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.
Friday, 13 January 2012
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.
Thursday, 29 December 2011
Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows
We all knew this was coming with a setting up like the end of the last film. Sequels have been popping up more and more recently, they are a sure seller, but this one definitely lived it to it's first instalment.
Guy Richie's signature blue tint is back in force but didn't manage to depress me, the comedy between Robert Downey Jnr. and Jude Law certainly lightens the mood. The angles used for the chase turn a now normal and possibly mundane scene into something new and raw, we move with the punches as the camera swings around. Things that are so often taken for granted in films such as establishing shots, are used perfectly so the only questions the audience is asking are the ones the story has set up.
Stephen Fry as Mycroft Holmes is bloody marvellous, I'm not afraid to say that he is quite simply perfect and the final fight scene is epic.
Check it out on IMDB.
Guy Richie's signature blue tint is back in force but didn't manage to depress me, the comedy between Robert Downey Jnr. and Jude Law certainly lightens the mood. The angles used for the chase turn a now normal and possibly mundane scene into something new and raw, we move with the punches as the camera swings around. Things that are so often taken for granted in films such as establishing shots, are used perfectly so the only questions the audience is asking are the ones the story has set up.
Stephen Fry as Mycroft Holmes is bloody marvellous, I'm not afraid to say that he is quite simply perfect and the final fight scene is epic.
Check it out on IMDB.
Monday, 19 December 2011
My Week with Marilyn
A week of Marilyn Monroe's life shown through the eyes of a young man, where Monroe is played by an actress who is... not Marilyn Monroe, made me skeptical to say the least. So naturally, I had to see it.
The idea of someone trying to emulate someone as iconic as Monroe made me somewhat squeamish, however Michelle Williams wasn't half bad. Everyone will remember Monroe's little dance in The Prince and the Showgirl, William's rendition of the same scene is enchanting. Her voice may not be reminiscent of the late great Monroe but little things, like the way William's moves her mouth, is quite similar. I felt the same skepticism towards Kenneth Branagh playing Sir Laurence Olivier, but towards the end of the film, I was loving every minute he was on screen, including the stirling line; "Acting is all about truth and if you can fake that, you'll have a wonderful career."
Unfortunately, I didn't feel as captivated by Emma Watson's character, Lucy, a character as forgettable as the name. She will always remain Hermione Granger to me. It's a shame that the very same film that made her career is going to be the one holding her back.
As someone that has always been fascinated by Miss Monroe's life, I was excited to see this, if only from a biographical point of view, yet for anyone who doesn't know detailed aspects of her life, some points of the film are just wasted. I seemed to leave the cinema thinking that it was just some guy's claim to fame; I shagged Marilyn Monroe.
Check it out on IMDB.
The idea of someone trying to emulate someone as iconic as Monroe made me somewhat squeamish, however Michelle Williams wasn't half bad. Everyone will remember Monroe's little dance in The Prince and the Showgirl, William's rendition of the same scene is enchanting. Her voice may not be reminiscent of the late great Monroe but little things, like the way William's moves her mouth, is quite similar. I felt the same skepticism towards Kenneth Branagh playing Sir Laurence Olivier, but towards the end of the film, I was loving every minute he was on screen, including the stirling line; "Acting is all about truth and if you can fake that, you'll have a wonderful career."
Unfortunately, I didn't feel as captivated by Emma Watson's character, Lucy, a character as forgettable as the name. She will always remain Hermione Granger to me. It's a shame that the very same film that made her career is going to be the one holding her back.
As someone that has always been fascinated by Miss Monroe's life, I was excited to see this, if only from a biographical point of view, yet for anyone who doesn't know detailed aspects of her life, some points of the film are just wasted. I seemed to leave the cinema thinking that it was just some guy's claim to fame; I shagged Marilyn Monroe.
Check it out on IMDB.
Friday, 9 December 2011
50/50
I've never seen a film about cancer that was so real, that really said what needed to be said instead of cheesing everything up. I admit, it's a difficult matter to discuss without feeling you're treading on people's toes, but 50/50 does it perfectly.
Joseph Gordon-Levitt's character, Adam, is shown to be an upstanding citizen; waiting for the green man to cross the road, recycling, didn't drink, didn't smoke, that's what makes it all the more frustrating for him, and us, when he gets cancer. It not only deals with cancer, but Alzheimer's as well, with some truly heart rendering moments. Look out for the beautiful volcano metaphor and you may guess Adam's (Gordon-Levitt) outcome.
Basically, take your tissues but don't be afraid to laugh, Gordon-Levitt looks more like an alien with his shaved head than he did in 3rd Rock From The Sun. Seth Rogen offers some hilarious moments, including his analysis, "every celebrity beats cancer," and Anjelica Huston is the perfect smothering mother.
Check it out on IMDB.
Joseph Gordon-Levitt's character, Adam, is shown to be an upstanding citizen; waiting for the green man to cross the road, recycling, didn't drink, didn't smoke, that's what makes it all the more frustrating for him, and us, when he gets cancer. It not only deals with cancer, but Alzheimer's as well, with some truly heart rendering moments. Look out for the beautiful volcano metaphor and you may guess Adam's (Gordon-Levitt) outcome.
Basically, take your tissues but don't be afraid to laugh, Gordon-Levitt looks more like an alien with his shaved head than he did in 3rd Rock From The Sun. Seth Rogen offers some hilarious moments, including his analysis, "every celebrity beats cancer," and Anjelica Huston is the perfect smothering mother.
Check it out on IMDB.
Friday, 2 December 2011
Moneyball
To compare America's pastime with something more relevant in Britain would probably frustrate American's the world over, so I won't even attempt it. I thought the topic of the film would be lost on me considering my typically British upbringing, but there is so much more to Moneyball than just the sport of baseball.
Brad Pitt and Jonah Hill bounce off each other so well (I wanted to be sat in-between them chuckling to myself), especially during the introduction of Hill's character Peter, with everything he said seeming to sound like an apology and Pitt's Billy Beane basically telling him to man up. The supporting cast did a superb job of looking dumbfounded when the new strategy of baseball drafting was presented to them, created awkward moments even Woody Allen would be proud of.
The mix of archive footage with the newly filmed, brings an air of nostalgia that's really fitting. Without the back-story of Billy Beane creating the emotional connection we, as an audience, need, there would be no story at all (apart from that of which we could read on Wikipedia), but with this, there is enough narrative to entice even the most British of non-baseball fans.
Check it out on IMDB.
Brad Pitt and Jonah Hill bounce off each other so well (I wanted to be sat in-between them chuckling to myself), especially during the introduction of Hill's character Peter, with everything he said seeming to sound like an apology and Pitt's Billy Beane basically telling him to man up. The supporting cast did a superb job of looking dumbfounded when the new strategy of baseball drafting was presented to them, created awkward moments even Woody Allen would be proud of.
The mix of archive footage with the newly filmed, brings an air of nostalgia that's really fitting. Without the back-story of Billy Beane creating the emotional connection we, as an audience, need, there would be no story at all (apart from that of which we could read on Wikipedia), but with this, there is enough narrative to entice even the most British of non-baseball fans.
Check it out on IMDB.
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