Review #15 This Is the End

Back with another review for you much sooner than anticipated because the PlayStation 4 that held the promise of sucking my life away (un)fortunately broke on day 1. So with all this time freed up for me here’s my review of this Summers comedy, This Is the End.

22/09/13

26/07/13

This Is the End was intermittently outright hilarious but suffered though occasional patches of monotony and dullness. The gimmick in play with this particular Seth Rogen led comedy is that the actors are playing themselves, some have what we imagine would be personalities similar to their real life counterparts and others deviate entirely causing some brilliantly funny creations. Shit hits the fan after Jay Baruchel tags along with Rogen to a house warming party at James Franco’s new place, namely the apocalypse goes down and people are being raptured up to Heaven left, right and centre.

One spectacular instance of someone playing a version of themselves unlike their true persona was Michael Cera, acting as a coked off his face, orgy partaking and general bastard Michael Cera. It played perfectly off audience expectations and was a really memorable, yet thankfully brief, performance. So essentially, through a process of speedy elimination, it gets whittled down to just Franco, Jonah Hill, Rogen, Baruchel and Craig Robinson all in James Franco’s house trying to make sense of what’s happening while also trying to survive. Then out of nowhere Danny McBride rocks up and has you laughing so hard you cheeks will hurt. Now it’s just a bunch of funny guys fucking with each other like a group of close friends hanging out, which it pretty much what it is since a lot of the movie has an ad libbed feel to it and this is one of the movies strengths delivering tons of funny lines but also it starts to feel a little too unstructured and for long parts there isn’t much happening.

The shenanigans don’t go on for very long with the apocalypse outside making its way inside, although they did have time to film a make-shift sequel to Pineapple Express which was simply indescribably, all I know is that I want to see more of Jonah Hill as Woody Harrelson and I would be willing to pay for it. Forced out of the house the movie picks back up after a 20 minutes slump and they’re running for their lives, with enough time for a few more cameos up pops Channing Tatum in a brilliant turn as Danny McBride’s bitch.

The laughs are in abundance here but condensed in to extended periods but lull in between is still entertaining and the fact that, what I image to be, a decent amount of money was invested in a huge CGI Satan with a giant dick tells you what kind of movie you’re in for.

7.6 out of 10. Fans of Pineapple Express and Superbad, such as myself, pretty much have to watch this movie and while it doesn’t match the overall level of those films there are individual moments of sheer hilarity that make it worth it.

Review #14 Now You See Me

I apologise if you notice a steep decline in reviews posted on to my blog after today but unfortunately my housemate has recently gotten his grubby hands on a shiny new PlayStation 4, time to say goodbye to the outside world, and probably my degree, for the foreseeable future. Before that happens here’s my review for Now You See Me, a thriller released this summer just gone. 

16/09/13

26/09/13

Now You See Me is a relatively good Summer blockbuster heist/thriller that was fun but fairly forgettable. I watched it a few days ago and am only now getting round to writing about it so I’m at a bit of a loss as to what to say. Essentially, think of The Prestige meets Oceans Eleven by way of Michael Bay directing and you’re pretty much there. The twists were popping up in abundance as you would expect with a movie that focuses on a group of magicians pulling off daring bank heists.

Jesse Eisenberg leads the pack as a very arrogant and unlikable character not too different from his Zuckerberg portrayal, he’s just too smug and cocky all the time for me to care about his character. The rest of the group is made up by a very wooden Isla Fisher, Woody Harrelson who’s always fun to watch and a somewhat underused Dave Franco who I’m a fan of after his 21 Jump Street role. Hot on the trail of these magical Robin Hoods, who give all the money they steal to the audience at their shows, is FBI agent Mark Ruffalo joined by Interpol Detective Mélanie Laurent. It’s worth stating here that the movie is worth watching for the absurdly sexy French accent of Mélanie Laurent, it’s so unbelievable I think she must be putting it on a little bit.

With all the magic involved I think some of the heists could have been a little bit more intelligent and I would have appreciated less cutting away to dramatic swooping helicopter shots with the nonstop heroic music but that’s what you get with films like Now You See Me so it’s better to just accept it and enjoy it. One fight scene was incredibly well choreographed and pretty awesome I have to say but the final twist at the end kind of lead me to say, “Really? Okay, whatever”.

6.4 out of 10. It’s pretty middle of the road but it doesn’t really do anything wrong with what it’s trying to accomplish, which is be a fun, entertaining way to kill 2 hours.

Review #13 The Host

Keeping the momentum going from here on out with this review being posted only 3 days after my review of Star Trek Into Darkness which is thoroughly impressive, I’d say. I’m reviewing the 2006 film The Host, which is not to be confused with the movie of the same name that was released this year based on a Stephenie Meyer novel and directed by Andrew Niccol. Speaking of whom, where did it all go wrong for Andrew Niccol after directing and writing fantastic movies like Gattaca and The Truman Show, to now be involved with adaptations from the author of Twilight, and also the complete let down that was In Time. But anyway, I digress. This is my second review so far of a South Korean film since started the 100 movies 365 days challenge and when it comes to quirky and interesting takes on old concepts, nobody does it quite like the South Koreans.

11/09/13

26/07/13

The Host is a South Korean monster movie, not to be confused with the adaptation of Stephenie Meyer’s book also titled The Host which I can proudly say I haven’t seen and I’m sure you couldn’t find two movies more dissimilar. To say the The Host is a monster movie and leave it at that would be doing it a serious disservice, it’s a family drama/comedy that is driven by the presence of a monster. It is directed by Joon-ho Bong and you can read my previously reviewed of Memories of Murder, which he also directed.

Kang-ho Song plays the main protagonist, a lazy and irresponsible store employee in the shop owned by his father. When a monster, that was created by pouring ridiculous amounts of formaldehyde down a drain, appears in the Han river the main characters daughter Hyun-seo gets taken by the monster as her father accidentally tries to save the wrong girl. When that happens you know that this film is a comedy/drama first and an action thriller movie second, although the action elements are often shown with a musical score that completely doesn’t fit the scene. I struggled to determine whether this was intentional or just a lucky accident, I don’t think they really knew what kind of movie they wanted to make while they were shooting it and were then forced to edit together a bit of a mess. I’m not looking for total consistency but would have appreciated a little more thought given to the audience.

The movie came out in 2006 but the CGI isn’t overwhelmingly impressive, that doesn’t detract from the movie as the monster isn’t shown for long enough periods for you to really start questioning the believability of the monster. Hyun-seo’s dad, grandfather, uncle and aunt all go on a suicidal mission to save her which brings together a disjointed family and there’s a few wonderfully tender moments between these characters who are so completely different and separated emotionally. What was most interesting was that the lead that would drive the plot changed between all of these for different parts of the film, you became attached to each of them.

Overall, I’d say that I liked it however that’s as far as I would go, I managed to pick it up on DVD for 50 pence and it was definitely worth that much. In the end it was a bit of a mess but enjoyable in it’s own way and good for a one time watch.

6.9 out of 10. A good monster movie and a good comedy are to be found here if you don’t take it seriously, at all, and go along for the ride.

Review #12 Star Trek Into Darkness

Another long 2 weeks have gone by but I’m finally back with another review, procrastination is a powerful motivator when you’re trying to avoid doing actual work, such as revise for an imminent image processing exam for 3rd year physics. Instead I’m talking about the latest installment in the Star Trek franchise and one which is very interesting for more reasons than just the fact the previous Star Trek was awesome and the entire cast and crew have returned. This film is the first from director J.J. Abrams after it was announced that he would be the person responsible for bringing the next Star Wars film to the big screen, for many people, including myself, Star Trek Into Darkness serves as an indicator for what we can expect from Star Wars: Episode VII which is scheduled to be released in 2015. So, on with the review.

07/09/13

26/07/13

Star Trek Into Darkness was an above average summer sci-fi blockbuster with plenty of exhilarating action to keep you entertained throughout. The follow-up to the 2009 re-boot of the franchise picks up where the first movie left off; Kirk, Spock and the rest of the crew of the Enterprise are off having adventures in space, exploring new planets and yadda-yadda you know the drill. I should point out that my Trekkie knowledge is fairly limited and just covers what I found out in the 2009 Star Trek, a movie which a really really enjoyed, more so than the sequel. What they really got right in these movies was the casting, all the principal roles are portrayed damn near perfectly and the interactions between them is what makes the films so compelling and fun.

Into Darkness introduces a new antagonist in the form of Khan, played by Benedict Cumberbatch of Sherlock fame, and suffice to say this guy is seriously badass. Eric Bana did a fine job in the first movie as the villenous role but he was one of the weaker points of Star Trek. They changed that around though because Khan makes for such an intimidating opponent and he pushes the crew of the Enterprise to their limits. I’m sure there are a lot of nods to the previous movies and TV show that are lost on me and would have enhanced my experience but there were a few I picked up on, lines like “Damn it, man, I’m a Doctor…” just bring a huge smile to your face.

Michael Giacchino gives the film such a rousing score that makes you just want to leap out of your seat and cheer on the heroes, full credit to him and director J.J. Abrams who really knows how bring action to the screen and pace it well, over abundant lens flares aside. I’m also feeling pretty confident in his ability to revive the Star Wars franchise just like how he has breathed life into this one. One scene in particular was truly spectacular and involves a thrilling race through space from one ship to another through a debris field that blew me away.

7.4 out of 10. There’s a lot of fun to be had here and I’d certainly welcome a third movie as long as all the key cast and J.J. Abrams are on board.

Review #11 Side Effects

I’m sad to say but, movies seem to have taken the back seat for me in recent weeks. T.V. shows such as Breaking Bad (what a final season that was, hey) and House of Cards, a series produced solely for Netflix, seem to have dominated much of my free time. Although I concede that it’s a poor excuse seeing as I’m still not caught up with all the reviews I have previously written for reddit, all I need to do for these is copy them over to my blog. But that still seems like too much hard work for me. Either way, here’s what I had to say about Steven Soderbergh psychological thriller, Side Effects.

04/09/13

26/07/13

Side Effects is a superb psychological thriller which shocked me in a way that no other movie has in an extremely long time. This was supposed to be Steven Soderbergh’s last film but after watching it I’m quite glad that it isn’t; as a director, I find he can often be a little hit and miss however he really impressed me with this one. The lives of 4 people are affected by a new pharmaceutical drug for depression and something truly horrific happens as a consequence. Emily, played by Rooney Mara, is the one who is prescribed the drug and things start to spiral out of control from there.

I loved the visual look of this film, the use of soft lighting contrasting against the bold shadows made for some interesting and satisfying shots. The whole movie in fact was very stylish and sleek, it never felt like it was rushing through the plot but it still moved at a pace that still kept me riveted to the edge of my seat. It went it directions I wasn’t expecting but that logically made sense, everything intelligently fell into place despite the route to get there being full of twists and turns where I was constantly second guessing who I should be rooting for. The crux is that nobody is supposed to trusted or believed in, every character treads in areas that are so morally grey I started to question their basic humanity. But, there were clear motives driving each of them, motives like revenge, money and simply a desire to understand all make for compelling viewing.

The acting is all very quite and subdued, Jude Law as the psychiatrist turned detective, gives a performance that could either be seen as incredibly wooden or wonderfully downplayed, either way I think I was leaning towards the latter for the most part. Channing Tatum also managed to prove that he’s worthy of being taken a little more seriously, not too seriously but certainly a little more. The score is rather monotonous but it really serves to continually wind up the tension until it seems as though it is near breaking point, it wasn’t the usual high pitched stringed instruments but a more delicate plodding piano.

Information is given to us like a trail of breadcrumbs leading to the truth and along the way it is achieved by a great use extreme close-ups and shifting in and out of focus. If you’re willing to invest in this movie you will certainly be rewarded at the end with a darkly satisfying conclusion that goes some way to proving my point about how nobody is either good or bad, they all exist in a world of moral ambiguity yet the people who deserve to face the consequences of their actions do so but in a deliciously fucked up way.

8 out of 10. It’s over the top but in a very subdued manner that just seems to work, somehow a little too smart for what it actually is. I thought it was fantastic and am happy that it was recommended to me.

Another favourite movie review, this time it’s the effortlessly cool L.A. Confidential

Well my dear readers, it’s been far too long but in the immortal words of Mr Vincennes, “Jack’s back”! Back with a vengeance after taking a fair bit of time off due to University work flooding in and a series of Ultimate tournaments to play with my beloved Kent Touch This. Also, a good measure of plain bone idleness that I can’t seem to shake but believe me I’m working on it so stick with me. Reviews one through to ten are up for your viewing pleasure which means it’s time for another discussion of one of my absolute favourite movies. Just like The Fall, it’s another fairly recent movie but set in a Los Angeles of years gone by, there isn’t a pattern emerging here I swear, I’m just playing the cards I was dealt. I managed to pick up L.A. Confidential from an entertainment exchange place in my town, £1 to own a movie like this on DVD was a price I just couldn’t say no to.

So without further ado, let’s get started talking about L.A. Confidential (1997) Directed by Curtis Hanson and my goodness are you in for a treat if you haven’t seen this film, those who have seen it will hopefully understand why I become so giddy with excitement when talking about it. In a word, L.A. Confidential is riveting and you’ll come out the other end of it wondering how 2 hours and 20 minutes just managed to seemingly disappear, such is it’s ability to grab you by the scruff of the neck and drag you into the seedy and corrupted yet, so incredibly stylish, underbelly of 1950’s Los Angeles. After the head honcho in the world of organised crime is brought down by the LAPD, a void opens up that many aspiring scum-bags attempt to fill. We follow three policemen each with unique, and often contradictory, philosophies on how to deal with the issue of rising crime in the city of angels. Three policemen played by three actors who each give the performance of their lives; Kevin Spacey, Russell Crowe and Guy Pearce are all absolutely outstanding in their respective roles and it’s these three that keep me coming back time after time after time. On top of that you have a story that twists and turns it’s way through L.A. as leads get chased down after a brutal shooting that takes place in a coffee joint called the Nite Owl.

Investigations are led by straight-laced, up and coming go getter, Edmund J. Exley (Guy Pearce) who seems willing to sacrifice anything to move through the ranks. Dispensing his own brand of justice, particularly to those who abuse women for which he has a real hatred, is Bud White (Russell Crowe) a man a little to eager to resolve matters through a quick brawl rather than the traditional policing methods. Finally, out to make a name for himself and earn a few bucks on the side for the retirement fund is celebrity detective Jack Vincennes (Kevin Spacey), looking out for the big cases and with one foot in the world of show-business. For me this is no question the best detective film to ever be made, although I am liable to say the exact same thing about Se7en when it comes time to review that. The smooth jazz sets the tone as the men try desperately to establish what happened at the Nite Owl murders and then comes the plinky plonky piano while they move around a beautifully shot Los Angeles, questioning witnesses and interrogating suspects. Throw in the much expected but still appreciated 40’s and 50’s classics from Dean Martin and Bing Crosby and you have a theme that perfectly matches the film in both tone and pacing.

Maybe it’s just me that has a huge soft spot for Los Angeles during this time in history but L.A. Confidential perfectly captures what I imagine it to be like it’s a magical place and the setting itself is as much a key element as the events that happen within the city and tell the story. It pays tribute to the great films of the past like Double Indemnity (1944) and Sunset Boulevard (1950) but it doesn’t attempt to imitate them which would have been so detrimental to everything this movie is able to accomplish. Every line is delivered with such true intent and meaning that you invest fully in each word uttered from their mouths and the fantastic snappy dialogue justifies the delivery. Dialogue that really sticks with you, my personal favourite quote come from Lynn Bracken, a woman tied up with the Nite Owl murders and a string of other cases, “Some men get the world. Others get ex-hookers and a trip to Arizona.” For me it sums up what this movie says about L.A. and while a few people are able to live the American dream that Hollywood is selling, lots of people come in off the buses and their dreams quickly blow away with the wind. If the academy had any sense or integrity then this movie would have been best picture, it’s such a complete film and every twist and turn it takes is paid off, just so long as you’ve been following everything but there’s nothing a second or third viewing couldn’t fix if you did miss a plot element.

I really can’t express quite enough how brilliant I find damn near every aspect of this film, the character arcs of the three leads are so believable and satisfying. I urge anyone who hasn’t seen it to watch it and if you have seen it then please let me know what you thought of it and also what you thought of my review of it. I genuinely appreciate any and all feedback so until next time dear reader, you heard it here first, off the record, on the QT and very hush-hush.

Review #10 Tell No One

02/09/13

26/07/13

Tell No One is a well crafted mystery thriller from France, this binge on French cinema should end soon, I promise. Alexandre Beck is a paediatrician played by François Cluzet, who starred in a movie I previously reviewed, Untouchable. 8 years after his wife is murdered, and he was a key suspect, he is still in a grieving when one day he receives an email which shows CCTV footage of his wife that makes it seem as though she is still alive. There lies the mystery about which this film revolves, what truly happened to his wife all that time ago?

Good thrillers are hard to come by and Tell No One comes so close to being a great thriller yet those hopes fall to the wayside in the middle third of this film. Events become a little too convoluted and too many characters are introduced without the audience knowing who they are or where they fit in to the story. It is often said that the resolution to a mystery should be one that you wouldn’t expect but once you witness it you know it couldn’t have ended any other way. Well, I certainly didn’t anticipate how Tell No One would finish and it was undoubtedly very clever and kept me guessing but it still felt a little overly complicated.

The chase scenes on foot are sublime and truly exhilarating, as Beck is a man on the run against the police who are after him when new information came to light about his wife’s murder. Other shadowy characters come into play and shake things up as you’re kept guessing as to who is responsible and what is happening. If you are a fan of movies like Unknown and The Bourne Identity then there’s a lot here to enjoy, I certainly had a lot of fun watching Tell No One.

The who experience does drag a little and could do with a little harsh editing to trim it down and better maintain the tension and suspense but that’s a relatively minor complaint for what was otherwise a pretty fun ride of a movie.

6.9 out of 10. Had a lot more potential that it didn’t quite realise but definitely worth checking out and is a cut above most of the mediocre thrillers floating about these days.

Review #9 Confessions of a Dangerous Mind

28/08/13

26/07/13

Confessions of a Dangerous Mind was George Clooney’s directorial début and goes about presenting the claims of Chuck Barris, a TV producer/presenter who supposedly worked for the CIA as a hitman during the 60’s and 70’s. I thoroughly enjoyed this movie and Sam Rockwell continually proves himself to be one of my favourite actors, he plays these mentally unstable yet entirely likeable characters so well.

The whole film flirts between so many different genres but doesn’t ever feel disjointed, the genuine romantic elements slot in nicely beside the cheesy spy homages and the noir-esque hotel room voice overs. It rarely takes itself too seriously and wouldn’t have worked if it did as there are so many moments that take you out of the film, like the cameos from Clooney’s buddies, Brad Pitt and Matt Damon, as gameshow contestants. The cover that Barris uses to carry out his assassinations overseas is to take the dating gameshow winners on “exotic” trips to West Germany and Helsinki in the dead of winter, which plays out on screen just as hilariously as it sounds.

Clooney proves to be an inventive director making a lot of interesting choices, especially with the use of colour throughout the movie, picking out vibrant pinks and yellows amid the greys of communist europe, and also the soundtrack which helps in letting you know which genre the film is currently behaving as. Whether or not there is any truth in what Barris claims about being a CIA operative is irrelevant but the fact it’s written by Charlie Kaufman shows that his take on events may be slightly exaggerated.

The film does so well in exploring the motives of a man who kills when he has no financial need to do so as the creator of successful television shows, his handler played by George Clooney himself frames it as Barris being an “assassination enthusiast”. Although my quick trip to IMDB’s trivia section says that the CIA denies any knowledge of Barris’s supposed work with them, although they would say that wouldn’t they.

7.2 out of 10. I would certainly give this one a watch, especially if you want to see copious amounts of Sam Rockwell’s arse on screen.

Review #8 Lincoln

Let’s just jump straight into to these next few reviews, I don’t have too much to say for now so here’s my thought’s on this years Lincoln.

26/08/13

26/07/13

Lincoln, directed Steven Spielberg, makes for interesting viewing with one or two good elements but I would hardly consider it a great cinematic experience. I would take my review here with a huge grain of salt because while I love pretty much most movie genres I’ve never been a fan of historical biopics, something about them just doesn’t click with me. Films are supposed to be, for me at least, a fantasy and offer an escape from regular life, I try to be open to every film I watch but unfortunately, Lincoln, was not the movie to sway my opinion here.

It focuses only on a very small portion of Lincoln’s life which was probably the most turbulent but also significant, trying to pass an amendment to the constitution that would abolish slavery and hopefully end the war with the confederate south. It was very slow to start but picked up in the middle as we followed the men responsible for attempting to convince several Democrats to vote for the amendment.

The sets were perfect and it gave a good impression of the scale and scope of the locations, likewise costume and other similar elements were superb. The main aspect of this film was always going to be the performance by Daniel Day Lewis, and there’s no denying it is good, just as you would expect from an actor of his calibre but it was far from all it was hyped up to be, it was adequate.

The direction is also fine, Spielberg doesn’t take many risks but successfully brought together a huge number of talented actors and drew good performances out of all of them, particularly Tommy Lee Jones and Sally Field who were great in their roles.

6 out of 10. I wanted to enjoy it more than I did but it just lacked any punch, it was completely average.

Review #7 Headhunters

It’s been a long weekend of playing ultimate frisbee at a tournament in Brighton, hence why this review is a little delayed but I’ve got the day free now and I’m tucked up under my duvet in my freezing cold student house with nothing to do except watch movies and write reviews. I’ve got a lot of catch up work to do to stay on schedule and should be swiftly following up review number 7 with another 4 or 5. So, enjoy…

22/08/13

26/07/13

Headhunters is fantastic thriller with some great quirky comedic elements, with a distinctly Scandinavian style that I can’t help but love. It is a Norwegian film based on a novel by Jo Nesbo of the same name about a successful headhunter for large companies who chooses to supplement his income, and maintain his lavish lifestyle, by stealing valuable works of art.

Eventually one piece of art comes along that could be worth enough to coast on for the rest of his life and keep his wife with the types of things she’s become accustomed to. Headhunters starts out as an incredibly sleek thriller reminiscent of a great heist movie, along the way it develops in to so much more but continues to be tense and exciting. I’m a huge fan of Scandinavian media in general, particularly the superb detective dramas such as Wallander and The Bridge that air on BBC4. The languages are just so intriguing to listen to.

Back to the point, what really comes across is the very dark yet quirky comedic sensibilities of this film as the headhunter is on the run for his life against a seemingly relentless opponent. The performance by Askel Hennie is great and he’s really able to convey the thin air of superiority masking the insecurities of the character. Fans of Game of Thrones will recognise a certain Nikolaj Coster-Waldau (who plays Jamie Lannister) and he also puts in a solid performance.

The story goes in directions I genuinely couldn’t see coming and it felt like I was reading a good books as I followed the twists and turns, which makes sense considering the source material. The way that several elements tie in together was very impressive and also satisfying.

7.9 out of 10. It’s on Netflix instant streaming (in the UK at least) so definitely sit down and watch this one.