Thursday, December 30, 2010

Woman of the Year - 1942 * * * *


One of the 9 famous pairings between Hepburn and Tracy 'Woman of the Year' is a sparkling and quick-witted screwball about 2 sharp journalists on the same newspaper but both with very different views. Tess Harding is a political affairs columnist whilst Sam Craig reports on sport. They met by chance and fall in love. Starting married life together however, Sam realises that Tess's priorities do not seem to involve him as he puts up with continual late night disturbances from Tess's secretary and even his wedding night is spoilt by the arrival of a famous doctor in his marriage boudoir who is intent on conferring with Tess right there and then. He begins to realise if he even wants to be married to such a prestigeous woman.
As with all screwball there are some very funny scenes as well as ones that tug at your heartstrings, but everything always turns out alright.

The Night Listener - 2006 * * * *


Thinking back to this film I've realised how much I want to see it again despite only seeing it for the first time this morning. Robin Williams is a thoroughy excellent actor and didn't disappoint here as Gabriel Noone, a radio show host who becomes entangled in the life of a sick and abused 14 year old boy named Pete who has sent his life story to Gabriel, desperate for his help. What happens next is almost impossible to believe, especially being inspired by true events, and thoroughly disturbing. A real head-scratcher. Toni Collette is also brilliant as Donna, the carer of Pete. Well worth seeing, at least once.

Code Unknown - 2000 * * * 1/2



For years now I have kept seeing this dvd cover on Amazon and wondering what on earth Julietee Binoche was screaming at, thankfully now I have seen the film I know ( although it was nothing to do with what I originally thought) and I must say this wasn't a bad dose of Michael Haneke who previously terrified me with Funny Games and thrilled me in Cache (Hidden). I figure that this film needs to be seen a few times for the viewer to really understand the intricate details of each and every short (there must be at least 20). Some are brilliant (the paper bag throwing incident for one) and others are mind-numbingly boring ( Binoche ironing copious amounts of T-Shirts in front of the tv). As Haneke seems to be a master in his craft I'm pretty sure they are all included for a reason but sometimes it seems a bit difficult to know what the importance of some of them is. However on a plus side the shorts are all so..well.. short that you never get bored.

Cracks - 2009 * * *

This was a very strange movie. Eva Green was certainly the highlight giving a stupendous performance as 'Miss G', the spontaneously and mysteriously exotic teacher at a prestigeous girl's school in 1930s Britain who is idolised (somewhat romantically) by the popular clique of girls. However the arrival of a foreign student Fiamma disrupts both the girls and the feelings of Miss G,but in different ways. Juno Temple is also excellent as Di, the conniving captain of the swimming team, who, after realising that Miss G's affections are wandering from her, resorts to any action possible to rid the school of the new visitor. The subtle lesbian undertones make this film especially dark and eerie, contrasting the wide and open spaces where the film is shot, a bizarre but worth watching film.

Monday, December 13, 2010

The Postman Always Rings Twice - 1946 * * * * *


This was one of those film noirs that I have kept putting off, scared that once I've seen it I will hate it or not appreciate it like so many fans do. Well I've seen it now, and will never question a film noir as not being brilliant. So many elements of this movie are priceless, Lana Turner is tooth-achingly beautiful (I noticed some traits on her that Marilyn Monroe uses) and I was surprised to see that John Garfield is actually quite attractive in a rugged way ( for some reason I've always associated Garfield with someone like Edward G. Robinson or Sydney Greenstreet looks-wise!).
Nick, a drifter comes upon a roadside cafe and applies for a job there after seeing the middle aged manager's stunning wife Cora. Before long, there are sparks between Nick and Cora that cannot be denied and they both decide that they want to be together, whatever the costs... Luscious camera work, a great story, 2 awesome actors, (a shady male and a femme fatale) and all in sensuous black and white, what more could you want for a 5 star 'Film Noir'? Well worth the wait - Film Noir never disappoints me.

One Night Stand - 1997 * * *


I'm embarrassed to say this really because of all the flack that Wesley Snipes receives about his personal life but I really love him as an actor! Here he plays the smooth and cool commercials director Max who, after being stranded overnight at his hotel on a business trip, makes the aquaintance of Karen, an intelligent and beautiful woman who wants a no strings fling. The difference with this film and others about infidelity is that you don't for one second feel anger towards Max, instead mentally egging him on to make a go of it with this woman as opposed to his high-maintainance wife Mimi who cannot stop talking and making a fool of herself at any social function. Exactly a year later, Max returns to New York to visit his sick friend Charlie ( played amazingly by Robert Downey Jnr - he should have received an Oscar for his portrayal of a gay man dying of AIDS if he hasn't already) and bumps into Karen...
A surprisingly good movie!

The Spanish Gardener - 1956 * * * * 1/2


The film has been on non-stop on FilmFour and I always miss it or decide it's not what I want to see that particular day. However on Saturday it was exactly what I wanted to watch and so with bated breath I began watching the movie, honestly not expecting much. However by the end there were tears streaming down my cheeks as I contemplated how utterly brilliant the story was and how excellent both Michael Horden and Dirk Bogarde were. Harrington Brande (Horden) and his son are relocated to a beautiful villa in Spain and it is decided that a gardener must be employed, enter Dirk Bogarde. Before long Nicholas (the son) is close friends with Jose (Bogarde), helping him weed the garden and plant flowers. Brande however is desperately jealous of the close bond his son forms believing it to be a sign that his son no longer loves him and decides to do anything he can to part the two.
Michael Horden plays his part exceedingly well and although this is only the second thing I have seen him in ( the first being 'Whistle and I'll Come to You' ) I'll definitely be looking out for more of his work. Dirk Bogarde is on top form as usual and plays his role with heart-breaking results. The ending caused me to reach for the tissues and I am so happy I watched the film at long last.

Tuesday, December 07, 2010

Amores Perros - 2001 * * * *


Roughly translated as 'Love's a Bitch' or in other places 'Loves Dogs' ( or is it Dog Lovers??) this film was tipped continuously as one of the greatest foreign films of the last decade. Directed by Alejandro González Iñárritu, this film tells three stories that are all connected by a dreadful car crash and explores the feelings, loves and lives of the main characters. I felt that this film started off slowly and I was a one stage considering turning the thing off, but by the time I had seen the beginning of the 2nd story I was hooked, and by the 3rd story I was thinking that this was indeed one of the greatest foreign movies I had ever seen. Towards the end we are shown the series of events that leads each of the characters to that particular point and I must say the direction and fast-packed action really took my breath away. This film really needs persevering with, especially due to the fact that it is longer than many normal movies, but once you have cracked the beginning you will be on the right course for a brilliant movie, painstakingly concocted by a director I have never heard of ( always a joy to discover new talent). The only thing I would say about this film is that there are some horribly gruesome scenes involving dog-fighting and it is quite obvious that the fights are real, therefore a bit of discretion or eye-covering is in order, but do not turn the thing off!

Madman -1981 * *


Not pertaining to be fickle in any sense I feel I must agree with a review I read on amazon where the person claimed this was the ugliest cast ever seen in a film. I mean the actors really were dreadfully unattractive and had the most gormless faces I have ever had the misfortune to look at. Added to which the characters in this 'horror' movie were so incredibly stupid that I rooted for the killer the whole time. I mean realistically, if you hear a story about a serial killing maniac whilst you are huddling around a camp fire whose abandoned house is a foot away from where you are sitting you would hope that a sane individual would not decide it was 'fun' to wander off for a look in the house whilst everyone else has gone away. The acting was dreadfully slow and repetitive and I couldn't have cared less if any of the group had lived or died. Do not even attempt to watch this film, even if it's free, you'll be sorely disappointed.

Wednesday, December 01, 2010

Jules et Jim - 1962 * * * *


Finally I have found the movie that Audrey Tautou goes on and on about in 'Amelie' whilst she is at the cinema! ( you remember; the scene in the cinema where Amelie explains to the audience that she looks out for the insignificant parts of a film that other viewers miss, such as the fly on the window in the corner of the shot whilst the two main characters are in the middle of a passionate embrace). Jules and Jim is really a lovely film. It starts off in my opinion rather slowly but soon progresses to an excellent rate, rounding itself off with a very sad ending. Jules and Jim meet one day in a cafe and realise that they have everything in common - politics, literature, arts, theatre and this cements their relationship from then on. Soon afterwards they meet the carefree and fun-loving Catherine (played wonderfully by Jeanne Moreau) and from then on their relationship and the way they view their lives will never be the same again.
Catherine is a totally intriguing character - shallow and fickle, yet joyous and passionate, and I think Moreau was the perfect choice to play her. Although not a particularly beautiful or intelligent character she somehow captivates both men with an effortless charm, free to do with them what she chooses.
Many viewers immediately jumped to the conclusion the Jules and Jim's relationship was of a homosexual nature and I think you really need to study the film carefully to see that this isn't the case. They love each other yes, but as the closest and best of friends who would do anything for each other, a love that appears to have been made redundant in modern-day films ( anything more than a smile to another male in a recent film would insinuate the possibility of romantic behaviour) which is a huge shame, although it just makes films like this even more beautiful. This film is dying to be watched, so do it a favour and do just that.

Tuesday, November 16, 2010

Moliere - 2007 * * * *


What a lovely foreign film based on the life of Moliere, the satirical and talented playwright and actor. Romain Duris does excellently as Jean-Baptise Poquelin (otherwise known as Moliere) who tries to get his plays noticed whilst also helping Monsieur Jourdain (who covered a debt for him that kept him out of prison) rehearse a special one act play that he will perform in secret to a beautiful widow named Celimene (the tantalizing Ludivine Sagnier ) behind his wife's back . Plans go wrong however when Moliere falls for Elmire ( Jourdain's wife) and realises the difficulty of his predicament.
I found so much to compare this to Shakespeare in Love and I found it a totally enjoyable and very funny film. Moliere appears to me to be one of those playwrights who was light years ahead of his rivals in wit and satire and this film very cleverly had Moliere's later characters coming up as real people before he decided to use them in his plays. I found my mum constantly saying 'so and so was a character in one of his later plays and this must be how he came up with the idea for using them.'
A great film to watch if you are feeling intellectual or just want to see something that makes you laugh and realise that even over 300 years ago there were still wonderfully brilliant individuals who made the world a better place.

Wednesday, November 03, 2010

Million Dollar Legs - 1932 * * *


I've never seen the legendary W.C. Fields in anything up until now and I must say I wasn't thinking of him in a favourable light beforehand. I had this idea he was a wasted, horrible and dreadfully unattractive man who's displeasure in anything was blatently obvious in any films he starred in. But actually I had a nice surprise as I found myself laughing along at his sarcastic wit and dry humour deciding that actually he was a perfectly decent man ( not counting his addictive penchant for aclcohol which was sadly the norm in those days). The story isn't really that amazing but the acting is done with such slapstick precision that it really didn't matter. The residents of a small country that is about to go bankrupt decide to enter into the Olympic games to raise some money, but things don't go to plan. ( On another note it's amazing to see how totally different the clothes and styles of sport are such a long time ago. The fact that there is barely no safety precaution outlined for any of the sporting activities is almost unheard of these days.
A film that should be watched, I'm tempted to snap up WC Fields boxset to have more laughs.

Tuesday, November 02, 2010

Jack Frost - 1997 * * *


This is one of the funniest and bizarrely scary films I have ever seen. There is a great combination of both genres so that if you start finding it too funny you get a nice amount of gore, and if you are starting to find it too scary to watch alone you find yourself having a chuckle.
A serial killer has gone berserk whilst being transported to his execution site and murdered the security who are watching out for him. He then dies in a car crash and a year later comes back as a killer snowman intent on revenge. What a funny idea for a movie! He creates havoc as he infiltrates himself back into the town he once lived in ( he can melt himself and solidify when it suits) and it is up to the inhabitants to fight him. I think as a character that he is priceless. One of my favourite lines is when Frost demands a cigarette off a guard, then kills him with an axe because he refused, manically shouting 'I only axed you for a smoke.' Some really hilarious lines here.

A Perfect Murder - 1998 * * * *


A Perfect Murder is based on the brilliant Hitckcock movie 'Dial M for Murder' starring the divine and gorgeous Grace Kelly. Although nowhere near as good it still packs a fairly good punch and is really very well acted. Michael Douglas is on top form as the rich and influential husband of Gwyneth Paltrow who discovers that she is playing away from home, and decides to deliver his own, unique kind of revenge. At times the film is a full-blodded thriller and at other times it's slightly weak, but it's still very enjoyable ( I find myself siding completely with Douglas's character and feeling totally heartless towards Paltrow's sordid and pathetic affair). Good to see Viggo Mortenson in something else although he does appear to be 'violence' or 'Lord of the Rings' based in his film parts. A pretty good movie. Worth a watch one evening.

Who was that Lady? - 1960 * * * *




You know one of the things I adore about film? The fact that I can come across a hidden gem that no one has ever mentioned to me or heard of before and find out that it's excellent.
This is exactly what happened with this film and me last Saturday morning. It really is very funny.
Tony Curtis winds up in trouble with his wife after she spots him kissing one of his students (he's a chemistry professor and also does admissions!) and so he comes up with a scheme concerning him and his friend ( good old Dean Martin) that makes his naughty mistake acceptable. The trouble is they soon becomes involved in all too real situations as they fumble from one place to the next getting into serious trouble. Janet Leigh plays Tony's wife and although she is totally annoying and whiny she does work very well with him in this. It's no 'The Great Race' but it's a pretty good and funny effort and one of those films you can revist again. Brilliant Saturday viewing.

Club Dread - 2004 * *


What a truly dreadful film. It tried so hard to be a mixture of loads of slasher horror movies that are actually successful and failed miserably. It was unfunny, not in the least bit scary and dreadfully acted, the only person I vaguely recognised was one half of the Sweet Valley High twins. She's an equally awful actress. How embarassing to be known to act in a film like this. Not even a 'so bad it's good' film. It was just plain bad.

Friday, October 29, 2010

Jamon Jamon - 1992 * * 1/2


A very weird film that only made a positive impression on me as regards to the food that they kept mentioning and the ham that they kept showing us in great slabs as we drooled over the screen. Penelope Cruz was very young in this and it really showed as her acting came across as weak and not very memorable. Obviously she was just beginning her impressionable career and would soon grow into her roles in later films. Cruz stars as Sylvia, who after finding out she is pregnant hopes to marry her boyfriend despite his parents negative attitude, mix this in with lots of food references and bizarre scenes including naked bull-fighting in the middle of the night and you have this film. I didn't really like the fact it was not one thing or the other. It wasn't fantastical enough to be as good as 'Delicatessen' or sexy enough to be 'Y Tu Mama Tambien' and so we are left with a bizarre mis-match of scenes and slightly unhinged characters. Not the brilliant film I was hoping for.

Wednesday, October 27, 2010

Never Talk to Strangers - 1995 * * *


I took a chance with this unknown thriller when I saw it on my tesco rental site and decided I had to see it.
I think there is a reason why this film hasn't gained so much acclaim compared to movies like 'Fatal Attraction' etc because it really can't compare in suspense or acting. Rebecca De Morney plays a psychologist who is regularly meeting a known rapist who hopes to be let off a hefty prison sentence when he shows that he commited his crimes in an act of insanity. She soon meets Tony (Banderas) and begins a relationship with him. Shortly after meeting him she starts to receive vile items in the mail and begins to think that she is being stalked. But who is doing it?
I must say I didn't guess the ending although I had started making mental notes of who it could possibly be and had disregarded that particular person because it didn't make any sense. Maybe it will to other viewers but I felt it was a cheap shot. Nice to see Banderas in a film from the 90s and he's got an amazing screen presence.

Tuesday, October 26, 2010

The Lodger - 2009 * *


I actually had the idea that this film was going to be a remake of the brilliantly chilling Alfred Hitchcock movie of the same name filmed in the 1920s. However, besides there being a lodger in the movie there is very little else to compare it with. Which is just as well really because it couldn't compare. A series of murders have taken place echoing a number of deaths that took place 7 years beforehand. It is up to the lead investigator and his side-kick to uncover the truths of who commited them before it is too late. Sound familiar? Well yes because you hear this sort of thing in almost every episode of CSI. The twist at the end is good and I didn't see it coming but it leaves a lot of plot holes open which is always frustrating for the viewer. Really the plot with the lodger and the whole scenario surrounding these deaths could be 2 seperate films. I must say I was more interested in the lodger and his strange behaviour than the murders.

Saturday, October 23, 2010

Strait-Jacket - 1964 * * *



This wasn't a bad film but as Joan Crawford horrors go ( think 'Whatever Happened...' and 'Hush, Hush') it didn't compare. I found the best part of the movie to be the end where the twist knocks you totally out. Joan Crawford is still a very good actress despite having been at her peak 30 years beforehand but I feel she just seems a bit washed out now in this which is a shame as it could have been good. She was a gorgeous female in her young days and admired by many people for her looks and her talent but here it was quite sad to see how she's turned out. (In 'Whatever Happened...' she reportedly looked so dreadful and clown-like in her makeup that it was a relief for all when the movie was released in black and white although it was still pretty obvious that she needed a fair amount of slap to cover up her by now wrinkled face). Joan Crawford is one of those stars that I feel should have retired from the public eye at her peak and left everyone drooling after how beautiful she was instead of dragging out her last few years in movies that didn't really do her any justice. Better to leave on a high ie Jean Harlow, Marilyn and James Dean than to never know when your time is up.
Apologies for the long rant that is nothing to do with the film, but it is my blog!

The Titfield Thunderbolt - 1952 * * * *


Well really what can you expect from the good old guys from Ealing comedy? A lovely gentle and decent comedy that will actually make you care about the characters. Starring Stanley Holloway and lovely mild mannered John Gregson who I think is brilliant in 'Genevieve' this film follows the dedicated residents of Titfield who, after hearing that British rail is closing their beloved railway they decide to buy it and run it themselves. Of course there are obstacles from the other side who are determined to stop this outrage but this small group of determined and dedicated people makes it their sole mission to get the railway up and running again. A light and good-natured comedy that could be watched with the entire family which rarely happens these days and with a great cast ( most of the staples of the other Ealing films are present here).

The Sure Thing - 1985 * * *


This is quite a funny film. John Cusack is very young in it and in a way that makes him more appealing although I liked him a lot in '1408' and that was only recently really ( well the last ten years or so).
Walter is a young high school student who goes to visit his friend in California in the winter holidays on account of there being a hot woman (the sure thing) waiting for him. He had not counted on being stuck with the uninteresting, conservative and swotty Allison who is also heading out to California to see her boyfriend. As you can imagine the typical storyline goes ahead and the two end up falling for each other ( well come on I'm not spoiling it, it's obvious.) This pattern seems to be repeated constantly throughout films nowadays and I guess this must have been one of the first 'rom-com' films where this whole 'swotty girl falls for jocky guy' ( think 'She's All That' 2001 for a later re-doing or 'Never Been Kissed' ) situation has taken place.
All in all it was a funny film, and not too hard going so watch if you aren't looking for something with a lot of meaning ( you hardly find any in romantic comedies anyway.)

Friday, October 22, 2010

Coco Before Chanel - 2009 * *


With Audrey Tautou playing the lead how could this film fail? Well it's not that it failed exactly, more that it didn't concentrate enough on how Coco launched her mega famous clothes line that is now still idolized the world over. The parts we were shown ( Coco's upbringing with her sister and their quests to find happiness with men) weren't bad, but still slightly too drawn out. I did find myself getting a tad bored after watching Coco and her sister go on and on about eligible men for what seemed like ages and to top it all off ( if you know her story,) major parts of her relationships and life were left out which seems a totally idiotic concept to me. We spent ages watching her slow progression through her younger years and then all of a sudden we are plunged into the famous life of Coco Chanel - The Fashion Icon, followed shortly by the end credits. For someone who was interested to see how Coco went about starting her company I felt this was a bit of a cheap shot and didn't serve it's purpose. I'm glad I only rented it instead of buying it. On a plus side Audrey Tautou is gorgeous and like a French Audrey Hepburn.

Jennifer's Body - 2009 * * 1/2


When I started watching this film I actually thought it was going to turn out well. I know that Megan Fox is well known for not being able to string a sentence together ( just as well she's very beautiful) but I had heard she was actually really good in this.
To be honest half the time I couldn't tell if she was just being herself or trying to act in a weird, spaced out way ( and no it's nothing to do with the fact she's a weird demonic vampire-type creature which you could probably imagine would make you feel more than spaced out) that she thought was good acting. The story follows Jennifer, the beautiful and conceited cheerleader who all the boys fancy and her best friend, the quiet and retiring 'Needy' (played by Amanda Seyfried). Although being best friends they couldn't really be more different and when Jennifer persuades Needy to come with her to watch a new band play in a bar hoping to score with one of them the night takes on a strange and terrifying twist ( to them, not to us).
Some of the film is a bit eerie but most is just ridiculously stupid serving for nothing other than a platform to show Megan Fox off in a series of revealing outfits to the giggling teenage boys who have crept into the film illegaly to have a gawp. Not really a girl's film which is a shame as it eliminates half the population but still, films nowadays are all about the 'a** not the acting.'

Thursday, October 21, 2010

Julie and Julia - 2009 * * * * *


One of the best films I have seen this year that made me crave cookbooks and bizarre ingredients. Based on two true stories that were interlocked together this story follows Julie Powell (played excellently by Amy Adams) in 21st Century America who decides on a wim that as her 30th birthday is approaching and she hasn't done anything of note so far in her life she will cook her way through Julia Child's 'Mastering the Art of French Cooking' in a year and blog about it at the same time.
As she becomes more and more engrossed in her cooking her relationship and job are both effected, causing her to make some major changes in her life. This is the 'main' story, although really I think both areas are given equal attention. The second story which parallels the first is based on the life of ground-breaking American cook Julia Child ( Meryl Streep shines through yet again) who dreams of bringing French Cooking into the home of the American Housewife. Her husband stands by her devotedly as they move to France for Julia to join Cookery College (an unheard of occupation for a woman in the 1940s) and supports her as she embarks on a huge career.
The mixture of both stories and the way Julie relates to Julia's work is amazing and had me rushing to Amazon.co.uk afterwards in order to look up Julia Child's most famous book. Anyone will like this film, but it helps especially if you are obsessed with food ( I definitely am!) and like taking risks with your cooking. One I will be buying to enjoy again and again.

Thursday, October 14, 2010

Honey - 2003 * * *


I liked this film mainly for the dance routines but for not much else. And for Missy Elliott's mini cameo ( it lastly under 5 minutes in the whole thing so not much to write home about) Apart from that it just annoyed me. Jessica Alba made her name in this and her name was from then on a household name all around America. Men desperate for her and women desperate to be like her yadda yadda. However I can't see anything credible to say about it or her for that matter. Jessica Alba cannot act, she's incredibly preppy and over-the-top and her character adopted this bizarre 'I must help everyone who is less fortunate than me' stanza which seemed totally unlike her 'gangster, hip hop' character.
Her character Honey ( if that isn't a 'hoe' name in the 'hood' then I don't know what is) works in a dance club where she serves drinks and socialises with the customers, that is until the bell chimes for her end of shift and she rushes out onto the dance-floor to do weird, jutty movements and roll around on the floor soaking up the applause from the other dancers. By day she teaches ... you guessed it..a dance class for what I could only describe as 'disadvantaged lower class children'. Of course the children are all superb at dancing ( it's an unspoken rule in films like this that all poor children are great dancers, especially the boys with 'Lakers' t-shirts) and Honey really gets to yet again show off that she can wind and wiggle her body along to the latest music. During the film she meets some little kids who are having ... you guessed it.. a dance off outside the club she works at and she makes it her sole mission to help them all, while at the same time making it big in.. you guessed it... music videos where she will be dancing.
I mean this film is okay and I'm glad I've seen it but its nothing compared to something like 'Center Stage' which I think is superb so maybe I had better stay away from hip hop movies from now on.

Let the Right One In - 2008 * *


Why why why are people raving about this film after 2 years? In fact why did they rave about it when it first came out?? I tried to watch this film last year and gave up early on but recently I felt that I maybe misjudged it and should give it another go and so a few nights ago I did. And I felt exactly the same, except for the fact that I had to deal with the whole film this time as opposed to just a 1/4 of it. What was Tomas Alfredson thinking? Except for the haunting backdrop of the continuously freezing Swedish winter I really couldn't find anything of credit to excite me. The film circles around Oskar, a bullied and timid boy who spends his days at school being a target for horrible pranks and jokes amoung his classmates and his nights reading up on knives and murder weapons, hoping against hope that one day he will be able to put them to use.
One evening he meets the mysteriously and other-worldly Eli who can't eat or stand the sunlight. Gradually the pair form a bond that is to carry them through the ups and downs of the next few months.
Sounds like a good story? Well I thought so as well, but it's not the case, as the film moves so slowly that you can actually wander off to make a cuppa and come back to find you haven't missed a thing. Very little really happens for most of the film, but when it does happen it all happens at once in a sort of 'blink and you've missed it' pattern which leaves you feeling very dissatisfied and empty. Added to which the blossoming relationship between Oskar and Eli is not realistic at all, and you find yourself wondering if there is actually supposed to be any kind of chemistry, because they both act around each other like they are complete strangers.
I seriously don't understand the worldwide acclaim and excitement going for this movie and think that if audiences are really captivated by a story like this then the current state of film is in real trouble.
PS please don't start thinking I am someone who needs over the top action or violence to enjoy a film, (hence my long list of reviews already completed) but when a film is so incredibly slow and the acting is so wooden there is very little else I can think.

Tuesday, October 12, 2010

Easy Virtue - 2008


‘Easy Virtue’ sounded right up my street when I first heard about it. Based on one of Noel Coward’s brilliantly constructed plays I couldn’t see how it could go wrong. The film was originally filmed and directed by Alfred Hitchcock over 80 years ago and now taken on by Stephan Elliot (better known for directing Priscilla, Queen of the Desert, which gives us some prior warning as to how the film would progress.)
With a stellar cast including English heartthrob Colin Firth and American superstar Jessica Biel it seemed like the perfect antidote for a Saturday night in.
The first thing that disappointed me was how badly the characters interacted with one another. Kirsten Scott Thomas played the overbearing and ice-cold mother Mrs Veronica Whittaker with such gusto and passion that I found myself completely despising her character ( I think that is a good sign) and hoping that she wouldn’t take up too much of the film. Jessica Biel plays the fun-loving and glamorous Larita who marries Mrs Whittaker’s son John impulsively whilst on a racing car tour in Monaco. Understandably John is keen to show off his new bride to his family in England and takes Larita to his parents’ large and daunting mansion. However Larita has no idea that John is in line to be the next Whittaker to take over the house and proceeds to completely wreck Veronica’s ideal perception of her daughter-in-law by reading adult and explicit literature, refusing to go fox hunting and wearing outfits that Veronica finds repulsive.
Colin Firth’s performance unfortunately seemed totally washed out and exhausted in this movie which is a shame because he is usually on top form playing genteel society men (just look at him in Pride and Prejudice!).
I found myself likening this to plays by Oscar Wilde, although I found Wilde’s work to be lighter, more jovial and much easier on the eye. A film worth seeing for the gentle comedy and lovely location, but leave the genius of the double-entendre and side-splitting humour to Oscar Wilde.

Monday, October 11, 2010

Blue Crush - 2002 * * *


This wasn't a bad film, and for surf enthusiasts it was amazing. The surf scenes are top-notch and there is a fair amount of action mingled in as well. Kate Bosworth plays the main surfer who's dream is to make it big as the world-wide Surfer champion. However along the way she compromises her job, her friendships and herself. A good movie, but maybe I didn't get as much out of it as I don't know anything about surfing. However I remember wanting to watch this when it came out at the theatre 8 years ago so there must have been something good about it.

Sunday, October 10, 2010

Precious - 2009 * * * *



What an amazing and totally controversial film. Precious is a morbidly obese, illiterate, angry teenager who is consistently raped by her father and abused by her mother. Expecting her second child by her dad she is enrolled on a special course in a different school to help her gain her education whilst managing her problems. The course is one thing, but having to deal with her mother when she gets home is something else. A totally scandalous film played very bravely by the lead girl who wasn't ashamed to show off her shape, this does deserve a wacth, plus Mariah Carey stars as her psychologist and I didn't even recognise her until the credits!

Doubt - 2008 * * *


This is a strange film. One that I'm sure if I watched a few times I would begin to find loads of spiritual symbolism in. The only trouble is I don't think I could stand to watch it again. The performances are brilliant, that is not what I don't like. I don't like the fact that there is no resolution to the film, and the event which is supposedly making up the whole premise of the movie ( the priest abusing the child) is barely given a look in. We are plunged immediately into the after effects of the supposed event with no idea ourselves how or when it has happened. I just think that the film doesn't concentrate enough on the part it's supposed to. Meryl Streep is amazing as the sinister and fear-inducing Sister Aloysius and Philip Seymour Hoffman excellent as the Priest suspected of abuse. Several parts of this film, although supposedly set in 1960s don't seem to make sense ( did they have chicken chow mein then? and portable radios that looked like i-pods?). Not really sure if it is deserving of 5 Golden Globe nominations.

Alice - 1990 * * * *


I've never really liked Mia Farrow until now, I always found her one of the most annoying actresses on the planet, especially in 'See No Evil.' She was brilliant in this.
Alice is a Manhattenite who is becoming suitably depressed by her marriage to her high-flying husband who never seems to notice her. On a visit to school to collect her children one day she sparks an instant attraction to a man also there to collect his child. This attraction manifests itself constantly in Alice's thoughts and effects her so badly that she develops backache because of it. She is referred to a herbal practitioner named Dr Yang who hypnotises her, and then finds out about her attraction to the mystery man.
This is a strange film, but has Woody Allen's mark all over it and that's good enough for me.

Whatever Works - 2009 * * * *


This film has been slated continuously since it's release and I must say I loved it. Starring that bloke from 'Curb your enthusiasm' it's bizarre and slightly creepy undertone makes this film like marmite, you either love it or hate it.
Boris is a moody and unsociable chess player who has no interest in any women or any relationship until he meets 21 year old Melodie by chance after finding her outside his home one evening. Although having nothing in common and despite the age difference Melodie and Boris get married. Melodie constantly trying to understand and share Boris's anti-people view of the world and Boris trying to make Melodie understand his political and intellectual perspective.
Woody Allen is still on top form with this movie and brings many laughs.

Friday, October 08, 2010

L'Avventura - 1960 * * * *




L'Avventura is one of the weirdest and most haunting films I have seen in a very long time. From Michaelangelo Antonioni who brought us the equally mesmerising and iconic 'Blow Up' this is an expertly put together motion picture that leaves you thinking about it for ages and ages afterwards. A small group of friends go for a day out on their boat and decide to spend the afternoon on the rocks of the island nearby. During the course of the afternoon one of the women who earlier played a heartless prank on the others disappears. I won't spoil any of the story for you but rest assured you are in for a tense and heart-stopping film, although my only criticism is that parts of the story are too drawn out and slow. After watching this film I have come to the conclusion that 'The Adventure' is not so much about the missing person but about the adventure the remaining relationships that she leaves behind become a part of. This is one of those films that many people who are into modern films critisise; not a huge amount of action takes place and we are instead left to confront the emotional relationships with the characters throughout the movie. This however is the kind of film I relish because of exactly that. Added to which there is this very weird sort of mysterious vibe throughout the whole movie that gives it a haunting element ( the black and white tone compliments it brilliantly). I have not seen the film with commentary but feel if I did it would elevate my 4 stars to a full fledged 5.

Wednesday, October 06, 2010

The Ghost - 2004 *


This is nothing like 'The Grudge' for a start although it is apparently a mixture of 'The Grudge' and 'Dark Water'! For one The Grudge is actually scary and is a well plotted horror film whereas this film is simply a big mess! The story is all over the place, the characters are the most annoying I have ever seen in an Asian horror movie and there is so much countless screaming and breathing heavily in this film that it gives you a headache after a while! Is it supposed to make up for the ghastly plot and distract you from wanting to pull your hair out?? This film is just a big mixture of lots of Asian horror movies, but it's all the very worst parts of them leaving nothing credible to call it's own. A total failure. I hope the next Tartan Asia I watch doesn't disappoint me so as the last two ( this and Silk) have really let me down.

Silk - 2006 * *


The idea for this film is actually a very good one. A group of scientists come up with an invention that allows them to moniter a real ghost by capturing it's energy. They do this with a little boy who then proceeds to continuously act out his mundane life before he died in front of their eyes which is exactly what they had hoped, however the boy cannot see them unless they catch his eye, which can be a lot harder to prevent than you would think. Some very eerie scenes involving the little boy but overall a bit slow for my liking as we don't spend enough time with the boy and spend the majority of the film with the other less interesting characters.

Clownhouse - 1989 * * *


Let's get one thing straight - clowns terrify me. I don't care how happy and genuinely funny they are, they freak me out so much I can't be anywhere near them. There is something so sinister about a clown with a painted on smile, as though beneath the smile there is an evil personality.
Because of this I have always had reservations about watching horror movies with clowns in fearing I would be so scared I woul have to switch the set off. However last week I made the conscious decision to sit through this film, and on my own to top it off! And I managed it!
This seems like the sort of film that young boys would sneak in to see on a friday night at the cinema but it really scared me. The whole concept of the story is based on a circus with three popular clowns who quite early on get massacred by three evil ones, who then take on their personas and costumes. A group of friends spend ages trying to scare each other with scary stories of clowns and one of the boys suddenly realises that the three 'cute' clowns are in fact very bad indeed. One of the scenes towards the end really terrifies me involving the boys house, in fact that's the kind of nightmare I would frequently have when I was younger and it's obvious the film makers know this as a popular children's nightmare. I was so pleased after finishing this film and realising that I was still alive that I went straight to sleep and didn't have any nightmares about the movie at all!

Paranormal Entity - 2009 * * *


Well I'm not sure how to rate this film. Aside from the fact that it's not 'based on real footage' it is not based on any real events either. I don't see why film makers decide that the only way they can market a film is to tell everyone the events have happened before. It just seems to show that the film can't be that likely to do well if there needs to be a lie to sell it properly.
Anyway as regards to the film itself it's pretty scary, although not a lot happens except a bloke wandering around with his camcorder filming unusual events like his sister lying in bed or his mother going crazy. Because you don't actually see anything I guess it's even more eerie but I just couldn't get past the fact that it was supposedly a blatent rip-off of Paranormal Activity.
It's worth a watch, but only just.

Monday, October 04, 2010

The Countess - 2009 * *


I tried not to watch this and 'Bathory' too close together as I didn't want one to hinder the other, but as it happens it didn't make any difference, for both of them were pretty bad. Maybe 'The Countess' was just a bit worse than the earlier one though. Julie Delphy is beautiful and a talented actress, and her actual portrayal of Erzebet Bathory was pretty darn good, but there just wasn't much going for the film. Everything just chugs along at a mediocre speed and only towards the end are we really introduced to the Countess's bizarre and sadistic streak. Having read quite a bit about the life of the Countess I found the whole approach to her crimes was taken ridiculously lightly. We are somehow supposed to believe that she doesn't have a bad streak in her and that she really is only thinking of her appearance in a sort of unselfish way. This is totally unrealistic as we know that she was a crazy, cold-hearted killer who didn't think twice about draining girls of their blood and so makes the film slightly off-kilter. Also, (not wanting to spoil the end) we are shown a completely fabricated and fake outcome to the last scene which really enraged me.
The cinematography and the beautiful scenery were the only plus points of the film and they each receive one star.

Friday, October 01, 2010

Silkwood - 1984 * * *



What happened to Karen Silkwood?


Karen Silkwood's fate is one of mystery and tragedy. The 28 year old's life was cut short after she crashed her car mysteriously into a tree one night after driving to a meeting regarding highly radioactive plutonium.
The whole area of Karen Silkwood's life is very bizarre and shrouded in intrigue.
Karen was one of the only people who actually wanted to change the way the Kerr-McGee plant (where she worked) was run and disagreed highly with how the company handled it's plutonium and how shabbily the staff are handling the safety reports which are sometimes forged in an effort to get more done in little time. When Karen finds this out she is immediatly alienated and humiliated consistently at in a way to get her to be quiet. When Karen is contaminated with the plutonium she finds out that the negatives of the photographs showing the metal that has caused her to become contaminted have been changed and she feels she can't keep her mouth shut any longer, with tragic results.
Meryl Streep is superb as Karen Silkwood and acts her part so painstakingly that you believe they are one and the same person. A film that needs to be seen, if only to uncover Karen's life.

Thursday, September 30, 2010

Body Heat - 1981 * * * *


Kathleen Turner yet again captures the screen in this sizzling and hot film noir in colour. William Hurt, a lawyer gets caught up with sexy femme fatale Kathleen Turner who is supposedly caught in an unhappy marriage. The 2 begin a passionate affair and Hurt decides he will do anything for her, even commit murder. This film just oozes sexuality and heat. You can literally taste the stifling heat in the city as the men from the office stop off in coffee bars to have lunch in their 50s style shirts and smoke their vintage cigarettes. There is something about this film that looks strangely dated. But in a good way. This is the best modern thriller/noir movie I have seen in a long time.

Nine 1/2 weeks - 1986 * *


I broke every rule by watching this. Every rule where it says viewers should concentrate on good movies as opposed to hideous and badly unscripted pieces of film.
To put it bluntly, this movie had no storyline except 2 people who meet by chance one day and decide to have as much sex as possible in the next 2 months or so totally disregarding the fact that they don't have anything else in common and don't even seem to like each other. I have no idea why this film is noted as one of the great 80s films to see! All I can think is that audiences in the 80s were temporarily braindead if this constitutes good cinema. Only entertaining for men I would imagine.

Cinderella 2:Dreams Come True - 2002 * *


No, no, no. So far I have been really disappointed with sequels to Disney films. They are just dire in compariosn to the originals. I think the reason is that the originals are so brilliant and flawless that anything else is just a waste of time. Added to which the sequel makers really aren't trying anyway so we are left with a stupid unfunny and unappealing film. Trust me, there is no point in watching this, and if you aren't put off by that, be put off by the idiotic squeaking mice who take up almost the entire movie.

Crimes of Passion - 1984 * * * *


I'll be honest. I went into this movie with the idea that it was going to be pretty dire. Boy was I wrong! Kathleen Turner sizzles on the screen as the alluring China Blue, a prostitute who gives men everything they want, except herself. Anthony Perkins (whom I barely recognised as the psychotic Norman Bates from Psycho)was on top form as a manic priest out to 'save' China Blue with any means possible. Although it's not exactly a purely religious experience. The whole movie is disjointed, manic, and bizarre like a 60s acid trip, and I absolutely loved it. Cult classic? I think so.

Possession - 2009 * * *


Fear never dies.
This is a very bizarre movie. I can understand the premise for it and there are some very scary parts. However the film itself doesn't make any sense. Sarah Michelle Gellar plays the lead role ( I haven't seen her in anything since the gastly 'Southland Tales') and does as good a job as she can with the material she is given. She is in a loving marriageth her husband Ryan whilst his disturbing and strange brother Roman takes up space in their house eating and drinking everything in sight. One day this all changes when Ryan and Roman are involved in a dreadful car crash which leaves them both in a coma. But then something very strange happens. This is what I don't understand - (SPOILERS) - the body of Ryan regains consciousness and yet Jess ( Gellar) can only see Roman when she speaks to him. To us the viewers all we can see is Ryan who has Ryan's traits and Ryan's personality but apparently that is not what Jess is seeing! That for me just messed up the whole idea of the film.

Wednesday, September 29, 2010

Salvage - 2009 * * *



This was a surprisingly good effort from British film-makers. And what amde it good was the reality. At the beginning we see a moody teenage begrudgingly being taken by her dad to spend Christmas with her mother. About 15 minutes later all hell breaks loose.

The whole 'this could reall happen' element is present the whole time and that is what makes it even more disturbing. Plus the acting is really very good. I love films where the director hasn't chosen idiotically beautiful people with no acting ability and gone on talent instead. This certainly isn't the case here. There are some genuinely scary parts in this. Very relevant to today's events.

Saturday, September 25, 2010

Deconstructing Harry - 1997 * * * *


I love Woody Allen. I think he is a total genius and I adore his style of directing, producing and acting in his films. What many people dislike about him I lap up, eager for more. The way he can make a scene look like it has just been improvised on the spot and his nervous and nerdy exterior is perfect. He also has some really brilliant ideas in film-making and you can tell how much of a film he has been an active part in when you watch it. I am aware that he plays pretty much the same panicked looking character in all his films but again that is what I like about him. I love to be able to recognise that it is a Woody Allen film from the start.
This movie is really about writer's block. And the writer is Woody Allen. His books are written with no regard to his friends or family whom he thinly veils by changing simply one letter in their name when he lists all their negative points. As you can tell this doesn't win him any brownie points and most of the film seems to mix the reality of his life as a writer and the life of his characters. I love how it switches from one reality to the other so fast. In his mind, both seperate lives are equally real to him which makes it all very confusing. At the same time his strong feelings for a woman he meets in the real world becomes tangled with the relationship of ihs characters in his fantasy world. An excellent idea, an original idea and of course if Woody Allen is involved then it's a prize-winning idea. A brilliant cast is like the icing on the cake with this type of movie. Woody Allen is supported by Elizabeth Shue, Kirstie Alley, Billy Crystal and a young looking Tobey Maguire. He nearly always gives the largest parts to other stars and stands back a little to admire his work but in this thankfully he took the reigns and made the entire movie based on himself.
Immediately after watching this I was online downloading another handful of his films, hoping that I would find yet another gem amoungst them. So far I haven't seen a single dud in all the films of his that I have seen (whether they were him as a director, a producer or an actor), and I don't think it is likely to happen. He is just a one off.