval, and Julia Roberts was easily his equal as Claire Stenwick. I also very much enjoyed the performances of Tom Wilkinson as Howard Tully and Paul Giamatti as Richard Garsik, both really pulled all the stops out!

Over all, a very entertaining crime thriller with more than a hint of romance thrown in on the side. A very enjoyable way to while away a couple of hours and a film I can heartily recommend.

My score: 7.5/10

LINKS:
IMDb Site: http://uk.imdb.com/title/tt1135487/
Official Site: http://www.duplicitymovie.net/
Trailer: http://uk.imdb.com/rg/VIDEO_PLAY/LINK/video/imdb/vi3650552601/

Film Review: THE SPIRIT (2008)

Director: Frank Miller
Running time: 103 mins (approx)
Certificate (UK): 15

Watched on Sky+ Sunday 7th February 2010.

PLEASE NOTE: POSSIBLE SPOILERS IN THIS REVIEW.

Based on a comic book series by Will Eisner this film plots the efforts of a once dead cop who has come back to avenge his killer. Exactly how he was able to come back from the dead is explained later in the plot, and no, I’m not going to tell you here. Made in the comic book style the director used to good effect in Sin City (2005) it has the same look and feel as that well known classic.

Denny Colt has come back from the dead and, to protect his identity, he now wears a mask and calls himself ‘The Spirit’. He is trying to capture and bring to justice, the criminal who killed him, ‘The Octopus’. To complicate matters, his old flame, Sand Saref is back in town, having been away for many years where she has turned to the criminal side of the law. Whenever ‘The Sprit’ and ‘The Octopus’ meet and fight, they are strangely unable to kill each other. It’s known that ‘The Octopus, along with his associate, Silken Floss, has been dabbling in genetics. This is shown by the gang of identical, but rather dim, henchmen they always have in tow. To cut a long story short, Sand Saref has committed a robbery and stolen two items, one she personally wants, and one she intends to sell. ‘The Octopus’ manages to steal the one she wants to keep and eventually they agree to swap. ‘The Spirit’ gets wind of this meeting and plans to take his final revenge on the Octopus. There’s a lot more, but it’s getting late and I’m sure you don’t want the entire plot anyway!

As I said at the beginning, this film was made in a similar style to Sin City (2005), which is also like, 300 (2006), which I enjoyed immensely. Anyhow, it seems that in this one they forgot to put in a coherent plot. From ‘The Spirit’ and ‘The Octopus’ beating each other up, to a love scene, to comic scenes with the henchmen, I found it quite hard to follow. Admittedly, it did all tie together at the end, but it took a long time, it seemed, to get there. Gabriel Macht was adequate as The Spirit / Denny Colt, whereas, Samuel L. Jackson was so over the top as The Octopus that I really thought he was going to bust a blood vessel! Honourable mentions go to, Eva Mendes as Sand Saref, Louis Lombardi as Pathos / Ethos / Logos & many other henchmen, Scarlett Johansson as Silken Floss, Sarah Paulson as Ellen Dolan and Dan Lauria as Dolan.

Over all, I found it a little too over the top for my taste. I guess they tried to make it bit too much like a comic book and it just didn’t work. As I was watching it, I was thinking it may work better as, say, a TV show, split into five or six 20 minute shows. I can’t really recommend it, and not having read the comic books, I can’t really say that a fan would really like it either.

My score: 4.9/10

LINKS:
IMDb Site: http://uk.imdb.com/title/tt0831887/
Official Site: http://www.mycityscreams.com/
Trailer: http://uk.imdb.com/rg/VIDEO_PLAY/LINK/video/imdb/vi1246822425/

Film Review: LIVE! (2007)

Writer and Director: Bill Guttentag
Running time: 96 mins (approx)
Certificate (UK): 15

Watched on Sky+ Saturday 6th February 2010.

PLEASE NOTE: POSSIBLE SPOILERS IN THIS REVIEW.

This film is a satire about reality TV shows. Set in Los Angeles at a fictional TV station, ABN, it shows just how far one executive will go in order to get that all important audience share. It was filmed, for the most part, in a documentary style which, I felt, made for more interesting viewing.

An ambitious TV executive, Katy, is looking for the next ratings grabbing show. Somebody jokingly mentions the idea of Russian roulette and Katy likes the idea so much she gets straight on with developing the show. She is being followed by a young filmmaker, Rex, who is making a documentary about her. Katy goes to see the Network President and somehow persuades him to allow her to go ahead. She now turns her attention to the advertisers, who, at first are against the idea, but soon come around when they see some of the footage of the contestants that Rex has made. The legal issue also has to be considered, and Katy cajoles the networks legal representative, Don to deal with this issue. Eventually, it’s all go and the show begins with six contestants, Byron, Jewel, Pablo, Brad, Abalone and Rick at one AM, supposedly to minimise the number of children watching. They are all playing for the chance to leave with Five Million Dollars, but nothing if you lose. I won’t tell you any more, don’t want to give too much away!

I found this film strangely compelling to watch, which, I guess, was the whole point of the TV show. It did fall a bit flat towards the middle, but really picked up towards the end when we saw the show as it went out. Eva Mendes was excellent as Katy, really driven and at times quite devious. David Krumholtz also put in a fine performance as the young filmmaker Rex. Honourable mentions go to Rob Brown as Byron, Katie Cassidy as Jewel, Jay Hernandez as Pablo, Eric Lively as Brad, Monet Mazur as Abalone, Jeffrey Dean Morgan as Rick, Paul Michael Glaser as the Network President and Andre Braugher as Don.

I find a lot of satires don’t work because they are indicative of the time they were made and, although it was only made a few years ago, I feel the world has moved on. So this is maybe not the greatest satire of the TV industry; I felt it didn’t quite hit the mark in several areas. However, I found it quite compelling viewing and, for me, the documentary style adopted worked quite well. Some very good performances and a really good ending that I found unexpected.

My score: 6.2/10

LINKS:
IMDb Site: http://uk.imdb.com/title/tt0810945/

Film Review: THE UNBORN (2009)

Director: David S. Goyer
Running time: 87 mins (approx)
Certificate (UK): 15

Watched on Sky+ Wednesday 3rd February 2010.

PLEASE NOTE: POSSIBLE SPOILERS IN THIS REVIEW.

You know how sometimes you take a chance on a film and you watch it without knowing much about it, apart from maybe a couple of the actors. You hope you’ll uncover a lost gem in the pile of unseen movies, a film that you’ll come back to again and again because it’s so good. Unfortunately, this isn’t one of those, if I’m honest, it’s pretty bad despite the presence of Gary Oldman… he must have needed the money.

A young woman, Casey Beldon, is out jogging when she starts to see things, a small boy, who turns into a dog and then she finds a jar in the woods with a foetus in it. Kind of a bizarre start to a film, I know, but that’s how we begin. In the next scene, she’s on the phone telling her friend about these strange ‘visions’. Later, she’s just getting ready for bed when as she’s leaving the bathroom she hears a bump coming from the mirrored cupboard over the sink. On opening it, there’s nothing to be seen. As you might guess, the visions get worse, and Casey, and her friend, Romy and her boyfriend, Mark, are all drawn into this strange world she inhabits. Her father tells her that she was a twin, but her brother died in the womb. Casey finds a newspaper clipping about an old woman who knew her mother, who had committed suicide years earlier. Casey and Romy go to see her and she tells them about how a demon that had possessed her twin brother at Auschwitz. Her only hope was to seek out Rabbi Sendak and get an exorcism. I know it’s a bit of a sketchy synopsis, but it’s a bit of a confused script, anyway, enough of this…

I can’t say it’s a particularly well made film; the script is kind of all over the place, although the cinematography and CGI are quite good. Reasonable performances from the main cast, Odette Yustman as Casey Beldon, Gary Oldman as Rabbi Sendak, Cam Gigandet as Mark and Meagan Good as Romy.

I feel this film relied a bit too heavily on CGI for the scare factor, rather than the writing. A dog with it’s head on upside down just isn’t scary I’m sorry to say, in fact I found that quite amusing. Over all, it has a couple of ‘jump out of your skin’ moments, but it’s not going to keep me awake at night.

My score: 4.2/10

LINKS:
IMDb Site: http://uk.imdb.com/title/tt1139668/
Official Site: http://www.theunbornmovie.net/
Trailer: http://uk.imdb.com/rg/VIDEO_PLAY/LINK/video/imdb/vi1283325977/