At first it seems like a quiet week with only 7 new features released into cinemas. But of course my methodology is deliberately focussed so I miss the 3D re-release of George Lucas's return to the Star Wars universe and the non 3D release of Casablanca. I suppose I should consider the later for film of the week, and it would certainly give the ultimate winner a run for it's money but I don't want to go breaking the rules as it might reveal areas of my subconscious I'd rather keep hidden. Of course film of the week is David Cronenberg's Freud-Jung-Spielrein intellectual triangle A Dangerous Method.
Of course The Phantom Menace is also tickling the top of the box office charts and with an extra day of release it might be foolish to bet against it, however I'm a fool who remembers it's half term and The Muppets has an awful lot of retro value - I would even go as far as saying more so on this side of the Atlantic than in the States - and I wouldn't be at all surprised if it takes the crown.
Oh, and I was dead right about Chronicle being last weeks biggest seller, amazingly making 26 year-old director Josh Trank the youngest director to have a box office leader in both the US and UK. 
A Dangerous Method
Second week in a row we have a stage play making the transition to film, and like Carnage the plot may in part revolve around the difference between morality and desire. Michael Fassbender continues his extraordinary run of performances as Carl Jung with Keira Knightley, Viggo Mortensen and Vincent Cassell surrounding him.
Runs like a Gay Excitometer: ●●●●●●●○○○
The Muppets
The gang's all back. I imagine most 30 somethings or older have a huge place in their heart for the madcap antics, big-time show tunes and silly jokes of the not-quite puppets and will go out in droves with their small kids to try and revive those memories. Kermit, Miss Piggy, Gonzo and Animal are all on board, as are Jason Segal, Amy Adams and Chris Cooper to drive the plot but an extra pleasure of the muppets is their fantastic cameos which include Alan Arkin, Whoopi Goldberg, Judd Hirsch and Mickey Rooney.
Runs like a Gay Excitometer: ●●●●●●○○○○
Woman in Black
Daniel Radcliffe, him off Harry Potter with the glasses and the scar, you'd probably recognise the guy, has to sell off an abandoned house in deepest Devon. Only it's not completed abandoned as there's a sinister spirit at work trying to rip Radcliffe's mind apart in this Hammer gothic horror. Janet McTeer and Ciaran Hinds co-star.
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The Vow
If you in the mood for a non-challenging romantic drama about a couple falling in love for the second time following a car crash and bout of amnesia then this could be exactly the movie for you. Rachel McAdams is the girl forgetting her hubby with Channing Tatum either shirtless or wearing chunky knitwear to bring back those hidden memories and Jessica Lange returns in a key supporting role.
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Casanovva
Not necessarily what you would expect from the title of this Mayalaman entry. The synopsis states it's about an international businessman and playboy getting revenge on his girlfriends murderers through a reality TV show. WTF?
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Ek Main Aur Ekk Tu
Bollywood comedy set in Vegas (I know) slightly influenced by What Happens in Vegas as mismatched couple Imran Khan and Kareena Kapoor wake up hungover and married and must learn to love each other. Sweet.
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Big Miracle
Finally we have the boring looking family friendly based on a true story tosh about whales trapped under the ice and the massive rescue effort involved fishermen, the army and large groups of volunteers. I expect it's not as bad as I think, but I can't pretend it's the sort of film I want to see.
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Saturday, 11 February 2012
Tell me about your Mother (Out this week - 10/02/12)
Saturday, 9 July 2011
Chris Cooper
Happy Birthday to
Chris Cooper
60 today
Always an impressive performer, always making the most of minor roles including his brief scene in last years The Town or his vocal performance in Where the Wild Things Are. He's a regular collaborator with John Sayles, including their latest film Amigo (which just opened in the US, so I'm hoping we'll get it later in the year).
Saturday, 12 March 2011
A song to remember (Out this week - 11/03/11)
I probably won't go to the cinema this weekend. It's a oddly downbeat selection, none of which are really drawing me in spite of the far reviews and interesting subject matter involved in some of them. Oddly the film with the best looking trailers has had the worst reviews so I won't be seeing that. Film of the week is Norwegian Wood.
Norwegian Wood
Period Japanese movie about a student (Kenichi Matsuyama) establishing his identity in a cold but rapidly changing culture whilst falling for the ex-girlfriend (Rinku Kikuchi) of his best friend who recentl commited suicide. Gorgeously filmed adaptation of Haruki Murakami's seminal novel.
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Company Men
Ben Affleck (continuing to shakeup his filmstar persona) leads an all-star cast in this unemployment drama focusing on white collar workers with nowhere to go in the recent financial meltdown. Tommy Lee Jones, Chris Cooper and Kevin Costner are all feeling the pinch.
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Fair Game
The Valerie Plame story, as interpreted by Bourne director Doug Liman. Naomi Watts plays the CIA agent suddenly left out in the cold with Sean Penn as her noble husband standing by her in the wake of dodgy dossiers and the Iraq invasion.
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Hall Pass
The Farrelly brothers used to be box office gold, their gross-out comedy of the Nineties was able to attract top performers as well as audiences. This latest, about two marrieds getting a week off, barely hit the box office champ against Gnomeo and Juliet's third week of release. Richard Jenkins has a small role, so there must be something worthwhile about it.
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Heartbeats
Canadian sexual drama about two friends (one male, one female) falling for the same stranger, competing for his desire and the knock on effect on their friendship. Feted on the estival circuit for it's crisp design and urgency.
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Life Goes On
British Hindi film about a widow coming to terms with losing the love of his life. Looks a bit cloying and over-emotional.
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The Resident
The resurrected Hammer studios are going back to their roots with this horror with Christopher Lee in a supporting role. Hilary Swank rents a surprisingly cheap apartment only to find all is not right with her neighbours.
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All American Orgy
The clue's in the title. Three couples go on a sex retreat to reinvigorate their relationships in the sub-American Pie farce.
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Battle: Los Angeles
Disappointing reviews for ths Alien invasion pic have destroyed allthe good will the thumping trailershad built up. I hear it's like World of the Worlds meets Saving Private Ryan, only nowhere near as good as that sounds.
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Legacy: Black Ops
I don't care if Idris Alba was brilliant in "The Wire" he's going to need to pick his game up if he wants to break into movies, and avoid this part-Nigerian-funded psychbabble about hallucinating soldiers.
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Last week I actually missed five new releases, but given that four were limited release low-budget interchangable American horror movies I'm not going to give individual summaries of those. Suffice to say, having watched the trailers, that Prowl, Scream of the Banshee, Seconds Apart and The Task all deserve a Runs like a Gay Excitometer: ●●○○○○○○○○.
Lion of the Punjab
Faring slightly better, but only because I'm generous to non-English movies is this Bollywood enigma with plenty of action in the short trailer, but not much to indicate a plot.
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Wednesday, 9 March 2011
The Tempest
2010. Dir: Julie Taymor. Starring: Helen Mirren, Felicity Jones, Reeve Carney, Russell Brand and Djimon Hounsou. ●●●●○
Whilst some of William Shakespeare's plays are constantly in the backs of public consciousness (Romeo and Juliet, Hamlet) others drift in and out of fashion; known more to aficionados and literature students than the average cinema goer. The Tempest definitely sits within the second set partly because Shakespeare's last play is problematic. Like A Midsummer Night's Dream it creates it's own logic; albeit significantly darker in it's intent influenced by the failing of Shakespeare's own literary skills and the King James's obsession with witchcraft. Perhaps the biggest issue, which resonates fully in a post-Iraq geopolitical world, is the ambivalent approach to imperialism and colonisation. Julie Taymor's production rather glosses over these issues, using the stunt casting of Helen Mirren in the traditional male lead of Propero (now called Prospera) as a tactic to confuse and mislead the audience's attention.
The titular storm occurs in the opening scenes of Act I, Prospera exercising her powers with the sprite Ariel (Ben Whishaw) under her control in order to wreck a passing vessel carrying the conspirators behind her exile and abandonment to the barren island where she resides. The rest of the story concerns three groups of the survivors as they respond to Prospera's machinations.
The first group contains her usurping brother Alonso (Chris Cooper) oily spreading discourse with Ferdinand (Alan Cumming) against the King of Naples (David Strathairn) with the loyal and verbose Gonzalez on hand (Tom Conti). Meanwhile Ferdinand (Reeve Carney), the heir to the throne of Naples, has been separated and introduced to Prospera's daughter Miranda (Felicity Jones) in order to test his virtue as a potential suitor.
Finally Stephano and Trinculo, comic relief as a drunkard, wasteful, working class (played by Alfred Molina and Russell Brand respectively) form a bond with the island's sole native - and Propera's slave - Caliban (Djimon Hounsou). Together they plot to overthrow the matriarchal state in which Caliban is imprisoned.
The gender change at the centre is a curious one, it allows for a much closer relationship between Prospera and Miranda, one that gives an additional urgency to the protective instincts Prospera feels towards her daughter - from the alleged lustful desire of Caliban to the shield from her work. That said it weakens Miranda who seems both whiny at times, yet also the standing up against her parent is less risky.
Of course Mirren delivers in the central role, but this isn't just a Propera show as other adaptation's have indicated. Chris Cooper is suitably menacing, virtually licking his lips as he whispers conspiracies. Tom Conti also hits the mark as the aging windbag. Brand and Molina might not be doing anything we haven't seen before but it is what they do best - Brand in particular seems to have wandered in from his stand up show. I was especially taken by Ben Whishaw's performance, at once enamoured by Prospera as well as desperately seeking his freedom from her control.
Design wise there are few film-makes more distinctive that Taymor. Sandy Powell's costume design is fantastic, from the zip encrusted noblemen ware to the seemingly pieces together costuming of the island residents. Whishaw's costumes also shone - when he appears as a crow it's beautiful frightening and captivating.
Eliott Goldenthal's music, including incidental songs, is also wonderfully integrated into the action and is among his best scores. Taymor's direction is at it's usual high standard - although she's clearly more interested in spectacle than character. Weirdly at times the film seems rushed - Prospera's about face on her knowledge seems almost whimsical.
I would heartily recommend this version of the play, but would have preferred Taymor to really try to confront the message of the story. When I leave with sympathy for Ariel's imprisonment but no opinion on Caliban's mistreatment I know there's been a trick missed.
Thursday, 3 March 2011
New York, I Love You
2009. Dir: Various. Starring: Natalie Portman, Ethan Hawke, Chris Cooper, Cloris Leachman and Julie Christie. ●●●○○
It's difficult to review a collection of shorts like New York, I Love You, do you review each of the shorts as individual pieces, or try to assess the whole collection as a single entity? Luckily we have a template as this is a follow up to the critically acclaimed 2006 film Paris, Je T'Aime which presented a number of Gallic themed romances. Unfortunately New York doesn't live up to the high standards of his European predecessor.
The premise is relatively simple, 10 renowned directors (including Mira Nair and Brett Ratner) take a geographical area of the Big Apple and portray a love affair which somehow encapsulates the feel and atmosphere of the region whilst being linked by a mysterious French girl filming segments of life with her video camera. One of the main issues of the project is that none of the films seems to be uniquely presenting a way of life in the city, they're all stories that could easily be transplanted to an alternative zip code.
Three of the shorts stood out of the pack as worth watching.
Mira Nair is an old hand at the short film format, having worked on 8 and the 9/11 memorial collection. Here the chaste romance between Hasidic bride to be Natalie Portman and Jain divorcee Irfan Khan as they barter over diamond prices, cleverly highlighting the differences and ties between them over their irreconcilable faiths is fascinating and beautifully played.
Ethan Hawke, Maggie Q, Chris Cooper and Robin Wright have two very different conversations about hooking up with strangers in the city, with pull the rug under our feet consequences (alas the first meeting was rather ruined in the trailer) which blindside the audience in a surprising yet shocking way, and both involve the female taking charge of the sexual nature of their conversations reversing the usual gender expectations. Yvan Attal takes a lo-fi hand held approach to the direction allowing the actors room to breathe. Hawke himself probably takes the performance crown for the piece for this section and for his delightfully funny miming in the linking segments.
The final section, and the only one with a real sense of place, is Joshua Marston's Coney Island set two hander with Eli Wallach and Cloris Leachman alternatively hilariously bickering and touchingly quiet as they walk to the seafront. The dialogue between them clearly illustrates the nature of their relationship and the underlying love between them. It's one of the few scenes that offers contrast and a lightness of touch missing from most of the other films.
Other scenes, such as the ponderous Shekhar Kapur segment (wasting John Hurt and Julie Christie) and the overtricksy opener with Andy Garcia and Hayden Christiansen (directed by Jiang Wen), are best avoided but as with all collections there's an unfortunate inconsistency in quality which combined with the drabness of the collection makes this tough to recommend.
Hopefully by the time we get to Shanghai, I love you some of those issues will be resolved.
Wednesday, 6 October 2010
The Town
2010. Dir: Ben Affleck. Starring: Ben Affleck, Rebecca Hall, Jon Hamm, Jeremy Renner and Blake Lively. ●●●●○
I shall start this review with a small confession. Earlier this year I read an American blog that noted the US cinematic release of the Red Riding trilogy had subtitles for the audience who couldn't decipher Yorkshire accents. I laughed at the time but now I have to confess there were moments in Ben Affleck's stunning The Town where subtitles for the Boston accents would have been useful. Not that understanding the intention of the scenes is at all hard, the actors providing enough non-verbal communication to fully compensate for any difficulties in the language.
The cliche ridden plot concerns a highly efficient quartet of Charlestown, Boston based bank robbers led by actor/director Ben Affleck and the FBI squad intent on bringing them down as personified by Jon Hamm. Over the course of three robberies the heat increases on our criminal heroes, not least due to the hot-headed Jeremy Renner, the kidnap of Bank manager Rebecca Hall during the initial robbery and the subsequent attempts by Affleck to pacify the situation by falling for Hall.
The qualities of the film though do not lie in the plot, if anything Affleck fully embraces and glorifies even the most obvious tropes, but in the excution. Each of the robberies highlights a different aspect of the genre from the meticulous planning of the first, the fanatastic car chase of the second and the thunderous Michael Mann inspired shootout in the final act.
Affleck handles the action in these scenes very well, proving he was paying attention during the less distinguished moments of his acting career. He can also handle the more sombre scenes, the prison scene with his father, as played by Chris Cooper, and the tense conversations with kingpin florist Pete Postlethwaite perfectly counterbalance the action. There is also an underlying sense of uncomfortableness in the scenes between Afflek and Hall, highlighting the vague sense of recognition from their first encounter. On a side note I can imagine Afflecks speech about his mother easily becoming an audition favourite in years to come.
The writing, especially for the working class characters, is excellently observed and most of the actors bring their bes work to the screen. I was especially impressed by the bristling energy of Jeremy Renner and Blake Lively's good time girl also stood out.
The film was less comfortable with the police procedural side, the criminals were just far more entertaining and - frankly - too good at their job to give the FBI characters much to work on.
Some of the visual tics Affleck relies on were a little tired and ths didn't have quite the same impact as his directorial debut Gone Baby Gone however this does underlinewhat an interesting talent he has and I will certainly beinterestedin seeing the next project he signs up for.
Sunday, 4 April 2010
Out These Weeks (19/03/10 - 02/04/10)
Yes, I have been away, which means I have missed out on previewing a good three weeks of films (whther that's three weeks of good films is perhaps more relevant). To tell you the truth I have been deliberately lazy with this. I could have popped into an internet cafe during both of the last couple of weekends, but I just couldn't face it. The overall quality of releases has been so poor I haven't wanted to make the effort to make it to a cinema. Nevertheless I feel I must catch up and tell you my picks for the film of the week, so in reverse order:
Released on 02 April 2010:
Kick-Ass
Released on 26 March 2010:
The Blind Side
Released on 19 March 2010:
I Love You, Philip Morris
Read on for the film synopsis' which I will try to kep within one sentence - now there's a challenge.
02 April 2010
Arjunan Kadhali
Hindi love film.
Runs like a Gay Excitometer: ●●○○○○○○○○
City of War
Or the story of John Rabe who ensured the survival of 250,000 Chinese peasants during the Japanese attack on Nanking in 1937-8.
Runs like a Gay Excitometer: ●●●●○○○○○○
Clash of the Titans
On of Antiquities more exciting tales adapted again for the big screen with Perseus slaying Medusa and the Kraken. Liam Neeson, Ralph Fiennes and Pete Postlethwaite turn up as Shiny Gods playing with us mortals.
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Double Take
Rare documentary making it onto my list, as Alfred Hitchcock's obsession with doubles is deconstructions through clips and some fake reconstructions.
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How to train your Dragon
Laugh out loud cartoon from Dreamworks with a nerdy viking making friends with an injured dragon which leads to a massive culture clash.
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Kakera: A Piece of our Life
Lesbian dabblings at university in this Japanese drama.
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Kick-Ass
The superhero genre gets deconstructed in this tale of a adolescent who puts on a cape to fight some bad guys, the 12 year old fould mouthed violent Hit Girl is bringing the publicity, Nicolas Cage has actually picked a decent project this time.
Runs like a Gay Excitometer: ●●●●●●○○○○
Paiyaa
The usual mix of action and love story in this import. I'm sorry I can't be bothered with anything I'm not already interested in.
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Remember Me
For the Twilight fans R Pattz tries something different. I expect someone major in the plot dies horrifically hence the title. Chris Cooper and Lena Olin have supporting roles.
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Sadiyaan
Based on actual events during the partition of India and Pakistan. Still involves singing and dancing.
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Samson and Delilah
Lyrical account of a developing romance between two aboriginal teenagers. Critically lauded.
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26 March 2010
Angardi Theru
Moved back again, look through previous posts to see if I had anything interesting to say last time...
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The Blind Side
Sandra Bullock's Oscar winning performance as a uptight stinking rich white woman who adopts a homeless black teen - based on a true story. Kathy Bates co-stars.
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Cok Filim Hereketler Bunlar
Turkish version of Valentine's Day - I think it's a big screen spin-off of a popular TV series in Turkey (not completely sure).
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Hum, Tum Aur Ghost
Love story played between two people with opposing views on nearly every subject. Ho hum.
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I Hope They Serve Beer in Hell
I think they call this a comedy, about a best man whose antics at the stag do are so notorious he's disinvited to the wedding.
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Lad Gaya Pecha
Man falls in love wit a ghost - not your typical love story from the sub-continent.
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Lion's Den
Brizilian Women's prison drama with no cliche left unturned as we are invited to watch children taken from their mother, guard brutality and incidental lesbianism.
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Lourdes
Medidation on the ideas of faith and miracles that follows when a paralysed atheist is cured on a pilgrimage.
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Nanny McPhee and the Big Bang
All star sequel (Emma Thompson, Ralph Fiennes, Maggie Gyllenhaal and Maggie Smith) to the hit anti-Mary Poppins children's film. The whole cast are clearly having a ball whilst keeping a stiff upper lip in the war years.
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Nightwatching
Peter Greenaway direct Martin Freeman's cock in this dramatisation of Rembrandt's life around the time he was painting The Night Watch.
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No One Knows about Persian Cats
The Persian Cats are an Iranian pop group trying to maintain their identity and the band where the idea of Western inspired music is considered sacriligious.
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Not the Messiah (He's a very Naughty Boy)
Concert film of the oratoria based on Monty Python's Life of Brian as performed in the Royal Albert Hall in 2009. Probably not as good as the orginal film.
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Perrier's Bounty
Cillian Murphy is on the run from loan shark gangster Brendan Gleason, accompanied by his coffee guzzling father Jim Broadbent and romantic interest Jodie Whittaker - better than your average gangster pic.
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Romantik Komedi
If you couldn't guess from the title it's Turkish, and if I hadn't already described another film above as the Turkish Valentine's Day I'd be using that line here - so now I'm stumped.
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Shank
No, not the gay happy slappers film which came out last year, but a completely unrelated movie about teenage gangs in a apocalptic vision of a future Britain.
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Storm
An attempt to dramatise the legalistic procedures and diplomatic pressures when trying a mass murderer through the European Courts.
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19 March 2010
Bounty Hunter
Gerard Butler and Jennifer Aniston both demonstrate how unfair the Hollywood system is that let's talentless shmucks like them headline. And they drag Cathy Moriaty down with them.
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Ditching
More post-apocalyptic angst, this time set in Northern Ireland.
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Dorothy
Irish suspense movie involving psychiatrists and ghosts and false allegations of child abuse.
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Happy Ever Afters
Delayed comedy about mix-ups at two weddings taking place in the same venue.
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House of the Devil
Now that irony is dead teenagers can once again babysit in scary houses and get picked on by malevolent spirits.
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I Love You, Philip Morris
Jim Carrey goes gay and falls in love with his cell mate Ewan MacGregor in this ribald comedy from the writing team behind Bad Santa.
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My Last Five Girlfriends
We are treated to a parade of the last five girlfriends of our protagonist as he tries to figure what he's doing wrong. The clue's in the title.
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Old Dogs
John Travolta and Robin Williams together at last. Naturally the film is a pile of rotting flesh which no amount of cameos with Ann-Margret and Matt Dillon can save.
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Salvage
British suspense actioner as a contained is washed up in a sleepy cul-de-sac making the hitherto quiet neighbours a violent and distustful mob.
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Scouting Book for Boys
Thomas Turgoose continues to shine in this film about a teenager falling in love with his best friend as he hides her from here distructive family.
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The Spy Next Door
Or Jackie Chan babysitting in this kids comedy. Given the righ audience I expect this will do well.
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Staten Island
Ethan Hawke, Vincent D'Onofrio and Seymour Cassell play a septic tank cleaner, a deaf mute and a mob boss in the titular New York suburb. I don't know which is which.
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Zonad
A rehab escapee manages to persuade a naive Irish Community that he's a visitor from outer space.
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And two films missed from 12 March 2010
The Ape
Norwegian film about a man waking up to find his entire life has been erased.
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Ay Lav Yu
Amazingly this is a Turkish film that manages to cast Steve Guttenburg and Mariel Hemingway as a visiting US coupl. I didn't even know Steve was still alive.
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Monday, 21 December 2009
Where the Wild Things Are
2009. Dir: Spike Jonze. Starring: Max Records, Catherine Keener, James Gandolfini, Catherine O'Hara and Lauren Ambrose. ●●●●●
I will start this review by confessing that I have never read Maurice Sendak's Where the wild things are. Regardless of it's status as one of the greatest children's books ever written I was never exposed to it's beauty as a child. The biggest compliment I can say having seen the film is "I wish I had". If the book has even half the emotional richness that the film has then every child should have that opportunity.
By now you probably know that I liked Where the Wild Things Are. I really really liked it.
The plot (bearing in mind this is not really plot driven) follows a small boy (Max Records) first in his normal every day life then, following an arguement with his mother (Catherine Keener), in a fantasy land populated by "Wild Things" where he escapes to. In both environments he plays, fights, builds forts and (fails to)connects with everyone else.
There are so many things this film gets right it's difficult to choose which ones to look at. Primarily the casting of Max is perfect. I don't know whether the boy can act but he was incredibly natural, both on screen and in his actions. The changes in emotional state from joy to fear to petulance as perfectly played and as spontaneous as children can be. Later as Max begins to realise the psychology of the Wild Things and as he appreciates the shift in dynamics that takes him from being the child to the parent he handles the subtle changes incredibly well.
The screenplay perfectly judges to tone. It is a kids film, they could watch it and understand everything that is being said, enjoy the comedy of throwing mud balls at each other and feel the fear when the Wild Things may turn on Max. Yet it's also an adults film. In growing up we start to hide all those emotions that Max allows to run rampant, but that doesn't mean they don't exist - or that they ever fully go away. As an adult I can recognise those Wild Things and appreciate them - I want ot be Max and face them.
The Wild things themselves are brilliant. Both as physical creations - the things they do are pure fantasy but because they are real people in big suits (with some addition FX shots to clean up the facial expressions) we can feel their movements as much as see them. The voice performances are all suited to the characteristics their Wild Things portray, but special kudos go to Lauren Ambrose as K.W. (representing the pull of family) and Paul Dano as Alexander (loneliness).
A brilliant film that should be seen by everyone.
Thursday, 9 July 2009
Chris Cooper
Happy Birthday to
Chris Cooper
58 today
With apologies for being a bit late in the day. I'm afraid I often pass over Chris Cooper due to him sharing a name with an old friend of mine and my friends face comes up in my head. This is tragic because not only is he a person in his own right he's a hugely expressive and competent actor. Coming soon for him are the short collection New York, I Love You and Julie Taymor's return to Shakespeare with The Tempest. Both should be worth watching, even if the second proves to be a little barmy.
I also heard a rumour some months ago that Cooper had replaced Paul Dano in voicing one of the Wild Things. I've not seen any evidence though (or even a change in imdb) so I guess we'll just have to wait and see on that.
