Showing posts with label Drama. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Drama. Show all posts

Sunday 2 March 2014

Don Jon Movie Review

Don Jon Movie Review

Director: Joseph Gordon-Levitt

UK Release Date: 15th November 2013

Running Time: 90 minutes

Starring: Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Scarlett Johansson, Julianne Moore

Joseph Gordon-Levitt's first directorial debut brings us "Don Jon" - a film billed as a rom-com.  However, it is not the typical film you would find in this genre and was a big risk for the "Inception" (2010) and "The Dark Knight Rises" (2012) star. Does the risk pay off?  The film was certainly different and fresh from others but it is not a movie that stands out as a must watch.

Jon Martello (Gordon-Levitt) is enjoying life; he loves partying, he loves his car, he loves meeting women but above all he loves pornography, claiming to watch it every day. This love infringes upon his relationships with women including Barbara Sugarman (Johansson) who he trails for a long time in search for love.  He also meets Esther (Moore) who he shares a connection with but can any female accept his love for pornography as part of the person he is?

Review, rating, trailer and photo of Don Jon

"Don Jon" is filmed in a unique way.  With many repeated scenes throughout with slight differences which is where a lot of the comedy comes from.  The  life of Jon Martello is the same day in day out verging on the edge of OCD.  The sheer extent to what he will do to get his 'fix' (of pornography) is portrayed very well and in a way that it can be watched easily by the audience.  Obviously the topic is still quite taboo to talk about in public and the film respects that to some extent. The film does not follow the usual romantic comedy plot line and this is something that is a positive for the film but come the end of the movie it does fall flat. It is predictable to watch and  you know what is going to happen yet it is not as clear cut as the usual films within this genre. 

The performances in the film are good but not amazing.  All three of the main actors, Gordon-Levitt, Johansson and Moore all provide easy and enjoyable viewing with not one standing out above the rest.  Moore and Johansson link up well with Gordon-Levitt who despite a dodgy awkward accent gives a solid performance in the lead role.  It is also a good directorial debut for Gordon-Levitt and his hitRECord production company.

Overall, "Don Jon" is a good film but does lack the final quality and edge to make it an excellent film. It is fun in places and the way it has been directed and put together is original - showing the raw talent of Gordon-Levitt.  It is a better than average movie and it is not one that you will want to watch with your parents. An entertaining movie with a good cast and interesting yet different storyline.

M+F Rating: 6/10


Reviewed by M+F Reviews.

Saturday 1 March 2014

The Iceman Movie Review

The Iceman Movie Review

Director: Ariel Vromen

UK Release Date: 7th June 2013

Running Time: 106 minutes

Starring: Michael Shannon, Winona Ryder, Ray Liotta, Chris Evans, James Franco

"The Iceman" was released in 2013 and  is the chilling true story of Richard Kuklinksi.  Kuklinski was a notorious contract killer who murdered over 100 people while his wife and children were unaware of his murderous work life.  The film depicts his story and follows his relationships with his bosses and his family.

In the film Kuklinski (Michael Shannon) is seen meeting and having to work for Roy Demeo (Ray Liotta) having previously met his soon to be wife Deborah Pellicotti (Winona Ryder). He seemingly does a good job of keeping his killing separate and secret from his family life until one day he makes a mistake.  Desperate for money, the stakes are raised as he tries to keep both of his lives separate and avoid being killed or caught by the cops. 

Michael Shannon as Richard Kuklinski in The Iceman
Richard Kuklinski (Shannon) in The Iceman
Photo courtesy of Millennium Entertainment


While watching this film be prepared - the story is very shocking.  Just the idea that a man could kill over 100 people and still hold down a normal family life for so long with them not having any idea is more than enough to send shivers down anyone's spine.  The true story of Kukinski is portrayed very well in the "The Iceman" but the standout aspect of the film is the acting.  Shannon delivers an incredible cold performance as Kuklinski and likewise Ryder gives a great performance as his wife, Deborah.  Liotta's role as Roy Demeo is average. It is a typical role to play for the "Goodfellas" (1990) star.  

More impressive was Chris Evans as Mr. Freezy and also David Schwimmer as Josh Rosenthal.  Both actors are unrecognizable and portray there characters very well.  Having these two in the film and with the addition of James Franco in a very short role really adds some weight the film.  The acting performances in the film really stand out and from this perspective the film is very good.

Chris Evans as Mr. Freezy in The Iceman
Mr. Freezy (Evans) in The Iceman
Photo courtesy of Millennium Entertainment

A problem with the film was that it makes the audience feel a certain way.  By the end of the film you feel an emotional tie with Kuklinski when really we should not, as quite clearly he was not a good person.  We sympathise with him and his situation by the end of the film.  We should really be symptahising with his victims, their families and his family who knew nothing about his actions.  This was one let down with the film as it made us feel something for a charcter that we did not want to feel.  Is this good film-making?  Of course, but is it the right way to portray a true story and one of this magnitude surrounded by so much death?

Overall, the film is an interesting one to watch.  Great performances from the majority of the cast make it a real pleasure to watch and it is good to see the lead in a film given to someone who is not as well known as others.  Shannon gives an inspiring performance and is backed up by the likes of Evans and Ryder.  One perfect way to describe this film is by The Guardians Peter Bradshaw who described it as "Zodiac meets Goodfellas." Unfortunately, "The Iceman" does not reach the heights of either of these films but it is by no means a disappointment. 

M+F Reviews: 7/10


Reviewed by M+F Reviews.

Wednesday 26 February 2014

The Room Movie Review

The Room Movie Review

Director: Tommy Wiseau 

UK Release Date: 24th July 2009

Running Time: 99 minutes

Starring: Tommy Wiseau, Juliette Danielle, Greg Sestero

"The Room" is now a cult classic, but not because it is a good film. It has achieved cult status as it has been labelled one of and if not the worst film of all time. It came out in 2003 but did not have its UK release until 2009 after it had acquired its cult status. This label was to us an open invitation - to view the film and make our own decision on the movie.

The film was written by, produced by, directed by and stars Tommy Wiseau.  It follows the life of Johnny (Wiseau) who is  banker. He is in a relationship with Lisa (Juliette Danielle) but a love triangle forms with his best friend Mark (Greg Sestero). 

Tommy Wisea stars in The Room

If you are a film fanatic and love films for what they are then you will be able to sit through "The Room" but only just.  It is a difficult movie to watch but for none other than the reason that it is poor.  From a film standpoint, it feels like it is ten or twenty years older than it release date.  The scenes are often unmoving, quiet and feature one or two characters conversing in very basic odd dialect.  It really is a strange film.  It features numerous love scenes that are quite frankly unnecessary and also shows clips of the city skyline between scenes for an extended period of time that really are pointless.

However, all is not bad about "The Room" - well it is, but you can make the viewing experience more fun. The reason it has become a cult film is that audiences can enjoy it for being so bad.  There are many lines in the scripts that have become popular and can be enjoyed while watching in a group with friends.  It is only in this setting that you will be able to enjoy this film.

"The Room" is far from excellent and is by far the worst film we have ever seen to date.  Even now, we are still not sure what the point of the movie is.  It does not offer anything, the storyline is poor and very basic.  The dialiect and script are quite boring throughout and it is really dificult to engage with this film.  The only good thing that can be enjoyed is the comfort of others to watch it with you to try and make it a more enjoyable experience.

M+F Rating: 1/10


Reviewed by M+F Reviews.

Tuesday 25 February 2014

Behind the Candelabra Movie Review

Behind the Candelabra Movie Review

Director: Steven Soderbergh

UK Release Date: 7th June 2013

Running Time: 118 minutes

Starring: Michael Douglas, Matt Damon, Eric Zuckerman, Dan Aykroyd

 "Behind the Candelabra" stars Matt Damon and Michael Douglas in roles that are both challenging and eccentric.  The good thing is, they are both excellent in their portrayals of the titular characters in the film - Liberace and Scott Thorson.  The film itself is good but does not reach the heights of the performances that both Damon and Douglas give. 

The film focusses on the relationship of Liberace (Douglas) and Scott Thorson (Damon).  The film is based on the real memoir written by Thorson called Behind the Candelabra: My Life with Liberace which was published in 1988. The film recounts how the two of them meet and interact with each other and ends with Liberace's death.

As a film "Behind the Candelabra" is presented in a good way. It is easy to follow and portrays the story well.  The background music throughout is in true Steven Soderbergh style and similarities can be drawn between this and the films in the Oceans film series. Although this film is not billed as a comedy it can be quite amusing at times.  Firstly it is quite funny to see Douglas and Damon is the roles they play as they are so different to what they have done before, and what we are used to.  This is more so for Damon who usually plays an action based character like he does in "Elysium" (2013) and the Bourne Trilogy.

Matt Damon and Michael Douglas as Scott Thorson and Liberace in Behind the Candelabra

Staying with Damon as Scott Thorson - it really is a tremendous performance.  As we said, it is very different to what we have seen him do before but he plays the role really well and is convincing.  It is funny to see him with a face that has been modified and even by the end you are still not quite used to it but this does not take away from how good Damon is in "Behind the Candelabra". 

Equally good is Douglas as Liberace himself. A spectacular performance that is a near on perfect representation of Liberace, Douglas shows his greatness as he has done before. At first it is odd to see Douglas play a character like this but we felt more accustomed to it compared to Damon's portrayal of Thorson. 

"Behind the Candelabra" is a highly entertaining and well thought out film.  It flows relatively easy throughout and is flamboyant in each scene while featuring great acting performances provided by Douglas and Damon.  This film really depicts how loneliness can creep up on someone but does it in a way that is not obvious.  It is not something you realize while watching - but if you think in more depth about the film afterwards you realize it.  However, the film is funny, exciting and gives a good account of the life and times of Liberace and Scott Thorson. A nice watch.

M+F Rating: 7/10


Reviewed by M+F Reviews.

Monday 24 February 2014

Rush Movie Review

Rush Movie Review

Director: Ron Howard

UK Release Date: 13th September 2013
 
Running Time: 123 minutes

Starring: Chris Hemsworth, Daniel Brühl, Olivia Wilde, Alexandra Maria Lara

"Rush" is an exhilarating film from start to finish - don't worry we will try to keep the puns to a minimum. Based on the real life rivalry, friendship and battles of Formula One drivers James Hunt and Nikki Lauder, the film begins with the start of their  racing careers going head to head in Formula Three.  The film portrays the playboy lifestyle of Hunt and the more reserved character of Lauder.

Chris Hemsworth celebrates as James Hunt in Rush

The film is very good and thoroughly enjoyable.  A large part of this is down to the acting. Chris Hemsworth is James Hunt and Daniel Brühl is Nikki Lauder.  These two really deliver top performances in the movie but they are not the only ones.  Even though the main characters are Hunt and Lauder the other minor characters help shape the film and are fundamental to the story.  In some films, these characters are not considered as important but they definitely are here and "Rush" proves this.  There are many smaller characters in the film and each one adds to the overall feel to the movie. This helps the film feel more rounded and not just a portrayal of the life of the two main characters but an opportunity to understand this time period.

Hemsworth performance as James Hunt is really spectacular.  His acting feels true and having watched real footage of Hunt, you can really see how good Hemsworth's delivery is. He easily displays the brash, overly-confident persona of Hunt perfectly.  The character is similar in ways to the confidence of Thor in the first film of the Thor franchise - "Thor" (2011).

Hemsworth was not the only standout in the film -  Brühl was just as good if not better.  For us, the character Brühl plays is the harder to portray of the two.  Convincing and serious,  Brühl really demonstrates how well he can perform and Lauder is a great character for him to be able to show his talent.  

Chri Hemsworth and Daniel Bruhl in Rush

What we found great about "Rush" is that anyone can watch it - you do not have to be a racing car or Formula One fanatic to enjoy the film. Ron Howard has directed the film in a way that it can appeal to all and this really makes this film stand out against other car racing films.  For instance, we are not huge Formula One fans but the film's content focused on the personalities of these two great Formula One racers rather than the cars.  Even the racing scenes themselves are appealing and convey well to the screen. 

Both Hemsworth and  Brühl do great justice in portraying these real life characters.The direction of the film is great and it is really enjoyable and thrilling to watch.  A really solid film and account of two greats, this film is a good watch.

M+F Rating: 8/10


Reviewed by M+F Reviews.

Saturday 22 February 2014

Captain Phillips Movie Review

Captain Phillips Movie Review

Director: Paul Greengrass

UK Release Date: 16th October 2013

Running Time: 134 minutes

Starring: Tom Hanks, Barkhad Abdi, Barkhad Abdirahman, Catherine Keener

Having already been treated to seeing big hits like "The Wolf of Wall Street" and "12 Years a Slave" we were again lucky enough to have the chance to see "Captain Phillips".  Another one of the years biggest movies and having been nominated for 6 Academy Awards we had high expectations for the Paul Greengrass adaptation of this true story.

This true story is remarkable and centers around Captain Richard Phillips (Tom Hanks).  He was the captain of the Maersk Alabama ship that was unarmed as it made its journey around the Cape of Africa.  Tracked and boarded by Somali pirates, Captain Phillips is taken hostage as the story reaches high tensions with the arrival of the US Navy Seals.

Tom Hanks in Captain Phillips
Photo courtesy of CTMG
First of all, we want to discuss the very last scene of the film (don't worry - we will not give away any plot details).  If you have seen the film then you will know what we are talking about and if you are yet to see it, when you do you will know.  It was this scene for us that really pushed "Captain Phillips" from a good film to an excellent film. This scene alone is one that would rank among Tom Hank's best ever for the quality of acting displayed. The emotion and attention to detail is perfect and really escalates the film to the next level making it stay with you after the film has finished.

The rest of the film for us was good, better than average but nothing spectacular.  It has a long build up period before the main climax and even though this is needed it is rather general and not very exciting.  This may be an after reflection because of how the film ends as there is a distinct change of pace in the film and tensions definitely rise.  This is only a minor problem but does affect our overall rating of the film.  

We have already mentioned the exceptional performance of Tom Hanks but that is not the only standout performance in the film.  Muse (Barkhad Abdi) is the main Somali pirate in the film and is by far one of the more interesting characters.  As to how true this representation of the real life Muse is , we do not know but the performance given by Barkhad Abdi is nothing short of exceptional.  He really plays the character well and throughout you get the sense of truth in the performance.  His performance shows the other the audience the 'other side' as well at times.  By this we mean that obviously the story is told from a Western perspective but at times and one scene in particular you can understand  the reasons behind why the pirates are doing what they do. 

Barkad Abdi in Captain Phillips
Photo courtesy of CTMG

"Captain Phillips" is a very good film.  It is intense, real and has a feel of authenticity about it that some other 'based on true story' films do not have.  There are great acting performances from Hanks and Barkhad Abdi that really hold the film together throughout.  It is a thrilling movie which is impressive considering that the majority of it is based at sea.  It really is a film that can grip the audiences attention and it will not be released until the very end. 

M+F Rating: 8/10


Reviewed by M+F Reviews.

Wednesday 19 February 2014

Trouble with the Curve Movie Review

Review of Trouble with the Curve starring Clint Eastwood

Director: Robert Lorenz

UK Release Date: 30th November 2012

Running Time: 11 minutes

Starring: Clint Eastwood, Justin Timberlake, Amy Adams, John Goodman

When we first saw that "Trouble with the Curve" was going to be released we were very excited about watching it.  However, for one reason or another, it has taken us over a year to actually get around to watching the movie and for some other reason the longer we left it the less we wanted to see it.  Luckily, we were not disappointed with "Trouble with the Curve" and found that it was a good film but far from spectacular. 

The storyline focuses on Gus (Clint Eastwood), a nearly retired baseball scout and old age is slowly taking its toll on him.  In a world where most sports are now feeling the influence of technology, Gus's club are starting to think he is surplus to requirements and with a tough relationship with this daughter, Mickey (Amy Adams), life is becoming more of a struggle. 

John Goodman, Amy Adams and Clint Eastwood in Trouble with the Curve

Without the likes of Eastwood and Adams we are not sure how this film would have turned out.  It was another solid performance by Eastwood, who gave his usual and very good rough-tough performance.  Adams played the counter role perfectly.  The two complimented each other on screen really well which gave great depth to both of their characters.  This was very pivotal in the film as the story evolves around Gus as a non-existent father figure and Mickey as the innocent and needing her father figure.  This relationship is probably the best thing about the film in terms of depth as the rest focuses on plot lines rather than character relationships. 

Other big names that feature in this film are Justin Timberlake and John Goodman with the latter giving the sort of performance we come to expect.  Timberlake however, was average.  It certainly was not one of his best performances but we are not sure it was the right role for him. For us, Timberlake looked out of his depth against good performances from Eastwood, Adams and Goodman on the contrary to "Runner Runner" (2013) where he was one of the better things to come out of a disappointing film and cast performances. 

"Trouble with the Curve" is a solid film with good performances from the cast. If you are a fan of baseball then it will be definitely a film for you, although it can be enjoyed by those who are not fans as well. As a film it can offer a few things for the audience; the first being a story about baseball and another the troubled relationship between father and daughter.  This, at times, was very emotional and has to be accredited to Adams and Eastwood's performances. Although rather predictable, the film is an entertaining watch and is good to view.

M+F Rating: 7/10


Reviewed by M+F Reviews.

Tuesday 18 February 2014

Oldboy Movie Review

Movie review of Oldboy

Director: Spike Lee

UK Release Date: 6th December 2013

Running Time: 104 minutes

Starring: Josh Brolin, Elizabeth Olsen, Samuel L. Jackson, Sharlto Copley

"Oldboy" directed by Spike Lee is a action mystery film that is a remake of the South Korean film of the same name.  The original was released in 2003 and had strong reviews and ratings from critics, however the same cannot be said for the 2013 American remake version. The film stars Josh Brolin, in the main role with support from Elizabeth Olsen, Samuel L. Jackson and Sharlto Copley - yet even a good cast can not turn this grim film into a huge hit like the original. 

Now, we have to admit, that at this moment in time we have not seen the original so can not and will not compare them.  That being said, we are not that keen on the storyline having finished the film. We will not give any of the plot away but lets just say, you will need a strong stomach by the end. An unexpected but twisted ending is not for the lighthearted. 

Josh Brolin stars in the American remake of Oldboy


The film is based around the kidnap and imprisonment of main character Joe Doucett (Brolin) for 20 years before he is, for no apparent reason, released.  He then goes onto to find out why and exact revenge on whoever held him captive for so long.  With help from Marie Sebastian (Olsen) Joe hunts and fights but is against the clock as the twist and plot unravel into a disturbing and shocking finale. The antagonist (Copley) plays an interesting, mysterious character who bears a huge resemblance to magician Derren Brown.

The plot is good in keeping the audience guessing. As we had not seen the original we had no idea what was to come and it was a shock.. This is great for any person watching the film however this twist is not pleasant and not one that we enjoyed to watch.

Throughout the film Joe encounters many situations where he is confronted by dozens of opponents who he is to fight for one reason or another and for the majority of these fights he wins with ease.  It is probably a testament to the original film as to why these fighting scenes are included - however, in this version of Oldboy, it does not portray well.  The fighting scenes look fake and tacky and this is a real disappointment.  

Overall, "Oldboy" is an intense film that is ultimately a disappointment considering it is a Spike Lee movie and stars actors such as Samuel L. Jackson.  Whether a remake of the original needed to be made is altogether a different question but it certainly is not a film that we will want to see or feel we should watch again.  We will however watch the original to see for ourselves which is better. 

M+F Rating: 5/10


Reviewed by M+f Reviews.

Thursday 6 February 2014

12 Years a Slave Review: Brutally Honest

12 Years a Slave movie logo

Director: Steve McQueen

UK Release Date: 10th January 2014

Running Time: 134 minutes

Starring: Chiwetel Ejiofor, Michael Fassbender, Paul Giamatti, Benedict Cumberbatch, Brad Pitt, Paul Dano

What is there to say about 12 Years a Slave? The quick answer is - a lot.  I have not seen a film quite like it.  Okay, so it has been compared recently to "Django Unchained" (2012) but for me there is no comparison.  The two are totally different; "12 Years a Slave" depicts slavery for what it was; brutality, pain, death and wrongfulness. On the other hand, Django uses slavery as a vessel to tell a different story which yes, includes slaves but it is not a 'real' representation of slavery.  Having only watched the film the night before writing this review all I can think about is the movie.  But I ask myself, can I call it a movie?  It did not feel like I was watching a movie. It was a window into our dreadful past as human beings.  A representation that at times was difficult to watch and apprehend. It almost felt like a documentary rather than a movie and I think everyone should sit down and watch this film.
"I don't want to survive. I want to live." - Solomon Northup

We all know, or should do, the story of slavery in America.  We have been taught it in school, college and university but nothing will prepare you for  what"12 Years a Slave" brings to the big screen.  A powerful film fuelled by magnificent performances and quite majestic directing. 

Steve McQueen - Director


English director Steve McQueen who has a vast history with short films is responsible for the masterpiece that is "12 Years a Slave". One thing that stood out for myself was how the film was presented.  For a moment, lets ignore the actors and even storyline and look at the film itself.  The images, clips and timings were all perfect.  You could feel the change in atmosphere throughout the cinema and that happened on scenes where there was no actors, dialect or even sounds.  One shot stood out in particular - a caterpillar eating at the cotton plants in the dry hot fields.  The camera must have stayed on this shot for 30 seconds but it told so much.  It should not have made sense but in the context it did.  It portrayed the pain and suffering in an alternative way compared to a the physical violence that is so prominent in the rest of the film.

The directing in this film made it stand out because it is brave and bold.  It is different. It does what other films have been afraid to do.  A 3 minute clip of Solomon Northup, portrayed by Chiwetel Ejiofor, hanging, only surviving by balancing on the tip of his toes brings the intensity to another level.  There were other clips as well that make you, as part of the audience feel uncomfortable and disgusted, but so they should.  We should not look away.  This happened, it was real.  It was wrong but it is also part of our history and something we should embrace and accept as being part of us so we can make sure we never allow something similar or the same to happen again.  McQueen portrays the true story of Northup magnificently, it feels honest and real. McQueen's vision for the film is so basic, he wants the audience to hold on to a thought about the film for longer than 5 minutes. Something that he surely achieves.
Chiwetel Ejiofor as Solomon Northup in 12 Years a Slave


Actors/Characters


As mentioned, Ejiofor plays Solomon Northup the free man who gets captured and sold into slavery for 12 years.  An incredible performance for the actor and certainly his best to date.  He portrays Northup's innocence perfectly, displaying his despair and desperation throughout the entire film.  A truly outstanding performance, one that was perfect for the film and the story.

Michael Fassbender plays Edwin Epps the disgusting and haunting slave master.  Fassbender provides an immense performance that is so believable it is unrivaled in this film.  You can be mistaken for hating the actor himself by the end of the film he is that good. A honestly powerful performance. 

Benedict Cumberbatch's character, Master Ford, is one we can sympathize with.  Yes he is a slave owner but he respects them, he is a nice character and does his best to protect Northup.  That being said in the grand scheme of things he still was a slave owner.  Cumberbatch's own depiction of Ford is solid as is Brad Pitt's as Bass.  He turns out to be the savior in the end and Pitt does a good job in this role.

Paul Dano is Tibeats, who works for Master Ford.  He is not a nice character at all and is worse than Epps.  Dano's own portrayal of this is spot on.  A young influenced boy who only does what he does as it is all he has known growing up in the south.

Michael Fassbender as Edwin Epps in 12 Years a Slave




"12 Years a Slave" is truly a hard hitting masterpiece that brings a past reality back to life.  This means that there are scenes that are distressful and difficult to watch (two people left and failed to return during my viewing of the film).  This is the story though and like the drug abuse portrayed in "The Wolf of Wall Street" (2013) - it happened, it is real. By showing scenes that entice questions to be asked, films can tackle issues that are often left alone. One question that has been asked is 'Why now?' How come it has taken so long for a film of this sort to be made and be this brutally honest? I believe it is the right time now.  The context of the world is at a place where people feel they can watch it and accept it and this is a good thing.

"12 Years a Slave" is a film that you only need to see once but it will stay with you for a very long time.  I applaud McQueen and his team along with the actors involved for truly bringing this exceptional story to the masses.  It is a intricate film on all levels and I presume will end up coming away with some success at the Oscars. If you are still unsure as to whether you should watch this film then here are '12 Reasons to Watch Steve McQueen's "12 Years a Slave".'
M+F Rating: 9/10



Reviewed by M+F Reviews.

Tuesday 4 February 2014

Elysium Review: Refocus Needed

Elysium Movie Review
 
Director: Neill Blomkamp
 
UK Release Date: 21st August 2013
 
Running Time: 109 minutes
 
Starring: Matt Damon, Jodie Foster, Sharlto Copley, Alice Braga


Neill Blomkamp directs "Elysium" and you can certainly see some similarities between this and his previous work, most notably "District 9" (2009). Firstly the use of actor Sharlto Copley who plays Kruger, a sleeper agent tasked with hunting down Max, played by Matt Damon, who has got hold of information that means that everyone on earth can be saved by the medical machines (known as Med Banks) they have stored on Elysium, the floating habitat currently in Earths Orbit.  "What?" You ask.  Did we forget to mention that this science fiction film is set in the year 2154 and the wealthiest people have fled ruined planet Earth to live on Elysium.

The film starts well and you soon realise what is going to happen - although in some films this can be quite annoying, it was okay in the film as we were always wondering how they were going portray it. The problem though, was that as you realise what is going on - it seems to take a while for this to take place. However,  as the film progressed we were left rather disappointed and frustrated at the storyline.  We were hoping that the film would focus on more of the science fiction elements. For example, the suit that Max has connected to his nervous system, how Elysium came to be and more information on the central core server that ran it. The film though seemed to focus solely on Max; with his relationship with his childhood friend and getting into a 'Med Bank' himself the priority issues.

Elysium Movie Review
 
It is by no means Damon's best performance but we can understand why he was chosen for the film.  The film is action packed and at times we felt the action was too thick and fast and the camera could not keep up to clearly show us what was going on. We were however very impressed again by Copley.  Having previously worked with Blomkamp for "District 9," Copley plays a totally different character.  He was unrecognisable until it suddenly clicked who he was.  He really played the 'bad-guy' well and was great to watch.

If you like science-fiction films then you will enjoy "Elysium". It is not the greatest you will ever see but is also not the worst.  The story line has potential and we would not be surprised if they were able to bring out a sequel or prequel.  If a sequel or prequel was made we would definitely watch it but would hope that the film focusses a bit less on the action which there was plenty of. 

Did you like Elysium? We would like to hear your thoughts and views on the film.

M+F Rating: 6/10


 

Reviewed by M+F Reviews.

Monday 3 February 2014

I'm Not There Review: An Interesting Take on an Interesting Icon

I'm Not There Logo
 
 
Director: Todd Haynes
 
UK Release Date: 21st December 2007
 
Running Time: 135 minutes
 
Starring: Cate Blanchett, Christian Bale, Heath Ledger, Richard Gere, Ben Whishaw, Marcus Carl Franklin

 

"I'm Not There" is a biographical drama based on the life of musician Bob Dylan.  However it is not your usual film of this sort.  Director Todd Haynes, portrays different aspects of Dylan's life by using 6 different characters.  This is where the film became very confusing as it is not really clear who is who and what throughout, with each story cutting just as it gets going for the next.  This is not just a view of ours - it is a view from Dylan himself when he was asked whether he liked the film in an interview with Rolling Stone. This does not take away from how good the film was though and it did seem to all come together by the end leaving us feeling satisfied from what we have just seen.  The film is accompanied by an incredible soundtrack with songs of Dylan's performed by him and others. 

Characters/Cast 
 
Cate Blanchett - Jude Quinn
 
Blanchett plays Jude Quinn to portray what happened in Dylan's life between 1965-1966.  This story shows Quinn playing an electric guitar while playing at a folk music festival and also touring around the United Kingdom without much success. This is a representation of Dylan's life as this is what happened to him. This character also accurately represents Dylan's personality and mannerisms and this is down to the performance of Cate Blanchett. She really shows what she can do in this film and rightfully deserved the plenty of award nominations she received for best supporting actress.
 
I'm Not There Cat Blanchett
 
Christian Bale - Jack Rollins and Pastor John
 
Bale again shows his versatility by playing Jack Rollins and Pastor John (who is believed to be the older version of Rollins). Rollins character refers to Dylan's life just before the 'Jude Quinn' character portrayal period. It is a testament to his acoustic phase between 1963-1964. The Pastor John character refers to the re-incarnated Dylan in 1979.  Bale's performance was good - it felt like we did not get to see much of him which was a shame but what was shown was certainly not bad.
 
Heath Ledger - Robbie Clark
 
This is where it can get slightly confusing. Ledger plays Robbie Clark who is an actor. Simple enough but... Clark plays Jack Rollins in a biopic he is making. This part depicts a film within a film.  It is very clever once you get your head around it.  This character is used to show the personal life on Dylan - how his marriages came to be and subsequently broke up. Ledger gives a very powerful performance which was completed only two months before his tragic passing.  His performance as Clark truly shows how good he was. 
 
I'm Not There Heath Ledger
 
Richard Gere - Billy the Kid
 
Richard Gere plays a character referred to as Billy the Kid.  Gere's character is meant to show Dylan's life from the perspective of Dylan.  It shows the side of Dylan that did not want or desire the attention of the media and press.  The time period for this would be in the early 1970s.  Gere's performance is also good and the story that was portrayed was one of our more favoured ones.
 
Ben Whishaw - Arthur Rimbaud
 
This is a very interesting depiction of Dylan and can be seen as the most 'true'.  This is because Whishaw plays Arthur Rimbaud who throughout the film is answering questions from an interviewer.  All of Rimbaud's remarks and answers are real quotes that Dylan has made in his lifetime.  Again though, due to the amount of stories being told this one was
shown for a short amount of time and it would have been good to see more.
 
Marcus Carl Franklin - Woody Guthrie
 
Named after the childhood hero of Dylan, Woody Guthrie was played by Marcus Carl Franklin. This character also represents Dylan growing up and trying to understand himself and find his own identity as a person and as an artist. Franklin plays the role very well and was a pleasure to watch.
 
I'm Not There Marcus Carl Franklin
 
 
The film is very good although can be hard to follow.  We are Dylan fans and still struggled at times to follow what was being portrayed.  For any die hard fans this film would be incredible to watch.  However, that is not to say that people who are not fans should not watch it.  It is a great biographical film and is filmed in a different refreshing way to others and the soundtrack makes it all the more pleasant to watch.
 
M+F Rating: 7/10
 

 
Reviewed by M+F Reviews.

Wednesday 29 January 2014

jOBS Review: It Does Not Do Justice

jOBS Movie Logo
 
Director: Joshua Michael Stern
 
US Release Date: 16th August 2013
 
Running Time: 128 minutes
 
Starring: Ashton Kutcher, Josh Gad, Dermot Mulroney, James Woods
 
There is a lot to say about "jOBS" the movie and unfortunately not all of it is good.  The film tells the true story of Steve Jobs, who co-founded, chaired and was CEO of Apple Inc.  A business entrepreuner, inventor and marketer - Jobs is credited for revolutionising the personal computer market and also was part of the development of some of the most popular technological devices that we have with us today.  To tell the story of a man who is clearly one of the most inspirational men to have lived in the last 50 years is a hard task for any person and we felt that "jOBS" the film did not do him justice.
 
It was always going to be tough. Portraying truth in film is something that has still not been mastered - by this we mean that there are different interpretations on how truth can be portrayed on the big screen and there is a whole debate that circles around the notion.  With a person like Jobs, it is sometimes easier to portray a true representation of their life because so much of it has been documented.  However, this does not always mean a film that claims to be a 'biography' or claims it is based on a true story is always is 'true.'  This is evident in Joshua Michael Stern's "jOBS" as reports hit the headlines about the credibility of the story after the film was released. It is unfortunate that such an awe inspiring story has this aroma around it. But this is the problem with portraying truth in film. Whose truth do you tell? Someone else's truth may be different to yours. But this is was makes film interesting.


jOBS Gad and Kutcher
Gad and Kutcher play Wozniak and Jobs respectively.


 
The film for us was a difficult one.  To review this film we had to separate the story that the film tells away from the film itself. This is because the story is not the film.  What we mean by this is that the story is true, its inspiring and shows the life of a great man, but it is not a creation of Stern's.  However, the portrayal of Job's life by Stern is and this we did not like.  The film itself has the makings to be an excellent movie.  First of all, you have excellent real characters - Steve Jobs and Apple Inc's co-founder Steve 'Woz' Wozniak. Although the film is based on Jobs - Wozniak features heavily due to his role in Apple and the friendship they had.  The problem we found was that the film did not flow. It seemed to jump around from place to place without ever settling enough for the audience to fully understand what was going on.  This meant that every time we saw Jobs, played by Ashton Kutcher, on screen, there was rarely time for him to actually connect with the other characters.  There were rarely any heavy scenes of great discussion or speech that added depth that was much needed.
 
This was disappointing in itself but Kutcher's performance made this film not a total flop.  We liked his portrayal of Jobs and found that he really worked well on screen.  His display of emotions, passion and frustration shone through and were actually very pleasant to watch.  It was good to see him play a more serious role compared to his usual comedic characters. Josh Gad, who played Steve Wozniak, also impressed.  On the whole, the cast were the silver lining - they each gave good performances and made the film better. 
 
If given the chance, you should definitely watch "jOBS." If you are unclear as to who Steve Jobs was or would like to know the story behind Apple, then this film does give a good account of that. The cast are pleasant to watch but do not expect to be knocked off your seat.  The story line is jumpy and sometimes hard to follow but you can get a good feel for the life of Steve Jobs.
 
M+F Rating: 6/10


jOBS Movie Trailer
 


 
 
Reviewed by M+F Reviews.