Posted on February 21, 2012 by Darren
This film was seen as part of the Jameson Dublin International Film Festival 2012.
Director Ron Fricke first came to attention as the cinematographer on Godfrey Reggio’s groundbreaking Koyaanisqatsi. His contributions to Star Wars: Revenge of the Sith not withstanding, he has somewhat followed in the footsteps of Reggio, offering up a series of films without character or narrative that explore man’s relationship with the world around him. Samsara is another entry in the canon that includes Chronos and Sacred Site, and is a direct sequel to Baraka. It goes almost without saying that Fricke’s cinematography is transcendental. Set to music by frequent collaborator Michael Stearns (with Lisa Gerrard and Marcello de Francisci), there’s no denying that Fricke has a canny and incredible eye for beauty. That said, Samsara does suffer a bit from being heavy-handed with its central themes and ideas – quite an accomplishment for a film with no dialogue.
Armed with ideas…
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Filed under: Non-Review Reviews | Tagged: Baraka, film, Fricke, godfrey reggio, jameson dublin international film festival, Koyaanisqatsi, Michael Stearns, Movie, non-review review, review, Ron Fricke, Samsara | 2 Comments »
Posted on February 20, 2012 by Darren
I feel like I am massively late to the party. Not fashionably late, mind you. However, my gran received The Sopranos on DVD for Christmas, and I’ve decided to go back and watch it from the start with her. I’ve seen bits and pieces of the iconic television show over the years – even following it for a full two seasons in the middle – but I’ve never seen David Chase’s dark exploration of the American dream from beginning to end. So, slowly, in the company of my grandmother, I shall be making my way through what many people consider to be the best television show ever produced. And where better to start, after all these years, than the very first episode?
Talking it out...
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Filed under: Television | Tagged: american dream, arts, Christopher, David Chase, Gary Cooper, godfather, hbo, history, Melfi, review, Silvio Dante, Soprano, sopranos, Steven Van Zandt, Television, the sopranos, the sopranos (pilot), Tony, Tony Award, Tony Soprano, tv, United States | Leave a comment »
Posted on February 20, 2012 by Darren
This film was seen as part of the Jameson Dublin International Film Festival 2012. It was the first “surprise” film.
Will Ferrell’s Casa De Mi Padre is perhaps the most esoterical comedy ever produced. The comedian has his legion of loyal fans, but it’s difficult to imagine that there’s a large crossover between those who enjoy Ferrell’s work and those with an affection for Mexican telenovelas. Filmed in “Mexico Vision”, with pretty much all of the dialogue in Spanish (rather than, as one DEA agent puts it, “American”), the movie displays an astonishing commitment to its basic premise, which is effectively one joke sustained over its runtime. I can sense already that Ferrell’s latest project will be his most divisive to date, dividing film fans into “love it” or “hate it” camps. I fall strongly into the former.
A que no me alcanzas!
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Filed under: Non-Review Reviews | Tagged: business, Casa de Mi Padre, Ferrell, film, Gloucestershire, Illegal drug trade, jameson dublin international film festival, lars von trier, Meta-joke, Mexican people, Mexico, Movie, non-review review, prison, review, Spanish, Spanish language, Sunglasses, Terrence Malick, United States, will ferrell | 3 Comments »
Posted on February 20, 2012 by Darren
This film was seen as part of the Jameson Dublin International Film Festival 2012.
The problem at the heart of Black Gold is that its politics are too simple to fit within the confines of the epic sand-swept adventure that it sets out to tell. It’s hard to construct a standard epic when there’s no clear delineation between the forces of good and evil. While the stylish direction, larger-than-life performances and James Horner’s classic score may point to an old-fashioned adventure film, the fact we’re asked to sympathise with a protagonist burning men alive in tanks or engaging in terrorist tactics creates a surreal dissonance that the movie never quite gets past.
Riders in the sandstorm...
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Filed under: Non-Review Reviews | Tagged: Antonio Banderas, Arab, Arab people, Auda, Banderas, Black Gold, black gold (2012), black gold (film), film, hollywood, James Horner, London, mark strong, Movie, non-review review, review | Leave a comment »
Posted on February 19, 2012 by Darren
This film was seen as part of the Jameson Dublin International Film Festival 2012.
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: aaron johnson, Albert, Albert Nobbs, arts, brendan gleeson, film, Glenn, Glenn Close, Janet McTeer, John Banville, Mia Wasikowska, non-review review, review, Rodrigo García Barcha | 5 Comments »
Posted on February 19, 2012 by Darren
This film was seen as part of the Jameson Dublin International Film Festival 2012.
Coming from director John Madden, The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel is fairly straight-forward in what it offers audiences. Unlike Dev Patel’s entrepreneurial “Sonny”, who lures foreign tourists to his Indian hotel using a carefully photoshopped image, there’s no sense that the movie is in any way misleading. It’s a feel-good travel comedy-drama that throws together a wealth of experienced British talent in a story about embracing life and change and various other wonderful aspects of existence. It’s always thrilling to see these sorts of actors afforded the opportunity to shine, and a huge amount of the appeal of The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel is in watching its veteran thespians just cut loose and have a bit of fun.
Lounging around...
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Filed under: Non-Review Reviews | Tagged: Best Exotic Marigold Hotel, bill nighy, Celia Imrie, dev patel, film, india, John Madden, judi dench, London, Maggie Smith, Movie, non-review review, penelope wilton, review, the best exotic marigold hotel, Tom Wilkinson | 6 Comments »
Posted on February 18, 2012 by Darren
This film was seen as part of the Jameson Dublin International Film Festival 2012.
Saving the Titanic is an interesting blend of documentary and drama, exploring the efforts of the engineers onboard the ill-fated ship, fighting to keep her afloat and alight just a little bit longer. The narration from Liam Cunningham suggests that the selfless bravery of those working in the bowels of the ship allowed her to survive more than an hour and a half longer than she should have. While the docu-drama never really reconciles the two approaches it takes to events – creating the impression that it should have opted for a “one or the other” style of approach – it is a fascinating look at one of the most important events of the twentieth century.
It's a dirty job...
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Filed under: Non-Review Reviews | Tagged: cgi, Ciarán McMenamin, Computer-generated imagery, denzel washington, film, Hugh O'Connor, james cameron, jameson dublin international film festival, Jamie Bell, liam cunningham, Movie, non-review review, Papist, programming, review, RMS Titanic, Saving the Titanic, Shepard, Steve Lynch, titanic, United States | 1 Comment »
Posted on February 15, 2012 by Darren
Stephen Daldry’s latest film, and surprise Best Picture nominee, looks lovely. It opens with a credit sequence that see Tom Hanks falling through the air like an even more stylish version of the Mad Men opening credits. The blue background is just the right shade, the picture is crisp, the focus is tight. Of course, that beautifully illustrative opening sequence exposes the primary flaw with Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close. Some things just aren’t meant to look pretty, and some events can’t be wrapped up inside a feel-good blanket with a tidy ribbon on the outside.
Not quite picture perfect...
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Filed under: Non-Review Reviews | Tagged: Academy Award, Academy Award for Best Picture, Asperger syndrome, Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close, film, Jonathan Safran Foer, max von sydow, Movie, new york, non-review review, Oskar, Reader, review, sandra bullock, stephen daldry, tom hanks, viola davis | 3 Comments »
Posted on February 15, 2012 by Darren
Emerald Warriors suffers a bit from being a rather obvious lead-in series to the War of the Green Lanterns crossover than DC was pushing for its space cops to coincide with the release of the Green Lantern film. It’s very clear that the book is written with an editorial mandate to establish certain characters and dynamics, and I think it suffers to a certain extent, because of this – to the point where the series wasn’t renewed as part of the DCnU relaunch, which makes it seem like the series never really existed as anything more than a tie-in to a large event, rather than a cosmic comic book in its own right. It’s a shame, because Peter Tomasi has been one of the most consistant second-tier writers at DC, and his Guy Gardner is second-to-none. Also, you know, it looks incredible.
A breath of fresh air...
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Filed under: Comics | Tagged: batman, brightest day, dc, dc comics, Emerald Knights, Emerald Warriors, Fernando Pasarin, geoff johns, green lantern, Green Lantern: Emerald Warriors, Guy Gardner, Justice League International, peter tomasi, review, Scott Snyder, sodam yat, Tomasi, war of the green lanterns | Leave a comment »
Posted on February 14, 2012 by Darren
What makes Leon so fascinating is the combination a wonderfully disturbing script that puts a novel and unsettling twist on that “suddenly a father” subgenre, Besson’s understated direction, Eric Serra’s atmospheric score and a trio of fantastic central performances. The movie is never less than completely engaging, especially when it’s being very deeply uncomfortable. The movie is very much a “messed up”portrait of the survivor of a family massacre and her unconventional surrogate father figure, with the difficulties that both have adapting to their situation, although it’s probably Gary Oldman’s powerhouse villainous performance that you’re going to leave the film thinking about.
Leon is a bit daunted by the scope of fatherly responsibility...
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Filed under: Non-Review Reviews | Tagged: adam sandler, arts, Éric Serra, Besson, fiction, film, gary oldman, george clooney, GoldenEye, hollywood, Jean Reno, Léon (film), Leon, madonna, Mathilda, Movie, Natalie Portman, New York City, non-review review, Oldman, rain man, review, Shopping, Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy | 5 Comments »
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