This week's pair of rentals are Mirror Mirror and The Angels' Share.
Rental 1: Mirror Mirror.
My first thought when this movie ended was, "Wow! That sucked!"
I don't know whether or not it would have annoyed me as much if I'd known going in that it was supposed to be a comedy, but only a small handful of jokes work anyway.
I don't know if Julia Roberts had any creative control, but the whole part of the Queen certainly seemed like a big ego trip.
Of course the dwarfs were the best part, but even they were okay at best. Still, to the movie's credit, at least it did get real dwarfs (sorry if that's not PC) to play them.
I also have to say, the CGI is just awful! I mean, Snow White and the Huntsman had some pretty obvious CG as well, but this was almost Asylum-level bad!
In conclusion, I don't know who I'd recommend this movie to, but certainly not people who want to see the fairytale done well!
My rating: 35%.
Rental 2: The Angels' Share.
I don't know how much I can say about this one without getting into spoilers. It's probably best if you go into it knowing as little as possible, like I did.
It's about a young punk in Glasgow trying to turn over a new leaf for his newborn son's sake. It seems like a predictable story at first glance, but it's not. For example, you're led to believe his community service supervisor will become a clichéd father figure, but the story doesn't go in that direction at all.
But the main thing this movie did for me was the last half-hour. Again, I won't spoil anything, but I will say it's just fantastic in how morally ambiguous it is.
I guess I'll conclude by saying that, quite simply, I highly recommend it. It's a wonderfully bittersweet comedy drama.
My rating: 85%.
Thursday, 29 November 2012
Monday, 26 November 2012
First Impressions: "Gambit" (1966) + "Red Dawn" (1984)
I spent today watching two movies whose remakes are coming out late this year.
First, Gambit, a 1966 heist film starring Michael Caine and Shirley MacLaine.
Now, I'm a sucker for heist movies, and this one featured a pretty ingenious plan.
I loved the first half-hour, loved the last half-hour… but with the middle section, it took me a while to get back on track with the movie, because it lost me after throwing a curveball. I don't know if I should spoil this for those of you who haven't seen it, but… In the first half-hour, you watch the robbery take place. Then it cuts back to the beginning again, and Michael Caine says, "So that's the plan." Yeah, everything you saw up to that point didn't actually happen! That really catches you off guard, but the idea was to make you feel his character's concern and frustration when, from the start, things don't go as expected.
On the whole, I'd say this is definitely one to check out.
My rating: 70%.
And secondly, Red Dawn (1984).
This movie really is a product of its time, summing up America's fears in the grip of the Cold War. But that doesn't necessarily mean it's outdated; it still makes for a good war scenario.
But I have to admit I'm not a fan of war movies. I know they're supposed to represent war for real rather than a conventional narrative, but that doesn't change the fact that I generally find them unfocused and somewhat boring. This movie is no different.
But for what it's worth, it is packed with good ideas, like being forced to hunt in the wilderness to survive. And the fact that the main characters are children adds so much more flavour. It's also kind of a precursor to Inglourious Basterds, in that it's about a group of renegade guerrillas spreading fear among the enemy ranks.
So I guess I recommend it. But from what I've heard, I agree with everyone else: just ignore the remake with Chris Hemsworth.
My rating: 65%.
First, Gambit, a 1966 heist film starring Michael Caine and Shirley MacLaine.
Now, I'm a sucker for heist movies, and this one featured a pretty ingenious plan.
I loved the first half-hour, loved the last half-hour… but with the middle section, it took me a while to get back on track with the movie, because it lost me after throwing a curveball. I don't know if I should spoil this for those of you who haven't seen it, but… In the first half-hour, you watch the robbery take place. Then it cuts back to the beginning again, and Michael Caine says, "So that's the plan." Yeah, everything you saw up to that point didn't actually happen! That really catches you off guard, but the idea was to make you feel his character's concern and frustration when, from the start, things don't go as expected.
On the whole, I'd say this is definitely one to check out.
My rating: 70%.
And secondly, Red Dawn (1984).
This movie really is a product of its time, summing up America's fears in the grip of the Cold War. But that doesn't necessarily mean it's outdated; it still makes for a good war scenario.
But I have to admit I'm not a fan of war movies. I know they're supposed to represent war for real rather than a conventional narrative, but that doesn't change the fact that I generally find them unfocused and somewhat boring. This movie is no different.
But for what it's worth, it is packed with good ideas, like being forced to hunt in the wilderness to survive. And the fact that the main characters are children adds so much more flavour. It's also kind of a precursor to Inglourious Basterds, in that it's about a group of renegade guerrillas spreading fear among the enemy ranks.
So I guess I recommend it. But from what I've heard, I agree with everyone else: just ignore the remake with Chris Hemsworth.
My rating: 65%.
Thursday, 22 November 2012
First Impressions: "Argo" (2012)
I just got home from a trip to Dublin. The main reason I went up there was to see Keane (my absolute favourite band) live at the Olympia Theatre.
And let me tell you, that show was just unbelievable! Keane (like several other bands, I've been told) have been doing a lot of smaller, more intimate gigs lately, so I was expecting this one to be an unplugged show, like the one at St Martin's College on April 27th. But no, actually it was a full-on concert. Full drum set, full set of keyboards – everything. Just on a small scale, for a small venue.
Maybe it's just because of the acoustics in the theatre itself, but Richard's drumming nearly drowned Tom's singing out. But the audience had it covered! :D
They actually played quite a few songs that I didn't think they would, like Bend and Break, We Might as Well Be Strangers, Hamburg Song, and even She Has No Time.
When they left the stage after playing Bedshaped, I was a little concerned that they might have ended the show without telling us. After all, they usually play Bedshaped last of all. But I knew they wouldn't leave without playing Sea Fog or Sovereign Light Café! Actually, they ended the show with Crystal Ball. Kind of ironic in a way, since that was the first Keane song I ever heard. :) You could say it was the song that got me into them.
Overall, it wasn't quite as energised as when they last played at the O2 (yes, I went to that show as well), but still the energy and enthusiasm from the crowd was just priceless. It was still an absolutely wonderful time, and the best birthday present I could have possibly asked for. :)
But now, let's get to the subject of this message's title! :)
I had no choice but to arrive in Dublin early. So one of the things I did in the time before the concert was to go and see Argo.
If you've seen the trailer, you'll know it's based on a true story that, until recently, was classified. It's an unbelievable rescue mission story, and director Ben Affleck brings it to the screen magnificently.
I haven't yet seen Gone Baby Gone, but I think I can quite safely say this is Ben Affleck's best directing job to date. The atmosphere of fear in the midst of the fierce Iranian uprising is captured flawlessly; the tension in every scene is palpable.
The climax does come across as perhaps a tad too cinematic, if you know what I mean, but the edge-of-your-seat suspense still never lets up.
All I can say is, if you haven't seen it, do so. It's easily one of the best movies of the year.
My rating: 85%.
And let me tell you, that show was just unbelievable! Keane (like several other bands, I've been told) have been doing a lot of smaller, more intimate gigs lately, so I was expecting this one to be an unplugged show, like the one at St Martin's College on April 27th. But no, actually it was a full-on concert. Full drum set, full set of keyboards – everything. Just on a small scale, for a small venue.
Maybe it's just because of the acoustics in the theatre itself, but Richard's drumming nearly drowned Tom's singing out. But the audience had it covered! :D
They actually played quite a few songs that I didn't think they would, like Bend and Break, We Might as Well Be Strangers, Hamburg Song, and even She Has No Time.
When they left the stage after playing Bedshaped, I was a little concerned that they might have ended the show without telling us. After all, they usually play Bedshaped last of all. But I knew they wouldn't leave without playing Sea Fog or Sovereign Light Café! Actually, they ended the show with Crystal Ball. Kind of ironic in a way, since that was the first Keane song I ever heard. :) You could say it was the song that got me into them.
Overall, it wasn't quite as energised as when they last played at the O2 (yes, I went to that show as well), but still the energy and enthusiasm from the crowd was just priceless. It was still an absolutely wonderful time, and the best birthday present I could have possibly asked for. :)
But now, let's get to the subject of this message's title! :)
I had no choice but to arrive in Dublin early. So one of the things I did in the time before the concert was to go and see Argo.
If you've seen the trailer, you'll know it's based on a true story that, until recently, was classified. It's an unbelievable rescue mission story, and director Ben Affleck brings it to the screen magnificently.
I haven't yet seen Gone Baby Gone, but I think I can quite safely say this is Ben Affleck's best directing job to date. The atmosphere of fear in the midst of the fierce Iranian uprising is captured flawlessly; the tension in every scene is palpable.
The climax does come across as perhaps a tad too cinematic, if you know what I mean, but the edge-of-your-seat suspense still never lets up.
All I can say is, if you haven't seen it, do so. It's easily one of the best movies of the year.
My rating: 85%.
Monday, 19 November 2012
First Impressions: "Skyfall" (2012)
Okay, I just got home from seeing Skyfall. It was pretty much what I expected: it succeeds in combining classic over-the-top Bond elements that we all know and love with the Daniel Craig movies' more serious approach.
It's a good story that leads to some wonderful character interactions as well as a fantastic climax. And I especially like how it incorporates the fancy gadgets without going overboard with them to the point where it's just ridiculous, unlike some of the past Bond movies.
Its only downfall, in my opinion, is the villain. Javier Bardem gives a terrific performance, as expected, but a lot of his dialogue is pretty lacklustre.
Also, the opening action sequence is quite clumsily shot and edited, but all the rest are much easier to follow.
In conclusion, I'd say this is one Bond movie that anyone can enjoy. Easily one of the best of the franchise.
My rating: 80%.
It's a good story that leads to some wonderful character interactions as well as a fantastic climax. And I especially like how it incorporates the fancy gadgets without going overboard with them to the point where it's just ridiculous, unlike some of the past Bond movies.
Its only downfall, in my opinion, is the villain. Javier Bardem gives a terrific performance, as expected, but a lot of his dialogue is pretty lacklustre.
Also, the opening action sequence is quite clumsily shot and edited, but all the rest are much easier to follow.
In conclusion, I'd say this is one Bond movie that anyone can enjoy. Easily one of the best of the franchise.
My rating: 80%.
Wednesday, 14 November 2012
First Impressions: "Red Lights" + "The Woman in Black" (2012)
Before I talk about this week's pair of rentals, let me explain something. On my recent trip to England, I started reading The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo on the plane. I've been pretty distracted lately, but now I want to allow myself as much time as possible to finish it. So you probably won't see any movie comments from me for a while besides the usual weekly rentals and the odd trip to the cinema.
For the record, I'm really enjoying The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo so far. The first few chapters are pretty talky, flashing back to events from the characters' past and the like. But that's fine with me, because I'm really growing to like these characters.
Anyway…
Rental 1: Red Lights.
This movie has quite a promising premise. It focuses on a pair of scientists, played by Cillian Murphy and Sigourney Weaver, who specialise in revealing the trickery behind staged paranormal activity, and now Murphy is determined to investigate Simon Silver (played by Robert De Niro), a retired stage psychic who's making a comeback. It leads you to believe that maybe – just maybe – Silver does indeed have connections to the supernatural.
But once Murphy's investigation into Silver gets under way, the movie goes downhill, dissolving into a clichéd jump scare fest.
And then the whole thing is ruined by a distractingly silly twist ending! The plot twist at the end makes no sense, and in fact contradicts most of what's been seen up to that point!
Ultimately, it's just a very disappointing movie.
My rating: 45%.
Rental 2: The Woman in Black. Yeah, I finally got to see it! :)
It's an old-school ghost story through-and-through, relying more on chills than most modern horror flicks. I daresay it may even have given me a whole new respect for ghost stories.
I don't think it's really chilling enough, though. The atmosphere of isolation and nervous tension when Arthur first arrives at the house is spot-on, and the movie does boast one of the best jump scares I've ever seen. But the middle section seems to care about nothing but throwing "creepy" moments at you almost continuously. And they have no rhyme or reason, so the whole section gets boring pretty quickly. A lot of the scares were pretty predictable, too.
But the climax makes up for all that, and I especially like the bittersweet ending.
Overall, it was okay. I haven't read the book, but I'm sure it's a lot better.
My rating: 65%.
For the record, I'm really enjoying The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo so far. The first few chapters are pretty talky, flashing back to events from the characters' past and the like. But that's fine with me, because I'm really growing to like these characters.
Anyway…
Rental 1: Red Lights.
This movie has quite a promising premise. It focuses on a pair of scientists, played by Cillian Murphy and Sigourney Weaver, who specialise in revealing the trickery behind staged paranormal activity, and now Murphy is determined to investigate Simon Silver (played by Robert De Niro), a retired stage psychic who's making a comeback. It leads you to believe that maybe – just maybe – Silver does indeed have connections to the supernatural.
But once Murphy's investigation into Silver gets under way, the movie goes downhill, dissolving into a clichéd jump scare fest.
And then the whole thing is ruined by a distractingly silly twist ending! The plot twist at the end makes no sense, and in fact contradicts most of what's been seen up to that point!
Ultimately, it's just a very disappointing movie.
My rating: 45%.
Rental 2: The Woman in Black. Yeah, I finally got to see it! :)
It's an old-school ghost story through-and-through, relying more on chills than most modern horror flicks. I daresay it may even have given me a whole new respect for ghost stories.
I don't think it's really chilling enough, though. The atmosphere of isolation and nervous tension when Arthur first arrives at the house is spot-on, and the movie does boast one of the best jump scares I've ever seen. But the middle section seems to care about nothing but throwing "creepy" moments at you almost continuously. And they have no rhyme or reason, so the whole section gets boring pretty quickly. A lot of the scares were pretty predictable, too.
But the climax makes up for all that, and I especially like the bittersweet ending.
Overall, it was okay. I haven't read the book, but I'm sure it's a lot better.
My rating: 65%.
Wednesday, 7 November 2012
First Impressions: "Chernobyl Diaries" + "Moonrise Kingdom" (2012)
Time for this week's pair of rentals. :)
Rental 1: Chernobyl Diaries.
Well, first of all, I was under the impression that this was a found footage movie. It's not. So the documentary style of the camera work is just bizarre.
All the other atmospherics are convincing, though, especially the lighting; it does almost feel like you're there.
But, just like with many other horror movies, the characters are what kills it. Good God are they boring! As such, a lot of the movie keeps you on edge, but it's not out of fear for the characters' lives: it's just out of anticipation for the next jump scare. And I hate to break it to you, but jump scares in and of themselves are not scary! After a while, they get old. In fact, by the halfway point of this movie, they weren't even making me jump anymore.
Overall, my one-word summary of this movie would be "meh".
My rating: 45%.
Rental 2: Moonrise Kingdom. Maybe it's because I'm not familiar with Wes Anderson's other work, but this is one of the strangest movies I've seen in quite a while!
I think it was meant to be a family film, but I'm not entirely sure. It certainly has the feel of a kids' movie, like the production design in Suzy's house at the beginning: it looks just like a doll's house.
It's a coming-of-age drama, for sure.
It's about two kids who fall in love and run away into the wilderness. And the ensuing hunt for them involving the authorities, the Khaki Scouts and, towards the end, the social services pretty much delivers all the kids' movie tropes you'd expect.
It definitely has a lot of heart, but it's as much perplexing as it is charming. It was good, I guess, but it was mostly just kind of odd.
My rating: 60%.
Rental 1: Chernobyl Diaries.
Well, first of all, I was under the impression that this was a found footage movie. It's not. So the documentary style of the camera work is just bizarre.
All the other atmospherics are convincing, though, especially the lighting; it does almost feel like you're there.
But, just like with many other horror movies, the characters are what kills it. Good God are they boring! As such, a lot of the movie keeps you on edge, but it's not out of fear for the characters' lives: it's just out of anticipation for the next jump scare. And I hate to break it to you, but jump scares in and of themselves are not scary! After a while, they get old. In fact, by the halfway point of this movie, they weren't even making me jump anymore.
Overall, my one-word summary of this movie would be "meh".
My rating: 45%.
Rental 2: Moonrise Kingdom. Maybe it's because I'm not familiar with Wes Anderson's other work, but this is one of the strangest movies I've seen in quite a while!
I think it was meant to be a family film, but I'm not entirely sure. It certainly has the feel of a kids' movie, like the production design in Suzy's house at the beginning: it looks just like a doll's house.
It's a coming-of-age drama, for sure.
It's about two kids who fall in love and run away into the wilderness. And the ensuing hunt for them involving the authorities, the Khaki Scouts and, towards the end, the social services pretty much delivers all the kids' movie tropes you'd expect.
It definitely has a lot of heart, but it's as much perplexing as it is charming. It was good, I guess, but it was mostly just kind of odd.
My rating: 60%.
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