yoel_marson Reviews

Passengers (I) (2016)

Bit of fun lost in space

[6/10 · 25 December 2016]

There are two types of science fiction movies; Intergalactic laser wars and loneliness in deep space; Passengers is the latter...

Suspend scientific fact for 2 hours and enjoy this predictable romance.

If you're going to be stuck in space for a zillion years you could do worse then being stranded with Jennifer Lawrence and Chris Pratt.

Bored after a year of playing Just Dance the protagonists embark on an all-inclusive space cruise with just an android bartender for company.

They are later joined by the chief deck officer who comes and goes too quickly but not before giving out Red pills and things soon get worse.

Andy Garcia makes a 5 second appearance. His shortest credit ever?

But what is saved on actors fees is made up on special effects and lots of Maplin circa 2030 technology to enjoy.

And also at half the speed of light you would only age 63 years in 90 lol...

The Hateful Eight (2015)

Mildly enjoyable but no hint of genius

[5/10 · 23 January 2016]

Just how bad is the Hateful Eight!

Watching the film I was constantly waiting for a moment of genius…

And what a wait! If there is an art of making a movie concise QT doesn't have it.

The running time of over 3 hours is close to LOTR territory; but not an adventure to save Middle Earth but a little trek through a blizzard and a B&B stopover.

***spoiler alert***

The first third of the plot is borrowed heavily from Chicken Licken.

***spoiler over***

That is kind of the level we are talking about. The dialogue is often pantomime style. You almost expect someone to shout 'he's behind you'; except here its accompanied by one of the Ugly Sisters blowing someones brains out.

Yes, obviously it comes with QT's usual level of grotesque nonchalant violence, constant use of the N word and cheap sexual references. Does this make him cool and irreverent or just plain childish.

The plot also contains a who dunnit scene and a twist that would have Christie and Hitchcock turning in their graves.

Yes the movie is well shot and produced but so is a Miley Cyrus music video.

Enjoyable…but not special.

Being There (1979)

Gem from a great cast

[8/10 · 3 October 2015]

Only watched this as it was on the Empire 500 list and caught my eye.

Love the way Chance impresses the higher echelons of society by appearing to be wise when he is generally clueless. The general message is that you can be stupid and successful if you are white, dress well, speak well and slowly and are extremely composed. He is like a hollowed out perfect and fearless executive.

Some people do see through this (certainly Eve and Dr Allenby) and he almost gets caught out / in trouble on several occasions. Its all highly unlikely and satirical but its sort of a mass hallucination rubber stamped by Benjamin Rand; he appreciates him for his honesty and others follow.

Peter Sellars is amazing and its hard not to feel for him as he sets out on his own for the first time. He could easily have starved to death without the assistance of others.

My guess is he has a type of autism. He is extremely calm and well spoken and his general cognitive ability is not consistent with someone illiterate.

There are a few amazing scenes; one that grabbed me was when Mr Rand was using a dictaphone (which must have been rare in those days) to manage his stocks and assets. When he switched to a conversation about Chance, this input continued, with his words being echoed on the screen in a HAL like fashion.

Shirley MacLaine is so seductive in this film; her behaviour is timeless. Her relationship with her husband is complicated and though loving, now appears open and non-sexual. I was touched by her relationship with Chance but it was not that persuasive.

The whole support cast is wonderful from Benjamin Rand, his doctor to Jack Walden who played the President.

My interpretation of the end of the film is not supernatural just a look at the world through Chance's eyes. Somehow I felt a little cheated there were a few ends I would have liked to have seen tied up

Daybreakers (2009)

Slightly flawed Vampire movie but still a favourite

[8/10 · 1 January 2015]

I totally love this film and have seen it perhaps a dozen times!

Am a big fan of vampires in general but much prefer them when they're modern sinister types than wrapped up in cloaks and hidden away in coffins.

The film has a similar stylish dark feel common to the other Ethan Hawke films Gattaca and The Purge. Unsure whether this is something he brings or he is cast for this intentionally; either way, he is a particular quiet, thoughtful character who can do a bit of action without too much machismo.

I would like however to point several flaws in the film; several of which could have been avoided:

Edward has been surviving for years on animal blood. True, he is mutating gradually but nothing that one dose cant completely reverse. Given this, why isn't this the diet for most of the population. Humans and vampires would co-exist well; some eat the meat of cows and sheep and the others the blood. Alternatively Edward could have just been a reluctant human blood drinker.

The human harvesting process is a little flawed; surely there must be a way of keeping the poor buggers alive for longer?

Do vampires eat anything else? they clearly drink coffee and Edward's kitchen would be wasted. Didn't see any other eating in the film (not really a flaw just curious)

Based on the above, the vampire authorities should have done the maths before offering the turn amnesty; clearly if everyone turned they'd be no-one to feed them.

Am not a fan of the vampire mirrors trick; surely the preserve of lesser movies.

Did find the final killing scene a little comical; especially when the haematologist starts shooting all the troops.

Overall, great fun and hope for no sequel!

Dial M for Murder (1954)

Will not refer to the sequel

[9/10 · 30 August 2014]

Love this film but a few interesting observations…

Charringdon Gardens in Maida Vale doesn't exist.

At what age did tennis players retire back then.

None of the cast in the film are still alive.

Clearly tennis players back then didn't make much money.

Not having mobile phones makes police work harder.

Could a man get arrested for carrying a woman's handbag?

Really perfect film the murder, post-attempt improvisation and investigation are so well thought out.

Even though you know what is going to happen its really a joy to see the scenes unfold. Tony's composure is admirable; the detective stereotypical but excellent and of course Swann is wonderful as the less polished of the two rogues...

Shopgirl (2005)

What would feminists make of this?

[2/10 · 11 March 2013]

I have always been a fan of Steve Martin so gave this a viewing and was greatly disappointed. Am really surprised these got such high ratings; maybe I am missing something.

As a man I can only guess what would attract a younger girl to an older man. Perhaps it is the worldliness, wisdom and knowledge of art that attracted Lee to Frederick in "Hannah & Her Sisters"; Tom Cruise and George Clooney are already in their 50s and still have their looks as did Robert Redford in "Indecent Proposal"; Steve Martin in his previous persona's was carefree, youthful, immature and hilariously funny.

Ray had none of these things. Looks, worldliness, charm. Only money. In fact the entire relationship was built around an exchange of gifts and money for sex. Typical dialogue included "Do you want to see my house?" or "Do you want to come with me to New York?". But who can wrong him; he was honest from the start that he was not interested in a long term relationship, only a casual one in return for gloves, restaurant visits and a student loan payoff. At best what differentiate her from the Bridgette Wilson character was not knowingly gold digging. As expensive as his San Francisco home must be, it was hardly an exotic location that would sweep a woman off her feet nor was the takeaway and wine dinner.

In some way I feel that Martin's lovable history meant that viewers gave him the benefit of the doubt for a good 20-30mins into the film; without that, he would have seen a like a predatory stalker from the go.

Gosford Park (2001)

I'm not normally into period dramas but....

[9/10 · 22 March 2009]

Just watched Gosford park for the umpteenth time and enjoyed it as much as the first time.

The acting is perfect. No single actor dominates or over-acts. There are about a dozen characters who I really cared about. Surely only a director or Altman's calibre could have got such a cast together.

I am always amazed by the dynamics downstairs and have often noticed the similarity with a corporate environment. Downstairs is an office with all the gossip; Jennings/Wilson the management.

The murder mystery is secondary to the story and you do not expect justice in the normal sense; no one is found guilty and arrested.

Each (almost) of the rich folk upstairs have a servant downstairs, known there by the name of their master. Two parallel worlds but with a few sinister links; everyone in the house has a secret.

On a lighter note, I cycled past the estate in Wrothram Park today but was unable to see the house from the road.

Waltz with Bashir (2008)

Animation renders cinema audience speechless

[9/10 · 4 December 2008]

Such was the impact of this movie that the audience left the cinema in silence.

The film did not leave me disappointed though it was somewhat different than I had expected from the trailers.

Waltz with bashir stood out for me in two ways. Firstly, the outstanding animation; though I cannot claim to be an expert in animation, this was surely animation at its best. There were a few scenes that were so real, portraying the fear and confusion of war so well. Secondly, the idea of making a documentary this way.

In terms of the subject, the film leaves the Israelis with responsibility but no intentional involvement in the massacres. The soldiers are young and scared and the army lacked the communication to realise what was going on before it was too late.

The music was great and varied in style between scenes; there were a few light moments and some comedy.

The film switches from 'interview' mode to flashback mode; it seemed that much more effort was put in the latter and the rough animation made some of the characters in the interview a little southparkish.

I greatly recommend watching this and will certain watch it again myself

Someone to Run With (2006)

Beautiful adaptation

[8/10 · 14 September 2008]

I was worried that much would be lost in adaptation from the excellent novel. This was not the case; the characters and scenes were as i had visualised them.

The acting was good; i felt a lot of empathy towards the 2 central characters ( 3 if you include the dog ) . There was also a little bit of humour, especially in the portrayal of the 'bad' character.

The plot is not bulletproof and totally realistic but then this is partly a fantasy. Jerusalem serves as a good backdrop for though it is a big city, you are always only away from a strange wadi or uncultivated area that is required for the movie.

The flashbacks were seamlessly handled and easy to comprehend.

There was perhaps a short period in the middle of the film where i felt things were dragging on a bit. By the end though i have to confess i was slightly teary and overcome with emotion.

I hope that people not from the local market can also enjoy this film

Jellyfish (2007)

Beautifully made film without a plot

[3/10 · 6 September 2008]

When the film started I got the feeling this was going to be something special. The acting and camera work were undoubtedly good. I also liked the characters and could have grown to empathise with them. The film had a good atmosphere and there was a hint of fantasy.

However, as the film went on, the plot never appeared to takeoff and just rolled on scene by scene. I was unable to understand the connection between the stories. All I could see was the characters occasionally bumping into each other and references to ships in bottles. Without that connection, I was just left with a few unremarkable short stories.

Am surprised it did so well at Cannes

The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian (2008)

More LOTR than CSL but still great fun

[8/10 · 28 June 2008]

Taking kids to the cinema can sometimes be painful but this trip was as much for me as them; i have read the book countless times and have just finished it with my eldest daughter.

The film was more LOTR than CS Lewis and don't know what he would have made of this interpretation. There was just enough in common with the book as to transfer the empathy that i have built with the characters over the last 25 years. There were some changes and original scenes that were totally unnecessary and the tone of the movie was much darker and action oriented than the book.

The upside is that aside from that it was a very well made film, almost up there with LOTR in terms of great fantasy and infinitely more appealing to anyone over 12 years old than Harry Potter.

After fictitiously originating the pevensies from finchley in the 1st movie, he has now made the telmarines Spanish and that sort of worked OK. The pevensies and caspian were close to what i would have imagined and the supporting cast of dwarfs and mice were excellent.

Another 2 years to wait till Voyage of the Dawntreader; would have liked to have seen Horse and his boy next. Mind you, in theory that could be done in 10 years time with the same actors.

All in all, a great improvement on the lion, the witch and the wardrobe.

The Departed (2006)

above average crime thriller let down by weak ending

[7/10 · 22 October 2006]

I saw this film a couple of nights ago and wanted to review it straight away. It was only then I realised it was a remake so I held off till I could see the original.

To start with, the acting is excellent. DiCaprio ,perceived early in his career as the teen-girl favourite, now has genuine presence and character. I started appreciating Matt Damon since his incredible performances as Jason Bourne, where he plays an action hero with genuine emotions. They were on par with the original leads; Nicholson was better than IA's Sam and the shrink made a much better contribution that the shrink and girlfriend together in the original.

Mark Wahlberg was entertaining as Sheen's sidekick but devalued from him and ruined the symmetry. There are two bosses and two protégées. Each of the protégées appears to be working for one but is actually with the other. This is much cleaner in the original. In the departed sheen is the join operator of DiCaprio and is the superior but not the boss of Damon.

The length of the remake allowed for better character development and better explanation of events. There was more time to develop the relationships between the leads and the shrink. The critical scenes were less rushed.

I was disappointed by the ending of the remake, in a meaningless blood splat. In the original, the bad mole gradually feels tormented by his actions, especially after sheen's death. He kills Sam in order to start a new life. I believe he would have let the good mole live and brought him back to the police force if it wasn't for the fact that DiCaprio saw the envelope. in the original, Damon is saved by the second mole. Damon terminates him so that he can continue his new life and salutes his counterpart at the funeral. In the remake, Damon is just pure bad and is cleaned up at the end by wahlberg, who reenters the film as abruptly as he left it after sheen's death.

In both films, the death of all (or almost all) the central characters prevents the realisation by the bosses of who the moles were.

There were also a couple of clues prior to the envelope about the identity of the moles. After their telephone call, Damon knew the moles voice and could have worked out who he was ( he certainly didn't sound like frenchy or ray winstone). there was a scene where Nicholson demands the tail car be pulled off and it happens straight away; at that point it is obvious that if you find the cop who gave that order you find the mole.

Match Point (2005)

Woody in London

[8/10 · 16 January 2006]

Unlike many of Allen's movies, I cannot say that i found watching match point continuously enjoyable. Instead, it was an intense experience. However, since watching the film, i have found myself unable to stop thinking about the story and the characters in all its layers.

The start was disappointing. I was beginning to suspect that perhaps the film was being sponsored by the tourist board. Most Londoners would cringe at the picture postcard name dropping, such as the Saatchi gallery and the Tate Modern.

I was particularly impressed by Jonathan Rhys-Meyers, who i had only seen before in a minor role in the Beckham movie. He was extremely believable and had excellent chemistry with Ms Johansson. He came across as good looking yet shifty, passionate yet cold, his speech was articulate yet artificial. Emily Mortimor, Brian Cox, Matthew Goode and obviously Scarlett Johansson were also very good.

There was no hint of overacting or over-dramatisation. There was virtually no dialogue or scenes in the film that were irrelevant to the plot.

The film explored Allen's usual topics of love and fidelity, replacing the New York set with upper class society. He also explored the concept of luck versus skill as well as nepotism and the English class system.

I don't think that Jonathan's character was intentionally either bad or social climbing. Events were happening to him as much as he was making them happen. He did not seek the good life and for much of the film was battling between the wish to maintain it and his feelings for Nola. The point where he made his decision on this was believable but his solution was a bit of an overkill. Despite his calculating act, i cant believe that many viewers actually wanted him to get caught.

Match Point has obvious similarities with Crimes and Misdemeanors. Both Martin Landau and Jonathan chose the dangerous yet lazy option of dealing with the other woman who is getting desperate and threatening their perfect lives. In both cases this is an extraordinary act committed by ordinary people. As we entered the final third of the film, Woody Allen fans were left wondering whether he would let the criminal get away with it again. I don't know what it says about Allen or his view on justice that he has done this in two films. Maybe this is a more realistic depiction of crime, where there is not always a Poirot or Columbo following you; break in, drugs taken, case closed.

There were a few tricks at the end to put us off the track. Bumping into a neighbour on the way out of the house. Assuming that the ring falling short of the Thames was bad for Jonathan. Hints about the father in laws shotguns that could have easily been forensically tied to the murder and of course the dynamics between the two detectives.

Overall, a refreshing change of scenery and theme from Allen. Recommended viewing