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!
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.
The Five-Year Engagement tells the story of Tom (Jason Segel) and Violet (Emily Blunt) who's initial engagement gets put back due to Violet getting a new job out of state, meaning the couple have to move house. Their nuptials get further delayed by Tom's inability to find a suitable job in their new surroundings and inevitably friends and family beat them to the aisle. Will Tom and Violet ever make it to the wedding they have waited so long for?
I've always liked Emily Blunt and enjoy Jason Segel immensely in How I Met Your Mother, I just don't ever seem to warm to him on film. But the film intrigued me with it's promise (from the producer of Bridesmaids) and by the pairing of it's leads so I wanted to see it.
Whilst it was quite funny in places I can't say that I laughed an awful lot and it definitely didn't stick in my mind as much as Bridesmaids did. Segel and Blunt did have a comedic chemistry and seemed very comfortable with each other but I didn't really buy the two of them as a couple. Which is kinda necessary in a romantic comedy.
I wouldn't recommend for a cinema outing (especially if you don't get to go that often) but once it's out on DVD you certainly wouldn't go wrong if you were looking for an easy watch comedy on a cosy night in. 6 out of 10.
Viewing Date - 10th July 2012
UK Release Date - 22nd June 2012
Cast Overview:
Jason Segel ~ Tom Soloman
Emily Blunt ~ Violet Barnes
Chris Pratt ~ Alex Eilhauer
Alison Brie ~ Suzie Barnes-Eilhauer
Rhys Ifans ~ Winton Childs
Director ~ Nicholas Stoller
Writer ~ Jason Segel (Screenplay) and Nicholas Stoller (Screenplay)
It was during the trailers for Snow White And The Huntsman that I saw this movie advertised. I thought it looked cheesy and that I was unlikely to bother with it, but then I remembered who I'd gone to see Snow White And The Huntsman with. My best friend. Who I'd also gone to see Ms Perry in concert with. I looked at her hopeful, cheery face and said "we're going to go see that aren't we?" Yes we were.
Part Of Me is basically a documentary film with Katy's 2011 world tour as the backdrop. You get to see her trying out her costumes, rehearsing and performing live in front of millions. You also see elements of other things that happened to Katy last year. Mainly the dissolving of her marriage to Russell Brand.
Katy has said quite openly that she didn't want the Russell stuff left out because she didn't want the audience to see the film and wonder why there was no mention of the biggest personal thing to happen to her last year. I think that's fair enough. It's not dramatised, no-one is pegged as the bad guy, they just show in glimpses how it affected her.
Her professionalism and also the fact that she is a real person with real feelings are what shine through in this film. The break down of Katy and Russell's marriage is heartbreaking to watch. But the fact that she carries on performing all the while just makes Katy seem all the more incredible.
Obviously the marriage is not the focus but it's hard not to talk about it. The early parts of the documentary charting Katy's fight not only to get signed to a label but stay signed is interesting and the concert scenes are well shot. The 3D very much making you feel like you're there. Though thankfully without the addition of annoying, sweaty teenagers that you get when you see her live.
If you're a fan of Katy's I think you'd really enjoy Part Of Me, if not it's probably not for you. 7 out of 10.
In the mean time here are some more movie related photos from Day 3 that you won't find in that blog...
Ok so not technically movie related but they did make a Sex and the City movie so it's kinda related! Here's D posing as Carrie in front of the apartment which is opposite the Presbyterian Church that Mr Big visits with his mother in the show*
And here is the church
We also visited Central Park that day which is the site of many a movie...
That's me in front of the Bethesda Fountain which was used as the backdrop of Disney's Enchanted during the "That's How You Know" song
Me in 'The Mall' in Central Park, where the above scene in When Harry Met Sally took place
Kerbs Boathouse can be seen behind me in the top photo, this beautiful Central Park location was used in Sex and the City as well as When Harry Met Sally and 27 Dresses**
Belvedere Castle and Conservatory Water in Central Park were both used as locations for the Julia Roberts movie Stepmom***
And while it might not technically be in the film, the delacorte clock which is part of the Central Park Zoo features in the animated film Madagascar
And finally we go back to SATC for The Pulitzer Fountain outside Grand Army Plaza. The Fountain features in a scene where Carrie sees Big and his new Bride Natasha in front of The Plaza Hotel
When the announcement was made that Spider-man was being re-booted my immediate reaction was one of outrage. Not because I thought the Spider-man story couldn't be better than what we'd already seen, no. I simply thought it was too soon to start over. After all, Spider-man 3 was only released in 2007 and 5 years, to me, is not a sufficent length of time to re-make a film (or series of films) that in my eyes worked pretty well first time around.
Having said that I knew that curiosity would get the better of me and that I would at least see the new Spider-man. If for no other reason than I could say I told you so, to the film-makers and fans who were all losing their heads over this new version.
While this version doesn't stick to the exact story from the Sam Raimi films, it is pretty close to the story we know. Peter Parker (Andrew Garfield) is bitten by a Spider and inherits some of it's qualities, such as the ability to crawl up walls. Around the same time, Peter's uncle is killed and Peter decides to use his new found abilities to track down the killer and bring him to justice.
There are two big differences from this and the Sam Raimi Spider-Man. In this movie the villain is The Lizard/Curt Connors (Rhys Ifans) rather than the Green Goblin and the love interest is Gwen Stacy (Emma Stone) rather than Mary Jane Watson. Now those familiar with Sam Raimi's Spider-Man films will know that Dr Connors features as Peter's university lecturer in Spider-Man 2 and 3 (yes I'm aware that 3 was the nail in the franchise's coffin as far as many people are concerned), perhaps eluding to the fact that The Lizard was scheduled to become the next villain? Those who've seen Spider-Man 3 will also recall that this introduced Gwen Stacy into the mix too. So it seems that Alvin Sargent who co-wrote the screenplay here and who also co-wrote the screenplay for Spider-Man 2 and 3 might have had a hand in the similarities. And may also explain why this Spider-Man does feel more like a follow on in many ways than an origin story.
But an origin story it is. However, the good thing about this origin story is that there are enough subtle changes, as well as the big changes, to make it feel like you're watching something you haven't seen before.
The cast is a dream and while I was a fan of Tobey Maguire as Peter Parker he just can't compete with the younger and quite frankly much better looking Andrew Garfield. Garfield concerned me going in, I hadn't been all that convinced by him in The Social Network or Never Let Me Go. Sure he's pretty but could he cut it, a brit as the all American geek? He forces me to eat my words as yes, he can cut it. And does indeed cut a fine figure in that rather revealing suit. He's cute and geeky in equal measure and really very believable as a 17 year old boy. OK, maybe 19 but certainly looks younger than Tobey did.
Emma Stone. Ah, Emma Stone. Anyone who's read my review of The Help will know that I have a *little* bit of a girl crush on Emma Stone. Let me tell you, that's gone up a notch. My god is she beautiful in this movie. She just looks flawless. And is similarly cute, vulnerable and yes, even a little geeky as Gwen Stacy. Even Rhys Ifans who I've never really paid much attention to before is really good as Dr Connors, even if I'm still not sure where his accent was from. The supporting cast too, from Denis Leary to Martin Sheen and Sally Field, are all wonderful.
I really wanted to be right about this one but damn you Spider-Man, you are as Amazing as your title suggests. 8.5 out of 10.
NB - Look out for yet another excellent cameo from Stan Lee. And there is a mid-credits scene but nothing after that.
Viewing Date - 4th July 2012
UK Release Date - 3rd July 2012
Cast Overview:
Peter Parker / Spider-Man ~ Andrew Garfield
Gwen Stacy ~ Emma Stone
Dr Curt Connors / The Lizard ~ Rhys Ifans
Captain Stacy ~ Denis Leary
Uncle Ben ~ Martin Sheen
Aunt May ~ Sally Field
Director ~ Marc Webb
Writer(s) ~ James Vanderbilt (Story and Screenplay), Alvin Sargent (Screenplay), Steve Kloves (Screenplay) and Stan Lee and Steve Ditko (Marvel Comic Book)
