Film: Yes Man
23/01/09 12:22
YES MAN (Certificate 12A)You may have heard about the book 'Yes Man' by a guy called Danny Wallace. It's definitely one of the best books I've ever read and if you end up reading it on the train or the bus, beware of the funny looks that you'll get when the inevitable laughter escapes. It's a very English book, so when I heard that they were making it into a film and that Jim Carrey would be the main character; I did wonder how it was going to work. The answer is that the film is nothing like the book. It is simply based on the idea behind the book – saying 'yes' to everything and seeing what happens! The premise of the film is simple. Carl (Carrey's character) is living a miserable life after breaking up with his wife. He is always making excuses not to go out and not to see his friends. Then, after a surprise encounter, he makes a promise to only say 'Yes' to any question or opportunity that comes his way. Obviously, it being a Jim Carrey film, hilarity ensues including a mail-order bride, a bungee-jump, being suspected of terrorism and a girl called Allison.
Although there is a lot of laughter, there are also a few poignant moments that lead to a realisation that there is also a serious message behind the silliness. By saying 'yes', such a simple word, new opportunities are seized, which leads to new experiences and a renewed sense of what it means to be truly alive. What would our own lives be like if we used this tiny word more often? Whether it is saying 'yes' to God, to friends or to doing something out of the ordinary, we never know where it might lead and we could be changed forever.
Jim Carrey is on top form in this film, on a par with 'Liar Liar' (another hilarious but poignant Carrey film) and it's well worth a watch for the feel good factor, despite the slightly predictable plot.
Film: Seven Pounds
23/01/09 12:20
SEVEN POUNDS (Certificate 12A)From the creators of
The Pursuit of Happyness together with Will Smith again meant this was a film I definitely had to see. Now, if you've seen the trailer you may have noticed the fundamental mistake at the beginning. 'God created the world in seven days.' If you ignore this line and keep an open mind for the rest of the trailer, it looks so intriguing. The trailer is done in a certain way not to give much of it away at all, very deliberately.I must say I spent the majority of the film unsure as to why any of these events were happening. Lots and lots of confusion. Beginning with many quick disjointed scenes of Ben's (Smith) life which brings on the major question: who is Ben Thomas? And what is his plan? This level of confusion remains as you see Ben visiting hospital wards and other places in the search of finding seven worthy people to do good deeds towards.
This film sees Will Smith step out of his comfort zone as he acts his role brilliantly showing why he is one of the highest paid American actors. Though the way in which the film is made and the lack of understanding of the character Ben Thomas does mean it is difficult to engage so therefore empathise with him which is needed more and more as the film continues. We also see Rosario Dawson on top form in the role of Emily Posa and as the relationship develops between the two we see some of its finest scenes.
I would advise
Seven Pounds as a must see. When all the broken story lines finally come together and you begin to understand what is actually happening you realise the true beauty of the film with an emotional payout. Film Of The Month: Pirates Of The Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest
17/07/06 19:10
The Curse Of The Black Pearl has amassed a fortune of over 600 million world wide since its release in 2003. Nominated for five Academy Awards and winning none, the film has set a high standard for its sequel and yet still left some ground to be conquered. With Gore Verbinski (The Mexican) in the director's chair again and everyone from the first film that anyone could want to see, Dead Man's Chest has all the potential of the first film and more; a bigger budget and greater media interest. However, will these factors turn out to be a blessing or the second and most deadly curse that the Black Pearl will have to suffer?.
I saw this film about five minutes after I saw Superman and I really needed it to be entertaining and fast paced. (You can take that comment as to the quality of the superhero flick very literally.) I was not disappointed. To be honest, I don't really remember many of the details of the first film, I liked it but didn't pay it much attention and having seen the second I find myself desiring to catch up on the first. The performances were exactly what I wanted. Johnny Depp was as camp as ever and there was enough ham from Orlando Bloom to feed a viking army. In his defence, he did have some tough material to cope with. Particularly a somewhat out of character naval disciplinary scene I liked that though because it added to a sense of pantomime drama and kept everything light hearted which, as I came to discover, was most necessary. Surprisingly enough it was Keira Knightly as Elizabeth who added the emotional depth of performance, showing some genuine inner turmoil over the nature of and motivations behind her actions and the feelings of her heart. Jonathon Pryce also gave some integral support to the proceedings.
The most interesting feature of the film is by far the plot. At first I thought that it was lacking a plot and now I thought this because there were actually three or four plots strung together in an intricate web of hap-hazard deceit, treachery and swash buckling stupidity. You are never allowed to feel settled. There is always another chance accident or mistake that turns all the proceedings onto their heads. In fact, the sequences were so far beyond the point of ridiculous that they must have been deliberately and ingeniously so. It gets so stupid that it kind of loops back round to painfully clever and some of the sequences were breathtakingly choreographed. I do think though, that as I previously stated, you have to go in with no attachment to your sanity and be prepared to just go wherever the film takes you without resisting because, if you're anything like me, it will stretch the boundaries of what you are and are not prepared to take in. Just relax and enjoy it and you won't be disappointed. A word of warning though, don't expect this to be a trilogy. It is a film with a "two part sequel." Expect anything else and you will hate the ending.
Film Of The Month: Mission Impossible III
16/05/06 14:52
This movie had a lot to live up to. Mission Impossible I and II
together made over 1 billion dollars world wide which is rather a lot.
It seems, though, that movie goers all over the world have not held
back when dishing out the cash to go and see this one as it has
already made over 200 million. For director J.J. Abrams this is a
bold new step; moving on from TV shows like Alias and Lost to a major
summer blockbuster. The cast is hot and fresh, Tom Cruise is still in
great shape and front line rapper Kanye West is on board for the
soundtrack. The question is, though, does the film deliver?
The plot is epic. Unlike other Mission Impossible movies which have
focussed on one main job this one jumps around following the history
of the IMF agency with one villain. This basically means that there
are many shorter action sequences that piece together to make a story
that spans several different scenarios. I can't say that this is good
or bad but I found that I wanted more detail over a more elongated
plot. Some of the sequences, though, were simply beautiful. I almost
felt as if there should have been some pauses after them for us to
applaud. There were some genuinely breathtaking moments that left
even me speachless.
If I could fault anything it would be that there wasn't much effort
put in to characters. We didn't really learn anything new about
Ethan's (Cruise's) character and his wife remained only his wife.
Also, there wasn't really any time for us to build a profile of the
bad guy which wasn't awful. It just meant that I was completely not
afraid of him at the climax because I'd never seen him doing anything
particularly vicious. What did shock me was Cruise massive effort to
get some emotion in there. The script was lacking in emotion really
but he had some good watery eye moments although he also had this odd
psycho twitch that came with it. Michelle Monaghan who played Ethan's
wife was amazing. Her performance was brilliant and I was there with
her. I really believed her emotional moments. Also a good show from
Phillip Seymour Hoffman and Keri Russel.
I can't say that this Mission Impossible is any better than the others
and I can't describe it as a classic action movie but I can say that
it is the most intense film that I have seen this year. I can also
say that it is well worth going to see.
Film Of The Month: Inside Man
06/04/06 11:42
What attracted me to this film? The cast of Inside Man boasts some gigantic
names. Both Denzel Washington and Jodie Foster are two time Oscar winners,
Clive Owen and Willem Dafoe have received notable nominations in the past and
as Christopher Plimmer (Sound Of Music) also makes an appearance the film looks
almost like a Hollywood Guild Of Screen Actors board meeting. But do they pull
off the perfect bank robbery?
The performances in this film are amazing. Denzel plays a much more gritty role
than I am used to seeing and Jodie Foster is spectacular. She dazzles as the
ice queen on a power trip and there is enough enigma surrounding her character
to keep you guessing who on Earth she was for days afterwards. The real treat
though is the support cast. Much of the plot is grounded in a hostage
situation so it’s the little guys who have the biggest challenge. Some of the
“extras,” as it were, steal the screen for their three minutes of fame. The
tears are free flowing, the aggression is on the verge of explosion and the
nerves are completely shot. They are by far the best support cast I’ve seen in
ages.
A close second on the leader board of breath taking features of the film is the
plot. Quite like Ocean’s 11, the story follows the path of “the perfect bank
job.” Quite like Syriana, director Spike Lee deals with the theme of exposure
of corruption in American government and culture. The film is however, not
exactly like either of these films. It stands alone in its confusion, in its
energy and its intrigue. And the climax, the ultimate gem is the ending;
absolute genius. Obviously I won’t say too much about this but, I went in
expecting a twist from the trailer but when it hit me I completely didn’t
expect the outcome I was presented with. If you enjoy an intellectual thrill,
go and see this film.
Film Of The Month: Memoirs Of A Geisha
14/02/06 14:04
This new movie from the director of Chicago, Rob Marshall, has received six Oscar nominations including Best Achievement in Art Direction and Best Achievement in Costume Design. Let me just say, it’s worth it. I was really excited about seeing this film and it definitely delivered. I didn’t really know what to expect but what was delivered was what my friend Katy would describe as an “emotional rollercoaster.”
The film charts the life of a young girl who is sold with her sister, loses her parents, is then separated from her sister and kept as a servant girl. Her life is transformed when she is shown kindness by “the Chairman,” a rich business man, and is trained to be a Geisha. A Geisha is a cross between a dancer, a prostitute and an escort. It’s not necessarily a bad thing to be, there is an element of admiration about the job. However, a Geisha is nothing more that her job. She has no feelings, no life, no rights.
The film deals with issues of position. A Geisha has no right to be with the man she loves. She must die to herself, cast off her heart and throw herself into her work. “We do not become Geisha to follow our own desires.” Dying to self is something that we hear a lot as Christians. We must give up our desires for the desires of God. The thing I realised though when watching this film was how free I really am. I have given my desires to God but what he plans for me is what satisfies my heart. For the Geisha, this is not the case. She is imprisoned by duty and position. There is a moment where she finally kisses the man she has pursued and her body crumbles under the lifting of the weight of her cage of emptiness. In that moment my very essence rejoiced for the freedom that I have. It was an amazing and emotionally overpowering moment.
The cinematography is beautiful. There are some shots of the characters framed in Japanese gardens and they are stunningly beautiful. The performances are also brilliant and there are some fantastically written scenes of repartee between the women. We’re taken through pain, suppression of emotion, tension, love and freedom. Totally worth the price of a cinema ticket.
Film Of The Month: The Chronicles Of Narnia: The Lion The Witch And The Wardrobe
06/01/06 18:47
When I went to see this film I was imprinted with the memory of the BBC TV version from 1988. Now I don’t know how many of you guys have seen it but in my house it was legend. This film had a lot to live up to. It was directed by Andrew Adamson who directed the Shrek movies so this film is very different for him. I think it paid off.
The special effects are beautiful to look at. The beavers are surprisingly cute and the mythical creatures such as fauns and centaurs are curiously believable. I found that I was able to find the characters believable enough to make it credible and still remain detached enough to engage in the fantasy. That was mostly down to the effects.
The other thing that I noticed about the film was that the actors were actually quite good. The children are, none of them, household names yet, unlike Harry Potter, they gave brilliant performances. Also, unlike the BBC version they looked the ages they were supposed to be. The other thing was that it was quite nice to hear voice work cameos from Ray Winstone, Dawn French and Rupert Everett as Narnian animals.
Thinking back over my life, the thing that really struck me about the movie, and the story, was how lucky those children are to be living an adventure like this. You may not know but C.S. Lewis wrote the story as an allegory for the Gospels. Aslan is like Jesus, being sacrificed, and the war is like the battle between heaven and hell. These children get to play a fundamental part in the fight for freedom, for righteousness, for faith. I found myself, while watching, wishing that I had known myself well enough as a child to play such a role in the real life struggle. I don’t know where you guys are on your journeys or what your place is in the battle but seeing this has made me think more than ever about where I fit in. A thoroughly enjoyable and thought provoking film.
Film of the Month: In Her Shoes
09/11/05 14:05
All of the cinema was a buzz as the commercials ended. The excitement levels were through the roof in anticipation of Cameron Diaz’s latest journey into the realm of serious acting with the director of 'LA Confidential' and '8 Mile'. Also, a surprising return to the mainstream for Toni Collette of Murial’s Wedding fame. Much as it pains me to say, it has to be said, that both deliver stunningly with touching support from Shirley McClain.
The film, as it turns out, is actually a delightful cross blend between hard hitting issues of family, love and promiscuity and a cheery rom-com. The beautiful thing about this is that neither genre over powers the other and the balance met by the crew is heart warming. The audience is taken through moments of intense emotion with the tears flowing and the next moment we are swept away in a fairy tail-esque romance.
Toni Collette is an interesting choice for the role of Rose. At moments she looks like the dowdy, plain, unattractive workaholic that she portrays. However, there are flickers of a true inner beauty that penetrate the surface on occasion that can only come from a true commitment to character. As for Diaz, there is almost a level of disappointment in that she plays the seductress, the temptress, the dumb blonde. But she manages to draw the audience into Maggie’s journey of self discovery and fall from grace with a touch of class.
True, the film is not perfect and the ending is slightly predictable but this is definately not the film to miss this month. Go see it, don’t expect to be blown away, but do expect to come out feeling refreshed and happy.