After last weeks explosive start to the blockbuster season we're now taking a less studio-based version with art-house versions of action movies likely to dominate the box office, and some exciting animated and foreign language selections. It's a bit of an interesting time for Christopher Plummer fans too, but the film of the week is the thriller/fairy tale hybrid Hanna
Hanna
Joe Wright, director of high profile British costume dramas such as Atonement and Pride and Prejudice at first glance appears to be slumming it with this action thriller, however closer inspection reveals the style and substance he's brought to the film has made this project utterly unique.
Runs like a Gay Excitometer: ●●●●●●○○○○
My Dog Tulip
Low-key animation based on J.R. Ackerley's autobiography about his friendship with a German Shepherd. Christopher Plummer, in his first role this week, is the central lead. Sadly this also has Lynn Redgrave's final performance.
Runs like a Gay Excitometer: ●●●●●○○○○○
Outside the Law
Rachid Bouchareb's second movie looking at the relationship between France and Algeria, the countries of his birth and of his heritage, however unlike Days of Glory this painful reminder of the Algerian Independence movement, and the ultra thin line between freedom fighters and terrorism, has stirred up painful memories of the period.
Runs like a Gay Excitometer: ●●●●●○○○○○
Water for Elephants
The second real test for proving if Robert Pattison can pull in an audience outside the Twilight franchise, although it won't take much to surpass his Remember Me. Reese Witherspoon plays the girl he falls in love with, Christoph Waltz her husband and Hal Holbrook looks back as an older version of the worst circus tragedy of all time. Expect a two hanky movie.
Runs like a Gay Excitometer: ●●●●●○○○○○
13 Assassins
Takashi Miike, known for his more extreme revenge movies, takes a look at feudal Japan in this based on fact action adventure. The titular assassins volunteer together to defeat a sadistic lord in a virtual suicide mission (with over 30 minutes of continuous battle choreography in the final set piece).
Runs like a Gay Excitometer: ●●●○○○○○○○
Engeyum Kadhal
Surprisingly delayed Tamil movie (first released in October 2010), possibly because it portrays a love story where the woman is in control and chasing her loved one.
Runs like a Gay Excitometer: ●●●○○○○○○○
Forget me Not
British independent love story set over 24 hours in the beauty and excitement of London's capital, the trailer recalls the lyricism and aimlessness of Richard Linklater's Before Sunrise.
Runs like a Gay Excitometer: ●●●○○○○○○○
One Hundred Mornings
The most depressing plot synopsis this week comes from Ireland. Two couples hide in a isolated lakeside whilst society falls apart. The micro situation will undoubtedly reflect the micro.
Runs like a Gay Excitometer: ●●●○○○○○○○
Priest
Adapted from a graphic novel, from the same director-star collaborators Scott Charles Stewart and Paul Bettany, as last years apocalyptic Legion. Not expected to be any good. Brad Dourif and Christopher Plummer - yes this is the lesser of the options - take he money and run in supporting roles.
Runs like a Gay Excitometer: ●●●○○○○○○○
Something Borrowed
This looks so much like any other Kate Hudson rom-com that I honestly thought it had come out before. Ginnifer Goodwin is the ostensible lead, falling for her best friends (Hudson) fiance. Apparently not as bad as it might seem.
Runs like a Gay Excitometer: ●●●○○○○○○○
Friday, 6 May 2011
Did she turn out as you hoped? (Out this week - 06/05/11)
Thursday, 17 February 2011
Hal Holbrook
Happy Birthday to
Hal Holbrook
86 today
There are two roles that define the career of this enigmatic character actor. On stage he excelled in his one-man Mark Twain show, winning a Tony in 1966, in film he will always be the voice of Nixonian whistle blower Deep Throat in All the President's Men. Next up is a role in Water for Elephants where he plays an older Robert Pattinson - which must be sobering for the Twilight fans.
Wednesday, 8 April 2009
Into the Wild
2007. Dir: Sean Penn. Starring: Emile Hirsch, Marcia Gay Harden, William Hurt, Catherine Keener and Vince Vaughn. ●●●●●
I won't be going to the cinema again until after my holiday so it's a number of random film reviews until then. First up was this smart and inventive biopic about the 21 year old Christopher McCandless (Hirsch) who gave away his college fund and led a life on the road, eventually escaping to the wilds in Alaska.
The film intercuts between 2 or 3 different time periods. The first, or last chronologically, is based around Chris' life in the wild, living in the Magic Bus (an abandoned vehicle in the Alaskan wilderness) and being completely self-sufficent. The second strand, which forms the largest proportion of the film, follows the previous 2 years as Chris leaves his parents and travels America, the third is the narration and flashbacks as witnessed by his sister Carine (Jena Malone). During those 2 years of wandering the earth, Chris encounters a number of other people who he alternatively learns from, and helps.
As with all films based on true events the structure, or at least the history, are already there. If this were an original narrative would director Penn have let it end the way it did, would the unresolved ties with the strings of encounters have been tied up, would Chris ever have understood the importance of family and love.
Instead we are forced to see how nature first entices McCandless then turns on him as thoroughly as his father used to beat his mother.
The performances across the board are incredible. Hirsch is captivating and utterly believable as the rich kid who's wise beyond his years, although Catherine Keener and Brian Dierker are the ones who will stay with me as a hippie couple coming to terms with their own sense of loss and showing Chris what love truly is. The film also features career highs from Vince Vaughn and Hal Holbrook.
The screenplay is a shade too literate, everyone is able to keep up with Chris' intellectualism and always say exactly what's on their mind, but this is a product of the road movie and keeps the plot moving.
The directorial choices of Penn are faultless from the structuring of the storylines to the occasion decision to break the fourth wall. And the use of Eddie Vedder's folk music soundtrack is inspired.
Of course I wanted to shout at McCandless, tell him not to go to Alaska, tell him to fall in love, have his heart broken, share life with as many people as possible. But then I can't, he has to learn his lessons himself, in the same way we all do and perhaps the greatest lesson McCandless learns is the one in writes in the margins of his Tolstoy novels: "Happiness only real when shared."
Tuesday, 17 February 2009
Hal Holbrook
Happy Birthday to
Hal Holbrook
84 today
The dictionary definition of curmudgeony. I've just noticed that Hal has a minor role in the unreleased Mickey Rourke is a hired killer flick Killshot. Why have we not seen this movie?
