Battle confused

Battle Cry (1955)

Based on the novel of the same name which is in turn based on the authors real life experiences in WW2 this film is directed by Raoul Walsh. A group of raw recruits go through training, meet various women and eventually go into battle.

Despite starting out as an ensemble piece somewhere along the line the film gets a bit bogged down in the middle by the story of a specific marine and his New Zealand girlfriend, the story also seems fairly light on actual war which is what you would assume has the biggest impact on the experiences of the young men involved. In the end this film is a little on the long side and is more of a melodrama than a war film but is still watchable even if it seems to lack a consistent narrative path.

3/5

The name's Lee, Bruce Lee.

Enter the Dragon (1973)

This was Bruce Lee's final screen appearance which he contributed both to the screenplay and the fight sequences. A Shaolin martial artist goes to a fight contest to infiltrate the bad guys operation and avenge the death of his sister.

When it comes to a film like this it is clear the main draw is Lee's unique fighting ability and athleticism but the problem here is that none of the other characters can keep up so the fight sequences are unimpressive, especially compared to say the face off between Lee and Chuck Norris in Way of the Dragon (1972). When it comes to the plot what you have is essentially a James Bond lite plot that audiences are over familiar with by this point. If you keep your eyes peeled you can spot an early screen appearance as a henchman from Jackie Chan.

3/5

Bunk

The Ministers (2009)

Written and directed by Franc Reyes this film stars Florencia Lozano, John Leguizamo and Harvey Keitel. A female cop tries to hunt down the killers who shot her father when she was a child and have recently started killing again.

Nearly every element of this film is predictable from about 20 minutes in so the rest of it you are sitting there bored waiting for the usual events to play out which rely on coincidence on occasion and has the odd hole in the plot. It does not help that the direction of the film is decidedly dodgy, the music used is completely out of place a lot of the time. When it comes to the acting even Harvey Keitel is poor here so ultimately I do not think there is anything to recommend this film on at all.

2/5

Redundant

The Company Men (2011)

This directorial début from veteran TV producer John Wells has a cast that includes Ben Affleck, Tommy Lee Jones, Chris Cooper, Maria Bello and Kevin Costner. Three corporate high fliers have to deal with the affects of the recession on their company and losing their jobs.

Given all the talent involved it is not surprising that this is a well made film but it ends up falling rather flat. There are plenty of important and contemporary issues raised in this film but the script seems to lack any real depth or detail to fully explore what went wrong and how men in particular struggle with suddenly being unable to support their family. Another side issue of the film is that it is a little harder to empathise with rich people losing their jobs when the affect on the less affluent is much harsher.

3/5

Soars?

The Eagle (2011)

Based on Rosemary Sutcliff's novel this film is directed by Kevin Macdonald and stars Channing Tatum, Jamie Bell and Donald Sutherland. A former Roman soldier and a slave venture north of Hadrian's wall to recover a lost legion standard.

As always Scotland provides some excellent scenery for this film but it is a shame that the English based parts (which are local to me) were shot in Hungary. This is a fairly basic action film but the script does feel fairly weak and the friendship between master and slave does seem completely unearned. Nothing is especially impressive about this film and a few more scenes are needed to really flesh the film out.

3/5

Not so true

True Crime (1999)

Based on the novel of the same name this film is directed by and stars Clint Eastwood alongside Isaiah Washington. With 12 hours till the execution a reporter tries to prove the innocence of a man on death row.

This is pretty much your average anti capital punishment film that has few surprises but as with all Eastwood films is well made. Despite having a clear deadline with in the narrative the film does lack a sense of tension and drive which is probably the biggest let down given the predictable plot. The characters do little to help the film rise above the average nature of it's other components either.

3/5

Reds in the saloons

Johnny Guitar (1954)

Based on the novel of the same name this film was directed by Nicholas Ray, written by blacklisted Ben Maddow with stars Joan Crawford, Sterling Hayden and Mercedes McCambridge. Rivalry between two women comes to a head as the railway approaches a western town.

This film works on two levels, first as a tale about about sex with all the rivalry, jealousy and frustration that comes from it without ever actually mentioning it but also as a metaphor for the McCarthy witch hunts. As the antagonist Mercedes McCambridge gives an excellent performance but Joan Crawford does seem miss cast and that does have a negative affect on the film. Certainly this is a good western but it does fall short of the comparable High Noon (1952).

4/5

Dare to watch

They Who Dare (1954)

Directed by Lewis Milestone this World War 2 film stars Dirk Bogarde, Harold Siddons and Denholm Elliot. A mixed group of British and Greek commandos attempt to blow up two Axis airfields on an occupied Greek island.

What sticks out straight away about this film is that the sound quality is pretty terrible, it does not affect the dialogue but any music appears to be completely butchered. Based on real events the plot unfolds rather slowly with not much tension or drive. The performances of the cast are not bad but between the sound problems and the weak script there is not much to enjoy here.

2/5

Country average

Country Strong (2011)

Written and directed by Shana Feste this country music film stars Gwyneth Paltrow and Tim McGraw. A music super star battles alcoholism while her husband tries to rebuild her career and two young artists try to start theirs.

You could probably sum up the plot of this film as people with problems doing bad things to each other and while the plot is a little on the simplistic side it is not that bad the only real issue is that it fails to delve into the roots of the characters problems enough. If you are a fan of country music this film may have more appeal to you but for those of us that are not fans of that particular genre the film is still watchable. There are some decent performances from the cast but in the end this is a fairly average offering.

3/5

The start of something beautiful?

Casablanca (1942)

Based on an unproduced play this iconic film is directed by Michael Curtiz and stars Humphrey Bogart and Ingrid Bergman. An American bar owner in North Africa gets drawn into the second world war after running into an old flame.

For a script that had so many different writers involved with it this film comes together surprisingly well and despite skirting melodrama occasionally manages not to fall into sentimentality. There are some really great characters, especially the protagonist Rick, who no doubt keep people coming back to this film but it is also interesting to see how the film works as a metaphor for American policy leading up to their involvement in WW2. This film certainly holds up to modern viewing and it is easy to see why it is considered a classic.

5/5

Watched

The Truman Show (1998)

Directed by Peter Weir from a script by Andrew Niccol this film stars Jim Carrey, Laura Linney, Ed Harris and Natascha McElhone. A man begins to realise that his life is not as real as it seems and is obsessed with the girl that got away.

This film is really clever and works on a number of levels, on the surface the film is mainly a comment on reality television (interestingly the film really came before the massive explosion in reality television) but also has some seriously heavy religious overtones. Apart from being really well constructed thematically what the film does exceptionally well is balance both drama and comedic elements which is no easy feat. There are some good performances and the film looks really impressive, this is definitely a must watch.

5/5

Aussie Dawn

Tomorrow, When the War Began (2010)

Based on the novel of the same name this adaptation from writer/director Stuart Beattie stars Caitlin Stasey. Seven teenagers of different stereotypes are camping in the bush when Australia is invaded and have to decide what to do.

So the obvious comparison here is the 80s classic Red Dawn (1984) and while there are a number of similarities the main difference is in tone, this film involves a lot less nationalistic flag waving but also covers a lot less material. As part of a series of novels the film tells a less complete story than Red Dawn and I would say this was the real weakness when comparing the two films. Realism does seem to go out of the window on a number of occasions, mostly during action sequences, but this is not a bad film even if not especially original.

3/5

Following the ski path

Chalet Girl (2011)

Directed by Phil Traill this romantic comedy stars Felicity Jones, Ed Westwick and Tamsin Egerton. A girl from a working class family spends a season working for rich people in at their skiing chalet and picks up a taste for snow boarding.

While there is nothing wrong with happy endings the problem with romantic comedies is you know that every single one does not just have a happy ending but a happy ending for every single character, before you even start watching you know the girl will get the guy and win that snow boarding competition. As a genre film this is not the worst you will ever see but it is certainly hampered by sticking relentlessly to the usual conventions and this predictability hampers what might have been an otherwise pretty funny film.

3/5

Missed dream

Tooth Fairy (2010)

Directed by Michael Lembeck this comedy stars Dwayne Johnson, Stephen Merchant, Ashley Judd and Julie Andrews. A professional hockey player is made to work as a tooth fairy for two weeks for destroying children's dreams.

The ideas behind this film are not actually that bad and neither is the execution at times but unfortunately it too often makes the mistake of crossing the line into becoming sentimental poop. It also seems like the film throws it's own internal logic out of the window far too often even for a children's film. Stephen Merchant probably has the best performance in the film but who knows why he or Ashley Judd took parts in this film.

2/5

Forget me not

Mirage (1965)

Based on a book by Howard Fast this thriller stars Gregory Peck, Diane Baker and Walter Matthau. Struggling with amnesia a man is threatened by a group he can't remember anything about.

This film works really well as a thriller which keeps the audience guessing as to what is going on for a long time without being frustrating. The resolution may lack some depth but that does not really weaken the film. There are good performances from the cast and the film does not become confusing which would likely have been an easy pitfall to end up in given the nature of the content.

4/5

Right hand man

Harold and Maud (1971)

Directed by Hal Ashby this dark comedy stars Ruth Gordon and Bud Cort. A rich young man who is obsessed with death meets a 79 year old woman and they strike up a friendship.

Despite being considered a “commercial flop” this is actually a pretty good film with some really funny moments if you have a dark sense of humour. What the film does well is contrast the attitude of disaffected youth that has everything against the older generation that had nothing. Although it is not mentioned explicitly it is worth remembering that this is a film of the era of the Vietnam war and that no doubt is one of the major movers behind the themes of the film.

4/5

Barbaric?

Conan the Barbarian (1982)

Based on the pulp character of the same name this film from writer/directer John Milius stars Arnie as the title character. Conan is orphaned by the bad guy, grows up as a slave and a gladiator before going on to seek revenge.

While this film has a fairly simple plot it is not as dumb as it may seem at first, there are a number of interesting themes and allusions that run through the film. Despite location filming only taking place in Spain the scenery in the film provides real variation and looks especially good in the first parts of the film. Of course there are some problems with the film, we all know that Arnie is not the world's greatest actor and some will not like the over reliance on violence but in the end this is a pretty good film.

4/5

NTGUILTY

The Lincoln Lawyer (2011)

Based on the novel of the same name this film is directed by Brad Furman with a cast including Matthew McConaughey, Marisa Tomei and Ryan Phillippe. A defence lawyer that works all the angles and knows all the tricks ends up defending a client who is more than he bargained for.

This is a pretty standard court room film with not many surprises or much new to offer. There are good performances from the cast and the film is well executed but again there is nothing much to write home about here. The only disappointment with the film is that the main character does not seem to learn anything or change because of the experience he has had.

3/5

CGI invasion

Battle: Los Angeles (2011)

Directed by Joanthan Liebesman this sci-fi action extravaganza stars Aaron Eckhart and Michelle Rodriguez. It's an alien invasion motherfuckers!

Make no bones about it this is not a serious look at warfare in an urban environment but is pretty much mindless action fun. The script is not the best, cliched at times and lacking much depth but does retain some personality which helps. What is a real downside for the film is that the camera work follows in the modern trend of super shaky chaos in a supposed attempt at realism which is never going to be there in a film like this.

3/5

Wildly bad idea for a film

Wild Cherry (2009)

Directed by Dana Lustig this high school film stars Tania Raymonde, Rumer Willis and features Rob Schneider. The school football team keep a book of all the girls in their year that have not been deflowered and when the girls find out about it they are understandably not happy.

So another film on high school sexual politics, unfortunately this one one often drifts into the juvenile behaviour it allegedly decries with some of the disgusting humour employed. About the most interesting thing in this film is that Rob Schneider plays a real character for once, the less said about Tia Carrere's character the better. A much better film on the same topic is Easy A (2010) which is not nearly as stupid as this film.

2/5

Surgery required

The Double Man (1967)

Based on the novel “Legacy of a Spy” this film is directed by Franklin J. Schaffner and stars Yul Brynner and Britt Ekland. A CIA agent investigates the death of his son in a skiing accident in Austria.

This film is pretty well made, although having a Russia cast as an American in a spy film does seem to be pushing it a little. Where the problems with the film come is that the basic idea of having a double is a little silly in the first place but the title and execution of the film really do not get any mileage out of what potential the idea has. Keeping the bad guys plan secret for longer would have helped as well as spending longer playing on the audiences uncertainty of who was the good guy and who was the bad guy.

2/5

Knockout?

Champion (1949)

Based on a short story by the same name this boxing film is directed by Mark Robson and stars Kirk Douglas. After spending his youth in poverty a man finally tastes success as a prize fighter, going so far as to become world champion.

Although the plot of this film may have a lot in common with a number of other boxing films it does a really good job of showing how success can have a bad affect on someone. There are certainly some interesting characters in the film even if they are in familiar settings. The fight scenes may not hold up to what is achieved in modern films but this is mainly due to the limitations placed on film makers by the cameras of the time.

4/5

Cliff notes

Red Cliff (2008)

Based on the historic battle of the same name this Chinese film from director John Woo stars Tony Leung and a host of other Chinese stars. Two rebel fractions unite to take on a power grabbing Prime Minister in 208 AD.

In Asia this film was released in two parts with a total run time of 280 minutes but this is a review of the Western release which is a cut down 148 minutes. While it does feel like there may be some scenes missing this does not have a very large negative impact on the film but when it comes to the plot it does seem that history has been jettisoned in favour of legend. Of course the style of John Woo is all over this film but it does detract from the realism when you have generals of the army fighting like super heroes. Certainly this film is lovely to watch but does lack something more beyond that.

3/5

Lies, damn lies and Adam Sandler films

Just Go With It (2011)

Directed by Dennis Dugan this film is based on a film based on a play based on a French play and stars Adam Sandlar, Jennifer Aniston, Brooklyn Decker and Nicole Kidman. A plastic surgeon lies about being married to a horrid wife to pick up women then finds a woman he wants to stay with and has to convince her he is getting divorced.

You could consider this film a massive triumph in that it is not as bad as the vast majority of Adam Sandler films but only just. The plot is fairly predictable, the protagonist is a bit of an arse hole and a lot of the humour is juvenile at best but at least the film manages the odd funny moment. I am not really sure what Nicole Kidman is doing taking a small part in a film like this and casting Jennifer Aniston as the “plain” one of of the lover triangle (because she wears glasses!) is not overly believable.

2/5

Priest vs Vampire

Priest (2011)

Based on a Korean comic this film is directed by Scott Stewart and stars Paul Bettany, Karl Urban and Maggie Q. In a dark future the church rules the world and a priest (a church super soldier) has to rescue a girl from vampires.

Seemingly departing pretty heavily from it's source material this is a kind of sci-fi western with elements of The Searchers (1956), although only on a fairly superficial level. The plot itself is nothing particularly impressive which is a shame as it has plenty of elements that contain potential and the direction tends towards chaos in the action sequences without being as bad as you will see in some instances. In the end the film manages to neither be as good as it could be or as bad as lot of similar films.

3/5

Foretold

You Will Meet a Tall Dark Stranger (2010)

Woody Allen makes yet another comedy drama with a large cast this time staring Antonio Banderas, Josh Brolin, Anthony Hopkins, Freida Pinto and Naomi Watts. A family struggle with their respective relationships and do not always get what they wanted.

This is fairly common fair for Allen and has several humours moments but the plot does have a lot of predictability about it as well as common ground with his many previous films. What the film does do a good job of is looking at how the various characters delusions and faiths affect their happiness and is really the point of the film. I am not really a fan of Woody Allen's films but this is certainly one of the better efforts of late.

4/5

Sitting bull?

Bugles in the Afternoon (1952)

This Western is directed by Roy Rowland and stars Ray Milland and Helena Carter. After being stripped of his commission a man re-enlists in the US cavalry only to run into former friends and enemies.

There is not a huge amount of originality in this film and the plot unfolds pretty much as you would expect. The image quality is not great like many early technicolour films but it is not terrible either and the treatment of Indians in the plot is not the worst you will see in the genre. Overall this is a standard genre entry that has little for or against it.

3/5

Blitz spirit

Hope and Glory (1987)

Based on his own childhood experiences John Boorman wrote, directed and produced this film. A young boy and his family experience World War 2 in London.

What this film does really well is balance not only the hard ships of the situation but also show how children not really understanding what war is reacted. There is a lot of humour in the film, particularly from the eccentricities of some of the characters but also from the situations they find themselves in. While the film certainly has plenty of personality it is definitely more of a memoir than a deep narrative but is well worth a watch.

4/5

Mountain fish

Shoot to Kill (1988)

Also known as Deadly Pursuit this thriller set in the wilds stars Sidney Poitier, Tom Berenger and Kirstie Alley. An FBI agent from the city and a woodsman hunt down a killer in the mountains.

This is a fairly basic fish out of water, buddy cop film that does little in the way of having original content. Some of the mountain scenery is really nice but the film really fails to convey the dangerous nature of the landscape despite the events it portrays. Overall this is probably a solid genre entry but little more than that.

3/5