Film Review: TROUBLE WITH THE CURVE (2012)

Director: Robert Lorenz
Writer: Randy Brown
Running time: 111 mins (approx)
Certification (UK): 12

Genre: Drama/Sport
UK Release date: 30^th November 2012

Watched on Sky+ Sunday 15^th September 2013.

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

Now baseball is not big here in the UK, in fact, other than it’s a bit like rounders and it’s really big in North America and the Far East, I know little about it. So why watch a film about it; well, I have seen a few films centred around the sport before and I’ve always found them quite interesting, so I thought I’d give this one a go. The fact it’s also got Clint Eastwood and Amy Adams in it, two of my favourite actors, is just incidental (honestly). I will give you my thoughts after this very brief summary.

When ageing scout Gus (Clint Eastwood) discovers his sight is failing him his estranged daughter, Mickey (Amy Adams) decides to go with him on a scouting trip to help him out. Mickey has a high powered job and is up for a promotion and so this trip could not have came at a worst time for her. Gus has issues with her coming along, apart from him being fiercely independent, he still sees her as a little girl sometimes. Whilst on the trip they meet Johnny (Justin Timberlake) who is a washed-up player who it trying out as a scout for another team. Johnny and Mickey eventually hit it off but it’s her relationship with her father that is important. Will it survive this trip or have those bridges already been burned?

Well made with many baseball references that went well over my head but that didn’t matter. The film isn’t about that, it’s about relationships and as such I found it an engaging watch. Both Clint Eastwood and Amy Adams were excellent in this; I admire them both as actors and they didn’t disappoint. Justin Timberlake gets better each time I see him, I just wish he’d stop making those awful records! (It’s a joke folks). Also worthy of note were Matthew Lillard as Phillip Sanderson, Robert Patrick as Vince and John Goodman as Pete Klein. It’s not a tear-jerker or a heart rending tale but I found it did strike an emotional chord with me. If, like me, you admire Eastwood and Adams then it’s well worth a look.

SteelMonster’s verdict: RECOMMENDED

My score: 8.1/10.

IMDb Score: 6.7/10 (based on 28,479 votes when this review was written).
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0087075/

MetaScore: 58/100: (Based on 40 critic reviews provided by Metacritic.com at the time of going to press).

Rotten Tomatoes ‘Tomatometer’ Score: 52/100: (based on 182 reviews counted at the time of going to press).

Rotten Tomatoes ‘Audience’ Score: 66/100: (based on 41,982 user ratings counted at the time of going to press).
http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/trouble_with_the_curve/

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LINKS:
(Note: All were working at the time of going to press)
Official Site (US): http://troublewiththecurve.warnerbros.com/dvd/
Trailer:

Film Review: J. EDGAR (2011)

Director: Clint Eastwood
Writer: Dustin Lance Black
Running time: 132 mins (approx)
Certification (UK): 15

Genre: Drama/Biography/Crime
UK Release date: 20^th January 2012

Watched on Sky+ Sunday 3^rd February 2013.

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

I’ll admit to being a bit of a fan of the films of Clint Eastwood; both as an actor and as a director he has given us some excellent entertainment over the years. Now, I knew ‘J. Edgar’ wasn’t particularly well received on release, but I decided to give it a look anyway due to my admiration of Eastwood’s work. I’m very sad to say this one didn’t hit the mark by some distance. I will explain more after this very brief summary.

We are told the story of J. Edgar Hoover (Leonardo DiCaprio), from his early days in the 1920’s fighting communism, through his rise to power and the formation of the FBI and right up to his death. On the way we meet many of the characters that shaped the man; his domineering mother Annie (Judi Dench); his personal secretary, Helen Gandy (Naomi Watts) and his friend and confidant Clyde Tolson (Armie Hammer). Many of his achievements and several high-profile cases are highlighted but it is also a very personal story about his struggles with both bureaucracy and his own sexuality that make up the bulk of the film. I think that about covers it.

Although well made, I found the subject matter all a tad too dry; there was little excitement and what there was appeared very sporadic. I did like the look of the film though; the muted colours matched the mood; Eastwood always has a good eye for a shot and it shows. I also quite liked the original music, also written by Eastwood, nothing too ostentations, but nicely matched to the action. The performances were all very good with DiCaprio easily standing out but I thought Naomi Watts was woefully underused. Over all, I can’t say I was entirely thrilled with this one. I felt the whole thing was maybe too ambitious. If they had concentrated on (say) the Lindbergh kidnapping and used that as the backdrop to the narrative then maybe it would have worked better. But sadly this is not one I can recommend I’m afraid.

SteelMonster’s verdict: NOT RECOMMENDED

My score: 4.8/10.

IMDb Score: 6.7/10 (based on 56,367 votes when this review was written).
http://uk.imdb.com/title/tt1616195/?ref_=sr_1

MetaScore: 59/100: (Based on 42 critic reviews provided by Metacritic.com at the time of going to press).

Rotten Tomatoes ‘Tomatometer’ Score: 44/100 (based on 218 reviews counted at the time of going to press).

Rotten Tomatoes ‘Audience’ Score: 45/100 (based on 35,342 user ratings counted at the time of going to press).
http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/j_edgar/

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

FAVOURITE QUOTES:
[first lines]
J. Edgar Hoover: Let me tell you something. The SCLC has direct Communist ties. Even great men can be corrupted, can't they? Communism is not a political party. It is a disease. It corrupts the soul, turning men, even the gentlest of men, into vicious evil tyrants.

J. Edgar Hoover: It's easy to be the expert if you're the only person in the world with any interest.
Clyde Tolson: He does also claim he can tell as much from a cut of wood as a doctor can from an autopsy.
J. Edgar Hoover: Ah.
Clyde Tolson: He has, um, social difficulties.
J. Edgar Hoover: He is mentally ill, isn't he?
Clyde Tolson: He's only as mad as you are - sir.

Congressman: But your agency is already one of the most well-funded in Washington, is it not?
J. Edgar Hoover: Yes, that is true sir, but our car and bank robbery recoveries totalled 6.5 million last year, and our budget is only, well, 2 million. Unlike other departments in Washington, we actually run a profit.

LINKS:
(NOTE: All links were working at the time of going to press)
Official Site: http://jedgarmovie.warnerbros.com/dvd/#/home
Trailer:

Film Review: HEREAFTER (2010)

Director: Clint Eastwood
Writer: Peter Morgan
Running time: 123 mins (approx)
Certification (UK): 15

Genre: Drama/Fantasy
UK Release date: 28^th January 2011

Watched on Sky+ Saturday 7^th January 2012.

PLEASE NOTE: THERE MAY BE SPOILERS IN THIS REVIEW.

This film wasn’t very well received by the critics and hence suffered a little at the box office. That’s quite sad because I found it quite touching and heart-warming and I believe it deserved better. Yes, I know I’m a fan of Clint Eastwood’s work, but even so, I must admit to quite liking this one. It’s a little disjointed at times and I can see how some might struggle with certain sections of the film having subtitles, but over all I found it not as bad as everyone has made out. More of my thoughts after this brief summary.

The stories of three people are brought together in London (England), but we begin far from there. A French TV reporter, Marie Lelay, is on holiday when she is caught up in a tsunami. She is dragged under the water and it is here that she undergoes what would be described as a ‘near-death experience’. This has a dramatic effect on her life and she feels compelled to write a book about it. Meanwhile in San Francisco a former psychic, George Lonegan, does a reading for a client of his brothers’ as a favour. He really does not want to do it because he feels that this ‘gift’ doesn’t allow him to have a normal life. Later, after a burgeoning romance doesn’t work out because of it he decides to take a trip. In London twin brothers Marcus and Jason are separated when one of them is killed in an accident. The remaining one, missing his brother, tries all sorts to contact him, but there’s only one man in the world who might be able to help him. George’s trip takes him to London and Marie’s publisher wants her there for a book show. All three are going to meet, but what will happen when they do? I’ve probably already said too much and the Spoiler Police will be haunting me(again).

Very well made with some excellent CGI in the opening sequence. Eastwood has a very deliberate style and I really like the way his films look and feel. Great performances all round, particularly from Matt Damon as George Lonegan, a tough part that he played really well. Cécile De France also did a great job as Marie Lelay; most of her part was in French so it was a little difficulty to judge, but she was convincing enough. The twins; Frankie McLaren and George McLaren who played both Marcus and Jason did a fine job; as child actors I thought they coped really well. Honourable mentions must also go to; Jay Mohr as Billy, Thierry Neuvic as Didier, Lyndsey Marshal as Jackie, Bryce Dallas Howard as Melanie and Richard Kind as Christos.

As you can see from my synopsis it’s quite a complicated plot with several threads that have to be pulled together. As I said at the beginning, one of these threads is predominantly spoken in French which I could see putting may off. Even so, I’ve seen enough foreign language films to be able to cope pretty well with that. Many may have also been put off by Eastwood’s slow, deliberate pacing, but I thought it was fine; it give the audience time to adsorb what’s going on. The subject matter is also quite contentious, but, again, no problem for me, I just saw it as a story about a man struggling with his ‘gift’. Over all, I feel this film has been poorly treated by the critics and is woefully underrated… for me, Recommended.

My score: 7.5/10

IMDb Score: 6.6/10 (based on 38,966 votes at the time of going to press).
http://uk.imdb.com/title/tt1212419/

Rotten Tomatoes ‘Tomatometer’ Score: 46/100 (based on 211 reviews counted at the time of going to press).
Rotten Tomatoes ‘Audience’ Score: 40/100 (based on 62,077 user ratings counted at the time of going to press).
http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/hereafter/

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

FAVOURITE QUOTES:
Dr. Rousseau: You know, as a scientist and atheist my mind was closed to such things. Oh, absolutely. Afterlife, near-death experiences Like everyone else, I thought people saw bright lights, Eden-like gardens and so forth because they were culturally conditioned to do so. But after 25 years in a hospice working with people, many of whom were pronounced dead but then miraculously survived. The account of what they actually experienced were so strikingly similar it couldn't just be coincidence. And add to that the fact that when they had these experiences they were almost all unconscious, a state in which my enemies agree the brain cannot create fresh images.
Marie Lelay: So you think I really did experience something?
Dr. Rousseau: Oh, yes. I think you experienced death.

Billy: [about George] He said, "A life that's all about death is no life at all."

George Lonegan: Sometimes, I mean you know, knowing everything about someone, it seems nice, but really, maybe it's better to hold stuff back.

LINKS:
(Note: All were working at the time of going to press)
Official Site: http://hereafter.warnerbros.com/dvd/
Trailer:

Film Review: UNFORGIVEN (1992)

Director: Clint Eastwood
Running time: 131 mins (approx)
Certification (UK): 15

Genre: Drama/Western
UK Release date: 18^th September 1992

Watched on Sky+ Sunday 23^rd July 2011.

PLEASE NOTE: THERE MAY BE SPOILERS IN THIS REVIEW.

As those who have read my stuff before will know, I’m not really big on Westerns; I guess I watched too many of them when I was growing up (they were just about the only films on TV). The Spaghetti Westerns peeked my interest for a while, but there have been very few in recent years that have caught my curiosity. This, however, is a different kettle of fish altogether. This is one of the few that I could watch several times over and still get something out of. Clint Eastwood really knows how to tell a story; I suppose while working with the likes of Sergio Leone, something had to rub off. Here’s a brief summary before I give you my thoughts.

When a whore is cut up by a couple of ranch hands and the local law, Little Bill Daggett, does little or nothing a bout it, the other whores pool their resources in order to get retribution. Word is put out that a bounty of One Thousand Dollars has been put up for the lives of the two perpetrators. A young man calling himself The ‘Schofield Kid’ hears about it but decides he might need some help. He calls on Bill Munny, a former gunfighter and asks him to come out of retirement. Bill is a reformed character, having married and raised a family, but with his wife recently deceased, he is tempted. He sends the kid on his way, but can’t help thinking about it. Eventually he decides to follow and leaves his children to fend for themselves while he’s away. He calls on his old partner, Ned Logan, and persuades him to join them. Meanwhile, back in the town, another gunslinger, English Bob, arrives and is given short shrift by Little Bill, who makes an example of him and sends him on his way. The trio finally arrive in town with Munny suffering from a fever. He is badly beaten up by Little Bill but not before the other two make contact with the whores. They manage to find a hideout where Munny can recover. The question is, will they still have the stomach to do what they came for? I’ll leave it there as I’m sure there are many out there that haven’t seen this and I don’t want a show-down with the spoiler police in my local saloon.

As with many Eastwood-directed films, this has quite a slow and deliberate pace, but it is always interesting. I love the way he allows the story to evolve. As usual, an excellent performance from Clint Eastwood himself as Bill Munny. Also great were Gene Hackman as Little Bill Daggett, Morgan Freeman as Ned Logan and Richard Harris as English Bob… but why they picked an Irish actor for the part I’ll never know! Also worthy of note was Jaimz Woolvett as The ‘Schofield Kid’.

As I’ve already said, the storytelling is excellent and the characters are interesting and hold your attention. I get the impression they were looking for realism in the look of this picture and it does look like what I imagine the Wild West really was like. I just wish they had made the interior shots a little brighter, much of the action takes place at night or indoors and you can believe they are shooting by candle-light in some scenes, it’s so dark! This is the thing that let this one down for me, I was struggling to see who was shooting who in some situations. But that aside, it’s a very fine piece of work and fully deserved it’s 4 Oscars (including best picture) and five other Oscar nominations. This one comes highly RECOMMENDED.

My Score: 8.7/10

IMDb Score: 8.3/10 (116,751 votes when this review was written)
Rotten Tomatoes Score: 96/100 (56 reviews counted when this review was written)

LINKS:

(RT = Rotten Tomatoes)
IMDb Page: http://uk.imdb.com/title/tt0105695/
RT Page: http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/1041911-unforgiven/
Trailer:

Film Review: INVICTUS (2009)

Director: Clint Eastwood
Running time: 128 mins (approx)
Certification (UK): 12A

Genre: Drama/Sports
UK Release date: 5th February 2010

Watched on DVD Monday 25th April 2011.

PLEASE NOTE: THERE MAY BE SPOILERS IN THIS REVIEW.

I guess I should state at the start that I am a huge fan of Rugby Union, the game featured in this film. A little sceptical when I first put the disc in the DVD player because I’m not a fan of South Africa, I’m English, but my worst fears were soon put aside. The film focuses on Nelson Mandela’s efforts to unite his country, and how he used rugby as part of this process. Based on true events, much of the story is about a country divided along lines if race that is now emerging into a new era. To help ease this process, and to get many of the whites on his side, Nelson Mandela inspires the captain of the Springboks, the South African rugby team, François Pienaar, and encourages him in his quest to win the World Cup, which is being hosted there.

Technically, this is a very well made film, although, as is usual with sports in films, the close-up action shots do appear to be staged (which, of course, they are). This failing aside, it’s a very well written script and there are some very nice performances. There is a nice little sub-plot involving Mandela’s security people, who are all black at the beginning, but when they ask for more men, Mandela sends some white security people round. After a little uncertainty at first, we see them gradually earn each other’s trust as the film progresses. A neat little device that illustrates the points being made in the main part of the movie.

Unusually for a film of this type, the two main characters, who are both very inspirational men, seldom meet. When they do, you can feel the strength of Mandela giving encouragement to Pienaar. This comes across very well and even I was rooting for the Springboks by the end of the film (and I already knew who won!). I remember well watching the final, where Mandela pulled off a great stroke by wearing a Springboks shirt. This had been a symbol of power to the whites and a symbol of oppression to the blacks in South Africa. This one simple act did much to unite the nation and greatly inspire the team.

Two great performances; Morgan Freeman really nailed the voice and the mannerisms of Nelson Mandela, of course, he doesn’t really look much like him, but I guess you can’t have everything. Matt Damon did a great job as François Pienaar, inspirational speeches and a lot of physical work also, but, again, he doesn’t really look like the man he’s portraying. I can forgive that as they both did a really good job.

Over all I found this a very inspirational film with some great moments. It features two very good performances, but I did find it a little too long and the close-up action looked a little too staged. Having said that, I would watch it again sometime and I’m sure I would find more things to like about it. I do like the very measured style Clint Eastwood uses in the films he directs, nothing is too overstated and I have to admire him for that. Recommended.

My Score: 7.5/10

LINKS:
(RT = Rotten Tomatoes)
IMDb Page: http://uk.imdb.com/title/tt1057500/
RT Page: http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/invictus/
Official Site: http://invictusmovie.warnerbros.com/dvd/index.html
Trailer:

Film Review: GRAN TORINO (2008)

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

UK Release Date: 27th February 2009

Watched on Sky+ Sunday 7th March 2010.

PLEASE NOTE: POSSIBLE SPOILERS IN THIS REVIEW.

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

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

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

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

My score: 8.8/10

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

Film Review: 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