February 9th, 2010
Review:
When I first read that Guy Ritchie, the guy behind the vastly overrated gangster comedies Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels and Snatch, was making a Sherlock Holmes movie that would focus on the action hero aspect of the character, I expected something terrible. But due to great casting (Robert Downey Jr., Jude Law AND Mark Strong? You wouldn’t even need to add Rachel McAdams, I’m in!) and good advance word, I actually wanted to see this film. A big mistake. The film is every bit as horrible as expected, a generic action thriller with nary a good moment. Holmes detecting mostly consists of smelling stuff, hitting men bigger than him and being outsmarted by every second person in the film. There are 60 original Holmes stories, so there really was no reason for the film to create some crazy conspiracy story that barely makes sense and is riddled with plot holes. That Ritchie’s directing is at best mediocre I expected, but it was actually painful to watch how he managed to reduce the great cast to horrible actors. No matter how you feel about the real Sherlock Holmes, avoid this film. How it ever came to be successful is a mystery that would have even intrigued the great detective.
Random Observations:
Sherlock Holmes at the IMDb
Hans Zimmer’s score is nominated for an Oscar. It was certainly very effective in calling attention to itself, but I wouldn’t consider that a good thing. If you notice that the music does not fit the scene, you are taken out of it. Also: who the hell thought that some Irish folk music would be good for the end credits?
I have to admit that there was one redeeming factor to the film: the exchanges between Holmes and Watson were often quite entertaining. But that was not nearly enough to save the film from being horrible.
There are many more bad things about this film I want to address, but I fear that I might have a heartache if I continue thinking about the film. So for now, be warned to stay away.
Tags: 2009, action movie, American Film, Anthony Peckham, Arthur Conan Doyle, based on previously published material, British Film, Comedy, Eddie Marsan, english, franchise film, Geraldine James, Guy Ritchie, Hans Matheson, Hans Zimmer, James Fox, Jude Law, Kelly Reilly, Lionel Wigram, Mark Strong, Michael Robert Johnson, minute movie review, movie review, Movies, Oscar, Rachel McAdams, Robert Downey Jr., Robert Maillet, Sherlock Holmes, Simon Kinberg, Snatch, Thriller, William Hope, William Houston
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February 7th, 2010
Review:
George Clooney lives in the air - on planes and in airports. 322 days a year, he is on the really high road (sorry for that horrible joke) in his job of professional employment terminator, i.e. he fires people and helps them cope with the situation by painting it in bright colours as a chance for a better life. And he is happy in that life of hotels and airports without any real human connections. Things change when he meets a woman he actually falls for while also encountering the enthusiasm of a young colleague fresh out of college, who invented firing over the internet. He takes her on a trip to learn the ropes while his life of solitude slowly dissolves. The film is often extremely funny while also dealing with a real dramatic problem (being laid off), but ultimately falls a little flat. It’s great fun to watch for the most part, but the end is hardly satisfying and feels disconnected and unreal.
Random Observations:
Up in the Air at the IMDb
This is the sixth of the ten Best Picture Oscar nominees (more about the Oscar nominations here) I’ve seen and I’m still rooting for one I haven’t seen - The Hurt Locker. The film is also nominated for Best Director (Jason Reitman), Best Adapted Screenplay (Reitman and Sheldon Turner), Best Actor (Clooney) and Best Supporting Actress for both Vera Farmiga and Anna Kendrick. Out of those, Clooney’s performance and Reitman’s direction are the most deserving winners, but both are unlike to walk away with the Oscar exactly one month from now.
Because there was an unusually long queue at the ticket counter, I actually missed the first few minutes of the film, something which I absolutely hate, and feel somewhat reluctant about the validity of my critique.
For the most part, the film worked as a realistic tale of human life, but the fact that somebody whose company fires people for other companies thinks that it might be a good idea to do so over video-chat, was too contrived and repeatedly took me out of the movie.
Tags: 2009, American Film, Amy Morton, Anna Kendrick, book adaptation, Chris Lowell, Comedy, Danny McBride, Drama, english, George Clooney, J.K. Simmons, Jason Bateman, Jason Reitman, Melanie Lynskey, minute movie review, movie review, Movies, Oscar, roamnce, Sam Elliott, Sheldon Turner, Steve Eastin, The Hurt Locker, Up in the Air, Vera Farmiga, Zach Galifianakis
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February 7th, 2010
Review:
After the owner and president of Hudsucker Industries jumps out of a window, the board decides to install an imbecile in the job to devalue the stock so they can buy the majority chair. But the man comes up with a brilliant idea (if you have seen the poster, you can guess what it is) and saves the company - at least for a while. But things never work out the way one expects. The film is a hilariously funny comedy that is somewhat diminished by the need to have a halfway coherent plot with a happy ending, resorting to fantasy to manage to get out of the many holes it dug. Nevertheless, the film is absolutely brilliant and should have firmly established the Coen Brothers as the leading comedy filmmakers of their time.
Random Observations:
The Hudsucker Proxy at the IMDb
John Goodman has a small cameo here and is credited as Karl Mundt, the name of his character in Barton Fink.
Also with a small cameo: the always awesome Steve Buscemi.
The dialogue in this film may be some of the funniest in the history of the medium.
I love how Tim Robbins, playing the lead guy, goes around showing people his circle, claiming that it is a great idea.
Sam Raimi, acclaimed horror (and Spider-Man) director, co-wrote the script with the Coen Brothers, almost ten years before the film was made.
I’m fairly certain that this film will prove to be even better on repeat viewings. It seems like one of the things it has in common with The Big Lebowski, which it precedes in many ways.
Tags: 1994, American Film, Barton Fink, Bill Cobbs, Bruce Campbell, Charles Durning, Christopher Darga, Coen Brothers, Comedy, David Byrd, english, Ethan Coen, fantasy movie, Gary Allen, Harry Bugin, I.M. Hobson, Jennifer Jason Leigh, Jerome Dempsey, Jim True, Joe Grifasi, Joel Coen, John Goodman, John Mahoney, John Scanlan, John Seitz, John Wylie, minute movie review, movie review, Movies, Patrick Cranshaw, Paul Newman, Peter McPherson, Richard Woods, Roy Brocksmith, Sam Raimi, Spider-Man, Steve Buscemi, The Big Lebowski, The Hudsucker Proxy, Tim Robbins
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February 5th, 2010
By now, it has been three days since the Nominations for the 2009 Academy Awards, more commonly known as Oscars, have been announced, and everybody has had plenty of time to comment on them, despair over the obvious oversights and dreadful inclusions, and ultimately come to accept them as the meaningless bullshit they are. So now I thought it would be a good idea to voice my opinions on (some of) the nominations, a complete list of which can be found here. My predictions as to who will win will be up in this very space in early March, in time for the, glorious, gloriously ridiculous and ridiculously overlong ceremony on March 7th. Read the rest of this entry »
Tags: A Serious Man, Academy, Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, AMPAS, An Education, Avatar, award season, Brokeback Mountain, Carey Mulligan, Christian Berger, Christoph Waltz, Coraline, Crazy Heart, Das weiße Band, District 9, english, Fantastic Mr. Fox, Helen Mirren, Inglourious Basterds, James Cameron, Jason Reitman, Jeff Bridges, Kathryn Bigelow, Meryl Streep, Mo'Nique, Movies, No Country for Old Men, Oscar, Precious: Based on the Novel Push by Sapphire, Sandra Bullock, The Blind Side, The Hurt Locker, Up, Up in the Air
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February 4th, 2010
Review:
Once more Rocky returns for an unnecessary sequel, this time around as the defending World Champion challenged by a mean guy called Mr. T (I forgot his character’s name - it was something subtle like Mr. Clobber), who beats the old man soundly. So once more Rocky has to buckle up, train, overcome adversity, only to win in the end. It’s all been there and yet it’s slightly more entertaining than the second time around. The film is faster paced, allowing less time for the clichés to really sink in, and while the villain of the film is almost exactly the same as the one in II, at least here he seems somewhat believable. The film is a waste of time, but at least an entertaining one.
Random Observations:
Rocky III at the IMDb
This time around, the clichés are not just in the pictures and the words, they are even mentioned in the dialogue. Sadly, not in any ironical fashion.
It was kind of nice to see Carl Weathers return as the former opponent, even if his behaviour here only follows the character from the first film, not the complete turn-around from the second.
Three down, three to go. I fear things will get worse before they get better.
Tags: 1982, Al Silvani, American Film, Burgess Meredith, Burt Young, Carl Weathers, english, franchise film, Hulk Hogan, Ian Fried, minute movie review, movie review, Movies, Mr. T, Rocky, Rocky III, sequel, sports movie, Sylvester Stallone, Talia Shire, Tony Burton
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February 3rd, 2010
Review:
A former police detective, suffering from acrophobia and vertigo, is asked by an old friend to follow his wife, who appears to suffer from being her own great grandmother who committed suicide a long time ago. As he follows her, he becomes more and more fascinated by the case and especially the woman, eventually falling in love with her. Then, in an entirely unexpected second act twist, the woman jumps off a tower and he becomes withdrawn before meeting a woman who looks exactly like the one he saw fall from the bell tower. If you consider the plot so far ridiculous, there is still one big surprise left for you, for it becomes even sillier. Nevertheless, the film is interesting and competently made, with some very good scenes, including the iconic shot when the hero tries to scale the staircase and suffers from vertigo.
Random Observations:
Vertigo at the IMDb
This is the fifteenth Hitckcock film I’ve seen, which could quite possibly mean that there is no director from whom I’ve seen more films, and yet I am still unimpressed. Sure, he made some really good movies (Rear Window, Psycho, North by Northwest) and a bunch of really competent ones, including this one, but I simply can’t count him among the truly great directors.
The film was not successful upon it’s initial release and Hitchcock blamed James Stewart for that, which is ridiculous, because Stewart is by far the best thing about the film.
Tags: 1958, Alec Coppel, Alfred Hitchcock, American Film, Barbara Bel Geddes, book adaptation, crime movie, D'Entre Les Morts, Ellen Corby, english, Henry Jones, James Stewart, Kim Novak, Konstantin Shayne, Lee Patrick, minute movie review, movie review, Movies, North by Northwest, Pierre Boileau, Psycho, Raymond Bailey, Rear Window, romance, Samuel A. Taylor, Thomas Narcejac, Thriller, Tom Helmore, Vertigo
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February 3rd, 2010
Review:
A young girl dies while giving birth, prompting the midwife to investigate, with the help of her diary, into her past. She comes up against the Russian mob in London, who are absolutely ruthless. The worst of them is a guy repeatedly proclaiming to just be the driver, but who actually does everything he is asked to do. But it is this man who also seems oddly reluctant to harm the midwife. This David Cronenberg film, again teaming him with Viggo Mortensen after the success of A History of Violence, is much more about the characters than the plot about human trafficking and the promises made to young woman in the East about life in the West. It’s a careful study, once more, of violent people and is carried in that by Mortensen in the lead role. It’s not a great film, maybe not even one of Cronenberg’s best, but it’s certainly worth your time.
Random Observations:
Eastern Promises at the IMDb
The three main men in the film are supposed to be Russians living in London - and they are played by an American, a Frenchman and a German. All three of them are convincing enough, it just struck me as peculiar.
The first film that Cronenberg shot entirely outside Canada.
Apparently, the portrayal of the Russian mobsters and their code struck pretty close to reality. It certainly seems more real than the glorifying mafia films that have come out of Hollywood.
Tags: 2007, A History of Violence, Armin Müller-Stahl, British Film, crime movie, David Cronenberg, Donald Sumpter, Drama, Eastern Promises, english, Jerzy Skolimowski, Mina E. Mina, minute movie review, movie review, Movies, Naomi Watts, Sinéad Cusack, Steven Knight, Thriller, Viggo Mortensen, Vincent Cassel
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February 2nd, 2010
Review:
You know what a good indicator for a bad sequel is? Starting the film off with the last five minutes of the previous film. Which is what writer, star and now turned director Sylvester Stallone does with this film. For five minutes, you get the ending of the first film - and after that, you get almost two hours that are more predictable than any other film I have ever seen - and I have seen a good portion of Michael Bay’s oeuvre. Rocky retires, wants to spend time with his wife, is goaded back into fighting because it’s the only thing he can do and, surprise, surprise, wins in the end. In addition, the film rehashes just about every scene from the first film, only this time with a much larger budget. And to think that there are another four sequels…
Random Observations:
Rocky II at the IMDb
The entire cast from the first film returned as well. I hope they were adequately compensated.
I think I expressed my disdain for boxing before, but I was really reminded why that sport sucks here. Two men hitting each other, what excitement.
The “upset” win in the title fight at the end was simply ridiculous. For fourteen rounds Rocky gets slapped around, never even covering his face, and yet he still emerges victorious in the last round.
Apparently, the final dramatic scene - both fighters trying to get up before being counted out (can you imagine the excitement?) - is also contrary to boxing regulations, since one of them slipped and thus didn’t have to get up in time. Now that’s drama - changing the rules to make sure the boring climax works!
Tags: 1979, Al Silvani, American Film, Bill Baldwin, Burgess Meredith, Burt Young, Carl Weathers, english, franchise film, Frank McRae, Joe Spinell, John Pleshette, Leonard Gaines, minute movie review, movie review, Movies, Rocky, Rocky II, sequel, sports movie, Stu Nahan, Sylvester Stallone, Sylvia Meals, Talia Shire, Tony Burton
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February 1st, 2010
Review:
A photographer broke his leg while trying for that special shot and now he has been stuck in his tiny apartment for six weeks, doing nothing but watching the neighbours and agonizing about his perfect girlfriend. But when his observations indicate that a salesman has murdered his wife, he has trouble convincing other people of his theory. The film, often considered to be Hitchcock’s best (and with his track record, that’s saying something) is a gripping thriller with a simple premise and a perfect build-up to an exciting finale, carried more by tension than action.
Random Observations:
Rear Window at the IMDb
Hitckcock, who loathed shooting on location, must have loved to be able to film entirely inside a single studio - on the biggest set ever built up to that time.
The shot of James Stewart in his wheelchair, looking through a camera, has to be one of the most iconic pictures in film history.
The awesome The Simpsons episode “Bart of Darkness” is a great homage to and parody of the film. But even if you have seen it beforehand, the film is still exciting to watch.
Tags: 1954, Alfred Hitchcock, American Film, Bart of Darkness, book adaptation, Cornell Woolrich, english, Frank Cady, Georgine Darcy, Grace Kelly, It Had to Be Murder, James Stewart, Jesslyn Fax, John Michael Hayes, Judith Evelyn, minute movie review, movie review, Movies, Rand Harper, Raymond Burr, Rear Window, Ross Bagdasarian, Sara Berner, The Simpsons, Thelma Ritter, Thriller, Wendell Corey
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January 31st, 2010
Review:
Barton Fink just has a major hit on Broadway and taking his agent’s advice to cash in on that, he moves to Hollywood to work as a screenwriter. But he wants to write about the common man and not be caught up in the artificial world of Tinseltown, so he stays at a common hotel and turns to his neighbour, who claims to sell insurance, for inspiration. The film, written by the Coen Brothers while struggling to finish the screenplay for Miller’s Crossing, is the darkest comedy imaginable about Hollywood, writing, the desire of an intellectual elite to not lose touch with reality, and especially the blindness for inspiration writers and other creative types can often suffer from. If you can connect to any of that, you will enjoy this film, if you cannot, you’d probably consider it boring.
Random Observations:
Barton Fink at the IMDb
The film is set in 1941, but unlike in other Coen Brothers films, the specific setting doesn’t really feel necessary. It could really take place any time, even though Fink’s desire for stories about normal people instead of Kings and the like certainly has been fulfilled in the last six decades.
The funniest characters in the film are the bit players - studio mogul Michael Lerner, big-shot producer Tony Shalhoub and hotel page Steve Buscemi.
The film is also a quite gripping thriller, although that part didn’t really fit in with the overall tone for me.
Tags: 1991, American Film, Barton Fink, Christopher Murney, Coen Brothers, Comedy, crime movie, David Warrilow, Drama, english, Ethan Coen, Joel Coen, John Goodman, John Mahoney, John Turturro, Jon Polito, Judy Davis, Michael Lerner, minute movie review, movie review, Movies, Richard Portnow, Steve Buscemi, Thriller, Tony Shalhoub
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