Big Denzel! Oh and Ryan Reynolds, who (whoda thunk it) guards a safe house for the CIA when a criminal (Denzel Washington) comes to visit, turning his life upside down.
So little happens in the first five minutes, but then so much in the first ten. It catches you off guard somewhat. Reynolds' uncertain jitteriness alongside Washington' calm coolness is at times hilarious, yet so fun to watch. Although Washington is considered the experienced criminal, rookie Reynolds puts up a pretty good fight (well he is like twenty years younger, not that you'd know it).
I think the makers of the film hoped by adding a football game half way through that it would turn it into the perfect guy film. Well I can honestly say that, I am a girl and I enjoyed it. Thing I learnt from this film? I never want to be in the CIA.
Check it out on IMDb.
Wednesday 29 February 2012
Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close
The story begins with Oskar Schell (Thomas Horn) talking about his father, anyone that has seen the trailers will know that Oskar's father (Tom Hanks) goes on to die in 9/11. It is the story of how he deals with this loss and his many fears.
We gather early on that this boy is not quite normal, with his tambourine and rolled up corduroy trousers, he's basically a male version of Harriet the Spy. Tom Hanks, however short his part, is lovely in his role and Sandra Bullock (who plays Oskar's mother) is so convincing, I cried. I understand that it's a tricky subject to deal with, but the boy is just so frustrating!
It really is a moving story, Hanks and Bullock are great, but that boy... It should be called Extremely Loud & Incredibly Annoying.
Check it out on IMDb.
We gather early on that this boy is not quite normal, with his tambourine and rolled up corduroy trousers, he's basically a male version of Harriet the Spy. Tom Hanks, however short his part, is lovely in his role and Sandra Bullock (who plays Oskar's mother) is so convincing, I cried. I understand that it's a tricky subject to deal with, but the boy is just so frustrating!
It really is a moving story, Hanks and Bullock are great, but that boy... It should be called Extremely Loud & Incredibly Annoying.
Check it out on IMDb.
The Muppets
Satyrical genius. It introduces the new story very well by having a puppet grow up with a human family and looking into the perfect world of the Muppets, only to see it all collapse. So obviously, he needs to save them in order to be part of their family... Obviously.
The opening songs are insanely cheesy, but knowing Jason Segel's back catalogue of work, it makes it OK. You know he's just taking the piss. This along with the characters taking to the audience makes it the perfect parody. There is some shameful self-promotion from Disney with the likes of a Cars 2 poster in a couple of background shots, but thats OK too (this time it's just because I like Disney).
It's packed with 80s nostalgia, so many cameos (Dave Grohl and Mickey Rooney included) and tonnes of laughs. Get on it, if only to have Mahna-mahnam stuck in your head the rest of the day, maybe even week.
Check it out on IMDb.
The opening songs are insanely cheesy, but knowing Jason Segel's back catalogue of work, it makes it OK. You know he's just taking the piss. This along with the characters taking to the audience makes it the perfect parody. There is some shameful self-promotion from Disney with the likes of a Cars 2 poster in a couple of background shots, but thats OK too (this time it's just because I like Disney).
It's packed with 80s nostalgia, so many cameos (Dave Grohl and Mickey Rooney included) and tonnes of laughs. Get on it, if only to have Mahna-mahnam stuck in your head the rest of the day, maybe even week.
Check it out on IMDb.
Thursday 16 February 2012
The Descendants
After being nominated for three BAFTAs and five Oscars, The Descendants seemed like a must-see. Indeed it is. After Matt King's (George Clooney) wife is involved in a boating accident, he must help his daughters and himself deal with a shocking discovery.
Clooney shows off his versatility, trading his usual dapper style for bad shirts and bad hair. The juxtaposition between the supposed perfect life of a Hawaiian and the difficult circumstances that Matt and his family have to deal with adds to the depth of this moving film. It doesn't really try to be anything though, it manages to be sad without trying, funny without trying. It's effortless and entirely entertaining. It works with so many issues including the seven stages of grief but without the film shouting and saying "Hey! Look at us, we're dealing with these issues!"
It deserves the nominations but admittedly it deserved some awards at the BAFTAs too.
Check it out on IMDb.
Clooney shows off his versatility, trading his usual dapper style for bad shirts and bad hair. The juxtaposition between the supposed perfect life of a Hawaiian and the difficult circumstances that Matt and his family have to deal with adds to the depth of this moving film. It doesn't really try to be anything though, it manages to be sad without trying, funny without trying. It's effortless and entirely entertaining. It works with so many issues including the seven stages of grief but without the film shouting and saying "Hey! Look at us, we're dealing with these issues!"
It deserves the nominations but admittedly it deserved some awards at the BAFTAs too.
Check it out on IMDb.
The Grey
Liam Neeson has been known to fight Nazis, the Sith, Batman, kidnappers and the White Witch, naturally, there was only one thing left to fight. Wolves, obviously. After the plane Ottway (Neeson) and his crew are travelling on crashes to the ground, the survivors must outrun wolves on there escape to civilisation. Exciting stuff you may think (MAY, think).
Certain elements of the film seem to have been given some thought; the way the survivor's hair blows in the bracing wind creates an air of oncoming terror and there are undertones of religion. However, when the characters try and get sentimental, it just seems so fake. It is after all a manly man's film, let's just leave it at that. It is a lot scarier than I had anticipated, but it was the anticipation that scared me, when the wolves finally rear their ugly heads, they were just as fake as the sentiment. A couple of red LEDs in the dark along with gruff panting, does not a convincing wolf make.
Liam Neeson has become some sort of hero in a lot of boys eyes, but alas, he is no superhero. He is no longer a Jedi, so shouldn't be able to defy gravity like one. It's a shame that instead of pitying the survivors of the crash, all I could think about while watching the film was "wow, these wolves are organised".
Check it out on IMDb.
Certain elements of the film seem to have been given some thought; the way the survivor's hair blows in the bracing wind creates an air of oncoming terror and there are undertones of religion. However, when the characters try and get sentimental, it just seems so fake. It is after all a manly man's film, let's just leave it at that. It is a lot scarier than I had anticipated, but it was the anticipation that scared me, when the wolves finally rear their ugly heads, they were just as fake as the sentiment. A couple of red LEDs in the dark along with gruff panting, does not a convincing wolf make.
Liam Neeson has become some sort of hero in a lot of boys eyes, but alas, he is no superhero. He is no longer a Jedi, so shouldn't be able to defy gravity like one. It's a shame that instead of pitying the survivors of the crash, all I could think about while watching the film was "wow, these wolves are organised".
Check it out on IMDb.
Wednesday 1 February 2012
Haywire
After Mallory's (Gina Carano) team turn against her, she is forced to go rogue and fight anyone who crosses her, even Channing Tatum. The fight with Mr. Tatum is immense; after lurching for her across a diner, he slams her head into the counter. Who said chivalry is dead?
Gina Carano comes across very stiff, she is playing a Black Ops soldier but it looks like she took inspiration from the lifeless soldiers of Call of Duty. The fight scenes are impressive at first but then seem unconvincing and overly rehearsed, maybe they were learning dance sequences from Channing in-between takes. The soundtrack is very Ocean's Eleven-esque, and after looking at who composed the music for Haywire, I can understand why: same guy.
There is one good thing I could say about Haywire; the locations all look very authentic. Yeh, that's it. So many great actors went into creating this film: Ewan McGregor, Michael Douglas, Antonio Banderas, Michael Fassbender, yet what was produced was some cheesy special agent flick with war paint and catch phrases. Too many cooks have obviously spoilt this broth.
Check it out on IMdB.
Gina Carano comes across very stiff, she is playing a Black Ops soldier but it looks like she took inspiration from the lifeless soldiers of Call of Duty. The fight scenes are impressive at first but then seem unconvincing and overly rehearsed, maybe they were learning dance sequences from Channing in-between takes. The soundtrack is very Ocean's Eleven-esque, and after looking at who composed the music for Haywire, I can understand why: same guy.
There is one good thing I could say about Haywire; the locations all look very authentic. Yeh, that's it. So many great actors went into creating this film: Ewan McGregor, Michael Douglas, Antonio Banderas, Michael Fassbender, yet what was produced was some cheesy special agent flick with war paint and catch phrases. Too many cooks have obviously spoilt this broth.
Check it out on IMdB.
Saturday 21 January 2012
Goon
Seann William Scott often fits into a certain type, to put it bluntly, silly films. After following his favourite hockey player, Doug (Scott) goes from bouncer at a pub to pro hockey player, seems to fit the bill.
I didn't think much of the film or the story in the first say, twenty minutes. It just seemed to be in competition with the likes of Superbad and dare I say, American Pie. With Doug's best friend Ryan (Jay Baruchel) making obscene jokes every 5 seconds, I couldn't help but role my eyes. When the story moves away from him, is when the film really starts to pick up. We get to see what Scott's character is really like, which is a polite, cute, neanderthal with really hard fists.
Liev Schreiber's character is rather terrifying, creating a great juxtaposition between him and the dimwitted Doug. The camera angles used on the ice show how scary it can be and bring the audience into the match. Now that I know it's based on a true story, I only want to meet the real Doug and give him a hug.
Check it out on IMDb.
I didn't think much of the film or the story in the first say, twenty minutes. It just seemed to be in competition with the likes of Superbad and dare I say, American Pie. With Doug's best friend Ryan (Jay Baruchel) making obscene jokes every 5 seconds, I couldn't help but role my eyes. When the story moves away from him, is when the film really starts to pick up. We get to see what Scott's character is really like, which is a polite, cute, neanderthal with really hard fists.
Liev Schreiber's character is rather terrifying, creating a great juxtaposition between him and the dimwitted Doug. The camera angles used on the ice show how scary it can be and bring the audience into the match. Now that I know it's based on a true story, I only want to meet the real Doug and give him a hug.
Check it out on IMDb.
Friday 13 January 2012
The Artist
Oh my! I'm going to ruin the ending to my own review by saying I absolutely loved this film! No suspense or skirting around the issue, it's absolutely fantastic.
From the offset, I was transported into a time I wish I'd lived. The theatre was so busy, I had to sit at the back where I could here the projector, which only added to the ambience. The irony of a silent film documenting the coming of sound is perfect. Sound in film is all we know of today, lest we forget, it ruined a lot of people's careers (Norma Desmond, even though she's a character, is a prime example). Single scenes show the transition of two peoples entire emotions and it's done beautifully, not rushed, just beautiful.
I really have nothing bad to say about this film, I'm giddy just writing about. Not having sound (or even the way they use it in doses) helps you to appreciate the subtleties. Jean Dujardin and Bérénice Bejo are sublime, I even loved the dog. If only films like this could come along more often than a blue moon.
Check it out on IMDB.
From the offset, I was transported into a time I wish I'd lived. The theatre was so busy, I had to sit at the back where I could here the projector, which only added to the ambience. The irony of a silent film documenting the coming of sound is perfect. Sound in film is all we know of today, lest we forget, it ruined a lot of people's careers (Norma Desmond, even though she's a character, is a prime example). Single scenes show the transition of two peoples entire emotions and it's done beautifully, not rushed, just beautiful.
I really have nothing bad to say about this film, I'm giddy just writing about. Not having sound (or even the way they use it in doses) helps you to appreciate the subtleties. Jean Dujardin and Bérénice Bejo are sublime, I even loved the dog. If only films like this could come along more often than a blue moon.
Check it out on IMDB.
Mission: Impossible - Ghost Protocol
I had a bad feeling from the beginning of this film, that our very own Simon Pegg was going to be the best thing about it (he is hilarious), but it wasn't too bad considering it was the fourth in the series of Mission: Impossible films and generally, I feel that sequels deteriorate the further they get away from the original flick (apart from Toy Story 3).
Expect what you got from the other Mission: Impossible films; new gadgets to awe at, maybe a bit of girl on girl (fighting mind you). Just a heads up, the end sequence is ridiculous, fantasy gadgets is one thing, defying death is another. If you want to leave the cinema mildly satisfied, leave before the end.
I've said before that I like a film that teaches me something. What did this film teach me? It taught me that everyone needs Apple products and BMWs.
Check it out on IMDB.
Expect what you got from the other Mission: Impossible films; new gadgets to awe at, maybe a bit of girl on girl (fighting mind you). Just a heads up, the end sequence is ridiculous, fantasy gadgets is one thing, defying death is another. If you want to leave the cinema mildly satisfied, leave before the end.
I've said before that I like a film that teaches me something. What did this film teach me? It taught me that everyone needs Apple products and BMWs.
Check it out on IMDB.
The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo
I have to say, and I am ashamed for doing so, but I haven't seen the original trilogy or even read the books. I know, slap on the wrists, if not a slap on the face. Yet after seeing this film, I've been looking at buying the box-set of the Swedish version, I'm hooked.
The title sequence seemed to me like a more disturbing Bond, especially with Daniel Craig appearing. I suppose the fact that they were a tad disturbing, should have set me up for a couple of hours of me shying away from the screen, to be honest, I'm not sure I've got the stomach for it. The acting from both Craig and Rooney Mara along with the impeccable story line made me stay.
Apart from the few unsettling moments, it is very frank and candid, creating a funny repartee between Craig and Mara. There's so many questions and so much going on but I never once found myself bewildered by any of it, that's good storytelling.
Check it out on IMDB.
The title sequence seemed to me like a more disturbing Bond, especially with Daniel Craig appearing. I suppose the fact that they were a tad disturbing, should have set me up for a couple of hours of me shying away from the screen, to be honest, I'm not sure I've got the stomach for it. The acting from both Craig and Rooney Mara along with the impeccable story line made me stay.
Apart from the few unsettling moments, it is very frank and candid, creating a funny repartee between Craig and Mara. There's so many questions and so much going on but I never once found myself bewildered by any of it, that's good storytelling.
Check it out on IMDB.
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