I am totally digging on Doctor Who this season. I think Matt Smith is fabulous. And while I think the first few episodes were a little uneven and the show struggled to find its feet, overall the season has been a lot of fun.
The same goes for last week's episode, the Pandorica Opens. I thought it was really fun. Even though the plot was apparent 30 seconds in. And at one point, I may have started yelling at the t.v. loud enough to disturb my housemates.
"It's the most powerful weapon in the universe..."
"It's the Doctor."
"... the most advanced military weapon ever created..."
"It's you."
"... the most cunning, most feared thing in all the universe..."
"OH MY GOD WOULD YOU SHUT UP AND LISTEN TO YOURSELF?!?"
Monday, July 19, 2010
Reviews galore!
The Great Northeastern Heat Wave, which seems never-ending, has pushed me back into the cooling AC-embrace of my local theaters, so I have lots of opinions to share.
First up: Ondine. No longer in theaters, but may still be available On Demand. Otherwise, it shouldn't be too long before it is on Netflix. This is directed by Neil Jordan, who also did Interview with a Vampire and Breakfast on Pluto, which I love. It was filmed around County Cork (which surprised me - I had guessed it was all out West). Either way, the scenery is stunningly gorgeous and Jordan and his cinematographer, Christopher Doyle, take the time to show off the natural beauty of the region. It is a gorgeous film to watch.
The film centers around Syracuse, a down-on-his-luck fisherman (well played by Colin Farrell who suppresses his normal manic energy). He pulls a girl out of the water one day and his handicapped daughter believes the girl to be a Selkie, or Celtic mermaid. Selkies have definitive rules associated with them (I'd like to thank my Mermaid book from when I was a child for familiarizing me with the legend), and the enigmatic girl seems to fit these rules. While the film is partially a magical fairy-tale, it stays grounded enough in reality to keep from becoming too precious. Most of the realism stems from Syracuse's relationship with his ex-wife and his struggle to overcome a hard-drinking past in order to support his daughter.
Ondine isn't a great drama, but for a whimsical, lovely diversion, it is certainly well worth watching.
Finally, is Stephen Rea in every single Irish film that comes out?
4/5 stars
Predators
I really enjoyed this one. I had been craving a big, hulking action movie for the summer (having missed Prince of Persia and unwilling to subject myself to the A-Team or Jonah Hex), and I found it. This movie is an absolute blast, and stands out all the more for being released in the midst of a disappointing summer. It's also a fine example of rebooting a series done correctly. The film references the original, steers clear of the general mess of Aliens vs. Predators, and gives the fan base what they want. A great update for modern day.
The film immediately drops us into its world without any unnecessary back story. And I mean that literally - the opening shot is Adrien Brody waking up in free fall before his chute deploys and he crashes into a harsh alien jungle. In fact, an entire team of killers (and one doctor) from Earth have been deposited on this alien world in what they quickly realize is a game preserve.
The director, Nimrod Antal, uses the Jaws technique to ratchet up the tension for the first act. The threat is never seen. The audience knows that at some point the alien (or shark) is going to pop out, but not being able to guess when exponentially increases the pressure. The characters are solid and somewhat developed, which was surprising for cannon fodder. (In fact, I think a lot of the audience derived pleasure from trying to guess the kill order.)
The action sequences are incredibly well shot. Adrien Brody manages admirably in the lead (although I quite liked him in King Kong, so I didn't find that surprising). Most of the team is really good, in fact. Alice Braga and Oleg Taktarov are particular standouts as an Israeli sniper and Russian soldier, respectively. The only weak link is Laurence Fishburn as a multi-year survivor on the planet. His crazy loner act didn't quite cut it for me.
One more note, but it qualifies as a spoiler, so scroll-over text is in use here: I loved Topher Grace in the film. However, one reviewer had described the team as a bunch of killers and a doctor, who isn't what he seems. That is what we call a spoiler, genius. Anyways, so I knew going in that Topher Grace would turn out to be a serial killer, but I really enjoyed his performance anyways. His biggest scene felt like it was cut a little short, but that's a minor quibble and probably stems from how much I enjoyed the character.
5/5 stars. It's not perfect or game-changing, but I think it accomplishes everything it sets out to do and it's probably the most fun I've had at the movies this summer.
The Girl Who Played with Fire
In order to review this one, I need to clarify my relationship with the series. I've read all the books. I was one of those crazy people who ordered the final installment from England to hurry up and find out what happened. I loved the first film and the second book is my favorite of the series.
The brief plot synopsis is that Lisbeth returns from abroad only to have a gun with her fingerprints on it be used in a murder. She becomes Sweden's public enemy number one, while Blomkvist uses his research skills to try and exonerate her. Along the way, we learn more about Lisbeth's family history.
Given my background going into the film, I found it a tad disappointing. I feel this could be a for a few reasons:
1 - I am comparing it to the first film, which had a different director and was better constructed.
2 - I am comparing it to the book, which I really loved. It is much harder to live up to that standard in a book to film adaptation.
3 - The first film had an easier plot to shoot, as it centered around a pretty standard locked-room murder mystery. The Girl Who Played with Fire is much more sprawling, which is difficult to adapt.
4 - While I don't mind Lisbeth and Mikael being apart in the books, their separation bugs me more in a visual medium because they aren't playing off each other. What does work really well for me in this film is still Noomi Rapace, who is stunning as Lisbeth. She gives incredible depth to a nearly mute character. However, in the book, we do get Lisbeth and Mikael's thought processes as they work, which drives the reader along more.
5 - The film ends on a cliffhanger, which is obviously a tough way to end a movie, since the audience doesn't get any resolution.
My largest problem with the film is that the book was a serious page turner. I could not put it down, whereas I feel that the movie drags. The audience I was with was definitely becoming restless by the end, which was not the case in the first film at all. I realize it must have been incredibly difficult to turn such a large book into a movie, even a long one, and I'm not entirely sure what I would have done differently to keep the tension up during the last hour. But the end result is that this film is not as taut as the first and doesn't live up to the experience of reading the book.
I'd love to know what an uninformed viewer thought. Perhaps part of the thrill of the reading experience was learning all of the new information about Lisbeth and her past. Seeing the film already knowing how it turns out and what clue comes next may kill that tension. Maybe a fresh perspective would mean a much more exciting film.
3/5 stars, because I adore getting more Lisbeth.
First up: Ondine. No longer in theaters, but may still be available On Demand. Otherwise, it shouldn't be too long before it is on Netflix. This is directed by Neil Jordan, who also did Interview with a Vampire and Breakfast on Pluto, which I love. It was filmed around County Cork (which surprised me - I had guessed it was all out West). Either way, the scenery is stunningly gorgeous and Jordan and his cinematographer, Christopher Doyle, take the time to show off the natural beauty of the region. It is a gorgeous film to watch.
The film centers around Syracuse, a down-on-his-luck fisherman (well played by Colin Farrell who suppresses his normal manic energy). He pulls a girl out of the water one day and his handicapped daughter believes the girl to be a Selkie, or Celtic mermaid. Selkies have definitive rules associated with them (I'd like to thank my Mermaid book from when I was a child for familiarizing me with the legend), and the enigmatic girl seems to fit these rules. While the film is partially a magical fairy-tale, it stays grounded enough in reality to keep from becoming too precious. Most of the realism stems from Syracuse's relationship with his ex-wife and his struggle to overcome a hard-drinking past in order to support his daughter.
Ondine isn't a great drama, but for a whimsical, lovely diversion, it is certainly well worth watching.
Finally, is Stephen Rea in every single Irish film that comes out?
4/5 stars
Predators
I really enjoyed this one. I had been craving a big, hulking action movie for the summer (having missed Prince of Persia and unwilling to subject myself to the A-Team or Jonah Hex), and I found it. This movie is an absolute blast, and stands out all the more for being released in the midst of a disappointing summer. It's also a fine example of rebooting a series done correctly. The film references the original, steers clear of the general mess of Aliens vs. Predators, and gives the fan base what they want. A great update for modern day.
The film immediately drops us into its world without any unnecessary back story. And I mean that literally - the opening shot is Adrien Brody waking up in free fall before his chute deploys and he crashes into a harsh alien jungle. In fact, an entire team of killers (and one doctor) from Earth have been deposited on this alien world in what they quickly realize is a game preserve.
The director, Nimrod Antal, uses the Jaws technique to ratchet up the tension for the first act. The threat is never seen. The audience knows that at some point the alien (or shark) is going to pop out, but not being able to guess when exponentially increases the pressure. The characters are solid and somewhat developed, which was surprising for cannon fodder. (In fact, I think a lot of the audience derived pleasure from trying to guess the kill order.)
The action sequences are incredibly well shot. Adrien Brody manages admirably in the lead (although I quite liked him in King Kong, so I didn't find that surprising). Most of the team is really good, in fact. Alice Braga and Oleg Taktarov are particular standouts as an Israeli sniper and Russian soldier, respectively. The only weak link is Laurence Fishburn as a multi-year survivor on the planet. His crazy loner act didn't quite cut it for me.
One more note, but it qualifies as a spoiler, so scroll-over text is in use here: I loved Topher Grace in the film. However, one reviewer had described the team as a bunch of killers and a doctor, who isn't what he seems. That is what we call a spoiler, genius. Anyways, so I knew going in that Topher Grace would turn out to be a serial killer, but I really enjoyed his performance anyways. His biggest scene felt like it was cut a little short, but that's a minor quibble and probably stems from how much I enjoyed the character.
5/5 stars. It's not perfect or game-changing, but I think it accomplishes everything it sets out to do and it's probably the most fun I've had at the movies this summer.
The Girl Who Played with Fire
In order to review this one, I need to clarify my relationship with the series. I've read all the books. I was one of those crazy people who ordered the final installment from England to hurry up and find out what happened. I loved the first film and the second book is my favorite of the series.
The brief plot synopsis is that Lisbeth returns from abroad only to have a gun with her fingerprints on it be used in a murder. She becomes Sweden's public enemy number one, while Blomkvist uses his research skills to try and exonerate her. Along the way, we learn more about Lisbeth's family history.
Given my background going into the film, I found it a tad disappointing. I feel this could be a for a few reasons:
1 - I am comparing it to the first film, which had a different director and was better constructed.
2 - I am comparing it to the book, which I really loved. It is much harder to live up to that standard in a book to film adaptation.
3 - The first film had an easier plot to shoot, as it centered around a pretty standard locked-room murder mystery. The Girl Who Played with Fire is much more sprawling, which is difficult to adapt.
4 - While I don't mind Lisbeth and Mikael being apart in the books, their separation bugs me more in a visual medium because they aren't playing off each other. What does work really well for me in this film is still Noomi Rapace, who is stunning as Lisbeth. She gives incredible depth to a nearly mute character. However, in the book, we do get Lisbeth and Mikael's thought processes as they work, which drives the reader along more.
5 - The film ends on a cliffhanger, which is obviously a tough way to end a movie, since the audience doesn't get any resolution.
My largest problem with the film is that the book was a serious page turner. I could not put it down, whereas I feel that the movie drags. The audience I was with was definitely becoming restless by the end, which was not the case in the first film at all. I realize it must have been incredibly difficult to turn such a large book into a movie, even a long one, and I'm not entirely sure what I would have done differently to keep the tension up during the last hour. But the end result is that this film is not as taut as the first and doesn't live up to the experience of reading the book.
I'd love to know what an uninformed viewer thought. Perhaps part of the thrill of the reading experience was learning all of the new information about Lisbeth and her past. Seeing the film already knowing how it turns out and what clue comes next may kill that tension. Maybe a fresh perspective would mean a much more exciting film.
3/5 stars, because I adore getting more Lisbeth.
Saturday, July 10, 2010
Thursday, July 8, 2010
Tidbits
Another Hole in the Head fest is on in San Francisco. It has Tucker & Dale vs. Evil. I am jealous.
Boston, meanwhile, still does not have Prince of Persia (BOOOO), but it does have the Girl who Played with Fire, Perrier's Bounty, Evil Dead, and Predators opening tomorrow. Plus I am Love is still running and I have yet to see. (Ditto Ondine, but that is on On Demand, as well).
SO super excited for the Girl who Played with Fire. Noomi Rapace is my new hero.
The Boston French Film Fest is also on this month. It has Heartbreaker, which I seem to remember hearing good things about from Cannes. It also has Farewell, which is supposed to be a good spy thriller and the Concert, which looks too fluffy for me. I think my awareness of the latter stems solely from Melanie Laurent's inclusion in the film. I should probably take the time to research some of the other films playing, but there is so much good stuff on at the Brattle and stuff to catch up on from netflix, that I doubt I will.
Otherwise, been on mostly a catch-up-on-tv streak after my vacation. Long marathons of Doctor Who, Breaking Bad, True Blood, Burn Notice, FlashForward and Veronica Mars. I really should start the Wire and Battlestar Galactica, too... in all that spare time of mine.
Saw Twist, which is a version of Oliver Twist set amongst teenage hustlers in Toronto. It needed developing, but was an interesting premise and it featured a good lead performance by Nick Stahl. It stands out, however, for an emotionally horrific scene towards the end, which I don't think I'll ever be able to scrub out of my brain. *shudder*
Also saw Peacock, which was a performance in search of a better film. Really, save yourself the hassle and watch Breakfast on Pluto instead.
And finally, saw A Perfect Getaway, which was in no way a thriller, since the ending was pretty apparent from 5 minutes in, but was an entertaining enough summer movie. I'll watch Timothy Olyphant read a phone book. Or hike through pretty Hawaiian scenery. Whatever.
Boston, meanwhile, still does not have Prince of Persia (BOOOO), but it does have the Girl who Played with Fire, Perrier's Bounty, Evil Dead, and Predators opening tomorrow. Plus I am Love is still running and I have yet to see. (Ditto Ondine, but that is on On Demand, as well).
SO super excited for the Girl who Played with Fire. Noomi Rapace is my new hero.
The Boston French Film Fest is also on this month. It has Heartbreaker, which I seem to remember hearing good things about from Cannes. It also has Farewell, which is supposed to be a good spy thriller and the Concert, which looks too fluffy for me. I think my awareness of the latter stems solely from Melanie Laurent's inclusion in the film. I should probably take the time to research some of the other films playing, but there is so much good stuff on at the Brattle and stuff to catch up on from netflix, that I doubt I will.
Otherwise, been on mostly a catch-up-on-tv streak after my vacation. Long marathons of Doctor Who, Breaking Bad, True Blood, Burn Notice, FlashForward and Veronica Mars. I really should start the Wire and Battlestar Galactica, too... in all that spare time of mine.
Saw Twist, which is a version of Oliver Twist set amongst teenage hustlers in Toronto. It needed developing, but was an interesting premise and it featured a good lead performance by Nick Stahl. It stands out, however, for an emotionally horrific scene towards the end, which I don't think I'll ever be able to scrub out of my brain. *shudder*
Also saw Peacock, which was a performance in search of a better film. Really, save yourself the hassle and watch Breakfast on Pluto instead.
And finally, saw A Perfect Getaway, which was in no way a thriller, since the ending was pretty apparent from 5 minutes in, but was an entertaining enough summer movie. I'll watch Timothy Olyphant read a phone book. Or hike through pretty Hawaiian scenery. Whatever.
Friday, July 2, 2010
ARGH!
I was going to go see Prince of Persia tonight (you know, campy big screen, brainless action and abs to start the long weekend) and it has LEFT BOSTON. Iron Man 2 and fucking ROBIN HOOD are still around. But no Jake Gyllenhaal. I am disappointed. Boo.
Tuesday, June 29, 2010
First half of 2010
Finally (finally) caught Blue Velvet at the Brattle the other night. FABULOUS. I loved it.
And hey! We're halfway through 2010 already! So I thought I'd go ahead and rank the films I've seen thus far...
Winter's Bone (hey! Guess what? This is playing RIGHT NOW. You can go see it RIGHT NOW.)
Red Riding: 1974
The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo
Fish Tank (2009/2010 release, but I saw it in January, so I'm adding it here)
Red Riding: 1980
Perrier's Bounty
Cell 211
Red, White and Blue
The Killer Inside Me
The Crazies
All of the above are really fantastic and well worth checking out. Hmmm.... been sort of a violent year thus far. And no - I haven't seen Red Riding 1983 yet....
The following films you may enjoy, depending on your mood and preferences:
Kick Ass
Iron Man 2
I Love You Phillip Morris
Marwencol
Micmacs
Alice in Wonderland
Tiny Furniture
How to Train Your Dragon (in 2-D. I'm fairly certain this would be higher in 3-D, but I was on a plane.)
Anne Perry: Interiors
October Country
Shutter Island
Down Terrace
The Extra Man
Cracks
Non-2010 releases (because apparently I don't watch movies on netflix anymore):
Awesome:
Lars and the Real Girl
Hunger
Bronson
Blue Velvet
Worth checking out:
There Will Be Blood
Quantum of Solace
Hangover
Terminator 3
Ummmm - not so much:
Withnail & I
Rashomon
Nine
Most anticipated for the next 6 months? Ondine, I am Love, Red Riding 1983, The Girl who Played with Fire and Kicked the Hornet's Nest, Inception, Salt, Animal Kingdom, Scott Pilgrim vs. the World, happythankyoumoreplease, Centurion, Never Let Me Go, Conviction (JUST GIVE SAM ROCKWELL AN OSCAR), Harry Potter, The Fighter. Some others, too, without release dates, which may get pushed to 2011.
And of course some that will depend on reviews, like Red.
Speaking of mid year reports, here is one from IndieWire.
Also - the next two months at the Brattle are fab. A Cabaret mini-rep, a bunch of noir, the restored Metropolis and a bunch of the best of the oughts - which includes a TON of films I really should have seen by now and haven't (Wendy & Lucy, The Lives of Others, 4 Months 3 Weeks and 2 Days.) PLUS!! A double feature of Zodiac and Kiss Kiss Bang Bang - how fabulous is that?!
And hey! We're halfway through 2010 already! So I thought I'd go ahead and rank the films I've seen thus far...
Winter's Bone (hey! Guess what? This is playing RIGHT NOW. You can go see it RIGHT NOW.)
Red Riding: 1974
The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo
Fish Tank (2009/2010 release, but I saw it in January, so I'm adding it here)
Red Riding: 1980
Perrier's Bounty
Cell 211
Red, White and Blue
The Killer Inside Me
The Crazies
All of the above are really fantastic and well worth checking out. Hmmm.... been sort of a violent year thus far. And no - I haven't seen Red Riding 1983 yet....
The following films you may enjoy, depending on your mood and preferences:
Kick Ass
Iron Man 2
I Love You Phillip Morris
Marwencol
Micmacs
Alice in Wonderland
Tiny Furniture
How to Train Your Dragon (in 2-D. I'm fairly certain this would be higher in 3-D, but I was on a plane.)
Anne Perry: Interiors
October Country
Shutter Island
Down Terrace
The Extra Man
Cracks
Non-2010 releases (because apparently I don't watch movies on netflix anymore):
Awesome:
Lars and the Real Girl
Hunger
Bronson
Blue Velvet
Worth checking out:
There Will Be Blood
Quantum of Solace
Hangover
Terminator 3
Ummmm - not so much:
Withnail & I
Rashomon
Nine
Most anticipated for the next 6 months? Ondine, I am Love, Red Riding 1983, The Girl who Played with Fire and Kicked the Hornet's Nest, Inception, Salt, Animal Kingdom, Scott Pilgrim vs. the World, happythankyoumoreplease, Centurion, Never Let Me Go, Conviction (JUST GIVE SAM ROCKWELL AN OSCAR), Harry Potter, The Fighter. Some others, too, without release dates, which may get pushed to 2011.
And of course some that will depend on reviews, like Red.
Speaking of mid year reports, here is one from IndieWire.
Also - the next two months at the Brattle are fab. A Cabaret mini-rep, a bunch of noir, the restored Metropolis and a bunch of the best of the oughts - which includes a TON of films I really should have seen by now and haven't (Wendy & Lucy, The Lives of Others, 4 Months 3 Weeks and 2 Days.) PLUS!! A double feature of Zodiac and Kiss Kiss Bang Bang - how fabulous is that?!
Thursday, June 24, 2010
Woohoo!
I thought I had missed a bunch of films while I was abroad (like Ondine and I am Love), but it turns out that they just haven't opened yet in Boston! I may, however, have missed Agora. Also, Perrier's Bounty is coming back, which I definitely want to see again. And there's a Dennis Hopper festival on at the Brattle, which has a few movies I've always been meaning to see.
I'm sorry the bigger releases aren't up to snuff this summer. I had hopes that the A Team or Jonah Hex could turn out to be campy fun. I guess I'll go watch District 9 again, instead. (I'll still be seeing Prince of Persia, though...) I'm debating Splice. It turns out that I was spoiled for the third act stuff a while ago, but I do like Sarah Polley...
While I was abroad I did manage to see I Love You Philip Morris, which is in the running for most cursed movie around since it STILL hasn't been released in the US. It's good, although it is much more dramatic than it is being marketed as. I also saw Nine, which was horrendous. Seriously, Rob Marshall, what happened?
As a reminder, Winter's Bone is currently out, and it is absolutely a MUST SEE film. This year's Hurt Locker, if you will. Please go check it out. And The Killer Inside Me opens next week and is worth checking out if you aren't too squeamish.
Due to being abroad I've dropped to 76th in my box office game. *sniff*
I'll try to post some travel notes soon.
I'm sorry the bigger releases aren't up to snuff this summer. I had hopes that the A Team or Jonah Hex could turn out to be campy fun. I guess I'll go watch District 9 again, instead. (I'll still be seeing Prince of Persia, though...) I'm debating Splice. It turns out that I was spoiled for the third act stuff a while ago, but I do like Sarah Polley...
While I was abroad I did manage to see I Love You Philip Morris, which is in the running for most cursed movie around since it STILL hasn't been released in the US. It's good, although it is much more dramatic than it is being marketed as. I also saw Nine, which was horrendous. Seriously, Rob Marshall, what happened?
As a reminder, Winter's Bone is currently out, and it is absolutely a MUST SEE film. This year's Hurt Locker, if you will. Please go check it out. And The Killer Inside Me opens next week and is worth checking out if you aren't too squeamish.
Due to being abroad I've dropped to 76th in my box office game. *sniff*
I'll try to post some travel notes soon.
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