Messers Of The Afternoon (Maya Deren, 1943)- Odd
The Stepfather (Nelson McCormick, 2009)- Very Good
Skyline (Colin and Greg Strause, 2010)- Excellent
Double Wedding (Craig Pyrce, 2010)- Okay
Gamer (Neveldine/Taylor, 2009)- Very Good
Wednesday, 29 December 2010
Other Films Watched in December
Messers Of The Afternoon (Maya Deren, 1943)- Odd
The Stepfather (Nelson McCormick, 2009)- Very Good
Skyline (Colin and Greg Strause, 2010)- Excellent
Double Wedding (Craig Pyrce, 2010)- Okay
Gamer (Neveldine/Taylor, 2009)- Very Good
Friday, 24 December 2010
The Box (Richard Kelly, 2009)
Cast: James Marsden, Cameron Diaz, Frank Langella, Sam Oz Stone, Holmes Osbourne, James Rebhorn
Summary: A mysterious stranger deposits a box at the door of married couple Arthur and Norma Lewis who are then presented with a choice. If you press the button sealed within the dome and you will receive a million dollars, but somewhere someone whom you don’t know will die.
Genre: Mystery, Sci-Fi
Yep that’s right, this is film is number 100!! Which means that my goal to watch 100 films that I’ve never seen before in one year is complete and I’m super, super happy. Even though my goal is complete I’m going to see how many films I’ll have watched at the end of the year. Now on to The Box.
Firstly what would you do? Would you press the button? I don't think I would.
The film starts straight away with the introduction of the Lewis family and the mysterious stranger who leaves a strange box at their doorstep. After that things start getting pretty strange, well stranger then a man with a missing cheek leaving you a mysterious box, but mysterious people who have nosebleeds appear, there's conspiracy theories and time travel, yep that's right time travel.
The story is really interesting the whole idea of giving people that kind of choice and seeing what their thought process is before they finally make a decision.
Personally, I think some people (like the Lewis') would press the button because they're struggling for money and need to provide for their family, and I would hope that people wouldn't push the button just because that the person that will die is someone they don't know.
As we get deeper into the story I just found that things became really confusing and maybe the last 30 minutes or so for me were not good at all. Also Cameron Diaz was a let-down for me, I thought her accent was awful.
Firstly what would you do? Would you press the button? I don't think I would.
The film starts straight away with the introduction of the Lewis family and the mysterious stranger who leaves a strange box at their doorstep. After that things start getting pretty strange, well stranger then a man with a missing cheek leaving you a mysterious box, but mysterious people who have nosebleeds appear, there's conspiracy theories and time travel, yep that's right time travel.
The story is really interesting the whole idea of giving people that kind of choice and seeing what their thought process is before they finally make a decision.
Personally, I think some people (like the Lewis') would press the button because they're struggling for money and need to provide for their family, and I would hope that people wouldn't push the button just because that the person that will die is someone they don't know.
As we get deeper into the story I just found that things became really confusing and maybe the last 30 minutes or so for me were not good at all. Also Cameron Diaz was a let-down for me, I thought her accent was awful.
My Rating: 5/10
Saturday, 11 December 2010
Road To Perdition (Sam Mendes, 2002)
Cast: Tom Hanks, Paul Newman, Jude Law, Stanley Tucci, Daniel Craig, Tyler Hoechlin
Summary: He shouldn’t have been there. But in the moment that Michael Sullivan’s son witnesses a brutal slaying, the lives of this 12-year-old and his gangsta father are shattered irrevocably and their destinies forever joined.
Genre: Crime, Thriller, Drama
To be honest, I'm not normally one for films like this although I do love my Thrillers I'm not really a fan of gangster films. However saying that I did actually end up really liking this film.
I was very impressed with the performances of the actors; especially Jude Law who I've always thought of as being your typical London boy, but then he came onscreen and he had this brilliant American accent. I also thought Tom Hanks gave a really good performance but I was a little unsure about his accent, and I can't believe I didn’t even realize that Mr Rooney was Paul Newman.
30 minutes into the film I can safely say that I was not expecting that! This is definitely a type of story I love, stories about the love parents have for their family, especially their children and the length’s they'll go to to protect them.
I was very impressed with the performances of the actors; especially Jude Law who I've always thought of as being your typical London boy, but then he came onscreen and he had this brilliant American accent. I also thought Tom Hanks gave a really good performance but I was a little unsure about his accent, and I can't believe I didn’t even realize that Mr Rooney was Paul Newman.
30 minutes into the film I can safely say that I was not expecting that! This is definitely a type of story I love, stories about the love parents have for their family, especially their children and the length’s they'll go to to protect them.
My Rating: 8/10
One Final Word: Very Good
Sunday, 5 December 2010
Knight and Day (James Mangold, 2010)
Cast: Tom Cruise, Cameron Diaz, Peter Sarsgaard, Viola Davis, Jordi Mollà
Summary: June Havens finds her everyday life tangled with that of a secret agent who has realized he isn't supposed to survive his latest mission. As their campaign to stay alive stretches across the globe, they soon learn that all they can count on is each other.
Genre: Action, Comedy, Romance
Again not much to say about this film except that I was looking forward to watching this film firstly because I quite like Tom Cruise, I'm a big fan of the first Mission Impossible and War of The Worlds, and secondly I love Charlie's Angels.
This film definitely didn't disappoint. I really enjoyed the chemistry between the two characters and I loved the action.
This film definitely didn't disappoint. I really enjoyed the chemistry between the two characters and I loved the action.
My Rating: 7/10
One Final Word: Very Good
Tuesday, 30 November 2010
Other Films Watched in November
Avatar the Last Airbender (M. Night Shyamalan, 2010)
Independence Day (Roland Emmerich, 1996)
Monday, 29 November 2010
Coraline (Henry Selick, 2009)
Cast: Dakota Fanning, Teri Hatcher, Jennifer Saunders, Dawn French, John Hodgman and Robert Bailey Jr
Summary: An adventurous girl finds another world that is a strangely idealized version of her frustrating home, but it has sinister secrets.
Genre: Fantasy, Animation
I thoroughly enjoyed this film. I think I should start off by letting you know (in case you haven't seen it) that this is a kids film, rated PG and it scared the bejeebers out of me.
I definitely think I would have needed more then parental guidance if I had watched this when I was younger. The film is really strange and pretty creepy at times, so much so that I would have said that maybe it's more for teenagers/adults then children, but apparently kids are loving it.
I really liked Coraline, she seems like such a cool kid (although she can be incredibly grumpy) by the end of the film I was thinking yep she's pretty bad ass. Often ignored by her parents and left to her own devices Coraline finds a mysterious door which lead her to an alternate world, where she discovers her 'other mother and father' (who are super creepy).
I think there's some kind of message in this film for children or maybe I'm thinking too much in to it.
I feel like its telling kids to never go with strangers (especially when they look like your parents and have buttons for eyes) even if they tempt you with new clothes, family time and your favourite foods.
If you do you'll have to sew buttons on your eyes. Yep I'm probably thinking into it too much.
I definitely think I would have needed more then parental guidance if I had watched this when I was younger. The film is really strange and pretty creepy at times, so much so that I would have said that maybe it's more for teenagers/adults then children, but apparently kids are loving it.
I really liked Coraline, she seems like such a cool kid (although she can be incredibly grumpy) by the end of the film I was thinking yep she's pretty bad ass. Often ignored by her parents and left to her own devices Coraline finds a mysterious door which lead her to an alternate world, where she discovers her 'other mother and father' (who are super creepy).
I think there's some kind of message in this film for children or maybe I'm thinking too much in to it.
I feel like its telling kids to never go with strangers (especially when they look like your parents and have buttons for eyes) even if they tempt you with new clothes, family time and your favourite foods.
If you do you'll have to sew buttons on your eyes. Yep I'm probably thinking into it too much.
My Rating: 10/10
One Final Word: Excellent
Saturday, 20 November 2010
Babylon A.D (Matthieu Kassovitz, 2008)
Cast: Vin Diesel, Michelle Yeoh, Melanie Thierry, Lambert Wilson, Mark Strong, Gérard Depardieu, Charlotte Rampling
Summary: Torop, a ruthless mercenary is hired to smuggle a mysterious woman from the post-apocalyptic of eastern Europe, to the glittering megalopolis of New York City.
Genre: Sci-Fi, Action
I was super super excited to see this film after seeing the trailer for it but months had past before I actually got the chance to watch it and I have to say people, I was thoroughly disappointed.
Firstly the acting was terrible. Vin Diesel again plays the typical hard man, a mercenary called Torop who is willing to do almost anything for the right price, now his acting wasn't insanely terrible but it wasn't great. Personally I think the insanely terrible acting award goes to Mélaine Thierry.
I was even more disappointed when the film ended, it has a relatively short running time of 90 minutes but it ends up feeling like 40 minutes due to the awful plot and narrative. It was a little difficult to keep up with and make sense of everything that's happening. It is extremely fast paced and feels like massive chunks of information are missing and then the final 20 minutes or so had me super confused. It's like someone decided that the original plot was no good and then thought that the best thing to do start a new one in the last 20 minutes.
Now I'm thinking that maybe the acting is only that bad because he narrative, plot and story are just rubbish.
I've actually seen this film a couple of times since I first watched it purely because I didn't have a clue what was happening the first time around. As awful as it was I have to say this is definitely one of my guilty pleasures, it's just great to find a film that's so awful you can just watch it for laughs.
Firstly the acting was terrible. Vin Diesel again plays the typical hard man, a mercenary called Torop who is willing to do almost anything for the right price, now his acting wasn't insanely terrible but it wasn't great. Personally I think the insanely terrible acting award goes to Mélaine Thierry.
I was even more disappointed when the film ended, it has a relatively short running time of 90 minutes but it ends up feeling like 40 minutes due to the awful plot and narrative. It was a little difficult to keep up with and make sense of everything that's happening. It is extremely fast paced and feels like massive chunks of information are missing and then the final 20 minutes or so had me super confused. It's like someone decided that the original plot was no good and then thought that the best thing to do start a new one in the last 20 minutes.
Now I'm thinking that maybe the acting is only that bad because he narrative, plot and story are just rubbish.
I've actually seen this film a couple of times since I first watched it purely because I didn't have a clue what was happening the first time around. As awful as it was I have to say this is definitely one of my guilty pleasures, it's just great to find a film that's so awful you can just watch it for laughs.
My Rating- 2/10
One Final Word- Nonsense (but I secretly love it)
Saturday, 13 November 2010
The Exterminating Angel (Luis Bunuel, 1962)
Cast: Silvia Pinal, Enrique Garcia Álvarez, Jacqueline Andere, César del Campo, Nadia Haro Oliva
Summary: Guests at an upper-class dinner party find themselves unable to leave.
Genre: Fantasy, Drama
This is another film that I studied in my A-Level Film class. For our exam we had to look at surrealism studies and we were asked, “How does Bunuel use surrealism in the film ‘The Exterminating Angel’ to attack the bourgeoisie?”
Bunuel attacks the bourgeoisie in several ways, one by using the characters within his film. The bourgeoisie were the social class opposed to the working class and this social class thought they were better and above everyone else.
However within The Exterminating Angel two of the characters, Francis and Juana are an incestuous brother and sister, who also steal and do drugs. There is also another character by the name of Letitia, who is nicknamed La Volkaria. In Norse mythology, valkyrie is one of a host of female figures who decided who will die in battle.
Luis Bunuel had a strict catholic education in Spain and in his later life he used surrealism within his films to attack both the middle and upper class and organized religion, with his main targets being the bourgeoisie and the Catholic Church.
Surrealism is used in his films to make political statements about world. He attacked the institutions of the bourgeoisie as he believed the society was organized to benefit the bourgeoisie at the expense of the proletariat.
The characters at the party represent the bourgeoisie, who become stripped of their pretence and their true nature is revealed. Their behaviour is primitive and self-serving, worse than the proletariat that they look down upon and the depiction at the end of the film also shows Bunuel’s perception of the hypocrisy of the Catholic Church.
Louis Althusser called the institutions Luis Bunuel attacked Ideological State Apparatuses and they included the government, the legal system, the church, the military, the police, the education system, the media and the family.
He believed that the bourgeoisie exploited the proletariat, who were unaware of this. The ISA sought to promote exploitation between high and lower classes, this is the reason Bunuel chose to expose them within his films.
Bunuel attacks the bourgeoisie in several ways, one by using the characters within his film. The bourgeoisie were the social class opposed to the working class and this social class thought they were better and above everyone else.
However within The Exterminating Angel two of the characters, Francis and Juana are an incestuous brother and sister, who also steal and do drugs. There is also another character by the name of Letitia, who is nicknamed La Volkaria. In Norse mythology, valkyrie is one of a host of female figures who decided who will die in battle.
Luis Bunuel had a strict catholic education in Spain and in his later life he used surrealism within his films to attack both the middle and upper class and organized religion, with his main targets being the bourgeoisie and the Catholic Church.
Surrealism is used in his films to make political statements about world. He attacked the institutions of the bourgeoisie as he believed the society was organized to benefit the bourgeoisie at the expense of the proletariat.
The characters at the party represent the bourgeoisie, who become stripped of their pretence and their true nature is revealed. Their behaviour is primitive and self-serving, worse than the proletariat that they look down upon and the depiction at the end of the film also shows Bunuel’s perception of the hypocrisy of the Catholic Church.
Louis Althusser called the institutions Luis Bunuel attacked Ideological State Apparatuses and they included the government, the legal system, the church, the military, the police, the education system, the media and the family.
He believed that the bourgeoisie exploited the proletariat, who were unaware of this. The ISA sought to promote exploitation between high and lower classes, this is the reason Bunuel chose to expose them within his films.
My Rating: 2/10
One Final Word: Odd
Saturday, 30 October 2010
Other Films Watched in October
Obsessed (Steve Shill, 2009)- Very Good
Police Academy 4: Citizen’s on Patrol (Jim Drake, 1987)- Okay
Wild Child (Nick Moore, 2008)- Good
Jumper (Doug Liman, 2008)- Very Good
The Queen (Stephen Frears, 2006)- Good
Calamity Jane (David Butler, 1953)- Very Good
Fallen (Gregory Hoblit, 1998)- BRILLIANT!
Four Lions (Christopher Morris, 2010)- Very Good
Wednesday, 27 October 2010
District 9 (Neill Blomkamp, 2009)
Cast: Sharlto Copley, Jason Cope, David James, Mandla Gaduka, Vanessa Hayward
Summary: An extra-terrestrial race forced to live in slum-like conditions on Earth suddenly finds a kindred spirit in a government agent who is exposed to their biotechnology.
Genre: Sci-fi, Action, Thriller
Now let me start off by saying that I absolutely loved this movie.
The beginning plays out in a documentary style telling the story of the organization MNU (Multi-National United) and bureaucrat Wikus Van De Merwe. Then there's first-time actor Sharlto Copely who plays Wikus and does a really great job, which became an amazing job when I found out that he apparently improvised all of his dialogue.
Personally I think it’s a good thing that the story focuses on Copley’s character as he is pretty much the only good actor in the film, don't get me wrong the aliens are pretty good as well.
The story’s one we’ve all seen before in a number or films; but District 9 does it in a pretty cool way, starting with the faux-documentary style filming. I loved the use of this filming as that’s what got my attention, because it makes you feel as though you’re involved, that you’re there.
Secondly the special effects look great! The ‘prawns’ (a derogatory term for the aliens) look fantastic, that left hand, the mechanical alien suit and that spaceship just make everything so much better.
As much as I liked It the biggest let down for me was also documentary style filming as it seems to just stop after about 30 minutes, before randomly appearing every again so often with the added extra of interviews that seem to come out of nowhere.
I also visited the site (while it was up and running) and it was absolutely brilliant. After being given the choice to pick either human or non-human; being the rebel that I am (well not really I just wasn't paying attention) where I clicked on the red area of the map and I was blocked from the site for trying to access human content.
Very cool marketing and an even better film.
The beginning plays out in a documentary style telling the story of the organization MNU (Multi-National United) and bureaucrat Wikus Van De Merwe. Then there's first-time actor Sharlto Copely who plays Wikus and does a really great job, which became an amazing job when I found out that he apparently improvised all of his dialogue.
Personally I think it’s a good thing that the story focuses on Copley’s character as he is pretty much the only good actor in the film, don't get me wrong the aliens are pretty good as well.
The story’s one we’ve all seen before in a number or films; but District 9 does it in a pretty cool way, starting with the faux-documentary style filming. I loved the use of this filming as that’s what got my attention, because it makes you feel as though you’re involved, that you’re there.
Secondly the special effects look great! The ‘prawns’ (a derogatory term for the aliens) look fantastic, that left hand, the mechanical alien suit and that spaceship just make everything so much better.
As much as I liked It the biggest let down for me was also documentary style filming as it seems to just stop after about 30 minutes, before randomly appearing every again so often with the added extra of interviews that seem to come out of nowhere.
I also visited the site (while it was up and running) and it was absolutely brilliant. After being given the choice to pick either human or non-human; being the rebel that I am (well not really I just wasn't paying attention) where I clicked on the red area of the map and I was blocked from the site for trying to access human content.
Very cool marketing and an even better film.
My Rating: 10/10
One Final Word: Excellent
Tuesday, 26 October 2010
Hostel (Eli Roth, 2005)
Cast: Jay Hernandez, Derek Richardson, Eythor Gudjonsson, Jennifer Lim, Jan Vlasák
Summary: Three backpackers head to a Slovak city that promises to meet their hedonistic expectations, with no idea of the hell that awaits them.
Genre: Horror
Not much to say about this film except that I was super nervous about watching this film (especially with my friends) because as we all know I'm a bit of a wimp and I'm not a fan of horror films.
I was right to be wary of this film because it was super creepy and totally gruesome, despite that I think I would watch this one again and I definitely want to watch the sequels.
I was right to be wary of this film because it was super creepy and totally gruesome, despite that I think I would watch this one again and I definitely want to watch the sequels.
My Rating: 6/10
One Final Word: Strange
Sunday, 3 October 2010
Being John Malkovich (Spike Jonze, 1999)
Cast: John Cusack, John Malkovich, Cameron Diaz, Catherine Keener
Summary: A puppeteer discovers a portal that leads literally into the mind of the movie star, John Malkovich
Genre: Comedy, Fantasy, Drama
This is the second film that I have watched as part of my surrealism course in my A-Level Film Studies class, where we used another of Freud’s theories to analyse a particular scene from the film.
We analysed the scene where Maxine and Lotte enter Malkovich’s subconscious discussing Freud’s theory of what happens in your childhood effecting you adulthood.
The scene begins with Maxine entering Malkovich’s subconscious before being followed by Lotte. They end up in Malkovich’s childhood where we see a young Malkovich watching his parents have sex, this could possibly affect him in his later life as he may become sexually obsessed.
The next room we enter shows us a teen Malkovich being bullied in the locker room by his fellow students. In this scene you can see that the teacher is condoning the behaviour of his students by taking part, and the fact that Malkovich is naked during this ordeal could definitely have an effect on his confidence in adulthood.
Upon the entering the basement Maxine discovers a young Malkovich who has been locked in and is repeating the words “I am bad” over and over. Maxine then sees Malkovich as an adult smelling ladies underwear through a grate in the wall. His behaviour seen here can clearly shows that he has some unresolved sexual issues most likely partially caused by the experience of watching his parents have sex.
The next room we enter shows an older teen Malkovich with his girlfriend, at first nothing appears to be wrong but as Lotte continues to chase Maxine we hear the girl say, “You’re creepy”. The final place we are taken to within Malkovich’s subconscious is a school bus from his childhood, where he has wet himself and all the children are singing “Little Johnny Malko-pee, wet his pants so all can see”.
We analysed the scene where Maxine and Lotte enter Malkovich’s subconscious discussing Freud’s theory of what happens in your childhood effecting you adulthood.
The scene begins with Maxine entering Malkovich’s subconscious before being followed by Lotte. They end up in Malkovich’s childhood where we see a young Malkovich watching his parents have sex, this could possibly affect him in his later life as he may become sexually obsessed.
The next room we enter shows us a teen Malkovich being bullied in the locker room by his fellow students. In this scene you can see that the teacher is condoning the behaviour of his students by taking part, and the fact that Malkovich is naked during this ordeal could definitely have an effect on his confidence in adulthood.
Upon the entering the basement Maxine discovers a young Malkovich who has been locked in and is repeating the words “I am bad” over and over. Maxine then sees Malkovich as an adult smelling ladies underwear through a grate in the wall. His behaviour seen here can clearly shows that he has some unresolved sexual issues most likely partially caused by the experience of watching his parents have sex.
The next room we enter shows an older teen Malkovich with his girlfriend, at first nothing appears to be wrong but as Lotte continues to chase Maxine we hear the girl say, “You’re creepy”. The final place we are taken to within Malkovich’s subconscious is a school bus from his childhood, where he has wet himself and all the children are singing “Little Johnny Malko-pee, wet his pants so all can see”.
My Rating: 6/10
One Final Word: Good
Thursday, 30 September 2010
Other Films Watched in September
Love Don’t Cost a Thing (Troy Beyer, 2003)- Good
Armored (Nimrod Antal, 2009)- Very Good
Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon (Ang Lee, 2000)- Very Good
Pulp Fiction (Quentin Tarantino, 1994)- BRILLIANT!
Friday, 10 September 2010
Un Chein Andalou (Luis Bunuel, 1929)
Cast: Simone Mareuil, Pierre Batcheff, Luis Buñuel and Salvador Dali
Summary: A surrealistic film (best summary ever)
Genre: Short
For a piece of homework from my Film Studies class I was asked to analyse a particular scene within this film in terms of Freud’s Oedipal Theory. The scene I had to analyse began with the main character lying on the bed when his mother walks in and ends with the same character dying in a park.
Freud’s oedipal theory says that in order to achieve maturity and become a man he must come to accept the symbolism of the death of the father and the displacement from the attachment of the mother, to the attachment to another woman.
At the beginning of the scene the boy looks feminised and in an infantalalised state and the woman who enters the room represents the mother. At 3.00 in the morning a figure (who represents the father) comes to the door, at this the boy shows fear and concern at hearing the father come home. The father is angry that the boy is getting all of the mother’s love and the boy feels as though the father is trying to take his mother away from him.
The boy continues to look frightened as the father begins to shout and berate him aggressively, giving him advice to get out of bed and violently forcing him to be a man making the boy look powerless and weak. The father strips his son of his childlike feminine clothes removing his element of childhood while the boy tries to hold onto his childhood by keeping his strap. Here the conflict between father and the son has turned into aggression.
The first moment of rebellion comes when the boy shakes his head telling his father no, unsuccessful he is sent to stand against the wall like a naughty child. The boy resents his father as he is going through adolescence where he is neither man nor a boy.
The inter-title of 16 years ago shows the build-up and release of tension leading to the killing of the father, this is what must happen in order for the boy to become a man.
The father gives the boy books to represent the giving of knowledge, the father walks away and the son rejects the fathers love and using the knowledge that was given to him, he turns it into weapons. The son calls his father back and shows his dominance before shooting him.
It then cuts to the park showing the father trying to cling onto the mother who then fades away.
Freud’s oedipal theory says that in order to achieve maturity and become a man he must come to accept the symbolism of the death of the father and the displacement from the attachment of the mother, to the attachment to another woman.
At the beginning of the scene the boy looks feminised and in an infantalalised state and the woman who enters the room represents the mother. At 3.00 in the morning a figure (who represents the father) comes to the door, at this the boy shows fear and concern at hearing the father come home. The father is angry that the boy is getting all of the mother’s love and the boy feels as though the father is trying to take his mother away from him.
The boy continues to look frightened as the father begins to shout and berate him aggressively, giving him advice to get out of bed and violently forcing him to be a man making the boy look powerless and weak. The father strips his son of his childlike feminine clothes removing his element of childhood while the boy tries to hold onto his childhood by keeping his strap. Here the conflict between father and the son has turned into aggression.
The first moment of rebellion comes when the boy shakes his head telling his father no, unsuccessful he is sent to stand against the wall like a naughty child. The boy resents his father as he is going through adolescence where he is neither man nor a boy.
The inter-title of 16 years ago shows the build-up and release of tension leading to the killing of the father, this is what must happen in order for the boy to become a man.
The father gives the boy books to represent the giving of knowledge, the father walks away and the son rejects the fathers love and using the knowledge that was given to him, he turns it into weapons. The son calls his father back and shows his dominance before shooting him.
It then cuts to the park showing the father trying to cling onto the mother who then fades away.
My Rating: 3/10
One Final Word: Huh?
Friday, 3 September 2010
Adventureland (Greg Mottola, 2009)
Cast: Jesse Eisenberg, Kristen Stewart, Ryan Reynolds, Bill Hader, Wendie Malick
Summary: In the summer of 1987, a college graduate takes a 'nowhere' job at his local amusement park, only to find it's the perfect course to get him prepared for the real world.
Genre: Drama, Romance, Comedy
The main reason I wanted to watch this film really was just because Kristen Stewart was in it and I might just be a little bit in love with her.
However as much as I love Kristen Stewart and as good of an actor I think she is, ever since I watched the Twilight films I noticed that there is one thing she does that annoys me. She constantly bites her bottom lip and at first I wasn't sure if it was part of her character or if it was something she did in everyday life.
After watching this film I can say it's definitely something she does all the time and it just makes everything into an awkward situation. However I still love her so I think the next film of hers I'm going to watch is The Runaways.
Anyway let's get back to the film. I actually ended up really enjoying the film and not just because of Kristen Stewart, I really liked the story and really liked Jesse Eisenberg's performance. I think this may be the first thing that I've seen him in and I think he does a very good job.
It really is just a simple coming of age story that I'm pretty sure a few people will be able to relate to.
However as much as I love Kristen Stewart and as good of an actor I think she is, ever since I watched the Twilight films I noticed that there is one thing she does that annoys me. She constantly bites her bottom lip and at first I wasn't sure if it was part of her character or if it was something she did in everyday life.
After watching this film I can say it's definitely something she does all the time and it just makes everything into an awkward situation. However I still love her so I think the next film of hers I'm going to watch is The Runaways.
Anyway let's get back to the film. I actually ended up really enjoying the film and not just because of Kristen Stewart, I really liked the story and really liked Jesse Eisenberg's performance. I think this may be the first thing that I've seen him in and I think he does a very good job.
It really is just a simple coming of age story that I'm pretty sure a few people will be able to relate to.
My Rating: 7/10
One Final Word: Very Good
Sunday, 29 August 2010
Other Films Watched in August
Curse of The Golden Flower (Yimou Zhang, 2006)- Very Good
Step up 3 (John M Chu, 2010)- Okay
Clash of The Titans (Louis Leterrier, 2010)- Good
The Marine (John Bonito, 2006)- Good
Two Can Play That Game (Mark Brown, 2001)- Very Good
The Best Man (Malcolm D. Lee, 1999)- Very Good
Sunday, 15 August 2010
Mystic River (Clint Eastwood, 2003)
Cast: Sean Penn, Tim Robbins, Kevin Bacon, Laurence Fishburne, Marcia Gay Harden, Laura Linney
Summary: Jimmy, Dave, Sean. Friends who grew up in working-class Boston, they drift apart after a terrible tragedy. Years later, brutal events reconnect them. Jimmy’s 19-year-old daughter is coldly murdered. Dave is a suspect. And Sean, now a cop, scrambles to solve the crime before volatile Jimmy takes the law into his own hands.
Genre: Crime, Mystery, Drama
A friend of my mums recommended this film to me and considering how brilliant I thought the last film she recommended was (The Mist) I thought this one would be just as good.
Mystic River is very character focused, focuses mainly on the lives of childhood best friends Jimmy (Sean Penn), Dave (Tim Robbins) and Sean (Kevin Bacon) who drift apart and lose contact after a terrible tragedy that occurs in their childhood. Despite this character focus when the three reunite some years later it feels as though crucial background information about one of the characters is missing, due to the fact that the film introduces an incredibly sensitive/taboo topic and then somewhat ignores it.
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The mystery of the whodunit is absolutely fantastic and will leave you with a sour taste in your mouth, and once again Marcia Gay Harden’s performance is incredible as she plays a woman battling her emotions involving her husbands troubled past.
For me this film for me packs an absolute punch with its incredibly talented cast and gripping story, it's definitely up there as one of the best films I’ve seen.
Mystic River is very character focused, focuses mainly on the lives of childhood best friends Jimmy (Sean Penn), Dave (Tim Robbins) and Sean (Kevin Bacon) who drift apart and lose contact after a terrible tragedy that occurs in their childhood. Despite this character focus when the three reunite some years later it feels as though crucial background information about one of the characters is missing, due to the fact that the film introduces an incredibly sensitive/taboo topic and then somewhat ignores it.
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For me this film for me packs an absolute punch with its incredibly talented cast and gripping story, it's definitely up there as one of the best films I’ve seen.
My Rating: 10/10
One Final Word: BRILLIANT!
Tuesday, 10 August 2010
2001: A Space Odyssey (Stanley Kubrick, 1968)
Cast: Keir Dullea, Gary Lockwood
Summary: Humanity finds a mysterious, obviously artificial object buried beneath the Lunar surface and, with the intelligent computer H.A.L. 9000, sets off on a quest.
Genre: Sci-Fi, Mystery
The only reason I bought this film was because my media teacher said that it is one of the greatest films ever made, and I thought oh let me give this a watch then.
I didn't like the film and most of the time it was just background noise. I was completely confused, I didn't understand half of what was going on and to make it worse there was no talking for the majority of the film which made it even harder for me to try and follow what was happening.
I do have to admit that although I lost interest pretty quickly the one thing that I did like was the sound, and how different sounds were used like speech and to identify various items.
I didn't like the film and most of the time it was just background noise. I was completely confused, I didn't understand half of what was going on and to make it worse there was no talking for the majority of the film which made it even harder for me to try and follow what was happening.
I do have to admit that although I lost interest pretty quickly the one thing that I did like was the sound, and how different sounds were used like speech and to identify various items.
My Rating: 2/10
Thursday, 5 August 2010
The Mist (Frank Darabont, 2007)
Cast: Thomas Jane, Marcia Gay Harden, Laurie Holden, Andre Braugher, Toby Jones, William Sadler
Summary: After a mysterious mist envelopes a small New England town, a group of locals trapped in a supermarket must battle a siege of otherworldly creatures and fear that threaten to tear them apart.
Genre: Sci-Fi, Thriller
This is definitely one of the best films I have ever seen. My best friend’s mum (who funnily enough is my mum's best friend) said that she wanted me to watch it so that she could ask me a few questions about it after I had watched it.
What did you think of the film?
I really enjoyed this film, I think it introduced the main characters and set up the story very well. I liked how it gave the impression that David Drayton (Thomas Jane) and Mr Norton (Andre Braugher) were going to become friends during thier trip to the supermarket but after the mist envelops them, you find out that that is not the case. After the mist enveloped the town you could instantly see which of the towns people would stick with David and those who wouldn’t. There was one point in the film when a character mad a point that I totally agree with he said, “If you scare people badly enough, you can get them to do anything. They’ll turn to whoever promises a solution…”
Which characters helped to build the tension most?
I think the character that helped to build the most tension was Mrs Carmody (Marcia Gay Harden). At first she doesn’t really say much but then she starts going on about how this is the work of God and how he is punishing you for going against his word. Before this point many of the towns people already believed she was crazy. After the night attack people start to listen to her and begin to believe her teachings of how the creatures would attack in the night, but we really know that the night attack only happened because of the creatures attraction to light. It was just before she began gathering followers that David said something that was only too true, “I count four. She’s preaching to them now by the afternoon she’ll have four more.”
Were you surprised by the ending?
Yes and no. I knew that when they left the supermarket that they still had the gun so they would be able to kill each other should they need to and I thought it was typical that there would only be four bullets in the gun. At this point I have to say I was thinking up all different kinds of ways to kill them all, including the idea of smothering the child that way there would still be enough bullets to kill each of the adults.
I have to say that I wasn’t expecting what happened after the shootings and that right after he does what he has to do the army comes up behind him though the clearing mist. Here we also see the woman who left the supermarket earlier just after the mist enveloped the town to go and get her two children, on a rescue truck with her two children.
I do think that he/they gave up too early and they possibly could have waited till the there was no other options, or at least listened to my advice about the smothering, but we will never know.
What did you think of the film?
I really enjoyed this film, I think it introduced the main characters and set up the story very well. I liked how it gave the impression that David Drayton (Thomas Jane) and Mr Norton (Andre Braugher) were going to become friends during thier trip to the supermarket but after the mist envelops them, you find out that that is not the case. After the mist enveloped the town you could instantly see which of the towns people would stick with David and those who wouldn’t. There was one point in the film when a character mad a point that I totally agree with he said, “If you scare people badly enough, you can get them to do anything. They’ll turn to whoever promises a solution…”
Which characters helped to build the tension most?
I think the character that helped to build the most tension was Mrs Carmody (Marcia Gay Harden). At first she doesn’t really say much but then she starts going on about how this is the work of God and how he is punishing you for going against his word. Before this point many of the towns people already believed she was crazy. After the night attack people start to listen to her and begin to believe her teachings of how the creatures would attack in the night, but we really know that the night attack only happened because of the creatures attraction to light. It was just before she began gathering followers that David said something that was only too true, “I count four. She’s preaching to them now by the afternoon she’ll have four more.”
Were you surprised by the ending?
Yes and no. I knew that when they left the supermarket that they still had the gun so they would be able to kill each other should they need to and I thought it was typical that there would only be four bullets in the gun. At this point I have to say I was thinking up all different kinds of ways to kill them all, including the idea of smothering the child that way there would still be enough bullets to kill each of the adults.
I have to say that I wasn’t expecting what happened after the shootings and that right after he does what he has to do the army comes up behind him though the clearing mist. Here we also see the woman who left the supermarket earlier just after the mist enveloped the town to go and get her two children, on a rescue truck with her two children.
I do think that he/they gave up too early and they possibly could have waited till the there was no other options, or at least listened to my advice about the smothering, but we will never know.
My Rating: 10/10
One Final Word: One of the Best!
Friday, 30 July 2010
Other Films Watched In July
Twilight Eclipse (David Slade, 2010) - Excellent
Dragonball Evolution (James Wong, 2009) - Okay
Planet of the Apes (Tim Burton, 2001) - Very Good
Rear Window (Alfred Hitchcock, 1954) - Okay
Moulin Rouge (Baz Luhrmann, 2001) - Good
The Karate Kid (Harald Zwart, 2010) - Very Good
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