Film Review: CRAZY, STUPID, LOVE (2011)

Directors: Glenn Ficarra & John Requa
Writer: Dan Fogelman
Running time: 110 mins (approx)
Certification (UK): 12

Genre: Comedy/Drama/Romance
UK Release date: 23^rd September 2011

Watched on Sky+ Sunday 11^th November 2012.

PLEASE NOTE: THERE MAY BE SPOILERS IN THIS REVIEW.

Every now and then you have to let a little romance into your life; I know this can be hard for some, but believe me, it’s really worth getting in touch with your mushy side every now and then. As a bit of an old romantic at heart I have no problem with the occasional rom-com; so long as it’s a good one (not overly schmaltzy, that kind of thing). Having heard some good reports on this one I decided to give it a look when it came up in the TV listings recently… Here are my thoughts.

I actually found it quite engaging eventually; it was a little hard to get into at first but when the narrative began to settle down I could see a structure there that had potential. Brief summary: When Emily Weaver (Julianne Moore) announces to her husband Cal (Steve Carell) that she wants a divorce, his world collapses around him. She had slept with another man, David Lindhagen (Kevin Bacon) and Cal finds that hard to take since they had been together since high school. He takes to going to bars to drown his sorrows and is taken under the wing of Jacob Palmer (Ryan Gosling) who shows him how to dress, behave and (most importantly) how to pick up women. At this he is quite successful (eventually) but he feels there is still something missing. Meanwhile there are a couple of other sub-plots going on. One involves Cal’s son, Robbie (Jonah Bobo), who has become infatuated with his babysitter, Jessica (Analeigh Tipton). She, meanwhile is holding a torch for Cal… With me so far?... Also, there is law student, Hannah (Emma Stone) who Jacob had been unsuccessful in picking up when we first meet him (I can’t really say any more about her without giving too much away, so here I’ll stop). All these threads eventually tie together in what (at times) appears like a French farce, but which does ultimately have a very valid point.

All the performances were very good with Steve Carell, Ryan Gosling and Julianne Moore taking centre stage. I thought Kevin Bacon was slightly underused, and more could have been made of Emma Stone’s character. Over all, it’s pretty well made but the narrative does tend to wander in places. An endearing film that does have quite a strong message about love and about soul mates. I freely admit this old romantic found it quite relatable.

SteelMonster’s verdict: RECOMMENDED

My score: 7.5/10

IMDb Score: 7.5/10 (based on 158,600 votes at the time of going to press).
http://uk.imdb.com/title/tt1570728/

MetaScore: 68/100: (Based on 40 critic reviews provided by Metacritic.com at the time of going to press).

Rotten Tomatoes ‘Tomatometer’ Score: 78/100 (based on 199 reviews counted at the time of going to press).

Rotten Tomatoes ‘Audience’ Score: 80/100 ‘Liked it’ (based on 76,762 user ratings counted at the time of going to press).
http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/771203531/

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

FAVOURITE QUOTES:
Jacob: I'm going to help you rediscover your manhood. Do you have any idea where you could have lost it?

Jacob: The skin under your eyes is starting to look like Hugh Hefner's ball sack.
Cal: [Carefully looks at himself on mirror and sighs... ] Yes, it is.

Jacob: I'm wildly unhappy, and I'm trying to buy it, and it's not working.

Robbie: You wanna talk about The Scarlet Letter, Ms. Tafferty? All right. Well, the A they're both wearing - I think it stands for "asshole." Wanna know why? Because they fell in love and love is for stupid assholes. And this book is just about a bunch of assholes who fell in love, like assholes, then had to die, like assholes. I'm sorry about all the "assholes."

Liz: Your life is so PG-13.

Hannah: Will you take off your shirt... fuck! Seriously? It's like you're Photoshopped!

Cal: Are you pointing at me?
Robbie: You're pointing at him?
Emily: She's pointing at him? OH!

Cal: I have loved her even when I hated her... only married couples'll understand that one...

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

Film Review: A SINGLE MAN (2009)

Director: Tom Ford
Writers: Christopher Isherwood (novel), Tom Ford & David Scearce (written for the screen by)
Running time: 92 mins (approx)
Certification (UK): 12A

Genre: Drama
UK Release date: 12^th February 2010

Watched on Sky+ Saturday 15^th September 2012.

PLEASE NOTE: THERE MAY BE SPOILERS IN THIS REVIEW.

This is most definitely not the kind of film I would usually watch but it was so well received by the critics I persuaded myself to take a look. I have to say that, yes, there were things that impressed me about it, however I did struggle a bit with the subject matter (more on that later). Here’s a very brief summary before I give you my thoughts.

We are told the story of one day in the life of George. It is 1962, he is gay and he has recently lost Jim, his partner of several years in a car crash. It soon becomes apparent that George has special plans for this particular day; but he has to get through it first. He is a professor of English at a University in California and, for some reason; he appears a little distracted in his lecture. That’s not to say he doesn’t come out with some sage advice for his students. One in particular, Kenny, seems very keen to strike up a conversation with him. After work he runs a few errands, during which he meets a young Spanish man, Carlos, who tries to pick him up. Later, having set everything for when he returns home, George goes out to meet his female friend, and one-time lover, Charley. They spend the evening reminiscing about lost opportunities before George returns home. The film is interspersed with flashbacks to when George and Jim were together; culminating with how they met. This seems to strike a chord with George and he feels impelled to return to the bar where it all began… I will leave it there or the Spoiler Police (Tom Ford Division) will be replacing my entire wardrobe (again).

Really well made and, given the director, there is no surprise that it looks immaculate and extremely stylish. A great performance by Colin Firth as George is the highlight of this piece. He is ably supported by Julianne Moore who, as Charley, put on one of the best English accents I’ve ever heard from an American on screen. Also worthy of note were Nicholas Hoult as Kenny, Matthew Goode as Jim (in flashback), Jon Kortajarena as Carlos and Ryan Simpkins as the neighbours pesky daughter, Jennifer Strunk.

Although it’s an extremely stylish and well made film I must admit I found it hard to watch despite Colin Firth’s excellent performance. I guess the subject matter of the piece is something I don’t find I have any interest in. Don’t get me wrong, it’s not a homophobic thing, I have had friends that are gay and it hasn’t bothered me in the slightest. This one just didn’t do a lot for me I’m afraid; if it had been made about a heterosexual couple I guess it would never have seen the light of day, and that’s just where the problems begin. I think it’s a story that has been told many times before but because it’s about a gay man in the 60’s and it was made by Tom Ford it’s special. Well, for me, it wasn’t all that special; I will, however, still give it a good score because I think it was very well made and I do appreciate its style and Colin Firth’s performance.

SteelMonster’s verdict: RECOMMENDED (Just)

My score: 6.0/10

IMDb Score: 7.5/10 (based on 45,001 votes at the time of going to press).
http://uk.imdb.com/title/tt1315981/

MetaScore: 77/100: (Based on 35 critic reviews provided by Metacritic.com at the time of going to press).

Rotten Tomatoes ‘Tomatometer’ Score: 85/100 (based on 175 reviews counted at the time of going to press).

Rotten Tomatoes ‘Audience’ Score: 78/100 ‘Liked it’ (based on 53,650 user ratings counted at the time of going to press).
http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/1218217-single_man/

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

FAVOURITE QUOTES:
George: [whispered] Just get through the goddamn day.

George: It takes time in the morning for me to become George, time to adjust to what is expected of George and how he is to behave. By the time I have dressed and put the final layer of polish on the now slightly stiff but quite perfect George I know fully what part I'm suppose to play.

Jennifer Strunk: Would you like to meet Charlton Heston? He's our scorpion. Every night we throw in something new to him and watch him kill it. Daddy says it's like a Coliseum. Daddy says he wants to throw you into the Coliseum.
George: No kidding. Why?
Jennifer Strunk: Well, he says you're light in your loafers. But you're not even wearing any loafers.

George: If one is not enjoying one's present, there isn't a great deal to suggest that the future should be any better.

George: Let's leave the Jews out of this just for a moment. Let's think of another minority. One that... One that can go unnoticed if it needs to. There are all sorts of minorities, blondes for example... Or people with freckles. But a minority is only thought of as one when it constitutes some kind of threat to the majority. A real threat or an imagined one. And therein lies the fear. If the minority is somehow invisible, then the fear is much greater. That fear is why the minority is persecuted. So, you see there always is a cause. The cause is fear. Minorities are just people. People like us.

LINKS:
(Note: All were working at the time of going to press)
Official Site: http://www.asingleman-movie.com/#/home
Trailer:

Film Review: THE KIDS ARE ALL RIGHT (2010)

Co-Writer/Director: Lisa Cholodenko
Running time: 106 mins (approx)
Certification (UK): 15

Genre: Comedy/Drama
UK Release date: 29^th October 2010

Watched on Sky+ Sunday 25^th September 2011.

PLEASE NOTE: THERE MAY BE SPOILERS IN THIS REVIEW.

Ok, I had better make it clear from the start that this film does not feature the rock band ‘The Who’… They did a film with a similar title back in 1979 so I didn’t want there to be any confusion from the start. This, on the other hand is about a lesbian couple with two children… more or less the opposite of ‘The Who’ really. But to be serious for a moment, this film gained quite a lot of critical praise when it came out and so I thought I might give it a look. Although it’s not my usual fare, I did find it quite interesting up to a point, but it kind of ran out of steam towards the end (IMO). More of my thoughts after this brief summary.

A lesbian couple, Jules and Nic had two children by artificial insemination. They are a boy, Laser (now 15) and a girl, Joni (now 18). Joni is about to move away to college and Laser asks her, being of age, to get in touch with the sperm donor that was used to conceive them. She agrees and they make contact with restaurant owner Paul who also happens to grow a lot of organic food as well. They meet and, after a faltering start, eventually get on quite well together. The kids tell their moms and Paul eventually meets them. The film then goes on to explore the effect Paul has on the lives of the members of this rather unusual family. Not wishing to enrage the Spoiler Police (lesbian division) I will end my brief summary here.

A well made film without any spectacular cinematography or music, this film is more of a character study than anything else. A lot of the critical praise was aimed at the performances and I can see why; both Julianne Moore as Jules and Annette Bening as Nic did a brilliant job! I thought Mark Ruffalo as Paul was also very good, but I was most impressed with the kids. Both Mia Wasikowska as Joni and Josh Hutcherson as Laser were great. It was so refreshing to see a couple of young characters that were not the greedy teenage morons we usually gets stuck with.

As I hinted at the beginning, the film does kind of lose a bit of steam towards the end but that’s not to say it was all bad. There were a couple of laughs along the way, but I did find it quite a serious piece. For all the great performances I was surprised that it didn’t have the emotional impact that I’m sure the filmmakers wanted it to have. Nicely paced with an interesting plot (for the most part) it did keep me entertained for much of the time, but ultimately lost it in the end. I’m going to deem it recommended (just) despite this.

My Score: 6.4/10.

IMDb Score: 7.2/10 (based on 36,349 votes at the time of going to press).
http://uk.imdb.com/title/tt0842926/

Rotten Tomatoes Score: 94/100 (based on 204 reviews counted at the time of going to press).
http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/10012141-kids_are_all_right/

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

FAVOURITE QUOTES:
Laser: Why did you donate your sperm?
Paul: Because it seemed more fun than donating blood.

Jules: I wish you were gay; you'd be much more sensitive.

LINKS:
Official Site: http://filminfocus.com/the_kids_are_all_right
Official Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/TheKidsAreAllRight
Trailer:

Film Review: CHILDREN OF MEN (2006)

Co-Writer (Screenplay)/Director: Alfonso Cuarón
Running time: 109 mins (approx)
Certification (UK): 15

Genre: Drama/Thriller/Sci-Fi
UK Release date: 22nd September 2006

Watched on Sky+ Saturday 19th March 2011.

PLEASE NOTE: THERE MAY BE SPOILERS IN THIS REVIEW.

I was flicking channels before bed time the other night when I came across this film, it had only just started but I thought I’d watch five minutes… Fifteen minutes later I pressed ‘Record’ and retired to bed. I’m really glad I recorded it now because, I have to say for the record that I have seen it before but first time around I didn’t enjoy it all that much. A second viewing has convinced me that it is a very fine piece of work, gritty, and tough to watch at times, but certainly worth it. More of my thoughts later but here’s a brief summary first (summary haters and those that don’t wish to know anything about the plot please escort that refugee to the coast while I write the next paragraph).

It is the year 2027 and the world has gone to pot. No babies have been born since 2009 and this has caused chaos across the globe as society collapsed leaving numerous homeless and destitute people. Many make their way to the UK where they are herded into cages and sent to camps far away from the population. When an English man, Theo Faron is approached by his former lover, and leader of a pro-refugee rebellion, Julian, he reluctantly agrees to help her. They need him to escort a girl, Kee, to the coast where they hope to get her on a boat to meet a group of scientists known as ‘The Human Project’. Having secured the paperwork from his brother, Theo meets up with Julian, Kee and Miriam (Kee’s escort). They set off but are ambushed; they get away and make it to a safe house that proves not to be quite as safe as first thought. Here Theo discovers what is so special about Kee and why it is so important for everyone that she makes it to her destination. I’ll leave it there so as not to infuriate the spoiler police… they can get quite nasty you know.

Filmed in a washed-out style, this film is very stark-looking with a realistic feel to it. This really helps the story, which is a no-holds-barred assault on the sensitivities of modern life. It really hits home in a very pragmatic way how society could end up if mankind lets it (ok, no more political stuff). Great performances all round, particularly from Clive Owen as Theo Faron, he seldom convinces me as a leading man, but as the reluctant hero here, he really nails it. Julianne Moore did a good job as Julian (daft name for a girl if you ask me though), as did Pam Ferris as Miriam. I really liked Clare-Hope Ashitey as Kee, she played a difficult part very well, and it was great to see Michael Caine as you’ve never seen him before, as Theo’s friend Jasper.

Amongst all the grit, dirt and general reality of the film comes one scene that will stay with me for a long time. For those that have seen it, it’s where Theo and Kee are leaving the tower block and all the fighting stops until they are clear (I don’t think I’ve given anything vital away here). If you haven’t seen it, believe me, it’s a truly beautiful piece of cinema. There is also a great soundtrack with many songs you’ll recognise and a great piece of humour for Pink Floyd fans… just look out of the window at Battersea Power station & you’ll see what I mean. Over all, I really enjoyed this film, although I did find it a little too long. There are some great performances and it is a very compelling story… Recommended.

My score: 8.0/10

LINKS:
(RT = Rotten Tomatoes)
IMDb Page: http://uk.imdb.com/title/tt0206634/
RT Page: http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/children_of_men/
Official Site: http://www.universalstudiosentertainment.com/children-of-men/
Trailer: http://uk.imdb.com/video/screenplay/vi266470169/

Film Review: THE BIG LEBOWSKI (1998)

Writer/Directors: Joel Coen & Ethan Coen (uncredited as director)
Running time: 117 mins (approx)
Certification (UK): 18

UK release date: 1st May 1998

Watched on DVD Sunday 29th August 2010.

PLEASE NOTE: THERE MAY BE SPOILERS IN THIS REVIEW.

I’ll admit I am a big fan of this film; I’ve loved it since I first saw it on a grainy rental video back in 2000. To me the Coen brothers have made two outstanding films, this one and Fargo (1996), and yes, I know there will be some disagreement out there about that, but it’s only my opinion. Now, before I tell you why I think this is such a great film, here’s a little bit about the plot.

Jeffrey Lebowski (a.k.a. The Dude), is disturbed one evening when two heavies break into his house and demand money that his wife owes their boss. One of them urinates on his rug before they realise they have the wrong Lebowski… This one isn’t even married. The next day The Dude complains about this to his bowling buddies, Walter Sobchak and Donny Kerabatsos. They figure out it’s a case of mistaken identity and The Dude goes to see the man they really wanted, another Jeffrey Lebowski - The Big Lebowski, who happens to be a millionaire. Leaving with a replacement rug, The Dude meets the young trophy wife, Bunny Lebowski. A few days later he is contacted by Mr Lebowski’s assistant, Brandt, because Bunny has been kidnapped and they want The Dude to act as the bag man. I won’t say any more, but that’s basically the set-up. Throw in The Big Lebowski’s artist daughter Maude (from a previous marriage) and some crazy German nihilists and you can see there’s plenty to keep the audience amused and entertained.

This is an exceptionally well made film with a great cast, a great score and some really different and enthralling dream sequences thrown in. To me it’s almost the perfect movie, I say almost, because I like to leave a little margin for improvement. Great performances all round from; Jeff Bridges as Jeffrey Lebowski - The Dude, John Goodman as Walter Sobchak, Julianne Moore as Maude Lebowski, Steve Buscemi as Donny Kerabatsos, David Huddleston as Jeffrey Lebowski - The Big Lebowski, Philip Seymour Hoffman as Brandt and Tara Reid as Bunny Lebowski. Oh, and I almost forgot a stellar performance by John Turturro as Jesus Quintana.

As I’ve already said, this is, to me, almost the perfect movie. I say that because I can only find one scene that doesn’t add anything substantial to the story. It’s the one where The Dude confronts the guy in the VW Beetle (for those that have seen it). Apart from that, an almost perfect movie. Very highly recommended.

My score: 9.3/10

LINKS:
IMDb Site: http://uk.imdb.com/title/tt0118715/
Trailer: http://uk.imdb.com/rg/VIDEO_PLAY/LINK/video/screenplay/vi4018733337/

Film Review: BLINDNESS (2008)

Director: Fernando Meirelles
Running time: 121 mins (approx)
Certificate (UK): 18

Watched on Sky+ Saturday 10th October 2009.

PLEASE NOTE: POSSIBLE SPOILERS IN THIS REVIEW.

Brought to us by the same man, Fernando Meirelles, who gave us City Of God (2002), which I thought to be a quite brilliant film. I will tell you my thoughts on this one at the end of this review. It is set in modern times where first one man goes blind, and then more and more. The condition spreads very rapidly and the authorities act quickly to put all those affected into quarantine. A doctor finds himself afflicted and quarantined. His wife, not wishing to be separated from him, feigns blindness and is quarantined with him.

This is where the main body of the film takes place. More and more people arrive and the doctor’s wife manages to help as best she can without giving away her secret. But with more people, all blind, comes more problems, and eventually the unsavoury side of human nature begins to emerge. As food supplies become short grievances are raised. It seems that they are cut off from the outside world with minimal contact with the guards, who don’t want to become ‘infected’. An old man with an eye patch arrives with a radio, and for a while they have a little news, but eventually internal battles become the main concern.

This is not a film without a soul; I will tell you that there is a quite excellent ending that, for most, gives them hope. Some excellent use of the camera, I found the shooting style very pleasing to the eye and very sympathetic to the subject matter. I also found the use of language quite interesting, a Japanese couple, when speaking to each other talk in their native tongue, when conversing with everyone else, they speak English. Excellent performances from all of the main cast, in particular, Julianne Moore as the doctor’s wife, Mark Ruffalo as the doctor, Danny Glover as the man with the eye patch, Yusuke Iseya as the first blind man and Yoshino Kimura as the first blind man’s wife.

Throughout the film our emotions are taken on a ride. I found it a very emotional piece because I could see that there are (unfortunately) people in this world that would take advantage of a situation in the way certain individuals are portrayed here. As with City Of God, Fernando Meirelles knows just how to show the worst aspects of human nature, I really hated certain characters, so he did his job well. Over all, an enthralling and very thoughtful drama. It made me question how I might react in a similar situation, but I really enjoyed it in the end.

My score: 8.5/10

LINKS:
IMDb Site: http://uk.imdb.com/title/tt0861689/

Official Site: http://www.blindness-themovie.com/
Trailer: http://uk.imdb.com/rg/VIDEO_PLAY/LINK/video/imdb/vi1844248857/