More age, more problems

This is 40 (2012)

Directed by Judd Apatow this spin off from Knocked Up (2007) stars Paul Rudd, Leslie Mann, John Lithgow and Megan Fox. On the week of their 40^th birthdays a married couple enters a midlife crises.

There is a lot to like here but unfortunately the film ends up being a bit of an aimless exploration of turning 40 that lacks much real resolution. While there are some funny moments they are not enough to really carry the film and the problems facing our protagonists never really get resolved. Generally the film is well made and similar to other films made by Apatow but is not one of his strongest efforts.

3/5

Not on the floor

The Liability (2013)

Directed by Craig Viveiros this film stars Jack O'Connell, Tim Roth, Talulah Riley and Peter Mullan. A 19 year old slacker gets given a job by his gangster step father as part of paying off the car he crashed.

In this film there are a couple of really funny moments and more than a hint of personality but due to the short run time none of these are really explored properly. What this film really needed was more time to explore the unusual comic relationships as it is a refreshing change in the overly serious British gangster genre. Like everything else in the film there are a couple of sequences where the direction hints at being something above the usual but again it is not really often enough to carry the film.

3/5

Problems with wood

A Very Harold & Kumar 3D Christmas (2011)

Directed by Todd Strauss-Schulson this third film in the Harold and Kumar series stars John Cho, Kal Penn and Neil Patrick Harris. After growing apart our two heroes are reunited by a strange Christmas package and a quest for a replacement Christmas tree.

I watched this film in 2D but obviously a lot of special effects are designed around 3D so there maybe something lost there. Generally the plot is fairly average for this sort of holiday film and does little to stand out, there is not really a ton of humour either. While the film pushes boundaries at times I would not say it is offensive and is neither the best or the worst Christmas film you could get stuck watching.

3/5

Cats who open doors

Ai Weiwei: Never Sorry (2012)

Directed by Alison Klayman this documentary features Ai Weiwei and many other Chinese artists. We follow a Chinese artist between 2008 and 2011 while he is at odds with the Chinese government.

What this documentary does is use Ai Weiwei to look at not just art but the idea of how we are all part of a larger whole. While this is not exactly a warts and all piece, it has a very clear bias, it does ask some interesting questions on what art is and the future of our interconnected worlds. Largely the film is well made and mixes in digital content well but never offers us another point of view which is a bit of a disappointment.

4/5

Innocence eventually maintained

The Age of Innocence (1993)

Directed by Martin Scorsese this film based on the novel of the same name stars Daniel Day-Lewis, Michelle Pfeiffer and Winona Ryder. In 1870s New York an upper class man engaged to a young woman with traditional values falls for her cousin who is linked to scandal.

It takes a fair amount of time for the plot of this film to get interesting, for large parts it is fairly average love triangle stuff till the last act that has some decent twist of events. Maybe the story lacks much depth but does reflect the stilted nature of the period it represents. As with any Scorsese film this is a well made effort with a good sporting cast.

4/5

No magic

Spellbound (1945)

Directed by Alfred Hitchcock this film based on the novel “The House of Dr. Edwardes” stars Ingrid Bergman, Gregory Peck, Michael Chekhov and Leo G. Carroll. A new head doctor arrives at a mental hospital but is he who he claims to be?

The plot of this film has it's weak elements, relying initially on a “love at first sight” motivation but otherwise is a fairly standard thriller. What I was most interested by were the dream sequences which Salvador Dali helped with but unfortunately these were cut down and are barely in the film. Mostly the film is well made but it does little to stand out and is not in the same class as Hitchcock's other films like Vertigo (1958) for example.

3/5

Lacks brains

HairBrained (2013)

Directed by Billy Kent this film stars Alex Wolff, Brendan Fraser, Julia Garner and Elisabeth Hower. A 14 year old genius gets rejected by Harvard and ends up at a much lower ranked school where he makes friends with a mature student.

There is not a lot of originality or depth in the plot of this film that takes it's structure from the standard sports film basing the plot around a inter college mastermind competition. While there are plenty of decent hooks for character development none of them are capitalised on and there is only the occasional moment of comedy. What this film needed to succeed was a lot more personality but it fails to deliver much of anything.

2/5

Another crazy ghost in the woods

Mama (2013)

Directed by Andres Muschietti this film stars Jessica Chastain, Nikolaj Coster-Waldau and Daniel Kash. After being missing for five years two young girls are put in the care of their uncle and his girlfriend.

Nearly every horror cliché in the book is thrown at this film and it is hard to find much originality to go round. For some reason which the film switches from initially being about the uncle to his girlfriend and I am not sure there is any particular reasons for this. Despite pretty average content the film is fairly well made and Jessica Chastain gives a decent performance as rock chick turned reluctant adoptive mother.

3/5

Ill behaviour

The 400 Blows (1959)

Directed by Francois Truffaut this film stars Jean-Pierre Leaud, Albert Remy and Claire Maurier. A 12 year boy growing up in Paris gets into trouble constantly at both school and home.

What works best about this film is the way the plot slowly reveals why the protagonist has turned to a life of misbehaviour. The story shows how youth at the time could be neglected then written off so easily by those around them. Fitting clearly into the realist style of film making that had come out of Italy the film is well made with a final scene well worth waiting for.

4/5

Rio Dorado

El Dorado (1966)

Directed by Howard Hawks this film stars John Wayne, Robert Mitchum, James Caan, Charlene Holt and Arthur Hunnicutt. A gun fighter and his new friend help an old friend stop a range war in the old West.

Despite having a script from Leigh Brackett the plot of this film is pretty average, essentially being a remake of Rio Bravo (1959) which was also a Hawks and Wayne collaboration. Generally the story is handled fairly well but we are not looking at anything original or ground breaking here. About the best thing in the film is Robert Mitchum's performance as an alcoholic sherrif and seeing at least one female character taking a proactive role in a western.

3/5

Un-illuminating

Struck by Lightning (2012)

Directed by Brian Dannelly this film stars it's writer Chris Colfer alongside Allison Janney, Rebel Wilson and Christina Hendricks. Wishing to leave his small town and become a journalist a high school boy blackmails classmates into helping him write a literary magazine.

Most of the plot of this film is your fairly standard coming of age stuff and a lot of the characters are also genre clichés. Where the film is weak is that the more interesting family elements of the story are relegated to a sub plot in favour of the usual high school rubbish. Mostly the film is well made but I am not sure that killing the protagonist (revealed in the opening scene) adds much to the story or it's resolution.

3/5

John Ford goes to court

Sergeant Rutledge (1960)

Directed by John Ford this film stars Woody Stroode, Jeffrey Hunter, Constance Towers and Willis Bouchey. In the 1880s an African American cavalry sergeant stands trial with his story told through flash backs.

This is a fairly simple story of racial prejudice that while it might not have the depth and scale of Ford's The Searchers (1956) it is still a good anti racism piece. While the plot maybe constructed in a slightly unrealistic order of revelation it works pretty well and does not stretch believability too much. As with any John Ford western there are some excellent shots of Monument Valley during the flash back sequences and this film is completely watchable.

4/5

Kitten

Breakfast on Pluto (2005)

Directed by Neil Jordan this film based on the novel of the same name stars Cillian Murphy, Ruth Negga, Liam Neeson and Stephen Rea. A transgender foundling grows up in small town Ireland in the 1970s.

It seems there are a number of changes between the plot of the novel this is based on and the plot of the film which annoyingly seems to rely on a fair number of coincidences that push beyond believability. In general the script is funny and entertaining, keeping the viewer interested if not having anything especially interesting to say about the situations covered. Cillian Murphy gives an excellent performance and the cast is rounded out by nearly every familiar face from Irish acting.

4/5

Cricket?

The Life and Death of Colonel Blimp (1943)

Directed by Michael Powell and Emeric Pressburger this film based on the comic strip “Colonel Blimp” stars Roger Livesey, Deborah Kerr (three times) and Anton Walbrook. An ageing British General during the Second World War looks back at his life.

There is a lot to like here with a plot that looks at the nature of wars Britain has fought in the past and possible need to go “outside the rules” when fighting against Nazi Germany. While this is an adaptation it does stray a fair amount from the source material being less satirical and making the protagonist more likeable. One of the main features of the film is the early good use of Technicolor and good ageing effects on the cast.

4/5

Theist preaching

Life of Pi (2012)

Directed by Ang Lee this film based on the novel of the same name stars Suraj Sharma, Irrfan Khan and Rafe Spall. An Indian boy finds himself trapped on a life boat in the Pacific Ocean with a tiger.

Visually this film is very impressive and the CGI which it relies heavily on is really well done. For most of the film the plot was fairly average but I did enjoy the different light that the final scene put on the whole story. Where I have a problem with this film is in the message that you should believe in God because it's “more interesting” which seems flimsy at best to me and at worst ignores the massive negatives that come with religion.

3/5

A vague point

The Long Gray Line (1955)

Directed by John Ford this film based on a true story stars Tyrone Power, Maureen O'Hara and Ward Bond. An Irish immigrant spends fifty years working at West Point helping train future Army officers.

Like many other films by John Ford this film has characters of Irish decent, some slapstick comedy and themes of military duty. Mostly this is a fairly simple story that only gets a little overly sentimental towards the end. As with any John Ford film this is a well made effort but not one of his more remarkable or stand out films.

3/5

Jef

Le Samourai (1967)

Directed by Jean-Pierre Melville this film stars Alain Delon, Francois Perier, Nathalie Delon and Cathy Rosier. A cold, methodical hit man gets caught between the police and the people that hired him.

Much like it's protagonist the script of this film is cold and ambiguous using minimal dialogue and leaving a lot to the interpretation of the viewer. Most of the plot is fairly standard fair for the film noir genre and while it pulls few surprises is well constructed. The genius of this film comes in the execution which draws the viewer into what would have been an otherwise plain film.

4/5

Secret commie nukes?

Hell and High Water (1954)

Directed by Samuel Fuller this film stars Richard Widmark, Bella Darvi and Victor Francen. An independent group of scientists hire a former WW2 submarine captain to help them investigate a potential Communist nuclear facility in the North Pacific.

Mostly this is a pretty standard Cold War film that while not completely believable in basic plot is fairly realistic in execution. The best sequences are the submarine on submarine warfare that dominate the middle of the film which otherwise is not overly filled with tension. Mostly the film is well made and the special effects are not bad for the era.

3/5

So I says to the Devil...

Heaven Can Wait (1943)

Directed by Ernst Lubitsch this film based on the play “Birthday” stars Dom Ameche and Gene Tierney. A dead old man tells the devil his life story to prove that he deserves to be admitted into hell.

This is a pretty light hearted film that while not overly sentimental is fairly easy watching. There may not be much of a moral that the story is pushing but it works decently enough if lacking some depth. As an early colour film the colour here looks good and the film is well made if unremarkable in it's execution.

3/5

Hitched to a train

The Lady Vanishes (1938)

Directed by Alfred Hitchcock this film based on the novel “The Wheel Spins” stars Margaret Lockwood and Michael Redgrave. On a train journey in Europe a young woman becomes convinced that an old woman has been kidnapped even though no one else seems to remember her.

It takes a while for the plot of this film to get going but when it does it is a decently made thriller as you would expect from someone like Hitchcock. You could see the plot of this film as an allegory for British appeasement in the period leading up to WW2 although that may be a little bit of a stretch. Mostly the film is well made even if it does have a little obvious model work in the opening sequence and some of the humour stops this being a really tense thriller.

3/5

A burning gas giant

The Hindenburg (1975)

Directed by Robert Wise this film loosely based on real events stars George C. Scott, Anne Bancroft, William Atherton and Burgess Meredith. A German air force intelligence officer hunts for a saboteur on the final flight of the famous airship.

This film is an odd mix of disaster film, true story and fictional conspiracy theory that never really sits easily in any pigeon hole. Fictionalising nearly everything about the plot detracts from the “true story” element and the fictional plot itself is not really believable either. I actually think the special effects are not too bad given the period the film was made in and what it is trying to depict but otherwise this is a fairly forgettable film.

2/5

Hunting evil

Zero Dark Thirty (2012)

Directed by Kathryn Bigelow this film based on real event stars Jessica Chastain, Jason Clarke, Joel Edgerton and Jennifer Ehle. Over a 10 year period a CIA officer attempts to hunt down Osama Bin Laden eventually leading to his death.

It will take a long time before we truly know how accurate this film is, as it comes so soon after the classified events I suspect it is unlikely we get the whole truth and Hollywood does like to contribute the actions of many to one character in films like this. All that being said this is a fairly clinically told story that focuses on the details rather than wandering into fantasy land which is exactly the right tack to take. Maybe there are times when the film could have looked in more depth at the issues surrounding the methods used, such as torture but otherwise this is a really well made film.

4/5

Murder in the mountains

Phenomena (1985)

Directed by Dario Argento this film also known as “Creepers” stars Jennifer Connelly, Donald Pleasence and Daria Nicolodi. The daughter of a famous actor is sent to a boarding school in Switzerland where her strange powers start to manifest themselves and a serial killer is on the loose.

Mostly the basic plot of this film is your standard slasher fare but there are some unusual combinations of details. Despite some initial promise none of these strange details add up to anything especially interesting as they do not really tap into a common phobia. The best part of the film is the sound track which is very impressive and the film was also one of the first to use steadicam.

3/5

Coco-nuts

His Majesty O'Keefe (1954)

Directed by Byron Haskin this film based on a true story stars Burt Lancaster, Joan Rice, Andre Morell and Abraham Sofaer. During the 19^th century an American is ship wrecked on an island in the South Pacific and schemes to earn his fortune from the island's natural resources.

The plot of this film walks a dangerous line between older suspect ideas about race and imperialism but eventually comes out on the right side by suggesting the negative affects greed have on both the protagonist and the natives. While the plot does eventually take the right take it could have been bolder and more obvious in showing how greed is bad. Mostly the film is well made, it stays in the general area of historical events if not exactly telling the whole truth.

3/5

Nicole Kidman wears a fake nose

The Hours (2002)

Directed by Stephen Daldry this film based on the novel of the same name stars Nicole Kidman, Meryl Streep, Julianne Moore and Ed Harris. Three women affected by the same novel in different time periods live out a day in their lives.

At the time of release this film won a lot of accolades and it is easy to see why as this is as well constructed story with a good number of themes that are reflected through out the different stories. The plot works well and the lives of the different characters echo each other and that of the character in the novel Mrs Dalloway helping re-enforce the underlying themes at work here. Having an all star cast helps the film, Kidman may have won an Oscar but Ed Harris should have as well and the direction excellently manages the differing time periods without getting confusing.

5/5

Failure to branch out

The Karate Kid, Part 3 (1989)

Directed by John G. Avildsen this second sequel stars Ralph Macchio, Pat Morita and Robyn Lively. Daniel and Mr Miyagi open a bonsai tree store while a friend of the antagonist from the first film seeks revenge.

Essentially the plot for this film is just a rehash of the plot from the first film as it seems the writers had run out of ideas. There are several elements of the plot that are just plain silly or do not really make sense which does not help either. While there is one nice sequence where the two protagonists practice on the top of some cliffs there is not much else to write home about otherwise.

2/5

Fraternity

Three Colours: Red (1994)

Directed by Krysztof Kieslowksi this film part of the Three Colours trilogy stars Irene Jacob and Jean-Louis Trintignant. A young woman living in Geneva and working as a model becomes friends with a retired judge.

The plot of this film is a great musing on the nature of our interconnected lives, the unforeseen consequences of our actions and the philosophy of law. There is also more than a hint of a religious undertone to this film with hints at the idea of destiny, life repeating itself and the judge character as a potential god figure. This may be my favourite film of the trilogy and there are some nice visual elements included by the director such as the repeated use of characters looking up or down on each other.

5/5

F wording impressive

Burning Man (2011)

Written and directed by Jonathan Teplitzky this film stars Matthew Goode, Bojana Novakovic, Essie Davis and Kerry Fox. A non linear unfolding of the story of angry man where we slowly find out more about him.

This film is probably best watched without knowing anything about it so it is hard to discuss without dropping even a small spoiler but what the film does tell a fairly common story in an impressive way. The plot captures some deeply human moments without indulging over sentimentality or melodrama. Some may find the non linear nature of the story a little frustrating but it is not just a gimmick and helps make this a beautiful way to tell a touching story that really sets this film apart from a crowded genre.

4/5

Ugly Undertones

Beautiful Creatures (2013)

Directed by Richard LaGravenese this film based on the novel of the same name stars Alden Ehrenreich, Alice Englert, Jeremy Irons, Viola Davis, Emmy Rossum and Emma Thompson. Boy meets magic using girl in a story seems more than a little similar to a certain vampire based franchise.

Initially this film starts off with a lot of promise, from it's cast to looking at small town Southern conservatism and banning of books. All this early promise however is thrown away in favour of a run of the mill story that seems intent on pushing the idea that female sexuality is bad which is distasteful to say the least. Given all the talent involved with this film it ends up being a rather large disappointment.

2/5

Three colours: Bland

Three Colours: White (1994)

Directed by Krzysztof Kieslowski this second part of a trilogy stars Zbigniew Zamachowski and Julie Delphy. A Polish man is divorced by his French wife and returns home to Poland pennyless.

The plot of this film is supposed to work as a political allegory for the experience of Poland integrating into the EU and struggling to catch up economically but I do not think it works as well as a film like The Marriage of Maria Braun (1979). On the superficial level the story is fairly entertaining, if a little ambiguous at times but otherwise is nothing special. While the direction hints at similar use of colour to the first film in the trilogy it is not as striking or impressive as the first film.

3/5