Adapting

Birdsong (2012)

Based on the novel of the same name by Sebastian Faulks this two part TV adaptation stars Eddie Redmayne and Clemence Poesy. A young officer in the first world war tries to deal with the death around him and his confused emotions over his past relationship with a French woman.

I have not read the book but it does appear that several sections of the book (those set in the 1970s featuring the main characters grand daughter) have been exercised for this adaptation. While the series is beautifully filmed it does appear to suffer from the same problem that many book to screen adaptations have where the source material is mainly focused on internal conflict and this is hard to translate to the screen. Certainly this is a worth while watch but I suspect that a lot of detail has probably been lost in adaptation.

4/5

Blair ghost project

The Ghost (2010)

Based on the novel of the same name by Robert Harris this film is directed by Roman Polanski and stars Ewan McGregor, Pierce Brosnan and Olivia Williams. A writer is hired to ghost write the autobiography of a former British prime minister but runs into some dark secrets.

Despite being set in Britain and America this film was shot in Germany due to Polanski being a fugitive from the law and the desolate beach landscapes are probably the best thing in the film. The plot centres round a thinly veiled fictional version of Tony Blair and while being a decent thriller does little of originality. Being fairly well made is mostly enough to distract from the predictability of the film but does not elevate the film to anything greater.

3/5

Revolting

Ironclad (2011)

Directed by Jonathan English this historic action film stars James Purefoy, Brian Cox and Paul Giamatti. King John has been forced to sign the Magna Carta and now the rebellion of his barons is over he is angry and out for revenge.

It is hard to know where to start with this film, Paul Giamatti does his best and I have no idea what poor Derek Jacobi is doing slumming it here. All the characters are clichés, the script in general is pretty poor and as always why let real events get in the way of telling a bad story? When it comes to the direction it seems that all the action sequences were filmed with a super shaky camera and a bunch of gore in the hope it would cover up for the small budget.

2/5

Pirates of the cash in

Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides (2011)

Rob Marshall directs this fourth instalment in the franchise which stars Johnny Depp, Penelope Cruz, Geoffrey Rush and Ian McShane. Captain Jack Sparrow is caught in between various fractions hunting for the fountain of youth.

I am not sure if we really needed another film in this series but the Jack Sparrow character remains entertaining but possibly not enough to carry the entire film by himself. There is the usual good standard of CGI, sets and the like but the plot does seem to be a bit of a token effort at times. It is a bit of a shame as there are some elements of the film that had scope to be interesting but no one part is really the focus of the film and in the end the script just feels fairly shallow.

3/5

Broken

Unbreakable (2000)

Bruce Willis and Samuel L. Jackson star in M. Night Shyamalan's follow up to the massive hit The Sixth Sense (1999). After being the lone survivor of a train crash a security guard comes to find he may be a super hero.

This film is a real departure in tone and point of view from the usual super hero film and that certainly makes it stand out against what has become a crowded genre but the problem is that it feels like a half finished film. While the majority of the film is the protagonist on the his path to discovering who he is and what he can do an antagonists is only revealed and dealt with in the same scene in the last 5 minutes. As an exercise in direction, tone and style this is a decent film but really the plot could have done with more meat on it's bones and that critically hamstrings the film.

3/5

Gribble-tastic?

Mars Needs Moms (2011)

Based on the book of the same name this motion capture animated film from Disney includes the voice talent of Joan Cusack and motion captured from Seth Green (but oddly not his voice). Martians kidnap a boys mother to raise their youngsters and he goes to Mars to save her.

Having a budget of over $150mil this film really does not look that different to a number of other animated kids films and lost a ton of money at the box office. The plot is nothing special and seems fairly typical of the genre without doing anything to stand out. While the film may do nothing to justify it's massive budget it is not that bad really even if it fails to achieve that hallowed Pixar level which all such films are judged against.

3/5

Reserved

Strategic Air Command (1955)

This is another collaboration between director Anthony Mann and James Stewart which co-stars June Allyson. A WW2 veteran gets recalled to active service just when he was getting back into his career as a professional baseball player.

In real life star James Stewart was in the Air Force and flew bombers in WW2 so presumably the lead role here was not much of a stretch in what is essentially a propaganda piece for the title unit. It seems like a lot of time was spent on technical accuracy and there are some impressive flying sequences but the plot is a little on the light side. This is a well made film but while it has two decent moments of tension it is really lacking in an over all drama that strings everything together.

3/5

Monstrously bad

Beastly (2011)

Based on the novel of the same name (based on the legend of beauty and the beast) this film stars Alex Pettyfer and Vanessa Hudgens. A rich, good looking guy acts like a jerk so the school witch turns him ugly and he gives up his hot blonde girlfriend to seduce the plain hot brunette by stalking and kidnapping her.

Teen high school films some times get a bad rap due to the low quality of the average film in the genre but this film is pretty much terrible. Morally the plot is terrible, seduction by Stockholm syndrome is never a good start, there is some dire dialogue and the actual execution of the plot is on par with the low standards of the rest of the film. If anyone you know ever suggests watching this film you should probably cut off all future contact with them.

1/5

Bloody Bono

Killing Bono (2011)

Very loosely based on a real story of music journalist Neil McCormick this is a film from Northern Ireland. Having gone to school with U2 and a young man tries to make his way in the music business resenting his friends success and consistently failing to amount to anything himself.

The title of this film is really a gimmick to get people into the cinema and more about a struggling rock career of two brothers. Having been “tricked” into watching the film the plot offers little of real interest and starts to drag towards the end. About the only reason to watch this film is that it is the final film appearance of Pete Postlethwaite otherwise it is really hard to find any redeeming features.

2/5

In need of adjustment

The Adjustment Bureau (2011)

Loosely based on a short story by Philip K. Dick this film from director George Nolfi stars Matt Damon and Emily Blunt. A man battles against the plan that the universe and it's agents have for him to be with the girl of his dreams.

There are some good themes at the heart of this film but I think that unfortunately they are only touched on and not really explored to a proper depth. The film does raise some interesting questions but really fails to frame them properly or even consider their implications. It is also a shame to see Emily Blunt who has put in some really good performances relegated in the later part of the film to simply being a doe eyed love interest rather than a fully fleshed out character. All in all it is a bit of a shame as this film had a lot of potential but really fails to capitalise on it.

3/5

More grit

True Grit (2010)

This second adaptation of the novel of the same name comes from the Coen brothers and stars Jeff Bridges, Matt Damon and Josh Brolin. A 14 year old girl hires an ageing, one eyed Marshal to hunt down her fathers killer.

Comparisons to the original adaptation are only natural and I would say that this film better embraces the darker elements of the story that the John Wayne film marginalises in favour of comedy. Jeff Bridges is particularly excellent in the John Wayne role. Of the two films I would say this is the one I prefer even if it does slightly lack some of the excellent scenery of the original despite having some really good cinematography.

4/5

You can find my review of the original adaptation here: http://qedmoviereview.blogspot.com/2011/02/gritty.html

A black spot

Anne of the Indies (1951)

Today we have pirate adventure from director Jacques Tourneur which stars Jean Peters, Louis Jourdan and Debra Paget. A French spy infiltrates the crew of a female pirate captain so he can betray them to the British and get his own ship back.

Originally it was intended that this film would be based on the life of Anne Bonny but after various rewrites the plot bares no similarities to real life. The story itself is pretty weak and the characters are worse as they do not seem to behave in any rational manner, just doing what the plot needs them to instead. When it comes to the sea battles the model work is fairly obvious but not terribly so, in the end this film is just weak in nearly all areas.

2/5

Degenerates

Gattaca (1997)

Writer/director Andrew Niccol made his début with this biopunk sci-fi film staring Ethan Hawke, Uma Thurman and Jude Law. In a world where the quality of your DNA dictates what you can do a young man with weak DNA fraudulently seeks to follow his dream to go to space.

Like the best sci-fi this is a thoughtful piece on the potential future of the human race and what will happen if and when we gain the ability to manipulate our own genes. Not only does the film raise some interesting questions it also contains some compelling characters and is told in a really excellent way. About the only weak elements of this film are some of the cinematography does not seem great given the large budget for the film however this is still an excellent piece of story telling and well worth watching.

5/5

Gold?

Ride the High Country (1962)

This is the second film from director Sam Peckinpah and stars Randolph Scott, Joel McCrea and Mariette Hartley. An ageing former law man is hired to transport gold from a mining camp in the mountains to the local bank.

Fitting into the “end of the west” cycle of Westerns this film is about growing old and friendship/loyalty. There is some nice scenery and the film is well shot but it does fail to really explore it's themes in enough depth while the younger characters do seem a little out of place given the films central themes. Really this film serves as a dry run for Peckinpah's later Wild Bunch (1969) which does a much better job of looking at the same ideas.

3/5

If you do the time...

Henry's Crime (2011)

Directed by Malcolm Venville this crime film stars Keanu Reeves, James Caan and Vera Farminga. After going to jail for a bank robbery he did not commit a man decides he might as well try and rob the bank anyway once he gets out.

This is a fairly light film that does not really stray into either full comedy or proper drama. There are some funny moments but really this is a pretty average film. Nearly everything goes as you would expect and there is little tension but the film does have a few moments of personality that help paper of the cracks.

3/5

The organs of youth

Never Let Me Go (2010)

Based on the novel of the same name this adaptation from director Mark Romanek stars Carey Mulligan, Keira Knightley and Andrew Garfield. Three school friends grow up and come to terms with their relationships to each other and their roles in life.

It is a bit hard to talk about this film with out spoiling it but this is a really well made, haunting film that really captures a certain type of idyllic Britishness that oozes from the screen in contrast to the dystopian setting. There is a lot to like about this film beyond the execution and it looks at the ideas of mortality and what is to have a soul but by the end I was left wondering if the film ever really got to grips with the nature of it's setting as most of the focus is on the characters. The characters certainly inhabit a very dark world and there is something very British about the way they do not challenge the status quo despite the grim nature of their existence but I do find that slightly unbelievable.

5/5

Kind of a funny film?

It's Kind of a Funny Story (2010)

Based on the novel of the same name this film stars Keir Gilchrist, Zach Galifianakis and Emma Roberts. A 16 year old boy is stressed with his school and personal life so goes to the hospital for help and ends up in the mental ward.

This film has a lot of stuff going for it, some great performances from the cast and some really good characters. The problem I have with the film is that on reflection the ending does feel sort of cheap, suggesting that the protagonists life is not that bad and there are people worse off than him does sort of trivialise the problems that young people can struggle with. Despite the problem this is still a really watch-able film but maybe not as good as it could have been.

3/5

Limited

Limitless (2011)

Based on the novel “The Dark Fields” this film is directed by Neil Burger and stars Bradley Cooper, Abbie Cornish and Robert De Niro. A writer down on his luck finds a drug that drastically improves your intelligence and sets out to improve his situation.

There is some really interesting direction in this film with the drug sequences being especially well shot but this is sadly the highlight of the film. When it comes to the plot the set up certainly has some potential to it but it seems that the film is more interested in being a simple wish fulfilment rather than delving properly into the world of an intelligence improving drug. It would have been nice to see more of who was controlling the drug, why they made it and what their plans were.

4/5

The magic of story telling?

Eleanor's Secret (2009)

Funded by a Franco-Italian co-production this animated adventure is directed by Dominique Monfrey. A boy that is having trouble learning to read but loves stories inherits a collection of magical books from his aunt.

There are a lot of good ideas in this film but ultimately it fails to engage with the audience or fully explore the issues present. Lots of children have learning difficulties and struggle with learning to read but this film does trivialise that but suggesting that the protagonists just needs to believe in himself to be able to read. With plenty of iconic characters from children's literature present it should really help draw viewers in but in the end the story is just too simplistic and does not work on an emotional level.

3/5

Best is best

Best (2000)

Based on the early life of football legend George Best this film is directed by Mary McGuckian and stars John Lynch. The plot focuses on Best's time at Manchester United as a player and his personal struggles.

There are host of problems with this film, the main one being that the time line of events are muddled and it is often unclear what happened when, seemingly contradicting real life events. Aside from the structural problems the film really fails to get to grips with the main issues, where Best's personal demons come from and why the football community was unable to help with these. Obviously this film was made on a small budget but that does not excuse the fact that nearly all the problems with the film emanate from the script.

2/5

A fistful of water

Rango (2011)

Trying to break into the animated film market is this offering from Nickelodeon, ILM and director Gore Verbinski which stars the voice talent of Johnny Deep. A pet chameleon ends up in a wild west town as the new law man on the block.

This film does lack the humour and emotional core that you would get from a Pixar film but is chock full of references to westerns and films in general. What we end up with is a bit of a paradox, a film for children that will probably be enjoyed more by film buff parents than their off spring. While the film does not really excel in any area the sum of the parts is a good film in the end even if it does fall short of that elusive Pixar standard we hold all such films to.

4/5

Imagine more complexly

Rebecca (1940)

Adapted from the novel of the same name this film is directed by Alfred Hitchcock and stars Laurence Oliver and Joan Fontaine. It is not easy being the second wife of the lord of the manor when the batty housekeeper is obsessed with your late predecessor.

This was Hitchcock's first film made in America (although set in England) and it does seem that working with producer David Selznick placed serious restrictions on the director. What the film really lacks is Hitchcock's trademark style and suspense, it is a well made film but does come across as slightly bland. The main theme of the film is that people tend not to be how we perceive them, especially Rebecca but also most of the characters have their own revelations, including the manor house itself.

4/5

Familiar

Tobruk (1967)

Very loosely based on real events this WW2 film stars Rock Hudson and George Peppard. A Group of British commandos and German speaking Jews from Palestine attempt to blow up German oil supplies at Tobruk.

The plot of this film is not that different from a whole host of North Africa based films that involve blowing up Rommel's fuel stores and in general there is not much to set this film apart from the genre as a whole. About the best thing the film has going for it is that it does not claim to be based on a true story given how far it departs from real events and the execution of the film is at least of a decent standard.

3/5

Clued in

Sleuth (1972)

Based on the play of the same name by Anthony Shaffer this film stars Laurence Olivier and Michael Caine. A writer of murder mystery novels and his wife's boyfriend play a game of cat and mouse at a country estate.

Bluff and double bluff as much between the characters as the audience and the film makers fill the plot manages to hold together and make sense despite what could have been a complex nature. There are good performances from both the stars, which resulted in two Oscar nominations as well as a generally well made film. As with a vast majority of British cinema there is also an undercurrent of class warfare which parallels the social transitions of the time that Britain was going through.

4/5

Buzz kill

The Green Hornet (2011)

After years of knocking around in development hell The Green Hornet comes to the big screen directed by Michel Gondry and staring Seth Rogen. The son of a news paper owner inherits his father's media empire and decides to become a masked vigilante on the side.

Given the glut of super hero/masked vigilante films of late this film does need something to set it apart from the others and it appears the makers have chosen to take a comedic route. While the film has funny moments it is not especially funny and the plot is rudimentary and unoriginal at best. As something to fill two hours of spare time this film is not bad but it is nothing more than that.

3/5

Forty similar films

Forty Guns (1958)

Written and directed by Samuel Fuller this western stars Barbara Stanwyck and Barry Sullivan. A US marshal passing through a town with his brothers clashes with owner of the big local ranch while trying to restore law and order.

The plot for this film is reminiscent of many a western of the same era and there is little originality here. Pretty much everything rolls out as you might expect and the direction is like the plot in being fairly unremarkable. In the end what you have here is a very average film that is probably worth overlooking for better efforts in the genre but still watch-able at a push.

3/5

Trials and tribulations

Conviction (2010)

Based on real events this film is directed by Tony Goldwyn and stars Hilary Swank and Sam Rockwell. A single mother devotes her life to earning a law degree so she can get her brothers false conviction for murder over turned.

While there are legal elements to this film it is not really a legal drama but more an issue of the week TV movie. There are good performances from the lead cast and this is no doubt a compelling if slightly manipulative film where it need not be. Despite being well made there is not much new or revolutionary about this film.

3/5

Not a well spun web

Along Came a Spider (2001)

Based on the novel of the same name this a prequel to Kiss the Girls (1997) is directed by Lee Tamahori and stars Morgan Freeman and Monica Potter. A senator's daughter is kidnapped from her school and a police detective has to work with a secret service agent.

Thrillers like this rely on their plot and the plot for this film is just bad from the start, it begins with a bunch of clichés and as the unbelievable plot unfolds we find out it is full of holes. If you are not even going to bother with having a realistic plot it should at least make sense which means there is not much to like in this film. About the only redeeming features of the film are that plot aside it is executed in a way that does not make it any worse.

2/5

Well travelled

Gulliver's Travels (2010)

Based on the 18th century novel of the same name this is the first live action film from director Rob Letterman and stars Jack Black, Emily Blunt Jason Segel and Amanda Peet. A slacker that works in the mail room of a news paper gets a travel writing assignment and goes on a strange adventure.

This is not a good adaptation, it loses the depth and detail of the original text and is basically a simplified silly film aimed at kids but being a bad adaptation does not necessarily mean it is a bad film. As a kids film this is pretty average, the set, locations and cast are great but the content is decidedly average. There are some funny moments but but not a plethora and the the story itself is beyond basic and has no depth, still if you have 90 minutes to kill and do not want anything especially engaging you could do worse.

3/5

Revenge of the laundry boy?

Force 10 from Navarone (1978)

Serial Bond director Guy Hamilton helms this sequel to The Guns of Navarone (1961) with an entirely new cast that includes Robert Shaw, Edward Fox, Harrison Ford, Barbara Bach and Carl Weathers. Having recovered from their previous mission Mallory and Miller are sent to kill a double agent in Yugoslavia with an American team that plans to blow up a bridge.

Coming 17 years later and with a completely new team behind the film it is hard to really look at this as a sequel especially as the only two remaining characters are not even really consistent with the original film portrayals either. As a WW2 action film this film works pretty well, the special effects work holds up and achieves some pretty good results while the plot has the usual twists and turns of a MacLean inspired film. Where the film falls down is that it lacks the real depth and serious nature of the original instead relying on light comedic elements to get by.

3/5

Illegal alien

Paul (2011)

Directed by Greg Mottola this film is written by and stars Simon Pegg and Nick Frost as well as including the voice talent of Seth Rogen. Two British sci-fi fans on a road trip through America's UFO hot spots run into an escaped alien.

This film contains plenty of cinematic references as you would expect from previous works Pegg has been involved in writing. Unfortunately the film does fall a little flat, it is not really funny enough and sticks a bit too closely to formulas commonly used in cinema. While this is not a bad film it certainly does not hit the heights of Pegg's collaborations with Edgar Wright which is a shame.

3/5