I've Seen It

Great British flim of greed, jealousy and dark secrets against the idyllic backdrop of rural countryside life. Tension is built up slowly through the first half at such a pace that you really feel a sense of loss as things turn out not so rosy. The three female leads are very good with a decent script to back them up. Main guy looks like a slighty out of shape Gerard Butler, his performance is spot on in this film. An enjoyable way to spend a couple of hours.

Probably the flakiest excuse for a storyline I have ever come across. Plot holes galore but it was executed with enthusiasm. Some humorous moments but for me the gaps in the story interrupted enjoying the film. It was kinda all over the place but I suppose kidnapping, incest and rape and torture is a tall order.

This film and director completely passed me by when released in 2006. I’ve seen it now and it’s certainly up there with the best of British displaying all of the power and vitality I expect from productions in this country. The story is of a guy at UNI working the night shift at the local supermarket to stave off insomnia and the breakup of a relationship. It is a great nostalgic piece for those 30 somethings and certainly worth a watch for those who missed it first time round.

Entertaining little film joining up several genres but buddy flick front and centre with a perfect odd couple pairing of Brendan Gleeson and Don Cheadle. On track to becoming one of the biggest hits to out of Ireland this brings in influences from Father Ted with small town rural humor. Some witty interchanges between several characters. The script is strong and the humor will shock. Tagline is that this is Father Ted meets the Bad Lieutenant and it doesn’t disappoint. Go on give it a watch, oh go on, go on, go on, go on, go on, go on….

Scandanavian entry into the Vampire genre is an intriguing story. The central character stands out strikingly with his pale complexion and blonde hair. He plays a troubled loner at school who begins an innocent friendship with disastrous consequences for those around him. It is quite poignant in a macabre way watching the dependency in friendship grow between the central characters. The remoteness and cold of the environment upon which the story is set really adds to the feeling of unease the viewer has throughout the story. This is a haunting tale certainly worth watching.

This film moved at a lightning pace at the beginning which I feel was a mistake. Obviously there’s time restraints in telling a story in a film, but the obsession to show all the major points from crime – caught – court case – revenge were done so mechanically it was tough to get a feel for the characters at all.

There were some interesting twists and turns and the final third did work it’s magic on me, but the first third I just felt was…terrible.

Apparently this story was spun out of a potential backstory for Saw’s Jigsaw. You can certainly see the similarities as a burglar finds himself trapped in house rigged with surprises by a serial killer. The burglar has a dilemma as the serial killer has a family trapped in the house and basically is going to torture these people to death very slowly. The angle of this particular is Serial is collecting -As per the title, I wont give anything away.

The game of cat and mouse between Serial Killer and Burglar I found quite engaging, of course the film being american means that the house is mazy enough in its size. There’s some suitably tense moments scattered throughout the film. The protagonist was likeable enough and the ‘traps’ set by the killer were quite interesting. Throw in the obligatory horny young couple and you’ve got yourself a decent enough horror flick.

This is the third Australian film I have caught at the cinema this year, not only is it my pick of the three (others being Red Hill and The Last Clinic), but quite possibly my film of the year. A big thanks to Little White Lies and Grolsch that I was able to catch the film this year, the official release date at the moment is February 25th 2011.

Animal Kingdom is the real deal. Winner of Cinema Dramatic Grand Jury prize. It’s a dense, gritty, hard story. Following a criminal family struggling to survive in the face of a changing society. The politics and dynamics within the family unit came across to me as being similar with a family lions out in the wild. This imagery was, I felt, reinforced in a couple of family scenes, the powerful soundtrack and the performances of the cast.

There are excellent performances all round, three in particular are the central character J, a young boy who begins as a reactive participant to events. The creepy paranoid uncle Pope who is the leader of the criminal element of the family. As well as Detective Leckie played by Guy Pierce, who adds a solid backbone to the story. Amongst all these great performances stands one. Head and shoulders above the rest, that of the Grandmother. She really powers through and effectively carries the last 3rd of the film.

The soundtrack adds a real sense of menace which simmers in the background of the film. You get sucked into the world the director has crafted in the first scene and don’t come back up for air until the end.

This a great film, it’s gritty, violent and sad. It packs a punch right from the start and doesn’t let up at all.

Watch this film people!

When I came away from the cinema my mind was literally blown away, I spent the evening going over the events of the film in my head. That night I think I must have had some of the most vivid dreams of my life. In the morning I realized that I had experienced true cinema, it had made me question the nature of reality itself. That was 10 years ago… That film was Memento. Fast forward to 2010 and I have watched Inception, and I have to say I’m a little underwhelmed.

Great effects, acting was convincing enough. I did feel the story moved a little too quickly to actually take in any real characterisation. I did love a particular moment which I personally felt was pure Blade Runner.

I wasn’t taken in by the whole dream within a dream device. I was not fazed at all by trying to work out what was real and what was not, because I’d been there before.

‘There’s something of the night about him’ – This was said about Conservative MP Michael Howard back in the day, I use it here as I feel Nolan has kinda recycled his own stuff by straying so close to Memento territory, kinda like M. Night Shaymalan. I feel in a tiny way it kinda dilutes his previous work.

This is a great film and certainly worth a watch and another to try to piece it together for yourself. Nolan leaves plenty of gaps for spirited debate amongst fans. But my score for this flick will read ‘Its no Memento’

The 80′s action/high concept film is alive and well in 2010. I got the feeling that Tony Scott barely broke a sweat bringing this to the screen. Cannot say the same for audience as the film goes into over drive.

I do have a soft spot for Tony Scott. He knows how to play me. He has a stylish powerful direction which the boy in me cannot get enough of. I first came across his name when I saw ‘Crimson Tide’ (also starring Washington). A quick lookup revealed that I was in fact already a fan – having seen and loved ‘Top Gun’, ‘Beverly Hills Cop II’ and ‘The Last Boy Scout’.

If you know his style, then watch this flick as it is presented by the bucket load. In rural Pennsylvania, an incident results in a dangerous driverless runaway train. Now being the US we’re talking hulking beasts of machinery. On the other side of the state, we have Captain Kirk (Chris Pine) as the rookie and Denzel Washington as the old hand – cannot get used to that concept. It’s their first day on the job together and they don’t hit off immediately – you get the drill.

It was a nice touch to have live news reports fill the audience in with the need to know details of the rescue attempt. This left a little more time for characterizations. It’s a shame they didn’t make more of it as he did with Crimson Tide – with help from Tarantino back then.

If you are a Tony Scott fan then watch this as you’ll get what you expect. If you are looking for a roller-coaster of an action flick to just sit back and take in, then this is the film for you.

Keep ‘em coming Tony!