Movie | the m0vie blog

Non-Review Review: Flightplan

Posted on June 23, 2011 by Darren

Truth be told, I think part of the reason I have a soft spot for Flightplan is simply because Jodie Foster doesn’t make enough films. She’s an actress who devotes so little time to major releases of late that each of her movies is a gem of itself. That’s not to argue that she shouldn’t spend time with her family or pursue other interests, it’s just an acknowledgement that she’s really one of the best actresses working today and – sadly – works all too infrequently. She’s an actress who can add a high level of quality to what might otherwise be a mundane production, and here she manages to turn a rather disappointing thriller into an enjoyable hour-and-a-half of entertainment.

Aisle watch Jodie Foster in anything...

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Filed under: Non-Review Reviews | Tagged: arts, British English, conspiracy, crazy, films, Flightplan, imaginary, jodie foster, kidnapping, Movie, Movies, non-review review, panic room, peter saarsgard, Peter Sarsgaard, review, sean bean, timothy dalton | 4 Comments »

Non-Review Review: Shelter

Posted on June 21, 2011 by Darren

Shelteris a horror with an intriguing original premise. However, it’s also packed with tonnes of other premises, some of which are remotely interesting, while others are quite mundane. It’s an uneven film, which actually works best when it paces itself more as a thriller or a mystery than an out-and-out horror, but there are weaker choices out there.

Psyche!

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Filed under: Non-Review Reviews | Tagged: arts, Dissociative identity disorder, film, gillian anderson, Horror film, Jonathan Rhys-Meyers, Julianne Moore, Movie, murder, non-review review, review, sam raimi, shelter, shelter (movie) | Leave a comment »

Non-Review Review: Death at a Funeral

Posted on June 16, 2011 by Darren

I think the charm of Death at a Funeralis the fact that it feels very much like a classic comedy of errors. Sure, there are some scatological moments thrown in, but it really feels like an old-fashioned slapstick comedy of manners, based around putting its characters through a variety of hilariously awkward little subplots, playing out against the backdrop of what should be a classy and respectful family occasion. If nothing else, the movie is a charming and affectionate homage to that style of comedy I had feared might be dearly departed.

A grave matter...

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Filed under: Non-Review Reviews | Tagged: Chris Rock, Danny Glover, Death at a Funeral, film, james marsden, Keith David, Luke Wilson, martin lawrence, Movie, Neil LaBute, non-review review, review, Ron Glass, zoe saldana | Leave a comment »

Secret Shame: Classic Films We Haven’t Seen…

Posted on June 14, 2011 by Darren

One of the things about having a blog is the fact it takes a significant amount of self-confidence to publish. I mean, even if you’re just doing it for own sake, it still takes a great deal of faith to put something out there for others to see and read. To be honest, I’m not sure I properly consider myself a “critic” and certainly not an “expert”, at least not in a sense that requires big inverted commas. I don’t like to think that I make statements of cinema, and I hope (perhaps with a hint of arrogance) that I might contribute in some way to some discussion about cinema somewhere. Still, I’m always a little bit embarrassed at all the great films I haven’t seen. I feel like it diminishes me in some way, not even as a blogger or any nonsense like that, but as a film fan.

Getting in deep with my classic movies...

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Filed under: Movies | Tagged: apocalypse now, Apocalypse Now Redux, arts, blu ray, bluray, digital, digital television, DVD, film, godfather, HMV Group, home media, home video, mgm hd, Movie, Movies, sergio leone, vhs | 9 Comments »

Non-Review Review: Amélie

Posted on June 9, 2011 by Darren

I feel a little bit heartless in confessing this, but Amélie (or Le fabuleux destin d’Amélie Poulain, to use its original title), never really connected with me. Don’t get me wrong, I can appreciate the film’s wonderful visual style, and those amazing opening scenes with a young Amélie growing up the way she did thanks to the strange and particular set of circumstances around her, but I couldn’t maintain that emotional connection through the film. Which is a shame, because the movie is a wonderful technical accomplishment, from its heavily saturated primary colours through to its distinctive score, and the manner at which it plays with the fourth wall.

Making a splash...

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Filed under: Non-Review Reviews | Tagged: Amélie, arts, Audrey Tautou, film, Filmmaking, french cinema, Jean-Pierre Jeunet, Le fabuleux destin d'Amélie Poulain, Movie, non-review review, paris, review | 3 Comments »

Non-Review Review: Celebrity

Posted on June 7, 2011 by Darren

As I was watching Celebrity, one of Woody Allen’s mid-nineties efforts, two things ran through my head. The first was that the movie was clearly intended to explain why the director had given up on his life in America and moved overseas (sparking his creative rebirth with films like Match Point and Vicky Christina Barcelona). The second, and much more pressing, was the observation that it’s not really fair to write a character with yourself in mind and then expect Kenneth Branagh to step in and play that avatar as you. Not to diminish Branagh’s Woody Allen impression (it’s much better than one might expect), but it tends to draw attention away from the rest of the film.

Woody clearly thinks this Hollywood malarkey is bananas...

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Filed under: Non-Review Reviews | Tagged: celebrity, celebrity (1998), film, Jerry-Springer, kenneth branagh, Leonardo diCaprio, Match Point, Movie, non-review review, review, robin williams, Tony Sirico, Vicky Cristina Barcelona, Woody Allen | 2 Comments »

Non-Review Review: The Way Back

Posted on June 3, 2011 by Darren

The Way Back is an impressive technical accomplishment. Peter Weir has repeatedly demonstrated that he really is one of the very best directors working today, and that he’s a deft hand at establishing mood and atmosphere. The Way Back, the story of a prison escape from the coldest depths of Siberia, is packed with beautiful vistas – from mountains snuggled in clouds to endless desert to icy tundras – and it’s also efficient and effective. However, it seems to spend so much time on the scenery that it almost forgets about the characters.

They got snow where else to go...

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Filed under: Non-Review Reviews | Tagged: colin farrell, ed harris, escape, films, himalayas, india, Jim Sturgess, journey, mark strong, Movie, Movies, non-review review, Peter Weir, revies, saoirse ronan, siberia, Way Back | 4 Comments »

Non-Review Review: UHF

Posted on June 2, 2011 by Darren

I like “Weird” Al Yankovic. I realise that there are many people out there who don’t find his pop song mash-ups like Another One Rides The Bus, Amish Paradise, Like Surgeon or White and Nerdy to be especially funny – and there are probably as many who find these riffs on popular tracks as insanely irritating. U.H.F. (perhaps better known as “the Weird Al Yankovic movie”) isn’t likely to change anybody’s opinion of the songwriter one way or the other. Which is to say that, while I could see quite a few flaws in it, it was smart and earnest enough that I ended up quite enjoyed it.

Gunning for the classics...

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Filed under: Non-Review Reviews | Tagged: Amish Paradise, Another One Rides The Bus, arts, film, films, Kevin McCarthy, Lady Gaga, madcap, Movie, Movies, non-review review, random, review, Spatula City, u.h.f, uhf, Weird Al Yankovic, White & Nerdy | Leave a comment »

Non-Review Review: Kung-Fu Panda 2

Posted on May 31, 2011 by Darren

I think the original Kung-Fu Panda might be my favourite Dreamworks animated film. A lot of people go on and on and on about how that particular studio’s animation can be measured against that of their competitor Pixar, with arguments about intellectual and emotional maturity and sincerity. Some argue that the reason Pixar dominates their field is because they don’t treat animation as something just for children. Others suggest that they have a mathematical formula devised to break human hearts. Personally, the feeling I always got from Pixar films that I only fleetingly sensed in the work of Dreamworks, was that those creators were essentially making their dream movie – each and every Pixar film seems lovingly crafted according to a creative vision not based around the “rules” of the industry, but around good ideas and the kinds of stories those people like to tell (and like to hear). I think that is why the original Kung-Fu Panda worked so well, and also why Kung-Fu Panda 2 does such a great job as a follow-up.

They know kung-fu...

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Filed under: Non-Review Reviews | Tagged: animation, cgi, computer generated, dreamworks, film, gary oldman, jack black, jack block, James Hong, Jean-Claude Van Damme, kung-fu, kung-fu panda, kung-fu panda 2, martial arts, Movie, non-review review, panda, pixar, po, Po (Kung Fu Panda), review | 4 Comments »

Non-Review Review: X-Men – First Class

Posted on May 30, 2011 by Darren

X-Men: First Class is easily the best thing to emerge from Bryan Singer’s X-Men movie franchise since X-Men II, all those years ago. Jane Goldman’s smart script and Matthew Vaughn’s confident direction help inject life back into the franchise that stirred up this current superhero blockbuster fad, providing one of the finest examples of the subgenre. Although the movie does occasionally veer a little bit too close to (and, once or twice, right into) camp, it’s also a clever, brave, bold and exciting action adventure, which provides the best characterisation of the series to date.