Film Review: JULIA’S EYES (2010)

[Original Title: Los ojos de Julia]

Director: Guillem Morales
Writers: Guillem Morales, Oriol Paulo
Running time: 118 mins (approx)
Certification (UK): 15

Genre: Horror/Mystery/Thriller
UK Release date: 20^th May 2011

Watched on Sky+ Sunday 28^th April 2013.

PLEASE NOTE: THERE MAY BE UNINTENTIONAL SPOILERS IN THIS REVIEW.

This is a film I’ve wanted to see for some time now and I was pleased when it turned up in the listings last week. Of course time being at a premium, it’s not been until now that I’ve had the chance to sit down and watch it. Guillermo del Toro is one of the producers, which is why his name is very prominent on the posters; not that it’s a bad thing of course. I found it quite an intense drama with plenty for the slasher/horror fans to get their teeth into. I’ll give you more of my thoughts after this very brief summary.

When Julia Levin’s twin sister, Sara, commits suicide Julia decides there is something suspicious about it (both sisters played by Belén Rueda). Sara had been suffering from a degenerative condition that was slowly making her blind. Julia had the same condition, but not as advanced. And so, with her eyesight slowly fading, she begins to investigate with the help of her husband, Isaac (Lluís Homar). She discovers that Sara had been seeing a man and that they had gone to a country hotel together. They go to the same hotel but nobody seems to know who the mysterious man was. But there are clues and they point to Isaac; who commits suicide, again, in mysterious circumstances soon after. Julia finds her eyes are deteriorating fast now and goes into hospital to have an operation to fix the problem. She now has to keep them bandaged for two weeks. She persuades Dr. Román (Daniel Grao) to let her stay at her sister’s place but he insists that a health worker visits her every day. She agrees and her helper, Ivan (Pablo Derqui) arrives the next day; but there’s something odd about Ivan and Julia can’t take her bandages off to see what it is.

Really well shot with some very creepy lighting effects used in places; I liked the look of this one very much. A very intense drama that builds very nicely towards the end and the final showdown. There are plenty of plot twists to keep the audience guessing; a little old lady that lives around the corner and a creepy neighbour and his daughter. Great performances all round with Belén Rueda getting the nod from me as the most notable. I did find it a little overcomplicated in places, but it did all pan out in the end. Over all, a nicely put together tense drama with elements that the Slasher and Horror genre fans will lap up; worth a look.

SteelMonster’s verdict: RECOMMENDED

My score: 6.7/10.

IMDb Score: 6.5/10 (based on 12,184 votes when this review was written).
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1512685/

MetaScore: No Data: (Based on 0 critic reviews provided by Metacritic.com at the time of going to press).

Rotten Tomatoes ‘Tomatometer’ Score: 94/100 (based on 34 reviews counted at the time of going to press).

Rotten Tomatoes ‘Audience’ Score: 66/100 (based on 4,120 user ratings counted at the time of going to press).
http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/los_ojos_de_julia/

If you’re crazy enough… You can find me on Facebook at:
http://facebook.com/andy.steel3

FAVOURITE QUOTES:
NONE AVAILABLE

LINKS:
(Note: All were working at the time of going to press)
Official Site (es): http://www.losojosdejulia.es/
Trailer:

Film Review: THE FULL MONTY (1997)

Director: Peter Cattaneo
Writers: Simon Beaufoy
Running time: 91 mins (approx)
Certification (UK): 15

Genre: Comedy/Drama
UK Release date: 29^th August 1997

Watched on Sky+ Sunday 28^th April 2013.

PLEASE NOTE: THERE MAY BE UNINTENTIONAL SPOILERS IN THIS REVIEW.

I must have avoided seeing this film for about ten years after its release. I think the reason was that it was very successful and anyway, I didn’t really want to watch a film about male strippers. Don’t worry, I’ve learnt my lesson; just because a film is successful it doesn’t mean it’s either good or bad. The subject matter is also immaterial; it’s either a good film or not; we’ve all got the right to decide for ourselves. And so to ‘The Full Monty’; I have loved this film ever since that first viewing and it will always be a favourite. As those of you that read my stuff regularly know, I’m not all that big on comedies; this is a very rare exception and I’ll tell you why after this very brief summary.

At a time of high unemployment in the city of Sheffield (England), a group of men get together in order to make some cash. Inspired by the success of the Chippendale’s, they decide to put on an act at the local working men’s club. Who are these men I hear you say; well there’s Gaz (Robert Carlyle), who’s trying to raise money to pay off his back maintenance for his son, Nathan (William Snape). Then there’s Dave (Mark Addy), who’s Gaz’s best friend; he has low self esteem and needs a boost. Next up there’s Gerald (Tom Wilkinson), who has been lying to his wife about being out of work. The others are Lomper (Steve Huison), Horse (Paul Barber) and Guy (Hugo Speer). They all have their own reasons for wanting to do it and we get to know a lot about their lives and what makes them tick. When putting out posters one day, Gaz is goaded by a couple of women; he retaliates and claims they were prepared to go all the way, to do ‘The Full Monty’. But can they deliver on his promise?

There are very few films these days that make me laugh out loud but this one managed it six or seven times! Having spent most of my adult life in the north of England, I find the humour in this one quite refreshing. It’s not all fun and games though, there is quite a lot of drama to be found here and it’s this element that gives the humour more bite. Great performances all round with (for me), Tom Wilkinson standing out, although they were all praiseworthy. Over all, a comedy set against the gritty reality of unemployment and all that brings. If, like me, you’ve been avoiding this one, don’t put it off any longer, you can thank me later!

SteelMonster’s verdict: HIGHLY RECOMMENDED

My score: 8.7/10.

IMDb Score: 7.1/10 (based on 60,341 votes when this review was written).
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0119164/

MetaScore: 75/100: (Based on 31 critic reviews provided by Metacritic.com at the time of going to press).

Rotten Tomatoes ‘Tomatometer’ Score: 95/100 (based on 44 reviews counted at the time of going to press).

Rotten Tomatoes ‘Audience’ Score: 73/100 (based on 162,993 user ratings counted at the time of going to press).
http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/full_monty/

If you’re crazy enough… You can find me on Facebook at:
http://facebook.com/andy.steel3

FAVOURITE QUOTES:
WARNING: STRONG LANGUAGE
Dave: [discussing possible means of suicide] Drownin'. Now there's a way to go.
Lomper: I can't swim.
Gaz: Well you don't have to fucking swim, you divvy, that's the whole point. God, you're not very keen are you?
Lomper: Sorry...

Gerald: He's fat, you're thin, and you're both fucking ugly.

Horse: No-one said anything to me about the full monty!

Gerald: Fat, David, is a feminist issue.
Dave: Well, what's that supposed to mean, when it's at home?
Gerald: I don't bloody know, do I? But it is.

Gaz: Gentlemen, the lunchbox has landed!

Horse: No, but... what I mean to say is... my willy...
Lomper: *Your* willy? *My* willy!

Gaz: I need an audience
Dave: You need a doctor!

LINKS:
(Note: All were working at the time of going to press)
Trailer:

Film Review: KM 31: KILOMETRE 31 (2006)

Director: Rigoberto Castañeda
Writers: Rigoberto Castañeda, Ricardo Álvarez Canales (script consultant)
Running time: 105 mins (approx)
Certification (UK): 15

Genre: Horror/Mystery/Thriller
UK Release date: 7^th December 2007

Watched on Sky+ Saturday 27^th April 2013.

PLEASE NOTE: THERE MAY BE UNINTENTIONAL SPOILERS IN THIS REVIEW.

I have to admit I knew nothing about this film before hitting the ‘PLAY’ button on my SKY+ box earlier today. Well not quite nothing; I knew it was a horror film and I knew it was from Mexico (not dubbed – so beware, those that fear the subtitle). It turned out to be an interesting, if a little cliché, film with a neat little twist at the end. Here’s a very brief summary before I give you my thoughts.

When Ágata is badly injured in a road accident, her identical twin sister Catalina is first on the scene (both played by Iliana Fox). It seems the accident was caused when Ágata saw a small boy in the road. She had phoned her boyfriend, Omar (Raúl Méndez) just before she was run over but there was no sign of the boy at the scene. Omar decides to investigate further but a Police Detective; Ugalde (Carlos Aragón) dissuades him. Catalina’s boyfriend, Nuno (Adrià Collado) also decides to look into it and he and Catalina re-visit the scene where they meet an old woman who tells them a tale about how a woman had thrown herself into the river that used to flow there with her young son. Meanwhile, Omar visits Detective Ugalde who tells him that he has been looking into the many accidents that have plagued that stretch of road over the years. They all come up with the same conclusion and they know just where to find the answers; in the sewers of Mexico City.

Quite an interesting film; quite dark with some nice special effects; although nothing ground-breaking. It’s pretty gory in places so it’s definitely not one for the squeamish. All the performances were very good, although I’ll put my usual caveat that it’s sometimes quite hard to judge a performance in a foreign language. I thought Iliana Fox stood out as the most praiseworthy though. The film does, however, fall a little into cliché here an there; it must be hard to find new ways to scare people these days. It just about have enough ‘creep-factor’ though to keep me interested, so it’s not all bad. Over all, worth a look if you’re a horror fan; otherwise, I’d probably give it a miss. Personally, I pretty much enjoyed it.

SteelMonster’s verdict: RECOMMENDED

My score: 6.2/10.

IMDb Score: 5.3/10 (based on 2,119 votes when this review was written).
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0460485/

MetaScore: No Data: (Based on 0 critic reviews provided by Metacritic.com at the time of going to press).

Rotten Tomatoes ‘Tomatometer’ Score: 75/100 (based on 8 reviews counted at the time of going to press).

Rotten Tomatoes ‘Audience’ Score: 41/100 (based on 2,539 user ratings counted at the time of going to press).
http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/km_31/

If you’re crazy enough… You can find me on Facebook at:
http://facebook.com/andy.steel3

FAVOURITE QUOTES:
NONE AVAILABLE

LINKS:
(Note: All were working at the time of going to press)
Trailer: (Sorry about the picture quality)

Film Review: ANGEL HEART (1987)

Director: Alan Parker
Writers: William Hjortsberg (novel “Falling Angel”), Alan Parker (screenplay)
Running time: 113 mins (approx)
Certification (UK): 18

Genre: Mystery/Thriller
USA Release date: 6^th March 1987

Watched on Sky+ Sunday 21^st April 2013.

PLEASE NOTE: THERE MAY BE UNINTENTIONAL SPOILERS IN THIS REVIEW.

This is one of those titles that come up from time to time, either in conversations or it gets a mention in someone’s top ten or something similar. Either way, it’s always intrigued me. I hadn’t gone out of my way to find out too much about it before viewing so I could appreciate it for what it is and not what someone else may think about it. I have to say, although not perfect, it’s pretty damn good! Here’s a very brief summary before I tell you just why.

It’s 1955 and when private detective Harry Angel (Mickey Rourke) is contacted by a lawyer on behalf of a mysterious client, he’s intrigued enough to meet this party. The client, Cyphre (Robert De Niro) wants Angel to find the whereabouts of a former crooner, Johnny Favourite, who had entered a contract with Cyphre. He had been injured in the war and was supposed to be staying in a hospital in up-state New York. Checking his file, Angel discovers that Favourite is listed as ‘transferred’, but that doesn’t ring true. He finds his doctor and gets a story about him being picked up and taken back to New Orleans. The action switches South where Angel follows clues that lead him to a young woman; Epiphany Proudfoot (Lisa Bonet) and a fortune teller; Margaret Krusemark (Charlotte Rampling). Both have information about Johnny, but neither can tell Angel where he is. A series of murders though do point the way and when Angel discovers the truth about Johnny it may even be too late for him.

This is a beautifully put together film with some great imagery and a slight fixation for fans (don’t worry, this is explained in the narrative). The performances were all excellent with Mickey Rourke easily standing out; he always makes his characters believable and that was most important in this case. Of the others, De Niro was good in the places we saw him although he doesn’t have a major part to play; I thought Lisa Bonet did a very reasonable job also. It’s not perfect by any stretch of the imagination, but it certainly has something; and enough something to gain my recommendation.

SteelMonster’s verdict: RECOMMENDED

My score: 7.8/10.

IMDb Score: 7.3/10 (based on 42,341 votes when this review was written).
http://uk.imdb.com/title/tt0092563/

MetaScore: No Data: (Based on 0 critic reviews provided by Metacritic.com at the time of going to press).

Rotten Tomatoes ‘Tomatometer’ Score: 78/100 (based on 23 reviews counted at the time of going to press).

Rotten Tomatoes ‘Audience’ Score: 62/100 (based on 28,704 user ratings counted at the time of going to press).
http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/1000959-angel_heart/

If you’re crazy enough… You can find me on Facebook at:
http://facebook.com/andy.steel3

FAVOURITE QUOTES:
Cyphre: Are you an atheist?
Harry Angel: Yeah, I'm from Brooklyn.
*
[repeated line]
Harry Angel: I gotta thing about chickens.
*
Cyphre: No matter how cleverly you sneak up on a mirror, your reflection always looks you straight in the eye.
Harry Angel: What's your name?
Epiphany Proudfoot: Epiphany Proudfoot.
Harry Angel: Your mother left you a very beautiful name, Epiphany.
Epiphany Proudfoot: Not much else.
*
Harry Angel: [to Izzy as he is lounging on a deserted beach at Coney Island, in what must be early Autumn] Listen. What do you do around here in the summertime?
Izzy: I bite the heads off rats.
Harry Angel: What do you do in the winter?
Izzy: The same.
[chuckles nonchalantly]

LINKS:
(Note: All were working at the time of going to press)
Official Site: http://www.williamhjortsberg.com/angelheart.html
Trailer:

Film Review: SNOW WHITE AND THE HUNTSMAN (2012)

Director: Rupert Sanders
Writers: Evan Daugherty (screenplay/screen story), John Lee Hancock (screenplay), Hossein Amini (screenplay)
Running time: 120 mins (approx)
Certification (UK): 12

Genre: Adventure/Drama/Fantasy
UK Release date: 30th May 2012

Watched on Sky+ Saturday 20^th April 2013.

PLEASE NOTE: THERE MAY BE UNINTENTIONAL SPOILERS IN THIS REVIEW.

I’m not sure quite how this one ended up on ‘The List’; maybe I was feeling generous that day or something. Needless to say, it was added and the rules state, once added it cannot be removed except by royal decree or particularly scathing reviews. Sadly neither happened and so I have now done my duty and duly watched said movie. To be honest, it wasn’t quite as bad as I was expecting; that’s not to say it’s good though. I’ll tell you more after this very brief summary.

This is basically a re-telling of the story of Snow White; of course, with a slightly different twist to the traditional. For those that don’t know it; evil queen, Revenna (Charlize Theron) kills Snow White’s father (the king) and takes over the kingdom. All is darkness and Snow White (Kristen Stewart) is kept in a tower until she becomes ‘of age’. At this point she becomes a treat to the queen and she sends her brother Finn (Sam Spruell) to fetch her so she can kill her. Snow White escapes into the dark forest. Revenna sends The Huntsman (Chris Hemsworth) after her, promising to bring back his dead wife if he returns with Snow White. He finds her but she convinces him that the queen is going to double cross him and so he goes with her through the forest pursued by Finn. Eventually they meet some dwarves (played by various famous British & Irish actors) who help them escape Finn. They find Sanctuary and it is here that it is discovered just what Snow White is and how she can put an end to Revenna’s reign. I guess I had better leave it there or you’ll be thinking it’s a lot better than it actually is.

A film that relies very heavily on special effects and I think it’s because of this that it doesn’t quite work. I never see it as a good sign when there are more than two writers and there are three in this case. I generally means that the studio has had more than a passing interest in the mechanics of the storytelling (never a good sign). What you end up with (as in this case) is a film that looks very good, but usually has little, or no, substance. Yes, Charlize Theron is pretty good as the evil queen, as is Chris Hemsworth as The Huntsman; sadly the same cannot be said of Kristen Stewart. Don’t get me wrong, I rate her as an actress but she just doesn’t have the screen presence to carry off this role. I give her full marks for effort, but, for me at least, it didn’t quite work. Over all, the film only got interesting when the dwarves turned up and that was an hour into it. I think for the sequel (yes there’s a sequel in the works) they’ll have to put a lot more work into telling the story and a little less into making it look good on screen.

SteelMonster’s verdict: RECOMMENDED (…but only just)

My score: 5.8/10.

IMDb Score: 6.2/10 (based on 136,602 votes when this review was written).
http://uk.imdb.com/title/tt1735898/

MetaScore: 57/100: (Based on 39 critic reviews provided by Metacritic.com at the time of going to press).

Rotten Tomatoes ‘Tomatometer’ Score: 48/100 (based on 207 reviews counted at the time of going to press).

Rotten Tomatoes ‘Audience’ Score: 54/100 (based on 307,750 user ratings counted at the time of going to press).
http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/snow_white_and_the_huntsman/

If you’re crazy enough… You can find me on Facebook at:
http://facebook.com/andy.steel3

FAVOURITE QUOTES:
[first lines]
The Huntsman: [narration] Once upon a time, in deep winter, a queen was admiring the falling snow, when she saw a rose blooming in defiance of the cold. Reaching for it she pricked her finger and three drops of blood fell. And because the red seemed so alive against the white she thought, “If only I had a child as white as snow, lips as red as blood, hair as black as a raven's wings, and all with the strength of that rose.” Soon after a daughter was born to the queen and was named Snow White.
*
Gort: We used to have pride. Now we just pilfer and drink and dream about when we didn't. Every man here would die for the chance of becoming that man again. So we follow you, Princess, in life and in death and we shall have our pride again. On Gus’ soul on this, I swear.

Ravenna’s Mother: Your beauty is all that can save you, Ravenna! This spell will make your beauty your power and protection. By fairest blood it is done. But be warned, by fairest blood this spell can be undone.
*
Snow White: Do you drink to drown your sorrows? Or your conscience?
The Huntsman: What concern is it of yours why I drink?
Snow White: I suppose a man's sorrows are his own.
The Huntsman: What does a young girl like you know about sorrow?

LINKS:
(Note: All were working at the time of going to press)
Official Site: http://www.snowwhiteandthehuntsman.com/
Official Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/snowwhiteandthehuntsman
Trailer:

Film Review: UNDEFEATED (2011)

Directors: Daniel Lindsay, T.J. Martin
Running time: 113 mins (approx)
Certification (UK): 12

Genre: Documentary/Sport
UK Release date: 3^rd August 2012

Watched on Sky+ Sunday 14^th April 2013.

PLEASE NOTE: THERE MAY BE UNINTENTIONAL SPOILERS IN THIS REVIEW.

I hadn’t heard about this documentary until I found it in the TV listings the other day. Although I’m not a fan of Grid-Iron football (I am British after all), I decided to give it a look. What I discovered was a fantastically inspiring tale of a high school football team and how their coach turns them around from a bunch of losers to a winning team despite all the odds being stacked against them. It won the Oscar for Best Documentary in 2011 and I can see why!

So what’s it all about? Well a North Memphis high school football team, the Manassas Tigers haven’t won a game in almost fourteen years. Their coach, Bill Courtney is determined to change all that. There are many problems off the field with his players getting into trouble and even being arrested in a few cases. But he is a determined man and he wants the best for the team. They have one key player, O.C. Brown and he is struggling academically and so they arrange for him to live with one of the coaches for a few days a week so he can get the extra tuition he needs. No tutor is willing to go to O.C.’s neighbourhood it seems. As the season progresses and the team begins to put a string of wins together coach Courtney can see they might have a crack at the play-offs. This is important because no team from that school has ever won a play-off game. I’ll leave it there; don’t want to give the ending away.

I found this a very inspirational film with insights into the lives of the players and the coaches alike. Admittedly, a lot of the focus is on Coach Courtney, but we do get glimpses of the lives of the players too. Not only star player O.C. Brown, but players like Montrail 'Money' Brown, who struggles with a bad injury part-way through the season. It was great to see how both the coach and his team-mates stood by him throughout. Also there was bad boy Chavis Daniels, who had problems with discipline but overcame them to become an iatrical part of the team. Even if, like me, you’re not particularly a fan of the game this inspirational film is well worth a look!

SteelMonster’s verdict: HIGHLY RECOMMENDED

My score: 8.9/10.

IMDb Score: 7.3/10 (based on 2,299 votes when this review was written).
http://uk.imdb.com/title/tt1860355/

MetaScore: 71/100: (Based on 29 critic reviews provided by Metacritic.com at the time of going to press).

Rotten Tomatoes ‘Tomatometer’ Score: 96/100 (based on 94 reviews counted at the time of going to press).

Rotten Tomatoes ‘Audience’ Score: 88/100 (based on 3,015 user ratings counted at the time of going to press).
http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/undefeated_2012/

If you’re crazy enough… You can find me on Facebook at:
http://facebook.com/andy.steel3

FAVOURITE QUOTES:
NONE AVAILABLE.

LINKS:
(Note: All were working at the time of going to press)
Trailer:

Film Review: GONE (2012)

Director: Heitor Dhalia
Writers: Allison Burnett
Running time: 86 mins (approx)
Certification (UK): 15

Genre: Drama/Mystery/Thriller
UK Release date: 12^th April 2012

Watched on Sky+ Saturday 13^th April 2013.

PLEASE NOTE: THERE MAY BE UNINTENTIONAL SPOILERS IN THIS REVIEW.

This is one of those films that looks good on the cover but once you get it home it doesn’t quite live up to expectations. It’s a good premise; an abduction and an unbelieved witness, but it’s been done before and, more importantly, it’s been done better before. It’s not all bad though, there are some good performances and there are a couple of interesting twists along the way. But I digress, here’s a very brief summary before I hit you with both barrels on the thoughts front.

When waitress Jill (Amanda Seyfried) returns from work one morning, she finds her sister, Molly (Emily Wickersham), is missing. This is particularly troubling for Jill because she had been abducted in the past and escaped. This has left her with psychological problems to which the police are not very sympathetic to. She believes the man that abducted her before has come back and taken Molly. She takes it to Detective Powers (Daniel Sunjata) who does not believe her (of course). So she decides to take matters into her own hands and sets out to find Molly herself. What follows is a chase; the Police looking for Jill and Jill looking for her sister and the man that abducted her. She even calls on the help of a colleague, Sharon Ames (Jennifer Carpenter). She believes the killer will strike at sundown and time is running out.

It’s a film that I believe is trying to be too clever for its own good; there are too many coincidences and blind alleys. On the performance front, I thought Amanda Seyfried did a good job but nobody else really stood out. Sadly I found it really hard to sympathise with her character because the threat appears to be in her head for much of the film. There’s sadly not much else I can say about it; I’ve maybe been a little generous with the score, but Portland did look good on the screen and the cinematography was pretty good over all. Not one I’ll be watching again but I’m glad I saw it for Seyfried’s performance if nothing else.

SteelMonster’s verdict: NOT RECOMMENDED

My score: 5.7/10.

IMDb Score: 5.7/10 (based on 18,311 votes when this review was written).
http://uk.imdb.com/title/tt1838544/

MetaScore: 36/100: (Based on 15 critic reviews provided by Metacritic.com at the time of going to press).

Rotten Tomatoes ‘Tomatometer’ Score: 11/100 (based on 62 reviews counted at the time of going to press).

Rotten Tomatoes ‘Audience’ Score: 43/100 (based on 34,738 user ratings counted at the time of going to press).
http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/gone_2012/

If you’re crazy enough… You can find me on Facebook at:
http://facebook.com/andy.steel3

FAVOURITE QUOTES:
Powers: She stuck with her story. And now every time a girl goes missing, she thinks it's her guy and she's in here breaking my balls.
Peter Hood: She can always move in with me. I like 'em a little crazy.
*
Custodian: What if you don't show up?
Jill: It means I'm dead.
*
Jill: Are you going to say hi?
Molly: Maybe tomorrow after my final. Right now I've got to become an expert on marginal productivity theory.
Jill: I'd ask you what that is, but then I'm afraid you'd tell me. 

Jill: What's a few meds between sisters?
*
Jill: He never existed. It was all in my head.

LINKS:
(Note: All were working at the time of going to press)
Trailer: