30 Minutes or Less

IMDB
First time viewed: Yes
Current Release: Yes
Watched With: Myself

This films release has been delayed and delayed in Australia. I had been looking up release dates for it since mid last year and found out it's apparently because of some real life bombing incident in the country where a girl had a bomb strapped to her. Unfortunately during my research I also found out that there was another real life event except the poor guy actually exploded.

Knowing that really tainted this entire film. It made laughing at it feel wrong. The filmmakers claimed to have no knowledge of the incident but the entire set up plays out the same, so I presume the writers did.

I like Jesse Eisenberg. He isn't required to do that much here but I still like him in the role. Michael Peña has managed to make another classic Observe and Report-esque character for himself. It's kind of strange that the film spends almost a s much time giving funny scenes to the villains as to the good guys. Danny McBride and Nick Swardson have some funny stuff together and you never get the feeling that you want to see them killed or hurt, despite what they are doing.

This film feels like a fun little interlude for Ruben Fleischer, hopefully before making a sequel to his debut Zombieland. The film has quite a pace to it and manages to keep upping the stakes but building the laughs throughout the running time.

Despite the knowledge of the real life incident, I really did enjoy the film. It's the first straight comedy film I've seen this year too which makes it a nice change of pace.

Killer Elite

IMDB
First time viewed: Yes
Current Release: Yes
Watched With: Michael

I saw Film Victoria's name in the opening credits, which I thought was odd. But then every other actor in the film was Australian and most of it looked like it was filmed here doubling for somewhere else. Even Ben Mendelsohn showed up but he only opened his mouth to speak once and he had a thick scottish accent.

That's always a little jarring and never helps suspension of disbelief. Neither does a script made almost entirely of trailer moment dialogue. So many bad examples of characters stating something about other characters or their situation that just reeks of bad exposition. Probably the only levity I got from the film.

Jason Statham seems to just churn out these kind of moderate to okay action flicks. While I'd say this is probably one of the better ones it still didn't leave much of an impression, however much they claim it's based on a true story.

Never really cared about which characters would live or die, in fact towards the end I had no idea which side we were supposed to be rooting for. Perhaps that's a good thing but it didn't feel like it at the time.

It's not trashy enough to be fun and it's not engaging enough to be taken seriously. It exists in this middle of the read area where I think it was okay but probably won't remember a thing about it tomorrow .

Gone

IMDB
First time viewed: Yes
Current Release: Yes
Watched With: Myself

This film is the definition of a by the numbers thriller. It's a pay day for all involved. Sure it's well put together and if you've never seen a thriller before it might provide some interest but for the rest of us, it's just this years model.

The Abyss

IMDB
First time viewed: No
Current Release: No
Watched With: Alex

This is one of the best movie ever made period. For the sheer audacity of the filmmaking and for the epic final product. For some reason even many James Cameron fans don't seem to know about it. And it's not out on bluray. These things both need to change.

James Cameron makes big movies. And not just long movies, but big ones, where you get your monies worth in the cinema. They are just so darn satisfying and manage to cram everything you could want from a story into their running time. Now I'm of course looking at the "special edition" cut, I haven watched the theatrical cut for probably 15 years and don't think I ever could again know how the soul of the film was just chopped out. The heart is still there but the whole point of the story seems to have gone.

And for many that's cool, they don't need social messages with their adventure films as was made quite clear when Avatar came out. I want it though. Somehow every time I watch this movie there's a huge stretch of action and finally some gut wrenching character relationship scenes that always get me so worked up I completely forget the start of the film which always make the final moments an unexpected surprise EVERY TIME. I love that. I love that this film is juggling all these narrative threads so expertly and the most esoteric of them is leaves lingering for so long only to pull out the big guns for the finale.

Now we all know Young Sherlock Holmes started the CG craze in feature films, but really this was the film that made it logistically practical for use on productions. Amazing. Not half as amazing as knowing that everything else besides that one effect had to be done either with old techniques or practically.

And boy do they do a lot of this practically. I don't think there'll ever be a production like this again, because they'd just do whole environments with effects now. But nothing beats seeing the real actors doing some bloody dangerous stunt work.

I know the actors went through hell on this film but they are all so good. I love it when Cameron writes for a team or group of characters and he somehow manages to give each one an individual voice and a reason for the audience to love them. Or give you villains that are so big and easy to despise. A bit of a change up for Michael Biehn but he's so good as the villain this time around.

Now the film doesn't have massive Avatar style action but it has its fair share of big sequences. Some thrilling and really cool stuff. But most importantly throughout these sequences and the drama around them is this rising tension that just never lets up. Probably in no small part due to the inhospitable location that's just a s scary as deep space. Anyone with a fear of drowning will have many a heart stopping moment.

Which leads to that one scene that I know is coming and I still have a hard time making it through it's so overwhelmingly intense. That dreaded inevitability just creeps up in that scene and makes for probably the biggest hold and joyous release of tension I've ever seen in any film ever.

Ed Harris and Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio are the heart of this film and it's a beautifully realised relationship. God, they are so good. More than Ripley and Hicks, more than Sarah and Kyle and even more than Jack and Rose, I want these two to survive this and get together. Which is why the rest of the film works so well.

And Alan Silvestri's score! So Good!

Incase you can't tell, I just love this film. So good to watch again.

Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close

IMDB
First time viewed: Yes
Current Release: Yes
Watched With: Myself

I was sceptical going into this one. The trailer made the film look extremely pandering and incredibly schmaltzy. Don't know the book but the film was pretty much what I was expecting and just ever so slightly more interesting than I thought going in.

But really the do lay it on thick. For over 2 hours. I think it just begins to ware you down by the end.

There's a lot to like about it, the editing and cinematography is nice, the performances are all pretty great. They ask a lot of their lead and newcomer Thomas Horn delivers for the most part pretty well.

A lot of the contrivances are probably easier to swallow when introduced gradually over a longer period of time like you can afford to do in a novel. Squeezing it into a film will always be tricky. It's gonna work for some and not at all for others. I think I fell somewhere in between.

Weekend

IMDB
First time viewed: Yes
Current Release: Yes
Watched With: Myself

This one has a very Before Sunrise vibe to it. A couple that share a brief moment together spent talking ideologies, plans, wishes regrets and whatever else about their life. And then they have to let it all go.

It's a conversation film, dialogue driven and doesn't try to be that visually stimulating. A very indie low budget affair with a few nice moments and a lot of sections I didn't care for at all.

But I get that annoying dilemma of spending time with someone you can see yourself in a serious long term relationship with only to discover they are just about to leave the country for and extended period of time. That's happened to me twice now and it sucks.

It paints a very honest picture of these characters and I suppose the success of the film will depend largely on how you connect to them. The do in fact do the running to the airport cliche, although it's a train station here but manages to never feel false or unrealistic.

It's a sweet little film with modest intentions and a few rough patches where it lost me but overall enjoyed alright.

Shame

IMDB
First time viewed: Yes
Current Release: Yes
Watched With: Myself

I thought Steve McQueen's Hunger was interesting and featured a dedicated performance from Michael Fassbender but in the end wasn't really my cup of tea. I'd say the same about this film except many the last part, I was hooked on this film much easier.

There's a much larger story that's hinted at over the course of the film and I was waiting for the inevitable exposition but McQueen seems content to let the audience fill in the blanks or indeed forget about them completely. And it's true, the film stands alone, it doesn't need any backstory or rationalisations for these characters and their actions and relationships.

What we end up with is a slow building character study with more than a few long single take scenes examining the life of someone struggling with what is more than likely a serious addiction.

While the film feels evasive at times that only emphasises our character plight. Add to that an ending that's left open to interpretation and you have a film designed with ninja like precision to generate discussion for one reason or another.

Of course the other reason being how casually nude Fassbender is in certain scenes. The depiction of sex is frank and given Fassbender's character is largely emotionless. I think he was snubbed an oscar nom as he does brilliant work here.

Likewise Carey Mulligan, who gets to play a bit of a different role to what I've seen her do in the past, is great too. And we get to hear her entire rendition of New York, New York. That, along with a few other scenes I felt went on a bit but that's a minor grievance in an otherwise intriguing film.

Kill List

IMDB
First time viewed: Yes
Current Release: Yes
Watched With: Myself

Holy crap this film is intense. Brilliant. Horrifying. Incredibly uncomfortable. I loved it!

Even well before the plot kicks in and it's just setting up characters the normal suburban domestic relationships are so infused with an oppressive tension it made me so uncomfortable. I felt like I just wanted to leave the room but the camera wouldn't let me.

The editing is great and sets up a lot of what you're gonna need to know stylistically about the story it's telling. It's filled with small jump cuts and rather than show us a whole scene it just cuts right to the most important beats. But never in a jarring or unnatural way. Now I reflect on the story I see how the structure mirrors this too.

If the whole film continued to be a character study of this man and his family and friends it would have been riveting. However things just progress from there. It somehow manages to just keep upping the stakes and taking left turns. You have no idea what's going to happen next you just know it's probably going to be bad. By the time I got to the last few scenes I was just loosing my mind.

This one really did a number on me. I want to say it's a slow burn thriller, and it is, but it's one that starts with you walking on eggshells around these characters already. Masterfully directed and acted. Go watch it right now.

Star Wars: Episode I - The Phantom Menace

IMDB
First time viewed: No
Current Release: No
Watched With: Myself

Write Up.

Well George Lucas got my money. I went and saw the 3D version. In Gold class too.

The problems with the film remain but it's a nice conversion. The holograms do strange things to my head but I gotta admit that podrace put a smile on my face.

Higher Ground

IMDB
First time viewed: Yes
Current Release: Yes
Watched With: Myself

I missed seeing this in its cinema release last year in the art house circuit. But I was curious about what Vera Farmiga might get up to behind the camera, she's always so good in front of it.

Looks like she followed the cardinal rule of American independent films set in small rural towns and went ahead and cast John Hawkes. He just keeps popping up doesn't he.

Now when I see a film about red state christians, I just presume it will end up being a horror film. This whole film had me uneasy, all due to my own problems with religious fundamentalists. The characters here aren't exactly fundamentalists but it's enough to get me on edge.

Of course that is not at all the intention of the film. It's a character study of one woman's struggle with her faith and to find her place in the community. It's slow paced and thoughtful and I was engaged once I figured out there was no horror story about to unfold.

It's a nice little film about a woman that asks some big questions and is cut off by her community for it. It feels very authentic.

Not exactly my cup of tea but glad to see Farmiga is as technically competent at filmmaking as well.

Safe House

IMDB
First time viewed: Yes
Current Release: Yes
Watched With: Paul

When you can pick who the mole in the CIA is from the trailer, you got some trouble.

Actually in the grand scheme of things, it doesn't really matter how obvious everything was going to be. getting to the end was a fun enough ride I didn't mind so much. Or perhaps I'm just reacting to a welcome change from an entire day of romance films at the cinema.

Seeing this in a big cinema with massive pumping sound helps. The gun shots really pop. There's a rather thrilling car chase towards the beginning of the film, after the initial bust out of the safe house, despite the overly shaky and gritty Tony Scott style cinematography and editing. In fact that goes for all the action in the film. It was all quite enjoyable despite the shaky overly graded filming. Perhaps it's in Denzel Washington's contract to be filmed only in high contrast. High contrast doesn't automatically equal a gritty film guys.

There were more than a few times some dodgy focus pulling was getting in the way. I think I even recognised a few attempts at digitally sharpening or resizing, as the grain suddenly jumps out at you from shot to shot, to the point where even a laymen would notice. Sometimes I wish you could still shot action films like they did in the early 90's.

The awesome sound did a lot to alleviate the shakycam incomprehensibility. I remember noting that you could quite clearly recognise that one of the assassins had pulled a knife out during a fight where you couldn't see what the hell was going on, simply because of the overly exaggerated unsheathing metal sound. You couldn't even see the knife until 4 shots later but it managed to u the stakes where it needed it thanks to the sound.

Denzel Washington is doing what he does, playing another badass guy. Ryan Reynolds takes his shirt off. Pretty much everyone else in the film gets killed. High body count. Everyone that appears in the film gets shot at least once.

A trashy but enjoyable action film, the perfect capper to a double movie marathon day at the cinema.

My Week with Marilyn

IMDB
First time viewed: Yes
Current Release: Yes
Watched With: Paul

Well, I haven't seen much Laurence Olivier OR Marilyn Monroe. So I'm not going to comment on impersonations. I will however say, this is my favourite kind of biopic. The kind where they have an interesting and not as well known story about a very specific part of someones life which they use to make a snapshot that's representative of the whole. A self contained story always works better on film fro me than trying to cram a whole life into 2 hours.

Plus you get the investment of this being told from the outsiders point of view so you have a journey to go on with them. It gets a little convenient at times to just have the characters standing in the far background of scenes he was probably never at, just so we as an audience can see them but that's probably something most people wouldn't notice.

Well I can seen now why people talk of Marilyn Monroe as a tragic figure. And it's an interesting relationship that plays out over the course of the film. Of more interest to me was the behind the scenes of British film making in the late 1950's.

The whole film was very enjoyable and well put together. Emma Watson has a pretty nothing part but I really like they way they ended her story. Dame Judi Dench playing Dame Sybil Thorndike was splendid as was Branagh's Laurence Olivier.

They also managed the feat of making the English countryside look warm, sunny and inviting.

If you're interested in the subject matter I'm sure you'll love this one. If like me you know practically nothing about it, it's still an enjoyable and pretty fascinating look at these people.

The Vow

IMDB
First time viewed: Yes
Current Release: Yes
Watched With: Belinda

And now we get to the straight romance. The one about memory loss but it's based on a true story which makes it completely believable though right? Hmm, well perhaps the most basic element of the premise but nothing beyond that.

I would count myself as one of the few Channing Tatum but not in roles like this. He can pull off charming and handsome well enough, and even most of the emotional beats, I just wish he would learn to open his mouth when he speaks. Rachel McAdams seems born to play roles.

I'll admit the main draw for seeing this film was to spot a friend who was an extra in one of the scenes. I didn't manage to see her but the film doesn't exactly prompt me to watch it again just for another look.

The most hipster wedding I've ever seen on film. I started disliking the couple right away. Now while I'll admit that situation they are in is pretty shitty for both parties I really didn't care enough about their relationship or them as characters to fully invest any emotion into it. The problem for me is we a rushed through their time together to get to the set up that drives them apart that we end up more in the frame of mind of Rachel McAdams, having to discover their relationship purely by what Channing Tatum is trying to remind her about it, not by what we've seen or felt. Consequently it's easier for us to root for Tatum to give up his unbelievable noble efforts and let her go than it is to root for them to get back together.

I think 50 First Dates is actually more romantic. This is obviously more dramatic, and will hit the weepy factor for many. It's defiantly not horrible but I never quite got there for it to work with me.

This Means War

IMDB
First time viewed: Yes
Current Release: Yes
Watched With: Belinda

Another action/romantic comedy mix however this one has obviously had a much larger budget thrown at it. And far more likeable stars. McG delivers another slick looking popcorn flick and although there were no giant apocalyptic sentient robots it was equally as unbelievable.

But who cares. Chris Pine and Tom Hardy both get their shirts off. Reese Witherspoon isn't good enough for either of them. And as usual, the nice guy of the two doesn't get the girl. But that's ok they set up a fall back option for him early in the film so it's pretty obvious how it's all going to shape out.

I loved seeing them try to shoehorn in whole movies worth of subplots. You got your CIA terrorist hunt, which ends in an obligatory kidnapping and car chase, you got your romantic comedy girls dilemma complete with horrible advice giving best friend (or in this case, older sister probably one of the worst characters ever to grace the silver screen), you got your buddy cop movie, father having trouble connecting with son, vapid males midlife existential crisis and a divorced couple trying to make it work again. And they all blend together pretty seamlessly, well for the most part. The terrorist thing, not so much. All that does is give a little action set piece for the start and at the end to heighten the romantic dilemma.

5 formulaic plots make for one giant formulaic movie. It has all the advantages and disadvantages inherent with each. You know what the entire film is from the trailer. You'll know if you'll enjoy it or not. It's well paced, fun, the leads are hot. You could do worse.

One for the Money

IMDB
First time viewed: Yes
Current Release: Yes
Watched With: Belinda

I'm wary of Katherine Heigl, she seems to make more trash than most actresses her age. At least this time it seems she's trying to have a bit of fun too. Based on some book series I've never heard of, so I'm hoping I won't have to sit through any more. One is okay but this doesn't seem like the kind of film to make a series out of.

They did have an opening title sequence. I like it when romantic comedies have a title sequence. It was pretty good too. And then I enjoyed watching picking the cast of supporting characters from what I had seen them in before. Jason O'Mara who plays the lead male actually gave me the most trouble. I had to look him up before I realised he's the guy distracting from all the CG dinosaurs in Terra Nova.

The other thing I liked watch was the prostitutes inventive and constantly evolving hairstyles. Does that make me super gay? Anyway it does what it sets out to do. I still don't believe Katherine Heigl would have actually made it through these events alive. No way in hell. But yeah, girl power, or whatever.

Any Questions for Ben?

IMDB
First time viewed: Yes
Current Release: Yes
Watched With: Myself

I wasn't expecting something so light from Working Dog. I just don't really get what they were trying to do. The film is alright, I mean it follows all the romantic comedy beats but everything felt so inconsequential.

I guess my main problems is I never cared that much about Josh Lawson's existential crisis. We are repeatedly told how awesome his life is and see him having a good time, so it's hard to feel sorry for him when he figures out he wants something more.

There's not a film worth of character development here. This is an episode arc at best. Once he figures out he wants a change in his life we see him doing the same things and questioning it for the next hour gets very repetitive.

Josh Lawson turns up the charm to an 11 in the titular role of Ben. A lot of the crew from Thank God You're Here pop up too.

I think I enjoyed it ok, it's just so light and familiar that it fades away quick. Watching Daniel Henshall be the nicest guy in the film right after I've seen him be the most evil guy ever is also very disconcerting.