Garyswordz

Light Inoffensive Entertainment, 11 March 2007

Author: gary-444 from United Kingdom

*** This review may contain spoilers ***

One of the better Hugh Grant films, this frothy romp entertains without hitting any great heights.The synopsis of the plot is ;fading Eighties pop star and tune smith chances upon a lyricist/assistant plant waterer,they write a hit song and fall in love. And ,err, that really is about it.

Grant and Barrymore never truly convince as a love match whilst offering solid performances. Grant does deliver a credible pastiche as a washed up fading pop star which teeters occasionally at parodying his own fragile status as an A list film star.

The opening “Eighties” video is great fun and well executed, and dare I say it, nostalgic! The music throughout is true to the vintage – and pretty passable. Grant and Barrymore are credited with singing their own songs. But the huge giveaway is that Martin fry , of eighties “ABC” fame is credited with “additional vocals”. I strongly suspect that he multi-tracked Grants vocals. Although Schlessinger, whose credentials I am unaware of, is credited with the music, i detect a strong Fry input into the end result.

At 104 minutes the film is probably 15 to 20 minutes overlong. A scene where Barrymore meets her ex lover in a restaurant fails badly and smacks of “filler”. Speaking of which her make up in the same scene looks as though it has been done by a thirteen year old further damaging a flawed set piece.

Two supporting characters, those of Barrymore’s film sister, and Cora, the Britney/Christina clone who commissions the song, excel and do much to assist a good, but limited , concept.

Desperately Disappointing, 24 February 2007

Author: gary-444 from United Kingdom

*** This review may contain spoilers ***

I went along to this movie with high expectations, but low preconceptions. i was sorely disappointed with what I saw. The premise of the film was fine – a spoof involving an over zealous City Cop unleashed into the strange ways of a quiet backwater village. However the fundamental problem is that it is not that funny. Combine this with an overlong 2 hour running time and you are in trouble. The golden rule of comedy films is that no matter how good the content, they don’t overrun 90 minutes. This one overshot by 30 minutes and was really a tight 45 minute idea.

The Director, Edgar Wright had a cross over cult hit with “Shaun of the Dead” – interestingly the remainder of his work has been more miss than hit. However on the strength of the success of “Shaun”, a pretty strong cast was assembled including Bilie Whitelaw, Bill Nighy and Timothy Dalton. Valliantly as they perform though, there is only so much that they can do with a pretty thin script.

Fot film aficionados there are references to other Cop Movies, and in jokes galore, with a pleasingly eclectic score to go with it. However the cod gore fest of some of the village “accidents” reprising “Shaun ” moments are really sub “Scary Movie ” stuff. And the Gonzo Police action scenes tire quickly.

Ironically the funniest moment for me was the most under stated. He goes into the village pub for the first time, empties it by clearing out all the under age drinkers, then orders a Cranberry Juice.

To be fair the 16 year olds in the Theatre thought the film was “mental” – and the plot is undeniably a good premise. But the execution is undisciplined and gratuitously slack hence my unusually low rating

Nice Idea – poorly executed, 23 February 2007

Author: gary-444 from United Kingdom

*** This review may contain spoilers ***

It is easy to dismiss this film as derivative, clichéd and formulaic. And there is some truth in these descriptions. Yet despite these negatives, there is a half decent film struggling to get out. The premise, that a group of young adults find themselves stranded in the water, with no apparent means of re boarding the yacht is fine.But the Director struggles, even more than the poor souls in the water, to overcome the conventions of the yarn to deliver an engaging story.

When you place all your cast in the water for pretty much 3/4 of the 94 minute running time,maintaining dramatic tension is tricky. Compelling characters, a strong unfolding story, and powerful dialogue can come to the rescue – but all are sadly absent here. Indeed some of the characters are so irritating that you find yourself hoping that they die early on. You genuinely fail to engage with them in being saved.

Overall the acting is routine and the scene setting first quarter of an hour is so laboured and forced that you are urging them to “get on with it”. Once in the water their options are so limited that the run in to the finale seems to take forever.

On the plus side there are some dramatic moments and the plot steers away from “sharks in the water” mode. Aqua phobia, and career misrepresentation provide some mild moments of tension, but the characters are not sufficiently well drawn, and the dialogue too routine, to really maximise the potential of the tale.

Competent enough, and enjoyable enough, but never more than run of the mill.

Classy Drama Falls a Little Short, 18 February 2007

Author: gary-444 from United Kingdom

*** This review may contain spoilers ***

This classy melodrama glides between the sublime, and the unsatisfactory,but nonetheless deserves a viewing. At the centre of the film Judi Dench and Cate Blanchette battle it out like thespian queens as ageing dyke, and fallen wife and mother, respectively. Essentially an art -house film with big budget credentials, it probably just falls short of the finishing line because it can’t quite make up it’s mind what it is.

Essentially the tale of how a lonely spinster ensnares a fellow teacher having an affair with an under age boy, the film holds strong in it’s portrayal of School, with some particularly acerbic and witty observations on Education. Assisted by several marvellous cameos, the supporting cast ably assist the central duo with Bill Nighy and Julia Mackenzie in fine form.

The dialogue and acting are consistently excellent, if a little over reliant on Barbera’s, as played by Dench, voice overs.Frustratingly we never really get to grip with Sheba’s, as played by Blanchette,motivation for the affair. The much older husband and autistic son ultimately serve as fairly crude signposts which could have been more satisfyingly fleshed out.

The relatively tight hour and a half running time does feel longer, and the end signals the end of the “steam” of the narrative- which is fully underscored by a melodramatic Phillip Glass soundtrack which occasionally eschews all subtlety. Barbera’s closing scene attempting to ensnare her next victim seems contrived and very “Hollywood” with all the pace having left the story after Sheba’s final showdown with Barbara in her flat.

Some films are worthwhile despite their flaws, and “Notes On A Scandal” dwarfs much of todays contemporary output.

Uneasy Mix of the Brilliant and absurd, 13 February 2007

Author: gary-444 from United Kingdom

*** This review may contain spoilers ***

A friend who is a Lecturer in Film Studies had urged me to see this – I duly did, but with very mixed feelings afterwards.

On the positive side an impressive cast , led by a demonic, psychotic Ben Kingsley, seize an innovative, provocative script which is narrative driven, Pulp Fiction style.The strong London accents and vernacular will make this a struggle for non-native English speakers to understand. The crude, profane, mobster, Don Logan – brilliantly portrayed by Kingsley – dominates the proceedings, with an ugliness which borders on the unwatchable.

Ray Winstone as Gal, the “retired” crook being cajoled to do one last heist, seems to have built a career on gangster stereotypes since he exploded onto the screen as a borstal boy in “Scum”. He gives a comparatively sensitive, thoughtful, performance aided and abetted by Amanda Redman in a convincing cameo role as his wife. A mysterious pool boy, Enrique, flits in and out of proceedings leaving you guessing whether he is offering “other services” to the rich and indolent.

There are some tremendous set pieces between Winstone and Kingsley as Logan refuses to take “no” for an answer.And a scene where Logan decides that aeroplane’s no smoking policies don’t apply to him is a powerful tour de force.

On the negative side, the heist itself is poorly portrayed and ultimately becomes a bit of a mess. It is almost as if the Director realises that the dialogue alone isn’t going to hold the film and so throws in some bangs and drama for effect. Ian McShane has a bizarre cameo role as part of the London Team with a performance that teeters between comic and convincing.

Worth a look, but a million miles away from “Lock Stock” “Snatch” “Long Good Friday” etc, and for a British gangster double hander look no further than Terence Stamp in “The Hit”

Bold Action Movie With A Conscience, 30 January 2007

Author: gary-444 from United Kingdom

After Director Zwicks impressive “Last Samurai” this is an impressive attempt at interweaving a modern action film with difficult contemporary modern issues. De Caprio, taking the lead, comes of age in an all action, but thoughtful performance. Beautifully filmed, and eschewing the gratuitous African “Lion and Elephant” shots, the focus instead falls on the bloody civil war in Sierra Leone.

Although tales of the butchery have a wide currency, the chilling moments when victims are offered the alternative of “short sleeve” or “long sleeve ” amputation of limbs is gut wrenching. The chaos and mindlessness of the indigenous violence is skilfully juxtaposed with the amoral actions, and inactions, of the diamond trade. As a snapshot of the brutality of the Civil War, and the complicity, of the Diamond Trade this is a searing success.

Slightly less successful are the scenes of the mercenary forces.From “cinema verite” we career into “Rambo” territory. And although enjoyable in its own right the Big Action shoot em up sequences are not as effective as the smaller scale action scenes.

Hollywood does rear its ugly head at the end. The tale is powerfully told and graphically illustrated. Point made. The finale depicting a conference condemning the Diamond Trade and espousing the merits of “conflict free” diamonds is quite frankly an insult to the intelligence of the viewer, and reprises the quite dreadful “concentration camp motorcade” addendum to “Schindlers List”.

Nonetheless this film wins a lot more often than it loses, and neatly interweaves a conventional action movie with a modern morality tale. it scores above average in both genres

Pretentious Drivel, 29 January 2007

Author: gary-444 from United Kingdom

Inarritu’s recent history with “Amores Perros” and “21 Grammes” had me expectantly awaiting his latest effort. I deliberately avoided doing too much “research” on the film, instead wanting to be challenged and impressed by one of the more interesting contemporary directors of the day.

The film stinks. Don’t be seduced by the Art House brigade. The story (three interwoven) is poorly told. The characters lack depth. There is an almost total lack of pace.Although shot beautifully,and what action there is, is well captured, this in no way compensates from a project which conspires to be “clever”, but simply implodes into the vacuum of a desperately ill executed tale.

Ironically, the story is one of poor communication between characters – the fact that it communicates so poorly it’s message to it’s audience is no doubt lost on the film’s supporters. Pitt and Blanchett are wasted on this nonsense and the two and a half hour running time makes a mockery of any sort of cinematic discipline by the Director.

Avoid.There is much more thought provoking, and skilfully created fare than this out there!

Worst Jodie Foster film I’ve Seen, 27 January 2007
Author: gary-444 from United Kingdom

I watched this film as a Foster “completist” and was hugely disappointed, not by Foster per se, but by this clunking effort. The premise of the film – a bank heist that goes wrong with more to it than meets the eye – was promising. The execution was woeful.

Denzel Washington is the lead character playing a flawed cop who is pressed into dealing with a heist, and the hostage consequence. Initially, I thought that Washington was simply playing an incompetent cop well. Then it dawned on me that there were some more fundamental incompetence issues.

The musical score appears to have come from another film, it is so unsympathetically matched. Foster’s appearance is at best a character part, at worst a cameo, and her role is a simplistic plotting device.

The plot stretches suspension of disbelief to such absurd levels that as a viewer you feel stupid at the end for giving the Director the benefit of the doubt. A banal script gives the high quality roster of actors precious little room for manoeuvre and the direction is painfully slow.

Frustratingly, the storyline has good dramatic potential. But this is squandered in spectacular style as the film limps through its two and a bit hours running time. This is the first Spike Lee film I have ever seen. I shall be consciously avoiding his previous efforts.

I note that other posters have been much more positive and enthusiastic about this movie. It is rare that I am able to take such a diametrically opposed view with such confidence.

Bold, Compelling Historical Drama, 26 January 2007
Author: gary-444 from United Kingdom

Historical dramas in Africa are thin on the ground. Although awash with rich material,the sceptre of Rasicm has largely kept mainstream film makers away from Political drama on this volatile continent. Yet McDonalds’s tale is a triumph, with a towering performance from Forrest Whitaker as Idi Amin.

Ironically the narrative is driven not by Amin , but by James McCavoy as a young Scottish Doctor in search of adventure – who certainly finds it! He uncannily reprises Ewan McGreggors “Joie de vivre as a Scotsman” and his role allows Amin’s to “breathe”.The cinematography has a wonderful lush African feel to it whilst bravely eschewing the obvious “safari” shots.

Very few films simply show Africans as Africans – and this is one of this film’s great strengths. Well edited, and sprightly in pace, one episode zips into another making mincemeat of the two hour running time.

The beautiful Gillian Anderson has an understated love interest role at the start of the film as the undervalued wife of a Doctor manning a remote village medical centre. But the real action starts when Amin persuades the young Doctor to join him in Kampala.

Ironically the only stereotyping is of the British (English as far as McDonald is concerned) Consular officials as bumbling Colonial mealy -mouthed fools. It smacks of a joke for the Directors Scottish mates, and slightly undermines the restraint with which the other characters are drawn.

Apart from the savage climax as the Entebbe Hostage Crisis unfolds, the violence engulfing the country is only alluded to and hinted at. Amin is portrayed largely as a human, colourful, and humorous individual – not least when he is discussing extra marital liaisons with the young Doctor.

Although this is a fiction within an historical context it succeeds in both entertaining a s a story and illuminating pretty fairly one of Africa’s more notorious dictators