Rob at the Movies!
Hey everyone! My name is Rob, I’m 24 and looking for work at the moment but have had one or two cool jobs before, as well as great times at school and college where I studied ICT. Anyway, that bit of introductory stuff is out of the way.
There seems to have been an influx of blogs recently from some of my best mates, and I thought why not have a bash myself. I didn’t fancy going really in-depth and talking about my life mainly because that would wind up as a paragraph or two, and I’m not quite as gifted at the more spiritual religious talk that my mates seem to be so great at summing up and talking about in their life... that said, due to these blogs recently I’ve really started to read my bible more over the last week or two (been doing a Psalm a day and it’s quite inspiring) and praying that bit stronger.
I always have a standard prayer I say at night and I’ve been incorporating more and more things and people into my prayer at night and I’ve found it really enlightening... I’ve always been a Christian but now I just feel like I should take an extra step and immerse myself more in the bible and in my prayer because it really is ace.
That actually was longer than a paragraph or two but yeah, onto what my blog is going to be about. I’ve been known amongst my friends and amongst most people I meet to be honest as the local film expert... so thought I’d translate it into blog form and do various posts on things from favourite movies to new recommendations and occasional topics (look out for Great Movie Trailers sometime in Feb/ March)...
So there’s lots in store in this blog. To start off though, with Oscar Season in full flow... the nominations have been announced, the Golden Globes were given out, and the BAFTAs are soon... this is a guide to the three fantastic movies that are out at the cinema right now (the fourth, The Fighter is only out Feb 4th but that’s not long off) that are competing for Oscar glory alongside superb fare like Social Network, Inception and Toy Story 3. All of them are knockouts and well worth checking out....
All the movie reviews will be pared down into categories assessing Acting, Writing/ Direction, the Tone of the film and the Look and style.
Oscar Season- January’s (and one from Feb) Masterful Movies
The King’s Speech (12A)
Currently courting all the favour both at the box office (£20 Million! Harry Potter figures to be honest, wow!) And from critics and awards ceremonies alike, especially for Mr Colin Firth for his fantastic portrayal of King George VI (Bertie to his friends) and his battle to overcome his stammer as he takes the abdicated throne to lead the country through war. An epic and crowd pleasing film with great turns throughout, great period detail and a subtle balance of humour and drama. I’m not surprised one bit why it’s doing so well.
Acting (9/10) - A superb and fantastic turn from Firth of course that well deserves the Oscar he is bound to receive, but not to be outdone Geoffrey Rush is also sublime as his therapist Lionel whilst Helena Bonham Carter is lovely as his wife, the later to be Queen Mother. Decent support too from Guy Pearce as the abdicating king Edward VIII and Michael Gambon’s as the previous King George, Firth’s character’s father, who is as domineering and terrific as always.
Writing/ Direction (9/10) - The whole film is well put together and directed excellently by Tom Hooper (Damned United) and the script and dialogue is well-written and leads to plenty of humour and drama. Nothing stands out dynamically but everything is very well done... given it’s a historical film there isn’t really a need for dialogue and scenes to be made up from scratch anyway.
Tone (10/10) - As said before, there’s a terrific balance between humour and drama and it’s probably this brilliantly moving and entertaining mix which has pulled audiences into the cinemas, so excellently done on all counts.
Look (9/10) - Being a period movie, everything is of course historically elegant and all the props and costumes are first rate. It always shocks me even in the most low budget TV shows how they manage to completely convince you of the setting, it makes you realise just how much work must go in to changing the set and surroundings to match the era. Good luck to Marvel changing Manchester and Liverpool to New York for Captain America, which must be a task!!!
Rating- 9/10
127 Hours (15)
Released the same week as King’s Speech but equally worth a watch if not even more is Danny Boyle’s latest... the Yorkshire director striking it hugely big with 2009’s Slumdog Millionaire after an already fantastic career that saw the sublime likes of Sunshine (2007), 28 Days Later (2003), and Millions (2005).
Here he tells the absolutely stunning true story of real-life mountain climber Aron Ralston, who goes for a rock climbing jaunt in Utah, slips up, winds up with his arm trapped under a boulder with no way out. I won’t reveal how he does, though it’s widely known but it’s better to experience this stunning movie for yourself, it’s genuinely an experience from the eye-popping visual and musical style mixing jaunty tunes with split-screen and fast moving visuals through to James Franco’s fantastic central turn, it’s truly a amazing movie and a clear front runner for my film of the year so far.
Acting (8/10) - Now the only reason it got an 8 rather than the 10 that Franco would deserve, is that he’s the main actor for the movie, everyone else is a blip bar Kate Mara and Amber Tamblyn, both lovely as the girls he hangs out with in the opening but they’re fine rather than stand out, and they don’t need to be so it’s ok. Franco though is fantastic in a way that Ryan Reynolds was in Buried (seriously missed come Oscar time, give Reynolds a nod please!!!) both arrogant and fun loving to begin with, but changing before our very eyes during his experience and in it, becoming a changed man. It’s one of those great turns that will always get overshadowed by greater turns like Firths but is still to be admired.
Writing/ Direction (9/10) - The writing is pretty straightforward, there’s the usual great script as Boyle has but that’s never what is important here, because the dialogue is fairly straightforward... what hits the spot in this category is the sterling work of Danny Boyle. Working with a great story, he’s made that whole claustrophobic element work... but he whizzes around too, through flashbacks and haunting visions and the opening split screen mania, to make a film that pops and fizzes on screen with energy and pizzazz... it’s a truly fantastic effort that shows how good Boyle is, because you’re not surprised at all. Though Fincher will probably nab the Oscar for Social Network (itself no slouch of a movie) I think Boyle’s efforts here deserve to be rewarded.
Tone (9/10) - Like said previously, there is all sorts on show... there’s the jaunty opening which grabs your attention like an MTV ident and keeps you intrigued thoroughly, and throughout the film there’s flashbacks and crazy visions and other things that go from here to there... so whenever you might not be in the mood for loads of Franco talk, something else will happen. It does what most films (like Buried) do, there is a lot of time spent in the one place so that won’t be for everyone, but the numerous switches of location and flashbacks keep you on your toes and interested for sure, and that’s what keeps the tone enjoyable and gripping throughout.
Look (8/10)- Isn’t much to say here, the locations (both in the actual canyon and on other sets) is certainly impressive and outstanding, but bar all the MTV poppy tricks and stuff... the visual style is fairly basic... but it still gets a top score because it looks pretty cool nonetheless and the canyon stuff is always breathtaking.
Rating- 10/10
Black Swan (15)
Just realised this last week, Black Swan is a very curious beast of a movie. I watched it with a packed audience who probably didn’t know what to think or expect. It’s a ballet movie for sure, but it throws in psychological thriller, dark horror, weird romance and other elements for a very heady and trippy thriller that can grip, disturb and stun in equal measure. There’s a clutch of great turns, not least Natalie Portman, fully deserving of the Oscar. People warned me not to take my mum, but she wasn’t bothered... but yeah they’re a lot of dark trippy stuff here... especially the sex scenes, couple them with the trippy imagery and you have things you won’t forget easily.
Acting (9/10) – The main driving force behind this film is Natalie Portman and she has been rarely better (though I still think her Garden State character is one of my favourite movie women), both very tragic and frail whilst towards the end getting the dark side completely spot on, she is a revelation despite the fact I’ve always loved her.
Mila Kunis too is great as Lily, who Natalie’s character thinks is out to get her, and there’s a big contrast... whilst Natalie begins all fragile and innocent, Mila is immediately a bit edgy and dangerous and more ready to take the steps needed for the role in the ballet. Vincent Cassell too is excellent as the hard-pressing director, both sleazy and strong willed... you despise him but also know where he’s coming from, whilst Barbara Hershey does the domineering mother role greatly too. Special mention to Winona Ryder, who is electric as the faded ballerina going into retirement, she’s only in it briefly but she steals most scenes.
Writing/ Direction (10/10) – It’s really tricky with the crazy stuff going on here to truly nail what the director is doing... but whatever he is doing, he does it fantastically, from haunting imagery to a masterful grasp of atmosphere and tone (more below)... it’s truly a epic piece of directing and definitely another direction worthy of that coveted Oscar. The writing is pretty good too; whilst the dialogue never leaps off the screen like Sorkin’s writing for Social Network... it’s more in the way the plot is put together that the writing should be truly commended for.
Tone (9/10) – It’s really tricky for the tone here to properly be described... but safe to say, it’s insane! All sorts of vivid sequences you won’t forget easily... it’s a stunning film, that keeps you on your toes dramatically and visually. The only reason I didn’t go for a 10 is simply because it is so crazy that some people will be put off.
Look (10/10) – The look of the film is absolutely perfect from the brilliant costumes to the visual craziness... it’s a feast for the eyes that like I keep saying, won’t be forgot quickly!
Rating- 10/10
The Fighter (15)
Only released next week (February 2nd) I had the extreme pleasure of seeing this film a week or two ago at a special preview, and whilst it’s a cliché to say it I guess, it’s pretty much a knockout. With a pretty excellent cast, stolen by Bale’s show stopping turn which will probably finally net him an Oscar, but anchored by a brilliant Mark Wahlberg with sterling support from Amy Adams and Melissa Leo. It’s a great film that they love to make, the underdog scores big... it’s the story of Mickey Ward (Wahlberg), a thirty year old welterweight boxer who defies the odds (his family and his brother (Bale), an ex-boxer and his trainer who has lost his way due to drugs) to make it big and I defy you not to be cheering loudly at the finale. It’s a gut punch knockout of a movie, swerving dramatically throughout whether it’s the gritty family drama or the cracking fight scenes. KO!
Acting (10/10) – As said, Christian Bale is a revelation... weird to say it, because he’s always been a hugely favourite actor of mine, always amazing, always brilliant... but he’s on another level completely here as the brother of Mark’s character, a ex-boxer now a drug fiend... both very tragic, very full of life yet physically devoid of it, it’s a stunning turn and surely deserves to net Bale his Oscar, and it’s probably my performance of the year so far, it’s that good!
Wahlberg too is great, it’s his turn that anchors the whole film together, and he’s never been stronger... which is great due to the stinkers he’s appeared in before that he’s finally getting the chance to show his chops. Both Leo and Adams impress in different ways, Leo as the fierce matriarch of the family... both domineering yet caring in the wrong way, and Adams as Wahlberg’s feisty girlfriend, a very strong character who tries to show Mickey the way despite the intervention of his (very) dysfunctional family. It’s a great quartet of performances and it really drives the film.
Writing/ Direction (8/10) – There’s nothing really epic like the other movies about the direction, but David Russell does a great job nonetheless, moving the story forward with ease and drama... whilst the dialogue is perfectly great too, if a little colourful.
Tone (8/10) – The tone is pretty straightforward too... lurching from the really gritty family drama through to the moments of fighting and other drama, it’s a well worn template but it works brilliantly here... due to the cast and the direction, and it’s sure to keep audiences gripped and involved with the story.
Look (7/10) – It’s pretty average the look of the film, it never tries to be more than what it is, a gritty drama set in a dark place... gritty and grimy back streets and dodgy characters, so a very grainy look but it works fine within the film.
Rating- 9/10
So that’s the great films of this month, there were a few others I’ve seen... nothing special but pretty good fun though, especially The Green Hornet which has plenty of moments of great invention but in the end does nothing especially to rival anything like Iron Man or The Dark Knight. Whilst Morning Glory and The Dilemma were fine rom-com supplements for the undemanding viewer, harmless but fun.
Look out for my next blog next week where I’ll discuss the new hotly anticipated Disney animation Tangled, and it’s place within the 49 Disney Animations that preceeded it... from the great (Lion King, Little Mermaid, Emperor’s New Groove) to the tired (Brother Bear, Home on the Range, Atlantis)... I can’t wait to see it, so except a great review!
You stay classy.... Planet Earth! x
