Film Review: THE DAY THE EARTH STOOD STILL (2008)

Director: Scott Derrickson
Running time: 99 mins (approx)
Certificate (UK): 12A

UK Release Date: 12th December 2008

Watched on DVD Wednesday 31st March 2010.

PLEASE NOTE: THERE ARE SPOILERS IN THIS REVIEW.

Based on the original 1951 classic Sci-Fi movie of the same name, this film tries to update the story and, unfortunately, falls short of the mark IMHO. It’s not all bad though; there are some interesting differences in the plot that give it a bit more edge than the original. The setting is New York, the present day…

Dr Helen Benson, an astrobiologist at Princeton University, is taken by the military, leaving her stepson, Jacob, behind. She is taken, with other scientists, to a base where they are told of an object in space headed towards the Earth and due to hit Manhattan very soon. Waiting in helicopters (not a good idea IMHO), they brace for the impact. It never arrives; instead a glowing sphere gently lands in Central Park. The scientists and the military arrive quickly and, when a humanoid form starts to emerge from the sphere, one of the soldiers shoots and injures him. A giant robot-like creature emerges and begins to harm the soldiers, but is stopped by the humanoid. They take the humanoid to a nearby facility which appears to be a school. Here they remove the bullet and discover that the alien has taken human form and is growing rapidly. Dr Benson seems to have a rapport with him. While recovering he is interviewed by Regina Jackson, the United States Secretary of Defence. He tells them his name is Klaatu and that he is a representative of a group of alien races sent to talk to the world leaders. The Secretary wants to keep Klaatu secret and orders Dr Benson to sedate him so he can be moved to a more secure facility. Dr Benson disobeys and helps Klaatu escape. Meeting up outside and on the run, with young Jacob in tow, Dr Benson eventually finds out why Klaatu has arrived on Earth and is shocked to hear that he is there to destroy mankind in order to save the planet. I’ll leave my little synopsis there on that bombshell.

First of all, I must say the special effects are pretty spectacular, there is gratuitous use of CGI and it’s all very well done. Decent performances from most of the main cast, honourable mentions go to Keanu Reeves as Klaatu, Jennifer Connelly as Helen Benson, John Cleese as Professor Barnhardt and Jon Hamm as Michael Granier. I don’t usually point out performances that fell short of the mark, but I feel that both Kathy Bates as Regina Jackson and Jaden Smith as Jacob Benson were totally miscast.

In theory this should have been a really great film, the story was really strong but I felt the execution left a lot to be desired. It seemed that everything was far too rushed; you never got the time to engage with any of the characters. So, over all, some great CGI and a great story that was spoiled by being far too hurried. Could have been much better and as such is not very highly recommended.

My score: 5.8/10

LINKS:
IMDb Site: http://uk.imdb.com/title/tt0970416/
Official Site: http://www.thedaytheearthstoodstillmovie.com/
Trailer: http://uk.imdb.com/rg/VIDEO_PLAY/LINK/video/imdb/vi1665335321/

Film Review: THE HURT LOCKER (2008)

Director: Kathryn Bigelow
Running time: 125 mins (approx)
Certificate (UK): 15

UK Release Date: 28th August 2009

Watched on DVD Tuesday 30th March 2010.

PLEASE NOTE: POSSIBLE SPOILERS IN THIS REVIEW.

This film won 6 Oscars, including Best Director for Kathryn Bigelow and Best Film. It has also picked up a further 72 Awards around the world and had 46 nominations. Given that kind of attention, there must be something really good about it, either that, or everything else was really bad. I decided it must be the first option, so I decided to get the DVD and give it a spin. I wasn’t disappointed; it’s a really good, well made film about the Iraq war. But more of my thoughts later, here’s a short summary.

The leader of an Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD) unit with the U.S. Army’s Bravo Company, Staff Sergeant Thompson is killed in the line of duty. With just over a month of their tour to go, the Sergeant is replaced by Sergeant First Class William James. The rest of the team, Sergeant JT Sanborn and Specialist Owen Eldridge are not put at ease by their new CO’s cavalier attitude to his work. It seems that James, although a very talented explosives expert, is also addicted to the danger. This puts his team on edge and arguments inevitably ensue. Things calm down when they come across a group of men from British private military company in the desert. They have just captured two wanted Iraqis but their vehicle has broken down. Just as the EOD team offer to help they come under fire from insurgents. Three of the British team are killed before the EOD team get it together and manage to neutralise the threat. This brings them closer and back at base they celebrate before the reality of the war hits them again the next day. I won’t say any more, don’t want to give too much away.

I found it a really compelling film to watch. Some great cinematography, the explosions, in particular, looked really impressive. Some great performances too, in particular, Jeremy Renner as Staff Sergeant William James, Anthony Mackie as Sergeant JT Sanborn and Brian Geraghty as Specialist Owen Eldridge. Honourable mentions go to the supporting cast, including, Guy Pearce as Sergeant Matt Thompson, Ralph Fiennes as Contractor Team Leader, David Morse as Colonel Reed and Evangeline Lilly as Connie James.

I’m quite surprised this film didn’t do as well at the box office as its critical acclaim might suggest, however I do remember it coming to a local multiplex and only being on show for a week. But over all I really enjoyed this film, it kept you guessing where it was going next but also allowed you to engage with the characters. The, kind of, documentary style put you right in the centre of the action which made it a more exciting experience. Definitely one of the films of 2009 and I recommend it very highly.

My score: 8.7/10

LINKS:
IMDb Site: http://uk.imdb.com/title/tt0887912/
Official Site: http://www.thehurtlocker-movie.com/
Trailer: http://uk.imdb.com/rg/VIDEO_PLAY/LINK/video/imdb/vi2755855129/

Film Review: INGLOURIOUS BASTERDS (2009)

Director/Writer: Quentin Tarantino
Running time: 153 mins (approx)
Certificate (UK): 18

UK Release Date: 19th August 2009

Watched on DVD Monday 29th March 2010.

PLEASE NOTE: POSSIBLE SPOILERS IN THIS REVIEW.

I’ll admit I’m not the greatest fan of Mr Tarantino’s work, for me he can blow hot and cold. He sometimes seems to be more interested in putting in subtle little twists and nods to obscure films that will only be admired by a certain few, rather than making a coherent movie. In this film, however, the twists and nods either too subtle for me, which I suspect, or he’s actually attempted to make a movie. Don’t get me wrong, it’s not perfect and it’s very, very long, but it does all tie together quite neatly in the end.

When Shosanna Dreyfus escapes from the Nazis having seen her family shot, she thought she’d never see the man responsible for it, Col. Hans Landa, again. However, fate has a nasty way of playing evil tricks on people like Shosanna. Four years later she owns and runs a cinema in Paris, where, thanks to the attentions of a young German war hero, Pvt. Fredrick Zoller, she is to stage a German film premiere. All the German High Command, including Hitler himself, is to attend. News of this event comes through to Lt. Aldo Raine and his band of Inglorious Basterds, who are behind enemy lines causing havoc and fear in the German ranks. They are to destroy the cinema with the help of a spy, Bridget von Hammersmark, but the newly appointed head of security, Col. Hans Landa has other plans. I think that’s a pretty good summary, without giving too much away (I hope).

Let me first say that as a whole, I really enjoyed watching this film. It’s not Tarantino’s best, that’s still a tie between Pulp Fiction (1994) and Jackie Brown (1997) in my book. The performances are all outshone by Christoph Waltz as Col. Hans Landa; he quite deservedly won the Best Supporting Actor Oscar and BAFTA awards (plus quite a few others I see). Honourable mentions go to Brad Pitt as Lt. Aldo Raine (loved the accent), Mélanie Laurent as Shosanna Dreyfus, Eli Roth as Sgt. Donny Donowitz, Michael Fassbender as Lt. Archie Hicox, Diane Kruger as Bridget von Hammersmark and Daniel Brühl as Pvt. Fredrick Zoller.

Although I’m quite used to watching foreign language films, I found the switching between scenes in English, to scenes in German or French with subtitles quite distracting. Don’t get me wrong, many of the scenes were very well done and quite absorbing to watch, but they didn’t always fit together as well as they might. The music was pretty good too, although I did feel I was watching a Spaghetti Western at a couple of points near the beginning. So, over all it’s quite an engrossing film, if a little difficult to watch in one sitting at nearly two and a half hours in duration. But having said that, I do recommend it, it’s worth seeing if only for the performance of Christoph Waltz and Brad Pitt’s Tennessee accent.

My score: 8.4/10

LINKS:
IMDb Site: http://uk.imdb.com/title/tt0361748/
Official Site: http://www.inglouriousbasterds-movie.com/
Trailer: http://uk.imdb.com/rg/VIDEO_PLAY/LINK/video/imdb/vi3738173977/

Film Review: PUNISHER: WAR ZONE (2008)

Director: Lexi Alexander
Running time: 99 mins (approx)
Certificate (UK): 18

UK Release Date: 6th February 2009

Watched on Sky+ Sunday 28th March 2010.

PLEASE NOTE: POSSIBLE SPOILERS IN THIS REVIEW.

Set in New York and following on from the 2004 film, The Punisher, this film continues the violent story of vigilante Frank Castle. Now, as I remember, I wasn’t all that impressed with the first film in this franchise, but I thought I’d give the second one a go anyway. This one, although flawed, was a distinct improvement on the first, it’s rare, I know, but a sequel can sometimes be better than the original.

Frank Castle is stalking members of gangs involved in organised crime. He holds them responsible for the deaths of his wife and two children and has been wreaking his revenge for over three years. After taking out one particular gang, he is told that some of them have escaped and he takes off after them. Unfortunately, one of the escapees is an undercover FBI agent that Castle inadvertently kills. He is devastated by this and tries to make amends to the agent’s wife Angela and daughter, Grace. They want nothing to do with him and he is left with his guilt. One of the other escapees, Billy, is badly disfigured during Castle’s attack and, after plastic surgery fails, he becomes known as Jigsaw. Together with his two henchmen he goes and frees his psychotic brother Looney Bin Jim in order to kill Frank. The gang go to Angela’s house and hold her hostage while looking for money that her husband is supposed to have stolen from them, until Frank turns up that is. There is a lot more to the plot and several more characters are introduced, but I’ll leave my little synopsis here as I don’t want to give too many spoilers away.

This is a very dark and extremely violent film. They certainly don’t hold back on the graphic scenes of violence. Having said that, there is a coherent plot and the characters are pretty well developed. Some pretty good performances too, honourable mentioned go to Ray Stevenson as Frank Castle, Dominic West (from TV’s ‘The Wire’) as Billy/Jigsaw, Doug Hutchison as Looney Bin Jim, Colin Salmon as Paul Budiansky, Wayne Knight as Micro, Dash Mihok as Martin Soap, Julie Benz as Angela and Stephanie Janusauskas as Grace.

Although it’s never going to win any prizes, I did quite enjoy this film. Partly because the characters were well developed, and partly because the filmmakers didn’t sanitise the violence too much in order to get a lower certificate. Yes, it’s very violent and there aren’t any stand-out performances, although it was good to see Dominic West as a bad guy, but it is, by far, not the worst of its genre. I can’t give it a very high score because of it’s flaws, but I do recommend it to you.

My score: 6.4/10

LINKS:
IMDb Site: http://uk.imdb.com/title/tt0450314/
Official Site: http://www.punishermovie.com/
Trailer: http://uk.imdb.com/rg/VIDEO_PLAY/LINK/video/imdb/vi65536281/

Film Review: NICK AND NORAH’S INFINITE PLAYLIST (2008)

Director: Peter Sollett
Running time: 86 mins (approx)
Certificate (UK): 12

UK Release Date: 30th January 2009

Watched on Sky+ Saturday 27th March 2010.

PLEASE NOTE: POSSIBLE SPOILERS IN THIS REVIEW.

I remember back about a year ago I stumbled upon a film called Juno, one of the stars of which was Michael Cera. Now, one of the many things I really liked that film was the understated performance of said Mr Cera. And so we come to ‘Nick and Norah’s Infinite Playlist’, a really bad title IMHO. It’s not a bad film, there’s a lot to admire, it just fell slightly short of the mark for me. But more of that later, let me tell you a little of the rather complicated plot…

Nick is depressed, he’s been dating Tris for a while and she’s dumped him. He spends his time making mix CDs for her and generally feeling sorry for himself. Oh, and he’s a huge fan of a band called ‘Where’s Fluffy’. Anyway, he is in a band himself, and the other band members, Thom and Dev, who are gay by the way, decide to take him out into New York, where they have a gig. Meanwhile, Norah and her best friend, Caroline, are also planning a night out in the Big Apple. They know Tris from school and Norah has been listening to, and liking, Nick’s CDs that Tris has thrown away. Nick’s band is playing in a club when Tris walks in with her new boyfriend. Of course Nick is distracted by this. Caroline has got drunk and Norah is left alone. When Tris comes up to her and asks her who she’s with, she says she’s with her boyfriend and proceeds to go and kiss Nick, who she’s never met before. (Complicated enough so far?) Deciding to help Norah take Caroline home, Nick helps them to his car but before they can leave, the rest of the band decide Nick and Norah should get together and offer to take Caroline home so the couple can go and find where ‘Fluffy’ is playing that night (it’s a secret). From here there are adventures, love, hate, kidnapping and a whole bunch of stuff you’re better off finding out by watching it yourselves (he said, wanting to keep the spoiler count to a minimum).

I found it quite an engaging film for the most part, with a really good soundtrack and some good performances. The budget was obviously not the biggest, but I thought they production team did a great job despite this. So, good performances from Michael Cera as Nick, Kat Dennings as Norah, Aaron Yoo as Thom, Rafi Gavron as Dev, Ari Graynor as Caroline and Alexis Dziena as Tris.

It’s a nice gentle teen comedy with some really great moments in it, but, for me, it kind of lost its way towards the end. When I felt the story should be building to a big finish, it all kind of fell flat. Nothing to do with the performances, I think the writers must have just run out of ideas. For all that, it’s a pretty nice watch and I kind of recommend the first three quarters… but you’ll watch all of it, I know you will.

My score: 6.2/10

LINKS:
IMDb Site: http://uk.imdb.com/title/tt0981227/
Official Site: http://www.sonypictures.com/movies/nickandnorah/
Trailer: http://uk.imdb.com/rg/VIDEO_PLAY/LINK/video/imdb/vi1681326873/

Film Review: SHAUN OF THE DEAD (2004)

Director: Edgar Wright
Writers: Simon Pegg and Edgar Wright
Running time: 85 mins (approx)
Certificate (UK): 15

UK Release Date: 9th April 2004

Watched on DVD Sunday 21st March 2010.

PLEASE NOTE: POSSIBLE SPOILERS IN THIS REVIEW.

Having been derided by my mates down the pub for not having seen this one, I decided it was time to bite the bullet. Now, I have seen some of Simon Pegg’s more recent works, Hot Fuzz (2007) was pretty good, as was Run Fatboy Run (also 2007) and How to Lose Friends & Alienate People (2008). He’s now making the big bucks in America, but I was quite interested to see how one of his earlier works turned out.

Shaun lives with two flatmates, Ed and Pete, in London. Ed is always taking Shaun down the local pub, The Winchester, to the disgust of Shaun’s girlfriend, Liz. She, and her friends, Dianne and David, want Shaun to break away from Ed and straighten himself out. Unfortunately, Shaun is very attached to Ed; they’ve known each other since they went to school together. This comes to a head when Liz dumps Shaun and he ends up going out and getting drunk with Ed. As we see them going about their lives we get an inkling that something is not right, people are starting to behave strangely. The morning after it becomes apparent that something is seriously wrong. News reports confirm that Zombies are loose on the streets and it’s not safe out there! Shaun decides to go and rescue his mum, Barbara, and his step-dad, Philip. Then go and get Liz and then go to the pub. So, they have a plan, but there’s a lot of Zombies out there!

There are a lot of pretty funny bits in this film, I particularly liked the LP scene and the ‘Queen’ fight scene in the bar. If you’ve seen the film you’ll know the ones I mean. Decent performances from all of the main cast, Simon Pegg as Shaun, Kate Ashfield as Liz, Nick Frost as Ed, Lucy Davis as Dianne and Dylan Moran as David. Honourable mentions also go to Peter Serafinowicz as Pete, Bill Nighy as Philip and Penelope Wilton as Barbara.

So now we come to the nitty gritty, did I enjoy it? Well, it had parts that made me laugh, but as a whole it didn’t really bite me on the neck. I found the character of Ed really annoying, he’s stupid and very selfish. Yes, he does have a couple of good one-liners, but that doesn’t make up for him being an idiot. So over all, it’s a pretty dumb comedy, something to watch when you’ve come back from the pub. I don’t think I’ll be going out of my way to watch it again, but if I’m late back from the pub one night & it’s on TV… who knows?

My score: 6.5/10

LINKS:
IMDb Site: http://uk.imdb.com/title/tt0365748/
Official Site: http://www.shaunofthedeadmovie.com/
Trailer: http://uk.imdb.com/rg/VIDEO_PLAY/LINK/video/screenplay/vi2172780825/

Film Review: LESBIAN VAMPIRE KILLERS (2009)

Director: Phil Claydon
Running time: 86 mins (approx)
Certificate (UK): 15

UK Release Date: 20th March 2009

Watched on Sky+ Sunday 21st March 2010.

PLEASE NOTE: POSSIBLE SPOILERS IN THIS REVIEW.

I quite like the comedy of James Corden, and Mathew Horne is a pretty good comic actor as well. They are really great in the hit UK TV show "Gavin & Stacey". So I thought I’d give this one a go, it’s got a couple of my favourite comic actors in it and there’s a promise of Lesbian Vampires as well… How could anything go wrong? Well, it’s not great news, not bad, but not great. More of that later, let’s tell you a little about the plot first.

Back in the days of the Crusades, the little hamlet of Cragwitch was cursed by the Vampire Queen Camilla. She swore vengeance on the man who killed her, Baron Wolfgang MacLaren. All females of the village, on turning 18 will become Lesbian Vampires until the last in the Baron’s line dies, at which point she will be reborn to wreak havoc on the land.

So, two guys, Fletch and Jimmy, both losers. Fletch lost his job and Jimmy just got dumped by his girlfriend. They can’t afford the foreign holiday they both want and so, drunk, Jimmy suggests they go hiking. Throwing a dart at a map, it lands in the little village of Cragwitch (bet you never saw that one coming). They arrive just as a van full of beautiful young women is leaving from the local inn. They enter the inn and find out that the girls are staying at a local cottage, somewhere all visitors to the village are allowed to stay for free. The boys set off and meet the girls on the road where their van had mysteriously broken down. It turns out they are doing field research into the legend of the Vampire Queen Camilla. Arriving at the cottage, one by one the girls start to disappear, leaving only Lotte and the boys to fight. OK, that’s the set-up, throw in a crazy vicar and I’ll leave you to figure out what happens next. Oh, and by the way (bit of a spoiler here) one of the boys is the last descendant of the Baron (bet you didn’t expect that either).

Now, I know it’s a comedy, but I don’t particularly find a bunch of people running around spooky woods at night particularly funny. Maybe in an Abbott & Costello movie, but I thought we’d moved on from those days. I will admit that quite a few of the one-liners from Fletch made me laugh, and I did find the performances of both James Corden as Fletch and Mathew Horne as Jimmy were pretty good, not that they had to stretch themselves much. Honourable mentions go to MyAnna Buring as Lotte and Paul McGann as the Vicar.

Over all it’s a bit of a cross between a Hammer Horror and a typical British Comedy that unfortunately didn’t quite hit the mark. James Cordon and Matthew Horne were definitely the high points in this rather mediocre effort. Not great, but it has a few laughs, not very highly recommended.

My score: 5.2/10

LINKS:
IMDb Site: http://uk.imdb.com/title/tt1020885/
*Official Site: http://www.lesbianvampirekillers.com.au/intl/au/
Trailer: http://uk.imdb.com/rg/VIDEO_PLAY/LINK/video/imdb/vi2402091801/

*NOTE: I’ve put the Australian official site up here since the UK one isn’t working at present.

Film Review: ONCE (2006)

Director: John Carney
Running time: 82 mins (approx)
Certificate (UK): 15

UK Release Date: 20th October 2007

Watched on Sky+ Saturday 20th March 2010.

PLEASE NOTE: POSSIBLE SPOILERS IN THIS REVIEW.

I remember this film winning the Oscar in 2008 for Best Achievement in Music Written for Motion Pictures, Original Song. The song was called ‘Falling Slowly’ and I recall seeing a clip from the film of the song being played live on guitar and piano in a music shop. It didn’t have a wide release here in the UK, but thanks to digital TV, I have finally got round to seeing it. I wasn’t disappointed; it’s a really good film with some truly great songs, so great in fact that I bought the soundtrack! Set in Dublin it tells the story of a busker and the immigrant Czech girl he meets.

One evening the Guy, the busker, is playing one of his own compositions when he meets the Girl, we never know their names. She says she’s seen him before, but not playing his own songs. He says that during the day people won’t pay to hear his own songs so he plays well known songs instead. The get talking and she meets him the following day when she takes him to a music store where she’s allowed to play piano for an hour a day. She persuades him to play one of his songs, ‘Falling Slowly’, and she accompanies him on piano. The story goes on to tell how the relationship between the two is affected by events in the past. I really don’t want to give too much away because it’s so much better to watch when you don’t know too much about it.

Tremendous musical performances from both Glen Hansard as the Guy and Markéta Irglová as the Girl, although I don’t think speaking dialogue really came naturally to either of them. Honourable mentions go to Hugh Walsh as Timmy Drummer, Gerard Hendrick as Lead Guitarist, Alaistair Foley as Bassist, Geoff Minogue as Eamon, Bill Hodnett as Guy’s Dad and Danuse Ktrestova as Girl’s Mother.

Over all, a really engaging film with some really great music. If you love ballads, then I can guarantee you a most enjoyable watch. Most of the music is either played live or is integrated really well into the narrative. In fact this bittersweet tale is mostly told through the songs which are interspersed with short pieces of dialogue. If you’re not a romantic or a lover of music, then this is probably not for you. However, it’s definitely recommend for music lovers and romantics alike.

My score: 8.2/10

LINKS:
IMDb Site: http://uk.imdb.com/title/tt0907657/
Official Site: http://www.foxsearchlight.com/once/
Trailer: http://uk.imdb.com/rg/VIDEO_PLAY/LINK/video/screenplay/vi1911292697/

Film Review: FLASH OF GENIUS (2008)

Director: Marc Abraham
Running time: 115 mins (approx)
Certificate (UK): 12

UK Release Date: 20th March 2009

Watched on Sky+ Friday 19th March 2010.

PLEASE NOTE: POSSIBLE SPOILERS IN THIS REVIEW.

I really enjoy a courtroom drama and I really enjoy watching the little guy get the better of the big corporation. So I was really pleased when I came across this film, which combines the two. Set in Detroit in the 1960’s, it tells of one man’s battle to get recognition from a large automobile manufacturer who, he claims, stole his idea.

Bob Kearns is a college professor who teaches engineering, he’s also an inventor. He is married to Phyllis and they have six children (yes, six). One day while driving his family home from church in a rainstorm, he comes up with an idea for an intermittent windscreen wiper. He designs a prototype and, with the help of his long-time friend, Gil Previck, he gets it patented. Now Bob wants to sell his idea to Ford, the largest automobile manufacturer, but he also wants to manufacture it himself. They show the idea to Ford, being very careful not to show them how it works, and they are impressed. After a meeting with one of their top managers, Macklin Tyler, and with promises of contracts, Bob eventually lets them examine his prototype. Just as he’s getting ready to go into manufacturing, Ford pulls the plug and Bob is left feeling let down. This is until the day he sees a new Ford Mustang in the street with an intermittent wiper on it. He is determined to get Ford to admit they stole his idea, so much so that it affects both his marriage and mental state. I’ll leave my little summary there or I’ll give too much away!

A really well made film that captured the world of 1960’s Detroit very well. Great performances from both Greg Kinnear as Bob Kearns and Lauren Graham as his long suffering wife Phyllis. Honourable mentions go to Dermot Mulroney as Gil Previck, Mitch Pileggi as Macklin Tyler and it was nice to see Alan Alda as the lawyer Gregory Lawson.

The first half of the film is quite slow, there’s a lot of character development and I felt it ambled along a little too much. However, the second half is much better, the story really starts to take off and there is a really good ending. I really engaged with the main characters and I found it a very enjoyable film to watch. It’s slightly over long, but it’s one I can certainly recommend.

My score: 6.8/10

LINKS:
IMDb Site: http://uk.imdb.com/title/tt1054588/
Official Site: http://flashofgenius.net/
Trailer: http://uk.imdb.com/rg/VIDEO_PLAY/LINK/video/imdb/vi1591476505/

Film Review: SHUTTER ISLAND (2010)

Director: Martin Scorsese
Running time: 138 mins (approx)
Certification (UK): 15

UK Release date: 12th March 2010

Watched at the cinema Sunday 14th March 2010.

PLEASE NOTE: THERE MAY BE SPOILERS IN THIS REVIEW.

I am quite a fan of the work of Martin Scorsese and as such I really wanted to enjoy this film. Unfortunately it didn’t quite hit the mark for me. I try very hard not to compare any director’s work with their previous efforts, mainly because we never really know what difficulties they faced in making any particular film. So I won’t harp on about how it doesn’t compare with ‘Goodfellas’, or it’s not as good as ‘The Aviator’ or ‘The Departed’ as I feels that’s unfair, I’ll let it stand alone as a single piece of work.

It is 1953 and Teddy Daniels is a US Marshall who, along with his new partner, Chuck Aule, has been sent to Shutter Island to investigate then disappearance of one of the patients at a mental asylum there. They are met with a frosty reception and the mysterious Dr. Cawley and Dr. Naehring who seem to be hiding something. They find a clue, a note left by the escaped patient indicating a mysterious 67th patient at the facility that nobody will admit to the existence of. A storm prevents them leaving the island when the escaped patient, Dolores Chanal, mysteriously turns up out of the blue. Teddy is being increasingly troubled by flashbacks to the death of his wife in a fire several years earlier and also his experiences in World War II. Believing that there is a lot more than meets the eye, Teddy and Chuck set out to get to the bottom of things. I’ll leave my short synopsis there; don’t want to give too much away!

A beautifully well made film, I cannot fault the cinematography at all. There were one or two continuity errors I spotted, but I’ll let them slide. Really good performances from all of the major cast members, honourable mentions go to Leonardo DiCaprio as Teddy Daniels, Mark Ruffalo as Chuck Aule, Ben Kingsley as Dr. Cawley, Max von Sydow as Dr. Naehring and Michelle Williams as Dolores Chanal.

The film is made in the film noir style, and as such there a lot of scenes with quite a lot of dialogue. This is fine when the dialogue moves the story along, but I found in a lot of cases, these scenes were beautifully shot, but that was it, they didn’t particularly add much else to the story. It’s not a bad film for all that, there is a really good twist at the end, it just failed to meet my expectations at the end of the day. If you love film noir then by all means go and see it, otherwise I’m afraid you may be disappointed.

My score: 6.8/10

LINKS:
IMDb Site: http://uk.imdb.com/title/tt1130884/
Official Site: http://www.shutterisland.com/#/home
Trailer: http://uk.imdb.com/rg/VIDEO_PLAY/LINK/video/imdb/vi4064281/

Film Review: WATCHMEN (2009)

Director: Zack Snyder
Running time: 155 mins (approx)
Certificate (UK): 18

UK Release Date: 6th March 2009

Watched on DVD Tuesday 9th march 2010.

PLEASE NOTE: POSSIBLE SPOILERS IN THIS REVIEW.

First of all, I must say that I have not read the graphic novel by Dave Gibbons and Alan Moore. With that out of the way I can now get on with the business in hand. It’s kind of weird watching this film, its set in 1985, but not a 1985 that we would recognise. For a start Richard Nixon is president of the United States, there’s a lot of tension between the US and the USSR, oh and there are superheroes about (seemingly only in America though). These superheroes have been discredited and are banned from wearing their disguises. So most have gone into retirement, hoping to keep their identities secret.

It is night and one of the superheroes, The Comedian, a.k.a., is disturbed by a knock at the door. A man comes in and a fight ensues, a fight that culminates in the death of The Comedian. The following day, another Superhero, Rorschach begins to investigate the murder. He calls on Nite Owl II, a.k.a. Dan Dreiberg, and also Dr. Manhattan, a.k.a. Jon Osterman and Silk Spectre II, a.k.a. Laurie Jupiter, looking for information but he seems to be getting nowhere. The story is broken up with lots of flashbacks giving us the background to each of these characters, some of which are descendants from previous Superheroes. We also meet Ozymandias, a.k.a. Adrian Veidt, a Superhero who has revealed his identity and is working to find a cheap energy source for the world. It’s a very complicated plot, so I won’t go any further, you have the bare bones of it there… And no spoilers so far!

A really well made film with some really great special effects, CGI and some brilliant fight sequences, hats off to the stunt guys for that. It’s visually quite stunning as well, I don’t know a lot about the technical side of cinematography, but, for me, they got this one just right! Decent performances from all of the main cast, honourable mentions go to Malin Akerman as Laurie Jupiter / Silk Spectre II, Billy Crudup as Dr. Manhattan / Jon Osterman, Matthew Goode as Adrian Veidt / Ozymandias, Jackie Earle Haley as Walter Kovacs / Rorschach, Jeffrey Dean Morgan as Edward Blake / The Comedian and Patrick Wilson as Dan Dreiberg / Nite Owl II.

It’s a really interesting film with a lot of philosophy and politics and some really dark comedy thrown in. I found it quite enjoyable, although it was just too long; if it had been cut to two hours I feel it would have been better. So, overall, a really enjoyable film with some great action and effects, only let down by its length, even so, I still recommend it to you.

My score: 7.9/10

LINKS:
IMDb Site: http://uk.imdb.com/title/tt0409459/
Official Site: http://www.watchmenmovie.co.uk/intl/uk/dvd/index.html
Trailer: http://uk.imdb.com/rg/VIDEO_PLAY/LINK/video/imdb/vi3326279705/

Film Review: UNDERWORLD: RISE OF THE LYCANS (2009)

Director: Patrick Tatopoulos
Running time: 90 mins (approx)
Certificate (UK): 18

UK Release Date: 23rd January 2009

Watched on Sky+ Monday 8th March 2010.

PLEASE NOTE: POSSIBLE SPOILERS IN THIS REVIEW.

I have seen and quite enjoyed the previous two films in this series, Underworld (2003) and Underworld: Evolution (2006). So I was quite interested to see how the third instalment would turn out. This film is set before the previous two and tells how the war between the Vampires and the Lycans started.

The Vampires, led by Viktor, are aware of the Lycan race, immortal wolf-like creatures that are unable to change shape. That is until one day one of them is born in human form. Viktor knows he should kill it, but decides to let it live. They call him Lucian and they allow him to live among the Vampire race. Using his genetic material, Viktor breeds a race of Lycans that he uses to guard the Vampires as they sleep. He keeps them in check by force. Unknown to Viktor, Lucian and his daughter, Sonja have fallen in love and plan to leave the confines of the castle. Viktor finds out and this is where the fun really begins. I won’t say any more, but it’s not hard to figure out where the story goes from here.

Quite a well made film with some good effects, plenty of gore and some decent CGI. Some great over-acting from Bill Nighy as Viktor and very decent performances from both Michael Sheen as Lucian and Rhona Mitra as Sonja. If anything I felt the film relied a bit too heavily on the special effects at the expense of a decent script. I don’t think this one will feature in my end of year awards and I can’t really recommend it to you.

My score: 5.6/10

LINKS:
IMDb Site: http://uk.imdb.com/title/tt0834001/
Official Site: Underworld Rise of the Lycans Official Site
Trailer: http://uk.imdb.com/rg/VIDEO_PLAY/LINK/video/imdb/vi3494969369/

Film Review: GRAN TORINO (2008)

Director: Clint Eastwood
Running time: 116 mins (approx)
Certificate (UK): 15

UK Release Date: 27th February 2009

Watched on Sky+ Sunday 7th March 2010.

PLEASE NOTE: POSSIBLE SPOILERS IN THIS REVIEW.

This is reported to be Clint Eastwood’s last starring role. If this is true then he has most definitely left us on a high. He plays the part of Korean War veteran, Walt Kowalski quite flawlessly; in fact I couldn’t imagine anyone else in the role. Walt lives in Highland Park, Michigan, a neighbourhood that is dominated by immigrants, particularly the Hmong (pronounced ‘mong’).

Having lost his wife and being distanced from his two sons, Walt lives alone with his Labrador retriever Daisy. He is very patriotic and finds it hard to come to terms with all the immigrants living around him. The boy who lives next door, Thao, is being pestered by his cousin, Spider to join his Hmong gang after they saved him from some Hispanics. Thao reluctantly agrees and his initiation is to steal Walt’s prized car, his 1972 Gran Torino. He is discovered during the attempt, but gets away. A few days later the gang return and try to take Thao by force, but his sister, Sue tries to stop them and a fight breaks out. The fight spills onto Walt’s property and he’s suddenly there pointing a rifle at one of the gang members. They leave, but warn Walt to watch his back. Thao’s family are traditional and they take him round to Walts house and tell him that Thao must work for him to make amends. Walt reluctantly takes him on and they eventually become friends as he gets Thao to mend the other houses in the street. You know that the gang are not far off, and sure enough they appear again and this time it’s much more serious. It’s now up to Walt to put things right. I won’t say any more, I think that’s enough spoilers for one day.

A brilliantly measured performance from Clint Eastwood, he gave us the full range of his craft in this film. Everything from the brooding loner from the spaghetti westerns to the comic cowboy of Bronco Billy. So hats off to Clint Eastwood as Walt Kowalski for a most memorable performance. Also strong performances from Christopher Carley as Father Janovich, Bee Vang as Thao Vang Lor and Ahney Her as Sue Lor.

A very well made film, again in the measured style that we’ve come to expect from Clint Eastwood (as director). A well thought out plot that kept me interested throughout and some really good performances. Over all, a very entertaining film telling a heart-warming story. Probably one of the best films I’ll see this year and one I can highly recommend!

My score: 8.8/10

LINKS:
IMDb Site: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1205489/
Official Site: http://www.thegrantorino.com/
Trailer: http://www.imdb.com/rg/VIDEO_PLAY/LINK/video/imdb/vi2462974745/

Film Review: FRANKLYN (2008)

Director: Gerald McMorrow
Running time: 95 mins (approx)
Certificate (UK): 15

UK Release Date: 27th February 2009

Watched on Sky+ Sunday 7th March 2010.

PLEASE NOTE: POSSIBLE SPOILERS IN THIS REVIEW.

This film tells a very complex, and at times, very confusing story. But if you stick with it until the end it all ties together quite neatly. It is a very ambitious film with some very clever plot twists and, what some may consider, quite disturbing imagery. It’s not one you can put on as moving wallpaper; you actually have to watch it to have a chance of understanding it.

The fates of four individuals are intertwined between the London of today and the futuristic world of Meanwhile City. In Meanwhile City, Jonathan Preest is preparing to commit a murder. We are told through flashback that he had tried and failed to save a girl from a mysterious character known as ‘The Individual’, and now he is about to exact retribution. To live in Meanwhile City you have to follow a religion, the problem for Jonathan Preest is that he does not have one. This puts him outside the law and is hence wanted by the police and their commander, Pastor Bone. Preest is captured and, after four years of imprisonment is released and commissioned to find ‘The Individual’ and kill him. Meanwhile, in present day London, Milo, whose engagement has ended not long before the wedding, is heartbroken and is trying to rekindle an old flame. Peter Esser is a broken man, searching for his son who has gone missing from a military hospital. Emilia Bryant is an art student who has a suicidal streak and her art projects are becoming more and more dangerous. All of them are linked to Preest and he holds the key to all of their problems. I think that’s enough of a synopsis, I don’t want to give too much away!

Although it’s a very complicated plot, I found this film quite enjoyable to watch. As I mentioned at the beginning, there are some quite disturbing scenes, and these are to do with Emilia’s story (sorry if that gives anything away). Some decent performances, particularly form Eva Green as Emilia Bryant, she had some great scenes and carried them off very convincingly. Honourable mentions also go to Ryan Phillippe as Jonathan Preest, Sam Riley as Milo, Bernard Hill as Peter Esser, James Faulkner as Pastor Bone and Stephen Walters as Wormsnakes.

This film seems to have borrowed from quite a few other films; I found some of the imagery from Meanwhile City reminiscent of the 1985 Terry Gilliam film Brazil. There were also hints of the 2001 Richard Kelly film Donnie Darko. But for all that, I found it quite enthralling, although I did wonder at times how it could possibly all tie together. Over all, it’s a film you have to concentrate on, but one that pays off in the end, personally I quite enjoyed it and I recommend it to you.

My score: 7.1/10

LINKS:
IMDb Site: http://uk.imdb.com/title/tt0893402/
Trailer: http://uk.imdb.com/rg/VIDEO_PLAY/LINK/video/screenplay/vi1063125529/

Film Review: SEVEN POUNDS (2008)

Director: Gabriele Muccino
Running time: 118 mins (approx)
Certificate (UK): 12

UK Release Date: 16th January 2009

Watched on Sky+ Saturday 6th March 2010.

PLEASE NOTE: POSSIBLE SPOILERS IN THIS REVIEW.

I can’t say I’m the greatest fan of the work of Will Smith, but if he continues to produce performances like this I may have to change my view. I found him really engaging in the part of Ben Thomas, a tax collector with a heart… and a secret. There was the occasional glimpse of the clown he’s better known for, but these were fleeting enough to ignore. I have noticed he has matured in the last few performances I’ve seen, The Pursuit of Happyness (2006), which I wasn’t too enthralled with, and I Am Legend (2007), which I quite liked (see my review here: I Am Legend - Review). But enough of Mr Smith, I’ll tell you a bit more about the film.

Ben Thomas is a troubled man, we see him ranting at a telephone salesman, Ezra Turner, for no apparent reason. He has flashbacks of an incident in his past that has obviously affected him deeply. He talks on the phone to a man, possibly a lawyer, about a plan that they have as he goes about his business as an IRS tax collector. He helps an old woman in a nursing home to achieve some dignity after her doctor is less than caring. It’s almost like he’s looking for good people who are worth saving from the circumstances they find themselves in. As part of his search he finds Emily Posa, a young woman who has tax problems and a heart condition. The pair become friends and, when Emily collapses due to her condition, Ben stays by her bedside, which brings them even closer. There is also a sub-plot where Ben’s brother is trying to find him, exactly why I will not say, but it’s fairly crucial to the plot. I really can’t say any more without giving away crucial plot points, so I’ll leave my little synopsis here.

I have heard good reports about this film, and so was quite keen to see what all the fuss was about. A very well made film with quite a slow, deliberate pace. The music was pretty good too, but if you put the band Muse in the soundtrack, I’m bound to like it! A great performance from Will Smith as Ben Thomas and honourable mentions also go to Rosario Dawson as Emily Posa, Woody Harrelson as Ezra Turner, Michael Ealy as Ben’s brother and Barry Pepper as Dan Morris.

I wasn’t aware that the director, Gabriele Muccino, had also brought us The Pursuit of Happyness (2006), which I’ve already said I didn’t much enjoy. I was pleasantly surprised though, not just by the performance of Will Smith, but with the film as a whole. There is quite a sense of mystery at the beginning which sets the wheels in motion, unfortunately this cannot be maintained all the way through and it does get a bit bogged down towards the latter third. But very enjoyable none the less with a really great ending that may have you in tears! Over all, a really good, heart warming tale and a film I can recommend.


My score: 7.4/10

LINKS:
IMDb Site: http://uk.imdb.com/title/tt0814314/
Official Site: http://www.sonypictures.com/homevideo/sevenpounds/
Trailer: http://uk.imdb.com/rg/VIDEO_PLAY/LINK/video/imdb/vi2170028057/