Timothy Olyphant finally breaks through to the big time, only about a decade later than expected, but better late then never I suppose. Olyphant, who we all presumed would go onto embrace immediate stardom after his excellent performance as laid back, slightly psychotic, drug dealer Todd Gaines in 'Go' (1999) took the long route to mainstream recognition via top TV western 'Deadwood' and as an enigmatic, not-so-villainous villain in 'Live Free or Die Hard'. 'Hitman', an adaptation of best-selling computer game 'Hitman-Codename 47', isn't the best film to showcase Olyphant's considerable acting talents, though having killed many an afternoon playing as the eponymous, bald-as-a-coot killer, I can say that Xavier Gen's slick, if rathur soulless, picture does deliver on some levels. Now Action + Slaphead Hero = Jason Statham or Vin Diesel, hence it should come as no surprise to learn that Vin was once slated to star as the freelance wetboy with a barcode on his bonce (though 'The Fast & The Furious' star remains on board as producer) whilst Statham, one presumes, was busy shooting 'Crank' thus it fell to Tim Olyphant to create this semi-iconic character on screen, and though shorn of his locks and looking a little stifled, Olyphant still manages to bring his aloof, trademark sarcasm, intensity and charisma to the role. Agent 47 is one of many contract killers culled from a mysterious, quasi-Christian-Masonic cult known only 'The Agency', indoctrinated in the deadly arts since birth, 47 suddenly finds himself thrust into an intercontinental conspiracy, following his assigned hit on the Russian president. Enter ruthless FSB operatives, dogged Interpol agent Mike Whittier (the welcome return of Dougray Scott), hooker-with-a-heart-of-gold Nika (Bond girl Olga Kurylenko) a host of shaven headed hoodlums from our hero's own organisation and in case you're wondering; yes, that is Bryon Wordsworth from Cbeebies 'Story Makers' as an Interpol officer. 'Hitman' is an expectedly violent, OTT Eurotrash thriller with convoluted, often unintentionally hilarious, dialogue not to mention some hopelessly contrived, synchronised stand-offs and the kind of casual misogyny better suited to an old Van Damme movie (director Gen's did some second unit work with 'The Muscles From Brussels' on 'Maximum Risk' and 'Double Team', so the influence is inherited). And yet with cool cinematography an engaging lead and some mildly enjoyable, hyper-kinetic gunplay, 'Hitman', though not on a par with films like 'Leon', 'Crying Freeman' or even 'Drive', ought to satisfy die-hard gamers and temporarily appease action aficionados. Give it a shot.
It is subtitled but that doesn't stop the film being excellent, and somewhat scary. A few 'jump out of the seat moments'. One of the best films I have enjoyed for a long, long time and I don't normally see foreign films.
This hilariously dark, bitter satire is the union of two creative minds who have always been interested in sexual politics and the serious games men and women play with each other. Director Mike Nichols and writer Jules Feiffer are a perfect match, and in this increasingly angry comedy, they take men and women alike to task for turning love and relationships into a battleground for control, power, and ego-fulfillment. The story follows two friends (Jack Nicholson and Art Garfunkel) over the course of twenty years, as they meet women, lose their virginities, get married, and have flings of varying degrees of seriousness. Throughout it all, both men represent the extremes of Feiffer's scale of masculinity: Nicholson is the arrogant jerk who cares only about sex, while Garfunkel is a more "sensitive" type who looks to women for his own spiritual satisfaction. The two men, very different in many ways, are unified in that they never look to a woman for herself, but for the ways in which she can satisfy their own urges, dreams, and desires. Despite these darker currents, the film is always funny, even if sometimes the sheer awkwardness and reality of the situations makes the laughs catch in one's throat a bit. Nichols also draws out surprisingly deep supporting performances from the women in the film, notably Ann-Margret as a voluptuous sex kitten with her own unfulfilled desires, and Candice Bergen as a pretty, cerebral coed who finds herself, almost against her will, playing the two men off one another. This was a controversial film in its time, even triggering a court case in the US Supreme Court, but today its frank discussion of sexuality and the search for love is not nearly as shocking. One thing that hasn't changed, though, is the film's power and emotional depth, its realistic portrayal of damaging relationships and the cultural forces and expectations that drive them.
Over the course of twenty years, from college to late middle age, two friends attempt to find love and understanding from the women in their lives.
Basically, Dave tells a funny story. But what a story it is! I was actually at the recording of this in Swansea and it was amazing. Naturally funny guy and a great DVD.
Just fantastic.
A wonderfully raw film dealing with a crossing point in two couple's lives. It has naturalistic dialogue and the shooting brings the viewer right in to the action. Deftly crafted and very emotive (what would you do if you were Cecilie?) with fantastic acting.
All of the characters seem very three dimensional with a lack of simple moral definitions - there are no "good" or "bad" people, just people trying to decide whether or not to follow their hearts. The depiction of a paraplegic as someone who canbe nasty and spiteful, as well as full of humour and honour struck me as very unusual. Mads Mikkelson is incredibly strong as a man drawn in to an affair - he plays the role with a very light touch, never wringing emotions out of the role, more being than acting. I can see now that he was greatly underused in Casino Royale. Sonja Richter (looking like a young Michaela Strachan here) is perfect as the emotionally wrecked fiancee, torn between with her emotions and her loyalty.
The fact that it is a Dogme film adds to it greatly without being obvious - you do not feel that anything is missing from the scenery, lighting or props.
Just a perfect story of imperfect people.
Watch this one now.
Clever and atmospheric animated film, spilt up into six fifteen minutes segments designed to bridge the gap between Chris Nolan's 'Batman Begins' and 'Dark Knight'. 'Gotham Knight' plays to the relatively new trend of animated or computer game tie-ins released as interlinks prior to a popular movie sequel, the Wachowski brothers were among the first to venture into such territory (though 'Marvel' & 'Lucasfilm' were producing intra-universe 'Star Wars' comics for years) with their groundbreaking, and visually spectacular, 'Animatrix' series, a collection of books and 'Enter The Matrix' game. All this introspective, navel gazing deconstruction and multi layered narratives must matter to someone, somewhere, presumably, though its never as important to the live action pictures as studio hype would have you believe. That said, I loved 'The Animatrix', and if truth be told: 'The Second Renaissance' parts I & II were better than 'Reloaded' and 'Revolutions' put together. 'Gotham Knight' is a lot more hit n' miss than the 'Animatrix' though many of its creators are on board: 'Manga' legend Shoujirou Nishimi ('Akira') directs 'Have I Got A Story For You'. An intriguing, 'Rashoman'-esque tale written by Josh Olson (who adapted Locke & Wagner's excellent 'A History Of Violence') that has some kids describe their varying, mostly exaggerated, encounters with Gotham's mysterious new vigilante. Batman is portrayed as an ultra-violent avenger, Man Bat monster, spectre and even an absurdly animated T-800 style Terminator; all of which makes for disjointed hyperbole that nonetheless accurately serves to describe each of his characteristics (i.e. tortured, vengeful, good with technology etc). Anime stalwart Futoshi Hiaside teams up with D.C. comics scribe Greg Rucker to deliver 'Crossfire': An episode which works to establish a violent and foreboding premise to the trial of mob boss Sal Maroni (responsible for creating the tragic figure of Harvey "Two Face" Dent). Much of this story focuses on struggling Gotham cops Allen and Ramirez, their first run-in with Batman and, of course, the Russian-Italian Mafioso turf war, which eventually brings The Joker to prominence. Good action, sharp, fluid animation and listen out for 'CSI' star Gary Dourdan as the voice of detective Crispus Allen. Hiroshi Morioka ('Tsubasa Chronicle') steps up to direct the divertive 'Field Test' with Jordan Goldberg (AP on Nolan's 'The Prestige') along for the ride as writer. This is a surprisingly slow burn noir, which sees Bruce Wayne testing an innovative bullet deflector invented by Lucious Fox (Morgan Freeman's character in the movies) whilst looking into the murder of an anti-globalisation activist, links to property developer Ronald Marshall and our old friends the Russian & Italian mob. An entertaining, if convoluted, little story highlighting Batman's developing investigative prowess & crime fighting techniques. Yasuhiro Aoki, key animator on 'Beyond' in 'The Animatrix' anthology, is paired with fan favourite auteur & Stanley Tucci look-alike David S. Goyer ('Blade', 'Blade II', 'Blade Trinity', 'Batman Begins', 'Dark Knight' and errm...'Jumper') for an episode entitled 'In Darkness Dwells'. Action takes the place of intrigue as Batman goes up against super villain Killer Croc in the Gotham City sewer system. Croc, in cahoots with Scarecrow, is armed with fear toxin and the caped crusader has a tough time of things in a brutal, well-drawn battle scene. A good episode, which also builds upon Batman's friendship with Commissioner Gordon along with the realisation that he's only just begun his crime-fighting career, and still has some way to go. Toshiyuki Kubooka ('Gundam Wing') helms an impressive, highly original vignette penned by newcomer Brian Azzarello: 'Working Through Pain', as its title denotes, follows the Dark Knight on his mission to break through the pain barrier. I loved the way they cut back and forth in time here, with an injured Batman trawling through the sewers as Bruce Wayne recalls his time in Africa & Asia with doctors sans frontiers. How he sought then, as he does now, to follow an enlightened path via the way of the Sufi Mystics who, along with their wisdom & spirituality, could make themselves impervious to pain. Flashbacks are well written and 'E.R.' actress Parminder Nagra voices Cassandra, one of the mystics who tires to help our hero. 'Working Through Pain' sets up Batman's suspenseful finale with master assassin Deadshot in an episode of the same name, and works to portray how a hero is forged in hardship: resolve and grim, autotelic determination his only true allies in a harsh, unforgiving world. We wrap things up, appropriately enough, with a cartoon by old school superhero scribe Alan Burnett, now this guys done a lot when it comes to animation and comic books. Burnnet's credits include Toshihiko Masuda's 'The Batman & Superman movie', 'Batman: Mask of the Phantasm', 'Batman Beyond', 'Batman: Mystery of the Batwoman' and 'The Smurfs'! 'Batman-Gotham Knight' ends on a high: an heroic, commendably dark, addition to the animated cannon, though whether this was essential viewing or pre-hype filler will depend entirely upon how much you love Bob Kane's immortal creation. For now, this is for die hard Bat fans only, the rest of us may wish to wait a while, investing in a copy when we, inevitably, add 'Dark Knight' to our DVD or Blu-Ray collection.
F.W. Murnau's "Nosferatu" was the first screen adaptation of Bram Stoker's famous novel "Dracula," and it remains one of the best vampire tales in the cinema. The plot centers around Count Orlok, who is so convincingly portrayed by the unknown actor Max Schreck that rumors persisted that the star was, in fact, a real vampire and not an actor at all. With his imposing height, rat-like fangs, and pointed ears, Orlok is a creepy, animalistic vampire, a far cry from the dapper appearance of later movie vampires. If Bela Lugosi's Dracula seemed like an eccentric foreigner, Orlok seems to come not from a different country but an entirely different world. Murnau amplifies the terror created by Schreck's performance by filming the vampire attacks with some of the film's most expressive and abstracted techniques. In fact, the first few attacks are filmed entirely in shadows, with Schreck projecting the outline of his ferocious form on the walls above his sleeping victims, his clawed hands stretching into long black streaks on the white walls. Shadows stand in for the monster throughout the film, moving with the same slithery evil as the vampire himself. Orlok is also a disturbingly sexual vampire, linked by some mystical bond to Hutter's wife Ellen, as evidenced by the scene where a sleepwalking Ellen and the vampire seem to look at each other across the gulf of a tremendous distance, from Ellen's home to Orlok's distant castle. This is a deserved classic of the horror genre, a phantasmagoric experience that slips the viewer into ghostly, ghastly realms.
In this classic version of the vampire myth, the young newlyweds Hutter and Ellen are tormented by the arrival in their town of the sinister Count Orlok.
It is one of the bext dance DVDs out, a must see of struggle, hope, friendship and love. Definitely an all time winnder. Can't get enough of watching it, saw it 4 times at the cinema and twice since its been on DVD
Poor princess Margaret; she always got a raw deal in life, and nothing seems to have changed, probably because its alleged her sister / reigning monarch is, in reality, an irredeemably deranged, Annukai neo-Nazi reptilian Satanist with known homicidal tendencies. Rodger Donaldson's watchable, 70s set crime caper puts the sexier seed of Saxe Coburg Gotha in the frame; part of an unsolved, labyrinthine conspiracy culled from facts surrounding 'The Baker Street Lloyds Bank Robbery' a.k.a. 'The Walkie Talkie Robby' which took place in 1971. Now its established that MI5 instigated a cover up via a government D-notice which censored media coverage of the crime, its further implied said notice was issued as the robbers got away with a cache of compromising Royal photos, stashed along with all the dirty loot locked in Lloyd's vault by dubious members of the British bourgeoisie / criminal fraternity. Hard up used car salesman Terry Leather (Jason Statham) is reluctantly recruited by sultry ex; Martine Love (Saffron Burrows) to lead a motley crew of break-in artists and relieve the bank of its holdings. Now since I've seen every Jason Statham film since 'Lock, Stock...' (yes, I even sat aghast at his so-bad-its-legendary American accent in 'The One') its fair to say that I like him; not like as in we hold hands and go for long walks on the beach, but like as in he's a cool bloke. For though Jason's not the best actor in the world, far form it in fact, Statham delivers dialogue in such a naturally humorous, occasionally menacing, manner that you can't imagine anyone else in that role. And though Statham's the walking definition of a one-trick pony, it all seems to gel together in the genres he's worked in so far. Leading lady Saffron Burrows, an underrated actress in the grand scheme of things, plays Martine in much the same way as she did cockney sparra Karen Mayes in Paul McGuigan's superlative 'Gangster No. 1' and Saffron works well with an eclectic ensemble cast, which also includes David Suchet as Lew Vogel; an aggressive sleaze merchant whose a combination of Arthur Rothstein and fictional mobster Harry Shand. Award winning cinematographer, and a regular on most Richard Curtis projects, Michael Coulter evokes the period well; with murky, claret reds and musky interiors underneath the bank and in porn baron Vogel's bordello, in fact, some of 'The Bank Job's' best scenes will remind you of Peter Sova's sterling work on 'Gangster No. 1' and 'Lucky Number Slevin'. By no means a classic, 'Bank Job' probably won't appeal to fans of the serious, technical heist thriller (e.g. 'Riffi', 'The Asphalt Jungle', 'The Score' etc) nor will it rival 'The Ocean's...' trilogy for razzle dazzle em' glamour, and yet 'The Bank Job' aspires, albeit never that successfully, to emulate an Ealing comedy, often attempting to recreate the feel of easy going, classic heist pictures like 'The Lavender Hill Mob' or 'The Ladykillers'. And thus retains a low-key appeal with some good one liners, decent characterisation an amusing visual nod to 'The Italian Job' not to mention a variation on the old 'Dad's Army' "don't tell him your name, Pike" gag. A well-cast, competently directed, fairly entertaining movie that rolls along at a good pace, though scandalous twists and turns severely limit any repeat viewing potential. Worth watching once. Job done.
All i have to say is perfect.
One of the most inspirational and thought prevoking films ive ever seen.
I could go on and write pages and pages more but i feel i dont need to, the film truly speaks for itself.
Having read the book, the Kite Runner, and being so convinced of the story through the vivid recollections of Amir, I truly encouraged my whole family to read it too. My son and husband, who never read, both read the book and thought it was brilliantly written and poignant. I bought the film and was a little disappointed. Perhaps the book is so well written, that the film could never live up to it. My daughter, who had not read the book, thought the film was 'really good'. I cant help feeling that the film missed out on the depth of despair experienced by Amir, Hassan and Sorab, the strength of the friendships and the cultural influences. The performances were OK but not outstanding and the sets really reminded me of 1970's soap scenes. The ending is dumbed down, perhaps because the real story is so distressing. Still if you never read, I recommend the film for the essence of a truly lovely story. If you love reading, read the book!
An engaging story highlighting the turbulent oppression during the last forty years of Afghanistans history told through the eyes of boy from the Pashtun community. His relationship with boyhood hazara friend is damaged by the prejudice and violence of others. His lifelong guilt influences his return to Afghanistan in order to repair the damaged relationship.
From the very unusual and seductive introduction that utilises the full power of the camera and the soundtrack down to the powerful and hard hitting finale, Vivre Sa Vie is more an experience than a film. Its exploration of popular topics such as love and death and the way it applies them in a breathtakingly unique way can make even the most experienced cinephile change the way they see films. The plot is simple, a young Parisian woman has become bored with her ordinary, mundane way of life and is drawn into prostitution. What the director Jean-Luc Godard does in this highly underrated film is make the camera speak the complexities. This is backed up by the dialogues which are deep, poetic and philosophical, something you so rarely see in a film. They make you question the way you live your life and by the end of the film you will have taken something from it.
Leading actress, Anna Karina, carries the film high above her head with a performance that is full of vibrant life and playfulness. Her character is an extrovert who is looking for something more and who never backs down, making sure her opinions are heard. However, when she leads herself into a world of filth and overpowering men she realises that her path has turned full circle and she is back to boredom. This time though it"s a boring life filled with danger, sacrifice and perversion. Nonetheless, Godard only makes these controversial topics lightly visible which stands out vividly on the background of hope and joy that he created in the beginning. Throughout you see the joy that is pulsing through Karina"s character of Nana slowly being drained out until the story reaches its shocking conclusion.
In addition, the soundtrack sums the entire movie up. It"s a sombre melody which brings on a feeling of sadness and loss. If you listen out through the entire picture you can hear the tune coming up at some of the most unusual of times. This symbolises what the movie is all about - life is unpredictable and anything is around the corner. At the end of the day we just have to live our lives because we can"t let everything pass us by or sacrifice ourselves completely due to the want of others.
Finally, I depart from this review with a quote from the fabulous scene in a café between Nana and a knowledgeable old man. "The more one talks, the less the words mean" she tells him. In Nana"s confusing life this may be the case but with Vivre Sa Vie, every movement, jolting jump cut, musical note and word that the characters speak weaves together a picture of what cinema should be and how we should live our lives to the full but not be pulled into the strange seduction of darkness and dirt.
I saw this film in the cinema, it was amazing you would never believe what 2 men can make out of a list of dreams and hopes. It was one of the best films I have seen this year, I'd definately buy it or rent it. It's a must see!
"300", about 300 Caucasian Spartans slaughtering a few million gibbering brown people was one of the worst films I have ever seen, and not only politically. Even visually it was dire. And "Meet the Spartans" is nominally a comedy-spoof of that already ridiculous film... though along the way it sucks other movies into its less-than-mediocre comedy web, including a scene inspired by "Casino Royal". That the dominant force in the film"s parody of "300" was its puerile gay jokes is not a good sign. Ignoring the glaringly neo-fascist and racist elements of "300", "Meet the Spartans" only adds to how politically vile that film was, with a splash of popularly and socially acceptable homophobia. Nice. It is actually hard to write about this (comedy) film it is so bad, unfunny and utterly pointless. Needless to say, I wouldn"t recommend anyone watch it, even, especially if I thought they would enjoy it (though I am not sure such a person exists).
"The Bourne Ultimatum" is probably the best big budget action film I have seen since Daniel Craig"s debut as James Bond. It is fast, brutal, playful, visually stylish (suitably slick and cold), kind-of clever (in the way action films are) and most importantly of all, it does not (really) romanticize / sentimentalize its violent hero or the world he inhabits. In this latest installment of Jason Bourne"s, the protagonist finally meets his maker and learns who he is. In order to achieve this Bourne has to hone in on those who want to avoid him and have been trying to kill him since the first movie - that is corrupt government officials who work for an institutionally dishonest government that condones assassinations, torture and foreign intervention. One man against the system makes "The Bourne Ultimatum" an attractive film. However, with such a story line there is always the danger that it descends into contradictory (in both its message and its narrative thrusts) plot contortions. This film, fortunately avoids this trap, instead, and in line with its more "honest" portrayal of violence, keeps it simple. Yet entertaining. It is hard to find an action film as good as this one, and if you are a fan of the genre do not miss it. And if you"re not a fan of the genre, then you"ll probably like it anyway (I did).
After managing to thwart the powers that be from executing their sinister plan for Malthusian holocaust as a pre-curser to the total tyranny depicted in last season's stellar episode 'Five Months Later'; our heroes now find themselves in new, and unfamiliar, territory. Fate has dealt an unusual hand to visionary Empath Peter Pettreli (Milo Ventimiglia) and elder brother Nathan (Adrian Pasdar) whilst an unseen, malevolent force continues to plague the mind of a comatose young psychic under the care of Matt and Mohinder. Meanwhile, Hiro Nakamura settles in feudal Japan, only to discover his childhood idol; Samurai Takezo Kensei, isn't quite the legend he'd been led to believe. Back home, erstwhile company man / professional killer Noah Bennet takes on a menial job to keep his family off the radar, though wilful daughter / indestructible cheerleader Claire has ideas of her own. Company conspirators and global elite plutocrats continue to get their richly deserved, albeit unnecessarily grisly, comeuppance: as someone seizes upon an opportunity to exact mortal revenge by reviving an old vendetta. New characters include wanton waif / supercharged vixen Elle Bishop (an excellent Kirsten Bell), Mexican siblings-on-the-run Alejandra and Maya Herrera (played with aplomb by Shalim Ortiz and 'X3's Dania Ramirez), Micah's gifted cousin Monica (Dana Davis) and charismatic immortal Adam Monroe (David Anders). 'Heroes' continues to weave an unwieldy web of narrative conflict and misdirection; disparate stories interlink with commendable logic & proficiency, for though this season wobbles at first (i.e. dodgy Irish accents, structural repetition, cliché romantic subplots etc) things soon pick up; and we're offered an entertaining insight into how these characters cope with the long term ramifications of heroic intervention. How lives are shaped / conceptions challenged via the destructive externalisation of internal struggle; fought out in an endless battle between Power & Truth. So much for 'Heroes', bring on the 'Villains'...
Could any other actor really have managed to carry this role off in quite the same way as Will Smith ? Ok so he's probably really playing a variation of himself ~ but what's wrong with that when it works so well.
So the film is full of eye popping CGI, gory SFX and amway sentimentalism ~ it is also clever & funny in it's depication of the situation, captures well the sheer isolation of the man and rare for me these days ~ managed to surprise when really least expected.
Overall a good film well worth seeing more than once.
One(hu)man and his dog is all that is left on Earth ~ not quite.
This is a brilliant buy, the latest simpsons box set!
Possibly the BEST series on television: gripping, chilling and exicting. The series isn't over yet, but the end is in sight, and the mystery is only just unfolding! If you buy this DVD collection then you're letting yourself in for a the most addictive series since television began. Buy it, you'll not be disappointed!
Oceanic Flight 815 has crashed on a deserted island. Or is it? As the mystery unfolds, the survivors of 815 begin to realise that they are not alone, and that help is not on it's way.
Extraordinarily frank and sexually explicit, not just for its day but for the present. The performances of the 2 leads are immaculate. It is however Jennifer Jones' film and she was never served better by the director or the camera. The colour is exquisite and matches the out of control passions of the doomed lovers. The ending has to be seen to be believed...some have compare4d it to Wagner. Which brings me to the score. One of the finest ever composed for film. Everyone should know this film even if it is not their cup of tea. It is clearly mine. One of my all time favourite films.
Two lovers find life together impossible and life apart not worth living.
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