It's Friday April 1st and having dismissed the news (Mel Gibson in Ten Commandments remake! etc) you want to go to the movies. So which big, glossy Hollywood movie should you see?
Check out my Source Code review for a science fiction action film starring Jake Gyllenhaal and directed by Duncan Jones (Moon).
Dip into my non-review of Sucker Punch - extreme circumstances meant I was unable to complete my critical duties on this film, I still have plenty to say about it mind.
Enjoy.
Salacious crumbs from the cineworld by film journalist Johnny Messias
Showing posts with label film reviews. Show all posts
Showing posts with label film reviews. Show all posts
Wednesday, 30 March 2011
Monday, 1 March 2010
The Crazies versus Leap Year
I'll stick with what I said on Twitter, twas about as romantic as The Hurt Locker, to be sure.......
Monday, 22 February 2010
Crazy Heart: Director's commentary
Director's commentary: a new feature where I write down some extra material I had to cut from my weekly reviews, because it slowed down the plot, or if I wanted to rant at Nicolas Cage for no reason again, or say a rude word and that.
You see, it is sort of obligatory to mention Oscar at this time of year. But I'm sick of it. If the film is interesting and worth your £5-£12, who really cares if the industry bestows gongs on its director/actor/actress/costume designer? I can do a whole other post on how I have fallen out of love with Oscar, but right now why did I say Jeff Bridges is sure to win? Well, industry observers, and people who obsess over these things, have already decided that the Academy will recognise the Crazy Heart star because of his career. He’s been around since the Last Picture Show in 1971 when he picked up his first nomination. This is his fifth, so now is his time. But the general rule goes that when belated Oscars happen they come for inferior performances, in second rate films (Al Pacino in Scent of a Woman is usually cited at this point, as is Scorcese for The Departed). Not the case here, he’s exceptionally good in this one. It’s not a shouty role, or an heroic one but he fills the shoes of his character with Roger Federer like ease. Not forgetting Maggie G as well. She’s absolutely lovely in this. It’s actually great to see a second flick, after Up in the Air, that deals with real adults having, umm, real relationships. Especially if we are going to subjected to all that nerdery from the Avatar crew.
I will tell you next week why I’ve fallen out of love with the Oscars…
Monday, 8 February 2010
Preview: Crazy Heart and Lovely Bones
Crazy Heart Why Bridges will win...
Some actors creep their way into our affections without one of those big bang moments. And without sex scandals or exploding helicopter movies. Jeff Bridges is the epitome of that. Quietly he's been working his way into one of our favourite clip-reels; a Tron here, a Fisher King there and of course: as The Dude in The Big Lebowski. Let's get the boring part out of the way. He will win an Oscar on March 7th for Crazy Heart because it is his turn and, as Bad Blake, the washed up country and western singer he dominates the picture with effortless style. It's a single malt of a performance, as a character well familiar with liquor of many hue. We find Bob, as a faded star who was once a successful recording artist now playing bowling alleys, obliterating his talent with groupies and stumbling over his lyrics. When a friend sends over their niece Jean(Maggie Gyllenhaal) to interview him about the old days, she asks him where all the songs come from? "Life. Unfortunately." And with that melancholic answer, against her better judgement, the single mum starts a love affair with the old soak-and he gets a shot at redeeming himself. Bridges and Gyllenhaal dovetail beautifully, portraying a relationship that is more realistic than sentimental. She more than her holds her own, in a lovely performance as a women with compassion but no illusions. With sterling support too from the likes of Bobby Duvall and Colin Farrell, Crazy Heart is a treat for country music fans and straight up 'ole good acting.
Director Peter Jackson has always explored the flighty world of fantasy with intervals of darkness. It doesn't get much darker than Alice Sebold's story of a murdered 14 year old Pennslyvania girl Susie Salmon, who narrates and looks over her devastated family from a Gilliamesque afterlife; trying to solve her murder and find her peace. Jackson's depiction of the suburban family in shock is efficient and Susie's parents are well played by Rachel Weitz and Mark Wahlberg. Stanley Tucci is almost unrecognisable in a role that horrifies because of the mundane nature of his character. As I found with The Road - another adaptation of a book I hadn't read - you could sense how the story would benefit from the internal monologue of a novel but taken as a film, there is nothing inspired about it. I was left underwhelmed, the afterlife scenes are not much more than cliches in CGI and ultimately, while handsomely made, it doesn't grip like a best-seller should.
Some actors creep their way into our affections without one of those big bang moments. And without sex scandals or exploding helicopter movies. Jeff Bridges is the epitome of that. Quietly he's been working his way into one of our favourite clip-reels; a Tron here, a Fisher King there and of course: as The Dude in The Big Lebowski. Let's get the boring part out of the way. He will win an Oscar on March 7th for Crazy Heart because it is his turn and, as Bad Blake, the washed up country and western singer he dominates the picture with effortless style. It's a single malt of a performance, as a character well familiar with liquor of many hue. We find Bob, as a faded star who was once a successful recording artist now playing bowling alleys, obliterating his talent with groupies and stumbling over his lyrics. When a friend sends over their niece Jean(Maggie Gyllenhaal) to interview him about the old days, she asks him where all the songs come from? "Life. Unfortunately." And with that melancholic answer, against her better judgement, the single mum starts a love affair with the old soak-and he gets a shot at redeeming himself. Bridges and Gyllenhaal dovetail beautifully, portraying a relationship that is more realistic than sentimental. She more than her holds her own, in a lovely performance as a women with compassion but no illusions. With sterling support too from the likes of Bobby Duvall and Colin Farrell, Crazy Heart is a treat for country music fans and straight up 'ole good acting.
Director Peter Jackson has always explored the flighty world of fantasy with intervals of darkness. It doesn't get much darker than Alice Sebold's story of a murdered 14 year old Pennslyvania girl Susie Salmon, who narrates and looks over her devastated family from a Gilliamesque afterlife; trying to solve her murder and find her peace. Jackson's depiction of the suburban family in shock is efficient and Susie's parents are well played by Rachel Weitz and Mark Wahlberg. Stanley Tucci is almost unrecognisable in a role that horrifies because of the mundane nature of his character. As I found with The Road - another adaptation of a book I hadn't read - you could sense how the story would benefit from the internal monologue of a novel but taken as a film, there is nothing inspired about it. I was left underwhelmed, the afterlife scenes are not much more than cliches in CGI and ultimately, while handsomely made, it doesn't grip like a best-seller should.
Monday, 25 January 2010
My photos from The Men Who Stare at Goats press event LFF 2009
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I was told Mr Clooney was not best pleased at the press conference for Fantastic Mr Fox a few days before, but he seemed in good enough form to discuss The Men Who Stare at Goats so - strangely for me - I popped on my photographer's cap and took some photos. Enjoy.
Pictured (copyright JMessias 2009) are George Clooney, Kevin Spacey and [Goat's director] Grant Heslov
Friday, 14 August 2009
Inglorious Basterds
After a movie summer that doesn’t so much stick in the memory as congeal, what chance we have left of some memorable dialogue is all on the QT. Quentin Tarantino's Inglorious Basterds arrives after a long gestation with some rave notices on the posters. After the rum Death Proof, is the cult director back to his Pulp Fiction pomp?
The answer is yes and no despite his insistence that critics are now either for or against him.
His men-on-a-mission movie charts two parallel stories in occupied France. A local farm is invaded by Nazi troops and the credentials of self-styled ‘Jew Hunter’ Colonel Landa (Waltz) are proven when Shosanna Dreyfus (Laurent) narrowly escapes with her life after the brutal slaying of her family.
Meanwhile, Lieutenant Aldo Raine (Pitt) issues a clarion call to his team of self-styled Basterds—a collection of Jewish American soldiers who will stalk behind enemy lines in Europe. Inspired by stories of Apache resistance, their favoured methods involve scalping captured soldiers and always leaving one alive with a swastika carved into his forehead to warn the others.
Into these bloody waters a plot emerges which pivots around a film screening at a French art house cinema; which offers its new manager, Shosanna an opportunity for revenge and the Basterds a chance to wipe out significant Nazis. Also involved in the caper is a Mata Hari type, the beautiful actress Bridget von Hammersmark (Kruger) and in a movie geek touch: Michael Fassbinder’s David Niven-esque British agent, whose life as a former film critic is essential for his cover.
Inspired superficially by the 1978 war exploitationers with the (correctly spelled) same title, this movie could only be made by Tarantino. Only he would combine 1970’s revenge licks with the Jewish WWII experience, then lace proceedings with British spy shenanigans, before weaving in a strand on 1930s German propaganda cinema. You can admire the brass balls and the originality, even if it is not close to being the masterpiece some are claiming.
The most compelling character on view is Colonel Lander, played deliciously by Austrian actor Christopher Waltz. Delivering his performance is English (mainly), German and French this actor relishes playing the only character that really gets to take a stroll in the screenplay. Lander also has the lion’s share of the QT monologues: when taking time out to discuss cream cakes and the importance of a man’s title with wicked charm and devilish timing.
The trouble is, most of other cast struggle with cartoon characters. Brad Pitt’s southern drawl and mannerisms remind you of his lighter work clowning around in Burn after Reading; it doesn’t amount to much and he might well look at what Tarantino has written for the likes of Michael Madsen and Harvey Keitel and feel short-changed. Eli Roth is not an actor. However the Oreo gets well and truly taken in the scene when Mike Myers shows up in heavy prosthetics as a 1930s version of Basil Exposition. Let’s just say the movie is silly fun, though it veers dangerously close to ‘Allo Allo at times. The leading females have plenty of action and reaction, if not the dialogue; Diane Kruger is gutsy and makes the most of this role in her native Germany.
Whilst a couple of scenes are great fun, particularly an opening set piece replete with tension, humour and intelligent writing, the overall effect is throwaway. The fairytale element, Once upon a time in Nazi occupied France etc, works to an extent but you are left feeling you don’t really care about the heroes even if you generically want the Nazis to get it. Basterds also suffers because, clever though QT is, he’s still made too much of a movie-movie, straying too far away from realism and not incisive enough to be anything else. It is a shame because for a man of his talent, this one is pretty dispensable.
*** THREE STARS
The answer is yes and no despite his insistence that critics are now either for or against him.
His men-on-a-mission movie charts two parallel stories in occupied France. A local farm is invaded by Nazi troops and the credentials of self-styled ‘Jew Hunter’ Colonel Landa (Waltz) are proven when Shosanna Dreyfus (Laurent) narrowly escapes with her life after the brutal slaying of her family.
Meanwhile, Lieutenant Aldo Raine (Pitt) issues a clarion call to his team of self-styled Basterds—a collection of Jewish American soldiers who will stalk behind enemy lines in Europe. Inspired by stories of Apache resistance, their favoured methods involve scalping captured soldiers and always leaving one alive with a swastika carved into his forehead to warn the others.
Into these bloody waters a plot emerges which pivots around a film screening at a French art house cinema; which offers its new manager, Shosanna an opportunity for revenge and the Basterds a chance to wipe out significant Nazis. Also involved in the caper is a Mata Hari type, the beautiful actress Bridget von Hammersmark (Kruger) and in a movie geek touch: Michael Fassbinder’s David Niven-esque British agent, whose life as a former film critic is essential for his cover.
Inspired superficially by the 1978 war exploitationers with the (correctly spelled) same title, this movie could only be made by Tarantino. Only he would combine 1970’s revenge licks with the Jewish WWII experience, then lace proceedings with British spy shenanigans, before weaving in a strand on 1930s German propaganda cinema. You can admire the brass balls and the originality, even if it is not close to being the masterpiece some are claiming.
The most compelling character on view is Colonel Lander, played deliciously by Austrian actor Christopher Waltz. Delivering his performance is English (mainly), German and French this actor relishes playing the only character that really gets to take a stroll in the screenplay. Lander also has the lion’s share of the QT monologues: when taking time out to discuss cream cakes and the importance of a man’s title with wicked charm and devilish timing.
The trouble is, most of other cast struggle with cartoon characters. Brad Pitt’s southern drawl and mannerisms remind you of his lighter work clowning around in Burn after Reading; it doesn’t amount to much and he might well look at what Tarantino has written for the likes of Michael Madsen and Harvey Keitel and feel short-changed. Eli Roth is not an actor. However the Oreo gets well and truly taken in the scene when Mike Myers shows up in heavy prosthetics as a 1930s version of Basil Exposition. Let’s just say the movie is silly fun, though it veers dangerously close to ‘Allo Allo at times. The leading females have plenty of action and reaction, if not the dialogue; Diane Kruger is gutsy and makes the most of this role in her native Germany.
Whilst a couple of scenes are great fun, particularly an opening set piece replete with tension, humour and intelligent writing, the overall effect is throwaway. The fairytale element, Once upon a time in Nazi occupied France etc, works to an extent but you are left feeling you don’t really care about the heroes even if you generically want the Nazis to get it. Basterds also suffers because, clever though QT is, he’s still made too much of a movie-movie, straying too far away from realism and not incisive enough to be anything else. It is a shame because for a man of his talent, this one is pretty dispensable.
*** THREE STARS
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