During the course of this year I am determined to watch a wide variety of films. Some old, some new and some I ordinarily wouldn’t touch with a stinky tramp's bargepole. I knew I was going to have to take the rough with the smooth, sort the wheat from the chaff and trawl through the good the bad and the ugly... So with this torrent of clichés in mind I came to watch Knight and Day.
Within minutes of the start you are told to see Tom Cruise as the unflappable, ultra cool, wise cracking action hero. Cameron Diaz is the sexy but dipsy and ultimately resourceful foil to Tom 'Superman' Cruise. I was already wondering if I will see a more cliché ridden film all year. Could this movie be any more formulated?
Can't you just hear the voiceover guy that seems to do the trailers for all these films? You know the one, impossibly deep and urgent tones... "Cruise and Diaz in an action packed comedy... A high octane thriller... Taking you on a rollercoaster ride..." I can picture the film producers sipping mojitos during their power lunch in an overpriced LA 'hip' spot throwing around phrases like: Star vehicle, quirky comedy, on-screen chemistry.
Which basically translates to: let’s take a weak idea, pay two huge stars to go through the motions and make some money at the box office. Whatever happened to making films to tell a story or even just to try to engage the audience on an emotional level just for the briefest of times? Instead we are treated to 90 minutes of another Hollywood studio making a film with nothing but profit in mind. Self pleasure from the money men is all I can see here, like a dog licking its own bits just because it can!!
I do feel obliged to talk about the plot a little as this is meant to be a film review. Blah blah secret agent. Blah blah framed. Blah blah clears name. That’s about it really.
The two main characters are so obvious it is patronising. Cruise tries hard to be the man all women want and all men want to be. Diaz is the gorgeous girl who happens to love classic cars and can even restore them! See what they did there? Back to those Hollywood producers on their fifth mojito by now, "it's the perfect date movie; it will appeal to both sexes."
Sticking with the obvious theme there was one scene that annoyed me more than most. Diaz has been captured by bad guys and has been given some 'truth serum' so she will give them some info about something I stopped paying attention to eons before. Cruise rescues her. Do you need me to go on? F**k it, I'm going to anyway! "Miller you excite me" she blurts out. "I feel like having sex now." "We could have really great sex." Hmmm didn't see those jokes coming.
I'm probably being too harsh. I knew what I was sitting down to watch and it wasn't far from what I expected. I wouldn't go to a Cheryl Cole gig expecting Mozart and I wouldn't watch Eastenders expecting to have my mood uplifted. Yet I kept thinking that True Lies with Arnie and Jamie Lee Curtis was everything this film wanted to be and never came close to achieving.
The best thing I can say about Knight and Day is that it is fast paced and Diaz looks good in a bikini. Oh and in the end credits there is a 'Marine coordinator' named Captain Troy Waters.
2/10
Showing posts with label Review. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Review. Show all posts
Tuesday, 16 August 2011
Sunday, 14 August 2011
An Officer and a Gentleman (1982)
I wasn't sure what to expect of this film. You have probably heard the ending referenced on countless TV shows. It seems to be one of those films that has worked its way into the general consciousness, but I won't give it away just in case you don't know. I think it's enough to say that it is known as one of the classic romances, with Richard Gere as Zack Mayo in probably his second most famous role. Yet it is also sold as a new Naval recruit's attempt to get through a tough officer training academy. Could I expect soppy romance or gritty military drama?
Cue an over the top 80's soundtrack of power ballads and an opening few scenes featuring Zack's alcoholic, whore chasing father (Robert Loggia) and my expectations rose. Loggia is an actor with real character. A voice like whiskey and cigarettes distilled over nails. Yes I am a huge Scarface fan and therefore a big fan of Loggia! Sadly he is very underused and after stealing the show at the start the film quickly moves on without him.
Another good performance comes from Louis Gossett Jr as the ever angry drill sergeant in charge of turning Mayo from smug rebellious layabout into a leader of men. I got the feeling that I was watching a light version of Full Metal Jacket, then I found out that was made in 1987 so I have to concede it wasn't as much of a cliché as I thought.
The main theme of the film however seems to be an extension of the American Dream. It is chased down clearly by Gere in his attempts to become an officer, but also more confusingly by two local girls. Paula and Lynette get tarted up every weekend and prowl the bars hoping to bag themselves a future officer. I could go into a big rant at this point about how women have become more empowered these days, how they don't need men to become a success. Yet every time I turn on the TV or look at a magazine I'm faced with a wannabe WAG! Now don't get me wrong, I know that most women want success in their own right, and that most women cringe at the idea of being a trophy wife. But let’s face it ladies, there is a tiny minority of opportunistic, cosmetically augmented, way too tanned hunters on the prowl. To be fair it seems a good career if you can get it but I just don't want to hear about it every day!
This distortion on the pursuit of the American Dream does lead to an unexpected dark twist in the film, probably saving it from sinking in a shallow sex haze as Mayo and Paula embark on an obvious course.
With a few good performances (to be fair Richard Gere is good also, and actually has dark hair it’s so old school!) I was pleasantly surprised by this film.
6/10
Cue an over the top 80's soundtrack of power ballads and an opening few scenes featuring Zack's alcoholic, whore chasing father (Robert Loggia) and my expectations rose. Loggia is an actor with real character. A voice like whiskey and cigarettes distilled over nails. Yes I am a huge Scarface fan and therefore a big fan of Loggia! Sadly he is very underused and after stealing the show at the start the film quickly moves on without him.
Another good performance comes from Louis Gossett Jr as the ever angry drill sergeant in charge of turning Mayo from smug rebellious layabout into a leader of men. I got the feeling that I was watching a light version of Full Metal Jacket, then I found out that was made in 1987 so I have to concede it wasn't as much of a cliché as I thought.
The main theme of the film however seems to be an extension of the American Dream. It is chased down clearly by Gere in his attempts to become an officer, but also more confusingly by two local girls. Paula and Lynette get tarted up every weekend and prowl the bars hoping to bag themselves a future officer. I could go into a big rant at this point about how women have become more empowered these days, how they don't need men to become a success. Yet every time I turn on the TV or look at a magazine I'm faced with a wannabe WAG! Now don't get me wrong, I know that most women want success in their own right, and that most women cringe at the idea of being a trophy wife. But let’s face it ladies, there is a tiny minority of opportunistic, cosmetically augmented, way too tanned hunters on the prowl. To be fair it seems a good career if you can get it but I just don't want to hear about it every day!
This distortion on the pursuit of the American Dream does lead to an unexpected dark twist in the film, probably saving it from sinking in a shallow sex haze as Mayo and Paula embark on an obvious course.
With a few good performances (to be fair Richard Gere is good also, and actually has dark hair it’s so old school!) I was pleasantly surprised by this film.
6/10
Last Night (1998)
Sometimes you read a film blurb and think YES that sounds like an interesting idea.
I found this Canadian film on Film4. Imagine it is your last night on earth. What would you do? As far as I am aware I have never seen a Canadian film. I know the Southpark writers are Canadian (does that mean Team America: World Police is a Canadian film? Disregard the previous if that is the case.) The description promised "a very different group of individuals with very different ideas of how to face the end" (thanks to IMDB.com). I thought I had to give this a go, it sounded pretty far from your typical Hollywood blockbuster.
My mind wandered as I sat to watch the credits. Seeing the possibilities of a world without hope. People without any fear of a tomorrow that will never come. I saw riotous street gangs, unashamed debauchery and desperate acts from desperate people. Maybe I had just been watching the news too much recently! The idea of a world that you knew was going to end in 6 hours really caught my imagination. People can be bad enough when there is accountability, but take all consequence away...
Well if you take away a Canadian's accountability they go to the supermarket to get ingredients for a last meal, or go round their mums for a mock-up Christmas dinner apparently. I am happy to excuse a films low budget, but a lack of ambition cannot be forgiven. I'm sure some people who have watched this (there must be half a dozen of them on this planet somewhere) will point to the fact that it is an understated look at people's need to find some connection with their fellow man. That not all films need lightening pace, witty dialogue or kooky charm. But in the absence of big bangs and loud explosions you need to have some kind of charm or humour, even a subtle sense of dread to make a film like this work.
10 minutes into this film I was bored. It had none of the above I'm afraid. I wanted to like it but the lead actors lack of any kind of charm made it really difficult to care that the world was about to end. Anyone who has been in Play night club in Swansea will probably know this feeling! The closest thing to a likeable character was ginger love machine Alex who resolves to fulfil all of his ambitions, sexual of course. Ironically he would probably have enjoyed Play.
I feel it is my responsibility to watch a wide variety of films on this little journey, so I am glad I gave this a go and made it to the end, much like the people must have been glad it was ending in this piss boring town (sorry, that was the last bad pun I promise). What started as a great idea shrivelled into a poor attempt to show peoples need for a human connection, no matter how fleeting.
Best to give this one a miss in my opinion.
3/10
I found this Canadian film on Film4. Imagine it is your last night on earth. What would you do? As far as I am aware I have never seen a Canadian film. I know the Southpark writers are Canadian (does that mean Team America: World Police is a Canadian film? Disregard the previous if that is the case.) The description promised "a very different group of individuals with very different ideas of how to face the end" (thanks to IMDB.com). I thought I had to give this a go, it sounded pretty far from your typical Hollywood blockbuster.
My mind wandered as I sat to watch the credits. Seeing the possibilities of a world without hope. People without any fear of a tomorrow that will never come. I saw riotous street gangs, unashamed debauchery and desperate acts from desperate people. Maybe I had just been watching the news too much recently! The idea of a world that you knew was going to end in 6 hours really caught my imagination. People can be bad enough when there is accountability, but take all consequence away...
Well if you take away a Canadian's accountability they go to the supermarket to get ingredients for a last meal, or go round their mums for a mock-up Christmas dinner apparently. I am happy to excuse a films low budget, but a lack of ambition cannot be forgiven. I'm sure some people who have watched this (there must be half a dozen of them on this planet somewhere) will point to the fact that it is an understated look at people's need to find some connection with their fellow man. That not all films need lightening pace, witty dialogue or kooky charm. But in the absence of big bangs and loud explosions you need to have some kind of charm or humour, even a subtle sense of dread to make a film like this work.
10 minutes into this film I was bored. It had none of the above I'm afraid. I wanted to like it but the lead actors lack of any kind of charm made it really difficult to care that the world was about to end. Anyone who has been in Play night club in Swansea will probably know this feeling! The closest thing to a likeable character was ginger love machine Alex who resolves to fulfil all of his ambitions, sexual of course. Ironically he would probably have enjoyed Play.
I feel it is my responsibility to watch a wide variety of films on this little journey, so I am glad I gave this a go and made it to the end, much like the people must have been glad it was ending in this piss boring town (sorry, that was the last bad pun I promise). What started as a great idea shrivelled into a poor attempt to show peoples need for a human connection, no matter how fleeting.
Best to give this one a miss in my opinion.
3/10
Friday, 12 August 2011
Super 8 (2011)
Considering my nostalgic mood I got a bit excited when I read about Super 8.
Spielberg produced, directed by that JJ Abrams bloke that did Lost and Startrek! Couldn't be bad could it? Also it was my first trip to the cinema in a depressingly long time. I was starting to feel like a big kid already.
Me and Soph started with possibly my favourite part of going to the cinema... guess the ads! You must have played that as a kid. Watching cluelessly as a loud flashy music video looking stream of images bash your eyeballs. Then you see the brand logo on screen and both shout out FORD!! followed by a few F*%$s and T!£*s as you realise it’s a draw. Never mind, on to the next ad. So after annoying the people around us with our giggles and cursing the film started.
Bloody hell what a slow and depressing start. But I'm getting ahead of myself. Now for the film review bit.
Super 8 is set in 1979 in small town America. It follows high school kid Joe Lamb and his group of misfit friends as they try to make a zombie movie on a Super 8 camcorder. Charles is the bossy Orson Wells wannabe director, Cary the nutty, braces wearing explosives nut and Martin the nice but dim leading man of their little production. I’m sure there was another friend but I can't quite remember what he did... And then there is Alice, troubled and sad, who steals our little Joe's heart.
There is more than a touch of The Goonies about the group, or possibly Stand By Me. The film geeks will instantly spot a couple of flattering homages throughout.
Following the above mentioned slow start the film really begins when the group are out shooting a scene one night and capture a huge train crash on film. Soon their quiet town is swarmed with mysterious air force men and strange goings on.
The main story might annoy a few people but I was too charmed by the boys banter and the films friendly style to care really. It never gets close to the manic boisterousness and pure chemistry of the kids in The Goonies but there are some really good scenes of childish bickering that made me smile.
As the town goes mad and events spiral way past the control of a group of children I really did start to feel for them. Some decent performances from Joe (Joel Courtney) and Alice (Elle Fanning) really hold things together. Also Charles (Riley Griffiths) has some good moments. Stick around while the credits are rolling for probably my favourite part of the film!
There is clearly an attempt by Abrams to pay homage to some great films from the past, for which I salute him. Strands of ET, The Goonies, Stand By Me and Night of the Living Dead among others are obvious yet it never quite captures the magic of these. I did leave the cinema with a smile on my face and a tinge of melancholy nostalgia for a long gone childhood. When you could spend all summer running around obsessed with the latest film you had seen (I wanted to be in Highlander sooo much one time I spent months sparring with bamboo canes with my friend shouting "there can be only one!") The boy’s obsession with making their movie really brought that home.
Far from perfect but very likeable.
7/10.
Spielberg produced, directed by that JJ Abrams bloke that did Lost and Startrek! Couldn't be bad could it? Also it was my first trip to the cinema in a depressingly long time. I was starting to feel like a big kid already.
Me and Soph started with possibly my favourite part of going to the cinema... guess the ads! You must have played that as a kid. Watching cluelessly as a loud flashy music video looking stream of images bash your eyeballs. Then you see the brand logo on screen and both shout out FORD!! followed by a few F*%$s and T!£*s as you realise it’s a draw. Never mind, on to the next ad. So after annoying the people around us with our giggles and cursing the film started.
Bloody hell what a slow and depressing start. But I'm getting ahead of myself. Now for the film review bit.
Super 8 is set in 1979 in small town America. It follows high school kid Joe Lamb and his group of misfit friends as they try to make a zombie movie on a Super 8 camcorder. Charles is the bossy Orson Wells wannabe director, Cary the nutty, braces wearing explosives nut and Martin the nice but dim leading man of their little production. I’m sure there was another friend but I can't quite remember what he did... And then there is Alice, troubled and sad, who steals our little Joe's heart.
There is more than a touch of The Goonies about the group, or possibly Stand By Me. The film geeks will instantly spot a couple of flattering homages throughout.
Following the above mentioned slow start the film really begins when the group are out shooting a scene one night and capture a huge train crash on film. Soon their quiet town is swarmed with mysterious air force men and strange goings on.
The main story might annoy a few people but I was too charmed by the boys banter and the films friendly style to care really. It never gets close to the manic boisterousness and pure chemistry of the kids in The Goonies but there are some really good scenes of childish bickering that made me smile.
As the town goes mad and events spiral way past the control of a group of children I really did start to feel for them. Some decent performances from Joe (Joel Courtney) and Alice (Elle Fanning) really hold things together. Also Charles (Riley Griffiths) has some good moments. Stick around while the credits are rolling for probably my favourite part of the film!
There is clearly an attempt by Abrams to pay homage to some great films from the past, for which I salute him. Strands of ET, The Goonies, Stand By Me and Night of the Living Dead among others are obvious yet it never quite captures the magic of these. I did leave the cinema with a smile on my face and a tinge of melancholy nostalgia for a long gone childhood. When you could spend all summer running around obsessed with the latest film you had seen (I wanted to be in Highlander sooo much one time I spent months sparring with bamboo canes with my friend shouting "there can be only one!") The boy’s obsession with making their movie really brought that home.
Far from perfect but very likeable.
7/10.
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