A few films to enjoy on a lazy weekend...

It has been awhile since I've actually sat down and written a review. I thought I would ease in by suggesting a few surprisingly good movies you might not otherwise take a second glance at:


WHEN YOU WANT TO STAY IN

Pirate Radio. From the creative talent behind films like Notting Hill and Love Actually comes the story of a group of misfits transmitting rock to the mainland, at a time when the British government would not allow it to be played on public radio. Alternately hilarious and touching, the film is the perfect combination of what made films like Notting Hill popular without the saccharine sweetness that also makes them unwatchable in parts. What's more it has an absolutely killer soundtrack. Then again, how could it not...

SPECIAL BONUS: watch the deleted scenes as they are 45 minutes of absolute hilarity. But do yourself a favour and leave the director intros off. There's a reason he's behind the camera.


Wild Target is another Bill Nighy special, also starring Emily Blunt and Rupert Grint (of Harry Potter fame). The story follows a thief (Blunt) and the assassin who is meant to be killing her (Nighy) but who-- in a strange twist-- becomes her bodyguard. Along for the ride is a hapless bystander played by Grint who seems to have a natural affinity for weapons (much to his and others' surprise). This oddball mix of characters works well together and all three actors are well cast in their roles. A fun and silly modern farce, this film will have you giggling from start to finish.


IF YOU'RE PLANNING A NIGHT OUT

The King's Speech is an inspiring (if a little formulaic) film that follows the late King George VI as he attempts to overcome his stutter. With strong character actors like Helena Bonham Carter and Colin Firth (as the royals) and the always fabulous Geoffrey Rush the fairly conventional writing is elevated to an enjoyable and uplifting outing. I defy you not to feel your heart swell as Firth spits out the final speech.


Morning Glory follows the path of small time tv producer Rachel McAdams as she tries to bump the viewership at her new morning show. Featuring the talents of Diane Keaton and Harrison Ford as the argumentative anchors, this is another feel good movie. Again it is the performances that make this film worn watching but there are more than a few funny lines and it's an altogether enjoyable little Rom Com.

For those of you more into unconventional film, stay tuned as Ill be covering Black Swan and some other less mainstream stuff in the near future.

Michael Cera vs. My expectations

Point Cera, with an assist from Edgar Wright.

As you will know if you've been reading for awhile, I've been looking forward to this movie for quite some time. However, I'm not the biggest fan of Michael Cera (this is more out of apathy than dislike). So I was reasonably concerned that I would not enjoy the film, even though I have enjoyed all of Edgar Wright's films thus far. What I didn't allow for was that I wasn't familiar with the source material. And if the film is any indication, I need to get familiar with the source material.

Based on the graphic novel from Toronto born artist/writer Bryan Lee O'Malley, Scott Pilgrim vs. The world follows a twenty something bassist whose band, the sex bab-ombs is struggling to make a name for themselves in the wake of Scott's heartache. With the story centered around Scott's love life, it runs the risk of getting too cutesy but O'Malley's humor deftly deflects any discomfort one might be feeling from the schmaltz. The humor does rely heavily on some basic old school gamer knowledge but manages a certain inclusivity by not being heavy handed about it. In addition to which, the meta humour that is peppered throughout is truly one of the film's strongest points and allows for even the regular moviegoer to enjoy.

Fun and quickly paced, Scott Pilgrim vs. The world is just good natured fun. And it doesn't hurt that it's set in Toronto.

Enjoy!

In honour of a good friend's wedding...

...today's list will be my top wedding movies.

Enjoy!

My Big Fat Greek Wedding (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3mS4VPs5OCI)

This is much more traditional than this list was supposed to be but I can't help getting a kick out of the comedy in this film. Light-hearted and enjoyable, this movie is a great curl up and enjoy type that doesn't require much thought.

Rachel Getting Married (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8tIvMUy8UDs)

On the flip side, this film gets to the nitty gritty of what being family really means. With a younger sister and maid of honour (Anne Hathaway) who's recently been released from rehab and a whole host of new potential family members in tow, this film leaves you feeling like you've actually been to a wedding...drama and all.

Father of the Bride (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bKSmMr0uOHk)

In true Steve Allen fashion this film stumbles through to the bitter end but ultimately shows its heart. God I miss the eighties.

The Wedding Singer (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pf3cy-eMfkQ)

And from the actual eighties to the fake eighties, this is by far (in my eyes at least) Sandler's best film as he plays frustrated but genuinely kind-hearted Wedding singer Robbie, who's heart has been stolen by an always adorable Drew Barrymore. With the 80's kitsch and the appearance of a Delorian midway through, this film will have even the toughest critic chuckling along.

Four Weddings and a Funeral (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qb7bu_n1erY)

No list would be complete without the film that made Hugh Grant famous. Four weddings and a funeral brings you back to the way that romantic comedies used to feel. That is, developed beyond: "Guy + Girl = sex and cooing from the audience".

Monsoon Wedding (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sjQjw-UyAX0)

Mira Nair's Golden Lion winning film is set in the four days that precede the arranged marriage of a middle class Indian family's only daughter. This is a film that I've always wanted to sit down and watch as I've heard nothing but good things about it so I figure, why not check it out?

Can you think of any great wedding movies?

TIFF is coming...are you prepared?

Today I came home from a weekend away to find my TIFF ticket package guide waiting in the mailbox for me to peruse and choose. But here's the rub: I went online to find out what was playing and take a look at the reviews so that I can figure out which package will work for me and lo and behold the response was this:



Not Cool. You expect me to pay a whole bunch of money for tickets I'm not even sure I'm going to use? I get that it's a prestige thing and everything but frankly I'm not interested in the showboating...I'm there for the films.

Shame TIFF. Shame!

The Girl Who Played With Fire...

Was fortunate to be one of the early birds who got a chance to attend a free screening of The Girl Who Played With Fire downtown yesterday and was very pleased with the result. Compelling as ever, Noomi Rapace and Michael Nyqvist are back in the second installment of this Swedish trilogy based on the thrilling novels of the same name.

Almost intentionally in opposition to the way that the last film was quiet and thoughtful, taking its time to unravel the mystery at the perfect pace, this film is loud and action packed with much stalking about of characters who in the last film, spent most of their time doing desk work. It is a necessity of these types of trilogies to "up the ante" as it were and certainly this film does in an interesting and, if not unique, certainly compelling way. And while I wasn't as engrossed in the film as with the first (sorry Matt), I certainly remained entertained and interested throughout.

Noomi Rapace's Lisbeth Salander continues to fascinate and excite me and certainly although I do find that Larsson's main characters all have interesting layers, I do believe that Lisbeth is his crowning achievement and the reason that the books have sold so universally well. What's more, while he is continually making a point of the violence that is directed towards women in modern Swedish society and the perspective on women in general, Larsson insists on trolling out a slew of strong and capable female characters. Michael Bloomkvist himself becomes involved with several and certainly seems (as the trilogy's resident hero) to gravitate towards and thus validate the strength of these female role models.

All in all the film was enjoyable and (for those who saw the first film) certainly not as upsetting. Though there are graphic depictions the action is much more james bond than snuff film this time around. Rest assured, you will not be disappointed by this offering and if you haven't yet seen the first movie...please....just do it.

Oh and check out the New York Times review: http://movies.nytimes.com/2010/07/09/movies/09girl.html

This Swedish thriller left me stunned...

This film is an incredible example of why remakes of amazing foreign properties should not be allowed. This film is paced beautifully, developed expertly and comes to a head in a satisfying and thought provoking way.

This film made me happy I hadn't read the book yet.

The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo is a Swedish thriller/mystery based on the best-selling novels by the late Steig Larsson (author and journalist much like his protagonist). The story picks up as Michael Bloomkvist, celebrated journalist, is convicted for defaming the character of a wealthy businessman about whom he wrote a tell-all exposé and takes place over the 6 months prior to his serving his jail sentence. Bloomkvist is approached by another wealthy tycoon whose favourite niece disappeared nearly 40 years prior and who is desperate to find out what happened. He is charged with uncovering the secret of her disappearance and the identity of her killer and, having nothing else to lose and no paying gig to speak of he accepts the assignment.

Though all of this is incredibly compelling and serves as the main storyline, keeping the momentum going it is the subplot and introduction of the titular character Lisbeth Salander which keeps the audience pinned to their seats. To give anything away about Lisbeth would be to take away from the impact of her story so I will simply say that actress Noomi Rapace's performance will be etched in my brain for quite some time.

You owe it to yourself to see the original before Hollywood makes a travesty of this incredible film (they're in talks with the production company for a remake). Do you remember My Sassy Girl (with Elisha Cuthbert and Jesse Bradford)? Brothers (you may remember this offering featuring Nathalie Portman, Jake Gyllenhaal and Tobey MacGuire)?

There's a reason the remakes weren't huge hits...respect the original. And while you're at it check out these two films as well. They may not have done well as remakes but there's a reason they were purchased...




(click the arrows on the right to open fullscreen)

Harry Brown, needs a vacation...

I truly adore Michael Caine. I think his acting, even in those few movies that he's done which weren't worthy of him, has been truly superb. In Harry Brown, we have undoubtedly found another movie which simply wasn't worth his acting talents. Caine, the film's suposed protagonist, is a pensionner who's wife has passed away and who live alone on the estates (low rent housing in London's south end). All Harry wants is to play chess with his only surviving mate, Len. But when Len is pushed too far by he hooligans living in their housing complex and gets himself killed it looks like Harry (a veteran marine involved in the conflict in Northern Ireland) has to go back to work.

Although there wasn't anything in the film which pushed so far it seemed unreal the overall feeling of the film-- for me--amounted to a badly executed cross between Gran Torino and Payback with none of the charm of either. Although Caine's returned marine is perfectly balanced, making mistakes from lack of practice and not being able to chase down young drug addicts, his coldness during the whole procedure makes it difficult not to sympathize with the victims. In addition where Clint Eastwood's character in Gran Torino grew through the film (realizing the error of his racist ways and defending a family from gangsters), Caine's Harry Brown devolved into a sometimes likeable killing machine reminiscent of homeicidal psychopaths. All this would be fine if, like Gibson's Payback protagonist, while clearly psychotic there were moments of lightness or comedy.

All in all I think the film was a little heavy on the violence and not heavy enough on the justice. If you want to see Michael Caine prove that pensionners can fight back the by all means, see the film, but be warned: you may come out of it with a tinge of pride for the unsung hooligans defending their homes from vigilantes and self-righteous policemen.

BABIES!!

Isn't that what you think every time you see the trailer for the new documentary film? Babies follows the youngest of four families through their first year until they start to walk. A great premise that was not at all executed well.

The four families that were chosen came from different countries and situations (one assumes in an attempt to show that we are all the same). Unfortunately I didn't get that at all and what's more, I found myself getting annoyed with the parents from San Fransisco and their insistence on speaking a language I could understand. Not a good sign. The film has consciously chosen not to interview the parents in order to focus our attention on their protagonists (the titular babies) and as a marketing strategy it works beautifully. Change a little text and your film can be shown Inc any country in the world. As a storytelling technique it comes off a little lacklustre.

The problem is not in the setup though but rather the execution of the film. The babies are not compelling enough to keep my attention for two hours and the interesting life of the children (who live in Nimibia, Mongolia, Japan and San Fransisco) is never mined because the filmmakers wanted to prove their preconceived notion of what they would find so they weren't looking for anything else. The babies were cute, the film was surprisingly short and ultimately it's a good thing to support documentaries but I would suggest you save your money and spend it on ice cream and a walk in the park, it'll be much more exciting.

Summer offerings a little less than "A"-okay...

I'm usually a big summer moviegoer. Certainly the summer is the time when the most anticipated blockbusters are usually released. But it seems like this year the offers are a little slim.

The Losers, an action comic originally conceived as a parody of the A team, has the unfortunate timing to have come out the same year as the new A team led by Liam Neeson. In addition the A team movie seems (in trailers anyway) to play like a parody of itself, aping the lines made famous by Mr T in the eighties. All the while another "A" team is being introduced in the adjacent movie theatre as Robert Downey Jr. and every famous person they could find to appear romp through Iron Man 2, which ends up amounting to a glorified trailer for the forthcoming Avengers film.

Having said that, I do think it will be a decent summer for documentaries and foreign films and with the general lack of big blockbusters that interest me I may actually manage to get out and see them. The trailer for Waiting for Superman nearly brings me to tears every time I see it and Disney's Oceans is poised be incredible. In addition there are plenty of docs that came out this year I have yet to see as I've been shirking my movie watching responsibilities in favour of television (which has been increasingly compelling of late).

So in the end, it seems, there may be enough alternatives to the summer blockbusters that I will be able to curb my appetite for film. And of course there's always Scot Pilgrim vs. The world ;)

Pre-packaged inspiration in convenient half sentence pieces...

I love the internet.


That is all.

Exciting news for Polley fans...

Deadline.com is reporting that Seth Rogen and Michelle Williams have signed on to star in Sarah Polley's latest film effort, the romantic endeavour Take This Waltz. Titled (it would seem) after the Leonard Cohen song of the same name, the script examines the life of a young woman coming to the realization that her infidelities and relationship troubles may be rooted in an addiction to "the honeymoon period" of relationships.

Nominated for an Oscar for "Best Adapted Screenplay" for her work on 2006's Away From Her, this script has earned her a place on the 2009 Black List ("a snapshot of the collective taste of the people who develop, produce, and release theatrical feature films in the Hollywood studio system and the mainstream independent system"). Though still in the final stages of financing the film is set to be produced in Toronto this summer and I, for one, am looking forward to what Ms. Polley has in store.

No escape from seing Nick Nolte...

This man is a disaster and I need to watch it unfold before my very eyes:

Too many actors in one film? Add a holiday!

According to BuzzSugar.com the already celeb packed cast of Gary Marshall's new rom-com Valentine's Day is getting two additional members. With stars like Julia Roberts, Anne Hathaway, Jessica Alba, Jessica Biel, Jennifer Garner, Shirley MacLaine, Bradley Cooper and Ashton Kutcher already on the roster, Marshall has now added "McDoctors" Dempsey and Dane to the lineup.

Checking out the film's basic premise (a collection of famous people play characters who are all somehow interconnected in which all the action takes place around Valentine's Day) and I have to say, it sounds like another attempt to re-create the intrigue of Love Actually. Marshall's last film, He's Just Not That Into You, tried to remodel the "famous ensemble cast" idea based on the beloved instructional booklet for empowered women of the same name. The result is what I like to call oatmeal...and plain oatmeal to boot. It's pleasant yes, but in the end it's not all that satisfying. It sort of fills you up without actually giving you the opportunity to thoroughly enjoy it. It's just sort of there.

I suppose we will see how it fares when the film comes out and believe me, you'll know when it's almost time to feel neutral about the release of this film. There will be a crap-load of trailers floating around that all end in a comprehensive list of the famous actors that appear in the film.

And it will look crowded.

Clearly I'm trailer creeping...

I just want to point out that Joseph Gordon-Levitt is probably always going to look like he's in his early twenties. Do you remember when he was on 3rd Rock from the Sun and he WAS in his (very) early twenties? He looked eight.

I'm pretty sure he's secretly made of magic and camera tricks...and that The Curious Case of Benjamin Button was actually based on his life. But they set it in the past and sent him to war instead of a sitcom because everyone knows the Oscars like them some angst and death.

The Vampire Salvador?

Stumbled across this little item which I'm sure is not news to as many people as I'd like to believe. Robert Pattinson as Salvador Dali (in the upcoming feature Little Ashes). It continues to surprise me how many people think it's a good idea to cast outside the country for national celebrities and heroes...


At any rate, check out the trailer and let me know what you think...and because I care I've linked the official movie website where you can see it in all its fullscreen potency. Oh la.

Long overdue: my Watchmen review...

As it has become nearly impossible in the last few months to move in any direction without bumping into a mention of the new Watchmen movie, I'm not going to bother re-hashing what everyone already knows. If you're one of the few people who have no idea that the Watchmen was originally a graphic novel then please get caught up.

We up to speed? Awesome...moving on.

I can't claim to have ever waited in line to see a midnight showing (though I have heard tell that it's quite the experience) nor am I the type to frantically count down an anticipated film opening. That said I have been eager to see the final result of a production that all involved claim is indescribable and which the writer of the original source material (Mr. Alan Moore) says he is "spitting venom all over".

There have been several great reviews on the film written by those who have NOT had the pleasure of reading the original graphic novel (David Eng at the REELAddict.com has an interesting take). It seems there is an overall feeling that in trying to stay true to the source material the film may have overlooked some of the key issues and alienated the general audience. That the change in medium necessitates a change in how the same information can be relayed to the audience is often misunderstood by fans of the original work as an attempt to improve that which the source work did so beautifully. This fear (in my opinion) has caused the filmmakers to focus on re-creating the wrong aspects of the original artwork; thus managing to alienate both the general public AND fans of the original.

While the source material is both violent and sexual it seems that in its re-creation the production team chose to focus too much on those aspects of the novel. In the scheme of things does Jon walking around nude for the whole movie (eliciting chuckles from the audience every time his penis appears onscreen) really make a difference? No. Without giving too much away there are other scenes which contributed to the audience's opinion of those behind the killings which, had they been included, would have made the final moral dilemma of the film more disturbing. For a work whose major selling point was that it made you think, reducing it to its most commercial elements (i.e. the look, violence, sexuality and "cool one liners") was-- in my opinion-- a mistake.

Are the effects cool? Yes. Does it tell an interesting story? Sure. Do the actors try to re-create the complex cast of characters present in the novel? Absolutely. Do they succeed? In most cases I would say no.

As much as I am drawing a negative picture of the film, when I spoke to my friends about the film one thing was made abundantly clear: while the issues we raised were many and varied, Jackie Earle Haley made it worth the price of admission. There is an overpowering quiet to Haley's Rorshach that takes over the screen whenever he appears and manages to create a three dimensional character which seems more real (and thus much more disturbing) than any of the others. While in the novel it is clear that the character of Walter Kovacs/Rorshach has intense psychological issues, Haley's portrayal of this broken man forced me to re-evaluate my reading of him from the novel.

Now THAT is an accomplishment.

In the end if you're interested in a "cool comic book movie" than by all means, go see this film. It is certainly doing well so many of you may have already seen it. If you've read the original source material you may be surprised by how much of the film is faithful to the novel. If you haven't, just sit back and enjoy what will likely shock you a little in its graphic nature. Ultimately I was surprised and not as disappointed as I expected to be; plus, I have a new found interest in our friend Mr. Hayley, who can next be seen in Shutter Island with Mark Ruffalo and Sir. Ben Kingsley.

Oh yeah, and no matter what you decide about the film...go read the novel!

I'll give you a hint...

And Just when you thought any semblance of originality had disappeared from the vestiges of Hollywood production houses...CLUE: the movie.

Yes that's right...THE MOVIE

Based on a billion dollar making board game from the 40's and brought to you by that guy who made an Oscar nominated trilogy of kids action movies loosely based on a theme park ride, comes 'Clue' from Universal Pictures. It should be noted that this game has already spawned 1985's black comedy "Clue" starring Tim Curry and a host of other known actors which did not do very well commercially but has managed to somehow attract a mini-cult following.

Now to be fair, if I had made billions of dollars based on a board game that the entire world already owns, I too would be trying to find new ways to stretch the product. And who better to direct it than Gore Verbinski? He has directed several of the pivotal movies of our time...The Ring, Mousehunt, Hmm...I think I'm sensing a pattern here. I may need to rethink this whole striving for originality thing... Also waiting in the wings according to Variety.com? "Stretch Armstrong", "Monopoly", "Candyland" and "Ouija".

I'm very concerned.

Gore Verbinski to direct 'Clue'
http://www.variety.com/article/VR1118000533.html?c=13