Morning Glory - Movie No. 23

Morning Glory

Director: Roger Michell

Starring: Rachel McAdams, Harrison Ford and Diane Keaton

Year: 2010

Watched: 23/1/11

What the fudge is it?

Rachel Mc Adams is a young television producer with big dreams of making it to some big named morning show that i cant remember the name of. She ends up working at Daybreak and decides the best way to revive the show is by bringing disgruntled Indiana reporter on air.

What I Thought...

I didn’t have high hopes for this one bit the idea of Harrison ford mumbling and grumbling was enough to get my bum in the seat. Rachel McAdams plays a young, sexy soon to be successful producer who cant seem to meet a nice guy and maintain a relationship with him. This in itself is silly far fetched as lets face it if Rachel Mc Adams had a tendency to set you on fire when you were sleeping you would still try and make it work.

We soon see McAdams let go from her job and hired to work on a calamity of a show named Daybreak. No joke it is called Daybreak. It doesn’t have sexy Christina and that penis from match of the day 2 but it does have Diane Keating.

Keating is very good as the daft, slightly past it anchor who just wants the show to work. A lot of the funny moments in the film come from her relationship with Harrison Ford. The funniest thing about the film is Harison ford who plays a once credible jounalist who is only staying with the company to get the money left on his contract. McAdams character decides to throw him back on screen. He is like a more mature disgruntled Ron Burgundy. Jeff goldblum makes an appearance as a fast talking Jewish man which means that he makes an appearance as Jeff Goldblum. I always enjoy a bit of Jeff and his flappy hands.

There is a typical romantic interest story line involving McAdams but the most interesting sections of the film are all about Harrison Ford as he mumbles and grumbles his way through the film pissing everyone off. It seem the script cant make up its mind if it is an all out romantic comedy about a single woman trying to balance a demanding job with unsociable hours, a comedy about and over the hill reporter who has stopped caring or a satirical comedy about the nature of broadcast journalism and the uneven balance between entertainment and news. i believe this last sentence probably breaks all rules of good english and grammar but it was the only way i could get it out.

Overall

Not amazing but with some good chuckles. Nice to see Harrison ford use his grumpiness for comedy. Goes a bit too cheesy towards the end.

3/5

The Kings Speech - Movie no. 22

The Kings Speech

Director: Tom Hooper

Starring: Colin Firth, Geoffrey Rush and Helena Bonham Carter

Year: 2010

Watched: 23/1/11

What the Fudge is it?

The story of Bertie (King George VI to some people), as he is thrust onto the throne. Struggling with a stammer Bertie forms an unlikely friendship with a slightly crazy speech therapist as he tries to overcome his stammer and lead a nation.

What I Thought...

I didnt know anything about King George VI or his brother or his stammer before seeing this film which i think was a good thing. Lets me honest as an Irish person who didn't keep up history in school how was i going to know anything. Some people will read this and think how does he not know about "the speech" but you can fuck right off i doubt everyone knows who "the one true freeman" is. Yeah thats a nerdy computer games reference and i am not for one second comparing it to a world war.

Can a film that revolves around speech therapy be interesting? It appears so. i found the whole film, its cast, sets and everything to be fantastic. I know it is easy to jump on the Oscar bandwagon (i feel Nolan should has got a best director Oscar, and Toy story 3 Best film) but as my little bracket bit just pointed out i dont feel the film should have done as well as it did.

The scenes with Lionel and Bertie are great, not only do they show us the unusual methods of treatment but they also act most like a traditional shrink session. It reminded me alot of the scenes from Sopranos with Tony and Dr. Melfi. The characters history is never written out in black and white but through conversation we begin to learn why Bertie is the way he is. it would have been easier and shitter to just use a flashback which is a credit to the script and direction.

Guy Pierce is great as the slightly childish and rough King Edward VIII. its also nice to see Helen Bonham Carter not play a punked up goth in a Tim Burton. She plays a very likeable and pretty humorous Queen Liz.

Overall

Worth its praise. A great film that takes something as simple as treating a speech impediment and makes it dramatic and grand.

5/5

Green Hornet - Movie No. 21

The Green Hornet

Director: Michel Gondry

Starring: Seth Rogen, Jay Chou and Christoph Waltz

Year: 2011

Watched: 22/1/11

What the Fudge is it?

Britt Reid is a bit of a waster. Following the death of his father he decides to become a masked crime fighter, he has no talent so his side kick does most of the work.

What I Thought...

i like Seth Rogan and he funny laugh so i was excited about this film....apart from the 3D of course. Britt Reid (rogan) is a rich party boy. His father on the other hand owns a newspaper and is a well respected journalist. After the death of his father Britt decides to drop the martinis and strippers for a mask and sexy car. No he isn't into dogging and bondage (thats the green horny) he has decided to fight crime.

There has been a pattern recently of exploring super heroes darker sides. We saw it in batman, watchmen and iron man. Its an important part of a superhero that he has human traits and a darker side. Iron man is not a superhero in the traditional way he is a normal dude who has the ability to be one, same as batman. For me the green hornet is a regular guy, he doesnt even have any skills. He cant really make cool shit or solve crimes he is just a regular guy. The newest movie adaptation does nothing to change that view. Rogans Green hornet is a jerk with very few redeeming features. There should be a balance between the assy side of a hero and the nice. With the green hornet these isn't that balance. Even when apologizing the character comes across sarcastic and cowardly. Rogan has nailed he jerk side of the character but i dont know if it is down to the script or direction or acting but we never see the other side.

Kato is a great character, so we know he makes cool shit and can kick the crap into any amount of men at one time. The making of cool stuff is the usual run of the mill montages of building, testing and building some more before grand unveiling. All this looks great where the film stumbles is with the fighting sequences. I cannot understand why the director would think it is cool to show how Kato sees fights in the way he has. During fight scenes we see what i can only describe as Kato 2000 vision. It appears Kato can show down times in his head and enemy items appear red. This is ridiculous, I know it is a representation but it sticks out like a sore thumb and is very stupid. Much like the scene in Doom when it went into first person mode i let out a little disappointed sigh as if a stripper just removed her to to reveal a hairy chest.

Christopher Waltz pops up as a slightly camp and aging gangster. i enjoyed his performance but it didnt seem too far from inglorious. For me one of the best scenes was when his character confronted a younger gangster (James Franco). It was a nice comparison to how we now see villains in movies compared to the traditional ways.

Overall

Some ok gags and action but for me it was ruined by Kato vision and 3D. When people are producing movies like Iron Man and the Dark Knight this run of the mill poop aint gonna cut it.

2/5

Black Swan - Movie No. 20

Black Swan

Director: Darren Aronofsky

Starring: Natalie Portman, Mila Kunis and Vincent Cassel

Year: 2010

Watched: 21/1/11

What the Fudge is it?

Nina (Portman) has been chosen to play the lead in Swan Lake. She is everything the white swan should be: innocent, elegant and beautiful. In order to play the black swan she must tap into her more sinister and sensual side. Ballet has never looked so cool.

What i Thought...

I feel that every time i go to review a film i like i almost give a little disclaimer to warn anyone reading that i love the director or actor or something like that. I was about to start writing one but i will try and stop. The hardest thing about reviewing Black Swan is avoiding other reviews. I have made a point of not listening to or reading reviews of any of the films i am writing about. I have only heard friends opinions on all of the film so i will be glad that i can finally sit down and listen to Mark Kermodes views on this film after a very very long wait......but first.

Its hard not to walk into Black Swan with some hype following you. We have been hearing about best actress, film and director nominations for ages. if you managed to avoid that you would still hear about lesbian scenes which is enough to pack out a Boro cinema on a Friday night. I was just really looking forward to seeing what Darren Aronofsky did after the wrestler.

I think it is going to be hard to structure this review as my head is filled with shit about the film so i will try my best, my biggest fear is leaving out something i loved as the more i think about it the more cool things pop into my head.

I have heard from alot of people that this film is "weird" and "shite". ive also heard "natalie portman was crap" and "natalie portman was amazing". I am all for opinions but at the end of it all i think mine is always right. I feel the film is getting very mixed feedback from people as they are expecting something different. Is it the main stream coverage the film is getting or the awards that is making them think they are walking into a crazy heart with ballet. This is a film by Darren Aronofsky! Do a little fucking research and realize that guy has made some weird shit. I loved the fountain, requiem, Pi and the wrestler so i knew i wasnt going to walk into a run of the mill movie.

The film follows the story of Nina a ballerina dancing with a New York dance company. With interest in recent shows the artistic director decides to inject some new blood into the company. Nina is chosen for the main role in swan lake. She is graceful and beautiful everything you need to be to play the white swan. Her artistic director urges her to get in touch with her dark side in order to play the black swan, a much more sexual and sinister character. as she explores her dark side she becomes more reckless and begins spiraling out of control. With competition from rival dancer Lily and the overbearing pressure of her mother Nina finds it harder and harder to maintain control and her sanity.

Portman is unbelievable, of course the story of Swan Lake and the transformation from innocent white swan into the black swan run through the film but it is most obvious in Portmans performance. She plays the part brilliantly and is well deserving of her Oscar. From a fragile and timid girl to a sexual and tormented woman we see her character literally shift as the film progresses. What is most impressive is she is on screen non stop. Much like Rourke in the wrestler this is driven by her performance. She is the leading lady and carrys the film from start to finish. This is not big loud over the top acting it is proper subtle acting over the span of the whole film. Its nice to seem an Oscar winner who hasn't played a minority, famous person or taken on a physical transformation to just make themselves ugly.

The film looks and sounds stunning. There were some lovely touches of sound in requiem for a dream and the wrestler and they have been topped in this. The cracking of toes and creaking of floor boards add to the suspense that this character, the world and the lives in it could fall apart at any given moment. The dancing looks fantastic! must like he did for wrestling Anonofsky gets close to the action and shows the beauty and risk of the ballet. Its never shown in a glamourous light we see the blood and sweat and tears that go into producing something so beautiful.

As the character of Nina explores the darker side of her personality the film shifts into an almost supernatural and psychological genre. There are a lot of shots that reminded me of the fly and american werewolf in its body transformation sequences. The body shock horror pieces are brilliant and disturbing. One fantastic scene will make you never want to pull a rag nail again.

Ninas relationship with her mother is a very odd one. It is never fully explored only implied but there is a definite Psycho feel. Barbara Hershey is fantastic as the over protective and slightly unhindged mother. The two are fantastic on screen together and the scenes again possess that uneasy feeling that at any given moment it could all boil over.

Given the nature of the black swan character it is inevitable that the film deals with sexuality and seduction. There are shades of exploitive sex that reminded me a lot of requiem for a dream. Yes there is the infamous lesbian scene but it isn't delivered in a smutty wild things manner. Even the sex is dealt with in a dark and disturbing way which was refreshing and added to the tension overall. its a great contrast to see the comparison of ballets purity and innocence against the smutty and sleazy view of sex that i last saw in requiem.

The whole film has a distinct feel which is similar to the wrestler. At points it almost feels like a documentary with the camera following Portman through her practices and routines. Dwelling on the smaller details of ballet like stretches, preparing etc. Just like the wrestler the film embraces the detail and takes the viewer into the world. There are narrative comparisons to the wrestler looking the physical and mental sacrifices it takes to be centre stage and be in the main event of your sport of choice.

I have banged on about Portman and Hersheys performances but the rest of the cast are also fantastic. Vincent Cassell is perfect as the passionate but slightly sinister creative director. Mila Kunis shakes off any views that she is only a comedic actress, the jealously between her and Portman looks and feel genuine. One of the real stand performance is Winona Ryder, her character Beth Macintyre acts as a great warning to the character of Nina. She is deeply tormented and now that her prima ballerina position has been taken by Nina she is filled with jealously and rage. Ryder is fantastic and really looks like a woman who is falling apart at the seems. Her character is a much more extreme version of the retired wrestlers randy the ram met at the autograph signing, a woman who made the physical and mental sacrifices to be at the top and now that it is gone she has nothing.

Overall just a fantastic cinema experience, hints of the fly, psycho, requiem and the wrestler. Natalie Portman is superb from start to finish, her acting in great but subtle. Great script and pacing along with fantastic direction.....everything this Darren fanboy needed.

Overall

Stunning! Dark, creepy, beautiful and scary all at the same time! Fantastic performances and directing. The best film i have seen in a long long time. Loved it from start to finish and i think it will be seen as an absolute classic.

5/5

Conviction - Movie No. 19

Conviction

Director: Tony Goldwyn

Starring: Hilary Swank, Sam Rockwell and Melissa Leo

Year: 2010

Watched: 20/1/11

What the Fudge is it?

Based on the true story of Betty Walters, a single mother who dedicated a shit load of time putting herself through law school to try and overturn her brothers murder conviction. By shit load i mean 12 years or so.

What i Thought...

I don't know if it bodes well for a film when I'm not looking forward to reviewing it. There are a few reasons for this. Maybe it wasn't that good or maybe its because i have another film to review next that i enjoyed slightly more. in this case it could be both. But fuck it this woman spent 12 years or so getting through law school i can must up 12 minutes or so to review it.

So as the what the fudge section says or as i should probably refer to it the synopsis. Conviction is the story of Betty Walters who after her brother is convicted of murder and several failed appeals puts herself through law school in order to defend poor Sam Rockwell.

The film does a great job of showing us that Kenny (Sam Rockwell) is no saint. Most of the opening reel is dedicated to showing us his nasty side but also his comic value. Rockwell does a great job of playing the lovable dick. The follows the nasty event. Once locked up with the key well and truly thrown away the acting reigns are handed over to Swank.

We follow Betty as she struggles to keep her marriage together, juggle a job and get herself through law school. To be honest at times i struggled to keep interested. Swank is great as the persistent Betty and the visit to Kenny in prison give Sam Rockwell a chance to really show off. He captures Kenny as he hopes and fail and hope and fails before eventually giving up on ever getting out. So whats the problem?

its hard to say....something just is a little dull, i thought it was the directing but maybe it was the script. We seem to spend a lot of time learning to be a lawyer, don't get me wrong it took her a while to do it and that's fantastic. The movie dwells on that part too long, we are given tiny glimpses of the effects this journey has on the husband and children of Betty.

The there is the actual overturning of the conviction (if you think i just did a spoiler, fuck off!). There is an interesting story here as it uses DNA evidence and it is mixed up with hints of police corruption. This is given what seems like 30 minutes on screen. Now i know when you walk into a movie like this you probably know whats going to happen. The job of the director should be to still engage and thrill me even though i know the outcome. i guess he dropped the ball and spent too much time dwelling on how Rockwell and Swanks characters are so close instead of showing all the interesting stuff.

The acting is great and i love seeing Minnie Driver in anything (not just because she is sexy). Swank and Rockwell and great but even they could keep me overly gripped.

Overall

Good but given how other true stories this year have been gripping and entertaining it seems a little dull in parts. Some excellent acting but just baggy and not half as interesting as i was hoping.

2.5/5

As if i made it the whole way though without saying it lacked conviction. Brilliant!

An Education - Movie No. 18

An Education

Director: Lone Scherfig

Starring: Carey Mulligan, Peter Sarsgaard and Alfred Molina

Year: 2009

Watched: 18/1/11

What the fudge is it?

A young school girl is whisked off her feet and shown a world away from school books by a charming but slightly creepy older man. The police don't get involved because its the 1960's and everyone was on drugs.

What I Thought...

Several people tortured me to watch this. i don't mean tortured as in made me watch 4 eyed monsters again but every time i would bump into them they would ask me had i seen it. I had it on my list mainly to see what all the fuss was about. Glad to say i finally got around to it so they can stop annoying me.

Set in the 1960's An Education is the story of a young girl (Mulligan) destined for University. Her life revolves around study and the ultimate goal of reaching university to pursue her education. Although Jenny has a desire to get away from the suburban bore she currently occupies her desire appear overshadowed by her slightly overly pushy father.

Jenny is a clever girl with a knack for studying and books but definitely has a romantic side. She wants to see the world, listen to French music and visit exotic locations. On a chance encounter with an older man Jenny is given the opportunity to see the world and embrace all the culture she desires. As the relationship develops David spends more time with Jenny which involves meeting her parents.

David does a fine job of charming Jenny and her parents. There are two great sides to the David character; the side we see with Jenny and the front that is put in place for her parents. i was sitting thinking "how is he gonna wing this one with her parents?" and every time the charming creep pulls it out of the bag. At times i thought some of the excuses and scenarios highly unrealistic. i would never let me daughter (i don't have one) hang out with a random older man. His lifestyle is extravagant and spontaneous i have to admit even if i was a 16 year old girl i would wanna spend sometime with this guy. Does that make me easy? i don't care.

Then i have to sit back and say to myself the film was set in the 60's you cant apply modern thinking to it. I'm not saying that in the 60's there were no bad guys but i can assume there wasn't the same amount of protection and in general peoples were a lot more trusting unless on acid.

Carey Mulligan deserves all the praise she is getting for her performance but i think the rest of the cast do a great job too. Much of the comic relief is delivered from Jenny father played by none other than Dr Ock from spider-man. Dominic cooper and Olivia Williams are great too.

The whole film romances the idea of life experiences and the beauty of not following a set path through education to work. There is also a nice little debate of University Education Vs Life Experience and which will make you happier and in the end be worth more to you. Sadly the film seems to lose the bottom slightly in the end and wrap up in what i felt to be a slightly awkward manner. Like stopping off at Mc Donalds for dinner it was lovely while it lasted but it wont tide me over and its effects are short lived.

I'm still slightly impressed with that little corker i just wrote about the Mc Donalds :-)

Overall

Just a nice film with a little internal debate over life experience vs education. Of course Mulligans performance is great but Molina, Sarsgaard and Cooper are no slouches either. Glad i watched it but not as memorable as i hoped.

3.5/5

The Squid And The Whale - Movie No. 17

The Squid and the Whale

Director: Noah Baumbach

Starring: Owen Kline, Jeff Daniels and Laura Linney

Year: 2005

Watched: 15/1/11

What the fudge is it?

The story of a more than slightly dysfunctional family as they are pulled apart by divorce. Bernard is a bitter novelist turned teacher, his wife Joan is an up and coming writer who has been unfaithful. As their marriage begins to fall apart their children forge new relationships with their parents. And a Baldwin plays tennis.

What i thought...

It was only after watching the film that i found out that the story is based on the childhood experiences of Noah Baumbach.

The Berkman family are messed up enough without having a divorce to deal with. Bernard played by Jeff Daniels is an intellectual and once published author turned teacher. We quickly learn that Bernard has a twisted and cynical view on the world and refers to people who don't read books or watch films as philistines which i hope i have the spelling right for. Daniels plays the character brilliantly and he is just a total jerk. There is no other way to put it, his bitterness and jealously grows as the film progresses but somehow you still feel a little sorry for him. He is an angry and pompous man who deep down believes he is always right. The only future for a man like this is alone and angry with the world. Jeff Daniels performance is fantastic and it only topped by Jesse Eisenberg and Owen Kline as his two sons.

With their parents divorced the kids times is spent between nights with their farther and mother. Walt the older of the two begins to side with his farther while Frank gravitates towards his mother. The two deal with the divorce situation in their own separate ways.

Walt believes that the sun does indeed shine out of his fathers bitter butt hole. instead of actually being intelligent and well read he tries his best to just appear that way to women. In one fantastic and cringe worthy scene he describe the metamorphosis as being very Kafkaesque before the girl he is trying to impress puts him in his place by saying that Karka wrote it. Walt is definitely his fathers son and his desire to be recognized as an intellectual/artist result in him making a total ass of himself several times. Eisenberg does a great job of playing the socially awkward teen and in the scenes with him and Daniels you genuinely believe his adoration for his father.

Frank the younger son sides more with his mother and her influence on him is also very apparent. Joan who is excellent played by Laura Linney is very open with the two about her sexual exploits and we get the impression she is a bit free spirited and hippylike. Its true that Frank along with the tennis playing Baldwin deliver most of the comic relief but the younger wanker also has some of the saddest scenes in the film. I call him a wanker as the divorce hits him at a bad age. He discovers alcohol and masturbation resulting in several scenes which are humorous but equally heartbreaking to watch. Frank decides to masturbate and spread his semen around the school library and lockers. His pass times also include getting hammered on his own and having angry outbursts while playing sports. Owen Kline is brilliant as Frank and i really felt for the little dude even if he was spreading his love seed everywhere.

To call it a lovely film would probably sound wrong but i just really enjoyed it. Everyone in it was great and although slightly sad in places its dark humour and great performance kept me watching from start to finish. Not really about the the end output as that seems inevitably but more about the journey the family take through the whole semen covered adventure.

Overall

Funny, sad and sometime just incredible awkward to watch. Jeff Daniels is fantastic but even his performance is overshadowed by Owen Kline as his youngest son. Quirky and funny without playing down the effects of divorce. Definitely worth a watch but probably avoid as a date movie unless your trying to give him or her a hint/glimpse of what could happen if it all goes wrong.

4/5