Film Review: SILVER LININGS PLAYBOOK (2012)

Director: David O. Russell
Writers: David O. Russell (screenplay), Matthew Quick (novel “The Silver Linings Playbook”)
Running time: 118 mins (approx)
Certification (UK): 15

Genre: Comedy/Drama/Romance
UK Release date: 21^st November 2012

Watched on Sky+ Sunday 22^nd September 2013.

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

I wasn’t sure about this one before watching it. I’m quite wary of popular American comedies; I have fallen foul of their evil (and terribly unfunny) ways before. Even as I began to watch I was afraid it was going to be a big mistake, but as it transpired, there was little to worry about. The film actually does have a heart and I found I finally could connect with the characters by the end. I will tell you more after this very brief summary.

When Pat (Bradley Cooper) is released from a mental institution he has made several decisions about his life. Not least of which was to do everything he could to patch things up with his wife, Nikki (Brea Bee). But she’s not all that an important character right now, as will be revealed. His parents, Pat Sr. (Robert De Niro) and Dolores (Jacki Weaver) are supportive but have their own troubles. Pat Sr. has lost his pension and has begun taking bets in order to make ends meet. He’s obsessed with the Philadelphia Eagles and sees Pat as some kind of lucky omen. But while out for a meal with friends Pat meets Tiffany (Jennifer Lawrence) who is widowed and also has emotional problems. She can get a message to Nikki, who has a restraining order out on Pat, but she wants something in return. And I think I’ll leave it there; that should be enough to give you a flavour.

I found it a little hard to get into at first with Bradley Cooper over-acting in places, which was beginning to put me off. The introduction of Tiffany (Jennifer Lawrence) though changed all that and the narrative began to make more sense. All the performances were excellent with (for me) Jennifer Lawrence standing out. Yes, I know De Niro is there but he’s really not a major character although he does play his part very well. Bradley Cooper was good, but no better really than I have seen him before. The action is littered with an awful lot of music, some I was familiar with and some not so much; all of it fitted the visuals well though and it made for a welcome enhancement to the entertainment. Over all I found it a well rounded romantic comedy (with some drama thrown in for good measure) and just a twist of quirkiness. It even touched me on an emotional level (a rare thing these days) so it gets a pretty high recommendation from me.

SteelMonster’s verdict: HIGHLY RECOMMENDED

My score: 8.3/10.

IMDb Score: 7.9/10 (based on 266,428 votes when this review was written).
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1045658/

MetaScore: 81/100: (Based on 45 critic reviews provided by Metacritic.com at the time of going to press).

Rotten Tomatoes ‘Tomatometer’ Score: 92/100: (based on 299 reviews counted at the time of going to press).

Rotten Tomatoes ‘Audience’ Score: 87/100: (based on 233,762 user ratings counted at the time of going to press).
http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/silver_linings_playbook/

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

LINKS:
(Note: All were working at the time of going to press)
Official Site: http://silverliningsplaybookmovie.com/
Official Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Silver-Linings-Playbook/453807761317648
Trailer:

Film Review: LIMITLESS (2011)

Director: Neil Burger
Writers: Leslie Dixon (screenplay), Alan Glynn (novel)
Running time: 105 mins (approx)
Certification (UK): 15

Genre: Thriller/Sci-Fi/Mystery
UK Release date: 23^rd March 2011

Watched on Sky+ Sunday 15^th January 2012.

PLEASE NOTE: THERE MAY BE SPOILERS IN THIS REVIEW.

When I read about the concept behind this film I must say I was quite intrigued; a pill that could allow access to the parts of the brain we don’t use? Who could resist? Well it didn’t play at my local cinema and so after quite a long wait it finally appeared in the TV listings this week. It had received a bit of a mixed response from the critics but I thought I’d take the plunge anyway. I’ll give you my thoughts after this brief summary.

Eddie Morra is a struggling writer; he has a contract to write a book but is struggling to find inspiration and motivation. By chance he meets his ex-wife’s brother, Vernon, a former drug dealer; he gives him a pill that changes his life. It’s called NZT and it enables him to think faster than ever; he finishes his book in double quick time. When the effects wear off he decides he has to get more. He goes to see Vernon who he finds dead. Searching his apartment he discovers his stash and steals it. Now he can take it every day he soon realises that writing isn’t for him; stocks and shares are the future. Having had some meteoric success in the stock market, he is now in the spotlight of the big boys. Enter Carl Van Loon, a very successful businessman who takes Eddie under his wing. As a side note, Eddie at this point also gets his girlfriend, Lindy, back. About to broker a major deal; Eddie discovers a disturbing side-effect of the drug… I will leave it there or the Spoiler Police (Illegal Drugs Division) will have me banged up for possession.

A very well made film with some neat CGI and camera work which is used to try and illustrate the effect of the drug on Eddie. I also liked the narration; it gave an insight into his thought processes as events unfolded around him. Decent performances all round; Bradley Cooper did a good job as Eddie Morra, Robert De Niro was great (as ever), although never really stretched as Carl Van Loon and Abbie Cornish was decent, if underused, as Lindy. Andrew Howard did a good job as the Russian moneylender Gennady and there was a nice little part for Anna Friel as Eddie’s ex-wife Melissa.

Quite a slick production with some nice touches; not all of them worked, but it’s still a perfectly watchable Sci-Fi/Thriller. As I’ve already said, I did enjoy some of the camera trickery used to illustrate the effect of the drug, in particular the tunnel-like pan straight into the screen, which worked particularly well. There were a few aspects of the plot that didn’t quite work for me, but over all it’s still pretty enjoyable… Recommended.

My score: 7.4/10.

IMDb Score: 7.3/10 (based on 103,342 votes at the time of going to press).
http://uk.imdb.com/title/tt1219289/

Rotten Tomatoes ‘Tomatometer’ Score: 69/100 (based on 180 reviews counted at the time of going to press).
Rotten Tomatoes ‘Audience’ Score: 73/100 (based on 84,511 user ratings counted at the time of going to press).
http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/limitless/

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

FAVOURITE QUOTES:
[first lines]
Eddie Morra: Obviously I miscalculated a few things.
Man: [banging door] Eddie! I know you're in there.
Eddie Morra: Why is it that the moment your life exceeds your wildest dreams, the knife appears at your back? Well, I'll tell you one thing... I will never let them touch me.

Eddie Morra: You see that guy? That was me not so long ago. What kind of guy without a drug or alcohol problem looks this way? Only a writer.

Vernon: You know how they say we can only access 20% of our brain?
[Vernon points out the NZT pill on the table]
Vernon: This lets you access all of it.

Carl Van Loon: So, Eddie Morra... And you do know you're a freak? What's your secret?
Eddie Morra: Medication.

Eddie Morra: [parting ways with Carl] You should really be glad about this, because you know, me working for you, you'd end up being my bitch.

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

Film Review: THE A-TEAM (2010)

Co-Writer/Director: Joe Carnahan
Running time: 114 mins (approx)
Certification (UK): 12

Genre: Action/Adventure/Thriller
UK Release date: 30th July 2010

Watched on Sky+ Monday 4th July 2011.

PLEASE NOTE: THERE MAY BE SPOILERS IN THIS REVIEW.

I remember the TV show for it’s humour and the clever ways Hannibal Smith put his ‘plans’ together. Oh, and the fact that they could fire 6,000 bullets in one scene without anybody getting hit. All these elements feature in the film version and yet, to be honest, I didn’t really care for it all that much. The characters were all very superficial, the bad guys were bad, the good guys were not as bad as the bad guys and I was quite glad when it was over.

For a change I won’t bother with a summary of the plot, there is one clever twist in it, but I won’t bore you with the details. Let’s instead have a look at the visuals… The CGI is all very well done, but there is an awful lot of it. There are plenty of explosions, enough to rival a Stallone action blockbuster! There was some nice stunt work though, both with vehicles and people on the ground, hats off to those guys. Although I saw it in 2D it was very obvious it was made for 3D and it didn’t look all that great (IMO).

Moving on to performances, well everyone was just about adequate; Liam Neeson was ok as Hannibal, although I thought his accent was totally wrong. Bradley Cooper did a decent job as Face, as did Jessica Biel as Charissa Sosa, the female lead. Quinton 'Rampage' Jackson (now there’s a name to conjure with) did ok (just) as B.A. Baracus and, for me, the star turn was Sharlto Copley as Murdock, despite the poor material he had to work with. Moving on to the bad guys, Patrick Wilson did a decent job as Lynch, as did Brian Bloom as Brock Pike.

Although visually exciting, I found this one a bit too tame, probably due to it’s 12 rating here in the UK. I would have loved to see a much grittier 18 Certificate version, but sadly it’s all about money these days. At the end of the day it did have a half decent plot, although I’ve not covered it here, and the visuals and the stunts were pretty good. Plot-wise I found it all a bit too tame, but worthy of a watch… Just one mind you.

My Score: 6.0/10

LINKS:
(RT = Rotten Tomatoes)
IMDb Page: http://uk.imdb.com/title/tt0429493/
RT Page: http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/a_team/
Trailer:

Film Review: CASE 39 (2009)

Director: Christian Alvart
Running time: 109 mins (approx)
Certification (UK): 15

Genre: Horror/Mystery/Thriller
UK release date 5th March 2010

Watched on Sky+ Sunday 20th February 2011.

PLEASE NOTE: THERE MAY BE SPOILERS IN THIS REVIEW.

I remember when this one came out I didn’t know much about it, but I had a feeling it was going to be an interesting film. Well, since then I had heard a few more bits and pieces, but not too much. So primed with a little knowledge and a glass of red wine I settled down to the scariest film I’ve seen this year (OK, it’s only February & it is only the 36th film I’ve seen this year). I will give you my thoughts after a very brief summary (summary haters and those who don’t wish to know anything about the plot please help Emily with those big bolts for the inside of her door while I write the next paragraph).

Emily Jenkins is a social worker who specialises in cases of child abuse, she lives alone, but has a boyfriend (of sorts), Doug, a psychologist. She’s already overworked when her boss, Wayne, gives her her 39th case file. It concerns a young girl, Lilith Sullivan, whose grades are dropping at school and she keeps falling asleep in class. Emily visits the family and the parents’ behaviour gives her cause for concern but there is no evidence of abuse. She tries to get a friend of hers, Mike Barron, a cop to look into the case, but again, there is no evidence. Having struck up a friendship with Lilith, Emily is more determined to get her away from her parents. She receives a phone call from Lilith late one night and, concerned, she gets Mike to meet her at the Sullivan house. There they find the parents attempting to kill Lilith (I won’t say how) and they are arrested after a struggle. Emily now applies for, and gets, custody of Lilith. At first things go well, but then… Well, that’s where I’ll leave it, but I will say it’s about to get very interesting to Emily.

I guess the plot is not entirely original, but the film is very well made with a decent cast to keep the audience interested. Now I’ll admit I’m not a huge fan of horror films and so I don’t watch many of them, but did like this one. The main reason being the performance of Jodelle Ferland as Lilith Sullivan, she was truly creepy when required and it really added to my enjoyment of the piece. It was nice to see Renée Zellweger in a genre I never thought I see her in as Emily Jenkins and Ian McShane put in a decent shift as Det. Mike Barron. I guess I should also give an honourable mention to Bradley Cooper as Doug, although he wasn’t really stretched.

I quite enjoyed this film; it made a nice change to see a horror film that was actually a bit creepy for a change. It’s not perfect, there’s quite a slow pace that’s used to build the tension and the final scenes are slightly predictable. Having said that, I think it’s worth a watch, it’s certainly better than some of the scores I’ve seen it given around the internet (you know who you are Rotten Tomatoes).

My score: 6.1/10

LINKS:
(RT = Rotten Tomatoes)
IMDb Page: http://uk.imdb.com/title/tt0795351/
RT Page: http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/case_39/
Official Site: http://www.case39movie.com/mainsite/
Trailer: http://uk.imdb.com/video/imdb/vi4192142873/

Film Review: THE HANGOVER (2009)

Director: Todd Phillips
Running time: 96 mins (approx)
Certification (UK): 15

UK release date: 12th June 2009

Watched on Sky+ Sunday 26th September 2009.

PLEASE NOTE: THERE MAY BE SPOILERS IN THIS REVIEW.

I can’t exactly remember who recommended this on to me, maybe I was drugged, but I can’t say I was overly impressed. I’m not a huge fan of American comedies anyway (sorry guys, I just don’t get your sense of humour) so I guess that wasn’t the best start. I found many things I didn’t like about ‘The Hangover’, but it’s not all bad, there were one or two good things. But more of that later, here’s a short synopsis first.

Doug is getting married and, as is the tradition, he and his friends, Phil, Stu and the bride’s brother, Alan are off on a bachelor party in Las Vegas. The evening starts off well with impromptu drinks on the roof of Caesar’s Palace, but from then on it gets kind of messed up. Phil, Stu and Alan wake up the following morning in their hotel room. There is no sign of Doug and there’s a tiger in the bathroom. They also find a baby in a closet. It’s now a race against time to piece together the events of the previous evening so they can find Doug and get him to the wedding. On the way we discover, amongst other things, that they stole a police car, Stu got married to a ‘dancer’ called Jade and a Chinese man called Mr Chow is after them for some reason. Throw in an appearance from Mike Tyson and that’s your movie folks! Do they ever find Doug?... What do you think?... I guess it’s not too hard to figure out.

Unfortunately a lot of comedy filmmakers decide to make the characters so much larger than life that they just become gross parodies of themselves. For example, the character Phil is a teacher who is married with a son. He steals money from the kids in his class to finance his trip to Vegas. To me that’s reprehensible behaviour, but to some people that’s just funny. So, I found the humour in this film was pretty well wide of the mark to put it mildly.

OK, so what was good about it? I thought the cameo by Heather Graham as Jade was good and I found Ken Jeong as Mr. Chow very funny. Other than that there’s not much to recommend, the performances of the main cast were ok but the loathsome characters and the mindless plot just left me cold. I know there are a lot of people out there that may disagree with me on this one, but not recommended IMO.

My score: 5.3/10

LINKS:
IMDb Site: http://uk.imdb.com/title/tt1119646/
Official Site: http://hangovermovie.warnerbros.com/
Trailer: http://uk.imdb.com/rg/VIDEO_PLAY/LINK/video/imdb/vi2105934361/