Saturday 25 September 2010

Cops and Robbers (Out this week - 24/09/10)

I don't think this weeks top film will surprise anyone, it comes with a high degree of pedigree, a top notch cast and a solidly entertaining trailer. That said there are plenty of other films out there this week that might be worth a look, from the return of Dante to black comedy from Bobcat Goldthwaite so feel free to investigate. Film of the week is Ben Affleck's The Town.



Anjanna Anjaani

The usual plotless Bollywood movie that self describes as a comedy musical romance. Appears to involves a lot of bars from reading the cast list - including a gay bar and a stripper club.

Runs like a Gay Excitometer: ●●○○○○○○○○



Confucius

The life story of the world's most famous philosopher lumbers into theatres having cleared up in it's native China. As much as I admire the great man himself, as well as leading actor Yun-Fat Chow, I can't see this filling up the local mulitplex.

Runs like a Gay Excitometer: ●●●○○○○○○○

Eat Pray Love

I think I'm overscoring Julia Robert's latest vehicle, the big screen adapatation of Elizabeth Gilbert's memoir/self-help guide but let's be honest however simperingly naff this looks there is an inbuilt audience and the travelogue aspect looks pretty. Look out for Viola Davis, Richard Jenkins and Javier Bardem in supporting roles.

Runs like a Gay Excitometer: ●●●●●●○○○○

Enter the Void

I want to be more interested in Gaspar Noe's latest avant garde release, following the soul of a murdered teen as he watches over his sister, but I think the artiness of the concept might make it a marmite movie.

Runs like a Gay Excitometer: ●●○○○○○○○○

Frozen

High-concept thriller (I know, the jokes keep coming don't they) with three faceless twenty somethings marooned on a ski-lift for no real reason other than it makes a nice set up. Watch as they slowly succumb to frostbite and insanity.

Runs like a Gay Excitometer: ●●●○○○○○○○

The Hole

Joe Dante, the viosionary director behind Gremlins, has returned with this family horror about a bottomless pit (filmed in 3D so it might feel bottomless) underneath the basement of a couple of teenagers. Weird and PG rated scary stuff comes out. Bruce Dern hams it up in the supporting cast.

Runs like a Gay Excitometer: ●●●●●○○○○○

Peepli Live

It's that vry rare thing - a Bollywood movie that's been screened to the critics. It's story of poor farmers who threaten to commit suicide in defiance of court orders to give up their land and then become the centre of a media storm seems fascinating too. Probably worth seeing.

Runs like a Gay Excitometer: ●●●○○○○○○○

The Town

It might be pure genre, but Ben Affleck's bank robber follow up to the assured and measured Gone Baby Gone is impressing critics and audiences alike with it's grounded characterisations and edge of the seat action.

Runs like a Gay Excitometer: ●●●●●●●●○○

True Legend

If you fancy some more action to go with your Chinese history lesson than Confucius is providing than this Qing dynasty revenge drama may just be for you. Man Cheuk Chiu and Michelle Yeoh are among the high kicking cast.

Runs like a Gay Excitometer: ●●●○○○○○○○

Wildest Dream: Conquest of Everest

Delayed part documentary, part reenactment of George Mallory's illfated expedition up the worlds most famous mountain. Ralph Fiennes and Liam Neeson are among the voices.

Runs like a Gay Excitometer: ●●●●○○○○○○

World's Greatest Dad

Robin Williams is the failed writer - who fakes a suicidal journal for his son after he's killed in a autoasphyixiation erotic act that goes wrong - and then finds himslef in the centre of an outpouring of unwarranted grief. Possibly the dictionary definition of black comedy.

Runs like a Gay Excitometer: ●●●●○○○○○○

Given that I've hardly been around the last couple of weeks it's unsurprising that I've missed the odd release but before I go into those I will just point out that last weeks Devil managed a final score of 3 on the excitometer, none of the other provisional scores have changed and there was no effect of Winter's Bone as the top film.

From 17 September 2010

I'm Still Here

I think I can be forgiven for missing this infamous faux-documentary which was only outed as a performance piece in the last couple of weeks. Joaquin Pheonix has spent the last 18 month pretending to go off the rails and trying it out as a rapper. We'll see what this actually does to his career, though, before judging it's success.

Runs like a Gay Excitometer: ●●●●○○○○○○

10 September 2010

Dabangg

Corruption in the Utter Pradesh police forces is the focus for this Bollywood thriller.

Runs like a Gay Excitometer: ●●●○○○○○○○

Swansong

Subtitled the Story of Occi Byrne I haven't been able to find much out about this Irish drama, other than it's Irish, it had a limited release in Ireland where there were enough fans to give it an average rating of 8 on imdb. Go Occi Byrne, I say.

Runs like a Gay Excitometer: ●●●●○○○○○○

4 comments:

Alex Constantin said...

I'm not really digging the way The Town looks. Enter the Void seems to have the most interesting subject, while I would probably go for Frozen just that I don't like films putting the audience too much in an uncomfortable position. Frozen feels like Von Trier, but it's still tempting :)
no eat pray love for me, at least not for now.

Runs Like A Gay said...

Mark Kermode (BBC film critic) selected Enter the Void as film of the week And it does looks fantastically original so perhaps I'm being too harsh.

I'm not sure Frozen is good enough to be von Trier. no there's a comment that wil get me into trouble...

Alex Constantin said...

well, I've meant it in terms of what awakens in me. Me wanting to throw something at the screen, wanting to close my eyes or just couldn't believe it was taken THAT far. Antichrist was the horrendous experience i never want to live again.

Runs Like A Gay said...

I think I may be psychotic - I actually quite enjoyed Antichrist.