ZIFT
Watchable. Starts like a typical prison movie but then the frequently told allegories get more interesting and the twists of action better.
RENE
Recommended. Perfectly explains how we get perpetual criminal re-offenders.
X-MEN ORIGINS: WOLVERINE
Recommended. Wolverine has never been my fave character but "X-Men" don't disappoint. Wait for Weapon XI.
Wednesday, 29 April 2009
Monday, 27 April 2009
BAMBI
Watchable. Disney lovely as ever but films about growing up and about animals make me terribly homesick.
FREQENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS ABOUT TIME TRAVEL
Recommended. A low-budget science fiction comedy full of brave new ideas.
GUNESI GORDUM
Walked out. A family in a remote village in eastern Turkey strives to survive where every boy grows up to become either a soldier or a guerilla. Then they move to Istanbul and things aren't any more cheerful or action faster.
OUTLANDER
Walked out. A standard alien hunk fights with a standard monster, loses his standard spaceship and ends up in a standard Iron Age village full of standard macho warriors and standard beautiful maidens.
SHIFTY
Recommended. A fascinating account of meaningful 24 hours in the life of a middle class drug dealer and people around him. Well acted and shot, realistic and insightful. I loved the line about it being a good time to do drugs with the government being so busy with the war on terror that no one cares about drugs any more.
Watchable. Disney lovely as ever but films about growing up and about animals make me terribly homesick.
FREQENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS ABOUT TIME TRAVEL
Recommended. A low-budget science fiction comedy full of brave new ideas.
GUNESI GORDUM
Walked out. A family in a remote village in eastern Turkey strives to survive where every boy grows up to become either a soldier or a guerilla. Then they move to Istanbul and things aren't any more cheerful or action faster.
OUTLANDER
Walked out. A standard alien hunk fights with a standard monster, loses his standard spaceship and ends up in a standard Iron Age village full of standard macho warriors and standard beautiful maidens.
SHIFTY
Recommended. A fascinating account of meaningful 24 hours in the life of a middle class drug dealer and people around him. Well acted and shot, realistic and insightful. I loved the line about it being a good time to do drugs with the government being so busy with the war on terror that no one cares about drugs any more.
Friday, 24 April 2009
Wednesday, 22 April 2009
17 AGAIN
Watchable. First you have a scene reminiscent of "High School Musical 3", from which I had walked out, then a loser in his 30s, then the same loser being 17 and about half hour in the film it finally starts being funny.
I LOVE YOU MAN
Walked out. How can such low and vulgar jokes be found funny by anyone?
FAST AND FURIOUS
Walked out. Ugly people chasing each other or being chased with mediocre music in the background.
LAT DEN RATTE KOMMA IN (LET THE RIGHT ONE IN)
Watchable. "Twilight" it isn't. Nothing romantic or alluring, just crude and raw gore with scenes slowly, I repeat, slowly developing plot in between but the whole story is compelling, impossible to stop watching without knowing how it ends.
FIFTY DEAD MEN WALKING
Watchable. Good action, an intriguing story of a secret operative but doesn't get you close to the characters, you just don't care why they do things they do.
DRAGONBALL: EVOLUTION
Walked out. I've seen the scenes and heard the lines in several other movies.
I've just read that they they are making a Bollywood version of "21" entitled "Teen Patti". I can't wait to see it:)
Watchable. First you have a scene reminiscent of "High School Musical 3", from which I had walked out, then a loser in his 30s, then the same loser being 17 and about half hour in the film it finally starts being funny.
I LOVE YOU MAN
Walked out. How can such low and vulgar jokes be found funny by anyone?
FAST AND FURIOUS
Walked out. Ugly people chasing each other or being chased with mediocre music in the background.
LAT DEN RATTE KOMMA IN (LET THE RIGHT ONE IN)
Watchable. "Twilight" it isn't. Nothing romantic or alluring, just crude and raw gore with scenes slowly, I repeat, slowly developing plot in between but the whole story is compelling, impossible to stop watching without knowing how it ends.
FIFTY DEAD MEN WALKING
Watchable. Good action, an intriguing story of a secret operative but doesn't get you close to the characters, you just don't care why they do things they do.
DRAGONBALL: EVOLUTION
Walked out. I've seen the scenes and heard the lines in several other movies.
I've just read that they they are making a Bollywood version of "21" entitled "Teen Patti". I can't wait to see it:)
Tuesday, 14 April 2009
MONSTERS VS ALIENS 3D
Watchable. Nice graphics, especially the opening view of the outer space. Other than that nothing new, could be funnier too.
8 X 10 TASVEER
Watchable. It doesn't get straight to each point but once it does it keeps you hooked.
TERA MERA KI RISHTA
Watchable. Hilarious most of the time, the sad romantic bits a bit too long.
RACE TO WITCH MOUNTAIN
Recommended. Like a good science fiction movie from the 80s, with brilliant lines full of humour. Dwayne Johnson appears to have learned how to act. The blue-eyed blonde boy playing Seth is irresistably cute.
Watchable. Nice graphics, especially the opening view of the outer space. Other than that nothing new, could be funnier too.
8 X 10 TASVEER
Watchable. It doesn't get straight to each point but once it does it keeps you hooked.
TERA MERA KI RISHTA
Watchable. Hilarious most of the time, the sad romantic bits a bit too long.
RACE TO WITCH MOUNTAIN
Recommended. Like a good science fiction movie from the 80s, with brilliant lines full of humour. Dwayne Johnson appears to have learned how to act. The blue-eyed blonde boy playing Seth is irresistably cute.
Thursday, 9 April 2009
Wednesday, 8 April 2009
Tuesday, 7 April 2009
TWO LOVERS
Walked out. It's about a love triangle of boring and ugly people.
THE HAUNTING IN CONNECTICUT
Recommended. Finally a properly scary horror + based on a true story + the spookiest thing is not the ghost tale, it's what the actual researchers tried to do.
PAUL BLART: MALL COP
Walked out. If only it were at least a little bit funny...
Walked out. It's about a love triangle of boring and ugly people.
THE HAUNTING IN CONNECTICUT
Recommended. Finally a properly scary horror + based on a true story + the spookiest thing is not the ghost tale, it's what the actual researchers tried to do.
PAUL BLART: MALL COP
Walked out. If only it were at least a little bit funny...
Sunday, 5 April 2009
Friday, 3 April 2009
THE DAMNED UNITED
Walked out. It was supposed to be about football management but there's little management in it and even less football.
THE BOAT THAT ROCKED
Watchable. An interesting story of the lives of radio pirates and their governmental persecutors but rarely funny and the pirates are a bunch of freaking weirdoes - hardly attractive.
LESBIAN VAMPIRE KILLERS
Walked out. Neither scary nor funny, quite bland in total.
Walked out. It was supposed to be about football management but there's little management in it and even less football.
THE BOAT THAT ROCKED
Watchable. An interesting story of the lives of radio pirates and their governmental persecutors but rarely funny and the pirates are a bunch of freaking weirdoes - hardly attractive.
LESBIAN VAMPIRE KILLERS
Walked out. Neither scary nor funny, quite bland in total.
Wednesday, 1 April 2009
ENTRE LES MURS (THE CLASS)
Recommended. Spotless. The film brings you to the subjects, both students and teachers, as close as it gets. I never expected I would enjoy a film about a school so much. But this one is more about decision making, difficult choices and responsibility. A real treat.
TRAITOR
Walked out. Movies about terrorism spring up like mushroom after rain. This one is painfully full of stereotypes, bad acting and FBI surrogating CIA in Yemen.
AA DEKHEN ZARA
Recommended. What a ride! No wonder Cineworld's "Unlimited" magazine compares it to "Race". Jehangir Surti's directoral debut is as mind-blowing as Aronofsky's "Pi" was in 1998.
Recommended. Spotless. The film brings you to the subjects, both students and teachers, as close as it gets. I never expected I would enjoy a film about a school so much. But this one is more about decision making, difficult choices and responsibility. A real treat.
TRAITOR
Walked out. Movies about terrorism spring up like mushroom after rain. This one is painfully full of stereotypes, bad acting and FBI surrogating CIA in Yemen.
AA DEKHEN ZARA
Recommended. What a ride! No wonder Cineworld's "Unlimited" magazine compares it to "Race". Jehangir Surti's directoral debut is as mind-blowing as Aronofsky's "Pi" was in 1998.
Wednesday, 25 March 2009
Tuesday, 24 March 2009
Thursday, 19 March 2009
Tuesday, 17 March 2009
HUSH
Watchable. The film had been sold to 25 territories before its premiere at last year's Raindance Film Festival. It must be down to the incredible twists and turns of action that keep you on the edge of your seat (and you really don't see them coming) as other than that it was filmed amateurishly.
In the meantime my freebie streak has reached its apogeum. Crussh is giving away free juice when you recycle "the london paper" this week. I disguised a "Metro" as "the london paper" to get an extra one at another store.
Watchable. The film had been sold to 25 territories before its premiere at last year's Raindance Film Festival. It must be down to the incredible twists and turns of action that keep you on the edge of your seat (and you really don't see them coming) as other than that it was filmed amateurishly.
In the meantime my freebie streak has reached its apogeum. Crussh is giving away free juice when you recycle "the london paper" this week. I disguised a "Metro" as "the london paper" to get an extra one at another store.
Saturday, 14 March 2009
Thursday, 12 March 2009
Wednesday, 11 March 2009
AMERICAN TEEN
Walked out. A typical American documentary that doesn't explain why it's been made. What is it with American film-making that puts commentaries in features but not docs? The presented teenagers aren't any different than anywhere else in the world. You see them every day. No need to pay for a cinema ticket.
Walked out. A typical American documentary that doesn't explain why it's been made. What is it with American film-making that puts commentaries in features but not docs? The presented teenagers aren't any different than anywhere else in the world. You see them every day. No need to pay for a cinema ticket.
Tuesday, 10 March 2009
Monday, 9 March 2009
THE GREAT ESCAPE
Walked out. This classic doesn't pass the test of time. Fake German, fake war prison full of Nazis with stiff upper lips and prisoners with styled hair wearing perfectly ironed clothes. Beside that nothing really happens.
WATCHMEN
Watchable. Visually irresistable, with brilliant one-of-a-kind characters including a superhero rapist. Outstanding attention to detail, e.g. TV news from all over the world include a screen with news in Polish. Great soundtrack including Nena's "99 Flugballons" that I would never expect to hear in an American movie. Unfortunately it's overlong - the film could do without the first half an hour. The heroes also chatter too much and when they fight it usually means fist brawls. Still, the infrequent superhero action is fantastic. Unfortunately one of the super women wears a ridiculous black and yellow costume making her look like a bee.
Walked out. This classic doesn't pass the test of time. Fake German, fake war prison full of Nazis with stiff upper lips and prisoners with styled hair wearing perfectly ironed clothes. Beside that nothing really happens.
WATCHMEN
Watchable. Visually irresistable, with brilliant one-of-a-kind characters including a superhero rapist. Outstanding attention to detail, e.g. TV news from all over the world include a screen with news in Polish. Great soundtrack including Nena's "99 Flugballons" that I would never expect to hear in an American movie. Unfortunately it's overlong - the film could do without the first half an hour. The heroes also chatter too much and when they fight it usually means fist brawls. Still, the infrequent superhero action is fantastic. Unfortunately one of the super women wears a ridiculous black and yellow costume making her look like a bee.
Friday, 6 March 2009
THE YOUNG VICTORIA
Watchable. Really good although short on Englishness and not exactly comprehensible unless you're familiar with the history of Britain. Still, German Prince Albert challenging the ways the palaces are run is brilliant. I also hear the same explanation whenever I point out something not working - "but it things have always been done this way".
Watchable. Really good although short on Englishness and not exactly comprehensible unless you're familiar with the history of Britain. Still, German Prince Albert challenging the ways the palaces are run is brilliant. I also hear the same explanation whenever I point out something not working - "but it things have always been done this way".
Wednesday, 4 March 2009
Tuesday, 3 March 2009
Monday, 2 March 2009
THE INTERNATIONAL
Watchable. Action scenes have nice little twists but the action is constantly interrupted with talking. They just meet and drone on and on in between the shoot-outs.
NEW IN TOWN
Watchable. I always find Renee Zellwegger irresistably endearing so I watched through this silly, stereotypical, moralistic tale that isn't even funny.
Segregating my cosmetics yesterday I thought about my addictions again - normally addictions cost you money while I'm addicted to saving.
Watchable. Action scenes have nice little twists but the action is constantly interrupted with talking. They just meet and drone on and on in between the shoot-outs.
NEW IN TOWN
Watchable. I always find Renee Zellwegger irresistably endearing so I watched through this silly, stereotypical, moralistic tale that isn't even funny.
Segregating my cosmetics yesterday I thought about my addictions again - normally addictions cost you money while I'm addicted to saving.
Friday, 27 February 2009
Monday, 23 February 2009
CHE - PART TWO
Walked out. I just couldn't stand another boring and desultory history lesson.
MY BLOODY VALENTINE IN 3D
Watchable. A run-of-the-mill slasher movie with good Real D action, gore and a bit of nudity that made me think they should start making 3D porn. The killer looks quite hot, by the way, when fully dressed but unmasked that is.
ANVIL - THE STORY OF ANVIL
Watchable. Americans aren't particularly good at documentaries and this one is no exception - plenty of behind-the-scenes footage and interviews with people you don't know and don't care about. The film about a metal band could do with more actual music by Anvil as that sounded great.
CADILLAC RECORDS
Walked out. According to the movie Chess Records were set up by two boring guys. The jazz music was unberable as well.
PUSH
Watchable. "X-Men" it isn't. While the characters have catchy superskills, it's scripted and acted, including utterly annoying Dakota Fanning, as if the producer had hired random people from the street to save costs.
DELHI 6
Walked out. Social realism with really bad music. What is Abishek Bachchan doing in this rubbish?
CONFESSIONS OF A SHOPAHOLIC
Recommended. This film has everything: glam, humour, tears, a bit of reality (shopaholism) and a bit of a fairy-tale (the career and the relationship) and it's all brilliantly scripted, acted and filmed. A real treat.
It made me feel uneasy about my addictions. I suddenly realised I had three:
Cinema - even if I have a foreign visitor staying with me just for a couple of nights, I will go to the cinema in the evening making them wait till midnight. So while this addiction doesn't ruin me financially, I lie what I'm doing (I'm not working that long) and ruin my social life.
Freebies - once when Clarins offered 3 samples per customer I went to different stores and collected 54 samples. It's free, useful, instead of ruining my social life makes me practise people skills - acting every time as if I hadn't collected a bagful of samples already. Still, it feels weird, no one else seems to scam samples the way I do.
Free press - I have accumulated piles of magazines and newspapers constantly given away and while it doesn't normally take long to browse them, I rarely get round to it and basically have heaps of rubbish in my room.
HE'S JUST NOT THAT INTO YOU
Watchable. A clever instruction film that is more disturbing than funny.
THE SECRET OF MOONACRE
Watchable. While I liked the Englishness of the tale, the fantasy bandits dressed and made up punk-style with Clockwork Orange-style bowler hats looked completely out of place.
HOTEL FOR DOGS
Watchable. The dogs are adorable but the story, with the evil Animal Control guys (do they really do it in the US?), really dark and depressing.
I've run out of the movies. Next review on Friday.
Walked out. I just couldn't stand another boring and desultory history lesson.
MY BLOODY VALENTINE IN 3D
Watchable. A run-of-the-mill slasher movie with good Real D action, gore and a bit of nudity that made me think they should start making 3D porn. The killer looks quite hot, by the way, when fully dressed but unmasked that is.
ANVIL - THE STORY OF ANVIL
Watchable. Americans aren't particularly good at documentaries and this one is no exception - plenty of behind-the-scenes footage and interviews with people you don't know and don't care about. The film about a metal band could do with more actual music by Anvil as that sounded great.
CADILLAC RECORDS
Walked out. According to the movie Chess Records were set up by two boring guys. The jazz music was unberable as well.
PUSH
Watchable. "X-Men" it isn't. While the characters have catchy superskills, it's scripted and acted, including utterly annoying Dakota Fanning, as if the producer had hired random people from the street to save costs.
DELHI 6
Walked out. Social realism with really bad music. What is Abishek Bachchan doing in this rubbish?
CONFESSIONS OF A SHOPAHOLIC
Recommended. This film has everything: glam, humour, tears, a bit of reality (shopaholism) and a bit of a fairy-tale (the career and the relationship) and it's all brilliantly scripted, acted and filmed. A real treat.
It made me feel uneasy about my addictions. I suddenly realised I had three:
Cinema - even if I have a foreign visitor staying with me just for a couple of nights, I will go to the cinema in the evening making them wait till midnight. So while this addiction doesn't ruin me financially, I lie what I'm doing (I'm not working that long) and ruin my social life.
Freebies - once when Clarins offered 3 samples per customer I went to different stores and collected 54 samples. It's free, useful, instead of ruining my social life makes me practise people skills - acting every time as if I hadn't collected a bagful of samples already. Still, it feels weird, no one else seems to scam samples the way I do.
Free press - I have accumulated piles of magazines and newspapers constantly given away and while it doesn't normally take long to browse them, I rarely get round to it and basically have heaps of rubbish in my room.
HE'S JUST NOT THAT INTO YOU
Watchable. A clever instruction film that is more disturbing than funny.
THE SECRET OF MOONACRE
Watchable. While I liked the Englishness of the tale, the fantasy bandits dressed and made up punk-style with Clockwork Orange-style bowler hats looked completely out of place.
HOTEL FOR DOGS
Watchable. The dogs are adorable but the story, with the evil Animal Control guys (do they really do it in the US?), really dark and depressing.
I've run out of the movies. Next review on Friday.
Friday, 20 February 2009
Thursday, 19 February 2009
PINK PANTHER 2
Watchable. It's really funny, I laughed a lot, still some scenes script-wise should have been hilarious but weren't, probably due to Jean Reno's wooden acting. Steve Martin, whom I never ever liked, was surprisingly amusing and Aishwarya Rai Bachchan is getting better and better at acting.
FRIDAY THE 13TH
Watchable. The new version is a slasher movie without the supernatural ending of the original and while the superior old version shows just the murderer's boots, this one is full of straight in your face brutality. You can't get bored, you get startled once in a while and get lots of gratuitous nudity. Still, it's not scary.
Watchable. It's really funny, I laughed a lot, still some scenes script-wise should have been hilarious but weren't, probably due to Jean Reno's wooden acting. Steve Martin, whom I never ever liked, was surprisingly amusing and Aishwarya Rai Bachchan is getting better and better at acting.
FRIDAY THE 13TH
Watchable. The new version is a slasher movie without the supernatural ending of the original and while the superior old version shows just the murderer's boots, this one is full of straight in your face brutality. You can't get bored, you get startled once in a while and get lots of gratuitous nudity. Still, it's not scary.
Tuesday, 17 February 2009
Monday, 16 February 2009
NOTORIOUS
Watchable. An interesting story of a fascinating life of some hip-hop star, whoever he was.
VICKY CRISTINA BARCELONA
Watchable. Slow and tedious, gets livelier with Penelope Cruz's fiery Oscar-worthy performance.
DOUBT
Watchable. The story would be quite silly if it weren't for everyone's superb acting. Oscar nominations (www.oscars.com/nominees) well deserved, still Penelope Cruz (above) should win.
Oops, looks like I can't add a link on the computer at work:(
BOLT 3D
Watchable. A silly, run-of-the-mill story with a compellingly cute dog in it.
SLUMDOG MILLIONAIRE
Recommended. Marvellous. Gripping, moving and unpredictable. The film, the director, the sound, the sound editing and one of the songs should win Oscars.
Watchable. An interesting story of a fascinating life of some hip-hop star, whoever he was.
VICKY CRISTINA BARCELONA
Watchable. Slow and tedious, gets livelier with Penelope Cruz's fiery Oscar-worthy performance.
DOUBT
Watchable. The story would be quite silly if it weren't for everyone's superb acting. Oscar nominations (www.oscars.com/nominees) well deserved, still Penelope Cruz (above) should win.
Oops, looks like I can't add a link on the computer at work:(
BOLT 3D
Watchable. A silly, run-of-the-mill story with a compellingly cute dog in it.
SLUMDOG MILLIONAIRE
Recommended. Marvellous. Gripping, moving and unpredictable. The film, the director, the sound, the sound editing and one of the songs should win Oscars.
Friday, 13 February 2009
THE GOOD THE BAD THE WEIRD
Watchable. An interesting eastern (this is how I'd call a Korean film inspired by westerns). Cheerful and entertaining although not really lough-out-loud funny. Fantastic music - perfect in itself (combination of eastern and country) and very in line with the plot.
PUNISHER: WAR ZONE
Watchable. A perfectly standard plot but with great visual effects and characterful brutality.
Watchable. An interesting eastern (this is how I'd call a Korean film inspired by westerns). Cheerful and entertaining although not really lough-out-loud funny. Fantastic music - perfect in itself (combination of eastern and country) and very in line with the plot.
PUNISHER: WAR ZONE
Watchable. A perfectly standard plot but with great visual effects and characterful brutality.
Wednesday, 11 February 2009
Tuesday, 10 February 2009
RACHEL GETTING MARRIED
Walked out. The movie can't decide if it's about the addiction or the family. The family is hardly interesting to watch, mine own is better. The funeral-style speeches at the wedding rehearsal are completely incongruous. A white girl marries a black guy - unlikely in reality, enforced in the movie - the Obama syndrome I guess.
THE CURIOUS CASE OF BENJAMIN BUTTON
Watchable. Brad Pitt and Taraji P. Henson (Queenie in the film) should get Oscars for acting and Greg Cannom for make-up. Brad Pitt was incredible - even speaking with a perfect Afroamerican accent. Another movie with the Obama syndrome - a white boy raised by a black step-mother. Lengthy, the main story is slow enough and would be perfectly sufficient without the frame of the diary-reading or the story-in-story tale of "what if" when the car accident is recounted.
Walked out. The movie can't decide if it's about the addiction or the family. The family is hardly interesting to watch, mine own is better. The funeral-style speeches at the wedding rehearsal are completely incongruous. A white girl marries a black guy - unlikely in reality, enforced in the movie - the Obama syndrome I guess.
THE CURIOUS CASE OF BENJAMIN BUTTON
Watchable. Brad Pitt and Taraji P. Henson (Queenie in the film) should get Oscars for acting and Greg Cannom for make-up. Brad Pitt was incredible - even speaking with a perfect Afroamerican accent. Another movie with the Obama syndrome - a white boy raised by a black step-mother. Lengthy, the main story is slow enough and would be perfectly sufficient without the frame of the diary-reading or the story-in-story tale of "what if" when the car accident is recounted.
Monday, 9 February 2009
THE WRESTLER
Watchable. It lacks the bite that "Pi" and "Requiem for a dream" had. The linear plot with unremarkable music don't do Aronofsky any favours. Still, better than "The Fountain", at least makes you care for the main character.
THE LADY VANISHES (1938)
Watchable. Overrated Hitchcock's suspense, far-fetched plot but mysterious and full of Englishness.
Watchable. It lacks the bite that "Pi" and "Requiem for a dream" had. The linear plot with unremarkable music don't do Aronofsky any favours. Still, better than "The Fountain", at least makes you care for the main character.
THE LADY VANISHES (1938)
Watchable. Overrated Hitchcock's suspense, far-fetched plot but mysterious and full of Englishness.
Friday, 6 February 2009
Thursday, 5 February 2009
Wednesday, 4 February 2009
NICK AND NORAH'S INFINITE PLAYLIST
Walked out. An infinite lack of credibility. No real-life teenager acts and talks this way or tries to be cool so badly.
UNDERWORLD: RISE OF THE LYCANS
Walked out. Far-fetched even by fantasy standards, lame CGI and everything is tinted blue.
THE BROKEN
Recommended. Intense, mysterious, kept me on the edge of my seat.
Walked out. An infinite lack of credibility. No real-life teenager acts and talks this way or tries to be cool so badly.
UNDERWORLD: RISE OF THE LYCANS
Walked out. Far-fetched even by fantasy standards, lame CGI and everything is tinted blue.
THE BROKEN
Recommended. Intense, mysterious, kept me on the edge of my seat.
Friday, 30 January 2009
Wednesday, 28 January 2009
DEFIANCE
Watchable. Uninspiring at first soon becomes quite compelling. Good Russian and two arguing intelectuals' jokes (e.g. "You annoy me therefore I exist").
VALKYRIE
Watchable. Plenty of tension, a fascinating based on facts story. Acting could be better though. And the film would be more realistic if it had some German feel to it. Acting and lines are terribly English.
Watchable. Uninspiring at first soon becomes quite compelling. Good Russian and two arguing intelectuals' jokes (e.g. "You annoy me therefore I exist").
VALKYRIE
Watchable. Plenty of tension, a fascinating based on facts story. Acting could be better though. And the film would be more realistic if it had some German feel to it. Acting and lines are terribly English.
Monday, 26 January 2009
MILK
Watchable. I don't like narration in movies. Films are supposed to show things and not show some not always comprehensible scenes and then explain what you've just seen. It makes me feel like at a lecture. Indeed, I saw "Milk" just for its historic value. Other than that it's too American, too 70s and too gay for a straight European brought up in the 80s.
BEVERLY HILLS CHIHUAHUA
Watchable. I don't like films that make me cry and how can you not cry when it's about a lost dog and a few strays. Still, it's full of furry sweethearts who eventually find homes. All is well that ends well.
Watchable. I don't like narration in movies. Films are supposed to show things and not show some not always comprehensible scenes and then explain what you've just seen. It makes me feel like at a lecture. Indeed, I saw "Milk" just for its historic value. Other than that it's too American, too 70s and too gay for a straight European brought up in the 80s.
BEVERLY HILLS CHIHUAHUA
Watchable. I don't like films that make me cry and how can you not cry when it's about a lost dog and a few strays. Still, it's full of furry sweethearts who eventually find homes. All is well that ends well.
Friday, 23 January 2009
Thursday, 22 January 2009
Bad luck with cinemas. I've just come back from a holiday. Before leaving I didn't manage to get into the cinema at Haymarket to see "Slumdog Millionaire" - the movie hadn't started yet and people would be leaving 2.5 hours later but the staff apparently weren't working after 9 pm. How much are they paid that the cinema can't afford keeping one person 15 minutes longer to let in 6 paying customers?
Last night, after return I attempted to see "The Wrestler" at Chelsea. Another bad luck - the cinema suffered a power cut that very night.
In the meantime oscar nominations have been announced. Most films are yet to be released in the UK but so far my hopes are:
for "The Reader" to win the Best Picture award,
for "In Bruges" to win Original Screenplay or, failing that,
at least for "Happy-Go-Lucky" not to win anything,
for "Man On Wire" (Documentary Feature) to fail as well,
for "Hellboy" not to win Makeup.
As Bollywood usually has good music, "Slumdog Millionaire" could win Original Song.
Last night, after return I attempted to see "The Wrestler" at Chelsea. Another bad luck - the cinema suffered a power cut that very night.
In the meantime oscar nominations have been announced. Most films are yet to be released in the UK but so far my hopes are:
for "The Reader" to win the Best Picture award,
for "In Bruges" to win Original Screenplay or, failing that,
at least for "Happy-Go-Lucky" not to win anything,
for "Man On Wire" (Documentary Feature) to fail as well,
for "Hellboy" not to win Makeup.
As Bollywood usually has good music, "Slumdog Millionaire" could win Original Song.
Thursday, 15 January 2009
Wednesday, 14 January 2009
TWILIGHT
Seen again. I still find it beautifully shot and acted. I might see it for the 3rd time;) Unfortunately I still don't understand why they can play basketball only in a thunderstorm. Can anyone enlighten me?
BRIDE WARS
Watchable. It's terribly cheesy and girlish but the warfare had good suspense.
Seen again. I still find it beautifully shot and acted. I might see it for the 3rd time;) Unfortunately I still don't understand why they can play basketball only in a thunderstorm. Can anyone enlighten me?
BRIDE WARS
Watchable. It's terribly cheesy and girlish but the warfare had good suspense.
Friday, 9 January 2009
Thursday, 8 January 2009
I went all the way down to Ilford last night (1.5 hours from my workplace) to see "Silambattam" after checking with the cinema a week earlier if this Tamil movie was shown with English subtitles. I was pretty upset to find out on arrival that, contrary to what I was told on the phone, it wasn't. So I had a movie-less night but at least that cinema stocked "The Narnia movie companion book" so I could finally use my voucher to get the freebie.
My wake-up coffee today got me pondering about free stuff and more precisely about free coffee and that inevitably led my thoughts to the cinema again. Here is how:
In one of my previous jobs I had a colleague with a brilliant sense of humour. We lived close to each other so we often took the same bus to work. Once, after an argument about the fastest walking route from the bus stop to work, we made a bet. He took the escalator up to the walkway and I took the street to the downstairs entrance. On arrival I found him in the staff room standing in a relaxed pose preparing coffee with a triumphant smile: "You see, it gives me plenty of time: coffee".
My second coffee memory is from my coffee shop job. I would take customers' orders and shout them out to our incredibly good and fast barrista. Once I misheard an order, then corrected it but by the time the wrong type of coffee had been ready. When the queue passed the barrista came up to me energetically with a cup: "Your coffee".
And all these memories inevitably reminded me of one of my favourite movie scenes. Remember "Men in black"? The sceptic recruit doesn't believe in aliens. Then the agent nonchalantly opens the door to the kitchen full of extraterrestials and asks: "Are you sure you don't want some coffee?"
Never misunderestimate (quoting "W.") the humble drink. Coffee is meaningful stuff.
My wake-up coffee today got me pondering about free stuff and more precisely about free coffee and that inevitably led my thoughts to the cinema again. Here is how:
In one of my previous jobs I had a colleague with a brilliant sense of humour. We lived close to each other so we often took the same bus to work. Once, after an argument about the fastest walking route from the bus stop to work, we made a bet. He took the escalator up to the walkway and I took the street to the downstairs entrance. On arrival I found him in the staff room standing in a relaxed pose preparing coffee with a triumphant smile: "You see, it gives me plenty of time: coffee".
My second coffee memory is from my coffee shop job. I would take customers' orders and shout them out to our incredibly good and fast barrista. Once I misheard an order, then corrected it but by the time the wrong type of coffee had been ready. When the queue passed the barrista came up to me energetically with a cup: "Your coffee".
And all these memories inevitably reminded me of one of my favourite movie scenes. Remember "Men in black"? The sceptic recruit doesn't believe in aliens. Then the agent nonchalantly opens the door to the kitchen full of extraterrestials and asks: "Are you sure you don't want some coffee?"
Never misunderestimate (quoting "W.") the humble drink. Coffee is meaningful stuff.
Wednesday, 7 January 2009
Tuesday, 6 January 2009
CHE: PART ONE
Watchable. It's chaotic and not perfectly comprehensible if you aren't very familiar with the Cuban revolution or Ernesto Guevara's life - whatever was he doing before the rebellion? Also, the film could do away with many scenes. It's just painfully long. I watched it through because of the historically interesting personality.
Watchable. It's chaotic and not perfectly comprehensible if you aren't very familiar with the Cuban revolution or Ernesto Guevara's life - whatever was he doing before the rebellion? Also, the film could do away with many scenes. It's just painfully long. I watched it through because of the historically interesting personality.
Monday, 5 January 2009
Sunday, 4 January 2009
TWILIGHT
Recommended. A sexy, dark, unusual, very sensual love story without a single love scene in it. Full of subtleties, suspense and mystery and with bits of humour here and there (my favourite is the scene when they first meet). Written and directed by women and based on a book by a female - a few guys walked out commenting it was crap, I loved the movie. A sequel is guaranteed - can't wait!
THE TALE OF DESPEREAUX
Walked out. Children's cartoons with a philosophical commentary and a depressing storyline, characters drawn to look ugly and it's all really, really slow.
THE SISTERHOOD OF TRAVELLING PANTS 2
Walked out. About superficial girls with stereotypical problems.
BEDTIME STORIES
Watchable. Guessing the outcome of the bedtime tales coming to life kept me watching but this movie tries very hard to be funny, yet it isn't. Adam Sandler as usual cast in the role of a lovable loser with no comedy skills.
READER
Recommended. Worthy of a few oscars. A gripping, powerful, moving, meaningful story, perfect acting.
AUSTRALIA
Watchable. This "southern" (an Australian equivalent of a western), with brilliant Hugh Jackman (the role as if written just for him) would be much better if it were faster-paced and shorter. Much faster and shorter. Recommended for watching on Fast Forward on DVD.
Recommended. A sexy, dark, unusual, very sensual love story without a single love scene in it. Full of subtleties, suspense and mystery and with bits of humour here and there (my favourite is the scene when they first meet). Written and directed by women and based on a book by a female - a few guys walked out commenting it was crap, I loved the movie. A sequel is guaranteed - can't wait!
THE TALE OF DESPEREAUX
Walked out. Children's cartoons with a philosophical commentary and a depressing storyline, characters drawn to look ugly and it's all really, really slow.
THE SISTERHOOD OF TRAVELLING PANTS 2
Walked out. About superficial girls with stereotypical problems.
BEDTIME STORIES
Watchable. Guessing the outcome of the bedtime tales coming to life kept me watching but this movie tries very hard to be funny, yet it isn't. Adam Sandler as usual cast in the role of a lovable loser with no comedy skills.
READER
Recommended. Worthy of a few oscars. A gripping, powerful, moving, meaningful story, perfect acting.
AUSTRALIA
Watchable. This "southern" (an Australian equivalent of a western), with brilliant Hugh Jackman (the role as if written just for him) would be much better if it were faster-paced and shorter. Much faster and shorter. Recommended for watching on Fast Forward on DVD.
Sunday, 21 December 2008
Friday, 19 December 2008
INKHEART
Walked out. All fantasy characters look like punks and behave like asbos - hardly a fairy-tale.
RAB NE BANA DI JODI
Watchable. The story is far-fetched and just too romantic but the music is good and I like movies about dancing - it's almost as if I were dancing myself.
WHITE CHRISTMAS
Watchable. Another far-fetched story but the dancing is superb.
A.R.O.G.
Watchable. I don't really get Monty Pythonesque humour but the post-modernist view of parallel history of mankind was captivating.
Walked out. All fantasy characters look like punks and behave like asbos - hardly a fairy-tale.
RAB NE BANA DI JODI
Watchable. The story is far-fetched and just too romantic but the music is good and I like movies about dancing - it's almost as if I were dancing myself.
WHITE CHRISTMAS
Watchable. Another far-fetched story but the dancing is superb.
A.R.O.G.
Watchable. I don't really get Monty Pythonesque humour but the post-modernist view of parallel history of mankind was captivating.
Monday, 15 December 2008
Friday, 12 December 2008
THE SECRET LIFE OF BEES
Watchable. If it weren't for the absurdly disturbing (first the disfunctional family, then the racist assault) beginning, it would be a magnificent film.
LAKEVIEW TERRACE
Watchable. An interesting storyline, shame many scenes, including the final one, are so naff.
TRANSPORTER 3
Watchable. Much more entertaining than the two previous parts. The fights and chases look great, some lines are really funny (e.g. the owner of a workshop where a few guys have been knocked out: "What am I to do when they wake up?" "It would be good to take the rest of the day off.") but don't expect any logic.
Watchable. If it weren't for the absurdly disturbing (first the disfunctional family, then the racist assault) beginning, it would be a magnificent film.
LAKEVIEW TERRACE
Watchable. An interesting storyline, shame many scenes, including the final one, are so naff.
TRANSPORTER 3
Watchable. Much more entertaining than the two previous parts. The fights and chases look great, some lines are really funny (e.g. the owner of a workshop where a few guys have been knocked out: "What am I to do when they wake up?" "It would be good to take the rest of the day off.") but don't expect any logic.
Tuesday, 9 December 2008
Monday, 8 December 2008
RIVALS (LES LIENS DU SANG)
Watchable. Very 70s-style and it takes half an hour to find out what the main plot actually was but then the film gets much better.
OSMANLI CUMHURIYETI (THE OTTOMAN EMPIRE)
Walked out. Not knowing the genre, I expected an epic historical movie. Instead, "The Ottoman Empire" turned out to be a comedy about an impoverished modern-day sultan of Turkey under American occupation. Sadly, it wasn't funny.
THE CHILDREN
Walked out. All this gore wasn't scary.
Watchable. Very 70s-style and it takes half an hour to find out what the main plot actually was but then the film gets much better.
OSMANLI CUMHURIYETI (THE OTTOMAN EMPIRE)
Walked out. Not knowing the genre, I expected an epic historical movie. Instead, "The Ottoman Empire" turned out to be a comedy about an impoverished modern-day sultan of Turkey under American occupation. Sadly, it wasn't funny.
THE CHILDREN
Walked out. All this gore wasn't scary.
Thursday, 4 December 2008
Tuesday, 2 December 2008
CHANGELING
Watchable. 142' long, the first half of which is really monotonous, it gets livelier later and then it gets really good. What kept me watching so long was mostly the motif of the woman fighting against sexist and corrupt authorities. Rang some bells.
MADAGASCAR 2: ESCAPE TO AFRICA
Watchable. Vivid, full of colour animation, good soundtrack, a heart-touching story about coming back home, only the subplot of building and re-building the plane was annoying.
WHAT JUST HAPPENED?
Walked out. A film director's dilemmas after making a flop movie weren't interesting even for me and I worked in the film business in the past myself.
OYE LUCKY, LUCKY OYE
Walked out. Average lives of mediocre people. My own is more interesting, thank you.
Watchable. 142' long, the first half of which is really monotonous, it gets livelier later and then it gets really good. What kept me watching so long was mostly the motif of the woman fighting against sexist and corrupt authorities. Rang some bells.
MADAGASCAR 2: ESCAPE TO AFRICA
Watchable. Vivid, full of colour animation, good soundtrack, a heart-touching story about coming back home, only the subplot of building and re-building the plane was annoying.
WHAT JUST HAPPENED?
Walked out. A film director's dilemmas after making a flop movie weren't interesting even for me and I worked in the film business in the past myself.
OYE LUCKY, LUCKY OYE
Walked out. Average lives of mediocre people. My own is more interesting, thank you.
Friday, 28 November 2008
Thursday, 27 November 2008
WALTZ WITH BASHIR
Watchable. Fantastic animation and soundtrack, an interesting storyline. Only frequent long pauses detract from its perfection.
MY BEST FRIEND'S GIRL
Watchable. It's silly and not particularly funny but never boring.
FOUR CHRISTMASES
Watchable. Another silly comedy that isn't funny in the tiniest bit but never bores.
Watchable. Fantastic animation and soundtrack, an interesting storyline. Only frequent long pauses detract from its perfection.
MY BEST FRIEND'S GIRL
Watchable. It's silly and not particularly funny but never boring.
FOUR CHRISTMASES
Watchable. Another silly comedy that isn't funny in the tiniest bit but never bores.
Monday, 24 November 2008
BODY OF LIES
Walked out. Tedious, chaotic, illogical and full of stereotypes.
QUARANTINE
Watchable. A naturalistic remake of also just-watchable Spanish [REC]. I stayed till the end just to compare both versions.
CHOKE
Watchable. All the protagonists are some sort of weirdoes but the main hero's sex addiction kept me interested.
Walked out. Tedious, chaotic, illogical and full of stereotypes.
QUARANTINE
Watchable. A naturalistic remake of also just-watchable Spanish [REC]. I stayed till the end just to compare both versions.
CHOKE
Watchable. All the protagonists are some sort of weirdoes but the main hero's sex addiction kept me interested.
Friday, 21 November 2008
MAX PAYNE
Watchable. Fascinating visually but the storyline is so ambiguous that instead of being mysterious it's just hard to comprehend.
DOSTANA
Watchable. Quite funny, with great beautiful cast but not absolutely hilarious and the music could be better.
ZACK AND MIRI MAKE A PORNO
Watchable. A mediocre comedy.
Watchable. Fascinating visually but the storyline is so ambiguous that instead of being mysterious it's just hard to comprehend.
DOSTANA
Watchable. Quite funny, with great beautiful cast but not absolutely hilarious and the music could be better.
ZACK AND MIRI MAKE A PORNO
Watchable. A mediocre comedy.
Tuesday, 18 November 2008
Thursday, 13 November 2008
Wednesday, 12 November 2008
QUANTUM OF SOLACE
Watchable. The first half an hour isn't very comprehensible (at least for someone who doesnt remember much of "Casino Royale") but the rest makes more sense and is quite entertaining, with the same wry humour used equally sparingly.
W.
Watchable. It's so monotonous that I would have walked out if it weren't for the subject matter. Some good Dubya jokes but you've heard them all before.
Watchable. The first half an hour isn't very comprehensible (at least for someone who doesnt remember much of "Casino Royale") but the rest makes more sense and is quite entertaining, with the same wry humour used equally sparingly.
W.
Watchable. It's so monotonous that I would have walked out if it weren't for the subject matter. Some good Dubya jokes but you've heard them all before.
Monday, 10 November 2008
PRIDE AND GLORY
Walked out. They play football, swear, carry dead colleagues out of a building, swear, interview a witness, swear... It would be more interesting to watch real life cops. In Britain at least they will have better manners.
SPACE CHIMPS
Walked out. Lousy animation and humour consisting of monkeys constantly bumping off objects. They also talk like: "Release your inner chimp." or "Life is a circus."
SAT SRI AKAL
Watchable. A moving story although full of Sikh propaganda. Music uneven.
EK VIVAAH
Walked out. The film tells about a group practising mediocre folk music so basically you hear the same song over and over again. There's also a romantically-correct love story thrown in.
EMI
Walked out. A socio-economic moralistic film about the danger of taking loans.
EASY VIRTUE
Watchable. The movie is so pretentious that it fails to be funny. But the clash of personalities is interesting.
Walked out. They play football, swear, carry dead colleagues out of a building, swear, interview a witness, swear... It would be more interesting to watch real life cops. In Britain at least they will have better manners.
SPACE CHIMPS
Walked out. Lousy animation and humour consisting of monkeys constantly bumping off objects. They also talk like: "Release your inner chimp." or "Life is a circus."
SAT SRI AKAL
Watchable. A moving story although full of Sikh propaganda. Music uneven.
EK VIVAAH
Walked out. The film tells about a group practising mediocre folk music so basically you hear the same song over and over again. There's also a romantically-correct love story thrown in.
EMI
Walked out. A socio-economic moralistic film about the danger of taking loans.
EASY VIRTUE
Watchable. The movie is so pretentious that it fails to be funny. But the clash of personalities is interesting.
Friday, 7 November 2008
MIDNIGHT MEAT TRAIN
Recommended. How this movie came on and off screens unnoticed I don't understand. After several films filled with senseless gore finally one on the par with "Hostel". Every take in this film is a visual and sound masterpiece. The suspense is hardly bearable. I was biting my lips all the time. Based on a short story by Clive Barker (of "Hellraiser" fame) and with, surprisingly, Brooke Shields, in one of the roles, it's a real treat. Dark, stylish, with some good twists of action and, above all, scenes of sheer brutality. A black guy in khaki clothes sitting in the far corner watched me in a creepy way when I was reading the credits (just giving you his description in case I go missing).
Recommended. How this movie came on and off screens unnoticed I don't understand. After several films filled with senseless gore finally one on the par with "Hostel". Every take in this film is a visual and sound masterpiece. The suspense is hardly bearable. I was biting my lips all the time. Based on a short story by Clive Barker (of "Hellraiser" fame) and with, surprisingly, Brooke Shields, in one of the roles, it's a real treat. Dark, stylish, with some good twists of action and, above all, scenes of sheer brutality. A black guy in khaki clothes sitting in the far corner watched me in a creepy way when I was reading the credits (just giving you his description in case I go missing).
Thursday, 6 November 2008
GOLMAAL RETURNS
Watchable. It's neither very clever nor very funny but it has some amusing bits in it, e.g. advice for an unfaithful husband: "Behind a successful man there's a woman. Behind an unsuccessful man there are two, three or more." Little music as for Bollywood and it's mostly hip-hop.
FASHION
Recommended. Priyanka Chopra dazzles as ever. I find her to be the most beautiful Bollywood actress and here she proves she can act too. The film follows all the way up and down of a supermodel and while it's full of glamour it never gets naff. Quite a moving story about achieving a dream.
Watchable. It's neither very clever nor very funny but it has some amusing bits in it, e.g. advice for an unfaithful husband: "Behind a successful man there's a woman. Behind an unsuccessful man there are two, three or more." Little music as for Bollywood and it's mostly hip-hop.
FASHION
Recommended. Priyanka Chopra dazzles as ever. I find her to be the most beautiful Bollywood actress and here she proves she can act too. The film follows all the way up and down of a supermodel and while it's full of glamour it never gets naff. Quite a moving story about achieving a dream.
Monday, 3 November 2008
HUNGER
Walked out. Faeces on the wall and prison guards' brutality don't make this film interesting, just disgusting.
SCAR 3D
Watchable. Don't expect blood splashing on you. It's not old 3D, it's Real D - it's like watching 3 dimensions from the real distance of your seat. The movie, marketed as the new "Saw" or "Hostel", is rather a rip-off of "Creep" or "Captivity". The new technology looked interesting, just a curiosity, nothing more.
THE FOX AND THE CHILD
Watchable. It would be a lovely film about nature if it weren't for the annoying narration. While the child in the movie is bearable, it's branded as "a movie for juniors" which results in plenty of smelly kids in the audience.
Can't the parents of small children smell them when they pee on their laps when I can from several meters away!?
Walked out. Faeces on the wall and prison guards' brutality don't make this film interesting, just disgusting.
SCAR 3D
Watchable. Don't expect blood splashing on you. It's not old 3D, it's Real D - it's like watching 3 dimensions from the real distance of your seat. The movie, marketed as the new "Saw" or "Hostel", is rather a rip-off of "Creep" or "Captivity". The new technology looked interesting, just a curiosity, nothing more.
THE FOX AND THE CHILD
Watchable. It would be a lovely film about nature if it weren't for the annoying narration. While the child in the movie is bearable, it's branded as "a movie for juniors" which results in plenty of smelly kids in the audience.
Can't the parents of small children smell them when they pee on their laps when I can from several meters away!?
Thursday, 30 October 2008
General release movies in October:
APPALOOSA
Watchable. The movie is quite dull, enlivened only by sparkling Renee Zellwegger.
THE BOY IN THE STRIPED PYJAMAS
Recommended. An interesting story with a powerful message. Just watch how it developes!
BRIDESHEAD REVISITED
Recommended. I loved the englishness of the serial several years ago but after several episodes I got a bit weary of it. The movie perfectly condensed the story, retained its superb English-feel and is really witty. I saw it twice.
BURN AFTER READING
Watchable. A quirky story on the verge of being funny.
THE CHASER
Watchable. An interesting Korean take on "Silence of the lambs" genre. Plenty of cultural oddities make it stand out but some elements of the plot aren't easily comprehensible.
CITY OF EMBER
Walked out. Filmed in juut one colour pallette, visually resembling French "La Cite des Enfants Perdus", wash-off of Kevin Costner's "The Postman". Not that "The Postman" was any interesting.
DEATH RACE
Watchable. Fast swift action. Nothing new but easily watchable.
DRONA
Walked out. This movie had a huge advertising campaign while normally Bollywood screenings sell out without much promotion which made me cautious. When I went to see it, I immediately understood why: they tried to make it into an English-style musical with fantastic creatures in it and ended up with total kitsch.
EAGLE EYE
Watchable. An intriguing story of a surveillance society, very contemporary but it could do with fewer or shorter chases.
THE FALL
Walked out. Several dull nonsense stories told by a character in the main story.
FLY ME TO THE MOON 3-D
Watchable. The movie could be livelier but it's still cute and the animation enchanting yet feeling cosy.
GHOST TOWN
Watchable. Quite funny.
GOMORRAH
Walked out. Just another mafia movie. Quite dull, with numerous scenes with no relevance to the action.
HELLO
Watchable. An ordinary story about call centre workers with a blatant Indian propaganda ending but the characters are likeable.
THE HOUSE BUNNY
Watchable. The silly protagonist is quite endearing but it could be funnier. "Legally Blonde" it ain't.
HEROES
Walked out. Too much blatant propaganda. Music could be better too.
HIGH SCHOOL MUSICAL 3
Walked out. All the characters are just annoyingly silly and superficial. The musical could do with better music too.
HOW TO LOSE FRIENDS AND ALIENATE PEOPLE
Watchable. Swift, fast action but this comedy could be funnier.
IGOR
Walked out. "Nightmare Before Christmas" - style animation and the story about machines. As interesting as working at a factory production line.
INCENDIARY
Watchable. Little short of greatness. Great acting, powerful story and the survival propaganda isn't straight in your face. Takes a while to get started though.
I'VE LOVED YOU SO LONG (IL Y A LONGTEMPS QUE JE T'AIME)
Recommended. It should get an oscar in the Foreign Film category. It's deliberately slow. Starts good and then only gets better.
KARZ
Watchable. An intriguing story about reincarnation, deceit and revenge. A bit stereotypical Bollywood with just-good music but rewarding with swift action.
KIDNAP
Recommended. A gooD story with good twists of action.
MIRRORS
Walked out. As repetitive as horrors get.
THE MUTANT CHRONICLES
Walked out. Continuous warfare with vampire-like creatures in it, visually dark and blue for some reason.
NIGHTS IN RODANTHE
Walked out. A dull affair of boring middle-aged people.
REDBELT
Walked out. A movie about running a school rather than about karate.
RIGHTEOUS KILL
Watchable. Another movie about killing criminals who escaped justice but not entirely stupid.
ROADSIDE ROMEO
Walked out. A Bollywood movie about metrosexual goons who take pride in their appearance. Someone falls in love like, as usual. And all of it enacted by cartoon characters of dogs.
THE ROCKER
Watchable. A movie about how you achieve success in show business nowadays. Some bits are more disgusting than amusing but the action is fast and the music rocks.
SAW V
Walked out. Will they finally stop flogging the dead horse!? In part one the killer is a genius. Now he turns out to have so many accomplices and copycats that I just couldn't work out the plot.
SUPER AGENT K9
Walked out. This comedy isn't funny at all, it's just plain stupid. Luckily it's Turkish so not many people are tempted to see it anyway.
SWING VOTE
Watchable. Kevin Costner seems to stick to propaganda movies. This one is surprisingly good, unfortunately stereotypical anyway.
TAKEN
Watchable. Quite a clever movie about a father rescuing a kidnapped daughter. Not very stereotypical.
THEN SHE FOUND ME
Walked out. Too much daily life and the affair of ugly middle-aged people didn't keep me hooked.
TROPIC THUNDER
Walked out. An overtalked comedy that could be funnier.
THE WAVE
Watchable. An interesting story that tries to be thought-provoking but is not.
Having seen everything, I had to take a break from cinema waiting for new releases. Tomorrow I'm back at the cinema. Yabbadabbadoo!
APPALOOSA
Watchable. The movie is quite dull, enlivened only by sparkling Renee Zellwegger.
THE BOY IN THE STRIPED PYJAMAS
Recommended. An interesting story with a powerful message. Just watch how it developes!
BRIDESHEAD REVISITED
Recommended. I loved the englishness of the serial several years ago but after several episodes I got a bit weary of it. The movie perfectly condensed the story, retained its superb English-feel and is really witty. I saw it twice.
BURN AFTER READING
Watchable. A quirky story on the verge of being funny.
THE CHASER
Watchable. An interesting Korean take on "Silence of the lambs" genre. Plenty of cultural oddities make it stand out but some elements of the plot aren't easily comprehensible.
CITY OF EMBER
Walked out. Filmed in juut one colour pallette, visually resembling French "La Cite des Enfants Perdus", wash-off of Kevin Costner's "The Postman". Not that "The Postman" was any interesting.
DEATH RACE
Watchable. Fast swift action. Nothing new but easily watchable.
DRONA
Walked out. This movie had a huge advertising campaign while normally Bollywood screenings sell out without much promotion which made me cautious. When I went to see it, I immediately understood why: they tried to make it into an English-style musical with fantastic creatures in it and ended up with total kitsch.
EAGLE EYE
Watchable. An intriguing story of a surveillance society, very contemporary but it could do with fewer or shorter chases.
THE FALL
Walked out. Several dull nonsense stories told by a character in the main story.
FLY ME TO THE MOON 3-D
Watchable. The movie could be livelier but it's still cute and the animation enchanting yet feeling cosy.
GHOST TOWN
Watchable. Quite funny.
GOMORRAH
Walked out. Just another mafia movie. Quite dull, with numerous scenes with no relevance to the action.
HELLO
Watchable. An ordinary story about call centre workers with a blatant Indian propaganda ending but the characters are likeable.
THE HOUSE BUNNY
Watchable. The silly protagonist is quite endearing but it could be funnier. "Legally Blonde" it ain't.
HEROES
Walked out. Too much blatant propaganda. Music could be better too.
HIGH SCHOOL MUSICAL 3
Walked out. All the characters are just annoyingly silly and superficial. The musical could do with better music too.
HOW TO LOSE FRIENDS AND ALIENATE PEOPLE
Watchable. Swift, fast action but this comedy could be funnier.
IGOR
Walked out. "Nightmare Before Christmas" - style animation and the story about machines. As interesting as working at a factory production line.
INCENDIARY
Watchable. Little short of greatness. Great acting, powerful story and the survival propaganda isn't straight in your face. Takes a while to get started though.
I'VE LOVED YOU SO LONG (IL Y A LONGTEMPS QUE JE T'AIME)
Recommended. It should get an oscar in the Foreign Film category. It's deliberately slow. Starts good and then only gets better.
KARZ
Watchable. An intriguing story about reincarnation, deceit and revenge. A bit stereotypical Bollywood with just-good music but rewarding with swift action.
KIDNAP
Recommended. A gooD story with good twists of action.
MIRRORS
Walked out. As repetitive as horrors get.
THE MUTANT CHRONICLES
Walked out. Continuous warfare with vampire-like creatures in it, visually dark and blue for some reason.
NIGHTS IN RODANTHE
Walked out. A dull affair of boring middle-aged people.
REDBELT
Walked out. A movie about running a school rather than about karate.
RIGHTEOUS KILL
Watchable. Another movie about killing criminals who escaped justice but not entirely stupid.
ROADSIDE ROMEO
Walked out. A Bollywood movie about metrosexual goons who take pride in their appearance. Someone falls in love like, as usual. And all of it enacted by cartoon characters of dogs.
THE ROCKER
Watchable. A movie about how you achieve success in show business nowadays. Some bits are more disgusting than amusing but the action is fast and the music rocks.
SAW V
Walked out. Will they finally stop flogging the dead horse!? In part one the killer is a genius. Now he turns out to have so many accomplices and copycats that I just couldn't work out the plot.
SUPER AGENT K9
Walked out. This comedy isn't funny at all, it's just plain stupid. Luckily it's Turkish so not many people are tempted to see it anyway.
SWING VOTE
Watchable. Kevin Costner seems to stick to propaganda movies. This one is surprisingly good, unfortunately stereotypical anyway.
TAKEN
Watchable. Quite a clever movie about a father rescuing a kidnapped daughter. Not very stereotypical.
THEN SHE FOUND ME
Walked out. Too much daily life and the affair of ugly middle-aged people didn't keep me hooked.
TROPIC THUNDER
Walked out. An overtalked comedy that could be funnier.
THE WAVE
Watchable. An interesting story that tries to be thought-provoking but is not.
Having seen everything, I had to take a break from cinema waiting for new releases. Tomorrow I'm back at the cinema. Yabbadabbadoo!
and the remaining festival reviews:
HABER
Watchable. The way the movie was filmed seems a bit too theatrical and too little cinematic but the story is interesting and the final message stays in memory.
LITTLE ASHES
Watchable. The movie is a bit too nostalgic and sentimental. The makers seem to have believed the lives of celebrities would sell themselves per se. Still, it tells a story of a little known aspect of Dali's and Lorca's lives.
NO THROUGH ROAD
Watchable. A thriller with good suspense but with too much standard movie violence at the end.
ONE DAY REMOVALS
Watchable. This movie also looks a bit too theatrical rather than cinematic and has some lengthy bits between the absolutely hilarious gags and some good lines. As a comedy great, just looks a bit amateurish - that's the only problem. Still, I'm really happy to have got the DVD after the screening.
THE RIND (LA CASCARA)
Watchable. The story is quite weird and about nothing in fact but the mystery keeps you watching.
RUNNING WITH MUM
Watchable. Too many silly interviews in this doc but you hear unknown facts about the war and when you focus on the info you can easily imagine the events as if you were there.
SENSELESS
Watchable. The story about a captured and tortured man keeps you in suspense throughout and has one good twist but again, feels like another "Hostel" wash-off.
TURTLES ARE SURPRISINGLY FAST SWIMMERS
Watchable. This comedy is constantly on the verge of being funny.
WHO IS K K DOWNEY?
Walked out. The movie is about total weirdos. It was really hard to identify myself with any of the characters.
HABER
Watchable. The way the movie was filmed seems a bit too theatrical and too little cinematic but the story is interesting and the final message stays in memory.
LITTLE ASHES
Watchable. The movie is a bit too nostalgic and sentimental. The makers seem to have believed the lives of celebrities would sell themselves per se. Still, it tells a story of a little known aspect of Dali's and Lorca's lives.
NO THROUGH ROAD
Watchable. A thriller with good suspense but with too much standard movie violence at the end.
ONE DAY REMOVALS
Watchable. This movie also looks a bit too theatrical rather than cinematic and has some lengthy bits between the absolutely hilarious gags and some good lines. As a comedy great, just looks a bit amateurish - that's the only problem. Still, I'm really happy to have got the DVD after the screening.
THE RIND (LA CASCARA)
Watchable. The story is quite weird and about nothing in fact but the mystery keeps you watching.
RUNNING WITH MUM
Watchable. Too many silly interviews in this doc but you hear unknown facts about the war and when you focus on the info you can easily imagine the events as if you were there.
SENSELESS
Watchable. The story about a captured and tortured man keeps you in suspense throughout and has one good twist but again, feels like another "Hostel" wash-off.
TURTLES ARE SURPRISINGLY FAST SWIMMERS
Watchable. This comedy is constantly on the verge of being funny.
WHO IS K K DOWNEY?
Walked out. The movie is about total weirdos. It was really hard to identify myself with any of the characters.
Tuesday, 28 October 2008
RAINDANCE FILM FESTIVAL 2008 full-length films continued:
GARDENS OF THE NIGHT
Watchable. A well-researched realistic feature film showing how sex trafficking children works. They just show the psychologic techniques used by the pimps which is very enlightening. Still, the film doesn't feel powerful.
GUNNIN' FOR THAT NO. 1 SPOT
Watchable. It's not very interesting if you aren't a basketball fan but is the players' life stories are shown in a warm, cosy way.
GARDENS OF THE NIGHT
Watchable. A well-researched realistic feature film showing how sex trafficking children works. They just show the psychologic techniques used by the pimps which is very enlightening. Still, the film doesn't feel powerful.
GUNNIN' FOR THAT NO. 1 SPOT
Watchable. It's not very interesting if you aren't a basketball fan but is the players' life stories are shown in a warm, cosy way.
Wednesday, 22 October 2008
RAINDANCE FILM FESTIVAL 2008
This year's festival films were much better than last year. In 2007 I walked out or hardly tolerated most. This year the majority of movies were really good. The annoying element this year was the organisation: plenty of screenings were seriously delayed, sometimes more than one hour and many popular movies sold out simply due to the fact they were shown in a small screen, while the big one wasn't very crowded.
Events:
ANATOMY OF A REEL
Mark Tonderei talked about filming "Hush" - a British thriller which has sold to 25 territories already and which will be released here in the UK in March 2009. Hopefully the presentation was comprehensible to other movie makers. To me it wasn't.
DISSECTING DISTRIBUTION
Stacey Parks provided a thorough, insightful, honest, producer-oriented breakdown on how marketing, distribution and sales of film rights work. It covered all the media and most important markets. The presentation was very audience-friendly.
Short films:
THE BENT PENNY
A well-made 16-minute triple story about our attitude to a penny: its value & superstition. A lot of meaning skillfully squeezed into a short - a little pearl. Still, overacting detracts from its quality.
DIRECTIONS
15 minutes about what you can possibly do with a shopping trolley. I don't know why anyone would find the topic interesting but Greg Muller's acting make it perfectly watchable.
HOURGLASS
An 8-minute mystery story about time and fate. Amazing scenography. Perfectly watchable.
KARAOKE
A 16-minute story about looking for a job, human interactions and purpose in life. The story isn't very inspiring but Renate Serwotke's well-tuned acting makes it perfectly watchable.
LITTLE WHISPERS
A 10-minute fairy-tale about passing away. Another well-made short.
L'ENFANT PERDUE (THE LOST CHILD)
Very anxious-looking director Josephine Mackerras made an 18-minute overlong story about coping with loss and forgiveness full of hysterical overacting and emotional turmoil. Scenography hardly existent. I didn't walk out just because it felt awkward not to stay till the end of a shortie.
THE MILKY AUDITION
An 8-minute Japanese film which probably made sense only to Japanese audience. Lots of nudity, not that the fattish girls were any pretty.
Full length films:
CETVRTI COVEK (THE 4TH MAN)
Watchable. An interesting Serbian spy movie. Seems more realistic than Bond or Bourne - the spies aren't good-looking. Has a cosy East-European feel (a butcher offers to pack someone sausages for the way as a hospitality gesture).
9TO5 - DAYS IN PORN
Watchable. A well-made documentary about porn industry. Presenter's: "no one has it, no one buys it, no one watches it but they make more money than the movie industry" sums it up well. Who is pervert: those who fuck 8 hours a day making $ 1000-2000 daily or those who fuel the demand for such jobs at all?
ACOLYTES
Watchable. An Australian thriller that promises more than it delivers.
THE BIRTHDAY
Walked out. The movie aspires to mimick Lynch but results in heaps of rubbish. The lead actor (Corey Feldman) has an annoying asthmatic voice.
THE BLUE TOWER
Walked out. A British movie about the Indian community aspiring to become second "Brick Lane" - not that that film was much better.
THE END
Watchable. A documentary about London's East End gangsters. Interesting to see how the area evolved over the years and became less and less English and more and more Bangladeshi/Indian/Pakistani. Other than that the story about the director's father and his accomplices is too personal for outsiders.
FINE, TOTALLY FINE
Recommended. A Japanese comedy about a very accident-prone girl and other misfits. Rarely do you laugh so much at the cinema.
FUGITIVE PIECES
Watchable. A poetic Canadian reflection on emigration, national identity and relationships. Very thought-provoking, to the point where, somehow parallel to the movie, it led me to reflect on one considerable difference between life in my native Poland and my adopted Britain:
In Poland we normally cook and often grow our own food while in Britain hardly anyone bothers even cooking. The British must feel really secure on their island. The second world war didn't affect them much, they don't have existential concerns, they are oriented at their own comfort and convenience. In Poland growing fruit and veg on your own allotment is kind of a national obsession. I think it's subconsious. This is how you survive the war. This is how my parents came into being. My father's first five years of life were during the war, in a small village. Soldiers didn't bother them much. They would come round and ask for milk or eggs which the villagers would give freely to Poles and to Germans all the same. Only Ukrainians were seen as menace - you had to run and hide in the woods. When my grandma got pregnant with my mum she left Warsaw. It was safer to carry the baby and give birth in the country. Also, when you grow your own food, you are independent of the market and you don't get affected by famine in case of war or a crisis. Growing and cooking your own food as well as reparing stuff is a matter of staying physically and mentally fit in times of peace and a matter of survival during a war.
It also led me to a generalisation on cultural differences in the mostly-white parts of the world - in America people look to the future (oriented at achieving success), in Western Europe people live at present (oriented at having fun right now) while in Eastern Europe people constantly refer to the past (burden of history).
More festival and general release movies later this week.
This year's festival films were much better than last year. In 2007 I walked out or hardly tolerated most. This year the majority of movies were really good. The annoying element this year was the organisation: plenty of screenings were seriously delayed, sometimes more than one hour and many popular movies sold out simply due to the fact they were shown in a small screen, while the big one wasn't very crowded.
Events:
ANATOMY OF A REEL
Mark Tonderei talked about filming "Hush" - a British thriller which has sold to 25 territories already and which will be released here in the UK in March 2009. Hopefully the presentation was comprehensible to other movie makers. To me it wasn't.
DISSECTING DISTRIBUTION
Stacey Parks provided a thorough, insightful, honest, producer-oriented breakdown on how marketing, distribution and sales of film rights work. It covered all the media and most important markets. The presentation was very audience-friendly.
Short films:
THE BENT PENNY
A well-made 16-minute triple story about our attitude to a penny: its value & superstition. A lot of meaning skillfully squeezed into a short - a little pearl. Still, overacting detracts from its quality.
DIRECTIONS
15 minutes about what you can possibly do with a shopping trolley. I don't know why anyone would find the topic interesting but Greg Muller's acting make it perfectly watchable.
HOURGLASS
An 8-minute mystery story about time and fate. Amazing scenography. Perfectly watchable.
KARAOKE
A 16-minute story about looking for a job, human interactions and purpose in life. The story isn't very inspiring but Renate Serwotke's well-tuned acting makes it perfectly watchable.
LITTLE WHISPERS
A 10-minute fairy-tale about passing away. Another well-made short.
L'ENFANT PERDUE (THE LOST CHILD)
Very anxious-looking director Josephine Mackerras made an 18-minute overlong story about coping with loss and forgiveness full of hysterical overacting and emotional turmoil. Scenography hardly existent. I didn't walk out just because it felt awkward not to stay till the end of a shortie.
THE MILKY AUDITION
An 8-minute Japanese film which probably made sense only to Japanese audience. Lots of nudity, not that the fattish girls were any pretty.
Full length films:
CETVRTI COVEK (THE 4TH MAN)
Watchable. An interesting Serbian spy movie. Seems more realistic than Bond or Bourne - the spies aren't good-looking. Has a cosy East-European feel (a butcher offers to pack someone sausages for the way as a hospitality gesture).
9TO5 - DAYS IN PORN
Watchable. A well-made documentary about porn industry. Presenter's: "no one has it, no one buys it, no one watches it but they make more money than the movie industry" sums it up well. Who is pervert: those who fuck 8 hours a day making $ 1000-2000 daily or those who fuel the demand for such jobs at all?
ACOLYTES
Watchable. An Australian thriller that promises more than it delivers.
THE BIRTHDAY
Walked out. The movie aspires to mimick Lynch but results in heaps of rubbish. The lead actor (Corey Feldman) has an annoying asthmatic voice.
THE BLUE TOWER
Walked out. A British movie about the Indian community aspiring to become second "Brick Lane" - not that that film was much better.
THE END
Watchable. A documentary about London's East End gangsters. Interesting to see how the area evolved over the years and became less and less English and more and more Bangladeshi/Indian/Pakistani. Other than that the story about the director's father and his accomplices is too personal for outsiders.
FINE, TOTALLY FINE
Recommended. A Japanese comedy about a very accident-prone girl and other misfits. Rarely do you laugh so much at the cinema.
FUGITIVE PIECES
Watchable. A poetic Canadian reflection on emigration, national identity and relationships. Very thought-provoking, to the point where, somehow parallel to the movie, it led me to reflect on one considerable difference between life in my native Poland and my adopted Britain:
In Poland we normally cook and often grow our own food while in Britain hardly anyone bothers even cooking. The British must feel really secure on their island. The second world war didn't affect them much, they don't have existential concerns, they are oriented at their own comfort and convenience. In Poland growing fruit and veg on your own allotment is kind of a national obsession. I think it's subconsious. This is how you survive the war. This is how my parents came into being. My father's first five years of life were during the war, in a small village. Soldiers didn't bother them much. They would come round and ask for milk or eggs which the villagers would give freely to Poles and to Germans all the same. Only Ukrainians were seen as menace - you had to run and hide in the woods. When my grandma got pregnant with my mum she left Warsaw. It was safer to carry the baby and give birth in the country. Also, when you grow your own food, you are independent of the market and you don't get affected by famine in case of war or a crisis. Growing and cooking your own food as well as reparing stuff is a matter of staying physically and mentally fit in times of peace and a matter of survival during a war.
It also led me to a generalisation on cultural differences in the mostly-white parts of the world - in America people look to the future (oriented at achieving success), in Western Europe people live at present (oriented at having fun right now) while in Eastern Europe people constantly refer to the past (burden of history).
More festival and general release movies later this week.
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