Film Review: TWILIGHT (2008)

Director: Catherine Hardwicke
Running time: 118 mins (approx)
Certificate (UK): 12

Watched on Sky+ Friday 20th November 2009.

PLEASE NOTE: POSSIBLE SPOILERS IN THIS REVIEW.

I guess I’m definitely not the target audience for this film, however, I feel I can therefore be a little more objective about it. Set in the small town of Forks in Washington State, it tells the story of Bella Swan and her love for the vampire Edward Cullen. Bella has recently moved to live with her father, Charlie, to allow her mother and step dad to go on the road.

On her first day of school, Bella meets Edward who, at first doesn’t seem to like her. He then disappears for a few days, during which a man is mysteriously killed by what is thought to be a wild animal. On his return, Edward seems to have changed and starts taking more of an interest in Bella. Edward is being fostered by Carlisle Cullen and his wife Esme, there is also Alice, Emmett and the twins Rosalie and Jasper. Bella’s father is the local sheriff and his best friend Billy Black and his son Jacob also have a part to play in this tale. Edward’s attraction to Bella grows strong and she, in turn, begins to fall for him. Eventually she figures out exactly what Edward is and confronts him with it. She is not scared and they begin to see each other, secretly at first, but then in the open. Bella is taken to meet Edward’s family who, it turns out, do not feed on humans, but are kind of vampire vegetarians and only feed on animals. I won’t tell any more as I don’t want to give away too many spoilers, I’m sure there must be one or two out there that haven’t seen this yet.

A beautifully shot movie with, surprisingly, not too many special effects. A pretty good soundtrack too, but any soundtrack with the band Muse in it can’t be all bad! Decent performances from all of the main characters, Kristen Stewart as Bella Swan, Robert Pattinson as Edward Cullen, Billy Burke as Charlie Swan, Gil Birmingham as Billy Black, Taylor Lautner as Jacob Black and Peter Facinelli as Carlisle Cullen. I particularly enjoyed Billy Burke as Bella’s understated father; I think he really nailed that part.

Over all, although I haven’t read the book and, as I said at the beginning, I’m certainly not the target audience, I quite enjoyed this film. I didn’t really engage with the characters too much though. The plot was not too difficult to follow and it was quite entertaining. I can’t give it too high a mark though because I felt there wasn’t enough of an edge to it. For instance, Bella should have been scared when she figured out Edward was a vampire, but she wasn’t and we, as an audience, just had to accept that, which, to me, made the vampires seem a lot less threatening than they should have been.

My score: 6.2/10

LINKS:
IMDb Site: http://uk.imdb.com/title/tt1099212/
Official Site: http://www.stepheniemeyer.com/twilight_movie.html
Trailer: http://uk.imdb.com/rg/VIDEO_PLAY/LINK/video/imdb/vi710344729/

Film Review: CHANGELING (2008)

Director: Clint Eastwood
Running time: 141 mins (approx)
Certificate (UK): 15

Watched on Sky+ Thursday 19th November 2009.

PLEASE NOTE: POSSIBLE SPOILERS IN THIS REVIEW.

Based on true events and set in Los Angeles in the late 1920’s through to the mid 1930’s, this film tells the tale of Christine Collins and her search for her missing son Walter. At a time when police corruption is rife she battles the LAPD and the mayor’s office in her efforts to find the truth. This is, at times, a harrowing tale and one of great courage on Mrs Collins part despite the odds being stacked against her.

Coming home late from work one evening, single parent, Christine Collins finds her son, Walter, is missing. She goes around the neighbourhood, but there is no sign of him. She calls the police but they are indifferent to her pleas for help. Eventually they do turn up but seemingly do little in the way of investigation. A boy matching Walter’s description is eventually found several months later and the police, needing some good press, arrange for the press to be present at the reunion. The boy is clearly not Walter but the police captain J.J. Jones, insists he is despite Mrs Collins saying so. Adamant that the police have got it wrong, and with the help of the Reverend Gustav Briegleb, Christine gets testimony from Walter’s dentist and teacher stating that the boy is not Walter. This is still not good enough for the Captain Jones and eventually Mrs Collins is thrown into the psychiatric ward at the Los Angeles hospital. Meanwhile the case of a serial killer is revealed and it is though the Walter may have been involved. I think that’s enough of the plot, I don’t want to give too much away.

A beautifully made film, the locations and feel of it were just right for the period. Also a really fitting score written by Clint Eastwood (Damn, he so talented!), set the mood perfectly. A tremendous performance by Angelina Jolie as Christine Collins, she has really gone up in my estimation with this one! Honourable mentions go to John Malkovich as Rev. Gustav Briegleb, Jeffrey Donovan as Captain J.J. Jones, Colm Feore as Chief James E. Davis, Jason Butler Harner as Gordon Northcott, Amy Ryan as Carol Dexter and Michael Kelly as Detective Lester Ybarra.

This is a pretty long film, over two hours, and it has quite a slow pace, but it’s worth persevering with. I found it truly inspiring the way Christine would not give up on her son despite the authorities telling her otherwise. I really enjoyed it and this is, I hope, reflected in my score.

My score: 8.2/10

LINKS:
IMDb Site: http://uk.imdb.com/title/tt0824747/
Official Site: http://www.changelingmovie.net/
Trailer: http://uk.imdb.com/rg/VIDEO_PLAY/LINK/video/imdb/vi3944284185/
Further reading: http://www.latimesinteractive.com/advertising/changeling/Changeling-V5.html

Film Review: HOW TO LOSE FRIENDS AND ALIENATE PEOPLE (2008)

Director: Robert B. Weide
Running time: 94 mins (approx)
Certificate (UK): 15

Watched on Sky+ Sunday 15th November 2009.

PLEASE NOTE: POSSIBLE SPOILERS IN THIS REVIEW.

Based on the autobiographical book by Toby Young, this film charts the rise to fame of magazine journalist Sidney Young. From a failing magazine in London, he is lured to the bright lights of New York City by ‘Sharps’ magazine boss Clayton Harding. This is where most of the film is set, although there are scenes set in both London and Los Angeles.

Having arrived in New York, Sidney, looking to make an impression, can do nothing right. He finds that things are done very differently in the Big Apple and he finds it difficulty to tow the line. The only one of his colleagues that will talk to him is fellow journalist Alison Olsen. It turns out that Alison is having an affair with another colleague who happens to be married. Throw into the mix Publicist Eleanor Johnson and her starlet Sophie Maes, who Sidney is very interested in, and we have a bit of a comedy on our hands.

This is a British comedy, there’s no getting away from it. Although most of the action takes place in New York, there is a very British sense of humour about it. Well shot with a really good soundtrack. Good performances from all the leading roles, Simon Pegg as Sidney Young, Kirsten Dunst as Alison Olsen, Danny Huston as Lawrence Maddox, Gillian Anderson as Eleanor Johnson, Megan Fox as Sophie Maes, Max Minghella as Vincent Lepak, Jeff Bridges as Clayton Harding and Miriam Margolyes as Mrs. Kowalski (Sidney’s landlady).

I guess my main problem with this film is that I didn’t really care for the main character very much. He was such an arsehole at the beginning of the film I really didn’t care whether he got the girl or not towards the end. No reflection on Simon Pegg’s performance, I think it’s more to do with the writing. So, over all, a very British romantic comedy set in New York that maybe alienated the audience a bit too much from one of the main characters. Could have been better.

My score: 6/10

LINKS:
IMDb Site: http://uk.imdb.com/title/tt0455538/
Official Site: http://www.howtolosefriendsmovie.com/intl/uk/
Trailer: http://uk.imdb.com/rg/VIDEO_PLAY/LINK/video/imdb/vi903610649/

Film Review: 2012 (2009)

Director: Roland Emmerich
Running time: 158 mins (approx)
Certification (UK): 12A

Watched at the cinema Saturday 14th November 2009.

PLEASE NOTE: THERE MAY BE SPOILERS IN THIS REVIEW.

The Mayans predicted the world would end in the year 2012. Like many predictions of Earths’ destruction, it was forgotten until, in 2008, a scientist in India found the effect a massive solar flare was having on the Earth’s core. The radiation was acting like a microwave, destabilising the core and eventually the Earth’s crust. Governments were informed and plans were formed to save what they could of humanity… Those that could pay anyway.

During the destruction of the Earth we follow, amongst others, the fortunes of failed writer Jackson Curtis, his estranged wife and two children, and scientist, and government advisor, Adrian Helmsley. Having met Helmsley when Jackson takes the kids to Yellowstone for a holiday, our heroes take separate routes to salvation. It is apparent that something is up in Yellowstone and crazy reporter, Charlie Frost is on the case. Jackson meets Charlie and they discuss his theories. During this discussion Charlie lets out the fact that he has a map showing the location of giant ships being built by the governments of the world. To cut a long story short, when it all goes to hell in L.A., Jackson remembers the map and during their escape they manage to get to Yellowstone and retrieve it. Now desperate to get to China they luckily bump into Jackson’s boss, Russian billionaire Yuri Karpov, who happens to have a ticket for one of the ships. They manage to get to China where Jackson and his family are dumped by the greedy Russian. Meanwhile, Helmsley has been advising the president on how best to handle the crisis. Trying to persuade him to let the people know the world is about to end is quite a hard job! Eventually the president has a change of heart right at the last minute and decides to ‘Go down with the ship’, leaving his daughter escaping to China with Helmsley. There’s so much more to tell, but I’ll leave the plot here… I think you’ve had enough spoilers for one day!

Visually, the film is quite stunning; most of the effects are quite breathtaking on the big screen. Adequate performances from all of the major cast members, honourable mentions to John Cusack as Jackson Curtis, Amanda Peet as Kate Curtis, Chiwetel Ejiofor as Adrian Helmsley, Thandie Newton as Laura Wilson (The President’s daughter), Woody Harrelson as Charlie Frost and Danny Glover as President Thomas Wilson. I must admit I loved Woody Harrelson’s over-the-top cameo as Charlie Frost, worth seeing just that section of the movie alone.

I found the film exciting and, once all the destruction started, quite a roller coaster ride. Unfortunately, what let it down was the fact that it was just too long at 158 minutes and the fact the there were far far too many clichés in the storyline. It’s almost as if Roland Emmerich decided to put in bits of every other disaster movie ever made! Also, the story was a tad on the lame side, or have I just seen one too many disaster movies. Over all, a very good special effects movie that was let down by being a tad too long, had far too many clichés and had a storyline that was a little lame.

My score: 6.4/10

LINKS:
IMDb Site: http://uk.imdb.com/title/tt1190080/
Official Site: http://www.sonypictures.co.uk/movies/2012/
Trailer: http://uk.imdb.com/rg/VIDEO_PLAY/LINK/video/imdb/vi3444113945/

Film Review: MISS PETTIGREW LIVES FOR A DAY (2008)

Director: Bharat Nalluri
Running time: 92 mins (approx)
Certificate (UK): PG

Watched on Sky+ Saturday 14th November 2009.

PLEASE NOTE: POSSIBLE SPOILERS IN THIS REVIEW.

Not the kind of film, I guess, you’d expect to find in my blog, but I must admit to being a bit of a fan of Frances McDormand. Ever since I first saw her in Fargo (1996) I have been an admirer of her work. In fact I recently watched and reviewed her most recent film, Burn After Reading (2008). But I digress; this film is set in London just before the outbreak of World War II, where Miss Guinivere Pettigrew is a rather unsuccessful nanny. Via a bit of subterfuge she ends up at the door of Delysia Lafosse, an American club singer and socialite who is in need of a social secretary. And this is where Miss Pettigrew’s day begins.

It’s quite a complicated plot, so I’ll just give you a taste of the action. Thinking that she is to be employed as a nanny, Miss Pettigrew thinks nothing when asked by Delysia to get Phil out of bed. She soon discovers that Phil is a little older than she had expected. He is putting on a show in the West End and Delysia has been trying to persuade him to give her the leading role. Having got Phil out of the flat, it’s not long before Nick arrives. Some quick thinking on Miss Pettigrew’s part gets him on his way and they head for a fashion show where they meet Joe Blumfield and his much younger on/off fiancée Edythe DuBarry. After the show, they take Miss Pettigrew to Edythe’s boutique and get her a make-over and some new clothes. On returning to the flat they discover Michael Pardue, Delysia’s pianist at the club and who is the only one who truly loves her for who she is, but she still has higher ambitions… Told you it was complicated! I won’t say any more, but believe me, its well worth watching.

A really well made film, I liked the kind of washed out colour effect used which fitted the period really well. Great performances from all of the leading cast, in particular Frances McDormand as Miss Guinivere Pettigrew, Amy Adams as Delysia Lafosse, Lee Pace as Michael Pardue, Ciarán Hinds as Joe Blumfield, Shirley Henderson as Edythe DuBarry, Mark Strong as Nick Cordorelli and Tom Payne as Phil Goldman. It starts of as a kind of screw-ball comedy come farce, but there is an underlying seriousness that is brought out in conversations between Guinivere and Joe. They are both of a similar age; both remember the First World War and both lost loved ones in that conflict. I think, because of that serious aspect, I enjoyed this film a lot better than I would have done otherwise. Overall then, a really enjoyable gentle comedy with a hint of reality which, I think, gave it a little edge over similar movies.

My score: 8.3/10

LINKS:
IMDb Site: http://uk.imdb.com/title/tt0970468/
Official Site: Miss Pettigrew Lives for a Day - Official Site
Trailer: http://uk.imdb.com/rg/VIDEO_PLAY/LINK/video/imdb/vi800194841/

Film Review: TAKEN (2008)

Director: Pierre Morel
Writers: Luc Besson & Robert Mark Kamen
Running time: 90 mins (approx)
Certificate (UK): 18

Watched on Sky+ Sunday 8th November 2009.

PLEASE NOTE: POSSIBLE SPOILERS IN THIS REVIEW.

A retired CIA agent, Bryan Mills, wants to re-connect with his 17 year old daughter, Kim, in L.A. His ex-wife, Lenore, has re-married and Bryan knows he cannot compete with Kim’s stepfather. Weary of the world, Bryan is very cautious when Kim announces that she wants to go off to Paris with a friend for the summer holidays. He eventually relents and they set off for their big adventure, not realising that not everyone they meet is as nice as they may seem.

Kim is on the phone to her father when she sees her friend Amanda being kidnapped; she knows she will be next, so Bryan tells her to shout out any details about them she can. Using these few clues, and with the help of some of his CIA colleagues, he goes to Paris to find her. What ensues is a very brutal investigation, in which no stone is left unturned in Bryan’s determined effort to find and rescue his daughter from the Albanian white slave traders who have taken her. I won’t go into details, but, believe me; it’s definitely not for the squeamish!

A thriller with plenty of well made action sequences, particularly the outside shots set in Paris. Plenty of explosions and lots of violence. Good performances from the leading cast members, Liam Neeson as Bryan Mills, Maggie Grace as Kim, Olivier Rabourdin as Jean-Claude and Famke Janssen as Lenore, although Kim, played by Maggie Grace did come across is a bit whiney and annoying. The French police, and in particular the Albanians, came out of this quite badly, the Police for being corrupt and the Albanians for being slimy gangsters. I’m sure it’s not the case for all of them! Over all, if you like violent revenge thrillers then this is the film for you. If you’re a bit squeamish, I’d avoid it. Personally, I liked it a lot!

My score: 8/10

LINKS:
IMDb Site: http://uk.imdb.com/title/tt0936501/
Official Site: http://microsites.craveonline.com/taken/
Trailer: http://uk.imdb.com/rg/VIDEO_PLAY/LINK/video/imdb/vi3488219417/

Film Review: GHOST TOWN (2008)

Co-Writer/Director: David Koepp
Running time: 99 mins (approx)
Certificate (UK): 12A

Watched on Sky+ Sunday 8th November 2009.

PLEASE NOTE: POSSIBLE SPOILERS IN THIS REVIEW.

First of all, I must admit to not being the greatest Ricky Gervais fan in the world. I have seen, and enjoyed, his TV series ‘Extras’, but most of what I’ve seen of his other output hasn’t really hit the mark IMHO. This film is set in Manhattan where Bertram Pincus is a dentist who doesn’t really like people. Frank Herlihy is a businessman who is cheating on his wife and, at the moment of his death, happens to be outside the building where Bertrum Pincus lives.

Having been in hospital for a routine operation, Bertrum Pincus discovers he can see dead people, or ghosts if you prefer. One of these ghosts happens to be a very pushy individual named Frank Herlihy, who insists Bertrum splits up his ex-wife, Gwen and her new fiancé, Richard. Frank believes Richard is using Gwen to get at the money she got from his life insurance. Reluctantly, Bertrum agrees, but as fate would have it, he finds himself falling for Gwen.

A really well made film, I particularly like the use of music throughout, it set the tone perfectly. Great performances from all of the cast, in particular, Ricky Gervais as Bertram Pincus D.D.S., Téa Leoni as Gwen and Greg Kinnear as Frank Herlihy. As a romantic comedy, I really enjoyed this film, I felt it got a bit lost in the middle, but came back strong at the end. As I said at the beginning, I’m not the greatest fan of Ricky Gervais, but I have heard that this is much better than The Invention of Lying (2009), which I’m prepared to believe, although I haven’t seen it yet. Over all, a really engaging romantic comedy. It looks like they had a lot of fun making it too; some of Téa Leoni’s laughter looked really genuine!

My score: 7.5/10

LINKS:
IMDb Site: http://uk.imdb.com/title/tt0995039/
Official Site: http://www.ghosttownmovie.com/intl/uk/#/home
Trailer: http://uk.imdb.com/rg/VIDEO_PLAY/LINK/video/imdb/vi3501196057/

Film Review: PRIDE AND GLORY (2008)

Director: Gavin O'Connor
Running time: 125 mins (approx)
Certificate (UK): 15

Watched on Sky+ Saturday 7th November 2009.

PLEASE NOTE: POSSIBLE SPOILERS IN THIS REVIEW.

Set in the Washington Heights district of New York, this gritty police drama depicts the consequences of corruption in the New York Police department. It also tells how these events effect the Irish-American family, the Tierney’s, caught up in the centre of it all.

Four police officers are killed in a shootout in Washington Heights and Ray Tierney is persuaded by his father, Francis Sr., to join the investigation team. They uncover a corruption scandal that involves Ray’s brother-in law, Jimmy Eagan. Jimmy is an out-of-control cop who, along with his colleagues, has been involved in dealing drugs for some time. His boss, Ray’s brother Francis Jr., was unaware that Jimmy had strayed so far because of his own problems at home with his wife who has cancer. Jimmy has alienated many of the more unsavoury elements in the district and this, in the end, proves to be his undoing.

A very well made film with some great performances from all of the main cast members. Honourable mentions go to Edward Norton as Ray Tierney, Colin Farrell as Jimmy Eagan, Jon Voight as Francis Tierney Sr., Noah Emmerich as Francis Tierney Jr. and Jennifer Ehle as Abby Tierney.

Unfortunately, I couldn’t decide whether the film was a family drama or a crime thriller. It seemed to flip between both stories, which, I think unbalanced it and which I also found quite distracting at times. Also, I thought the film was a little too long and, maybe because of the ‘flipping’, a bit too slowly paced for my liking. Over all, some great performances, but a film that is a bit too long and paced a little too slow.

My score: 6/10

LINKS:
IMDb Site: http://uk.imdb.com/title/tt0482572/
Official Site: http://www.prideandglorymovie.com/
Trailer: http://uk.imdb.com/rg/VIDEO_PLAY/LINK/video/imdb/vi3217162521/

Film Review: CITY OF EMBER (2008)

Director: Gil Kenan
Running time: 90 mins (approx)
Certificate (UK): PG

Watched on Sky+ Sunday 1st November 2009.

PLEASE NOTE: POSSIBLE SPOILERS IN THIS REVIEW.

Set in a future where the Earth’s surface has become uninhabitable and so, in order to save the human race, a group of scientists and engineers build the subterranean City of Ember. A case is entrusted to the mayor with a clock built in that counts down for two hundred years. This case contains the secret of the City and the key to the way to the surface. Unfortunately, with the passage of time, the case was lost and eventually opened alone on a shelf. With the city now beyond its two hundred year lifespan, the generator that keeps it alive is failing and the food is beginning to run out.

Two children, Lina Mayfleet and Doon Harrow, are curious as to why the generator is failing and why it is illegal to leave the city. Doon’s father, Lorris, is an inventor and encourages his son to question the world around him. Lina has lost both her parents and, along with her little sister Poppy, is cared for by their grandmother. Both children have just come of age and, as tradition holds, they are assigned jobs by the Mayor. This is done quite randomly by picking them out of a bag. Doon wants to work with the generator, but ends up in the Pipe Works. Lina gets her wish and ends up as a messenger. But when Lina discovers the case and begins to piece together the clues inside, both of them are in for a great adventure!

First of all, I must give praise to the set designers and builders; they have done a great job of putting together an underground city. Great cinematography and lighting too. Great performances from our two main cast members, Saoirse Ronan as Lina Mayfleet and Harry Treadaway as Doon Harrow. Decent performances also from Tim Robbins as Loris Harrow, Bill Murray as Mayor Cole, Martin Landau as Sul, Toby Jones as Barton Snode, Mackenzie Crook as Looper and Marianne Jean-Baptiste as Clary. I guess the thing that let it down for me was that, although it was quite exciting at times, and the subject matter really interested me, I never really engaged with any of the characters. Some of the city residents weren’t particularly likeable, especially the mayor, and so I didn’t really care whether they were saved or not. Over all, a fair effort that didn’t quite hit the mark.

My score: 6/10

LINKS:
IMDb Site: http://uk.imdb.com/title/tt0970411/
Official Site: http://www.cityofember.com/
Trailer: http://uk.imdb.com/rg/VIDEO_PLAY/LINK/video/imdb/vi543359001/

Film Review: THICK AS THIEVES (aka THE CODE) (2009)

Director: Mimi Leder
Running time: 104 mins (approx)
Certificate (UK): 15

Watched on Sky+ Sunday 1st November 2009.

PLEASE NOTE: POSSIBLE SPOILERS IN THIS REVIEW.

Keith Ripley is a notorious art thief who has been pursued by New York cop Lt. Weber for many years without any conviction. Ripley has more recently managed to avoid going to jail with the help of his god daughter, and lawyer, Alexandra Korolenko. As you might guess, Ripley has ties with the tight knit Russian community in New York.

Gabriel Martin is a young thief from Miami who is befriended by the veteran Ripley. Now, Ripley wants Martin to help him pull of an audacious robbery on a vault containing some priceless Russian artworks. He needs to do this in order to pay off a debt owed to the Russian mob by his former partner Victor Korolenko, Alexandra’s father. After meeting Alexandra, Gabriel pursues her despite Ripley’s warnings not to do so. The mob brings Ripley and Martin to meet the boss, known as Nicky. In order to ensure they carry out the job properly, Nicky arranges for Alexandra to be his guest until the goods are in his possession. This is where it gets interesting for our crooked duo.

A quite well made film, with New York as a backdrop you can’t go too far wrong with locations. Decent performances from all of the main characters, Morgan Freeman as Keith Ripley, Antonio Banderas as Gabriel Martin, Radha Mitchell as Alexandra Korolenko and Robert Forster as Lt. Weber, although none of them were really stretched. I guess in the end, although there was a major plot twist, which I didn’t really expect I found the film a little slow paced and dull. It just needed a little more action and maybe a little less dialogue. Over all, given the quality of the cast, I expected better.

My score: 6/10

LINKS:
IMDb Site: http://uk.imdb.com/title/tt1112782/
Trailer: http://uk.imdb.com/rg/VIDEO_PLAY/LINK/video/imdb/vi1787036185/