The Muppets

Thursday 1 January 2015

Director: James Bobin
Year: 2011
Stars: Jason Segel, Amy Adams, Chris Cooper, voices of Steve Whitmore, Eric Jacobsen, Dave Goelz, Bill Barretta, David Rudman, Matt Vogel

I wanted to watch this when it was released back in 2011, but somehow just never got around to it. Everybody who saw it then seemed to enjoy it, so when I saw that it was on TV this Christmas I made an effort to watch it. And I'm so glad that I did!

The story focuses on Walter (voiced by Linz), a Muppet fanatic who visits the old Muppet studio with his brother Gary (Segel), only to discover that a rich oil tycoon (Tex Richman, played by Cooper) is going to buy it and tear it down without the Muppets knowledge. All this leads to a quest to find The Muppets and get them back together to put on a gala to raise enough money to stop Tex. 

The Muppets is exactly what you expect it to be - a fun, all-singing, all-dancing musical with lots of in-movie jokes and a good-humored nature to it. There's nothing nasty or menacing about this, it's just a feel-good movie with some fun songs. Perfect for a relaxing New Years Day afternoon movie.

Rating: 4 out of 5

Moulin Rouge

Friday 29th March 2013

Director: Baz Luhrmann
Year: 2001
Stars: Ewan McGregor, Nicole Kidman, John Leguizamo, Jim Broadbent, Richard Roxburgh

Now, this is better. I've seen Moulin Rouge before, but not for some time. I knew I liked it, but I had forgotten how much I love. The insane, mad, fast-paced story, Ewan McGregor's singing, the way Nirvana and Madonna tunes are used to tell a story, the beautiful bright colours, the self-referentialism... in short, everything that makes a Baz Luhrmann film great.

For those who don't know, the story centres around Christian (McGregor), a Bohemian writer who moves to Paris and falls in love with Satine (Kidman), a dancer at the Moulin Rouge. The reasons why I love this film are the reasons many people hate it, so that's probably worth bearing in mind if you're going to watch it for the first time.

But I could watch it over, and over again. One of my all time favourites.

Rating: 5 out of 5

Les Miserables

Tuesday 12th March 2013

Director: Matteo Garrone
Year: 2012
Stars: Hugh Jackman, Russell Crowe, Anne Hathaway, Amanda Seyfried, Sacha Baren Cohen, Helena Bonham Carter, Eddie Redmayne, Samantha Barks, Aaron Tveit, Daniel Huttlestone

Well, what a disappointment this was. I had wanted to see Les Mis for ages, and as we were visiting Exeter, where the grandparents live, my other half and I took the opportunity to head off to the cinema whilst nana and grandad babysat (they had a nightmare afternoon, but that's another story and all the baby's fault).

Where do I start with the problems with this movie? Now, usually I love musicals, so don't believe for a second that I'm prejudiced against them. But here, I really did get sick of the singing. Can't they just, well, TALK some of the lines? Just a few? And what's with hiring lead actors that can't sing? Yes, Hugh Jackman (Valjean) and Russell Crowe (Javert), I mean you. The two lead actors were just well, annoying. Their endings were, quite frankly, deserved. And did this really have to be 3 hours long? The stage play can manage 2 to 2 and a half, why not the movie? And what's with the Cosette (Siegfried) character? Boy, is she annoying. And staging her surrounded by Disneyworld flowers and cottages does not help.

Having said that, there were some redeeming moments to the movie. A number of the female leads were brilliant singers - I'm thinking of Anne Hathaway (Fantine) and Samantha Barks (Eponine) in particular. And I also enjoyed the inn keeper scenes tremendously. If only the movie had just been about Thenardier (Baren Cohen) and Madam Thenardier (Bonham Carter), I would have been so much happier. Now there's a movie I would have loved!

Rating: 2 out of 5 (and those stars are almost all for the actresses mentioned above)

Romance and Cigarettes: Film # 133 of Film 365

Wednesday 1st February 2012

Director: John Turturro
Year: 2005
Stars: James Gandolfini, Susan Sarandon, Kate Winslet, Steve Buscemi

It wasn't until I started watching Romance and Cigarettes that I remembered what was odd about it - they sing. That in itself doesn't really bother me; I'm perfectly happy with a good musical and have few problems with characters breaking out into song at completely inappropriate (or sometimes even appropriate) moments.

What I still find odd about Romance and Cigarettes is that I don't really know what the film was trying to do, or say. It all felt, well, a little experimental. Sarandon plays Kitty Kane, a woman whose husband (Nick Murder, played by Gandolfini) has cheated on her. The film follows Nick and Kitty as they deal (or fail to deal) with this.

I don't know whether I liked this or not. I'm just confused by it. And I also can't help but feel that the name Nick Murder is significant - I just don't really understand how. See, confused.

Rating: 2.5 out of 5 (I think)

Hairspray: Film #109 of Fim 365

Wednesday 28th December 2011

Director: Adam Shankman
Year: 2007
Stars: John Travolta, Michelle Pfeiffer, Christopher Walken, Zac Efron, James Marsden, Amanda Bynes, Brittany Snow, Elijah Kelley

I've seen this before. I loved it then, so was more than happy to watch it again. It's just such a cheerful film, with some great songs. The perfect movie to give me a warm, happy feeling inside.

Hairspray is set in Baltimore in the early '60s. Tracy Turnblad is a fat teenager who is really keen to dance on the Corny Collins TV show - but faces prejudice from the show's producer. Whilst Tracy has to contend with prejudice about her size, many of her new found friends are black. This means a lot more prejudice, and a major challenge to try and get her friends a decent TV slot on the same show.

Of course, the ending is too simple and easy for a realistic portrayal of racism and its associated issues - but this is meant to be a fun, happy musical. And it achieves that aim admirably.

Rating: 4 out of 5

Mamma Mia!: Film #21 of Film 365

Saturday 9th April 2011

Director: Phyllida Lloyd
Year: 2008
Stars: Meryl Streep, Amanda Seyfried, Julie Walters, Christine Baranski, Dominic Cooper, Pierce Brosnan, Colin Firth, Stellen Skarsgard

Everything you've heard about Mamma Mia! is true. It has a lot of singing, a lot of ABBA songs, and a lot of feel-good, cheery scenes. If you hate ABBA, or musicals, you're gonna hate this. With a passion.

There is a semblance of a plot here. Sophie (Seyfried) is about to get married to Sky (Cooper), and wants to find her real dad. So she invites them all (there are three possibilities) to her wedding.

Yes, its' cheesy. Yes, there are a lot of ABBA songs sledge hammered in so they fit. But its fun, and it made me smile (the Greek setting and sunshine did help here, admittedly). An unfortunate side-effect is that I still have ABBA songs in my head.

Rating: 3.5 out of 5

Friday 26th March 2010

Cabaret

Director: Bob Fosse
Year: 1972
Stars: Liza Minnelli, Michael York, Helmut Griem, Joel Grey

I've wanted to see this for a long time. I first heard of it when studying for my undergraduate degree, and one of our tutors showed us a clip of it to make a point about how great war could look from far away, but how ugly it is up-close. I've always remembered that, but it took some time before I got a chance to see the film. When I finally noticed it was on TV one day, I recorded it. Unfortunately, it took a few more months to actually sit down and watch the thing.

But I'm so glad I did! Cabaret tells the story of two people who fall in love in 1930s Berlin, and whilst this is, in some sense, the main plot it's set against the backdrop of pre-World War II Berlin, when Hitler comes to power.

Not a scene in the film hasn't been thought about and analysed by the director before being made. It makes you think, and think hard, but it's done in a brilliant, intellectual way - all with a story to keep you hooked on what's happening. I can't recommend this film highly enough - and I've certainly never seen anything like it before.

Rating: 5 out of 5

Saturday 6th February 2010

Music and Lyrics

Director: Marc Lawrence
Year: 2007
Stars: Hugh Grant, Drew Barrymore

This was a bit of a random choice. I saw it was on TV and thought it sounded like something fun to watch - I didn't know much about it other than that it was a romantic comedy.

Hugh Grant is Alex Fletcher, a man who was a popstar in the 80s but has since become a has-been. When he gets asked to write a song for the pop singer of the moment, he ends up asking Sophie Fisher (Barrymore) for help with the lyrics.

The film is good fun mostly because it's very tongue-in-cheek. Whilst the romance elements are mostly played straight, the music industry is very much taken with a pinch of salt. This, combined with Hugh Grant and Drew Barrymore playing roles they have both played before, and can play well, makes for a fun film. Not a masterpiece by any stretch of the imagination, but an enjoyable Saturday night in.

Rating: 4 out of 5

Sunday 31st January 2010

Aladdin

Director: Ron Clements, John Musker
Year: 1992
Stars: Robin Williams, Scott Weinger, Linda Larkin, Jonathan Freeman (voices)

I've probably seen this before. I know I didn't see it when it was released, but it's incredibly likely that I've seen it on DVD at a friend's house at some point. I didn't really remember it though, and when I saw that it was premiering on terrestrial TV I figured I'd watch it - it looked like it might be quite good, after all.

The plot follows Aladdin, a "street urchin" who is worthy enough to acquire a magical lamp that contains a genie who will grant you three wishes (Robin Williams). As with all good Disney movies, there is a terrifying baddie (Jafar), cute animals and a number of musical moments.

Once again, this is great Disney. Aladdin is a really enjoyable film with a great plot, some brilliant songs and some incredibly cute, loveable animals. A great way to spend a couple of hours, whatever your age.

Rating: 4 out of 5

Sunday 3rd January 2010

Happy Feet

Director: George Miller, Warren Coleman
Year: 2006
Stars: Elijah Wood, Robin Williams, Brittany Murphy, Hugh Jackman, Nicole Kidman

So, my third film of the day. If I'm aiming for one a day this year, I've caught up...Knowing I'd be unlikely to see it on the day, this movie was recorded off of TV on Christmas Day. And it really does feel like a Christmas Day movie. Cheerful and uplifting, if you're in the right mood this is great fun.

Mumble is an Emperor penguin who can't sing - a problem, as this is how all the other penguins meet their soul mates. However, he can dance really well. Somehow this means he ends up finding other penguin tribes, meeting elephant seals, nearly getting eaten by all manner of sealife, and finally finding the aliens. To give any more away may be to spoil it, but it's good fun and mostly makes sense really.

As long as you're in the mood, this will keep you happy. But if you're miserable, it may just make you angry. Thankfully, I was in the right mood.

Rating: 4 out of 5

Monday 21st December 2009

The Muppet Christmas Carol

Director: Brian Henson
Year: 1992
Stars: Michael Caine, Kermit, Miss Piggy (look, they're Muppets, so real-ish-, OK?)

Now I know it must be Christmas - The Muppet Christmas Carol is on TV - and it's snowing outside (yes, really)! How much more Christmassy can you get?

You must know the story by now - even if only from reading my blog, which already has reviews of at least three different variations on Scrooge. If you don't, go and get yourselves an education.

One of the best adaptations of a Christmas Carol, even with muppets involved. It's cheery, heart warming, cynical in all the best places, and really evokes that feeling of Christmas. God Bless Us, Every One!

Rating: 5 out of 5

PS Apologies for the large amount of posts that have been appearing over the past few days - I realised with the vast amount of films I've been watching and failing to blog about instantly, I needed to play catch-up a bit before Christmas!

Sunday 1st November 2009

Dream Girls

Director: Bill Condon
Year: 2006
Stars: Jennifer Hudson, Jamie Foxx, Beyonce Knowles, Eddie Murphy, Keith Robinson

I'd heard a fair bit about this back in 2006 when Jennifer Hudson won an Oscar for her role as best supporting actress. I'd never really been too bothered about watching the film, but as it was on TV on a Sunday evening where I had nothing else on, I figured why not give it a try?

The film is based on a Broadway musical that tells the tale of the Dream Girls - three girls trying to make it in the world of music.

There's nothing really wrong with this movie. There's just also nothing at all special about it. Better, truer stories have been told about musicians which take the plot in this further, and turn what is a fluffy movie with nothing much to say into a powerful piece of art. Unfortunately, that's just not true here. You're left with the feeling that this could have been so much more, but all this really is a bunch of nice songs tacked together with some basic plot elements.

Rating: 2.5 out of 5

Saturday 31st October

Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street

Director: Tim Burton
Year: 2007
Stars: Johnny Depp, Helena Bonham Carter, Alan Rickman, Timothy Spall, Jamie Campbell Bower, Ed Sanders

The first time I saw this was at the cinema when it got released - and I was very excited about it then. I loved it so much that this year Dan bought me the DVD for my birthday. I hadn't actually gotten around to watching it again until now, but the combination of it being Halloween, us wanting to watch something vaguely horrific, and a couple of friends being enthusiastic about watching it as they hadn't seen it, led to us finally sitting down to watch it.

And it's still excellent. Sweeney Todd is a barber out for vengeance, and willing to go to any lengths to get it. Mrs Lovett is the woman who owns a pie shop downstairs and needs fresh meat... you might be able to guess where this is going.

In turns funny, sick, disgusting and just the sort of black humour I love, I could watch this over and over again. A word of warning though: it is very definitely a musical. If you hate them, stay clear.

Rating: 5 out of 5

Sunday 9th August

Tenacious D in the Pick of Destiny

Director: Laim Lynch
Year: 2006
Stars: Jack Black, Kyle Gass, JR Reed, David Grohl, Tim Robbins

This is an incredibly silly film. It's also really rather funny. Of course, if you hate rock music, random copious amounts of swearing or Jack Black, then you're going to hate this. Otherwise, you may well be very amused.

Jack Black and Kyle Gass are Tenacious D, and this is their story of how they met, and their subsequent quest to find the guitar pick of destiny. The pick is a part of the devil himself, and has bought all metal heroes, Eddie Van Halen amongst them, to instant fame.

I wasn't expecting much from this, but I came away with a big grin on my face, feeling glad that I'd spent two hours of my life watching something quite so stupid - and fun.

Rating: 4 out of 5

Saturday 4th July

The Rocky Horror Picture Show

Director: Jim Sharman
Year: 1975
Stars: Tim Curry, Susan Sarandon, Barry Bostwick, Richard O'Brien, Jonathan Adams, Meatloaf, Peter Hinwood, Charles Gray

OK, I admit it. This is another incredibly famous, genre-defining (or perhaps genre-subverting) film that I've never seen. I've always intended to, but just somehow never got around to it. Perhaps part of the reason for that seemed to be that it was never on TV. Well, a few months back it was, and after recording it, I finally got around to watching it on a Saturday morning.

First off, this isn't really a morning film. It seemed to me to be more a middle of the night film, to be watched most probably after one too many beers (or bottles of wine). Which probably has something to do with why it was aired at about midnight. The plot, such as it is, revolves around two high school kids who stumble on Frankenstein's place - a house that turns out to be full of (mostly) sex-hungry aliens. Yes, if you haven't seen it either, it is that odd.

This film really is all about spectacle. There isn't really a great deal of plot to speak of. As a theatre show, I can see that it could be amazing (no, I've not seen it at the theatre either). As a film, I can see how it's gained cult status - it's simply too odd not to have done so. But as a movie I enjoyed, well, there are much better. But then, I do still have the "Time Warp" song running round in my head...

Rating: 2.5 out of 5

Monday 25th May

The Hunchback of Notre Dame

Director: Gary Trousdale, Kirk Wise
Year: 1996
Stars: Tom Hulce, Tony Jay, Kevin Kline, Demi Moore, Heidi Mollenhauer (voices)

The last film of the Bank Holiday weekend, the adverts for this Disney film made it look as if it could be enjoyable - and I'd never seen it before.

The plot follows Quasimodo, the hunchback who is locked up in the bell tower of the Notre Dame until he escapes to go to the Festival of Fools. There he meets the gypsy Esmeralda, and the Guard Phoebus. Their attempts to escape from Quasimodo's guardian, Frollo, are what make up the majority of the film.

The Hunchback of Notre Dame deals with some pretty adult issues, particularly when focussing on Frollo - the most evil, but perhaps the most interesting, of all the characters here. However, kids may well be unlikely to notice - or will at least simply enjoy how evil the character is and not worry about the issues behind it.

Having said that, there are some lags in the film and I have seen films that engage my attention far more successfully from beginning to end. On top of that, whilst most of the songs are enjoyable, some do grate a little, and none are particularly memorable. Not a bad Disney effort, but not my favourite.

Rating: 3 out of 5