Movies | the m0vie blog

Non-Review Review: Footloose (2011)

Posted on October 11, 2011 by Darren

Footloose is a strange beast. On one hand, it copies huge swathes of text from the original film, with lines spoken almost verbatim. On the other hand, the movie has the courage of its convictions, daring to update the story for modern times, adding quite a bit of modern subtext to the film. I think this approach is part of the reason the film works so well, but also its chief weakness. For all its clever insights and wonderful thoughts on the cost of security, it does wind up feeling just a tad heavy-handed. Still, it’s perhaps the best “dance” movie I’ve seen since the original 1984 version, so it must be doing something right.

Everybody cut loose!

Continue reading →

Filed under: Non-Review Reviews | Tagged: boston, Brewer, Craig Brewer, Dennis Quaid, Footloose, john lithgow, Kenny Wormald, kevin bacon, non-review review, Ren, review | 2 Comments »

Tinkers, Tailors: The Phantom of the Prestigious Sequel…

Posted on October 10, 2011 by Darren

If rumours are to be believed, Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy is such a dramatic success that discussions have begun about a possible sequel, with Gary Oldman even chiming in that a follow-up might do well to adapt both The Honourable Schoolboy and Smiley’s People into a single film – reducing leCarré’s trilogy to a duology. Still, even if there’s only one more film produced, the news can’t help but seem a little strange: after all, it’s very intellectual material for a Hollywood franchise, isn’t it?

Every right to be Smiley...

Continue reading →

Filed under: Movies | Tagged: blockbusters, box office, Christopher Nolan, franchises, gary oldman, George Smiley, hollywood, Honourable Schoolboy, sequels, Smiley's People, The Honourable Schoolboy, Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy, Tomas Alfredson | 4 Comments »

Non-Review Review: The Remains of the Day

Posted on October 10, 2011 by Darren

It’s a sad truth that Emma Thompson and Anthony Hopkins are rarely handed roles that allow them to demonstrate their true abilities. The Remains of the Day is an absolutely stunning period drama from Merchant Ivory (which sounds far more impressive than any functional “combination of last names” really should). It’s a rather beautiful look at the classically romantic British character, but also an absolutely scathing attack upon it. It’s a brilliant examination of the inherent tragedy of the stereotypical British detachment, the capacity to maintain emotional distance in order to endure whatever life has to offer. Mister Stevens is the quintessential English butler, but he’s also one of the most tragic central characters I think I’ve seen in quite some time.

All that Remains...

Continue reading →

Filed under: Non-Review Reviews | Tagged: anthony hopkins, Benn, christopher reeve, emma thompson, film, mister stevens, non-review review, Remains of the Day, review, richard donner, Steven, The Remains of the Day, Versailles Treaty, world war ii | 2 Comments »

Steve Jobs & Pixar…

Posted on October 6, 2011 by Darren

A lot of people have already written a lot of very thoughtful and inspiring pieces about Steve Jobs, and what the inventor means to the world. Technology experts, heads of industry, world leaders, columnists, celebrities… everybody seems to have an opinion or an anecdote about the man who made Apple possible. I honestly don’t feel like there’s too much I can add to a conversation occurring all over the world about a man who revolutionised what we thought was possible in terms of media and connectivity through the iPhone and countless other innovations. Still, I can’t help but think of Pixar when I think of Jobs, and I think the animation studio stands as a testament to one of his innate abilities, one that was just as important as his drive for new ideas and his insights into technology: Jobs had that unique ability to spot and judge potential from a distance, and I think it would be unfair not to consider Pixar when discussing the inventor’s legacy.

Continue reading →

Filed under: Movies | Tagged: Apple, Christmas Carol, computer animation, george lucas, iphone, pixar, Polar Express, Steve Job, Steve Jobs RIP | 4 Comments »

5% Solution: Why the Oscars’ New First-Preference Rule is a Step in the Wrong Direction…

Posted on October 6, 2011 by Darren

We’re officially out of the summer blockbuster season, which might lead you to believe that it was time for us film folk to have a bit of a rest. After all, we’ve been yammering on about “box office this” and “3D that” for quite some time now, and it makes sense we’d use the lull to compose ourselves. Of course, we can’t – it’s time to start Oscar-speculating. Because I’m situated in Ireland, there’s no point in me putting together a list of potential nominees, as it would just involve plagiarising countless individuals far more informed than myself. However, I have been thinking quite a bit about the latest amendment to the Academy’s infamous “ten nominees” amendment to their Best Picture nomination process: whereby every nominee will now be required to have at least 5% of the first preference votes. The more I think about it, the more I don’t like it.

Not quite the gold standard anymore?

Continue reading →

Filed under: Movies | Tagged: Academy Award, Academy Award for Best Picture, Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, best picture nominees, black swan, Christopher Nolan, first preferences, five percent. 5%, King's Speech, oscar, Social Network, toy story 3, voting | 4 Comments »

Non-Review Review: The Three Musketeers (2011)

Posted on October 5, 2011 by Darren

“Guilty pleasure.” That’s a phrase that feels strangely appropriate when referring to Paul W.S. Anderson’s The Three Musketeers. It’s silly and daft, and has two fairly fundamental flaws, on top of the cheesiness that’s going to divide audiences straight down the middle. However, despite these fairly central and hard-to-avoid problems, it also features a knowing self-awareness, an appealingly straight-forward approach to the fact that is so very silly, a (mostly) great cast and some rather wonderful steam-punk production design. It’s not going to appeal to everybody, but I actually warmed quite a bit to it.

Four of a kind?

Continue reading →

Filed under: Non-Review Reviews | Tagged: action, adventure, Alexandre Dumas, camp, cheesy, christoph waltz, films, Logan Lerman, milla jovovich, Movies, non-review review, Orlando Bloom, Paul W.S. Anderson, Ray Stevenson, review, The Three Musketeers, Three Musketeers | Leave a comment »

Non-Review Review: Snake Eyes

Posted on October 4, 2011 by Darren

Snake Eyes could have been a much better movie than it ultimately turned out be. Brian De Palma can be a frustratingly uneven filmmaker, but the basic premise of the movie isn’t sort of promise. A murder mystery and conspiracy thriller in a crowded auditorium, with the investigating officer a corrupt cop? That’s a fairly interesting hook right there, even before you add Nicolas Cage and Gary Sinise to the mix. Unfortunately, the movie never seems entirely sure what it wants to be, ultimately serving as a random mish-mash of different elements that never add up to a conclusive whole.

In the Nic of time...

Continue reading →

Filed under: Non-Review Reviews | Tagged: Brian De Palma, Cage, Conspiracy fiction, De Palma, film, Gary Sinise, Movie, nicolas cage, non-review review, review, Snake Eyes | Leave a comment »

Best Indecision Ever! Movie Reviewers & Fear of Absolutes…

Posted on October 3, 2011 by Darren

I had the pleasure of catching Midnight in Paris at the weekend, and I liked it. I really liked it. I confessed in my review that I thought it was Woody Allen’s best film of the past decade, and – as I left the cinema – I found myself wondering if perhaps it was the best of Allen’s films that I’ve seen. I’ll freely concede that I have yet to work my way through the director’s extensive filmography, but I have been a lot of his more famous and celebrated films like Annie Hall or Manhattan. Still, I feel reluctant to say that, which is admittedly quite strange. I am a movie reviewer (or, if you’ll allow me a hint of pretension, a “critic”) why am I so scared of superlatives?

Simply the best?

Continue reading →

Filed under: Movies | Tagged: Allen, Annie Hall, best, brazil, criticism, film, Manhattan, Midnight in Paris, paris, praise, review, reviews, Woody Allen | 4 Comments »

Non-Review Review: The Inbetweeners

Posted on October 3, 2011 by Darren

In fairness to The Inbetweeners, it’s relatively smartly written, well-acted by the cast involved, and entertaining – if incredibly predictable. However, I can’t help but wonder if it feels already outdated – the concept of a bunch of young British males heading to an exotic Mediterranean island as a hedonistic paradise is the kind of thing that already felt old-fashioned when shows like Ibiza Uncovered were all the rage in the late nineties, and we’ve already seen any number of movies on the topic, with Kevin and Perry Go Largeeven adapted from another British television show. The Inbetweeners has enough charm to make it almost to the end, but it just feels much more generic than it really ought to.

Not so fab four...

Continue reading →

Filed under: Non-Review Reviews | Tagged: arts, Channel 4, film, films, Ibiza, Inbetweeners, Kevin & Perry Go Large, Mediterranean Sea, Movies, non-review review, review, The Inbetweeners | Leave a comment »

Non-Review Review: Midnight in Paris

Posted on October 2, 2011 by Darren

A special thanks to the IFI for sneaking us into an advance screening. If you’re interested, they’re hosting a season of actors-turned-directors through October, with Woody Allen’s Purple Rose of Cairo among those screening.

“You inhabit two worlds. So far, I see nothing strange.”

“Of course, you’re a Surrealist.”

– Man Ray takes Gil’s time-traveling confession quite well

Woody Allen has, to a greater or lesser extent, been heavily influenced by Europe in the past few years. Ignoring Whatever Works, he’s clearly been inspired by the great European cities. Vicky Christina Barcelona is perhaps the most obvious, if only because it was perhaps the most critically and commercially successful, but London has also produced works as diverse as Match Point and You Will Meet A Tall Dark Stranger. Still, if you’re going to work with the major European cities, it seems pointless to avoid Paris, the city of lights and lovers, home to generations of artists for decades upon decades, it has earned a reputation as one of the most powerful and inspiring locations on the face of the planet. Allen does his subject proud, producing what is certainly his best film since his trip to Barcelona, and one I’d rank considerably higher in my own estimation. It seems that even the cynical Woody Allen can become something of a romantic in Paris.