Monday 25 June 2012

The Five-Year Engagement


Yet another romantic comedy, set in the US of A but not quite as boring as the others. It was funny as fuck and gave a few turns that you didn’t expect, as well as a few that you did. With Jason Segel having a major part in the movie as a writer and a star of the film, it was bound to be funny. Also starring the quintessentially British Emily Blunt, it was clear that the film was going to be funny and girly, and strangely enough they made a really cute couple.
They get engaged, of course, that is what the film is based on. It is a super romantic proposal that made all of the girls look at their other halves with a look that just said “I want that”. You see them starting to plan the wedding and then their need to make it awesome when Emily’s sister gets knocked up and has a quickie, but super cute, wedding. Now, here is the ‘drop’ of the film. Emily gets a job and Jason leaves his super awesome chef job to go with her and he ends up working in a sandwich shop. You can see from this alone that the resentment is going to start, but the point is he keeps at it, to make her happy. Then her contract is extended and loads of shit goes down. Then they break-up, and that’s that.
The film was really well written and super funny, but I think that there wasn’t enough buzz about the film. I really did enjoy it though, it was funny and romantic and normal, you saw the way couples actually are, the arguing and the resentment and hatred that can develop. And you also see that sometimes, just sometimes, a baby will make him stay.
So yes, a good film, and another reason that I probably enjoyed it was that the cinema was empty, I did go to see it on the opening day and so I expected a load of people, but nope. The cinema was pretty dead, I put this down to the fact that it wasn’t a Wednesday, and so there wasn’t the Orange Wednesday offer which is the thing that draws in the students.
IT’S A HILARIOUS FILM. So go and watch it, especially if you liked films like The Break-Up, or if you’re a fan of messed up but adorable romances. GO! NOW! BYE!

Thursday 21 June 2012

Love and Other Drugs


This is a romantic film starring Anne Hathaway and Jake Gyllenhaal. Set in 1990’s Pittsburgh, it is a sweet, yet hard hitting film about the way illness can change a person and the relationships in their life.
We meet Jamie. He is clearly the player type, because he’s fucking his boss’ girlfriend. Then he gets caught, loses his job and changes his life path and decides to become a pharmaceutical rep. So you see him beginning his course, and then you see that he fucked his teacher, although he does still come across as being quite smart. And so he begins repping for Pfizer. He was given a shit drug though and you can see that he is struggling with giving out the samples. And when he finally get the proper chance to influence the doctor, he meets Maggie who is a 26 year-old with Parkinson’s. They start seeing each other in a ‘just physical’ kind of way and things heat up. Then she tells him about the drug that helps you get a hard on, he looks into it and begins repping that. Things are going well, he’s loaded. But she ends it with him. Watch the film to see what happens.
I genuinely really enjoyed this film. The story was immense, mainly because she was ill and it gave a kind of edge that romantic films don’t really have nowadays.
I am gonna say to everyone to watch this film. It is pretty good and pulls at your heart strings a bit. The film also kind of teaches you various things about different illnesses and ways of treating them.

Tuesday 19 June 2012

Secret Window


Secret Window is a 2004 thriller, directed by David Koepp and starring Johnny Depp. It is set, mainly, at his secluded cabin at Tashmore Lake.
Initially Mort (Depp) seems like an aggressive nut-job when you see him going after his wife and the guy she is sleeping with. As the story goes on though you can see that he is quite a chilled out character, he isn’t a big drinker and isn’t a massive smoker either, you do begin to wonder why his missus would cheat on him. Then you meet John Shooter, who is claiming that Mort has plagiarised one of his stories, and basically it goes that until Mort proves that he didn’t steal it John will keep killing people in his life. His wife’s house is set alight, his neighbour and friend and murdered as well as his dog. And killing a dog just proves that this guy is a whole other kind of crazy.
The film is well made, I guess, kind of follows suit of most other psychological thrillers, you knew what was coming and I guessed the ending, it was pretty obvious. So, if you are a bit of a wimp but you want to see a good thriller, then you should see this. I wouldn’t recommend it to people who like a big scare though. 

Monday 18 June 2012

Chatroom


I’m not quite sure how to classify this film, so the term thriller will have to do. It stars a few big British names, with Aaron Johnson taking the lead role. It also stars Skins’ Hannah Murray. And this may sound weird but the film is set mainly on the internet, because this film actually has a visual representation of what the internet is –TRULY AWESOME!
Our main character, William, makes a chat room called Chelsea Teens. Soon afterwards four people join it, they become friends and all is going well. They then make the room secure, to avoid paedophiles. You get cuts to what is happening in reality too, and you get to know William a bit more, and you realise that he is a boy that needs help. He wishes his brother was dead, for one. The story gets a faster pace when you see in to Jim’s life and when William tells him to stop taking the pills and talks about him behind his back; you can see that something is going to go horribly wrong. William then tells Jim to go to a different room, where he can talk to someone who can help him get over his feelings about his father. But when William takes Eva to this room, to show her what it is, you see that it is a suicide chat room. Things progressively go downwards from here and although the ending isn’t ridiculously profound and heartfelt, it does have a kind of moral (for lack of a better word).
The film was made differently, I loved this. Initially, the editing is all jumpy and the music is kind of weird but I thought that it set the film off on a really good note. I also majorly appreciate the film because it is a British film that isn’t about football hooligans or gangsters, and I’m not saying that this is what all British films are about, but there is a pattern emerging, right?
Anyway, I quite enjoyed this film, although it had a kind of primary school thing behind it, about being super careful on the internet and behaving yourself when you’re near train tracks etc. A good film though, give it a watch.

Sunday 17 June 2012

The Life of David Gale


A superb mystery crime drama type film set in Texas, and based around the death penalty. It stars Kevin Spacey and Kate Winslet…so a pretty awesome cast for a pretty awesome film.
Kate Winslet’s character is set the task of doing the first and last interview of someone put on Death Row, she has the help of her intern and the prisoner, played by Spacey, just has to tell Winslet his story. He slowly goes through his life story. He was a celebrated university lecturer and you see this, then you see his slow downfall. He tells about how he went through dealing with a cheating wife, being accused of rape by an ex-student, going through alcoholism whilst trying to cope with the divorce from his wife and the separation from his son. Then as you near the end of the film, you doubt his conviction. You can see that he isn’t the rape and murder type, especially not of his best friend. Then at the last minute, Kate Winslet and her intern figure out the truth behind everything. They try to save him with their findings, but whether or not they make it is for you to watch and find out.
I really enjoyed the film. It was especially well written. It has the cohesion that a film of this type needs, but it also keeps you asking questions until right at the end of the film, at which point everything is answered.
The editing in this film really stood out to me too. The quick cuts were used, of course. But between the scenes of him being interviewed and of his flashbacks, there are quick flashes of written and typed words that could be used to describe the way he was feeling, both when he retold the story and when the event actually occurred. This isn’t the kind of editing that you see every day, and I really enjoyed the fact that it didn’t stick to the norm.
Overall, I would say this film was a complete success, I enjoyed everything about it. I’d recommend it to anyone that is interested in the study of films, because it isn’t made in your typical manner. I would say that anyone who watches things like Criminal Minds or CSI on TV would like this film. 

Saturday 16 June 2012

The Switch


The Switch is a romantic comedy set in New York City and starring Jason Bateman and Jennifer Aniston. It is cute and the perfect film for girl’s night in (obviously).
Well to start off you find out that Wally and Kassie are best friends, the typical start to a rom-com. Then she is all like “I’m independent and I’m having a baby on my own with a donor”, so yeah, fair enough. Then it gets funny…Wally accidentally spills the donor sperm down the sink, so him and his hand get busy and he replaces it, he was so wrecked though that he had no idea that he did it. So then she gets pregnant, moves away and then eventually comes back, when she comes back Wally and the kid hit it off, but there’s a few curve balls…you’ll see.
It was made in the same way every romantic comedy is. There’s pointless background music, romantic yet awkward scenes. You know the drill. But I did genuinely enjoy it, I mean he gets his best friend pregnant…and doesn’t know it.
I recommend this film to females who like children and are super broody, cause it’s all adorable and shit. But lads, don’t bother putting yourself through the hassle.

Thursday 14 June 2012

Shame


Shame isn’t a typical Hollywood blockbuster type of film, it is a drama set in New York City. It stars Michael Fassbender and Carey Mulligan, it is a good film and it is definitely worth watching if you like something that is miles away from the norm.
Brandon is a bored businessman that has a secret kind of life. He is a sex addict. When his little sister comes to stay though, it completely changes his life. They clearly have a different kind of relationship, he casually talks to her whilst she is naked, they get into a hands-on fight when he’s wearing nothing but a towel, and yeah, she fucks his boss…in her BROTHERS BED!
It is a bit of a dirty kind of story line, about the way that people live behind closed doors and I liked it. It was definitely something different and I appreciated this, so many films nowadays just follow a kind of basic idea, which all films of that genre also follow. The film industry is slowly being murdered by shit films that follow the same script.
If you like massive blockbuster cinema releases then I don’t recommend watching this film. There are scenes that you wouldn’t approve of, such as the threesome. There’s also scenes that just won’t excite you enough, such as his sisters show, or his late night jog. If you enjoy things that veer away from basics, though, then definitely give this a look. It is interesting.

Tuesday 5 June 2012

Friends with Benefits


Friends with Benefits was a typical romantic comedy starring Mila Kunis, Justin Timberlake and Woody Harrelson, it was set mainly in New York, with parts of the film taking place in Los Angeles.
So, to start off with both of the protagonists break up with their other halves, they then meet each other, and become very good friends. But they can’t just leave it at two good friends, who both happen to be single and are of the opposite sex…oh no, so they decide that a fuck buddy relationship would work for both of them because they are emotionally bollocksed. Then of course, she wants to end it so that she can try and find her Prince Charming, so she goes on a date with this new guy, fucks him on the fifth date, he turns out to be a prick. I’m not gonna give away the ending, but surely you can see where this is going.
The film was really well written, and serious kudos to the writers, they know what kind of films sell. But in all seriousness, they could have made a film that ripped the norm to pieces with a title like that, but instead they made it like every other chick flick on the market…why?! I loved the film still, it was awesome, Mila Kunis bent over was hot, and Justin Timberlake topless is always good to get people to see a film. But it was just typical, and I was ridiculously let down.
The acting was good though, as was to be expected. The sex scenes were pretty good, without getting too graphic. I loved the sound effects when he first goes down on her. And the straight up honesty about sex in relationships was pure banter.
Hmmm, so now for my overall opinion…it was a good film that attracted the masses, but it would’ve been better without all the typical shit. But I do think that the film was great in the way that it was so straight up about guys and gash, shit sex when you’re in a relationship, and how everyone is an emotional fucktard. So yeah, I would recommend going to see it. If you liked The Break-Up then you’ll probably like this, it’s the same kind of humour. Check it out.

Sunday 3 June 2012

The Prestige


“Are you watching closely?” This is probably the most famous quote from the film The Prestige. Starring Christian Bale, Michael Caine, Scarlett Johansson and Hugh Jackman, it is a very high-end film, and for good reason. It is a mystery thriller set at the end of the nineteenth century and based in London and Colorado Springs.  
The film, like a lot of thrillers, began with the ending, which was Angier getting killed. We then move back to the start of the story, and you see where Angier and Borden’s relationship began. Then Angier’s wife meets her end and Angier believes that Borden is responsible for his wife’s death. This is where their relationship falls apart. As the film progresses you can see that Borden is clearly the better magician, but Angier is a better showman and so their rivalry continues as they try to one up each other. As the film begins to come to a close, you’re choice of who is the antagonist and who is the protagonist changes…but why?
The acting in this film was awesome. The choice of actors for the roles was perfect but if I tell you why it might ruin the film for you, so I’m not going to talk about the roles of Angier and Borden. But the females in the film were well chosen. I feel bad saying this but I can see Scarlett Johansson being ‘the other woman’, and I love that Piper Perabo plays a damsel in distress. But my favourite person in the whole film was Cutter, mainly for the reason that he was played by Michael Caine. Now what to say about Caine…there is no acting job that he couldn’t make work, and this film is no exception, he plays Cutter well, and his acting doesn’t ruin the ending (which is what happens when an actor is in the wrong role).
The rest of the film was pretty damn good too, but one thing that stands out the most is the setting. The magic shows were a good way of showing where the character was in life. If there was a small audience, and the stage was at the same level as the audience, then you know that they probably aren’t doing very well. But if the show is in a high-end theatre, then it shows quite the opposite. I liked, also, the fact that they used real and recognised names such as Edison and Tesla. The film was very well written and in terms of the facts that they used, they were quite precise.
This film was really good, definitely one of the better films that I’ve seen. To start off with I didn’t really want to watch it, but I am quite easily convinced, so here I am, watching a film that looks pretty average. But it was obvious pretty early on that I was horribly wrong. The twists are great, the constant changes in your mind about who is the protagonist and who is the antagonist add to the effect. AND IT IS ABOUT MAGIC. This film was clearly a winner from the off. I definitely recommend watching this if you like magic, or thrillers, or any films really…it is SICK!

Friday 1 June 2012

Gone


Gone is a thriller, not great, but not awful either. Amanda Seyfried takes the lead role of Jill Conway. The film also stars Jennifer Carpenter and Wes Bentley. The film is set in Portland, which honestly means nothing to me…I know jack shit about the geography of the U.S.A.
So, basically it goes that Jill was kidnapped a few years back and after it happened her parents died and so she has been in psych wards and on suicide watch because of all the crap that went down over a short period of time. Next thing you know – as if this girl needs anymore stress – her sister goes missing and Jill is convinced that it is the same guy that took and tried to kill her. So, like any sane person, she goes to the police and then - with the police being as shit as they are - they don’t believe her. So she does their job herself, and she goes on a hunt for her kidnapper and her sister.
The whole film was kind of basic, I wasn’t seriously impressed by anyone aspect of it. The editing was typical of a thriller, the placement of music, the jump shots…yadayadayada. But to be honest, the fact that it stuck to the norms of thriller film editing was quite good, as it kind of needs to be all jumpy and dark and shit to make it any good. It took me like forty minutes to watch the last ten minutes of the film, because I had to keep pausing it to calm myself down (but that’s because I’m a whimp)
Anyway, on the whole the film is good. Films starring Amanda Seyfried do tend to be of a mint quality. But they could have veered off from the norm a little bit, because the film as a whole was pretty standard. Honestly, don’t really care too much, because I genuinely really enjoyed the film. I’m thinking that fans of Untraceable would probably like this film.

Sorry

I just wanted to give you a quick apology, I've had really important and stressful exams and haven't been able to sit and write for a while, but I'm back, and I'll have so much free time over summer to write