A Christmas Carol (3D)
Director: Robert Zemeckis
Year: 2009
Stars: Jim Carrey, Colin Firth, Gary Oldman
I wasn't sure what to expect from this. I wanted to see it because, well, it's Dickens' A Christmas Carol, and I love it. Plus it's Christmas, right? Well, nearly.
First off, the 3D elements in this are beautiful. After Coraline, it's (so far) my favourite 3D movie. It looks stunning - from the incredibly real looking candles and holly to the snowflakes that feel as if they are actually landing on you, to flying scenes that really work in a Christmas movie (this is want The Snowman needed!), to things that are scary and dark enough to actually make you jump (well, I did).
A lot of the movie is also great. Lines are quoted direct from the Dickens novel, and in some respects the movie is incredibly faithful to the book. Of course, there are reimagining's of some scenes, but that's fine. For a story with so many adaptations, there has to be something to make it feel fresh.
However, there are problems too. First off, when kids watch this as their introduction to the world of Scrooge, Dickens and all that is wonderful about Christmas (yes, I'm biased, and no, I don't care), please point out that in the book a) no, Scrooge doesn't fly to the moon and b) no, he isn't chased by mad horses down dark alleys (or turned into a tiny squeaky thing for that matter).
Secondly, what was the point of making Jim Carrey play Scrooge and all the ghosts? He's great as Scrooge, and until the ghost of Christmas Past arrived in the story, it was an amazing movie. But then a rubbish looking candle with a Jim Carrey face and an awful "Irish" accent turns up, and I'm wondering if all the ghosts are going to be this bad... thankfully they improve. The ghost of Christmas Present looks much better (although still with a nasty Scottish accent), and the Ghost of Christmas Future is actually really impressively done. Always my favourite ghost, but here beautifully re-imagined.
The one other thing that bothered me a little was the use of stop motion. My opinion here may well have been influenced a little by a review I read a couple of days before seeing the movie, but certain characters just look odd in stop motion - Colin Firth being the most obvious example. It sort of looks like him, just a kind of creepy version. However, for many of the characters (Carrey as Scrooge for example, where they'd given him the traditional Dickensian nose and chin) I could see why they'd used it, so having the film in stop motion is less of an issue, more of a point I want to make.
Final point: the movie is somewhat creepier than you might expect. There are places where you'll jump, and small children are likely to be quite scared, especially in the first and last 15 minutes. It makes it hard to know exactly who the film is being aimed at, but I suspect it wasn't young kids!
Rating: 4 out of 5 (although I admit one of those points may be because I'm biased and love the story - but then if they'd really ruined it I'd have been very angry, so maybe it's a far score after all).
Saturday 21st November 2009
Letters from Iwo Jima
Director: Clint Eastwood
Year: 2006
Stars: Ken Wantanabe, Kazunari Ninomiya, Tsuyoshi Ihara
In order not to totally forget the contents of Flags of our Fathers before watching this, I made a concerted effort to watch it fairly soon after seeing that movie. And I'm glad I did. An excellent movie in its own right, being able to relate it back to Flags of our Fathers made it all the more enjoyable.
This time around, we get to see the battle on Iwo Jima from the perspective of the Japanese soldiers. Eastwood does an excellent job of portraying the Japanese battle mentality, without any of the standard American judging you may expect. It tries to tell the story as "straight" as possible, accepting the events as a part of a history.
One of the most enjoyable things about this movie, for me, was the way each film sticks with firmly telling the story of the relevant side. To the Americans, the Japanese soldiers were faceless, just as they really would have been. Similarly, the Americans are faceless to the Japanese, apart from when one soldier is brought into the caves. Scenes shown in Flags of our Fathers are filmed from the opposite side here, so you get the Japanese viewpoint.
Another excellent film, the film would work well even if you hadn't seen Flags of our Fathers. But it's a great companion piece to that film, and scores 5 because they work so well together. Had I watched them in the other order, the scores may well have been reversed (5 for Flags of our Fathers, 4 for Letters from Iwo Jima).
Rating: 5 out of 5
Director: Clint Eastwood
Year: 2006
Stars: Ken Wantanabe, Kazunari Ninomiya, Tsuyoshi Ihara
In order not to totally forget the contents of Flags of our Fathers before watching this, I made a concerted effort to watch it fairly soon after seeing that movie. And I'm glad I did. An excellent movie in its own right, being able to relate it back to Flags of our Fathers made it all the more enjoyable.
This time around, we get to see the battle on Iwo Jima from the perspective of the Japanese soldiers. Eastwood does an excellent job of portraying the Japanese battle mentality, without any of the standard American judging you may expect. It tries to tell the story as "straight" as possible, accepting the events as a part of a history.
One of the most enjoyable things about this movie, for me, was the way each film sticks with firmly telling the story of the relevant side. To the Americans, the Japanese soldiers were faceless, just as they really would have been. Similarly, the Americans are faceless to the Japanese, apart from when one soldier is brought into the caves. Scenes shown in Flags of our Fathers are filmed from the opposite side here, so you get the Japanese viewpoint.
Another excellent film, the film would work well even if you hadn't seen Flags of our Fathers. But it's a great companion piece to that film, and scores 5 because they work so well together. Had I watched them in the other order, the scores may well have been reversed (5 for Flags of our Fathers, 4 for Letters from Iwo Jima).
Rating: 5 out of 5
Thursday 19th November 2009
The Dukes of Hazzard
Director: Jay Chandrasekhar
Year: 2005
Stars: Seann William Scott, Johnny Knoxville, Jessica Simpson, Burt Reynolds
So, I did manage to watch at least one other film this week. I subjected Dan to watching this when it came on TV a while ago - and promptly fell asleep 10 minutes in, waking up only for the final 10 minutes. Which says a lot about the quality of this film.
Not wanting to have to subject Dan to it again, but still wanting to at least try and watch the movie, I figured now would be a good time to give it a go.
Now this film isn't bad exactly - if you know what you're getting and like car chases. There is some semblance of a plot, but it's basically an excuse to have car chases and wreck the famous Hazzard car. Oh, and to have plenty of shots of Jessica Simpson in a bikini. That's pretty much all you need to know really. If that sounds good, you'll love it.
Not good, but not unexpected.
Rating: 2 out of 5
Director: Jay Chandrasekhar
Year: 2005
Stars: Seann William Scott, Johnny Knoxville, Jessica Simpson, Burt Reynolds
So, I did manage to watch at least one other film this week. I subjected Dan to watching this when it came on TV a while ago - and promptly fell asleep 10 minutes in, waking up only for the final 10 minutes. Which says a lot about the quality of this film.
Not wanting to have to subject Dan to it again, but still wanting to at least try and watch the movie, I figured now would be a good time to give it a go.
Now this film isn't bad exactly - if you know what you're getting and like car chases. There is some semblance of a plot, but it's basically an excuse to have car chases and wreck the famous Hazzard car. Oh, and to have plenty of shots of Jessica Simpson in a bikini. That's pretty much all you need to know really. If that sounds good, you'll love it.
Not good, but not unexpected.
Rating: 2 out of 5
Wednesday 18th November 2009
Fantastic Mr. Fox
Director: Wes Anderson
Year: 2009
Stars: George Clooney, Meryl Streep, Jason Schwartzman, Eric Chase Anderson, Michael Gambon (voices)
Now here's something a bit different. For different, you might want to read odd.
Another movie I wasn't 100% sure about seeing, it was a choice between this and Bright Star at the cinema. Being in the mood for something a bit more fun, I went with this. Adapted from the Roald Dahl book of the same name, the film certainly tries to evoke the same oddness Dahl does in his books - down to having what (I presume) were the chapter titles appear throughout the film.
Filmed in stop motion, the whole film actually feels a little amateurish. I presume this was intentional, but it was certainly a strange experience to watch. A lot of the reviews for this film have bemoaned the Americianisation of such a quintessentially British book, but as I don't really remember the exact details of the book, I have to say this didn't really bother me. For me, it most definitely had a Dahl "feel" to it.
Unfortunately though, I just can't get away from the fact that I found it all a little dull. This is possibly slightly unfair on the film, as I found the book fairly dull as a child too (probably why I don't remember it very well). Don't get me wrong, I love Roald Dahl books - Boy, Matilda, George and his Marvellous Medicine, the BFG, The Twits, The Witches - all amazing - just not this one.
It's just hard to recommend a film that you found boring when it's running time is less than 90 minutes.
Rating: 2.5 out of 5
Director: Wes Anderson
Year: 2009
Stars: George Clooney, Meryl Streep, Jason Schwartzman, Eric Chase Anderson, Michael Gambon (voices)
Now here's something a bit different. For different, you might want to read odd.
Another movie I wasn't 100% sure about seeing, it was a choice between this and Bright Star at the cinema. Being in the mood for something a bit more fun, I went with this. Adapted from the Roald Dahl book of the same name, the film certainly tries to evoke the same oddness Dahl does in his books - down to having what (I presume) were the chapter titles appear throughout the film.
Filmed in stop motion, the whole film actually feels a little amateurish. I presume this was intentional, but it was certainly a strange experience to watch. A lot of the reviews for this film have bemoaned the Americianisation of such a quintessentially British book, but as I don't really remember the exact details of the book, I have to say this didn't really bother me. For me, it most definitely had a Dahl "feel" to it.
Unfortunately though, I just can't get away from the fact that I found it all a little dull. This is possibly slightly unfair on the film, as I found the book fairly dull as a child too (probably why I don't remember it very well). Don't get me wrong, I love Roald Dahl books - Boy, Matilda, George and his Marvellous Medicine, the BFG, The Twits, The Witches - all amazing - just not this one.
It's just hard to recommend a film that you found boring when it's running time is less than 90 minutes.
Rating: 2.5 out of 5
Tuesday 17th November 2009
World Trade Center
Director: Oliver Stone
Year: 2006
Stars: Nicolas Cage, Maria Bello, Michael Pena, Maggie Gyllenhaal
It had been my intention to watch lots of films this week, as I had the week off work. Unfortunately, things haven't quite worked out that way - there are just so many things to do! However, I did manage one film on Tuesday morning. It's only Thursday too, so maybe I'll fit in a couple more before I go back to work on Monday?
This was better than I expected it to be. I recorded it off of TV a while ago, and it had been left to get watched at some time in the future - partly because it was long (over 2 and a half hours) and partly because I wasn't sure how much I really cared about seeing it. When it was originally released I had been quite interested in watching it, but the myriad of reviews of it at the time I'd read had seemed quite disappointed with it, and this put me off a little.
Turns out it was actually fairly good. If you hadn't guessed, the movie tells the story of 9/11 - following a group of Port Authority policemen as they enter the World Trade Center, not really knowing what to expect or how to deal with it. I think a number of reviewers were disappointed that Stone made it a "straight" film, simply telling the story of 9/11. However, I don't think this is too surprising. What did they expect from an American director? I don't think it's necessarily wrong either. 9/11 is simply too recent for us to say anything too political about it - whilst Stone hints at the unorganised chaos of the rescue plans, nobody will (or should) say the rescue authorities didn't do everything they could to help.
The film is emotionally engaging, and I certainly cared a lot about the people being portrayed, becoming more and more involved. Stone shows us the whole day of 9/11, from people waking up to the amazing rescue efforts. The two and a half + hours went by very fast for me. My only minor complaint is that the information we got at the end, about how many people died and were rescued, went too fast - not giving me enough time to think about and assimilate the information. Considering how much I had started to care about the people in the film, I wanted a little more time for reflection before blasted with credits.
It's a very different movie to Greengrass' United 93 (also excellent and incredibly thought-provoking), but no less of a film for it. Both are excellent reflections on different aspects of 9/11.
Rating: 4 out of 5
Director: Oliver Stone
Year: 2006
Stars: Nicolas Cage, Maria Bello, Michael Pena, Maggie Gyllenhaal
It had been my intention to watch lots of films this week, as I had the week off work. Unfortunately, things haven't quite worked out that way - there are just so many things to do! However, I did manage one film on Tuesday morning. It's only Thursday too, so maybe I'll fit in a couple more before I go back to work on Monday?
This was better than I expected it to be. I recorded it off of TV a while ago, and it had been left to get watched at some time in the future - partly because it was long (over 2 and a half hours) and partly because I wasn't sure how much I really cared about seeing it. When it was originally released I had been quite interested in watching it, but the myriad of reviews of it at the time I'd read had seemed quite disappointed with it, and this put me off a little.
Turns out it was actually fairly good. If you hadn't guessed, the movie tells the story of 9/11 - following a group of Port Authority policemen as they enter the World Trade Center, not really knowing what to expect or how to deal with it. I think a number of reviewers were disappointed that Stone made it a "straight" film, simply telling the story of 9/11. However, I don't think this is too surprising. What did they expect from an American director? I don't think it's necessarily wrong either. 9/11 is simply too recent for us to say anything too political about it - whilst Stone hints at the unorganised chaos of the rescue plans, nobody will (or should) say the rescue authorities didn't do everything they could to help.
The film is emotionally engaging, and I certainly cared a lot about the people being portrayed, becoming more and more involved. Stone shows us the whole day of 9/11, from people waking up to the amazing rescue efforts. The two and a half + hours went by very fast for me. My only minor complaint is that the information we got at the end, about how many people died and were rescued, went too fast - not giving me enough time to think about and assimilate the information. Considering how much I had started to care about the people in the film, I wanted a little more time for reflection before blasted with credits.
It's a very different movie to Greengrass' United 93 (also excellent and incredibly thought-provoking), but no less of a film for it. Both are excellent reflections on different aspects of 9/11.
Rating: 4 out of 5
Sunday 15th November 2009
Flags of our Fathers
Director: Clint Eastwood
Year: 2006
Stars: Ryan Phillippe, Jesse Bradford, Adam Beach
I wanted to see this when it got released at the cinema, but I just never got around to it. So when I saw it was showing on Channel 4, that seemed the perfect chance to watch it. I wasn't sure how much I was going to enjoy it, as I had heard that its companion piece, Letters from Iwo Jima, was the better of the two films.
The movie started off fairly well - it was relatively engaging, although at times felt a bit like your standard war movie. However, this soon changed and Flags of our Fathers became an engaging, thought-provoking film.
Although very definitely about war (in this case the Second World War) the way in which the story was told was totally original. It follows John "Doc" Bradley, a doctor who is sent to help take the island of Iwo Jima in Japan. Upon putting the US flag at the top of the island, along with some other members of the team, Doc is sent back to the US to give people hope. Flags of our Fathers shows how Doc, and the other soldiers, deal (or don't) with this.
A unique, interesting, thought-provoking take on the Americans involvement in the Second World War. Definitely worth a watch. Now I just have to watch Letters from Iwo Jima - it was on TV straight after this, but I was a bit tired by then (it was 11.30pm). It's been recorded ready to be watched in the near future...
Rating: 4 out of 5
Director: Clint Eastwood
Year: 2006
Stars: Ryan Phillippe, Jesse Bradford, Adam Beach
I wanted to see this when it got released at the cinema, but I just never got around to it. So when I saw it was showing on Channel 4, that seemed the perfect chance to watch it. I wasn't sure how much I was going to enjoy it, as I had heard that its companion piece, Letters from Iwo Jima, was the better of the two films.
The movie started off fairly well - it was relatively engaging, although at times felt a bit like your standard war movie. However, this soon changed and Flags of our Fathers became an engaging, thought-provoking film.
Although very definitely about war (in this case the Second World War) the way in which the story was told was totally original. It follows John "Doc" Bradley, a doctor who is sent to help take the island of Iwo Jima in Japan. Upon putting the US flag at the top of the island, along with some other members of the team, Doc is sent back to the US to give people hope. Flags of our Fathers shows how Doc, and the other soldiers, deal (or don't) with this.
A unique, interesting, thought-provoking take on the Americans involvement in the Second World War. Definitely worth a watch. Now I just have to watch Letters from Iwo Jima - it was on TV straight after this, but I was a bit tired by then (it was 11.30pm). It's been recorded ready to be watched in the near future...
Rating: 4 out of 5
Saturday 14th November 2009
His Girl Friday
Director: Howard Hawks
Year: 1940
Stars: Cary Grant, Rosalind Russell
I'm not entirely sure what to make of this movie. I recorded it from TV a few weeks ago, and took a while to get around to watching it. I wanted to like it - the reviews made it sound good and I often enjoy Howard Hawks movies.
The story concerns a journalist, Hildy Johnson (Russell), who is desperately trying to leave the world of journalism behind and marry a man in insurance. Desperately trying to stop her from leaving is Walter Burns (Cary Grant).
This is by no means a bad movie. The script is slick and there's a decent (if convoluted) plot behind the film. Watching Grant and Russell banter back and forth can be a lot of fun too. The problem is, none of the characters are especially likeable - even the prospective husband, who just comes across as a bit of a sap. And the longer they're on the screen, the less you like then. A movie I just can't make my mind up about.
Rating: 3.5 out of 5
Director: Howard Hawks
Year: 1940
Stars: Cary Grant, Rosalind Russell
I'm not entirely sure what to make of this movie. I recorded it from TV a few weeks ago, and took a while to get around to watching it. I wanted to like it - the reviews made it sound good and I often enjoy Howard Hawks movies.
The story concerns a journalist, Hildy Johnson (Russell), who is desperately trying to leave the world of journalism behind and marry a man in insurance. Desperately trying to stop her from leaving is Walter Burns (Cary Grant).
This is by no means a bad movie. The script is slick and there's a decent (if convoluted) plot behind the film. Watching Grant and Russell banter back and forth can be a lot of fun too. The problem is, none of the characters are especially likeable - even the prospective husband, who just comes across as a bit of a sap. And the longer they're on the screen, the less you like then. A movie I just can't make my mind up about.
Rating: 3.5 out of 5
Sunday 8th November 2009
The Aristocats
Director: Wolfgang Reitherman
Year: 1970
Stars: Phil Harris, Eva Gabor (voices)
OK, I confess - I've never seen this. Probably mostly due to it never having been on terrestrial TV (not sure why, but apparently today's Channel 5 showing was a premiere).
The plot follows Duchess and her three kittens as they are kidnapped from their Parisisan mansion and left to fend for themselves in the French countryside.
It really is a great Disney classic, with cute animals, memorable songs and a sweet storyline. Very definitely a children's movie, Dan and I both still enjoyed it as adults. A Disney film made when Disney was great.
Rating: 4 out of 5
Director: Wolfgang Reitherman
Year: 1970
Stars: Phil Harris, Eva Gabor (voices)
OK, I confess - I've never seen this. Probably mostly due to it never having been on terrestrial TV (not sure why, but apparently today's Channel 5 showing was a premiere).
The plot follows Duchess and her three kittens as they are kidnapped from their Parisisan mansion and left to fend for themselves in the French countryside.
It really is a great Disney classic, with cute animals, memorable songs and a sweet storyline. Very definitely a children's movie, Dan and I both still enjoyed it as adults. A Disney film made when Disney was great.
Rating: 4 out of 5
Friday 6th November 2009
Venom
Director: Jim Gillespie
Year: 2005
Stars: Agnes Bruckner, Jonathan Jackson, Rick Cramer
I didn't intend to watch this. It was just on quite late on a Friday night when I was failing to do anything else.
This is not a good film. It's a stereotypical, by-the-numbers cheap Hollywood horror movie, made (probably very quickly) simply to make money. A man in small town America ends up getting bitten by snakes and embodying a number of serial killers. I guessed the ending, and exactly which characters were going to die and how, in the first ten minutes.
None of this is to say this is the worst film I've ever seen. After all, I managed to watch it to the end. As long as you know exactly what to expect, and aren't expecting anything other than your bog standard Hollywood horror, you won't exactly be disappointed - just unsurprised.
Rating: 2 out of 5
Director: Jim Gillespie
Year: 2005
Stars: Agnes Bruckner, Jonathan Jackson, Rick Cramer
I didn't intend to watch this. It was just on quite late on a Friday night when I was failing to do anything else.
This is not a good film. It's a stereotypical, by-the-numbers cheap Hollywood horror movie, made (probably very quickly) simply to make money. A man in small town America ends up getting bitten by snakes and embodying a number of serial killers. I guessed the ending, and exactly which characters were going to die and how, in the first ten minutes.
None of this is to say this is the worst film I've ever seen. After all, I managed to watch it to the end. As long as you know exactly what to expect, and aren't expecting anything other than your bog standard Hollywood horror, you won't exactly be disappointed - just unsurprised.
Rating: 2 out of 5
Wednesday 4th November 2009
Interview with the Vampire
Director: Neil Jordan
Year: 1994
Stars: Brad Pitt, Tom Cruise, Kirsten Dunst, Christian Slater
It's been a while since I've watched this. When I first saw it (over 10 years ago now, when I was still at school) I loved it - as did a number of my friends. So when I saw it was being shown on TV, quite late at night when I didn't have to be up early the next day, I grabbed my chance to watch it again.
The plot follows two vampires, Louis and Lestat. Lestat creates Louis, and Interview with the Vampire tells the tale of how Louis comes to terms with being a vampire. Based on Anne Rice's book, the best thing about this film is very possibly Kirsten Dunst - she's excellent in it, making you believe she's truly far older than 12. It's just a shame she hasn't gone on to surpass it since.
The film is still excellent. It kept me gripped for the entire two hours, even though I knew what was about to happen. That's a feat for any film past midnight, as I'm usually very good at falling asleep! An incredibly enjoyable (if a little gory) film, that I'd happily watch again.
Rating: 5 out of 5
Director: Neil Jordan
Year: 1994
Stars: Brad Pitt, Tom Cruise, Kirsten Dunst, Christian Slater
It's been a while since I've watched this. When I first saw it (over 10 years ago now, when I was still at school) I loved it - as did a number of my friends. So when I saw it was being shown on TV, quite late at night when I didn't have to be up early the next day, I grabbed my chance to watch it again.
The plot follows two vampires, Louis and Lestat. Lestat creates Louis, and Interview with the Vampire tells the tale of how Louis comes to terms with being a vampire. Based on Anne Rice's book, the best thing about this film is very possibly Kirsten Dunst - she's excellent in it, making you believe she's truly far older than 12. It's just a shame she hasn't gone on to surpass it since.
The film is still excellent. It kept me gripped for the entire two hours, even though I knew what was about to happen. That's a feat for any film past midnight, as I'm usually very good at falling asleep! An incredibly enjoyable (if a little gory) film, that I'd happily watch again.
Rating: 5 out of 5
Sunday 1st November 2009
Dream Girls
Director: Bill Condon
Year: 2006
Stars: Jennifer Hudson, Jamie Foxx, Beyonce Knowles, Eddie Murphy, Keith Robinson
I'd heard a fair bit about this back in 2006 when Jennifer Hudson won an Oscar for her role as best supporting actress. I'd never really been too bothered about watching the film, but as it was on TV on a Sunday evening where I had nothing else on, I figured why not give it a try?
The film is based on a Broadway musical that tells the tale of the Dream Girls - three girls trying to make it in the world of music.
There's nothing really wrong with this movie. There's just also nothing at all special about it. Better, truer stories have been told about musicians which take the plot in this further, and turn what is a fluffy movie with nothing much to say into a powerful piece of art. Unfortunately, that's just not true here. You're left with the feeling that this could have been so much more, but all this really is a bunch of nice songs tacked together with some basic plot elements.
Rating: 2.5 out of 5
Director: Bill Condon
Year: 2006
Stars: Jennifer Hudson, Jamie Foxx, Beyonce Knowles, Eddie Murphy, Keith Robinson
I'd heard a fair bit about this back in 2006 when Jennifer Hudson won an Oscar for her role as best supporting actress. I'd never really been too bothered about watching the film, but as it was on TV on a Sunday evening where I had nothing else on, I figured why not give it a try?
The film is based on a Broadway musical that tells the tale of the Dream Girls - three girls trying to make it in the world of music.
There's nothing really wrong with this movie. There's just also nothing at all special about it. Better, truer stories have been told about musicians which take the plot in this further, and turn what is a fluffy movie with nothing much to say into a powerful piece of art. Unfortunately, that's just not true here. You're left with the feeling that this could have been so much more, but all this really is a bunch of nice songs tacked together with some basic plot elements.
Rating: 2.5 out of 5
October 2009 films
October has been a bit of an eclectic month for movies. Not sure why, it's just that I've been watching things as and when they've appeared - I guess there have just been lots of other things happening! There have been a fair few cinema visits though - 4 in total, so approximately one a week. There does seem to have been quite a lot released that I've actually wanted to see this month.
The other great thing about this month is that I've actually enjoyed a lot of these films. As per Dan's recommendation from months ago now, I've started to put the rating alongside the film so you can see at a glance which are my favourite movies.
Film not to waste your time on is a lot easier. This month seems to have been full of great movies, so there's only been the occasional disappointment. It was You, Me and Dupree. Your standard, by-the-numbers Hollywood rom-com. Not as bad as some, and at least watchable, it just can't compete with the other films on this month's list.
Film of the month: Sweeney Todd: The Demon of Barber of Fleet Street
Film not to waste your time on: You, Me and Dupree
The other great thing about this month is that I've actually enjoyed a lot of these films. As per Dan's recommendation from months ago now, I've started to put the rating alongside the film so you can see at a glance which are my favourite movies.
- Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street (2007) - 5 stars
- Up (3D) (2009) - 4.5 stars
- Partly Cloudy (2009) - 4 stars
- The Man Who Sued God (2001) - 3 stars
- The Last King of Scotland (2006) - 4 stars
- Straw Dogs (1971) - 3 stars
- District 9 (2009) - 4 stars
- Lilo and Stitch (2002) - 5 stars
- Julie and Julia (2009) - 5 stars
- Creation (2009) - 4 stars
- You, Me and Dupree (2006) - 2 stars
- Help! I'm a Fish (2000) - 3 stars
- Birdman of Alcatraz (1962) - 5 stars
Film not to waste your time on is a lot easier. This month seems to have been full of great movies, so there's only been the occasional disappointment. It was You, Me and Dupree. Your standard, by-the-numbers Hollywood rom-com. Not as bad as some, and at least watchable, it just can't compete with the other films on this month's list.
Film of the month: Sweeney Todd: The Demon of Barber of Fleet Street
Film not to waste your time on: You, Me and Dupree
Saturday 31st October
Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street
Director: Tim Burton
Year: 2007
Stars: Johnny Depp, Helena Bonham Carter, Alan Rickman, Timothy Spall, Jamie Campbell Bower, Ed Sanders
The first time I saw this was at the cinema when it got released - and I was very excited about it then. I loved it so much that this year Dan bought me the DVD for my birthday. I hadn't actually gotten around to watching it again until now, but the combination of it being Halloween, us wanting to watch something vaguely horrific, and a couple of friends being enthusiastic about watching it as they hadn't seen it, led to us finally sitting down to watch it.
And it's still excellent. Sweeney Todd is a barber out for vengeance, and willing to go to any lengths to get it. Mrs Lovett is the woman who owns a pie shop downstairs and needs fresh meat... you might be able to guess where this is going.
In turns funny, sick, disgusting and just the sort of black humour I love, I could watch this over and over again. A word of warning though: it is very definitely a musical. If you hate them, stay clear.
Rating: 5 out of 5
Director: Tim Burton
Year: 2007
Stars: Johnny Depp, Helena Bonham Carter, Alan Rickman, Timothy Spall, Jamie Campbell Bower, Ed Sanders
The first time I saw this was at the cinema when it got released - and I was very excited about it then. I loved it so much that this year Dan bought me the DVD for my birthday. I hadn't actually gotten around to watching it again until now, but the combination of it being Halloween, us wanting to watch something vaguely horrific, and a couple of friends being enthusiastic about watching it as they hadn't seen it, led to us finally sitting down to watch it.
And it's still excellent. Sweeney Todd is a barber out for vengeance, and willing to go to any lengths to get it. Mrs Lovett is the woman who owns a pie shop downstairs and needs fresh meat... you might be able to guess where this is going.
In turns funny, sick, disgusting and just the sort of black humour I love, I could watch this over and over again. A word of warning though: it is very definitely a musical. If you hate them, stay clear.
Rating: 5 out of 5
Wednesday 28th October
Partly Cloudy
Director: Peter Sohn
Year: 2009
Stars: n/a
This is a Pixar short that is being shown in the cinemas before the main feature, Up. Having seen it at the cinema I thought I'd review it here, along with Up. It tells the tale of a lonely cloud that makes babies (which a hard-done-by stork then carries) for the less cute creatures of the world, which have a tendency to attack the stork. Engaging and fun, it's a good introduction to Up and the world of Pixar.
Rating: 4 out of 5
Up (3D)
Director: Pete Doctor, Bob Peterson
Year: 2009
Stars: Edward Asner, Christopher Plummer, Jordon Nagai, Bob Peterson
And onto the main feature... the first 10 minutes of this are brilliant. Drawing you straight into the story, you'll wonder how you've managed to be emotionally manipulated quite so quickly.
In a sense, the less you know about the story before it starts, the more you will enjoy it. So suffice it to say that the plot involves an old man and a young boy, and a house that flies - all things you probably already know from the trailer.
The film looks beautiful, and whilst the remainder of the movie might not draw you in quite like the first ten minutes, it's still incredibly enjoyable. Amazingly, even when all the characters are being annoying, you'll understand why and still like them. Well, I did.
The only problem I have with Up is that it's not really necessary to watch it in 3D. Of course, that takes nothing away from the story, but why make something in 3D if you're not really going to use it? Pixar said they didn't want to use the usual tricks of having things jump out at you, and I fully respect that. But most of the beauty of the film would be apparent in 2D - it doesn't use the 3D. After having seen the way Coraline used 3D, this just isn't quite up to standard.
Rating: 4.5 out of 5
Director: Peter Sohn
Year: 2009
Stars: n/a
This is a Pixar short that is being shown in the cinemas before the main feature, Up. Having seen it at the cinema I thought I'd review it here, along with Up. It tells the tale of a lonely cloud that makes babies (which a hard-done-by stork then carries) for the less cute creatures of the world, which have a tendency to attack the stork. Engaging and fun, it's a good introduction to Up and the world of Pixar.
Rating: 4 out of 5
Up (3D)
Director: Pete Doctor, Bob Peterson
Year: 2009
Stars: Edward Asner, Christopher Plummer, Jordon Nagai, Bob Peterson
And onto the main feature... the first 10 minutes of this are brilliant. Drawing you straight into the story, you'll wonder how you've managed to be emotionally manipulated quite so quickly.
In a sense, the less you know about the story before it starts, the more you will enjoy it. So suffice it to say that the plot involves an old man and a young boy, and a house that flies - all things you probably already know from the trailer.
The film looks beautiful, and whilst the remainder of the movie might not draw you in quite like the first ten minutes, it's still incredibly enjoyable. Amazingly, even when all the characters are being annoying, you'll understand why and still like them. Well, I did.
The only problem I have with Up is that it's not really necessary to watch it in 3D. Of course, that takes nothing away from the story, but why make something in 3D if you're not really going to use it? Pixar said they didn't want to use the usual tricks of having things jump out at you, and I fully respect that. But most of the beauty of the film would be apparent in 2D - it doesn't use the 3D. After having seen the way Coraline used 3D, this just isn't quite up to standard.
Rating: 4.5 out of 5
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About Me
- Anna Lawson
- I live in Bristol with my husband Dan (who I married in July 2007), my son Joe (born 2012) and daughter Jess (born 2015). I work at UWE (the University of the West of England) in Bristol as a Research and Open Access Librarian. I'm orginally from Exeter, so moving back to Bristol is a bit like coming home - especially as I studied for my undergraduate degree here (also at UWE). I love travelling and movies, although I get to do a lot less of both since the birth of our children. Although we have still managed to fit in holidays to the Isles of Scilly, Chamonix and a summer in California since Joe was born.