All Good Things

Friday 20th February 2015

Director: Andrew Jarecki
Year: 2010
Stars: Ryan Gosling, Kirsten Dunst, Frank Langella, Lily Rabe, Philip Baker Hall

Well, this was odd - and perhaps not exactly what I was expecting. I still don't know how much I enjoyed it. I hadn't really heard of the movie before, but it sounded interesting when I saw it was on TV, so decided to give it a try. It turns out that the reason I hadn't heard of the movie was because, even though it has some big names in it, it was never really promoted upon its release, and got a very narrow arts-house release.

Upon watching it, it's not hard to see the reasons for the lack of promotion. It's a tough movie to market. It tells the story of David Marks (Gosling), and his relationship with his father (Langella) and his wife (Dunst). It's apparently 'the most notorious unresolved murder cases in New York history' (according to the movie blurb; I had never heard of it so who knows whether or not this is true) - but this is the part of the problem. The murder case is unresolved, meaning there's no closure in the movie. Now, it's clear that the movie thinks it knows what happened, but it leaves a lot of questions in its wake. Not least of which is 'is this what really happened? How much has this movie made up?!'

Overall, the individual performances aren't bad. Individual elements of the script aren't bad. I even spent chunks of the film being quite intrigued and wondering what would happen next. But somehow All Good Things isn't quite the sum of its parts. I can't really recommend it - it's mostly likely to leave you feeling frustrated and confused - not to mention wanting answers you won't get.

Rating: 2.5 out of 5

The Raven

Friday 6th February 2015

Director: James McTeigue
Year: 2012
Stars: John Cusack, Luke Evans, Alice Eve

I wanted to see this when it was released, the subject matter (Edgar Allan Poe - even if this was clearly going to be fictitious) and genre (thriller/ horror) both appealing to me. It didn't get great reviews, but having seen clips of the movie this didn't really put me off. Unfortunately I never got the chance to see it at the cinema, so when it was shown on TV I was fairly determined not to miss it.

Raven is all about a copy-cat murderer who uses Allan Poe's stories to inspire him. It becomes, to some extent, Poe's (Cusack) responsibility to find the killer, as he knows the subject matter of his stories best.

In my opinion, Cusack does a fantastic job of playing Poe, and is a joy to watch. I've always enjoyed him as an actor, but he really does a great job in this role. The film is pretty gory, and initially I wasn't sure if I was watching a gory horror film or a drama about a writer. This improved though, and by the end of the movie I was really enjoying the story. The film has a fair bit to say about whether or not fiction can lead to real-life horror, but also manages to tell a decent story. I'm not entirely sure why this movie got such negative reviews, but I'm glad I chose to ignore them and watch it anyway.

Rating: 4 out of 5

Brighton Rock

Saturday 14 June 2014

Director: Rowan Joffe
Year: 2010
Stars: Sam Riley, Andrea Riseborough, Helen Mirren, John Hurt, Philip Davis

OK, so it's been a while since I watched a movie (with the exception of watching Twilight Breaking Dawn Part 1, which we saw on holiday. But I've seen, and blogged, about that before, and my opinion hasn't really changed)... I've just had a quick glance at this blog and the last movie I saw was Drive, back in early May. I guess I have been busy since then - trips to Exeter to see family, and a week on the Isles of Scilly have all contributed, but I didn't realise it had been quite that long.

So it's a shame that the movie I did watch was Brighton Rock (the re-make, not the original) - which was really rather rubbish. The characters felt like they had no motivation other than to move the story along, the plot was mostly daft, and what was the point of those mods and rockers scenes? It felt as if they were just crammed in there to make the whole thing look good.

Brighton Rock tells the tale of Pinkie (riley), a boy working for the mob who decides to take over the gang when his boss dies. For various reasons, he ends up meeting Rose (Riseborough) and marrying her. Rose has to be the most frustrating, unmotivated, unbelievable character in the whole movie. And that's in a movie full of unbelievable characters.

Now, both my hubby and I were convinced we had watched the original Brighton Rock, and that it was much better. I don't know what he was thinking about, but I think I was actually thinking of Quadrophenia. Perhaps it was the whole mods and rockers connection. I sincerely hope the original Brighton Rock is better (along with the Graham Greene novel it is based on); I might still give it a try just out of sheer stupid curiosity. But overall, you're probably a lot better off watching Quadrophenia.

Rating: 1 out of 5

Drive

Friday 2nd May 2014

Director: Nicolas Winding Refn
Year: 2011
Stars: Ryan Gosling, Carey Mulligan, Bryan Cranston, Albert Brooks, Oscar Isaac, Ron Perlman

I recorded this because I was quite keen to watch it - I knew it had received a lot of critical acclaim, and whilst I didn't know that much about it, I was pretty curious. A conversation with a colleague (after I had recorded the movie) did put me off a little though - he claimed it was a pretty slow movie, and I just don't really feel like there's time in my life for slow movies at the moment.

I'm pleased to say that, whilst he was right, it didn't matter. The movie is meant to be slow - that's part of the point. It's aiming to set up a certain sort of atmosphere which, I feel, it achieves perfectly.

The less you know about Drive the better, I suspect - but there are a couple of things I can say that won't ruin anything.The driver in question (Gosling) is a stunt car driver, but also works as a get-away driver. And that's where things get interesting. Interesting enough that I don't really want to say any more.

Yes, Drive is slow - but I was never bored; the next thing always came fast enough to keep me intrigued. Besides, it's only 90 minutes long anyway. Worth seeking out if you enjoy something a bit different.

Rating: 4 out of 5

The Guard

Tuesday 8th April 2014

Director: John Michael McDonagh
Year: 2011
Stars: Brendan Gleeson, Don Cheadle, Mark Strong

Well, what a pleasant surprise this was. I had recorded it knowing little about it, but thinking it sounded quite good. When we came to watch it, we were a little dubious about whether or not it would be worth it.

Within minutes we were decided. The Guard is set in Ireland, and focuses on Sergeant Gerry Boyle (Gleeson), an Irish Guard based in a  village in County Galway, where very little ever happens. Except there's just been a murder, and it seems that there are some international drug smugglers somewhere nearby  - cue the arrival of the FBI...

This may all sound overly familiar, but The Guard is actually a novel, jolly good romp, with a massive hint of irony about it (a bit like the main character). And has a finale that made me comment how I haven't enjoyed the ending of a movie this much in ages.

Rating: 4.5 out of 5

A History of Violence

Saturday 22nd March 2014

Director: David Cronenberg
Year: 2005
Stars: Viggo Mortensen, Maria Bello, Ed Harris, William Hurt, Ashton Holmes

This is another movie that I've wanted to watch for some time, so was excited when I finally managed to notice it was on TV, record it and find time to watch it!

A History of Violence isn't a bad movie, but I'm still not sure exactly what I think of it. Viggo Mortensen plays Tom Stall, a man who stops two criminals from robbing his diner and harming his staff. It transpires that Tom may, or may, not have been a violent criminal in the past.

The plot of A History of Violence manages to go in a totally different direction to the one you expect, whilst at the same time ending up exactly where you thought it would. Somehow, it feels as if something is missing - there is a lot of story here that seems to be hinted at, but is never truly explored. Now, the running time of this movie is fairly tight (that, at least, makes a nice change) so either a lot of movie got cut in the editing room, or I'm just reading more into this whole experience than I should be.

Not a bad movie overall, but one that, I suspect, I'm not going to have a brilliant memory of in a month or so's time.

Rating: 3 out of 5

Postscript: I have actually seen this before. It was one of the very first movies I reviewed on this blog, back in December 2008.I had a similar opinion about it then, although perhaps this review gives better reasoning. Either way, I guess it can't be that memorable a movie!

The Next Three Days

Friday 4th October 2013

Director: Paul Haggis
Year: 2010
Stars: Russell Crowe, Elizabeth Banks, Liam Neeson, Ty Simpkins

The Next Three Days is pretty good, up to a point. The initial premise is interesting - a woman (Lara Brennan, played by Banks) is accused of murdering her boss. Her husband John (Crowe) refuses to believe she did it, and spends the next few years trying to get her released from jail.

And this is where it all gets a bit sillier. After John fails to get Lara released from jail, he starts plotting various ways of breaking her out of jail. All of which are relatively implausible, but because this is Hollywood he clearly has a shot at one of his ideas working. That's not to say the film is a bad one, just that it slowly becomes a little more implausible as time goes on - which is a bit of a shame, because it all starts off relatively realistically.

Rating: 3.5 out of 5

Despicable Me

Sunday 16th June 2013

Director: Pierre Coffin, Chris Renaud
Year: 2010
Stars: Steve Carrell, Jason Segel, Russell Brand, Miranda Cosgrove, Dana Gaier, Elsie Fisher

What is it with Steve Carrell movies at the moment? This is the second one in two days - and another one I didn't actually mind too much.

Here, Carrell plays Gru, an evil mastermind who wants to beat another evil mastermind, Vector (Segel) who is proving to be a younger, better mastermind. In order to do this, Gru adopts three orphan girls... can you see where this is going? Yes, it's not the most cunning of plotlines.

If what you're after is a fun weekend movie that your kids will enjoy, Despicable Me probably fits the bill perfectly well. If you want something a bit more up-beat that both adults and kids will enjoy, try an older, but better, movie like Shrek.

Rating: 2.5 out of 5

Date Night

 Saturday 15th June 2013

Director: Shawn Levy
Year: 2010
Stars: Steve Carrell, Tina Fey

Right, I've been totally rubbish at updating this blog for the past month or so, so get ready for a plethora of posts! I'll try to make sure they don't all appear on the same day...

The first of the movies I've seen in the past month and don't-really-remember-that-well is Date Night. Although actually, this one I remember better than others - mostly because it was a lot better than I was expecting to be. I started watching it knowing I generally hate Steve Carrell and most movies he's in, so not expecting much.

In Date Night, Phil and Claire Foster (Carrell and Fey) are a normal suburban couple, who, by taking somebody else's reservation at a restaurant, end up being chased, shot at and generally getting into trouble for something they know nothing about. And yes, (just in case you didn't see it coming) there are lots of jokes about the fact that taking somebody elses reservation is an awful thing to do, even whilst getting shot at.

It turns out Date Night is actually quite a fun, if relatively mindless, screwball-type comedy - and Carrell helps, rather than hinders, the movie. Now don't get me wrong, it's not like the brilliantly funny screwball comedies of the 1930s, but if what you're after is a few laughs on a Saturday night, you could do worse than Date Night.

Rating: 3 out of 5

Compliance

Monday 25th March 2013

Director: Craig Zobel
Year: 2012
Stars: Ann Dowd, Dreama Walker, Pat Healy, Bill Camp

This was my second experience of baby cinema; this time, at the Watershed in Bristol. Once again, Joe was mostly lovely - playing quietly for the first half, and sleeping for the second half. Which he should be given some credit for as he was about to get the worst, stinkiest cold he had ever had.

Which also means he's due more credit than this movie. I can't deny that it's memorable, but it's also stifling (to be fair, it's meant to be), depressing and a very, very odd choice for a movie to show at a baby screening where all the mums want something to cheer them up a little (I would imagine anyway - I did)! Compliance is all about how we react to authority figures, doing whatever they tell us to just because they say they're authoritative. In this case, it's how a 19-year old female is treated when somebody claiming to be a detective rings up to say she's stolen from a customer. In case you can't guess, she's not treated well...

The idea is interesting, and even the story itself, whilst tough, is intriguing. But somehow the movie makes it all feel a bit too much like hard work. Maybe it is partly because I was there with a 7 month old baby, but I can't really think of a situation in which I would have enjoyed watching this.

 Rating: 2 out of 5

Robot and Frank

Monday 11th March 2013

Director: Jake Schreier
Year: 2013
Stars: Peter Saarsgaard, Frank Langella, Susan Sarandon, James Marsden, Liv Tyler

This was my first experience of baby cinema. Previously I'd been a little sceptical, as how can you truly watch a film when you have a baby with you? Well, on this occasion at least I was proved wrong. My baby boy slept in his carseat for the first 40 mins, then slept on me for the next 20 mins. The last 20 mins or so he played with my top and some toys, but let me watch the end of the movie. The only thing distracting me was me watching him enjoy himself! Here's hoping my little one grows up to be as much of a film fan as I am...

Luckily, the film itself was also quite good. I hadn't heard of Robot and Frank until the day before we went to see it, but at the time I figured "what does it matter? I'm not going to get to watch most of it anyway". The movie is about a man who is beginning to go senile, and a robot his son hires for him to help him cook and clean. Frank (Langella), however, has other ideas. He used to be a burglar, and decides to get the robot to help him with some new jobs instead. Sweet, funny and touching, this is a film you may not have heard of, but is worth a watch. Who knew baby cinema was a way to discover enjoyable film gems you'd never heard of?!

Rating: 3.5 out of 5

Gomorrah: Film #171 of Film 365

Friday 10th August 2012

Director: Matteo Garrone
Year: 2008
Stars: Salvatore Abruzzese, Simone Sacchettino, Francesco Pirozzi, Vincenzo Caso, Anna Sarnelli, Ginafelice Imparato, Toni Servillo

So far, this is the only movie I've managed to watch all month - and it's taken me 10 days to blog about it. Disappointingly, it also wasn't very good. Now I'm on maternity leave and have a bit (well, quite a lot) more spare time I'll have to find some movies I've heard are good to try and make sure August isn't totally wasted! I have to admit, I'm not even entirely sure why this movie got recorded - it's an Italian movie (although it took us a while to figure that out; at points they are definitely speaking French, and sometimes such colloquial Italian I couldn't make out a single word) that I had never really heard of. It must have sounded interesting in the TV guide!

The movie follows five different story strands, all in some way (some more loosely than others) connected to the Italian mob. I have to admit that, ten days later, I probably couldn't tell you what all five story strands are. However, the stories themselves aren't (generally) that bad. The problem came, for me, in trying to understand why they were all in the same movie. I spent the entire movie waiting for the "oh! That's what connects them all!" moment, and it just didn't come.

Yes, all the stories do (tenuously) have the mob connecting them. But beyond that, I don't really understand why Gomorrah isn't five different movies. Or, alternatively, focuses on one of the stories in much more detail. There was clearly enough thought put into each story strand so that this could have worked. Not a bad movie in places, but somehow fails to join the pieces together successfully.

Rating: 2.5 out of 5

The Dark Knight Rises: Film #170 of Film 365

Friday 27th July 2012

Director: Christopher Nolan
Year: 2012
Stars: Christian Bale, Gary Oldman, Anne Hathaway, Michael Caine, Tom Hardy, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Marion Cotillard, Morgan Freeman

I was keen to see this as I had really enjoyed Batman Begins and The Dark Knight, although I was a little unsure about whether or not it could ever compete with these movies - especially considering it is the final movie in the trilogy, and I guessed that a lot of the movie would be all about spectacle. It's also 160 minutes long - something I wasn't sure whether or not I'd be able to handle what with being 7 months pregnant and having some back pain.

Thankfully, the back pain wasn't too bad. I wasn't really wrong about the spectacle, and it doesn't compare with the earlier two films. But then perhaps it never would have been able to. This doesn't make it a bad movie though. Sure, it could probably have been a bit shorter (time drags a little at about 1 hour in), but it's still miles ahead of most super hero movies. The plot is perhaps not as sleek as it could be (the holes aren't gaping, but they are there), but you still care about the characters. And the spectacle is definitely spectacular. Very enjoyable, just not quite up to Nolan's usual standards. But if, at your best, your standards are Memento and Inception, you're aiming pretty high in the first place.

Rating: 3.5 out of 5

Desperado: Film #160 of Film 365

Tuesday 15th May

Director: Robert Rodriguez
Year: 1995
Stars: Antonio Banderas, Salma Hayek, Joaquim de Almeida, Steve Buscemi

Hmm... it’s taken me a while to get around to writing this. A week and a half, in fact. In case you hadn’t guessed, this also means I’ve had no time at all to watch any other movies. Anyway, on to the review.

I’ve loved Desperado for a long time, but it’s also been a while since I’ve watched it. So when I saw that it was being shown on Five USA (not a random channel at all...), I thought it was a good opportunity to re-watch it. Desperado is, loosely, a remake of the Spanish movie El Mariachi. Whilst El Mariachi is also good, I actually prefer Desperado. I’ve always been something of a Rodriguez fan (my first introduction to him was watching From Dusk to Dawn- still a favourite- long before I probably should have done); and it still annoys me that I’ve not yet managed to see The Grindhouse movies.

Desperado is all about El Mariachi (Banderas), a man who used to be a mariachi but is now out for revenge after his lover was killed. We don’t really know much about the person who killed his lover until the end of the movie, except for the fact that his name is Bucho. A typical Rodriguez movie, this is very stylised – although also very obviously filmed in the 1990s. The movie is definitely dated, but it’s still a fun watch. What’s not to like when you have guns disguised as guitars, Antonio Banderas and Rodriguez directing? Maybe it’s just me.

Rating: 4 out of 5

Max Payne: Film #139 of Film 365

Wednesday 17th February 2012

Director: John Moore
Year: 2008
Stars: Mark Wahlberg, Mila Kunis, Beau Bridges, Ludacris, Chris O'Donnell

Before watching this, I didn’t realise that it was an adaptation of a video game. Upon hearing this, my immediate reaction was “so when are the stupid black creatures that live in tunnels going to appear?”. Five minutes later, stupid black creatures appeared in a tunnel. This is perhaps a little harsh – Max Payne isn’t as bad as a lot of video game adaptations out there. If you’re willing to take it all at face value (and, admittedly, ignore a number of minor plot holes) it’s a fairly enjoyable Friday night movie – even if I was watching it on a Wednesday.

The basic premise is that Max Payne’s wife and child were killed about 3 years ago, and he is still trying to find out who was behind the attack. Unsurprisingly, by the end of the movie he has the answer. And that’s pretty much it – other than the message that guns are cool (seriously, watching the closing credits. Guns aren’t this cool even in most video games). If you watch it, it’s probably best to be prepared for a video game adaptation movie. Then you won’t be disappointed – you might even be pleasantly surprised.

Rating: 2.5 out of 5

Once Upon a Time in America: Film # 131 of Film 365

Friday 27th January 2012

Director: Sergio Leone
Year: 1984
Stars: Robert De Niro, James Woods, Elizabeth McGovern, Larry Rapp, Joe Pesci

I was bought Once Upon a Time in America for Christmas on Blu ray. I had asked for it, so it wasn't a bad choice of present. However, I hadn't seen the movie before. I didn't really know much about it until I read an article about the blu ray release in a film magazine a few months ago. The article was convincing enough to make me want to watch the movie, so when I saw that it was pretty cheap on Amazon I added it to my wish list.

After a long day travelling to and from Portsmouth for work (it shouldn't, but it takes 2 1/2 hours to get there and back from Bristol) I figured an evening watching a movie wasn't a bad way to spend my time. A word of warning here - it really does take a whole evening to watch this. It's nearly four hours long. Thankfully I knew this going into the experience, so I wasn't too distressed about it. However, concentrating after 3 and a half hours is tough, however ready you are for the experience.

For the most part, I really enjoyed Once Upon a Time in America. I usually love gangster movies anyway, and the best ones (think The Godfather, Goodfellas...) are often lengthy movies. Leone does a good job of creating a convincing gangster movie, and even manages to evoke different eras by using different film styles. Here, it's always easy to tell if you're in the 1930s or the 1980s. The main story, whilst long, makes sense and is pretty satisfying. My one problem with Once Upon a Time in America is that the first half an hour is never explained satisfactorily- at least, not in my opinion. OK, so you can claim "it's just the mob" (and therefore makes sense), you can read part of the movie as a "dream sequence" (a frustrating cop-out in my opinion, if that was the director's intention) - but none of those readings satisfy me. It's a pity, because the omission of what could have been a 30 second explanation turns a great movie into a frustrating one.

Leone has not created (as one imdb reviewer puts it) a "cultural endurance test" (although the phrase amuses me) - but if you are going to watch this, be wary of the very long running time and some frustrating lack of plot explanations. If you love gangster movies, I think you probably have to give this a watch, and for the most part you will enjoy it. But it's not perfect.

Rating: 4 out of 5

In the Valley of Elah: Film # 125 of Film 365

Monday 16th January 2012

Director: Paul Haggis
Year: 2007
Stars: Tommy Lee Jones, Charlize Theron, Jason Patric, Susan Sarandon, James Franco, Josh Brolin

In direct contrast to Talladega Nights, this movie isn't silly at all - or funny. It is still very good though, even if its aim is to be a worthy movie.

Hank Deerfield's (Lee Jones) son works for the army, and is reported as having gone AWOL. In an attempt to find out what has happened, Hank goes looking for some answers. This slowly leads to some awful realisations about the American army, and the way Hank has previously viewed the world.

Although the story is supposedly about his son, the central character here is really Hank. It's an interesting, insightful character study of how one person's views can change so dramatically. This is a character who goes from being a staunch patriot to realising America isn't quite the idealistic place he once knew. This is portrayed especially well using some scenes that, when we first see them, feel (albeit reasonably in context) quite random, and as if they are just setting the scene. Watch out especially for the scenes with the US flag, and those with the lady talking about the dog in the police station.

I felt as if this movie had a point to make when I started watching it, and by the time the film had ended this was very definitely confirmed. Whether or not you agree with the point, it is very effectively made, and a very interesting movie to watch.

Rating: 4 out of 5

Taken: Film #118 of Film 365

Saturday 7th January 2012

Director: Pierre Morel
Year: 2008
Stars: Liam Neeson, Maggie Grace, Famke Janssen

In an attempt to break free from the romantic-comedy cycle I seem to be on at the moment, I figured an action/ crime drama might be a good choice. So Taken it was.

Taken is a pretty good example of the type of movie it is. It has an interesting (if entirely implausible) plot, and the lead man (Bryan Mills, played by Neeson) is truly kick-ass. You know he's going to win, but you still want him to. He's got some properly evil guys to fight so it's OK to kill them all.

Taken follows Mills as he tries to track down the Albanian human traffickers who have kidnapped his daughter, and get his daughter back. Mills is an ex-CIA agent, meaning that he's so kick-ass he can take on rooms full of the bad guys, even when they all come at him at the same time. Like I said, implausible. But still a fun watch, as long as you're happy with car/ boat chases, scraps and gun fights.

Rating: 3 out of 5

The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo: Film #115 of Film 365

Monday 2nd January 2012

Director: David Fincher
Year: 2011
Stars: Daniel Craig, Rooney Mara, Christopher Plummer, Stellan Skarsgard, Robin Wright, Joely Richardson

Having previously watched the Swedish version of the Girl with the Dragon Tattoo and found it rather dull, I was a little sceptical about this Hollywood re-make. However, the trailers were convincing enough to make me think that this version could be a little faster paced.

The Hollywood version of The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, like the Swedish film, remains relatively faithful to the book. The movie is still a long one, but somehow doesn't drag its feet in quite the same way. There are still lots of loose ends and sub-plots to tie up, but Fincher manages this is a much more concise way.

It's certainly not going to be my film of the year (or, I certainly hope it won't - if it does, I'll be disappointed with the offerings), but if you've read the book and enjoyed the story, this is worth a watch. It's also one of those rare moments where I prefer the Hollywood remake to the original foreign language version (although I have to admit that I'm still not sure what was going on with those bizarre opening credits).

Rating: 3.5 out of 5

Pineapple Express: Film #97 of Film 365

Sunday 4th December 2011

Director: David Gordon Green
Year: 2008
Stars: Seth Rogen, James Franco, Danny McBride, Kevin Corrigan, Craig Robinson, Gary Cole, Rosie Perez

I wasn't sure whether I was going to enjoy this or not, but I thought I would give it a try. I'd heard good things about it, but I was a little bit cautious when the credits came up stating it was a Judd Apatow movie. I've been stung by that before.

There's no denying that Pineapple Express is an odd movie - but for the most part, I quite enjoyed it. Dale Denton (Rogen) witnesses a murder, and he and his mate (Saul Silver, played by Franco) go out of their way not to get caught. The comedy is often dark, but for me that made it funnier. It does have its inane moments, but for the most part it's a fun movie with some laugh-out-loud moments.

Rating: 3.5 out of 5