Due to all the other chaos going around me (selling house, changing jobs with associated endless costs and bills, selling motorcycle, losing the plot etc etc etc), I think I'll blog about some movies I've seen recently.
Inception (2010) - I really like Christopher Nolan's work and I thought diCaprio played his part well in detailing how the mind constructs dreams and ideas. The movie leaves you constantly questioning reality and how we perceive the world. Beautifully constructed. I know some people struggle to connect with Nolan's characters however I felt there were plenty of emotional aspects for each character to come alive. Definitely worth seeing on the big screen with a coffee beforehand to help you focus! 9/10
The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo (Sweden 2009) - I'm a fan of the Steig Larsson books (Millennium Trilogy). Based around a Swedish magazine (Millennium) and their key writer (Mikael Blomkvist) and an antisocial woman (Lisbeth Salander). The first film/book is based around Mikael investigating the disappearance of a woman from a famous family. Well shot and ties together well. The movie skips a lot of the development of the magazine in the novel and focuses on the key story however there are enough hooks to link the next two films. An enjoyable watch. 7 1/2/10
The Girl who Played with Fire (Sweden 2009) - second of the Millennium trilogy. Begins introducing the back story of Lisbeth Salander which is an indictment on governmental abuse (more in no. 3). This one focuses on the murder of two people freelancing for Millennium and Salander is the prime suspect. Again, elegantly shot. Although there is a lot of detail missing from the book, the film hangs together tightly and leaves you waiting impatiently for no. 3. 7/10
A Prophet (France 2009) - based on the tale of an Arabic man sent to prison for 5 years. Details the rivalry between the Arabic and Corsican gangs in the prison setting. Gives a nasty (and yet unfortunately realistic) description of prison life and vendettas. The film is too long (2 1/2hrs) and drags a little towards the end however it's engaging and very non-Hollywood. 7/10
How I Ended This Summer (Russia 2010) - Beautifully shot Russian film set in a meterology spot on a remote island. Nothing to do outside of station monitoring except catch dinner and play in the leftover army sites. Slice-of-life style film involving an old hand and a young, computer bunny. Drama ensues when the young chap becomes afraid to pass on some bad news to the old chap due to fears for his life. You have to be in the mood for a slow paced film however the black humour is excellent. My favourite from the film fest. 9/10
The Double Hour (Italy 2009) - Sonia, a chambermaid in a fancy Turin hotel joins a speed-dating club and hits it off with Guido, a hunky security guard. What follows is a cleverly constructed double story of their interaction and her betrayal. Nicely put together and entertaining. 7/10
25 Carat (Spain 2008) - entertaining Spanish film in the style of Snatch (gangster, good guy/bad guy) etc. Well-paced, not too long. Good character development of the main stars and ended before becoming repetitive. 7/10
Agora (2009) - starring Rachel Weisz as Hypatia, Greek female mathematician/philosopher. Really struggled to connect with this film. Nicely shot and points out the fanaticism and ridiculousness of religion however the characters felt flat and poorly developed. Rachel Weisz lacked the passion to pull off her role - willing to die for her beliefs but not defend them? Didn't leave me feeling satisfied. 5/10 on a slow rainy Sunday.
Room With a View (1985) - I haven't watched this in years. In the days that Merchant Ivory really was Mr Merchant and Mr Ivory comes Helena Bonham Carter's first film. She still has the mighty eyebrows (even at age 19). I like the slow pace of EM Forster and find the pace and snideness of this movie appealing. Stars a multitude of British actors including Maggie Smith. A typical tale of boy meets girl, girl thinks she should marry one chap and then marries another. A classic chick flick. 7 1/2/10
Green Zone (2010) - Matt Damon what were you thinking. He stars as a warrant officer in the Iraq war discovering that WMD don't exist. Cue crusade to bring this all to justice. Good guys vs bad guys. Brendan Gleeson trying to do a British?! American?! accent. This film was very unbelievable and poorly written. Try Generation Kill if you want to see an Iraq tale. 4/10.
The Aviator (2004) - Thought I'd check out some of diCaprio's earlier stuff as I'm enjoying his acting more and more. diCaprio starts as Howard Hughes, early American director, millionaire, engineer and aviation inventor in the period between 1920 - 1950. Directed by Scorsese so the start is really slow - the first 50 minutes are scene setting and it feels a little confusing and dull to begin with. Cate Blanchett stars as Katharine Hepburn and mimics those irritating mannerisms perfectly. The last 90 minutes rushes by so fast and is extremely engaging. Well worth a watch (persevere!) 7 1/2/10.
The Beach (2000) diCaprio stars as Richard, a young American lad touring Thailand. Given a map for a beach paradise by a chap who commits suicide the next day. Finds the island where a bunch of reclusive students have managed to set up a resort for 5(!) years. The film focuses on the obsession to keep the island secret. Not quite what I expected and fortunately the film is only long enough to explore the story in a linear fashion. Entertaining bumf for a non-thinking night. 6/10
That'll do!
The Rose
