With: Faye Dunaway, Diana Scarwid, Steve Forrest, Howard Da Silva, Mara Hobel
Plot: Based on Joan Crawford's daughter's memoir, this scathing profile of the hellish actress follows their difficult mother-daughter relationship
---
Jesus Christ! I read that the filmmakers attempted to make this seem a bit more even handed than the book, so I can't imagine what nightmares go on in that. This is the ultimate lurid voyeurism, undeniably thrilling to watch because it's (allegedly) true but also camp and hysterical which keeps us detached enough to not feel too bad about it all. It's tough to imagine this was ever going for anything other than the status of camp classic, but the sad story behind it manages to be compelling enough to keep its histrionics going off the rails, and although it doesn't do too much exploration, the demented psychological figure of Joan Crawford is laid bare for us to poke and analyse. Dunaway chews the scenery until there's nothing left, which is probably appropriate for this kind of thing, and Scarwid and Hobel as the daughter at different ages both simmer quietly with resentment and fear to a marvellously matched effect. Essential viewing for anyone even slightly interested in celebrity.
72
Saturday, 28 November 2009
17 Again (Burr Steers, 2009)
With: Zac Efron, Leslie Mann, Thomas Lennon, Sterling Knight, Michelle Trachtenberg, Matthew Perry
Plot: Loser in life Matthew Perry is transformed into his younger self (Efron) by a magical janitor, so that he can put right the mistakes of his youth, and form a slightly creepy bond with his previously estranged wife and kids, who don't know who he really is.
---
I went in ready to really hate this, due to an intense dislike of High School Musical, and while it's not exactly better than you'd expect, Efron establishes himself as an able comic actor. We've seen this story so many different ways (Big, 13 Going on 30, the Freaky Fridays), that the lack of invention in its mechanics (particularly the magical janitor, perhaps the laziest plot device of the year) becomes more gruelling and noticeable with each new body-swap comedy, so unfortunately this film bears the brunt of all their sins, though it is also one of the sloppiest. Visually, Steers is pretty nippy and the film looks nice and has pretty much flawless pace and timing (if not the content to match), and the romance between Lennon and the school principal as a meeting of successful nerds feels sweet if silly. Otherwise this is just like all those other films but a bit less funny, and crosses an awkward line when Trachtenberg practically sexually assaults Efron, not knowing he's her father. Urgh!
43
Plot: Loser in life Matthew Perry is transformed into his younger self (Efron) by a magical janitor, so that he can put right the mistakes of his youth, and form a slightly creepy bond with his previously estranged wife and kids, who don't know who he really is.
---
I went in ready to really hate this, due to an intense dislike of High School Musical, and while it's not exactly better than you'd expect, Efron establishes himself as an able comic actor. We've seen this story so many different ways (Big, 13 Going on 30, the Freaky Fridays), that the lack of invention in its mechanics (particularly the magical janitor, perhaps the laziest plot device of the year) becomes more gruelling and noticeable with each new body-swap comedy, so unfortunately this film bears the brunt of all their sins, though it is also one of the sloppiest. Visually, Steers is pretty nippy and the film looks nice and has pretty much flawless pace and timing (if not the content to match), and the romance between Lennon and the school principal as a meeting of successful nerds feels sweet if silly. Otherwise this is just like all those other films but a bit less funny, and crosses an awkward line when Trachtenberg practically sexually assaults Efron, not knowing he's her father. Urgh!
43
Dragonball Evolution (James Wong, 2009)
With: Justin Chatwin, Chow Yun-Fat, Emmy Rossum, Jamie Chung, James Marsters
Plot: A young warrior destined for greatness (Chatwin) must track down seven Dragonballs that grant unlimited power before they are found by the evil Piccolo (Marsters)
---
Who was this made for? Surely the only interested party would be fans of the manga (Which I haven't seen) which has obviously been severely bastardised here. The story has transformed into an American High School comedy with occasional saturday morning cartoon bouts of questing and fighting. It's not terribly made exactly, but so weak and half-hearted that you find yourself actively pitying those involved as you watch (Did their friends have to go see it and feign approval?). Obviously the budget doesn't allow for as many effects as the story requires, and the teens are too fresh-faced and plastic to make the fight scenes seem anything other than playing with lifeless dolls. One of those films that fails badly on so many levels that it becomes a semi-interesting emblem for the worst of Hollywood, but the only true joy it brings is imagining all those hardcore manga fans weeping into their Goku dolls.
26
Plot: A young warrior destined for greatness (Chatwin) must track down seven Dragonballs that grant unlimited power before they are found by the evil Piccolo (Marsters)
---
Who was this made for? Surely the only interested party would be fans of the manga (Which I haven't seen) which has obviously been severely bastardised here. The story has transformed into an American High School comedy with occasional saturday morning cartoon bouts of questing and fighting. It's not terribly made exactly, but so weak and half-hearted that you find yourself actively pitying those involved as you watch (Did their friends have to go see it and feign approval?). Obviously the budget doesn't allow for as many effects as the story requires, and the teens are too fresh-faced and plastic to make the fight scenes seem anything other than playing with lifeless dolls. One of those films that fails badly on so many levels that it becomes a semi-interesting emblem for the worst of Hollywood, but the only true joy it brings is imagining all those hardcore manga fans weeping into their Goku dolls.
26
9 (Shane Acker, 2009)
With: Elijah Wood, Jennifer Connelly, Christopher Plummer, John C Reilly, Martin Landau
Plot: In a dystopian future, earth is uninhabited except for an army of vicious machines and nine woven living dolls, who are destined to save the planet.
---
It's looks so damn fantastic that you assume someone with this visual artistry would have slaved away on a story that means something, but in the end it relies on generic themes and truisms (Working together is good, the world is becoming too technological etc) that could come from anywhere. Never mind, as this familiarly plotted animation is nonetheless exciting, quick and strangely memorable, even if it's mostly just down to the style. Design and action are obviously Acker's strong points, and he successfully papers over the plot holes and disappointments with them several times over. Someone just needs to write him a better script.
59
Plot: In a dystopian future, earth is uninhabited except for an army of vicious machines and nine woven living dolls, who are destined to save the planet.
---
It's looks so damn fantastic that you assume someone with this visual artistry would have slaved away on a story that means something, but in the end it relies on generic themes and truisms (Working together is good, the world is becoming too technological etc) that could come from anywhere. Never mind, as this familiarly plotted animation is nonetheless exciting, quick and strangely memorable, even if it's mostly just down to the style. Design and action are obviously Acker's strong points, and he successfully papers over the plot holes and disappointments with them several times over. Someone just needs to write him a better script.
59
Jennifer's Body (Karyn Kusama, 2009)
With: Megan Fox, Amanda Seyfried, Johnny Simmons, Adam Brody
Plot: Sexy high school bitch Jennifer (Fox) is transformed into a man-eating monster after an emo band's satanic sacrifice gone wrong. Her previous best friend, the nerdy Needy (Seyfried) must try and stop her
---
I wasn't expecting much from this after fairly scathing reviews, but what is surprising is that it's such a dud as a horror film, misguidedly spending all its energy on trying to be a snarky high-school satire. The fact that Jennifer was a metaphorical man-eater and is now a real one seems to be the film's one joke, the annoying banter and teen-speak from writer Diablo Cody's Juno crossing over to this film with none of the solid relationships or charming sentiment that made it work there. The dialogue is actually horrifically bad ("Chill out dot org!"), the only character managing to negotiate it with style and confidence is emo band baddie Brody, even JK Simmons is lost! The horror parts lack any tension and, a surprisingly acidic turn from Fox aside, the evil is embarassingly undercooked. It's still somewhat entertaining and has some memorable comic moments (Needy and her boyfriend's sex scene is a sweet highlight), but for an obviously smart writer with an outspoken love for the genre, Cody has written something as flaccid as all the needless remakes we now get.
44
Plot: Sexy high school bitch Jennifer (Fox) is transformed into a man-eating monster after an emo band's satanic sacrifice gone wrong. Her previous best friend, the nerdy Needy (Seyfried) must try and stop her
---
I wasn't expecting much from this after fairly scathing reviews, but what is surprising is that it's such a dud as a horror film, misguidedly spending all its energy on trying to be a snarky high-school satire. The fact that Jennifer was a metaphorical man-eater and is now a real one seems to be the film's one joke, the annoying banter and teen-speak from writer Diablo Cody's Juno crossing over to this film with none of the solid relationships or charming sentiment that made it work there. The dialogue is actually horrifically bad ("Chill out dot org!"), the only character managing to negotiate it with style and confidence is emo band baddie Brody, even JK Simmons is lost! The horror parts lack any tension and, a surprisingly acidic turn from Fox aside, the evil is embarassingly undercooked. It's still somewhat entertaining and has some memorable comic moments (Needy and her boyfriend's sex scene is a sweet highlight), but for an obviously smart writer with an outspoken love for the genre, Cody has written something as flaccid as all the needless remakes we now get.
44
Sunday, 22 November 2009
King of the Hill (Steven Soderbergh, 1993)
With: Jesse Bradford, Jeroen Krabbe, Lisa Eichorn, Karen Allen, Spalding Grey
Plot: Through a series of unfortunate contrivances, a young boy (Bradford) must fend for himself while growing up in the American Midwest during the 1930s Depression.
---
Another one of those slice-of-life films, definitely Soderbergh's most conventional early film, and it manages to be a surprisingly relaxing watch considering the near poverty and adult-dodging that the boy's life consists of. It's a wise move to make even the big dramas feel low key (achieved by the character's slightly implausible stoicism and resoursefulness), because you don't realise your sympathies for him have been slowly piling up until the end. The final indignant reaction to his father's good news is a quietly touching scene, a real coming of age moment in a film that easily could have been overstuffed with them but manages to resist. The period detail is likeable and perhaps slightly cartoony, but not ladelled on too thick.
67
Plot: Through a series of unfortunate contrivances, a young boy (Bradford) must fend for himself while growing up in the American Midwest during the 1930s Depression.
---
Another one of those slice-of-life films, definitely Soderbergh's most conventional early film, and it manages to be a surprisingly relaxing watch considering the near poverty and adult-dodging that the boy's life consists of. It's a wise move to make even the big dramas feel low key (achieved by the character's slightly implausible stoicism and resoursefulness), because you don't realise your sympathies for him have been slowly piling up until the end. The final indignant reaction to his father's good news is a quietly touching scene, a real coming of age moment in a film that easily could have been overstuffed with them but manages to resist. The period detail is likeable and perhaps slightly cartoony, but not ladelled on too thick.
67
Monday, 16 November 2009
100 Feet (Eric Red, 2008)
With: Famke Janssen, Bobby Cannavale, Ed Westwick
Plot: Under house arrest for killing her abusive husband, Janssen finds herself being terrorised by his ghost.
---
A slick thriller (You'd expect no less from Red) which doesn't outstay its welcome and provides a good showcase for Janssen, maybe the best she's had. It doesn't stick in the mind too long after viewing, and some elements jar, such as Westwick's role, which makes little sense compared to the decent character work elsewhere, and is obviously present simply to complicate the plot. Being terrorised by a ghost is very standard fare (and the actual 'horror' scenes don't bring anything new) but it makes the heroine's plight an interesting dilemma, and it's gratifyingly obvious that Red is more interested in this than rustling up a cheap scare.
57
Plot: Under house arrest for killing her abusive husband, Janssen finds herself being terrorised by his ghost.
---
A slick thriller (You'd expect no less from Red) which doesn't outstay its welcome and provides a good showcase for Janssen, maybe the best she's had. It doesn't stick in the mind too long after viewing, and some elements jar, such as Westwick's role, which makes little sense compared to the decent character work elsewhere, and is obviously present simply to complicate the plot. Being terrorised by a ghost is very standard fare (and the actual 'horror' scenes don't bring anything new) but it makes the heroine's plight an interesting dilemma, and it's gratifyingly obvious that Red is more interested in this than rustling up a cheap scare.
57
The Taking of Pelham One Two Three (Joseph Sargent, 1974)
With: Walter Matthau, Robert Shaw, Martin Balsam, Hector Elizondo
Plot: Armed men take a NY subway train hostage. Gruff Transit police chief Matthau must negotiate with lead criminal Shaw.
---
People love this, don't they? I didn't think it was that great aside from a superb score and one or two clever ideas. It's certainly an efficient thriller but the criminals and tediously concieved, with Shaw in particular playing an eccentric psycho with clipped speech that wouldn't seem out of place in a straight to video Seagal film. Matthau, also, performs as a generic, weary and tough-but-nice New York macho man. It has enough twists and turns to keep you interested, and the ending is enjoyably low key (if silly and implausible). One of those films that is enjoyable to watch, but in the memory is simply irritating.
54
Plot: Armed men take a NY subway train hostage. Gruff Transit police chief Matthau must negotiate with lead criminal Shaw.
---
People love this, don't they? I didn't think it was that great aside from a superb score and one or two clever ideas. It's certainly an efficient thriller but the criminals and tediously concieved, with Shaw in particular playing an eccentric psycho with clipped speech that wouldn't seem out of place in a straight to video Seagal film. Matthau, also, performs as a generic, weary and tough-but-nice New York macho man. It has enough twists and turns to keep you interested, and the ending is enjoyably low key (if silly and implausible). One of those films that is enjoyable to watch, but in the memory is simply irritating.
54
A Little Princess (Alfonso Cuaron, 1995)
With: Liesel Matthews, Eleanor Bron, Liam Cunningham
Plot: After the death of her father in the first World War, a young girl is confined to a New York boarding school, where she clashes with the harsh head mistress.
---
Surprisingly evocative for a kiddy film, with themes of death, loss and overcoming hopelessness propping up the story, rather than the girl's happy fantasy interludes. It may be just a little too cute for its own good, as is the lead character, but without indulging in some girly sentiment it would be far too harsh and upsetting for its target audience. As it is, this might be the best film I've seen that's engineered for young girls, with Cuaron keeping magic hiding at the edges rather than soaking everything in it. The tone is just right, walking the line between emotional fable and Dickensian melodrama. I would never have guessed that I'd like this, but I was really caught up in it.
66
Plot: After the death of her father in the first World War, a young girl is confined to a New York boarding school, where she clashes with the harsh head mistress.
---
Surprisingly evocative for a kiddy film, with themes of death, loss and overcoming hopelessness propping up the story, rather than the girl's happy fantasy interludes. It may be just a little too cute for its own good, as is the lead character, but without indulging in some girly sentiment it would be far too harsh and upsetting for its target audience. As it is, this might be the best film I've seen that's engineered for young girls, with Cuaron keeping magic hiding at the edges rather than soaking everything in it. The tone is just right, walking the line between emotional fable and Dickensian melodrama. I would never have guessed that I'd like this, but I was really caught up in it.
66
Tumbleweeds (Gavin O'Connor, 1999)
With: Janet Mcteer, Kimberly J Brown, Jay O Sanders, Gavin O'Connor
Plot: a cheery white trash mother (McTeer) moves from town to town with her daughter to escape failed relationships
---
Covers familiar ground (It's basically Anywhere But Here with more good will for the mother), but rich performances and an obvious familiarity with the scenario make it very enjoyable viewing. The relationships, especially that of mother and daughter, are well developed and realistic, which makes this slightly too typical slice of life feel somehow fresh and intriguing. McTeer carries the whole film on her shoulders, but the supporting cast are uniformly good, and the chemistry she has with Brown is what gives the film its heart.
63
Plot: a cheery white trash mother (McTeer) moves from town to town with her daughter to escape failed relationships
---
Covers familiar ground (It's basically Anywhere But Here with more good will for the mother), but rich performances and an obvious familiarity with the scenario make it very enjoyable viewing. The relationships, especially that of mother and daughter, are well developed and realistic, which makes this slightly too typical slice of life feel somehow fresh and intriguing. McTeer carries the whole film on her shoulders, but the supporting cast are uniformly good, and the chemistry she has with Brown is what gives the film its heart.
63
The Secret of Moonacre (Gabor Csupo, 2008)
With: Dakota Blue Richards, Juliet Stevenson, Ioan Grufford, Natascha McElhone, Tim Curry
Plot: Young Maria (Richards) moves in with her strange uncle (Grufford) after the death of her father, and is embroiled in a centruies-long family feud that will cause the world to end (or something) if it isn't resolved.
---
A boring fantasy without much actual fantasy until near the end. I really can't remember much of it now (got through it in several 15-20 min viewings) apart from cringeworthy humour and better-than-you'd-expect performances. Despite being pretty wooden and indifferent, Richards remains strangely compelling. Not awful, but strictly for the under 10s.
34
Plot: Young Maria (Richards) moves in with her strange uncle (Grufford) after the death of her father, and is embroiled in a centruies-long family feud that will cause the world to end (or something) if it isn't resolved.
---
A boring fantasy without much actual fantasy until near the end. I really can't remember much of it now (got through it in several 15-20 min viewings) apart from cringeworthy humour and better-than-you'd-expect performances. Despite being pretty wooden and indifferent, Richards remains strangely compelling. Not awful, but strictly for the under 10s.
34
Wednesday, 11 November 2009
The Fourth Kind (Olatunde Osunsanmi, 2009)
With: Milla Jovovich, Elias Koteas, Will Patton
Plot: The film purports to tell the true story of Abigail Tyler, whose ordeal with alien abduction in Nome, Alaska is shown in a dramatisation and also with several 'real' archive audio and video footage.
---
A tough one to judge, in many ways poor and derivative, it's also curiously memorable. I have to admit the obviously fake footage had me going for a little while, as the film executes the most elaborate hoax I've ever seen. It has not only the film's actual director in a mock-serious interview with Abigail Tyler (probably overplayed, and the leading cause of figuring out it's all fake), but also Jovovich sashays up to the camera, introduces herself and swears blind that what we're all about to see is true. A lot of this seems to be for marketing reasons (in the same way Blair Witch became legendary by fooling early viewers it was real), and it's a shame it isn't kept that way as there is just too much 'real' archive footage to be interesting or convincing, especially stuff like a man murdering his wife and child as police surround him, which obviously wouldn't have been recorded or allowed in a mass-market film. Aside from this gimmick, played with in 24-style split-screen effects that contrast the fake and real footage, there's little to really admire, apart from the usual alluring B-Movie presence of Jovovich and some nice footage of Alaska. Despite a lack of credibility and originality, it remains compelling in a way, and even had me looking on the internet when I got home to see if there was even a grain of truth in it.
51
Plot: The film purports to tell the true story of Abigail Tyler, whose ordeal with alien abduction in Nome, Alaska is shown in a dramatisation and also with several 'real' archive audio and video footage.
---
A tough one to judge, in many ways poor and derivative, it's also curiously memorable. I have to admit the obviously fake footage had me going for a little while, as the film executes the most elaborate hoax I've ever seen. It has not only the film's actual director in a mock-serious interview with Abigail Tyler (probably overplayed, and the leading cause of figuring out it's all fake), but also Jovovich sashays up to the camera, introduces herself and swears blind that what we're all about to see is true. A lot of this seems to be for marketing reasons (in the same way Blair Witch became legendary by fooling early viewers it was real), and it's a shame it isn't kept that way as there is just too much 'real' archive footage to be interesting or convincing, especially stuff like a man murdering his wife and child as police surround him, which obviously wouldn't have been recorded or allowed in a mass-market film. Aside from this gimmick, played with in 24-style split-screen effects that contrast the fake and real footage, there's little to really admire, apart from the usual alluring B-Movie presence of Jovovich and some nice footage of Alaska. Despite a lack of credibility and originality, it remains compelling in a way, and even had me looking on the internet when I got home to see if there was even a grain of truth in it.
51
The Men Who Stare at Goats (Grant Heslov, 2009)
With: George Clooney, Ewan McGregor, Jeff Bridges, Kevin Spacey
Plot: A down-on-his-luck journalist (McGregor) follows a man (Clooney) who claims to be a goverment psychic soldier, reactivated for a mysterious new mission under the command of hippy squad leader Bill Django (Bridges).
---
I suppose it is a fairly interesting story, however much is true, but as a comedy its a bit of a failure. Heslov adapts the clinicallly humorous slideshow style of directors like Alexander Payne and Jason Reitman, but fills them with nothing worth watching. That's perhaps a bit harsh, as the film is a pleasant enough watch with a perfectly cast (if underused) Bridges and Clooney having fun as we wonder whether his character is insane or a genius. There's an air of self-satisfaction about the whole thing though, as if it thinks it is satirising the story rather than just ploddingly telling it with awkwardly packed flashbacks. By the end the film wants you to believe that a transformative journey ending with a cathartic epiphany has taken place, but it's too muddled and (I suspect) meaningless to know what all the fuss is about. Such an unusual story deserves more than a lightweight road movie.
49
Plot: A down-on-his-luck journalist (McGregor) follows a man (Clooney) who claims to be a goverment psychic soldier, reactivated for a mysterious new mission under the command of hippy squad leader Bill Django (Bridges).
---
I suppose it is a fairly interesting story, however much is true, but as a comedy its a bit of a failure. Heslov adapts the clinicallly humorous slideshow style of directors like Alexander Payne and Jason Reitman, but fills them with nothing worth watching. That's perhaps a bit harsh, as the film is a pleasant enough watch with a perfectly cast (if underused) Bridges and Clooney having fun as we wonder whether his character is insane or a genius. There's an air of self-satisfaction about the whole thing though, as if it thinks it is satirising the story rather than just ploddingly telling it with awkwardly packed flashbacks. By the end the film wants you to believe that a transformative journey ending with a cathartic epiphany has taken place, but it's too muddled and (I suspect) meaningless to know what all the fuss is about. Such an unusual story deserves more than a lightweight road movie.
49
End of Days (Peter Hyams, 1999)
With: Arnold Schwarzenegger, Gabriel Byrne, Robin Tunney, Kevin Pollak, Miriam Margoyles
Plot: The devil returns to earth in human form (Byrne) just in time to impregnate his chosen one (Tunney) in time for the millennium. A tough ex-alcoholic (Arnie) must stop him somehow.
---
A load of nonsense, though at least most of it is structured like a police caper rather than a portentous satanist horror (though there's that as well, and it's very generic). With its chequered past, this is a role Schwarzenegger obviously thinks he can really get his teeth into, but he just comes off as more lethargic and inanimate than usual (he was getting older at this point I suppose). The hilarious depiction of the devil is what really majkes the film (almost) worth watching, being as he is a leering, tit-grabbing womaniser, and Byrne slips into this ridiculous role surprisingly well. Too predictable and too long to be as fun as it should, Arnie completists might still have more fun with it than they expected.
41
Plot: The devil returns to earth in human form (Byrne) just in time to impregnate his chosen one (Tunney) in time for the millennium. A tough ex-alcoholic (Arnie) must stop him somehow.
---
A load of nonsense, though at least most of it is structured like a police caper rather than a portentous satanist horror (though there's that as well, and it's very generic). With its chequered past, this is a role Schwarzenegger obviously thinks he can really get his teeth into, but he just comes off as more lethargic and inanimate than usual (he was getting older at this point I suppose). The hilarious depiction of the devil is what really majkes the film (almost) worth watching, being as he is a leering, tit-grabbing womaniser, and Byrne slips into this ridiculous role surprisingly well. Too predictable and too long to be as fun as it should, Arnie completists might still have more fun with it than they expected.
41
Circque du Freak: The Vampire's Assistant (Paul Weitz, 2009)
With: John C Reilly, Chris Massoglia, Josh Hutcherson, Salma Hayek, Willem Dafoe, Ken Watanabe, Patrick Fugit
Plot: Two best friends join two opposing factions of vampires. We follow the friend with the good vampire (Reilly), who works in a travelling freak show.
---
A very laboured-feeling origin film, with typical training montages and a seriously miscast Reilly over-enunciating his way through cardboard exposition and back-story. Worse even than him is Massoglia in the lead, barely even seeming awake, and Hutcherson trying too hard as the especially poorly written best friend who turns to the dark side. The story is one big explanation and build up, and the climax is weak beyond belief. A non-starter in pretty much all ways though it has its pleasures here and there, such as the Cronenberg-esque circus creaks, Dafoe at his hammy best as a classic vampire, and a great animated title sequence at the beginning.
35
Plot: Two best friends join two opposing factions of vampires. We follow the friend with the good vampire (Reilly), who works in a travelling freak show.
---
A very laboured-feeling origin film, with typical training montages and a seriously miscast Reilly over-enunciating his way through cardboard exposition and back-story. Worse even than him is Massoglia in the lead, barely even seeming awake, and Hutcherson trying too hard as the especially poorly written best friend who turns to the dark side. The story is one big explanation and build up, and the climax is weak beyond belief. A non-starter in pretty much all ways though it has its pleasures here and there, such as the Cronenberg-esque circus creaks, Dafoe at his hammy best as a classic vampire, and a great animated title sequence at the beginning.
35
Fantastic Mr. Fox (Wes Anderson, 2009)
With: George Clooney, Meryl Streep, Jason Schwartzman, Bill Murray, Willem Dafoe, Michael Gambon
Plot: An over-achieving family-fox (Clooney) runs foul of farmers Boggis, Bunce and Bean when robbing their farms, while his son (Schwartzman) struggles to be acknowledged by him.
---
I wondered how Anderson would put his stamp on this with it being a different medium and pre-existing story, but it fits right in with the rest of his films. All his hallmarks are here, from the hyper-designed chocolate-box visuals, litany of troubled passive-agressive characters and the familiar if cheerier-than-usual theme of an eccentric, somewhat distant father. This being a cartoon, all these quirks feel much more at home than usual and what once might have been annoying now feels appropriate and often hilarious. People who find Anderson's arch, zany tone will still probably be put off though. Personally I enjoyed it a lot, it's an immediate if lightweight alternative to his more morose but probably better other films.
69
Plot: An over-achieving family-fox (Clooney) runs foul of farmers Boggis, Bunce and Bean when robbing their farms, while his son (Schwartzman) struggles to be acknowledged by him.
---
I wondered how Anderson would put his stamp on this with it being a different medium and pre-existing story, but it fits right in with the rest of his films. All his hallmarks are here, from the hyper-designed chocolate-box visuals, litany of troubled passive-agressive characters and the familiar if cheerier-than-usual theme of an eccentric, somewhat distant father. This being a cartoon, all these quirks feel much more at home than usual and what once might have been annoying now feels appropriate and often hilarious. People who find Anderson's arch, zany tone will still probably be put off though. Personally I enjoyed it a lot, it's an immediate if lightweight alternative to his more morose but probably better other films.
69
Road House (Rowdy Herrington, 1989)
With: Patrick Swayze, Kelly Lynch, Sam Elliott, Ben Gazzara
Plot: A Legendary bouncer (Swayze) is called upon tofix up a legendarily violent bar, once there he battles local gangaster Gazzara.
---
Hugely entertaining piece of macho fawning, with Swayze as some sort of mystic warrior who practices Tai-Chi by the river at sunrise and actually says things like "It's my way or the highway". Every caricature here is lovingly exaggarated and the violence is surprisingly full on at times, considering the early brawls look like live-action versions of a cartoon whirlwind of fists. Silly all the way, but silly with conviction.
60
Plot: A Legendary bouncer (Swayze) is called upon tofix up a legendarily violent bar, once there he battles local gangaster Gazzara.
---
Hugely entertaining piece of macho fawning, with Swayze as some sort of mystic warrior who practices Tai-Chi by the river at sunrise and actually says things like "It's my way or the highway". Every caricature here is lovingly exaggarated and the violence is surprisingly full on at times, considering the early brawls look like live-action versions of a cartoon whirlwind of fists. Silly all the way, but silly with conviction.
60
I'll Always Know What You Did Last Summer (Sylvain White, 2006)
With: No-one worth typing
Plot: A group of kids play a prank that goes wrong and results in the death of their friend. A year later, a mysterious killer seems to be stalking the friends in revenge.
---
For anyone confused by the title, this is the straight to DVD 3rd in the series, and barely connected to the two Jennifer Love Hewitt originals. In places it seems like a surprisingly atmospheric slasher, but without fail, every scene is ruined by horrible epileptic editing and overwrought sound design. Besides from this the characters here are as useless and dislikeable as you can get, so it's a shame watching them get killed isn't any fun. Barely functional.
21
Plot: A group of kids play a prank that goes wrong and results in the death of their friend. A year later, a mysterious killer seems to be stalking the friends in revenge.
---
For anyone confused by the title, this is the straight to DVD 3rd in the series, and barely connected to the two Jennifer Love Hewitt originals. In places it seems like a surprisingly atmospheric slasher, but without fail, every scene is ruined by horrible epileptic editing and overwrought sound design. Besides from this the characters here are as useless and dislikeable as you can get, so it's a shame watching them get killed isn't any fun. Barely functional.
21
Shadow Man (Michael Keusch, 2006)
With: Steven Seagal, Eva Pope, Imelda Staunton, Trevor the rapist from Eastenders.
Plot: When ex-CIA something Seagal's daughter is kidnapped, he teams up with a framed something-or-other agent (Pope) to get her back.
---
Like many later Seagal films, this has a ridiculously labyrinthine plot with loads of different villains and past allies and past adversaries that is too much to keep up with, especially as it's all so boring. There's a bit more martial arts here than some of his recent stuff, and he seems much more at ease with the role and other actors (Seagal often seems awkward in contrast with other people). Still rubbish though, if you want to watch an amusingly poor Seagal vehicle, this isn't the one.
20
Plot: When ex-CIA something Seagal's daughter is kidnapped, he teams up with a framed something-or-other agent (Pope) to get her back.
---
Like many later Seagal films, this has a ridiculously labyrinthine plot with loads of different villains and past allies and past adversaries that is too much to keep up with, especially as it's all so boring. There's a bit more martial arts here than some of his recent stuff, and he seems much more at ease with the role and other actors (Seagal often seems awkward in contrast with other people). Still rubbish though, if you want to watch an amusingly poor Seagal vehicle, this isn't the one.
20
The Haunting in Connecticut (Peter Cornwell, 2009)
With: Virginia Madsen, Kyle Gallner, Elias Koteas, Amanda Crew, Martin Donovan.
Plot: A family moves into an old isolated house for the sake of their ill son (Gallner), the house turns out to be a former mortuary and is possessed/haunted.
---
The type of drudgingly familiar flash-bang horror that is usually sent straight to DVD these days. Madsen has some conviction but the characters are thin and the scares are cheaply done and repetitive. Framing the whole story with an interview to make it seem realistic fails badly, the crass presentation and murky style creating hysterics that make the whole thing wholly unconvincing. There's a sad story of a dying boy struggling to control himself under malevolent forces, but it's too hidden under all the crap.
31
Plot: A family moves into an old isolated house for the sake of their ill son (Gallner), the house turns out to be a former mortuary and is possessed/haunted.
---
The type of drudgingly familiar flash-bang horror that is usually sent straight to DVD these days. Madsen has some conviction but the characters are thin and the scares are cheaply done and repetitive. Framing the whole story with an interview to make it seem realistic fails badly, the crass presentation and murky style creating hysterics that make the whole thing wholly unconvincing. There's a sad story of a dying boy struggling to control himself under malevolent forces, but it's too hidden under all the crap.
31
Monday, 2 November 2009
Twilight (Robert Benton,1998)
With: Paul Newman, Gene Hackman, Susan Sarandon, James Garner, Stockard Channing, Reese Witherspoon
Plot: Newman plays an aging private eye with close ties to a faded actor couple (Hackman, Sarandon). He is caught up in a murder plot when asked to deliver some blackmail money.
---
A basic noir (and I've hardly seen any, so that must mean it's particularly basic), but very effective and polished. LA, as captured here, is a sun-faded city of past glory and shadows, its characters fitting so thematically into place within it. Nothing special plot wise, but what gives this the edge is the themes implied by the title, this is a story about looking back on your achievements and sins, all the characters being old, even dying. Through this it achieves a very melancholy tone, and the importance (or disregard) with which its characters hold morality in makes for a simple plot with surprising depth. A little corny maybe, and often formulaic, but a treat for those who enjoy the genre.
65
Plot: Newman plays an aging private eye with close ties to a faded actor couple (Hackman, Sarandon). He is caught up in a murder plot when asked to deliver some blackmail money.
---
A basic noir (and I've hardly seen any, so that must mean it's particularly basic), but very effective and polished. LA, as captured here, is a sun-faded city of past glory and shadows, its characters fitting so thematically into place within it. Nothing special plot wise, but what gives this the edge is the themes implied by the title, this is a story about looking back on your achievements and sins, all the characters being old, even dying. Through this it achieves a very melancholy tone, and the importance (or disregard) with which its characters hold morality in makes for a simple plot with surprising depth. A little corny maybe, and often formulaic, but a treat for those who enjoy the genre.
65
Let the Right One In (Tomas Alfredson, 2008)
With: Kare Hedebrant, Lina Leandersson
Plot: 12 year old Oskar meets and befriends a young vampire girl (actually 212). As the two are overwhelmed by first love, they cling to each other to escape very different empty home lives.
---
The whole thing looks gorgeous and emotional moments are played exactly right, with a chilly quiet hanging over every scene. These are the only two things this film gets properly right, but it gets them so right that it's very easy to overlook it's faults, greatest of which is its ridiculously overpacked story which wants to be gritty and naturalistic as well as gothic romantic. Throw in some could-be-any-film gore and horror (but it's arty cos they did it in a really long shot, right?) and you've got a big, restless film. It's testament to the main tentative yet whole-hearted romance that it keeps the film often feeling like a masterpiece, crowded in as it is with absent fathers, terrible pasts, standing up to the bullies and a thousand other things. I'd really like to see it again, despite it being uneven, and I look forward to Alfredson's next film.
70
Plot: 12 year old Oskar meets and befriends a young vampire girl (actually 212). As the two are overwhelmed by first love, they cling to each other to escape very different empty home lives.
---
The whole thing looks gorgeous and emotional moments are played exactly right, with a chilly quiet hanging over every scene. These are the only two things this film gets properly right, but it gets them so right that it's very easy to overlook it's faults, greatest of which is its ridiculously overpacked story which wants to be gritty and naturalistic as well as gothic romantic. Throw in some could-be-any-film gore and horror (but it's arty cos they did it in a really long shot, right?) and you've got a big, restless film. It's testament to the main tentative yet whole-hearted romance that it keeps the film often feeling like a masterpiece, crowded in as it is with absent fathers, terrible pasts, standing up to the bullies and a thousand other things. I'd really like to see it again, despite it being uneven, and I look forward to Alfredson's next film.
70
The Hurt Locker (Kathryn Bigelow, 2008)
With: Jeremy Renner, Anthony Mackie, Brian Geraghty, Guy Pierce, Ralph Fiennes
Plot: The film follows a month in the life of a US army bomb squad in Baghdad
---
Reviews of this misled me to think that it was so tense that you might very well shit yourself in the cinema as you watch. Really, it's not that bad at all, in terms of action and suspense the intensity will be familiar to those who have watched any war film of the last decade (Or even a series of 24). What's important is what it's characters are getting from these experiences, and the paranoid, adrenaline-driven mindset that they develop and find it difficult to disregard once home. This film doesn't talk through the issues of war, and the motives and politics of this particular war are entirely absent here, which really is a blessing, so the gradual psychological shaping of the characters can flourish (very subtly handled, no-one really changes, but through behaviour and an excellent evocation of life in a warzone, we understand that they have already changed). Even though it's purely a character arc, rather than a traditional plot, Bigelow never includes anything melodramatic (no big nervous breakdowns) or sentimental. As gripping as reviews said, but also much more studied than you'd expect.
75
Plot: The film follows a month in the life of a US army bomb squad in Baghdad
---
Reviews of this misled me to think that it was so tense that you might very well shit yourself in the cinema as you watch. Really, it's not that bad at all, in terms of action and suspense the intensity will be familiar to those who have watched any war film of the last decade (Or even a series of 24). What's important is what it's characters are getting from these experiences, and the paranoid, adrenaline-driven mindset that they develop and find it difficult to disregard once home. This film doesn't talk through the issues of war, and the motives and politics of this particular war are entirely absent here, which really is a blessing, so the gradual psychological shaping of the characters can flourish (very subtly handled, no-one really changes, but through behaviour and an excellent evocation of life in a warzone, we understand that they have already changed). Even though it's purely a character arc, rather than a traditional plot, Bigelow never includes anything melodramatic (no big nervous breakdowns) or sentimental. As gripping as reviews said, but also much more studied than you'd expect.
75
The Imaginarium of Dr Parnassus (Terry Gilliam, 2009)
With: Christopher Plummer, Heath Ledger, Lily Cole, Tom Waits, Andrew Garfield, Verne Troyer
Plot: Dr Parnussas (Plummer) is an immortal showman with a mirror transporting people into a world of their imagination. He must win a bet with the devil (Waits) to save his daughter (Cole).
---
Very confusing, and its non-stop invention is sort of frustrating to watch even if it should be given credit, like listening to Quentin Tarrantino talk (if he were a hardcore Terry Pratchet fan anyway). I've never been a Gilliam fan, and here he indulges in his favourite (my least favourite) cinematic theme: the power of imagination. Nothing wrong with that in theory, and this adds an interesting life or death (or worse, endless life) consequence to where people's imagination take them, but as with other films that take on this idea, the execution is meandering and self-satisfied. The garish visuals are half impressive, half very cheap and most of the performances are cringingly over-mannered. If you like stuff like Baron Munchausen and Brazil, this film sees Gilliam in his familiar element, for me it's more reminders why I don't really like his films.
45
Plot: Dr Parnussas (Plummer) is an immortal showman with a mirror transporting people into a world of their imagination. He must win a bet with the devil (Waits) to save his daughter (Cole).
---
Very confusing, and its non-stop invention is sort of frustrating to watch even if it should be given credit, like listening to Quentin Tarrantino talk (if he were a hardcore Terry Pratchet fan anyway). I've never been a Gilliam fan, and here he indulges in his favourite (my least favourite) cinematic theme: the power of imagination. Nothing wrong with that in theory, and this adds an interesting life or death (or worse, endless life) consequence to where people's imagination take them, but as with other films that take on this idea, the execution is meandering and self-satisfied. The garish visuals are half impressive, half very cheap and most of the performances are cringingly over-mannered. If you like stuff like Baron Munchausen and Brazil, this film sees Gilliam in his familiar element, for me it's more reminders why I don't really like his films.
45
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)