Waiting for Superman: Every person should watch this. What we do know does affect us all in the future.
YOU DON'T KNOW JACK: WOW...all I can say is that if I am every in their shoes, I hope that I have the option for myself.
I will have to check our Pandorum. I seen RED, FAIR GAME. RED was okay, not much into shoot 'em movies. FAIR GAME was okay, too. Yes, it was kind of long, however it has a valid point on what the government can do to shame a person for their benefit.
Lots of love, light and hugs to you all!
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The Juggler
Behind that bush over there. Posts: 47,451
Waiting for Superman: Every person should watch this. What we do know does affect us all in the future.
YOU DON'T KNOW JACK: WOW...all I can say is that if I am every in their shoes, I hope that I have the option for myself.
I will have to check our Pandorum. I seen RED, FAIR GAME. RED was okay, not much into shoot 'em movies. FAIR GAME was okay, too. Yes, it was kind of long, however it has a valid point on what the government can do to shame a person for their benefit.
glad they went for Zod as the villain in the next superman. with nolan producing, gotta think it will be better than the last one.
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81
Needing a ride to Forest Hills and a ounce of weed. Please inquire within. Thanks. Or not. Posts: 58,276
Waiting for Superman: Every person should watch this. What we do know does affect us all in the future.
YOU DON'T KNOW JACK: WOW...all I can say is that if I am every in their shoes, I hope that I have the option for myself.
I will have to check our Pandorum. I seen RED, FAIR GAME. RED was okay, not much into shoot 'em movies. FAIR GAME was okay, too. Yes, it was kind of long, however it has a valid point on what the government can do to shame a person for their benefit.
glad they went for Zod as the villain in the next superman. with nolan producing, gotta think it will be better than the last one.
anything would be better than the last. biggest movie dissapointment in some time.
Waiting for Superman: Every person should watch this. What we do know does affect us all in the future.
YOU DON'T KNOW JACK: WOW...all I can say is that if I am every in their shoes, I hope that I have the option for myself.
I will have to check our Pandorum. I seen RED, FAIR GAME. RED was okay, not much into shoot 'em movies. FAIR GAME was okay, too. Yes, it was kind of long, however it has a valid point on what the government can do to shame a person for their benefit.
glad they went for Zod as the villain in the next superman. with nolan producing, gotta think it will be better than the last one.
anything would be better than the last. biggest movie dissapointment in some time.
Waiting for Superman: Every person should watch this. What we do know does affect us all in the future.
YOU DON'T KNOW JACK: WOW...all I can say is that if I am every in their shoes, I hope that I have the option for myself.
I will have to check our Pandorum. I seen RED, FAIR GAME. RED was okay, not much into shoot 'em movies. FAIR GAME was okay, too. Yes, it was kind of long, however it has a valid point on what the government can do to shame a person for their benefit.
glad they went for Zod as the villain in the next superman. with nolan producing, gotta think it will be better than the last one.
anything would be better than the last. biggest movie dissapointment in some time.
it's in good hands with nolan.....i'm just not big on reboots in this fast amount of time.
they're already talking about rebooting batman after dark knight rises comes out next year.
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The Juggler
Behind that bush over there. Posts: 47,451
I've seen some movies this year, here are some thoughts...if people are bored that is
The Kings Speech - CINEMA
The story of King George VI of Britain, his impromptu ascension to the throne and the speech therapist who helped the unsure monarch become worthy of it.
My first trip to the cinema this year and the place was packed with grannies. Not being a royalist myself and lacking the most basic general knowledge regarding the lineage of the monarchy I found their nattering a rather insightful accompaniment to the story. However, at its heart this film is more to do with friendship, one man’s battle with disability and overcoming the trappings of the past. The historical frame work is fitted around these themes wonderfully, with the final speech drawing all the strings together for a triumphant conclusion. Firth and Rush have great chemistry, the royal/subject teacher/pupil relationship quickly broken down to allow a friendship to evolve.
Firth manages to create a deeply human character bursting with emotion, which made a nice change from the usually repressed figures found in these period dramas. The repression is presented in the form of his stutter and was thoroughly convincing and effectively frustrating to watch. The microphone echoing every tick and stammer, almost painfully at times as we see the embarrassment and disappointment on the faces of the assembled crowd, effectively hammers home the obstacle he faces. I especially enjoyed the more subtle story of Rush’s character. His longing to play the role of a King on stage lived out through Firth, yet the ‘audience’ gathered outside the palace remain beyond him as he cranes his neck to see their adulation.
With an interesting use of wallpaper and the clever application of fog it was visually appealing without getting in the way of the character performances. Funny and often emotional I must say me and the grannies really enjoyed this one. 4/5
The Box - Love Film PS3
"A small wooden box arrives on the doorstep of a married couple, who know that opening it will grant them a million dollars and kill someone they don't know".
After finally getting around to setting up a Love Film trial on my PS3 (usually reserved for Blu Ray viewing) I decided to test it out with a film that I wouldn't otherwise have watched unless caught on the telly - that being the beauty of this offer. I can see me dabbling in curiosity films reserving a Blu Ray purchase for the big hitters, due to the relatively inferior picture quality the streaming service seems to offer. Well, that's the excuses out of the way.
The first act is brilliant. Managing to capture not only an authentic 1970s look but more importantly the feel of a spooky Twilight Zone episode. Had the film merely covered the events of the above synopsis it would probably be the jewel of a compilation of shorts in some modern day Twilight Zone movie. Diaz and Marsden are fine, but Frank Langella along with some very effective facial damage steals the show.
Sadly, however, this is a feature length film and once it drives off the road and out into the darkness things go from weird to straight up confusing. I obviously wont go into the details of the plot to avoid spoilers, but there were a few moments where I was left wondering why certain events had happened and feeling stupid for not being able to make much sense of it all. I liked some of the ideas that were being tossed around just wasn't so keen on the execution.
Despite my disappointment with the final act, its refreshing to think of this film in contrast to the likes of Independents Day and the upcoming Battle: Los Angeles. For me the threat is so much more interesting and real when its directed so personally and you play such a large role in your own downfall. After the first half hour or so I really wanted to love this, just wish the film had let me. 2/5
The Fighter - CINEMA
A look at the early years of boxer "Irish" Micky Ward and his brother who helped train him before going pro in the mid 1980s
Its worth getting Bale's performance out of the way first, its a great piece of acting crying out for attention. By all accounts the real life Dicky was also a larger than life character so this wouldn't ordinarily be a problem. However, the film is also populated with colourful locals, in a similar way to Gone Baby Gone, to try and bring a smack of authenticity. Either that or they've been very skilled at hiring character actors to play the extended friends and family roles. After all its meant to convey a documentary feel, in a similar way to The Wrestler. And I'd say that these elements do work, though not as convincingly as in either of those films. Melissa Leo puts in a wonderful turn as the controlling mother and Amy Adams holds her own as the controlling girlfriend, fearless in the face of Micky‘s many sisters.
Then you have Mark Wahlberg, who I loved in Boogie Nights and The Happening, but never manages to transcend his A List celebrity persona. He just breaks the illusion for me, which is a shame as he's not bad in this at all and physically spot on for the part.
The story isn’t so much about boxing as a family with some serious issues, the pressures they put upon each other and ultimately tells a sweet tale of self realisation and redemption between the occasional physical and emotionally brutal beatings in and out of the ring. An average piece of drama elevated by some wonderful performances and subtle changes in the balance of influence between them. Dicky acknowledging the pressure he’s always felt at being his younger brother’s hero is poignant, tragic and wonderfully executed by Bale. 3/5
The Town - BluRayz
I thought Ben Affleck's directorial debut Gone Baby Gone was superb, only let down by an unnecessary and patronising sequence recapping the plot. His brother Casey's performance surprised me and the neighbourhood in which it was set cleverly realised. It mixed a pulpy detective story with moments of realism, a tricky balance to pull off for any director. So I'd been rather keen to see if Ben's return to his hometown of Boston would manage to recapture this magic.
The cast was the first hurdle, as me and the wife went through the "oh that's him out of Mad Men, and that's the guy from Lost, look its the dad from Alias...must be a friend of Jennifer's..." I have nothing against TV actors making the transition to film, but this put a certain amount of pressure on Ben to elevate it above a TV movie with his direction, which he achieves. Its workman like, but lacked any flair or originality. That pretty much sums up how I feel about the whole thing. There was nothing new here at all except for Ben Affleck's hangdog drawl which at times bordered on gurning, a counterpoint to Rebecca Hall's horsy gum grinning.
One of the problems is the story starts with the main character's mind already made up that he wants to leave his friends and family behind and skip town for some unknown life elsewhere. I never got to see a bond between the other characters, so him leaving didn't really matter and it all had the pong of Ben trying to show something about his past, as if by making The Town he would be free from the mistakes he'd made over the years...presumably the drugs, gambling and women, not bank robbery. Hall plays a great listener, but I didn't find out much about her either and the infamous Charlestown and its inhabitant are never properly explored. And I was watching the extended edition!
Ultimately it felt hollow, soulless and thoroughly unsatisfying. Pete Postlethwaite has a truly stunning moment of acting and revelatory plot delivery that feels like he's wandered in from some other, far better film, yet sadly its meet with slack jawed Ben's emotionless gaze...as if instead of internalising the horrors of his family's past and realisation of the seemingly inescapable trap he's always been snared in, he is in fact preoccupied with how he's going to set up the next shot. 2/5
Primer - LoveFilm
Had a second viewing of Triangle on Saturday as the wife missed it first time around and I knew she would love it - which she did and it was just as entertaining on the re-watch for me, even more so enjoying her reactions to it all. When I'd previously recommended it to people they had mentioned Primer so we decided to Love Film it last night and see what all the fuss was about.
Considering it looked and felt like it was made for a fiver, it managed to hold my attention through the science part at the start, no mean feat after the bottle of wine I'd drank earlier. The time travel concept was explained at great length, they were clearly very proud of their idea and wanted to spend as much time setting up how the looping and 'copying' worked and how cleaver it all was. The wife was starting to get annoyed by how 'talky' it all was. I reassured her that I'd seen the trailer and it had suggested that they use the box for something incredible!
Then lots of confusing stuff happened as the two main characters started going behind each others backs and their lives spiralled into a completely unfathomable mess and as a result so did the film. Which I think is meant to be the point of it all, that once you start messing with the time line, and yourself, to try and change things, reality becomes more incomprehensible and further out of your control. Or I'm just a dumb dumb.
The two main characters were men of science, but should that automatically mean they are devoid of any emotion? Dramatic scenes, like the party, are shown, but not really felt. It was all so cold and calculated. But then I guess the argument there is that they've replayed events so many times that they're no longer emotionally engaging with the reality that they're seeking to change? How did the guys girlfriend's dad start time travelling and why? Did one of them take a box into a box? What's with the need to build another box that's can allow groups of people to travel? Their motives, what they actually ended up using this new technology for, seemed rather bizarre.
It left me with the sense that there was a genius film in there somewhere and the story had just about managed to be told, yet in an unsatisfactory way. An admirable achievement none the less, I do like a head scratcher and its not often I'm struggling to decided if I liked a film after watching it or not. The wife absolutely hated it. 2/5 which I expect will be a 3/5 after a second viewing or a few days to wrap my head around it.
Never Let Me Go - CINEMA
After watched the trailer I must confess to having been a little intrigued by the potential sci-fi element of the story, but its probably fair to say I was dragged along to see this one by the wife. Bad child acting aside, it starts off rather well. The mystery of the 1970s school with its imprisoned pupils doesn't overplay the feeling that something ain't right here and mercifully for those who have also watched the trailer (if not for the kids) the 'twist' is revealed very early on.
So on we go, down a country lane where every single event from that point on is so clearly signposted your brain can happily take its hands off the wheel and rummage around in the glove box. Unfortunately the wife had started crying about 10 minutes before this point, the unrequited love and teenage angst really worked for her. Keira Knightley, Carey Mulligan and Andrew Garfield all do a fine job with what they have to work with and its very nicely shot. The relationships are beautifully handled and the film's retro aesthetic effectively transported me back to more innocent periods of myself that could have been sitting along side me in the empty seats. Yet, seeing every moment coming from a mile off continued to ruin the experience. The film poses the question of how different are the lives of these people from those they are donating to, aren't we all conditioned from an early age, controlled, made to work and certain to one day die? It certainly didn't need to be addressed so blatantly in the films closing piece of narration.
While the majority of the film hits you over the head, there are some rather nice moments that tickled me after the lights had come on. The school headmistress was one of the only real surprises, a switch that's important to the viewer, who by this point is craving more information about the world outside the little bubble we're confined to, while this knowledge remains insignificant to her fated guests. Ultimately very unsatisfying, lacking subtly and originality, a rather bland story adequately told. 2/5
Salt - DVD
I won a copy of this (along with the BFI Gojira DVD) after cheating my way through a work pub quiz. I couldn't recall particularly liking Angelina Jolie in any previous films, but had heard this one wasn't a total dud. So with an open mind I selected 'Directors Cut' from the menu screen, who knows, the theatrical version may have been butchered by the studio and now the true genius of Salt could finally be experienced...and maybe there would be some boobs!
Sadly there were no boobs...and also, even by action movie standards, there was a surprising lack of dialogue too. Something I was thankful for after trying to understand what the heck the Russian defector was crowing on about at the start. Salt is one moody, brooding, uber-spy - trained her whole life in the art of the poker face and serious business, she may let a solitary tear well up in her eye as she sacrifices her world for her cause, but she can suck it back in before it betrays here. Her character is kept mysterious by not giving her any lines of any real note, a bit of a blank slate, which puts a lot of pressure on the visual story telling and fight/chase scenes to do all the leg work. I really enjoyed the flashbacks, though they felt like glimpses into a more enjoyable and imaginative film. The action not so much, aside from the rare balls out scenes (such as Salt victoriously choking her enemy to death by hanging from The White House balcony) the gun play was weak and the hand-to-hand felt rather unconvincing.
Still, some nice twists and turns, decent pace and cheeky story left me feeling that now Salt had been set in motion I actually wanted more. With some added weight to the punches, less stone faced self importance and more of the fun comic humour suggested in the origin story flashbacks a sequel could be good. 2/5
[Rec]2 - Blu-Ray
I'm not a huge horror fan and have had my fill of Zombie movies, but [REC] was such fun, while managing to pull off a very creepy ending, I had to go back for the sequel. Initially its all very Aliens, SWAT are sent into the apartment block equipped with helmet-mounted cameras to continue the POV aesthetic, the team venture up into the ceiling and down some ducts, odd people stand at the end of backlit corridors and then get all bitey. So far so good.
Then there is a twist that switches the film's theme from science to religion and everything goes a bit silly. Now, I know they brought this stuff in at the end of the first film, but I just kind of thought that the guy up in the penthouse was a nutcase who had kept the girl up there sort of off his own back. But I found it hard to believe that this was actually some Vatican approved research project, surely an underground concrete bunker would have been a much wiser venue than an inner-city apartment block? The first of many questions that I had to push out of my mind and just go with it - its a horror movie after all.
Worryingly, I started to feel like I was watching a videogame. SWAT are sent on a fetch quest to collect a blood sample...not the most interesting turn of events and I got a bit bored. Then a new camera carrying group of kids are introduced and the events up to this point are played through again, but from a different perspective. Sadly nothing interesting had happened the first time around, save for a call back to the original film, a missed opportunity to do something a bit clever with some dramatic irony and some revelatory moments. Even simply switching these two sections around would have made events more interesting.
However this was all fluff, just some action filler leading up to the main event. The creepiness from the first one returns, despite some rather shoe horned in plot conceit requiring everybody to wander around in the dark, and thankfully the monster I'd come to see did not let me down!
The final scene was, to be fair, a load of old rubbish, but [REC]2 on the whole did manage to 'revisit the horror' which was exactly what I wanted it to do. Its just a shame it felt the need to also revisit [REC]2, during [REC]2, too. 3/5
The Secret of Kells - Blu-Ray
The story isn’t particularly strong and at times seems to stall, but that’s of little consequence when the animation is this beautiful. I ‘Love Filmed’ the Blu-Ray and its one of the most visually nutritious experiences I’ve had. Incredibly detailed, wonderfully vibrant - the slow pace may hurt the storytelling, but allows the eye to drown in all that stunning artwork which ultimately is the story. A very gentle breath of fresh air. 4/5
SCRE4M - Cinema
Most of this was pretty lame, none of the 'new generation' had much character and the 'clever' parts, where they follow horror movie rules and get all post modern, weren't very convincing. The last 15 minutes was enjoyable though and contain a killer line of dialogue that I couldn't help think was the reason they made this film in the first place. If the rest had been up to this level then it would in all honesty still been a pretty average film. 2/5
The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo - Blu-Ray
I somehow managed to avoid knowing anything about this film other than it's based on a trilogy of books and the writer snuffed it soon after finishing them. The TV Drama feel and subtle tone put me completely of guard, when the shit hit the fan it was pretty effective and kept me riveted through out. A really enjoyable Sunday evening murder mystery like what TV should be doing but can't. 4/5
Just saw Terry Gilliam in the street - Total legend!!!! He's putting on an opera in London at the moment and looked very busy so I didn't approach him. This is probably how it would be if I saw any of Pearl Jam...nah!
I'm getting excited for the summer movie season. I love sci-fi and horror, and it looks like there are a few coming down the pipeline. I'm loooking forward to Apollo 18 and Super-8. Kicked off the season with Battle LA (a good popcorn flick), and Insidious, which had a few good scares.
deep, deep blue of the morning
gets to me every time
Saw Source Code last night, I highly recommend it, it was a cool concept and idea.
Seeing a midnight show for Scream 4 tonight
Scream 4 was great. Better than the 3rd one and might be better than the 2nd (haven't seen that one i a long time). Definitely worth seeing if you are a fan of the franchise. Some parts I didn't care for, but don't want to spoil anything.
8/28/98- Camden, NJ
10/31/09- Philly
5/21/10- NYC
9/2/12- Philly, PA
7/19/13- Wrigley
10/19/13- Brooklyn, NY
10/21/13- Philly, PA
10/22/13- Philly, PA
10/27/13- Baltimore, MD
Tres Mts.- 3/23/11- Philly
Eddie Vedder- 6/25/11- Philly
saw Water For Elephants last night (just finished reading the book the day before). I didn't really have high expectations going into it. It was ok, but the book was waaaay better. Left out some stuff which i can understand but I felt they could have put them in there. Pattinson and Reese were ok as the main characters. Really dug Christoph Waltz as August though.
8/28/98- Camden, NJ
10/31/09- Philly
5/21/10- NYC
9/2/12- Philly, PA
7/19/13- Wrigley
10/19/13- Brooklyn, NY
10/21/13- Philly, PA
10/22/13- Philly, PA
10/27/13- Baltimore, MD
Tres Mts.- 3/23/11- Philly
Eddie Vedder- 6/25/11- Philly
Anyone see "21 Grams"? I saw about over an hour last night, fell sleep, and woke up at the end.
Shows: 6.27.08 Hartford, CT/5.15.10 Hartford, CT/6.18.2011 Hartford, CT (EV Solo)/10.19.13 Brooklyn/10.25.13 Hartford
"Becoming a Bruce fan is like hitting puberty as a musical fan. It's inevitable." - dcfaithful
Watched Machette. I was kind of disappointed. I was hoping the film was going to be more stylized like Black Dynamite, but it was just shot in a modern way with some quick edits and film grain superimposed to give certain scenes an old feel. I think the original trailer for it was kind of better than the actual movie.
Still it had some funny scenes though. I got a huge laugh when one of the henchmen described the Federales as being like the DEA, CIA, and FBI all rolled into one. Hilarious. On many levels.
"A lot more people are capable of being big out there that just don't give themselves a chance." -Stone Gossard
Watched Machette. I was kind of disappointed. I was hoping the film was going to be more stylized like Black Dynamite, but it was just shot in a modern way with some quick edits and film grain superimposed to give certain scenes an old feel. I think the original trailer for it was kind of better than the actual movie.
Still it had some funny scenes though. I got a huge laugh when one of the henchmen described the Federales as being like the DEA, CIA, and FBI all rolled into one. Hilarious. On many levels.
I actually watched this on Saturday and I loved it. Of course I love horror films and gore/special effects. Bloody violence throughout was great, and awesome cast. I will say that this is not for everyone though!
My mate told me about this, and I thought "no fucking way" but I dare anyone to watch the trailer and not want to immediately want to fucking watch this movie. Two words, fucking epic.
Watched Black Swan with the wif-e last night and I'll give it a thumbs up. If I can sum the movie up (spoiler alert) I would say that it's like fight club except with girls. But I thought is was very well done and Portman deserved the award.
My mate told me about this, and I thought "no fucking way" but I dare anyone to watch the trailer and not want to immediately want to fucking watch this movie. Two words, fucking epic.
Anyone see "21 Grams"? I saw about over an hour last night, fell sleep, and woke up at the end.
i think i saw that int he theater when it came out. Is that the one with Benecio Del Toro in it? I havem't seen it since. I thought it was ok, but I don't remember it too well.
Need to see Rubber and Hobo With a Shotgun.
8/28/98- Camden, NJ
10/31/09- Philly
5/21/10- NYC
9/2/12- Philly, PA
7/19/13- Wrigley
10/19/13- Brooklyn, NY
10/21/13- Philly, PA
10/22/13- Philly, PA
10/27/13- Baltimore, MD
Tres Mts.- 3/23/11- Philly
Eddie Vedder- 6/25/11- Philly
Anyone see "21 Grams"? I saw about over an hour last night, fell sleep, and woke up at the end.
i think i saw that int he theater when it came out. Is that the one with Benecio Del Toro in it? I havem't seen it since. I thought it was ok, but I don't remember it too well.
Need to see Rubber and Hobo With a Shotgun.
21 Grams is incredibly depressing but it's an excellent film.
Am I the only one who thinks its badass that Directv is showing all the best films from Tribeca on Pay per view this year?
i may be the only person that moved sucker punch. i was moved to chills and near tears by it. just the whole theme of it, that the answers are all inside you, just sort of sums up the last oh half decade of my life. Such a powerful film, at least for me,
Anyone see "21 Grams"? I saw about over an hour last night, fell sleep, and woke up at the end.
i think i saw that int he theater when it came out. Is that the one with Benecio Del Toro in it? I havem't seen it since. I thought it was ok, but I don't remember it too well.
Need to see Rubber and Hobo With a Shotgun.
21 Grams is incredibly depressing but it's an excellent film.
Am I the only one who thinks its badass that Directv is showing all the best films from Tribeca on Pay per view this year?
Is "The Union" on there?
Shows: 6.27.08 Hartford, CT/5.15.10 Hartford, CT/6.18.2011 Hartford, CT (EV Solo)/10.19.13 Brooklyn/10.25.13 Hartford
"Becoming a Bruce fan is like hitting puberty as a musical fan. It's inevitable." - dcfaithful
Shows: 6.27.08 Hartford, CT/5.15.10 Hartford, CT/6.18.2011 Hartford, CT (EV Solo)/10.19.13 Brooklyn/10.25.13 Hartford
"Becoming a Bruce fan is like hitting puberty as a musical fan. It's inevitable." - dcfaithful
I forgot about that. I always remembered the line before or after that's like, "Who? Who? What are you...a fucking owl?"
Shows: 6.27.08 Hartford, CT/5.15.10 Hartford, CT/6.18.2011 Hartford, CT (EV Solo)/10.19.13 Brooklyn/10.25.13 Hartford
"Becoming a Bruce fan is like hitting puberty as a musical fan. It's inevitable." - dcfaithful
Just saw the promo again. "The Union" was not on there but that doesn't mean they aren't showing it. The damn promo doesn't say when all this starts though.
Comments
YOU DON'T KNOW JACK: WOW...all I can say is that if I am every in their shoes, I hope that I have the option for myself.
I will have to check our Pandorum. I seen RED, FAIR GAME. RED was okay, not much into shoot 'em movies. FAIR GAME was okay, too. Yes, it was kind of long, however it has a valid point on what the government can do to shame a person for their benefit.
glad they went for Zod as the villain in the next superman. with nolan producing, gotta think it will be better than the last one.
anything would be better than the last. biggest movie dissapointment in some time.
Wrong Superman fellas...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=06oeyHx63n0&feature=fvst
it's in good hands with nolan.....i'm just not big on reboots in this fast amount of time.
they're already talking about rebooting batman after dark knight rises comes out next year.
i was being silly.
nice pick up on the sarcasm though :thumbup:
The Kings Speech - CINEMA
The story of King George VI of Britain, his impromptu ascension to the throne and the speech therapist who helped the unsure monarch become worthy of it.
My first trip to the cinema this year and the place was packed with grannies. Not being a royalist myself and lacking the most basic general knowledge regarding the lineage of the monarchy I found their nattering a rather insightful accompaniment to the story. However, at its heart this film is more to do with friendship, one man’s battle with disability and overcoming the trappings of the past. The historical frame work is fitted around these themes wonderfully, with the final speech drawing all the strings together for a triumphant conclusion. Firth and Rush have great chemistry, the royal/subject teacher/pupil relationship quickly broken down to allow a friendship to evolve.
Firth manages to create a deeply human character bursting with emotion, which made a nice change from the usually repressed figures found in these period dramas. The repression is presented in the form of his stutter and was thoroughly convincing and effectively frustrating to watch. The microphone echoing every tick and stammer, almost painfully at times as we see the embarrassment and disappointment on the faces of the assembled crowd, effectively hammers home the obstacle he faces. I especially enjoyed the more subtle story of Rush’s character. His longing to play the role of a King on stage lived out through Firth, yet the ‘audience’ gathered outside the palace remain beyond him as he cranes his neck to see their adulation.
With an interesting use of wallpaper and the clever application of fog it was visually appealing without getting in the way of the character performances. Funny and often emotional I must say me and the grannies really enjoyed this one.
4/5
The Box - Love Film PS3
"A small wooden box arrives on the doorstep of a married couple, who know that opening it will grant them a million dollars and kill someone they don't know".
After finally getting around to setting up a Love Film trial on my PS3 (usually reserved for Blu Ray viewing) I decided to test it out with a film that I wouldn't otherwise have watched unless caught on the telly - that being the beauty of this offer. I can see me dabbling in curiosity films reserving a Blu Ray purchase for the big hitters, due to the relatively inferior picture quality the streaming service seems to offer. Well, that's the excuses out of the way.
The first act is brilliant. Managing to capture not only an authentic 1970s look but more importantly the feel of a spooky Twilight Zone episode. Had the film merely covered the events of the above synopsis it would probably be the jewel of a compilation of shorts in some modern day Twilight Zone movie. Diaz and Marsden are fine, but Frank Langella along with some very effective facial damage steals the show.
Sadly, however, this is a feature length film and once it drives off the road and out into the darkness things go from weird to straight up confusing. I obviously wont go into the details of the plot to avoid spoilers, but there were a few moments where I was left wondering why certain events had happened and feeling stupid for not being able to make much sense of it all. I liked some of the ideas that were being tossed around just wasn't so keen on the execution.
Despite my disappointment with the final act, its refreshing to think of this film in contrast to the likes of Independents Day and the upcoming Battle: Los Angeles. For me the threat is so much more interesting and real when its directed so personally and you play such a large role in your own downfall. After the first half hour or so I really wanted to love this, just wish the film had let me.
2/5
The Fighter - CINEMA
A look at the early years of boxer "Irish" Micky Ward and his brother who helped train him before going pro in the mid 1980s
Its worth getting Bale's performance out of the way first, its a great piece of acting crying out for attention. By all accounts the real life Dicky was also a larger than life character so this wouldn't ordinarily be a problem. However, the film is also populated with colourful locals, in a similar way to Gone Baby Gone, to try and bring a smack of authenticity. Either that or they've been very skilled at hiring character actors to play the extended friends and family roles. After all its meant to convey a documentary feel, in a similar way to The Wrestler. And I'd say that these elements do work, though not as convincingly as in either of those films. Melissa Leo puts in a wonderful turn as the controlling mother and Amy Adams holds her own as the controlling girlfriend, fearless in the face of Micky‘s many sisters.
Then you have Mark Wahlberg, who I loved in Boogie Nights and The Happening, but never manages to transcend his A List celebrity persona. He just breaks the illusion for me, which is a shame as he's not bad in this at all and physically spot on for the part.
The story isn’t so much about boxing as a family with some serious issues, the pressures they put upon each other and ultimately tells a sweet tale of self realisation and redemption between the occasional physical and emotionally brutal beatings in and out of the ring. An average piece of drama elevated by some wonderful performances and subtle changes in the balance of influence between them. Dicky acknowledging the pressure he’s always felt at being his younger brother’s hero is poignant, tragic and wonderfully executed by Bale.
3/5
The Town - BluRayz
I thought Ben Affleck's directorial debut Gone Baby Gone was superb, only let down by an unnecessary and patronising sequence recapping the plot. His brother Casey's performance surprised me and the neighbourhood in which it was set cleverly realised. It mixed a pulpy detective story with moments of realism, a tricky balance to pull off for any director. So I'd been rather keen to see if Ben's return to his hometown of Boston would manage to recapture this magic.
The cast was the first hurdle, as me and the wife went through the "oh that's him out of Mad Men, and that's the guy from Lost, look its the dad from Alias...must be a friend of Jennifer's..." I have nothing against TV actors making the transition to film, but this put a certain amount of pressure on Ben to elevate it above a TV movie with his direction, which he achieves. Its workman like, but lacked any flair or originality. That pretty much sums up how I feel about the whole thing. There was nothing new here at all except for Ben Affleck's hangdog drawl which at times bordered on gurning, a counterpoint to Rebecca Hall's horsy gum grinning.
One of the problems is the story starts with the main character's mind already made up that he wants to leave his friends and family behind and skip town for some unknown life elsewhere. I never got to see a bond between the other characters, so him leaving didn't really matter and it all had the pong of Ben trying to show something about his past, as if by making The Town he would be free from the mistakes he'd made over the years...presumably the drugs, gambling and women, not bank robbery. Hall plays a great listener, but I didn't find out much about her either and the infamous Charlestown and its inhabitant are never properly explored. And I was watching the extended edition!
Ultimately it felt hollow, soulless and thoroughly unsatisfying. Pete Postlethwaite has a truly stunning moment of acting and revelatory plot delivery that feels like he's wandered in from some other, far better film, yet sadly its meet with slack jawed Ben's emotionless gaze...as if instead of internalising the horrors of his family's past and realisation of the seemingly inescapable trap he's always been snared in, he is in fact preoccupied with how he's going to set up the next shot.
2/5
Primer - LoveFilm
Had a second viewing of Triangle on Saturday as the wife missed it first time around and I knew she would love it - which she did and it was just as entertaining on the re-watch for me, even more so enjoying her reactions to it all. When I'd previously recommended it to people they had mentioned Primer so we decided to Love Film it last night and see what all the fuss was about.
Considering it looked and felt like it was made for a fiver, it managed to hold my attention through the science part at the start, no mean feat after the bottle of wine I'd drank earlier. The time travel concept was explained at great length, they were clearly very proud of their idea and wanted to spend as much time setting up how the looping and 'copying' worked and how cleaver it all was. The wife was starting to get annoyed by how 'talky' it all was. I reassured her that I'd seen the trailer and it had suggested that they use the box for something incredible!
Then lots of confusing stuff happened as the two main characters started going behind each others backs and their lives spiralled into a completely unfathomable mess and as a result so did the film. Which I think is meant to be the point of it all, that once you start messing with the time line, and yourself, to try and change things, reality becomes more incomprehensible and further out of your control. Or I'm just a dumb dumb.
The two main characters were men of science, but should that automatically mean they are devoid of any emotion? Dramatic scenes, like the party, are shown, but not really felt. It was all so cold and calculated. But then I guess the argument there is that they've replayed events so many times that they're no longer emotionally engaging with the reality that they're seeking to change? How did the guys girlfriend's dad start time travelling and why? Did one of them take a box into a box? What's with the need to build another box that's can allow groups of people to travel? Their motives, what they actually ended up using this new technology for, seemed rather bizarre.
It left me with the sense that there was a genius film in there somewhere and the story had just about managed to be told, yet in an unsatisfactory way. An admirable achievement none the less, I do like a head scratcher and its not often I'm struggling to decided if I liked a film after watching it or not. The wife absolutely hated it.
2/5 which I expect will be a 3/5 after a second viewing or a few days to wrap my head around it.
Never Let Me Go - CINEMA
After watched the trailer I must confess to having been a little intrigued by the potential sci-fi element of the story, but its probably fair to say I was dragged along to see this one by the wife. Bad child acting aside, it starts off rather well. The mystery of the 1970s school with its imprisoned pupils doesn't overplay the feeling that something ain't right here and mercifully for those who have also watched the trailer (if not for the kids) the 'twist' is revealed very early on.
So on we go, down a country lane where every single event from that point on is so clearly signposted your brain can happily take its hands off the wheel and rummage around in the glove box. Unfortunately the wife had started crying about 10 minutes before this point, the unrequited love and teenage angst really worked for her. Keira Knightley, Carey Mulligan and Andrew Garfield all do a fine job with what they have to work with and its very nicely shot. The relationships are beautifully handled and the film's retro aesthetic effectively transported me back to more innocent periods of myself that could have been sitting along side me in the empty seats. Yet, seeing every moment coming from a mile off continued to ruin the experience. The film poses the question of how different are the lives of these people from those they are donating to, aren't we all conditioned from an early age, controlled, made to work and certain to one day die? It certainly didn't need to be addressed so blatantly in the films closing piece of narration.
While the majority of the film hits you over the head, there are some rather nice moments that tickled me after the lights had come on. The school headmistress was one of the only real surprises, a switch that's important to the viewer, who by this point is craving more information about the world outside the little bubble we're confined to, while this knowledge remains insignificant to her fated guests. Ultimately very unsatisfying, lacking subtly and originality, a rather bland story adequately told.
2/5
Salt - DVD
I won a copy of this (along with the BFI Gojira DVD) after cheating my way through a work pub quiz. I couldn't recall particularly liking Angelina Jolie in any previous films, but had heard this one wasn't a total dud. So with an open mind I selected 'Directors Cut' from the menu screen, who knows, the theatrical version may have been butchered by the studio and now the true genius of Salt could finally be experienced...and maybe there would be some boobs!
Sadly there were no boobs...and also, even by action movie standards, there was a surprising lack of dialogue too. Something I was thankful for after trying to understand what the heck the Russian defector was crowing on about at the start. Salt is one moody, brooding, uber-spy - trained her whole life in the art of the poker face and serious business, she may let a solitary tear well up in her eye as she sacrifices her world for her cause, but she can suck it back in before it betrays here. Her character is kept mysterious by not giving her any lines of any real note, a bit of a blank slate, which puts a lot of pressure on the visual story telling and fight/chase scenes to do all the leg work. I really enjoyed the flashbacks, though they felt like glimpses into a more enjoyable and imaginative film. The action not so much, aside from the rare balls out scenes (such as Salt victoriously choking her enemy to death by hanging from The White House balcony) the gun play was weak and the hand-to-hand felt rather unconvincing.
Still, some nice twists and turns, decent pace and cheeky story left me feeling that now Salt had been set in motion I actually wanted more. With some added weight to the punches, less stone faced self importance and more of the fun comic humour suggested in the origin story flashbacks a sequel could be good.
2/5
[Rec]2 - Blu-Ray
I'm not a huge horror fan and have had my fill of Zombie movies, but [REC] was such fun, while managing to pull off a very creepy ending, I had to go back for the sequel. Initially its all very Aliens, SWAT are sent into the apartment block equipped with helmet-mounted cameras to continue the POV aesthetic, the team venture up into the ceiling and down some ducts, odd people stand at the end of backlit corridors and then get all bitey. So far so good.
Then there is a twist that switches the film's theme from science to religion and everything goes a bit silly. Now, I know they brought this stuff in at the end of the first film, but I just kind of thought that the guy up in the penthouse was a nutcase who had kept the girl up there sort of off his own back. But I found it hard to believe that this was actually some Vatican approved research project, surely an underground concrete bunker would have been a much wiser venue than an inner-city apartment block? The first of many questions that I had to push out of my mind and just go with it - its a horror movie after all.
Worryingly, I started to feel like I was watching a videogame. SWAT are sent on a fetch quest to collect a blood sample...not the most interesting turn of events and I got a bit bored. Then a new camera carrying group of kids are introduced and the events up to this point are played through again, but from a different perspective. Sadly nothing interesting had happened the first time around, save for a call back to the original film, a missed opportunity to do something a bit clever with some dramatic irony and some revelatory moments. Even simply switching these two sections around would have made events more interesting.
However this was all fluff, just some action filler leading up to the main event. The creepiness from the first one returns, despite some rather shoe horned in plot conceit requiring everybody to wander around in the dark, and thankfully the monster I'd come to see did not let me down!
The final scene was, to be fair, a load of old rubbish, but [REC]2 on the whole did manage to 'revisit the horror' which was exactly what I wanted it to do. Its just a shame it felt the need to also revisit [REC]2, during [REC]2, too.
3/5
The Secret of Kells - Blu-Ray
The story isn’t particularly strong and at times seems to stall, but that’s of little consequence when the animation is this beautiful. I ‘Love Filmed’ the Blu-Ray and its one of the most visually nutritious experiences I’ve had. Incredibly detailed, wonderfully vibrant - the slow pace may hurt the storytelling, but allows the eye to drown in all that stunning artwork which ultimately is the story. A very gentle breath of fresh air.
4/5
SCRE4M - Cinema
Most of this was pretty lame, none of the 'new generation' had much character and the 'clever' parts, where they follow horror movie rules and get all post modern, weren't very convincing. The last 15 minutes was enjoyable though and contain a killer line of dialogue that I couldn't help think was the reason they made this film in the first place. If the rest had been up to this level then it would in all honesty still been a pretty average film.
2/5
The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo - Blu-Ray
I somehow managed to avoid knowing anything about this film other than it's based on a trilogy of books and the writer snuffed it soon after finishing them. The TV Drama feel and subtle tone put me completely of guard, when the shit hit the fan it was pretty effective and kept me riveted through out. A really enjoyable Sunday evening murder mystery like what TV should be doing but can't.
4/5
gets to me every time
Scream 4 was great. Better than the 3rd one and might be better than the 2nd (haven't seen that one i a long time). Definitely worth seeing if you are a fan of the franchise. Some parts I didn't care for, but don't want to spoil anything.
8/28/98- Camden, NJ
10/31/09- Philly
5/21/10- NYC
9/2/12- Philly, PA
7/19/13- Wrigley
10/19/13- Brooklyn, NY
10/21/13- Philly, PA
10/22/13- Philly, PA
10/27/13- Baltimore, MD
Tres Mts.- 3/23/11- Philly
Eddie Vedder- 6/25/11- Philly
8/28/98- Camden, NJ
10/31/09- Philly
5/21/10- NYC
9/2/12- Philly, PA
7/19/13- Wrigley
10/19/13- Brooklyn, NY
10/21/13- Philly, PA
10/22/13- Philly, PA
10/27/13- Baltimore, MD
Tres Mts.- 3/23/11- Philly
Eddie Vedder- 6/25/11- Philly
"Becoming a Bruce fan is like hitting puberty as a musical fan. It's inevitable." - dcfaithful
Still it had some funny scenes though. I got a huge laugh when one of the henchmen described the Federales as being like the DEA, CIA, and FBI all rolled into one. Hilarious. On many levels.
My mate told me about this, and I thought "no fucking way" but I dare anyone to watch the trailer and not want to immediately want to fucking watch this movie. Two words, fucking epic.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=joI-uU86NXw
viewtopic.php?f=14&t=147284&p=3483357&hilit=rubber#p3407430
salt - not bad. worth the effort if you need something not to heavy with a little action.
toy story 3. all the reviews here said it was fantastic. i was left feeling a little empty. kind of lame, but decent enough to watch
zombie strippers. i love zombie moveies and naked women, but had to turn this one off halfway thru. it was just that painful to watch.
i think i saw that int he theater when it came out. Is that the one with Benecio Del Toro in it? I havem't seen it since. I thought it was ok, but I don't remember it too well.
Need to see Rubber and Hobo With a Shotgun.
8/28/98- Camden, NJ
10/31/09- Philly
5/21/10- NYC
9/2/12- Philly, PA
7/19/13- Wrigley
10/19/13- Brooklyn, NY
10/21/13- Philly, PA
10/22/13- Philly, PA
10/27/13- Baltimore, MD
Tres Mts.- 3/23/11- Philly
Eddie Vedder- 6/25/11- Philly
21 Grams is incredibly depressing but it's an excellent film.
Am I the only one who thinks its badass that Directv is showing all the best films from Tribeca on Pay per view this year?
81, would you have made it all the way through if it were "Zombie Strippers with Mustaches"?
"Becoming a Bruce fan is like hitting puberty as a musical fan. It's inevitable." - dcfaithful
I'm not sure. I saw a promo for it but it didn't specify when they were going to start airing them. I need to look into it
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3HURJNd0J4U
"Becoming a Bruce fan is like hitting puberty as a musical fan. It's inevitable." - dcfaithful
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s81gWFanDO0&feature=related
"Becoming a Bruce fan is like hitting puberty as a musical fan. It's inevitable." - dcfaithful
Just saw the promo again. "The Union" was not on there but that doesn't mean they aren't showing it. The damn promo doesn't say when all this starts though.