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Reviews
A Good Year (2006)
It's not champagne, but delightful nonetheless
First, a confession: there's only one reason why I saw this film: my recent interest in Tom Hollander's career. In my opinion, a brilliant actor, what I have seen so far has never disappointed me. Just so you know.
So imagine my surprise when I reluctantly rent this, wondering why I was bothering considering that I've got no interest in anyone else involved with this film, and find that I enjoyed it immensely.
One should never take films in this genre seriously. They are never going to be amazing stuff, there are too many romantic comedies and thus too many clichés. Then add the fact that this is set in France with a bunch of Brits. So now add culture clash clichés.
Russell Crowe plays Max Skinner, a highly successful Londoner living the bachelor's dream. He hears that his beloved uncle Henry (an adorable Albert Finney), with whom he spent his summers as a boy (young but bright Freddie Highmore), has died, leaving him with his estate and vineyards Le Siroque in Provence. With every intention of selling, Max goes down to fix the place up and battle Henry's wine maker Francis Duflot (Didier Bourdon) and flirt with local beauty Fanny Chenal (not pronounced as you might think, played by Marion Cotillard) whilst his estate agent Charlie (Tom Hollander) and his secretary Gemma (Archie Panjabi) deal with his affairs in London. Then, out of the blue, arrives Californian Christie Roberts (Abbie Cornish), looking for her father: Henry. Add wine, a Smart Car with a stutter, sunburn, lavender... you get the idea, oui?
Add Ridley Scott's touch. Admittedly a very good director. So the film is actually comfortably and lovingly filmed, I quite contentedly had the beautiful music stuck in my head, and whilst I didn't laugh out loud very often, the characters kept a happy smile permanently on my face. As the credits rolled, I was left with the feeling that the film had been a success in its own right, as it is exactly what it sets out to be: a nicely balanced, enjoyable film. Taken too seriously it'll disappoint you, but at no point did I think that it asks to be taken that seriously. Honest, like wine.
I'm thinking that when the DVD's cheaper I'll actually buy it, I was a little sad to take it back to my local video rental shop. It's not Le Coin Perdu, but it's no Le Siroque either. Enjoy.
Kiss Kiss Bang Bang (2005)
Thankyou you've made my day
Ah, it's so rare and refreshing when something just oozes with talent. Haven't laughed that much since... actually I can't remember.
Anyway, "welcome to the party". If you haven't got here yet then stop what you're doing and if you're not watching this within an hour then there's no hope for you. Your narrator will be Harry Lockhart (Robert Downey Jr), who steals stuff (toys, gum, watch, whole lot of other things which aren't free) but don't worry he "feels badly" about it. He didn't really pay attention when they were teaching grammar, probably because he was staring at Harmony Faith Lane (Michelle Monaghan), the 'dreamgirl' who screwed every guy in school except him and his best friend Chook Chutney, who, according to 'Gay' Perry (Val Kilmer), was probably also gay. 'Gay' Perry by the way says stuff like "poo-perfect hell", keeps a small revolver by his balls, oh and his ring-tone is 'I Will Survive'.
Ah it's bringing a smile back to my face already... :-D Back to the point, Harry has gone from N.Y. to L.A. by an interesting turn of fate, and he's being taught detective lessons by 'Gay' Perry for his screen test. Lesson 1 is: what to do when you witness a car driven into a lake with a dead girl locked in the trunk. Lesson 2: how to concentrate on pretending to be a private detective whilst trying to get a spider out of Harmony's bra when she turns up blathering on about her murdered sister. Lesson 3: what to do when the dead girl suddenly turns up in your shower and why you shouldn't accidentally pee on the corpse.
Add a cut off finger, definitions of the word 'idiot', 'Ike, Mike and Mustard', hanging on by the arm of the same corpse suspended in mid-air, Protocop eating cookies and drinking beer, some of the strangest Christmas parties I've ever seen and detective novels where "my case... and your case... are the same f***ing case".
Not your thing? Go and see it anyway, just for the scenes between Robert Downey Jr and Val Kilmer, Shane Black has written the best material for their characters, I can't find fault in it. Really. I'll be paying more attention to all three in future.
"Now go, vanish".
Secretary (2002)
Brilliant
Those who are familiar with my comments will know that I can't stand most of Hollywood. Sometimes they have absolutely no taste, or they have this obsession with having clean cut heroes, makes them all look so idiotic and naive. Pity, I'm sure they all aren't if someone had the talent to make this truly gifted film.
It's been a very long time since I was so thoroughly persuaded by an actor to believe in a character, and Maggie Gyllenhaal pulled that off so easily it's astonishing. She is Lee Holloway, a troubled young woman dealing with problems at home, so she resorts to cutting herself, finding comfort in the pain and the healing. When discovered she's sent to a mental institution to get better, and when she leaves we join her journey to build up her life.
After passing her typing tests with excellence she applies for a job at E.Edward Grey's office as a secretary. She gets the job, after being asked the most untoward questions, despite having no references, and having not been put off by the previous secretary, departing in tears.
And from there the story builds. Mr Grey, played to the perfect tone by James Spader, is a completely dominant oddball, and Lee is a subservient: I'm sure you can guess what kind of relationship builds from there.
Yet strangely I would not call the film predictable. Stripped of the details the story follows a fairly familiar formula, but you're paying too much attention to what's happening to care. I've seen somewhere that people don't like the ending. Obviously with such a great heroine there has to be a happy ending, but I think there's far more to it than that. My congratulations to Gyllenhaal for the film's last shot: that look says a great deal to me.
Absolutely dripping in sexual tension right from the very start of Lee and Grey's relationship, the characters pull you in to their far from normal lives with ease, and it's a pleasure to watch. I can't think of any faults, really I can't. No one, I think, is over the top or could/should do better. If a sequel is made then I will definitely see it, though sequels generally rarely impress, even in their own right. There is the sense that there is more to this story to be told, and unlike most romances you have no idea what will happen after the credits roll, so convincing is this pair that you really want to know what happened to them.
Not to be missed in one's lifetime I believe.
The Man in the Iron Mask (1998)
More than expected
Any weird stalker-like ppl who have been reading some of my comments will know that I'm no fan of Hollywood, or practically anything made in the West. There are a few truly brilliant exceptions, made by some very talented film-makers, and The Man In The Iron Mask is not one of them... but I will admit that this was worth watching.
This Christmas TV hasn't been that great: I remembered being glued to my armchair in 2004, there was so much good stuff on. There has been some good stuff this year but not a great deal of it. I missed Babe :-( and I can't stand Shrek (I love the "really really" line at the end but that's it, Donkey's so infuriating I hate it). I've seen MITIM before, years ago and would not have minded seeing it again, and I'm glad I taped it.
Its nothing special, but it is good fun. The characters are hilarious, moving and most importantly interesting, the plot - though predictable - keeps your attention, the script is well written and often very funny, and considering that the four musketeers aren't exactly young anymore the action is pretty impressive.
Most of the time I can't stand Leo DiCaprio, he's too... well, pretty is the only word I can use, but there's something I don't like about his face, so he makes a good Louis as his spoilt arrogance goes well with his beauty. Personally I think he should play more bad guys. Depardieu is brilliantly funny as Porthos, Malkovich is excellent as angry rebellious Athos, Irons is perfect as witty Aramis and Byrne is great as secretive repressed charming D'Artagnan.
Worth seeing if you want something light, fun and entertaining. I've never read Dumas' book, I'm sure its an excellent read, though I hear that this movie is far from being called an adaptation, so better to watch it in its own right without a care for literature or history. Enjoy
Shi mian mai fu (2004)
Without a doubt, Hollywood is going down...
I have never, ever seen a film that the West has ever created that can top Chinese cinema in this form, with the exception possibly being Lord of the Rings. I truly applaud Oriental taste. I can't count the number of times I have completely forgotten that I've actually got my own physical form while watching films like House of Flying Daggers, but I can count how many times that's happened during Western films: zero.
For those of you who have no taste I beg you: but aside your views on gravity-defying fight scenes and subtitles. Just remember that this is something called FANTASY. It isn't real, no matter how much you wish it to be. It's called cinema: you can do whatever the hell you like in film. I don't complain when you've got aliens that spurt out your chest. I don't complain when the dead rise from their graves. I don't complain about the lack of reason behind the ideas that aliens would have less intelligence than humans or that the living dead would harbour grudges against the really living. I complain when it just looks simply uninspiring and frankly visually boring.
So, Zhang Yimou, please bring on more heroes and flying daggers
About a Boy (2002)
Brilliantly touching
It's a rare thing to find Hugh Grant playing something different from his usual romcom heroes. In this case, he's much better playing Will like people than the Four Weddings... guy he played. Also, he's more good-looking with short spikey hair than that ludicrous floppy hair.
About A Boy is actually quite simple: we have Will, a guy who has never done anything at all significant in his life and has thus never really grown up, and he meets Marcus, a poor 12-year-old who has grown up to quickly without really realising it, is bullied at school, he's killed a duck with a loaf of bread and his mother has just tried to kill herself.
Bizarrely the two end up reluctant friends, and manage to give each other a healthy dose of some much needed medicine: Marcus opens his eyes to his own pitiful circumstances, and Will gets back in touch with reality. Well... sort of...
Incredibly, the film keeps to the story lines of Nick Hornby's book, and is much better because of it. Hugh Grant is actually convincing, I guess a testament to his apparently depressing life at the time (apparently), and Nicholas Hoult is a very talented young actor, playing Marcus perfectly. Pity about that kid's TV show he did afterwards though, Star, was it called?
Don't miss these two killing us 'softly' with their song...
K-PAX (2001)
The only fault is that its too convincing...
I like this film. Kevin Spacey is a genius. What can else can I say?
It's touching, and brings to light some things about homo sapiens that are really just plain stupid, and for the rest we're left to wonder how we ever ended up like this? Hence we have to consider if anyone in that psychiatry unit is actually 'ill' or just ill-fitting with the rest of society? In other words, is it something wrong with the patients, or something wrong with the world that will not accommodate them? Finally beginning to really see what my psychology teacher, Jon, who is insane as well, was really talking about...
Tough question for an aspiring clinical psychologist...
Ying xiong (2002)
An action film far better than anything the West can concoct...
Now, when I heard that critics were saying that this film is even better than Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon I imediately thought NO WAY.
My god, was I very, very wrong.
I loved CT,HD. I loved the way it looked, the way it was choreographed, the way the actors delivered their performances, the way it made my soul soar away and wish that I could do the things they could do. Now enters a film that does this all of this, but even better.
I found it quite amusing that there are effects in this film that are almost the same as in The Matrix sequels (moving in slow-mo through the rain and so) and yet this Hero does it even better. In The Matrix I was laughing my arse off. In this I was awe-struck.
This film is intelligent as well. It knows what its message is and it delivers it with clear precision: You have to sacrifice everything for the greater good. The stories told are separated clearly through the clever use of colour coding (red, green, blue and white) so there's little to get confused about at the end, provided that you've paid attention. There is an unhappy truth in this film: those who deal with death and destruction do not generally live. Hence the sad end of the film (my mum, bless her, said that she thought the end was pointless).
Now, for those of you who are going to see this film with a retarded prejudice against all things Chinese, just remember this: Chinese takeaways are far better than pizzas, despite being heavy, oily and goddamn tasty.
Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl (2003)
Finally, some entertainment
This film has several good reasons to go and see it:
1) It's funny, exciting well worth seeing.
2) Its got Johnny Depp. Reason enough. You'll like Jack Sparrow far more than Will Turner, I can guarantee that.
3) Geoffrey Rush. Again, enough reason to see it. I wouldn't call him frightening, just scarily cool, dark and ugly. Very different role to the voice over of Nigel the Pelican.
If you like him 4) Orlando Bloom... not good reason. He's pretty. Can't say much else about him though. He was better in Lord of the Rings. He's better being silent, elf-like and graceful.
5) Keira Knightley... *shudders*... is better off playing people like Jules in Bend It Like Beckham: half friendly and half bitchy. Bizarre face: she's got a dazzling smile but a really pinched disgusted look the rest of the time. Not the best choice foe Elizabeth Swann.
6) Johnny Depp again.
7) It's fun. Really. And its got really impressive effects. It might not be the best pirate film to come out for a while, but it enjoyable all the same.
Shark Tale (2004)
The battle is over and won...
And I'm sorry to say it, but Pixar's Finding Nemo is way better than Shark Tale.
Don't get me wrong: Shark Tale is a great film. Its colourful, funny and a delight to see in the cinema. The best choices for voice-overs are in this: Will Smith is perfect; Renee Zellweger plays her sweet charm; Robert De Niro is doing what he does best. There are even some surprises: never ever thought that Jack Black, last seen in School of Rock, would voice Lenny, the vegetarian, unhappy shark.
But Finding Nemo succeeds because it was original. FN was beautiful. ST is unfortunately nothing more than a parody of as much as it can get away with. And most of the time, it's in bad taste. Jaws has been used way too many times. We've had enough of the Godfather. They even used the blowfish (or whatever it is. You know what I'm talking about) from FN and over-used it. Even the plot is too familiar. And why, oh why does every character look like the voice star? And are they fish, or eels?
The best thing going for it is Lenny. The "I'm a vegetarian" scene: I found it touching. Not funny. Was that the effect it was meant to have, or did they just do it wrong? Also, the nice thing about FN was that the fish hug, which shows even more affection than a weird snog. It is just as bizarre watching fishes kiss as it is watching plasticine chickens snog in Chicken Run (and you don't even see that kiss, cos Rocky's in the way THANK GOD). In ST it's not "Awahhhhhhh-ARGH!" - it's "ew".
Pity really. Shark Tale's brilliant and worth your money and time, but it doesn't stand a chance.
Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind (2004)
Something worth seeing
It's very rare to see something that moves completely. In recent history the best films are ones that shock you and open your mind to new thinking. It's rare to see a film which doesn't need to shock you but is truly special.
For those of you reading this who think that this is another Jim Carrey movie, complete with idiotic gaffs, slapstick and stupidity through and through, be surprised. Jim Carrey has already proved, I believe, to be more than a comedian when he did The Truman Show (which I really must see in full). But even that had Carrey's traditional moves, and from what I saw I would never believe that he could pull off anything like Joel Barish. This man should do more stuff like this. If he doesn't it is a waste of talent and those who have been paying attention to my previous comments will know that from me that's quite a compliment. In my eyes this man has finally become an actor. I think that's reason enough to see this.
Here we have two people: Clementine is an external representation of what Joel is on the inside. They're stuck in a hate-love relationship which has given them the happiest and the worst moments of their lives. Yet, Clementine decides, on a lark, that she would rather never remember anything about Joel and so erases him from her memory. And, almost in revenge, Joel does the same thing to her. And regrets it quickly after he realises that his good memories far outweigh the bad ones, and so tries to take his decision back.
Accompanied by a brilliant soundtrack and great acting from Jim Carrey and Kate Winslet, you'd be a fool not to see this.
Something's Gotta Give (2003)
Someone's gotta give me some earplugs
I must admit that this film isn't as good as I thought it would be. My friend went to see it in the cinema with her parents and she said it was a really great film. But usually Jack Nicholson just gets on my nerves, so at the time I didn't even dream of going.
I'm glad I didn't.
Basically, Jack Nicholson is Harry Sanborn, a 63 year-old guy who dates only under-30 year old women. And when we meet him, he's dating the daughter of Erica Barry, a very successful playwright (Diane Keaton). Erica is a single 50-something old woman who's been stuck in the same routine: write, sleep for only 4 hours every night and celibate since her divorce. And despite her first impressions of Harry namely that he's a disgusting womaniser with no manners she has to look after him after he has a heart attack. I don't think I need to tell you where the story goes from here. Other than Keanu Reeves' perhaps not really necessary part of Dr Mercer, a cute 36-year-old guy who's a fan of Erica's work and asks her out for a date.
In other words, the story's fairly predictable. I will admit that even Keanu managed to do an OK job, though I think he's better off staying clear of romcoms after The Matrix sequels.
There's something very annoyingly cliched about every scene involving Nicholson and Keaton. It might be the acting, but I think it's just the script. I'll probably have forgotten the film by next week, and I've got a good memory for the movies that I've seen.
So far Nancy Meyers' hasn't impressed me much. But I've only seen this and What Women Want. Actually that one was better, but only because of Mel Gibson waxing his legs in the bathroom scene.
The really annoying thing about this movie though is Diane Keaton's sobbing. I do feel sorry for her, I really do, but does she have to wail like that? My God, I've never heard a more annoying sound in my life. Hrrrrgh. It's funny the first time, but after that it'll just drive you nuts.
Still, you might have a better opinion that mine. Best served with ice cream and company. You don't have to share the ice cream though.
The Princess Diaries (2001)
Holy s*** this film is terrible
If you have read the original Princess Diaries by Meg Cabot, and liked them, then I'm betting that there is a 100% chance that you will hate this movie with every fiber of your being.
There are huge problems with this pile of crap.
1) I doubt that anyone involved with this film has every even touched the books, as no-one seems to do anything right. Why is it set in San Fransisco and not New York City, like the books? Why is Grandmere not a complete scary bitch, like the books? Why is Lily so quiet and not competing for the centre stage of every scene, like the books? The list goes on. I did actually write a list of problems. It was longer than I originally thought it would be.
2)These... God, I can't even call them actors... people are the most annoying bunch of Americans I've ever seen in any film. I'm not exaggerating. What is with the leg thing during kisses? Are any of you American girls this sad? Please say no...
3) Let's just say that this film is not based on Meg Cabot's books for a moment. On it's own... IT IS STILL AWFUL!!!!!!!!
Ugh, please don't bother with this movie. If you see something else on offer, even if it looks really corny and unoriginal and a waste of time, it's got to be better that this.
American Beauty (1999)
Truly extraordinary
If you haven't seen this film then you will never understand the middle class. Coming from a middle class background, I was astonished by how real this film felt. This film is actually quite shocking in the way it depicts life in the American suburbia.
I'll start with Lester. I don't know much about guys his age (which is probably a good thing) but I've got to admit that he does seem to be very ordinary. Bored, sedated and unsure of where he stands anymore in life, he sets out to do what my philosophy teacher is always trying to tell us: live life to the max. Kevin Spacey is a complete success as Lester Burnham and I hope to see more good turns from him in the future.
Caroline is just damn scary. Scary because she is completely out of touch with the real world. Scary because of her over the top perfectionism. Scary because she believes that she is not blind. Such people are best avoided or you will end up with a lot of trouble and a lot of pain. After seeing American Beauty I was actually proud that my parents are nothing like this. They're fussy, but at least they've got their eyes open most of the time, and therefore fussy about healthy things.
As for Jane, Ricky and Angela, this is the first time I've seen good acting from teenagers. Usually I'm never impressed by actors who are close to my age, mainly because they seem to either try too hard or they don't make any effort at all. Here though, I'm actually drawn in by them. I hated Caroline, which is why it makes me laugh to hear that Angela doesn't think much of her either because she's a "phoney". I don't hate Angela too, I just feel sorry for her narrow mindedness and lack of ambition. As for Jane, as normal as she may seem, there's a hidden side of her that seems to be unexpressed. She's not a freak, as she labels herself, she's just different from Angela. Good for her. And there's Ricky, who films all the incredible moments that life throws at us, trying to find the benevolent force that he saw in a bag dancing with golden leaves, learning to see all the beauty that most of us will never notice.
There's an interesting thing about all these characters. Lester loves his daughter and tries to look out for her when he can. And yet he buys weed off her boyfriend. Caroline tries to create her image of success even though she doesn't have any success at home or at her job and is dependent on her affair with someone who does have success for any fun out of life. Jane tries to appear normal, by being a cheerleader, hanging around with Angela, even her non-striking appearances. But it doesn't suit her. Ricky is a very strange person who films inanimate objects, but the things he sees most clearly are human beings. And Angela, no matter how much she says that there's nothing worse about being ordinary, is being completely self-contradictory and she is probably the most ugly person I've ever laid eyes on who was meant to be beautiful.
So I'm not too sure who the American Beauty is, if it even exists. Or even if there is such a thing as beauty. Hmm...
Le fabuleux destin d'Amélie Poulain (2001)
Still unsure of what to say about this film
Amelie is one of the strangest films I've ever seen. Which is what makes it so extraordinary.
I hate most of the crap which spills out of Hollywood. I really do. For some reason they just can't seem to do anything original these days. Which is disappointing. Especially when it begins to rub off on those few exceptional artists who do manage to create pieces of pure talent. I'm sure that I'm not alone with this view. The best films, the ones which will stand the test of time and change, are the ones which are weird, far from normal, and usually completely take everyone by surprise. Films like the Shawshank Redemption or the Godfather - these films are extremely puzzling and leave you at a point where you're not too sure what to make of it. Or at least, that's where they left me.
Amelie is one of the few comedies that really has left me speechless and wide-eyed. There is something about the depiction of characters who are not normal (hate that word) and yet seem, now, to be real. Yet when you see Amelie, one of the thoughts that will occur to you is not that it felt real. But then I don't believe you could say that it isn't. Human beings are very strange creatures, and these characters are just a few select examples of our bizarre species.
Perhaps the reason why I love this film is because it gives me hope that there are a handful of people who mean well. Most of us don't: we live our lives entirely focused on our own well-beings. We are very selfish and greedy by nature. It feels kind of refreshing to see someone who looking out for her own pleasure by trying to give happiness to others. This is about as altruistic as the human race gets unfortunately and there are few who work in such ways. Which gives me some hope for us all, even if I've got no faith in us.
Or is it simply because it makes my inner child happy? No-one is fully grown up in this film. Amelie turns to her own imagination when life gets boring; Nino seeks to create his own family memories, it would seem; bubblewrap; finger-cracking; after all the years and seasons, that little teddy bear is still sitting in the flowerbed; even the cat likes to listen to children's stories! No-one's complete, which is, I imagine, how a great many of us feel.
So, if you think your inner child needs to be woken up a little, or if you're feeling pessimistic about life on this planet, or if you'd like to see something better than any comedy I've seen come out of Hollywood, follow the blue arrows and bring a five franc coin.
Sen to Chihiro no kamikakushi (2001)
If you haven't seen this film, you haven't seen beauty
Spirited Away has got me hooked. It's like a drug, making you see things you've never seen before. Only this is better than any drug in the world, because this film is not making you hallucinate. After seeing this, I wanted to go to this world so much that I've even started writing my own novel based around the same idea: surviving in a beautiful but dangerous world. And unlike most of my ideas for novels, I'VE STUCK WITH IT. What's even more interesting about Spirited Away is that no matter how many times you see this film, you will always see something new in it. And everyone will create different ideas and theories about it. It's about our instincts to survive, friendship, greed, good and evil, innocence of the mind, who and what we are, what our own world is really like, the list goes on. You are not going to like this film, however, if you keep your mind closed to new things. This film has come from a place a long way away from Hollywood. To anyone who's used to Hollywood, this film is going to see very weird. Which is why I love it. Normality is being chucked out the window here, but then one of the things you'll learn from Spirited Away is that there is no such thing as 'normal'. Brilliant. If you're bored with life, or think that all the fun is gone out of it, or wish you could see something extraordinary, SEE THIS FILM AND BE SPIRITED AWAY.