Dallas Buyers Club

http://www.focusfeatures.com/dallas_buyers_club

If you read my review for The Lego Movie, you will know that I was very keen to see Dallas Buyers Club instead. As it was I got to see it the very next day so it wasn't a long wait. As a fan of Mr McConaughey (in more serious roles such as A Time To Kill and Mud), I was very keen to see this film that he championed for so long and for which he made major - Christian Bale style - changes to his physical appearance, along with co-star Jared Leto.

The film tells the true story of rodeo electrician, Ron Woodroof (McConaughey), a man who likes nothing more than betting on bull riding cowboys, having sex with women in the stands behind the bullring, and taking as much coke and alcohol as his body can handle. That is until his body tells him no more. He collapses, and when he awakes in the hospital he is given the prognosis that he has HIV and will be dead within 30 days. Being the kind of pigheaded man that he is, he simply tells the doctors that there is nothing that can kill him within 30 days and he storms out of the hospital. It's everything that happens after this point in the film that changes your mind about this man and makes you root for him. And to find out what that is, you will have to see the film because I don't want to spoil a single minute.

Dallas Buyers Club made me laugh, it made me cry, but most importantly, for me at least, it succeeded in showing me a man who by all accounts is pretty much a total jerk, he's rude, he's obnoxious, he's homophobic, he takes recreational drugs and has casual sex, and it made me care about him and what happened to him. Martin Scorsese take note, this is how it's done.

The characters in Dallas Buyers Club may not be perfect, but they are all the more rich for it. Their story touches you because of the lengths they go to in order to just stay alive, in order to give their lives some meaning. In order to love and be loved in return. McConaughey is superb, drawing the audience in, making you wonder why you should give a damn what happens to Ron Woodroof, and then turning the tables so flawlessly that you don't even realise when it was you started to care, you just know that you do. He is only as good as his supporting players of course, but thankfully he has a cast of more than competent actors backing him up, Jennifer Garner, Steve Zahn and Dallas Roberts, to name but a few of the talented individuals who have small but substantial roles. The shining star of the supporting cast is Jared Leto, who gives a performance the like of which I have never seen from him. He is simply stunning.

I only hope that after McConaughey and co have shown how good they can be when given such fantastic material, they will continue to search for roles like this, and be given the opportunity to make films with meaning and heart. It's an absolute travesty that this film missed out on being nominated at the Bafta's, don't you miss it too. 9.5 out of 10.

 

Viewing Date - 9th February 2014

UK Release Date - 7th February 2014

Cast Overview:

Ron Woodroof ~ Matthew McConaughey

Eve ~ Jennifer Garner

Rayon ~ Jared Leto

Dr Sevard ~ Denis O'Hare

Tucker ~ Steve Zahn

David Wayne ~ Dallas Roberts

Director ~ Jean-Marc Vallee

Writer(s) ~ Craig Borten and Melisa Wallack

The Wolf Of Wall Street

 

http://www.thewolfofwallstreetmovie.co.uk/ 

I think my friends were quite shocked when I said I wanted to see The Wolf Of Wall Street, knowing how anti-drugs I am. The film was clearly going to show gratuitous drug taking and yet I was intrigued by the trailer. All that chanting by Matthew McConaughey for one. And knowing that Martin Scorsese is such a renowned film maker, I had to know what it was about the movie that made him want to make it.

The film is based on a book of the same name, written by and from the perspective of former Wall Street Stockbroker Jordan Belfort. We follow Belfort on his Wall Street journey, starting out as a junior stockbroker, ambitious and naive with a hairdresser wife at home, and we see him through the black monday stock market crash, rebuilding his career, becoming addicted to almost every drug there is, losing his wife and replacing her with a younger model, and returning to success. But as the FBI start to keep a watchful eye on Belfort and his colleagues, the net soon starts to close in on them and their decadent lifestyles.

After seeing the movie, I wasn't all that much clearer on any of the things that intrigued me going in. I only found out what the chanting was all about when I saw McConaughey on Graham Norton's show the other night. And I'm still at a bit of a loss to explain why Scorsese wanted to make this film, other than maybe he felt that as he is in the midst of his twilight years, he should make a movie as gratuitous as possible?

One of the problems I had with the movie is it's length. When I saw American Hustle with one of my friends, a movie that is the average film length at 2 hours (2 and a half with ads and trailers), she told me that she felt at least 40 minutes of that film could have been cut. Personally, I don't see where. I have seen Hustle a number of times since and I don't find it overly long. The Wolf Of Wall Street on the other hand is over 2 and half hours long (3 with ads and trailers). And it felt much longer.

The other, and probably more important failure of this movie is that there is not a single decent character that you can get behind. I apologise for again using American Hustle as a comparison but, although the main characters in Hustle, Irving and Sydney, do some bad things, they do at least have a conscience about those things. And at the heart of Hustle is a character who has nothing but good intentions. The irony being that he is the only one really who suffers in the end. Whereas The Wolf Of Wall Street has maybe one likable character in the whole film, Jordan's father, played by the ever lovable Rob Reiner. The problem is that Reiner's character is only in the film for about 5 minutes. 5 minutes of over 150 minutes of movie. He's not central enough for him to be the emotional heart of the story. And without that, you just find yourself watching horrible people do horrible things for 3 hours.

Also, this is more of a nitpick, but are we really supposed to believe that at the start of the movie, DiCaprio's character is only 26? Because I'm sorry, he may be baby faced but he isn't baby faced enough to pass for 26 anymore.

I can't help but feel like Martin Scorsese and Leonardo DiCaprio are the new Tim Burton and Johnny Depp. And we all know how detrimental that relationship has become, to both careers. Scorsese needs to start making movies with someone other than DiCaprio. Because then maybe both men will make better decisions for their respective careers. If DiCaprio does win the Oscar for this film it will be a crying shame, as it will clearly be a pity vote on behalf of the academy for his failure to win one under his many previous nominations.

A very long, gratuitous tale about a bunch of really unlikable people who do a lot of drugs and not a lot else. 4 out of 10.

Viewing Date -19th January 2014

UK Release Date - 17th January 2014

Cast Overview:

Jordan Belfort ~ Leonardo DiCaprio

Donnie Azoff ~ Jonah Hill

Naomi Lapaglia ~ Margot Robbie

Mark Hanna ~ Matthew McConaughey

Agent Patrick Denham ~ Kyle Chandler

Max Belfort ~ Rob Reiner

Manny Riskin ~ Jon Favreau

Jean Jacques Saurel ~ Jean Dujardin

Aunt Emma ~ Joanna Lumley

Director ~ Martin Scorsese

Writer(s) ~ Terence Winter (Screenplay) and Jordan Belfort (Book)

Mud

Mini Review

http://mud-themovie.com/

Mud was one of those films that seems to come out of nowhere but generates a lot of buzz on it's arrival. It was the buzz, rather than the stars, that made me want to see it. That and the occasional comparison to one of my favourite coming of age movies, Stand By Me. Unfortunately, due to my recent disinterest in going to the cinema - following Iron Man 3 and Star Trek there just didn't seem to be anything good out - I missed Mud when it was showing at my local multiplex, but thankfully I managed to catch it at my local independent cinema before it finished. 

In the film we follow two pre-teen boys, Ellis (Tye Sheridan) and Neckbone (Jacob Lofland) as they go looking for a boat that they believe has been abandoned on a deserted island. When they arrive on the island they find what they were looking for, along with something they never expected, a man named Mud (Matthew McConaughey) living in the boat. Mud tells the boys that he's a wanted man who must take refuge on the island until the woman he loves comes for him. He makes a deal with the boys that if they help him fix the boat up and feed him, they can have his pistol in return. And so begins a journey for the boys which will teach them about love, hope, faith, and what it means to keep a promise.

When I went to see Mud I hadn't seen any trailers for it, and as such, I only had the handful of reviews I'd read, and a recommendation from a friend to go off. It was not what I was expecting at all, but it was so much better than I'd expected. The two boys, Tye Sheridan in particular, give such mesmerising performances. And while it's nice that Matthew McConaughey is doing some serious acting for once, it's certainly nothing more than we already know he's capable of from films such as A Time To Kill and his recent film The Paperboy. The boys are so good that McConaughey's performance barely registers. And he's good too. Damn good. But Sheridan and Lofland really are the ones to watch. It felt like Witherspoon was only there because they needed another name and because, like McConaughey, it was about time she did a serious film rather than another rom-com, as that's all she seems to have made in the last 10 years. Her performance was good but nothing to write home about. 

The film is tense, it's gritty, it shows a side of American family life that most people who watch nothing but Hollywood blockbusters will have never seen before, it's well acted and most of all, it keeps you hooked until the credits are rolling. The cinematography is stunning and the story moves at an even pace throughout. If you can still catch it at a cinema near you then I highly recommend that you do, but if not, be sure to add it to your LoveFilm list. 9 out of 10.

Viewing Date - 1st June 2013

UK Release Date - 10th May 2013

Cast Overview:

Matthew McConaughey ~ Mud

Reese Witherspoon ~ Juniper

Tye Sheridan ~ Ellis

Jacob Lofland ~ Neckbone

Sarah Paulson ~ Mary Lee

Ray McKinnon ~ Senior

Sam Shepard ~ Tom Blankenship

Michael Shannon ~ Galen

Paul Sparks ~ Carver

Joe Don Baker ~ King

Bonnie Sturdivant ~ May Pearl

Director/Writer ~ Jeff Nichols

The Paperboy

Mini Review

http://thepaperboy-movie.com/

Although I am signed up to See Film First I rarely get notified of their advanced screenings. As it so happens one of my friends got tickets to this screening but was unable to attend, and as such gave the tickets to me. I appealed on Facebook for anyone who wanted to join me for the early morning showing of the film, which just so happened to be on Mothering Sunday; and I was pleasantly surprised to have the ticket snapped up by a friend who used to be my housemate many moons ago. Surprising, as despite sharing a flat for over a year, this was our first cinematic outing together. 

The film is set in the hot Florida summer of 1969 and tells the tale of Charlotte Bless (Nicole Kidman), a woman who has a thing for corresponding with men in prison. Her latest man on the inside is Hillary Van Wetter (John Cusack), who has been imprisoned on death row for murdering the local Sheriff. Charlotte believes him innocent and contacts local newspaper family the Jansen's, asking Ward (Matthew McConaughey) and his writing partner Yardley (David Oyelowo) to write a story about Hillary. Charlotte wants them to investigate claims that Hillary has been wrongly imprisoned simply because he's a redneck. In the process of freeing her jailbird, Charlotte gets close to Ward's younger brother Jack (Zac Efron), who in turn becomes more than a little infatuated with Charlotte. 

The Paperboy was certainly different I will give you that. I'm not entirely sure it was a suitable Mothering Sunday film or that it should be seen at 11am on any day of the week, but it was very atmospheric of the place and time it was set; the story was unique and the acting superb. Unlike Kidman's other film that I saw this month, Stoker, I didn't feel like this was style over substance, but I still didn't feel that it had an awful lot to say for itself. The overwhelming feeling that I took from The Paperboy is that it's a film about loneliness and how different people deal with it in different ways. Charlotte is drawn to people in prison, but ultimately, although she wants someone, she doesn't believe they'll get out. *spoiler alert* Her shock is clear when Hillary shows up at her door after being released. Ward's homosexuality in an age when this was more than frowned upon but could get you killed, makes him long for companionship to the point where he takes things to extreme levels. Jack's loneliness embodies itself in a crush on an unobtainable woman. And almost gets him killed. *End spoiler*

I don't feel like my life has been changed by seeing The Paperboy but I'm still glad that I did see it and I would still recommend it. But it's not for everybody. I was glad that I went to see it with someone who is very open minded as this would not have been the type of film for some of my friends. It does feature a lot of graphic scenes of sex and violence. But if you think you can stomach that and it sounds like an interesting premise then I'd give it a watch. Just don't believe all the awards hype about it. 7 out of 10.

Viewing Date - 10th March 2013

UK Release Date - 15th March 2013

Cast Overview:

Zac Efron ~ Jack Jansen 

Matthew McConaughey ~ Ward Jansen

David Oyelowo ~ Yardley Acheman

Scott Glenn ~ W. W. Jansen

Nikolette Noel ~ Nancy

John Cusack ~ Hillary Van Wetter

Nicole Kidman ~ Charlotte Bless

Macy Gray ~ Anita Chester

Director ~ Lee Daniels

Writer ~ Lee Daniels (Screenplay) and Peter Dexter (Novel and Screenplay)

Magic Mike

Mini Blog

http://magicmikemovie.warnerbros.com/

The fact that Magic Mike is directed by Steven Soderbergh kinda tells you all you need to know about this film. For those who don't know, Steven Soderbergh is not exactly known for making light hearted, fun films. His previous films have included Out Of Sight, Erin Brockovich, Traffic and Che Part 1 and 2. So why the producers picked Soderbergh to helm a film about male strippers is beyond me.

Possibly the script by Reid Carolin is the reason the producers picked Soderbergh as this also takes itself way too seriously for a movie about male strippers. I'm not saying that strippers are just to look at and can't have a serious, intelligent side. But when you're going to see them perform, that's exactly what you want. And going to see a movie about them is kinda like going to see them perform. So your core audience is not going to want any accompanying story to detract from the stripping or to weigh it down. That's Magic Mike's problem right there. The story is far too heavy for the subject matter. 

Telling a story about a troubled drug addict is fine but not when your audience have turned up to watch a fun frolic with strippers. The actors are all very pretty but for me there was far too much of a serious story trying to be told which wasn't required. 

I (thankfully) have never seen Showgirls but I think Magic Mike might be the male version of that film. The stripping sequences were well choreographed and fun but the rest of the movie took itself too seriously. 4 out of 10.

Viewing Date - 12th July 2012

UK Release Date - 11th July 2012

Cast Overview:

Matthew McConaughey ~ Dallas

Channing Tatum ~ Magic Mike

Olivia Munn ~ Joanna

Alex Pettyfer ~ Adam

Cody Horn ~ Brooke

Director ~ Steven Soderbergh

Writer ~ Reid Carolin (Screenplay)

The Lincoln Lawyer

http://www.thelincolnlawyermovie.com/

  

I was so surprised that reliable sources of mine were recommending a Matthew McConaughey film, I had to see it for myself. Could the rumors be true? Could McConaughey actually be starring in a good film once again?

Putting faith in those I trust, I convinced my cinema buddy to come to the last showing of The Lincoln Lawyer at Cineworld before the influx of new films came out on Friday. It was a late showing, something I don't usually go in for on a school night, but I had to know if it was any good. A happy surprise came when we bumped into two friends, who happened to be seeing the same film, whilst we were purchasing our tickets.

We took our seats and were drawn into the story of lawyer Mick Haller (McConaughey), who essentially uses a Lincoln car (hence the title) as his office. His most recent case sees him defending rich kid Louis Roulet (Ryan Phillippe), who's been arrested for assaulting a prostitute. Roulet insists he's innocent and being set up so that the prostitute can get her hands on his fortune. Whilst trying to prove Roulet's innocence Mick stumbles upon some evidence which may clear one of his previous clients, Jesus Martinez (Michael Peña), who's currently doing time for a crime it seems he may not have committed.

I was relieved to say that I agreed with the people who recommended The Lincoln Lawyer (I don't have to disown them!) as I really quite enjoyed it. The film moves at a steady pace and has enough twists and turns to stop the boredom normally induced by courtroom dramas.

McConoughey hasn't done a film this good, or in which he is this good, for a long time. As far as serious films go, I'd say it was probably A Time To Kill (his big break movie with Sandra Bullock) when he was last as good as this. Worryingly he also played a lawyer in that movie. Maybe that speaks volumes about the career path he should have taken instead of being an actor, as he seems most at home playing this kind of character? Or maybe it just says that he should take more serious roles and stop making the dreadful rom-coms which have littered his filmography for the last 10 years. He's not a bad actor, as he proves here, he's just made bad choices.

But the film is not only about McConaughey. Here he is sharing the screen with an equally good cast. I'm talking about the ever watchable Marisa Tomei, the excellent William H. Macy and the surprisingly good Ryan Phillippe, alongside supporting roles filled by Josh Lucas, John Leguizamo, Michael Peña and Francis Fisher. An all round excellent cast. So maybe McConaughey is only as good as the fellow actors who populate his films? Whatever it is, it works here. 

A gripping courtroom drama that showcases the talents of some of Hollywood's finest. 8 out of 10.

Viewing Date - 31st March 2011

UK Release Date - 18th March 2011

Cast Overview:

Matthew McConaughey ~ Mick Haller

Marisa Tomei ~ Maggie McPherson

Ryan Phillippe ~ Louis Roulet

William H. Macy ~ Frank Levin

Josh Lucas ~ Ted Minton

John Leguizamo ~ Val Valenzuela

Michael Peña ~ Jesus Martinez

Bob Gunton ~ Cecil Dobbs

Francis Fisher ~ Mary Windsor

Director ~ Brad Furman

Writer(s) ~ John Romano (Screenplay) and Michael Connelly (Novel)