The film follows Californian Policeman Edward Maylis (Nicolas Cage) as he investigates the disappearance of a little girl, Rowan Woodward on the mysterious
Tuesday, 14 April 2009
The Wicker Man (remake) review
Long time, no blog. It's been almost a year since I last posted a review on here, but I have recently started thinking about writing some reviews and articles again. I still don't write for a publication but i'd like to keep writing these for my own entertainment. So to get me back in the swing of things I thought i'd post another one of my older reviews for the Derby Trader. .
My review of Neil LaBute's remake of The Wicker Man from September 2006
I have a confession to make. I hadn’t seen Robin Hardy’s The Wicker Man before seeing Neil LaBute’s remake. It has sat in my DVD collection for some time waiting for the day that I would brush the dust off and watch it, and I must say that I’m glad I waited to watch the British classic till I’d seen Neil LaBute’s Wicker Man. Whereas the original is deservedly a classic, this year’s remake is mediocre at best for those who haven’t seen the original and a complete travesty for those who have.
Sunday, 11 May 2008
'Comedy Cabin' review
My review of Ilkeston's 'Comedy Cabin' night from September 2006.
LAST Saturday saw the return of Ilkeston’s only comedy night, the Comedy Cabin. Held on the first Saturday of every month, at Ilkeston’s Co-Op Regency Rooms, the Comedy Cabin features a number of well-known comedians and newcomers.
The evening’s line-up featured Rufus Hound as MC, Eric, Tom Bell and Andy White. The first act to take the stage was Eric, with his slow and deadpan style of comedy taking in the game of cricket and a rather unfortunate incident with a crow.
The headline act of the evening was Andy White, whose smooth performance charmed the audience with amusing sketches around the similarities between God and TV’s Big Brother, tales of life in a call centre and the A-Team and Flintstones in French!
The evening’s venue, the Regency Rooms’ Queen Elizabeth II suite did it’s best standing in for a comedy club with dimmed lighting and tea-light lit tables. Despite these additions it is hard to shake the feeling that a wedding reception could be waiting right outside to use the room after.
All good things must come to an end...
So... with the recent closure of the Derby Trader and the Ilkeston & Ripley Trader I am now a (volunteer) film reviewer without a newspaper!
Whilst I am currently looking for new opportunities, I will try and post more on this blog - whether anyone will read them or not is unknown (and quite unlikely really) but it will keep me off the streets.
Over the coming weeks I will try and post more of my historic reviews as well as any latest musings...
Sunday, 6 April 2008
Bit more recent
My review of Juno from February 2008
RECENT years have seen a vast increase in the interest and commercial success of quirky independent feature films. From Zach Braff’s poignant critically acclaimed debut Garden State to the Oscar nominated and star-packed Little Miss Sunshine, it is definitely the time of the independent film.
Directed by Jason Reitman (Thank You For Smoking), Juno (12A) is 2008’s much hyped, Oscar nominated indie film. The film, however, is much more than just another collection of quirky characters as Reitman’s film from a script by Diablo Cody is sweet, intelligent and showcases some of the best talent Hollywood has to offer.
Cody’s Oscar nominated script follows sharp witted teenager Juno (Ellen Page) who discovers she is pregnant after a night with a school friend Bleeker (Michael Cera). Deciding to give the baby away for adoption to a seemingly wealthy and well adjusted couple, Juno just has 9 months to get through. Unfortunately, things don’t go quite to plan as she discovers she might have real feelings for Bleeker and the adoptees may not be quite as perfect as she believed.
Occasionally the character’s witticisms feel fake and forced but overall Cody’s script is full of humour and heart and it is this which attracted the film’s superb cast including J. K Simmons (Spiderman), Alison Janney (The West Wing), Jennifer Garner (Elektra) and the brilliant Arrested Development co-stars Jason Bateman (Smoking Aces) and Michael Cera (Superbad).
It is Ellen Page as Juno, however, who steals the show, a fact which has been recognised with a well-deserved Oscar nomination for Best Actress. Page’s performance is one which captures the false maturity and quirky coolness of the 16 year old (who lists 1977 as the best year for music) but also the youth and naivety of the character when everything starts to fall down around her.
RECENT years have seen a vast increase in the interest and commercial success of quirky independent feature films. From Zach Braff’s poignant critically acclaimed debut Garden State to the Oscar nominated and star-packed Little Miss Sunshine, it is definitely the time of the independent film.
Directed by Jason Reitman (Thank You For Smoking), Juno (12A) is 2008’s much hyped, Oscar nominated indie film. The film, however, is much more than just another collection of quirky characters as Reitman’s film from a script by Diablo Cody is sweet, intelligent and showcases some of the best talent Hollywood has to offer.
Cody’s Oscar nominated script follows sharp witted teenager Juno (Ellen Page) who discovers she is pregnant after a night with a school friend Bleeker (Michael Cera). Deciding to give the baby away for adoption to a seemingly wealthy and well adjusted couple, Juno just has 9 months to get through. Unfortunately, things don’t go quite to plan as she discovers she might have real feelings for Bleeker and the adoptees may not be quite as perfect as she believed.
Occasionally the character’s witticisms feel fake and forced but overall Cody’s script is full of humour and heart and it is this which attracted the film’s superb cast including J. K Simmons (Spiderman), Alison Janney (The West Wing), Jennifer Garner (Elektra) and the brilliant Arrested Development co-stars Jason Bateman (Smoking Aces) and Michael Cera (Superbad).
It is Ellen Page as Juno, however, who steals the show, a fact which has been recognised with a well-deserved Oscar nomination for Best Actress. Page’s performance is one which captures the false maturity and quirky coolness of the 16 year old (who lists 1977 as the best year for music) but also the youth and naivety of the character when everything starts to fall down around her.
Something a bit different
My Academy Awards preview from February 2006 (Not my best but something different).
On the 31st January the awards season got serious with the announcement of this year’s Academy Awards nominations. Representing the best that cinema in 2005 had to offer the films which make up the nominees for the much coveted Best Picture category include Munich, Capote, Crash and George Clooney’s Good Night and Good Luck. Ang Lee’s Brokeback Mountain, however, is widely expected to be victorious in this category and with its best director nomination.
Brokeback Mountain introduced the Academy to younger talent with representatives in all but one of the acting categories as the performances from Heath Ledger, Jake Gyllenhaal and Michelle Williams all get the recognition they deserve. Rom com Queen Reese Witherspoon’s brilliant turn in the Johnny Cash biopic Walk the Line has earned her a Best Actress nomination and is likely to find herself in need of a victory speech on March 5th.
Joaquin Phoenix’s portrayal of Johnny Cash earns him a Best Actor nod along with Ledger, David Strathairn (Good Night and Good Luck), Terrence Howard (Hustle and Flow) and Philip Seymour Hoffmann (Capote). Whilst Ledger and Phoenix are both serious contenders, the Oscar is likely to go to Hoffmann for his performance as the writer Truman Capote.
The Supporting Actress category is likely to yield recognition for The Constant Gardener’s Rachel Weisz, however, its counterpart is a much more open affair with Clooney (Syriana), Matt Dillion (Crash), Paul Giamatti (Cinderella Man) Jake Gyllenhaal (Brokeback Mountain) and William Hurt (A History of Violence) all worthy of Oscar glory.
If Clooney is successful in this category he could find himself the recipient of two awards on the evening with his well earned nomination in the Best Director category, demonstrating how far Clooney has come from his days as a television heart throb. It is likely, however, that Ang Lee will further Brokeback Mountain’s dominance on the night with another win in this category.
Whilst there are the inevitable front runners, the Oscar race is not without its surprises and only time will tell, but for now all there is to say is the countdown has begun…
On the 31st January the awards season got serious with the announcement of this year’s Academy Awards nominations. Representing the best that cinema in 2005 had to offer the films which make up the nominees for the much coveted Best Picture category include Munich, Capote, Crash and George Clooney’s Good Night and Good Luck. Ang Lee’s Brokeback Mountain, however, is widely expected to be victorious in this category and with its best director nomination.
Brokeback Mountain introduced the Academy to younger talent with representatives in all but one of the acting categories as the performances from Heath Ledger, Jake Gyllenhaal and Michelle Williams all get the recognition they deserve. Rom com Queen Reese Witherspoon’s brilliant turn in the Johnny Cash biopic Walk the Line has earned her a Best Actress nomination and is likely to find herself in need of a victory speech on March 5th.
Joaquin Phoenix’s portrayal of Johnny Cash earns him a Best Actor nod along with Ledger, David Strathairn (Good Night and Good Luck), Terrence Howard (Hustle and Flow) and Philip Seymour Hoffmann (Capote). Whilst Ledger and Phoenix are both serious contenders, the Oscar is likely to go to Hoffmann for his performance as the writer Truman Capote.
The Supporting Actress category is likely to yield recognition for The Constant Gardener’s Rachel Weisz, however, its counterpart is a much more open affair with Clooney (Syriana), Matt Dillion (Crash), Paul Giamatti (Cinderella Man) Jake Gyllenhaal (Brokeback Mountain) and William Hurt (A History of Violence) all worthy of Oscar glory.
If Clooney is successful in this category he could find himself the recipient of two awards on the evening with his well earned nomination in the Best Director category, demonstrating how far Clooney has come from his days as a television heart throb. It is likely, however, that Ang Lee will further Brokeback Mountain’s dominance on the night with another win in this category.
Whilst there are the inevitable front runners, the Oscar race is not without its surprises and only time will tell, but for now all there is to say is the countdown has begun…
Mediocre review, Superb film
My review of There Will Be Blood from February 2008 ("I drink your Milkshake!")
PAUL Thomas Anderson’s Oscar winning film There Will Be Blood is truly deserving of its numerous accolades. The film, based on Thomas Sinclair’s novel Oil! perfectly showcases the unbelievable talent of its star Daniel Day-Lewis and is a demonstration of cinema at its very best –visually striking, captivating and challenging.
Rightly recognised at last week’s Academy Awards for his performance in the film, Daniel Day-Lewis’s Daniel Plainview is unnerving and vicious right from the start.
There Will Be Blood follows the story of ‘oil man’ Plainview and his adoptive son H.W as they follow the American Dream rising up from the bottom rung to the very top by taking advantage of the oil boom in the United States at the turn of the century.
Whilst the first section of the film is almost wordless, the director, star and composer leave the viewer in no doubt as to the brutal nature of the film and the character of Plainview himself.
Whilst it could be easy to get distracted by Day-Lewis’ superb performance, There Will Be Blood by no means hides its other achievements as Jonny Greenwood’s menacing score, Paul Thomas Anderson’s masterful direction and Paul Dano’s performance as both Eli and Paul Sunday more than make themselves known.
Previously seen in Little Miss Sunshine, Dano is a revelation particularly as the evangelical Eli Sunday, more than holding his own next to Day-Lewis. It will be interesting to see how Dano’s career progresses, but with his performance in There Will Be Blood it looks very promising.
There Will Be Blood is a truly astounding achievement by Anderson and all involved. Dark and menacing it will stay with you long after you’ve left the cinema with its striking landscapes, mesmerising performances and haunting score.
PAUL Thomas Anderson’s Oscar winning film There Will Be Blood is truly deserving of its numerous accolades. The film, based on Thomas Sinclair’s novel Oil! perfectly showcases the unbelievable talent of its star Daniel Day-Lewis and is a demonstration of cinema at its very best –visually striking, captivating and challenging.
Rightly recognised at last week’s Academy Awards for his performance in the film, Daniel Day-Lewis’s Daniel Plainview is unnerving and vicious right from the start.
There Will Be Blood follows the story of ‘oil man’ Plainview and his adoptive son H.W as they follow the American Dream rising up from the bottom rung to the very top by taking advantage of the oil boom in the United States at the turn of the century.
Whilst the first section of the film is almost wordless, the director, star and composer leave the viewer in no doubt as to the brutal nature of the film and the character of Plainview himself.
Whilst it could be easy to get distracted by Day-Lewis’ superb performance, There Will Be Blood by no means hides its other achievements as Jonny Greenwood’s menacing score, Paul Thomas Anderson’s masterful direction and Paul Dano’s performance as both Eli and Paul Sunday more than make themselves known.
Previously seen in Little Miss Sunshine, Dano is a revelation particularly as the evangelical Eli Sunday, more than holding his own next to Day-Lewis. It will be interesting to see how Dano’s career progresses, but with his performance in There Will Be Blood it looks very promising.
There Will Be Blood is a truly astounding achievement by Anderson and all involved. Dark and menacing it will stay with you long after you’ve left the cinema with its striking landscapes, mesmerising performances and haunting score.
A rare very negative review
My review of Poseidon from June 2006.
A remake of the 70’s disaster flick, Poseidon (12A) tells the story of an ill fated cruise liner hit by a rogue wave on New Years Eve, interrupting the celebrations of those on board and capsizing the ship. A group of passengers including stars Kurt Russell, Richard Dreyfuss and Josh Lucas, refuse to wait for help and instead try and find a way out of the doomed vessel.
Director Wolfgang Peterson’s Poseidon is a fast paced action-led disaster movie, though this is just where its’ problems start. The film moves too fast leaving no time to set up the action nor to develop the characters.
The action and effects are undeniably impressive, and the images of the carnage caused by the rogue wave are surprisingly graphic, considering the films certification.
This, however, is not enough to save the ship as the lack of interesting characters, average acting and the, at times, ridiculous dialogue begins to distract and annoy. So annoying in fact that I didn’t even bother to ask the two giggling girls sat behind me to quiet down, because frankly, their conversation was much more interesting than any of the cheesy one liners offered by the characters. In one instance, one of the passengers when faced with walking down a corridor lined with victims of the disaster comments that they are ‘only dead bodies, right?’, how astute and humane of her!
A disaster movie may not demand in depth character development, however, it is vital that the audience at least get to know and care about the characters to some degree. If Poseidon’s already impressive action scenes had been paired with this kind of character development and a better script it may have kept its nose above the water. As it stands, however, wait till you can watch Poseidon in the comfort of your own home where you can concentrate on the at-times exciting action and make a cup of tea whenever a character speaks!
A remake of the 70’s disaster flick, Poseidon (12A) tells the story of an ill fated cruise liner hit by a rogue wave on New Years Eve, interrupting the celebrations of those on board and capsizing the ship. A group of passengers including stars Kurt Russell, Richard Dreyfuss and Josh Lucas, refuse to wait for help and instead try and find a way out of the doomed vessel.
Director Wolfgang Peterson’s Poseidon is a fast paced action-led disaster movie, though this is just where its’ problems start. The film moves too fast leaving no time to set up the action nor to develop the characters.
The action and effects are undeniably impressive, and the images of the carnage caused by the rogue wave are surprisingly graphic, considering the films certification.
This, however, is not enough to save the ship as the lack of interesting characters, average acting and the, at times, ridiculous dialogue begins to distract and annoy. So annoying in fact that I didn’t even bother to ask the two giggling girls sat behind me to quiet down, because frankly, their conversation was much more interesting than any of the cheesy one liners offered by the characters. In one instance, one of the passengers when faced with walking down a corridor lined with victims of the disaster comments that they are ‘only dead bodies, right?’, how astute and humane of her!
A disaster movie may not demand in depth character development, however, it is vital that the audience at least get to know and care about the characters to some degree. If Poseidon’s already impressive action scenes had been paired with this kind of character development and a better script it may have kept its nose above the water. As it stands, however, wait till you can watch Poseidon in the comfort of your own home where you can concentrate on the at-times exciting action and make a cup of tea whenever a character speaks!
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