Mega catch up

It's been ages, so I've got loads to do, and don't remember a lot of them that well, so I'll be quick.

The Twilight Saga: New Moon (Chris Weitz, 2009): I wasn't a great fan of the first one, but it captured a certain tone and atmosphere that made it semi-convincing. But here out go any naturalistic tendencies, and in come the pointlessly elaborate swooping shots of every location, out goes Carter Burwell's moody guitar and in comes a more conventionally fantastical big orchestra score. Stewart is way over-mannered, Pattinson gets nothing to do, and Lautner has all the charisma of the Easter Island head that he so closely resembles. Rubbish, except maybe for dumped girls. 32

Two Lovers (James Gray, 2008): One of those ones I wish I'd written about when I saw it, I thought it was great, but it's tough to remember now. Joaquin Phoenix is great (in his last role before he lost his mind and became a bearded rapper), and his character is that rare lead who is utterly entrancing to watch, you feel his arc could spin off in any direction. Definitely one to watch again. 73

FAQ About Time Travel (Gareth Carrivick, 2009): This had some potential to be a pleasing low key geek comedy, three guys nerdily discussing time travel in a pub before accidentally happening upon it themselves. It's unfunny and stupid though, making you feel embarassed for even poor Anna Faris. Feels uncannily like a feature-length UK beer advert starring only generic composites of blokey cliches. 29

Death Note (Shusuke Kaneko, 2006): Another one i'm finding it tough to remember, I do recall this being much goofier and less dark than I had imagined, the tone is almost identical to Pokemon and Digimon cartoons. Apart from being a bit overlong, it's a compelling enough slice of comic cheese, and I sort of look forward to the sequel. 51

Racing With the Moon (Richard Benjamin, 1984): Could have been one of those melancholy-tinged nostalgia fests that I love, but Benjamin fluffs some key things like using wildly inappropriate music (might sound petty but it really jars) and failing to keep focus through the lazily drifting plot strands. Still enjoyable though, with a more interesting (certainly less straightforward) love story than this type of thing usually gets and Cage and Penn are decent. 50

Fermat's Room (Louis Piedrahita & Rodrigo Sopina, 2007): Exactly the sort of thing I love, a high concept, one-set thriller. The thing is, while this is very inventive with keeping you guessing, and also in its exam-driven attack structure, it surprisingly takes less care with some simple things. It's too short, for one, and everything escalates too quickly and the plot twists are too numerous. It has a casual confidence which works wonders most of the time, but where we should be shocked or excited as the end nears, the revelations and climaxes simply queue up unenthusiatically. Still very good, and a must for those who love stuff like Cube (And Cube 2: Hypercube. And Cube Zero). 64

Butterfly on a Wheel (Mike Binder, 2007): Binder proves an able genre-hopper once again with this slick, perfectly paced thriller. It's mostly by-the-book "If You ever want to see your son alive again..." stuff, but Brosnan's calm, rough-edged captor certainly holds your attention, and the set pieces and shock moments are often thrillingly done, if a little stupid. 60

Paranormal Activity (Oren Peli, 2009): An odd one, but certainly effective. Much more relatable than Blair Witch, and with less irritating characters, this becomes the new high watermark for 'oooh, is it really real?' low-budget thrills. It takes great pains in immersing you in the normality of the characters lives, making the film seem mundane, which works brilliantly in its favour when the infrequent hauntings do take place, it is amplified into something truly horrifying. My only complaint, as with Cloverfield and others like it, is that writers will never EVER be able to come up with a sound reason why the characters are filming absolutely everything they do, and this does hurt it a little. 63

Paul Blart: Mall Cop (Steve Carr, 2009): I should confess that I keep finding myself watching King of Queens, not whole episodes, but somehow I just keep getting sucked in. So yes, I officially like Kevin James, and it's his self-deprecating charm and excellent comic timing which keep this from going totally off the rails. Well, for the first half anyway, when the criminal plot gets underway this is as nauseatingly tedious as you could imagine. But for about 40 minutes it's a sweet, dimly amusing character showcase. 42

The Box (Richard Kelly, 2009): Kelly needs some sort of minder when he's scriptwriting, because he just can't stop over-indulging. This potentially prescient weirdo-thriller has many alluring elements (the visual evocation of the 70s, great extras casting, endless mysteries growing larger and weirder) but it's all blown by stupidity. I enjoyed so many little touches that it was still a worthwhile watch for me, but I defy anyone to stick with it past the point where James Marsden is told to enter one of three magical columns of water (Maybe it's from Sartre, who keeps getting namedropped, making sure you know the director's read some books). Too weird for anyone wanting a decent horror film, and too messy and self-defeating for those who see its potential. I know I'll end up watching it again though. 50

Still loads more to come!