We're settling into the horror zone with number 3 Twixt now and Sunrise.
Bizarrely the director who's benefitted most from appearing in my top ten from 2010 is the one who should need it least: The Godfather and Apocalypse Now helmer Francis Ford Coppola. Watching Tetro was a reminder of the talent that Coppola used to be, before he wasted it on inferior studio fare in the 90's and a decade of wine production. Sure the story was pure soap opera but the look and feel of the film transcended it's origins.
This Val Kilmer starring horror may suffer from the same cliches as any number of Stephen King minor adaptations (see The Dark Half) as a writer blurs the line between fantasy and reality in his latest gothic masterpiece, but I thoroughly believe that Coppola can keep the suspense, beautiful film the sequences and, ultimately, give us enough to be able to ignore the histrionics.
Friday, 28 January 2011
20 for 2011: 3 - Twixt now and Sunrise
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: ●●●●○○○○○○
Friday, 4 June 2010
Bruce Dern
Happy Birthday to
Bruce Dern
74 today
I don't know why Bruce isn't talked about more when discussed groundbreaking performers of the 70's. He gave a superb supporting performances in both Coming Home, as the least likeable character but the one that loses the most, and insightful sci-fi Silent Running, right. I certainly won't forget, this one's for you Bruce.
Wednesday, 15 April 2009
Monster
2003. Dir: Patty Jenkins. Starring: Charlize Theron, Christina Ricci, Bruce Dern, Lee Tergesen and Annie Corley. ●●●○○
I think we can all agree that Charlize Theron is one of the most beautiful women on the planet, and that Aileen Wuornos the Daytone Beach prostitute - whose life story forms the basis for Monster - is not. Yet somewhere along the line it was felt best that Cahrlize take the role and gain 30lbs in order to play it correctly.
That sort of dedication to a role, or to unlikely casting, is commendable. However I am forced to ask why they did it? Sure Charlize is a good actress, and having her deglamming probably sold extra tickets and maybe without that the oscar wouldn't have been won, but surely there are some chunky blond actresses that could have equally taken the role.
I will confess it does make me slightly angry when this sort of thing happens. As a character actor myself (OK, not hugely celebrated now but there's still time) I can recognise this is the sort of role where someone previously unnoticed can breakout. Charlize was already making the big bucks, the prestige performance feels like it's be stolen from someone else.
This is not to say I wasn't moved by the performance - it is very good. The tale of a Floridean serial-killing, lesbian, street walker is fascinating and Theron hits all the rights notes of desperation, self pity and seething anger. So much so that you almost start cheering her on as she murders each of her victims, although that's a function of the screenplay more than the performance.
We see 4 murders. The first (which really is the first kill) is essentially self defence, Wournos is beaten and raped but manages to shoot her captor before he kills her, but each of the subsequent kills seem less and less rational (is he a peadophile, why is there a gun in the car, did this guy just want to offer help?). By ordering the murders in this way we are able to appreciate how Wuornos spirals out of control.
For me the stand out performance is by Cristina Ricci. The Selby character, girlfriend of Wuornos, has to be by turns infatuated, childish, self absorbed and frightened. Ricci shows her range, but also makes it clear that this is the same person, it's a totally organic performance with elements of her personality showing through in all scenes.
The production design is grungy enough and top marks for the make-up department.
Ultimately it's worth seeing this film, an interesting addition to the real life serial killer genre, without it becoming exploitation, but there are too little great elements to really recommend it.
