Film Take

Review: "Skateland"

Sun, 21 Oct 2012 10:34:33 +0200

There comes a time where all of us have to grow up, become independent adults and get some direction in our lives. But, it does not happen in that exact order for all of us…

“Skateland” takes place during the 80’s and tells the story of the young Ritchie Wheeler (Shiloh Fernandez), a skating rink manager. Not the ideal job to have for the rest of your life, really, as ice-skating is beginning to decline in popularity. Although Ritchie is a good kid, he has little ambition in his life despite his younger sister’s attempts to get him into university, and also struggles to cope with the dying relationship between his parents.

To break away from all of this, Wheeler spends time with the good-hearted but rather reckless Brent (Heath Freeman), the brother of Wheeler’s good friend and secret admirer, Michelle (Ashley Greene), and their friend Kenny (Taylor Handley). When a tragic event unexpectedly happens, Wheeler is forced to take some direction in his life.

The first thing to be said about “Skateland” is that it moves slow, but not in an uninteresting way. It is an all around Indie movie. Throughout the film, director and one of the film’s writers, Anthony Burns, explores the different challenges young people face: popularity, drinking, ambition, love, divorce, making choices… The era in which all of this happens is also depicted spot-on in the movie, which makes the film a realistic watch. Whether you grew up during the 80’s or not, the film quickly draws you into that time of big hair, dressing up, disco lights and hard partying.

The cast also did well in their respective roles and gave the necessary personalities and emotions to their characters. Fernandez makes Ritchie a sweet, lovable guy, but also shows just how lacklustre and uninspired he really is in the way he talks, moves and interacts with others. It works, since the audience cares about Ritchie, but also desperately wants him to see what is happening around him.

He ignores his sister’s pleas for him to enrol into university and he hopelessly does not realise Michelle is in love with him and also wants him to have a better future. It is, after all, the women in this movie who prove to be stronger and more independent than the men.

One of the performances that stand out in “Skateland” is that of Freeman. He brings that cool edge to Brent that perfectly compliments Ritchie as a character. It is clear Ritchie looks up to Brent, admires his daredevil side and that Brent’s influence can make or break Ritchie.

Verdict:

“Skateland” is not flawless and it has its plot holes, but it succeeds in telling the nostalgic story of a time that seemed ideal and that would never change. But, nothing lasts forever and there comes a time for change, and that is the real journey Ritchie and his friends undertake in this film. In the end, “Skateland” is perhaps most of all a story of love and loss, and although not one of the best in this genre, it still manages to move.

Review: "Whatever Works"

Wed, 10 Oct 2012 03:02:14 +0200

Some films start off so tedious that you simply cannot bear to watch it any longer. Only thing worse can be to put the most unlikable, annoying character as the lead, telling his incredibly irritating life story directly to you, the moviegoer.

Now imagine watching this story, bearing this enormously unpleasant man and even to his surprise, stay until the credits start rolling.

Yet, “Whatever Works” prove to be tolerable after all. Larry David from “Curb Your Enthusiasm” portrays the role of the horrible elderly man, Boris, who speaks too much about his own struggles with religion, the meaning of life, his suicide attempt and just how daft everyone around him is. When Boris is not overwhelming his few friends about his wife leaving him because she could not bear his midnight panic attacks anymore, he assaults the children who comes to him for chess lessons.

However, when a homeless and unemployed Southerner, the naïf Melody (Evan Rachel Wood), shows up at Boris’s apartment one night, he reluctantly allows her to sleep on his couch. The two quickly form a bond and for a while, life seems cheerful for the miserable Boris again.

But, knowing writer and director Woody Allen, one should never trust the peace with 50 minutes still to go. And alas, when Melody’s conservative mother and recently divorced from her father, Marietta (Patricia Clarkson), shows up unexpectedly, she instantly takes a dislike in Boris and concocts a plan to release her daughter from his claws. As if that is not enough for Melody and Boris, her father, John (Ed Begley Jr.), turns up uninvited as well, and he has his own confusions that he has to deal with.

“Whatever Works” may not be Allen’s best and neither will it be everyone’s taste - it might offend some, it might be perplexing to others - but midway through the film, one cannot help but wonder what will happen to Boris. Will he change for the better, or moreover, is it possible for someone as obnoxious as him to enjoy the simplest things in life? Either way, he is the type of man who could not care less what others think about him, so it is illogical to even expect such a great change from this character.

At first, David seemed a bit unnatural as Boris, but his performance grows on you. After all, Boris is a genius of a man with an unusual outlook on life. His humorous monologues directly to the audience make for an intimate watch, which almost dare you see things from his point-of-view.

Wood also gives a surprisingly sweet performance as the young and spontaneous Melody, a type of character we rarely see her portray. It certainly makes for a uniquely enjoyable watch, and along with David’s performance, the characters nicely contrast one another.

Verdict:

Allen delivers a somewhat comedic story with “Whatever Works”, although it falls flat at times. At first Allen focuses solely on the relationship between Boris and the young Melody, but midway through the film, he introduces individual plotlines of Melody’s parents and also focuses on her love affair with an actor, Randy (Henry Cavill). Yet, it might be for the better, as Boris is so unbearable to watch, most moviegoers would not be able to tolerate him for an hour and a half. At the end, this typically Allen film has a certain charm to it that is inescapable no matter how you personally feel about the story as a whole.

Review: "Deadgirl"

Sun, 09 Sep 2012 01:58:02 +0300

No matter how tempting, it is never the smartest of ideas to skip school.

But skipping class to go explore an abandoned hospital is just foolish.

That is exactly what JT (Noah Segan) and Rickie (Shiloh Fernandez) did when they wandered around, skipping class. “Deadgirl” is not your typical horror movie with a killer, the hero and the hot girl. This movie is much more a high school anti-hero thriller, and there is no real killer.

The film follows JT and Rickie, two best friends but very different characters. Segan’s JT is dangerously influential and hotheaded, while good guy Rickie obediently attends class and daydreams of rekindling his primary school romance with the pretty redhead, Joann (Candice Accola). When JT and Rickie skip class and decide to spend their day at a creepy abandoned hospital, they discover a living, naked, zombie-like girl in the basement.

JT immediately starts having risqué thoughts about deadgirl, but Rickie pities her and tells JT to leave her alone. However, things soon start spiralling out of control when JT invites their friend, Wheeler (Eric Podnar), to join in on the fun. As Rickie tries to distance himself from his friends and the deadgirl, JT comes up with a terrifying plot to involve both Rickie and Joann.

Even though “Deadgirl” is far from being the perfect thriller, it is easy to see why it has become such a cult classic in this genre. This explicit film breaks away from the usual series of horror/thriller events that we have grown so used to, and instead explores the challenges of high school and peer pressure. Nevertheless, the characters are all one-dimensional, as expected with this genre, and the plot borders on ridiculousness that it is hard to take the film seriously.

Our lead character, Rickie, is anything but the hero: he lies, insults, deceits, and comes across as bizarrely weird and disconnected. At the same time, he is too noble for his own good and is your typical high school goody two-shoes. His reactions towards JT and the deadgirl are inexplicable, to the extend that he becomes irritating. Yet, this makes Rickie all the more a normal, everyday guy in such an abnormal setting, and Fernandez did a fine job capturing his character’s distant personality.

However, it is the cool Segan with his piercing blue eyes and sleek blonde hair that makes the psychotic JT such an intriguing and menacing character. Although he is not the villain, he sure is the antagonist to Rickie’s character. Segan perfectly portrayed his disturbed and sexually driven character.

Verdict:

With an underdeveloped, absurd and predictable plot, “Deadgirl” will only interest fans of Segan and Fernandez, who carry the film with their opposing characters. Yet, the downfall of this movie is that hardcore horror fans will find it too tedious, guys will complain that they did not see enough of the naked deadgirl, and the general movie-going audience will find the film too raunchy and off-beat. Perhaps the only interesting part of “Deadgirl” is the end, which will keep the audience guessing…

Review: "To Rome with Love"

Tue, 04 Sep 2012 23:01:00 +0300

Finding a proper intro to a review for a Woody Allen film is impossible.

Not only does the eccentric director simply jump straight into his stories by showcasing its beautiful scenery (in this case, ancient Roma), but he also introduces his characters by capturing the imagination of his audience.

The events that happen in-between, however, are shocking, entertaining, thought-provoking and lighthearted.

“To Rome with Love” is therefor typical Allen. The film tells four different stories - not related to one another in any way - in the ancient city of Rome. The first story follows a young American tourist, Hayley (Alison Pill), who falls in love with a Roman, Michelangelo (Flavio Parenti). Her parents, Phyllis (Judy Davis) and Jerry (Woody Allen), fly to Rome to meet Michelangelo’s family. Jerry, being a retired but restless opera music director, causes conflict when he pushes Michelangelo’s father (played by Fabio Armiliato) to become an opera star - that is, after overhearing him sing in the shower.

Then there is John (Alec Baldwin), a successful architect, and the young architecture student, Jack (Jesse Eisenberg). Jack is in Rome with his girlfriend, Sally (Greta Gerwig), but in an awkward turn of events, Sally’s spontaneous and seductive actress friend, Monica (Ellen Page), joins the pair after breaking up with her boyfriend. This proves to be a challenging test for Jack, who despite John’s warnings - in an omnipresent way - falls for the carefree Monica.

The young honeymooning couple, Antonio (Alessandro Tiberi) and Milly (Alessandra Mastronardi), ensures for most of the film’s comical moments. Rome proves to be a bewildering city for them, with Milly getting lost while searching for a hair salon. Their honeymoon soon becomes a nightmare when a hooker, Anna (Penélope Cruz), shows up at the prude Antonio’s hotel room as he waits for Milly. Unfortunately for Antonio, he is about to introduce his family to his new wife, and that is where Anna has to step in.

Finally, we have a very ordinary Italian working-class man, Leopoldo (Roberto Benigni). Only except, this clerk turns into an overnight sensation and celebrity quite inexplicably. With this storyline, Allen explores the pros and cons of being famous: dealing with the media, constantly being followed by paparazzi, and the public’s interest in your daily routine.

Verdict:

Although “To Rome with Love” has similarities to Allen’s masterpiece, “Midnight in Paris” - in terms of strong emphasis on character, our way of thought and of course, love, life and art - it is still a very different film. Whereas “Midnight in Paris” is very much a psychological, deep and enchanting film, “To Rome with Love” is more upbeat, tongue-in-the-cheek and simplistic. The film perhaps does not have a lot to it, but it is entertaining nevertheless - even just for that visual experience of different lives in Rome.

Review: "The Dark Knight Rises"

Mon, 06 Aug 2012 02:00:00 +0300

This is not Bruce Wayne’s story. Neither should one expect to see Christian Bale back as the heroic orphan billionaire/Caped Crusader as we did in the terrific “The Dark Knight”, facing off against the brilliant Heath Ledger’s The Joker.

“The Dark Knight Rises” is rather about the legacy of Batman.

The film also makes this quite clear from the start. The epic conclusion to one of the most successful superhero films starts off with much the same scenario as the previous two films - Gotham is in ashes - and Batman has not been seen in nearly eight years.

New enemies have emerged under the command of an underground villain, Bane (Tom Hardy), and Gotham’s days are numbered.

Writer and director Christopher Nolan also introduces various new characters in this film, each with their own agenda. Academy Award winner Bale has to make way for the likes of Joseph Gordon-Levitt’s young hotshot cop, John Blake, and Anne Hathaway’s sneaky Selina Kyle.

This also causes for multiple storylines taking place simultaneously in order for the audience to understand each character’s background. Although the action never slows down, some of the scenes still seem meaningless and out of context. However, Nolan manages to successfully pull off his thought-provoking script and allows the audience to catch up later on whenever they might have gotten lost due to the film’s fast pace.

Nolan builds up his story with suspense, mystery and action to the climax. Bewildering enough, Batman himself only makes his appearance after nearly an hour into the film. Then, after he finally emerged, he only gets beaten severely by Bane and thrown into an underground prison where he spends the majority of the movie. Ironically, this makes for Bruce Wayne/Batman to be the least entertaining character of the film.

The real “Batman” of the movie, however, is introduced much earlier to the audience. This may cause for most hardcore Batman fans to be a tad disappointed by the lack of the Dark Knight, but the story is still very much authentic with a dark tone.

Hathaway is sly as Selina/Catwoman and perfectly develops her character’s contrasting devious and moral sides. Gordon-Levitt also makes for a refreshing and much needed addition to the cast, while Hardy’s Bane is menacing and lives up to the expectations of an intimidating Batman villain. But, it is Marion Cotillard who makes the most of her character, businesswoman Miranda Tate, and ensures for an exciting twist even though she only has a supporting role.

Verdict:

Although “The Dark Knight Rises” is nearly a 3-hour long epic adventure and may create confusion with all the new characters and plotlines, it is the appropriate end to the Batman legacy. The film is not perfect, but it still draws you into the doomed world of Gotham. Batman and his city have more enemies than ever before, and it will certainly take a lot of courage and determination to rise from the ashes this time around. Yet, even though Bruce Wayne will not always be the Caped Crusader, Gotham can rest assured that Batman is looking after them.

"I take it 10 minutes at a time and do the best I can. That’s all I can do. But I feel very..."

Mon, 30 Jul 2012 23:30:04 +0300

“I take it 10 minutes at a time and do the best I can. That’s all I can do. But I feel very humbled and honoured to be doing the work I’m doing at the moment.”

- Jeremy Renner

Review: "Magic Mike"

Sun, 22 Jul 2012 02:53:00 +0300

It is one thing to make a movie about male strippers, which most people would probably laugh off and make jokes about, but another story when you advertise and market it as such.

“Magic Mike” may seem innocent, funny and playful, however this is not just another soft comedy, which mockingly takes a closer look at a risky job. No, this movie much rather has a darker, deeper and serious tone, with many raunchy scenes and foul language. This is exactly what makes the movie memorable after all.

Over the course of a summer, the story follows the popular and established male stripper, Magic Mike (Channing Tatum), who performs at a club in Tampa. The charismatic Dallas (Matthew McConaughey) owns the club, which he sees as his business. Because that is after all what the strippers are there for: to make a nice profit. Dallas also makes it clear that no touching is allowed and the strippers are also not allowed to get too close to the ladies in the audience.

Mike invites the 19-year old Adam (Alex Pettyfer), who he met earlier the day, to the club and quickly throws him out on stage to do his thing. Dubbed “The Kid”, stripping is love at first sight for the unambitious Adam. For the youngster, it is a quick and exciting way to make some cash…

However, the more Adam gets drawn into the stripping lifestyle, the more his life starts to take a downward spiral. Much to the concern of his sweet and responsible sister, Brooke (Cody Horn), Adam becomes carefree and starts using drugs.

For Adam, his life is only just starting. For Mike, it becomes a way out of the stripping business.

Mike has bigger ambitions in life. As he is nearing his shelf life as a male stripper, he plans to starts his own furniture business. But, Mike is a little low on cash and the troublemaker Adam sure does not make things easier. On top of that, Mike enjoys the company of Brooke but she does not truly approve of his night job.

The movie is enjoyable and yet intriguing and gripping at the same time. The cast are perfect in their roles: McConaughey is priceless as the cheeky Dallas, Pettyfer is brooding as “The Kid”, but ultimately this is Tatum’s film.

Loosely based on his own experience as a stripper, Tatum excellently develops his character from a sexy, fun and cheerful stripper into a serious 30-something guy who starts seeking more from life. At first, he convinces that Mike will always just be “Magic Mike”, but slowly allows the audience deeper and deeper into the character’s life, finally to the point where he distances himself from his on-stage personage and pleads Brooke to simply see him as Mike.

Verdict:

This is not your average raunchy comedy and most certainly not just a “fun time” movie. “Magic Mike” has a captivating dark dramatic story unfolding behind those provocative dance moves. The movie graphically showcases how inexperience counts against reckless youngsters, but at the same time, that it is up to each individual to discover the meaning of life and true happiness. Although the plot line and theme on their own is nothing we have not seen yet, this combination makes for a refreshing watch.

Review: "Friends with Kids"

Tue, 17 Jul 2012 01:55:00 +0300

Oh, the type of plots filmmakers come up with these days - as if the stories are not becoming more and more repetitive, the concepts are getting beyond nonsensical and less believable.

“Friends with Kids” tells the story of three couples who are best of friends. Well, two couples and two friends rather. Jason (Adam Scott) and Julie (Jennifer Westfeldt) have been best friends for as long as they can remember, however they have never had any romantic feelings for one another. Their “married with kids” friends - Ben (Jon Hamm) and Missy (Kristen Wiig), and Leslie (Maya Rudolph) and husband Alex (Chris O’Dowd) - seem to have such disastrous lives now that they’ve got little ones, that the romance have vanished.

So, Jason and Julie come up with a master plan: why not skip all the married and then divorce parts, and have a baby together? Their clock is ticking and neither of them have had a long-term relationship, or plans on having one anytime soon. They do not have any feelings whatsoever for one another, so of course this would be the ideal circumstances to raise a child.

This is seriously what this movie wants to make the audience believe, and it becomes extremely hard to take the story and its characters seriously.

The trailer pretty much covered all the comedic moments there are to enjoy, and the movie turns out to be a rather depressive drama of relationships falling apart. The plot is also a horrible stereotype, which tries its best to make as if kids are the sole reason for all the divorces happening in today.

From the opening scene, it becomes way too obvious that Jason and Julie will eventually develop strong, romantic feelings for each other, and that their kid will suffer the consequences. Something they clearly did not think through…

Surprisingly, everything seems to be going hunky-dory for the unlikely “family” at first. They amaze their friends with their incredible multi-tasking abilities, being able to host a get-together at their house while changing nappies.

Eventually, the two starts dating again and both fall in love: Jason falls for Mary Jane (Megan Fox), a relationship that would undoubtedly never last more than a few weeks, while Julie found her Mr Too Perfect, Kurt (Edward Burns). But, these relationships only make Jason and Julie realise that they indeed have feelings for each other.

Usually the supporting cast is what makes the movie worthwhile and they also seem to have the most memorable scenes. But, the friends prove to be only in the movie for box office attraction - of course, they are all from the 2011 hit movie, “Bridesmaids”. Only except here they are uninteresting and underdeveloped supporting characters: Leslie screams her husband’s head off the whole hour and forty minutes of the movie, while Ben and Missy should just break up already to spare us Missy’s miserable facial expressions.

Verdict:

“Friends with Kids” is nothing we have not seen again and again before: “Friends with Benefits”, “What to Expect When You’re Expecting” and even “Bridesmaids”. The movie presented absolutely nothing new and refreshing, which made it all déjà-vu. The cast did what they could with their characters, but nothing could save this unimaginative movie, which verges on absurdity…

Review: "Trespass"

Thu, 12 Jul 2012 02:53:00 +0300

There are two types of thrillers: the kind where you know from the get-go who the real baddy of the movie is (think the “Scream” movies), and then there’s the more clever thrillers where there is some surprising twists and turns, and everything is not as it seems…

But then we get a thriller like “Trespass”. Here we have an unhappily married couple, Kyle (Nicolas Cage) and Sarah (Nicole Kidman), with their party-loving teenage daughter, Avery (Liana Liberato). Things start to happen within the first ten minutes of the movie, and then it just gets more and more ridiculous.

The doorbell rings, they open and a bunch of wannabe robbers dressed as cops, of course, hold the couple at gunpoint. This might sound very much like “Panic Room” and the trailer sure makes that same impression, but alas it is everything but suspenseful.

Here, the robbers first demand Kyle to open the safe, where they believe he holds a large amount of cash. Then they tell some sob story about their mother needing a new kidney. When that turns out to be just a lie, they suddenly start demanding diamonds.

And yet, through it all, Kyle refuses to open the safe.

It becomes hard to take these robbers seriously because they are all bark and no bite. On top of that, Kyle, Sarah and Avery are such unlikeable characters that one really does not care much what happens to them. Between the events of the night, it is revealed that Sarah and one of the robbers, Jonah (Cam Gigandet), had an affair, although Sarah did not seem too into him.

The only remotely interesting character is Jonah. At first, he leads the audience to believe he is really the good “baddy” of the lot. At one point, he even becomes the most likeable character. But then he just turns out to be the worst sicko of them all…

The plot had potential, but it seems that the writers only had a vague idea but no detailed, captivating story in mind. It is basically 90 minutes of “open the safe” screams, whispers, begging and last chance demands and threats, but no action or even the slightest of suspense whatsoever.

The acting is also mediocre, with Kidman screaming annoying throughout the movie and Cage being his lifeless self and really works on the nerves with his stubbornness. If the movie continued after the incident this night, it’s probable that Kyle and Sarah would have filed for divorce anyways.

Verdict:

An unlikeable bunch of characters for whom the audience really could care less for, with an even duller plot line. “Trespass” attempted to be a clever thriller with smart twists and turns, but failed in executing it. All of this makes for a monotonous movie, which could have been so much more.

Review: "The Dictator"

Sun, 08 Jul 2012 23:05:00 +0300

Saddam Hussein, Kim Jong Il, Idi Amin and… Admiral General Aladeen? Whereas the aforementioned all oppressed their nations with an iron fist for many years, Aladeen lovingly oppresses his Republic of Wadiya.

Yes, the very Aladeen who spilled Kim Jong Il’s “ashes” on Ryan Seacrest at the 84th Academy Awards red carpet.

Aladeen (Sacha Baron Cohen) is “The Dictator” of the fictional Wadiya, a nation where his people loves to be oppressed and despises democracy. Or so he thinks. When Aladeen travels to New York to address the United Nations Security Council, his premier, Tahir (Ben Kingsley), the rightful heir to the throne, organizes a security man (John C. Reilly) to kidnap the Admiral General, shave off his beard and kill him.

This is when the crude, hilarious adventure of Aladeen begins in typical Cohen style. The poor fool quickly finds out that the Americans want him overthrown and that he means nothing without his long beard.

All lost in the Big Apple, Aladeen meets Zoey (Anna Faris), a boyish Hobbit looking girl with hairy armpits, who runs a left-wing health food store. Unaware of his real identity, she offers him a job at her store and he accepts, of course with a mean scheme in mind.

However, Aladeen slowly starts falling for Zoey, which could have a monumental impact on his public image as a much hated dictator…

“The Dictator” is a sharp, clever and refreshing story about political satires and racial stereotypes. Cohen produced a film that shamelessly mocks the ridiculous concept of dictatorship with real humour, but he also portrayed how bizarre people react based on skin colour and culture alone.

Needless to say, this film reminds one of Cohen’s highly successful “Borat”, which famously earned him a best actor Golden Globe. There are plenty of shocking, obscene and offensive moments in “The Dictator”, which might be considered too distasteful for some.

But, having seen Cohen heavily promoting this movie and appearing in character at various events, it was obvious from the beginning that this was not going to be just another raunchy comedy trying to be bigger than what it actually is. “The Dictator” touches on subjects with a sense of rationality. As clueless as he seems, one quickly realises that Aladeen speaks sense when it comes to politics. While watching this dictator commenting on Western ideologies, democracy and the role of the woman in society, it opens our eyes to the absurdness of oppression and how valuable freedom truly is.

Verdict:

This movie boldly showcases how corrupt dictators and political leaders can be, abusing their power. Filled with racial and gender offensive comments, explicit scenes, hilariously funny moments and even a sweet, touching romance, Cohen hit the nail on the head with “The Dictator”.

"I’ve been acting for eight years now, and I feel I’m just starting to understand things…As soon as..."

Wed, 04 Jul 2012 21:53:58 +0300

“I’ve been acting for eight years now, and I feel I’m just starting to understand things…As soon as you think you’re the sh*t, you’ll find 100 people that will point at you and laugh. I don’t ever want to be that person — I want to keep finding people I can learn from. That’s my entire journey in life.”

- Channing Tatum

Review: "The Lucky One"

Wed, 27 Jun 2012 21:01:00 +0300

It is the kind of plotline you can write in your sleep: boy comes from a tough place that left him emotionally scarred; boy meets girl and it is love at first sight; girl is stubborn and suspicious of boy; they fall in love; girl has an abusive ex who makes life impossible for the two lovebirds, but everything works out fine in the end.

It is “The Lucky One” plot in a nutshell. No need to spend an hour and forty minutes of your life to sit through the whole film, watching the tedious details of this predictable story.

The film has Zac Efron as Logan, a young marine who had multiple near-death experiences in Iraq. Logan strongly believes it is a picture of a girl, which he found in the middle of nowhere, that saved his life. So, after he returned home, he immediately goes on a journey to find this special girl.

Beth (Taylor Schilling), Logan’s lucky charm during the war, and her grandmother, Ellie (Blythe Danner) take the young marine under their wing and give him a job at their dog kennel. However, Logan just can’t seem to find the words to tell Beth the truth about the photo that could possibly explain her own heartache. So, the two fall in love, much to the annoyance of Beth’s estranged husband, Keith (Jay R. Ferguson).

But, the more Logan learns about Beth, the more he keeps his secret from her…

This is not an exciting film, nor is it interesting, nor does it provide a captivating story about love and loss. It is a typical Nicholas Sparks (author of “The Notebook” and “Dear John”, amongst others) story. The film moves very slowly and the plot has little substance.

Efron is convincing as the good-hearted and honourable marine, showcasing his capability and versatility as an actor in a romantic leading role. He buffed up for this part and captured the emotional suffering of his character.

But, the character itself becomes rather frustrating to watch when he cannot stand up for himself against the violent Keith, or bring himself to tell Beth the truth about the picture he found and her own loss in Iraq.

Newcomer Schilling is sweet as Beth, a young mother trying to raise her son while constantly being emotionally blackmailed by the boy’s father. Yet she is really not all that special and one has to wonder why Logan wastes his time with her.

Efron and Schilling seem awkward together on screen as a couple and perhaps unlike previous big-screen adaptions of Sparks novels, Logan and Beth are rather unexciting. Because of the uninteresting story, there is little either actors could have done about this.

Verdict:

This monotonous and predictable adaption of yet another Nicholas Sparks novel offers nothing new or interesting. The loved-up couple is simply not believable and the characters seem more interesting when they spend time apart from one another. By the time the credits roll, one cannot help but wonder what the whole point of this movie was…

Review: "22 Bullets"

Sat, 23 Jun 2012 05:56:00 +0300

French title: “L’immortel”

Making a fresh start is not easy. Even less so if you spent your entire life as a feared and merciless mobster.

In the French thriller “22 Bullets”, Charly Matteï (Jean Reno) finds this out the hard way: Matteï used to be a cold and dreaded mobster from Marseille, ruthlessly killing those who deceived him.

But, one day Matteï had enough of his mobster lifestyle and decides to resort to a more peaceful life with his family. He sold all of his property to his close friend, Tony Zacchia (Kad Merad), but he had one condition: no drugs. A very deadly condition…

Zacchia realises that Matteï needs to be out of the picture in order to expand his business and coldly sends his gunmen to kill his former best friend. Twenty-two bullets later and Matteï is still alive. In a blink, he is back to his smooth mobster ways and slowly gets his revenge on Zacchia.

As exhilarating and action-packed this plot might sound, the film failed miserably to execute it successfully. Based on a true story, the film moves too slow at times and at one point, the director spends about ten minutes showcasing how Matteï crawls through wires, struggling to get to his young son who is about to get murdered by Zacchia’s men. It becomes exhausting to watch how much Matteï suffers and bleeds to get a sense of normality in his life.

Although Reno is full of strong emotion as Matteï and delivers a convincing portrayal of the mobster/family man, the film did not allow for him to fully expand and develop the character, which could have made for an exciting peek into the life of this complex character.

The audience gets introduced to Matteï as a gentle family man, and yet for the majority of the film, it is evident that he can still coldly kill others despite the pleas of his family. There was no obvious transition to his decision to seek revenge and it seemed a bit rushed, with no explanation for his actions. Perhaps if he were still a mobster at heart, the film could have made this clearer.

This lack of character development could be explained by the filmmakers’ decision to give such a large portion of screentime to the female cop, Marie Goldman (Marina Foïs). Not that Goldman is an unexciting character (she battles her own demons and struggles to juggle her job and being a single mother), but they practically made her the female lead of the movie, instead of a supporting character. The film’s message would have been stronger if they focused on Matteï and his bizarre decision to take matters in his own hands.

Reno already showcased his capability to successfully portray a complex character, however the script simply did not allow for it and as a result, the characters are all one-dimensional with unexplained actions.

Verdict:

The lack of plot and character development make “22 Bullets” a slow-paced action thriller, instead of an entertaining peek into the exhilarating life of a former mobster. The film only touches on certain subjects, but leaves the rest unexplained. With many explicit violent and bloody scenes, the film had potential to be a fine mob film. Only watch this if you are a Reno fan.

"That’s the key to survival as an actor. You can never take yourself too seriously. It’s playing."

Thu, 21 Jun 2012 10:02:50 +0300

“That’s the key to survival as an actor. You can never take yourself too seriously. It’s playing.”

- Dominic Cooper

Review: "Red Riding Hood"

Wed, 20 Jun 2012 05:01:00 +0300

“Beware of the big bad wolf and do not talk to strangers,” our mothers used to tell us just before bedtime when we were very much naive five year olds.

The story of the young little red riding hood, on her way to bring food to her grandmother, used to be innocent and purely to warn youngsters of the “big bad wolves” in our real world.

This is not the case with “Red Riding Hood” - and it is not just because they dropped the “little”. Here we have a grown-up Valerie (Amanda Seyfried) as our caped girl. But Valerie is not much interested in delivering food to her grandmother: she’s a grown girl now and her priorities have changed. Her parents wants her to marry the wealthy Henry (Max Irons), but little mischievous Valerie is much more interested in her childhood friend, the dark woodcutter, Peter (Shiloh Fernandez). Much to her parents’ dismay…

As if Valerie doesn’t already have her hands full with deciding which boy to run away with, the big bad wolf strikes the village with killings after many years of being seemingly absent. This is where the wolf hunter, Father Solomon (Gary Oldman), comes in with his so-called expertise.

From this point onwards, the film becomes a suspenseful mystery rather than a romantic love triangle drama. Suddenly the wolf becomes the priority and begs the question: who seems oh so innocent by day, but morphs into the big bad wolf by night?

The film succeeds in keeping the audience guessing about the identity of the wolf (could there be more than one wolf?), but is rather predictable when it comes to Valerie’s love dilemma. The film simply does not allow for Irons’s Henry to develop sufficiently in order for the audience to connect with him. Instead, the director decided to further the relationship between Valerie and Peter, which consequently made their relationship more believable. Still, the audience will never know which guy is truly right for Valerie because apart from one love scene, her relationships were made to be only a side story to the main plot.

Seyfried and Fernandez made for an appealing on-screen couple, while Irons never really stood a chance. Perhaps it is better so, or else we would have had a full-on Twilight Edward vs Jacob love triangle with wolves only. The cast did well in their respective roles and made their characters believable, yet mysterious, which perfectly fit the plot.

Verdict:

“Red Riding Hood” provides for a dark, suspenseful adaption of the childhood fairy tale. Red riding hood is no longer an innocent little girl, but rather becomes a strong and independent, somewhat rebellious, young lady. Yet, none of the characters in this movie seem trustworthy (note their brown eyes). Although times have changed for our little caped girl, the fairy tale’s age-old theme of “beware of strangers” is evident in this film. An entertaining watch and certainly always a good reminder to be careful of who to trust in life…

Review: "What to Expect When You're Expecting"

Sun, 17 Jun 2012 02:00:00 +0300

Pregnancy is not for sissies. For the woman, it is nine months of your life where you have to make sure you get your bundle of joy out safely. For the men, it’s nerves, stress and patience.

In the enjoyable and touching “What to Expect When You’re Expecting”, the film tackles the fears and ecstasy of being expecting parents. There are five expecting couples in this story: fitness guru Jules (Cameron Diaz) and her dancer beau Evan (Matthew Morrison); adopting mother Holly (Jennifer Lopez) and her husband Alex (Rodrigo Santoro); breastfeeding author Wendy (Elizabeth Banks) and Gary (Ben Falcone); the cute one-night-stand young couple Rosie (Anna Kendrick) and Marco (Chace Crawford); and the youthful Skyler (Brooklyn Decker) with her nascar champion husband Ramsey (Dennis Quaid).

Through the stories of these five different couples, this film takes the audience on a baby-boom ride. One couple struggles to get pregnant, another decides to adopt and one expecting mom sneezes her baby out! It seems it’s really as easy as that for some, while others have a near-death experience just to deliver their little miracle.

The film manages to give equal screentime to all five couples, however this does not necessarily mean all five couples are equally enjoyable.

Wendy and Gary are the biggest treat, and so is Wendy’s bookstore assistant, Janice (Rebel Wilson from “Bridesmaids”). There is one hilarious scene with Wendy about to give a talk at an expo and she is left with no choice than to ask for Janice’s help when a mishap occurs. Of course, her embarrassing talk ends up on YouTube and she becomes known as the hormones lady.

The young couple Rosie and Marco are so adorable and probably go through the roughest patch with their pregnancy and relationship.

It is probably the adopting parents Holly and Alex that are a tad boring, although Alex proves to be more entertaining after he joined the “dudes group”. Yes - a group of dads led by Chris Rock’s Vic who come together to walk and chat about their parenting. They make for many comical moments throughout the movie.

The cast did a fine job and each captured the situation and emotions of their characters. What makes this film unique is its portrayal of the men’s view on pregnancy and becoming a father. It is especially Santoro’s Alex that showcases how scary and intimidating becoming a parent can be for some.

Verdict:

“What to expect…” proves to be a fun, yet moving, film about the mad excitement of becoming a parent. The film has a nice balance between humour and drama, with even some tearjerking moments. At the end, it may have been a daunting experience for the couples, but one thing is certain: it is a miracle.

Review: "Snow White and the Huntsman"

Sun, 10 Jun 2012 07:00:00 +0300

The fantastical, dark and twisted fairytale world of Snow White comes alive in this imaginative big screen retelling. But the film is not entirely what is normally expected of this fair-skinned beauty with her caring dwarf friends.

“Snow White and the Huntsman” tells the classical story of the young princess, Snow White (Kristen Stewart), who is locked away for years by the Evil Queen (Charlize Theron). The story pretty much sticks to the beloved fairytale, however there is some surprising twists in this dark version.

After Snow White escaped from the castle, the Evil Queen demands The Huntsman (Chris Hemsworth), a drunken widower with first-hand knowledge of the dreaded Dark Forest, to hunt her down and bring the young girl back to the castle.

Instead, The Huntsman decides to switch teams upon meeting Snow White and the two spend most of the film running from the Evil Queen’s army.

But, in another parallel storyline, Snow White’s childhood friend, Prince William (Sam Claflin), who was separated from her many years ago, tries to find her again. In order to be reunited with her, William joined the Evil Queen’s army as a skilled bowman.

So far it all seems quite the usual Snow White experience, right? But then, of course, Hollywood and its eternal love triangle just had to jump into this story as well. The idea of both The Huntsman and William being in love with Snow White just does not work, as the film never allowed for either relationship to fully develop. That is probably for the better…

At first, The Huntsman appears to be a fatherly figure to Snow White and he acts as her protector. Later, it is his kiss that saves Snow White, instead of her Prince.

When poor William finally meets his Snow White again, she does not seem overfilled with joy to see him at all - never mind the fact that she was desperately searching for him as well. It is all too much of an anti-climax and perhaps it would have been better if The Prince were completely left out of this story. It would certainly have made Snow White and The Huntsman’s relationship more believable.

Thankfully the acting is up to par and it is particularly Theron’s Evil Queen who lives up to every expectation of her name. She is as evil and deceptive as anyone could imagine this queen to be, and her cold face sends shivers down your spine.

Hemsworth brings wit, bravery and a real likeability to the manly Huntsman, which makes for a very enjoyable and respected character.

Both Stewart and Claflin portray their young characters convincingly too, although Stewart does not seem interested in making her character’s relationship with the two men more realistic. She mostly looks like she’s just Kristen Stewart pretending to be Snow White for two hours. Claflin, on the other hand, portrays his Prince so charmingly and manages to hold his own against the Huntsman, which sure is not an easy task.

It is the dwarfs who were rather disappointing. Snow White just is not Snow White without her loyal seven dwarfs, and in this film, the dwarfs lacked any emotion and charisma, especially compared to the dwarfs from the family retelling “Mirror Mirror”. The dwarfs never really develop a relationship with Snow White and nor do they bond with her. This important aspect of the story is left ignored and made for rather standoffish dwarfs.

What perhaps lack in a more developed plot, the film makes up with its beautiful scenery, special effects and costumes. The contrasting worlds of the Dark Forest and the magnificent and fascinating fairyland are perfectly depicted through colours: the forest is grey and black, gloomy and frightening, while the fairyland is full of greens and pinks and blues and yellows, where every creature seems to be happy and joyful.

Verdict:

This daring retelling of the Snow White fairytale puts a dark, sombre twist on the fair-skinned princess’s story. With Kristen Stewart as the young Snow and Oscar winner Charlize Theron as the devious and strong-minded Evil Queen, “Snow White and the Huntsman” tells the tale of good versus evil with an evident feminist tone. It is indeed Snow who leads an army of men to overthrow the Evil Queen and take back her kingdom.

"I find it very hard to accept the best of anything. I don’t see how one can judge [actors’]..."

Sat, 09 Jun 2012 19:41:30 +0300

“I find it very hard to accept the best of anything. I don’t see how one can judge [actors’] performances in a year down to four and say, “This one is the best.” I don’t think that’s even possible, so I don’t understand the concept of awards. Love being nominated for them [laughs], love winning them. But I don’t really get them.”

- Tom Hardy

Review: "Worried About The Boy"

Thu, 17 May 2012 07:00:00 +0300

Long before Lady Gaga, the now infamous meat-wearing pop star with pointy horns sticking out of her cheekbones and shoulders, an eccentric resurrection of glam rock evolved and peaked during 1980’s London.

British artists and bands entered a new era where they reinvented themselves with androgynous clothing and covered their faces with heavy eyeliner and lipstick. One of the pioneers of the New Romantic movement was the iconic but also troubled singer, Boy George.

The BBC TV movie “Worried About the Boy” explores how a young Boy George (Douglas Booth) got caught up in the glitzy and seemingly colourful lifestyle of this pop culture movement of the early 80’s. Desperately looking to fit in with the eccentric crowd partying at the glamorous The Blitz Club, George and his friends dress it up to get club owner Steve Strange’s thumbs up to enter.

The film switches to flash-forwards to a famous and heavily under the influence of drugs Boy George. The world is worried about him. They all know that something is off, but living with only the memories of his exciting youth at The Blitz with Marilyn (Freddie Fox) and his other friends, George is, sadly, finally the celebrity he always dreamt he would become. New Romanticism flew by and is no longer relevant. A lonely, doomed celebrity left in a dark, empty place.

George is rather hopeless when it comes to love. His father strongly disapproves of his flamboyant style and even though George quickly falls for the punk rock musician Kirk Brandon (Richard Madden), men are hesitant to enter a relationship with him.

Simply being George is not enough for the world. When the boyish Kirk finally gives in to his feelings for the androgynous George, he tells him to admit to being a “girl”. Kirk is his first real love and also the man behind Culture Club’s number one hit song “Do You Really Want to Hurt Me”.

The cast is brilliant. Few young actors today are as genetically gifted as Booth, but in this film, he transforms on-screen into Boy George. He shaved his eyebrows for the role and spent hours in the make-up chair in order to bring the complex George to life. It is mesmerizing to watch this young actor. The way he speaks and carries himself seems as if he lived and experienced the New Romantic movement along with the real Marilyn and Steve Strange.

Madden makes for an appealing love interest with a real sense of innocence, although he also anxiously tries to hide his relationship with George.

The film is also edited in such a manner that fits well with the story. The music and editing style is very New Romantic and gives a true representation of what that era was like, and how George experienced it compared to his celebrity lifestyle of only a few years later.

Verdict:

This daring film showcases a bizarre and extravagant era, the rise and fall of Boy George and just how dangerous it can be living in the public eye. A captivating and entertaining look at an eccentric young George climbing the social ladder and the people who he loved and cared for.

Review: "Young Adult"

Fri, 11 May 2012 20:31:00 +0300

We are all guilty of it. Behind closed doors, we pick up the remote and put on “Keeping up with the Kardashians” or any of the cheap E! Entertainment reality TV shows to forget about our own realities.

We indulge ourselves in the lives of others, like watching Kim and her sisters’ every move or how former Playboy bunny Kendra Wilkinson cries about not being pretty anymore now that she’s with child.

However, Mavis (Charlize Theron) from Minneapolis is different. She is worse than the rest of us. Instead of just watching how seemingly terrible it is being rich, famous and with child on TV, Mavis puts her malicious thoughts into action in “Young Adult”.

One morning, Mavis, a once successful author of young adult novels, gets the email she least expected, or wanted to expect: her high school sweetheart Buddy (Patrick Wilson) and his wife Beth (Elizabeth Reaser) have just become parents to their first baby - who has yet to be named.

Mavis never got over Buddy.

Right there and then, she grabs her adorable scene-stealer dog, hops into her Mini and drives all the way to her hometown of Mercury, Minnesota. Her mission? To show Buddy what he has been missing all these years and that it is not too late for them to live happily ever after. Never mind the baby.

Mavis makes for one really embarrassing lead character. One cannot help but cringe at what she does and says. She seems to have it all: beauty, a relatively successful career that might go somewhere with her wild imaginations, and her own apartment. But, as the film progresses, one quickly learns that even her beauty is fake. Her novels are no longer relevant and in desperate need of a change in direction, and her apartment is really not that great.

Still, in her mind, she imagines herself to be better than other people. She wholeheartedly believes that Buddy is still in love with her and that he’ll drop his wife, new baby and all to get back with her. It takes Mavis’s “new” friend who she was supposed to remember from high school, Matt (Patton Oswalt), to spell out the reality of the situation to her.

Oswalt is simply marvellous as Matt and although he is not the lead character, he makes for the most lovable character in the movie. Matt, a man stuck in Mercury and living with his sister, did not end up living the life he hoped for. He got bullied at high school and consequently, he does not stand a chance in life. But, he is the only real, honest character in the movie: he is the exact opposite of Mavis (in other words, likable, humble, kind, caring, etc.) and ultimately the friend she desperately needs, even though she does not always realise this.

Theron does not disappoint either. She brings natural beauty to Mavis, but at the same time, captures how artificial that beauty can be. She watches the Kardashians on TV, goes to the malls in her “Hello Kitty” pyjamas and carries a permanent discontented expression on her face.

The film reaches its climax when Mavis finally loses it and even leaves the audiences red-faced by her reckless behaviour.

The Mercury residents and her former school friends all look up to a person with no self-respect, and even less respect for others.

Verdict:

Some people are unable to grow up and move on when life takes a different direction than expected, and “Young Adult” explores what happens when a grown-up gets stuck in a childish high school tantrum mode. Theron is convincing, playing a failure in love, life and respect. The film has some funny moments - a bit too ridiculous at times - which will leave you laughing and blushing at the same time.