No pantomime for me this year, so I gave Jack The Giant-Slayer a go instead. This is the 2013 version directed by Bryan Singer. It is a mixture of the traditional stories Jack and the Beanstalk and Jack the Giant-Killer. So, much as you think you know the story, there are actually a few unexpected turns.
The CGI is brilliant. The giants are scary. The beanstalk is scary (really). Everything looks beautiful and fairytalesque.
I also really liked the portrayal of the relationship between Jack (by Nicholas Hoult) and the princess (by Eleanor Tomlinson). Both actors did a great job; avoiding the sugary clichés so loved by pantomime amateurs all over the country at this time of year.
At its root this is just a fairytale; but it is done really well, with style, humour and drama.
Tuesday 24 December 2013
Wednesday 18 December 2013
Bullhead
A film set near the Belgian-Dutch border using mostly Limburgish and seemingly about cattle farmers. Doesn't sound too compelling, but that is the trick that Bullhead plays on you.
You see the title character in the present day at first. He doesn't seem like a very nice guy, to say the least. Director Michaël R. Roskam does a brilliant job of drawing out your prejudices about this grown up Jacky, before hitting you with the harrowing story of his past. Wow! What an impact that makes. Suddenly you find yourself looking at Jacky and his behaviour in a totally different way.
The plot continues to twist with more revelations about the relationships between the main characters. You see early on that they know (or at least recognise) each other, but only gradually learn how.
I found this film fascinating. Particularly the performances of Matthias Schoenaerts as Jacky and Jeroen Perceval as Diederik. It is beautifully shot and the cuts backwards in time are well done.
There are a couple of clumsy devices (Lucia is annoying) and the possible humour of the car mechanics was lost on me as a subtitle reader.
Overall, an excellent film. It is harrowing though. Bad things happen. Really bad things!
You see the title character in the present day at first. He doesn't seem like a very nice guy, to say the least. Director Michaël R. Roskam does a brilliant job of drawing out your prejudices about this grown up Jacky, before hitting you with the harrowing story of his past. Wow! What an impact that makes. Suddenly you find yourself looking at Jacky and his behaviour in a totally different way.
The plot continues to twist with more revelations about the relationships between the main characters. You see early on that they know (or at least recognise) each other, but only gradually learn how.
I found this film fascinating. Particularly the performances of Matthias Schoenaerts as Jacky and Jeroen Perceval as Diederik. It is beautifully shot and the cuts backwards in time are well done.
There are a couple of clumsy devices (Lucia is annoying) and the possible humour of the car mechanics was lost on me as a subtitle reader.
Overall, an excellent film. It is harrowing though. Bad things happen. Really bad things!
Monday 16 December 2013
Byzantium
I put Byzantium on my rental list mostly because it has Gemma Arterton and Saoirse Ronan in. Never seen a trailer and didn't read the blurb. It's a plan that's worked well before. And it delivered another great watch.
This is a film that takes an established genre and reworks it slightly. Not massively. But enough. Especially when you don't know what genre at the start. There is mystery and then an unfolding realisation of who these two women are.
There's not a lot of action, but the acting and script are both excellent.
This is a film that takes an established genre and reworks it slightly. Not massively. But enough. Especially when you don't know what genre at the start. There is mystery and then an unfolding realisation of who these two women are.
There's not a lot of action, but the acting and script are both excellent.
Saturday 14 December 2013
The Exorcism of Emily Rose
The problem with The Exorcism of Emily Rose is that it doesn't know if it wants to be a courtroom drama, a thriller or a horror film. It tries to be all three and ends up being neither.
There is no drama because you know from the start what is going to happen. There are moments of horror, but they are so spread out that they lose their impact very quickly. The focus on the lawyers marginalises the most important characters, which should be the girl's family and the priest.
The outcome of the trial is pretty much irrelevant. In the real-life case of Anneliese Michel on which the film is based it was the parents and two priests who were prosecuted. In the film it was just the priest: why? I didn't understand the premise of him being solely culpable for the girl's death.
The real-life story here has huge potential, but I think the film fails to tell it well.
There is no drama because you know from the start what is going to happen. There are moments of horror, but they are so spread out that they lose their impact very quickly. The focus on the lawyers marginalises the most important characters, which should be the girl's family and the priest.
The outcome of the trial is pretty much irrelevant. In the real-life case of Anneliese Michel on which the film is based it was the parents and two priests who were prosecuted. In the film it was just the priest: why? I didn't understand the premise of him being solely culpable for the girl's death.
The real-life story here has huge potential, but I think the film fails to tell it well.
Alan Partridge : Alpha Papa
You know those days where everything goes wrong? It takes you 3 attempts to get your T-shirt on the right way round ... inside out, then back to front ... you've run out of tea / coffee / milk / bread. Well, I think if every day were like that then you'd end up like Alan Partridge.
Probably like many who loved the Partridge TV shows, I was a bit concerned that Alan might not translate to the big screen. But fear not; he does. Alpha Papa is a great film. All the characters are really well done and the straightforward plot is perfect for putting AP into the situations we love to see him struggling with.
This is a continuation of Alan's evolution. He's older and a bit wiser now. He sees some of his flaws and isn't quite as pompous as before.
I can't explain why this is funny. And some people wont like it. But the title sequence with Alan driving to work and singing along to the radio had me in stitches.
Probably like many who loved the Partridge TV shows, I was a bit concerned that Alan might not translate to the big screen. But fear not; he does. Alpha Papa is a great film. All the characters are really well done and the straightforward plot is perfect for putting AP into the situations we love to see him struggling with.
This is a continuation of Alan's evolution. He's older and a bit wiser now. He sees some of his flaws and isn't quite as pompous as before.
I can't explain why this is funny. And some people wont like it. But the title sequence with Alan driving to work and singing along to the radio had me in stitches.
Wednesday 11 December 2013
Fish Story
There are plenty of Japanese films that have just left me baffled at the end. For a long time it looked like Fish Story might be one more of them; but it isn't.
Between the punk music and impending disaster, the film throws a collection of interesting characters who all feel connected... you just don't quite know how. As the scenes jump between 1975, 1999, 2009 and 2012 you spot some characters who are the same and others who might be but aren't.
Confused? That's part of the charm. There are enough likeable characters to keep you interested even when you are not quite sure what is going on. And, trust me, at the end everything is clear.
Quirky, fun, interesting. Stick with this one, you wont regret it.
Between the punk music and impending disaster, the film throws a collection of interesting characters who all feel connected... you just don't quite know how. As the scenes jump between 1975, 1999, 2009 and 2012 you spot some characters who are the same and others who might be but aren't.
Confused? That's part of the charm. There are enough likeable characters to keep you interested even when you are not quite sure what is going on. And, trust me, at the end everything is clear.
Quirky, fun, interesting. Stick with this one, you wont regret it.
Sunday 8 December 2013
Immortals
I've been ill this week; which is a poor excuse for ignoring all the bad reviews and fair warnings and watching Immortals. What a dreadful film!
Dreadful all round. What were they thinking? Complete and utter stinker. There I was, in my sick-bed, looking for something light, something fun and throw-away. I didn't care about mythological accuracy, I could forgive some poor acting, wasn't too bothered about a wobbly script, didn't mind if the action was mindless, expected plot holes and some predictability. But I got all of those in spades. Shocker.
The only mildly high point is the hilarious final battle between the Gods and the Titans. After the Gods teleport into the mountain through the hole at the top and kill more Titans than there seemed to be in the box at the start; there are still more Titans than there were at the start left over to kill all the Gods except Zeus. I guess that's why the Titans are scary, because you can fit so many of them in such a small box? It must be that, because they can't even jump out of a small hole to escape when Zeus collapses the mountain by pulling on a couple of chains... before teleporting away with his maybe-not-dead daughter.
Oh yes; that last bit made me laugh so much I almost got better instantly. Thank you. If only Immortals were properly classified as a comedy then maybe it would have got better reviews :)
Dreadful all round. What were they thinking? Complete and utter stinker. There I was, in my sick-bed, looking for something light, something fun and throw-away. I didn't care about mythological accuracy, I could forgive some poor acting, wasn't too bothered about a wobbly script, didn't mind if the action was mindless, expected plot holes and some predictability. But I got all of those in spades. Shocker.
The only mildly high point is the hilarious final battle between the Gods and the Titans. After the Gods teleport into the mountain through the hole at the top and kill more Titans than there seemed to be in the box at the start; there are still more Titans than there were at the start left over to kill all the Gods except Zeus. I guess that's why the Titans are scary, because you can fit so many of them in such a small box? It must be that, because they can't even jump out of a small hole to escape when Zeus collapses the mountain by pulling on a couple of chains... before teleporting away with his maybe-not-dead daughter.
Oh yes; that last bit made me laugh so much I almost got better instantly. Thank you. If only Immortals were properly classified as a comedy then maybe it would have got better reviews :)
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