Three Monkeys (2008)
This is a Turkish domestic drama about secrets, guilt and suspicion. A local politician kills someone in a hit and run accident and asks his driver to take the rap in return for a pay off and this sets of a chain of events involving the driver's wife and son. While the husband is away in jail his wife starts and affair with the politician and this really upsets the apple cart of family harmony.
What first stands out about this film is it's slow pace and the direction which often obscures characters faces during scenes to leave the audience to speculate on their emotions, this means that the film will only have a niche audience as it requires a fair amount of patience to watch. The plot is not bad with the lies and suspicion building up to a dark ending which serves as a good exploration of what happens when you follow the code of the three wise monkeys.
This is not a bad film but be warned that it is a slow burner and the direction is unusual 3/5
Monday 28 February 2011
Sunday 27 February 2011
New job
Elektra Luxx (2010)
This is a sequel to an earlier ensemble film which I have not seen and this effort seems to stand by itself well enough. The title character is a porn star who found out in the previous film she was pregnant and as such has quit the business and now makes money giving talks to house wives at the local community centre.
Allegedly a comedy this is not an especially funny which is the main criticism that can be levelled at it in most areas, it is not an especially anything film. The main thrust of the piece is the crisis of identity that Elektra suffers but does not offer a huge amount of insight and has a number of other stories along similar lines involving other characters Elektra has bumped into in the past. Few of the characters are very engaging and the film really seems unsure if it is about Elektra or supposed to be another ensemble piece.
2/5 not that bad but not worth looking out either.
This is a sequel to an earlier ensemble film which I have not seen and this effort seems to stand by itself well enough. The title character is a porn star who found out in the previous film she was pregnant and as such has quit the business and now makes money giving talks to house wives at the local community centre.
Allegedly a comedy this is not an especially funny which is the main criticism that can be levelled at it in most areas, it is not an especially anything film. The main thrust of the piece is the crisis of identity that Elektra suffers but does not offer a huge amount of insight and has a number of other stories along similar lines involving other characters Elektra has bumped into in the past. Few of the characters are very engaging and the film really seems unsure if it is about Elektra or supposed to be another ensemble piece.
2/5 not that bad but not worth looking out either.
Saturday 26 February 2011
Used
Repo Men (2010)
Jude Law and Forest Whitaker star in this dystopian action film set in the near future. Medical companies have invented mechanical, artificial organs for people that need replacements but if you can not make the payments then your new organ gets reposed and you are left to die. When Jude Law ends having his own heart replaced and finds he is unable to stomach his job any more and misses his own payments so has to go on the run.
Ultimately this film does not work on a number of levels. As an action film the direction is pretty poor, there is a poor version of the hammer scene from Old Boy (2003) but all the action sequences are largely cut so quickly it is very hard to tell what is going on. The narrative is not very good either, the “twist” ending is a cheat rather than a twist and invalidates the last part of the film and the whole film itself could have been at least 20-30 minutes shorter by cutting some of the padding that fills out the first part of the film.
A poor effort in the end 2/5
Jude Law and Forest Whitaker star in this dystopian action film set in the near future. Medical companies have invented mechanical, artificial organs for people that need replacements but if you can not make the payments then your new organ gets reposed and you are left to die. When Jude Law ends having his own heart replaced and finds he is unable to stomach his job any more and misses his own payments so has to go on the run.
Ultimately this film does not work on a number of levels. As an action film the direction is pretty poor, there is a poor version of the hammer scene from Old Boy (2003) but all the action sequences are largely cut so quickly it is very hard to tell what is going on. The narrative is not very good either, the “twist” ending is a cheat rather than a twist and invalidates the last part of the film and the whole film itself could have been at least 20-30 minutes shorter by cutting some of the padding that fills out the first part of the film.
A poor effort in the end 2/5
Friday 25 February 2011
Damsel in distress
Anything for Her (2008)
I take an adventure into French cinema today for this crime thriller. Diane Kruger wrongly gets sent to jail for smashing her boss's head in with a fire extinguisher and her teacher husband spends three years planning a jail break to reunite the family.
There is not a huge amount more to the plot than a jail break but the film slowly burns along nicely before the tense action of the jail break it self starts. All round this is a well made effort, the characters are decently fleshed out, the acting and directing are both also good. The only improvement I suggest is that it would be better if it was a little more ambiguous as to whether the wife is innocent or guilty of the crime she is convicted of.
A good crime film and as with all decent foreign language films Hollywood has knocked out a remake but this version is definitely worth watching 4/5
I take an adventure into French cinema today for this crime thriller. Diane Kruger wrongly gets sent to jail for smashing her boss's head in with a fire extinguisher and her teacher husband spends three years planning a jail break to reunite the family.
There is not a huge amount more to the plot than a jail break but the film slowly burns along nicely before the tense action of the jail break it self starts. All round this is a well made effort, the characters are decently fleshed out, the acting and directing are both also good. The only improvement I suggest is that it would be better if it was a little more ambiguous as to whether the wife is innocent or guilty of the crime she is convicted of.
A good crime film and as with all decent foreign language films Hollywood has knocked out a remake but this version is definitely worth watching 4/5
Thursday 24 February 2011
No river in sight
Rio Bravo (1959)
John Wayne and Howard Hawks team up to make a response to High Noon (1952) which was an allegory for Hollywood black listing. The idea with the plot here is that everyone offers to help the sheriff but he turns down the offers of help from those who mean well but have little to offer rather than as in High Noon help is sought but none arrives.
As a stand alone western this is a fairly good film and Dean Martin's drunk is a refreshingly flawed character for a film of this era, although I am not sure offering someone beer to deal with their alcoholism is the best treatment. While the film is a little slow in places it does it's job in keeping the viewer entertained. Where I feel the film falls down is in it's supposed riposte of High Noon which I do not think really offers any answers to the problem of witch hunts and blacklisting that went on in Hollywood.
A decent effort even if it fails in it's aim 4/5
John Wayne and Howard Hawks team up to make a response to High Noon (1952) which was an allegory for Hollywood black listing. The idea with the plot here is that everyone offers to help the sheriff but he turns down the offers of help from those who mean well but have little to offer rather than as in High Noon help is sought but none arrives.
As a stand alone western this is a fairly good film and Dean Martin's drunk is a refreshingly flawed character for a film of this era, although I am not sure offering someone beer to deal with their alcoholism is the best treatment. While the film is a little slow in places it does it's job in keeping the viewer entertained. Where I feel the film falls down is in it's supposed riposte of High Noon which I do not think really offers any answers to the problem of witch hunts and blacklisting that went on in Hollywood.
A decent effort even if it fails in it's aim 4/5
Wednesday 23 February 2011
Sherlock Holmes and the war effort
Sherlock Holmes and the Voice of Terror (1942)
When faces with total war a nation most mobilize all it's assets and in this case it includes literary characters for propaganda purposes as Sherlock Holmes takes on Nazi spies in the second world war. This is the fourth film in the series of adaptations staring Basil Rathbone and is based on the first world war propaganda story “His Last Bow”.
As this is a very obvious propaganda film it is interesting to note that it is anti Nazi rather than anti German but never the less there is not much subtlety on show here in terms of the plot or sentiment of the story. The film is kept fairly short and the plot is not exactly what you would call stellar but does just enough to not be too bad despite a few moments that are fairly weak such as people that have been stabbed in the back magically appearing at the door to fall through dead.
3/5 just about a decent film but I would not seek it out.
When faces with total war a nation most mobilize all it's assets and in this case it includes literary characters for propaganda purposes as Sherlock Holmes takes on Nazi spies in the second world war. This is the fourth film in the series of adaptations staring Basil Rathbone and is based on the first world war propaganda story “His Last Bow”.
As this is a very obvious propaganda film it is interesting to note that it is anti Nazi rather than anti German but never the less there is not much subtlety on show here in terms of the plot or sentiment of the story. The film is kept fairly short and the plot is not exactly what you would call stellar but does just enough to not be too bad despite a few moments that are fairly weak such as people that have been stabbed in the back magically appearing at the door to fall through dead.
3/5 just about a decent film but I would not seek it out.
Tuesday 22 February 2011
No bond
The Presidio (1988)
A female MP is shot and killed on a military base and some policeman has to solve the crime with the help of Sean Connery while trying to get it on with Connery's daughter Meg Ryan. Obviously Connery and the policeman do not see eye to eye as they had a prior disagreement when the policeman was an MP working under Connery.
This is your standard 80s film with nearly all the usual cliches and allegedly a mystery but there is not much mystery to the plot. When the plot was written I am pretty sure the writer just went down a check list of the usual plot points then added in the dialogue. The plot is pretty much contrived to fit the characters back story so there is never any mystery to be had. Having said all that this is not really a bad film in terms of execution but does nothing to stand out from the many similar cop films, one of them has two heads and the other does not like heads etc.
2/5 run of the mill 80s film with little mystery or tension to it.
A female MP is shot and killed on a military base and some policeman has to solve the crime with the help of Sean Connery while trying to get it on with Connery's daughter Meg Ryan. Obviously Connery and the policeman do not see eye to eye as they had a prior disagreement when the policeman was an MP working under Connery.
This is your standard 80s film with nearly all the usual cliches and allegedly a mystery but there is not much mystery to the plot. When the plot was written I am pretty sure the writer just went down a check list of the usual plot points then added in the dialogue. The plot is pretty much contrived to fit the characters back story so there is never any mystery to be had. Having said all that this is not really a bad film in terms of execution but does nothing to stand out from the many similar cop films, one of them has two heads and the other does not like heads etc.
2/5 run of the mill 80s film with little mystery or tension to it.
Monday 21 February 2011
It's a kinda magic
The Prestige (2006)
Christopher Nolan directs Hugh Jackman and Christian Bale in this adaptation of a novel about rival magicians. As you might expect from Nolan's work there are mysteries and unusual story telling techniques on show here.
What is interesting about this adaptation is that the novel uses journals and journals with in journals to tell it's story and this could prove a serious problem when converting to screen but Nolan manages to juggle the different perspectives and time frames without confusing the audience or having to fall back on flashing the date on screen all the time. The main themes of the film are obsession and dedication to ones art, these are well explored and the main characters are handled well without leaving the audience feeling either magician is especially the good guy or the bad guy.
Another excellent and engaging effort from Nolan 5/5
Christopher Nolan directs Hugh Jackman and Christian Bale in this adaptation of a novel about rival magicians. As you might expect from Nolan's work there are mysteries and unusual story telling techniques on show here.
What is interesting about this adaptation is that the novel uses journals and journals with in journals to tell it's story and this could prove a serious problem when converting to screen but Nolan manages to juggle the different perspectives and time frames without confusing the audience or having to fall back on flashing the date on screen all the time. The main themes of the film are obsession and dedication to ones art, these are well explored and the main characters are handled well without leaving the audience feeling either magician is especially the good guy or the bad guy.
Another excellent and engaging effort from Nolan 5/5
Sunday 20 February 2011
Bouncing
The Dam Busters (1955)
Classic British cinema here with a film that tells the story of Operation Chastise, the 1943 RAF raid on key dams in the German industrial heart land of the Ruhr. For the most part the film is factually correct but does suffer slightly from being made at a time when information about the raid was not in the public domain.
The story starts with Barns Wallis and his technical advances required to launch the raid before following the formation of the squadron and it's training before dealing with the raid itself. What the film does well is focus on telling the story of the raid rather than the modern trend of shoe horning in melodramas to historic events. As the film was made shortly after the end of the war there was plenty of planes around to film the air sequences with and the attack on the dams are especially well done, as is the capture of the time the flight crews spending waiting just before the raid is launched.
4/5 a classic that went on to inspire George Lucas when writing Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope.
Classic British cinema here with a film that tells the story of Operation Chastise, the 1943 RAF raid on key dams in the German industrial heart land of the Ruhr. For the most part the film is factually correct but does suffer slightly from being made at a time when information about the raid was not in the public domain.
The story starts with Barns Wallis and his technical advances required to launch the raid before following the formation of the squadron and it's training before dealing with the raid itself. What the film does well is focus on telling the story of the raid rather than the modern trend of shoe horning in melodramas to historic events. As the film was made shortly after the end of the war there was plenty of planes around to film the air sequences with and the attack on the dams are especially well done, as is the capture of the time the flight crews spending waiting just before the raid is launched.
4/5 a classic that went on to inspire George Lucas when writing Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope.
Saturday 19 February 2011
Unleash the CGI
Clash of the Titans (2010)
What people remember most about the original Clash of the Titans (1981) is the ropey stop motion special effects, here they have been replaced by lashings of CGI and the modern trend for fast cutting. Sam Worthington stars as the demi-god son of Zeus who wants to get some revenge on the gods for the death of his family.
The plot of this remake is a substantial departure from the original and again departs fairly heavily from the actual Greek myth of Perseus. I do wonder if some Christian themes have managed to sneak into the film which is supposed to be about the Greek pantheon but the plot is not especially interesting and pretty much just serves to keep a block buster going as you would expect.
Where CGI has replaced stop motion there are some great visuals as does the varying landscape but the direction does not set the world on fire with flash cutting during action sequences. Essentially this is 106 minutes of nice images that you can turn your brain off for and enjoy.
3/5 I am sure there is the potential for a great movie in here but this is an average re-imagining.
What people remember most about the original Clash of the Titans (1981) is the ropey stop motion special effects, here they have been replaced by lashings of CGI and the modern trend for fast cutting. Sam Worthington stars as the demi-god son of Zeus who wants to get some revenge on the gods for the death of his family.
The plot of this remake is a substantial departure from the original and again departs fairly heavily from the actual Greek myth of Perseus. I do wonder if some Christian themes have managed to sneak into the film which is supposed to be about the Greek pantheon but the plot is not especially interesting and pretty much just serves to keep a block buster going as you would expect.
Where CGI has replaced stop motion there are some great visuals as does the varying landscape but the direction does not set the world on fire with flash cutting during action sequences. Essentially this is 106 minutes of nice images that you can turn your brain off for and enjoy.
3/5 I am sure there is the potential for a great movie in here but this is an average re-imagining.
Friday 18 February 2011
Childish
The Good Son (1993)
Before Elijah Wood became a hobbit he was a child actor and stared in this film with Macaulay Culkin playing his evil cousin. Following the death of the future hobbit's mother he is packed off for two weeks with his cousins while his dad goes to do some business deal. It seems that his cousin has an evil side and tricks people into blaming the new kid in the household for his own actions.
The film starts out as one of those bad Disney kids films they make before trying to turn into a psychological thriller but the problem is that it does neither of these things well. Due to the content this film clearly is not suitable for kids (it is 18 rated in the UK) and as a thriller it is just not scary or dark enough. A lot is asked in terms of performance from the children and I do not think that the pedestrian direction helps matters at all. Evil kids can be really dark and unsettling but there is just no atmosphere or tone to this movie at all.
2/5 find something better to do with your time.
Before Elijah Wood became a hobbit he was a child actor and stared in this film with Macaulay Culkin playing his evil cousin. Following the death of the future hobbit's mother he is packed off for two weeks with his cousins while his dad goes to do some business deal. It seems that his cousin has an evil side and tricks people into blaming the new kid in the household for his own actions.
The film starts out as one of those bad Disney kids films they make before trying to turn into a psychological thriller but the problem is that it does neither of these things well. Due to the content this film clearly is not suitable for kids (it is 18 rated in the UK) and as a thriller it is just not scary or dark enough. A lot is asked in terms of performance from the children and I do not think that the pedestrian direction helps matters at all. Evil kids can be really dark and unsettling but there is just no atmosphere or tone to this movie at all.
2/5 find something better to do with your time.
Thursday 17 February 2011
Some of my favourite things
Sex & Drugs & Rock & Roll (2010)
Ian Dury of the Blockheads gets his own rock biopic staring Andy Serkis. I always wonder why there is such a tendency towards making biopics of rock stars but in this instance Ian Dury is a really interesting subject for a biopic as he caught polio at a young age and was left disabled for life.
Even if like me you are not a fan of Dury's work or even unaware of it before seeing this film it is still a really good watch. The main focus of the film is how being disabled at a young age affects Dury's relationships and music. There are good performances from the cast, especially Andy Serkis who does a really good job in the over the top, energetic sections of stage performances.
Well worth a watch 4/5
Ian Dury of the Blockheads gets his own rock biopic staring Andy Serkis. I always wonder why there is such a tendency towards making biopics of rock stars but in this instance Ian Dury is a really interesting subject for a biopic as he caught polio at a young age and was left disabled for life.
Even if like me you are not a fan of Dury's work or even unaware of it before seeing this film it is still a really good watch. The main focus of the film is how being disabled at a young age affects Dury's relationships and music. There are good performances from the cast, especially Andy Serkis who does a really good job in the over the top, energetic sections of stage performances.
Well worth a watch 4/5
Wednesday 16 February 2011
Looking at Alaska
The Far Country (1955)
This is the 4th collaboration between Anthony Mann and James Stewart, a rare western set in Alaska and Canada. For a change the bad guy is the local “law” who uses his position to bully, steal from and kill the towns folk in the boom towns that grow up during a gold rush.
Stewart was a strong interventionist on Vietnam and this film has a general interventionist theme despite pre-dating the Vietnam war marginally. While turning his back on the local community as the problems grow Stewart's character focuses on personal gain but is eventually forced into confrontation with the bad guy after matters escalate out of hand. The moral of the story may be clear enough but the story is fairly well told and Alaska provides an excellent back drop. There is a tacked on love triangle which is a bit basic and simplistically dealt with.
Overall a decent effort 3/5
This is the 4th collaboration between Anthony Mann and James Stewart, a rare western set in Alaska and Canada. For a change the bad guy is the local “law” who uses his position to bully, steal from and kill the towns folk in the boom towns that grow up during a gold rush.
Stewart was a strong interventionist on Vietnam and this film has a general interventionist theme despite pre-dating the Vietnam war marginally. While turning his back on the local community as the problems grow Stewart's character focuses on personal gain but is eventually forced into confrontation with the bad guy after matters escalate out of hand. The moral of the story may be clear enough but the story is fairly well told and Alaska provides an excellent back drop. There is a tacked on love triangle which is a bit basic and simplistically dealt with.
Overall a decent effort 3/5
Tuesday 15 February 2011
Baby problems
Coffin Rock (2009)
Today we have an Australian film set in a small fishing town. A couple has been trying to conceive a child for 15 months which brings a strain to their relationship and these problems are exacerbated by the arrival of a young man that stalks the wife.
There is plenty of good stuff in this thriller, the plot is really tough on the characters and there are some really terrible moments in the best way possible for this type of film. Following one drunken indiscretion the heroine finally becomes pregnant but when faced with the possibility that the stalker maybe her child's father she has to face some hard choices. Inevitably some parts of the plot are going to be predictable but the villain and events are dark enough to keep the tension going.
Some moments might be upsetting to those that are especially sensitive to violence against animals which you might want to bare in mind before watching.
4/5 a really good example of a thriller.
Today we have an Australian film set in a small fishing town. A couple has been trying to conceive a child for 15 months which brings a strain to their relationship and these problems are exacerbated by the arrival of a young man that stalks the wife.
There is plenty of good stuff in this thriller, the plot is really tough on the characters and there are some really terrible moments in the best way possible for this type of film. Following one drunken indiscretion the heroine finally becomes pregnant but when faced with the possibility that the stalker maybe her child's father she has to face some hard choices. Inevitably some parts of the plot are going to be predictable but the villain and events are dark enough to keep the tension going.
Some moments might be upsetting to those that are especially sensitive to violence against animals which you might want to bare in mind before watching.
4/5 a really good example of a thriller.
Monday 14 February 2011
Cats and mouse
North Sea Hijack (1979)
Roger Moore stars as an eccentric, misogynist who has his own private counter terrorism team which largely seems to work for insurance companies. Outside of the UK this film is known under a couple of other titles as apparently geography is not peoples strong point.
A group of criminals hold a ship and two oil rigs in the North Sea to ransom and the only person that can do anything about it is Roger Moore's character. While the lead character is entertainingly nutty he does not have enough charisma to hold together this weak effort. The plot is largely unbelievable but the script does not contain enough tension, action or pace to make up for this.
While it does feel harsh to give this a 2/5 I think it can just about scrape a 3/5, not worth seeking out though.
Roger Moore stars as an eccentric, misogynist who has his own private counter terrorism team which largely seems to work for insurance companies. Outside of the UK this film is known under a couple of other titles as apparently geography is not peoples strong point.
A group of criminals hold a ship and two oil rigs in the North Sea to ransom and the only person that can do anything about it is Roger Moore's character. While the lead character is entertainingly nutty he does not have enough charisma to hold together this weak effort. The plot is largely unbelievable but the script does not contain enough tension, action or pace to make up for this.
While it does feel harsh to give this a 2/5 I think it can just about scrape a 3/5, not worth seeking out though.
Sunday 13 February 2011
Old
Will Penny (1968)
Charlton Heston stars as the title character in this western about an ageing cow boy. Penny spends the winter in a remote cabin with a woman and child trying to fit in with other people while being menaced by Donald Pleasence's loony villain.
Heston is excellent as the illiterate and uncomfortable old man and the story manages not to go too far into overly melodramatic territory. The main villain is a little over the top but does not detract massively by being a little unbelievable. While it does take a little while for the main plot to get going this is a good character study and as always the mountain snow scape is a good back drop.
Worth watching 4/5
Charlton Heston stars as the title character in this western about an ageing cow boy. Penny spends the winter in a remote cabin with a woman and child trying to fit in with other people while being menaced by Donald Pleasence's loony villain.
Heston is excellent as the illiterate and uncomfortable old man and the story manages not to go too far into overly melodramatic territory. The main villain is a little over the top but does not detract massively by being a little unbelievable. While it does take a little while for the main plot to get going this is a good character study and as always the mountain snow scape is a good back drop.
Worth watching 4/5
Saturday 12 February 2011
not zombies
The Crazies (2010)
This is a remake of a 1973 film by the same name, original director George Romero returns as a writer and executive producer. A biological weapon is accidentally released on a small town in America and the military come in to clear things up, the virus makes infected people become blood thirsty killers so for uninfected locals things do not look so good.
As this is a remake it should not be a great shock to find that there is very little originality on show here, the plot is very predictable even if like me you have not seen the original. The execution of the film is fine if not especially scary at any point. Where the film is weak apart from it's obvious plot is the lack of characters to really flesh out the town, other than the Sheriff and his wife no one else really gets much screen time.
If you are a genre fan this is a solid edition otherwise I would not seek this movie out 3/5
This is a remake of a 1973 film by the same name, original director George Romero returns as a writer and executive producer. A biological weapon is accidentally released on a small town in America and the military come in to clear things up, the virus makes infected people become blood thirsty killers so for uninfected locals things do not look so good.
As this is a remake it should not be a great shock to find that there is very little originality on show here, the plot is very predictable even if like me you have not seen the original. The execution of the film is fine if not especially scary at any point. Where the film is weak apart from it's obvious plot is the lack of characters to really flesh out the town, other than the Sheriff and his wife no one else really gets much screen time.
If you are a genre fan this is a solid edition otherwise I would not seek this movie out 3/5
Friday 11 February 2011
A quickie
The Spy in Black (1939)
In an attempt to stem the flood of American films into UK cinemas a law was passed that all cinemas had to show quota of British made films and this is one of those “quota quickies”, knocked up on the cheap to fill space. During The Great War a German submarine drops it's captain off in the Orkney Islands to meet up with a female spy for an unknown mission.
What is interesting about the production of this film is that it was filmed in 1938 and released literally days before the out break of the Second World War and provides a snap shot of British war cinema before it transforms into war time propaganda. The plot is not amazing but is told from the point of view of the German captain and has some slight twists along the way. Budgetary limits are not that obvious although it is fairly funny that every German except the submarine captain speaks with a British accent.
Worth watching 3/5
In an attempt to stem the flood of American films into UK cinemas a law was passed that all cinemas had to show quota of British made films and this is one of those “quota quickies”, knocked up on the cheap to fill space. During The Great War a German submarine drops it's captain off in the Orkney Islands to meet up with a female spy for an unknown mission.
What is interesting about the production of this film is that it was filmed in 1938 and released literally days before the out break of the Second World War and provides a snap shot of British war cinema before it transforms into war time propaganda. The plot is not amazing but is told from the point of view of the German captain and has some slight twists along the way. Budgetary limits are not that obvious although it is fairly funny that every German except the submarine captain speaks with a British accent.
Worth watching 3/5
Thursday 10 February 2011
Another case
The Woman in Green (1945)
This is the 11th film featuring Basil Rathbone as Sherlock Holmes and not based on any of the original stories. Someone is out killing young women and removing a finger as a trophy, naturally the police are unable to solve the murders and Holmes is brought in to get to the bottom of it.
With a short run time and limited amount of sets you really get the feeling that this was knocked up to be a cheap instalment in a successful franchise. The plot is not too bad but does rely on an amount of coincidence and the fact that Holmes is essentially a super genius that can out think everyone.
2/5 completest fans might find this enjoyable but for most it is entirely miss-able.
This is the 11th film featuring Basil Rathbone as Sherlock Holmes and not based on any of the original stories. Someone is out killing young women and removing a finger as a trophy, naturally the police are unable to solve the murders and Holmes is brought in to get to the bottom of it.
With a short run time and limited amount of sets you really get the feeling that this was knocked up to be a cheap instalment in a successful franchise. The plot is not too bad but does rely on an amount of coincidence and the fact that Holmes is essentially a super genius that can out think everyone.
2/5 completest fans might find this enjoyable but for most it is entirely miss-able.
Wednesday 9 February 2011
80s
Risky Business (1983)
Tom Cruise plays a high school student that gets involved with a prostitute, what could possibly go wrong? With his parents away visiting an aunt for the week following the suggesting/goading of a friend he meets a call girl who robs him and then uses him to escape her pimp.
This film really has the vibe of it's era, especially in terms of the 80s desire to make money. As with most films involving hookers this one is not very responsible in the portrayal of them, sure one of them is a run away but most of them seem happy in their life style rather than any hint at darker side such as drugs, violence or abuse that we might expect. You have to accept that this is a lightweight film and as such it is not too bad for passing entertainment. Unfortunately the ending misses a glorious opportunity for ambiguity and speculation in favour of a Hollywood happy ending.
If you are a big fan of 80s cinema maybe this is the film for you, otherwise I doubt it 2/5
Tom Cruise plays a high school student that gets involved with a prostitute, what could possibly go wrong? With his parents away visiting an aunt for the week following the suggesting/goading of a friend he meets a call girl who robs him and then uses him to escape her pimp.
This film really has the vibe of it's era, especially in terms of the 80s desire to make money. As with most films involving hookers this one is not very responsible in the portrayal of them, sure one of them is a run away but most of them seem happy in their life style rather than any hint at darker side such as drugs, violence or abuse that we might expect. You have to accept that this is a lightweight film and as such it is not too bad for passing entertainment. Unfortunately the ending misses a glorious opportunity for ambiguity and speculation in favour of a Hollywood happy ending.
If you are a big fan of 80s cinema maybe this is the film for you, otherwise I doubt it 2/5
Tuesday 8 February 2011
Gritty?
True Grit (1969)
Based on the novel of the same name and recently remade by the Coen brothers this original version stars John Wayne in the role that won him his only Oscar. Following the murder of her father a young girl hires Wayne's Marshal to go and hunt down the killer in Indian Territory, strangely they never run into an Indian despite the name of the area.
Shot mainly in Colorado there is some outstanding back drops and natural scenery on show here. There is some good interplay between the three main characters but John Wayne's performance seems to lack some of the darkness implied from his characters history, he appears much more good natured than his morally ambiguous past actions suggest. It is a shame there was not a little more grittyness applied to the film but I guess that was part of the trade off of having a young character in a revenge western in the period this film was made in.
Despite a little ageing this is still a good film, 4/5.
Based on the novel of the same name and recently remade by the Coen brothers this original version stars John Wayne in the role that won him his only Oscar. Following the murder of her father a young girl hires Wayne's Marshal to go and hunt down the killer in Indian Territory, strangely they never run into an Indian despite the name of the area.
Shot mainly in Colorado there is some outstanding back drops and natural scenery on show here. There is some good interplay between the three main characters but John Wayne's performance seems to lack some of the darkness implied from his characters history, he appears much more good natured than his morally ambiguous past actions suggest. It is a shame there was not a little more grittyness applied to the film but I guess that was part of the trade off of having a young character in a revenge western in the period this film was made in.
Despite a little ageing this is still a good film, 4/5.
Monday 7 February 2011
Revenge
Seven Men from Now (1956)
Randolph Scott stars in this revenge western from John Wayne's production company. Following the shooting of his wife during a robbery Scott sets out to hunt down the gang that performed the robbery.
There is not a lot that is original or unique about this film and the twists such as there are can be spotted fairly easily but that being said the script is ably brought to life by the cast and crew. Lee Marvin is especially good as the opportunistic and slimy Bill Masters who just wants to get the gold that the gang stole and sees the hero as an exploitable situation. There are some elements of the plot which are a little dated in the views expressed and some of the image quality, especially in night time sequences is not great this is still a very watch-able film.
3/5
Randolph Scott stars in this revenge western from John Wayne's production company. Following the shooting of his wife during a robbery Scott sets out to hunt down the gang that performed the robbery.
There is not a lot that is original or unique about this film and the twists such as there are can be spotted fairly easily but that being said the script is ably brought to life by the cast and crew. Lee Marvin is especially good as the opportunistic and slimy Bill Masters who just wants to get the gold that the gang stole and sees the hero as an exploitable situation. There are some elements of the plot which are a little dated in the views expressed and some of the image quality, especially in night time sequences is not great this is still a very watch-able film.
3/5
Sunday 6 February 2011
Being bad?
Youth in Revolt (2009)
Michael Cera stars as the usual character he plays in the usual sort of story you get in these coming of age tale based on the book of the same name. An awkward teenage boy tries to win over a girl with the help of his imagined evil alter ego.
While there is a lot you would expect in this film it manages to stay the right side of funny with some good dark humour and dry delivery. The plot moves along fast enough with enough humour that it is hard to find anything wrong with this film even if there is nothing to stand it out from numerous other similar films.
3/5
Michael Cera stars as the usual character he plays in the usual sort of story you get in these coming of age tale based on the book of the same name. An awkward teenage boy tries to win over a girl with the help of his imagined evil alter ego.
While there is a lot you would expect in this film it manages to stay the right side of funny with some good dark humour and dry delivery. The plot moves along fast enough with enough humour that it is hard to find anything wrong with this film even if there is nothing to stand it out from numerous other similar films.
3/5
Saturday 5 February 2011
Sucks?
Daybreakers (2009)
Vampires rule the world in 2019 but apparently with immortality does not come an aptitude for forward planning as they have only enough humans left to supply one months worth of blood to feed the population. Ethan Hawke stars as a vampire scientist working on a synthetic blood substitute that gets distracted along the way.
There are a few unusual elements such as vampires that do not actually want to be vampires and the possibility of a cure fore vampirism that make the set up of this film fairly interesting but are not really capitalised on. How the vampires came to mismanage their food supplies and end up with only one month of blood left is never explained so we can only assume it is through stupidity, while this is supposed to be a weak allegory for man kinds wasting of resources it does not go anywhere.
Most of the film is fairly average, nothing from the casting, direction or sets and scenery really stand out. Vampires seem to be the hot topic in some circles thanks to a certain set of books so I expect someone was trying to get on the gravy train of general vampire interest with this movie but it has little to offer or set it a side from the average genre entry.
3/5 just about manages not to be a bad film.
Vampires rule the world in 2019 but apparently with immortality does not come an aptitude for forward planning as they have only enough humans left to supply one months worth of blood to feed the population. Ethan Hawke stars as a vampire scientist working on a synthetic blood substitute that gets distracted along the way.
There are a few unusual elements such as vampires that do not actually want to be vampires and the possibility of a cure fore vampirism that make the set up of this film fairly interesting but are not really capitalised on. How the vampires came to mismanage their food supplies and end up with only one month of blood left is never explained so we can only assume it is through stupidity, while this is supposed to be a weak allegory for man kinds wasting of resources it does not go anywhere.
Most of the film is fairly average, nothing from the casting, direction or sets and scenery really stand out. Vampires seem to be the hot topic in some circles thanks to a certain set of books so I expect someone was trying to get on the gravy train of general vampire interest with this movie but it has little to offer or set it a side from the average genre entry.
3/5 just about manages not to be a bad film.
Friday 4 February 2011
Internment
Three Came Home (1950)
This film is based on the book of the same name telling the autobiographical story of the experiences of a woman interned by the Japanese during WW2. An American author is married to a British colonial official in Borneo and when the Japanese invade the family is split up and kept in different interment camps for the course of the war.
As you might expect life in a Japanese interment camp is not nice and the movie covers a number of trials and tribulations suffered by the heroine. There is little here that will surprise anyone that has a passing knowledge of WW2 history but this is a decently made film, if a little slow in places, and from the unique view point of a mother caught up in the war. While the film offers some ambiguity over the true motivations of the Japanese Colonel who over sees all the prisons it shies away from dealing with some of the atrocities committed under his command and does not really probe the subject of resistance to or collaboration with the guards.
An average entry into the genre 3/5 that does not get overly melodramatic as can be the tendency in some films.
This film is based on the book of the same name telling the autobiographical story of the experiences of a woman interned by the Japanese during WW2. An American author is married to a British colonial official in Borneo and when the Japanese invade the family is split up and kept in different interment camps for the course of the war.
As you might expect life in a Japanese interment camp is not nice and the movie covers a number of trials and tribulations suffered by the heroine. There is little here that will surprise anyone that has a passing knowledge of WW2 history but this is a decently made film, if a little slow in places, and from the unique view point of a mother caught up in the war. While the film offers some ambiguity over the true motivations of the Japanese Colonel who over sees all the prisons it shies away from dealing with some of the atrocities committed under his command and does not really probe the subject of resistance to or collaboration with the guards.
An average entry into the genre 3/5 that does not get overly melodramatic as can be the tendency in some films.
Thursday 3 February 2011
War time
Guadalcanal Diary (1943)
Released just a year after the conflict it depicts and during World War 2 this propaganda film is based on the book of the same name by a journalist present on the island during the fighting. The plot focuses on the experience of a group of marines from enlisted men up to the captain and padre of the unit.
Given that this is a war time production you can expect a certain amount of pro war sentiment but the film is not over the top in this respect and remains a good snap shot of conditions at the time. What is very interesting is the attitudes of the time towards the Japanese enemy that at times is racist and would be sanitised from modern films about the Pacific theatre. While the characters included are not especially imaginative they manage to stay clear of being clichéd and the action sequences are well constructed thanks to the stock footage available at the time and hardware available.
While not revolutionary this is a solid genre entry 3/5.
Released just a year after the conflict it depicts and during World War 2 this propaganda film is based on the book of the same name by a journalist present on the island during the fighting. The plot focuses on the experience of a group of marines from enlisted men up to the captain and padre of the unit.
Given that this is a war time production you can expect a certain amount of pro war sentiment but the film is not over the top in this respect and remains a good snap shot of conditions at the time. What is very interesting is the attitudes of the time towards the Japanese enemy that at times is racist and would be sanitised from modern films about the Pacific theatre. While the characters included are not especially imaginative they manage to stay clear of being clichéd and the action sequences are well constructed thanks to the stock footage available at the time and hardware available.
While not revolutionary this is a solid genre entry 3/5.
Wednesday 2 February 2011
Historic?
Young Mr Lincoln (1939)
John Ford directs Henry Fonda in this fictionalised biography of the early years of Abraham Lincoln, the plot largely focuses on Lincoln's most notable trial as a defence lawyer. This film has been selected for preservation in the United States National Film Registry for being “culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant” so it has a fairly big reputation to live up to straight off the bat.
Taken purely as a piece of entertainment this is a fairly decent film, the trial is pretty interesting and on the whole the characters are well crafted and face some tough moral choices. However we have to wonder how reliable what we are shown is from a historical point of view as key facts about the trial have been changed for the film.
As a biography for Lincoln I found this film to be a real let down. While the movie does give a snap shot of the type of person Lincoln was it does miss out huge swathes of his life and that stuff would be really interesting. There is no depiction of the failure of his first business, how he goes from being largely self educated to being a lawyer and nothing showing his first foray into politics. From this film you get the idea that Lincoln is a good orator but it is really hard to say how he went from being a small town shop keeper to the president of his country.
I give this a 3/5 but only just, a real missed opportunity in my opinion.
John Ford directs Henry Fonda in this fictionalised biography of the early years of Abraham Lincoln, the plot largely focuses on Lincoln's most notable trial as a defence lawyer. This film has been selected for preservation in the United States National Film Registry for being “culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant” so it has a fairly big reputation to live up to straight off the bat.
Taken purely as a piece of entertainment this is a fairly decent film, the trial is pretty interesting and on the whole the characters are well crafted and face some tough moral choices. However we have to wonder how reliable what we are shown is from a historical point of view as key facts about the trial have been changed for the film.
As a biography for Lincoln I found this film to be a real let down. While the movie does give a snap shot of the type of person Lincoln was it does miss out huge swathes of his life and that stuff would be really interesting. There is no depiction of the failure of his first business, how he goes from being largely self educated to being a lawyer and nothing showing his first foray into politics. From this film you get the idea that Lincoln is a good orator but it is really hard to say how he went from being a small town shop keeper to the president of his country.
I give this a 3/5 but only just, a real missed opportunity in my opinion.
Tuesday 1 February 2011
A train to catch
3:10 to Yuma (1957)
This is the first film loosely based on Larry Elmore's short story of the same name. The leader of a gang that robs a stage coach is caught after he stays in town to hit on the local barmaid and has to be transported to prison before his gang catch up with and kill the people who are holding him. A farmer in need of cash takes the job of transporting the outlaw and fending off the gang.
While it takes a little bit to get going this film works on the tension of having a dangerous man captive, the threat of his gang to the lead character and the slow gnawing temptation to let the outlaw go in the face of increasing trouble. There is pressure on the farmer to “do what a man's gotta do” from his family and Glenn Ford's gang leader is excellently charismatic in his attempts to talk himself into freedom.
4/5 a great use of character, tension and atmosphere.
This is the first film loosely based on Larry Elmore's short story of the same name. The leader of a gang that robs a stage coach is caught after he stays in town to hit on the local barmaid and has to be transported to prison before his gang catch up with and kill the people who are holding him. A farmer in need of cash takes the job of transporting the outlaw and fending off the gang.
While it takes a little bit to get going this film works on the tension of having a dangerous man captive, the threat of his gang to the lead character and the slow gnawing temptation to let the outlaw go in the face of increasing trouble. There is pressure on the farmer to “do what a man's gotta do” from his family and Glenn Ford's gang leader is excellently charismatic in his attempts to talk himself into freedom.
4/5 a great use of character, tension and atmosphere.
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