Dear John (2010)
This is an adaptation of a novel of the same name written by Nicholas Sparks who also wrote the novel that was adapted to The Notebook (2004). It is a familiar story of boy meets girl, separation, letter writing and problems.
There a number of the usual elements in this film and the eye of a cynic can see fairly easily how the elements have been calculatingly drawn together to build the plot around the usual formula. While the plot is no great shakes it does manage not to be terrible because of it's predictability, what annoys me about this film is the lazy writing that gives characters easy excuses for their actions. There is no real drama or character conflict because everyone has a magic excuse that mitigates their actions.
3/5 brainless and unoriginal melodrama that will probably appeal to genre fans but is not otherwise worth watching.
Monday, 14 March 2011
Sunday, 13 March 2011
I'm Spartacus!
Spartacus (1960)
When Kirk Douglas did not get the lead part in Ben-Hur (1959) he decided to buy up the rights to the book this film is based on and star as Spartacus instead. There was a slightly troubled production history as David Lean turned down the chance to direct and Anthony Mann was fired as director only a week into production to be replaced by a young Stanley Kubrick. There was also a problem with the screen writer who was black listed by Hollywood for being a commie and crediting him under his real name caused some complaints.
This is a romanticised take on the tale of the leader of Spartacus a gladiator slave in Roman times who lead a revolt, there is also a sub plot of political manoeuvrings in Rome by senators in a battle of democracy and corruption verses dictatorship. The plot is decent but somewhat patchy and does diverge both from history and the main subject at times to deal with the aforementioned sub plot.
Largely well made the battle scene where the Roman legions meet the slave army is very impressive as it was made in the days when you could not cheat by using CGI to add twenty thousand men to fill out a scene. There is a great cast including Laurence Olivier, Peter Ustinov (in an Oscar winning performance) and a young Tony Curtis. Some portions of the film do drag and a three hour run time may be a little excessive but on the whole it is well paced.
4/5 a historical epic worth watching but not up there with Kubrick's best.
When Kirk Douglas did not get the lead part in Ben-Hur (1959) he decided to buy up the rights to the book this film is based on and star as Spartacus instead. There was a slightly troubled production history as David Lean turned down the chance to direct and Anthony Mann was fired as director only a week into production to be replaced by a young Stanley Kubrick. There was also a problem with the screen writer who was black listed by Hollywood for being a commie and crediting him under his real name caused some complaints.
This is a romanticised take on the tale of the leader of Spartacus a gladiator slave in Roman times who lead a revolt, there is also a sub plot of political manoeuvrings in Rome by senators in a battle of democracy and corruption verses dictatorship. The plot is decent but somewhat patchy and does diverge both from history and the main subject at times to deal with the aforementioned sub plot.
Largely well made the battle scene where the Roman legions meet the slave army is very impressive as it was made in the days when you could not cheat by using CGI to add twenty thousand men to fill out a scene. There is a great cast including Laurence Olivier, Peter Ustinov (in an Oscar winning performance) and a young Tony Curtis. Some portions of the film do drag and a three hour run time may be a little excessive but on the whole it is well paced.
4/5 a historical epic worth watching but not up there with Kubrick's best.
Saturday, 12 March 2011
Decisions
The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus (2009)
Terry Gilliam always makes interesting films and returns with another offering staring the late Heath Ledger and Christopher Plummer. The good doctor makes a bargain with the devil over who can be the first to win five souls with the doctor's daughter as the prize.
What this film is best known for is the death of Ledger during filming and the actors that fill in for him in the imagination scenes do so seamlessly. If you have seen any of Gilliam's previous films you should be familiar with the themes of imagination that he often explores and they are the foundation of this movie. There is a really interesting marriage of Parnassus's old world show and how it fits in with the modern world that the film takes place in.
What the film seems to be about is the choice people have to make between their imagination and vices which is dramatised by the choice between Parnassus and the devil people in the imaginarium have to make. For Gilliam it is very clear that his personal devil is represented by a smarmy Hollywood executive which is not surprising given the battles he has had in the past. There is something very Blake about the way that people seem to be picking between imagination/innocence and vices/experience. To grow up the daughter has to reject her father and choose the devil and her sexuality?
4/5 worth watching like all Gilliam's work.
Terry Gilliam always makes interesting films and returns with another offering staring the late Heath Ledger and Christopher Plummer. The good doctor makes a bargain with the devil over who can be the first to win five souls with the doctor's daughter as the prize.
What this film is best known for is the death of Ledger during filming and the actors that fill in for him in the imagination scenes do so seamlessly. If you have seen any of Gilliam's previous films you should be familiar with the themes of imagination that he often explores and they are the foundation of this movie. There is a really interesting marriage of Parnassus's old world show and how it fits in with the modern world that the film takes place in.
What the film seems to be about is the choice people have to make between their imagination and vices which is dramatised by the choice between Parnassus and the devil people in the imaginarium have to make. For Gilliam it is very clear that his personal devil is represented by a smarmy Hollywood executive which is not surprising given the battles he has had in the past. There is something very Blake about the way that people seem to be picking between imagination/innocence and vices/experience. To grow up the daughter has to reject her father and choose the devil and her sexuality?
4/5 worth watching like all Gilliam's work.
Friday, 11 March 2011
Action fueled?
Sea of Sand (1958)
Richard Attenborough features this British war film about the Long Range Desert Group and their behind the line raids in North Africa. On the eve of the battle of El Alamein a patrol is sent deep into the desert to take out an enemy fuel depot.
This film has pretty much everything you might expect with clash of styles between the leading officers, desert hardships and Attenborough as a less than respectful Trooper. While there are few surprises there are not many heavy clichés either providing another solid entry into the genre if not particularly tense or action filled. The general thrust of the piece is self sacrifice for the greater good.
3/5 a fairly average effort.
Richard Attenborough features this British war film about the Long Range Desert Group and their behind the line raids in North Africa. On the eve of the battle of El Alamein a patrol is sent deep into the desert to take out an enemy fuel depot.
This film has pretty much everything you might expect with clash of styles between the leading officers, desert hardships and Attenborough as a less than respectful Trooper. While there are few surprises there are not many heavy clichés either providing another solid entry into the genre if not particularly tense or action filled. The general thrust of the piece is self sacrifice for the greater good.
3/5 a fairly average effort.
Thursday, 10 March 2011
Floater
The Man Who Never Was (1956)
In War War Two following the successful conclusion of the fighting in North Africa for the Allies the next clear target was an Allied invasion of Scilly, to weaken the defences of Scilly a deception operation was launched called Operation Mincemeat was launched and this film tells the story of that operation.
Based on a book written by one of the men behind the real life Operation Mincemeat the plot sticks fairly close to history for the opening two thirds of the film but adds in an unnecessary fictitious third act where the Germans send a spy to England to verify the deception operation. While the film does a good job of telling us how the deception was carried out the addition of fictitious elements mean we can draw few conclusions about the real people behind such a scheme.
3/5 a decent diversion but nothing more than that.
In War War Two following the successful conclusion of the fighting in North Africa for the Allies the next clear target was an Allied invasion of Scilly, to weaken the defences of Scilly a deception operation was launched called Operation Mincemeat was launched and this film tells the story of that operation.
Based on a book written by one of the men behind the real life Operation Mincemeat the plot sticks fairly close to history for the opening two thirds of the film but adds in an unnecessary fictitious third act where the Germans send a spy to England to verify the deception operation. While the film does a good job of telling us how the deception was carried out the addition of fictitious elements mean we can draw few conclusions about the real people behind such a scheme.
3/5 a decent diversion but nothing more than that.
Wednesday, 9 March 2011
Tending the flock
The Shepherd of the Hills (1941)
Henry Hathaway directs John Wayne in this western about a family of moon shiners living in the mountains. John Wayne tries to romance the heroine but she is not having any of it while he is still swearing to hunt down and kill his father for abandoning him and his mother while she was sick and dying.
Beyond the basic plot of the returning father there is a pretty heavy Christian allegory going on here with shepherds, a blind woman being cured and a general theme of forgiveness. Despite the heavy allegorical content there is not a huge amount to comment on this film one way or another, it is suitably well made but not outstandingly so.
3/5 not bad but no great shakes either.
Henry Hathaway directs John Wayne in this western about a family of moon shiners living in the mountains. John Wayne tries to romance the heroine but she is not having any of it while he is still swearing to hunt down and kill his father for abandoning him and his mother while she was sick and dying.
Beyond the basic plot of the returning father there is a pretty heavy Christian allegory going on here with shepherds, a blind woman being cured and a general theme of forgiveness. Despite the heavy allegorical content there is not a huge amount to comment on this film one way or another, it is suitably well made but not outstandingly so.
3/5 not bad but no great shakes either.
Tuesday, 8 March 2011
Ex-patriots
Charade (1963)
Audrey Hepburn is the damsel in distress in this comedy thriller which co-stars Cary Grant. Following the murder of her husband Hepburn is menaced by his partners in crime who want to know what he did with all the money they stole during WW2.
While you will find it very hard to guess what happened to the money everyone is looking for the rest of the plot does play out as you will probably come to expect despite Cary Grant's character having more aliases than you can shake a stick at. Given the film's light hearted tone it is hard to take it too seriously and it does provide decent entertainment for it's two hour run time without feeling like the plot drags. The comedic elements to this film while nothing to write home about do help round out the movie and paper of the cracks of a fairly simple affair.
4/5 a good genre film but not much more than that.
Audrey Hepburn is the damsel in distress in this comedy thriller which co-stars Cary Grant. Following the murder of her husband Hepburn is menaced by his partners in crime who want to know what he did with all the money they stole during WW2.
While you will find it very hard to guess what happened to the money everyone is looking for the rest of the plot does play out as you will probably come to expect despite Cary Grant's character having more aliases than you can shake a stick at. Given the film's light hearted tone it is hard to take it too seriously and it does provide decent entertainment for it's two hour run time without feeling like the plot drags. The comedic elements to this film while nothing to write home about do help round out the movie and paper of the cracks of a fairly simple affair.
4/5 a good genre film but not much more than that.
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