Film Review: TED (2012)

Director: Seth MacFarlane
Writers: Seth MacFarlane (story/screenplay), Alec Sulkin & Wellesley Wild (screenplay)
Running time: 106 mins (approx)
Certification (UK): 15

Genre: Comedy/Fantasy
UK Release date: 1^st August 2012

Watched on Sky+ Monday 6^th May 2013.

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

I can’t say I’m the greatest fan of Seth MacFarlane’s TV show ‘Family Guy’; it has some really great comic moments and then it usually pisses me off by being extremely stupid. About four episodes is usually my limit. So how come I came to watch ‘Ted’ then? Well I guess I hoped Seth might just put in all the great comic bits I like and leave out all the stupid crap. What did we get? Well I’ll tell you after this very brief summary.

When a lonely eight year old, John Bennet, makes a wish that his new teddy bear was real, to everyone’s surprise it comes true! After some initial notoriety Ted eventually falls out of the limelight but still stays with John. Flash forward and John (Mark Wahlberg) is now 35 and living with his girlfriend of four years, Lori Collins (Mila Kunis). Of course Ted (voiced by Seth MacFarlane) is still on the scene and he and John like to hang out, smoke pot and watch movies (particularly ‘Flash Gordon’). This is not going down too well with Lori; she wants their relationship to grow and it can’t as long as Ted is on the scene. She eventually persuades John to get Ted to get a job move out into an apartment of his own. He does this but John still goes to see him every day. As time passes it all gets too much for Lori and she gives John an ultimatum; it’s either Ted or her! But Ted is having a party and Sam J. Jones (of ‘Flash Gordon’ fame) is there! Can John resist!? Add to this a creepy guy, Donny (Giovanni Ribisi), and his son who want to buy Ted and that’s about all I can tell you.

So, was it worth my while investing 106 minutes of my life on this one? I have to say, on balance; not really. Yes there are some wonderfully comic moments and smart one-liners in there but I did find it drifted far too much from the sublime to the ridiculous. Also, one minute Ted is ‘Brian’ for Family Guy and the next he turns into ‘Peter Griffin’ from the same show (despite his denials). I thought both Mark Wahlberg and Mila Kunis did a good job; both of their characters were quite believable. Ultimately though I did find it lacked the one thing it so desperately needed; heart. Still, I’m sure the many devotees of ‘Family Guy’ will love this one but for me, sadly, it’s a bit of a dud.

SteelMonster’s verdict: NOT RECOMMENDED (…unless you’re a really big fan of Family Guy, in which case why haven’t you seen it yet!)

My score: 5.3/10.

IMDb Score: 7.1/10 (based on 232,626 votes when this review was written).
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1637725/

MetaScore: 62/100: (Based on 37 critic reviews provided by Metacritic.com at the time of going to press).

Rotten Tomatoes ‘Tomatometer’ Score: 69/100 (based on 197 reviews counted at the time of going to press).

Rotten Tomatoes ‘Audience’ Score: 80/100 (based on 172,931 user ratings counted at the time of going to press).
http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/ted_2012/

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

FAVOURITE QUOTES:
WARNING: STRONG LANGUAGE
[thunder is heard outside]
Lori: I don't - I don't understand. I really don't. You're 35 years old and you're still scared of a little thunder?
John: I am not!
[Ted comes running into the bed]
Ted: Thunder buddies for life, right, Johnny?
John: Fucking right.
Ted: Alright, come on, let's sing the thunder song.
John: Alright.
John, Ted: [singing] When you hear the sound of thunder, / Don't you get too scared. / Just grab your thunder buddy / And say these magic words: / "Fuck you, thunder! / You can suck my dick! / You can't get me thunder / 'Cause you're just God's farts!"
[blow raspberries]

Ted: [dressed in a suit and tie] I look stupid.
John: No, you don't, you look dapper.
Ted: John, I look like something you give to your kid when you tell 'em Grandma died.

Frank: You think you got what it takes?
Ted: I'll tell you what I got. Your wife's pussy on my breath.
Frank: Nobody's ever spoken to me like that before.
Ted: That's because their mouths were full of your wife's box.
Frank: You're hired.
Ted: Shit.

John: [calling 911] This guy took my teddy bear!
[pause]
John: Hello? Hello?

Lori: Can I give you a ride home?
John: No thanks, I'll walk. I might get raped but if I do I'll know it's my fault because of what I'm wearing.

Sam J. Jones: Death to Ming!

John: [Imitating Ted] Hey Johnny, I just had a great idea. Let's go get drunk and puke on cars on the overpass.
Ted: Oh, come on! I do not sound that much like Peter Griffin!

LINKS:
(Note: All were working at the time of going to press)
Official Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/tedisreal
Official Twitter: https://twitter.com/whattedsaid
Official Site: http://www.tedisreal.com/
Trailer:

Film Review: FOUR BROTHERS (2005)

Director: John Singleton
Writers: David Elliot, Paul Lovett
Running time: 105 mins (approx)
Certification (UK): 15

Genre: Action/Crime/Drama
UK Release date: 30^th September 2005

Watched on Sky+ Sunday 31^st March 2013.

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

This is another of those films that I have a vague recollection of when it came out. I can’t remember how well it was received at the time but I still wanted to give it the once over. It’s quite an interesting film, very gritty and very down to earth; I have to admit I quite liked it. Sadly it seems the critics and many of the public disagree, but hey, we’re all entitled to our opinions. Here’s a very brief summary before I give you my thoughts.

When Evelyn Mercer (Fionnula Flanagan) is killed in what looks like a professional hit her four adopted sons take matters into their own hands. The boys; Bobby (Mark Wahlberg), Angel (Tyrese Gibson), Jeremiah (André Benjamin) and Jack (Garrett Hedlund) are soon tracking down leads. The cops in the guise of Lt. Green (Terrence Howard) and Detective Fowler (Josh Charles) try to curb their enthusiasm but the boys are determined. The clues all point to Victor Sweet (Chiwetel Ejiofor), a gangland leader who does not pull his punches when he’s trying to send a message. When the boys end up on the receiving end of one of his ‘messages’ they take matters into their own hands and you know that’s not going to end well.

The plot is very slow after the initial murder of Evelyn Mercer and this may have put many off. It does, however pick up towards the middle third and by the end it has reached full throttle. The gritty realism of the story is enhanced by the winter scenes on the streets of Detroit. I can’t say I was overly enthused by the choice of music throughout, but then it’s not really my scene man. The performances were all excellent with Mark Wahlberg and Tyrese Gibson taking most of the spotlight, but I thought nobody put a foot wrong throughout. Over all a gritty realistic and sometimes brutal revenge thriller. Maybe a little too slow for some in the beginning but the pace does pick up (I promise).

SteelMonster’s verdict: RECOMMENDED

My score: 7.2/10.

IMDb Score: 6.8/10 (based on 70,231 votes when this review was written).
http://uk.imdb.com/title/tt0430105/

MetaScore: 49/100: (Based on 31 critic reviews provided by Metacritic.com at the time of going to press).

Rotten Tomatoes ‘Tomatometer’ Score: 52/100 (based on 131 reviews counted at the time of going to press).

Rotten Tomatoes ‘Audience’ Score: 55/100 (based on 367,861 user ratings counted at the time of going to press).
http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/four_brothers/

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

FAVOURITE QUOTES:
Damian: Call me an ambulance.
Bobby: What? For my Dog bites? Nah, I'll be fine.

Bobby: I wanna make a toast to Evelyn Mercer, the greatest mother four degenerate bastards ever had. Pour me and my brothers another round, and some nice warm milk for my little sister.
Jack: Man, I will drink you under the table.
Bobby: We're not talking about sperm, Jack, this is whiskey.

Bobby: Jack, it was a questionable kill.
Jack: What makes you think that?
Bobby: Boy, it's sad, you growing up without a father. Nobody taught you anything, did they? Maybe I should've stayed around longer and held your little hand, huh sweetheart? Sometimes pros will cover up their shots with another crime, like a burglary or something, then pay a witness to throw the cops onto the wrong suspect.
Jack: Why would anybody wanna kill the sweetest woman in the God-damn world?
Bobby: I dunno, Jackie. I dunno.

Lt. Green: You keep knocking on the devil's door long enough and sooner or later someone's gonna answer you.

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

Film Review: CONTRABAND (2012)

Director: Baltasar Kormákur
Writers: Aaron Guzikowski (screenplay), Arnaldur Indriðason (film “Reykjavik-Rotterdam”), Óskar Jónasson (film “Reykjavik-Rotterdam”)
Running time: 106 mins (approx)
Certification (UK): 15

Genre: Action/Crime/Drama
UK Release date: 16^th March 2012

Watched on Sky+ Sunday 24^th February 2013.

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

Based on the Icelandic film “Reykjavik-Rotterdam”; this version is set in New Orleans and Panama. I’m always a bit wary of American remakes of foreign films; for some reason they lose a lot of the original’s impact when they’re watered down and sanitised for an American audience. On this occasion I haven’t seen the original so I have nothing to compare it with; I guess when I do I may have to re-visit this version and re-score it accordingly. But I digress; here’s a very brief summary before I give you my thoughts.

Chris Farraday (Mark Wahlberg) is a former smuggler who has managed to get out of the game and settled down with his wife, Kate (Kate Beckinsale), and their two boys. He has his own business and life seems to be going well until his young brother-in-law, Andy (Caleb Landry Jones), gets involved in the smuggling business himself. He finds he has to dump a shipment of drugs when the ship he is on is boarded by customs officials. This does not go down to well with the man he was doing the job for, Tim Briggs (Giovanni Ribisi) and Chris is forced out of retirement in order to help him out. He brings in his former partner, recovering alcoholic Sebastian Abney (Ben Foster) and they plan a run to Panama to collect some counterfeit money in order to pay off what’s owed. Of course things don’t quite go according to plan and you know this can only add to the excitement.

I have to admit I quite enjoyed this trip into the shady world of smuggling. Most of the characters were quite believable and there weren’t too many plot holes that made the whole thing ridiculous. I also liked that the filmmakers kept the action sequences quite realistic (loved the shoot-out in Panama). As far as performances go, I thought it was pretty much run of the mill stuff for most of them. Kate Beckinsale was a bit underused and Giovanni Ribisi played the loathsome Briggs very well. I guess this ‘by the book’ thriller was never going to win any prizes, but I did find it entertaining and that’s all you can ask of a film of this ilk.

SteelMonster’s verdict: RECOMMENDED

My score: 7.4/10.

IMDb Score: 6.4/10 (based on 57,096 votes when this review was written).
http://uk.imdb.com/title/tt1524137/

MetaScore: 51/100: (Based on 38 critic reviews provided by Metacritic.com at the time of going to press).

Rotten Tomatoes ‘Tomatometer’ Score: 51/100 (based on 77 reviews counted at the time of going to press).

Rotten Tomatoes ‘Audience’ Score: 58/100 (based on 63,035 user ratings counted at the time of going to press).
http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/contraband_2012/

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

FAVOURITE QUOTES:
Chris Farraday: I've got to try and fix this. Trust me, I know what I'm doing.

Chris Farraday: [to Tim] You think you're the only guy with a fucking gun?

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

Film Review: THE OTHER GUYS (2010)

Director: Adam McKay
Writers: Adam McKay, Chris Henchy
Running time: 107 mins (approx)
Certification (UK): 12

Genre: Action/Comedy/Crime
UK Release date: 17^th September 2010

Watched on Sky+ Sunday 6^th May 2012.

PLEASE NOTE: THERE MAY BE SPOILERS IN THIS REVIEW.

You know how sometimes you’re not too sure if you’ll like a particular film, but then you listen to all the talk about it and decide to watch it anyway. About twenty minutes in you realise you were right to have doubts in the first place… but now you’re committed. Well that’s just how it occurred with this extremely disappointing pile of fetid dingo’s kidneys of a movie. They say there’s a ‘six laugh rule’ with comedies; i.e. if you don’t laugh six times or more whilst watching it, it’s not funny. Well, one brief smile is all this got from me and that was a sight gag involving a kid sliding about on the back seat of a police car… not a good omen. Well, I think I’ve held you in suspense long enough, here’s a brief summary before I really rip into it.

When hero New York cops P.K. Highsmith and Christopher Danson are accidently killed in the line of duty by jumping off a 20 storey building (yes, it IS THAT stupid), the other cops in the department are immediately in competition to take up the mantle. Amongst them are Allen Gamble, a forensic accountant, and Terry Hoitz, a regular cop who feels he has to prove himself. Terry makes no secret of the fact that he doesn’t like his partner and has to go to the extreme of kidnapping him just to get him out of the office. By some contrivance they latch on to the case of a British businessman, David Ershon, who is planning on defrauding a lot of people to cover up an even bigger loss. As you can imagine, from here on its all car chases and the usual buddy movie stuff (I won’t bore you with the details).

Quite well made with some nice stunt work in the car chase scenes and some decent cinematography in the outdoor scenes. Performance-wise, the pick of the bunch (for me) were; Mark Wahlberg as Terry Hoitz, Michael Keaton, underused (IMO) as Captain Gene Mauch and Steve Coogan as David Ershon. Also worthy of note were; Will Ferrell as Allen Gamble, Eva Mendes as Dr. Sheila Gamble and nice cameo’s from Samuel L. Jackson as P.K. Highsmith and Dwayne Johnson as Christopher Danson.

There are many things that let this movie down, not least is the dialogue, it’s terrible! I can’t remember when I’ve watched a film where a joke is performed and then explained afterwards! It has a 12 certificate here in the UK and (I guess) if I was twelve I might have found it funny(ish), but I’m not and it most certainly wasn’t. If you want a decent cop based comedy/drama then I can recommend any of the ‘Lethal Weapon’ films, they are SO much better than this, which most definitely does not get my vote!... NOT Recommended.

My score: 4.3/10

IMDb Score: 6.6/10 (based on 76,191 votes at the time of going to press).
http://uk.imdb.com/title/tt1386588/

MetaScore: 64/100: (Based on 35 critic reviews provided by Metacritic.com at the time of going to press).

Rotten Tomatoes ‘Tomatometer’ Score: 79/100 (based on 191 reviews counted at the time of going to press).

Rotten Tomatoes ‘Audience’ Score: 57/100 (based on 137,002 user ratings counted at the time of going to press).
http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/other_guys/

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

FAVOURITE QUOTES:
Captain Gene Mauch: You know what, I'm going to hang onto the wooden gun.
Allen Gamble: To give me back my real gun?
Captain Gene Mauch: No. I'm going to give you this... It's a rape whistle. You blow that if you're in any trouble, and someone with an actual gun will come and help you out.
[Quietly blows the whistle]

Terry Hoitz: What is this?
Allen Gamble: It’s my car, it’s a Prius.
Terry Hoitz: I feel like we're literally driving around in a vagina.

Dirty Mike: How you fellas doin'? We about to have us a little screw party in this red Prius over here if you wanna join us.
Allen Gamble: Hey, are you Dirty Mike and the Boys?
Dirty Mike: How you know who we are?
Allen Gamble: You left a note in that car!
Terry Hoitz: [shows his badge] Police, shithead.
Dirty Mike: He's a copper, we gotta go. C'mon! Hey, grease it, boys! They're cops!
[He and the Boys run off]
Allen Gamble: You turned my beautiful Prius into a nightmare!
Dirty Mike: We are gonna have sex in your car! It will happen again!

Fosse: Hope you like prison food... and penis.

LINKS:
(Note: All were working at the time of going to press)
Official Site: http://www.sonypictures.com/homevideo/catalog/catalogDetail_DVD043396365346.html
Official Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/otherguysmovie
Trailer:

Film Review: THE FIGHTER (2010)

Director: David O. Russell
Running time: 116 mins (approx)
Certification (UK): 15

Genre: Biography/Drama/Sport
UK Release date: 2^nd February 2011

Watched on DVD Sunday 2^nd October 2011.

PLEASE NOTE: THERE MAY BE SPOILERS IN THIS REVIEW.

Since several friends of mine have recommended this movie, and since one of them even leant me the DVD, I thought I’d better give it a look. Well, it makes a nice change to say they were correct on this occasion, it’s a tremendous film! I really enjoyed it and have no problem in recommending it (yes, I liked it that much I’ll recommend it in the first paragraph). I’ll tell you why after this brief summary.

Micky Ward is a boxer, not a very successful one when we meet him, but a boxer nonetheless. His half-brother, Dicky Eklund, on the other hand, once had a fight for the world title against Sugar Ray Leonard. As we begin, Dicky is supposed to be training Micky, but he’s late… he’s always late. A film crew are making a documentary about Dicky, a documentary about the effects of crack addiction. Yes, Dicky has a habit and yet none of his family is prepared to do anything about it. His mother, Alice, who runs the family with an iron fist, refuses to recognise it, as does her husband, George Ward and his many sisters (too many to mention). Micky meets a girl, Charlene Fleming and they start to see each other, she is strong-willed, just like his mother, and you can see conflict coming. When Dicky gets locked up Charlene persuades Micky to go with a different manager and trainer. It pays off and Micky gets on the road to success… but how will his family react? I’ll leave it there because I don’t want the Spoiler Police breaking my fingers.

The plot of this film is a great family drama, and what makes it better is that it’s based on a true story. The critics were all over Christian Bale’s performance and he did indeed walk away with the Oscar for Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role for his portrayal of Dicky Eklund. Also worthy of note was Melissa Leo who also won the Oscar for Best Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role for her take on the domineering mother, Alice Ward. Personally, I was surprised that Mark Wahlberg didn’t even get a nomination for his role of Micky Ward and I have to also give a mention to Amy Adams as Charlene Fleming, who I thought was also great.

I find that sometimes films based on true stories tend to over-dramatise events and in doing so lose the essence of the story. I don’t think that is true in this case, they are very much ‘larger than life’ characters and that’s just how they are portrayed. I did find it ironic though that ‘Irish’ Micky Ward had to fight an Irishman for one of his big fights. I noticed the filmmakers made him a not very nice Irishman though. But enough of that, I found the film very uplifting and quite inspiring. As I said at the beginning, I have no problem in recommending this one… If you haven’t seen it, please do, it’s well worth the time.

My Score: 9.2/10

IMDb Score: 8.0/10 (based on 77,231 votes at the time of going to press).
http://uk.imdb.com/title/tt0964517/

Rotten Tomatoes Score: 91/100 (based on 225 reviews counted at the time of going to press).
http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/the-fighter/

FAVOURITE QUOTES:
Mickey Ward: Alice, this is Charlene.
Charlene Fleming: Hi.
Alice Ward: I've heard a lot about you.
Charlene Fleming: Really? I've heard a lot about you too.
Alice Ward: What's that supposed to mean?
Charlene Fleming: Same thing you meant.

Mickey Ward: I'm the one who's fighting. Not you, not you, and not you.

Dicky Eklund: Are you like me? Was just good enough to fight Sugar Ray? Never had to win, did I? You gotta do more in there. You gotta win a title. For you, for me, for Lowell. This is your time, all right? You take it. I had my time and I blew it. You don't have to. All right? You fuckin' get out there, and use all the shit that you've been through, all the shit we've gone through over the fuckin' years, and you put it in that ring right now. This is yours. This is fuckin' yours.

LINKS:
Official Site: http://www.thefightermovie.com/
Trailer:

Film Review: SHOOTER (2007)

Director: Antoine Fuqua
Running time: 120 mins (approx)
Certification (UK): 15

Genre: Thriller/Action/Drama
UK Release date: 13th April 2007

Watched on DVD Sunday 3rd July 2011.

PLEASE NOTE: THERE MAY BE SPOILERS IN THIS REVIEW.

This film is based on a novel by Stephen Hunter caller “Point of Impact”. It charts the betrayal of a marine sniper and his efforts to clear his name. Originally set around the time of the Vietnam War, the film brings events up to date and into the 21st Century. There’s plenty of action and explosions, and even a damsel in distress, so it covers most of the bases. I’ll give you my thoughts after a brief summary.

Marine sniper, Bob Lee Swagger is on a mission in Africa when is spotter, and best friend, Donnie Fenn is killed. Left to die by his superiors, he eventually gets out and immediately resigns his commission. Three years later he’s living alone in the mountains with his dog when a Colonel Isaac Johnson comes to him with a proposal. There has been a threat on the President and they believe only a highly trained sniper could carry it out. They want Swagger to scout out possible locations and report back to them. They play on his patriotism and eventually he agrees. On the day the threat is due to become real; they insist he attends in order to advise them. Little does Swagger know, he is about to be set up. Injured, he escapes and, with the help of a couple of friends, he plots his revenge.

A very well made film with some nice action scenes, stunt work and CGI. A decent plot with plenty of twists and turns, not all of them too predictable, thankfully. Performance wise, I thought Mark Wahlberg did a decent job as Bob Lee Swagger, as did Michael Peña as FBI agent Nick Memphis. Of the bad guys, the pick of the bunch were, Danny Glover as Colonel Isaac Johnson and Ned Beatty as Senator Charles F. Meachum. Oh, and I should also mention the damsel in distress, Kate Mara as Sarah Fenn.

As revenge thrillers go, this is pretty run-of-the-mill stuff. There are no stand-out performances, outstanding dialogue or even radical plot-twists. One thing that did strike me though, was the total lack of humour, not even one wise-crack from a bad guy… quite disappointing. But having said all that, it does do what it says on the tin and I did find it quite entertaining. It’s never going to win any prizes, but still… Recommended.

My Score: 6.7/10

LINKS:
(RT = Rotten Tomatoes)
IMDb Page: http://uk.imdb.com/title/tt0822854/
RT Page: http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/shooter/
Official Site: http://www.shootermovie.com/
Trailer:

Film Review: DATE NIGHT (2010)

Director: Shawn Levy
Running Time: 85 mins (approx)
Certification (UK): 15

Genre: Comedy/Crime/Romance
UK Release Date: 21st April 2010

Watched on Sky+ Sunday 17th April 2010.

PLEASE NOTE: THERE MAY BE SPOILERS IN THIS REVIEW.

To be honest, I wasn’t going to watch this one as I’m not really a fan of comedies. They are generally stupid and labour the point they are trying to make so much that I can find them quite tedious. Fortunately this one wasn’t too bad, yes, there are parts you can see coming from about 50 miles away, but it’s saved by the performances of the two main characters. I’ll tell you more about that after this brief summary (summary haters, and those that don’t wish to know about the plot, please hide the evidence while I write the next paragraph).

Phil and Claire Foster are an average New Jersey couple and they are stuck in a bit of a rut. They have two kids, boring jobs and everything seems to be routine. Even date night has become a routine; they go to the same restaurant, eat the same food, talk about the same people, it’s all getting a bit predictable. One day they hear that their friends, another couple in a similar situation are about to separate. Desperate to not end up in the same situation, they decide to go into Manhattan to a posh restaurant for a nice meal. They arrive late and the place is fully booked, but they wait at the bar hoping for a cancellation. A waitress is looking for the Tripplehorn’s and can’t find them and so Phil and Claire claim to be them, just so they can get their dream date night. This proves to be a big mistake, the next thing they know two guys take them to the alley  and ask them for a stolen flash drive. When they pull out guns the couple believe it’s serious. This is where the fun begins and this is where I’ll leave my summary. I don’t want the Spoiler Police after my flash drive.

Pretty decent performances all round, particularly from Steve Carell as Phil Foster and Tina Fey as Claire Foster. In the moments where they are just being a regular couple they are really good. The comedy stuff… well, I’ll leave that up to you. Mark Wahlberg does a nice job of acting without a shirt as Holbrooke Grant and Taraji P. Henson was also pretty good (with shirt) as Detective Arroyo. Honourable mentions go to; William Fichtner as DA Frank Crenshaw, Kristen Wiig as Haley Sullivan, Mark Ruffalo as Brad Sullivan, James Franco as Taste, Mila Kunis as Whippit and, last but not least, a great little cameo from Ray Liotta (uncredited) as mob boss Joe Miletto.

It’s a pretty well made film with some nice stunt work and a pretty good soundtrack. Again, The Ramones get an airing of their song ‘Blitzkrieg Bop’. A pretty enjoyable film that, although very predictable in places, I wasn’t too offended by. It won’t feature very high on my re-watch list, but it was OK… Recommended, if only for the rapport between Carell and Fey when they’re just being a couple.

My Score: 5.6/10

LINKS:
(RT = Rotten Tomatoes)
IMDb Page: http://uk.imdb.com/title/tt1279935/
RT Page: http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/date_night/
Trailer:

Film Review: THE LOVELY BONES (2009) - Revisited

Director: Peter Jackson
Running time: 135 mins (approx)
Certification (UK): 12A

UK Release date: 19th February 2010

Watched on DVD Wednesday 24th November 2010.

PLEASE NOTE: THERE MAY BE SPOILERS IN THIS REVIEW.

I have now read the book by Alice Sebold, with the same title, on which this film is based, and so I thought I’d give it a second viewing. In my first review I looked at the film as a stand-alone piece of work, now, having read the book, will I see it differently? Here’s a brief summary first before I give you my thoughts (summary haters please wait in the ‘in-between’ while I write the next paragraph… you can re-join the group afterwards).

NOTE: This is as depicted in the film:
Susie Salmon was fourteen when she was murdered on December 6th 1973; she has never been kissed and will never grow up. Her body is never found, but her consciousness goes to a place known as ‘the in-between’, where she watches as her family try to come to terms with her loss and also try to discover what happened to her. Her father, Jack, becomes so obsessed with finding out what happened to his daughter that he ends up in hospital having stalked a man into a field only to be beaten up for his trouble. Her mother, Abigail, cannot face it all and has to take some time away from the family. Abigail’s alcoholic mother, Grandma Lynn, comes to stay while she’s away. Her sister, Lindsey, frustrated with the whole situation, focuses her attention on a neighbour, George Harvey, who she is convinced has something to do with Susie’s disappearance. Through it all, Susie watches and tries to steer them in the right direction so that they can move on, and so can she. It’s very difficult to summarise the plot without giving too much away, so I’ll leave it there, I think I told you enough to know what the film is about.

It’s a beautiful film to look at, very clear images and some wonderful production. The time period the film was set was, for me, brought across perfectly, I’m only a few years younger than Susie would have been, and I remember the early 1970’s quite well. I thought the performance from Saoirse Ronan as Susie Salmon was quite brilliant, she won several nominations and a few awards for the part. I also thought that Stanley Tucci as the creepy neighbour, George Harvey, was also excellent. Decent performances from Mark Wahlberg as Jack Salmon, Rachel Weisz as Abigail Salmon, Susan Sarandon was woefully underused (IMO) as Grandma Lynn and Rose McIver as Lindsey Salmon.

There has been a lot of discussion about the depiction of ‘the in-between’. Personally, I didn’t have a problem with it; I guess whenever you adapt a book the picture in the reader’s head will seldom match the vision of the director. Now, having read the book I find there are a lot of differences between the book and the film. Some of the changes make the film more coherent, but the book was already out there as a body of work a long time before the film. Don’t get me wrong, it’s a very good effort by Peter Jackson et al, but I think I’m always going to prefer the book.

But going back to the film, I found it a little too long, but for the first hour it was totally engrossing. The visuals are stunning and there are a couple of great performances. I guess if you haven’t read the book that I can recommend it to you, it’s worth seeing. Now the tough one, if you have read, and loved, the book then maybe don’t see this adaptation… but if you’re feeling brave... Oh, and in case you’re interested, last time I scored it 7.1/10.

My score: 6.4/10

LINKS:
IMDb Page: http://uk.imdb.com/title/tt0380510/
Official Site: http://www.lovelybones.com/#home
Trailer: http://uk.imdb.com/rg/VIDEO_PLAY/LINK/video/imdb/vi2521171225/

Film Review: THE DEPARTED (2006)

Director: Martin Scorsese
Running time: 151 mins (approx)
Certification (UK): 18

UK release date: 6th October 2006

Watched on DVD Sunday 21st November 2010.

PLEASE NOTE: THERE MAY BE SPOILERS IN THIS REVIEW.

I have lost count of the number of times this film has been recommended to me. Consequently I bought the DVD some time ago but never got round to watching it… until now. It is a remake of a 2002 Hong Kong film titled Infernal Affairs which was a big hit over there. It deals with crime and police corruption in Boston, and I must admit to those that recommended it to me, it’s pretty damn good! More of my thoughts later, here’s a brief summary first (summary haters take big Joey for a ride while I write the next paragraph… But don’t let me catch you readin’ it!!!).

State Detective, Billy Costigan, is from the South side of town; he has no family to speak of and so is targeted by Cpt. Queenan and Staff Sgt. Dignam who run undercover operations. They persuade him to get in with crime boss, Frank Costello, who they suspect is selling technology to the Chinese, amongst many other crimes. Little do they know that Costello has an inside man on the police task force, Colin Sullivan. Now Sullivan is not able to get the name of the undercover operative in Costello’s gang, but tips him off whenever the cops are getting near. After a while the cops become suspicious that Costello has an inside man amongst their ranks and start up an investigation to find out who the rat is. Cpt. Ellerby appoints Sullivan to lead the investigation. Add to this the fact that Costigan is slowly losing his mind the longer it goes on and has to see a police psychiatrist, Madolyn, who just happens to be Sullivan’s girlfriend. With both sides slowly closing in on the insiders a tense and shocking climax is in the offing.

I must say I really enjoyed this film up to a point. That point is the ending, I would have done it differently, but then who am I to argue with a man like Scorsese? A great script by William Monahan really brought out some great performances. First up I thought Leonardo DiCaprio was outstanding as Billy Costigan, Matt Damon totally made me forget the Bourne films as Colin Sullivan and, of course, Jack Nicholson was great, as ever, as Frank Costello. Also on the role of honour are; Mark Wahlberg as Staff Sgt. Dignam and Martin Sheen as Cpt. Queenan. Honourable mentions go to; Ray Winstone as Mr. French (Costello’s top henchman), Vera Farmiga as Madolyn, Anthony Anderson as Brown (a cop) and Alec Baldwin as Cpt. Ellerby.

A really engrossing film with just enough twists and turns to keep the audience enthralled without confusing too much. A great script and some really great performances only add to the enjoyment factor. I’ve already said I have a slight problem with the ending, but it is still a tremendous film and one I don’t hesitate to very highly recommend.


My score: 9.3/10

LINKS:
IMDb Page: http://uk.imdb.com/title/tt0407887/
Official Site: http://thedeparted.warnerbros.com/
Trailer: http://uk.imdb.com/rg/VIDEO_PLAY/LINK/video/screenplay/vi686883097/

Film Review: THE LOVELY BONES (2009)

Director: Peter Jackson
Running time: 135 mins (approx)
Certification (UK): 12A

UK Release date: 19th February 2010

Watched at the cinema Saturday 27th February 2010.

PLEASE NOTE: THERE MAY BE SPOILERS IN THIS REVIEW.

I have heard and read some very mixed reviews about this film and so I was interested to see it. I guess Peter Jackson is always going to have his work compared to ‘The Lord of the Rings’ trilogy, and because of that it’s going to be hard for them to get the recognition that they might if directed by someone else. For the record, I am a fan of his work but I’ll try to be objective in this review.

I have not read the book by Alice Sebold, with the same title, on which this film is based, but I will at some point in the near future. Susie Salmon was fourteen when she was murdered on December 6th 1973; she has never been kissed and will never grow up. Her body is never found, but her consciousness goes to a place known as ‘the in-between’, where she watches as her family try to come to terms with her loss and also try to discover what happened to her. Her father, Jack, becomes so obsessed with finding out what happened to his daughter that he ends up in hospital having stalked a man into a field and got beaten up for his trouble. Her mother, Abigail, cannot face it all and has to take some time away from the family. Abigail’s alcoholic mother, Grandma Lynn, comes to stay while she’s away. Her sister, Lindsey, frustrated with the whole situation, focuses her attention on a neighbour, George Harvey, who she is convinced has something to do with Susie’s disappearance. Through it all, Susie watches and tries to steer them in the right direction so that they can move on, and so can she. It’s very difficult to summarise the plot without giving too much away, so I’ll leave it there, I think I told you enough to know what the film is about.

It’s a beautiful film to look at, very clear images and some wonderful production. The time period the film was set was, for me, brought across perfectly, I’m only a few years younger than Susie would have been, and I remember the early 1970’s quite well. I thought the performance from Saoirse Ronan as Susie Salmon was quite brilliant, how she wasn’t nominated for any awards is beyond me. I also thought that Stanley Tucci as the creepy neighbour, George Harvey, was also very good. Decent performances from Mark Wahlberg as Jack Salmon, Rachel Weisz as Abigail Salmon, Susan Sarandon as Grandma Lynn and Rose McIver as Lindsey Salmon, although none of them were really stretched.

There has been a lot of discussion about the depiction of ‘the in-between’. Personally, I didn’t have a problem with it; I guess whenever you adapt a book the picture in the reader’s head will seldom match the vision of the director. I have also heard that the casting of Mark Wahlberg and Rachel Weisz as Susie’s parents was wrong because they are too young. I’ve looked up their ages and I don’t have a problem with it, they maybe look a bit too young by today’s standards, but people started families a lot younger in the 50’s and 60’s. So what can I say in conclusion? I found it a little too long, but for the first hour it was totally engrossing. The visuals are stunning and there are a couple of great performances. I guess if you haven’t read the book that I can recommend it to you, it’s worth seeing. I you have read the book, then I’ll leave it up to you (it’s a cop-out I know, but I haven’t read the book… yet.)

My score: 7.1/10

LINKS:
IMDb Site: http://uk.imdb.com/title/tt0380510/
Official Site: http://www.lovelybones.com/#home
Trailer: http://uk.imdb.com/rg/VIDEO_PLAY/LINK/video/imdb/vi2521171225/