These reviews for Ponyo and Percy Jackson show what a mixed bag both these films are.
PONYO
Hayao Miyazaki returns after such masterpieces like Spirited Away with a rather unspirited spin on The Little Mermaid, telling of a young fish, Ponyo (dubbed by Noah Cyrus) desperate to become a human. When a young boy, Souske (Frankie Jonas) saves Ponyo from near death, she makes it her mission to become a human and get back to Souske and prove her love for him. This description makes Ponyo sound like a deep, intellectual film for all ages, when in fact, it's Miyazaki's most kid friendly picture date. Obviously aiming for a younger crowd than his usual devotees, the legendary Japanese director fails to add any of the knowing humour for the adults to enjoy this as much as previous films. The only reason it's getting the great reviews is because it's a hand drawn animation, and reviewers want people to continue to think that they like these artsy- fartsy pictures. While Ponyo is not overly arty, many points that make it a disappointment have not been picked up on; the fact that the script is appalling in places, and the supporting characters are not fleshed out well. And there's the huge problem with the pacing; between the epic sea battles and tender moments between Sosuke and Ponyo, the film is ridiculously slow. Miyazaki prides himself on focusing on the whole film, but here he faulters by not making this entertaining or dramatic enough. Having completely bashed Ponyo, I'm going to contradict myself completely, and say it was completely adorable, funny and very cute a lot of the time. And the casting of Cyrus and Jonas is just brilliant, especially considering their siblings' past! Overall, this is an odd, cold film that has flashes of genius. Not Miuyazaki at his best.
OVERALL GRADE: 6/10
PERCY JACKSON AND THE OLYMPIANS: THE LIGHTINING THEIF
I am a huge fan of the books, mainly because it was a fantastic alternative to Harry Potter. Rick Riordan is brilliant at fleshing out his characters, and making the action exciting; it bursts off the page ina flurry of hyperkinetic madness, making for an exhilarating read. Despite the film's attempts at exciting action and tender moments, much of the book's warmth is lost in an utterly cliched, predictable kid's offering that has some of the worst pacing since...well, Ponyo. The story of Percy Jackson (Logan Lerman, a good replacement for Daniel Radcliffe) learning he is the son of Posideon, and then, along with demigod friends Annabeth and Grover (Alexandra Daddario and Brandon T Jackson) embarking on a quest to both prove he did not steal God of the Gods, Zeus' bolt, and also to save his mother from the Underworld. The books are certainly not second rate material to Harry Potter, but this film is. The look, direction, stars, plot and everything else looks so similar to the first two Harry Potters (also directed by Chris Columbus, doing a moderate job here, but showing no enthuasism over the material) and audiences will not be pleased with this; I know I wasn't. The heart to heart moments are hilarious, and the action scenes pathetic to begin with. They improve greatly towards the end, as does the narrative structure and background design (sadly not the script or acting), and the film is very enjoyable, there's no doubt about it. It's just shame how disappointing it is.
OVERALL GRADE: 6/10
Sunday, 28 February 2010
Saturday, 20 February 2010
The Princess and the Frog, Astro Boy and A Single Man reviews
Despite the half term break, I seem to have more work than before, but I couldn't ignore the great selection of films out at the moment, and managed to see The Princess and the Fro, A Single Man and Astro Boy, which turned out to be a relatively good batch.
THE PRINCESS AND THE FROG
Although the 2D animation takes a while to get used to (all the CG glut makes you forget about old school hand drawn animation!), the storyline is more charming than many other films of its ilk for Princess. Telling of a young waitress' struggle to try and buy her own resteraunt in 1920's New Orleans is a different storyline for a Disney Princess Story, and finally gives a female character some true gravitas- Tiana (voiced and sung superbly by Dreamgirls' Anika Noni Rice) can stand on her own two feet, and is ready to get her hands dirty. It's not the colour of her skin that makes this a new page for Disney, but the fact that this princess has a brain. Of course, all those plans must be put on hold when she kisses a prince, who is cursed to be a frog. The two must find a way to return themselves to human form, but that will involving taking on the slimy Shadow Man and his voodoo cronies.
The charming, funny script, as well as an eccentric voice cast makes this is a thoroughly entertaining hour and a half, as well as a reminder that Disney can make fantastic animations just as well as Pixar. Admittedly, the storyline is very predictable, whilst the music doesn't stand out in the way that a picture like Up does, but this is a welcome return to form for Disney. John Lasseter really is the saviour of Disney.
OVERALL GRADE: 8/10
ASTRO BOY
Oh Dear. Despite the fantastic year that the film industry has been having (practically everything I've seen has been good this year), some hideous animaton wanders in to ruin things. While Astro Boy has some neat slapstick moments, it's nothing that hasn't been done before by other, superior animations. Borrowing heavily from films such as The Iron Giant and The Incredibles (the ending is a complete rip off of the latter), David Bowers simply doesn't direct with any oomph during the all important uplifting speechs. His standard, flat direction only lifts during the odd, mildly entertaining action sequence. And despite the odd fun moments, the henious dialouge, horrendous voice cast (someone really needs to adjust Nic Cage's meds) and the downright rubbish animation (my eyes are still trying to recover) ruins what is a fun television classic for many young kids across the world, myself included. An absolute monster failure, but for the kids, they may be entertained by this origin story of how a young boy is killed, only to be brought back to life, and then thrown away, as a robot. My sister (4 years younger than me) loved it, but younger children left perplexed by the odd, manic story plotting and weird humour. A mixed bag.
OVERALL GRADE: 4.5/10
A SINGLE MAN
This is more like it; a proper, tour de force performance that lifts a B grade film into the A class. Colin Firth is simply astonshing as a college professor preparing to finish his life as he suffers to cope in 1960s America after his gay lover's death. Though the taught dialouge helps, Firth's face does all the talking. The scene where he recieves the news of his partner's death is a masterclass of acting ability. The anguish, pain and devastation is etched all over him, and that torterous stance is held throughout this simply gorgeous directional debut from fashion director Tom Ford. While his camera floats over the lush cinematography, and the swooning, classic esque soundtrack, it's the incredible art direction that makes this such a tantalising watch. The clothes, make up and hair are perfect for thhis American era, capturing the elegance we see every week on Mad Men, the team who also work on this film. Julianne Moore once again shines, but this is Firth's show. He manages to carry the whole film, even the horribly overlong ending. A possible classic in the future.
OVERALL GRADE: 7/10
As about 471 films came out this week, I'm going to try and get as many as possible done this week. Expect reviews for Ponyo, Percy Jackson, The Lovely Bones, Invictus, Mugabe and the White African, The Wolfman and Valentine's Day by next weekend.
THE PRINCESS AND THE FROG
Although the 2D animation takes a while to get used to (all the CG glut makes you forget about old school hand drawn animation!), the storyline is more charming than many other films of its ilk for Princess. Telling of a young waitress' struggle to try and buy her own resteraunt in 1920's New Orleans is a different storyline for a Disney Princess Story, and finally gives a female character some true gravitas- Tiana (voiced and sung superbly by Dreamgirls' Anika Noni Rice) can stand on her own two feet, and is ready to get her hands dirty. It's not the colour of her skin that makes this a new page for Disney, but the fact that this princess has a brain. Of course, all those plans must be put on hold when she kisses a prince, who is cursed to be a frog. The two must find a way to return themselves to human form, but that will involving taking on the slimy Shadow Man and his voodoo cronies.
The charming, funny script, as well as an eccentric voice cast makes this is a thoroughly entertaining hour and a half, as well as a reminder that Disney can make fantastic animations just as well as Pixar. Admittedly, the storyline is very predictable, whilst the music doesn't stand out in the way that a picture like Up does, but this is a welcome return to form for Disney. John Lasseter really is the saviour of Disney.
OVERALL GRADE: 8/10
ASTRO BOY
Oh Dear. Despite the fantastic year that the film industry has been having (practically everything I've seen has been good this year), some hideous animaton wanders in to ruin things. While Astro Boy has some neat slapstick moments, it's nothing that hasn't been done before by other, superior animations. Borrowing heavily from films such as The Iron Giant and The Incredibles (the ending is a complete rip off of the latter), David Bowers simply doesn't direct with any oomph during the all important uplifting speechs. His standard, flat direction only lifts during the odd, mildly entertaining action sequence. And despite the odd fun moments, the henious dialouge, horrendous voice cast (someone really needs to adjust Nic Cage's meds) and the downright rubbish animation (my eyes are still trying to recover) ruins what is a fun television classic for many young kids across the world, myself included. An absolute monster failure, but for the kids, they may be entertained by this origin story of how a young boy is killed, only to be brought back to life, and then thrown away, as a robot. My sister (4 years younger than me) loved it, but younger children left perplexed by the odd, manic story plotting and weird humour. A mixed bag.
OVERALL GRADE: 4.5/10
A SINGLE MAN
This is more like it; a proper, tour de force performance that lifts a B grade film into the A class. Colin Firth is simply astonshing as a college professor preparing to finish his life as he suffers to cope in 1960s America after his gay lover's death. Though the taught dialouge helps, Firth's face does all the talking. The scene where he recieves the news of his partner's death is a masterclass of acting ability. The anguish, pain and devastation is etched all over him, and that torterous stance is held throughout this simply gorgeous directional debut from fashion director Tom Ford. While his camera floats over the lush cinematography, and the swooning, classic esque soundtrack, it's the incredible art direction that makes this such a tantalising watch. The clothes, make up and hair are perfect for thhis American era, capturing the elegance we see every week on Mad Men, the team who also work on this film. Julianne Moore once again shines, but this is Firth's show. He manages to carry the whole film, even the horribly overlong ending. A possible classic in the future.
OVERALL GRADE: 7/10
As about 471 films came out this week, I'm going to try and get as many as possible done this week. Expect reviews for Ponyo, Percy Jackson, The Lovely Bones, Invictus, Mugabe and the White African, The Wolfman and Valentine's Day by next weekend.
Friday, 12 February 2010
Roundup- Films I've seen in the last few weeks
I've been busy with school work, but I've managed to see a good amount of films recently. Here's the reviews.
SERAPHINE
While the tory of French Artist Seraphine being discovered by a German art collecter is very engaging and holds your attention throughout, the film rests solely on lead actress Yolande Moreau, and sadly, she isn't up to scratch. Small quirks aside, she is a plain heroine, and her bonkers transition by the end of the film feels forced and completely rushed. This is a big problem too; despite the lenghthy running time of 134 minutes, the film is never fleshed out enough to give the viewer a real insight into what made this woman who she is, as the trailer so strongly suggested. A disappoointment then, but engaging nonetheless.
OVERALL GRADE: 5/10
SEX & DRUGS & ROCK & ROLL
As a massive Ian Dury and Andy Serkis fan, I was expecking SDRR to be a great film. A whilst it is very well directed by Mat Whitecross and sports one of Serkis' greatest performance, the shift in tone is incredibly uneven, skipping from certain events without ever giving any reason for its importance, and without a reason as to why it's there. The end is also dramatically different to the rest of the film, and feels out of place. And Dury is not presented in a good light at all, and doesn't make for the greatest anti-hero is this biopic of his rise to fame with his band, The Blockheads. Fine turns, excellent music, an insightful script and strong pacing keep the film afloat, but some more depth was needed to make this feel real.
OVERALL GRADE: 6/10
YOUTH IN REVOLT
Michael Cera once again continues to allow himself to be typecast in Youth in Revolt; for the most part. In this humourous account of 16 year old virgin Nick Twisp, Cera gets to play Nick's bad alter ego, Francois Dillinger, who forces him to go to great depths to make sure that Nick stays together with his one true love, trailer park queen Sheeni (a star turn from Portia Doubleday.) Overall, the film slots into the same category as Adventureland; not laugh out loud funny, but with more humanity and a greater grip on what makes a film memorable; it resonates with its target audience. Nick's antics and the saucy goings on will make this the dream film for all adolescent males out there, and the girls will be entertained as well. Yet despite his fine turn (aided mainly by a super script) this really should be the final time Cera portrays the geeky but loveable teen; for someone so talented, it would be a shame if he fell into the horrific man- child group that ruined Paul Rust, and doesn't find a fresher role.
OVERALL GRADE: 7/10
PRECIOUS: BASED ON THE NOVEL 'PUSH' BY SAPPHIRE
To put it mildly, Precious is a very tough watch. Bolstered by powerful turns from a talented cast, and handled well (if a little too gleefully) by Lee Daniels, this story of Clarieece 'Precious' Jones (Gabourey Sidibe), an illiterate, dangerously obese black girl living in 1987 Harlem with her monsterous mother tells of how she finds salvation in the alternative school she attends, and a light blinks at the end of the tunnel, as Precious may have found her way out of this horrendous life. Daniels whirling camera captures every moment of the anguish Precious faces, and particularly shocking scenes (you won't forget the baby scene any time soon) are what he has perfected most. Yet the sinister close up rape scenes are little too much, and Daniels pushes it a little too far with his message. And of course, the film is no ray of sunshine, which makes any humour better in the film. The cast are the ones to be applauded most for Precious' success. Paula Patton and Mariah Carey are strong in slightly thin roles, whilst Sidibe and Mo'Nique (as Precious' mother) shine brightly, most notably in a terrific end. Don't go in thinking Precious is original though; there have been many stories like this before, but not nearly as well handled. A triumph.
OVERALL GRADE: 7/10
SERAPHINE
While the tory of French Artist Seraphine being discovered by a German art collecter is very engaging and holds your attention throughout, the film rests solely on lead actress Yolande Moreau, and sadly, she isn't up to scratch. Small quirks aside, she is a plain heroine, and her bonkers transition by the end of the film feels forced and completely rushed. This is a big problem too; despite the lenghthy running time of 134 minutes, the film is never fleshed out enough to give the viewer a real insight into what made this woman who she is, as the trailer so strongly suggested. A disappoointment then, but engaging nonetheless.
OVERALL GRADE: 5/10
SEX & DRUGS & ROCK & ROLL
As a massive Ian Dury and Andy Serkis fan, I was expecking SDRR to be a great film. A whilst it is very well directed by Mat Whitecross and sports one of Serkis' greatest performance, the shift in tone is incredibly uneven, skipping from certain events without ever giving any reason for its importance, and without a reason as to why it's there. The end is also dramatically different to the rest of the film, and feels out of place. And Dury is not presented in a good light at all, and doesn't make for the greatest anti-hero is this biopic of his rise to fame with his band, The Blockheads. Fine turns, excellent music, an insightful script and strong pacing keep the film afloat, but some more depth was needed to make this feel real.
OVERALL GRADE: 6/10
YOUTH IN REVOLT
Michael Cera once again continues to allow himself to be typecast in Youth in Revolt; for the most part. In this humourous account of 16 year old virgin Nick Twisp, Cera gets to play Nick's bad alter ego, Francois Dillinger, who forces him to go to great depths to make sure that Nick stays together with his one true love, trailer park queen Sheeni (a star turn from Portia Doubleday.) Overall, the film slots into the same category as Adventureland; not laugh out loud funny, but with more humanity and a greater grip on what makes a film memorable; it resonates with its target audience. Nick's antics and the saucy goings on will make this the dream film for all adolescent males out there, and the girls will be entertained as well. Yet despite his fine turn (aided mainly by a super script) this really should be the final time Cera portrays the geeky but loveable teen; for someone so talented, it would be a shame if he fell into the horrific man- child group that ruined Paul Rust, and doesn't find a fresher role.
OVERALL GRADE: 7/10
PRECIOUS: BASED ON THE NOVEL 'PUSH' BY SAPPHIRE
To put it mildly, Precious is a very tough watch. Bolstered by powerful turns from a talented cast, and handled well (if a little too gleefully) by Lee Daniels, this story of Clarieece 'Precious' Jones (Gabourey Sidibe), an illiterate, dangerously obese black girl living in 1987 Harlem with her monsterous mother tells of how she finds salvation in the alternative school she attends, and a light blinks at the end of the tunnel, as Precious may have found her way out of this horrendous life. Daniels whirling camera captures every moment of the anguish Precious faces, and particularly shocking scenes (you won't forget the baby scene any time soon) are what he has perfected most. Yet the sinister close up rape scenes are little too much, and Daniels pushes it a little too far with his message. And of course, the film is no ray of sunshine, which makes any humour better in the film. The cast are the ones to be applauded most for Precious' success. Paula Patton and Mariah Carey are strong in slightly thin roles, whilst Sidibe and Mo'Nique (as Precious' mother) shine brightly, most notably in a terrific end. Don't go in thinking Precious is original though; there have been many stories like this before, but not nearly as well handled. A triumph.
OVERALL GRADE: 7/10
Saturday, 6 February 2010
The Book of Eli review
Denzel Washington returns to badass form as Eli, a lone warrior who holds the key to finally pull the world out of the post apocolyptic world it's because. As he strives to achieve his goal, he discovers that one man will threaten his quest for his own personal gain. It's Eli's job to protect the Book that will save Earth.
While the film almost feels preachy in its message (the whole film has religious undertones) and the multiple slow mo shots of Denzel, Gary Oldman (who plays lead villain Carnegie with ferocity and glee) and Mila Kunis (I'm not complaining there) become very distracting, and just add to the cliches that are so apparent throughout The Book of Eli. Yet surprisingly for this type of picture, the acting is what stands out most. Oldman and Kunis provide solid strength, whilst Washington recovers from the disappointing The Taking of Pelham 123 with an impressive performance as Eli. He may kick the hell out of anyone who gets in his way, but all the emotions are broadcast on his face; fear, pain, anger. The film itseslf has real heart, and is all the more enjoyable for it. Albert and Allen Hughes direct with supreme imagination. Every action sequence has been thought through really well, adding their familiar, stylised violence to proceedings, like they did with their gory 2001 Johnny Depp starrer, From Hell. The script isn't as risible as say 2012, but this isn't The Road. The cliches can be seen a mile off, and the inspirational speeches are present and correct too. This is still hugely enjoyable though, and a definite cinema experience, but don't go in expecting an Oscar calibre picture.
OVERALL GRADE: 7/10
While the film almost feels preachy in its message (the whole film has religious undertones) and the multiple slow mo shots of Denzel, Gary Oldman (who plays lead villain Carnegie with ferocity and glee) and Mila Kunis (I'm not complaining there) become very distracting, and just add to the cliches that are so apparent throughout The Book of Eli. Yet surprisingly for this type of picture, the acting is what stands out most. Oldman and Kunis provide solid strength, whilst Washington recovers from the disappointing The Taking of Pelham 123 with an impressive performance as Eli. He may kick the hell out of anyone who gets in his way, but all the emotions are broadcast on his face; fear, pain, anger. The film itseslf has real heart, and is all the more enjoyable for it. Albert and Allen Hughes direct with supreme imagination. Every action sequence has been thought through really well, adding their familiar, stylised violence to proceedings, like they did with their gory 2001 Johnny Depp starrer, From Hell. The script isn't as risible as say 2012, but this isn't The Road. The cliches can be seen a mile off, and the inspirational speeches are present and correct too. This is still hugely enjoyable though, and a definite cinema experience, but don't go in expecting an Oscar calibre picture.
OVERALL GRADE: 7/10
Monday, 1 February 2010
January Roundup
January had a good assortment of films of both commercial and speciality releases (far ahead of last year's wider appealing bunch.) Here's my roundup of the seven films I caught this month, and my opinions on them.
NINE
Though a complete financial flop (and not popular with critics), Nine is a well acted, engaging musical that boasts a stellar turn from Daniel Day Lewis as Italian director Guido Contini, a man struggling to cope with the pressure of making a film that is destined to fail, as well as trying to juggles the demands of the numerous women in his life. The singing is good, but the acting is better. Marion Cotillard shines most as Guido's long suffering wife, Luisa. Though the dialouge is not great in places, and the songs are forgettable, Nine is another flashy piece from Rob Marshall.
OVERALL GRADE: 7/10
DAYBREAKERS
Daybreakers is the perfect horror film; great storyline (vampires have taken over the world, but the blood supply is running out), good performances (Ethan Hawke finds a meaty role as lead research scientist Edward Dalton, looking for a blood substitute, or preferably a cure to the disease of being a vampire), super direction from Michael and Peter Spierig (look out for them in the future) and some good scares. For that, Daybreakers gets a 9/10 (the pacing is too flat in places.) As a personal preferrence, this isn't tops on my list, as I don't enjoy horror films much (too disgusting or too cliched, a bit of both with Daybreakers.) Still, this is the best horror film of recent times (if you don't count District 9, which I don't) and if you love horror, this is the film for you.
OVERALL GRADE: 6.5/10
IT'S COMPLICATED
Meryl Streep is a favourite of mine, but even she struggles to bring the laughs to It's Complicated, an overly sentimental, ridiculously boring "comedy" from the queen of perfecction, Nancy Meyers. Or so it should be. Streep plays Jane, an unhappily divorced woman who has a great life, nice house, good business etc. yet still wants more. After years of trying to avoid each other, Jane and her ex Jake (Alec Baldwin) reuinte and an affair begins. Things get complicated (haha) when Jane also falls for her architect Adam (a creepy Steve Martin.) The film is so unbelievable (everything in the world is beautiful, everyone has amazing skin etc.) and so misogynistic- can't Jane stand on her own two feet forever without a man? There are odd funny moments, and Streep and John Kraninski are very good as Jane and future her son in law. However, It's another pompous, overlong, tedious piece from Meyers. A waste of some good talent.
OVERALL GRADE: 4.5/10
UP IN THE AIR
I wasn't really looking forward to Up in the Air (mainly because Clooney disappointed in The Men who stare at Goats), but he excells with the super material here, playing Ryan Bingham, a corporate downsizer who is unwilling to let his flashy life go when his collegue, Natalie (Anna Kendrick) suggests they fire people over a conference call. Jason Reitman has mastered film making to perfection, and his knack of witty scripts is eveident with Up in the Air; he and Sheldon Turner give an observant, raw screenplay that reflects the human side of an inhumane job. His directions skills continue to improve (the aerial shots are particularly breathtaking), yet it's the cast who are the most worthy of the praise. Clooney is on exceptional form, and really deserves that Oscar, and Kendrick and Vera Farmiga also excell as the woman in Bingham's life. This is an absolute treat.
OVERALL GRADE: 9/10
DID YOU HEAR ABOUT THE MORGANS?
As I labelled it on my review, this is entertaining trash; it's absolutely rubbish as a film (plot holes galore, cliches, pedestrian direction), yet it's very moderate entertainment. Hugh Grant and Sarah Jessica Parker are both moderate as a couple who are forced into a witness relocation programme to make sure that they are not seen by the person who just murdered their client. Fish out of water antics ensure, as they learn what really made them fall in love in the first place, having had some big difficulties in the relationship. You know what will happen in the end, and it's not better than previous romantic comedies, but it isn't the worst either. It's not memorable, or particularly humorous, but the sarcastic feel is nice to see, and the cast look like they're having a ball.
OVERALL GRADE: 6/10
THE ROAD
Viggo Mortensen and Kodi Smit McPhee are excellent as the Man and the Boy, a father and son heading for the South Coast of the USA to escape the post apocolyptic wasteland that the world has become. They must fend of the gangs, cannibals and starvation to keep themselves alive and stay together. The source material from Cormac McCarthy is such a fantasticaly visual novel, and the film captures that essence to perfection. Dark, macabre and yet hopeful in equal measure, this is never more than a captivating, if almost unbearably devastating film to watch. The film is something to be respected more than enjoy, and one viewing will certainly be enough to take, but this is a very good piece of storytelling.
OVERALL GRADE: 8/10
CRUDE
This documentary follows the case against Chevron, a fuel company who were involved in a $27bn court case against the indigenious population in Edcaudor who wanted compansation for all the damage Chevron allegedly did to these towns. The one aspect that makes Crude a good documentary is that it isn't one sided. It's obvious who the filmmakers favour, but they give Chevron the chance to have their say and prove their case. The thing that makes it a bad documentary is they've picked the most awful people to for Chevron. The film also seems to veer off into other directions from the central point a lot of the time, and with so many people to get to know, it'a difficult to warm to any fully, as you don't really know them. But this is still very engaging and interesting to watch, as the trial continues today.
OVERALL GRADE: 6/10
Next month I plan to see Edge of Darkness, Precious, The Book of Eli, The Princess and the Frog, Sex & Drugs & Rock & Roll, Astro Boy, Invictus, Youth in Revolt, A Single Man, Percy Jackson and the Olympians, Valentine's Day, The Wolfman, Ponyo, The Last Station, Crazy Heart, From Paris with Love, MicMacs and Leap Year.
NINE
Though a complete financial flop (and not popular with critics), Nine is a well acted, engaging musical that boasts a stellar turn from Daniel Day Lewis as Italian director Guido Contini, a man struggling to cope with the pressure of making a film that is destined to fail, as well as trying to juggles the demands of the numerous women in his life. The singing is good, but the acting is better. Marion Cotillard shines most as Guido's long suffering wife, Luisa. Though the dialouge is not great in places, and the songs are forgettable, Nine is another flashy piece from Rob Marshall.
OVERALL GRADE: 7/10
DAYBREAKERS
Daybreakers is the perfect horror film; great storyline (vampires have taken over the world, but the blood supply is running out), good performances (Ethan Hawke finds a meaty role as lead research scientist Edward Dalton, looking for a blood substitute, or preferably a cure to the disease of being a vampire), super direction from Michael and Peter Spierig (look out for them in the future) and some good scares. For that, Daybreakers gets a 9/10 (the pacing is too flat in places.) As a personal preferrence, this isn't tops on my list, as I don't enjoy horror films much (too disgusting or too cliched, a bit of both with Daybreakers.) Still, this is the best horror film of recent times (if you don't count District 9, which I don't) and if you love horror, this is the film for you.
OVERALL GRADE: 6.5/10
IT'S COMPLICATED
Meryl Streep is a favourite of mine, but even she struggles to bring the laughs to It's Complicated, an overly sentimental, ridiculously boring "comedy" from the queen of perfecction, Nancy Meyers. Or so it should be. Streep plays Jane, an unhappily divorced woman who has a great life, nice house, good business etc. yet still wants more. After years of trying to avoid each other, Jane and her ex Jake (Alec Baldwin) reuinte and an affair begins. Things get complicated (haha) when Jane also falls for her architect Adam (a creepy Steve Martin.) The film is so unbelievable (everything in the world is beautiful, everyone has amazing skin etc.) and so misogynistic- can't Jane stand on her own two feet forever without a man? There are odd funny moments, and Streep and John Kraninski are very good as Jane and future her son in law. However, It's another pompous, overlong, tedious piece from Meyers. A waste of some good talent.
OVERALL GRADE: 4.5/10
UP IN THE AIR
I wasn't really looking forward to Up in the Air (mainly because Clooney disappointed in The Men who stare at Goats), but he excells with the super material here, playing Ryan Bingham, a corporate downsizer who is unwilling to let his flashy life go when his collegue, Natalie (Anna Kendrick) suggests they fire people over a conference call. Jason Reitman has mastered film making to perfection, and his knack of witty scripts is eveident with Up in the Air; he and Sheldon Turner give an observant, raw screenplay that reflects the human side of an inhumane job. His directions skills continue to improve (the aerial shots are particularly breathtaking), yet it's the cast who are the most worthy of the praise. Clooney is on exceptional form, and really deserves that Oscar, and Kendrick and Vera Farmiga also excell as the woman in Bingham's life. This is an absolute treat.
OVERALL GRADE: 9/10
DID YOU HEAR ABOUT THE MORGANS?
As I labelled it on my review, this is entertaining trash; it's absolutely rubbish as a film (plot holes galore, cliches, pedestrian direction), yet it's very moderate entertainment. Hugh Grant and Sarah Jessica Parker are both moderate as a couple who are forced into a witness relocation programme to make sure that they are not seen by the person who just murdered their client. Fish out of water antics ensure, as they learn what really made them fall in love in the first place, having had some big difficulties in the relationship. You know what will happen in the end, and it's not better than previous romantic comedies, but it isn't the worst either. It's not memorable, or particularly humorous, but the sarcastic feel is nice to see, and the cast look like they're having a ball.
OVERALL GRADE: 6/10
THE ROAD
Viggo Mortensen and Kodi Smit McPhee are excellent as the Man and the Boy, a father and son heading for the South Coast of the USA to escape the post apocolyptic wasteland that the world has become. They must fend of the gangs, cannibals and starvation to keep themselves alive and stay together. The source material from Cormac McCarthy is such a fantasticaly visual novel, and the film captures that essence to perfection. Dark, macabre and yet hopeful in equal measure, this is never more than a captivating, if almost unbearably devastating film to watch. The film is something to be respected more than enjoy, and one viewing will certainly be enough to take, but this is a very good piece of storytelling.
OVERALL GRADE: 8/10
CRUDE
This documentary follows the case against Chevron, a fuel company who were involved in a $27bn court case against the indigenious population in Edcaudor who wanted compansation for all the damage Chevron allegedly did to these towns. The one aspect that makes Crude a good documentary is that it isn't one sided. It's obvious who the filmmakers favour, but they give Chevron the chance to have their say and prove their case. The thing that makes it a bad documentary is they've picked the most awful people to for Chevron. The film also seems to veer off into other directions from the central point a lot of the time, and with so many people to get to know, it'a difficult to warm to any fully, as you don't really know them. But this is still very engaging and interesting to watch, as the trial continues today.
OVERALL GRADE: 6/10
Next month I plan to see Edge of Darkness, Precious, The Book of Eli, The Princess and the Frog, Sex & Drugs & Rock & Roll, Astro Boy, Invictus, Youth in Revolt, A Single Man, Percy Jackson and the Olympians, Valentine's Day, The Wolfman, Ponyo, The Last Station, Crazy Heart, From Paris with Love, MicMacs and Leap Year.
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