'Whiteout', adapted from a graphic novel by Rucker & Lieber, sees troubled U.S. Marshal Carrie Stetko (Kate Beckinsale) investigate a grisly murder in the perilous and inhospitable conditions of the South Pole. Empty cinemas the world over, paid inadvertent homage to the barren landscape of Antarctica and having seen the movie, I can't say I'm surprised.
Now it seems that someone must've flipped the switch on director Dominic Sena's cylindrical glass chamber; temporarily releasing him from the suspended animation of his own mediocrity. For Sena just about manages to keep 'Whiteout' on course, sets up some reasonably creative shots but has absolutely no idea when it comes to suspense or pace. I kept hoping that an alien would show up at some point, perhaps the creature from John Carpenter's 'The Thing' or that giant tapeworm from classic 'X-Files' episode 'Ice', but nothing. 'Whiteout' does, at times, resemble a competent, workmanlike forensic thriller but the movie tends to plod along to its underwhelming, almost pointless, conclusion in a linear and predictable fashion.
Now I've been a Kate Beckinsale supporter since 'Much Ado About Nothing' (1993) and like the way she fluctuates between mainstream and independent movies. Here, Beckinsale does as much as can be expected with the script and makes good use of a scene in which her character undergoes a rather unpleasant medical procedure. 'Whiteout' is worth a look for die hard Kate Beckinsale fans or those who love the comic upon which it's based, for everyone else, this is a slow paced, lumbering affair that'll leave you colder than a Penguin's eyebrows at Ridge A. Roll on Climate Change.
A thought provoking film to say the least. With the dystopian world in the background as important as the action in front, this film addresses many issues that are progressive issues of modern-day life. An outstanding amount of attention to detail goes into the rich and believable surroundings, when the world in which the characters inhabit is believable, it somehow makes their personalities so also.
Cuaron has successfully brought us a blockbuster success in the shape of Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban so now he shows us that he is completely capable of creating an intense and mature drama with socio-political elements, and still keeping that entertaining side too. While you don't feel as though the emotions and relationships of the characters take all of the attention from the action, as a viewer you feel yourself growing to like the distinctive, and excellently played, personalities of each of the characters, so much so that after sitting down to watch an action-packed sci-fi adventure you feel a)complete empathy for Theo and Kee and b)slightly scared for the future of the human race...how did that happen?
As you would expect, the film contains a strong selection of talent with Michael Caine's character Jasper bringing enough depth and familiarity to the screen that you feel as though you have know him for years. No surprises from Julianne Moore who, as always, shows us what a recognisable and strong performance she consistently brings to any film she is in. Clive Owen was a gem and although his character was more of an anti-hero than the conventional squeaky-clean protagonist, he pulled it off perfectly; no cheesy on-liners or arrogance, which is typical of these roles. Instead he is definitely more of an ever-man's hero, down to Earth and likeable. The actress who stands out the most in Children of Men is Clare-Hope Ashitey, who played the character of Kee. Being a somewhat unknown actor, she didn't have the problem of bringing her own personality into the role, which can happen with more major stars, instead she brought warmth and honest, which is probably where most of the emotional response came from!
This film is one that is very difficult not to enjoy on some level, an instant classic. I would definitely recommend this.
Set in a zombie infested apocalypse in the not-too-distant future, join four humans on their quest to survive. Zombieland is a clever and witty comedy film which had me cowering in fear at one time to laughing so much I fell of my chair.
No matter what film genre is your favourite, this film appeals to every audience, with horror, comedy, action and romance, Zombieland has to be one of the funniest films of all time
12 Angry Men is quite simply a master class in cinematic minimalism. A story of twelve males sitting in a jury room deciding on a fate of another individual does not sound like the greatest film watching night in. But with such an excellently crafted dozen, and a charismatic talisman of Henry Fonda leading the way things become a little brighter.
As skimmed over in the introduction, 12 Angry Men takes place in the jury room for the majority of the film. There are a few brief moments outside of this room, but for the most part this is the location where the viewer is going to be fixing his or her gaze upon. Again twelve folk in one room for ninety minutes doesn't sound like the most engaging of plots or sights in cinematic history. Thankfully we are in the hands of a master, with director Sidney Lumet expertly guiding us through the film.
I don't want to give too much away about the film, but I don't think it is revealing too much by saying that all twelve men may not come to a unanimous decision in the first couple of minutes of the film. As opinions and ideas flutter amongst the group, the viewer inevitably becomes riveted to the arguments and debates between the twelve. There are a few liberties taken along the way, but it is after all a film first and foremost. So some of the scenes involving evidence, and some of the scenes in which statements are reconstructed may be improper in the real life, I can let them pass in the world of celluloid.
As the film progresses the claustrophobic atmosphere begins to creep up, and the intensity of many of the performance increases to quite an intimidating level. What is even more astonishing is the fact that the majority of the men around the decision table remain nameless but are all completely identifiable and unique. They all have their own unique personalities and they are allowed to express themselves in intricate individual scenes. For me Henry Fonda is the star of the show, but it would be rude of me not to talk about the strengths of the other performers in the film. As I have said just a few lines before, each male has their own unique personality and what makes them work so well is that there isn't a weak performance amongst them. Everyone will have their 'favourite' juror. For me Henry Fonda is up there, but I also enjoyed Joseph Sweeney as juror number nine and Jack Klugman as juror number five. And for you to fully understand what that last line meant you will have to pick up the film.
I am going to stop myself from gushing about the film any longer. I will just leave you with this parting piece of advice which I have masked as a conclusion. For such a low, low price there should be no debating required on whether you should pick this film up of not. It is an easy buy, and it is a buy that will be filled with happiness rather than regret.
Martyrs is an incredibly uneasy film to watch and review. It is a French horror film carved out of the deep darkest depths of the human mind with an added scratching of gore and bile. I am going to be honest and admit that for the majority of the movie I was on the verge of switching it off. The preparation for the switch off wasn't due to the excessive violence; although it did linger in the memory, the thought of the switch off was down to the meaning behind the violence. For me at the beginning of the film there was no thought or meaning behind the grotesque and horrific images you were presented with.
It was disturbing image after disturbing image without rest. And on first appearances it was for no real apparent reason other than to shock for shocks sake. However I decided to give the film enough time to prove its worth so to speak and let it run for its required runtime. And I am glad that I did.
Again to be brutally honest glad isn't at all the appropriate word to use for the completion of this film. After the exhausting exercise of plodding through the blood, you are far and away from any sort of smiles or joy. But by the end you do have a thought and explanation for the brutal acts you have just witnessed, which for me gives the film a purpose. You may not agree with the purpose or the ideas presented to you but at least it is there. And with this powerful reveal or meaningful message, whatever you want to call it raises Martyrs to being an absolutely dreadful excuse of a film to a dark and disturbing, thoughtful piece of film. Without the ending this would not be getting a recommendation from me, it would be getting the lowest star rating possible and I would suggest you steer well clear of it. However with such a thought provoking and graphically engaging ending I can recommend it or suggest it as an intriguing purchase.
Similar to Antichrist, this film cannot be recommended to everybody. Like bleach or strong narcotics, Martyrs should be kept out of reach of children. It has its certificate for a reason and should be viewed only by the age group the certificate dictates. And even then there are a number of individuals that should avoid it. Anyone with a weak stomach, or a hatred of brutal violence in cinema should stay well clear. People that don't like horror films or reading subtitles again should stay away.
I used the word 'recommended' earlier and it felt wrong of me to do so. Having watched Martyrs it is not an experience you wish to spread. It is a tough and gruelling watch for its entire duration, and should only be tackled by the few wishing to do so. You reading this now know what films you like and what films you dislike, what things shock you in cinema and what things you can handle being placed in front of you on the cinema screen. And in a way that makes this review for Martyrs completely redundant to an extent. It stops being a review and becomes more of a contemplative warning.
This is a very strange review for me here. Reviewing a film and urging people to go see it is a difficult task in itself, but when you add music to the mix the difficulty level peaks. It is very difficult to urge someone to seek out Nirvana Unplugged or purchase Nirvana Unplugged if they don't like the music of Nirvana. Music like film is completely subjective and what one person considers a fantastic barrage of music is in fact a barrage of absolute noise to another. The best I can hope with this review therefore is that it at least puts Nirvana Unplugged into your thoughts momentarily.
There is no plot, no action set pieces to speak of, there isn't even a scuffle involving a ferocious crowd. But there doesn't need to be for Nirvana Unplugged to be entertaining. What you get with Nirvana Unplugged is a bare bones performance from the band and an excellent showcase of Kurt Cobain's talent. Sadly Cobain is no longer with us and what a shame that is, because looking at Nirvana Unplugged it is clear Cobain had an enigmatic presence. He had an aura about him that could capture and intrigue an audience. Cobain never had the greatest singing voice in the world, but he had the perfect voice for Nirvana.
And in Nirvana Unplugged we are treated to a number of songs from Nirvana's back catalogue. And for me it is the perfect selection. They are indeed a few glaring omissions Smells Like Teen Spirit being the obvious one. But I am glad it was left out of the set, as it just wouldn't have been 'right' being played on an acoustic guitar. Along with a few of Nirvana's own songs the band plays a plethora of covers from a variety of different bands. The particular highlight is the final performance of Where Did You Sleep Last Night? which is really quite haunting. The song itself is very, very dark and the dark core of the song is reflected in Cobain's performance. Not long after the recording of the performance Cobain took his own life, and there is a moment in the song where Cobain looks up to the audience with piercing eyes. Not an unusual sight, but it is a chilling one. It is as if he has had a brief momentarily outer body experience of sorts. It is a powerful, enlightening image that was brilliant recorded and worth purchasing the DVD for alone.
There is not much left for me to say. I could do the obvious and the conventional thing of going through the set list one by one and saying that was good, that was great and that was grand. But Nirvana was not your conventional band. And Cobain was not your conventional human being. This review has either achieved its purpose of sipping Nirvana back into your conscience, or it has failed miserably and you have hit the little cross at the top right of your screen. If you have stuck with the review, thank you and please consider placing an order for this fantastic performance.
Charm is something that cannot be faked, cannot be bought and cannot be borrowed and it certainly cannot be placed on a bidding site for a 99p reserve. And to be honest I am incredibly thankful for this. If charm was in abundance or manufactured then special films such as Science of Sleep would cease to be special.
Science of Sleep comes direct from the majestic mind of Michel Gondry. It is a beautifully intricate film, a tangible dream almost that is something quite truly moving and intoxicating to behold. My articulation may be muddied here so before going any further into the review I wish to make my opinion clear as possible - Purchase Science of Sleep. I will provide an adequate amount of ellipses time to do so....................................................................................................
Right now with that small purchase time over, here are the reasons why you won't regret the purchase. The visuals in Science of Sleep are absolutely stunning. There are moments in the film that will instantly put a smile on your face, sometimes it is down to the pure innate beauty of the images you are seeing, and sometimes it is down to the absurdity or surreal nature of them. Regardless of the reasons why you are smiling, the important thing is you are indeed smiling. Science of Sleep conjures up an incredible amount of joy and happiness throughout its runtime, and a film that has such a hearty spoonful of bliss deserves some of your time.
An exquisite performance from Gael García Bernal raises the movie from just being great to being fantastic. Gael García Bernal rarely puts a foot wrong when he is on your cinema screen on television screen. From his rooted performance in Amores Perros to Y tu mamá también even in his short blink and you'll miss it performance as Cristiano Ronaldo, he is more than worth watching. In Science of Sleep Bernal plays Stéphane Miroux, a young man infatuate by the dream world and his own imagination. He returns back to his childhood French home, where he is given a routine typing job; a job that attempts to suffocate his limitless creativity. Thankfully Stéphane's creativity is never suffocated and if anything is enhanced with the introduction/chance meeting he has with neighbour Stéphanie played by the superb Charlotte Gainsbourg.
I have spoken before of the acting prowess Ms Gainsbourg possesses. Her performance in Antichrist surpasses her performance in Science of Sleep, but the performance we are treated to here is not to be sniffed at. The biggest cliché in the reviewer's book is the journey card. And it is a card I am more than happy to play again here with the character of Stéphanie. At first Stéphanie is a shy, quiet character that is very likeable. As the plot progresses and Stéphanie comes out of her shell a darker deeper side of the Stéphanie character emerges and you begin to question if Stéphanie is as likeable as you we first led to believe. This contrast continues until the end of the movie, and as with just about every film one will watch you will have your own thoughts, feelings, meanings and whatever else ends in ings about it.
To top things off the whole film is penned and directed by Michel Gondry. Gondry for me is one of the greatest directors in the world of film today. His work oozes invention and creativity and in Science of Sleep it appears he was given free rein to do whatever his mind could produce. And what brilliant mind Gondry has. Gondry had shown the world before what he was capable of with Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, where he teamed up in the writing side of things with Charlie Kaufman. Now a number of individuals have argued that Gondry and Kaufman are better together than they are apart. And there is certainly some truth to that, but Science of Sleep can certainly stand proud alongside the masterpiece that fell before it. Although Science of Sleep doesn't surpass Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind in my greatest film list it is certainly up there in quality.
Science of Sleep has fallen below the fiver mark now and should be picked up for any DVD collection. And for less than a fiver you are not only getting a lovely, lovely film. You are adding a lovely, lovely piece of art to collection.
The heroic and inspiring life of Nelson Mandela: witness to his country being invaded, occupied / systematically looted by British imperialists and Dutch colonial settlers, militant activist in the resistance against the invaders, imprisoned for 27 years, branded a terrorist by many Western governments including our own, supported by people of all nationalities, races and creeds, released in 1990 as the apartheid system fell in South Africa to become president, Mandela eschewed vengeance for truth & reconciliation to unite all citizens and re-establish his country on the world's stage.
What a story, what a life...and yet for some reason, director Clint Eastwood ends up making a Mandela movie that's the historical equivalent of a story about the time Mandela went down to the shops to buy a loaf of bread. Now I'm an Eastwood fan (actor and director) but the events depicted in 'Invicitus' (i.e. how President Mandela utilised the 1995 Rugby World Cup as an event to unite Black and White South Africans) are so trivial that they barely warrant a mention, much less a two and half hour film. For 'Invictius' (meaning 'Unbeaten' in Latin and the title of an uplifting 17th century poem by William Ernest Henley) despite its political origins, is essentially a glorified sports movie. Entertaining and well acted? Yes. A pointless waste of characters? Absolutely. For it may as well be a Rugby variant on 'Any Given Sunday' or 'All The Right Moves'.
Morgan Freeman, in his third Eastwood directed film, is spot on as Mandela and should've won an Oscar for his performance whilst Mat Damon's hilarious "Seth Afreken" accent is the impressions gift that just keeps on giving: "we dedn't no ab'at the ray-cism". That said, Damon, easily the most prolific and interesting Hollywood actor working today, puts in a physically convincing and otherwise believable take on Rugby Captain Francois Pienaar. There's nothing to be said for the acting, even Eastwood's eye behind the camera is as sharp as ever but a weak storyline lets his side down.
Laugh, as Mandela gives Jason Bour...Francois Pienaar the mission to bring home The World Cup. Cry, as the heinous symbolism of the Springbok is reduced to a series of sanctimonious platitudes. And cheer as Matt Damon motivates his team to rise to the challenge in honour of "...the greatest man I've ever met" (and no, he doesn't mean George Clooney). 'Invicitus' isn't a bad film by any stretch of the imagination, but I'd have preferred it if they hadn't involved Mandela at all unless they were going to give him centre stage. Still, if you know the history and don't mind Rugby, you may as well give it a try.
Chris Tucker and Charlie Sheen in the same movie together, is either a pleasant surprise to some people or a knuckle biting nightmare to others. I fall in the pleasant surprise camp with Money Talks.
Money Talks lies in the pre-Rush Hour, pre-Two and a Half Men phase of each man's career. And it lays some groundwork for Rush Hour in some of the set pieces it crafts out of its story, and some of the exchanges between the 'partnership' of Tucker and Sheen. The partnership turned into Chris Tucker and Jackie Chan in the Rush Hour series but in all honesty Jackie Chan could have slotted into this movie easily with a few script alterations. But I am glad that things turned out the way they did as we are treated to a nice action comedy with Money Talks.
Now with any review on any medium a slight element of bias will inevitable creep in, and in this review it is probably in regards to my enthusiasm for Chris Tucker. Now I can understand the reason why some individuals look at Chris Tucker and his acting in an unfavourable fashion. He is loud, brash and his charisma is very in your face to put it in the most liberal way possible. But for me he is a funny individual. And a funny individual with charisma will be looked at favourably in movies with eyes. Charlie Sheen acts as the 'soothing' counter balance to Tuckers manically amusing performance, and he does a fantastic job at that. His performance is nothing standout and it was no surprise that the he wasn't nominated for an Oscar for his performance, but it is a strong comedic straight man performance from Sheen.
Now for some plot to pad out this already bare bones review. Chris Tucker plays Franklin Hatchett a car wash hustler (again thank you Wikipedia) He is exposed by news reporter James Russell (Charlie Sheen) and taken to jail. After a few laughs in the holding cell, Hatchett is escorted to prison handcuffed to a notorious French criminal. The escort does go smoothly and there may be an escape or two in the explosive process. If you have seen any sort of these action comedy genre films before then you will have a pretty good idea where it is going and how it well end. And yes it does end the way you think, however the journey from start to end is a pleasant and smile filled.
My review tip to end the review would be not to purchase Money Talks at full price. I am positive Money Talks can be found cheap by looking through the bargain DVD buckets, and when you do uncover it in the deep dark depths pick it up then. It is a film that is definitely worth watching, but you don't need to be in any rush to pick it up especially if it is over the ten pound mark.
WOW - I was expecting this to be dull after reading other reviews, but it took me by surprise. Good performances all round. You are immersed in the action and you can really feel the tension in each disposal situation. Respect to the blokes doing this for real.....
When thinking about what to review a lot of thoughts swirl round the mind. The mind fills with adjectives, hyperbole and sometimes frustration. So with all three bubbling away nicely in the review cauldron, I add a final ingredient - recognition. I tend to cast my net wide in the film reviewing sea - I will look at Hollywood blockbusters, foreign classics and the small hidden gems that so very few see. So when this review began I thought to myself what film have most people not heard of let alone seen? As I got half way through that Avatar review I thought to myself this is far too obtuse a movie to review, and scrapped it for Helen.
Now I have used this word before and I will use it again for Helen, that word being whimsical. But Helen is not your traditional type of whimsy fare, the whimsy of Helen is very much dark and brooding. As you watch Helen a sense of unease and trepidation begins to fill you up, taunting you with its ethereal dark heart. With Helen you are very much thrown into the proverbial deep end, as you are introduced to lingering shots of a police tape draped across a wooded area. Police are hunched over methodically stepping over areas in search of something. A haunting yellow jacket lying crumpled in a heap in the dirt is given to the viewer as their final puzzle piece. A piece to a puzzle that the audience will only be able to complete on their own.
Helen never spoon feeds the viewer. It chills by showing you very little. This can easily be a negative if the director(s) of a film lacks confidence and control in his or her work. A viewer for example could be left to interpret what an albino rat in a desert represents or even what a pug in a wig signifies. For the majority of the time they mean nothing, it is predominantly the director trying to be arty or funny. But in Helen a lot of the frames and cryptic images have power and meaning behind them. Now I cannot say that Helen is flawless, because for me it has a few minor irks that stop it getting the full star rating, but the performance of Annie Townsend is fantastic. It's a subdued and relaxed performance, one you would expect from a veteran not a debuting actress. The way in which Annie Townsend floats through the scenes disjoints your preconceived ideas. This young girl has been asked to take part in a reconstruction of a girl's disappearance; a girl she knew, surely she should be riddled with anxiety? But she has this calm reserve to her performance that is quite haunting, and as the story begins to unwind the level of unease slowly creeps up. But you are never at such a state of unease that you want to look away. Look away and you may miss that one little clue or direction that just cements your scrambled thoughts and ideas into a nice tangible clear package. I am not going to reveal too much by saying if all questions you may have amassed are answered, but I will say that it did end well for me personally. Unfortunately the performance of Annie Townsend is not reflected all the way through the cast.
There are a number of performances that are a bit questionable or lackluster and a few scenes suffer as a result. But if we are going with a mathematical equation of sorts I would say for every five scenes at least three of them are good, with the remaining two being interesting but slightly lacking. But as it is a debut feature from Joe Lawlor and Christine Molloy I wasn't expecting perfection just promise. And enthusiastic promise I received. I am very excited to see what they are capable of doing next, because over time little imperfections will be ironed out, their writing will get stronger and hopefully budgets get gradually bigger. And if their recognition grows with any success they may have, hopefully budding fans/filmmakers take the time to visit or should that be revisit Helen.
I discovered Helen when I was scouring the year end list of critics and movie sites, and as a result I paid close to full price for this. Thankfully the price has dropped significantly and Helen can be found and bought on mass with a wave of impulse buys. A little gem for less than a fiver, not bad at all...
Amazing in this Blu-ray transfer. The sound is amazing and the colours are so vivid it has to be seen to be believed. Should be added to any Blu-ray collection, not one to be missed!
Pixar's movies are awesome and they're kind of a tearjerker. They reflect on adult issues. I own the Blu-ray superset that comes with a DVD copy of the film. The picture on the DVD is standard and decent. The cover is good. There are trailers for Toy Story 3, The Princess and the Frog and Dumbo. The audio is brilliant. I would give this a 4/5
An old man who has wasted his whole life decides to tie millions of helium balloons to his house and fly off to South America in honour of his late wife who had yearned to go on this trip.
There's a huge amount of pressure on anything that bears the strap line 'The next big thing from JJ Abrams' - I'm happy to say that Fringe shoulders the burden well.
Far removed from LOST in style and purpose, Fringe also handles its material well with a much smaller cast.
Anna Torv is driven enough & her character involved enough to make you happy to go along for the ride. John Noble's mad scientist role could easily grate on the nerves but he actually manages to juggle comedy & tragedy very well and provides welcome light relief to the overall serious nature of the show's narrative.
I have to admit that I watched the first couple of shows on Sky and found Joshua Jackson's character to be very irritating - I'm pleased to say he calms down somewhat and begins to enjoy some good back & forth banter with his mad scientist father. I'd definitely recommend viewing this on DVD rather than Sky with its 5 minute ad breaks (every 5 minutes!).
In nature, the show is a cross between X-Files & Alias - it takes the best of both worlds - it has series-encompassing story arcs and also 'monster-of-the-week' shows too.
I personally can't wait for the second & (eventually) third series to become available on DVD.
Great extras too!! All the cast members & crew are happy to talk about the making of the show in great detail (with the notable exception of Jackson who is rarely seen).
For all those of you who are having to ween themselves off their LOST fix, this is another extremely accomplished show from Abrams - I dare you not to feel a shiver when you hear those familiar discordant LOST notes kicking in here & there!!
Had enough of gritty, seedy film noir? Want something sophisticated and seductive, a taut intriguing murder mystery that's also a psychologically subtle examination of love and male attitudes to women? Trust me, that's exactly what you want. Beginning with the discovery of the beautiful title character Laura dead in her uptown apartment this film follows a tough laconic cop as he investigates the victim's friends and admirers. The story has a strange dreamlike quality enhanced by beautiful, atmospheric cinematography and a hauntingly lush score. The performances of Dana Andrews, Gene Tierney, and Judith Anderson are faultless but it is Clifton Webb's role as Waldo Lydecker - a camp, arrogant dandy unable to open his mouth without delivering a biting put-down - that achieves iconic status. Vincent Price is also terrific in one of his earliest roles as a Southern playboy: "I can afford a blemish on my character, but not on my clothes" The script is smart, funny, complex and psychologically astute; it is not so much a film about murder as a study of character, secrets and obsessions. This is a classic, stylish film noir and one of director Otto Preminger's greatest movies. Just be careful you don't end up obsessed with Laura too.
Haunting study of obsession
2010 is looking to become the renaissance year of Nicolas Cage, with strong noteworthy performances in both Werner Herzog's Bad Lieutenant and Matthew Vaughan's Kickass. But for the majority of Nicolas Cage's career he has been very hit or miss. Pardon the sweeping nature of that last statement, but it is indeed true. Everybody will have their own Nicolas Cage hits and misses chart mapped out in their own minds. Face-Off for me is a hit, where as Knowing is a miss. For other people that may be the other way around, or they may both be misses or hits to another. Unfortunately the Nicolas Cage Good Movie Formulation has yet to be discovered, but what I can add is that National Treasure is a hit in my chart.
Nicolas Cage stars as Benjamin Franklin Gates a treasure hunter that has continued on the family lineage so to speak. I want to say a 21st century Indiana Jones, but that comparison to me is a little weak, but as it's a bank holiday I will let it slide. Accompanying Benjamin on his quest to find the treasure left by the Founding Fathers of the United States is Dr. Abigail Chase and Riley Poole. Dr. Abigail Chase is a breath taking beauty with a fantastic mind played nicely by Diane Kruger. Diane Kruger's finest hour for me still lies in her role of Bridget von Hammersmark in Inglourious Basterds but she does a fine job her in National Treasure. And that almost sums up National Treasure as a whole. It's an enjoyable movie that a whole family can sit down and watch. It is nothing outstanding and probably won't end up in the greatest films of all time lists but that doesn't bother me. The plot is interesting although it does air a little on the ridiculous and the ludicrous side. The main point however is that the film doesn't claim to be something that it is not. If it was billed as a pinpoint historically accurate tale that was based on a true story and filled with set pieces that were possible in the real world then I would have a problem. I must admit though that I have a slight penchant for an adventure story filled with puzzles and riddles, and National Treasure has plenty.
The set pieces are grand and gripping, and the acting all round is great with performances from Jon Voight and Sean Bean also popping up. There is not much left for me to say than give National Treasure a go. Both the first and second National Treasure can be picked up relatively cheaply. And if you do enough rummaging around in the TV listings you can probably find it filling up some timeslot somewhere in the programme schedule. I don't think you can pick anything cheaper up at a museum gift ship these days. And I am positive that National Treasure is a lot more enjoyable than a novelty pencil sharper shaped like a pink elephant.
Sluizer's thriller is an astonishingly creepy study into the nature of true evil. Based on the novel 'The Golden Egg' by Tim Krabbe, the film begins with a young couple, Rex and Saskia, on a road trip when they decide to stop for refreshments. The lively Saskia vanishes, leaving Rex, and the viewer, distressed and bewildered. Tormented, Rex struggles to make sense of this disappearance and continue with his life but can't forget the vivacious Saskia. Three years later, Rex is still searching for her, when he starts receiving taunting messages from a man claiming to be her abductor... What follows is an incredibly tense, and poignant, game of cat and mouse between Rex and the stranger which culminates in a terrifying conclusion, which once seen is never forgotten. Give the Hollywood remake (also directed by Sluizer) a wide berth, settle down to the original and prepare to be chilled...
A young couple's holiday takes a tragic turn after a chance encounter with a stranger...
What girl wouldn't want to enter into Jane Austen's world and meet Mr Darcy? Amanda does this just this through her bathroom and stumbles into the Regency world of Pride & Prejudice. While it takes a while to warm up to Amanda (Gemma Arterton), she brilliantly takes us through life in the Bennett household. We are given the opportunity to live vicariously through Amanda, meeting our well known Pride & Prejudice characters. Darcy is just as dreamy as we would hope, and it's easy to wish we were in Amanda's shoes. A treat to watch any time.
500 Days of Summer is a film that's every little bit as glorious as its title would suggest. A comedy with some serious heart, it aims to please by presenting a conventional story in an unconventional fashion, and it delivers with every beat.
The story in itself could be criticised for being fairly run-of-the-mill in the overpopulated world of romantic comedies. Boy meets girl, boy and girl grow closer, boy and girl have a tumultuous rollercoaster of a relationship that lasts for the rest of the film. Nothing so special here. But in telling the 500-day story deliberately out of order, the film manages to hit the audience hard with a hefty comic (and romantic) punch.
At Day 1, the chronology starts with greeting card writer Tom Hansen encountering the enigmatic Summer Finn. The following 499 days cover the highs and lows of their relationship, ending on Day 500 with ... well, you'll have to watch to see. Incidentally, one of the initial scenes takes place on Day 488 before quickly rewinding to the beginning, laying the pieces for a puzzle which slots together tremendously satisfyingly over the film's duration. The scenes are layered together such that vibrant, joyous montages of dancing in the streets are sometimes lumped next to scenes so depressing that, tonally, it should feel quite inappropriate. But this intentional mish-mash of moods leads to some really great comedic moments, and occasionally a rather touching revelation as well.
The film is exceptionally well written. The dialogue is crisp, fresh and naturally funny without ever verging into Diablo Cody's Juno hyper-geek-speak territory, and the romantic moments are warmly charming without being cheesy. The lead characters are rounded but flawed, and the secondary cast are given characters with more than just a single dimension. Forgiving Tom's slightly too precocious younger sister, there is very little here I could (or would want to) criticise.
Joseph Gordon-Levitt portrays Tom as a relatable everyman, his performance always on the mark. His comedic timing is spot on. Zooey Deschanel, on the other hand, is a delight - a real standout performer. Her eyes are incredible at saying volumes more than her mouth ever does, and at the same time, always leaving the audience wondering. She portrays Summer as a real mystery, always leaving us unsure as to what she's thinking, what she wants, what her true intentions are. As frustrating as she is refreshing, Summer is the woman that almost every guy has encountered, deftly representing the enigma that is the fairer sex.
The soundtrack of the movie deserves a particular mention, its tracks chosen so carefully as to compliment its scenes perfectly. The music always serves to enhance the tone of the film, moving swiftly from The Smiths to The Temper Trap to Hall & Oates without ever feeling out of place. The soundtrack CD is really worth picking up, too.
As Marc Webb's feature directorial debut, this film is really something special. I can't wait to see what he comes up with next. It takes a story as old as time and spins it into something completely fresh. It's delightfully quirky, quietly thoughtful and completely relatable. Its two lead characters both see the world differently, and the film never attempts to push you to one side, instead encouraging you to make up your own mind. The film even goes so far as to dip its toe into some deeper territory, such as the meanings of fate and love, without ever feeling preachy or in over its head.
500 Days of Summer is easily my favourite film of the last year. Its solid box office takings are encouraging, too: this is the kind of comedy that we could do with more of. It's executed with such flair and heart that I don't think I could ever grow tired of it. It won't likely have you roaring with laughter, but it's always authentically funny and genuinely sweet. A truly rare feat: this is a rom-com for both guys and girls. See it. I defy you to reach the end of its 90-something-minute running time without wearing a smile stretching from ear to ear.
DayBreakers is about a race of Vampires who are living among humans, they are trying to find a way to survive but with the shrinking of the human population the vampires become reckless. With the human population sinking they try to resolve a way to get blood for the vampires who are turning into deadly, thirsty monsters, who will take any step for survival. But there is one vampire who will do anything to survive, even if it means turning this back on being a vampire to be human again and at the same time willing to kill off all the vampires there is, with this two back people giving a helping hand. As he has discovered the cure.
I thought that this film was a basic vampire thriller story, as with other vampire movies. I thought the make-up effects on the vampires were amazing. I liked how they didn't try to make something it wasn't by keeping to a basic story line but still keeping the set designs , make-up and action were realistic .
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