Movies | the m0vie blog

Bealtaine Film Tour Schedule

Posted on April 24, 2012 by Darren

I’m always a fan of bringing cinema to as wide an audience as possible, especially to those who can’t or wouldn’t normally attend. After all, I think it’s a wonderful thing to share – but then you probably suspected as much, given you’re reading a blog about film and pop culture. Anyway, I just received the schedule for the Bealtaine 2012 festival. It celebrates creativity as we age, and involves a rich slate of cultural activities aimed at sharing culture with those who wouldn’t normally have access to it. accessCinema and the wonderful folks at the Irish Film institute (with support from Seven Seas Active 55) will be taking three films on tour, including Maggie Smith in My House in Umbria, the classic Gene Kelly film An American in Paris and the underrated Last Chance Harvey. I am quite fond of that one. For those in Dublin, the IFI will also be screening Little Miss Sunshine and Cinema Paradiso, both of which are genuine classics.

The full schedule for the May festival is below. I’d just like to reiterate how cool it is that they do this, and to encourage any readers with any elderly friends or relatives to consider checking out some of these. Visit their official website here. Continue reading →

Filed under: Movies | Tagged: art, arts, CaherciveenLibrary, Cloughjordan, CountyMuseum, dublin, last chance harvey, Maggie Smith, Maynooth, Movie, Organizations, paris, Tralee, United States | 2 Comments »

Non-Review Review: Albert Nobbs

Posted on April 24, 2012 by Darren

This film was seen as part of the Jameson Dublin International Film Festival 2012. It’s getting its Irish theatrical release this weekend, so I thought I’d re-post this one.

Albert Nobbs is a fascinating little film that plays host to two fascinating central performances. It’s no secret that the movie has been something of a passion project for Glenn Close since she first played the role on stage, and she relishes the opportunity to bring the eponymous character to the big screen. Just as impressive is Janet McTeer as her confident and an unlikely friend. However, the movie suffers a little bit from a script that offers clever and enticing symbolism and metaphor, at the expense of offering an accessible narrative.

Close call...

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Filed under: Non-Review Reviews | Tagged: Albert, Albert Nobbs, brendan gleeson, dublin, film, Glenn Close, Janet McTeer, John Banville, Mia Wasikowska, Movie, non-review review, review | Leave a comment »

Non-Review Review: Café de Flore

Posted on April 23, 2012 by Darren

Café de Flore is very much a game of two halves. The first half is almost a psychedelic stream of consciousness collecting a series of intriguing and interesting moments that seem to refuse to add up. It perfectly evokes Pink Floyd, somewhat appropriate given how frequently the movie returns to the haunting opening of Dark Side of the Moon and even incorporates the iconic prism into its logo. However, the second half not only fails to live up to the promise of the more surreal first part of the film, it comes with several worrying implications that seriously undermine what had been a fascinating meditation on the way that music shapes our experiences.

Taking steps in the right direction?

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Filed under: Non-Review Reviews | Tagged: Antoine, Café de Flore, Disc jockey, Down syndrome, Flore, Jacqueline, jean-marc vallée, johnny depp, Laurent, paris, Pink Floyd, Vanessa Paradis | Leave a comment »

That’s Just, Like, Your Opinion, Man: Movie Criticism and Subjectivity…

Posted on April 23, 2012 by Darren

What do you use movie critics for? What’s their function or role? Is there a distinction between a film reviewer and a film critic? What do their opinions or verdicts mean? It’s getting to the point where the last thing the internet needs is another pretentious self-indulgent meditation on the nature of writing about film, but I’ve been thinking about it a lot of late. The blockbuster season seems to bring with it the classic “audience against critic” debate, not that it’s ever truly gone. Even at the heights of Oscar season, the argument is bristling away in the background, as people lament the relatively low box office if critic-pleasing films like The Artist.

"Yeah, well, you know, that's just, like, your opinion, man..."

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Filed under: Movies | Tagged: armond white, art, Critic, dark knight, David Denby, film, film criticism, Hubs, Internet Movie Database, Movie, Movies, reviews, roger ebert, rotten tomatoes, Theory and Criticism, toy story 3 | 18 Comments »

Non-Review Review: The Avengers (aka Avengers Assemble)

Posted on April 20, 2012 by Darren

The Avengers has a lot of geeky charm to it – the sort of giddy “this is so cool!” spectacle that appeals to the popcorn-munching child in each of us. That’s more than enough help it coast through a somewhat muddled first act, through a stronger second act and into a truly awesome finale. I think that the carefully choreographed large-scale action sequence that caps the film off might be worth a ticket alone. While there seem to be some very fundamental problem juggling a cast this large in a movie that technically a sequel to at least four films, Joss Whedon knows his audience well enough to ensure that most of the individual moments are satisfying, even if the overall film feels a tad uneven.

Three of a kind...

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Filed under: Non-Review Reviews | Tagged: arts, Avenger, avengers, captain america, captain america: the first avenger, film, hulk, iron man, IronMan, joss whedon, loki, marvel, marvel comics, Movie, Movies, nick fury, non-review review, premiere, review, robert downey, thor, tom hiddleston, Whedon, Zak Penn | 36 Comments »

Does Cabin in the Woods Out- “Hunger Games” The Hunger Games?

Posted on April 19, 2012 by Darren

Sometimes I form weird movie connections in my head – tying two particular films together even if there’s very little common ground on which to link them. For example, I sat through quite a bit of Shame thinking of Collateral, a film linked tangentially thematically, as both offered rather scathing portraits of anomie against the backdrop of a major American city. On the other hand, I also formed a rather strong connection between the superb Cabin in the Woods and the mega blockbusting phenomenon The Hunger Games. As I watched Joss Whedon and Drew Goddard’s powerful exploration of the horror genre, I couldn’t help but feel that this was exactly what The Hunger Games wanted to be, even if the film adaptation couldn’t quite manage it.

The show must go on!

Note: This article contains some background information on Cabin in Woods. Nothing too big, but I would honestly recommend that you see the film as blind as possible. It is, by some considerable margin, one of the best films of 2012, and entirely deserving of both your time and your money. This article will still be here when you get back.

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Filed under: Movies | Tagged: Anna Hutchison, arts, battle royale, bbc, Cabin in the Woods, chris hemsworth, debate, Drew Goddard, films, Horror fiction, Hunger Games, joss whedon, meta-fiction, Movies, reviews, social commentary, Suzanne Collins, United States, Woods, Year of the Sex Olympics | 9 Comments »

Non-Review Review: Mirror, Mirror

Posted on April 18, 2012 by Darren

With Mirror, Mirror, director Tarsem Singh’s record remains unbroken. He’s still a director with a unique and appealing visual style that is struggling to find a proper output. Here, Singh’s stylish direction struggles against a somewhat tired premise and lazy script, managing to create a feast for the eyes that feels strangely lacking in substance. It’s a bit disappointing, if only because there are some interesting and fascinating ingredients, but they’re overwhelmed by tired cliché, a weak central performance, and a script that feels like it was filmed on the first draft.

Belle Swan...

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Filed under: Non-Review Reviews | Tagged: Armie Hammer, Damsel in distress, Fairy tale, film, Julia Robert, Lily Collins, mirror, mirror mirror, Movie, non-review review, Prince, Queen, Queen (band), review, Singh, snow white, Tarsem Singh | 2 Comments »

There Will Not Be Blood: Thoughts on Movie Ratings and a PC Culture…

Posted on April 17, 2012 by Darren

I feel decidedly behind the times in writing this. After all, the gigantic scuffle over the MPAA’s rating of the documentary Bully seems to have resolved itself, with both the Weinstein company and the MPAA reaching a settlement that both can agree on to get the film distributed with a rating that won’t alienate its target audience. However, I can’t help but feel like this single case of compromise managed to avoid the heart of the issue at question. By allowing this single film to slip through the net, the censorship authority avoid an actual discussion on the role and obligations of a ratings authority. It’ll only be a matter of time before another controversy erupts, and that will undoubtedly be dealt with on its own terms as well, avoiding any actual debate or discussion about how censorship bodies rate particular films.

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Filed under: Movies | Tagged: Blue Valentine (film), Bully, Child, dark knight, film, Harvey Weinstein, Hunger Games, King's Speech, motion picture association of america, Motion Picture Association of America film rating system, Movie, mpaa, political correctness, Saving Private Ryan, United States, weinstein, weinstein company | 4 Comments »

Battleship: Shred Your Street

Posted on April 17, 2012 by Darren

Hi. The guys over at Universal just sent this on. It’s a piece of viral marketing for Battleship, the blockbuster that came out last week. It’s a nifty little tool that uses google maps to simulate a Battleship-style attack on a location of your choice. It’s not half bad, and a fairly clever use of google maps. Check it out here or click the image below.

Filed under: Movies | Tagged: battleship, Brooklyn, Brooklyn Decker, Google, peter berg, Rihanna, Sydney, Taylor Kitsch | Leave a comment »

Non-Review Review: Independence Day

Posted on April 16, 2012 by Darren

I think there’s a serious argument to be made for Independence Dayas one of the truly exceptional summer blockbusters. It’s not exceptionally clever or insightful, its characters aren’t necessarily more than plot functions given life by a wonderful cast, but it has a high-octane energy and wonderful sense of tone that makes it a joy to watch. It’s cheesy enough that it never takes itself too seriously, and yet it’s efficient enough and effective enough that it never descends to the level of pure camp. It’s a deft balance, and I suspect that it might be a fluke, but I think that Independence Day remains a gleefully enjoyable guilty pleasure to this day.