Star Trek review
As a Star Wars fanatic, my reaction to anything Star Trek has been similar to a vampire’s reaction to sunlight. But, flesh-burning or not, the new Star Trek movie is undeniably good sci-fi. Really good.
The whole design, with a mix of original Star Trek and contemporary influences, is striking, the special effects are, literally, awesome, the acting is surprisingly uniformly superb, the characters are well defined, the banter is witty, the story is clever without being too convoluted and the non-stop action is utterly captivating. This J. J. Abrams upstart is a talented kid.
There are enough in-jokes and references for Star Trek aficionados to spank themselves unconscious but experience of, or enthusiasm for, the originals is far from necessary. Take away the iconic names, ship, characters, pointy-ears, what have you, and you’re left with something that would, perhaps, given expectations and prejudices, feel even more special. Although this would likely result in taking away the $150m budget, and some of the spectacle with it, this isn’t just a fireworks show; there is genuinely good filmmaking afoot.
Forget your preconceptions; this is Hollywood sci-fi at its finest.
29th Apr 2009 | 1 Comment
Let the Right One In review
Has Let the Right One In reinvented the horror genre? That’s pushing it a bit, but in a genre that has become a bit of a joke, so full of crap, sloppy films, a demonstration of genuinely high quality filmmaking is unusual. Both the vampire aspect and the lonely child / friendship / revenge aspects are nothing amazingly original and given its overwhelmingly positive critical reception this is a slight, but unreasonable, disappointment; the film still feels fresh and exudes class.
A lot of acclaim has been heaped on director Tomas Alfredson and it is deserved; the film is atmospheric, the acting performances are impressive, and all of the elements fit together in a concise and smooth manner, pushing all of the right buttons in all of the right places. But it is helped in no small part by John Ajvide Lindqvist, author of both the screenplay and the original novel. It’s nice to see this connection to the original and even nicer to find that the author can handle book and script.
13th Apr 2009 | Comment
Monsters vs. Aliens review
The tale of a Dreamworks release is getting a little predictable. It will invariably be good but then Pixar will roll in to town a few months later and blow it out of the water.
The frequent comparisons to Pixar must be frustrating and it’s reasonable to wonder why Dreamworks don’t alter their formula a little. But when the likes of Kung-Fu Panda (a good film) out-grosses the likes of Wall-E (a better film) there is perhaps little motivation to do anything different. They’ve got a formula that works commercially, at least.
So, as it is, there’s not much to say about Monsters vs. Aliens. It’s a fun film for kids. And with such a mouth-watering concept (it’s only missing dinosaurs really, isn’t it?), the film pretty much writes itself. Stand-out moments include the Godzilla-style giant monster battle over the Golden Gate Bridge and pretty much every scene that Seth Rogen lends his magic touch to.
All in all, Monsters vs. Aliens is good. But Pixar’s Up will be better.
11th Apr 2009 | Comment
Cherry Blossoms review
Cherry Blossoms is a moving drama about the undying love between an ageing German couple who, for different but interconnecting reasons, are drawn to Japan.
The film drags in places and it is hard to see (or believe) where the strained relationship between the couple and their adult children comes from and what it lends to the story. It is, though, believable and absorbing with fine acting performances and delicate direction that concentrates more on pacing and interactions than fancy camera shots.
On the husband’s arrival in Japan, and especially once he meets his young spiritual mentor, the film turns a corner and from a good film emerges an exceptional one. Single-mindedly lead by his heart, his journey is incredibly touching. It reduced me to a weeping wreck, in fact, and any film that is powerful enough to provoke such emotional reactions can only be highly commended.
6th Apr 2009 | Comment
Martyrs review
Martyrs, a truly gruesome French film about torture, madness and clandestine wackos, starts off promisingly and continues to do well for the first 45 minutes as we follow a young woman seeking revenge on the family of her childhood torturers. From the outset, no punches are pulled as bodies are blown apart, blood smears the walls and an angry disfigured ghost terrorises the emotionally scarred woman.
A very clear second-half starts just before large, deeply embedded staples are removed from a victim’s head with the help of an industrial screwdriver and things very quickly become a little silly and over-the-top. Rather unfortunately, this half proves to be the main thrust of the film, sullying the first part which turns out to be a ridiculously long prologue.
Martyrs succeeds in shocking, a difficult thing to do in an increasingly desensitised world, but with some (many) undoubtedly gratuitous moments and a story that descends in to daftness, it could have benefited from a more mature touch.
5th Apr 2009 | Comment
The Damned United review
Regardless of the level of your interest in the sport, Brian Clough transcended the popularity of football and was an interesting, outspoken character in his own right; a perfect subject for a film. The biographical Damned United isn’t really about football; the short period of Clough’s career supplies the backdrop for a character study of a determined and obsessive man.
And, as you would expect, Michael Sheen captures him well. This isn’t his best performance, but that isn’t saying too much; his talent always shines through and he is deservedly flavour-of-the-moment although I’m looking forward to seeing him in more high-profile purely fictional roles. He is well supported by other Brit-favourites; Timothy Spall, Jim Broadbent and That Dude From Star Trek.
As always, there’s no messing about with Peter Morgan’s conservative but solid script and Tom Hooper’s direction is perfectly suited, capturing the North of the 1970’s with atmospheric shots of working class streets and ragged football stadiums complete with dank locker rooms and flimsy wooden stands. I certainly don’t remember any of his episodes of Byker Grove being this interesting.
5th Apr 2009 | Comment
Two Lovers review
Two Lovers unfurls like a classical tragedy with the romantic elements of the romantic drama revolving almost exclusively around pain and suffering in the life of the unhinged, immensely confused lead character played by Joaquin Phoenix.
There is an essential backstory that provides depth and subtlety but it is thanks largely to the direction and the acting rather than the script that the struggles of the main characters are so compelling and convincing.
If current reports are to be believed, Phoenix has left this planet on a rocket ship destined for Planet Loopy. Just maybe his mental state helped in portraying a multi-layered, complex, even mildly psychotic individual, but the performance is intricate and impressive nonetheless.
The entire cast, in fact, is superb. Gwyneth Paltrow is at the top of her game, Vinessa Shaw brilliantly completes the love triangle as the stable, safe, contrasting alternative, and the supporting cast, which includes an as-ever captivating Isabella Rossellini, all just work. The casting director deserves a medal and if the producers had more campaigning power this could quite comfortably have contended an Oscar or two.
2nd Apr 2009 | Comment
The Boat That Rocked review
Maybe Richard Curtis’ insistence on directing has got in the way of his writing (which we know he is more than capable of; Blackadder, Four Weddings, even Notting Hill was passable) but you have to blame both for such a ramshackle film with terrible pacing that sees numerous set pieces (such as the ending, for Christ’s sake) appear as if by magic, with absolutely no build-up.
The script is lightweight and cheap, raising a serious concern that Curtis has totally lost it (naming a character “Twatt” is a pale imitation of naming a character “Darling”) whereas the cast is both a saving grace and another millstone. Those that are good are terrifically underused, largely because the film suffers from (one of) the same problem(s) Love Actually had; far too many big actors playing one-dimensional characters with big personalities so that in the end it’s nearly impossible to focus on, let alone care about, the plight of any of them.
This is an over-long, lazy, unchallenging film devoid of substance, intelligence, and the level of laughs we should expect from such a heavyweight comedy production.
1st Apr 2009 | Comment
