Posted on March 3, 2010 by Darren
You know the kind of movie The Deal is. It’s about an over-the-hill writer who decides to screw with the Hollywood system and play it against itself, while seducing a beautiful woman and generally just being a cad. In short, it’s a movie writer’s fantasy. That’s by no means a bad thing, to be honest – when done right, you get the dark comedy Robert Altman’s The Player, a story of a writer’s revenge on a corrupt studio executive; unfortunately, when you do it wrong, you end up with a self-indulgent mess like The Deal.
Deal or no deal?
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Filed under: Non-Review Reviews | Tagged: cinema, elliott gould, films, hollywood, ll cool j, meg ryan, Movie, non-review review, review, the deal, william h. macy | Leave a comment »
Posted on February 24, 2010 by Darren
What a fantastic concept. Imagine a world where nobody lies. Now imagine a world where some cheeky bugger – oh, look, it’s Ricky Gervais, who would have thought? – invents the concept of lying, an un-truth. Doesn’t it sound like comic dynamite in the right hands? I mean, humour is always about exploring and subverting social conventions, so removing all the little ‘white lies’ must surely be the stuff of comedy gold? Not so much, it turns out.
"look into my eyes, can't you see they're open wide? Would I lie to you baby, would I lie to you?"
Note: This review will probably mention some stuff that might spoil the movie for you – in some small way. We won’t be discussing the ending or such, but there’s a significant tonal shift in the middle you might not want flagged. If you want a quick opinion on the film, here it is: it isn’t worth your time, it doesn’t go anywhere with the concept and insists upon its own brilliance just a tad too much. If you want some reasoning, read on. If not, consider yourself forewarned.
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Filed under: Non-Review Reviews | Tagged: film, Movie, non-review review, review, ricky gervais, the invention of lying | Leave a comment »
Posted on February 22, 2010 by Darren
Okay, I think we were all a little disappointed with Watchmen. Although the use of that word seems unfair. The book defined the comic book superhero genre in a way that bled into film long before the movie was made. Zach Snyder’s work seemed… redundant. Watchmen had influenced the comic books that came after and they had influenced the movies. If anything, the movie adaptation seemed much less mature and developed than the previous year’s Batman blockbuster – The Dark Knight. Publicity and reviews for this year’s Kick-Ass are beginning to emerge and it seems like it’s all good, so far. The film, along with Shutter Island, was the runaway hit of Butt-Numb-A-Thon this year, a sort of geeky Sundance. It’s an interest look at what “real” superheroes would look like, and part of me wonders if this is movie will end up being what Watchmen should have been?
Nicolas Cage's moustache could kick your ass...
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Filed under: Comics, Movies | Tagged: alan moore, comic book, film, kick-ass, kickass, mark millar, Movie, superhero, superhero films, watchmen | 2 Comments »
Posted on February 22, 2010 by Darren
I have to admit being quite impressed with Invictus. One of the benefits of living in Europe, but also one of the burdens, is that we typically have a week or two to surf the reviews of any film about to open, as it has typically been previewed (and released) in America long before it arrives on our humble shores. On one hand, this allows us to make carefully considered film choices, but it also means that our optimism for an upcoming release can be bashed against the rocks of poor critical acclaim. Invictus didn’t secure a Best Picture nomination and it didn’t exactly blow the socks off reviewers. I know that a reviewer should go in to a darkened cinema leaving all expectations and preconceptions aside, but unfortunately this is the real world. Invictus isn’t a cinematic classic, nor the highpoint of anyone’s filmography, but it is a solidly constructed sports and politics epic with a superb leading performance and a skilled hand behind the camera.
Nelson Mandela - Nobel laureate, South African President, Springboks manager...
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Filed under: Non-Review Reviews | Tagged: Clint Eastwood, film, invictus, matt damon, Morgan Freeman, Movie, nelson mandela, non-review review, Oscars, review, south africa, springboks | Leave a comment »
Posted on February 18, 2010 by Darren
I remember announcing last year that Captain America: The First Avenger was the movie in the Marvel canon I was most anticipating over the next few years. Well, it looks like the gods of movie-making are out to smite me for my doubts about Jon Favreau and Kenneth Branagh by giving me a taste of what exactly director Joe Johnston has in mind for the erstwhile superhero and super-patriot. I have to admit – after thinking about Iron Man 2 and reading all the casting and discussion on Thor – that this take on Captain America seems rather… mundane. To say the least.
He can punch Hitler in the face, but can he manage a chorus line?
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Filed under: Movies | Tagged: adaptation, captain america, captain america: the first avenger, ed brubkaer, film, joe johnston, marvel, Movie, the avengers, the first avenger: captain america, the red skull, uso | 1 Comment »
Posted on February 11, 2010 by Darren
The Ruins is a decent enough little horror movie. In fact, it’s a cut above the average mould. Eschewing the torture porn or the gratuitous slasher movies, The Ruins is – after a fashion – a creature feature in the style of eighties. It can’t hold a candle to the true classics of the genre, like The Thing, but it offers a perfectly decent substitute. What’s more is the way that – like all good horror films – it is able to generate pure menace from what should be a ridiculous premise.
Worst. Vacation. Ever.
Note: Towards the end of this review, I’ll discuss some items which might be considered spoilers. Nothing as glaring as the ending, but some stuff you might not want to know ahead of time. I’ll flag it a paragraph beforehand, so don’t worry. If you want a recommendation, it’s an old-fashioned horror which works like any truly effective monster movie: the threat is not just outside the group, but also within it. It won’t rock your world and it isn’t a masterpiece, but is worth a go.
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Filed under: Non-Review Reviews | Tagged: creature feature, film, genre, horror, Movie, non-review review, review, the happening, the ruins, the thing | Leave a comment »
Posted on February 4, 2010 by Darren
Remember when Steve Martin was funny? I know, it was a long time ago, but think really hard. Remember when he was churning out consistently entertaining and amusing comedies which skirted the line of brilliance? Before he became the straight man to Alec Baldwin in It’s Complicated? The Man With Two Brains is a such a comedy. I’m not sure it’s consistent enough to justify the description ‘classic’, but ‘vintage’ fits it best. A vintage Steve Martin comedy.
And brains to spare...
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Filed under: Non-Review Reviews | Tagged: comedy, film, hammer horror, kathleen turner, Movie, non-review review, review, steve martin, The Man With Two Brains | 3 Comments »
Posted on January 28, 2010 by Darren
The title is misleading. It isn’t actually complicated. I’d demand my money back for such a misleading title, but the movie staisfies my basic need for naked Alec Baldwin. Because everyone needs more naked Alec Baldwin. You just don’t know it yet. All joking aside, the movie works as what it is: another attempt by Meryl Streep to demonstrate that women over fifty can be just as emotionally immature and as haplessly self-centred as any romantic lead in her twenties or thirties. Who says Hollywood is ageist? Romantic comedy can be equally demeaning no matter what your age.
One of these just scored way out of their league...
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Filed under: Non-Review Reviews | Tagged: affair, alec baldwin, cheating, comedy, complicated, its complicated, meryl streep, Movie, nancy meyer, non-review review, review, romantic comedy, steve martin | 2 Comments »
Posted on January 26, 2010 by Darren
When people hear the name M. Night Shyamalan, a lot of different films pop into their heads. Everyone knows The Sixth Sense – most know Signs. He’s ridiculed for The Village and The Happening. The Lady in the Water slips under the radar, but that might be a good thing. What tends to get forgotten in the midst of all this is Unbreakable, which is probably the best movie that Shyamalan has directed. He’s known as something of a one-trick pony, relying on twist endings that throw his audience for a loop and – though Unbreakable contains its own novel twist in the tale – this is the one film on his filmography that doesn’t depend on that reveal. It’s a movie that stands up to the scrutiny of a second viewing answering questions and actually seeming painstakingly obvious in retrospect. It’s so good that it barely missed my list of the top 50 movies of the decade.
Holding out for a hero...
Note: As alluded above, the ending of this movie is a key part of discussion about it. Rather than splitting this post in half, I’m going to discuss it below. Don’t worry, I’ll give you a head’s up. I would make one recommendation though: don’t spoil the movie for yourself. It works better whent he audience doesn’t know quite what they are expecting. You could make the case about most movies, but I think that this movie in particular deserves to be seen sight unseen with an open mind.
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Filed under: Movies | Tagged: bruce willis, M. Night Shyamalan, Movie, non-review review, review, samuel l. jackson, twist, unbreakable | Leave a comment »
Posted on January 25, 2010 by Darren
It’s been two weeks since Sam Raimi and Sony parted ways over the now not-to-be Spider-Man 4 and the prospect of a reboot was first mooted by the studio. In that time we’ve had the opportunity to fully consider the facts and little bits of news have been dribbling out. I was initially dismissive of the reboot, albeit in a sort of half-hearted ‘what can I honestly do?’ sort of way. How have the various revelations about the new film – including the announcement of Marc Webb as the director of the project – affected my opinion of this potential 2012 tentpole?
My own spider sense is tingling...
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Filed under: Movies | Tagged: 2012, blockbuster, budget, Comics, kraven, kraven the hunter, marc webb, marvel, Movie, sam raimi, spider man, spider-man 4, spider-man reboot, tentpole | Leave a comment »
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