I feel I'm probably out of step this week, obviously not for my lack of support for the robot fest that's bound to own the weekend's box office, but for my championing of Robert Redford's latest movie, which has been derided in the press for it's po-faced sincerity. That said there really is little on this week so I'm going for The Conspirator as film of the week.
The Conspirator
Set in the immediate aftermath of Lincoln's assassination Redford's film appears to draw the parallels to the clamour for revenge with post 9/11 sensibilities and the impact of the rule of law. Hopefully he does those weighty themes justice.
Runs like a Gay Excitometer: ●●●●●●○○○○
Larry Crowne
Does the thought of the worlds most successful film star - Tom Hanks - getting it on with America's Sweetheart Julia Roberts make you want to see this recession era rom-com? Oddly it doesn't for me either. Taraji P. Henson also costars.
Runs like a Gay Excitometer: ●●●●●○○○○○
Separation
Highly acclaimed Iranian soap about a couple divorcing as the woman seeks independence and a better life in America. Taking in Muslim attitudes to feminism and childcare this could be worth the effort to catch.
Runs like a Gay Excitometer: ●●●●●○○○○○
Bbuddah… Hoga Tera Baap
Amitabh Bachchan stars as Vijay, a retired hit man returning to India for one last job - to be followed by just about every assassin cliche you can remember. Horribly rated on IMDb.
Runs like a Gay Excitometer: ●●●○○○○○○○
Delhi Belly
Hindi buddie movie that looks set to emulate the more scatological details of modern American comedies.
Runs like a Gay Excitometer: ●●●○○○○○○○
Transformers: Dark of the Moon
I had heard the third of Michael Bay's oversized toy commercials may be the best of the trilogy, however that's probably not enough to make me fork out my £10. I do wonder how he persuades quality thesps like Frances McDormand and John Malkovich to star though.
Runs like a Gay Excitometer: ●●●○○○○○○○
Fast Romance
I could be tempted to make some political statement about the significance of a Scottish movie that's only being released in Scottish cinemas even though the funding almost certainly came from the rest of the UK as well. The film depicts a wild night of speed dating.
Runs like a Gay Excitometer: ●●○○○○○○○○
Friday, 1 July 2011
Whispering in the Shadows - (Out this week - 01/07/11)
Friday, 23 July 2010
You're - still - a toy! (Out this week - 23/07/2010)
Pixar do it again, the annual tradition of opening a movie to critical acclaim and box-office domination continues for another year. You have to wonder what they put on their cornflakes. It's quite a good week for counter-programming too with three other films that could have sneaked a film of the week mention if it wasn't so competitive. Nevertheless the crown inevitably goes to Toy Story 3.
Baaria
Golden Globe nominated Italian film following generations of a Sicilian family through births, marriages and deaths, through the rise and fall of Fascism the mob and the communist party, and all via the eyes of a Shepherd's Son.
Runs like a Gay Excitometer: ●●●○○○○○○○
City Island
Andy Garcia wants to be an actor - it's a little late for that I hear you say - but no jokes his character wants to leave the nine to five and tread the boards in this New York serio-comedy. Also starring Julianna Margulies as his suspicious wife and Alan Arkin as his acting coach.
Runs like a Gay Excitometer: ●●●●○○○○○○
Ivul
Bizarre looking French fable about a boy who exiles himself following a brush with incest. Avant-garde touches make this inaccessible to most of the cinema-going crowd.
Runs like a Gay Excitometer: ●●○○○○○○○○
Jaspar, Penguin Explorer
Pleasant untesting animation aimed at the very young. Originally in German the trailer makes Pingu look like Bertrand Russell. See it if you dare.
Runs like a Gay Excitometer: ●●●○○○○○○○
Khatta Meetha
Bollywood expose uncovering the corruption and brutality in the road building industry (no, really). The ubiquitous Akshay Kumar stars.
Runs like a Gay Excitometer: ●●○○○○○○○○
Rebound
Catherine Zeta-Jones happily pigeonholes herself as a cougar (no doubt proving her acting worth) by going for a much younger man in Nanny Justin Bartha. They make a cute couple in the trailer.
Runs like a Gay Excitometer: ●●●●○○○○○○
Splice
Vincenzo Natali latest sci-fi offering melds creature feature prosphetics with modern ethical dilemmas as married biologists Adrian Brody and Sarah Polley make a 'baby'.
Runs like a Gay Excitometer: ●●●●●○○○○○
Thillalangadi
The trailer has it all, comic sidekicks, easy to copy dance routines and kick-ass car chases. Nothing that could pass for a plot though.
Runs like a Gay Excitometer: ●●○○○○○○○○
Toy Story 3
The Toy Story movies are now receiving accolades as the best film trilogy of all time now that the third feature has kept the ball in the air. Expect Tom Hanks and Tim Allen as Woody and Buzz to remain centre stage but with hilarious new characters voiced by Michael Keaton, Ned Beatty and Timothy Dalton to stealing some scenes. Female toys include Joan Cusack and Whoopi Goldberg.
Runs like a Gay Excitometer: ●●●●●●●○○○
Friday, 9 July 2010
Tom Hanks
Happy Birthday to
Tom Hanks
54 today
One of the most critically and commercially successful actors of all time, even if his star has begun to wane. I say that, but we all know Toy Story 3 which he is the lead - even if Pixar is the star - will be this years highest earner as well as beloved by critics. Given that the Langdon movies have been improving it's possible The Lost Symbol might even be a decent film too.
Friday, 22 May 2009
Angels & Demons
2009. Dir: Ron Howard. Starring: Tom Hanks, Ewan MacGregor, Ayelet Zurer, Stellan Skarsgård and Pierfrancesco Favino. ●●●○○
Before I write anything else down, I know I will need to justify that score. Even for such a generous reviewer as myself 3 out of 5 seems awfully nice, and to be sure the plot is complete bobbins, the acting variable and the script risible in parts, however if you take it for what it is, a thriller set against the backdrop of a conclave for a new Pope then it does go by at a fairly reasonable pace and we learn a lot about the processes in the Vatican.
So, to recap the plo to those who haven't already read it, there's a macguffin about to explode inside the Holy City. Naturally the Church call in their sworn enemy Robert Langdon (Hanks) who you may remember uncovering the secret lovechild of Christ and sporting a strange mullett in The Da Vinci Code. I suppose that Jesus did teach forgiveness and this is especially important when the 4 leading candidates to be the next Pope has been kidnapped and a threat against the conclave has been issued.
Hanks teams up sexy scientist Zurer, who's responsible for the macguffin, and some doomed Vatican detectives (including Favino who stands out in the cast for me) to find the bomb and save the Preferati by following a treasure trail written by Bernini over 400 years ago. Possibly hampering their investigation for their own ends - it's that sort of film - are Skarsgård as the head of the Swiss Guard, MacGregor as the Camelengo (sort of Pope deputy running the show until a new one's in) and Armin Mueller-Stahl as a faintly ambitious, but definitely traditionalist Cardinal.
None of these three are particulary trying hard, but I could accept the moody Swede and the Middle European gnome, but the Irish-Italian helicopter pilot was one step too far.
The first 3/4s of the film work very well. We're either in the middle of the chase (and seeing old churchmen die in painful ways) or we're geting some insights into the workings of the Vatican (fascinating details). Even the set-up in CERN is pretty tense, except for the pointless CGI. Didn't Ron Howard learn from A Beautiful Mind that exhibiting scientific ideas with pretty lines that aren't there is just patronising?
The last 30 minutes are less successful, as the detective story we've been following falls flat and the heroes have to rely on CCTV footage to solve the crime. In the rush to end we also lose any real understanding of the motivations, so was he just mad?
The design elements are pretty good throughout, and I especially liked the costumes. Although I expect we should be congratulating Catholic tradition rather than Daniel Orlandi.
Finally I'd like to congratulate Nikolaj Lie Kaas on being a kick ass assassin. Although he was still pretty ropey - I wouldn't have used that car - at least he was better than our man in State of Play. Looks like it could be a bad year for hired killers.
Wednesday, 9 July 2008
Tom Hanks
Tom Hanks
52 today
Tom is one of the most remarkable actors working today. There are few stars that can effectively carry a one man show to over $200m, but Tom managed that with Cast Away. The next major film on his slate is Angels and Demons; I'll confess I'm very much looking forward to this as it's a tighter story than the Da Vinci code with a lot less exposition needed.
