Film Review: WE NEED TO TALK ABOUT KEVIN (2011)

Director: Lynne Ramsay
Writers: Lynne Ramsay, Rory Kinnear, Lionel Shriver (novel)
Running time: 109 mins (approx)
Certification (UK): 15

Genre: Drama/Thriller
UK Release date: 21^st October 2011

Watched on Sky+ Friday 29^th June 2012.

PLEASE NOTE: THERE MAY BE SPOILERS IN THIS REVIEW.

I remember when this came out it was highly praised by a well respected film critic here in the UK. I took note and duly added it to my (infamous) ‘To See’ list. It came up on Sky Movies this week and so I thought I’d give it a look. I have to say said critic was not wrong; I was enthralled from start to finish, although I admit I did find the beginning a little confusing. Here’s a very brief (spoiler-free) summary before I give you my thoughts.

Eva lives alone, her house and car have had red paint thrown at them and she is hated by almost everyone she meets. We are shown, in flashback, how her life came to this point. A free spirit, she had fallen pregnant and married Franklin, who had persuaded her to move out of the city after Kevin was born. He was always a difficult child and things didn’t improve as he got older. We switch to and fro between the past and the present; comparing life then and now. In the present Eva finds a job at a travel agent’s, but still finds almost nobody will even give her the time of day. Back to the past and Kevin doesn’t improve even when Eva has her second child, a daughter, Celia. How will it all end? What happened in the past to turn everyone against Eva? And what of Kevin, his father and sister?... Well, I’ll leave you with those burning questions.

Very well made with a really good soundtrack mostly made up of popular songs which sometimes match and sometimes contradict the on-screen action… Nicely done (IMO). There are two stand-out performances; Tilda Swinton is totally brilliant as Eva, she really deserved more recognition for her part here. Also worthy of praise was Ezra Miller as the brooding, menacing teenage Kevin; he gave an outstanding performance. Honourable mentions go to; John C. Reilly as Franklin, Jasper Newell as Kevin, 6-8 years, Rock Duer as Kevin, Toddler and Ashley Gerasimovich as Celia.

I know that one performance (or in this case two performances) doesn’t make a film; however, there is much more to this than first meets the eye. First of all there’s the mystery of why everyone hates Eva; there is some really subtle imagery on show and the use sparing of dialogue gives the audience a sense of the isolation that Eva must feel. I really don’t want to say too much, I came into it knowing very little and I think that’s the best way to see this film. I will watch it again at some point and I’ll probably see even more. This, somewhat controversial, film is well worth a look if you get the chance… HIGHLY RECOMMENDED.

My score: 9.3/10

IMDb Score: 7.6/10 (based on 25,815 votes at the time of going to press).
http://uk.imdb.com/title/tt1242460/

MetaScore: 68/100: (Based on 37 critic reviews provided by Metacritic.com at the time of going to press).

Rotten Tomatoes ‘Tomatometer’ Score: 76/100 (based on 145 reviews counted at the time of going to press).

Rotten Tomatoes ‘Audience’ Score: 80/100 ‘Liked It’ (based on 25,912 user ratings counted at the time of going to press).
http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/we_need_to_talk_about_kevin/

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

FAVOURITE QUOTES:
Kevin: It's like this: you wake and watch TV, get in your car and listen to the radio you go to your little jobs or little school, but you don't hear about that on the 6 o'clock news, why? 'Cause nothing is really happening, and you go home and watch some more TV and maybe it's a fun night and you go out and watch a movie. I mean it's got so bad that half the people on TV, inside the TV, they're watching TV. What are these people watching, people like me?

Eva: Why would you have something like that?
Kevin: I collect them.
Eva: Doesn't it a weird thing to collect?
Kevin: I don't like stamps.
Eva: Then what's the point?
Kevin: There is no point. That's the point.

Eva: You just can't get uncomfortable enough can you?
Kevin: Uncomfortable? With my own mother?

Eva: Haven't you ever wished you had somebody else around to play with?
Kevin, 6-8 Years: No.
Eva: You might like it.
Kevin, 6-8 Years: What if I don't like it?
Eva: Then you get used to it.
Kevin, 6-8 Years: Just because you're used to something doesn't mean you like it. You're used to me.
Eva: Yes, well, in a few months we're all gonna get used to somebody new.

Eva: You don't look happy.
Kevin: Have I ever?

LINKS:
(Note: All were working at the time of going to press)
Official Site (UK): http://www.weneedtotalkaboutkevin.co.uk/
Official Site (US): http://kevin.oscilloscope.net/
Trailer:

Film Review: CHICAGO (2002)

Director: Rob Marshall
Writer (screenplay): Bill Condon
Writer (play: “Chicago”): Maurine Dallas Watkins
Writers (book of musical play “Chicago”): Bob Fosse, Fred Ebb
Running time: 113 mins (approx)
Certification (UK): 12A

Genre: Musical/Crime/Drama
UK Release date: 17^th January 2003

Watched on Sky+ Monday 7^th May 2012.

PLEASE NOTE: THERE MAY BE SPOILERS IN THIS REVIEW.

When I was young my parents would watch just about every musical that was shown on TV. This kind of put me off musicals for a long time; in fact the only one I have actually liked since has been ‘Bugsy Malone’. Looking to expand my film watching horizons again I decided to give the Oscar winning ‘Chicago’ a look. You’ll be pleased to know I liked what I saw and I’ll give you the skinny after this brief summary.

When chorus girl Roxie Hart murders her lover, Fred Casely, she finds herself in Jail. Her devoted husband, Amos, manages to get her a very good lawyer, Billy Flynn, who has never lost a case. The prison is run by Matron Mama Morton who takes a shine to Roxie much to the distain of Velma Kelly who is in for murdering her sister and her husband; they were having an affair. But now the focus is very much on Roxie and her rise to fame in the newspapers. Can the famous lawyer save her from the gallows or will another case take precedence? Well I guess I had better not tell you that or the Spoiler Police (Musicals Division) will be relegating me to the chorus (again).

Beautifully shot with the set pieces taking centre stage; this was a refreshing change to many film adaptations of musicals I’ve seen in the past. All the performances were top notch; particularly Renée Zellweger as Roxie Hart and Catherine Zeta-Jones as Velma Kelly. Richard Gere did a decent job as Billy Flynn, as did Queen Latifah as Matron Mama Morton and John C. Reilly as Amos Hart.

I think the reason I like the look of this film is because it doesn’t pretend to be anything other than a musical. All the set-pieces are performed on sets that are cut away from the dramatic story-line. There is much to admire, some great songs and some really great performances. I thought Richard Gere did a decent enough job of the musical numbers but I felt he was better in the dramatic parts. I can’t say I particularly liked any of the main characters all that much; they were all far too self-obsessed, but still entertaining. There was just one thing missing (for me) and that was a different ending… I have in mind how I would have liked it to end but I guess I’ll just have to keep that one with me (for now). Over all though, a thoroughly entertaining film… Recommended.

My score: 8.1/10

IMDb Score: 7.1/10 (based on 103,459 votes at the time of going to press).
http://uk.imdb.com/title/tt0299658/

MetaScore: 82: (Based on 37 critic reviews provided by Metacritic.com at the time of going to press).

Rotten Tomatoes ‘Tomatometer’ Score: 88/100 (based on 211 reviews counted at the time of going to press).

Rotten Tomatoes ‘Audience’ Score: 80/100 (based on 409,805 user ratings counted at the time of going to press).
http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/chicago/

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

FAVOURITE QUOTES:
[after Roxie finds out about Fred Casley]
Roxie: Yeah, I killed him and I would kill him again! I would kill him again!
Assistant District Attorney Martin Harrison: Once was enough, dearie. Take her downtown. Come on!

Billy Flynn: I don't mean to toot my own horn, but if Jesus Christ lived in Chicago today, and he had come to me and he had five thousand dollars, let's just say things would have turned out differently.

[after Velma has testified against Roxie, Billy moves to discredit her]
Bandleader: And now, ladies and gentlemen, a tap dance.

Roxie: They LOVE me.
Billy Flynn: They'd love you a lot more if you were hanged. You know why? Because it would sell more papers!

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

Film Review: DOLORES CLAIBORNE (1995)

Director: Taylor Hackford
Novel by: Stephen King
Running time: 132 mins (approx)
Certification (UK): 18

Genre: Drama/Mystery/Thriller
UK Release date: 8^th September 1995

Watched on Sky+ Monday 25^th July 2011.

PLEASE NOTE: THERE MAY BE SPOILERS IN THIS REVIEW.

As some of you may know, I am a fan of the work of Stephen King and as such I’m interested in film adaptations of his work. Unfortunately, many of them are quite bad, fortunately this isn’t one of those. I hadn’t got round to reading the book before seeing this, but I don’t think that affected my enjoyment of it. King invents such great characters and this is a case in point, some really well rounded characters and a mystery thriller to boot! Who couldn’t ask for more? Here’s a brief summary before I give you my take on it.

We begin with the death of Vera Donovan, a rich old lady who lived alone with her carer, Dolores Claiborne. We find Vera at the bottom of the stairs with Dolores standing beside her, arms raised with a heavy rolling pin in her hands. She expires before Dolores uses it, but on that evidence, it doesn’t look good for her. In New York, Dolores has a daughter, Selena, a journalist, who is faxed a copy of a local news report about the case. She arrives in the small town on an island off the coast of Maine to find her mother at the police station. Detective John Mackey, who is running the investigation is keeping here there because the house she was living in, Vera’s, is now a crime scene. Dolores decides to stay in her own house, the one she had shared with her abusive husband, Joe St. George and Selena, before he died many years before. Detective Mackey had investigated that death too, and had been suspicious that Dolores was responsible, but couldn’t prove it. There is a lot of tension between Dolores and Selena, both have secrets. Secrets that are about to be revealed… I’ll leave it there so them Spoiler Police don’t try to throw me down a well or something.

This is a very well made film that obviously had a decent budget. The sets and locations match the mood perfectly. I admit I was a little disappointed at how dull it all looked at first, but I soon realised that all of the flashback scenes, and there’s quite a few of those, are all in vivid colour. As far as performances go, well I can’t fault Kathy Bates as Dolores Claiborne, she hardly put a foot wrong, a masterful performance! Jennifer Jason Leigh also put in a good turn as Selena St. George, as did Judy Parfitt as Vera Donovan. I should also mention Christopher Plummer as Detective John Mackey and David Strathairn as Joe St. George, both also put in fine performances. John C. Reilly had a minor role as Const. Frank Stamshaw and finally a special mention for Ellen Muth, who did an excellent job as Young Selena in some of the flashback scenes.

I really enjoyed this film with its intriguing characters and a plot that always keeps you guessing. It has quite a slow pace and is quite melodramatic, but I didn’t mind that particularly, I was more interested in the characters and the plot. If I have one criticism, it is that it is a little too long and, because of this, it does seem to drag on a bit towards the end. Over all though, a film I very much enjoyed and one I can recommend to you.

My Score: 8.4/10

IMDb Score: 7.3/10 (14,832 votes when this review was written).
Rotten Tomatoes Score: 85/100 (33 reviews counted when this review was written).

LINKS:
Trailer:

Film Review: CIRQUE DU FREAK: THE VAMPIRE’S ASSISTANT (2009)

Co-writer/Director: Paul Weitz
Running time: 105 mins (approx)
Certification (UK): 12

UK release date: 23rd October 2009

Watched on Sky+ Saturday 18th September 2010.

PLEASE NOTE: THERE MAY BE SPOILERS IN THIS REVIEW.

Based on a series of books by Darren Shan, this film received mixed reviews when it was released almost a year ago. I have not read the books, so I cannot make any comparisons there, but I have read that people that have read the books were somewhat disappointed with this film. I’ll give you a brief synopsis before I tell you what I think.

Best friends, Darren and Steve go to see a Freak Show after a mysterious car drops a flyer by them in the street. There they see many fabulous acts, including Mr. Tall, Evra the Snake Boy, Madame Truska and last but not least, Larten Crepsley, who Steve believes to be a vampire. Darren is fascinated by the fantastic spider that appeared on stage with Crepsley, and goes to his changing room to kidnap it. Taking the spider to school, Steve finds it and is bitten by it. Darren goes to Crepsley and asks for his help, but he will only cure Steve if Darren is made a half-vampire and becomes his assistant. Darren eventually agrees and Steve is saved. Unfortunately, it means that Darren must now leave his friends and family and join the Freak Show. Throw in a war between two different factions of vampires and the mysterious Mr Tiny and that’s the bare bones of the film.

Now, given the success of the Harry Potter films I can see what the studio were after here, unfortunately it didn’t work too well. I thought the story was a little too complicated and all the way through so much dialogue was wasted explaining what was going on. It is visually very well made, but this didn’t make up for a poor script. Decent performances from all of the main cast, so honourable mentions go to; John C. Reilly as Larten Crepsley, Chris Massoglia as Darren Shan, Josh Hutcherson as Steve, Jessica Carlson as Rebecca, Michael Cerveris as Mr Tiny and Ken Watanabe as Mr Tall. Also nice cameos from Salma Hayek as Madame Truska and Willem Dafoe as Gavner Purl.

It did have its moments and the ending was quite good, but this didn’t make up for a rather uneven and over-complicated plot. I believe it didn’t do all that well at the Box-Office and I can see why. It’s not a great movie at the end of the day, it’s a bit too long and the teenagers will get bored quite quickly. Unfortunately, not recommended.

My score: 5.4/10

LINKS:
IMDb Site: http://uk.imdb.com/title/tt0450405/
Official Site: Cirque du Freak: The Vampire's Assistant - Official Site
Trailer: http://uk.imdb.com/rg/VIDEO_PLAY/LINK/video/screenplay/vi828178969/