Reviews
Love Me (2013)
An interesting story let down by some awful acting
There's not a lot that can be said for Love Me. It's not the worst made for TV movie I've seen but it's far from being stellar. The only surprising grace to the movie was the story line, which was intriguing till it seemed that the writer ran out of steam three quarters of the way in and just hashed up a conclusion in three minutes. It doesn't help that the pacing is slow, loose direction and portrayed by some first class awful acting.
Let's get over the good part first. The missing person angle may not be original and the start was hardly electrifying it does become more interesting. Additional details are slowly fleshed out which indicates that there's more to a simple case of a person going missing. There are some slight turns so as to keep the story going and while it works on a small part and on an overall perspective it's in the detail where things fall apart. There's problems with the so called prime suspect and the police are little more than idiots who have no clue how to conduct an investigation and are best traffic cops with a petty grudge. As the story becomes clearer it gets less interesting and the finale is clichéd and mundane that it's not even worth watching.
The character development is pretty poor. I didn't feel any connection with the main "cast." Sylvia and her friends hardly hang out on screen which lends great credibility to the term BFF and each of them are self centered and rather vapid. What's worse is the bad boy, no one understand me pained look bad news boyfriend who inexplicably attracts the attention of the main lead, Sylvia. Sparks fly but the romance is listless, awkward and painful to watch. There's a side character plot involving Sylvia which was pointless.
The acting is quite abysmal and I blame the director for not having the foresight to detect the lack of emotive quality, nor the decency to hire actors who can actually act. The 3 rating that I have given is for the story...at least for 75% of the plot that was interesting.
I'd like to recommend this but unfortunately the sum of mistakes outweigh positivity of the storyline. Watch if there's no rerun you want to muddle through, or if you just don't care.
Wreck-It Ralph (2012)
Absolutely brilliant, absolutely must see and must own!
Every once in a while a movie will come out of the blue and hit you right between the eyes, in a good way. Wreck-It-Ralph (WIR) is just one of those movies. It is perhaps one of the best movies I've seen this year, and can confidently put in in the top 5 that for the entire year, despite it being a 2012 release.
Normally, I like to be as objective as possible, but I must confess a certain degree of bias for WIR for it has good visuals, good characterization, and most of all an excellent story.
I state the visuals as being good because that's the best word I can use. They're not stunning compared to other animated movies both old and new but it has been aptly rendered to fit with the video game like feel of the characters.
The main strength of the movie is the story, a clever weaving of different video game characters and giving them a more fleshed out and "human" quality. The behind the scenes story was refreshing and highly entertaining. I enjoyed how the story created a link between an arcade player and the character he/she chose. There was also a nice blend of various genres of game styles, appealing a wider viewing audience. The clever part was that pretty much anyone could associate with the characters, across genders and age groups, as we've pretty much encountered similar games over the year. Some of the characters were instantly identifiable, such as the Street Fighter characters or Qbert, but others were play on characters so you did have to stretch your imagination and association.
The story is very well told and moves at a good pace, never stagnating. It's hard to put my finger on it but WIR had an original vibe to it, even without it being a completely new idea. Think of it as a re-imagining of a fairy tale story, only there isn't a dragon, or a chivalrous knight, or a damsel in distress. Again, it's very cleverly done. The range of emotions that movie displays is also staggering. It has everything for everyone- action, humour, romance, drama.
If there is a slight drawback to the movie it would be in the voice over department. I have nothing against John C. Reilly but I felt that his presence took away from Ralph. Every time Ralph spoke I didn't see or hear Ralph. I saw and heard John C. Reilly when I really wanted to see and hear Ralph. A no name but a good voice actor would have been preferable, at least to me. After all in animation movies the characters are promoted, not the actors voicing them. Did mothers and their daughters flock to the cinemas to see Brave because Kelly Macdonald and Emma Thompson were doing the voice overs? I didn't think so either.
All in all this is a movie that everyone should see. The endearing quality of the movie will have you smiling, laughing, tense, frowning and maybe even in tears. I have been recommending this movie to everyone I talk to about movies, and if you read this review and watch the movie I hope you do to. This movie deserves a rating closer to 9.5 than that overall 7.9 that is stated.
Silver Linings Playbook (2012)
An interesting and a fun experience at the cinema
SLP is one of the few movies that's worth watching on the big screen, not just because you know there won't be any loud and obnoxious people in the cinema with you, but for a seemingly good time that seems to fly so quickly that you feel slightly dazed when the end credits roll.
The story is interesting, if a little bit clichéd in one part, but that doesn't take away from the overall experience. It was fun trying to watch Pat try to sort out his life after being let out of the mental institution and once out he has a host of obstacles to overcome, the least of which happens to be Tiffany, a young unemployed widower.
Bradley Cooper is excellent as the disturbed Pat, so scarily so that you think that Cooper in real life exhibits these problems. He's well supported by Robert DeNiro as his Dad, with one or two loose screws of his own. Jennifer Lawrence is good but for some reason, for me anyway, she didn't quite pull off the role of a crazed or mental person. At least not when you compare her to Cooper.
The pace of the movie moves along quite nicely, the editors doing a good job of moving from scene to scene seamlessly. There's never a drop or a part that doesn't fit in. The humour is funny and helps break the serious flow at the right moments.
All in all it's a good movie, an even better date movie, but one that you'll enjoy at the cinema.
French Immersion (2011)
Neither the best Canadian movie, nor the worst.
Contrary to the other user views French Immersion is definitely NOT the best or worst. Some of my nominees for best would be Good Cop Bon Cop and Starbuck.
What French Immersion does well is introduce and maintain a level of quaint quirkiness throughout the movie. Some of the jokes or least cracks involving the dislike between the English speaking population and the French is tongue in cheek but funny. But other things were handled rather amateurishly, so there was a lot of room for improvement, just as there was scope for development.
The idea of having a group of non french speakers go to a town in Quebec to learn French was good but there was hardly any french spoken when the group was left to its own devices. Most of the English group had their own agendas which were not properly developed. Even the plot about the gay politician learning french so he could use it to strengthen his candidacy for national leadership was stale and didn't really amount to much. The only interesting thing was the burgeoning romance between Julie and Colin.
All this amounts to a silly, somewhat watchable fare. As long as you accept that it's neither the best nor the worst Canadian film you'll be fine.
Sisters & Brothers (2011)
Depth to a simply titled film
I have to admit that I had several reservations before watching this movie but once I got stuck in I enjoyed it. Well, most of it.
There are 4 stories, thankfully not connecting. Of the 4 the least interesting, ironically because I have a brother and it should have struck a more resonant chord with me, is of Justin and Rory. I just found both of them superficial in the beginning and the brotherly relationship just wasn't done well enough by either actor to be believable, which caused me to forward most of their scenes. They felt more like close friends who lost touch than siblings and their "plight" was largely interesting.
The most interesting was that of Sarah, who goes from being a single child to finding out that she has a half sister and then has to deal with that, along with the prickly relationship she has with her mother. I won't reveal anything about this storyline because it's worth watching for the surprise and how it pans out.
Acting wise, it's about average for an indie film. Gabrielle Miller and Ben Ratner are very good and so is Kacey Rohl as Sarah is a standout among the cast. Amanda Crew, arguably the more known cast member, went over the top a bit but was mostly lost in her role.
As I mention in the title there is depth to the movie. It's shows the bonds between siblings, their differences and similarities, their closeness and what they'd do for one another. There's a lesson to be learned from each story and most people would be able to associate with one storyline or another and that association between the fictional character and the viewer is a good touch.
Flight (2012)
Interesting but a little long in the tooth
First off, whoever made the trailer for Flight should be slapped in the face, and then fired... It certainly would have been nice to have experienced first hand how Denzel Washington's character averts a mega disaster. Even though the trailer ruined the surprise it doesn't reduce the heart thumping moments of the airplane scenes.
Flight is mostly interesting but it is also quite long and if you're one to fidget the time is going to go by slowly. It tells the story of a flight captain averting a major air disaster and concentrates on the consequences afterward.
This movie relies on two things: Denzel Washington and the special effect. Both deliver but it's the effects that get the nod because you can barely tell, if at all, when it's all blue screen. My heart was thumping wildly in the beginning of the movie, as if I was in the plane. Amazing stuff.
Denzel succeeds too, that is if you want to loathe his character, who's essentially a selfish scumbag, and a drug induced alcoholic to boot. It's interesting that Robert Zemeckis went down the path of having a lead in such a negative role. Washington is in great form, as a charmer and as someone in denial.
It's a decent movie to watch, especially if you're in the mood for drama. Action hunters should avoid it, unless you're a Denzel fan. Just beware that it does drag at times.
Strike Back (2010)
A disappointing Second Season
The second season, or technically the first season according to HBO, was interesting if not clichéd, contrite and over the top. At the very least the there was a semblance of a storyline that had a start, middle and and end. The third season, sadly had none of that.
It's hard to imagine what the writers were thinking when they sat down to ink out a story for the new season. But it's not hard to imagine that they were lacking much needed brain cells and a spark of ingenuity. Instead of a thrilling plot what we, as the viewers, ended up with was a jumbled mess and each episode felt more like a movie version of the Call of Duty series. I probably wouldn't be too far off the remark if the writers sat down to write the story AFTER playing Call of Duty for a couple of hours.
The new season tried to be bigger than the previous, in pretty much everything. They succeeded in only one: bigger and better action sequences, which brings to mind extensive studying of the Call of Duty game play. The moves, the explosions and the sound of the guns are very authentic and should be praised. The rest should not.
My main gripe is the storyline. It is AWFUL. The villain is someone who really doesn't need to resort to being the villain. No rhyme or reason to his madness. Then there is the slight tension with the new head of Section 20, which looked as if it could have gotten interesting but it led nowhere. There was no surprise to the way it ended and the final scene was awkward and pointless..as were the soft core porn sex scenes.
In the acting category Winchester and Sullivan return as Stonebridge and Scott and they actually improved on their performances from Season 2. Stonebridge was a little bit more likable. His actions as a elite soldier are precise and brilliantly done. Sullivan, as Scott, is less likable and even more sleazy than before. I don't know if he asked for his character to bang the hot girl in each episode but it was getting irritating. Presumably the only times he didn't have sex in the episode was if the girl refused to get naked...which probably left Sullivan brooding and sulky. The rest of the cast were robotic.
All in all, if there is to be another season I hope that the current writers are fired and that the story is tighter and more importantly...HAS a valid story. Watch the season only if you're a die hard fan of the actors or if there is nothing on on regular TV.
Taken 2 (2012)
Good Action, poor story makes this an unnecessary sequel
There are certain movies that do not require sequels: Cars 2, Wrath of the Titans, Shrek 2. Taken 2 should safely be added to that list.
It's not a terrible movie- had it been a standalone story it would have done very well. But there are so many repetitions that makes it seem as though you're watching a different version of Taken 1, from the chirpy intro, to being abducted and the subsequent actions scenes. Close your eyes as you watch Taken you, visualize Taken 1 in your mind, and you can virtually map the entire movie without opening your eyes.
The action deserves the plaudits as it's choreographed very well. Luc Besson is a veteran of car action stunts and there are some thrilling moments. But it's ruined by the repetitive and predictive story.
Liam Neeson looked bored as he lumbers his way through the movie. He should as he's done the same thing in Taken 1. This time he and his ex-wife, Leonora, are taken and he has to get loose, and beat up all the goons standing between him and freedom. Along the way he has to save his daughter, again! Seems as though she didn't suffer enough in the first movie. The main villain has a poor excuse for attacking Neesom, which looks even more pathetic when Neeson counters with a very valid reason for causing the villain so much anguish.
Maggie Grace has more of presence in this movie and while it's great for girl power that she has a more action oriented role, it really requires a superhuman effort to accept that her character, who can't even pass a road test in USA in an automatic car to boot, somehow becomes an ace stick shift driving hotshot in the crowded streets of Istanbul. More than Neesom kicking everyone's ass I found this quite absurd.
I really hope that this is the end of Taken. As Neeson's character states in the movie "I'm tired of this." I echo that sentiment loudly.
The bottom line is that it is disappointing so much money was spent to essentially make the same film again. If you're looking to satisfy your action thirst before Skyfall comes out this won't be the worst thing to go watch. Just don't pay full price for it.
Looper (2012)
An excellent Sci-fi mind bender
It's best if you go into the cinema without knowing what the story is about because you'll have a pleasant experience.
The story is interesting and while you need to pay attention in the beginning there's not much in the sense of brow furrowing twists. It's not foolproof, not utterly brilliant, by any means but it serves its purpose in keeping you focused till the end.
The acting is very well done by JGL. Willis is pretty much the same in movies these days so I can't rate his acting. Just chalk it up to Bruce Willis being...Bruce Willis. I'm not a fan of Emily Blunt but she was good here and her accent was flawless. Jeff Daniels was so-so. I felt he had an important role to play in the story but he was just relegated to being a goon, and a pointless goon at that.
While there are questions about the plot and the time travel and the idea of a looper in general it's not enough to deter your experience. It's one of the better movies in an awful and disappointing year in terms of cinematic experience.
Absentia (2011)
Interesting Story that lacked a tighter rein on the script and direction
Had Absentia been handled better the rating would have been a lot higher and number discussion boards created on the aspects of the story. Instead it was a loose hodgepodge mess that highlighted the B movie quality to the storyline.
The movie left me slightly irritated because there were so many questions that went unanswered. Even if it was run on a low budget there was no excuse for not elaborating on the eeriness of the movie. Some of the chills were done well, and without any annoying loud music that a lot of the "A" horror movies employ. Sure, one or two of them you could sense was coming but even when it happened it caused me to jump slightly and I was impressed. But these are few and far in between. Most of the time the movie plods on aimlessly. There's a bleak tone to the movie that's well maintained and while it doesn't go into a Hollywood type ending I certainly was hoping for something better.
The performances are not especially mesmerizing. The two lead girls are adequate but their interaction felt more like that of two best friends rather than sisters. The detectives were useless, especially the one with the glasses. But that's because of the poor character development, direction and the story. Which makes it the director's fault.
If this had been delivered into the hands of a more seasoned director and the story tightened to allow more development on the creepiness of the story it would have been a classic. While I recommend the movie, I do so grudgingly. It's slow and frustrating and the end will leave you shaking your head.
The Awakening (2011)
A semi spooky tale that is low on scares
There are few scares in this movie, and while one or two are genuinely spooky most are not gasp inducing. Setting this movie post WWI did not help, as did the condescending demeanor of Florence Cathcart, the skeptical ghost hunter. Or at least the setting would have worked if Cathcart had been more of a believer. The boarding school set certainly offered plenty of opportunities for some genuine chills and spooks but the director failed to make effective use of the various levels and dark corridors.
Like all ghost tales this movie has a twist, which is interesting but because it's been done by other movies like The Others and the Sixth Sense, it's not all that awe inspiring. There's lots of flat moments in the movie that leaves you glancing at your watch and wondering when the next scare was coming.
The acting is nothing worth raving about. Hall's Florence Cathcart is so disdainful that it's hard at times to feel sorry for her life or what she's been through and it's more of a relief when the story isn't focused on her. Dominic West's character is weird and unsettled, and a very odd choice as a teacher in a boarding school.
A disappointing effort for what should have been a bone chilling experience. I don't recommend this one.
Larry Crowne (2011)
A banal by the books rom-com
I'd liked to have given Larry Crowne a higher rating because it had an interesting premise that's so different from the regular rom-coms that are commonplace these days. A middle aged, recently fired man reassesses his goals and goes back to college to get a degree. He meets various personalities as he enters student life, falling in love along the way, and finds himself and his place in life.
The two biggest setbacks to the story were the love angle, and Julia Roberts. I wouldn't have had a problem with Roberts had she not acted so disinterested in her role. She had a contemptuous look on her face, much like that of a sneering aristocrat, throughout the movie such that it was hard to understand how she fell for Larry Crowne. Her character is so self absorbed in her misery and long suffering marriage that it's incredible that she somehow managed to pick Larry out as a suitor, when she probably had dozens of chances before Larry even came onto the scene.
So the love angle did not make sense because Roberts's disdain and Larry's innocent, aw-shucks by gosh innocent guile did not create any decent chemistry and so it became more of a distracting filler.
The other cast members were average and typecast, though Cedric did raise some smiles with his small screen time, as was George Takei as the weird Economics professor (but what was Taraji P. Henson thinking?) and mostly forgettable. Nia Vardolos managed to squirm her way into the movie as the annoying voice of the malfunctioning GPS (which sums up her efforts in Hollywood post My Big Fat Greek Wedding) Hanks was good as the man with the troubles and while it would have been good to have the romantic portion in the movie I would have preferred it with someone more worthy.
I suppose the blame should go to the writing, which was weak at times but mostly formulaic. Despite shared writing credits by Hanks and Vardolos to me this had the smell of Nia's influence on the project, thereby contributing to the rather disappointing effect.
It's worth watching if you're a Tom Hanks fan. He hasn't been a character this naive since Forrest Gump. Julia Roberts and the writing bring down what could have been a typical but enjoyable rom-com.
Summerhood (2008)
An interesting, yet flawed, summer camp movie
While this is one of those feel good movies involving young children, this is a more earnest and, to a vast extent, less cliché, than other movies of its kind. The dialog is less refined, and just something that would be expected to be uttered by kids in real life.
The performances by the kids were adequate. I didn't feel that one stood out more than the other, as it seemed that the director was content to let the story take the main stage. Even though the movie's essentially about Fetus and his epiphanies at the summer camp it didn't really focus on Fetus all the time. Rather, it meandered away from him, and I feel that this is where a flaw occurred. There was no proper focus so I couldn't really connect with Fetus at times. Thankfully, his attraction towards Sundae was not one of those moments, though sadly it wasn't properly developed. Some of the dialog was muffled and didn't make sense in tying it to the story.
Having said that Summerhood is still a movie worth watching. There are some laugh aloud moments, some poignant moments, and some moments that will make you reflect about your best summer, or your first kiss, or when life really began for you. Don't let this movie pass you by.
Girls (2012)
Both realistic and Over the top
Girls is a show that's going to connect with the women of today, simply because it's rooted with problems and issues that young women face now, and it's a far contrast to the fantastical sex and the city and its ilk. It's interesting but it's not brilliant.
For me, the most likable character in the cast is Hannah. She's self absorbed, trapped in her own ideals and not really making a big effort to reach for the top and achieve her potential. Instead she's happy finding comfort in her own failures and struggles. It helps that she's surrounded by close friends who are prettier, more self absorbed and a screwed up boyfriend who uses in some demeaning ways. I don't root for her but there's just something about Lena Dunham who brings her character (Hannah) to life and prevents you from turning off the TV.
I agree that some of the situations are realistic. Coming to terms with finding a secure career, home and a partner are big issues that newly grads are faced with. That's what drove me to watch the whole season, to see if Hannah achieves her dream of becoming a writer, if Marnie stops being selfish, if Jessa stops being a douche-bag, and if Shoshanna finally gets over being so neurotic and uptight.
Shoshanna was a funny character and it was a shame that she didn't get more screen time. But, given that she's so wound up, having her less on screen was probably a good thing as I liked her every time she was around.
I disliked Marnie and Jessa. Jessa, for obvious reasons- she's self centered, uses her body and good looks to get what she wants and treats everyone with contempt as though they are beneath her, not realizing that she's the scummiest of the girls. Marnie was just selfish and a bit spoilt, being the prettiest of the girls and yet not being the center of attention all the time.
The last episode is, for me, unrealistic and a disappointing end. I don't know if there was enough viewer ship to guarantee a second season but a better ending would have been nice. And the surprise item in the episode? Rubbish and so superficial.
If there is a second season, I hope it's more interesting, with less of Jess and Marnie, hopefully. I'd be happy if they were cut out and replaced with new characters entirely. Oh, and hopefully Hannah's boyfriend can get a reality check...That guy is really weird...and creepy.
The Newsroom (2012)
A surprising new show
I was hooked when the promo show Jeff Daniels rip into the sorority girl's question. The first episode was good (Daniels' rant was there but it was also a bit disappointing at how it was diffused so quickly).
The writing is sharp and dialog is delivered at a rapid fire pace, which while good also acts as a deterrence as a reference or joke can take a while to understand. A lot is packed into each episode, which makes it a long watch and you have to pay attention. But that's a good thing.
The stories center around a lot of political issues, taken from real life. Jeff Daniels, to me, feels like a news savvy House, and the rest of the newsroom team are his interns. Daniels is good as a gruff, no nonsense news anchor, while Emily Mortimer is called in to rein Daniel's character, Will, in the right reporting direction.
The series has quite a few good things going for it: interesting stories, Jeff Daniels, Sam Waterson, Emily Mortimer (mostly, apart from that demonic and annoying outburst in the second last episode) Olivia Munn, and some decent dialog, no soap opera romance nonsense, apart from one slight hitch.
There are some downsides: By the end of the show I disliked Maggie. A lot. She started out as an insecure, timid, intern who's trying to please her boss to becoming loud and brash and lots of over the top histrionics. The supposed romance that somehow blooms between her and Jim, for me, was cheesy, pointless, annoying and unnecessary. I was willing to eschew that for some sparks between Will and Mackenzie.
The use of sharp wit and retorts, while fun to watch initially became annoying as it was continually repeated. A serious bit of dialog would be interrupted with a digressing comment or question, a gag that just wasn't funny after a while. The rest of the newsroom cast was so-so. Like Maggie, they were timid creatures to begin with but once they found their voices they transformed into arrogant characters. I didn't really care for most of the newsroom cast. Dev Patel's weirdness was funny and thankfully kept to a minimum so it was enjoyable when it occurred. Don Keefer not only looked like a weasel but acted like one too, and there was plenty of times I would have liked to have seen someone punch that smugness and ego from his face.
Some of the dialog was delivered too fast and some plots, esp the phone hacking scandal was resolved too quickly and disappointingly.
Despite these downsides, I still enjoyed the show. The last episode ended well and I'm interested to see what season 2 brings. Hopefully, with less cheesy moments a la Maggie and Jim and less arrogant characters (the young newsroom cast), and more interaction with the top brass of news studio.
The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel (2011)
Good, solid entertainment which is both funny and moving
Best Exotic Marigold Hotel is a surprise sleeper that not many people will go and watch and it's a shame. Possibly the old cast, whose combined ages probably reaches around 300, may be a turn off, as well as the plot gleaned from the trailers about seniors finding new adventure in a foreign land. But it's much more that that. It's about awakening, realizing that old age is not a milestone where one reaches and gives up. It's about continuing to live, to embrace life, to understand your own shortcomings and dealing with them. One thing this movie shows is that it's never to late to change.
The movie's about seven Britishers who are strangers to one another but find themselves connected when they all book a flight to The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel located in Jaipur, India, after seeing a rather impressive brochure for seniors. However, when they arrive they find to their dismay that the hotel is not at all what they envisioned. And so begins each of their journeys.
There are some fine performances by Dame Judi Dench, who plays a recent widow, and Dame Maggie Smith, an ailing woman with an imminent hip replacement surgery and more than a touch of xenophobia. Tom Wilkinson and Bill Nighy provide good support. The other characters are good in small humorous roles, except for Penelope Wilton, who plays Nighy's wife, a deeply bitter and resentful woman. Dench and Smith carry most of the movie on their shoulders, each of their stories taking up a good portion of the movie, never intersecting and never boring. It is Smith's story that proves to be more touching as she transforms the most out of the whole group.
The pace of the movie is slow but it can be excused as there are no twists, thrills, or explosions and you want this movie to be slow so that you can focus on what's happening in the background. The movie is shot in Rajasthan and the scenery is breathtaking, and you can see the beauty of the city that's reflected in the surroundings and the people who live in it.
The humour is good but there are several moving moments that are well, if not unexpectedly, placed. John Madden has done a good job in giving the actors enough leeway to do a good job and the editing is good enough that you wish the movie was longer than the two hour running time.
Are there any downsides? Well, Dev Patel was not very good. His Indian accent was overdone and obvious and he hammed a lot. He didn't add much to the star power of the movie so even a competent local actor would have been sufficient. At least he wouldn't have had to fake an accent. In any case it's not as if the audience would have recognized him. I also didn't like Penelope Wilton's character as she never did anything or tried anything to change her attitude or to be a part of the adventure. I also wish that Madden had shot some longer scenes in other parts of the city. Bill Nighy's character would go out to different parts of the city and was impressed with what he saw. I wish that we did too, instead of hearing about it in one sentence.
But, all in all, it's a fine movie to watch. Judging by the crowd I'd say it's a movie for the more senior variety so if anyone reading this fits that category then by all means head over to the closest cinema playing the movie and lose yourself for a couple of hours!
The Raven (2012)
Good story with enough intrigue to keep you entertained
I had been afraid that this would turn out to be like the Sherlock Holmes movies, which I did not like at all, and the trailers certainly seemed to favour that. Thankfully, the actual movie is far from the showboating spectacle that Guy Ritchie has directed.
The story follows a killer who's got something for, or against, Edgar Allen Poe, bringing to life some gruesome deaths that Poe has written about in his stories. The turning point comes when Poe's girlfriend is kidnapped and becomes the bait to lure Poe deeper into the killer's madness.
The movie does a good job in hooking you from the first scene and does not shy away from blood and gore. One scene in particular is reminiscent of the Saw movies, so I did feel a little squeamish. Thankfully, there was more emphasis on the story than on gory effects so it wasn't too bad. It gets more interesting as the movie draws on. Who's the killer? How does Poe fit into the puzzle? Some questions are answered early but it does keep you guessing as to the identity of the killer till the end, which makes it necessary not to leave your seat to go to the washroom or get another bag of popcorn!
The downsides, and there are a few, are mainly in the acting area. John Cusack is well cast physically as he is well made up to look pretty much like Edgar Allan Poe himself. His performance though was a bit on the hammy side, as Cusack tended to rage in a guttural tone at the top of his voice several times which tended to be rather irritating. Alice Eve's performance can best be described as muted. Her voice was timid, her actions limited, her emotions checked. It was as if she was forcibly restrained from emoting anything lively, and that was sad as she's anything but timid and restrained...not with that smile of hers! I also felt that the unmasking of the killer and the rationalization for all the deaths was rather weak. It made the intrigue fade slightly and that is a sore negative point.
But Poe fans, those who know about the man, and his stories, should be happy with the story. There are lots of references to his stories and characters and that should keep them happily in their seats till the end. I've never read any Edgar Allan Poe stories so as an objective viewer I can say that I enjoyed watching The Raven and recommend this to anyone interested in a murder mystery!
Lockout (2012)
Dumb, fun and loud- the perfect ingredient for a summer action movie
There's nothing more perfect that watching a loud action movie in the summer, and a summer action movie that doesn't take itself seriously at all. That's what you get with Lockout, a sci-fi actioner that takes its cues from the action flicks of the 90s.
Guy Pearce is funny as Snow, the lone rogue operative agent sent into rescue the President's daughter, who's on a fact finding mission to MS One, a security prison up in space. Pearce doesn't take himself seriously and deadpans cheesy funny one liners.
There's tonnes of plot holes and inaccuracies, far more than the trailers give away but it doesn't spoil the fun. Granted that it could have used some polishing and tightening up but what do you expect with a Luc Besson "original idea"? My one complaint is that there's not enough funny one liners. There are moments when the script veers into something more dramatic, which is completely out of place for this movie. It's as if the writers wanted us to care about the plight of the President's daughter or the hostages on MS One! Despite this getting trashed by critics I'd still recommend it. It's fun and loud and you won't even question the plot holes. I certainly didn't! Hope there's a sequel in the works...
Prom (2011)
A surprising but clichéd film
I had resisted watching Prom for the longest time, as I'd seen the low rating and read more of the unflattering reviews. I needed space on my PVR so I decided to get it over and done with...kind of like pulling the band-aid off a knee in one quick motion. Turns out that the motion didn't hurt as I thought it would, and underneath everything was normal.
Prom is like that- surprising. Yes, there are a fair bit of cheesy dialogue, clichéd moments and stereotyped characters. But it could have been worse...The Wayans brothers or the Farrelly's could have directed this as either a spoof or a gross out teen school comedy. What you get for 100 minutes is a semi-sweet semi-interesting story that's unlike your own high school days...with a few exceptions of course.
Even though the movie starts by quickly introducing several cast members the only one the movie really concentrates on is Nova, the nice, super involved class president trying to get the perfect Prom event organized, until a fire destroys her efforts till date and she's got to start all over again.
The downside to the movie is that Nova's story is not really that interesting. The only side plot that's worth following is that of Lucas, who pines for the cute Simone. Thankfully, this is underplayed so that we get snippets of their story as the movie unfolds, allowing us to empathize with Lucas and, perhaps reminisce about our own crushes. Even the tall nerdy Lloyd's efforts of trying to land a prom date at the last minute is worth a smile or two. But the rest of the cast are not that interesting. To be fair the script never really gave enough attention to them. Did I feel bad for Jordan? Briefly. She got over it quickly. Jesse's character is too one dimensional and superficial...the misunderstood bad boy rebel that we've seen in practically every teen movie, spoof or not. The oblivious preppie friend was more original! What was interesting at least was to find out just why Nova puts so much effort into the Prom...and we get to see her misguided sense of one night that really represents the last day of adolescence, and onto the forage into adulthood. According to Nova Prom represents the togetherness, the camaraderie that four years of high school has developed. Poor, naive Nova. In the real world, that may the view of some but it's just a minority. For most it's a night to party, drink, have sex, and stick it to four years of high school hell. No one cares about the shiny decorations or the tuxedos. Thankfully, the movie doesn't drag too long or over elaborate the plot any more than necessary. When it ends, it ends. As does this review.
Verdict: it's worth watching. It'll surprise you, cause you to smile, roll your eyes, and even reminisce about the "good" old days...
That's What I Am (2011)
A good coming of age story
There are so many "coming of age" stories out there now so do we really need another one? Yes, if it's done well and That's What I Am gets my vote for another addition to the genre.
Right of the bat the opening narration and the time setting reminded me of The Wonder Years, an excellent coming of age series set in the 60s. I felt I was in familiar territory and wondered if this would follow the episodes of TWY, where an older Kevin would narrate a particular episode in his young life which ended with a valuable lesson being learned. I wasn't to be disappointed as there are quite a few lessons this movie teaches: prejudice, courage, dignity, friendship, honour and tolerance.
The story's about a young "cool" kid being paired off with a social outcast, something which he's not very happy about. It might not sound like the most interesting premise and one would think that the movie would focus on their blossoming friendship but that's far from the truth. Instead, the story uses that point to focus on other issues in the 60s, issues that are mainstream and accepted today as norms but back then were new, and something to fear. There are several light moments, some dark ones, and some tear inducing moments that come at the right time and are just enough to make you smile and be glad that you watched the movie.
The acting is very good all round. Ed Harris, the most known name in the movie, is excellent in his somewhat supporting role. And that's the way it should be because the movie's about the kids in the school and not him, just in the way the movie's not all about Andy and Big G. One thing seems to remain the same...the social classes in schools back then were no different to those today. Sure, there were no EMO kids, no Goths, or preppy kids but there were still distinctions that are not so different from what we see in modern set teen high school movies.
All in all, this is definitely one to watch. If you liked The Wonder Years then you should definitely watch this movie as you'll feel right at home. This is one coming of age movie that will make you smile, and cry, and smile some more.
Faces in the Crowd (2011)
An interesting premise sadly poorly executed
The ratio of what's right to what's wrong in this movie is something like 1:5, with the only thing that the director and the script got right was the notion of a woman losing her ability to distinguish faces, even those near and dear to her. What went wrong is just about everything you can think of: acting, plot, the "shocking" identity of the "serial" killer...
Milla Jovovich's character suffers a traumatic head injury whilst trying to flee a particularly heinous serial killer who's terrorizing women. She then loses her ability to recognize faces, including those of her boyfriend and best friends. What's interesting is the way the faces of these people change. What backfired is that some of these changes are so subtle that you don't even realize that the faces have changed till you think about it 5 minutes later and then have to rewind the movie to confirm. Case in point: her Latin friend Nina who manages to look the same in every scene that she's in. What's even weirder is that somehow the face of the detective she meets remains the same, an omen that leads to a tired cliché.
The acting is very sub par. Milla Jovovich hasn't convinced me that she's a good actress and the shining example is when she's in the neurologist's office and manages to recognize the flawed glass stone, which wasn't hard to do given that there's only one in the whole bunch. Milla's facial motions as she "recognizes" the stone are so bad I wondered if this was her first ever movie role. Even worse is Julian McMahon who starts of by being a complete insensitive idiot in the first meeting with Milla's victimized character. Normally a police detective would employ tact and manners to make a person feel calm and relaxed but this is the opposite...and he hasn't got any facts about what happened to Milla, which makes you wonder what sort of detective he is.
The plot of the serial killer was just plain stupid. A guy who wants to play games with the one person who could possibly identify him? There's no surprise as to his identity and you can even make a simple correct guess before the half way point. You don't even have to see the movie to make the guess. Just close your eyes and let the answer come to you.
All in all, not a movie to recommend. Bad acting, bad plot and just a bad waste of time.
Enlightened (2011)
A frustrating experience that does have its rewards...somewhere
I wanted to see this series solely for Laura Dern. The first episode seemed okay. A woman has a meltdown at work after finding out that the boss she was having an affair with was transferring her out of her department. So she goes away to a retreat, fixes herself, and comes back to find that her old job has been filled, and she's got a new job...in the basement of the company working with computers.
I thought that the story would develop as I got deeper into the series but that's where I was wrong. The series deals with Amy and her issues and we're left wondering if her Hawaiian retreat actually helped her or not. Each episode, with the exception of the second last one, deal's with one of Amy's hangups and I was starting to get frustrated with it.
Laura Dern does a good job as a wacky person who just can't see past herself. She's her own worst enemy, choosing to ignore what's right in front of her face, deal with her predicament and move on and do something about it. I was getting fed up of seeing her continually go back to her old floor and try to confide in Krista, one of two characters (besides Janice) whom I found two faced and really despised.
Thankfully, the last episode sort of made up for most of the series and I'm interested in seeing where Amy goes with her new found power. As long as the series gets another shot. Aside from Laura Dern, the whole cast that makes up the Cogentiva floor is well cast and funny, with each person contributing to the weirdness that makes up the DNA of a basement floor worker. Timm Sharp as the politically incorrect, nerdish, loutish, priggish head is very funny. Mike White also deserves a mention because he says a lot more with his quiet demeanour and smile than with any dialogue (but I had to laugh at his hack in password!).
All in all, I'd recommend it but bear in mind that Amy is highly annoying and frustrating most of the times but there are lucid moments when she gets the picture and you think there is hope for her after all.
Johnny English Reborn (2011)
Flat jokes, silly predictable story makes any Mr. Bean episode feel like a masterpiece
I was excited to see JER after seeing the trailer and being impressed by it. It looked a lot better than the original, which was funny, and with Rowan pulling the strings, and the faces, I couldn't lose. But lose I did.
The movie is a waste of time. Some of the jokes are repeated several times to the extent that you could predict when they were going to occur and that spoiled me laughing genuinely. Even the plot is so stupid it's hard to imagine Rowan Atkinson not stopping and asking "is this for real?" A tighter script, more polished jokes was required for a better sequel, or even for a stand alone film, and it was not delivered.
The rest of the cast were below average. Gillian Anderson looked great but that's all she offered. Rosamund Pike looked like she was trying for an Oscar role. Dominic West was disappointing and that's a sore point as he's been brilliant in the Wire series.
Definitely a movie to avoid... Sadly...
Cracker (2006)
Well past its sell by date
I liked the first series of Cracker. It was refreshing, edgy, and the protagonist was the epitome of the word anti-hero. Fat, old, shamelessly addicted to his vices and completely oblivious to turning over a new leaf and being considerate to the feelings of others. The comedy was hilarious- especially his relationship with Penhaligon.
The second series started good but once the plot about Penhaligon being sexually assaulted was introduced that changed the tone of the series, for the worse and continued into series three where the stories were not very interesting. Also declining was the allure that Cracker himself once had. His sharp wit and keen intellect which he used to disarm his "victims," in this case the criminals, was starting to wear thin. Cracker would go through the motions like it was textbook and you knew that he had the criminal the moment they came into contact with each other.
So, the latest Cracker was no different. 10 years on, returning from his new home base of Australia, we find Fitz to still be the same person. Darwin's theory of evolution evidently does not apply to Fitz! Still cantankerous, bitter, over weight and unable to keep his fingers out of police business we see him try to take down a murderer who has no motive, or method to his madness.
The story itself was disappointing. The back drop of the Iraq war was not needed, but what was worse is that Fitz managed to twig the guy the moment he saw him, really saw him. After that it was just a matter of time. There was nothing interesting about this episode and the end, the final end, was depressing. Basically, the gap did little to improve Fitz and the end basically told us that. Unless the stories improve I really hope that there aren't any more Cracker series so that we're left with the warm memories of Series 1 to relive in the future.
Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy (2011)
A good solid old fashioned spy story
I'd been waiting forever for the movie to be released and for the most part it was worth the wait. Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy has been handled very well- for one thing it's so much easier to follow than John Le Carre's novel (but Le Carre fans might disagree).
The first plus point is the plot, which focuses solely on locating a traitor at the top of British secret intelligence, which is known as the Circus. It's very hard to pinpoint, from the viewer's point of view, who the traitor is as we never see any of the main characters engaging in suspicious activity right until the very end and for that it's worth the wait. The acting is another plus, with Marc Strong, Toby Jones and Gary Oldman putting in some strong performances.
The downsides are few but worth noting. It's very important not to lose focus of the story because there are times when the plot deviates and it can be distracting and confusing. Also, if you've read the book it makes following the story easier and also the characters because the familiarity will allow you to over come the slowness of the pacing, which in itself is bit of a negative point. For me, colin firth spoiled the casting as I didn't think he offered much to the movie or towards his character. But then again I dislike firth intensely so that's just a bit of biased opinion. I've also seen the original series that starred Sir Alec Guinness as George Smiley and I preferred Guinness's Smiley to Oldman's. Gary Oldman felt too stiff, too reserved for me to truly enjoy his performance.
However, all that aside, this is a good movie to watch which sets itself apart from the latest Bond action fueled rubbish. Not all cloak and dagger movies need a requisite car chase or an exploding building to be considered quality. This is a definite recommend to all espionage fans.