Film Review: QUILLS (2000)

Director: Philip Kaufman
Writers: Doug Wright (play/screenplay)
Running time: 124 mins (approx)
Certification (UK): 18

Genre: Biography/Drama
UK Release date: 19^th January 2001

Watched on Sky+ Sunday 5^th May 2013.

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

This is a film I’ve heard talked about many times over the years and I heard enough to decide it might be worth a look and so it was duly added to ‘The List’. It came up in the listings this week and so I finally got to see this study of The Marquis de Sade. Maybe not quite as fulfilling as I’d expected, but a worthy watch nonetheless. I’ll tell you more after this very brief summary.

The film concentrates on the final years of the notorious Marquis de Sade (Geoffrey Rush) in an insane asylum run by The Abbe du Coulmier (Joaquin Phoenix). The Marquis is having manuscripts smuggled out with the help of a maid, Madeline (Kate Winslet). These are being published much to the outrage of the establishment and even Napoleon himself. Something must be done and to this end one Dr. Royer-Collard (Michael Caine) is dispatched to the asylum to oversee the running of the place. What follows is a game of cat-and-mouse as The Marquis finds ever more cunning ways to outwit the doctor and get his manuscripts out. This cannot last for long and eventually even the good doctor must stoop down to his level in order to get what he wants… But at what cost?

A pretty well made film with some excellent performances, particularly from Geoffrey Rush and Kate Winslet. It did, however, seem incomplete; there were a couple of threads that didn’t seem to tie up. I was interested in the story of the doctor’s wife and also the wife of the Marquis. Both of these characters came and went without any reference to them again; I found that a little odd. I have never read any of the works of the Marquis de Sade, but having seen this I’m tempted to take a look and see if it’s really as depraved as they say. As for the film, definitely worth a look although I did find it a tad drawn out and a tad too long.

SteelMonster’s verdict: RECOMMENDED

My score: 7.1/10.

IMDb Score: 7.3/10 (based on 34,133 votes when this review was written).
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0180073/

MetaScore: 70/100: (Based on 31 critic reviews provided by Metacritic.com at the time of going to press).

Rotten Tomatoes ‘Tomatometer’ Score: 75/100 (based on 119 reviews counted at the time of going to press).

Rotten Tomatoes ‘Audience’ Score: 80/100 (based on 44,744 user ratings counted at the time of going to press).
http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/quills/

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FAVOURITE QUOTES:
Madeleine: Some things belong on paper, others in life. It's a blessed fool who can't tell the difference.

Marquis de Sade: Conversation, like certain portions of the anatomy, always runs more smoothly when lubricated.

Coulmier: It's nothing but an encyclopedia of perversions. One man killed his wife after reading them.
Marquis de Sade: It's a fiction, not a moral treatise.

Renee Pelagie: Desperation has driven me past etiquette, all the way to frenzy.
Dr. Royer-Collard: My schedule is not subject to the whim of lunatics.
Renee Pelagie: I beg to differ, you work in a madhouse. Your every waking moment is governed by the insane.

Coulmier: But why must you indulge in his pornography?
Madeleine: It's a hard days' wages slaving away for madmen, what I've seen in life - it takes a lot to hold my interest.

LINKS:
(Note: All were working at the time of going to press)
Official Site: http://www.foxsearchlight.com/quills/
Trailer:

Film Review: CONTAGION (2011) – Re-visited

Director: Steven Soderbergh
Writer: Scott Z. Burns
Running time: 106 mins (approx)
Certification (UK): 12

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

Watched on Sky+ Friday 7^th December 2012.

PLEASE NOTE: THERE MAY BE SPOILERS IN THIS REVIEW.

I saw this film in the cinema when it came out in October 2011; I remember it was pretty good and so decided to give it a second look. I like to sometimes give a film a second look because there is so much you can miss on a first viewing plus you get an opportunity to maybe follow more closely certain aspects of the plot that may have been lost. Surprisingly, without looking, I gave it exactly the same score as first time around so the filmmakers must have done something right! Here’s a brief plot summary before I give you my thoughts.

It all starts on Day 2. A woman, Beth Emhoff, is at an airport, returning home from a trip to Hong Kong… and she’s not feeling well. From here we see outbreaks in various parts of the world and we begin to pick up other threads. In Atlanta, Georgia the head of the CDC, Dr. Ellis Cheever, begins to see a potential problem and sends one of his agents, Dr. Erin Mears, to Minnesota where help is needed. A blogger, Alan Krumwiede, picks up on the story and uses it to enhance his reputation online and also make some financial gain. We pick up the story on the sick woman’s husband, Mitch Emhoff, and his daughter, Jory, (from a previous marriage) and how events affect them. At the World Health Organisation in Geneva, Switzerland an official, Dr. Leonora Orantes, is sent out to Hong Kong to try and discover the source of the outbreak but she runs into a spot of local trouble (to put it mildly). There are more, minor, threads to this story but these are the main ones. As to the plot, well I really don’t want to say too much about that or the Spoiler Police will be measuring me up for a rhesus monkey suit.

I have to say that Steven Soderbergh assembled a really great cast for this one! Almost everyone who’s anyone has a role (it seems); Gwyneth Paltrow as Beth Emhoff and Matt Damon as Mitch Emhoff were both excellent, as was Laurence Fishburne as Dr. Ellis Cheever and Kate Winslet as Dr. Erin Mears. I thought Jude Law did a great job as Alan Krumwiede (despite a very strange accent). Also worthy of praise was Marion Cotillard as Dr. Leonora Orantes; she was her most excellent best (as ever), but woefully underused. Honourable mentions go to Elliott Gould as Dr. Ian Sussman and Bryan Cranston as Lyle Haggerty.

It’s a slow burner but it does eventually pick up. It won’t be to everyone’s taste, but I quite liked it, mostly, it must be said, for the acting talent on display and their abilities. I’m sure lesser known actors would have done a competent enough job but this cast does take it to another level. I did feel that there was maybe one too many threads to follow, but it’s all done quite well as we see the effect this global virus has on society. There is a bit at the end which explains how the contagion started and I really wish that scene had been missed out; by then it wasn’t relevant. Over all though, an interesting film that has some attention-grabbing imagery; you will be washing your hands afterwards (I guarantee it). A stellar cast gives it a boost but it’s really a very well made ‘B Movie’ with aspirations (IMO)… Still, well worth a look.

SteelMonster’s verdict: RECOMMENDED

My score: 7.2/10

IMDb Score: 6.7/10 (based on 107,321 votes at the time of going to press).
http://uk.imdb.com/title/tt1598778/

MetaScore: 70/100: (Based on 38 critic reviews provided by Metacritic.com at the time of going to press).

Rotten Tomatoes ‘Tomatometer’ Score: 84/100 (based on 235 reviews counted at the time of going to press).

Rotten Tomatoes ‘Audience’ Score: 61/100 ‘Liked It’ (based on 70,389 user ratings counted at the time of going to press).
http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/contagion_2011/

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

FAVOURITE QUOTES:
Dr. Ian Sussman: Blogging is not writing. It's just graffiti with punctuation.

Alan Krumwiede: It's a bad day to be a rhesus monkey.

LINKS:
Official Site: http://contagionmovie.warnerbros.com/dvd/
Trailer:

Film Review: ETERNAL SUNSHINE OF THE SPOTLESS MIND (2004)

Director: Michel Gondry
Writers: Charlie Kaufman (Story/Screenplay), Michel Gondry (Story) & Pierre Bismuth (Story)
Running time: 108 mins (approx)
Certification (UK): 15

Genre: Drama/Romance/Sci-Fi
UK Release date: 30^th April 2004

Watched on Sky+ Sunday 31^st January 2012.

PLEASE NOTE: THERE MAY BE SPOILERS IN THIS REVIEW.

This is a film I saw several years ago and immediately fell in love with. I thought it would be interesting to give it another viewing just to see how well it’s stood up in the intervening years. Well I’m pleased to report, it does pretty well; if anything, I like it slightly more after this most recent viewing. I will tell you more after this brief summary.

We begin with a couple meeting on a train for the first time. They are Joel Barish and Clementine Kruczynski. Everything seems to be going very well and then the mood suddenly changes. Joel is in his car banging his head against the steering wheel; very upset, almost inconsolable. He eventually finds out that Clementine has undergone a procedure to erase him from her memory. Unable to live with that, he decides to do the same. It is through this process that we see their entire relationship from the end to the beginning. Will it be successful, or is Joel doomed to live with his grief? Well obviously I can’t tell you that or the Spoiler Police will be erasing my memory (some say they already have!).

Beautifully made with some outstanding (& very subtle) CGI; I really love the way small things are erased as a scene progresses, or they go out of focus so you get the impression of memories being lost. The performances are all excellent too; especially Jim Carrey as Joel Barish (I really wish he would take more parts like this, he’s very good at it) and Kate Winslet who played Clementine Kruczynski perfectly; in fact she got an Oscar for it! Honourable mentions go to; Elijah Wood as Patrick, Mark Ruffalo as Stan, Kirsten Dunst as Mary and Tom Wilkinson as Dr. Mierzwiak.

[Spoiler Alert]
There are several sub-plots that I have not included in the main summary that serve to show the imperfections in the process Joel and Clementine have undergone. This takes the film to a higher lever for me, it illustrates that no matter what, there may be a person you are supposed to be with. I don’t know whether that’s true or not, but it’s a concept that (I know) many cling to. But back to the film… It’s really well made with some excellent performances; very well written (another Oscar for that), one that’s quirky and quite bizarre in places, but also quite unique and one I have no problem in deeming ‘Highly Recommended’.

My score: 9.1/10

IMDb Score: 8.5/10 (based on 297,486 votes at the time of going to press).
http://uk.imdb.com/title/tt0338013/

Rotten Tomatoes ‘Tomatometer’ Score: 93/100 (based on 218 reviews counted at the time of going to press).

Rotten Tomatoes ‘Audience’ Score: 93/100 (based on 503,889 user ratings counted at the time of going to press).
http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/eternal_sunshine_of_the_spotless_mind/#

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FAVOURITE QUOTES:
[first lines]
Joel: [voice over] random thoughts for Valentine's day, 2004. Today is a holiday invented by greeting card companies to make people feel like crap.

Joel: [narration as Clementine acknowledges him by raising her coffee mug] Why do I fall in love with every woman I see who shows me the least bit of attention?

Clementine: Hi!
Joel: Excuse me?
Clementine: I just said hi.
Joel: Oh! Hi, hello.
Clementine: I'm Clementine... No jokes about my name.
Joel: I don't know any jokes about your name.
Clementine: Huckleberry Hound.
Joel: I don't know what that is.
Clementine: Huckleberry Hound!
[singing]
Clementine: Oh my darling, oh my darling, oh my darling Clementine.
Joel: I don't know what that means.
Clementine: Are you NUTS?
Joel: It's been suggested.

[Mary reads to Dr. Mierzwiak out of "Bartlett's Familiar Quotations"; the lines are from Alexander Pope's poem "Eloisa to Abelard"]
Mary: How happy is the blameless vestal's lot! / The world forgetting, by the world forgot / Eternal sunshine of the spotless mind! / Each pray'r accepted, and each wish resign'd.

LINKS:
(Note: All were working at the time of going to press)
Official Site: http://www.universalstudiosentertainment.com/eternal-sunshine-of-the-spotless-mind/
Trailer:

Film Review: HEAVENLY CREATURES (1994)

Co-Writer (Screenplay)/Director: Peter Jackson
Co-Writer (Screenplay): Fran Walsh
Running time: 99 mins (approx)
Certification (UK): 18

Genre: Biography/Crime/Drama
UK Release date: 10^th February 1995

Watched on Sky+ Sunday 18^th December 2011.

PLEASE NOTE: THERE MAY BE SPOILERS IN THIS REVIEW.

This film is based on a true story; it chronicles the events leading up to a murder in 1954, New Zealand. It’s the story of a very close friendship formed between two teenage girls and how it lead to murder. Ever since I saw the ‘Lord of the Rings’ trilogy I have always been looking out for other works directed by Peter Jackson. This one has come up several times in discussions and so I was very pleased when the BBC gave it an airing earlier this week. Here’s a brief plot summary before I give you my thoughts.

We begin in Canterbury, New Zealand, 1953 where Juliet Hulme has arrived at her new school from England. She forms a friendship with Pauline Parker, an impressionable girl who shares her love of the opera singer, Mario Lanza. They quickly form a strong bond, one that is made stronger by the fact that they both have had bad illnesses in the past. They begin writing stories about a fantasy land with various colourful characters. They re-enact scenes from the stories and eventually this fantasy land becomes real to them. Their parents become worried that their friendship is becoming too intense. As events unfold, it transpires that Juliet’s parents are planning to divorce and she is to be shipped out to an aunt in South Africa. This hit’s Pauline hard and, because she has been having a particularly hard time with her mother, they hatch a plot to get her out of the way. I can’t say any more or the spoiler police will be escorting me down a country path.

It’s all beautifully shot with some really great CGI in the fantasy scenes; I can now see just why Jackson was chosen for those other films he made later. Great performances from both of the starring actresses. I thought Melanie Lynskey was really excellent as Pauline Parker and, in her first movie role, Kate Winslet did a first-rate job as Juliet Hulme. Honourable mentions must also go to; Sarah Peirse as Honora Parker Rieper, Diana Kent as Hilda Hulme, Clive Merrison as Dr. Henry Hulme, Simon O'Connor as Herbert Rieper and Jed Brophy as John/Nicholas.

Peter Jackson pays great attention to detail and it is the details that make this a particularly good film. It’s a period piece and it really looks the part with every detail as it should be. As I’ve already mentioned, the CGI is expertly done and fits seamlessly into the story. It’s quite an unusual plot with much of the action focused on just one of the girls, Pauline, but then it was based on her diaries. In fact, much of the narration is made up from direct quotes from her diaries. It may not be for everyone, but I found it quite engrossing and well worth a look… Recommended.

My score: 8.5/10.

IMDb Score: 7.6/10 (based on 30,765 votes at the time of going to press).
http://uk.imdb.com/title/tt0110005/

Rotten Tomatoes ‘Tomatometer’ Score: 95/100 (based on 42 reviews counted at the time of going to press).
Rotten Tomatoes ‘Audience’ Score: 82/100 (based on 35,964 user ratings counted at the time of going to press).
http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/heavenly_creatures/

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

FAVOURITE QUOTES:
Juliet Hulme: All the best people have bad chests and bone diseases. It's all frightfully romantic.

Pauline Parker: [voiceover, from her diary] We have decided how sad it is for others that they cannot appreciate our genius.

Pauline Parker: Oh, I wish James Mason would do a religious picture! He'd be perfect as Jesus!
Juliet Hulme: Daddy says the Bible's a load of bunkum!
Pauline Parker: But we're all going to heaven?
Juliet Hulme: I'M not! I'M going to The Fourth World... it's sort of like heaven. Only better, because there aren't any Christians!

Pauline Parker: [Narrative from the diary] My new year’s resolution is a far more selfish one than last year. It is to make my motto, eat, drink and be merry for tomorrow, you may be dead

LINKS:
Trailer:

Film Review: CONTAGION (2011)

Director: Steven Soderbergh
Running time: 106 mins (approx)
Certification (UK): 12A

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

Watched at the cinema Saturday 21^st October 2011.

PLEASE NOTE: THERE MAY BE SPOILERS IN THIS REVIEW.

I only decided to go and see this one after hearing a review on the radio. Prior to that I was undecided because I hadn’t really heard much feedback on it. But having made the decision I settled into my seat at my local cinema and hoped that those guys on the radio knew what they were talking about. Well, it started and went along quite calmly… I wasn’t too bothered; the various threads of the story were being introduced at this stage. It’s still fizzing along quietly for quite a while before things start to get a bit exciting. From then on it does pick up the pace a bit and I could finally see what the guys on the radio were talking about. Here’s a new (and improved) summary before I give you more of my thoughts.

It all starts on Day 2. A woman, Beth Emhoff, is at an airport, returning home from a trip to Hong Kong… and she’s not feeling well. From here we see outbreaks in various parts of the world and we begin to pick up other threads. In Atlanta, Georgia the head of the CDC, Dr. Ellis Cheever, begins to see a potential problem and sends one of his agents to Minnesota where help is needed. A blogger, Alan Krumwiede, picks up on the story and uses it to enhance his reputation online. We pick up the story on the sick woman’s husband, Mitch Emhoff, and his daughter, Jory, (from a previous marriage) and how events affect them. At the World Health Organisation in Geneva, Switzerland an official, Dr. Leonora Orantes, is sent out to Hong Kong to try and discover the source of the outbreak. There are more, minor, threads to this story but these are the main ones. As to the plot, well I really don’t want to say too much about that or the Spoiler Police will be measuring me up for a rhesus monkey suit.

I have to say that Steven Soderbergh assembled a really great cast for this one! Almost everyone who’s anyone has a role (it seems); Gwyneth Paltrow as Beth Emhoff and Matt Damon as Mitch Emhoff were both excellent, as was Laurence Fishburne as Dr. Ellis Cheever and Kate Winslet as Dr. Erin Mears. I thought Jude Law did a great job as Alan Krumwiede (despite a very strange accent). Also worthy of praise was Marion Cotillard as Dr. Leonora Orantes; she was her most excellent best (as ever). Honourable mentions go to Elliott Gould as Dr. Ian Sussman and Bryan Cranston as Lyle Haggerty.

It’s a slow burner but it does eventually pick up. It won’t be to everyone’s taste, but I quite liked it, mostly, it must be said, for the acting talent on display and their abilities. I’m sure lesser known actors would have done a competent enough job but this cast takes it to another level. I did feel that there was maybe one too many threads to follow, but it’s all done quite well as we see the effect this global virus has on society. There is a bit at the end which explains how the contagion started and I really wish that scene had been missed out; it wasn’t relevant (to me anyway). Over all though, an interesting film that’s quite slow to start with, but picks up pace eventually. A stellar cast gives it a boost but it’s really a very well made ‘B Movie’ with aspirations (IMO)… Even so… Recommended (although it won’t be to everyone’s taste).

My score: 7.2/10

IMDb Score: 7.2/10 (based on 12,586 votes when this review was written).
http://uk.imdb.com/title/tt1598778/

Rotten Tomatoes Score: 84/100 (based on 209 reviews counted when this review was written).
http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/contagion_2011/

FAVOURITE QUOTES:
Dr. Ian Sussman: Blogging is not writing. It's just graffiti with punctuation.

Alan Krumwiede: It's a bad day to be a rhesus monkey.

LINKS:
Official Site: http://contagionmovie.warnerbros.com/index.html
Trailer:

Film Review: THE READER (2008)

Director: Stephen Daldry
Running time: 119 mins (approx)
Certificate (UK): 15

Watched on Sky+ Wednesday 20th January 2010.

PLEASE NOTE: POSSIBLE SPOILERS IN THIS REVIEW.

This is another film that has had critical acclaim, in particular for the performance of Kate Winslet, but more of that later. For the most part the story is told in flashback, but this does not distract the viewer because it is done in large sections. The story begins in Germany in 1958…

A teenage schoolboy, Michael Berg is heading home in the rain; he is feeling unwell and finds himself in the entrance to some flats. He has been sick and a woman, Hanna Schmitz, cleans him up and walks him home. A doctor is called and he is diagnosed with scarlet fever and consigned to bed for three months. He has not forgotten the woman who helped him and goes to see her with some flowers as a thank you. There is an instant attraction between the two and they end up in bed together. They continue to see each other and eventually Hanna persuades Michael to read for her. This becomes a regular thing, he would read to her and then they would make love. Then one day Hanna gets news at work that she is to be promoted from her job as a tram conductor and would have to work in the office. She is not pleased and ends up having a row with Michael. It’s his birthday as well. For reasons unknown at the time, when Michael has gone to his birthday party, she packs her bags and leaves. We now go forward in time to 1966 where Michael is now a law student in Berlin. He is in an advanced class and they are going to watch the trials of some Nazi war criminals. They take their places in the gallery and suddenly, as he’s sorting out his notebook, Michael hears a voice he remembers. It is Hanna, and she is one of the accused! I won’t say too much more, not wanting to be accused myself of giving away too many spoilers.

This is a really well made film drama, it’s not the kind of thing I’d usually watch, but I found it really compelling. A tremendous performance from Kate Winslet as Hanna Schmitz, I thought she played it perfectly. I also have to give praise to David Kross as the young Michael Berg and Ralph Fiennes as the older Michael Berg, both put in stellar performances.

Although it’s still a touchy subject matter, the Holocaust, I found it was handled very sensitively and fairly. I don’t want to say too much about it for fear of spoilers, but I found the ending quite touching. I think the only slight niggle I had was, towards the end there were a lot of long silences between dialogue which I did find slightly distracting. Apart from that, a really good romantic drama and I can recommend it to you.

My score: 7.8/10

LINKS:
IMDb Site: http://uk.imdb.com/title/tt0976051/
Official Site: http://www.thereader-movie.com/
Trailer: http://uk.imdb.com/rg/VIDEO_PLAY/LINK/video/imdb/vi1750597657/