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@Sgt Pepper wrote:
Good review Cymorill 8)
Personally , I loved Fiennes in it. Totally OTT, menacing , madcap stuff from him.. Shades of Ben Kingsley in SEXY BEAST!
Anyway, glad you liked it :)
watched Bruges last night, what a funny dark comedy it is, superbly acted.
Perfect for those who may happen to love Hieronymous Bosch and Roeg’s Don’t Look Now.
The Constant Gardener
Brilliant film! Ralph Fiennes is amazing in this film.
Thirty five years ago, on Sept 12th 1974, Brian Clough was sacked as Leeds Utd manager.
He had been in charge for forty four days.
The film of David Peace’s excellent novel THE DAMNED UNITED comes to DVD/BLU-RAY with a great deal of baggage, controversy and expectation. The verdict? Well, say what you want regarding the authenticity of some of the apparent outrageous aspects of Clough’s Leeds tenure, but there is no doubting the brilliance of this movie.. due, almost completely, to an astonishing performance from Michael Sheen in the lead role.Sheen’s uncanny ability to replicate the very essence of a famous figure (Tony Blair, David Frost) reaches its sparkling zenith with this remarkable portrayal of one of football’s most colourful, puzzling and deeply troubled characters.
Taking the two strand template applied in the novel, Tom Hooper’s film (under the screenplay stewardship of Peter Morgan) switches seamlessy throughout from the volatile hotseat at Elland Road to Clough’s early management days at Derby County until both timelines align perfectly in a fine example of literary and cinematic craftsmanship.
Sheen nails Clough .. right from the off. From the earnest ,formative period, when a perceived slight from then Leeds manager Don Revie steels (and in many ways embitters) the young manager into a furious obsession with success to his inherent hostility towards his new job and what in his mind Leeds Utd and it’s whole set up stands for…
Clough’s great characteristics are in many ways his worst. The above clip showing the utter intractabilty and total belief that he is and always will be right.. a confidence shown in a different light in this next clip, illustrating the man’s irresistable warmth and presence when called upon..
It is this quixotic temperament that determines the very successes the man has both professionally and privately in life and, significantly, also determines his failures. From the Leeds debacle and Derby resignation fiasco to his fraught, yet very tender relationship with right hand man and best bud Peter Taylor.
Leaving quite a fair amount of the more unsavoury aspects of the book to one side, THE DAMNED UNITED movie makes the right decision in not interfering too much with the natural fluidity and accessiblity of the source material, allowing the fine dialogue and great characters to speak for themselves.
Together with the awesome Sheen, fine performances from Colm Meaney (a very competent ,believable take on Don Revie), Timothy Spall (as the tragic, embattled Taylor) and Jim Broadbent make this a compelling affair.
Buy it 8)
=D> =D> =D> =D>
Brilliant review pepper. Am off out to get it :)
Well.. where to begin with this one? :-k
It’s 1985. Richard Nixon remains President of the USA. The Vietnam war has been won and relations with the USSR have reached a nadir with the world teetering on the brink of nuclear destruction. Watchmen, a group of masked vigilantes are now defunct (banned along with all “superheroes” by the powers that be) and cold war paranoia permeates.
When ex-Watchman “The Comedian” is brutally murdered, it sparks off a delicious conspiracy fuelled whodunnit (and why?) spearheaded by former colleague and pathological loner Rorschach, a wonderful noirish creation sporting a constantly changing ink-blot cloth mask. Add to the mix other oddball “heroes”.. a superhuman, super-blue hairless mutant (Dr. Manhattan).. an uber geek avian-themed tech wizard (Nite Owl).. a slick, svelte speed of light moral crusader (Ozymandias) and ballsy, mega sexy, kung fu kick the shyte out of you omni-babe (Silk Spectre).. and you have quite a cocktail.
But this is no.. umm.. ordinary superhero movie.
Oh no.
Zack (300) Snyder’s adaptation of the acclaimed graphic novel by Alan Moore is a smart, challenging and supremely stylish piece of work. Technically, it is a colossal animated storyboard, augmented by visionary graphic design, dark paranoid delight and an exceptional, eclectic soundtrack.
But in many ways it is the damaged people that walk this particular world that makes WATCHMEN the movie a triumph.
These people, these “masks” are utterly dysfunctional and lost.. not in any full circle, fortune cookie character-arc way that most superhero movies feed us nowadays, no. They are as freakish to themselves as they are to others. They inhabit (and are a product of) a selfish, destructive world that’s gone completely tits up. They eat cold beans from tins, they fail to get erections, they shoot pregnant women, attempt violent rape, experience neurotic rage, redesign skulls with meat cleavers, recall fond love and happiness, forge business empires, frequent restaurants to a wonderful musical backdrop of Nena’s “99 Luftballons” (yep, all this and more happens) whilst navigating the morally grey areas we ourselves must face day in day out.
All this together with trying to save and maintain the very fabric of humanity itself.
Tough gig.Issues of social exclusion, political and personal compromise, loss and loyalty all clash, and to wonderful effect.
A virtually unknown cast add a fresh quality to the whole canvas, with nobody stealing the show as it were (although Jackie Earle Haley’s brilliantly seedy Rorshach does come close).Very different.
Very thought provoking and entertaining.=D> =D> =D> =D>
(WATCHMEN is currently available to rent/buy on DVD/BLU RAY)
The second film in Dan Brown’s hugely successful Robert Langdon series is actually an adaptation of the first novel featuring the now legendary professor of symbology – and, for better or worse, we have Messrs. Ron Howard and Tom Hanks at the forefront of things yet again.
Right then.. On paper one would think choosing Howard to helm and Hanks to star the logical decision. Afterall THE DA VINCI CODE did rack up enough dosh to almost end Third World debt. So, why try fix a thing that’s not broken huh? You see the thing is, numbers wise, THE DA VINCI CODE was never ever going to be a broken thing anyway. The whole world and it’s mother was going to go see it regardless of whether it was Charles Manson in the director’s chair or a duck billed platypus navigating the cultural hotspots of Paris. Commercially, the film was always going to be a winner. Even if it was a narcoleptic sludge-trek through talk.. and more talk.. and even more talk, oh and with a smidgeon of action thrown in. Which, well, it kinda was.
Howard’s chief crime with the first film was artistic cowardice. Harsh you may say? Perhaps. But not having the proverbial testicles to indeed castrate some of the more ploddy, literary aspects of THE DA VINCI CODE book and shape some manner of cohesive, compact FILM of the project displayed a villainous reticence on his part, and the subsequent yawnfest ensued. Add to this the bollock-kickingly dumb decision to cast Tom Hanks as Langdon and what you had was a golden opportunity wasted. Arses were on seats yes, but by God they were numb a couple of hours later.In short, not a lot of people liked THE DA VINCI CODE film.
Thankfully, ANGELS AND DEMONS is a darn site better.
All taking place in the space of a single day/night, we see a trimmer, more relaxed Hanks return to actually assist the Roman Catholic hierarchy this time, as the Vatican’s old enemy “The Illuminati” come from the shadows to claim ultimate revenge for the outlawing, persecution and slaughter of enlightened, scientific minds down through the ages (because, as their name suggests, they are.. well.. enlightened, scientific types innit?).
Fate would have it that their chief weapon in the war on Faith will be a bomb to blow the Vatican to erm.. high heaven, and one made from perhaps the most significant scientific breakthrough of the age no less – “Anti-Matter” – an incredibly powerful, yet apocalyptic renewable energy source stolen from the cheerful souls of CERN in Switzerland after they perfected it with their great big feck off Hadron Collider thingy.To make the timing all the more delicious, we are in a time of Papal transition. The heir to the throne of St Peter has recently popped his Armani clogs and the uber secretive, ancient ritual (or “conclave”) of electing the new Popey is about to get started. During this period (known as “Sede Vacante”), administration of The Holy See and all things Papal and beautiful are ceded temporarily to the “Camerlengo”, or chamberlain, a deputy who keeps things ticking over before the arrival of the new guy. A bit like Avram Grant was at Chelsea.. only obviously not as Jewish.
Still with me? Grand. Don’t worry, not long to go now.
Along with the bomb, the Camerlengo (a decent Ewan McGregor having a good stab at an Irish accent) has to contend with the four favourites (or “Preferiti”) for becoming next Pope being kidnapped. They are to be sacrificed according to the four pillars of ancient science – Earth,Wind, Fire and Water – within the space of an hour of each other on the night in question.
So, after a (blissfully) short exposition period, we begin the race against time. Hanks, assisted by dark, sultry CERN squeeze (Israeli actress Ayelet Zurer) belts it around Rome trying to decipher veiled clues in the Eternal City’s magnificent architecture, sculpture, books and history.. always steps behind, but always getting closer. It is here where the film works best. The jurisdictional nightmare that is the Vatican.. policed by it’s own detectives, the Italian police and the fanatically secretive Swiss Guard is played out well. The guard chief, played by the always dependable Stellan Skarsgaard, ever suspicious of Hanks and his motives is a perfect example of the bureaucratic and religious paranoia exhibited in the film. Everyone has rather furrowed brows.. and sideways glances of doubt towards each other (including high ranking cardinals of the conclave itself) keep up a nice,if at times somewhat contrived nervous energy.
The SE7EN – style murder template is clever and tightly applied and all trundles along pretty harmlessly towards the end. An end that when it comes.. well.. I’m going to leave that one up to you. Let’s just say it will polarise opinion.As intimated, Hanks is better this time around. But I still think the decision to cast him as Langdon was criminal. Don’t get me wrong, I’m a huge admirer of him, he is one of my favourite actors.. but the role seems very much an ill-fitting suit for him, though granted, one that he seems to be finding a little more comfort in.
I literally screamed when Howard landed these films. Yet again, not because I dislike his work (the much undervalued CINDERELLA MAN and the recent, brilliant FROST / NIXON are personal faves), but because he is just so wrong for this kind of thing. Howard Approaches source material with a curious sentiment and reverence, and when this works (as in the two movies above) it nails something, in an urgent and thoroughly effective manner. When it doesn’t, it’s listless and boring.
In saying that, ANGELS AND DEMONS goes a long way in exorcising the ghost of THE DA VINCI CODE. Dan Brown’s novels are a wonderful mixture of profound idealogy and suspense and utter, nonsensical tosh.. ie pure entertainment.. and whilst this film never quite reaches the heights of pure entertainment, it is entertaining nonetheless.=D> =D> =D>
(ANGELS AND DEMONS is currently available to rent/buy on DVD/BLU RAY)
Well.. I saw this a month ago, so apologies for only getting around to reviewing it now.
I think it’s fair to say that one would have to be dwelling as far away as the planet Pandora itself not to have registered the immediate impact James Cameron’s epic has had on audiences in it’s relatively short cinematic lifespan to date. A curious ironic justice when we consider it’s apparently been well over a decade in the making.So.. is the most successful film of all time any good?
The simple answer is yes.
It’s extremely good.Is it the revolutionary Second Coming of cinema loudly lauded by many before and during it’s initial release?
Ummm.. Yes… and ermmm.. No 8-[AVATAR’s ultimate triumph is it’s sheer technical perfection.. a perfection that does not however render it’s dramatic or emotional criteria redundant, but rather enhances the whole experience. It is a wonderful, spectacular event to witness. But I would see it as a major goalpost shifter as opposed to a complete gamechanger. Certainly an exciting sign of things to come.
Ok then.. the plot as it were is generically simple, but diffused with just enough nice individualistic peculiarities as to engage us and keep all well interested. Basically it details the future attempted colonisation of a distant planet called Pandora and the interaction between a rapacious cadre of 22nd century human conquistadors (boo! hiss!) and the planet’s indigenous tribe of enormous blue two legged one tailed deer-like stretchy-smurfy things called the Na’vi (yay! woohoo!).
For some time, a group of kindly anthropologists (led by that ever lovely Cameron stalwarth Sigourney Weaver) have been insinuating their consciousnesses into genetically engineered Na’vi bodies (or Avatars) and going among the tribe for research purposes. But, it seems Pandora has a stack of delish, exploitable natural goodies (chief among them a precious mineral substance) and we nasty humans love a bit of em! Naturally, the corporate/military establishment have their own designs so they begin to bend the ear of newly arrived, wheelchair bound marine Jake Sully (the excellent Sam Worthington) who has joined the Avatar program, urging him to pass on intelligence about the Na’vi’s movements. Chief bad asses in all this are corporate snidemeister Selfridge (Giovanni Ribisi) and bombastic grunt Colonel Quaritch (Stephen Lang).Once inside his hybrid body and amongst the Na’vi, Sully feels a new lease on life.. and indeed this is when AVATAR the movie really comes to life itself.
Through stereoscopic 3-D cinematography and motion-captured performances we are treated to the stunning vistas and natural intimacies of Cameron’s imagined world.. and they are truly wonderous to behold.
Two things struck me upon witnessing this. Firstly, the most beautiful night sequences I think I’ve ever seen on screen. Secondly, the mesmerising creation that is the Na’vi warrioress Neytiri, a truly incredible performance from Zoe Saldana.
In true DANCES WITH WOLVES fashion, Sully becomes deeply enamoured with the alien culture (hotly so with Neytiri), and as one thing leads to another (as things tend to do) begins assisting with a violent insurrection against the invaders.AVATAR is the product of a master artist at work. As alluded to above, Cameron’s genius lies in balancing spectacle with immersion.. and immersion is the key word here. This film truly feels like an interactive experience. Resisting any temptation to go OTT with 3D, it is the natural progression, the apparent ease, subtle drawing in and (yes, that word again) immersion into this strange world that really makes the whole affair such a fantastic achievement.
Inevitable socio-political allegories and comparisons have been drawn.. from Native America to Iraq (The term “shock and awe” is actually used).. eco-themes naturally abound, as do issues of faith and religion with a good healthy dollop of pantheistic spirituality… all this and as much creatively cacophonous action sequences as you want!
Exceptional.
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AVATAR is in cinemas now (just in case you didn’t know :lol: )
Went to see it last night.. was beautiful. I saw it in 3D. The plot line in my opinion was a bit weak, and some of the characters were caricatures, but there was not a dull moment, i was on the edge of my seat for a lot of it, and I even got a bit tearful at one point too.
I loved it. I deliberately didn’t read up much about it before I went, but I don’t think it would have mattered if I had. And people moaned about the 3D glasses, but never noticed i was even wearing them.
I wish we had an IMEX cinema here, I would love to see it on an IMEX screen. If you have the choice folks… go for the best cinema you can find. It is simply stunning visually.
Alice in Wonderland
It is absolutely amazing!!!!!!!! Brilliantly colourful and the costumes are unique!
A real treat for all Johnny Depp fans… and Tim Burton ….as always ~ Magic!
A film to watch and re-watch! :D
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