For All Your Movie Reviewing Needs! This blog will feature film reviews, the occasional personal blog, a tally of the films I see at the cinema and anything else I deem worthy of sharing with YOU, my loyal readers. I have archived my two previous blogs here too so anyone new can catch up with something they might have missed. Thanks for reading!
Unlike my Guest Review for Ruby Sparks I have absolutely no intention of seeing Taken 2. Not this, or any other weekend. I wasn't a fan of the original (it left me distinctly underwhelmed) and as this one looked to follow a similar, if somewhat milder path (Taken was a 18 certificate while Taken 2 is a 12A), I knew it wouldn't be for me.
But as my previous guest reviewer - my friend Faye - has seen Taken 2, I thought I'd call on her again for another one line review: "Just saw Taken 2... Not so good!!"
So now you know Taken 2 is one to avoid! :0(
Cast Overview:
Liam Neeson ~ Bryan Mills
Maggie Grace ~ Kim
Famke Janssen ~ Lenore
Director ~ Oliver Megaton
Writer(s) ~ Luc Besson (Screenplay) and Robert Mark Kamen (Screenplay)
Although it was my intention to see Ruby Sparks this weekend, I was gutted to learn that it was only on at my local cinema for one week and then taken off. So I have missed it. :0(
As such, I have handed over (briefly) to my friend Faye who has seen Ruby Sparks and had this to say in her one line review: "Yeah it was awesome, I hope you like it when you see it!"
So there you have it. If it's still on near you, go see Ruby Sparks! It's awesome! :0)
When I went to see Anna Karenina a couple of weeks back I recall that there were a LOT of trailers. There seemed to be more than the usual amount. The thing was that the film kinda sucked, but the trailers stayed with me. One was for The Perks Of Being A Wallflower. Despite seeing the trailer and thinking it looked really good, on the day I went to see it, I wasn't really feeling in the mood for a coming of age tale. I'd just come out of seeing Looper and despite not loving the prosthetics I did really like that film.
But I'd made a promise to my cinema buddy and I knew he'd held off seeing it, waiting for me to go with him. So I kept my promise, and I was so glad I did.
Wallflower is so much more than the trailer suggests. At times it's a coming of age tale, in others a drama not afraid to touch on hard subjects, and for once I'm not talking about sex and teenage drug taking (take a note On The Road!). I'm talking about genuine hard to stomach subjects that I won't go into here as I think you should discover it as I did, as the film rolls on. It's not all doom and gloom though, much like real life. The film is peppered with happiness as much as it is with heartache.
The performances from all three leads are (I don't want to sound pretentious here) very real. Logan Lerman is a wonderful Charlie, keeping so much hidden all the time, Emma Watson's Sam is nothing special on the surface but when she opens up you can't help but love her, and finally Ezra Miller, my 'Breakthrough Performer' (I had my own version of the Oscars - he won Breakthrough Performer - Lady K Academy Film Awards) for his role in We Need To Talk About Kevin, here giving a very different but equally satisfying performance. The youngsters are ably supported by the likes of Kate Walsh, Dylan McDermott, Paul Rudd and the always lovable Joan Cusack. It was also nice to see Melanie Lynskey back on the big screen as I've loved her since Heavenly Creatures and I don't think she gets nearly enough decent film roles.
The Perks Of Being A Wallflower really surprised me with how genuine, affecting, and just how brilliant it is. I haven't read the book but I wonder how it can compete with such a beautifully made film. I'm sure those who've read it (and love it) will think otherwise, as I usually do when I see adaptations of novels I love. It has however, made me want to read the book, which I don't always want to do after seeing a film adaptation. Especially one as good as this.
If Wallflower is still showing at a cinema near you I urge you to see it. If it isn't then I'm sorry this review took me so long. Please rent/buy it when it comes to DVD. 9 out of 10.
Although I'm not a particular fan of anyone involved in Looper, I do like Joseph Gordon-Levitt and Emily Blunt and have definitely found their recent performances (Gordon-Levitt in Inception and 500 Days Of Summer and Blunt in The Adjustment Bureau and The Young Victoria) make me want to see more of their films. Ole Brucie though I can take or leave (sorry Becki).
As far as 80s action heroes go I was always a fan of Sly in my youth, and can appreciate a bit of Arnie cheese, but Bruce just never impressed me. Don't get me wrong, I wouldn't avoid a Bruce Willis movie, I just don't feel that strongly about him either way.
So Looper was a bit of a mixed bag for me. The main thing that put me off was the fact that Joseph Gordon-Levitt didn't look like Joseph Gordon-Levitt. In order to make him look like a young Bruce Willis the filmmakers made the decision to put Gordon-Levitt in prosthetic make up. Something I think was unnecessary as I didn't think it made him look any more like Bruce Willis than Emily Blunt did. He had the mannerisms, the walk, the voice, everything, so why bother with make up that didn't actually add anything to the performance? Now I know I'm going to stir controversy with that comment as I know that some people who've seen Looper did think it made a difference but for me, they didn't need to do that. I think it caused me more confusion that Joseph Gordon-Levitt didn't look like himself than trying to reconcile that he was supposed to be a young Bruce. If he'd not worn the prosthetics I think I'd have found it easier to concentrate on his performance.
The film centers on Joe (Joseph Gordon-Levitt) who works as a Looper in the year 2044. Loopers are described as garbage men, taking out the future's trash. A lot of things have changed by 2044 but time travel has not yet been invented. Skip another 30 years into the future and it has been, so when the people of 2074 want someone gone, they zap them back in time and the Loopers kill the target and dispose of the body. The only problem with taking out the future's trash is that at some point you'll need to dispose of yourself. That's where old Joe comes in, played by Bruce Willis. But will young Joe be able to kill his future self?
I'm not going to spoil it for you but needless to say if you can get over the prosthetics, Looper is a well written, directed and acted sci-fi thriller that will keep you hooked til the credits roll. As one of my friends pointed out in a review she wrote for the film, although this could have been a brain bending sci-fi film, it's all laid out so clearly that you never find yourself not understanding it. That's surely a tribute to all involved that they made a film that's easy to watch but still interesting, new and engaging.
If you haven't ventured out to the cinema this month I would recommend Looper but be warned, there are a few scenes that those with a delicate disposition may find hard to stomach. Me, I loved those scenes the best! :0)
I saw this as a favour to a friend with a rather large crush on Hugh Dancy. She needed morale support at this tough time and I was more than happy to oblige. Especially when I learned that the film also featured Maggie Gyllenhaal (my sister in law to be).
The film tells the story of the invention of the vibrator. So it's not your every day film. However, titters aside, this is a very well told tale and features a wealth of wonderful performances. Dancy makes a dashing lead as Mortimer Granville, the doctor who unwittingly discovers another use for his friend's electric feather duster, and he sparks well with Gyllenhaal, who it's worth noting, delivers a faultless english accent. Felicity Jones, who I loved in Like Crazy, isn't at her best here but provides able support. She is somewhat outshone by Jonathan Pryce andRupert Everett who are both superb in their respective roles as Granville's employer and inventor of aforementioned electric feather duster. For me however, the performance that really stood out belonged to Sheridan Smith. She steals every scene she's in and I found her character's interactions with Granville made the film a complete joy.
Hysteria's only got a limited UK release so if it's showing near you don't be embarrassed, find out how that little gizmo in most ladies bedside tables first came about (no pun intended), and show your support of a well made, enjoyable british rom com. You won't regret it. 8 out of 10.
Viewing Date - 28th September 2012
UK Release Date - 21st September 2012
Cast Overview:
Hugh Dancy ~ Mortimer Granville
Maggie Gyllenhaal ~ Charlotte Dalrymple
Jonathan Pryce ~ Dr Robert Dalrymple
Felicity Jones ~ Emily Dalrymple
Rupert Everett ~ Edmund St John-Smythe
Ashley Jensen ~ Fannie
Sheridan Smith ~ Molly
Gemma Jones ~ Lady St John-Smythe
Director ~ Tanya Wexler
Writer(s) ~ Stephen Dyer (Screenplay and Story), Jonah Lisa Dyer (Screenplay and Story) and Howard Gensler (Original Story)
I was intrigued by Lawless from the first time I saw the trailer. I wondered what it was about this film that made Shia LaBeouf make it his next film following 2011's Transformers: Dark Of The Moon. It might only have been a year but it had seemed quite a hiatus for an actor who had been releasing an average of two to three films a year since 2005.
I was also intrigued because of the calibre of the other actors involved. The cast list reads like a who's who of 'ones to watch' mixed with seasoned actors at the top of their game. But the film seemed to be an odd choice for me. I have discussed this at length with several of my friends and we think it seems this way because we in the UK have no affinity with the story of the Bondurant boys. Until Lawless was released I doubt many people over here had heard of them. Now I have seen the film it does make more sense that these actors wanted to be a part of this project.
I figured I'd see the film immediately (as a fan of Mr LaBeouf) but it took me longer than I thought to get around to it. By which point most of my friends had already seen it and raved about it. My hopes for the film were set high and while it didn't disappoint, I didn't love it either.
I felt that all the performances were exemplary. Especially LaBeouf who it seemed had something to prove by making this movie, and Tom Hardy who has the more difficult job of making the almost mute Forrest Bondurant likable. Guy Pearce is definitely the one with the showy role here and truly makes you detest his character with a fiery passion. If you're a fan of Guy Pearce be prepared to hate him like never before. All those in supporting roles, from the always likable Jessica Chastain to the usually annoying Mia Wasikowska, do a decent job without overshadowing the leads. Even Gary Oldman puts in a rather understated supporting performance here.
I think the thing that lets Lawless down is the violence. It just didn't feel justified or needed. The things which were important for character development could have been hinted at or shown in different ways. I didn't feel that the film needed to be uber violent or bloody as it was. And I know of at least one person who didn't see the film because of that very reason. It could have easily been a 15 certificate without those scenes or with re-cut scenes and would have appealed to a wider audience as such.
Other than that I can't really put my finger on why I didn't love it. It's a good little story with characters you can get behind and a great group of actors at it's core. Maybe I'll feel differently by the time it comes out on DVD as maybe it's just a case of over-hype, but I definitely think that people should see Lawless and make up their own minds. 8 out of 10.
Viewing Date - 25th September 2012
UK Release Date - 7th September 2012
Cast Overview:
Shia LaBeouf ~ Jack Bondurant
Tom Hardy ~ Forrest Bondurant
Jason Clarke ~ Howard Bondurant
Guy Pearce ~ Charlie Rakes
Jessica Chastain ~ Maggie Beauford
Mia Wasikowska ~ Bertha Minnix
Gary Oldman ~ Floyd Banner
Noah Taylor ~ Gummy Walsh
Director ~ John Hillcoat
Writer(s) ~ Nick Cave (Screenplay) and Matt Bondurant (Novel)
I immediately wanted to see Paranorman when I saw the trailer. As a fan of the bleaker side of childrens stories (ala Tim Burton's Nightmare Before Christmas and Corpse Bride and the recent adaptation of Snow White) it looked right up my street.
The story focuses on Norman who is like an animated Haley Joel Osment from The Sixth Sense in that he 'sees dead people'. And he sees them everywhere, whether he wants to or not. It's from one of these 'dead people' that he receives word of a supernatural event that is soon to take place. The rising of an 18th century witch who will terrorise their small town as payback for her wrongful death. It's up to Norman and his band of helpers to stop the witch from wreaking havoc on the town and maybe make the townspeople a little more understanding in the process.
I honestly can't heap enough praise on little ParaNorman! The film was adorable, the animation suited the story to a tee and the story itself was both funny and spooky and had a moral at the end. Kids will love the animation, although younger children might be a little afraid of the spooks and adults should definitely give ParaNorman a chance to win their hearts.
If you've got kids make sure you don't miss out on this fabulously freaky family film and if you haven't then don't let that stop you! ParaNorman is a must! 8 out of 10.
Viewing Date - 23rd September 2012
UK Release Date - 14th September 2012
Cast Overview:
(If you don't like knowing who the voices are DONT SCROLL DOWN! ;0)
