Film Review: AWAKENINGS (1990)

Director: Penny Marshall Running time: 115 mins (approx) Certification (UK): 12 Genre: Drama

UK Release date: 15^th March 1991 Watched on Sky+ Sunday 27^th March 2011.

PLEASE NOTE: THERE MAY BE SPOILERS IN THIS REVIEW.

This is a heart-warming tale about a doctor and his work to find a cure for his patients who are stuck in a catatonic state. There are some great performances and it has many ups and downs along the way. It is based on a book by Oliver Sacks, a true story which will play at your heartstrings at times. More of my thoughts later, here’s a brief summary first (summary haters and those that don’t wish to know anything about the plot please help get Leonard back into bed while I write the next paragraph).

Dr. Malcolm Sayer has always worked in research because he doesn’t really get on with people. He has to take a job at a hospital where he has no choice but to work with the patients. There he meets, amongst his patients, Leonard Lowe, who has been in a catatonic state for thirty years. With the help of his assistant, Eleanor Costello, Dr. Sawyer carries out a series of tests to discover just what is wrong with him. He eventually discovers it is to do with an encephalitis epidemic back in the 1920’s and it is now the late 60’s. Convinced he can find as cure, reads up on all the current medications and finds an experimental drug that might do the trick. His boss, Dr. Kaufman, will only let him try it on one patient, he chooses Leonard and thus begins the awakenings… but will it last, and what are the consequences? I’ll have to leave it there so as not to be beaten by the Spoiler Police.

This is a really well made film with a beautiful score by Randy Newman, enhanced with many songs, both old and new. Great performances all round, particularly from Robert De Niro as Leonard Lowe and Robin Williams as Dr. Malcolm Sayer, who both went and observed Oliver Sacks and his patients prior to making this film, and it showed. I also have to mention Julie Kavner, it’s nice to see the voice of Marge Simpson as a real person for a change. Honourable mentions also go to; Ruth Nelson as Mrs. Lowe (Leonard’s mother), John Heard as Dr, Kaufman and it was also nice to see a brief cameo from Max von Sydow as Dr. Peter Ingham.

Although it starts off a little schmaltzy, this film grows into an engrossing drama with engaging characters and an interesting plot. There are hints of One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest (1975) here and there, but I can forgive that, after all, it’s not a bad film to be compared with. Over all, it’s pretty good and well worth a viewing… Recommended.

My score: 7.6/10

LINKS:

(RT = Rotten Tomatoes) IMDb Page: http://uk.imdb.com/title/tt0099077/ RT Page: http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/1032970-awakenings/ Trailer: http://uk.imdb.com/video/screenplay/vi1387790617/

Film Review: BROTHERS (2009)

Director: Jim Sheridan
Running Time: 101 Minutes
Certification (UK): 15

Genre: Drama
UK Release Date: 22^nd January 2010

Watched on Sky+ Tuesday 29^th March 2011

PLEASE NOTE: THERE MAY BE SPOILERS IN THIS REVIEW.

This is another film that got quite a bit of attention from the critics when it first came out. Given the fact that they generally know a bit more about film than I do, I decided to give it a try when it appeared in the TV schedules. Based on a Danish film of the same name that came out in 2004, it is, at times a very gripping and, at the same time, a very touching story of two brothers. I found it pretty good, not least for one stand-out performance, but more of that later. Here’s a brief summary first (summary haters and those that don’t wish to know anything about the plot please help fix the kitchen while I write the next paragraph).

Sam Cahill is a Captain in the Marines; he has a wife, Grace, and two young daughters, Isabelle and Maggie. At the beginning of the film he is about to deploy to Afghanistan. At the same time his brother, Tommy is just getting out of Jail. Their father, Hank, is a Viet Nam vet and makes it clear that he disapproves of the way Tommy has lead his life. Sam goes off to Afghanistan and Grace and the girls go about their normal lives. Tommy turns up every now and then, but Grace doesn’t really like him. Then the news comes that Sam is dead and Grace is devastated. Tommy, feeling guilty spends more and more time with her and the girls and they become quite attached to him. <<SPOILER ALERT>> Little do they know, but Sam is alive and being held captive in the mountains of Afghanistan. Eventually he is rescued, after suffering at the hands of his captors and being forced to do things he would rather forget, Will he be able to live with his wife and family again? Will they be able to live with him having thought him dead? Well, I guess I’d better not tell you or the Spoiler Police will be after me.

This is a really well made film with, surprisingly, a great musical score; it really stunned me how good it was! I’m not sure on the setting, but it looked, and felt, very cold. Performance wise, well, by far the best performance came from Tobey Maguire as Capt. Sam Cahill, he really pulled all the stops out and went way up in my estimation. Both Jake Gyllenhaal as Tommy Cahill and Natalie Portman as Grace Cahill were also very good. It was nice to see Sam Shepard as Hank Cahill and Mare Winningham as Elsie Cahill. Finally, a special mention for Bailee Madison as Isabelle Cahill and Taylor Geare as Maggie Cahill, both young actresses were very good also.

I was quite surprised just how good this film was. I was prepared for a bitter wordy drama all about feelings and bitterness. Yes, those things were there, but not in the way I expected. I found it much more watchable than I thought it would be and that’s credit to the filmmakers and the actors involved. It’s quite a tricky subject to cover and I thought they did a pretty good job… Recommended.

My Score: 7.5/10

LINKS:
(RT=Rotten Tomatoes)
IMDb Page: http://uk.imdb.com/title/tt0765010/
RT Page: TBA – the site is currently suffering difficulties (FOR A CHANGE!)
Official Site: http://www.brothersfilm.com/
Trailer: http://uk.imdb.com/video/imdb/vi596444185/

Film Review: THE HUMAN CENTIPEDE (FIRST SEQUENCE) (2009)

Writer/Director: Tom Six
Running Time: 92 Minutes
Certification (UK): 18

Genre: Horror/Drama/Thriller
UK Release Date: Not known

Watched on Sky+ 28th March 2011

PLEASE NOTE: THERE MAY BE SPOILERS IN THIS REVIEW.

This film gained a lot of notoriety when it came out, not least due to a rather effective marketing campaign. Although it’s not the kind of thing I’d usually choose to watch, I’ll admit to being slightly intrigued by it and so decided to give it a viewing when it arrived on TV recently. It’s certainly not the best film I’ve ever seen, but it does do what it says on the tin and I can’t knock it for that! More of my thoughts later, here’s a brief summary first (summary haters and those that don’t wish to know anything about the plot please kidnap more victims while I write the next paragraph).

Dr. Heiter used to be a famous surgeon. He specialised is separating Siamese twins and was very good at it. Now retired and living alone, he turns his mind to putting things together, rather than separating them. To this end he has already tried an experiment on his three rottweilers and is now ready to move on to the next step. Having chosen and kidnapped his first victim, a truck driver, he can’t believe his luck when two young American tourists, Lindsay and Jenny, arrive at his door having had car trouble. They are quickly dealt with and sedated in his cellar. Unfortunately for the truck driver, he doesn’t match and so another subject has to be found. This time it’s a young Japanese man called Katsuro who the doctor brings back to his cellar. And now it’s time to begin the experiment… but not before one of the makes a break for it. I will leave my short summary here so as not to upset the Spoiler Police too much.

To be honest, I found this film was quite badly made. I don’t know if it was because it was cut for a TV audience, but there seemed to be gaping plot holes and continuity errors all over the place. The best performance came from Dieter Laser who was everything you’d expect from a mad German scientist. Ashley C. Williams as Lindsay, Ashlynn Yennie as Jenny and Akihiro Kitamura as Katsuro were all adequate without being anything special.

Over all, I found this film quite disappointing with some debatable production values and a pretty bad script. Ultimately it’s not very pleasant and I didn’t find it particularly entertaining. Definitely not one for the squeamish and one I don’t think I’ll be giving a second viewing to… NOT recommended.

My Score: 4.7/10

LINKS:
(RT=Rotten Tomatoes)
IMDb Page: http://uk.imdb.com/title/tt1467304/
RT Page: http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/human_centipede/
Official Site: http://www.ifcfilms.com/films/human-centipede
Trailer: http://uk.imdb.com/video/imdb/vi4206561049/

Film Review: KICK-ASS (2010) - Revisited

Director: Matthew Vaughn
Running time: 113 mins (approx)
Certification (UK): 15

Genre: Comedy/Action/Thriller/Comic-book
UK Release date: 26th March 2010

Watched on Sky+ Saturday 26th March 2011.

PLEASE NOTE: THERE MAY BE SPOILERS IN THIS REVIEW.

I saw this film when it first came out in the cinema and really enjoyed it. This week it came to our TV screens in a slightly cut version (about 4 minutes shorter than the theatrical release) but that didn’t spoil my enjoyment of it. It was one of the best films I saw last year and the filmmakers will have to work hard to beat it again this year! If anything, I enjoyed it more second time around (if that’s possible!). But enough of my prattling on, here’s a short summary before I give you my thoughts (summary haters and those that don’t wish to know anything about the plot please practice swearing with Hit Girl while I write the next paragraph).

Dave Lizewski is an average teenage school kid, he says he has one superpower, he’s invisible to girls. He and his friends, Marty and Todd, are into comic books and after hanging out one evening they are mugged by a couple of scumbags. It seems this is not the first time this has happened and Dave is getting a little fed-up with it. He goes online and gets himself a costume, a green wet-suit. After a bit of self-training, he decides he’s ready and ‘Kick-Ass’ is born. He decides to confront the two muggers who held up him and his friends but things don’t go well and he ends up having his ass kicked. After recovering in hospital and being screwed together with metal plates he finds his nerve endings are a bit damaged, which means he can take a bit more of a beating than before. Meanwhile, a real Superhero known as ‘Big Daddy’ is training his eleven year old daughter, ‘Hit Girl’. They have a grudge against crime boss Frank D’Amico who framed ‘Big Daddy’ some years before. D’Amico’s son, Chris is disillusioned with his father and decides to become a Superhero himself, called Red Mist in order to lure Kick-Ass out of hiding. They blame Kick-Ass for some losses they have been suffering recently. Kick-Ass eventually gains notoriety when he beats up three guys picking on another guy. The fight is filmed and put up on the internet, bringing a lot of media interest in Kick-Ass. Dave is also noticed by Katie Deauxma, although she doesn’t know his secret identity, and thinks he’s gay. I won’t say too much more, but needless to say all of these various characters are destined to meet, and when they do… I’ll have to leave it there or I’ll be having a knock at the door from the ‘Spoiler Police’ (& I don’t want that).

I must first say that it is a really well made film with some excellent stunt work. I thought the music chosen for the score was really great as well. Excellent performances from all of the leading cast, Aaron Johnson as Dave Lizewski/Kick-Ass, Nicolas Cage as Damon Macready/Big Daddy, Chloe Moretz as Mindy Macready/Hit-Girl, Mark Strong as Frank D’Amico, Christopher Mintz-Plasse as Chris D’Amico/Red Mist and Lyndsy Fonseca as Katie Deauxma.

There is a lot of humour in this film, both spoken and visual. It’s also very very violent, so I wouldn’t recommend it to those of a nervous disposition. I don’t usually enjoy teen comedies, but this is very original, very different and it’s very refreshing to see a film that pushes the boundaries somewhat. It’s a film that any superhero film fan should try to watch at least once a year and I recommend it very highly!

My score: 9.2/10

LINKS:
(RT = Rotten Tomatoes)
IMDb Page: http://uk.imdb.com/title/tt1250777/
RT Page: http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/1217700-kick_ass/
Official Site: http://www.kickass-themovie.com/
Trailer: http://uk.imdb.com/video/imdb/vi1572603673/

Film Review: MICMACS (2009)

Co-Writer/Director: Jean-Pierre Jeunet
Running time: 101 mins (approx)
Certification (UK): 12A

Genre: Comedy/Crime/Drama
UK Release date: 26th February 2010

Watched on Sky+ Saturday 26th March 2011.

PLEASE NOTE: THERE MAY BE SPOILERS IN THIS REVIEW.

This is a quirky French comedy (with subtitles) that, when it came out, attracted a few good reviews. On the strength of these I decided to watch it when it came up on TV recently. I have to say I wasn’t totally blown away by it, but there are some nice touches and there are parts I actually found genuinely funny! But more of my thoughts later, here’s a brief summary first (summary haters and those that don’t wish to know anything about the plot please help the gang sort that junk while I write the next paragraph).

When Bazil was young, his father was killed whilst clearing mines in North Africa. Amongst his effects returned to the family was a photo of the mine that killed him, and Bazil never forgot the logo embossed into the mine casing. Now grown up, he has a job at a video store. One evening a shoot-out occurs in the street outside and Bazil is accidentally hit in the head by a stray bullet. The surgeon decides it’s too risky to remove the bullet and so Bazil leaves hospital only to find he is evicted from his apartment and his job has been given to someone else. He is given one of the bullet casings from the shootout, it has a different logo to the mine that killed his father but, again, Bazil commits it to memory. He now lives on the streets of Paris making a living busking. He is eventually taken in by a group of misfits who live in a junk yard. They make a living by recycling and selling things other people have thrown out. Lead by Tambouille, they include a contortionist, La Môme Caoutchouc, who Bazil has a bit of a thing for. Going about his job of collecting useful things to mend, Bazil comes across two buildings opposite each other. They bear the logos of the two companies that made the weapons that ruined his life. He decides to get revenge on the leaders of these two companies, Nicolas Thibault de Fenouillet and François Marconi. He ropes in his new found friends and this is where all the fun begins… I’ll leave it there so as not to enrage the Spoiler Police any more than necessary.

This is a very well made film with some really clever and inventive set pieces. It is visually very quirky, but in a nice way, and has a pretty decent soundtrack. Decent performances all round, particularly from; Dany Boon as Bazil, André Dussollier as Nicolas Thibault de Fenouillet, Nicolas Marié as François Marconi, Jean-Pierre Marielle as Placard, Yolande Moreau as Tambouille and Julie Ferrier as La Môme Caoutchouc.

At the beginning I loved the quirky comedy, almost reminiscent of the great Jacques Tati (but not quite). Unfortunately it couldn’t sustain its early promise and ended up falling pretty flat in the middle third. It seemed to pick up a bit towards the end, but by then, I’m afraid, it had lost a lot of its magic (for me). I somehow expected better from the director of the likes of Delicatessen (1991) and Amelie (2001), but sadly it didn’t match up to its early promise. It’s still quite an enjoyable film with some moments I found really funny and so I’ll recommend it for one viewing, at least.

My score: 6.2/10

LINKS:
(RT = Rotten Tomatoes)
IMDb Page: http://uk.imdb.com/title/tt1149361/
RT Page: http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/micmacs/
Official Site: http://micmacs.substance001.com/
Trailer: http://uk.imdb.com/video/imdb/vi2588476441/

Film Review: TIGERLAND (2000)

Director: Joel Schumacher
Running time: 100 mins (approx)
Certification (UK): 18

Genre: War/Drama
UK Release date: 18th May 2001

Watched on Sky+ Tuesday 22nd March 2011.

PLEASE NOTE: THERE MAY BE SPOILERS IN THIS REVIEW.

This is, again, a film I have seen before, and, again, I got a lot more out of it second time around. I have to blame my good buddy Mr. The Aus Man for pointing me in the direction of this one this week. Otherwise I may have watched one from ‘The (now famous) List’. But I digress; I will give you my thoughts on this one after a brief summary (summary haters and those that don’t wish to know anything about the plot please “GIVE ME TEN SOLDIER!” while I write the next paragraph).

It is 1971 and at the U.S. Army Training camp at Fort Polk, Louisiana, the new recruits are getting ready for their eight weeks’ training. This will culminate in a visit to the infamous ‘Tigerland’, an area made to look and feel like Viet Nam. One soldier, Pvt. Roland Bozz, doesn’t want to be there and he tries everything he can to get himself discharged, but the Army won’t budge. He’s a humanitarian who does not want to fight. He is befriended by Pvt. Jim Paxton, an aspiring writer. Bozz is very good at getting people out of the army who have a legitimate reason, and he gains a bit of a reputation for this. The brass doesn’t know what to do with him, but he eventually shows leadership qualities and is made platoon Sergeant. This does not go down well with the psychopathic Pvt. Wilson, who takes it personally when Bozz has him removed from the platoon. Eventually they reach the stage where they have to go to Tigerland, and Bozz has a surprise waiting for him there. I’ve probably said too much, but I’ll leave it there so as not to make the Spoiler Police too upset.

At first I thought this film is trying so hard to be Kubrick’s 1987 classic, Full Metal Jacket, but I was proved wrong. Although it’s not quite as good as that, it’s still pretty good. Good performances all round, particularly from; Colin Farrell as Bozz, Matthew Davis as Paxton, Clifton Collins Jr. as Miter, Tom Guiry as Cantwell and Shea Whigham as Wilson.

As I said at the beginning, I have seen this film before, but I really couldn’t remember much about it. On a second viewing, I can see I missed a pretty good film, maybe not brilliant, but certainly a good effort. The picture has kind of a news report feel about it, with slightly washed out colours and quite a bit of hand-held photography. Over all, a pretty enjoyable film that keeps the audience interested and has a few interesting plot twists… Recommended.

My score: 7.3/10

LINKS:
(RT = Rotten Tomatoes)
IMDb Page: http://uk.imdb.com/title/tt0170691/
RT Page: http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/tigerland/
Trailer: http://uk.imdb.com/video/screenplay/vi1643577625/

Film Review: RAGING BULL (1980)

Director: Martin Scorsese
Running time: 129 mins (approx)
Certification (UK): 18

Genre: Drama/Biography/Sport
UK Release date: 10th April 1981

Watched on DVD Sunday 20th March 2011.

PLEASE NOTE: THERE MAY BE SPOILERS IN THIS REVIEW.

I have to admit first of all that I’m not a great fan of boxing, but I know who Jake La Motta was and I’m aware of what he achieved. This biopic tells of his rise to fame, but it also tells of his life out of the ring, about his brother, his wife and how he eventually fell from grace, only to get up again. But more of that later, here’s a brief summary first (summary haters and those that don’t wish to know anything about the plot please take fifteen rounds with Sugar Ray while I write the next paragraph).

As we begin, Jake La Motta is already a well known boxer, he is married to his first wife with whom he constantly argues. He is managed by his brother Joey who does his best to get him fights in the hope he’ll get a shot at the title. It seems a long time coming but Jake has other things on his mind at the moment. He as seen a girl, Vickie, who has taken his eye. She is blonde and very popular with everyone, including the rich Salvy, another local guy from the Bronx. But Jake is determined and eventually makes her his. They eventually marry, but Jake is always wary of other men, including his brother, around his wife. This streak of jealousy will eventually cost him dearly. Inside the ring, he has no such problems, beating all comers, and beating them so well that nobody wants to fight him. Eventually his chance comes, but there’s a catch... And there, I’ll have to leave it as the spoiler police would lock me up if I said any more.

Shot almost entirely in black and white, this film has the look and feel of one made back in the 1940’s to 1950’s. This works very well to give the atmosphere of the period in which it is set. A nice, mostly unobtrusive, score also works very well to set the tone of the movie. I thought Robert De Niro was tremendous as Jake La Motta, he gave his all for this part, even putting on a lot of weight for the latter scenes where La Motta becomes a stand-up comedian. Joe Pesci was also excellent as his brother Joey and Cathy Moriarty was good too as the sultry Vickie.

This film is seen by many as a modern classic, and I can see why, it is very good I can’t deny Scosese’s skill. I think the main problem I found with it was that I didn’t find it particularly entertaining. It’s very melodramatic in places, but it didn’t grip me in the way I expected… or maybe I’m being too harsh. De Niro is truly excellent too, but a great performance doesn’t always make for a great film I’m afraid. If you haven’t seen it before then I can definitely recommend it to you for at least one viewing, if just for De Niro. I’ll maybe watch it again in a few years and rave about it, but for now, it’s very very good… but not great.

My score: 8.4/10

LINKS:
(RT = Rotten Tomatoes)
IMDb Page: http://uk.imdb.com/title/tt0081398/
RT Page: http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/raging_bull/
Trailer: http://uk.imdb.com/video/screenplay/vi3633616921/

Film Review: IN BRUGES (2008)

Writer/Director: Martin McDonagh
Running time: 107 mins (approx)
Certification (UK): 18

Genre: Drama/Thriller/Comedy
UK Release date: 18th April 2008

Watched on Sky+ Sunday 20th March 2011.

PLEASE NOTE: THERE MAY BE SPOILERS IN THIS REVIEW.

This is, again, a film I have seen before and, again, I took more out of it on a second viewing. This one seems to cover all the bases; drama, romance, comedy, thrills; it’s got the lot to varying degrees. The first time I saw it, it was the comedy that stood out; this time I was more struck by the drama of it. But more of my thoughts later, here’s a brief summary first (summary haters and those that don’t wish to know anything about the plot please take a tour of Bruges while I write the next paragraph).

Two hit men, Ray and Ken have been sent to lie low in Bruges (Belgium, for those that don’t know where it is) by their boss, Harry, after a bungled hit. They check into their hotel only to find, to their dismay, that they will be sharing a room. This does not go down well, but it’s near Christmas and everywhere is fully booked. The two men are complete opposites, Ken is quite cultured and is happy to go sightseeing in the medieval city. Ray, on the other hand, is much younger and would be happier spending his time in a bar. Ken insists they do some culture and Ray acts like a bored teenager. That is until he discovers a film crew who have a dwarf in the cast, he is fascinated with Jimmy. There he also meets the mysterious Chloe, who he invites out on a date. That evening Harry calls and tells Ken the real purpose for their visit. I will leave my summary here so as not to enrage the spoiler police too much.

I think the Bruges tourist board will be very happy with this film; the medieval architecture comes across beautifully. The cinematography is great and the setting adds real atmosphere. Great performances all round, particularly from; Colin Farrell as Ray, Brendan Gleeson as Ken and Ralph Fiennes as Harry, all were excellent. Honourable mentions also go to; Clémence Poésy as Chloe and Jordan Prentice as Jimmy, both were very good.

As I said at the beginning, there is a lot of comedy in this film, it’s mainly in the things Ray says and does. Few films make me laugh out loud, but this one did in more than a couple of places. The drama comes mainly in the final third and I found it didn’t quite have the impact it might have done. I guess the comedy reduced the force of the dramatic conclusion, although by then the comedy is very, very dark. The ending, I felt, was a little bit of a let-down, I expected something much bigger. But over all, a very enjoyable film with some laughs, excellent cinematography and some great performances… Recommended.

My score: 8.1/10

LINKS:
(RT = Rotten Tomatoes)
IMDb Page: http://uk.imdb.com/title/tt0780536/
RT Page: http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/in_bruges/
Trailer: http://uk.imdb.com/video/imdb/vi783417625/

Film Review: CHILDREN OF MEN (2006)

Co-Writer (Screenplay)/Director: Alfonso Cuarón
Running time: 109 mins (approx)
Certification (UK): 15

Genre: Drama/Thriller/Sci-Fi
UK Release date: 22nd September 2006

Watched on Sky+ Saturday 19th March 2011.

PLEASE NOTE: THERE MAY BE SPOILERS IN THIS REVIEW.

I was flicking channels before bed time the other night when I came across this film, it had only just started but I thought I’d watch five minutes… Fifteen minutes later I pressed ‘Record’ and retired to bed. I’m really glad I recorded it now because, I have to say for the record that I have seen it before but first time around I didn’t enjoy it all that much. A second viewing has convinced me that it is a very fine piece of work, gritty, and tough to watch at times, but certainly worth it. More of my thoughts later but here’s a brief summary first (summary haters and those that don’t wish to know anything about the plot please escort that refugee to the coast while I write the next paragraph).

It is the year 2027 and the world has gone to pot. No babies have been born since 2009 and this has caused chaos across the globe as society collapsed leaving numerous homeless and destitute people. Many make their way to the UK where they are herded into cages and sent to camps far away from the population. When an English man, Theo Faron is approached by his former lover, and leader of a pro-refugee rebellion, Julian, he reluctantly agrees to help her. They need him to escort a girl, Kee, to the coast where they hope to get her on a boat to meet a group of scientists known as ‘The Human Project’. Having secured the paperwork from his brother, Theo meets up with Julian, Kee and Miriam (Kee’s escort). They set off but are ambushed; they get away and make it to a safe house that proves not to be quite as safe as first thought. Here Theo discovers what is so special about Kee and why it is so important for everyone that she makes it to her destination. I’ll leave it there so as not to infuriate the spoiler police… they can get quite nasty you know.

Filmed in a washed-out style, this film is very stark-looking with a realistic feel to it. This really helps the story, which is a no-holds-barred assault on the sensitivities of modern life. It really hits home in a very pragmatic way how society could end up if mankind lets it (ok, no more political stuff). Great performances all round, particularly from Clive Owen as Theo Faron, he seldom convinces me as a leading man, but as the reluctant hero here, he really nails it. Julianne Moore did a good job as Julian (daft name for a girl if you ask me though), as did Pam Ferris as Miriam. I really liked Clare-Hope Ashitey as Kee, she played a difficult part very well, and it was great to see Michael Caine as you’ve never seen him before, as Theo’s friend Jasper.

Amongst all the grit, dirt and general reality of the film comes one scene that will stay with me for a long time. For those that have seen it, it’s where Theo and Kee are leaving the tower block and all the fighting stops until they are clear (I don’t think I’ve given anything vital away here). If you haven’t seen it, believe me, it’s a truly beautiful piece of cinema. There is also a great soundtrack with many songs you’ll recognise and a great piece of humour for Pink Floyd fans… just look out of the window at Battersea Power station & you’ll see what I mean. Over all, I really enjoyed this film, although I did find it a little too long. There are some great performances and it is a very compelling story… Recommended.

My score: 8.0/10

LINKS:
(RT = Rotten Tomatoes)
IMDb Page: http://uk.imdb.com/title/tt0206634/
RT Page: http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/children_of_men/
Official Site: http://www.universalstudiosentertainment.com/children-of-men/
Trailer: http://uk.imdb.com/video/screenplay/vi266470169/

Film Review: MILLER’S CROSSING (1990)

Writers/Directors: Joel Coen & Ethan Coen
Running time: 110 mins (approx)
Certification (UK): 12A

Genre: Crime/Drama/Thriller
UK Release date: 18th January 1991

Watched on Sky+ Tuesday 15th March 2011.

PLEASE NOTE: THERE MAY BE SPOILERS IN THIS REVIEW.

This DVD was lent to me some time ago and I decided it’s time to get it returned… but I thought I’d better watch it first! I quite like the Coens’ work, but this is one that has escaped me thus far, hence the borrowing of said DVD. It’s very definitely a Coen brothers script with some excellent dialogue and plenty of plot twists. I’ll give you my thoughts later, but here’s a brief summary first (summary haters and those that don’t wish to know anything about the plot please take that guy out into the woods & deal with him while I write the next paragraph).

Tom Reagan is advisor to Leo, the mob boss who runs things around here. Rival boss, Johnny Caspar wants Leo to give him permission to have Bernie Bernbaum killed because he’s making problems for his gambling syndicate. Now Bernie’s sister, Verna is seeing Leo and so Leo is reluctant to upset the apple cart (if you know what I mean). Also, Verna is seeing Tom on the side and if Leo ever found out about that there was gonna be some big trouble for him. Add to this the fact that, Tom is also a bit of a gambler and has run up quite a debt, but insists on paying it off without any help. So, one day Casper makes Tom an offer and, as you can probably guess, this is where all the fun starts… I hope you understand that lot! I’m gonna leave it there so as not to enrage the spoiler police too much.

As I said at the beginning, this film has a truly excellent script with some great dialogue and clever plot twists. It’s a very well made film with a very appropriate soundtrack (you’ll know what I mean if you’ve seen it). All the main cast put in very good performances; Gabriel Byrne as Tom Regan, Marcia Gay Harden as Verna, John Turturro as Bernie Bernbaum, Jon Polito I particularly liked as Johnny Caspar, Albert Finney as Leo and it was nice to see a cameo for Steve Buscemi as Mink.

Although it has a great script, I found it didn’t grab my attention the way other Coen brothers films have. Or maybe films have been made since that do what this does, but better. I don’t quite know what it is, but this one seems to lack the punch that other Coen brothers films have. I felt that, although he is very good, Gabriel Byrne seems very subdued all the way through and this appears out of character for someone in his position. But aside from that, it’s well worth seeing… Recommended (if only for Albert Finney wielding a Thompson Machine Gun to great effect).

My score: 7.5/10

LINKS:
(RT = Rotten Tomatoes)
IMDb Page: http://uk.imdb.com/title/tt0100150/
RT Page: http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/millers_crossing/
Trailer: http://uk.imdb.com/video/screenplay/vi3650486553/

Film Review: DEATH NOTE (2006)

Director: Shusuke Kaneko
Running time: 126 mins (approx)
Certification (UK): 12A

Genre: Crime/Drama/Thriller
UK Release date: 10th November 2007 (Leeds International Film Festival)

Watched on Sky+ Sunday 13th March 2011.

PLEASE NOTE: THERE MAY BE SPOILERS IN THIS REVIEW.

On seeing a trailer for this one I was intrigued and so I recorded the film. It’s in Japanese with subtitles although I’m lead to believe there may be a dubbed version out there somewhere. It is an adaptation of a very popular Manga which I found pretty enjoyable, if a little too long. More of my thoughts later, here’s a brief summary first (summary haters and those that don’t wish to know anything about the plot please find out who’s behind these mysterious murders while I write the next paragraph).

Criminals are mysteriously dying of heart attacks. All over the world murderers, rapists, thieves and criminals of all types are randomly dying in unusual circumstances. In Japan the police have dubbed the man responsible ‘Kira’ and he is revered by many of the public. There are those, however, who would prefer the legal process took its course and have dubbed ‘Kira’ a serial killer. The young man behind all this is called Light Yagami, the son of the policeman in charge of the case, Souichiro Yagami. He is a law student and, having become disillusioned with the law, found a notebook one dark night. He also met one of the gods of death, Ryuuk, who was to stay with him as long as he had the book. The instructions for using the book were simple, just write the name of the person you want dead while thinking of their image and they will die of a heart attack within forty seconds if some other means of death is not specified. The police seem powerless to stop him until a mysterious stranger who calls himself ‘L’ offers to help… I’ll leave it there so as not to enrage the gods of spoilers.

This is a very well made film with very much the feel of a Manga. I always find films from different cultures interesting and this is no exception. At times some of the CGI (used for Ryuuk) looks a little ropy, but apart from that I found it very well made. All the lead actors did a very good job; Tatsuya Fujiwara as Light Yagami, Kenichi Matsuyama as ‘L’, Asaka Seto as Naomi Misora, Shigeki Hosokawa as FBI Agent Ray, Takeshi Kaga as Souichiro Yagami, Yu Kashii as Shiori Kashino and finally, Shidô Nakamura as the voice of Ryuuk.

At the end of the day I found this film very enjoyable, but a little over-long. The story does move along a quite a pace, but I found that at just over two hours I had really had enough (maybe that’s just the fact I had to read subtitles for all that time). The end of the movie leaves it on a real cliff-hanger and so I’m waiting to the sequel to appear in the listings again (I missed it this time around). Over all, a pretty enjoyable film with some very clever plot-twists and a real cliff-hanger ending… Recommended.

My score: 7.6/10

LINKS:
(RT = Rotten Tomatoes)
IMDb Page: http://uk.imdb.com/title/tt0758742/
RT Page: http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/1200249-death_note/
Official Site: http://deathnote.viz.com/
Trailer: http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=2506305725812227013

Film Review: THE IMAGINARIUM OF DOCTOR PARNASSUS (2009)

Co-Writer/Director: Terry Gilliam
Running time: 117 mins (approx)
Certification (UK): 12A

Genre: Fantasy/Adventure/Drama
UK Release date: 16th October 2009

Watched on Sky+ Saturday 12th March 2011.

PLEASE NOTE: THERE MAY BE SPOILERS IN THIS REVIEW.

This is my 50th film this year, and by coincidence I decided to watch a film that has intrigued me for some time. There was a lot of talk about this one due to the unfortunate death of Heath Ledger. I know it didn’t get a rapturous reception, but I have been keen to see it ever since. I’ll give you my thoughts later, but here’s a brief summary first (summary haters and those that don’t wish to know anything about the plot please attract some punters for the show while I write the next paragraph).

Doctor Parnassus is a very old man, over a thousand years old, and he runs a travelling show, The Imaginarium. Putting himself in a trance-like state, he can make the dreams of anyone that walks through the magic mirror come to life. He is helped by his daughter, Valentina, a young man, Anton, and a man of small stature, Percy. One day they come across a man who is not in the best of situations, who they rescue. It turns out his name is Tony and he offers to help them with the show. Meanwhile, Doctor Parnassus is keeping a secret from his daughter, a secret involving the mysterious character known as Mr. Nick. Valentina will soon be sixteen and the Doctor is getting more desperate to get more people to try his show. I will leave my short summary there so as not to upset the spoiler police out there.

I always enjoy the visual spectacle of a Terry Gilliam film, he has such wonderful vision and always comes up with something both spectacular and utterly crazy at the same time. The scenes inside the Imaginarium and certain other key scenes are truly spectacular, a great feast for the eyes. Unfortunately in the real world it doesn’t work quite so well. Decent performances all round, Heath Ledger did a good job as Tony, as did Johnny Depp, Jude Law and Colin Farrell who all took turns with the part of Tony when he as inside the Imaginarium. Christopher Plummer was good as Doctor Parnassus and Andrew Garfield was great as Anton. Lily Cole did a fine job as Valentina and Verne Troyer was also good as Percy. Finally, a mention for Tom Waits who I thought was excellent as Mr. Nick.

I know there were problems with the production of this film, not least the loss of one of the leading men, but it did, unfortunately, fall a little short of the mark. As I’ve already said, certain parts of it are visually stunning, but this doesn’t make up for a script that was not all that great. I could follow the plot ok, but I found some of the dialogue sounded a little “off the cuff” and some of the characters were not fully developed enough. Over all though, I did quite enjoy it, and I will probably watch it again someday… Recommended for at least one viewing.

My score: 7.1/10

LINKS:
(RT = Rotten Tomatoes)
IMDb Page: http://uk.imdb.com/title/tt1054606/
RT Page: http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/1190561-imaginarium_of_doctor_parnassus/
Official Site: http://www.needcoffee.com/doctor-parnassus/
Trailer: http://uk.imdb.com/video/imdb/vi944374297/

Film Review: THE PROPOSITION (2005)

Director: John Hillcoat
Running time: 104 mins (approx)
Certification (UK): 18

Genre: Crime/Drama/Western
UK Release date: 10th March 2006

Watched on Sky+ Saturday 12th March 2011.

PLEASE NOTE: THERE MAY BE SPOILERS IN THIS REVIEW.

This one was recommended to me after I watched, and very much liked, The Road (2009) by the same director. Although it’s set in Australia in the 1800’s, it has very much the look and feel of a Spaghetti Western. It’s an interesting film with some nice ideas, but I just didn’t seem to be able to connect with any of the characters. More of my thoughts later, here’s a brief summary first (summary haters and those that don’t wish to know anything about the plot please track down that murderer while I write the next paragraph).

Charlie Burns and his young brother, Mike are captured by Captain Stanley and his troops. They are wanted in connection with the brutal rape of the pregnant Mrs Hopkins and the murder of her entire family at their homestead. The older brother, Arthur, has escaped into the hills. Stanley propositions Charlie with either tracking down and killing his brother Arthur or seeing his beloved younger brother Mike hang in nine days. He takes off in search of Arthur but events out in the bush and back in town are about to take a turn for the worse for both Charlie and Stanley… I’ll leave my summary here so as not to incur the wrath of the spoiler police.

It’s a pretty well made film, as I said, in the style of a Spaghetti Western. Some stunning scenery on view, credit to the cinematography for that. Decent performances all round, particularly from Guy Pearce as Charlie Burns and Ray Winstone as Captain Stanley. Both stood out in this one. Emily Watson was also good as Martha Stanley, as was John Hurt as the bounty hunter, Jellon Lamb.

As I said at the beginning, I found it quite hard to connect with any of the characters, good or bad. I guess they had no redeeming features in my eyes. I like the concept of the film, but the way it was executed, cutting back and forth between Charlie’s search for his brother and events back in town with Captain Stanley, didn’t work for me. I found it a bit of a mess over all, but not all bad, there are some scenes in there that I really like, but maybe not enough to make me want to watch it again.

My score: 6.7/10

LINKS:
(RT = Rotten Tomatoes)
IMDb Page: http://uk.imdb.com/title/tt0421238/
RT Page: http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/proposition/
Official Site (Australian): http://www.sonypictures.com.au/movies/theproposition/index.html
Trailer: http://uk.imdb.com/video/screenplay/vi3589800217/

Film Review: LEAVING LAS VEGAS (1995)

Writer/Director: Mike Figgis
Running time: 111 mins (approx)
Certification (UK): 18

Genre: Drama/Romance
UK Release date: 19th January 1996

Watched on Sky+ Friday 11th March 2011.

PLEASE NOTE: THERE MAY BE SPOILERS IN THIS REVIEW.

I heard that this is the film that Nicolas Cage actually does some proper acting, thinking it was just another urban legend I sceptically turned on and watched. What do you know? Some urban legends are actually true! Based on a novel by John O'Brien, it’s a love story, but a love story with a twist. More of that later, here’s a brief summary first (summary haters and those that don’t wish to know anything about the plot please run down to the store and get another bottle of vodka while I write the next paragraph).

Having lost his job and his wife through drinking, alcoholic Ben Sanderson sells everything he owns and decides to go to Las Vegas to drink himself to death. He finds a cheap motel and goes for a drive. He almost hits a young woman, a prostitute called Sera. The next day he propositions her and they end up spending the night together, just talking. Her pimp, Yuri, is not pleased that she has not come back with very much money and sends her out the following night. She looks for, and eventually finds, Ben and invites him over to her place. This is just the beginning of a relationship that will take Sera on quite a rollercoaster ride of emotions. I won’t say any more for fear of bringing the wrath of the spoiler police.

I first have to say what a truly excellent script this is, some really great dialogue and a really well made film. The soundtrack is very good too, featuring plenty of songs performed by Sting in a cocktail lounge style. There’s even a song co-written and performed by Nicolas Cage! Talking of which, he put in a truly stunning performance that fully deserved the Best Actor Oscar that year. I also thought Elisabeth Shue was exceptional as well, she fully deserved all the nominations and awards she won for this part. I will also give an honourable mention to Julian Sands as Yuri, whose performance was good, but maybe overshadowed by the other two.

So, if we add together the soundtrack, the script and the performances, we’ve got a really great film. Well, it is great, but there are periods where we lose sight of Ben and concentrate on Sera which I found a little distracting. I’d have liked to have seen a few little cut scenes of Ben interspersed so we didn’t lose track of him while telling Sera’s story. Having said that, it’s still a really great film and one I would happily watch again… Highly recommended.

My score: 8.8/10

LINKS:
(RT = Rotten Tomatoes)
IMDb Page: http://uk.imdb.com/title/tt0113627/
RT Page: http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/leaving_las_vegas/
Trailer: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UMlYWZgCIgo

Film Review: I LOVE YOU PHILLIP MORRIS (2009)

Directors: Glenn Ficarra & John Requa
Running time: 94 mins (approx)
Certification (UK): 15

Genre: Comedy/Drama
UK Release date: 17th March 2010

Watched on Sky+ Friday 11th March 2011.

PLEASE NOTE: THERE MAY BE SPOILERS IN THIS REVIEW.

This is a film I never thought I’d see… It’s really not my kind of thing. But it has been recommended several times, even by respected critics, and so when it came up on TV I thought I’d better give it a watch. There are some good performances and it works quite well as a comedy, but I found it more tragic than anything else. I will explain that later, but here’s a brief summary first (summary haters and those that don’t wish to know anything about the plot please help that guy over the wall while I write the next paragraph).

At the beginning of the film Steven Russell is a happily married cop with a beautiful wife, Deb, and a daughter. He is keeping a secret from them and, after a traffic accident; he decides to let it all out… He’s gay (hope that’s not a spoiler!). He leaves Deb and begins to live a life of excess, but as he soon discovers, ‘being gay is really expensive!’ This doesn’t deter Steven; he begins a series of scams and cons in order to finance his new found freedom. Unfortunately, there are consequences and eventually these catch up with him and he ends up in jail. There he meets the soft-spoken Phillip Morris and instantly falls in love with him. When they are released from jail the pair lives together and Steven gets a job… But he is keeping a secret from Phillip… I’ll leave it there in the interests of not giving spoilers away.

Based on a true story, and obviously a lot of poetic licence, I found this film entertaining at times, but also quite tragic. It was tragic in that the Steven Russell character finds it so hard to stop himself from conning people and no effort is made to stop him, or at least rehabilitate him. Even his lover doesn’t seem to recognise that he has a serious problem. Or maybe I’m just reading too much into it… Performance wise, Jim Carrey did a great job as Steven Russell, he’s bold, brash and everything you’d expect from Carrey. He does show he can do the dramatic stuff too, there are hints of the excellent work he did in The Truman Show (1998) and Man on the Moon (1999). I hardly recognised Ewan McGregor as Phillip Morris; he puts in the best performance in the film (IMO). Honourable mentions go to Leslie Mann as Deb and Rodrigo Santoro as Jimmy.

So, over all, it’s quite an entertaining film, in parts, but one that just didn’t quite hang together (for me). I felt the cons came too much to the fore and the relationship between Steven Russell and Phillip Morris became secondary. At the end of the day I didn’t quite believe the love story and so all that Steven Russell did just became ‘crazy antics’. Having said that, it’s still quite watchable… but not one I’ll watch again… Recommended, but just for one viewing.

My score: 6.3/10

LINKS:
(RT = Rotten Tomatoes)
IMDb Page: http://uk.imdb.com/title/tt1045772/
RT Page: http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/i_love_you_phillip_morris/
Official Site: http://www.phillipmorrismovie.net/
Trailer: http://uk.imdb.com/video/imdb/vi4149844249/

Film Review: UNTHINKABLE (2010)

Director: Gregor Jordan
Running time: 94 mins (approx)
Certification (UK): 18

Genre: Drama
UK Release date: 13th September 2010 (DVD Premiere)

Watched on Sky+ Tuesday 8th March 2011.

PLEASE NOTE: THERE MAY BE SPOILERS IN THIS REVIEW.

For a film that, in most parts of the world, went straight to DVD, this is surprisingly good. It deals with a very tough subject and asks some very hard questions, but I found it quite enthralling. Topped off with some really great dialogue and some really good performances, I’m surprised it didn’t get a wider release. But more of my thoughts later, here’s a brief summary first (summary haters and those that don’t wish to know anything about the plot please extract some information from the prisoner while I write the next paragraph).

Henry Herald ‘H’ Humphries, known as ‘H’, is a black ops interrogator who is called in when a white American Muslim says he has planted three nuclear bombs in cities across the country. The man, Steven Arthur Younger, has been captured and ‘H’ has to work with FBI agent Helen Brody to extract the location of the bombs. The methods ‘H’ uses are brutal and Brody finds it hard to stomach. She tries to be the voice of reason, but finds it more than difficult when her superiors condone the methods being used. I really don’t want to say too much more, this one is best watched with as little information as possible.

First of all, hats off to the filmmakers, I found this a very intelligent film that raises questions about torture, brutality, the justification for terrorism, and many more. Very well made with some tremendous performances. In particular; Samuel L. Jackson as Henry Herald ‘H’ Humphries, Carrie-Anne Moss as Agent Helen Brody and it was nice to see Michael Sheen in a truly dramatic role that reminded me of what a fine actor he really is.

There is a sequence at the beginning of the film where ‘H’ and Brody meet before Younger is arrested that just seems superfluous to me. It doesn’t really add much to the story and only serves to establish that ‘H’ is very important to those in power and that his family is important to him. Not really necessary, but once we’re past that it is quite an enthralling and a very thought provoking film. I must warn though that there are some scenes of torture and violence that some people may find distasteful. If you can bare that then I can definitely recommend this one to you.

My score: 7.8/10

LINKS:
(RT = Rotten Tomatoes)
IMDb Page: http://uk.imdb.com/title/tt0914863/
RT Page: http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/unthinkable/
Trailer: http://uk.imdb.com/video/imdb/vi3696953113/