Film Review: IN BRUGES (2008)

Writer/Director: Martin McDonagh
Running time: 107 mins (approx)
Certification (UK): 18

Genre: Drama/Thriller/Comedy
UK Release date: 18th April 2008

Watched on Sky+ Sunday 20th March 2011.

PLEASE NOTE: THERE MAY BE SPOILERS IN THIS REVIEW.

This is, again, a film I have seen before and, again, I took more out of it on a second viewing. This one seems to cover all the bases; drama, romance, comedy, thrills; it’s got the lot to varying degrees. The first time I saw it, it was the comedy that stood out; this time I was more struck by the drama of it. But more of my thoughts later, here’s a brief summary first (summary haters and those that don’t wish to know anything about the plot please take a tour of Bruges while I write the next paragraph).

Two hit men, Ray and Ken have been sent to lie low in Bruges (Belgium, for those that don’t know where it is) by their boss, Harry, after a bungled hit. They check into their hotel only to find, to their dismay, that they will be sharing a room. This does not go down well, but it’s near Christmas and everywhere is fully booked. The two men are complete opposites, Ken is quite cultured and is happy to go sightseeing in the medieval city. Ray, on the other hand, is much younger and would be happier spending his time in a bar. Ken insists they do some culture and Ray acts like a bored teenager. That is until he discovers a film crew who have a dwarf in the cast, he is fascinated with Jimmy. There he also meets the mysterious Chloe, who he invites out on a date. That evening Harry calls and tells Ken the real purpose for their visit. I will leave my summary here so as not to enrage the spoiler police too much.

I think the Bruges tourist board will be very happy with this film; the medieval architecture comes across beautifully. The cinematography is great and the setting adds real atmosphere. Great performances all round, particularly from; Colin Farrell as Ray, Brendan Gleeson as Ken and Ralph Fiennes as Harry, all were excellent. Honourable mentions also go to; Clémence Poésy as Chloe and Jordan Prentice as Jimmy, both were very good.

As I said at the beginning, there is a lot of comedy in this film, it’s mainly in the things Ray says and does. Few films make me laugh out loud, but this one did in more than a couple of places. The drama comes mainly in the final third and I found it didn’t quite have the impact it might have done. I guess the comedy reduced the force of the dramatic conclusion, although by then the comedy is very, very dark. The ending, I felt, was a little bit of a let-down, I expected something much bigger. But over all, a very enjoyable film with some laughs, excellent cinematography and some great performances… Recommended.

My score: 8.1/10

LINKS:
(RT = Rotten Tomatoes)
IMDb Page: http://uk.imdb.com/title/tt0780536/
RT Page: http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/in_bruges/
Trailer: http://uk.imdb.com/video/imdb/vi783417625/

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: MILLER’S CROSSING (1990)

Writers/Directors: Joel Coen & Ethan Coen
Running time: 110 mins (approx)
Certification (UK): 12A

Genre: Crime/Drama/Thriller
UK Release date: 18th January 1991

Watched on Sky+ Tuesday 15th March 2011.

PLEASE NOTE: THERE MAY BE SPOILERS IN THIS REVIEW.

This DVD was lent to me some time ago and I decided it’s time to get it returned… but I thought I’d better watch it first! I quite like the Coens’ work, but this is one that has escaped me thus far, hence the borrowing of said DVD. It’s very definitely a Coen brothers script with some excellent dialogue and plenty of plot twists. I’ll give you 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 take that guy out into the woods & deal with him while I write the next paragraph).

Tom Reagan is advisor to Leo, the mob boss who runs things around here. Rival boss, Johnny Caspar wants Leo to give him permission to have Bernie Bernbaum killed because he’s making problems for his gambling syndicate. Now Bernie’s sister, Verna is seeing Leo and so Leo is reluctant to upset the apple cart (if you know what I mean). Also, Verna is seeing Tom on the side and if Leo ever found out about that there was gonna be some big trouble for him. Add to this the fact that, Tom is also a bit of a gambler and has run up quite a debt, but insists on paying it off without any help. So, one day Casper makes Tom an offer and, as you can probably guess, this is where all the fun starts… I hope you understand that lot! I’m gonna leave it there so as not to enrage the spoiler police too much.

As I said at the beginning, this film has a truly excellent script with some great dialogue and clever plot twists. It’s a very well made film with a very appropriate soundtrack (you’ll know what I mean if you’ve seen it). All the main cast put in very good performances; Gabriel Byrne as Tom Regan, Marcia Gay Harden as Verna, John Turturro as Bernie Bernbaum, Jon Polito I particularly liked as Johnny Caspar, Albert Finney as Leo and it was nice to see a cameo for Steve Buscemi as Mink.

Although it has a great script, I found it didn’t grab my attention the way other Coen brothers films have. Or maybe films have been made since that do what this does, but better. I don’t quite know what it is, but this one seems to lack the punch that other Coen brothers films have. I felt that, although he is very good, Gabriel Byrne seems very subdued all the way through and this appears out of character for someone in his position. But aside from that, it’s well worth seeing… Recommended (if only for Albert Finney wielding a Thompson Machine Gun to great effect).

My score: 7.5/10

LINKS:
(RT = Rotten Tomatoes)
IMDb Page: http://uk.imdb.com/title/tt0100150/
RT Page: http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/millers_crossing/
Trailer: http://uk.imdb.com/video/screenplay/vi3650486553/

Film Review: DEATH NOTE (2006)

Director: Shusuke Kaneko
Running time: 126 mins (approx)
Certification (UK): 12A

Genre: Crime/Drama/Thriller
UK Release date: 10th November 2007 (Leeds International Film Festival)

Watched on Sky+ Sunday 13th March 2011.

PLEASE NOTE: THERE MAY BE SPOILERS IN THIS REVIEW.

On seeing a trailer for this one I was intrigued and so I recorded the film. It’s in Japanese with subtitles although I’m lead to believe there may be a dubbed version out there somewhere. It is an adaptation of a very popular Manga which I found pretty enjoyable, if a little too long. More of my thoughts later, here’s a brief summary first (summary haters and those that don’t wish to know anything about the plot please find out who’s behind these mysterious murders while I write the next paragraph).

Criminals are mysteriously dying of heart attacks. All over the world murderers, rapists, thieves and criminals of all types are randomly dying in unusual circumstances. In Japan the police have dubbed the man responsible ‘Kira’ and he is revered by many of the public. There are those, however, who would prefer the legal process took its course and have dubbed ‘Kira’ a serial killer. The young man behind all this is called Light Yagami, the son of the policeman in charge of the case, Souichiro Yagami. He is a law student and, having become disillusioned with the law, found a notebook one dark night. He also met one of the gods of death, Ryuuk, who was to stay with him as long as he had the book. The instructions for using the book were simple, just write the name of the person you want dead while thinking of their image and they will die of a heart attack within forty seconds if some other means of death is not specified. The police seem powerless to stop him until a mysterious stranger who calls himself ‘L’ offers to help… I’ll leave it there so as not to enrage the gods of spoilers.

This is a very well made film with very much the feel of a Manga. I always find films from different cultures interesting and this is no exception. At times some of the CGI (used for Ryuuk) looks a little ropy, but apart from that I found it very well made. All the lead actors did a very good job; Tatsuya Fujiwara as Light Yagami, Kenichi Matsuyama as ‘L’, Asaka Seto as Naomi Misora, Shigeki Hosokawa as FBI Agent Ray, Takeshi Kaga as Souichiro Yagami, Yu Kashii as Shiori Kashino and finally, Shidô Nakamura as the voice of Ryuuk.

At the end of the day I found this film very enjoyable, but a little over-long. The story does move along a quite a pace, but I found that at just over two hours I had really had enough (maybe that’s just the fact I had to read subtitles for all that time). The end of the movie leaves it on a real cliff-hanger and so I’m waiting to the sequel to appear in the listings again (I missed it this time around). Over all, a pretty enjoyable film with some very clever plot-twists and a real cliff-hanger ending… Recommended.

My score: 7.6/10

LINKS:
(RT = Rotten Tomatoes)
IMDb Page: http://uk.imdb.com/title/tt0758742/
RT Page: http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/1200249-death_note/
Official Site: http://deathnote.viz.com/
Trailer: http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=2506305725812227013

Film Review: THE IMAGINARIUM OF DOCTOR PARNASSUS (2009)

Co-Writer/Director: Terry Gilliam
Running time: 117 mins (approx)
Certification (UK): 12A

Genre: Fantasy/Adventure/Drama
UK Release date: 16th October 2009

Watched on Sky+ Saturday 12th March 2011.

PLEASE NOTE: THERE MAY BE SPOILERS IN THIS REVIEW.

This is my 50th film this year, and by coincidence I decided to watch a film that has intrigued me for some time. There was a lot of talk about this one due to the unfortunate death of Heath Ledger. I know it didn’t get a rapturous reception, but I have been keen to see it ever since. I’ll give you 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 attract some punters for the show while I write the next paragraph).

Doctor Parnassus is a very old man, over a thousand years old, and he runs a travelling show, The Imaginarium. Putting himself in a trance-like state, he can make the dreams of anyone that walks through the magic mirror come to life. He is helped by his daughter, Valentina, a young man, Anton, and a man of small stature, Percy. One day they come across a man who is not in the best of situations, who they rescue. It turns out his name is Tony and he offers to help them with the show. Meanwhile, Doctor Parnassus is keeping a secret from his daughter, a secret involving the mysterious character known as Mr. Nick. Valentina will soon be sixteen and the Doctor is getting more desperate to get more people to try his show. I will leave my short summary there so as not to upset the spoiler police out there.

I always enjoy the visual spectacle of a Terry Gilliam film, he has such wonderful vision and always comes up with something both spectacular and utterly crazy at the same time. The scenes inside the Imaginarium and certain other key scenes are truly spectacular, a great feast for the eyes. Unfortunately in the real world it doesn’t work quite so well. Decent performances all round, Heath Ledger did a good job as Tony, as did Johnny Depp, Jude Law and Colin Farrell who all took turns with the part of Tony when he as inside the Imaginarium. Christopher Plummer was good as Doctor Parnassus and Andrew Garfield was great as Anton. Lily Cole did a fine job as Valentina and Verne Troyer was also good as Percy. Finally, a mention for Tom Waits who I thought was excellent as Mr. Nick.

I know there were problems with the production of this film, not least the loss of one of the leading men, but it did, unfortunately, fall a little short of the mark. As I’ve already said, certain parts of it are visually stunning, but this doesn’t make up for a script that was not all that great. I could follow the plot ok, but I found some of the dialogue sounded a little “off the cuff” and some of the characters were not fully developed enough. Over all though, I did quite enjoy it, and I will probably watch it again someday… Recommended for at least one viewing.

My score: 7.1/10

LINKS:
(RT = Rotten Tomatoes)
IMDb Page: http://uk.imdb.com/title/tt1054606/
RT Page: http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/1190561-imaginarium_of_doctor_parnassus/
Official Site: http://www.needcoffee.com/doctor-parnassus/
Trailer: http://uk.imdb.com/video/imdb/vi944374297/

Film Review: THE PROPOSITION (2005)

Director: John Hillcoat
Running time: 104 mins (approx)
Certification (UK): 18

Genre: Crime/Drama/Western
UK Release date: 10th March 2006

Watched on Sky+ Saturday 12th March 2011.

PLEASE NOTE: THERE MAY BE SPOILERS IN THIS REVIEW.

This one was recommended to me after I watched, and very much liked, The Road (2009) by the same director. Although it’s set in Australia in the 1800’s, it has very much the look and feel of a Spaghetti Western. It’s an interesting film with some nice ideas, but I just didn’t seem to be able to connect with any of the characters. More of my thoughts later, here’s a brief summary first (summary haters and those that don’t wish to know anything about the plot please track down that murderer while I write the next paragraph).

Charlie Burns and his young brother, Mike are captured by Captain Stanley and his troops. They are wanted in connection with the brutal rape of the pregnant Mrs Hopkins and the murder of her entire family at their homestead. The older brother, Arthur, has escaped into the hills. Stanley propositions Charlie with either tracking down and killing his brother Arthur or seeing his beloved younger brother Mike hang in nine days. He takes off in search of Arthur but events out in the bush and back in town are about to take a turn for the worse for both Charlie and Stanley… I’ll leave my summary here so as not to incur the wrath of the spoiler police.

It’s a pretty well made film, as I said, in the style of a Spaghetti Western. Some stunning scenery on view, credit to the cinematography for that. Decent performances all round, particularly from Guy Pearce as Charlie Burns and Ray Winstone as Captain Stanley. Both stood out in this one. Emily Watson was also good as Martha Stanley, as was John Hurt as the bounty hunter, Jellon Lamb.

As I said at the beginning, I found it quite hard to connect with any of the characters, good or bad. I guess they had no redeeming features in my eyes. I like the concept of the film, but the way it was executed, cutting back and forth between Charlie’s search for his brother and events back in town with Captain Stanley, didn’t work for me. I found it a bit of a mess over all, but not all bad, there are some scenes in there that I really like, but maybe not enough to make me want to watch it again.

My score: 6.7/10

LINKS:
(RT = Rotten Tomatoes)
IMDb Page: http://uk.imdb.com/title/tt0421238/
RT Page: http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/proposition/
Official Site (Australian): http://www.sonypictures.com.au/movies/theproposition/index.html
Trailer: http://uk.imdb.com/video/screenplay/vi3589800217/

Film Review: LEAVING LAS VEGAS (1995)

Writer/Director: Mike Figgis
Running time: 111 mins (approx)
Certification (UK): 18

Genre: Drama/Romance
UK Release date: 19th January 1996

Watched on Sky+ Friday 11th March 2011.

PLEASE NOTE: THERE MAY BE SPOILERS IN THIS REVIEW.

I heard that this is the film that Nicolas Cage actually does some proper acting, thinking it was just another urban legend I sceptically turned on and watched. What do you know? Some urban legends are actually true! Based on a novel by John O'Brien, it’s a love story, but a love story with a twist. More of that later, here’s a brief summary first (summary haters and those that don’t wish to know anything about the plot please run down to the store and get another bottle of vodka while I write the next paragraph).

Having lost his job and his wife through drinking, alcoholic Ben Sanderson sells everything he owns and decides to go to Las Vegas to drink himself to death. He finds a cheap motel and goes for a drive. He almost hits a young woman, a prostitute called Sera. The next day he propositions her and they end up spending the night together, just talking. Her pimp, Yuri, is not pleased that she has not come back with very much money and sends her out the following night. She looks for, and eventually finds, Ben and invites him over to her place. This is just the beginning of a relationship that will take Sera on quite a rollercoaster ride of emotions. I won’t say any more for fear of bringing the wrath of the spoiler police.

I first have to say what a truly excellent script this is, some really great dialogue and a really well made film. The soundtrack is very good too, featuring plenty of songs performed by Sting in a cocktail lounge style. There’s even a song co-written and performed by Nicolas Cage! Talking of which, he put in a truly stunning performance that fully deserved the Best Actor Oscar that year. I also thought Elisabeth Shue was exceptional as well, she fully deserved all the nominations and awards she won for this part. I will also give an honourable mention to Julian Sands as Yuri, whose performance was good, but maybe overshadowed by the other two.

So, if we add together the soundtrack, the script and the performances, we’ve got a really great film. Well, it is great, but there are periods where we lose sight of Ben and concentrate on Sera which I found a little distracting. I’d have liked to have seen a few little cut scenes of Ben interspersed so we didn’t lose track of him while telling Sera’s story. Having said that, it’s still a really great film and one I would happily watch again… Highly recommended.

My score: 8.8/10

LINKS:
(RT = Rotten Tomatoes)
IMDb Page: http://uk.imdb.com/title/tt0113627/
RT Page: http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/leaving_las_vegas/
Trailer: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UMlYWZgCIgo

Film Review: I LOVE YOU PHILLIP MORRIS (2009)

Directors: Glenn Ficarra & John Requa
Running time: 94 mins (approx)
Certification (UK): 15

Genre: Comedy/Drama
UK Release date: 17th March 2010

Watched on Sky+ Friday 11th March 2011.

PLEASE NOTE: THERE MAY BE SPOILERS IN THIS REVIEW.

This is a film I never thought I’d see… It’s really not my kind of thing. But it has been recommended several times, even by respected critics, and so when it came up on TV I thought I’d better give it a watch. There are some good performances and it works quite well as a comedy, but I found it more tragic than anything else. I will explain that later, but here’s a brief summary first (summary haters and those that don’t wish to know anything about the plot please help that guy over the wall while I write the next paragraph).

At the beginning of the film Steven Russell is a happily married cop with a beautiful wife, Deb, and a daughter. He is keeping a secret from them and, after a traffic accident; he decides to let it all out… He’s gay (hope that’s not a spoiler!). He leaves Deb and begins to live a life of excess, but as he soon discovers, ‘being gay is really expensive!’ This doesn’t deter Steven; he begins a series of scams and cons in order to finance his new found freedom. Unfortunately, there are consequences and eventually these catch up with him and he ends up in jail. There he meets the soft-spoken Phillip Morris and instantly falls in love with him. When they are released from jail the pair lives together and Steven gets a job… But he is keeping a secret from Phillip… I’ll leave it there in the interests of not giving spoilers away.

Based on a true story, and obviously a lot of poetic licence, I found this film entertaining at times, but also quite tragic. It was tragic in that the Steven Russell character finds it so hard to stop himself from conning people and no effort is made to stop him, or at least rehabilitate him. Even his lover doesn’t seem to recognise that he has a serious problem. Or maybe I’m just reading too much into it… Performance wise, Jim Carrey did a great job as Steven Russell, he’s bold, brash and everything you’d expect from Carrey. He does show he can do the dramatic stuff too, there are hints of the excellent work he did in The Truman Show (1998) and Man on the Moon (1999). I hardly recognised Ewan McGregor as Phillip Morris; he puts in the best performance in the film (IMO). Honourable mentions go to Leslie Mann as Deb and Rodrigo Santoro as Jimmy.

So, over all, it’s quite an entertaining film, in parts, but one that just didn’t quite hang together (for me). I felt the cons came too much to the fore and the relationship between Steven Russell and Phillip Morris became secondary. At the end of the day I didn’t quite believe the love story and so all that Steven Russell did just became ‘crazy antics’. Having said that, it’s still quite watchable… but not one I’ll watch again… Recommended, but just for one viewing.

My score: 6.3/10

LINKS:
(RT = Rotten Tomatoes)
IMDb Page: http://uk.imdb.com/title/tt1045772/
RT Page: http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/i_love_you_phillip_morris/
Official Site: http://www.phillipmorrismovie.net/
Trailer: http://uk.imdb.com/video/imdb/vi4149844249/

Film Review: UNTHINKABLE (2010)

Director: Gregor Jordan
Running time: 94 mins (approx)
Certification (UK): 18

Genre: Drama
UK Release date: 13th September 2010 (DVD Premiere)

Watched on Sky+ Tuesday 8th March 2011.

PLEASE NOTE: THERE MAY BE SPOILERS IN THIS REVIEW.

For a film that, in most parts of the world, went straight to DVD, this is surprisingly good. It deals with a very tough subject and asks some very hard questions, but I found it quite enthralling. Topped off with some really great dialogue and some really good performances, I’m surprised it didn’t get a wider release. But more of my thoughts later, here’s a brief summary first (summary haters and those that don’t wish to know anything about the plot please extract some information from the prisoner while I write the next paragraph).

Henry Herald ‘H’ Humphries, known as ‘H’, is a black ops interrogator who is called in when a white American Muslim says he has planted three nuclear bombs in cities across the country. The man, Steven Arthur Younger, has been captured and ‘H’ has to work with FBI agent Helen Brody to extract the location of the bombs. The methods ‘H’ uses are brutal and Brody finds it hard to stomach. She tries to be the voice of reason, but finds it more than difficult when her superiors condone the methods being used. I really don’t want to say too much more, this one is best watched with as little information as possible.

First of all, hats off to the filmmakers, I found this a very intelligent film that raises questions about torture, brutality, the justification for terrorism, and many more. Very well made with some tremendous performances. In particular; Samuel L. Jackson as Henry Herald ‘H’ Humphries, Carrie-Anne Moss as Agent Helen Brody and it was nice to see Michael Sheen in a truly dramatic role that reminded me of what a fine actor he really is.

There is a sequence at the beginning of the film where ‘H’ and Brody meet before Younger is arrested that just seems superfluous to me. It doesn’t really add much to the story and only serves to establish that ‘H’ is very important to those in power and that his family is important to him. Not really necessary, but once we’re past that it is quite an enthralling and a very thought provoking film. I must warn though that there are some scenes of torture and violence that some people may find distasteful. If you can bare that then I can definitely recommend this one to you.

My score: 7.8/10

LINKS:
(RT = Rotten Tomatoes)
IMDb Page: http://uk.imdb.com/title/tt0914863/
RT Page: http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/unthinkable/
Trailer: http://uk.imdb.com/video/imdb/vi3696953113/

Film Review: EXTRAORDINARY MEASURES (2010)

Director: Tom Vaughan
Running time: 106 mins (approx)
Certification (UK): PG

Genre: Drama
UK Release date: 26th February 2010

Watched on Sky+ Sunday 6th March 2011.

PLEASE NOTE: THERE MAY BE SPOILERS IN THIS REVIEW.

I remember when this came out it got a fair share of decent, if not spectacular, reviews from the critics. I was interested to see it, not only for that, but also to see how Brendan Fraser copes with a dramatic role, quite a departure for him. For the first part, the critics were right, to an extent, and for the second part… well I tell you about that later. Here’s a brief summary first (summary haters and those that don’t wish to know anything about the plot please discover something brilliantly scientific while I write the next paragraph).

Advertising executive John Crowley and his wife, Aileen, have three children; John Jr., Patrick and Megan. Unfortunately both Patrick and Megan have Pompe disease, a genetic anomaly that kills most before a child’s tenth birthday. As Megan nears her tenth birthday John and Aileen become more desperate. So much so that John tries to contact and eventually goes to see the scientist whose research shows the best promise, Dr. Robert Stonehill. Now Stonehill is not the easiest person to get along with, very focused on his work but John eventually gets him to listen. The main problem is funding but John sets up a charitable foundation to help raise money for the work. Stonehill then offers to set up a company with John to develop a cure for Pompe. So John quits his job and they set off on an uncertain path looking for funding for their new venture. A big risk for John because if he fails there is no hope for his kids.

I must say that this film put me in mind of the 1992 film Lorenzo's Oil starring Nick Nolte and Susan Sarandon. Unfortunately, it’s not as good as that one. It’s quite well made but I found the subject matter a bit dry. There are lots of meetings with either corporate or scientific jargon that, I’m sure, would be beyond the understanding of most viewers. The best thing about it is Harrison Ford as Dr. Robert Stonehill; it definitely improves when he’s on screen. Brendan Fraser did ok as John Crowley, but more of him later. Also worth a mention are Keri Russell as Aileen Crowley, Meredith Droeger as Megan Crowley, Diego Velazquez as Patrick Crowley and Sam M. Hall as John Crowley Jr.

For a film that is supposed to be a heart-warming tale I’m afraid it missed the mark but some distance, for me. Brendan Fraser was ok in the scenes with the kids, and even in some of the scenes with Harrison Ford he did alright, but when he had to show any real emotion I felt he struggled. Maybe it’s because he’s played so many comedic roles, but I just wasn’t convinced by him. Over all, the film isn’t too great, but it’s quite well made and Harrison Ford is pretty good, but not quite good enough to save it I’m afraid… Not recommended.

My score: 5.1/10

LINKS:
(RT = Rotten Tomatoes)
IMDb Page: http://uk.imdb.com/title/tt1244659/
RT Page: http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/extraordinary_measures/
Official Site: http://extraordinarymeasuresthemovie.com/
Trailer: http://uk.imdb.com/video/imdb/vi2237007129/