Tag: film

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Film Review

The Mothman Prophecies (dir.Mark Pellington) 2002

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This film is supposedly based on true events that happened in Point Pleasant in 1966 and 1967. Although it is said that truth can be stranger than fiction, I have seen Disney talking animal movies that required less suspension of disbelief. I guess that this film was aimed at the part of the market that thought the X Files was a documentary.

As a horror film, it misses the mark because, although the storyline is quite dark, there aren’t really any scary moments in the film.

The acting is pretty good, Richard Gere, David Eigenberg and Will Patton all cope well in contending with a meandering storyline and their character’s unusual decision making. Will Patton goes from holding Richard Gere at gunpoint in the bath to trusting him, overnight, without much convincing.

I’m not going to say avoid this film at all costs, it was well paced and it held my attention throughout but, for me, there are better things to watch on Netflix.

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Film Review

The Grand Budapest Hotel (dir. Wes Anderson) 2014

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The Grand Budapest Hotel is light, frothy escapism. The story is an unlikely but likeable tale involving the concierge, played by Ralph Fiennes, aided by the lobby boy, played by Tony Revolori.

It is crammed with famous actors in cameo roles. Jeff Goldblum, Tilda Swinton and Edward Norton are particularly memorable, but there are so many others that you could spend the whole movie saying “Oh look! Isn’t that…..”

The jokes are off-beat and sometimes off-colour. The script contains some nice aphorisms and some good one line jokes. The characters are a lovely mixture of smarmy and sharp.

The sets and set pieces are extraordinary and absorbing. It was nominated for 9 Academy awards and best set design was one of those it won.  The costumes and the acting are wonderfully camp, it also won Oscars for best make-up and best costume design.

I didn’t find any great universal truths in “The Grand Budapest Hotel” but I smiled for the full hour and a half and that is definitely a recommendation.

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Film Review

A Single Man (dir. Tom Ford) 2009

 

A Single Man is a day in the life of George Falconer, who is grieving over the sudden death of his partner, 8 months prior. It is set in California in 1962. Public expression of his grief would have been socially unacceptable at that time and repression is a major theme of this film.

Colin Firth was nominated for an Academy Award for his part, he is in every scene and his performance is remarkable. He portrays a man barely able to keep his emotions in check despite years of practice of self-restraint. However, he is also aware that this discipline makes the liberation all the more sweet when it comes.

I can imagine that the idea, based on Christopher Isherwood’s 1964 novel, would have been difficult to pitch to a film studio, so it not a surprise that it was self-funded by the director, Tom Ford. It is his first film and he does an amazingly good job.

Everything about this movie is beautiful; the clothes, the sets, the music. I loved “A single Man” and I recommend it, but do expect to leave the cinema in a contemplative frame of mind.

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Film Review

Everybody Wants Some (dir. Richard Linklater) 2016

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Do not go to this movie expecting big action, high adrenaline thrills or nail-biting tension. If you do you will be disappointed and probably bored.

Do go if you want high quality nostalgia, astute character development or an insight into group dynamics.

The story is pretty light. It follows a group of middle class, well adjusted, young guys on the first weekend of term, before their classes begin. It is set in 1980. They party, they drink, they smoke, they try to get laid. They do what they are probably going to do every weekend for the rest of the school year.

This is the strength of the film. They are likeable people in a normal setting having an average weekend and mostly enjoying life. The script is excellent – you feel that you get to know the characters and understand their insecurities.

The acting is remarkable throughout and the direction is light touch and faultless. The soundtrack is great.

So, if you want a chilled couple of hours, sit down, relax and let Everybody Wants Some!! take you back to a sunny weekend in 1980 where the world is full of potential…..

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Film Review

Funny Girl (dir. W. Wyler) 1968

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“Hello Gorgeous”

Barbra Streisand won the Oscar for best actress for this film in 1968. This film was nominated for 8 Academy Awards in total. It is almost always included in lists of all time best musicals.

It is too bright. It is melodramatic. It is both camp and kitsch. Omar Sharif does not sing well…….but the film is about succeeding by overcoming faults and making the most of what you do have.

This movie has Barbra Streisand, who is amazing in this film, the role could have been written for her and she grabs it with both hands and wrings every piece of emotion out of it. It has some fantastic, powerful songs that still sound great almost fifty years on. It also has a line that is often included in lists of most memorable movie quotes:”Hello Gorgeous”

If you like musicals or are interested in cinema history you have to see this film.

 

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Film Review

The French Connection (dir. W. Friedkin) 1971

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The French Connection won best picture, best director and best actor at the 1972 Academy Awards. It consistently features in all-time best film lists. It has one of the most famous car chase scenes ever.

It is a gritty police drama set in New York. It was one of the first films to sacrifice sound and picture quality in order to give it added realism. Gene Hackman and Roy Scheider are both give great performances. The violence and swearing were supposedly quite shocking at the time but don’t seem so now. The story is good, if a little far fetched, even though it is apparently (very loosely) based on fact.

Seeing The French Connection, 45 years after it was made is also thought provoking. Society seems to have been institutionally racist and sexist. The movie set out to be provocative, but most shocking thing about the script now is the racial slurs. The only women in the film are mothers or sex objects.

If you are interested in either modern social history or the history of cinema, this is a must-see film.

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Film Review

Moneyball (dir. Bennett Miller) 2011

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This film is about baseball. I like baseball. I enjoyed this film.

It is based on a true story, about Billy Beane, the man who supposedly took the romance out of baseball by putting his faith in computer generated statistics. However, this is a romantic film and he is a true romantic (just don’t expect any love scenes!).

It was nominated for 6 Academy Awards; this implies to me that it has wider appeal than just baseball fans.

It is an intelligent movie with a great script. Brad Pitt and Jonah Hill were both nominated for Oscars and it also has Philip Seymour Hoffman in the cast, so could be worth a watch for the acting alone.

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Film Review

The Negotiator (dir. F. Gary Gray) 1998

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This is a taut thriller. It stars Samuel L. Jackson and Kevin Spacey. It didn’t do well at the box office when it was released, but it has some good visual set pieces and it has excellent performances from both lead actors, who were at the peak of their powers at that time. It has a fine cast and it is a great movie for spotting actors who went on to do other things in TV and film.

It feels dated because, although it was made in 1998, less than 20 years ago, almost the only women in the film are Jackson’s wife and J. T.Holmes’ secretary (deftly played by Siobhan Fallon Hogan). I guess, at least it shows how we have moved on in that time.

Having said that, it does what you want a thriller to do and I was involved right to the end. If you want an easy, entertaining evening in front of the TV, this will do nicely.

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Film Review

The Gift (dir. Joel Edgerton) 2015

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This is a thriller/horror genre movie, the kind that was very popular in the early 1990s.

Think “The hand that rocked the Cradle” or “Single white female”- if thats the kind of movie that you want, you will enjoy this. It feels quite up to date and it is an excellent addition to the psychological thriller canon.

My main criticism of the film would be how unpleasant all the characters are. Had it been released in the 1990s it probably would have received 5 stars but we expect even villians to have some redeeming features now.

Having said that, if you are in the mood for a creepy thriller, this film will satisfy that need very well.

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Film Review

Moon (dir. Duncan Jones) 2009

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Moon is a science fiction film with a distinctly retro ambience. It is set in the 2030s but feels like it was made in the 1970s or ´80s.

Sam Rockwell puts in a great performance as Sam Bell. He needs to, because although this is not quite a single hander; he is almost the only character in this film and the next biggest role is GERTY the computer.

The director has kept everything spare and simple to focus on the story. This works well because story is strong enough to support it.

There are plot holes if you think too much about it, but the film is both engaging and thought provoking.

I really enjoyed it.