Friday, November 26, 2010

Camp time!

First things first. A happy late Thanksgiving to any Americans who are passing by. You guys are lucky you have an extra holiday!

Anyway...Cinematic Paradox will be taking a break until next weekend. Why? Because I am going on camp to the beautiful Abel Tasman national park, which pretty much means I can't post. Or watch movies. So don't worry, I haven't died, I should be back next Saturday (all going well).

I will literally be there tomorrow!
When I get back, you have reviews of Cemetery Junction, The Girl Who Played with Fire and Sixteen Candles reviews to look forward to. Also, Inception will be coming out on DVD, and because I still love it, there'll be more posts on that masterpiece.
So have a nice week everyone...and keep up the watching!

Thursday, November 25, 2010

DVD--Knight and Day

or: Frivolous Fun.


One word to sum it up: Out-of-it.

I remember when I first saw the Knight and Day trailer at the cinemas. I think I could actually taste the popcorn becoming a lot more buttery when I saw it. To me, it's the epitome of a typical brainless popcorn blockbuster. My dad went to go see it while I watched Inception, and he hailed it as 'the best Cameron Diaz movie of all time'. Not that there are many great Cameron Diaz movies out there, but yes, Knight and Day ranks among the best. That's if you aren't opposed to plot holes big enough for King Kong to get through and the most silly action sequences ever.

June Havens (Cameron Diaz) is just a normal woman going about her day. She gets a flight back home, but on that flight she meets the mysterious Roy Miller (Tom Cruise), who happened to kill everyone aboard the plane. The next morning, June finds herself at home, with everything back to normal. But as the day progressses she is thrown into a mission with Miller, and has to work with him in order to keep herself safe. Things won't ever be the same for either of them.

Knight and Day has little substance, little style, but manages to be a bit better than the average blockbuster. Okay, so, some of the action sequences we see out lead characters in are a bit over the top and totally unrealistic, yes, but is it entertaining? It's amazingly entertaining. The movie has some of the best action sequences I have seen this year, and is nonetheless a film which is driven by it's star power. Don't let Tom Cruise put you off...he's actually quite good in this movie. Cameron Diaz shows us all that she has a good set of lungs and can scream louder than the usual damsel in distress. Surprisingly, Cruise and Diaz have a rather good on screen relationship, and the comedy comes out of their mismatched pairing.

The first half of Knight and Day sets off to be a comedy, and it does well at this. But the second half brings in the seriousness, which feels out of place when I felt I couldn't take the movie seriously. Unfortunately, things got a little tired as the movie progressed, and I started to see the cracks in this film. Sit back and enjoy the ride is my advice, because this is no doubt an enjoyable film. Hats off to the casting directors for getting Cruise and Diaz, and also my personal favourite Peter Sarsgaard in an action film. Knight and Day is no doubt just a blockbuster, but it can elevate itself past that status because of it's star power and out there action sequences, where we know that they aren't fighting 'just because they can' (ahem, I'm looking at you, Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen).


THE VERDICT: Average blockbuster fun that offers few surprises, but is still as cool as Cameron Diaz.

6/10

DVD--The Karate Kid

or: Little Smith's big movie.


One word to sum it up: Sloooooooow

Just a few months back, when there seemed to be a lack of good movies being released theatrically, The Karate Kid happened to be one of the best reviewed movies in the US Top 10. Well, it did have one of the higher Rotten Tomatoes ratings. I think all those loving critics must have been seeing a different movie. If anything, this modern day reboot needed the boot to try and get it going. The final twenty minutes or so pretty much could have been a movie by itself, without the need to go through boring back stories and a young love affair to get there.

12-year-old Dre Parker (Jaden Smith) could've been the most popular kid in Detroit, but his mother's (Taraji P. Henson) latest career move has landed him in China. Dre immediately falls for his classmate Mei Ying - and the feeling is mutual - but cultural differences make such a friendship impossible. Even worse, Dre's feelings make an enemy of the class bully, Cheng. In the land of kung fu, Dre knows only a little karate, and Cheng puts "the karate kid" on the floor with ease. With no friends in a strange land, Dre has nowhere to turn but maintenance man Mr. Han (Jackie Chan), who is secretly a master of kung fu. As Han teaches Dre that kung fu is not about punches and parries, but maturity and calm, Dre realizes that facing down the bullies will be the fight of his life.

For a supposed family movie, this is ultimately meddling and way too slow. It's rather large running time of 134 minutes certainly doesn't help its cause, as most of this time is spent trying to explain the paper thin characterizations and also trying to show us things we have seen thousands of times before: a kid who is out of his place and just wants to fit in. I haven't seen the original, but my mum, who has, said that this was definitely a disappointment. All I really wanted to see was the actually fighting. But that plotline doesn't come in until a fair way in to the movie. As I waited, the films petty distractions soon bored me to go and do something else. However, the ending was pretty cool, and somehow managed to make up for most of the lost time.

Jaden Smith is like a clone of his father, and his charismatic yet arrogant presence reminds us of the days of The Fresh Prince of Bel Air. I couldn't help but feel like this was really just a Smith vehicle; Jaden in the lead role, both of his parents producing the film. Slap the Disney trademark on it and I feel cheated. This wasn't a family film at all. The way they try and manipulate you through Jackie Chan's character is a little absurd, and the love affair between Dre and Mei Ying was absolutely ludicrous. It's like it was trying to be older than it's age group, but doesn't fit to many other age groups as it is so boring. I hate calling any movie boring, but this one really was. Particularly because I didn't care for the characters, as Dre was a little too arrogant and Mr. Han was a little strange, and this was a mass characterization that focussed too much on that rather then all the exciting parts.


THE VERDICT: Cool ending, but unfortunately it hurts too much to get there.

4/10

Wednesday, November 24, 2010

R.I.P to the Pike River miners...

Light a candle for the Pike River miners.

I don't know if this made it to your parts of the world, but on Friday there was an explosion at the Pike River mine, which is located in a coastal town in New Zealand's South Island. 29 men were trapped inside. They made many attempts at trying to rescue them, and the small towns optimism and hope was tested to it's limits. Unfortunately, at about 2.37pm today, there was a second explosion. There were no survivors.
I first heard this news while travelling home from a training course. It was one of those moments which shocked me right through to the core. New Zealand is such a tight knit country, and this kind of news has stopped the nation.

Here are the names of those who died:

Conrad John Adams-(43)
Malcolm Campbell-(25)
Glen Peter Cruse-(35)
Allan John Dixon-(59)
Zen Wodin Drew-(21)
Christopher Peter Duggan-(31)
Joseph Ray Dunbar-(17)
John Leonard Hale-(45)
Daniel Thomas Herk-(36)
David Mark Hoggart-(33)
Richard Bennett Holling-(41)
Andrew David Hurren-(32)
Jacobus (Koos) Albertus Jonker-(47)
William John Joynson-(49)
Riki Steve Keane-(28)
Terry David Kitchin-(41)
Samuel Peter Mackie-(26)
Francis Skiddy Marden-(41)
Michael Nolan Hanmer Monk-(23)
Stuart Gilbert Mudge-(31)
Kane Barry Nieper-(33)
Peter O’Neill-(55)
Milton John Osborne-(54)
Brendan John Palme-(27)
Benjamin David Rockhouse-(21)
Peter James Rodger-(40)
Blair David Sims-(28)
Joshua Adam Ufer-(25)
Keith Thomas Valli-(62)

The youngest was just 17, and not due to start work until Monday 22nd November, but was so eager that they allowed him to begin work on Friday. It was his first day on the job.
Two of the miners were engaged, one due to be married on December 18th, and the other expecting a baby.
One left two children, one ten and one thirteen years old, as well as a wife.

My heart goes out to their families...may they rest in peace.

Sunday, November 21, 2010

Unintentionally Funny Moments: Legion

The trailer for Legion popped up on the loop disc quite a few times when I was last at work. This trailer always catches my attention, mainly because the shop is very quiet until suddenly an old woman starts screaming and climbing around the diner in the movie. I saw the film; I thought it was below average and definitely trying too hard to be a B-grade horror with a religious theme, which could never work. But damn, Legion could pass as a comedy, with the two funniest parts being shown in the trailer.

SCENE ONE: Little Old Lady

Surely, the old biddy with the walking thing can't be that much of a threat, can she?

Oh...she's so sweet! No threat at all.

She makes polite conversation! But she says "Your baby is gonna burn"...which isn't right for an old lady, now is it?

Oh wow...don't ask the old lady to apologize...she gets quite pissed. And then she'll start screaming and attempt to eat an innocent bystander. But it's not over yet...

"Now you're all gonna die!"

Not only is she a wannabe vampire, but she's also Spiderman! Never underestimate that kind old lady from around the corner...

Oh no! She's dead! Silly Dennis Quaid, why'd you have to shoot her? This whole movie would have been more interesting had she been the real villain!


SCENE TWO: Scretchy.

Here we have a guy who looks a little lanky. But hey...wanna look even more stupid? Just follow these steps:

Just stretch your right arm out...

...don't forget about your left arm and fingers...

...(if you don't die of laughing like I am now) try and live up to the term 'big mouth'...

...and you're OFF! Good luck with your forthcoming lankiness and inability to walk properly!

Haven't seen Legion? Don't worry. While it is very funny, I just showed you the best moments of the movie: where we can confirm that this movie is nothing but a piece of garbage. If you're interested, here's the full trailer:

Amazing People: Quentin Tarantino


"I couldn't spell anything. I couldn't remember anything, but I could go to a movie and I knew who starred in it, who directed it, everything."

-Quentin Tarantino, director, Pulp Fiction, Kill Bill and Inglourious Basterds.

Saturday, November 20, 2010

Amazing People: Ellen Page


"It's much simpler to be tortured on camera or to be filmed losing your mind. Whereas a script that has characters who are honest, witty and genuine... is often much harder to act."

-Ellen Page, actress, Juno, Whip It and Inception.

Top 10 reasons why Clash of the Titans is nothing but a blockbuster.

10. It has Sam Worthington in it.


Coz, you know, once you've played a giant blue person, you're a bankable star. Take note, aspiring Australian actors.

9. Liam Neeson shines like...he's been attacked by the glitter used on Edward Cullen.


He's a good actor, and that's why he is in this blockbuster. But his acting skills aren't enough. No, you have to make him look ridiculous. Even though I'm sure he was supposed to look like Zeus.

8. Memorable quotes!
"Let me loose upon them!"
"RELEASE THE KRAKEN!"

7. Inspirational quotes!
"One day, somebody's gonna have to make a stand. One day, somebody's gonna have to say enough."
"I'd rather die in the mud with those men than live forever as a god."
6. Men with long hair.


Long hair was sooooooooo hot back in the day. It's also soooooooooooo hot for people who like watching brainless blockbusters too. And it still baffles me why Sam Worthington gets the short hair, too.

5. Some random hot lady coming to help our hero.


Who's played by Gemma Arterton, who seems to be right at home in these sandy kinds of movies. She just pops up out of nowhere. Which I think would turn some men on.

4. Voldemort 2.0


Woops...I mean, Hades (who has hair and a nose). I just don't think Ralph Fiennes is over playing the bad guy with the strange voice.

3. All sorts of mythical creatures.


Such as the KRAKEN! You just throw in some things we have never seen before, or things that don't look particularly authentic because they have been made by a computer, and there you have it: a cash cow.

2. Throwing stuff at the screen!


Yeah, I realize that this was made in 3D, but when you are watching it on a laptop screen, it kinda seems like they are throwing stuff at the screen to try and get us to stop watching it.

1. It's a remake...

'An Epic Entertainment Spectacular!' vs. 'The Clash Begins in 3D'
...of a movie which wasn't even good in the first place. So what the hell? No one saw it. Barely anyone knows it's a remake. They just want to make the idea look really original.

Friday, November 19, 2010

Amazing People: Robert Downey Jr.


"I've always felt like such an outsider in this industry. Because I'm so insane I guess."

-Robert Downey Jr., actor, Iron Man, Tropic Thunder and Sherlock Holmes.

DVD--St Trinian's 2 & the Legend of Fritton's Gold

or: So gangsta.


One word to sum it up: Stupid.

What do you get when you put Rupert Everett taking on multiple roles (mainly as a woman), every young British actress playing a stereotypical teenage character, a story about brats in a school which is pretty far from reality, and some added 'star power' from Colin Firth and Gemma Arterton? St Trinian's 2 & the Legend of Fritton's Gold, of course! Oh right...you probably didn't know there was another on the cards. Or you probably didn't even realize there was a first one in existence. But fear not, you haven't missed much. Only if you're a real fan of British comedies made about a whole lot of brats who attend a school which doesn't look like a school at all.

When Celia (Juno Temple) finds an old ring in the library at St. Trinian's, the girls all become very interested in it. It's then that they find out that the headmistress, Miss Fritton (Rupert Everett), is related to a famous pirate. The new head girl, Annabelle Fritton (Talulah Riley), leads the charge into finding treasure which could save their school. They follow riddles and clues until they can finally get to the mysterious treasure left behind by Captain Fritton (Rupert Everett). But they can't do this without the evil Lord Pomfrey (David Tennant) getting in the way.

St Trinian's 2, just like the first one, was an absolute hoot. Mainly because they are so stupid they are funny, and you can't help but laugh at the misfortune of some of these girls. The 'Posh Totties' and the 'Gangsta' kids were absolutely stripped of all dignity, and were given what an adult would presume teenagers like them are actually like. But hey, at least this film doesn't try and give an insight to a teenage girls life...because we all know how boring that is.

The film is extremely 2 dimensional. The story, the characters, even the actors, all sound and feel really 2 dimensional. But that isn't the worst part. The worst part is that this is a film which is basically a propaganda for feminism. And it's made mainly by men. From the girls trying to take down AD1 (a female hating organization) to the awful final 'twist' (I didn't know whether to laugh or smack myself on the head with a sledgehammer), everything about this film reeks of feminism. You may think that I would like that since I am a female, but this movie stretches that theme out to it's absolute breaking point. It also doesn't help that we have absolute brats representing the fairer sex, either.

Again, St Trinian's 2 adopts a lot of young British starlets and shoves them into this movie, which they don't require talent to do. Many of the original cast have left, leaving the admirably talented Talulah Riley and Tamsin Egerton to carry on the tradition. They can't save it, nor can Rupert, Colin or David Tennant. Gemma Arterton reprises her role briefly, but it's clear from the very beginning that she just wants to get out. No one is trying very hard, but that's okay because this movie doesn't ask for much. The excessive use of slow-mo doesn't exactly help their case, either. It kinda leaves the viewer behind to ponder at it's stupidity.


THE VERDICT: Has some awful scripting and a less than appropriate ending. Just forget it's serious and laugh at it's stupidity...it gets to be quite an entertaining yet extremely unnecessary sequel.

4/10

Thursday, November 18, 2010

Amazing People: Emma Stone


"I realize I have a lot of amazing opportunities, but I don't know how you can play a human being going through real human experiences without being able to walk down the street. If you can't live a real life, how do you play a real person? It always confuses me when actors work back-to-back-to-back with no break. If you live your life on a film set, how the hell can you relate to real people? You don't know what its like to not have people fussing over you all day, and that's not life - that's silly movies. I will always want to take breaks and I wouldn't be OK with losing that."

-Emma Stone, actress, Superbad, Zombieland and Easy A.

DVD--Toy Story 3

or: The best animated film ever made?


One word to sum it up: Heart breaking.

It's all over?

I may have once been skeptical about the making of Toy Story 3. To be honest, I thought it was just made to be a cash cow and one of those movies which tries to revamp the whole series by being 3D. Being made 10 years after the last one? That was an odd move, too. But after watching the first two the nights before watching this one, I really, really, did not want the series to end. I enjoy the small things in life, and the Toy Story franchise is something which I enjoy much more than a younger kid probably would. Seriously, anyone who doesn't feel some kind of emotion at the end of watching this is a clearly a very cynical person. Toy Story 3 is the best (and you know there are a lot of good ones) movie to be made by Disney Pixar, end of story.

Andy is now 17 years old, and is off to college to start his new independent life, leaving Woody, Buzz, Jessie and the rest of the gang to ponder their future. When they discover they are moving to Sunnyside Daycare, they are happy that they will be played with again. Unfortunately, they find there are two awful horrors that they experience while living at Sunnyside: the kids aren't as nice or gentle as their former owners and the other toys at Sunnyside are setting out to make life miserable for the gang. The toys must plot an escape plan so they can get out of Sunnyside, which proves to be no easy task.

Toy Story was great. Toy Story 2, to me, was still good but lacked the charm that the first one had. However, Toy Story 3 blows them both out of the water. There's always that feeling that a third movie will be the worst of them all, but this one seems to be the extremely rare exception. We are introduced to new characters, and we also have some real villains this time, which helps make the movie more exciting. I mean, Lotso, the strawberry scented bear, and the slightly mishandled baby doll were enough to give me nightmares. I actually got really frightened in some of the scenes in this, but that's what makes this movie so great.

2010 has been a seemingly bad year for movies. However, this, Inception and The Social Network are three movies which have gone down in history for their service to their genres: animated features, sci-fi actioners and biographical dramas respectively. Over the years, we have seen so many great animated features, particularly coming out of the amazing dreamworld that is Pixar. Toy Story 3 definitely tops them all. It has that edge over them: taking something ordinary like a toy and making them extraordinary; amazing computer generated animation that isn't bogged down by the fact it was made in 3D; a hilarious script which both young and old will have a laugh at; but most of all, it has that emotional edge that comes from the fact that we genuinely care about these characters. We've all had a toy which has become our best friend. We all wished so much that they would come to life. Call me a little kid, but I actually felt sorry for the toys I have locked away in my closet after watching this. And the end of this movie made me feel so sorry for them that it just brought out the little kid in me.

In the last five minutes of this movie, I couldn't help but bawl my eyes out. There were so many emotions: nostalgia, moving on, happiness, sadness, optimism...but most of all, I hated that it had to end. Any fan of the series will probably feel the same as I did. My recommendation is that you watch the first two reasonably close to watching this one. It's one of the best cinematic experiences I have ever had. Look at it this way: Toy Story 3 is perfect for any age. It's just an all-round perfect movie. I don't mean to overhype it for you, but there it is. Toy Story 3 will win Best Animated Picture at the Oscars next year, will even get a nomination for Best Picture, and will go down in history as the greatest animated feature ever made. It really is as great as everyone says it is.

Woody, Buzz, Jessie, the rest of the gang: I will miss you loads!


THE VERDICT: I LOVED this movie. Doesn't matter how old you are, Toy Story 3 is a classic and a must watch for fans of the trilogy.

10/10

Wednesday, November 17, 2010

Amazing People: Cillian Murphy


"If you behave like a celebrity, then people will treat you like a celebrity, and if you don't, they won't. There's not much to write about me in the tabloids."

-Cillian Murphy, actor, Breakfast on Pluto, Batman Begins and Inception.

Classic--Toy Story 2

or: The fantastic dud of the trilogy.


One word to sum it up: (still) Memor-iffic

Why do I hail Toy Story 2 as the fantastic 'dud' of the trilogy? Well, while it is still very, very good, I didn't find it as charming as the first one, or as (insert amazing description here) as the third one. But don't worry, there was no way I was going to hate Toy Story 2, as it makes up what may be the greatest trilogy of all time. It still has everything the first one has, but suffers from the sometimes inescapable second-movie syndrome.

While Andy is away at summer camp Woody (Tom Hanks) has been toynapped by Al McWiggin (Wayne Knight), a greedy collector and proprietor of Al's Toy Barn. In this all-out rescue mission, Buzz (Tim Allen) and his friends Mr. Potato Head (Don Rickles), Slinky Dog (Jim Varney), Rex (Wallace Shawn) and Hamm (John Ratzenberger) springs into action to rescue Woody from winding up as a museum piece. They must find a way to save him before he gets sold in Japan forever and they'll never see him again!

I was so happy when I found that Toy Story 2 has the same formula as it's predecessor, and uses all the tricks in the bag to make us really root for these characters. In most sequels, they will always try to overblow the franchise and get more than they did for the first one. It's like reinvesting money just to get some more interest, but most of the time that investment gets lost in the mail or the finance company goes bankrupt. That's not the case with Toy Story 2. It's a wonderous sequel, and really holds its own in the trilogy. Come to think of it, the trilogy really holds it's own among every other film. They all have that warmth and honest emotion we never see in a kids movie; also a message which isn't thrusted in front of our faces, but is put in there with such subtlety that we can't help but love the movie.

Again, the computer graphics are amazing, and this is really the benchmark of animated cinema. Sure, the 2D sketch animations by Disney were great, but Toy Story 2 ensures that we all like Pixar's computer generated animation. And we do. Film doesn't really get much better than this. However, if I have one thing to say about this fluffy sequel, it's that this get's a bit too melodramatic, and doesn't have the same happy/emotional edge that the first one had. But given that minor issue, the rest of the film is enjoyable, well composed, and definitely one of the best examples of why Pixar makes the best movies. Yes, they're even better then the live action ones.

THE VERDICT: A great sequel, with all the charms that one could expect from a Toy Story movie.

8/10

Tuesday, November 16, 2010

Amazing People: Marion Cotillard


"My parents always told me that if you want something, you can do whatever you have to do to get it. As long as it's not against someone else."

-Marion Cotillard, actress, La Vie En Rose, Public Enemies and Inception.

Monday, November 15, 2010

Amazing People: Andrew Garfield


“I hated school, I hated school. And I didn’t realize why. I thought I was…I was, I thought there was something wrong with me for hating school, for not being able to deal with school. At the time it was ingrained in me that school was: if you’re not successful in school you’re not going to be successful in life. And the hierarchy with the subjects at school, like the arts are given no credence. And if they are, it’s false credence. So, I look back on it and and I’m angry. I’m angry about it because, you know, there might be a brilliant ballerina somewhere in school who’s being forced to do maths, and she sees it difficult. But if she’s just allowed to express whatever gifts she has to offer then she would be happy and then she could make hundreds of thousands of other people joyous for a couple of hours per night.”

-Andrew Garfield, actor, The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus, Never Let Me Go and The Social Network.

Classic--Toy Story

or: One of the scariest movies I have ever seen.


One word to sum it up: Memor-iffic (in other words, brings back the memories).

Since Toy Story 3 is making it's way to the DVD shelves this week, I thought I would run through the series in sequence, just to bring out the little kid in me. I still tend to believe that you are never too old to watch animated films by Pixar or Dreamworks, because they have something for everything. They have that heart, pure comedy and that all-round enjoyment that you don't get from today's live action films. The unfortunate thing about the 1995 release of Toy Story is that we started to see a lot of computer generated animated features instead of the 2D classics that I so love. Anyway, every movie that comes out of Pixar proves to be amazing, and we have Toy Story to thank for that.

A little boy named Andy loves to be in his room, playing with his toys, especially his doll named Woody (voiced by Tom Hanks). But when Andy is not with the toys, they come to life. Woody believes that he has life (as a toy) good. However, he is worrying about Andy's family moving, and he also does not realize that Andy's mother gave him an action figure known as Buzz Lightyear (Tim Allen), who does not believe that he is a toy, and quickly becomes Andy's new favorite toy. Woody, who is now consumed with jealousy, tries to get rid of Buzz. Then, both Woody and Buzz manage to get lost. They must find a way to get back to Andy before he moves without them, but they will have to pass through a ruthless toy killer, Sid Phillips

I still think that Toy Story is one of the scariest movies I have ever seen. Why? Because Sid Phillips is one demented kid, and I genuinely prayed for the safe return of Woody and Buzz to Andy. This just proves that Toy Story reminds me that I'm still a kid at heart. I could watch a proper horror movie that's R18 and not be scared, whereas I watch this G-rated animated flick and I still get really scared. Pixar made the most perfect kids film, but it's one that the adults can watch and still feel completely fulfilled by everything it achieves. That could be because the story takes something ordinary and makes it extraordinary: toys coming to life. Forget animals talking, that had been done before. Once the toys started talking, it kinda made me reflect back to my younger days when I had boxes filled with Barbies and play ponies. I used to try and make them come to life. But did they ever do that? Every kid used to think that, and that's why this movie works. Andy would do anything for his toys, but his toys would do more for him. Sometimes I have to wonder how my toys feel now that they have been locked up in the darkness of my closet for eternity.

I believe that Toy Story set the bar for future Pixar creations. They all seem to have this sort of formula: a strong message, taking ordinary things and making them extraordinary, a very low reliance on slapstick comedy, and they always have something for young and old. That formula works, and each time they come back at it, it never gets old. It's amazing that Pixar had improved on Toy Story, but then again, this movie will forever be one of the best. Toy Story truly is beyond great, and serves as the best reminder of my childhood (even if I was born the year it came out).


THE VERDICT: The most fun I could have in 77 minutes.

10/10

Sunday, November 14, 2010

Amazing People: Cate Blanchett


"If I had my way, if I was lucky enough, if I could be on the brink my entire life--that great sense of expectation and excitement without the disappointment--that would be the perfect state."

-Cate Blanchett, actress, The Aviator, I'm Not There and The Curious Case of Benjamin Button.

Saturday, November 13, 2010

Amazing People: Jesse Eisenberg


"I’ve never had tastes of people my own age. All of my friends when I was 15 were in their 40s. I’m not actually mature, just very self-conscious around people my own age because I feel like I’m supposed to act the same way they act and I don’t know how."

-Jesse Eisenberg, actor, Adventureland, Zombieland and The Social Network.

Friday, November 12, 2010

Can't stop thinking about The Social Network...


Gosh...I wanna go see it again. This is like Inception all over again! Instead of the spinning top I have Mark refreshing his page waiting for Erica to respond to his friend request.

I swear, every hour that goes by in my life, this movie looks even better.

And stuff you The Social Network for making me fall even more in love with Jesse Eisenberg and Andrew Garfield. As I said today to someone: if I ever saw Jesse Eisenberg walking down the street (very unlikely), I would give him a huge hug, because he's like a big teddy bear; if I ever saw Andrew Garfield walking down the street (again, very unlikely), I would probably try and run my hands through his amazing hair. If that were to ever happen, I'd probably end up in jail.

How soon can I make it over to Palmy to get my second viewing in?

Amazing People: Anne Hathaway


"I look my best after an entire hair and makeup team has spent hours perfecting me. When do I feel my best? When I haven't looked in a mirror for days, and I'm doing things that make me happy."

-Anne Hathaway, actress, Brokeback Mountain, The Devil Wears Prada and Rachel Getting Married.

...and a happy birthday to the woman herself!

Thursday, November 11, 2010

Cinema--The Social Network

or: More than just 'the Facebook movie'.


One word to sum it up: Intriguing.

I first heard about The Social Network in July. I remember trying to register this in my head: David Fincher directing a movie about Facebook starring Jesse Eisenberg. It took me a couple of months to register that thought, but after I saw the trailer with the amazing cover of 'Creep' by Radiohead online, I knew I had to see this film. In the months leading up to watching this film, I watched more David Fincher, fell even more in love with Jesse Eisenberg and Andrew Garfield, tried to take Justin Timberlake seriously, and read 'The Accidental Billionaires'. And now I see how the David Fincher directed Jesse Eisenberg starring Facebook movie worked.

On a fall night in 2003, Harvard undergrad and computer programming genius Mark Zuckerberg (Jesse Eisenberg) sits down at his computer and heatedly begins working on a new idea. In a fury of blogging and programming, what begins in his dorm room soon becomes a global social network and a revolution in communication. A mere six years and 500 million friends later, Mark Zuckerberg is the youngest billionaire in history...but for this entrepreneur, success leads to both personal and legal complications.

The Social Network is a near perfect film. Everything, down to the last little detail, is so well put together that I barely believed I was watching a film. Instead, I thought I was watching history unfurl right before my eyes, and the story of how our generation got to be the way it is. There are so many good things I have to say about the film. The first scene, where we first meet a jabbering Mark talking at his girlfriend Erica (Rooney Mara), is among one of the best openings to a film that I have ever seen. It was like Aaron Sorkin jammed every word in the English language into that one scene, thus setting the tone for the rest of the film. The script is simply impeccable, taking a very intelligent and talkative approach the story. The characters could talk the world to an end.

Because there is such a highly intelligent script, which Aaron Sorkin did the best job possible with, the actors had to be fairly on their toes. The good thing is that they all are, including Justin Timberlake (still can't take him seriously, oh well). But you've really got to hand it to it's lead stars, Jesse Eisenberg and Andrew Garfield. Jesse is simply brilliant as Mark. I couldn't get over what a transformation he made from the awkward nice guy to the awkward arrogant prick, almost effortlessly. Give the guy an Oscar nomination; he more than deserves it. Andrew, on the flipside, serves as the films emotional joint. He is terrific in the role of Eduardo Saverin, and provides that kind of victim character against (insert description here) Mark. Their talent is particularly well shown in the scene where Eduardo goes to confront Mark in the Facebook office. Andrew completely breaks down (in such a realistic way), while Jesse can sit there and take it, emotionless. I don't know how either of them could possibly have done it.

David Fincher's direction is, like the rest of the film, perfect. He uses the right amount of everything, with elements from previous films like Fight Club and Zodiac coming through. This is a film he should be proud to have on his CV, and one that millions of other directors should be jealous of. While it's not as in your face as Fight Club, the subtlety used fits the college backdrop amazingly well. The final element that makes The Social Network so great is the amazing score from Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross. It compliments every finely combed scene in this movie, and perhaps that's why it's so great.

Does The Social Network work as a movie? HELL YES. I'll be lining up to try and get a second watch in. It was frequently funny, but all in all a thought provoking piece that shows us an insight into the (maybe fictionalized) life of the most influential figure alive. Everything is perfect, and this is modern filmmaking at it's very best. Is it the best movie I have seen this year? Well, I'll still be an Inception fan through and through, but let's just say this movie definitely gives it a run for it's money. Come Oscar time, I'll be putting my money on this for a few wins.


THE VERDICT: Amazing performances from Jesse Eisenberg and Andrew Garfield, amazing direction from David Fincher, amazing music by Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross, amazing script by Aaron Sorkin. EVERYTHING I had hoped for.

10/10

Amazing People: Leonardo DiCaprio


"I'm not really the quiet type, although some people think I am. But I'm the rebel type in the sense that I don't think I'm like everyone else. I try to be an individual."

-Leonardo DiCaprio, actor, The Aviator, Revolutionary Road and Inception.

...and a very happy birthday to the man himself!

DVD--Predators

or: Another year, another gory sci-fi actioner.


One word to sum it up: So-so.

Unfortunately, this weeks releases were practically all R-rated straight-to-DVD horror/action sequels (with the exception of Santa Paws, but was I going to watch that?!), and the only film which I had actually heard of was Predators. So I decided to give it a go, even though I have never watched any of the other films this one is based on/following. The most intriguing thing about it was that Adrien Brody was cast in the lead role. The lead role of an action film. Hey, count me in!

Chosen for their ability to kill without conscience, a group of killers, some trained and some who are not, must endeavour the alien race of predators that have set out to target them as prey. Dropped into the vast jungle of a distant world, these human predators must learn just who, or what, they are up against, and that their ability, knowledge and wits are tested to the limits in the battle of survival of kill or be killed.

First off, I just have to comment on the casting of Adrien Brody. On paper, it seems like a fantastic idea, because he is undoubtedly a great actor and should be able to play against type. He's good, but he is NOT an action star godammit! I actually couldn't believe in him as being a bad guy and he also waltzed around trying to recreate Christian Bale's voice when he is Batman. He was definitely miscast, and despite his best intentions, he could not pull of this role. Probably due to the miscasting of Brody, Predators suffers from several misfires and too often resorts to being like every other action film. None of the characters had been given any background, therefore they become quite stocky and extremely stereotypical action film characters. However, you do know when Danny Trejo comes on, shits about to go down.

Predators isn't by means great, but it is an average watch. It's definitely one of those movies that you watch if you are just looking for an overly violent nonsensical action flick to tide you over for 100 or so minutes. It's not unlike some other older sci-fi action films of it's kind, and makes for a pretty solid sci-fi for this year. Mainly, if you are a fan of other Robert Rodriguez produced films, then this is a good one for you. It's practically the same as all the rest, and doesn't branch out too far or ask too much of the viewer. In other words, Predators is an easy watch, and all you gore-loving fans will love this miscast average action flick.


THE VERDICT: Predators isn't great, but it's a solid sequel that's pretty easy to watch. Apart from Adrien Brody.

6/10

Wednesday, November 10, 2010

Amazing People: Amy Adams


"Find out who you are and embrace it. It is so much easier to face criticism when you are comfortable in your own skin. Never let anyone or anything stop you unless it is you."

-Amy Adams, actress, Enchanted, Doubt and Julie & Julia.

Tuesday, November 9, 2010

Amazing People: Joseph Gordon-Levitt


"The whole concept of celebrity pisses me off. While I`m not a celebrity, it`s such a weird concept that society has cooked up for us. Astronauts and teachers are much more amazing than actors."

-Joseph Gordon-Levitt, actor, Brick, (500) Days of Summer, Inception.

DVD--The Last Station

or: War and Peace in marriage.


One word to sum it up: Dramatic.

Helen Mirren. How do I explain Helen Mirren? In 2006, she won an Oscar for her amazing performance in The Queen. Upon it's release, Hollywood started realizing that she was one of hottest people around...even though she was around 60 years old. Earlier this year, she got thrown into the Oscar race again for a small film called The Last Station, which was a British period film about the final year of writer Leo Tolstoy. If it wasn't for Dame Helen Mirren, I probably would have passed this on.

After almost fifty years of marriage, Sofya (Helen Mirren) – Leo Tolstoy's (Christopher Plummer) devoted wife, lover, muse and secretary – suddenly finds her world turned upside down. In the name of his newly created religion, the novelist has renounced his noble title, his property and even his family (including their 13 children) in favour of poverty, vegetarianism and celibacy. Sofya also discovers that Tolstoy's trusted disciple, Chertkov (Paul Giamatti) may have convinced her husband to change his will, leaving the rights to his iconic novels to the Russian people rather than his own family. Consumed by righteous outrage, Sofya fights fiercely for what she believes is rightfully hers. Into this minefield wanders Tolstoy's worshipful new assistant, the gullible Valentin (James McAvoy), who quickly becomes a pawn – first of the scheming Chertkov and then of the wounded, vengeful Sofya.

As promised, Helen Mirren delivers and makes this movie what it is. However, it's cast of brilliant British actors provide valuable support to her tour de force performance. Christopher Plummer has clearly studied his role of Leo Tolstoy, deserving his Oscar nomination for best supporting actor (though not quite as good as Christoph Waltz in Inglourious Basterds). James McAvoy, who we haven't been seeing much of lately, gives a heartfelt yet very comedic performance, fitting for a young actor performing against such experienced stars like Mirren and Plummer. His wife, the lovely Anne-Marie Duff, last seen in Nowhere Boy, makes an appearance as the ungrateful daughter. She is definitely onto big things. Kerry Condon serves as a luminous love interest for McAvoy and their chemistry lights up the movie.

While it's premise sounds a little dramatic, The Last Station has some fine comedic moments which hels lighten the mood. Mirren and Plummer are a lovely married couple who have fair share of disagreements, making for a hilarious battle of the sexes reminiscent of early screwball comedies like Bringing Up Baby. It isn't a stuffy period piece, or the kind of historical drama you would expect. Instead, it's a charming romance story and a pretty funny movie. Even though the constant yelling and arguements get to be a bit tiresome, the performances got me through and I really enjoyed The Last Station. This is the perfect movie for a Saturday night in with a box of chocolates.

THE VERDICT: An enjoyable romp and comedic battle of the sexes, led by amazing performances from Oscar nominated Helen Mirren and Christopher Plummer.

7/10

Monday, November 8, 2010

Amazing People: Vera Farmiga


'I really don't feel a need to be famous. But I do feel a need to make a difference, to shed light on human emotion through acting.'

-Vera Farmiga, actress, Up in the Air, The Departed and Orphan.

Classic--The Godfather

or: The Godfather of great movies.


One word to sum it up: Amazing.

I'll admit, this is my first time watching The Godfather. Yes, I feel bad that I have waited until now to watch it. But in my defense, it's an R16 here, so I'm technically not allowed to watch it until my birthday next year, and also, I had watched about 20 minutes of it when I was 11/12 before I was sent off to bed. Coming in as a first time viewer in the age we are currently living in, I still thought The Godfather was every inch as great as everyone says. If anyone was wondering what a timeless classic was, I would definitely point them in the direction of The Godfather.

The story begins as "Don" Vito Corleone (Marlon Brando), the head of a New York Mafia 'family', oversees his daughter's wedding. His beloved son Michael (Al Pacino) has just come home from the war, but does not intend to become part of his father's business. Through Michael's life the nature of the family business becomes clear. The business of the family is just like the head of the family, kind and benevolent to those who give respect, but given to ruthless violence whenever anything stands against the good of the family. Don Vito lives his life in the way of the old country, but times are changing and some don't want to follow the old ways and look out for community and 'family'. An up and coming rival of the Corleone family wants to start selling drugs in New York, and needs the Don's influence to further his plan. The clash of the Don's fading old world values and the new ways will demand a terrible price, especially from Michael, all for the sake of the family.

While I was skeptical about it's 175 minute running time (I put off watching the DVD for a while because I simply did not have the time to watch it all), The Godfather uses that time to it's absolute advantage. I have never seen anything quite so captivating as it was. To be perfectly honest, it didn't hold my attention in a tight grip, but I was so engrossed that I couldn't look away. After watching the movie, I simply couldn't get it out of my head, as it haunted me in some strange way. I'm probably just reiterating what critics have said about the film over the years, but there aren't many different ways of explaining how amazing The Godfather is.

Here's my contribution: The Godfather is made by the most wonderful performances from it's brilliant ensemble cast. They all come together with such valuable chemistry that makes you believe in their organized crime family they have going on. Marlon Brando is, quite frankly, so scary as Don, with his husky voice and the authority which oozes out of him. Al Pacino, however, is even more amazing as Michael. I guess it's his naivety which turns into darkness that does it for me. All I have to say is this: thank you, Francis Ford Coppola, for making a bloody interesting gangster epic which has some of the most amazing performances I have ever seen. I can't wait to watch it again, and also make my way through the series.


THE VERDICT: Do I need a verdict? You know it's amazing.

10/10

Sunday, November 7, 2010

Amazing People: Christopher Nolan



“I think audiences get too comfortable and familiar in today's movies. They believe everything they're hearing and seeing. I like to shake that up.”

-Christopher Nolan, director: The Dark Knight, Inception, Memento.

Why is NZ getting all these films WAY later than everyone else?

With The Social Network being released this week (YAY!), even though the date was luckily pushed two weeks forward, New Zealand has been waiting quite a long time to see David Fincher's latest. But The Social Network isn't the only one with a delayed release date here. Check out this list:

Splice
USA release date: 4th June 2010. NZ release date: 18th November 2010. Distance between: around 25 weeks.
I think Splice is going into limited release here, but this release date keeps changing. It was first on during the New Zealand film festival in August, and then it was set up for release in September. Now it's going for November, but it's going to be released on DVD in January by Madman, which almost means an instant death in it's DVD release. Was it really that bad?


Machete
USA release date: 3rd September 2010. NZ release date: 25th November 2010. Distance between: 12 weeks.
Though there are several dates flying around for this one, it seems pretty clear that we will be getting this one more than 12 weeks after America. Meanwhile, some cheaters here will probably be downloading this film as I type.

Easy A
USA release date: 17th September 2010. NZ release date: 2nd December 2010. Distance between: 11 weeks.
This one, quite frankly, pisses me off. I really, really, want to see this movie! And by the time I do, everyone else will be like "this is old news!' It's not my fault!


The Kids Are All Right
USA release date: 30th July 2010. NZ release date: 26th December 2010. Distance between: over 21 weeks.
I have always wanted to see this film, mainly because of the amazing cast it seemed to get. However, when I went to the small cinema in the city it had a poster of this, with it's extremely late release date. The unfortunate thing it, this film will go into limited release here, and there's a possibility that we will miss out all together. Which will suck.


Secretariat
USA release date: 8th October 2010. NZ release date: 27th January 2011. Distance between: 16 weeks.
This one is undoubtedly delayed because it's one of those Oscar-bait movies and they always release here in the December-March period.


Hereafter
USA release date: 22nd October 2010. NZ release date: 3rd February 2011. Distance between: 16 weeks.
Despite the fact that it's directed by Clint Eastwood and stars Matt Damon, this film, which wasn't exactly greeted with rave reviews on it's release, won't be making it to NZ shores until next year. Even though there were interviews on the film on one of the chat shows.


127 Hours
USA release date: 5th November 2010 (?). NZ release date: 24th February 2011. Distance between: 16 weeks.
16 weeks until 127 Hours. Believe me, I'm counting down the days already.


Saw 3D
USA release date: 29th October 2010. NZ release date: 3rd March 2011. Distance between: 18 weeks.
Not that I give a shit, but most of the gore loving sadistic minded people who like this over-cooked series of blood will care that they don't get to see the final installment in 'mind-blowing 3D' until March next year. Even I think that's pretty stupid.


Never Let Me Go
USA release date: 15th September 2010. NZ release date: 17th March 2011. Distance between: 26 weeks.
Gosh, now I know that we are 26 weeks behind America in getting to see Never Let Me Go, I am really cheesed off. Yes, of course I want to see it because Andrew Garfield is in it, and the addition of Carey Mulligan and Keira Knightley certainly helps, but the trailer looked so sad and haunting I just can't resist seeing it. And I will still be excited once March rolls around, that's if its limited release ever happens.

Other films which have been released this year in USA, but have an undated release date here for next year:

Catfish

Jack Goes Boating

Stone

The Romantics

You Will Meet a Tall Dark Stranger

New Zealand may be the most beautiful country to live in, but why do the movie gods continue to give us lousy release dates which are weeks after everyone elses. That's the hardest thing about being in the blogosphere: by the time I see it, it's old news. Mind you, I watch them all on DVD, which I guess is kinda unique in the blogosphere.
Just promise me one thing. When I get to see The Social Network on Thursday (one of the first sessions here in NZ, so I am technically being an early-birdy), don't think I'm slack and think everything I'm saying is old news to you. It's not my fault!

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