The Wrestler @ IMDB
The end of 2008 seems to have been all about the underdog and comebacks. No more so than with Mickey Rourke and his starring role in this new film from Darren Arronofsky. The buzz surrounding this film has been immense. Considering that Arronosky's films tend to fly under the radar* this is a bit surprising.
The subject matter as well isn't necessarily something that would draw in the widest audience. Rourke stars as Randy The Ram, a professional wrestler who was once one the biggest stars in the industry. Now he's reduced to wrestling in school halls for a handful of notes.
As a wrestling fan, the film is a great look behind the curtain. Seeing the 'opponents' talking through the matches before they start, deciding on moves and how best to get the crowd excited is fascinating. It reminds me of a wrestling documentary called Beyond The Mat, it really is a warts and all view of the life of a wrestler.
And Rourke really goes for it. It is a really brave and raw performance, he becomes this tragic, battered survivor who can't let go of the memory of the good times.
This isn't to say that Rourke carries the film, the support around him doesn't let the side down either. Marissa Tomei is just as good as Rourke in her role as The Ram's potential girlfriend.
It's not perfect, some scenes seem to be there just so they can be shown as Oscar clips and the wrestling scenes may be too brutal for some. Some may have issues with the ending as well.
But it's an undeniably great film with one of the best central performances of the last year.
In a word? Powerful.
Tuesday, January 27, 2009
Monday, January 26, 2009
I've got 99 problems but the INQ1 ain't one of them. Ish.
So I've got a new phone and a contract with 3. The phone I went for was an INQ1 which has been tagged as the Facebook phone, which is ironic becuase since getting it the thing I've accessed the most on it is Twitter.
But anyway, I like the phone. It's got a nice sturdy feel, the screen is nice and, for the money, has got a lot of functionality.
There are only two problems:
1) The camera. It's shit. Really bad. It's 3.2mp but the pictures come out blurry and really dark if you're inside. Natural sunlight pics aren't too bad but inside, not good at all.
2) The calendar. It's shit. Doesn't work. Not great.
Other than that, good times.
The Annual Late Review of The Year
BEST FILM OF 2008
For an actual piece of cinema, has to be There Will Be Blood. For a film that made me as giddy as a schoolgirl, Cloverfield.
BEST BOOK I READ IN 2008
Didn't read many new books this year but The Marvel Chronicles is amazing.
BEST MUSIC OF 2008
For new music it would be Cage The Elephant which lept to the top of my iTunes most played list. For music I've discovered this year it would have to be finding Baby Huey thanks to the JCVD trailer.
BEST COMIC OF 2008
Have been enjoying Mark Millar's Old Man Logan run on Wolverine, All Star Superman was simply astounding, Kick Ass has been Kick Ass (sorry) and you know what? I liked Secret Invasion. Sue me.
BEST FILM TREND OF 2008
Kick ass end credits.
Seem to have seen a lot of these this year, a stand out being the end of Tropic Thunder. But it's not just action films, Wall-E's were top drawer as well. More of this please.
Saturday, January 24, 2009
Film review: Valkyrie
Valkyrie @ IMDB
Fresh from his film stealing role in Tropic Thunder, Tom Cruise now returns to familiar territory in this historical action thriller about the failed assassination of Adolf Hitler.
Woah! Spollers!
Seriously though, if that sentence spoiled the film for you then you need help.
This film had a notoriously troubled production. It's pretty much a comeback film for both Cruise and the Director Brian Singer* so a lot was riding on it.
Overall, it pretty much hits the mark. It's nothing special but it's a good solid thriller that rarely disappoints.
The main issue people seem to be having with this film is that despite being set in German everyone speaks in American/English accents. This is a tricky topic. Yes, the real way it should have been done is in German with subtitles. This sometimes works** but will alienate a large audience. A bit of consistency would have been nice though, because you have the majority of people using there own accents then up pops Eddie Izzard with a German accent last seen in 'AlloAllo '.
If you can ignore this, then the film is enjoyable. While not Singer's best work the pacing is good and it is quite nail biting in parts. It's a good ensemble cast as well.
Well worth your time.
In a word? Erfreulich.
* Jumping on sofas and Superman Returns. You can figure out which is which.
** See Mel Gibson's recent output, both in foreign (and dead) languages.
Fresh from his film stealing role in Tropic Thunder, Tom Cruise now returns to familiar territory in this historical action thriller about the failed assassination of Adolf Hitler.
Woah! Spollers!
Seriously though, if that sentence spoiled the film for you then you need help.
This film had a notoriously troubled production. It's pretty much a comeback film for both Cruise and the Director Brian Singer* so a lot was riding on it.
Overall, it pretty much hits the mark. It's nothing special but it's a good solid thriller that rarely disappoints.
The main issue people seem to be having with this film is that despite being set in German everyone speaks in American/English accents. This is a tricky topic. Yes, the real way it should have been done is in German with subtitles. This sometimes works** but will alienate a large audience. A bit of consistency would have been nice though, because you have the majority of people using there own accents then up pops Eddie Izzard with a German accent last seen in 'AlloAllo '.
If you can ignore this, then the film is enjoyable. While not Singer's best work the pacing is good and it is quite nail biting in parts. It's a good ensemble cast as well.
Well worth your time.
In a word? Erfreulich.
* Jumping on sofas and Superman Returns. You can figure out which is which.
** See Mel Gibson's recent output, both in foreign (and dead) languages.
Friday, January 23, 2009
Film review: Slumdog Millionaire
Slumdog Millionaire @ IMDB
Danny Boyle is a pretty eclectic film maker. He's gone from zombie apocalypse to space epic to a tale of a poverty stricken child in Mumbai.
Very eclectic.
There has been a lot of buzz surrounding this film, despite the fact that a while go it nearly lost it's American distributor. One thing has helped it attract a larger audience that might otherwise be scared off by the subject matter is that it's got an accessible hook: Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?
The film begins with our main character, who is one question away from winning the main prize, being interrogated. Why? Because he's a slumdog, an uneducated orphan from the slums. How can someone with his background possibly get so many questions right? He must be cheating. Mustn't he?
The marketing to this film should be ignored because, as the opening sequence demonstrates, this film is not Mamma Mia. This is at times an unflinchingly brutal journey through poverty and hardship.
So how does this reconcile with the feel good tone implied by the poster? Basically, the film and the main characters earns it. He suffers through the film and has to earn any happiness.
The acting is top notch, no one lets the side down. The characters are interesting, despite a couple of clichéd moments with the older brother. And all through the film you have the thrust of the Millionaire show pulling you through. You wouldn't have thought that a quiz show would have worked so well on the big screen but the natural tension in the format is magnified. It is nail biting towards the end.
Let's be honest, the film is full of co-incidences and quirks of fate. But it doesn't feel forced, like in something like Signs. It's feels natural, it feels right. You can sit there and say "Oh, that wouldn't happen in real life" but that's not the point. In fact, if you do, it says more about you than the film.
Great looking film, great soundtrack, great story, great acting. It barely puts a foot wrong.
In a word? Great.
Danny Boyle is a pretty eclectic film maker. He's gone from zombie apocalypse to space epic to a tale of a poverty stricken child in Mumbai.
Very eclectic.
There has been a lot of buzz surrounding this film, despite the fact that a while go it nearly lost it's American distributor. One thing has helped it attract a larger audience that might otherwise be scared off by the subject matter is that it's got an accessible hook: Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?
The film begins with our main character, who is one question away from winning the main prize, being interrogated. Why? Because he's a slumdog, an uneducated orphan from the slums. How can someone with his background possibly get so many questions right? He must be cheating. Mustn't he?
The marketing to this film should be ignored because, as the opening sequence demonstrates, this film is not Mamma Mia. This is at times an unflinchingly brutal journey through poverty and hardship.
So how does this reconcile with the feel good tone implied by the poster? Basically, the film and the main characters earns it. He suffers through the film and has to earn any happiness.
The acting is top notch, no one lets the side down. The characters are interesting, despite a couple of clichéd moments with the older brother. And all through the film you have the thrust of the Millionaire show pulling you through. You wouldn't have thought that a quiz show would have worked so well on the big screen but the natural tension in the format is magnified. It is nail biting towards the end.
Let's be honest, the film is full of co-incidences and quirks of fate. But it doesn't feel forced, like in something like Signs. It's feels natural, it feels right. You can sit there and say "Oh, that wouldn't happen in real life" but that's not the point. In fact, if you do, it says more about you than the film.
Great looking film, great soundtrack, great story, great acting. It barely puts a foot wrong.
In a word? Great.
Thursday, January 22, 2009
Saturday, January 17, 2009
Film review: Igor
Igor @ IMDB
As previously mentioned, everyone wants a piece of the animated kids film pie. Now we have The Weinsteins, known more for their indie flavoured movies and Oscar baiting attempts at serious cinema, sticking their oar in to the kids market.
Give it it's due, it's not following the usual cute animal path. Here we have Igor, part of a society of Mad Scientists who create evil inventions for a yearly contest which is used to blackmail the rest of the world into paying money for so the scientists don't unleash the inventions on the world.
But only mad scientists can create inventions, not Igors. However, one Igor has got an idea...
So we're in Tim Burton/Nightmare Before Christmas territory. This isn't necessarily a bad thing but it doesn't push as far as a Burton film would. It's very much a kids film despite the 'shocks' that it creates. It keeps to mawkish sentimentality rather than the subversive atmosphere of something like Nightmare Before Christmas.
This lack of effort goes into the voice acting as well, as several name actors phone in their performances for an easy pay day. It's obvious in it's themes (everyone is special! Yawn.) and lazy in it's plotting.
It's not that it's bad, it's just in that horrible section of kids films that don't try. Which seems to be in the majority these days.
In a word? Lazy.
As previously mentioned, everyone wants a piece of the animated kids film pie. Now we have The Weinsteins, known more for their indie flavoured movies and Oscar baiting attempts at serious cinema, sticking their oar in to the kids market.
Give it it's due, it's not following the usual cute animal path. Here we have Igor, part of a society of Mad Scientists who create evil inventions for a yearly contest which is used to blackmail the rest of the world into paying money for so the scientists don't unleash the inventions on the world.
But only mad scientists can create inventions, not Igors. However, one Igor has got an idea...
So we're in Tim Burton/Nightmare Before Christmas territory. This isn't necessarily a bad thing but it doesn't push as far as a Burton film would. It's very much a kids film despite the 'shocks' that it creates. It keeps to mawkish sentimentality rather than the subversive atmosphere of something like Nightmare Before Christmas.
This lack of effort goes into the voice acting as well, as several name actors phone in their performances for an easy pay day. It's obvious in it's themes (everyone is special! Yawn.) and lazy in it's plotting.
It's not that it's bad, it's just in that horrible section of kids films that don't try. Which seems to be in the majority these days.
In a word? Lazy.
Sunday, January 04, 2009
Film Review: The Spirit
The Spirit @ IMDB
Frank Miller is a funny old sort. A giant in the comics field, he reinvigorated Daredevil and then redefined Batman. And then he went nuts.
I'm getting ahead of myself. Frank Miller and Hollywood didn't have a great start to their relationship. He wrote the script for RoboCop 2 which was gutted by the studio and drove him away from that industry. Which made Sin City, the film he co-directed based on his series of comics, such a surprise. It took the hard boiled comic book milieu developed by Miller and made it a visually stunning and influential movie.
This, then, is Miller's solo debut. He has taken the character of The Spirit, created by comic legend Will Eisner, and reimagined it. The Spirit is an ex-cop who was shot, died and came back to life. He now defends his city and tries to find out exactly what he is.
Basically? Sin City 1.5.
That shouldn't be a bad thing but the problem here, which is a problem with a lot of Miller's work, is the tone. Sin City, for all it's gruff noir craziness, plays it mostly straight. Sure you get characters that do things that are way over the top but at it's core it's a straight noir.
But The Spirit goes off the deep end. It's meant to be superhero noir but when you get characters literally hitting each other with the kitchen sink it's becomes something else entirely.
Gabriel Macht, as the Spirit, gets the idea. He's all gruff and bluster and not an issue there. We also have a raft of femme fatales thrown at the screen with various degrees of success. The problem here is that none of them really get a chance to breathe, a couple could have been trimmed and the film wouldn't have suffered.
And then there is Samuel L Jackson. He is The Octopus, The Spirit's arch nemesis.
HE.
IS.
MENTAL.
Proper, off the deep end, mental. Insane. It's such a bizarre crazy role. But it doesn't belong in this film, to be honest I'm not sure where it belongs but it's not here. It should almost be in a film by itself.
And that's the problem; the film is a great mix of ideas that don't really gel. The voiceovers drag down the pace, the flashbacks to The Spirit's youth drag it down even more. It's a shame because when the film works it's great. It needed someone like Robert Rodriguez there to keep the film on track, like with Sin City.
Close but no cigar.
In a word? Mental.
Frank Miller is a funny old sort. A giant in the comics field, he reinvigorated Daredevil and then redefined Batman. And then he went nuts.
I'm getting ahead of myself. Frank Miller and Hollywood didn't have a great start to their relationship. He wrote the script for RoboCop 2 which was gutted by the studio and drove him away from that industry. Which made Sin City, the film he co-directed based on his series of comics, such a surprise. It took the hard boiled comic book milieu developed by Miller and made it a visually stunning and influential movie.
This, then, is Miller's solo debut. He has taken the character of The Spirit, created by comic legend Will Eisner, and reimagined it. The Spirit is an ex-cop who was shot, died and came back to life. He now defends his city and tries to find out exactly what he is.
Basically? Sin City 1.5.
That shouldn't be a bad thing but the problem here, which is a problem with a lot of Miller's work, is the tone. Sin City, for all it's gruff noir craziness, plays it mostly straight. Sure you get characters that do things that are way over the top but at it's core it's a straight noir.
But The Spirit goes off the deep end. It's meant to be superhero noir but when you get characters literally hitting each other with the kitchen sink it's becomes something else entirely.
Gabriel Macht, as the Spirit, gets the idea. He's all gruff and bluster and not an issue there. We also have a raft of femme fatales thrown at the screen with various degrees of success. The problem here is that none of them really get a chance to breathe, a couple could have been trimmed and the film wouldn't have suffered.
And then there is Samuel L Jackson. He is The Octopus, The Spirit's arch nemesis.
HE.
IS.
MENTAL.
Proper, off the deep end, mental. Insane. It's such a bizarre crazy role. But it doesn't belong in this film, to be honest I'm not sure where it belongs but it's not here. It should almost be in a film by itself.
And that's the problem; the film is a great mix of ideas that don't really gel. The voiceovers drag down the pace, the flashbacks to The Spirit's youth drag it down even more. It's a shame because when the film works it's great. It needed someone like Robert Rodriguez there to keep the film on track, like with Sin City.
Close but no cigar.
In a word? Mental.
Saturday, January 03, 2009
Oh, alright, THIS is the film I'm most looking forward to
A new Sam Raimi horror film.
Yes please.
Some more update will follow shortly, including several film reviews that have stacked up.
If I can be bothered, naturally.
Yes please.
Some more update will follow shortly, including several film reviews that have stacked up.
If I can be bothered, naturally.
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