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Phil Mercer |
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Thursday, February 19, 2009Vicky Cristina Barcelona (Cert 12a)
 Woody Allens latest film takes him to Spain in his fourth overseas production in a row (he has done a few here in the UK!). Once again he is working with Scarlett Johansson plus Rebecca Hall, Javier Bardem and Penelope Cruz. Vicky (Rebecca Hall) and Cristina (Johansson) are staying in Barcelona for the summer. Vicky, a straight laced practical person engaged to the reliable yet dull Doug, is studying a masters in Catalan. She has brought along Cristina, recently heart broken, so that she can find a new direction in her life. They are staying with friends Judy and Mark, who invite them out to an art exhibition launch. The brooding and sexy Jaun Antonio Gonzalo soons captures the eye of Cristina, but is quickly warned off by Judy. Aparently his last relationship with the beautiful Maria Elena (Penelope Cruz) came to a fiery end when one tried to stab the other! Later that evening, Jaun Antonio finally introduces himself to Vicky and Cristina by making a bold proposition. They should fly with him to see the city of Oviedo. They should go in an hour, and when they get there they will all make love. A rather stunned Vicky is quick to put him down but following her need for passion Cristina takes him up on the offer. It doesn't take long and they are both off on a little aeroplane. Upon there return to Barcelona and on Dougs attempt at sponteniaity (turning up so that he and Vicky can get married!) Cristina and Juan Antonio finally start to fall in love... only to have his crazy ex wife turn up. But will Juan Antonio pick one over the other and what of his night of passion with Vicky? Wood Allen has once again proven that he is the king of improvised dialogue with some fantastic characters that help some up passion and neurotisism. We see the over shrinked and analysed americans struggling to deal with the messy raw emotion of the Spanish. Javier Bardem is just smoldering with sexuality and Penelope Cruz is terrifying to a shy person like me! Great fun. 8/10 http://vickycristina-movie.com/ Labels: Film Movie, oscar 2009 Thursday, February 05, 2009The curious case of Benjamin Button (cert 12a)
( 0 ) commentsDoubt (Cert 15)
 Shanley takes this critically acclaimed off-broadway production on to cellulite with an all star oscar nominated cast. Philip Seymour Hoffman is Father Flynn Catholic Priest in the Bronx. It is 1964 and times are changing. His school has just taken on its first black student Donald Miller and father Flynn is trying to change the very strict life that the principle Sister Aloysius Beauvier (Meryl Streep) has created and enforced through fear and discipline. Father Flynn introduces us to theme of Doubt early on. A sermon suggests that even as troubling as it is, it can also be unifying. However it seems that doubt is riddled throughout the staff of St Nicholas and soon Sister James (Amy Adams) is consulting her boss on a concern that Father Flynn has been paying the young Donald Miller a bit to much attention. Sister Aloysius begins a crusade, without a shred of evidence, so find out the truth behind Father Flynn and have him removed from the school. Meryl Streep deserves her Oscar nomination for Best Actress as she shows her incredible ability to take on a roll. Sister Aloysius is a light year away from the bubbly character we witnessed in Mama Mia. She terrorises her way around the school, although not without a few witty lines and hilarious 'hard stares!' For me personally, Seymour Hoffman is also excellent as the challenged Father Flynn. If there is one thing you are guaranteed to feel as you leave the cinema, its an overwhelming feeling of Doubt. Excellent. 5/5 Directed by John Patrick Shanley Produced by Scott Rudin Written by John Patrick Shanley Starring Meryl Streep, Philip Seymour Hoffman, Amy Adams, Viola Davis Music by Howard Shore, Distributed by Miramax Films http://www.doubt-themovie.com/ Labels: Film Movie, oscar 2009 Friday, January 16, 2009Frost / Nixon (Cert 15)
 Written by Peter Morgan Starring Frank Langella, Michael Sheen, Kevin Bacon, Oliver Platt, Sam Rockwell, Matthew Macfadyen, Toby Jones, Andy Milder, Rebecca Hall Music by Hans Zimmer Sir David Frost is such an institution that you can forget that his career had to begin somewhere and at some point he was a naive and eager pup broadcaster. In fact this film picks him up when he has already had the success in the UK of The Frost Report and various other entertainment shows as well as a chat show in Oz and an abortive series in the states. For Nixon, this is the moment of his downfall and the addition of the word Watergate to the language of politics and journalism. We see him after resigning and as is helicoptered away from the white house to a kind of exile in California. He does not take his forced retirement well and is looking for ways of setting the record straight and getting back in to the game of politics. Strangely the major US networks aren't that interested in hearing his message, but its at about this time that David Frost has a mad idea. He would interview Nixon. With help from his friend and producer John Birt (Matthew MacFadyen) - who will end up as a DG for the BBC! - he begins a slow waltz with the Agent for Nixon and after cash has changed hands (a small sum of $200,000) the process begins. Nixon, the old political war horse prepares himself for what he thinks is going to be a walk over. Frost, trying to hold down the finances of this multimillion pound project as well as live up to the expectations of a nation wanting to see Nixon brought to his knees. The result of this incredible punt is well known and will forever be Frosts greatest acheivement. Martin Sheen as David Frost manages to get across his manorisms and distinctive voice and Frank Langella as Nixon pulls off a real likeness, you can see why both were chosen for the roles (Right from the original stage play). We never see any real footage from the programmes and the style is like a documentary put together in the early eightees. There is a lighter side, with some of the dialogue really sparkling. As to its accuracy. I guess its in the same league as The Queen not least as its written by the same person. Will we really know what was said, probably not, but they certainly make what is in effect a story of making an interview, compelling watching. 9/10 Martin Sheen once again proving he is great at the biographical roles. Labels: Film Movie, oscar 2009 Thursday, January 15, 2009Milk (Cert 15)
 This is the story of Harvey Milk, a gay rights campaigner based in San Francisco and the first openly gay man to be voted in to political office in California, USA. I have to point out, once again, my ignorance of a person who has been influential in how the world is today. As a gay man I really should know more about those who fought the system over the years and lost in some cases, and won in others. That said, this film does a great job in filling in my blanks. Milk is one of the winners who paid the ultimate price. We follow him as he records his memoirs with a certain knowledge that all isn't going to end well. In fact we are very quickly informed that he is to be assisinated together with the Mayor of San Fransisco on the 27th November 1978. Very quickly we flash back to 1970 and Milk (Sean Penn) meeting his partner Scott Smith (James Franco) and deciding that he needed something to change in his life, they up sticks to San Fransico to set up a Camera shop. Castro Camera was based in the heart of an area called Eureka Valley, a place soon to become legendary in gay society and lovingly known as The Castro. However when Milk moved in, all was not well. This is an Irish Catholic working class neighbourhood and the locals don't take kindly to having these homosexuals finding a home there. We follow Milk as he decides to do something about the gay bashing and bigotry by using his business skills and fast developing political skills to protest and fight back.As with all people who become so dedicated to a passion, it affects his personal and family life, but as history shows, for Milk there is eventually a success but inevitably also his death, which bizarelly seems to be over petty personal issues rather than any particular homophobia. This is a very powerful docu-drama with a great cast and slick use of original news footage. It does worry me that Milk seems to be the perfect saint throughout, with little to fault him aside from his inability to see how his political career is affecting the people he loves most. We knew whats coming all the way through but the Story is compelling and for me personally a very touching insight into an important part of gay history. It's a real shame that the lessons of history don't seem up have been learnt for the Americans. Just as the film was released in the states, a vote on proposition 8 was being carried out (at the same time as the presidential elections). This would have confirmed that gay marriage was possible in California. It was passed and as a result, only marriage between a mixed sex couple is allowed. Two steps forward (v0ting in a black president) and one step back (gay rights still have a way to go!). The film has been nominated for 8 Oscars, the question is, can it beat the likes of Brad Pitts blockbuster Bejamin Button or the ever popular Slumdog Millionaire. I hope so. Directed by Gus Van Sant Written by Dustin Lance Black Starring: Sean Penn, Emile Hirsch, Josh Brolin, Diego Luna, James Franco, Lucas Grabeel 9/10 Official website: http://www.filminfocus.com/focusfeatures/film/milk/ Wikipedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Milk_(film) Labels: Film Movie, oscar 2009 Saturday, January 10, 2009Slumdog Millionaire (Cert 15)
 Director(s): Danny Boyle Cast: Mia Drake, Imran Hasnee, Faezeh Jalali, Anil Kapoor, Dev Patel, Freida Pinto This is really Oscar winning stuff. Just look at the number of awards it has already won!!! Danny Boyle is back with another reinvention of himself. We have seen his shocking take on the world of drug infested Scotland in Trainspotting, a fantastic version of a horror movie with 28 Days Later and one of the best British Sci-Fi' Sunshine. However, none of these really match up to the wonderful and award winning Slumdog Millionaire. Jamal (Dev Patel) is our Slumdog. A young man who was born to the squalid slums of Bombay (as it was known). Somehow he has made it on to the hugely successful “Who wants to be a Millionaire?” and is just one question away from winning a stonking 20,000,000 rand. But the producer and police can't believe he could possibly have made it that far without cheating, so we watch as they torture him in to confessing to how he was doing it. By way of explanation Jamal takes them through the programme question by question retelling his life story and how it lead him to an answer for each one. The story is harrowing, from grovelling for his next meal, to bullying from his older brother, race attacks between Hindu's and Muslims, Grooming for begging on the streets, to finding his loved one. Jamal is always on the run and yet seems to develop an amazing sense of humanity and compassion as he goes. Danny Boyle has managed to give us an insight in to what life in the slums of Mumbai is like. It's not a pretty sight yet at the same time the film is full of vibrancy and colour. Boyle never shies away from pulling punches, and when we need to be shown something horrible, we don't need much imagination. With the help of a wonderful soundtrack and what seems a really well mixed production team at no point did it feel like this was very much a westerners take on Indian society. It is true that India does not come out of it well... but the most important character will always have a place in your heart. 10/10 Definitely worth all those awards it keeps winning. Other sites: Official site: http://www.slumdogmillionairemovie.co.uk/ Wikipedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Slumdog_Millionaire Labels: Film Movie, oscar 2009 Thursday, July 24, 2008The Dark Knight (Cert 12a)
 We've been waiting for this one for a little while. Yes it is another super hero movie. But it is Batman and does have a great pedigree, so there is no need to get bored with them just yet. Christopher Nolan is back in the directors chair after a successful reinvention of the Batman franchise last time out. Also back are the main cast, Christian Bale as the broody one, Michael Caine as Alfred his butler. The police officer, Lieutenant Gordon ( Gary Oldman) and his old friend Lucius Fox ( Morgan Freeman) are also back. Bare with me, as its a complicated one this time: We pick up the plot not long after the last film. Bruce Waynes mansion is still under construction, so he is living in his penthouse in the heart of Gotham city and the batcave is hidden under containers in the docks. First up, a bank raid, which we soon find out is the cunning plan of the Joker (Heath Ledger) but its not an ordinary high street type of bank, this one is under the control of a local Mafia. This leads to a meeting of two gangs who are intent on killing each other... and to our surprise it seems that everyone is trying to look like Batman. It's not long before the hooded wonder shows up and soon has the bad guys on the run, or as in our old foe, the Scarecrow, tied up. But what are the gangs to do about all this money, and where to bank it? A Chinese mob accountant decides its safest in Hong Kong and he does a runner with it. The Joker offers to find a solution to all the bad guys woes, deal with Batman and life would get back to normal. The new D.A. a perfect looking Harvey Dent (Aaron Eckart) is proving to be the Hero Gotham needs. Someone who doesn't hide in the shadows like a vigilante! So will he and Batman be able to handle the chaos created by the Joker and will the beautiful Rachel Dawes (Maggie Gyllenhaal) chose the perfect DA or the broody Bruce Wayne? Christopher Nolan has once again crafted a great movie. Its suitably dark for Batman, with little sign of hope throughout, and when a glimmer appears, its soon snuffed out. The gadgets are still great (Morgan Freeman is almost Q!), the suit sexy, and the bad guys scary. Heath Ledger is great as the nuts Joker, but also when Two Face appears we really are left with a horror to behold. There is so much detail in his effects that I wonder if its a step too far! I wondered if all the praise going around for Ledger at the Premier the other day was just being polite after his passing away earlier this year, but he really does create an amazing (and horrible) character. Proving it to be a real shame that we wont be seeing any more (with one exception) of his talents. There were some nice touches, Michael Caines witty remarks. The great use of soundtrack, especially when the Joker is on screen. Even the slightly drained of colour cinematography. Did you know: Some scene were filmed using an IMAX camera, so it would be popping to your local one to see if the bangs are even bigger still! All of the studio work was carried out at Pinewood, but the majority of external shots are in Chicago. Can you spot Battersea Power station in the background at one point. Only real flaw is its length... 152 minutes... it feels just a little bit long. 5/5 http://thedarkknight.warnerbros.com/ Labels: Film Movie, oscar 2009
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Copyright Phil Mercer 2010