Sore head from too much partying over Christmas and New Year? Here is the movie tonic to soothe your pain and make you think a little bit deeper about life....
Samsara is a visual treat, a documentary of images with no dialogue, no subtitles and no explanation. Just a guide to the world around us, filmed over a five year period in 25 different countries. It opens with some stunningly beautiful images of structures built in remote locations, followed by Mother Nature at her peak, and traverses through several different facets of modern life such as workers in an industrial factory, pilgrims praying at Mecca, outback Australia, an American family with their guns held proudly (little bit shocking after the recent gun debate in the US), sprawling housing estates bordering onto the Egyptian pyramids, poor people digging through mountains of rubbish for treasures, fishing villages, Buddhist monks making art, luxury hotels, ladyboys in a dance off on stage in Thailand etc etc. It circles back around at the end for some lovely green scenery and back to our Buddhist monks.
The film literally gives you no indication of where or what you are seeing, prompting you to make your own assessments and let your mind wander at will. The soundtrack, when they are not using silence to underscore the power of the image, is beautiful (featuring Aussie Lisa Gerrard quite a bit for those who know her) and stirring. There is definitely an agenda here around spirituality and vegetarianism, but the message is so subtle that some may completely miss it and it's not rammed down your throat. Here's a link to the movie's website if you want to read a little more about it and see the trailer - ttp://barakasamsara.com/samsara/about
What I got out of this movie was a greater appreciation of my work (I'll never say my job is boring after seeing what some people do for what I imagine is very little money), the country we live in (clean, democratic, still relatively close to nature) and the thought that maybe there is more we should all be doing to stop the world being destroyed by our own waste, violence and urban sprawl. It also gave me an idea of a few places I'd like to visit soon, possibly before they disappear or are degraded. But there is also still so much beauty in the world too.
If you want something a little different and have the patience for just under 2 hours of images (I have to admit, the orderly part of my mind wanted a little sub-time with the country and city of each place and I struggled against the urge to play the guessing game each time) then I highly recommend seeing this movie in a cinema with a good screen and sound. Immerse yourself in the world outside yourself and you will see some of the most powerful images you might ever see. There are certainly a couple I don't think I'll forget for a long time, particularly those of some very unique individuals who are filmed just staring into the camera.
Showing posts with label 2012 Film Review. Show all posts
Showing posts with label 2012 Film Review. Show all posts
Saturday, 5 January 2013
Tuesday, 1 January 2013
Movie #30 - Wreck-It Ralph!
"Wreck-It Ralph" is a new movie from Disney who have surprisingly taken this long to try to leverage video games into the movies. It follows Ralph, who is the big bad guy that destroys everything in an arcade game similar to Donkey Kong. Fix-it Felix is his nemesis, the shiny hero who fixes everything he breaks and gets all the kudos from the apartment dwellers in the game. But Ralph is sick of being the bad guy, lonely and unloved and living in the garbage dump. He longs to be a hero, accepting medals and having friends. Even his bad-guy support group (a fantastic play on AA and one of the best scenes that was sadly given away in a lot of the trailers) can't shake his feelings and Ralph decides to 'go turbo' and find another arcade game where he can be a hero. This leads him into a series of adventures through other games, mainly the first-person shooter 'Hero's Duty' and Mario Kart style 'Sugar Rush', as Ralph tries to figure out his true place in the world.
The graphics are pretty amazing in this, and I didn't even see the 3D version (planning to). The concept is extremely well thought out - what happens inside the video games when the arcade is closed and we're not looking - and provides so many jokes and nostalgic feelings for gamers. I think non-gamers would still get a lot of enjoyment from the storyline though, which has a lot of heart. The movie was directed by Rich Moore, who has never made a movie before but has helmed some pretty popular episodes of the Simpsons and Futurama, so you know you're in good hands. The voices of John C Reilly (Stepbrothers, Talladega Nights) as Ralph and Sarah Silverman as lil racer Vanellope are perfect for their roles, as are most of the other main characters as well. I was watching 30 Rock the other night and sadly now when I see Jack McBrayer (Kenneth the page) I am just thinking of Fix-it Felix instead.
Any adults in their 20s, 30s or 40s who have wasted away time in a video arcade or playing the early 8-bit games will definitely find a lot to love in "Wreck-It Ralph", as will older kids who will love the graphics and bright colours. Young kids might be a little bored, as a lot of the jokes and action will sail straight over their heads. I took my 5 year old nephew to see this, he's already a Nintendo kid who loves Mario and Sonic along with being obsessed with Angry Birds anything (hilariously he bought his dad Angry Birds pyjamas for Christmas this year). He got a bit bored in places where there was more talk than action, and thought it was long, but he was good and didn't ask to leave. He still said it was cool. Not enough Sonic the Hedgehog! A huge sugar rush and a good holiday film.
The graphics are pretty amazing in this, and I didn't even see the 3D version (planning to). The concept is extremely well thought out - what happens inside the video games when the arcade is closed and we're not looking - and provides so many jokes and nostalgic feelings for gamers. I think non-gamers would still get a lot of enjoyment from the storyline though, which has a lot of heart. The movie was directed by Rich Moore, who has never made a movie before but has helmed some pretty popular episodes of the Simpsons and Futurama, so you know you're in good hands. The voices of John C Reilly (Stepbrothers, Talladega Nights) as Ralph and Sarah Silverman as lil racer Vanellope are perfect for their roles, as are most of the other main characters as well. I was watching 30 Rock the other night and sadly now when I see Jack McBrayer (Kenneth the page) I am just thinking of Fix-it Felix instead.
Any adults in their 20s, 30s or 40s who have wasted away time in a video arcade or playing the early 8-bit games will definitely find a lot to love in "Wreck-It Ralph", as will older kids who will love the graphics and bright colours. Young kids might be a little bored, as a lot of the jokes and action will sail straight over their heads. I took my 5 year old nephew to see this, he's already a Nintendo kid who loves Mario and Sonic along with being obsessed with Angry Birds anything (hilariously he bought his dad Angry Birds pyjamas for Christmas this year). He got a bit bored in places where there was more talk than action, and thought it was long, but he was good and didn't ask to leave. He still said it was cool. Not enough Sonic the Hedgehog! A huge sugar rush and a good holiday film.
Wednesday, 26 December 2012
Movie #29 - The Man with the Iron Fists
Forget the fact that the Man in the title is a bit blah, because there's lots to enjoy in this movie if you're a fan of 'B Movies' or chop-socky action. This movie is a bit of a vanity project for RZA, one of the rappers from the Wu Tang Clan. He co-wrote the film (with Eli Roth, usually a horror merchant), directed it and stars as The Blacksmith. I think he should have stuck with writing and directing, because those jobs he has performed more than competently. Acting is not for him though, displaying an extremely limited range of facial expressions (mostly just the same one throughout) and not a lot of personality. This is more than made up for though, by some artfully hammy acting by Russell Crowe as Jack Knife, Lucy Liu as Madam Blossom, former WWE wrestler Bautista as Brass Body and especially Byron Mann as head baddie Silver Lion.
In case you couldn't tell by the silly names, this is an incredibly silly movie but I found it immensely enjoyable in all but a few flashback scenes. Set in feudal China just before modern weapons, a village is the battle ground for a number of different clans who want control. The Lion tribe tend to be fairly peaceful other than fighting the Wolf and Hyena clans, until Gold Lion (leader) is murdered by one of his own. His son and heir, Xen-Yi the Dagger Blade, tries to return to the village to avenge his father's murder and wrest back control of the clan from Silver Lion who has taken over with big plans to rob the government of a haul of gold that will be passing through the village. The Blacksmith has historically provided weapons to all sides, but finally chooses a side when Xen-Yi comes back and is wounded by the hulking, impervious goon Brass Body. English gentleman Jack Knife who is staying at Madame Blossom's brothel/hotel initially seems to be here coincidentally, but eventually a purpose is revealed.
The movie is essentially a series of fights, between clans, then between Jack Knife and anyone who interferes with him, then between Xen-Yi and his former clan members, then between The Blacksmith and Xen-Yi and Brass Body, then the Lion tribe with the Gemini Killers who are escorting the gold, then it sort of becomes all in once the gold has been jacked and the Government finds out, then the Blacksmith has to get revenge with his newly forged Iron Fists after Brass Body cut off his forearms. Madame Blossom and her girls are also a lot more than they seem! The fight scenes are all super-stylised and hyper-violent (eyeballs being punched out and flying across the screen and plenty of crimson squirting) and this is where the influence of Eli Roth is felt. It's got a similar feel to Kill Bill's big fight scenes, except with smaller weapons and hand to hand martial arts rather than samurai swords. The 'stylised' element also continues with the use of modern day hip hop music as the score rather than traditional score music.
My companion rated this as a 5 out of 10 but I would give it closer to a 7 out of 10 as I really enjoyed the fights and the campiness of it all.
In case you couldn't tell by the silly names, this is an incredibly silly movie but I found it immensely enjoyable in all but a few flashback scenes. Set in feudal China just before modern weapons, a village is the battle ground for a number of different clans who want control. The Lion tribe tend to be fairly peaceful other than fighting the Wolf and Hyena clans, until Gold Lion (leader) is murdered by one of his own. His son and heir, Xen-Yi the Dagger Blade, tries to return to the village to avenge his father's murder and wrest back control of the clan from Silver Lion who has taken over with big plans to rob the government of a haul of gold that will be passing through the village. The Blacksmith has historically provided weapons to all sides, but finally chooses a side when Xen-Yi comes back and is wounded by the hulking, impervious goon Brass Body. English gentleman Jack Knife who is staying at Madame Blossom's brothel/hotel initially seems to be here coincidentally, but eventually a purpose is revealed.
The movie is essentially a series of fights, between clans, then between Jack Knife and anyone who interferes with him, then between Xen-Yi and his former clan members, then between The Blacksmith and Xen-Yi and Brass Body, then the Lion tribe with the Gemini Killers who are escorting the gold, then it sort of becomes all in once the gold has been jacked and the Government finds out, then the Blacksmith has to get revenge with his newly forged Iron Fists after Brass Body cut off his forearms. Madame Blossom and her girls are also a lot more than they seem! The fight scenes are all super-stylised and hyper-violent (eyeballs being punched out and flying across the screen and plenty of crimson squirting) and this is where the influence of Eli Roth is felt. It's got a similar feel to Kill Bill's big fight scenes, except with smaller weapons and hand to hand martial arts rather than samurai swords. The 'stylised' element also continues with the use of modern day hip hop music as the score rather than traditional score music.
My companion rated this as a 5 out of 10 but I would give it closer to a 7 out of 10 as I really enjoyed the fights and the campiness of it all.
Thursday, 20 December 2012
Movie #28 - Skyfall
Blonde Bond is back in a classic action movie that definitely holds its own in the Bond catalogue. Skyfall is in many ways an old-fashioned movie and in other ways a thoroughly modern movie. Old fashioned comes in the form of the early action scenes being mainly based around hand to hand combat and also there is lot of battles fought with words. Modern is the villain, Silva, who chooses to use the internet to bring about his particular brand of chaos.
The film opens with Bond and an unnamed field agent (played by Naomie Harris) pursuing a bad guy through the Grand Bazaar in Istanbul and eventually onto a train, where the agent has to take a shot before the train disappears into a tunnel. She hits Bond by mistake, who falls into the water, presumed dead. Meanwhile, back in London, M is taking heat from the British Government, particularly Gareth Mallory (Ralph Fiennes in a small but key role) the head of foreign affairs. It seems the hard drive the bad guy got away with in Istanbul contained a complete list of all MI:6 agents undercover in the field, endangering hundreds of lives and the agency's top assets. When the first agent's name is leaked on the internet, it seems there is a link between M and the perpetrator, who seems to want M to think about some past sins. The link only adds to the Government's concern about M's ability to do the job, especially as she is 'getting on'. The pressure is on to retire, but M is determined not to leave the agency in a big mess. Luckily Bond resurfaces (no great spoiler there, wouldn't be much of a movie if he died in the first 10 minutes) and agrees to take on the mission.
All the talk about a lack of globetrotting in this Bond entry is a bit misleading, as there are still plenty of different locations to visit to solve the puzzle and contain the villain, Silva (played in a very strange but compelling way by Javier Bardem who is almost as unsettling here as he was in 'No Country for Old Men'). The Bond girls have been overhyped as well, as I felt that they didn't really have much to offer in this story. The focus is squarely on M and her relationship with Bond and Silva.
What is a plus for this film are the fight scenes, with one done in silhouette in a Shanghai skyscraper window being particularly memorable, and the inevitable chases and gun battles. All executed in classic style where you can understand the action, none of this ridiculous fast cutting that seems so popular these days. The performances by Daniel Craig and Judi Dench are superb, both being very sypathetic characters as the film doesn't shy away from the age of these characters, asking the question 'can they still do what is necessary?'. There are a few touches of humour in their interplay as well which is needed to lighten the otherwise very serious mood.
I'm not a huge fan of the Bond character and films - I haven't seen more than maybe a third of them. I have seen all three of the Daniel Craig entries and I think this has been my favourite of those. I did however walk out of this very impressed, it was a well-put together movie with very few weak or slow moments and some memorable action. Definitely one to see for action fans.
Post-script: I forgot to say that the new Adele song 'Skyfall' must be the best Bond theme ever and I'm not even an Adele fan. Beautiful. And Ben Whishaw as the new version of Q the gadget man is very spunky.
The film opens with Bond and an unnamed field agent (played by Naomie Harris) pursuing a bad guy through the Grand Bazaar in Istanbul and eventually onto a train, where the agent has to take a shot before the train disappears into a tunnel. She hits Bond by mistake, who falls into the water, presumed dead. Meanwhile, back in London, M is taking heat from the British Government, particularly Gareth Mallory (Ralph Fiennes in a small but key role) the head of foreign affairs. It seems the hard drive the bad guy got away with in Istanbul contained a complete list of all MI:6 agents undercover in the field, endangering hundreds of lives and the agency's top assets. When the first agent's name is leaked on the internet, it seems there is a link between M and the perpetrator, who seems to want M to think about some past sins. The link only adds to the Government's concern about M's ability to do the job, especially as she is 'getting on'. The pressure is on to retire, but M is determined not to leave the agency in a big mess. Luckily Bond resurfaces (no great spoiler there, wouldn't be much of a movie if he died in the first 10 minutes) and agrees to take on the mission.
All the talk about a lack of globetrotting in this Bond entry is a bit misleading, as there are still plenty of different locations to visit to solve the puzzle and contain the villain, Silva (played in a very strange but compelling way by Javier Bardem who is almost as unsettling here as he was in 'No Country for Old Men'). The Bond girls have been overhyped as well, as I felt that they didn't really have much to offer in this story. The focus is squarely on M and her relationship with Bond and Silva.
What is a plus for this film are the fight scenes, with one done in silhouette in a Shanghai skyscraper window being particularly memorable, and the inevitable chases and gun battles. All executed in classic style where you can understand the action, none of this ridiculous fast cutting that seems so popular these days. The performances by Daniel Craig and Judi Dench are superb, both being very sypathetic characters as the film doesn't shy away from the age of these characters, asking the question 'can they still do what is necessary?'. There are a few touches of humour in their interplay as well which is needed to lighten the otherwise very serious mood.
I'm not a huge fan of the Bond character and films - I haven't seen more than maybe a third of them. I have seen all three of the Daniel Craig entries and I think this has been my favourite of those. I did however walk out of this very impressed, it was a well-put together movie with very few weak or slow moments and some memorable action. Definitely one to see for action fans.
Post-script: I forgot to say that the new Adele song 'Skyfall' must be the best Bond theme ever and I'm not even an Adele fan. Beautiful. And Ben Whishaw as the new version of Q the gadget man is very spunky.
Tuesday, 18 December 2012
movie #27 - Twilight Breaking Dawn Pt2
Surprisingly, this movie did not suck. After Breaking Dawn Part 1 has taken out my award for one of the worst films I've seen in years, I had low expectations on the second and final instalment of the Twilight saga. Those expectactions were pleasingly exceeded by one main factor: a clever way to end the movie on an exciting note without completely changing the book ending. But I can't tell you about that because it would break my own rule about no spoilers. So you'll just have to decide whether you will give it a chance or not. To review this movie though, there are spoilers from earlier films so don't read below if you are not caught up.
Part 2 picks up the moment that Part 1 left off, where Bella awakens as a newborn vampire after the birth of her and Edward's half-vampire half-human child. The scenes of Bella understanding her new feelings and strength and feeding for the first time are fairly laughable from a special effects perspective but at least provide some excitement which was sadly lacking from Part 1. We then expect to fall back into the typical Bella/Edward/Jake love triangle but this is dashed by discovering that Jake has 'imprinted' on the child Renesmee and no longer has the same feelings for Bella. Things get a little boring as the family group get all gooey, snuggly and cosy and watch Renesmee grow up a little too fast but luckily imminent danger is just around the corner to wake us up. The Volturi hear about a child with extraordinary powers from a passerby who was a former friend of the Cullen clan. They vault (geddit) into action without looking for evidence, mounting a campaign to come and kill the child which threatens the security and secrecy of the vampire race in the world. The Cullens swing into action to defend their little treasure who is not what the Volturi think, recruiting in a bunch of fun vampires from around the world to 'testify' for them.
The scenes of the 'good' vamps practising their talents and preparing for war with the Volturi are quite fun although I thought more could have been covered with Bella's particular talent (been a while since I read the book but I recall that being more critical than it's made out to be in the film. The final confrontation is not quite the anti-climax I have always felt the book was, thanks to the aforementioned cleverness of the screen writers which will not be revealed here. It's definitely a satisfactory ending to a series that has had its ups and downs in excitement and given us the dubious acting talents of Taylor Lautner, Robert Pattinson and Kristen Stewart (who has been a lot better elsewhere). The endless intense stares continue in this movie so if you weren't a fan before, don't expect any changes here.... The whole movie is not awful though, with some tension, fun and laughs (love your work actor who plays Charlie).
Part 2 picks up the moment that Part 1 left off, where Bella awakens as a newborn vampire after the birth of her and Edward's half-vampire half-human child. The scenes of Bella understanding her new feelings and strength and feeding for the first time are fairly laughable from a special effects perspective but at least provide some excitement which was sadly lacking from Part 1. We then expect to fall back into the typical Bella/Edward/Jake love triangle but this is dashed by discovering that Jake has 'imprinted' on the child Renesmee and no longer has the same feelings for Bella. Things get a little boring as the family group get all gooey, snuggly and cosy and watch Renesmee grow up a little too fast but luckily imminent danger is just around the corner to wake us up. The Volturi hear about a child with extraordinary powers from a passerby who was a former friend of the Cullen clan. They vault (geddit) into action without looking for evidence, mounting a campaign to come and kill the child which threatens the security and secrecy of the vampire race in the world. The Cullens swing into action to defend their little treasure who is not what the Volturi think, recruiting in a bunch of fun vampires from around the world to 'testify' for them.
The scenes of the 'good' vamps practising their talents and preparing for war with the Volturi are quite fun although I thought more could have been covered with Bella's particular talent (been a while since I read the book but I recall that being more critical than it's made out to be in the film. The final confrontation is not quite the anti-climax I have always felt the book was, thanks to the aforementioned cleverness of the screen writers which will not be revealed here. It's definitely a satisfactory ending to a series that has had its ups and downs in excitement and given us the dubious acting talents of Taylor Lautner, Robert Pattinson and Kristen Stewart (who has been a lot better elsewhere). The endless intense stares continue in this movie so if you weren't a fan before, don't expect any changes here.... The whole movie is not awful though, with some tension, fun and laughs (love your work actor who plays Charlie).
Movie #26 - End of Watch
This movie is no longer out due to my slackness, but you may find this review handy for the DVD store!
End of Watch is a pretty decent action/cop thriller, from the bloke who did cop movies like Training Day, Street Kings and Dark Blue. To give you fair warning though, this movie has a lot of 'shaky cam' because there is a bit of a 'gimmick' used that one of the cops is making a doco for film school. Do not watch if you hate shaky cam.
End of Watch follows two LA cops who are lucky or unlucky enough to be assigned to the extremely mean streets of South Central LA. The two cops are single white male Brian (Jake Gyllenhaal) and married family guy from Hispanic background Mike (Michael Pena). While normally this scenario would be an odd couple not getting along, played for laughs situation, the movie has them as best friends whose strong bond and rapport is the only thing that gets them through the hellish scenarios they face at work. This kicks off with a car chase resulting in a gun fight where the crims are taken down by our pair who survive an internal review to get straight back on street patrol. After which a rather over-the-top series of further adventures occur which turns our guys into saints but makes them a target for the bad guys. And when the sh*t gets serious, boy does it get SERIOUS.
The movie definitely has an ultra-realistic feel from the large amount of hand-held camera shots and the use of some non-actors for the baddies who may or may not have some real-life experience of being a gun-toting foul-mouthed gang member in South Central LA. Seriously, this film has a lot of swearing and really embraces the street slang to continue the 'real' feel (even though you can't always understand exactly what they are referring to). The downsides are that it can be quite depressing, and I felt that there were just too many 'good deeds' by two individuals - this would be more realistic if it happened to about 5 people rather than just two. Also the 'found footage' idea is pretty dumb when parts of the movie are following the bad guys inside their car or parties.
The upside of the movie are the strong writing by David Ayers and performances by Jake and Michael. The friendship between these 2 guys is extremely truthful and the scenes of them trading insults, stories and jokes in the patrol car and sharing life's big moments are needed to lighten the heavy mood and provide some good laughs.
I left this movie feeling like I'd been punched in the face but not unhappy about it. Solid and quite thrilling in places.
End of Watch is a pretty decent action/cop thriller, from the bloke who did cop movies like Training Day, Street Kings and Dark Blue. To give you fair warning though, this movie has a lot of 'shaky cam' because there is a bit of a 'gimmick' used that one of the cops is making a doco for film school. Do not watch if you hate shaky cam.
End of Watch follows two LA cops who are lucky or unlucky enough to be assigned to the extremely mean streets of South Central LA. The two cops are single white male Brian (Jake Gyllenhaal) and married family guy from Hispanic background Mike (Michael Pena). While normally this scenario would be an odd couple not getting along, played for laughs situation, the movie has them as best friends whose strong bond and rapport is the only thing that gets them through the hellish scenarios they face at work. This kicks off with a car chase resulting in a gun fight where the crims are taken down by our pair who survive an internal review to get straight back on street patrol. After which a rather over-the-top series of further adventures occur which turns our guys into saints but makes them a target for the bad guys. And when the sh*t gets serious, boy does it get SERIOUS.
The movie definitely has an ultra-realistic feel from the large amount of hand-held camera shots and the use of some non-actors for the baddies who may or may not have some real-life experience of being a gun-toting foul-mouthed gang member in South Central LA. Seriously, this film has a lot of swearing and really embraces the street slang to continue the 'real' feel (even though you can't always understand exactly what they are referring to). The downsides are that it can be quite depressing, and I felt that there were just too many 'good deeds' by two individuals - this would be more realistic if it happened to about 5 people rather than just two. Also the 'found footage' idea is pretty dumb when parts of the movie are following the bad guys inside their car or parties.
The upside of the movie are the strong writing by David Ayers and performances by Jake and Michael. The friendship between these 2 guys is extremely truthful and the scenes of them trading insults, stories and jokes in the patrol car and sharing life's big moments are needed to lighten the heavy mood and provide some good laughs.
I left this movie feeling like I'd been punched in the face but not unhappy about it. Solid and quite thrilling in places.
Sunday, 11 November 2012
Movie #25 - Argo
It's a funny word Argo. What does it mean? Nothing really. But it's the word on everyone's lips in the last few weeks, that's for sure! Everywhere I go I hear people talking about it and lots of people are asking me about here. So here without further ado is the review of Argo!
Argo is an excellent little political thriller drama that could potentially draw some Oscar nominations although it has probably been released too soon for that. Extremely taut and tense, this movie is really all about the story. There are no big showy action scenes, over the top performances or unnecessary sub-plots. And that's because the story is a cracker!
The movie is a dramatisation of real events around the 1980 Iran Hostage Crisis. The hostage crisis arose after a protest by Iranian citizens and students against America for a series of reasons, revolving around the US government's long running support of Shah Mohammad Reza Pahlavi (a cruel Shah who was installed after a military coup in 1953 took power from the elected prime minister) and granting asylum and medical treatment to him in his later years after he was finally deposed in the Iranian revoluation in 1979. While the taking of 52 hostages (who were ultimately kept for 444 days sparking one of the biggest diplomatic incidents in history) could be a cracking story in itself, this actually focuses on 6 US embassy workers who were able to escape the embassy building in the nick of time, and hide out at the Canadian ambassador's residence.
The 6 Americans are trapped in Iran as the insurgents look for any Americans in the country. Life isn't very fun trapped inside with certain death waiting if you go outside and no seeming way out. That is where the CIA came in, knowing through their Canadian friends that the workers were in hiding and trying to find a way to get them out of the country safely. Any screw up in the 'ex-filtration' could cause an even bigger diplomatic incident. Even with the best heads in the business, they can't come up with anything plausible. Until Tony Shaeffer, expert in ex-filtration, comes up with 'the best bad idea' which is to pretend he is making a sci-fi fantasy movie, scouting locations in Iran, and the 6 were his movie crew. Do you know how absurd that sounds? It's a completely outrageous idea but one that actually did happen, as this story was declassified by the CIA approximately 10 or so years ago.
Once the fake movie, named Argo, is approved then we have a very fun segment as Tony (Ben Affleck) enlists the help of Hollywood guys John Chambers (John Goodman as the makeup and effects whiz) and Lester Siegel (Alan Arkin as the big-shot director) to create a bit of hype about this fake movie to make the cover story more believable. This segment lets them take a bit of a pot shot at the Hollywood machine from within which is great fun but unfortunately must come to an end when they actually get down to the business of getting into Iran, meeting the group and trying to get them out. From there, it all gets very serious and very tense as you wonder whether they are indeed going to make it out of this very suspicious environment with their lives. And some of the diplomats are not doing the group any favours with their distrust of Tony and his scheme.
I really enjoyed the second half of this movie, as it keeps the focus tight on the story and characters and ratchets up the tension by the second as they attempt to get to the airport and out of the country. No spoilers here though! It is well worth a watch and as I said, probably could be up for some screenplay and directing Oscars. Ben Affleck has done a great job directing his third movie (after Gone, Baby Gone and The Town) and puts in a quiet, unflashy performance as the main character. Good support from Bryan Cranston as the CIA boss and the actors playing the embassy workers but nothing here is a standout performance. Just a strong ensemble telling a good story. Go see it!
Argo is an excellent little political thriller drama that could potentially draw some Oscar nominations although it has probably been released too soon for that. Extremely taut and tense, this movie is really all about the story. There are no big showy action scenes, over the top performances or unnecessary sub-plots. And that's because the story is a cracker!
The movie is a dramatisation of real events around the 1980 Iran Hostage Crisis. The hostage crisis arose after a protest by Iranian citizens and students against America for a series of reasons, revolving around the US government's long running support of Shah Mohammad Reza Pahlavi (a cruel Shah who was installed after a military coup in 1953 took power from the elected prime minister) and granting asylum and medical treatment to him in his later years after he was finally deposed in the Iranian revoluation in 1979. While the taking of 52 hostages (who were ultimately kept for 444 days sparking one of the biggest diplomatic incidents in history) could be a cracking story in itself, this actually focuses on 6 US embassy workers who were able to escape the embassy building in the nick of time, and hide out at the Canadian ambassador's residence.
The 6 Americans are trapped in Iran as the insurgents look for any Americans in the country. Life isn't very fun trapped inside with certain death waiting if you go outside and no seeming way out. That is where the CIA came in, knowing through their Canadian friends that the workers were in hiding and trying to find a way to get them out of the country safely. Any screw up in the 'ex-filtration' could cause an even bigger diplomatic incident. Even with the best heads in the business, they can't come up with anything plausible. Until Tony Shaeffer, expert in ex-filtration, comes up with 'the best bad idea' which is to pretend he is making a sci-fi fantasy movie, scouting locations in Iran, and the 6 were his movie crew. Do you know how absurd that sounds? It's a completely outrageous idea but one that actually did happen, as this story was declassified by the CIA approximately 10 or so years ago.
Once the fake movie, named Argo, is approved then we have a very fun segment as Tony (Ben Affleck) enlists the help of Hollywood guys John Chambers (John Goodman as the makeup and effects whiz) and Lester Siegel (Alan Arkin as the big-shot director) to create a bit of hype about this fake movie to make the cover story more believable. This segment lets them take a bit of a pot shot at the Hollywood machine from within which is great fun but unfortunately must come to an end when they actually get down to the business of getting into Iran, meeting the group and trying to get them out. From there, it all gets very serious and very tense as you wonder whether they are indeed going to make it out of this very suspicious environment with their lives. And some of the diplomats are not doing the group any favours with their distrust of Tony and his scheme.
I really enjoyed the second half of this movie, as it keeps the focus tight on the story and characters and ratchets up the tension by the second as they attempt to get to the airport and out of the country. No spoilers here though! It is well worth a watch and as I said, probably could be up for some screenplay and directing Oscars. Ben Affleck has done a great job directing his third movie (after Gone, Baby Gone and The Town) and puts in a quiet, unflashy performance as the main character. Good support from Bryan Cranston as the CIA boss and the actors playing the embassy workers but nothing here is a standout performance. Just a strong ensemble telling a good story. Go see it!
Saturday, 20 October 2012
Movie #24 - Frankenweenie 3D
Forget the disappointment of Dark Shadows, Tim Burton is back in a big way with his new film Frankenweenie 3D. Scary, funny, touching and a wonderful homage to the Universal horror movie back catalogue. I loved this movie. Too scary for little kids, but older kids who like the creepier side of life should love it. Although not if they've lost a pet recently, it might be a little too close to home if they have....
If you've seen Frankenstein, then this movie should revive some memories, as it riffs off that story but transfers the action to an 11 year old outsider, who decides to bring his beloved dog Sparky back from the other side after an unfortunate accident. Young Victor Frankenstein's hopes to keep Sparky's revival a secret do not go to plan since the dog lives up to his name and runs off for a day of adventure where he is seen by Victor's creepy classmate Edward E. Gore (Igor, geddit?). Edward's ambitions to win the upcoming science fair soon see the tale spreading and others trying to copy Victor's experiment, with varying results.
There is a lot of humour in this movie which was a bit unexpected, but it's gentle and mainly stems from the dog who behaves a lot like a real dog. It also comes for those who recognise the homages to some old and new creature features (Jurassic Park gets a few nods), so it will go over the head of the younger viewers. There are also some poignant moments, as young Victor comes to terms with the reality of loss and love. And the climax of the movie is fantastic fun as the undead pets go on a bit of a rampage. This movie has it all.
The voice work is good but subdued (you will recognise Winona Ryder as the girl next door but probably won't pick up most of the rest who are not big names), which lets the characters really come to life as you're not constantly thinking "Oh it's Johnny Depp". The focus is really on the storyline and the scenery.
I do recommend seeing this movie in 3D, which is used sparingly but gives the film depth, since it was shot in black and white (well actually it is greyscale for all the tech nerds). Although I could imagine this would look beautiful with Burton's favoured colour palette of purples and blues, as a tribute to the old school horror movies it looks very elegant. I especially loved the artwork in the scene where Victor is setting up his experiment in the attic on a stormy night, trying to generate as many ions as possible with all the household gadgets to get the lightning to strike his fallen best friend. It just glowed so hard, it's really stuck in my mind.
Overall, this is a movie with real heart and magic. Exactly what Disney should be creating in my view, although again I would say that it's not suitable for young kids. Interestingly, when Tim Burton was a 26 year old animator for Disney, they asked him to make a short film they could release as they thought he had a bright future. He made a half hour movie called Frankenweenie. The execs took one look and fired him, "it's too scary for kids, are you out of your mind?". Now 20 years later (approximately, I don't really know) here is Burton releasing a full length 3D version of Frankenweenie with full backing of Disney. It seems the world has changed and through Tim Burton and Henry Selick's (The Nightmare before Christmas) persistence, we now know that adults can enjoy creepy animated tales and some kids don't mind a bit of a scare either. And so the world has Frankenweenie 3D, a great Halloween movie!
If you've seen Frankenstein, then this movie should revive some memories, as it riffs off that story but transfers the action to an 11 year old outsider, who decides to bring his beloved dog Sparky back from the other side after an unfortunate accident. Young Victor Frankenstein's hopes to keep Sparky's revival a secret do not go to plan since the dog lives up to his name and runs off for a day of adventure where he is seen by Victor's creepy classmate Edward E. Gore (Igor, geddit?). Edward's ambitions to win the upcoming science fair soon see the tale spreading and others trying to copy Victor's experiment, with varying results.
There is a lot of humour in this movie which was a bit unexpected, but it's gentle and mainly stems from the dog who behaves a lot like a real dog. It also comes for those who recognise the homages to some old and new creature features (Jurassic Park gets a few nods), so it will go over the head of the younger viewers. There are also some poignant moments, as young Victor comes to terms with the reality of loss and love. And the climax of the movie is fantastic fun as the undead pets go on a bit of a rampage. This movie has it all.
The voice work is good but subdued (you will recognise Winona Ryder as the girl next door but probably won't pick up most of the rest who are not big names), which lets the characters really come to life as you're not constantly thinking "Oh it's Johnny Depp". The focus is really on the storyline and the scenery.
I do recommend seeing this movie in 3D, which is used sparingly but gives the film depth, since it was shot in black and white (well actually it is greyscale for all the tech nerds). Although I could imagine this would look beautiful with Burton's favoured colour palette of purples and blues, as a tribute to the old school horror movies it looks very elegant. I especially loved the artwork in the scene where Victor is setting up his experiment in the attic on a stormy night, trying to generate as many ions as possible with all the household gadgets to get the lightning to strike his fallen best friend. It just glowed so hard, it's really stuck in my mind.
Overall, this is a movie with real heart and magic. Exactly what Disney should be creating in my view, although again I would say that it's not suitable for young kids. Interestingly, when Tim Burton was a 26 year old animator for Disney, they asked him to make a short film they could release as they thought he had a bright future. He made a half hour movie called Frankenweenie. The execs took one look and fired him, "it's too scary for kids, are you out of your mind?". Now 20 years later (approximately, I don't really know) here is Burton releasing a full length 3D version of Frankenweenie with full backing of Disney. It seems the world has changed and through Tim Burton and Henry Selick's (The Nightmare before Christmas) persistence, we now know that adults can enjoy creepy animated tales and some kids don't mind a bit of a scare either. And so the world has Frankenweenie 3D, a great Halloween movie!
Saturday, 13 October 2012
Movie #23 Lawless
And the award for toughest movie character to spend the entire movie in a cardigan goes to... Forrest Bondurant (Tom Hardy). Gee those Bondurant boys are hard to kill....
Lawless is the latest film from John Hillcoat (director) and Nick Cave (writer), who gave us the compelling 'The Proposition' quite a few years ago now. Set in Virginia in the 1920s, the film covers the illegal bootlegging activities of the Bondurant brothers during the prohibition era. It's based on true events of this real family, as told in the book 'The Wettest County in the World' by the grandson of the men featured in this movie. How close the real events are to the movie I'm not sure, but it is a hell of a story.
The Bondurant brothers are Howard (shell shocked after the first World War, he spends his time either in the family business, drunk or carousing), Forrest (both the brain and brawns of the operation) and younger brother Jack (a weak dreamer who wants to play a bigger role in the business). Their moonshine is the best whiskey in town, highly sought after and ripe to be smuggled across state lines into Chicago where the gangsters are inventing organised crime. Probably the thing that separates this movie from the average crime thriller (other than the authentic hillbilly location and accents) is the perspective that these Bondurant boys are invincible, immortal or hard to kill. The boys certainly believe it. So do their local competitors. So does everyone, until a federal deputy (played by Guy Pearce) arrives from Chicago to take down these hillbilly crims who he certainly doesn't believe are immortal. The violence is hard and unflinching (rated R, believe it!) as their enemies try to disprove it. By the end of this movie, will we believe it? I won't spoil it, but it certainly is the theme running through the film that makes it more unique.
Unlike the local authorities who look the other way with the gift of some jars of strong whiskey, the arrival of Special Deputy Rakes looks to be putting a clamp down on the boys activities. Their rivals are certainly giving in to the prohibition situation, but Forrest refuses to bow down. Although Rakes tries to bring the heat, he is frustrated by the inability to find the illegal stills that are hidden in thick bush in the mountains, while the Bondurant's business flourishes when Jack inadvertently manages to bring Chicago city gangster Floyd Banner (a brilliant Gary Oldman who is sadly very under-used) in as a client. But Jack's rampaging ego and naivety put the family and their supporters on a collision course with the law, which escalates in the film's finale. Unfortunately though, the finale was ruined somewhat by a late brainsnap by either the writers or Guy Pearce as his character suddenly tips over from creepy, germophobe psychopathic law enforcer to really weird psycho law ignorer. Thinking over it now, I can see how the distasteful events and lack of ability to shut down these simple folk would push a determined agent with germophobe tendencies into craziness, but in the moment I was thinking "this is a bit too much". However, it is still worth taking the ride.
I enjoyed the permformances of Tom Hardy, Jessica Chastain as dancer on the run from Chicago 'noise' Maggie, and Aussie Mia Wasikowska as Jack's innocent love interest Bertha. Tom Hardy is a standout as the quiet yet forceful Forrest, a man who can be charismatic even when communicating in a series of confused grunts, capable of explosive violence despite getting around in a grey floppy cardigan. Shia le Beouf is his usual self - awkward, annoying and a bit of a girl, but it does suit the character. The violence is quite confronting (two young girls left the free screening I attended) but compelling at the same time. I found it to have a very dream like quality that pulls you into movie land and makes you believe that these guys think it is cool to be a dangerous outlaw even though your number could be up any time. Since my dreams are occasionally violent, heightened and like a movie, I liked it. I like it more the more I think about it. It seems to be a perfect depiction of the failure of Prohibition, which was designed primarily to reduce crime but actually increased crime. According to the Wikipedia page, in a study of over 30 major U.S cities during the prohibition years of 1920 and 1921, the number of crimes increased by 24%. Additionally, theft and burglaries increased by 9%, homicide by 12.7%, assaults and battery rose by 13%, drug addiction by 44.6% and police department costs rose by 11.4%. This move will show you why!
Lawless is the latest film from John Hillcoat (director) and Nick Cave (writer), who gave us the compelling 'The Proposition' quite a few years ago now. Set in Virginia in the 1920s, the film covers the illegal bootlegging activities of the Bondurant brothers during the prohibition era. It's based on true events of this real family, as told in the book 'The Wettest County in the World' by the grandson of the men featured in this movie. How close the real events are to the movie I'm not sure, but it is a hell of a story.
The Bondurant brothers are Howard (shell shocked after the first World War, he spends his time either in the family business, drunk or carousing), Forrest (both the brain and brawns of the operation) and younger brother Jack (a weak dreamer who wants to play a bigger role in the business). Their moonshine is the best whiskey in town, highly sought after and ripe to be smuggled across state lines into Chicago where the gangsters are inventing organised crime. Probably the thing that separates this movie from the average crime thriller (other than the authentic hillbilly location and accents) is the perspective that these Bondurant boys are invincible, immortal or hard to kill. The boys certainly believe it. So do their local competitors. So does everyone, until a federal deputy (played by Guy Pearce) arrives from Chicago to take down these hillbilly crims who he certainly doesn't believe are immortal. The violence is hard and unflinching (rated R, believe it!) as their enemies try to disprove it. By the end of this movie, will we believe it? I won't spoil it, but it certainly is the theme running through the film that makes it more unique.
Unlike the local authorities who look the other way with the gift of some jars of strong whiskey, the arrival of Special Deputy Rakes looks to be putting a clamp down on the boys activities. Their rivals are certainly giving in to the prohibition situation, but Forrest refuses to bow down. Although Rakes tries to bring the heat, he is frustrated by the inability to find the illegal stills that are hidden in thick bush in the mountains, while the Bondurant's business flourishes when Jack inadvertently manages to bring Chicago city gangster Floyd Banner (a brilliant Gary Oldman who is sadly very under-used) in as a client. But Jack's rampaging ego and naivety put the family and their supporters on a collision course with the law, which escalates in the film's finale. Unfortunately though, the finale was ruined somewhat by a late brainsnap by either the writers or Guy Pearce as his character suddenly tips over from creepy, germophobe psychopathic law enforcer to really weird psycho law ignorer. Thinking over it now, I can see how the distasteful events and lack of ability to shut down these simple folk would push a determined agent with germophobe tendencies into craziness, but in the moment I was thinking "this is a bit too much". However, it is still worth taking the ride.
I enjoyed the permformances of Tom Hardy, Jessica Chastain as dancer on the run from Chicago 'noise' Maggie, and Aussie Mia Wasikowska as Jack's innocent love interest Bertha. Tom Hardy is a standout as the quiet yet forceful Forrest, a man who can be charismatic even when communicating in a series of confused grunts, capable of explosive violence despite getting around in a grey floppy cardigan. Shia le Beouf is his usual self - awkward, annoying and a bit of a girl, but it does suit the character. The violence is quite confronting (two young girls left the free screening I attended) but compelling at the same time. I found it to have a very dream like quality that pulls you into movie land and makes you believe that these guys think it is cool to be a dangerous outlaw even though your number could be up any time. Since my dreams are occasionally violent, heightened and like a movie, I liked it. I like it more the more I think about it. It seems to be a perfect depiction of the failure of Prohibition, which was designed primarily to reduce crime but actually increased crime. According to the Wikipedia page, in a study of over 30 major U.S cities during the prohibition years of 1920 and 1921, the number of crimes increased by 24%. Additionally, theft and burglaries increased by 9%, homicide by 12.7%, assaults and battery rose by 13%, drug addiction by 44.6% and police department costs rose by 11.4%. This move will show you why!
Saturday, 22 September 2012
Movie #22 - Looper
What would you do if you had to choose between assassinating a future version of yourself, or face being killed yourself? That is the fascinating dilemma at the centre of the new sci-fi drama/action flick Looper starring Joseph Gordon-Levitt (who played John Blake in The Dark Knight Rises and Arthur in Inception). Another take on a dystopian future but one that takes a very intelligent look at it. This movie will make you think "what would I do?"
Set in the year 2042, Joe G-L plays a guy named Joe who is employed as a 'looper'. The voiceover intro explains that a looper is someone who is employed by a guy sent back in time by the future Mob bosses to run the loopers, who are paid in silver bricks to kill people sent back in time for that purpose and then dispose of the body. Apparently it is too difficult in 2072 to dispose of bodies so the Mob send their enemies back 30 years where it was still possible. There is a little bit of time travel trickery in this movie but they don't really spend a lot of time explaining the reason for things, you just need to go with it. And the way the movie presented it, we did go with it without feeling too silly at all. It's quite clever to put a line in the movie to say "don't worry about this time travel stuff or we'll be sitting in this diner all day making diagrams with straws" since that is essentially what they want the viewer to agree with.
OK so once you're on board with the concept, the movie is very good. Plenty of suspense, a few good little sci fi action scenes with hoverbikes and cool guns and telekenetic powers (may be less frequent than the ads will make it seem though) and a real emotional punch. Bruce Willis plays future Joe, sent back in time to be killed by young Joe (known as 'closing the loop') but somehow escaping the normal fate. Future Joe is on a mission to find and kill the younger version of a scary guy in the future known only as "The Rainmaker" but young Joe just wants to close the loop and return to the remaining 30 years of his life. The actions that these two guys take to do what they both think is right is really interesting and puts them on a collision course in the (slightly predictable) ending. There is one unthinkable act in this movie and a few gory bits so you need to have a fairly strong stomach for this one.
What sets this apart from other sci-fi films is the quality of the acting and script. I fully believe that Joe Gordon-Levitt will be a massive star in the future, he's excellent in every way. He went through hours of makeup every day to look like a younger Bruce Willis and I must say it was very believable - he has the mannerisms down. Bruce Willis gives good jaded tough guy as usual. Emily Blunt (almost unrecognisable blonde) sinks her teeth into a strong role as the farm owner Sara and mother to 10 year old Cid, who take in young Joe when he is on the run from his looper bosses for not kiling his future self. What secret is Sara protecting? The mystery around her and Cid's relationship provides the fodder for the second half of the movie to really take off.
The script is also great, with the action swinging between dystopian city and peaceful rural farm in a very interesting way. It's just not quite like anything else you've seen. Which is the trademark of the writer and director Rian Johnson. I loved his earlier movie Brick (also starring Joe Gordon-Levitt) and I really liked this one as well. The only thing stopping me from giving this 5 stars is the predictable ending and sometimes the pace is a little slow, and I felt a little 'disengaged' from it. But it sure beats the hell out of a mindless remake of Total Recall to satisfy your sci fi longings!
Set in the year 2042, Joe G-L plays a guy named Joe who is employed as a 'looper'. The voiceover intro explains that a looper is someone who is employed by a guy sent back in time by the future Mob bosses to run the loopers, who are paid in silver bricks to kill people sent back in time for that purpose and then dispose of the body. Apparently it is too difficult in 2072 to dispose of bodies so the Mob send their enemies back 30 years where it was still possible. There is a little bit of time travel trickery in this movie but they don't really spend a lot of time explaining the reason for things, you just need to go with it. And the way the movie presented it, we did go with it without feeling too silly at all. It's quite clever to put a line in the movie to say "don't worry about this time travel stuff or we'll be sitting in this diner all day making diagrams with straws" since that is essentially what they want the viewer to agree with.
OK so once you're on board with the concept, the movie is very good. Plenty of suspense, a few good little sci fi action scenes with hoverbikes and cool guns and telekenetic powers (may be less frequent than the ads will make it seem though) and a real emotional punch. Bruce Willis plays future Joe, sent back in time to be killed by young Joe (known as 'closing the loop') but somehow escaping the normal fate. Future Joe is on a mission to find and kill the younger version of a scary guy in the future known only as "The Rainmaker" but young Joe just wants to close the loop and return to the remaining 30 years of his life. The actions that these two guys take to do what they both think is right is really interesting and puts them on a collision course in the (slightly predictable) ending. There is one unthinkable act in this movie and a few gory bits so you need to have a fairly strong stomach for this one.
What sets this apart from other sci-fi films is the quality of the acting and script. I fully believe that Joe Gordon-Levitt will be a massive star in the future, he's excellent in every way. He went through hours of makeup every day to look like a younger Bruce Willis and I must say it was very believable - he has the mannerisms down. Bruce Willis gives good jaded tough guy as usual. Emily Blunt (almost unrecognisable blonde) sinks her teeth into a strong role as the farm owner Sara and mother to 10 year old Cid, who take in young Joe when he is on the run from his looper bosses for not kiling his future self. What secret is Sara protecting? The mystery around her and Cid's relationship provides the fodder for the second half of the movie to really take off.
The script is also great, with the action swinging between dystopian city and peaceful rural farm in a very interesting way. It's just not quite like anything else you've seen. Which is the trademark of the writer and director Rian Johnson. I loved his earlier movie Brick (also starring Joe Gordon-Levitt) and I really liked this one as well. The only thing stopping me from giving this 5 stars is the predictable ending and sometimes the pace is a little slow, and I felt a little 'disengaged' from it. But it sure beats the hell out of a mindless remake of Total Recall to satisfy your sci fi longings!
Saturday, 15 September 2012
Movie # 21 - Kath and Kimderella
Take one moderately successful and generally funny TV show, add foreign location, 60 extra minutes of same jokes, a hatful of bumcrack and a pinch of bad low budget effects. Hey presto, you have Kath and Kimderella the movie version of the Kath and Kim show that started on the ABC a few years back. It wasn't awful but it wasn't great either. The movie length running time just does not suit this particular humour. It's much better in the 23 minute weekly show format where they can get in, get out and by next week you've forgotten that there's about 4 key jokes used each time.
The basic storyline is that Kath Day-Knight wins a trip to "Papilloma" near the border of Spain/Italy and takes her daughter Kim and her "second-best friend" Sharon when hubby Kel Knight refuses to fly and miss the Masterchef finals. When their accommodation in Papilloma is messed up, they're quickly offered rooms in the castle of the King who spots these 'rich' female tourists as a possible way out of the kingdom's money and political troubles. The girls have a ball as a real life fairytale unfolds, the boys back home realise what they're missing and head on over.
There were definitely laughs to be had during the movie, I quite enjoyed certain parts. Particularly around where Kath mixes up her words and uses the wrong words to describe things (be sure to look up "vajazzling" in the dictionary before you go if you don't know what this means, as it's used a bit in the movie in the wrong context). Also as a child of the 80s I really enjoyed the fashion and haircuts which were a nice slice of bogan chic/Australiana.
The pluses for the movie were Rob Sitch as King Javier and Richard E Grant (Withnail from Withnail and I) as the page Alain, and the prettiness of the guy playing Prince Juleo. There were a few good jokes in there and the pacing was pretty good. Downsides were the repetition of the same old jokes (it's nice, it's unusual, it's nice has really made it's way into the vernacular so it's a bit passe now) so that some of the meant to be funny scenes just kind of weren't funny. Marg Downey (a fellow D-Gen/Fast Forward alumni) had a weird cameo, as did Alex Perry, and the Prue and Trude characters just seemed superfluous. And Kim seemed to be even more of a bitch than usual unless I've just forgotten the show Kath and Kim.
Overall I'd suggest that you wait until DVD for this one. It deserves an audience because they have created something which has a soft spot in the hearts of Australians - both celebrating and gently mocking our culture and ways. But is it worth $17 bucks? Probably not.
The basic storyline is that Kath Day-Knight wins a trip to "Papilloma" near the border of Spain/Italy and takes her daughter Kim and her "second-best friend" Sharon when hubby Kel Knight refuses to fly and miss the Masterchef finals. When their accommodation in Papilloma is messed up, they're quickly offered rooms in the castle of the King who spots these 'rich' female tourists as a possible way out of the kingdom's money and political troubles. The girls have a ball as a real life fairytale unfolds, the boys back home realise what they're missing and head on over.
There were definitely laughs to be had during the movie, I quite enjoyed certain parts. Particularly around where Kath mixes up her words and uses the wrong words to describe things (be sure to look up "vajazzling" in the dictionary before you go if you don't know what this means, as it's used a bit in the movie in the wrong context). Also as a child of the 80s I really enjoyed the fashion and haircuts which were a nice slice of bogan chic/Australiana.
The pluses for the movie were Rob Sitch as King Javier and Richard E Grant (Withnail from Withnail and I) as the page Alain, and the prettiness of the guy playing Prince Juleo. There were a few good jokes in there and the pacing was pretty good. Downsides were the repetition of the same old jokes (it's nice, it's unusual, it's nice has really made it's way into the vernacular so it's a bit passe now) so that some of the meant to be funny scenes just kind of weren't funny. Marg Downey (a fellow D-Gen/Fast Forward alumni) had a weird cameo, as did Alex Perry, and the Prue and Trude characters just seemed superfluous. And Kim seemed to be even more of a bitch than usual unless I've just forgotten the show Kath and Kim.
Overall I'd suggest that you wait until DVD for this one. It deserves an audience because they have created something which has a soft spot in the hearts of Australians - both celebrating and gently mocking our culture and ways. But is it worth $17 bucks? Probably not.
Thursday, 30 August 2012
Movie #21 - Moonrise Kingdom
Wes Anderson, I could kiss you! Your latest movie is a gift to the big, cruel world out there, a salve to a work-weary, sarcasm loving person whose head is down and shoulders are tensed. Perfect timing then that this movie hits our screens now, just when the world seems to be getting so dark and scary if you pay attention to what's happening outside our doorstep. Whimsical, fluffy, innocent, delightful. These words do not do it justice though.
I don't really know whether to describe the plot of this movie or let you find out for yourselves. Just a quick sketch though so you can see if it's right for you. Set in the 1960s, the film tracks the adventures of two very young teens who decide they're in love and they should run away together. The fact that they live on a quirky little island with no roads and are tracked by a lonely scout master, scout troop, lonely cop and the girl's disconnected parents, plus the slow reveal of what these teens are really like, is what makes this different to any other movie. Any other movie except another Wes Anderson movie of course (being The Royal Tenenbaums, The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou, Bottle Rocket and Darjeeling Limited). Wes' movies are always set in this little self-contained world that bears no resemblance to reality and yet the movies are full of wisdom about human relationships and all those touching little moments that make life worth living.
The acting is top-notch by all the adults (regular Bill Murray, newbies Bruce Willis, Edward Norton and Frances McDormand) and while the kids are mostly first-timers and a little awkward, it adds a certain charm and realness to the story of young love tipping everyone's life into chaos. The set design (especially Suzy's family home - I want to live there!) and desaturated cinematography in the outdoor scenes are splendid and the period detail is amazing, along with the kitschy cute soundtrack.
I don't think I stopped smiling at this movie from the first minute. If you don't walk out with a smile on your face, I think you should immediately check your pulse, stop reading the news and stop trying to be so cool! Unless you only like movies with guns and explosions, this is a must-see movie. Quite odd and yes, again, whimsical, but it's just so sweet I guarantee you'll love it.
I don't really know whether to describe the plot of this movie or let you find out for yourselves. Just a quick sketch though so you can see if it's right for you. Set in the 1960s, the film tracks the adventures of two very young teens who decide they're in love and they should run away together. The fact that they live on a quirky little island with no roads and are tracked by a lonely scout master, scout troop, lonely cop and the girl's disconnected parents, plus the slow reveal of what these teens are really like, is what makes this different to any other movie. Any other movie except another Wes Anderson movie of course (being The Royal Tenenbaums, The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou, Bottle Rocket and Darjeeling Limited). Wes' movies are always set in this little self-contained world that bears no resemblance to reality and yet the movies are full of wisdom about human relationships and all those touching little moments that make life worth living.
The acting is top-notch by all the adults (regular Bill Murray, newbies Bruce Willis, Edward Norton and Frances McDormand) and while the kids are mostly first-timers and a little awkward, it adds a certain charm and realness to the story of young love tipping everyone's life into chaos. The set design (especially Suzy's family home - I want to live there!) and desaturated cinematography in the outdoor scenes are splendid and the period detail is amazing, along with the kitschy cute soundtrack.
I don't think I stopped smiling at this movie from the first minute. If you don't walk out with a smile on your face, I think you should immediately check your pulse, stop reading the news and stop trying to be so cool! Unless you only like movies with guns and explosions, this is a must-see movie. Quite odd and yes, again, whimsical, but it's just so sweet I guarantee you'll love it.
Movie #20 - The Campaign
Movie #20 has arrived about 2 weeks earlier than last year it seems, so I'm on track towards my stated mission of seeing more and more movies. Which is surprising really since I've been working so very much in the last few months. I guess it goes to show that movies are a great escape from reality if I'm making time to go see so many.
The honour of being movie #20 has gone to The Campaign. After a nice day wandering around the city shopping, we went to see this with relatively low expectations given the lack of hype. It turned out to be a great date afternoon but I really think that I might not have enjoyed this as much if I didn't see it with Ben. The way he laughs at things just scoops me up and makes me laugh more. It wasn't the totally crazy over-the-top Will Ferrell movie that we were expecting but it did have some very funny moments.
I apologise in advance to all the parents I know, but Will Ferrell as a sleazy politician on the campaign trail, punching a baby, in slo-mo, is one of the funniest things we've seen this year. It's so wrong, I know. But you won't be able to stop yourself laughing. I also know that it sounds like this is a crazy, over-the-top Will Ferrell movie, but it's not. The movie spends a fair bit of time on the political machinations of running for Congress, such as the ad campaigns, shadowy back room deals and debates. This is meant to be done in a humorous way, and while it IS funny, you kind of get the uncomfortable feeling that some of the scenes could be straight out of the real life campaigns and possibly even downplaying what really goes on. A scene where Zach Galiafinakis 'accidentally' shoots Will Ferrell is totally ripped from the headlines from the Dick Cheney hunting accident a few years back. The American political system is clearly totally messed up!
The scenes between Will and Zach are very good, they bounce off each other well. Zach's character, Marty Huggins, is pretty off the wall if you met him in real life, but again you get the sense that he really wouldn't be that strange in America. There is some good support from Jason Sudeikis as Will's campaign manager, and Dan Aykroyd and John Lithgow as the mega rich evil dudes backing whoever is winning but otherwise this is the Zach and Will show. Although Will's John Kerry hair does a fantastic support job as well.
We enjoyed this but it sits pretty far below the best nutty comedies like Step Brothers, Anchorman and Talladega Nights.
The honour of being movie #20 has gone to The Campaign. After a nice day wandering around the city shopping, we went to see this with relatively low expectations given the lack of hype. It turned out to be a great date afternoon but I really think that I might not have enjoyed this as much if I didn't see it with Ben. The way he laughs at things just scoops me up and makes me laugh more. It wasn't the totally crazy over-the-top Will Ferrell movie that we were expecting but it did have some very funny moments.
I apologise in advance to all the parents I know, but Will Ferrell as a sleazy politician on the campaign trail, punching a baby, in slo-mo, is one of the funniest things we've seen this year. It's so wrong, I know. But you won't be able to stop yourself laughing. I also know that it sounds like this is a crazy, over-the-top Will Ferrell movie, but it's not. The movie spends a fair bit of time on the political machinations of running for Congress, such as the ad campaigns, shadowy back room deals and debates. This is meant to be done in a humorous way, and while it IS funny, you kind of get the uncomfortable feeling that some of the scenes could be straight out of the real life campaigns and possibly even downplaying what really goes on. A scene where Zach Galiafinakis 'accidentally' shoots Will Ferrell is totally ripped from the headlines from the Dick Cheney hunting accident a few years back. The American political system is clearly totally messed up!
The scenes between Will and Zach are very good, they bounce off each other well. Zach's character, Marty Huggins, is pretty off the wall if you met him in real life, but again you get the sense that he really wouldn't be that strange in America. There is some good support from Jason Sudeikis as Will's campaign manager, and Dan Aykroyd and John Lithgow as the mega rich evil dudes backing whoever is winning but otherwise this is the Zach and Will show. Although Will's John Kerry hair does a fantastic support job as well.
We enjoyed this but it sits pretty far below the best nutty comedies like Step Brothers, Anchorman and Talladega Nights.
Friday, 24 August 2012
Movie #19 - Magic Mike
Beautiful bums. Bulging biceps. Buff chests. Boobs. Magic Mike is bounteous in eye candy. I seriously considered leaving this post as just that. Nah...you already knew about the eye candy and you want to know if it's any good, don't you?
This is a fun film for chicks to go see with a group of girlfriends, as I did with the lovely D & B. This is not a good movie for a girl to drag her boyfriend along to see. The 2 guys dragged into this by their girlfriends when we went probably felt really embarrassed, they looked embarrassed as they walked out! The aforementioned boobs are only seen twice and only briefly compared to the enormous slabs of man flesh on show, as you'd expect in a movie about male strippers!
Based on the actual life experiences of actor Channing Tatum, who was a male stripper before turning his hand to acting, it's ostensibly meant to be a story about a guy who realises that he eventually has to grow up and stop being a male stripper and get a real job/life. So the fact that in real life he became an actor and then acts as himself in a movie about his life seems to really demonstrate the moral of the story. Not! Obviously the movie is a fictionalised version of real events but I think the serious side of the tale doesn't really come through that well. The problem is that Magic Mike is a little too magical. He's just such a 'perfect' guy, there just aren't people like that in real life. He's handsome, funny, rich, charming, intelligent, running 3 businesses in addition to the stripping, good with his hands, and an amazing dancer. I couldn't find a single flaw in the guy and that was annoying.
The stripping scenes are fantastically fun and in your face, the whole cinema full of chicks were giggling and fanning ourselves throughout. Extreme closeups of the action put you right in there without the embarrassment you would feel at a strip club if it was you being picked up and dry humped on a stage. Channing Tatum is actually an amazing dancer with some ridiculously fast moves. Alex Pettyfer does okay as the new boy Mike recruits so casually who of course makes good. The other guys have some pretty good moves on stage but little else to their roles, but Matthew McConaughey puts in a funny turn as the man-child who will never give the business away. He has a few blush worthy scenes. A new actress on the scene Cody Horn is the uninterested love interest. She had some good dialogue with Channing but I found her 'disapproving' face a bit annoying after a while until she suddenly became interested.
There's not much to this movie so I'd suggest that you not go along purely if your interest arises from this being the latest Steven Soderbergh (Traffic, Erin Brokovich, Out of Sight, Ocean's Eleven etc) directed film. I'd have to say this would be the lightest, fluffiest movie he's ever done. But it is a really good chicks' night out and we've already decided that we will be getting this on DVD for our next girls' night in!
This is a fun film for chicks to go see with a group of girlfriends, as I did with the lovely D & B. This is not a good movie for a girl to drag her boyfriend along to see. The 2 guys dragged into this by their girlfriends when we went probably felt really embarrassed, they looked embarrassed as they walked out! The aforementioned boobs are only seen twice and only briefly compared to the enormous slabs of man flesh on show, as you'd expect in a movie about male strippers!
Based on the actual life experiences of actor Channing Tatum, who was a male stripper before turning his hand to acting, it's ostensibly meant to be a story about a guy who realises that he eventually has to grow up and stop being a male stripper and get a real job/life. So the fact that in real life he became an actor and then acts as himself in a movie about his life seems to really demonstrate the moral of the story. Not! Obviously the movie is a fictionalised version of real events but I think the serious side of the tale doesn't really come through that well. The problem is that Magic Mike is a little too magical. He's just such a 'perfect' guy, there just aren't people like that in real life. He's handsome, funny, rich, charming, intelligent, running 3 businesses in addition to the stripping, good with his hands, and an amazing dancer. I couldn't find a single flaw in the guy and that was annoying.
The stripping scenes are fantastically fun and in your face, the whole cinema full of chicks were giggling and fanning ourselves throughout. Extreme closeups of the action put you right in there without the embarrassment you would feel at a strip club if it was you being picked up and dry humped on a stage. Channing Tatum is actually an amazing dancer with some ridiculously fast moves. Alex Pettyfer does okay as the new boy Mike recruits so casually who of course makes good. The other guys have some pretty good moves on stage but little else to their roles, but Matthew McConaughey puts in a funny turn as the man-child who will never give the business away. He has a few blush worthy scenes. A new actress on the scene Cody Horn is the uninterested love interest. She had some good dialogue with Channing but I found her 'disapproving' face a bit annoying after a while until she suddenly became interested.
There's not much to this movie so I'd suggest that you not go along purely if your interest arises from this being the latest Steven Soderbergh (Traffic, Erin Brokovich, Out of Sight, Ocean's Eleven etc) directed film. I'd have to say this would be the lightest, fluffiest movie he's ever done. But it is a really good chicks' night out and we've already decided that we will be getting this on DVD for our next girls' night in!
Sunday, 29 July 2012
Movie #15 - Rock of Ages
It's much too late for this review - this is no longer showing. Sorry! I'm sure it'll be out on DVD in a month though. Rock of Ages is the movie verison of the very successful stage show based around the bourbon soaked rock venues on LA's Sunset Strip in the 80s.
If you saw the stage musical, you will be wondering whether you will like the movie. I went with the same group of friends who went to the musical version with me last year. We all loved the musical, but the movie got mixed reviews. B & D thought it was okay, but D thought the whole Tom Cruise bit was unnecessary and she hated the Cruise-meister in it. E just hated the whole movie. I loved it. So that isn't helping you is it?
I think the reason I liked the movie is because it was basically my 'Big Hair Rox' double CD of 80s glam hair metal and power ballads, brought to life. How could I not love it? The only thing that could've made it better would have been a singalong version. So many good songs, by Poison, Bon Jovi, Foreigner, Journey, etc etc. The only inexplicable omission is 'Oh Sherrie' by Steve Perry - the lead character's name is Sherrie for a reason you know! I kept waiting...and waiting... to no avail.....
Oh, there was a storyline? Boy meets girl, boy gets girl, boy loses girl, boy wins girl back. Yep, cliche city but not the sole focus. In fact, the Drew and Sherrie love story is sidelined even more in the movie than in the musical. Thank goodness they dispensed with the sub-plot about the German father and son looking to open a chocolate shop on the Strip. Sensibly the movie's writers and director realised you can't have an interesting movie if you follow the musical too closely, and they chose to expand in the area of exploring the Stacee Jaxx character.
Stacee Jaxx is a very small part of the musical, being the rock star who could revive the fortunes of Dennis Dupree's Bourbon Room venue which is sinking under the weight of poor accounting, crooked politicians wanting to clean up the Strip, helped by a protest by a Christian women's group. In the movie,the emptiness of Stacee Jaxx's decadent lifestyle and rock stardom are explored in detail. It's obviously a take on Axl Rose. This made the movie more interesting in my view, and I totally bought Tom Cruise as a jaded rock star. He looked the part, he acted the part and his singing wasn't awful (not great but adequate). He has a great scene emerging from underneath a massive pile of bottles, drugs, bedclothes and naked groupies!
The actors playing Drew (Diego Boneta - apparently the Justin Bieber of Mexico) and Sherrie (Julianne Hough from the Footloose remake) are pretty bland, but the support cast are great besides Cruise. Malin Akerman (fanboy alert - Silk Spectre 2 in Watchmen) is great, as is Paul Giamatti as Stacee Jaxx's sleazy manager, Catherine Zeta Jones as the protest leader with a secret, and Alec Baldwin as the rock dog club owner.
Yep, it's total throw away territory but an absolute classic moment of this movie that will always stay with me now is the duet in the movie to "Can't Fight this Feeling Any More" (one of the most awesome cheesy ballads ever) by Alec Baldwin and Russell Brand. I can't reveal too much but let's just say you'll never think of anything else when you hear this song on the radio.
Overall, I rated this movie 3 out of 5 stars. Whether you enjoy it or not will depend on how much you like the music - there is really not a lot of point unless the following hold a special place in your heart or past:
If you saw the stage musical, you will be wondering whether you will like the movie. I went with the same group of friends who went to the musical version with me last year. We all loved the musical, but the movie got mixed reviews. B & D thought it was okay, but D thought the whole Tom Cruise bit was unnecessary and she hated the Cruise-meister in it. E just hated the whole movie. I loved it. So that isn't helping you is it?
I think the reason I liked the movie is because it was basically my 'Big Hair Rox' double CD of 80s glam hair metal and power ballads, brought to life. How could I not love it? The only thing that could've made it better would have been a singalong version. So many good songs, by Poison, Bon Jovi, Foreigner, Journey, etc etc. The only inexplicable omission is 'Oh Sherrie' by Steve Perry - the lead character's name is Sherrie for a reason you know! I kept waiting...and waiting... to no avail.....
Oh, there was a storyline? Boy meets girl, boy gets girl, boy loses girl, boy wins girl back. Yep, cliche city but not the sole focus. In fact, the Drew and Sherrie love story is sidelined even more in the movie than in the musical. Thank goodness they dispensed with the sub-plot about the German father and son looking to open a chocolate shop on the Strip. Sensibly the movie's writers and director realised you can't have an interesting movie if you follow the musical too closely, and they chose to expand in the area of exploring the Stacee Jaxx character.
Stacee Jaxx is a very small part of the musical, being the rock star who could revive the fortunes of Dennis Dupree's Bourbon Room venue which is sinking under the weight of poor accounting, crooked politicians wanting to clean up the Strip, helped by a protest by a Christian women's group. In the movie,the emptiness of Stacee Jaxx's decadent lifestyle and rock stardom are explored in detail. It's obviously a take on Axl Rose. This made the movie more interesting in my view, and I totally bought Tom Cruise as a jaded rock star. He looked the part, he acted the part and his singing wasn't awful (not great but adequate). He has a great scene emerging from underneath a massive pile of bottles, drugs, bedclothes and naked groupies!
The actors playing Drew (Diego Boneta - apparently the Justin Bieber of Mexico) and Sherrie (Julianne Hough from the Footloose remake) are pretty bland, but the support cast are great besides Cruise. Malin Akerman (fanboy alert - Silk Spectre 2 in Watchmen) is great, as is Paul Giamatti as Stacee Jaxx's sleazy manager, Catherine Zeta Jones as the protest leader with a secret, and Alec Baldwin as the rock dog club owner.
Yep, it's total throw away territory but an absolute classic moment of this movie that will always stay with me now is the duet in the movie to "Can't Fight this Feeling Any More" (one of the most awesome cheesy ballads ever) by Alec Baldwin and Russell Brand. I can't reveal too much but let's just say you'll never think of anything else when you hear this song on the radio.
Overall, I rated this movie 3 out of 5 stars. Whether you enjoy it or not will depend on how much you like the music - there is really not a lot of point unless the following hold a special place in your heart or past:
- lycra leggings (boy or girl)
- big, hairsprayed hair (boy or girl)
- falsetto vocals
- leg warmers
- stretchy belts
- leopard print anything
- power ballads with lighter waving
Movie # 18 - The Dark Knight Rises
Note - this review contains spoilers of the previous movie in this trilogy, The Dark Knight, so don't read if you haven't seen that.
The moment we've been waiting a long time for had finally arrived. The excitement of going to see The Dark Knight Rises, which had received almost universally good reviews, was made even better by watching The Dark Knight just before we went. The Dark Knight is still so good and the performance by Heath Ledger is still so out of this world amazing as Batman's ultimate nemesis, The Joker. With The Joker suppressed and presumably in jail or an asylum (it is not mentioned at all out of respect to Heath), Two Face dead at the end of The Dark Knight and Batman going into exile and taking the rap for Harvey Dent's death, how could they continue and top the series? We were soon to find out that it would be by going big - extremely big.
Everything in The Dark Knight Rises is big - the scope, the villain, the toys, the performances. It opens 8 years after the Dark Knight, with Bruce Wayne as a recluse in his home, grieving over Rachel's death, retired from society, his company and his charity work. Batman is a wanted fugitive who hasn't been seen in years, the mafia have been shut down, the streets are clean and everyone is happy. Everyone except a guy called Bane. Bane has been building a secret army to help him carry out his plot to destroy Gotham City, which he says as a corrupt and divided city that needs to be brought back into balance. And there is nobody to stop him. Or so he thinks.....
As Batman decides to come out of retirement to fight this new threat to his city, he is aided or blocked by friends and enemies both old and new. Commissioner Gordon, loyal Alfred and Lucius Fox all have parts to play, with the main newcomers being Anne Hathaway as Catwoman (never explicitly named as such though) and Joseph Gordon-Levitt as police offer Blake promoted to detective and right-hand man to Commissioner Gordon. We also have Marion Cotillard as Miranda Tate, a possible love interest to get Bruce Wayne out of his shell and member of the Wayne Enterprises Board. Bane, the new villain, is simply massive in both physique and his ambition to cause chaos. He is also another very theatrical baddie, with his strange mask and creepy manner of speaking. Kudos for Tom Hardy (Inception) for his commitment to the role.
I found the movie to be really entertaining all the way through. There are several large set-pieces that are quite astonishing in the scope and scale of moviemaking on show and mainly free of obvious CGI (the football stadium was packed with real extras, in the melee between cops and baddies Christian Bale said he accidentally punched an extra because it was such a chaotic fight scene). There are a lot of parts that aren't action sequences, but I enjoyed these as well. Catwoman was a nice frothy distraction in her interactions with both Bruce Wayne and Batman, essentially providing some much needed comic relief. The dialogue between the other main players was mainly a continuation of the theme around 'what makes a hero' and the nature of villainy, which I find fascinating and ever more relevant as society appears to be crumbling around us. The baddies' cause in this case is obviously related to the recent "Occupy" movement, which makes it the most grounded in reality movie in any Batman film to date.
What I would say is that this isn't the perfect movie that a lot of people are saying it is. There are flaws - it's really, really long and you just feel some of it could have been skipped or covered a bit quicker. The cops are made to look like bumbling idiots, but this is something I noticed on re-watching The Dark Knight as well - why didn't they just go on the wrong side of the road instead of down the tunnel, why didn't they just shoot Batman when they had the chance etc? And if you thought the last movie spent too much time in the daylight, you're gonna hate this movie. Even more of the action occurs in daylight, and Gotham City just looks like New York City (obviously the location, but previous films have had much more of a fantastical feeling to the city). Coming out of the shadows just kind of spoils Batman's mystique if you ask me. And I kept getting distracted by thoughts of "hey we saw that when we were in New York".
The climactic battle is epic, entertaining and emotional and there was a nice surprise that we didn't see coming. With Batman's armoury falling into the hands of Bane and his army of believers and crooks, you get a good chance to see what all those powerful toys can really do when they're used for evil as well as good. So fun (especially the Batpod, I love it!). The film is a completely fitting finale for what has been a very ambitious undertaking to "reboot" Batman into a dark and gritty drama. Reboot is usually a dirty word but I think everyone would agree this one has been very welcome, with a fantastic character arc for Christian Bale, excellent supporting cast and villains in each one, and just some very fine movie making in general. It's probably left a little too open for the final episode in a trilogy, but I'm pretty happy with this as an ending. A very strong movie, dark, fun, thought provoking. I give it 4.5 stars out of 5.
The moment we've been waiting a long time for had finally arrived. The excitement of going to see The Dark Knight Rises, which had received almost universally good reviews, was made even better by watching The Dark Knight just before we went. The Dark Knight is still so good and the performance by Heath Ledger is still so out of this world amazing as Batman's ultimate nemesis, The Joker. With The Joker suppressed and presumably in jail or an asylum (it is not mentioned at all out of respect to Heath), Two Face dead at the end of The Dark Knight and Batman going into exile and taking the rap for Harvey Dent's death, how could they continue and top the series? We were soon to find out that it would be by going big - extremely big.
Everything in The Dark Knight Rises is big - the scope, the villain, the toys, the performances. It opens 8 years after the Dark Knight, with Bruce Wayne as a recluse in his home, grieving over Rachel's death, retired from society, his company and his charity work. Batman is a wanted fugitive who hasn't been seen in years, the mafia have been shut down, the streets are clean and everyone is happy. Everyone except a guy called Bane. Bane has been building a secret army to help him carry out his plot to destroy Gotham City, which he says as a corrupt and divided city that needs to be brought back into balance. And there is nobody to stop him. Or so he thinks.....
As Batman decides to come out of retirement to fight this new threat to his city, he is aided or blocked by friends and enemies both old and new. Commissioner Gordon, loyal Alfred and Lucius Fox all have parts to play, with the main newcomers being Anne Hathaway as Catwoman (never explicitly named as such though) and Joseph Gordon-Levitt as police offer Blake promoted to detective and right-hand man to Commissioner Gordon. We also have Marion Cotillard as Miranda Tate, a possible love interest to get Bruce Wayne out of his shell and member of the Wayne Enterprises Board. Bane, the new villain, is simply massive in both physique and his ambition to cause chaos. He is also another very theatrical baddie, with his strange mask and creepy manner of speaking. Kudos for Tom Hardy (Inception) for his commitment to the role.
I found the movie to be really entertaining all the way through. There are several large set-pieces that are quite astonishing in the scope and scale of moviemaking on show and mainly free of obvious CGI (the football stadium was packed with real extras, in the melee between cops and baddies Christian Bale said he accidentally punched an extra because it was such a chaotic fight scene). There are a lot of parts that aren't action sequences, but I enjoyed these as well. Catwoman was a nice frothy distraction in her interactions with both Bruce Wayne and Batman, essentially providing some much needed comic relief. The dialogue between the other main players was mainly a continuation of the theme around 'what makes a hero' and the nature of villainy, which I find fascinating and ever more relevant as society appears to be crumbling around us. The baddies' cause in this case is obviously related to the recent "Occupy" movement, which makes it the most grounded in reality movie in any Batman film to date.
What I would say is that this isn't the perfect movie that a lot of people are saying it is. There are flaws - it's really, really long and you just feel some of it could have been skipped or covered a bit quicker. The cops are made to look like bumbling idiots, but this is something I noticed on re-watching The Dark Knight as well - why didn't they just go on the wrong side of the road instead of down the tunnel, why didn't they just shoot Batman when they had the chance etc? And if you thought the last movie spent too much time in the daylight, you're gonna hate this movie. Even more of the action occurs in daylight, and Gotham City just looks like New York City (obviously the location, but previous films have had much more of a fantastical feeling to the city). Coming out of the shadows just kind of spoils Batman's mystique if you ask me. And I kept getting distracted by thoughts of "hey we saw that when we were in New York".
The climactic battle is epic, entertaining and emotional and there was a nice surprise that we didn't see coming. With Batman's armoury falling into the hands of Bane and his army of believers and crooks, you get a good chance to see what all those powerful toys can really do when they're used for evil as well as good. So fun (especially the Batpod, I love it!). The film is a completely fitting finale for what has been a very ambitious undertaking to "reboot" Batman into a dark and gritty drama. Reboot is usually a dirty word but I think everyone would agree this one has been very welcome, with a fantastic character arc for Christian Bale, excellent supporting cast and villains in each one, and just some very fine movie making in general. It's probably left a little too open for the final episode in a trilogy, but I'm pretty happy with this as an ending. A very strong movie, dark, fun, thought provoking. I give it 4.5 stars out of 5.
Tuesday, 3 July 2012
Movie #16 - Ted
Yes, for once I'm posting a movie review before it comes out, so you can be fully informed and not have to try to rush out while it's on its last legs. Last night we attended a free preview of Ted, in a Vmax cinema no less. First time in Vmax, it was quite nice with the comfy leather seats and extra leg room. The blindingly bright lights on the seat number on the drink-holder between the seats was quite annoying though. Don't think I'll pay extra for this annoyance. Anyhoo....
Ted. A teddy bear that magically comes to life to save little John Bennett (Marky Mark Wahlberg) from a lifetime of having no friends. Teddy moves from family friend to celebrity to disgraced celebrity to a nobody after his 15 minutes are up, but he remains best friends forever with John. Now 35, John's life is based around hanging out with Ted, working in an average job and trying to keep his girlfriend Lori (Mila Kunis) just happy enough not to leave. The catch is that when Ted and John are hanging out, it involves a lot of smoking pot, swearing and watching bad TV including Flash Gordon.
You can't have avoided seeing the ads for this, so the shock factor is probably gone a little and some of the funniest bits are in the trailer. But there's still plenty to laugh at and make an "oh my god" face over, because it is weird to hear this naughty language coming from such a cute little teddy bear. But this not just a cuter version of Wilfred (the great TV show where only one guy can see his neightbour's dog talking to him). There is a subplot in the movie that is not even shown in the trailer, which I really enjoyed, and gave the movie a point of difference just when it looked like being a typical "boy meets girl, boy loses girl, boy loses best friend, boy has to win them both back" rom-com plotline. This revolves around some fans of Ted and the efforts they go to to make friends with him.
This is Seth McFarlane's movie - he wrote, directed and "stars" as Ted (somehow he wore a motion-capture suit to portray the bear, but it doesn't really show if you ask me, it could have just been a very realistic CGI character). He's that guy who created Family Guy and American Dad. And his voice for this movie is very similar to Brian the dog's voice in Family Guy, just with a Boston accent. But once you get over that and some of the slightly lame "magical" parts of this fairytale, the fact that the humour is very similar to Family Guy (pop culture references, general weirdness, weird cameos) makes it worthwhile seeing. And it has THE best fight between a man and a teddy bear that I've ever seen. Which totally offsets the lame "animated show" music that is sprinkled through the movie - it really could do with a soundtrack makeover. Which is made up for by the awesome payouts on celebrities I hate and the Flash Gordon references and tribute scene.
So the movie has pluses and minuses, but overall I'd give it 3.5 stars out of 5. There are some really really funny moments but you just feel like there could have been a few more.
Ted. A teddy bear that magically comes to life to save little John Bennett (Marky Mark Wahlberg) from a lifetime of having no friends. Teddy moves from family friend to celebrity to disgraced celebrity to a nobody after his 15 minutes are up, but he remains best friends forever with John. Now 35, John's life is based around hanging out with Ted, working in an average job and trying to keep his girlfriend Lori (Mila Kunis) just happy enough not to leave. The catch is that when Ted and John are hanging out, it involves a lot of smoking pot, swearing and watching bad TV including Flash Gordon.
You can't have avoided seeing the ads for this, so the shock factor is probably gone a little and some of the funniest bits are in the trailer. But there's still plenty to laugh at and make an "oh my god" face over, because it is weird to hear this naughty language coming from such a cute little teddy bear. But this not just a cuter version of Wilfred (the great TV show where only one guy can see his neightbour's dog talking to him). There is a subplot in the movie that is not even shown in the trailer, which I really enjoyed, and gave the movie a point of difference just when it looked like being a typical "boy meets girl, boy loses girl, boy loses best friend, boy has to win them both back" rom-com plotline. This revolves around some fans of Ted and the efforts they go to to make friends with him.
This is Seth McFarlane's movie - he wrote, directed and "stars" as Ted (somehow he wore a motion-capture suit to portray the bear, but it doesn't really show if you ask me, it could have just been a very realistic CGI character). He's that guy who created Family Guy and American Dad. And his voice for this movie is very similar to Brian the dog's voice in Family Guy, just with a Boston accent. But once you get over that and some of the slightly lame "magical" parts of this fairytale, the fact that the humour is very similar to Family Guy (pop culture references, general weirdness, weird cameos) makes it worthwhile seeing. And it has THE best fight between a man and a teddy bear that I've ever seen. Which totally offsets the lame "animated show" music that is sprinkled through the movie - it really could do with a soundtrack makeover. Which is made up for by the awesome payouts on celebrities I hate and the Flash Gordon references and tribute scene.
So the movie has pluses and minuses, but overall I'd give it 3.5 stars out of 5. There are some really really funny moments but you just feel like there could have been a few more.
Sunday, 1 July 2012
Movie #14 - Cabin in the Woods
Cabin in the Woods is a little movie with a big pedigree that nearly slipped by Australia altogether. Big pedigree because the idea and script came from the man Joss Whedon (admired by nerds for Firefly, Buffy , Angel, Serenity and now the well done The Avengers movie) and Drew Goddard (admired by nerds for being a co-writer on Lost, Angel, Buffy and Cloverfield), Goddard directs and it stars currently very hot Aussie actor Chris Hemsworth (Thor, The Avengers, Snow White and the Huntsman). Due for straight to DVD oblivion for some reason, the bloggers and fans took to the internet and protested and hence we have a limited season screening only at Palace Barracks in Brisbane. Check websites for options in other locations. I also recommend you book ahead if you plan on seeing it - our first attempt on the first Saturday night was sold out and the session on the Tuesday we attended also sold out but I'd learned and booked tickets online earlier in the day.
Cabin in the Woods is not a movie I can tell you much about. The plot is simple - five teens head to one of their relatives' cabin in the woods for a fun weekend away. Not long after they arrive, they discover nothing is as it seems with the cabin and they have to fight for their lives. However, even that is not as it seems. The reviews and publicity I've seen have possibly overrated this as having a "massive twist ending" or "turning every horror movie cliche on it's head". What happens in this movie is not a twist as such, as many clues are given even from the beginning of the movie. It is fair to say though that although the first 20 minutes feels like your typical teens in danger slasher film, it ends up not being very conventional. However I don't think it turns every horror movie cliche upside down either. It's just a very smart idea that hasn't really been done before.
The teens in question are mostly unknown other than the aforementioned Chris Hemsworth, which does kind of help them to sink into their stereotype characters - the jock, the slutty chick, the good girl, the brain and the joker. What happens to these college kids is very interesting though and makes you want them to survive despite the eye rolling cliche-ness of it all at first.
I'm not going to say anymore other than that while it is not a scary horror movie, but it is a really good gory horror movie and it will definitely make you think about 'what would I do if i was in that situation?'. There is one particular scene in the movie that is a real standout and, for me, probably one of the best scenes in any movie I've seen in the last few years. Ever since I saw this movie I've had this song in my head and that can only be a good thing. Highly recommended for gore hounds with patience.....
Cabin in the Woods is not a movie I can tell you much about. The plot is simple - five teens head to one of their relatives' cabin in the woods for a fun weekend away. Not long after they arrive, they discover nothing is as it seems with the cabin and they have to fight for their lives. However, even that is not as it seems. The reviews and publicity I've seen have possibly overrated this as having a "massive twist ending" or "turning every horror movie cliche on it's head". What happens in this movie is not a twist as such, as many clues are given even from the beginning of the movie. It is fair to say though that although the first 20 minutes feels like your typical teens in danger slasher film, it ends up not being very conventional. However I don't think it turns every horror movie cliche upside down either. It's just a very smart idea that hasn't really been done before.
The teens in question are mostly unknown other than the aforementioned Chris Hemsworth, which does kind of help them to sink into their stereotype characters - the jock, the slutty chick, the good girl, the brain and the joker. What happens to these college kids is very interesting though and makes you want them to survive despite the eye rolling cliche-ness of it all at first.
I'm not going to say anymore other than that while it is not a scary horror movie, but it is a really good gory horror movie and it will definitely make you think about 'what would I do if i was in that situation?'. There is one particular scene in the movie that is a real standout and, for me, probably one of the best scenes in any movie I've seen in the last few years. Ever since I saw this movie I've had this song in my head and that can only be a good thing. Highly recommended for gore hounds with patience.....
Friday, 11 May 2012
Movie #13 - Dark Shadows
I've never met a Tim Burton/Johnny Depp pairing I didn't like. Until now....
Dark Shadows is a new movie based on an old US TV show from the 1960s. The show was developed as a soap opera for housewives with a bit of a supernatural/gothic tone but was apparently much more popular than first anticipated. A shared fondness for the show between Johnny and Tim prompted them to try a movie version. The result is a very weird mix of melodrama, comedy and kookiness.
The film centres around the Collins family, who ran a very successful fishing business in the 18th Century but were plagued by odd events. When Barnabis Collins spurns the affections of a servant, who turns out to be an evil witch, his lover is cursed to jump to her death and he is cursed to become a vampire. The witch then imprisons him, until he is dug up 200 years later in 1972. There are now only 4 remaining members of the Collins clan and the business empire and family home is crumbling. Barnabas returns and determines to resurrect the family honour and fortune, but standing in the way is the very same witch who still wants Barnabas to rule the town by her side. Complicating this is the reincarnation of Barnabas' true love who is now Governess to young David Collins and knows nothing of her history with Barnabas but has her own weird issues going on.
As you can see from the above, the plot is fairly layered and I haven't even mentioned all of the characters and all of the plot points. This I think is the biggest problem of the movie. While this would work pretty well in an ongoing TV series that could take some time to explore the characters and events, in a 2 hour film it is just too much - some things get skipped over and you don't really understand the motivations for some of the actions. Several of the main characters have so little screen time they seem pointless even while they seem like they should have been key players. One character disappears for quite a long time and then seems to come back just when it is convenient.
There is also not enough humour to sustain the movie, there were a few stretches where I thought it was a little dull. There was a lot of potential for humour out of the "fish out of water" scenario of a 200 year old vampire arriving in the early 70s and discovering modern technology, but I think that all the best bits were used in the heavy advertising onslaught. Maybe if they'd gone more in this direction than focusing on the so-called love story, they could have had something really good. The love story is weird as the lovers spend so little time together on-screen and it seems like the main message is the importance of family and honour.
On the plus side for the movie are the fantastic gothic settings and styling, and the ever reliable Johnny Depp, who can do anything I believe. He is really good as the very stiff and proper 18th century gentleman, with some very tricky phrases rolling off his tongue. There is a touch of the Captain Jack in some of the facial expresssions, but isn't that what we love about Johnny? Michelle Pfeiffer does some great work as the Collins family matriarch, but Eva Green as the witch Angelique and Bella Heathcote as Victoria Winters are merely adequte when they should be great. Johnny Lee Miller almost fades into the background as Roger Collins and Chloe Moretz is a little bit 'off' as the teen daughter Carolyn.
I thought it was okay but a little disappointing given the cast, crew and potential in the setting. Should've gone a bit less complicated but there are a few giggles if you are a Johnny Depp fan.
Dark Shadows is a new movie based on an old US TV show from the 1960s. The show was developed as a soap opera for housewives with a bit of a supernatural/gothic tone but was apparently much more popular than first anticipated. A shared fondness for the show between Johnny and Tim prompted them to try a movie version. The result is a very weird mix of melodrama, comedy and kookiness.
The film centres around the Collins family, who ran a very successful fishing business in the 18th Century but were plagued by odd events. When Barnabis Collins spurns the affections of a servant, who turns out to be an evil witch, his lover is cursed to jump to her death and he is cursed to become a vampire. The witch then imprisons him, until he is dug up 200 years later in 1972. There are now only 4 remaining members of the Collins clan and the business empire and family home is crumbling. Barnabas returns and determines to resurrect the family honour and fortune, but standing in the way is the very same witch who still wants Barnabas to rule the town by her side. Complicating this is the reincarnation of Barnabas' true love who is now Governess to young David Collins and knows nothing of her history with Barnabas but has her own weird issues going on.
As you can see from the above, the plot is fairly layered and I haven't even mentioned all of the characters and all of the plot points. This I think is the biggest problem of the movie. While this would work pretty well in an ongoing TV series that could take some time to explore the characters and events, in a 2 hour film it is just too much - some things get skipped over and you don't really understand the motivations for some of the actions. Several of the main characters have so little screen time they seem pointless even while they seem like they should have been key players. One character disappears for quite a long time and then seems to come back just when it is convenient.
There is also not enough humour to sustain the movie, there were a few stretches where I thought it was a little dull. There was a lot of potential for humour out of the "fish out of water" scenario of a 200 year old vampire arriving in the early 70s and discovering modern technology, but I think that all the best bits were used in the heavy advertising onslaught. Maybe if they'd gone more in this direction than focusing on the so-called love story, they could have had something really good. The love story is weird as the lovers spend so little time together on-screen and it seems like the main message is the importance of family and honour.
On the plus side for the movie are the fantastic gothic settings and styling, and the ever reliable Johnny Depp, who can do anything I believe. He is really good as the very stiff and proper 18th century gentleman, with some very tricky phrases rolling off his tongue. There is a touch of the Captain Jack in some of the facial expresssions, but isn't that what we love about Johnny? Michelle Pfeiffer does some great work as the Collins family matriarch, but Eva Green as the witch Angelique and Bella Heathcote as Victoria Winters are merely adequte when they should be great. Johnny Lee Miller almost fades into the background as Roger Collins and Chloe Moretz is a little bit 'off' as the teen daughter Carolyn.
I thought it was okay but a little disappointing given the cast, crew and potential in the setting. Should've gone a bit less complicated but there are a few giggles if you are a Johnny Depp fan.
Movie #12 - The Avengers
And the geeks shall inherit the Earth! The Avengers has broken the record for highest ever box office opening weekend in the US, taking $207 million in the first 3 days. The total box office worldwide has already exceeded $700 million, putting the movie at #44 on the highest ever box office list after only two weeks. Where will it end up by the time it closes? Could it rival Avatar and Titanic as the two highest grossing films ever? I think yes, it definitely could, despite being a "comic book movie". It's so much fun, and it has the advantage of 3D boosting the receipts.
This actually won't be a really long review. The plot goes that Loki comes to Earth to steal the Tesseract so he can open a portal to another world where an army awaits to enslave us Earth people. The head of S.H.I.E.L.D feels the only option is to assemble a team of superheroes to save the Earth. Major crash and bash follows, occasionally within the team as well as against Loki and his quite fearsome army. I'd say that you really should have seen Thor before seeing this movie (introduces Thor and Loki) whereas seeing Captain America and Iron Man 1 & 2 would be recommended but not essential.
I loved this movie and I don't want to analyse it too much, as I just really enjoyed it the whole entire time it was on and I couldn't pick a fault with it. There was some major superhero smackdown, with some fights involved that any self-respecting comic book fan would have dreamed about ending very satisfactorily. There are no weak links in this awesome team, but Mark Ruffalo's Hulk is especially good - maybe they've finally nailed the Hulk on screen? There are some really funny bits, mainly courtesy of Robert Downey Jr's ongoing rock star approach to Tony Stark. The 3D is not overkilled at all so don't avoid it if you usually don't like it, and all of the effects are totally top-notch, probably the best I've seen. I'm so glad that this is a great movie and maybe it can shake off the "comic book" tag once and for all. Director Joss Whedon (Buffy, Firefly etc) has done a fantastic job at injecting real humanity into the characters and not doing any cheesy dialogue.
Five out of five stars for this - or should I give it a six for six kickass superheroes?
This actually won't be a really long review. The plot goes that Loki comes to Earth to steal the Tesseract so he can open a portal to another world where an army awaits to enslave us Earth people. The head of S.H.I.E.L.D feels the only option is to assemble a team of superheroes to save the Earth. Major crash and bash follows, occasionally within the team as well as against Loki and his quite fearsome army. I'd say that you really should have seen Thor before seeing this movie (introduces Thor and Loki) whereas seeing Captain America and Iron Man 1 & 2 would be recommended but not essential.
I loved this movie and I don't want to analyse it too much, as I just really enjoyed it the whole entire time it was on and I couldn't pick a fault with it. There was some major superhero smackdown, with some fights involved that any self-respecting comic book fan would have dreamed about ending very satisfactorily. There are no weak links in this awesome team, but Mark Ruffalo's Hulk is especially good - maybe they've finally nailed the Hulk on screen? There are some really funny bits, mainly courtesy of Robert Downey Jr's ongoing rock star approach to Tony Stark. The 3D is not overkilled at all so don't avoid it if you usually don't like it, and all of the effects are totally top-notch, probably the best I've seen. I'm so glad that this is a great movie and maybe it can shake off the "comic book" tag once and for all. Director Joss Whedon (Buffy, Firefly etc) has done a fantastic job at injecting real humanity into the characters and not doing any cheesy dialogue.
Five out of five stars for this - or should I give it a six for six kickass superheroes?
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