Starring: John C Reily, Jonah Hill and Marisa Tomei
Director: Jay and Mark DuPlass
Distribution and Production Studio: Fox Searchlight
I'll start this with a confession. The only place I can start with this review is at the very beginning. Not because it's a good place for ANY review to start, but because I'm unable to provide any review/opinion for the latter part of this god-awful movie.
Sitting through Cyrus was one of the most painful cinema visits I've endured. So much so, that for the first time ever, I walked out after 45 minutes. I've sat through some utter dross before, but this was perhaps the worst one yet.
The story centres around John (John C. Reily) who is a divorcee with no direction. The narrative starts by John recieving a kick to the stomach, when his ex-wife tells him she's remarrying. Aware of the flattening impact this visibly has on her ex-husband, she decides to drag him along to a party, which she and her new fiance are attending, to try and introduce John to other women, and get him out of his rut.
Whilst at the party being miserable and lonely, John gets drunk and eventually meets Molly (Tomei), with whom he immediately strikes a connection. As they begin a very loose relationship, it immediately becomes clear that they are seeking very different things, with John obviously interested in something a lot more serious than his new love-interest.
As Molly sneaks out of his house after an evening together, he follows her to where she lives, before falling asleep in the car. As he wakes up, he approaches the house and snoops around outside, before meeting Molly's son, Cyrus (Hill). As they talk and become aquianted, it becomes apparent that there exists a very strange dynamics between Cyrus and Molly. Despite being mother and son, they portray a relationship of close friends, with a sinister degree of closeness at points.
The story eventually goes on to follow Cyrus' attempts to keep his mother from being with John, as his unwillingness to watch his mother get hurt, and an all out battle ensues for her affections. I'll be honest though, this happens in the last 40 odd minutes, and I didn't stick around to see it.
Why?
Firstly, I'm not a huge fan of Fox Searchlight. They've yet to produce/write or distribute a film which has genuinely impressed me. Granted, that's perhaps nothing more than personal tastes, but each of their "highly acclaimed" releases have done nothing for me.
Slumdog Millionaire, Juno, Napoleon Dynamite, The Last King of Scotland, Garden State and The Secret Life of Bees being just a few examples.
The directors are the second problem for me - the DuPlass brothers are widely acclaimed for being able to produce films with zero-low budgets. They use specific techniques to maintain low costs and have achieved some success in the Indie scene, with films such as Baghead and This Is John. This time, they actually had a moderate budget, evident in the fact of the cast alone.
They stick to a "realist" type shooting of this film, encouraging long takes, which require a lot of improvisation from the actors. I've read many reviews which describe this as "quirky" and "beguiling", utilising dry humour and wit to tease out some very dark subject matter, which has a perverse aspect of humour.
The plot is slow paced, uneventful, poorly shot and very difficult to engage with. I can't criticise the actors, as I can't decide if they executed a poorly written story, or if they collectively butchered a decent story, but either way, it was not an enjoyable experience.
I was absolutely shocked to read some of the reviews of this film on the infamous Rotten Tomatoes website, which seem to hail this some form of artistic success, due to the fascinating storyline portrayal of "very real issues, dealt with in a quirky manner". This one particularly made me laugh:
"It all adds to the growing suspicion that Mark and Jay are two of the most exciting filmmakers working today." - David Edwards, Daily Mirror (UK)
If this is indeed the "creme de la creme" of movie-making just now, we had better get used to sitting through cinematic experiences which will bring a new definition to "tedious".
Rating: I dare not...
Tuesday, 14 September 2010
Friday, 3 September 2010
We Are Marshall (2006) - DVD
Director: McG
Starring: Matthew McConaughey, Matthew Fox, Anthony Mackie, David Staithairn
Studio: Legendary
Distrubtion Studio: Warner Brothers
With the start of the NCAA College Football season tomorrow, I decided to watch We Are Marshall this afternoon.
The story is a very moving retelling of how a football programme, University and community rebuild, following the devastating plane crash which killed all of the Marshall University Football team and coaches, as they returned from a game in East Carolina.
The melodramatic sport genre is a little similar to the concept of Marmite - you either love it, or hate it. What seperates We Are Marshall from the other films which are relative to this genre is the genuinely moving stories which are contained within.
The genre breeds very predictable storylines, yet somehow, the continued success of films is there for all to see, highlighted by the recent success of The Blind Side. We Are Marshall rises above many films within this style as it combines sporting success with the rebuilding of a surrounding community who lost sons, husbands, brothers and fathers in that fateful crash.
McConaughey plays the newly recruited coach, Jack Lengyel. Renowned for his starring roles in romantic comedies, McConaughey almost relishes this role as an opportunity to step outwith his pigeon-hole and play sn insightful and thoughtful role, guiding the redevelopment of the new Marshall Football programme. Starring alongside McConaughey is Matthew Fox, who plays assistant coach "Red" Dawson. Fox steps out of his familiar role as Jack Shepherd (Lost) and delivers a very subtle performance which would have been very difficult for lesser actors to play with an overabundance of melodrama considering the true nature of Dawsons' story, who was supposed to have travelled alongside those who perished on that tragic return flight from a season defeat in East Virginia. The lead cast is completed by Anthony Mackie (Nate Ruffin), David Strathairn (President Dedmon) and Ian McShane (Paul Griffen).
Perhaps the biggest criticism is the sincere difficulty the cast appear to have in portraying the story of this rebuild without resorting to over-emotional portrayals, save for Fox and McConaughey alone. The dramatisation isn't assisted by a typically sombre soundtrack, which adds an air of cliche to the entire storyline. Considering the highly emotional nature of the story, perhaps it's nigh impossible to avoid in this film, as the alternative approach would perhaps have been deemed disrespectful and insensitive to a degree.
The story itself is well balanced, maintaining a degree of personal story and sport action, which ensures a good pace of film and turns a very dark and sad story into an enjoyable, "feel-good" affair, which is a lasting tribute to the Marshall Football team.
College Football has continued to feature as a a fruitful resource for Hollywood over the years, with The Express, Remember the Titans, The Waterboy, The Junction Boys to name a few) but We Are Marshall is deserving of its place alongside these films, as it carries an additional dimension to balance the story of the football.
Regardless of what this NCAA season is going to bring, I'm going to enjoy watching my team running out on opening game-day, realising how lucky they are to have the opportunity.
"One day, not today, not tomorrow, not this season, probably not next season either but one day, you and I are gonna wake up and suddenly we're gonna be like every other team in every other sport where winning is everything and nothing else matters. And when that day comes, well thats, thats when we'll honor them." - Jack Lengyl
Tuesday, 31 August 2010
Scott Pilgrim vs The World
Director: Edgar Wright
Starring: Michael Cera, Mary Elizabeth Winstead, Alison Pill, Mark Webber, Ellen Wong, Keiran Culkin
Production Studio: Big Talk Films, Relativity Media
Distributed By: Universal Pictures
Adapted from the series of graphic novels by Bryan Lee O'Malley, Scott Pilgrim vs The World follows the story of Canadian Scott Pilgrim, as he progresses through the early years of his post-teen life.
The narrative line follows Scott (Cera) who is dating a high school girl, Knives Chau (Wong) at the offset of the story. One night, whilst dreaming, Scott envisions another woman, who automatically captivates him. Whilst in the library with Knives, Scott spies this girl from his dreams, and seeks to ultimately engineer a relationship with her. As Scott, a bassist in his band Sex Bob-omb, seeks to win the approval of this 'Ramona Flowers' (Winstead), he becomes aware that before he can be with her, he must defeat her "7 deadly ex's". The story develops as he fights his way through ex after ex, combining action, humour and creative screen-art to give the film an authentic feeling graphic novel adaptation.
The story itself is nothing fantastic, as when broken down, it is merely a 'coming of age/lessons learned' narrative, but with a very creative twist. The inclusion of the comic-type artwork and quick-remark humour ensures Scott Pilgrim is captivating from the off, with a style like which I personally, had not seen before.
The cast execute the plot well, and particular nods are given to Cera (who plays a similar non-macho role as his previous characters in Juno and Superbad), Winstead and Culkin (who plays Scott's gay room-mate, Wallace); each of whom are engaging characters, with substantial contributions to the onscreen quality. Winstead plays a thoughtful character, looking to escape her past of bad decisions with boyfriends and as well as the intellectual centre of the film, also plays the role of onscreen dream-girl, with Scott (and her 7 ex's) still craving her affection.
Added to the good plot, sustained humour, decent action sequences and an array of good acting is the impressive soundtrack, forming the basis of Sex Bob-omb's material, as they battle their way through a competition to seek a recording contract with super-producer, "GMan". The music (written for the film by Beck) incorporates well with the comical graphics and pace of the film. The soundtrack combines independent songs, some rock classics and a series of lesser well known bands, who all conform to the "underground garage band" sound, which is atypical of Sex Bob-omb.
The film follows on from other genre spoofs (Hot Fuzz and Shaun of the Dead immediately spring to mind), but executes the concept with a lot more engaging material than these other films.
Overall, it's a film most people will either love it or hate it, but the overall experience is remarkably positive, and you'll leave the cinema thinking you've never seen any film quite like it.
Rating: 7/10
Starring: Michael Cera, Mary Elizabeth Winstead, Alison Pill, Mark Webber, Ellen Wong, Keiran Culkin
Production Studio: Big Talk Films, Relativity Media
Distributed By: Universal Pictures
Adapted from the series of graphic novels by Bryan Lee O'Malley, Scott Pilgrim vs The World follows the story of Canadian Scott Pilgrim, as he progresses through the early years of his post-teen life.
The narrative line follows Scott (Cera) who is dating a high school girl, Knives Chau (Wong) at the offset of the story. One night, whilst dreaming, Scott envisions another woman, who automatically captivates him. Whilst in the library with Knives, Scott spies this girl from his dreams, and seeks to ultimately engineer a relationship with her. As Scott, a bassist in his band Sex Bob-omb, seeks to win the approval of this 'Ramona Flowers' (Winstead), he becomes aware that before he can be with her, he must defeat her "7 deadly ex's". The story develops as he fights his way through ex after ex, combining action, humour and creative screen-art to give the film an authentic feeling graphic novel adaptation.
The story itself is nothing fantastic, as when broken down, it is merely a 'coming of age/lessons learned' narrative, but with a very creative twist. The inclusion of the comic-type artwork and quick-remark humour ensures Scott Pilgrim is captivating from the off, with a style like which I personally, had not seen before.
The cast execute the plot well, and particular nods are given to Cera (who plays a similar non-macho role as his previous characters in Juno and Superbad), Winstead and Culkin (who plays Scott's gay room-mate, Wallace); each of whom are engaging characters, with substantial contributions to the onscreen quality. Winstead plays a thoughtful character, looking to escape her past of bad decisions with boyfriends and as well as the intellectual centre of the film, also plays the role of onscreen dream-girl, with Scott (and her 7 ex's) still craving her affection.
Added to the good plot, sustained humour, decent action sequences and an array of good acting is the impressive soundtrack, forming the basis of Sex Bob-omb's material, as they battle their way through a competition to seek a recording contract with super-producer, "GMan". The music (written for the film by Beck) incorporates well with the comical graphics and pace of the film. The soundtrack combines independent songs, some rock classics and a series of lesser well known bands, who all conform to the "underground garage band" sound, which is atypical of Sex Bob-omb.
The film follows on from other genre spoofs (Hot Fuzz and Shaun of the Dead immediately spring to mind), but executes the concept with a lot more engaging material than these other films.
Overall, it's a film most people will either love it or hate it, but the overall experience is remarkably positive, and you'll leave the cinema thinking you've never seen any film quite like it.
Rating: 7/10
Monday, 30 August 2010
The (very much) Expendables
Director: Sylvester Stallone
Starring: Sylvester Stallone, Jason Statham, Jet Li, Mickey Rourke, Dolph Lundgren, Eric Roberts and Bruce Willis
Production Studio: Nu Image & Millenium Films
Distributed By: Lionsgate
Date: 28/08/10
With a powerhouse cast and a director who is of presidential standing in the action genre, "The Expendables" promised so much and unfortunately, fails to deliver.
The storyline centres on a group of mercenaries who are hired by CIA Agent "Church" (Willis) to liberate a small Island in the Mexican Gulf. Upon arrival to the Island, Ross (Stallone) and Christmas (Statham) quickly realise that the native militia are being governed by a Rogue CIA Agent James Monroe (Roberts). Whilst on the Island, they are shown around by the daughter of militia general, Sandra (Itie), who refuses to leave with Ross and Christmas. Not able to get this girl off of his mind, Stallone decides to go back to the Island and rescue her. Although initially against a return the other Expendables decide to follow and help recover the rapidly deteriorating situation.
The narrative takes a little while to actually develop and the initial pace of the film is very slow. The ocassional comedic dialogue kept most of the audience interested, but the general shifting in the seats and glances at watches in the theatre were telling. The scene which features Ross, Agent Church and Trench (Schwarzenegger) was one of the most comically valuable, and also a nice touch to see the three actors on screen together, even if only briefly.
Let me not lambast the movie entirely though - the action sequences contained within were brilliant, but considering the cast, this should pretty much go without saying. If there was any criticism of the action sequences, it was perhaps the quickness with which they concluded. I was surprised to note that the film only received a 15 rating in the UK, as some of the action sequences produced some pretty graphic violence, with limb mutilation, graphic killings and at one point, someone being blown into 2 pieces with a high calibre shotgun.
The film certainly wasn't the worst I've ever seen, and it's worth going along to see the action sequences alone, but don't expect an overly engaging storyline or an action packed rollercoaster from start to finish.
My rating: 4/10
Starring: Sylvester Stallone, Jason Statham, Jet Li, Mickey Rourke, Dolph Lundgren, Eric Roberts and Bruce Willis
Production Studio: Nu Image & Millenium Films
Distributed By: Lionsgate
Date: 28/08/10
With a powerhouse cast and a director who is of presidential standing in the action genre, "The Expendables" promised so much and unfortunately, fails to deliver.
The storyline centres on a group of mercenaries who are hired by CIA Agent "Church" (Willis) to liberate a small Island in the Mexican Gulf. Upon arrival to the Island, Ross (Stallone) and Christmas (Statham) quickly realise that the native militia are being governed by a Rogue CIA Agent James Monroe (Roberts). Whilst on the Island, they are shown around by the daughter of militia general, Sandra (Itie), who refuses to leave with Ross and Christmas. Not able to get this girl off of his mind, Stallone decides to go back to the Island and rescue her. Although initially against a return the other Expendables decide to follow and help recover the rapidly deteriorating situation.
The narrative takes a little while to actually develop and the initial pace of the film is very slow. The ocassional comedic dialogue kept most of the audience interested, but the general shifting in the seats and glances at watches in the theatre were telling. The scene which features Ross, Agent Church and Trench (Schwarzenegger) was one of the most comically valuable, and also a nice touch to see the three actors on screen together, even if only briefly.
Let me not lambast the movie entirely though - the action sequences contained within were brilliant, but considering the cast, this should pretty much go without saying. If there was any criticism of the action sequences, it was perhaps the quickness with which they concluded. I was surprised to note that the film only received a 15 rating in the UK, as some of the action sequences produced some pretty graphic violence, with limb mutilation, graphic killings and at one point, someone being blown into 2 pieces with a high calibre shotgun.
The film certainly wasn't the worst I've ever seen, and it's worth going along to see the action sequences alone, but don't expect an overly engaging storyline or an action packed rollercoaster from start to finish.
My rating: 4/10
Sunday, 29 August 2010
Improving a Collection
I decided to update my DVD collection the other day, as it was feeling a little devoid of attention of late. I popped onto Amazon and managed to secure 30 new DVD's for just under £45!
Anyway, I'm going to use this first blog as a way to inventory what I all have available in my collection, including updates whenever I buy something new or sell one of them:
A Few Good Men
A History of Violence
Along Came Polly
American Gangster
American Pie 1
American Pie 2
American Pie: The Wedding
Any Given Sunday
Band of Brothers: Box Set
Black River
Blood Diamond
Blue Planet
Bowling for Columbine
Brokeback Mountain
Burn Notice - Season 1
Burn Notice - Season 2
Casino
Catch Me If You Can
Chasing Amy
Coach Carter
Constantine
Crash
Dara O'Briain: Live in London
The Dark Knight
The Day After Tomorrow
The Departed
Dogma
Donnie Darko
Doubt
The Dreamcatcher
Evolution
Fahrenheit 9/11
Fantastic Four
Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer
For A Few Dollars More
Fistfull of Dollars
Fight Club
From Dusk til Dawn
The Godfather 1-3
Goodfellas
The Good Shepherd
Good Will Hunting
Groundhog Day
Hancock
Happy Gilmore
Heroes - Season 1
Heroes - Season 2
Heroes - Season 3
Hitch
The Hurt Locker
I,Robot
The Incredible Hulk (2008)
Independence Day
Iron Man
The Italian Job
James Bond Ultimate Collection (Dr No. - Casino Royale (2010))
Jarhead
Jerry Maguire
Joshua
Jurassic Park
Jurassic Park: The Lost World
Jurassic Park III
Kung Fu Panda
L.A. Confidential
Layer Cake
The Last Samurai
Liar Liar
Mallrats
The Matrix
The Matrix Reloaded
The Matrix Revolutions
Max Payne
Men In Black
Men In Black II
Mission Impossible
Mission Impossible II
Mission Impossible III
Oceans 11
Oceans 12
Oceans 13
Once Upon A Time In America
Pearl Harbor
Pirates of the Carribean
Pirates of the Carribean: Dead Man's Chest
Pirates of the Carribean: At Worlds End
Planet Earth
Rage Against the Machine: Live in Mexico City
Remember the Titans
Road to Perdition
Role Models
Scarface
Shrek 1
Shrek 2
Shrek the Third
Smokin' Aces
Snow Patrol - Live in Belfast
Spider-man
Spider-man II
Spider-man III
The Spirit
Star Trek (2009)
The Sum of All Fears
Superbad
Terminator 2
Terminator Salvation
Transformers
Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen
Twilight
The Untouchables
V for Vendetta
War of the Worlds (2004)
Watchmen
We Are Marshall
Wild Wild West
Without a Trace - Season 1
Without a Trace - Season 2
Without a Trace - Season 3
X Men
X Men II
X Men III: The Last Stand
The X Files - Season 1
The X Files - Season 2
The X Files - Season 3
The X Files - Season 4
The X Files - Season 5
The X Files - Season 6
The X Files - Season 7
The X Files - Season 8
The X Files - Season 9
The X Files - Fight the Future
The X Files - I Want to Believe
Anyway, I'm going to use this first blog as a way to inventory what I all have available in my collection, including updates whenever I buy something new or sell one of them:
A Few Good Men
A History of Violence
Along Came Polly
American Gangster
American Pie 1
American Pie 2
American Pie: The Wedding
Any Given Sunday
Band of Brothers: Box Set
Black River
Blood Diamond
Blue Planet
Bowling for Columbine
Brokeback Mountain
Burn Notice - Season 1
Burn Notice - Season 2
Casino
Catch Me If You Can
Chasing Amy
Coach Carter
Constantine
Crash
Dara O'Briain: Live in London
The Dark Knight
The Day After Tomorrow
The Departed
Dogma
Donnie Darko
Doubt
The Dreamcatcher
Evolution
Fahrenheit 9/11
Fantastic Four
Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer
For A Few Dollars More
Fistfull of Dollars
Fight Club
From Dusk til Dawn
The Godfather 1-3
Goodfellas
The Good Shepherd
Good Will Hunting
Groundhog Day
Hancock
Happy Gilmore
Heroes - Season 1
Heroes - Season 2
Heroes - Season 3
Hitch
The Hurt Locker
I,Robot
The Incredible Hulk (2008)
Independence Day
Iron Man
The Italian Job
James Bond Ultimate Collection (Dr No. - Casino Royale (2010))
Jarhead
Jerry Maguire
Joshua
Jurassic Park
Jurassic Park: The Lost World
Jurassic Park III
Kung Fu Panda
L.A. Confidential
Layer Cake
The Last Samurai
Liar Liar
Mallrats
The Matrix
The Matrix Reloaded
The Matrix Revolutions
Max Payne
Men In Black
Men In Black II
Mission Impossible
Mission Impossible II
Mission Impossible III
Oceans 11
Oceans 12
Oceans 13
Once Upon A Time In America
Pearl Harbor
Pirates of the Carribean
Pirates of the Carribean: Dead Man's Chest
Pirates of the Carribean: At Worlds End
Planet Earth
Rage Against the Machine: Live in Mexico City
Remember the Titans
Road to Perdition
Role Models
Scarface
Shrek 1
Shrek 2
Shrek the Third
Smokin' Aces
Snow Patrol - Live in Belfast
Spider-man
Spider-man II
Spider-man III
The Spirit
Star Trek (2009)
The Sum of All Fears
Superbad
Terminator 2
Terminator Salvation
Transformers
Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen
Twilight
The Untouchables
V for Vendetta
War of the Worlds (2004)
Watchmen
We Are Marshall
Wild Wild West
Without a Trace - Season 1
Without a Trace - Season 2
Without a Trace - Season 3
X Men
X Men II
X Men III: The Last Stand
The X Files - Season 1
The X Files - Season 2
The X Files - Season 3
The X Files - Season 4
The X Files - Season 5
The X Files - Season 6
The X Files - Season 7
The X Files - Season 8
The X Files - Season 9
The X Files - Fight the Future
The X Files - I Want to Believe
Wednesday, 24 March 2010
The Opening Sequence
I cannot claim to be any kind of professional critic, nor can I even claim to be a student of film or the print media.
Over the past 2 years, my fiance and I have become regulars at our local cinema, thanks to the existence of a card which allows unlimited access for a small fee each month. Throughout our relationship, films have played an important role, from our first dates together, through to our downright obsession which has developed through University.
As a student of English Literature, my partner has a good grounding in narrative lines, underlying context and the social implications of the aforementioned categories. Having also studied Film as a module throughout her undergraduate degree, many of the cinematic concepts and practices are also familiar to her. Although my studies and continued research lie in the field of science, I have always maintained a social interest in theatre, cinema and the printed media, however, my interests have been broadened by my other half, who has always had a much wider spectrum of interest than I. As way of example, I refer you to the genre of science fiction and the medium of comic-book/graphic novels. Previously, I would have scoffed at either. I hated Star Wars and it's ilk (still not a fan of Star Wars itself, but perhaps that discussion's for another day) and wouldn't go out way to watch anything such as X Men, Spiderman etc - now I'm firmly hooked on both.
As we tend to indiscriminately visit with our cinema with such regularity, I aim to maintain this blog as an avenue of review for the films we see. Not only that, I'll maintain it for reviewing DVD releases, graphic novels/comics, theatre performances and game console releases.
Ultimately, this blog will serve as a distraction for whenever I have work I SHOULD be doing on my PhD.
Til the next coffee break...
Over the past 2 years, my fiance and I have become regulars at our local cinema, thanks to the existence of a card which allows unlimited access for a small fee each month. Throughout our relationship, films have played an important role, from our first dates together, through to our downright obsession which has developed through University.
As a student of English Literature, my partner has a good grounding in narrative lines, underlying context and the social implications of the aforementioned categories. Having also studied Film as a module throughout her undergraduate degree, many of the cinematic concepts and practices are also familiar to her. Although my studies and continued research lie in the field of science, I have always maintained a social interest in theatre, cinema and the printed media, however, my interests have been broadened by my other half, who has always had a much wider spectrum of interest than I. As way of example, I refer you to the genre of science fiction and the medium of comic-book/graphic novels. Previously, I would have scoffed at either. I hated Star Wars and it's ilk (still not a fan of Star Wars itself, but perhaps that discussion's for another day) and wouldn't go out way to watch anything such as X Men, Spiderman etc - now I'm firmly hooked on both.
As we tend to indiscriminately visit with our cinema with such regularity, I aim to maintain this blog as an avenue of review for the films we see. Not only that, I'll maintain it for reviewing DVD releases, graphic novels/comics, theatre performances and game console releases.
Ultimately, this blog will serve as a distraction for whenever I have work I SHOULD be doing on my PhD.
Til the next coffee break...
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