Perrier's Bounty review
Irish gangsters. That’s where it’s at. And a black comedy featuring Brendan Gleeson with a gun? Is this another In Bruges? No. But that would be expecting too much. Missing the striking locations and, more importantly, almost incredibly clever, cutting, hilarious dialogue of Martin McDonagh’s modern classic, Perrier’s Bounty nonetheless tells an engaging tale with a fast-paced story wrapped around a tangled plot that just about works. Torvill and Deaning on thin ice, things aren’t, ironically, helped by an expository voiceover that, if originally scripted, is a little shameful or, if added at a later date for clarity’s sake, is a tad more understandable but still unnecessary.
The cast is probably the film’s most attractive proposition and you can’t really go wrong with Cillian Murphy and Jim Broadbent. Gleeson is likewise unsurprisingly entertaining (although he could have been given more to work with) and Jodie Whittaker, whose film credits have been spread thinly since her debut in 2006’s superb Venus, is good and completes a front-line cast who demonstrate fine chemistry.
There are good ideas afoot and admirable characteristics abound but that makes it all the more frustrating that they aren’t brought together to create something better.
Shutter Island review
The reputation of director extraordinaire Martin Scorsese remains unsurprisingly in tact. Some of his films are more special than others but there is almost always at least something to appreciate in them and few that many people would describe as outright bad. Well, there’s Michael Jackson’s Bad, which is kind of ridiculous, but, my lord, that’s scraping the barrel.
So, expectations are high. And Shutter Island doesn’t disappoint. The frustratingly inconsistent Michelle Williams aside, performances are universally strong. The adventurous cinematography is superb and the look of the film is probably its highlight. Combined with some carefully laid foreboding sound effects and less than subtle, pummelling music used as a weapon of mass manipulation, an unnerving atmosphere is successfully conjured.
The story is quite dense, heavy on dialogue and close attention is a requirement but there’s not actually anything too deep; it’s a fun gothic mystery thriller. The ending is slightly unsatisfactory with one particular “are you serious?” eye-rolling moment but it doesn’t kill the movie by any means. It’s not one of Scorsese’s best but it’s closer to his best than it is to pirouetting, rollerskating gangsters.
21st Mar 2010 | Comment | Official site | On IMDb
Ponyo review
I know, I know, this review comes about a month late after its early-February UK release but after a belated viewing courtesy of the lovely Prince Charles Cinema I felt the need to write about what will be one of my film highlights of the year.
I have never been the biggest fan of anime, Studio Ghibli, or Hayao Miyazaki’s films. That’s not to say I haven’t enjoyed the likes of Spirited Away or My Neighbour Totoro, it’s just that I haven’t loved them in a way so many people do. But with Ponyo it’s just possible that I’ve seen the light. A stupidly cute but wonderful, relatively simple story about a boy who falls in love with a fish (OK, so that’s really simplifying it) unveiling crazy events and wildly imaginative, compelling, lovable characters make me want to revisit Miyazaki’s catalogue to find similar gems and watch them with newly appreciative eyes.
When Pixar is so highly praised for specifically adding appeal for adults to their films, the likes of Ponyo have to be commended for not actually bothering. The concept and execution can be universally appreciated by young and old and that is a seriously admirable achievement.
14th Mar 2010 | 1 Comment | Official site | On IMDb
Alice in Wonderland review
Most films directed by Tim Burton are worth seeing if only, but at least, for their art direction and Alice in Wonderland isn’t a Planet of the Apes-like exception. Alice is a visual feast with both characters and environments being extremely detailed, incredibly original, darkly atmospheric and, well, literally quite wonderful.
A weak story, or rather lack of one, loosely strings together a series of events which although reminiscent of Lewis Carroll’s originals, doesn’t translate well. Being a sequel, of sorts, rather than a direct retelling, might be a major contributor to the problem and you have to wonder if being more faithful to the much loved, familiar source material would have been a braver but better choice.
Storytelling shortcomings are a shame because the characters are strong and the some superb acting performances bring the fantastical crowd and creatures to life. Mia Wasikowska is given a tough task as a teenage Alice and starts off shakily but her charm gradually grows. Swinging between slightly nuts and utterly bonkers, Johnny Depp’s psychotic Mad Hatter is great, as is Helena Bonham Carter’s balloon-headed Red Queen, Matt Lucas’s Tweedledee and Tweedledum and Stephen Fry’s Cheshire Cat.
14th Mar 2010 | Comment | Official site | On IMDb
