I was bored during long periods of this film. The dull setting, spare dialog and humdrum lives of the characters didn't help matters. A woman loses her husband in a car crash when he is driving her to the hospital to have her son. Somehow, five years later, this contributes to a visitation by a spiky-handed monster via a storybook. The only reason I can see that the movie is collecting so much praise is because it represents a more woman-centred world than do most horror genre films. It is a bit like The Shining but a lot of the scenes (cockroaches behind the fridge which disappear when someone else arrives) are straight out of cliché central. In fact, that's how I would sum it up: it's The Shining minus Jack Nicholas. There is an unusual ending which is some compensation but it doesn't quite make up for wasting 90 minutes of my life.
Reviews
16 Reviews
The Guest
(I) (2014)
Retro suspense horror thriller
5 September 2014
Warning: Spoilers
The opening five seconds of The Guest tells you all you need to know: it's retro, in the style of Halloween or Carrie. And yet the setting is, presumably, modern: characters use cell phones and burn music CDs on their computers.
The problem for the film is Dan Stevens. With his chiselled face, sun tan and blue-eyed charm, it's like the Diet Coke man has been parachuted into a thriller. That's also the problem with two of the other stars, Brendan Myer and Maika Monroe (playing teenage brother and sister). They look too good when the film reverts, eventually, to the cheap schlock horror that it promised at the beginning.
Despite some sweet moments of revenge wish fulfilment at a bar frequented by the HS football team and the bizarre denouement, the dominant feeling I had was puzzlement. Things would have been improved, and there would be more unity of tone, had 'the guest's' back story been introduced earlier and in greater detail, perhaps in flashback. As it is, I was left wondering what was the point. It clearly wants to be a homage to John Carpenter B-movies and Stephen King adaptations, yet the intelligent casting and performances betray, at times, something with loftier ambitions and real grit.
The problem for the film is Dan Stevens. With his chiselled face, sun tan and blue-eyed charm, it's like the Diet Coke man has been parachuted into a thriller. That's also the problem with two of the other stars, Brendan Myer and Maika Monroe (playing teenage brother and sister). They look too good when the film reverts, eventually, to the cheap schlock horror that it promised at the beginning.
Despite some sweet moments of revenge wish fulfilment at a bar frequented by the HS football team and the bizarre denouement, the dominant feeling I had was puzzlement. Things would have been improved, and there would be more unity of tone, had 'the guest's' back story been introduced earlier and in greater detail, perhaps in flashback. As it is, I was left wondering what was the point. It clearly wants to be a homage to John Carpenter B-movies and Stephen King adaptations, yet the intelligent casting and performances betray, at times, something with loftier ambitions and real grit.
Lucy
(I) (2014)
Superhuman
23 August 2014
Warning: Spoilers
Lucy takes the old adage that humans only use 10% of their brains (dolphins use 20% apparently) and runs with it. In fact, under Luc Besson's direction, it runs surprisingly far, and the end product is almost something of a new genre of bio-thriller and is, by my reckoning, at least 20 times more exciting than say the latest Captain America instalment, if only for its emotional reality. I was particularly awed not just by the action scenes but by moments such as Lucy's phone call to her mother, just before she becomes overwhelmed by her new skills.
On the downside, the film seems to reference and even pay homage to, lots of other films, most notably 2001 A Space Odyssey and seems, at times, very similar to Scarlett Johansson's last film, Under the Skin and Besson's The Fifth Element. There are some nice touches and many very violent moments. It seems you can get away with lots of blood and retain a 15 certificate as long as there's no nudity. The furthest Lucy goes romantically is a chaste kiss with a police officer. The violence and drug abuse is fairly graphic but is reminiscent of Pulp Fiction in its wit and style. Everyone acts their socks off and I laughed, cried (almost) and gaped at the action. A lot of the film is derivative and the science is sometimes shaky but there is also a lot of stuff to enjoy in a movie which manages to meld English, French and Hong Kong sensibilities.
On the downside, the film seems to reference and even pay homage to, lots of other films, most notably 2001 A Space Odyssey and seems, at times, very similar to Scarlett Johansson's last film, Under the Skin and Besson's The Fifth Element. There are some nice touches and many very violent moments. It seems you can get away with lots of blood and retain a 15 certificate as long as there's no nudity. The furthest Lucy goes romantically is a chaste kiss with a police officer. The violence and drug abuse is fairly graphic but is reminiscent of Pulp Fiction in its wit and style. Everyone acts their socks off and I laughed, cried (almost) and gaped at the action. A lot of the film is derivative and the science is sometimes shaky but there is also a lot of stuff to enjoy in a movie which manages to meld English, French and Hong Kong sensibilities.
Infamous
(2006)
The Truman Show
10 August 2014
Warning: Spoilers
I guess it's indicative of the general craziness of the movie industry that two films about the same person came out within a year of each other. For my money, there's not much to choose between them, despite the fact that it was Philip Seymour Hoffman/'Capote' which grabbed the Oscar and most of the critical acclaim. However, it's Toby Jones who is - physically - Truman Capote, in so much as he's a tiny dynamo of a man, who flounces around Kansas in scarves and fur-collared coats but is able to needle the police detective at arm-wrestling. Jones is totally convincing. Less happily, Sandra Bullock is much too beautiful to mouse around small-town Holcomb as Capote's friend and fellow writer Harper Lee. This is also part of the problem with casting Daniel Craig as one of the murderers: he's too chiselled and not especially good at being a rodeo-riding American. Sigourney Weaver, Hope Davis and Gwyneth Paltrow excel as Capote's NY society friends and some of the best scenes in the film involve them in ensemble performances: cutting a rug at cocktail parties or testifying to camera about their friend's rise and fall, after his death. It's at these points that you remember that 'Infamous' is based on George Plimpton's book 'Truman Capote: In Which Various Friends, Enemies, Acquaintances, and Detractors Recall His Turbulent Career', a collection of reminiscences about Capote.
Running with Scissors
(2006)
Adaptation is flat but faithful
26 June 2014
I really wanted to see Running with Scissors when in opened in Britain, as I love the book. Unfortunately, it was only on for a week at a few screens in London before closing, and having bought the DVD I can appreciate why.
The book is Burrough's account of his childhood when his crazy mother leaves him to be looked after by her even crazier shrink and his family. It's a remarkable achievement as the author manages to make the often alarming events of his upbringing touching and funny.
The film, though an accurate (but abridged) reflection of the book, seems to miss out on the fact that it's supposed to be a comedy. This is chiefly because it makes Augusten's mother the focus of the plot, when in the book it's her absence which is the driving force. Annette Bening does a fine portrayal of mental derangement but only captures the flavour of the novel occasionally, in for example, a bizarre poetry-reading she organises for her would-be literary friends.
I liked Evan Rachel Wood's performance as Augusten's friend Natalie but she's only given a little screen time, when she should really be a central character. My favourite scenes in the novel - diving through the college waterfall and a trip whale-watching off Cape Cod - involve her but are omitted entirely here.
The only time the movie truly flickered into life for me was during the closing credits, when the real-life Augusten Burroughs stands next to the actor playing his young self. But this single moment of playfulness and humour (qualities seen repeatedly in the book), isn't enough to save a film.
The book is Burrough's account of his childhood when his crazy mother leaves him to be looked after by her even crazier shrink and his family. It's a remarkable achievement as the author manages to make the often alarming events of his upbringing touching and funny.
The film, though an accurate (but abridged) reflection of the book, seems to miss out on the fact that it's supposed to be a comedy. This is chiefly because it makes Augusten's mother the focus of the plot, when in the book it's her absence which is the driving force. Annette Bening does a fine portrayal of mental derangement but only captures the flavour of the novel occasionally, in for example, a bizarre poetry-reading she organises for her would-be literary friends.
I liked Evan Rachel Wood's performance as Augusten's friend Natalie but she's only given a little screen time, when she should really be a central character. My favourite scenes in the novel - diving through the college waterfall and a trip whale-watching off Cape Cod - involve her but are omitted entirely here.
The only time the movie truly flickered into life for me was during the closing credits, when the real-life Augusten Burroughs stands next to the actor playing his young self. But this single moment of playfulness and humour (qualities seen repeatedly in the book), isn't enough to save a film.
22 Jump Street
(2014)
Summer fun
19 June 2014
Warning: Spoilers
There were a few dicey moments at the start of 22 Jump Street when I wasn't sure if it was going to work. Jonah Hill and Channing Tatum dress up as Mexican gangsters in an attempt to thwart drug dealers but get rumbled. It was teetering on cringe-worthy but luckily things improve rapidly and I was soon smiling, then laughing. Strangely, the plot centres on the duo's relationship as they are redeployed to a revitalised 22 Jump Street to investigate a drug-related death at a college. In their teenage guises, Tatum gets into the football team without really trying and buddies up with Wyatt Russell (a stoner jock, like a young Luke Wilson). Hill gets jealous, even though as a poetry major he's managed to get into bed with the adorable Amber Stevens. The writers never fail to nail a huge range of movie clichés. I particularly enjoyed a cross-campus car chase featuring a buggy in the shape of a football helmet. In short, Jump Street is a perfect summer comedy, even for people like me who had barely heard of the original series.
X-Men: Days of Future Past
(2014)
The power is back on
22 May 2014
Warning: Spoilers
I don't usually like time travel movies (I get confused easily) but since I've seen all the previous ones in the franchise, I was able to follow things pretty well, despite the breakneck speed. The X-Men stalwarts of Patrick Stewart, Ian McKellan and Halle Berry take a back seat, as their younger selves plus James McAvoy (channeling Stephen Fry) and Hugh Jackman re-arrange history to save the mutant race. The plot peaks with a slow-motion CGI scene where new stager Evan Peters (excellent) uses his super-speed skills to thwart Pentagon guards. There's humour too, as Bryan Singer has fun creating a sexy, sleazy 1970s vibe. I love the line when McAvoy gets Jackman to calm down by telling him he's had a bad acid trip! 1970s retro has been the rage with film-makers for a number of years but Singer handles it well and the detailing is perfect without tipping over into ridicule. Lovely performances all round, young and old alike. I'm a big big fan of Bing Bing Fan ;)
Grim (with spoilers)
2 April 2014
Warning: Spoilers
It's only April and already this gets my vote for worst film of the year. The first scene is utterly cringe-worthy. Chris Evans and Anthony Mackie (like a young Will Smith) buddy up whilst jogging round a park in Washington DC. It's stilted and humourless. Chris Evans doesn't wear a mask all the time but he might as well for all the expression he puts into things. The film then elevates Samuel L. Jackson (with eye-patch) to centre-stage to good, adrenalin-fuelled effect but immediately kills him off as soon as he gets our sympathy. Robert Redford emerges a few seconds later, to fill the Alpha Daddy void, without hitherto being mentioned. His job is to pump up the film's credibility but the political plot stinks. I walked out the theatre at this point. What makes me most sad is that I really liked the first Captain America film, which is the reason I made the effort to see this one as soon as it came to town. I guess it must have been the interest of the 1950s setting which made it for me, as this sequel completely alienated me. Perhaps also, Chris Evans fitted the role as a squeaky-clean postwar guy. In the 21st century he's as much fun as watching paint dry.
The Legend of Hercules
(2014)
Could do better
2 April 2014
On a positive note, there are some things to admire in this latest addition to the over-full swords and sandals genre. Kellan Lutz is likable in the lead role but he's about as Greek as Gold's Gym. Overall, it's a bit of a mash-up of other films, most obviously Gladiator. In particular, the character of Hercules' evil half-brother apes the performance of Joaquin Phoenix, and Kenneth Cranham (Shine On Harvey Moon - that dates me) must have been told to channel Oliver Reed as the gladiator owner. I liked some of the minor characters, especially a priestess possessed by a god (Mariah Gale as Tiresias presumably, I started getting lost with the Greek names) and sometimes the CGI works to good effect. More often than not though, the crowd scenes look like a poorly-rendered video game and the romantic trysts, excerpts from The Blue Lagoon (a 1980 erotic film). I found it frequently lost credibility, usually because of the mixture of accents (East End London, Australian...) and lush forest scenes filmed in Bulgaria. It looked and sounded like Robin of Sherwood and Street Fighter, rather than an epic tale of Greco-Roman mythology.
Lockout
(2012)
Great!
20 April 2012
I loved this fun thriller, especially Guy Pearce as a wise-cracking agent sent to rescue the President's daughter from outer-space prison, where she's been making a charity visit.
There's lots of humour (especially in the first scenes - it's like Pearce is doing a Philip Marlowe impression) and the action is non-stop.
I was a bit puzzled that the inmates in America's top-security prison all seemed to be from Glasgow and that it seemed to be co-starring George Galloway, but the performances are great. Pearce is really cool and the psycho prisoner acts his socks off.
If you're used to watching thrillers, you'll guess a lot of the plot turns but overall I believe it deserves to be getting a lot better reviews. Overall, it was great fun.
There's lots of humour (especially in the first scenes - it's like Pearce is doing a Philip Marlowe impression) and the action is non-stop.
I was a bit puzzled that the inmates in America's top-security prison all seemed to be from Glasgow and that it seemed to be co-starring George Galloway, but the performances are great. Pearce is really cool and the psycho prisoner acts his socks off.
If you're used to watching thrillers, you'll guess a lot of the plot turns but overall I believe it deserves to be getting a lot better reviews. Overall, it was great fun.
Shame
(2011)
Film4 in New York
15 January 2012
This film is set in New York and is about two Americans. It's a bit of a mystery therefore why it stars Michael Fassbender (who sounds German) and Carey Mulligan (who sounds English). This fact constantly grated on me no matter how wonderful other aspects of the film were.
That rant over, there was a fairly big upside to Shame, namely the cinematography and the top-notch acting. Steve McQueen almost makes New York the star of the film. There are loving, lingering shots of the waterside, subway carriages and dark alleyways - the city really comes alive in his hands.
Fassbender and Mulligan act their socks off, he as an executive with a porn and prostitute addiction and she as his wayward sister. However, it was a long single-shot of Fassbender on a dinner date with his co-worker Nicole Beharie which wowed me. It really captured the man's charm and longing to live a more normal life.
Shame is a strange Anglo-American hybrid. A few tweaks to the script (why couldn't Brandon be a British ex-pat?) would have ironed out its awkward moments and made it truly wonderful.
That rant over, there was a fairly big upside to Shame, namely the cinematography and the top-notch acting. Steve McQueen almost makes New York the star of the film. There are loving, lingering shots of the waterside, subway carriages and dark alleyways - the city really comes alive in his hands.
Fassbender and Mulligan act their socks off, he as an executive with a porn and prostitute addiction and she as his wayward sister. However, it was a long single-shot of Fassbender on a dinner date with his co-worker Nicole Beharie which wowed me. It really captured the man's charm and longing to live a more normal life.
Shame is a strange Anglo-American hybrid. A few tweaks to the script (why couldn't Brandon be a British ex-pat?) would have ironed out its awkward moments and made it truly wonderful.
Melancholia
(2011)
The strange state of melancholia
6 October 2011
A large planet is on collision course for the Earth but no-one seems particularly concerned, least of all Justine who is late for her wedding reception at her sister's large country house. No one listens to TV or reads the newspapers.
Lars von Trier's film seems to be the antipathy of a disaster movie. No one suffers from hysteria for very long and the closest you get to a mass exodus is Justine's sister Claire trundling along in a golf cart for a hundred yards, until the battery gives out.
I guess this is part of the charm; everything is certainly very beautiful in Justine's world. Then in the second half, there is an abrupt change of pace. The wedding guests leave the mansion and eventually the house is just occupied by Justine, her sister and young nephew. They peer at the looming planet through a twisted piece of wire, to gauge how close Melancholia is coming.
I loved the acting, particularly Charlotte Gainsbourg as Claire, in the film but it is an unusual mix of genres. However, events unfurl at such a refreshing slow pace that it would seem churlish not to like Melancholia a little.
Lars von Trier's film seems to be the antipathy of a disaster movie. No one suffers from hysteria for very long and the closest you get to a mass exodus is Justine's sister Claire trundling along in a golf cart for a hundred yards, until the battery gives out.
I guess this is part of the charm; everything is certainly very beautiful in Justine's world. Then in the second half, there is an abrupt change of pace. The wedding guests leave the mansion and eventually the house is just occupied by Justine, her sister and young nephew. They peer at the looming planet through a twisted piece of wire, to gauge how close Melancholia is coming.
I loved the acting, particularly Charlotte Gainsbourg as Claire, in the film but it is an unusual mix of genres. However, events unfurl at such a refreshing slow pace that it would seem churlish not to like Melancholia a little.
Abduction
(I) (2011)
Teen thriller
30 September 2011
I'm usually a sucker for any teen movie but this one is a little strange. It's a cross between a genre thriller like Mission Impossible or James Bond (Goldfinger) and a US high school romance.
The plot is a bit thin and I tend to get irritated by scenes where black-clad agents frantically tap computer keyboards in an effort to trace the hero. Abduction even features Russian agents with peel-off finger-prints to add to the run-of-the-mill spy genre feel, almost as if it's a follow-up to Spy Kids for slightly older... kids.
However, overall this film held my attention largely due to the realistic performances of the two young leads who are given sterling support from the likes of Sigourney Weaver and Alfred Molina. It does help if you're a Taylor Lautner fan too :)
The plot is a bit thin and I tend to get irritated by scenes where black-clad agents frantically tap computer keyboards in an effort to trace the hero. Abduction even features Russian agents with peel-off finger-prints to add to the run-of-the-mill spy genre feel, almost as if it's a follow-up to Spy Kids for slightly older... kids.
However, overall this film held my attention largely due to the realistic performances of the two young leads who are given sterling support from the likes of Sigourney Weaver and Alfred Molina. It does help if you're a Taylor Lautner fan too :)
Warrior
(2011)
Multiple Male Anger
27 September 2011
Warning: Spoilers
I can't understand the poor reviews Warrior has received in the UK. Admittedly, if you write down the plot it seems complete hokum, but the outstanding acting performances across the board lift the film above its fight-movie premise.
In particular, I enjoyed Joel Edgerton (reprising his star turn in Half Nelson) as a science teacher attempting to earn extra bucks to keep his family afloat after medical expenses sink their finances. Tom Hardy is fine too as his grumpy brother who's gone AWOL from the army.
The schoolroom scenes are superb and the later part of the movie also captures the feel of Atlantic City. One of the few omissions is that you don't get to see Tom Hardy train with his father (NIck Nolte) when this should be one of the cruxes of the film.
Overall then, I think Warrior deserves a few Oscar nominations rather than a critical mauling. Perhaps Hollywood is just tired of fight movies.
In particular, I enjoyed Joel Edgerton (reprising his star turn in Half Nelson) as a science teacher attempting to earn extra bucks to keep his family afloat after medical expenses sink their finances. Tom Hardy is fine too as his grumpy brother who's gone AWOL from the army.
The schoolroom scenes are superb and the later part of the movie also captures the feel of Atlantic City. One of the few omissions is that you don't get to see Tom Hardy train with his father (NIck Nolte) when this should be one of the cruxes of the film.
Overall then, I think Warrior deserves a few Oscar nominations rather than a critical mauling. Perhaps Hollywood is just tired of fight movies.
The Eagle
(2011)
Brokeback Caledonia
26 March 2011
Warning: Spoilers
This is one very strange film. I think the main problem is one of tone. It most resembles Spartacus: Blood and Sand (the TV series) but also a Mel Gibson anthropology epic (such as Apocalypto).
It looks great. There are soaring scenes of Scotland and northern Britain and all the costumes and actors look suitably authentic. The gladiator versus slave fight in a mini amphi-theatre was brutal and electrifying.
The big problem then is the script. At times, it's awful, worthy of a Razzy statuette. It's supposed to be an adaptation of a historical novel by Rosemary Sutcliff but I guess she's turning in her grave at some of the lines they've added. At times it was funny, the dialogue was so grossly inappropriate. In particular, the final scene is ridiculous. Jamie Bell almost makes the movie bearable with his strong performance but the clunking happy ending is unforgivable.
It looks great. There are soaring scenes of Scotland and northern Britain and all the costumes and actors look suitably authentic. The gladiator versus slave fight in a mini amphi-theatre was brutal and electrifying.
The big problem then is the script. At times, it's awful, worthy of a Razzy statuette. It's supposed to be an adaptation of a historical novel by Rosemary Sutcliff but I guess she's turning in her grave at some of the lines they've added. At times it was funny, the dialogue was so grossly inappropriate. In particular, the final scene is ridiculous. Jamie Bell almost makes the movie bearable with his strong performance but the clunking happy ending is unforgivable.
The Tempest
(I) (2010)
Dame Helen reigns supreme
6 March 2011
In casting Helen Mirren as Prospera, director Julie Taymor adds an interesting spin to this Shakespeare adaptation.
Also CGI effects help make more sense of the story.
On the downside, film versions of the bard's plays rarely work perfectly (with the honourable exception of Baz Luhrmann's Romeo + Juliet) and unless you know the play already, the action here is pretty hard to follow. Also, it's a bit strange seeing comic genius Alan Cumming in a straight role.
Ultimately though, the main joy of the movie is Dame Helen. She does bitterness superbly. I loved the scene when Miranda first meets Ferdinand - Mirren's ironic commentary added a whole new dimension to the play for me.
I also loved Tony Conti as the aged senator Gonzalo. His performance is so masterful it puts his character at the forefront of the story for once - no bad thing.
Overall I think Shakespeare fans will really enjoy this film. Other people may be left a little bored and bewildered.
Also CGI effects help make more sense of the story.
On the downside, film versions of the bard's plays rarely work perfectly (with the honourable exception of Baz Luhrmann's Romeo + Juliet) and unless you know the play already, the action here is pretty hard to follow. Also, it's a bit strange seeing comic genius Alan Cumming in a straight role.
Ultimately though, the main joy of the movie is Dame Helen. She does bitterness superbly. I loved the scene when Miranda first meets Ferdinand - Mirren's ironic commentary added a whole new dimension to the play for me.
I also loved Tony Conti as the aged senator Gonzalo. His performance is so masterful it puts his character at the forefront of the story for once - no bad thing.
Overall I think Shakespeare fans will really enjoy this film. Other people may be left a little bored and bewildered.
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