Vince Vaughn and Owen Wilson proved to be a very good team in the surprisingly funny Wedding Crashers. Now, they team up in The Internship, a film about two salesmen whose careers have been torpedoed by the digital age who find their way into an internship at Google.
Product placement is something that audiences have begun to accept in the industry nowadays, but this film takes it way too far! This film is basically trying to be an advertisement for Google. I'd love to know how much Google paid them for this gesture. However, it was money wasted because, if anything, it made the company look a tad poor. All the characters who work there utter douchebags - it just makes you wonder why they would've ever let them go ahead with it. Even the top tier management are dicks.
Despite this, you may think this sounds like a fresh and niche sub-genre in comedy, but honestly, don't hold your breath. This is not winning any originality awards. The story is predictable and the characters are incredibly cliche. Someone who has problems interacting with people? Check. A (British, surprise surprise) know-it-all douchebag? Check. A guy who likes a girl but has problems approaching her? Check. All of them nerdy? Check, check, check. We've seen it all before.
However, it has some very funny jokes in it. I genuinely laughed out loud in parts. There's some very good referencing here which, in my opinion, makes for some very good comedy. There's an excellent X-Men joke followed by a very funny Harry Potter joke. There's also a funny running joke referencing Flashdance which made the audience laugh on frequent occassions.
It's messy at times, but it's also very funny at times. Don't get me wrong, it's winning no comedy of the year awards. I probably wouldn't even watch it again, but it did make me laugh - so it did it's job. Not a must watch, but a decent comedy.
6/10
Monday, 24 June 2013
Wednesday, 19 June 2013
Man of Steel Review
"Whoever that man is, good character or bad, he's gonna change the world."
In my opinion, Superman has never been that cool. I mean come on, he's indestructible. He's not going to die, where's the suspense? So when I heard Nolan and David S Goyer were going writing a new Superman I was pretty excited. After all, look what they've done with the Batman franchise.
And my god, they've done it again.
They've really nailed the human aspect of Superman. I mean really nailed it. I cared about Clark and Superman. I was worried for Clark and Superman and I felt for both. This was evident from the opening scene - which was outstanding by the way - when we saw how Clark got to Earth. It was extremely emotional. It really was lump in your throat stuff and really set the tone for the first half of the film.
The first half was, basically, an origins story. But Zack Snyder doesn't do it by the 'How to make Superhero origin stories' book. Instead, what he does do, is tell us Clark Kent's story through a series of flashbacks and montages. This is a stroke of genius. It's genuinely refreshing to watch and it should have been used to countless other superhero films (The Amazing Spider-Man, I'm looking at you). It really works because most know Superman and to those who don't it answers everything without wasting an entire half of the film (once again, The Amazing Spider-Man, I'm looking at you). It helps make Man of Steel stand out from the rest, which I like a lot.
In the second half, though, it turns into full on, bonafide summer blockbuster. No bad thing of course and in fact, now that we care about Superman and everyone around him - due to the excellent first half - it makes it much more enjoyable and tense. I'm worried about what might happen to Perry White or Lois Lane, or even Superman himself. He's shown to have weaknesses which is a good thing because all good heroes should have a weakness that villains should try and exploit. In this case, it's Clark's love for his loved ones and Earth itself that Zod tries to exploit. It's tense to watch, I loved it.
It helps that General Zod was a terrific villain too portrayed brilliantly by Michael Shannon. I loved Zod because he's such a complex character. I mean he's not necessarily a villain, he's just a general of his planet on a different planet. You could say that he's patriotic. So patriotic in fact, that he would be willing to kill an entire race for the sake of his own race. Add this to him fighting with one of his own race - Superman - and it makes dumb, outstanding battle scenes incredibly personal and deep.
A nod has to be given to the other cast too. It seems like I'm saying it for every film now, but the entire ensemble is just fantastic. Amy Adams steals the show as Lois Lane. She is what makes Superman human. She's the link between Superman and the other humans and she nails Lois Lane to a tee. Henry Cavill is very good as Clark. He brings something quite Shakespearean to the role.
However, I thought there was too much action. Don't get me wrong, it was done well, but I just felt that some of the scenes could have been more dramatic if there had been less of it. By the end of it, I was kinda a bit meh about some of the action because I had seen it a lot already.
Apart from that, it has to be said, that this film is very special, indeed. And, surprisingly, neither Kevin Costner nor Russell Crowe annoyed me in the entire film.
8/10
In my opinion, Superman has never been that cool. I mean come on, he's indestructible. He's not going to die, where's the suspense? So when I heard Nolan and David S Goyer were going writing a new Superman I was pretty excited. After all, look what they've done with the Batman franchise.
And my god, they've done it again.
They've really nailed the human aspect of Superman. I mean really nailed it. I cared about Clark and Superman. I was worried for Clark and Superman and I felt for both. This was evident from the opening scene - which was outstanding by the way - when we saw how Clark got to Earth. It was extremely emotional. It really was lump in your throat stuff and really set the tone for the first half of the film.
The first half was, basically, an origins story. But Zack Snyder doesn't do it by the 'How to make Superhero origin stories' book. Instead, what he does do, is tell us Clark Kent's story through a series of flashbacks and montages. This is a stroke of genius. It's genuinely refreshing to watch and it should have been used to countless other superhero films (The Amazing Spider-Man, I'm looking at you). It really works because most know Superman and to those who don't it answers everything without wasting an entire half of the film (once again, The Amazing Spider-Man, I'm looking at you). It helps make Man of Steel stand out from the rest, which I like a lot.
In the second half, though, it turns into full on, bonafide summer blockbuster. No bad thing of course and in fact, now that we care about Superman and everyone around him - due to the excellent first half - it makes it much more enjoyable and tense. I'm worried about what might happen to Perry White or Lois Lane, or even Superman himself. He's shown to have weaknesses which is a good thing because all good heroes should have a weakness that villains should try and exploit. In this case, it's Clark's love for his loved ones and Earth itself that Zod tries to exploit. It's tense to watch, I loved it.
It helps that General Zod was a terrific villain too portrayed brilliantly by Michael Shannon. I loved Zod because he's such a complex character. I mean he's not necessarily a villain, he's just a general of his planet on a different planet. You could say that he's patriotic. So patriotic in fact, that he would be willing to kill an entire race for the sake of his own race. Add this to him fighting with one of his own race - Superman - and it makes dumb, outstanding battle scenes incredibly personal and deep.
A nod has to be given to the other cast too. It seems like I'm saying it for every film now, but the entire ensemble is just fantastic. Amy Adams steals the show as Lois Lane. She is what makes Superman human. She's the link between Superman and the other humans and she nails Lois Lane to a tee. Henry Cavill is very good as Clark. He brings something quite Shakespearean to the role.
However, I thought there was too much action. Don't get me wrong, it was done well, but I just felt that some of the scenes could have been more dramatic if there had been less of it. By the end of it, I was kinda a bit meh about some of the action because I had seen it a lot already.
Apart from that, it has to be said, that this film is very special, indeed. And, surprisingly, neither Kevin Costner nor Russell Crowe annoyed me in the entire film.
8/10
Sunday, 16 June 2013
Kill List Review
The Kill List is totally brilliant - and absolute rubbish. More specifically, the first 66% of the movie is fantastic - sharply written, wonderfully acted, supremely directed, and filled with tension and realism.
And then it all goes wrong.
Ben Wheatley and Amy Jump start by crafting a stunning examination of the family life of a suburban hit-man that makes The Sopranos look glitzy. Neil Maskell is unnerving as Jay, whose long hiatus from 'work' has led to constant fighting with his wife. Their son witnesses the discord, and the tension and humanity is palpable.
Wheatley layers the non-action with skill, and really knows how to ratchet up the intrigue. The three main characters are all very good, and even the smaller roles of the son and girlfriend are well played and brilliantly written. You get the feeling you are watching something very special unfold on screen, with no indication of how it will all be resolved. I am a hardened end-guesser and am often right, but with this movie I had no idea where it was going, which is exciting and rare.
We're watching something that, to tell the truth, isn't the most interesting thing in the world, yet the writing and the directing make it totally engrossing and uncomfortable to watch. It's clever because it keeps you intrigued throughout.
For the first two parts of the three act structure - which it follows intensely, so much so that it's almost 3 completely different films put together - it's a very accomplished film. A film that makes you want to see the ending due to all the hinting that this is not what it seems, yet when I got to the end I felt completely underwhelmed. This is definitely a case of writers not knowing how to finish a very clever concept and it's incredibly disappointing.
I think finding a genre proved tough for this film. Like I said above, the three acts were all different. The first two acts were drama and crime respectively and then the ending dipped into horror which stuck out like a sore thumb and didn't fit in with the piece.
If Wheatley and Smart could just complete the ending this would have been a masterpiece in British film making. It had it all for two out of three parts. Fantastic acting, brilliant and unnerving cinematography and a very interesting, social-realistic concept that kept me going throughout.
6/10
And then it all goes wrong.
Ben Wheatley and Amy Jump start by crafting a stunning examination of the family life of a suburban hit-man that makes The Sopranos look glitzy. Neil Maskell is unnerving as Jay, whose long hiatus from 'work' has led to constant fighting with his wife. Their son witnesses the discord, and the tension and humanity is palpable.
Wheatley layers the non-action with skill, and really knows how to ratchet up the intrigue. The three main characters are all very good, and even the smaller roles of the son and girlfriend are well played and brilliantly written. You get the feeling you are watching something very special unfold on screen, with no indication of how it will all be resolved. I am a hardened end-guesser and am often right, but with this movie I had no idea where it was going, which is exciting and rare.
We're watching something that, to tell the truth, isn't the most interesting thing in the world, yet the writing and the directing make it totally engrossing and uncomfortable to watch. It's clever because it keeps you intrigued throughout.
For the first two parts of the three act structure - which it follows intensely, so much so that it's almost 3 completely different films put together - it's a very accomplished film. A film that makes you want to see the ending due to all the hinting that this is not what it seems, yet when I got to the end I felt completely underwhelmed. This is definitely a case of writers not knowing how to finish a very clever concept and it's incredibly disappointing.
I think finding a genre proved tough for this film. Like I said above, the three acts were all different. The first two acts were drama and crime respectively and then the ending dipped into horror which stuck out like a sore thumb and didn't fit in with the piece.
If Wheatley and Smart could just complete the ending this would have been a masterpiece in British film making. It had it all for two out of three parts. Fantastic acting, brilliant and unnerving cinematography and a very interesting, social-realistic concept that kept me going throughout.
6/10
Tuesday, 4 June 2013
The Iceman Review
It seems like every year a solid, stylish crime flick comes out and achieves a certain amount of praise. Last year, we had Killing Them Softly and this year we have biopic, The Iceman.
Starring Michael Shannon as Richard Kuklinski, a contract killer and family man who keeps both his family and his business separately, it tells the story of his life from the start of his contract killings to his arrest in 1986.
What I really enjoyed about this film, is the juxtaposition between Kuklinski's business and his family. They separated this to such a devastating effect. It worked terrifically well because it made you care about his family despite their ignorance in the situation. It was able to divulge us into the film despite us not liking the main character, Kuklinski.
Kuklinski is portrayed amazingly well by Michael Shannon. He really brought the sadistic side of him out, it was harrowing to watch at times because he really was 'The Iceman'. He almost has no feelings. Shannon's face was completely blank despite the vulgar things he was doing. The fact he was so nonchalant about his murders just added depth to his characters. From his first kill to his last, he just didn't care. He had no remorse - he was just doing it to help his family. It was truly disgusting to watch and credit has to be given to Shannon for that.
The supporting cast were just as good, bar one man in particular. David Schwimmer was cast as a gangster. SERIOUSLY? Ross from Friends?! He couldn't have pulled it off no matter what he did. At every word, every movement he was still comedic. The audience were laughing, despite the seriousness of the scene. It was truly awful casting. Despite this, Chris Evans puts in a great shift as Freezy - another contract killer that works with Kuklinski. His eccentric nature during his killings almost put Kuklinski to shame. He truly was a sick individual. Also, Winona Ryder puts in a good performance as Kuklinski's poor, ignorant wife. She's the main draw for me to this film. She makes us care about what's happening, because you don't want her to be hurt.
Despite being a solid crime film, though, I just felt that it was slightly missing something to make it a classic. It didn't have the depth that comes with true crime greats such as Scarface and Goodfellas.
It was a faithful biopic though and an enjoyable film.
7/10
Starring Michael Shannon as Richard Kuklinski, a contract killer and family man who keeps both his family and his business separately, it tells the story of his life from the start of his contract killings to his arrest in 1986.
What I really enjoyed about this film, is the juxtaposition between Kuklinski's business and his family. They separated this to such a devastating effect. It worked terrifically well because it made you care about his family despite their ignorance in the situation. It was able to divulge us into the film despite us not liking the main character, Kuklinski.
Kuklinski is portrayed amazingly well by Michael Shannon. He really brought the sadistic side of him out, it was harrowing to watch at times because he really was 'The Iceman'. He almost has no feelings. Shannon's face was completely blank despite the vulgar things he was doing. The fact he was so nonchalant about his murders just added depth to his characters. From his first kill to his last, he just didn't care. He had no remorse - he was just doing it to help his family. It was truly disgusting to watch and credit has to be given to Shannon for that.
The supporting cast were just as good, bar one man in particular. David Schwimmer was cast as a gangster. SERIOUSLY? Ross from Friends?! He couldn't have pulled it off no matter what he did. At every word, every movement he was still comedic. The audience were laughing, despite the seriousness of the scene. It was truly awful casting. Despite this, Chris Evans puts in a great shift as Freezy - another contract killer that works with Kuklinski. His eccentric nature during his killings almost put Kuklinski to shame. He truly was a sick individual. Also, Winona Ryder puts in a good performance as Kuklinski's poor, ignorant wife. She's the main draw for me to this film. She makes us care about what's happening, because you don't want her to be hurt.
Despite being a solid crime film, though, I just felt that it was slightly missing something to make it a classic. It didn't have the depth that comes with true crime greats such as Scarface and Goodfellas.
It was a faithful biopic though and an enjoyable film.
7/10
Sunday, 2 June 2013
The Perks of Being a Wallflower Review
People don't like to admit it, but film making is an art. It's a way of telling a story, sometimes beautifully, sometimes not so. Much like art, people connect to films in a way which reminds them of other important people in their life, happy memories and sad memories. The Perks of Being a Wallflower does all of these and more.
Music is also an art and does the same thing. The music has a big part to play in this. It's a wonderfully chosen assortment of offbeat music that resonates with me and a lot of teenagers my age. From David Bowie, to Dexy's Midnight Runners, to The Samples - it's just out standing. I found that it brought out the characters. It gave us a little bit more information, as did the references and the mise-en-scene in the characters rooms. The Smiths posters in Sam's room showed us her personality - The Smiths have strong connotations of depression, intelligence and problems. It was a clever from Stephen Chbosky, you could tell that he too has passion for this music.
Most importantly, this film brings home the truths of how hard it is growing up. Having to move schools, making friends, having issues at home...It's all portrayed perfectly from the director. "Welcome to the island of misfit toys." - When this line is spoken, we realize that most every high school kid has thought the same thing at some point. These are painful and difficult times and as Mr. Chbosky stated, we should encourage kids to fight through this stage and get on to the next and be able to find their true self. Clearly, the film made a strong impact on me. The decision to release as a 12 certificate was wise. There is no excess of profanity or nudity to divert attention from what really matters - the characters.
And the characters literally jumped out of the screen. Logan Lerman's performance blew me away. He did such an amazing job portraying the embodiment of Charlie through his expressions, his emotions, his movements, everything! He was wonderfully cast. The last 10 minutes of the movie alone is awards worthy because it really shows how talented he really is. I fell in love with his performance. So perfect in every way.
Ezra Miller is also wonderful, yet again. He plays Patrick, a gay character who's not afraid of who he is and Ezra portrays him amazingly well. I've seen almost all of his work, and he's becoming a great actor who's very rare in the sense that he's brave and daring in contrast to the roles he has previously played. He steals every line and scene he's in, becoming the comic relief. But even so, Patrick has his own personal problems and seeing how he deals with these is heartbreaking. He brings this teenage boy to life, he makes him relatable despite being offbeat and crazy. This is where Ezra Miller proves once again just how great of an actor he is.
Having Chbosky adapt his own novel was a stroke of genius. You could not get anyone better to direct it other than the author himself because this is his book. This is his vision so he knows exactly how it goes in his head and we can see throughout the film, just how much his vision has truly come alive. The dialogue is very honest and beautifully written. Not just the writing but the overall tone of the film reminds me a little bit of John Hughes' work.
This was not what I was expecting. I was expecting your usual "shy kid in high school learns to stick up for himself" sort of feel-good drama. This movie is so much more than that - I was truly blown away by the mature themes - mental illness, homosexuality, sexual abuse and suicide - and moving characters. It's a film that looks at the emotional aspects of that point in life without being sentimental. I really cared about these three teens - Charlie, Sam, and Patrick - and their story never felt cheesy. Just real, and moving, and touching.
It's a fantastic film for teenagers and adults alike.
9/10
Music is also an art and does the same thing. The music has a big part to play in this. It's a wonderfully chosen assortment of offbeat music that resonates with me and a lot of teenagers my age. From David Bowie, to Dexy's Midnight Runners, to The Samples - it's just out standing. I found that it brought out the characters. It gave us a little bit more information, as did the references and the mise-en-scene in the characters rooms. The Smiths posters in Sam's room showed us her personality - The Smiths have strong connotations of depression, intelligence and problems. It was a clever from Stephen Chbosky, you could tell that he too has passion for this music.
Most importantly, this film brings home the truths of how hard it is growing up. Having to move schools, making friends, having issues at home...It's all portrayed perfectly from the director. "Welcome to the island of misfit toys." - When this line is spoken, we realize that most every high school kid has thought the same thing at some point. These are painful and difficult times and as Mr. Chbosky stated, we should encourage kids to fight through this stage and get on to the next and be able to find their true self. Clearly, the film made a strong impact on me. The decision to release as a 12 certificate was wise. There is no excess of profanity or nudity to divert attention from what really matters - the characters.
And the characters literally jumped out of the screen. Logan Lerman's performance blew me away. He did such an amazing job portraying the embodiment of Charlie through his expressions, his emotions, his movements, everything! He was wonderfully cast. The last 10 minutes of the movie alone is awards worthy because it really shows how talented he really is. I fell in love with his performance. So perfect in every way.
Ezra Miller is also wonderful, yet again. He plays Patrick, a gay character who's not afraid of who he is and Ezra portrays him amazingly well. I've seen almost all of his work, and he's becoming a great actor who's very rare in the sense that he's brave and daring in contrast to the roles he has previously played. He steals every line and scene he's in, becoming the comic relief. But even so, Patrick has his own personal problems and seeing how he deals with these is heartbreaking. He brings this teenage boy to life, he makes him relatable despite being offbeat and crazy. This is where Ezra Miller proves once again just how great of an actor he is.
Having Chbosky adapt his own novel was a stroke of genius. You could not get anyone better to direct it other than the author himself because this is his book. This is his vision so he knows exactly how it goes in his head and we can see throughout the film, just how much his vision has truly come alive. The dialogue is very honest and beautifully written. Not just the writing but the overall tone of the film reminds me a little bit of John Hughes' work.
This was not what I was expecting. I was expecting your usual "shy kid in high school learns to stick up for himself" sort of feel-good drama. This movie is so much more than that - I was truly blown away by the mature themes - mental illness, homosexuality, sexual abuse and suicide - and moving characters. It's a film that looks at the emotional aspects of that point in life without being sentimental. I really cared about these three teens - Charlie, Sam, and Patrick - and their story never felt cheesy. Just real, and moving, and touching.
It's a fantastic film for teenagers and adults alike.
9/10
Sunday, 26 May 2013
Django Unchained Review
"D J A N G O - The D is silent"
Ah, Quentin Tarantino. Love him or hate him, you have to admire and respect his film making capabilities. His latest, Django Unchained, sees him tackle the Western genre - with devastating effect.
Django Unchained tells the story of Django who is freed by bounty hunter Dr. King Shultz (Christoph Waltz) in order to help him with a bounty. Quite quickly, Shultz takes Django under his wing and trains him as his partner. But he made him a promise: that he would rescue his wife from a plantation owned by the ruthless Calvin Candie (Leonardo DiCaprio). And rescuing her is not going to be all that easy.
What has to be said first is that this film is in no way racist. It's simply just stating facts about the time period it's set in. Yes, the word n****r is used fairly frequently but that's just because it stays true to the time and the setting. What was Tarantino supposed to do? If anything it's the opposite. It's showing us how wrong this was and is making the white guys out to be morons (one scene in particular).
Apart from that, I can't see how anyone could dislike this film. The acting is superb. Christoph Waltz puts in the performance of his life. Every scene he's in he steals and that's fairly impressive around a cast of Leonardo DiCaprio, Jamie Foxx and Samuel L Jackson. These three too put in fantastic performances, DiCaprio in particular. His villainous Calvin Candie is one of the most vile and unhinged characters I've ever seen on screen. This is further reinforced by one scene in which DiCaprio slams down on a table and accidentally cuts his hand which draws blood, but he doesn't stop. Instead he stays in character and improvises licking the blood off his hand and smearing it over a young woman's face.
The soundtrack too is absolutely marvelous. It's titular theme 'Django' opens the film and it instantly engrosses you into the film. It also helps make the opening title sequence one of the best I've ever seen, although my top three opening title sequences probably have Reservoir Dogs and Pulp Fiction in them too, so I shouldn't be surprised. Django's has such an enthralling opening title sequence that you're instantly hooked into the film until the credits roll. Which is a big achievement considering the film is pushing three hours, but I was never bored or I never felt like it was dragging.
The hybrids of genre are awesome too. It combines Western with a period drama, while all the same being a terrific action film with some hilarious moments. The shootouts in this film are crazy. I would go as far as saying that it's the goriest film Tarantino has made. Nut shots, brain explodes, blood spatters and branding irons. This film has it all and it's incredibly uncomfortable to watch at times - which once again just rings home how bad the times were.
Dialogue is once again used as a hook for the audience. The way Tarantino uses dialogue in Django just encapsulates his entire career. It's simply baffling how a man can have such vision and imagination to write the speech that he does and to then pull it off afterwards is quite spectacular. It's quotable, it's heartbreaking and most importantly, it makes every character seem that much more important which is one of the key reasons this film (and Tarantino's other films) is successful.
And need it be said how wonderful the cinematography in this film is. Tarantino continues to amaze me with what he can do with a camera. He delivers shots that I've never even seen before, it's unique and exciting to watch.
This is certainly one of Tarantino's best. Better than Reservoir Dogs and probably on par with Pulp Fiction. Immense film making.
9/10
Ah, Quentin Tarantino. Love him or hate him, you have to admire and respect his film making capabilities. His latest, Django Unchained, sees him tackle the Western genre - with devastating effect.
Django Unchained tells the story of Django who is freed by bounty hunter Dr. King Shultz (Christoph Waltz) in order to help him with a bounty. Quite quickly, Shultz takes Django under his wing and trains him as his partner. But he made him a promise: that he would rescue his wife from a plantation owned by the ruthless Calvin Candie (Leonardo DiCaprio). And rescuing her is not going to be all that easy.
What has to be said first is that this film is in no way racist. It's simply just stating facts about the time period it's set in. Yes, the word n****r is used fairly frequently but that's just because it stays true to the time and the setting. What was Tarantino supposed to do? If anything it's the opposite. It's showing us how wrong this was and is making the white guys out to be morons (one scene in particular).
Apart from that, I can't see how anyone could dislike this film. The acting is superb. Christoph Waltz puts in the performance of his life. Every scene he's in he steals and that's fairly impressive around a cast of Leonardo DiCaprio, Jamie Foxx and Samuel L Jackson. These three too put in fantastic performances, DiCaprio in particular. His villainous Calvin Candie is one of the most vile and unhinged characters I've ever seen on screen. This is further reinforced by one scene in which DiCaprio slams down on a table and accidentally cuts his hand which draws blood, but he doesn't stop. Instead he stays in character and improvises licking the blood off his hand and smearing it over a young woman's face.
The soundtrack too is absolutely marvelous. It's titular theme 'Django' opens the film and it instantly engrosses you into the film. It also helps make the opening title sequence one of the best I've ever seen, although my top three opening title sequences probably have Reservoir Dogs and Pulp Fiction in them too, so I shouldn't be surprised. Django's has such an enthralling opening title sequence that you're instantly hooked into the film until the credits roll. Which is a big achievement considering the film is pushing three hours, but I was never bored or I never felt like it was dragging.
The hybrids of genre are awesome too. It combines Western with a period drama, while all the same being a terrific action film with some hilarious moments. The shootouts in this film are crazy. I would go as far as saying that it's the goriest film Tarantino has made. Nut shots, brain explodes, blood spatters and branding irons. This film has it all and it's incredibly uncomfortable to watch at times - which once again just rings home how bad the times were.
Dialogue is once again used as a hook for the audience. The way Tarantino uses dialogue in Django just encapsulates his entire career. It's simply baffling how a man can have such vision and imagination to write the speech that he does and to then pull it off afterwards is quite spectacular. It's quotable, it's heartbreaking and most importantly, it makes every character seem that much more important which is one of the key reasons this film (and Tarantino's other films) is successful.
And need it be said how wonderful the cinematography in this film is. Tarantino continues to amaze me with what he can do with a camera. He delivers shots that I've never even seen before, it's unique and exciting to watch.
This is certainly one of Tarantino's best. Better than Reservoir Dogs and probably on par with Pulp Fiction. Immense film making.
9/10
Saturday, 25 May 2013
Paul Review
If, like everyone else in the world, you loved every second of Shaun of the Dead and Hot Fuzz you were probably very excited for Paul - Simon Pegg and Nick Frost's next film. I can tell you that it doesn't disappointment one little bit.
Pegg and Frost bring their love of everything science-fiction onto the screen with a story of two comic book geeks who accidentally come across an alien while on a road trip in America. Essentially, it's a road movie with the charm of Shaun of the Dead and Hot Fuzz with an alien. And if that doesn't sound interesting to you then you're frankly crazy!
What is evident here, is the care and hard work Pegg and Frost have put into this script because it really is a strong and very, very funny script. What is also evident is the chemistry that they have on screen. They bounce of each other - just like in Hot Fuzz and Shaun of the Dead - and you can see their friendship coming through the screen. It really is a joy to watch.
What is also a joy is the science-fiction references throughout. It just reinforces their childhood love of this genre whether it's Back to the Future or E.T, Star Wars or Close Encounters it's charming, handled with care and terrifically funny. If you love sci-fi too, then you'll love this film. The references are truly brilliant.
I also loved the blend of American and British humour. I genuinely think that both audiences could watch this film and laugh all the way through it. It really nails that side of the humour. This, in part, comes down to the casting too. With a cast of Jason Bateman, Kristen Wiig and Jane Lynch mixed in with Pegg and Frost themselves it really is comedy gold and just a joy to watch. Seth Rogan is usually an annoyance to me, but in this he plays the alien, Paul, to perfection.
This is a very good film. Not quite up there with Shaun or Fuzz, but it's got a very good script, it's hilariously funny and it's incredibly charming. Definitely check this one out.
8/10
Pegg and Frost bring their love of everything science-fiction onto the screen with a story of two comic book geeks who accidentally come across an alien while on a road trip in America. Essentially, it's a road movie with the charm of Shaun of the Dead and Hot Fuzz with an alien. And if that doesn't sound interesting to you then you're frankly crazy!
What is evident here, is the care and hard work Pegg and Frost have put into this script because it really is a strong and very, very funny script. What is also evident is the chemistry that they have on screen. They bounce of each other - just like in Hot Fuzz and Shaun of the Dead - and you can see their friendship coming through the screen. It really is a joy to watch.
What is also a joy is the science-fiction references throughout. It just reinforces their childhood love of this genre whether it's Back to the Future or E.T, Star Wars or Close Encounters it's charming, handled with care and terrifically funny. If you love sci-fi too, then you'll love this film. The references are truly brilliant.
I also loved the blend of American and British humour. I genuinely think that both audiences could watch this film and laugh all the way through it. It really nails that side of the humour. This, in part, comes down to the casting too. With a cast of Jason Bateman, Kristen Wiig and Jane Lynch mixed in with Pegg and Frost themselves it really is comedy gold and just a joy to watch. Seth Rogan is usually an annoyance to me, but in this he plays the alien, Paul, to perfection.
This is a very good film. Not quite up there with Shaun or Fuzz, but it's got a very good script, it's hilariously funny and it's incredibly charming. Definitely check this one out.
8/10
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