Category: Films

New blog contributor invisiblekid’s film review of Danny Boyle’s thriller 127 Hours, starring James Franco.

Right, lets get one thing straight right now. This is NOT the feel good movie that many have labeled it. Even Danny Boyle said it was a feel good film. Sorry but it’s just not. Just as Boyle’s last film Slumdog Millionaire was incorrectly called “The feel good movie of the year”, that wasn’t true either. Both are grueling films where bad things happen, but just happen to have a happy ending. Making a film where by at the end, not everyone you’ve seen dies does not mean it’s a feel good film.

In this instance, it’s slightly more clouded especially with it happening for real back in 2003. Escaping death by hacking your arm off (not a spoiler obviously) and becoming a better person for it, it only makes it a feel good event for Aron Ralston (played by James Franco).

There isn’t much for the viewer to take home and change their lives with. Aron started the film as a complete cocky twat and experienced a million even billion to one accident. During his ordeal, he realised this and has made amends. Not much for us to feel good about ourselves.

But onto the film, which frankly is miles better than I have made it sound so far. Aron Ralston is an adrenaline junkie and has all the trimmings that come with it. Cockiness and skills to make him think he’s unstoppable, taking massive risks, treats his girlfriend (now ex) badly and doesn’t return his mums calls.

During a trip to the Blue John Canyon, he tries to beat the recommended time for the climb. During which, he finds a couple of lost girls and in his own typical high risk lifestyle, show them a short cut to their destination. Which has to be said is very cool.

Later, they part ways, and until the end, the only people we see are in his mind.

A bizarre incident leaves him trapped with one arm jammed between, well and rock and a hard place, that being the title of the book. With only: a few bits of rock climbing equipment, a video camera, a still camera and a bottle of water, he tries to free himself from his predicament.

From here on, it’s just us watching him as he records his feelings and see his slow deterioration including: hallucinations, premonitions, and flashbacks all via Danny’s masterful camera work.

It’s very claustrophobic for all involved, including us the viewer, so brilliantly is the stage set made and the closeness in which it is filmed. The flashbacks of course bolster the image we get of Aron, but not in a way that it’s too obvious in what it’s doing. They are just of him remembering the good times and the life he had the in parts, wasted.

The close camera work also shows us the why the film works so well, actor James Franco. His facial expressions will be used a training tool for many years to come. It’s staggering how he and Boyle made a film, with the most talked about finale, that we all know how it ends, into something so gripping and real.

The second Aron is trapped; you can see in James’ eyes that he already knows that it’s too late to do anything. We see him desperately try everything else in seconds that follow. But then there’s calmness and organisation as he calculates his next move instead.

Despite the stillness and depression, Danny’s makes everything flow with such a pulse with fancy camera work. Following the water flow through Aron’s water bag and bottle. The vertical camera lifts from way down deep in ravine where Aron is trapped, to way up high in the sky. It could be seen as silly and a ‘bit Michael Bay’! But it in fact all adds to the slowly building tension. It reminds me of Breaking Bad in the way that you know your getting tense, but you really have no clue just how tense until it’s released.

The release ironically, comes from Aron’s err… release. So while its no spoiler as to how, there’s one point, or two actually (you’ll know when you see it), which got me, wincing like a schoolgirl. These I will not describe, as I feel it will spoil it for any that have not watched it. But my god, it was painful to watch.

Utterly brilliant work indeed, and you can see why some of the faint hearted that watch it, did, well, faint.

Just like Chris Nolan’s Inception, this film was only funded due to the director’s previous massive hits.  Given the subject matter though, I have to hand it to Danny Boyle. Thinking of a truly bizarre, complicated, massive set piece film as in the case of Inception is one thing. But to see how to make a riveting film from such a static event and be so passionate about it is shear brilliance. Just like the film.

Christopher Nolan’s latest sci-fi thriller Inception is a masterpiece of storytelling, with beautiful cinematography and fascinating characters.

In a world where technology exists to enter the human mind through dream invasion, a single idea within one’s mind can be the most dangerous weapon or the most valuable asset.

Leonardo DiCaprio plays Dom Cobb, a skilled thief. The absolute best in the dangerous art of extraction, stealing valuable secrets from deep within the subconscious during the dream state, when the mind is at its most vulnerable.

Cobb’s rare ability has made him a coveted player in this treacherous new world of corporate espionage, but it has also made him an international fugitive and cost him everything he has ever loved.

Now Cobb is being offered a chance at redemption. One last job could give him his life back but only if he can accomplish the impossible-inception. Instead of the perfect heist, Cobb and his team of specialists (featuring the talented stars of Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Ellen Page, Tom Hardy, Ken Watanabe and Dileep Rao) have to pull off the reverse: their task is not to steal an idea but to plant one. Inside the mind of Robert Fischer Jr played by Cillian Murphy.

If they succeed, it could be the perfect crime. But no amount of careful planning or expertise can prepare the team for the dangerous enemy that seems to predict their every move. An enemy that only Cobb could have seen coming.

Following the success of rebooting the Batman series with the superb Batman Begins and the excellent The Dark Knight (and not forgetting The Prestige) British director Christopher Nolan’s new film Inception sets a new bar of creativity and originality. If you thought Memento was difficult to follow, Nolan’s latest film Inception is even more complicated! Nolan taps into the world of the subconscious and after experiencing 148 minutes of mind-blowing special effects and top star talents, you are left feeling in a dream like status.

The action sequences are like a work of art but you have to be paying constant attention to all the layers of what is happening. The final hour is quite possibly one of the most complicated. Without giving the game away, this make this film so entertaining to the viewer.

With a A-list cast featuring the talent of Leonardo DiCaprio, Joseph Gordon-Lewitt (Tommy Solomon from 3rd Rock of the Sun!), Sir Michael Caine, Ellen Page (Juno) and Marion Cotillard, the film represent the best of Hollywood.

Inception certainly lives up to the hype and indeed Nolan has surpassed himself with this brilliant and breathtaking film. Highly recommended.

After the success of Casino Royale, where Commander James Bond earned his ‘double-0’ status and the license to kill, the direct sequel to the 2006 hit film that is Quantum of Solace proves to be a big disappointment.

The twenty-second Bond film from EON Productions, picks up almost an hour after the final scene in Casino Royale, where 007 is involved in a thrilling car chase.

This action sequence seems to set the mood in Quantum of Solace with exciting chases, gun action and impressive stunts. Unfortunately, after this opening scene the film lacks the thrill and drama due to the poor pacing. It doesn’t help that the story continues from Casino Royale, where Bond is seeking revenge for the death of Vesper Lynd.

Daniel Craig once again plays the British secret agent and his performance continues to impress. He could easily be ranked – along with Sean Connery – as the best portray of Ian Fleming’s spy. Though it is quite remarkable that the Bond character played by Craig has changed so much from Casino Royale to the Quantum of Solace.

In the first film, he still had the charisma from the other previous Bonds but with a more gritty realistic side to the character. In the Quantum of Solace, it seems the writers just couldn’t decide if he’s motivated by revenge or seeking solitude. Craig’s second appearance reveals a more arrogant attitude that he becomes barely recognisable as Bond anymore… It seems he has became Jason Bourne and this is not surprising, as most of the action sequences feel likes it is taken from the Bourne films.

Some of these scenes do look good with quick editing/camera work followed by brutal, devastatingly fistfights and chases. But this style of filming just doesn’t fit in the style of previous Bond films. I believe director Marc Foster, who was behind such acclaim hits with Finding Neverland and The Kite Runner, wanted to continue the gritty feel set by Casino Royale, but it fails to generate excitement.

As for the supporting cast, Dame Judi Dench returns as M but she feels unease by Bond’s action as he travels around the world searching for answers behind the secret organisation known as Quantum.

Dominic Greene, a member of this secret organisation, is played by the award-winning French actor Mathieu Amalric. Greene’s idea of taking control over Bolivia’s water supply can be seen as quite tame by evil villain standards but he remains a threat to 007.

Olga Kurylenko plays Camille Montes, a Russian-Bolivian agent who also has a grudge against Greene and Quantum. When she and Bond meet, the chemistry is there and it certainly sizzles up on the big screen. Kurylenko is no typical Bond girl as she is capable of some action and was able to demonstrate this in some scenes with some brutal fighting sequences.

As for Gemma Arterton, playing the role of MI6 agent Strawberry Fields, her cameo was quite brief and not that memorable unfortunately.

In summary, the Quantum of Solace promises so much but fails to deliver in terms of drama and spectacle. With a running time of 106 minutes, this is the shortest Bond film in the series. I really hope James Bond returns in the next film back to his truth self and not a clone of Jason Bourne following this overhyped and disappointing film.

After restoring credibility in the 2005 hit Batman Begins, British director Christopher Nolan returns to Gotham City with this highly anticipated sequel. In The Dark Knight, Batman (Christian Bale) squares off against a new foe: the Joker (the late Heath Ledger).

Nolan’s second Batman film is a more gritty, darker and brooding story. Certain scenes will leave a lasting impression that you never imagined and the sense of drama will continue to sustain disbelieve in how fantastic this film is. The Dark Knight is certainly the most violent, gripping and thrilling in the superhero series.

Christian Bale once again plays the Caped Crusader, sworn to fight the evil and injustice, though his perception of justice is causing an emotional and personal shift. It’s fascinating to see the talented actor playing on these themes that you emphasise with Bale’s flawed hero more than Michael Keaton, Val Kilmer and George Clooney. Bale is probably the best actor to play the Bruce Wayne/Batman character and his performance in The Dark Knight is first-class.

But it is Bale’s late co-star that steals the film. Heath Ledger is simply outstanding in the role of The Joker. He makes Jack Nicholson look like a cartoon figure! Yes, Nicholson was great in Tim Burton’s 1989 Batman but he takes it to a whole new level. Ledger’s character reveals a more sinister, twisted and psychotic side that it becomes deeply disturbing. With a cynical smile, he proclaims in a scene where Batman is a freak to the public, like the Joker himself. This also explains the balance of righteousness that Bruce Wayne is going through. The Joker is downright evil, and Ledger makes this performance legendary.

As for the rest of the cast, Aaron Eckhart performs superbly in the role of district attorney Harvey Dent. The transformation into Two-Face is truly fascinating and shocking.

Maggie Gyllenhaal is a great replacement for Katie Holmes as Wayne’s love interest Rachel Dawes. She shows a more sensitive and caring side towards Bruce, other than Holmes’ nearly flat performance in Batman Begins.

Sir Michael Caine and Morgan Freeman are perfect as Wayne’s ancillary staff playing the loyal butler and CEO of Wayne Enterprises respectively.

And special mention goes to Gary Oldman, who does a marvellous job of portraying Lieutenant James Gordon.

Moving on to the set pieces in The Dark Knight, the action sequences are nothing short of remarkable. It is really exhilarating in particular the opening scene with a high-tension, high-anxiety bank raid. Another outstanding moment was the duel between Batman’s bat bike and The Joker’s 18-wheelier. Fantastic!

The cinematography is also breathtaking. At one point, Batman travels to the Far East to track down a lead and to see Hong Kong in all its glory is stunning. Alongside the new Gotham City, the atmosphere and mood in The Dark Knight is a work of art.

I must applaud Christopher Nolan for his hard work in this film. Not only for writing a great story about corruption and chaos but also in casting great actors. Yes, The Dark Knight is Heath Ledger’s final performance but he is the main reason that makes this film so entertaining and thrilling.

This is by far the best Batman film. It certainly lives up to the hype. See it for Bale, for Ledger, for the music, the action and for Nolan’s flawless direction.

Oh dear… My childhood memories of high-speed chases, menacing Nazis and the pure sense of adventure when exploring different parts of the world looking for mysterious artifacts in the company of Doctor Henry Jones ‘Junior’ a.k.a. Indiana Jones has been shattered.

It has been 19 years since we last joined the part-time professor and archaeologist in his action-packed adventures. Over the time since Indy rode off into the sunset in the closing scene of The Last Crusade, the fourth film has been in ‘development hell’ in terms of creating the perfect story.

Director Steven Spielberg, executive producer George Lucas and Hollywood legend Harrison Ford rejected script after script, due to disagreement over the direction the fourth Indiana Jones would take. None of them agreed upon the story until the concept of setting it in the 1950s – during the Cold War and involving aliens – was taken further. Lucas suggested the crystal skulls to ground the idea and after some redrafts, Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull was ready to start shooting.

Spielberg wanted to maintain the ‘look and feel’ from his past three Indiana Jones films by not shooting the film digitally (unlike George Lucas with his Star Wars prequels). So when watching Kingdom of the Crystal Skull????????, you get the impression that it hasn’t been that long since The Last Crusade. The Oscar-winning director mentioned he wanted to do the action-scenes ‘old school’ by opting out of the use of digital effects, giving the sense of realism. In spite of this, the truck-chase scene set in the jungle ended up as CGI.

Despite being 65 years old, Harrison Ford still looks the part of Doctor Jones – outfitted in his trademark leather jacket, fedora hat and whip. Some critics might say he is too old to play the part of the adventurer but in Kingdom of the Crystal Skull, Ford still manages to pull off the action scenes with ease and confidence.

Karen Allen returns as Indy’s love interest by reprising the role of Marion Ravenwood. It’s amusing to see Marion and Indy together again, as the last time the pair made an appearance was Raiders of the Lost Ark back in 1981! Since that time, Marion has got married and had a son. Ah yes, the son that turns out to be a youthful and arrogant parody of Indiana Jones. From Spielberg and Lucas I got the impression that this character, Mutt Williams (played by Shia LeBeouf) could be the next action hero if they want to continue making Indiana Jones in the near future.

I hope not as Shia LeBeouf’s performance was dreadful. He might have made a grand entrance in the film by riding his motorbike, wearing the same outfit as Marlon Brando in The Wild One… His character – Mutt Williams – was simply annoying. His cockiness and banter with the older and wiser Jones wasn’t convincing and the image of Mutt swinging through the trees with his monkey friends during the truck-chase scene was unforgivable.

Worse still are the fellow cast members. Ray Winstone plays Indy’s friend ‘Mac’ who is either working with him or backstabbing the archaeologist by teaming up with the Russians. Ray’s character was simply irritating and I hated the way he called Indy ‘Jonesy’. Good for ‘Jonesy’ to punch him in the face every time he said it!

John Hurt plays Professor Harold Oxley who seems to be high after being possessed by the strange power of the crystal skull… He becomes ‘sane’ at the end but his presence wasn’t memorable in any way.

Jim Broadbent’s role was underused and he lacked the charm of Marcus Brody (the late Denholm Elliott) as Dean Charles Stanford.

As for Cate Blanchett, who played the villainous Soviet agent Irina Spalko, she was not scary or threatening when compared to other bad guys in the previous Indiana Jones films. It’s not the actress’ fault (she has won an Oscar for her portrayal of Elizabeth) and the blame lies solely on the material that was written for the part.

What about the new threat to Indiana Jones, the Russians? Well, I’m surprised to say this but the Nazis were more sinister in their evil ways compared to the Russians.

But the worst aspect of Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull is the main plot. After years of delay, you would expect a more convincing storyline than what is shown on the big screen.

Set in the 1950s, the film opens with a grizzled Indiana Jones being forced to locate a mysterious crate (that is highly magnetic) inside a hanger in Area 51 for the evil psychic Irina Spalko. After escaping the Russians (and dodging a nuclear blast by hiding inside a fridge!), Indy meets young Mutt Williams who tells him that his mother has disappeared and has sent him to ask Indy for help.

Following a trail of clues, Indy and Mutt travel to a South American jungle in search of Professor Oxley and Mutt’s mother. Decoding Oxley’s ramblings, Indy realises that he has to return a mysterious crystal skull to the lost golden city of Akator, while keeping one step ahead of the Russians.

It might sound exciting but compared to the previous adventures in Raiders of the Lost Ark, Temple of Doom and The Last Crusade, the new fourth Indiana Jones is a disappointment. The magic and appeal that made the first three films a delight is missing from Kingdom of the Crystal Skull and some of the scenes felt unnecessary, especially the chase scene in the jungle followed by giant flesh-eating ants!

I had high hopes, being a fan of Doctor Jones for many years, but I feel Spielberg and Lucas have betrayed my childhood memories forever with this horrendous film. It’s time for Indy to hang up his hat.

Rising star Ellen Page stars as a smart-talking 16-year-old Juno MacGuff, who gets pregnant the first time she has sex with fellow virgin Paulie Bleeker (Michael Cera). Unable to face the prospect of abortion, Juno decides to give up the baby up for adoption, so she finds a loving but childless couple Mark and Vanessa (Jason Bateman and Jennifer Garner) through the want ads in a local paper.

However, as she spends more time with the couple, she discovers that their marriage isn’t quite picture-perfect as it first appeared. Meanwhile, Juno’s father (J.K. Simmons), stepmother (Allison Janney) and best friend Leah (Olivia Thirlby) offer as much help as they can.

Nominated by four Academy Awards in the run up to this year’s Oscars, including Best Picture, Juno is an engaging and witty teen comedy written by a former stripper now blogger Diablo Cody. The script provides plenty of laughs with some razor-sharp dialogue throughout the running time of 96 minutes.

Ellen Page is fabulous in the leading role, with her enthusiastic personality and dry-wit. Some people may remember Ellen from her shining performance in Hard Candy back in 2005, in which many critics praised her for “one of the most complex, disturbing and haunting performances of the year”. With a nomination for the Best Actress award in the 2008 Academy Awards, Ellen is on route to becoming a future star of Hollywood.

As for the supporting cast, it is great to see several star names I recognised from past television and movie roles appearing in Juno. Michael Cera and Jason Bateman from Arrested Development, Jennifer Garner (Alias) and Allison Janney (The West Wing). Each of them playing their roles superbly alongside Ellen.

Even though the subject matter may seem controversial on the whole pregnancy/childbirth/adoption issue, director Jason Reitman (Thank You For Smoking) sets an up-beat tone with a great soundtrack, colourful production design and a delightful animated opening credits sequence. Despite the ‘feel good’ attitude, Juno manages to address the abortion versus adoption issue in a surprisingly mature way – with the final scenes in particular emotionally moving.

Probably the best independent film since Little Miss Sunshine, Juno is a hilariously teen comedy with delightful characters working with a fantastic script. Highly recommended.

Thanks to its clever viral marketing on MySpace and countless other websites devoting to the movie, J.J. Abrams’ ambitions homage to monster flicks takes a new step further by providing an unique viewpoint on a giant creature destroying Manhattan.

The film begins as if someone is watching a videotape that has been found after a mysterious incident in New York City, codenamed ‘Cloverfield’. We briefly see images of a young good-looking couple, Robert Hawkins (Michael Stahl-David) and Elizabeth “Beth” McIntyre (Odette Yustman) before we realise that someone has taped over their day at Coney Island with footage of Rob’s leaving party, before he heads off to Japan.

However, during the party there’s an attack on New York by an initially unseen monster and everyone runs for the streets, just in time to witness the head of the Statue of Liberty come crashing to the ground. With one of his friends still filming – Hudson “Hud” Platt (T. J. Miller) – in the same style of the Blair Witch Project, Rob and his friends risk their lives to rescue Beth before attempting to flee the city.

The action sequences in Cloverfield are pretty intense with echoes to the chaotic moments that followed 9/11, with buildings crumbling to rubble and panic in the city streets. The use of a video camera shot from the victim perspective is a distinctive step of documentary events as it unfolds. Sure, the camerawork might cause some viewers to become ill with the constant shaking and movement but in the age of Web 2.0 and YouTube, the director – Matt Reeves – handles the central concept extremely well, perfectly capturing the sense of fear and mayhem, while maintaining exactly the sort of breathless pace that you’d expect if you were fleeing a giant monster.

Cloverfield is certainly frightening that you left thinking that this attack could happen… The only criticism is all that running and screaming doesn’t provide enough characterisation or dialogue. In addition, we don’t get any back-story on why this monster is here in New York City stomping, eating and causing as much damage as possible.

Despite that, the film is superbly directed with some skilful use of editing – from the happier times of Rob and Beth to the horror of his close friends dying one by one… Cloverfield is an enjoyable thriller that adds a modern twist to the Godzilla-style monster movie, though it’s slightly let down by its characters and plot.