Wednesday

There are three things you may have noticed. The first is that I stopped posting for a while and have now started again. The second is that the films I've posted about recently are different to those I usually watch. And the third is that there is a new feature to every post I make called 'Movie News'. This last addition is fairly self-explanatory. I don't want this to be a movie news website, but I thought there might be some readers who'd appreciate the headlines as to what's happening in Hollywood. The first two things I mentioned are related to me spending time with a new girlfriend, and inevitably having to 'compromise' (at least this is what she calls it) on my movie choices. My theory has always been, however, that if you don't watch bad films, you won't know what good ones are. Plus, as I've recently proved, you can find something interesting or surprising even in the worst movies.

Movie News: Iron Man tops the UK and US box office charts; a second movie is already probable.

Tuesday

I was surprised last night by a movie called Prime, starring Uma Thurman and Meryl Streep. You may not have even heard of it. I think its cinema release, in 2006, was muted (at least here in the UK). Inevitably it was billed as a 'chick-flick', but once again this categorisation is slightly off. Thurman plays a recently divorced woman in her late 30s who gets involved with a man only twenty-three years old. It sounds awful, I know. But there is an intelligent sensitivity about this film that impressed me. Yes, there is humour, but I wouldn't call this a comedy. Neither is it entirely a romance. It is at times quite mature and realistic in its outlook. It reminded me of the brilliant The Break-Up, or even the great Woody Allen films of the late 1970s. What was missing was a better actor to play the younger man, and a slightly better script. It needed a sharper edge to it, more humour, and less stereotyped characters. Overall, though, this was surprisingly enjoyable.

Movie News: Amy Winehouse may no longer be doing the new Bond theme tune.

Thursday

It is not without a certain amount of apprehension that a man such as myself sits down to see a movie called 27 dresses. Yes, I had seen trailers, and even read a brief review. I knew what I was letting myself in for. Katherine Heigl had been good in Knocked Up, but that was no reason to see every film she made. The film was written and directed by people who had had some success in the past, but nothing I had, or had wanted, to see. So, I sat down not expecting much, and I was right to do so. This is not a good film. But then you didn't really think I was going to say it was, did you? It was, however, fun in the light-hearted, candy-for-the-brain type way that such movies are. I did laugh, and I did get marginally involved with the dilemmas of the characters. Aside from a few original moments, however, the situations were so overworked and the 'I know how this will end' factor so ubiquitous, that I can't imagine the movie having any lasting value, even to those who like this kind of film. So, if your girlfriend wants you to go to the cinema this weekend, this is the best of your options.

Movie News: Cruise set to make fourth Mission: Impossible.

Wednesday

Three Westerns came out in the Autumn of last year - Seraphim Falls, 3:10 to Yuma and The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford. As you may be able to tell by my formatting of the titles, it was the former of these that I watched recently. I intended to see them all at the cinema, but somehow other films, and other things, got in the way. Now they're out on DVD, I'm going to attempt to make my way through them again. Strangely, this movie stars two Irish actors - Liam Neeson and Pierce Brosnan - in the main roles. I was impressed by the way this movie began, giving no back-story or explanation for what was happening: a group of five men hunting down another man. Indeed, it is not until the end of the film that things are explained (reminding me of Once Upon a Time in the West). But I don't even think that an explanation should be given. The film would do much better without the flashbacks. The director was lucky enough to work with two experienced actors who I'm sure could've portrayed and conveyed regret and anger over the past sufficiently without us needing to see slow-motion images of it. The meetings with people and communities along the journey become increasingly surreal as the film progresses, and this disturbed me. It took away the brutal, tough reality that the film began with. This is a classic sort of Western, similar to The Naked Spur, attempting to expose a moral, or question the notions of right and wrong, but I feel that it loses track of itself towards the end. They weren't brave enough with a conclusion, and I felt slightly unsatisfied. Overall, though, this is a compelling story, and the inclusion of Liam Neeson is always a reason to watch a film. We'll have to wait to see how it compares to the others.

Tuesday

Be Kind, Rewind is the latest film from Michel Gondry, director of Eternal Sunshine of a Spotless Mind and The Science of Sleep. I think the partnership of Jack Black and Mos Def works extremely well - one exaggerating scenarios as the other understates them. It's an intriguing idea - all the movies in a video shop are erased, forcing the two characters to re-enact them - but it does teeter on the edge of being a 'concept film', or, if you prefer, a 'one joke movie'. The humour and inventiveness of Gondry, however, as well as the performances of Black and Def keep you interested. A fascinating and seductive world is invented for you. The problem here, though, is the sentimental over-used Hollywood plot that runs behind the creativity. The video store is threatened with closure and destruction. The characters must do something to save it, and also the community. The conclusion is unsatisfactory, leaving many plot-lines unresolved, and trying to seduce us with a sickly sweet ending. This could have been a truly brilliant movie, especially if they tried to say more about creativity, copyright, and the current trend for sequels, franchises and reproductions in modern American cinema. Unfortunately, this remains just a sweet, light-hearted movie, but it will be interesting to see if Gondry can adapt his incredible creativity to tackle more serious themes in the future.

Thursday

I should preface my remarks on Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street by saying that I have little patience for musicals. I went to see this movie, however, on the understanding that it was a very un-musical musical, and because it was directed by Tim Burton. He's a director that I initially liked, but have come to be suspicious of. Are any of his movies actually any good? Ed Wood, perhaps, is remarkable, but it stands as a rare example rather than a general trend. Anyway, this is a subsequent issue. The singing starts within about thirty seconds of this film beginning, and thus immediately I was on edge. Perhaps what irritates me is the singing of unspectacular lines. I don't mind songs at passionate, dramatic moments, when a character is in tension, but when a character sings 'I'm walking down the street', or something equally mundane, I am tempted to punch them. I was, however, gripped by the plot (this coming from a play by Christopher Bond), and tried to engage with the characters. The stage design, as always with Burton, looks far too artificial, and the speeding camera shots through the East-end streets were unnecessary, annoying, and failed to give the film the scope or size intended. It still felt like a series of solitary sets with nothing tying them together. The songs kept slowing the pace down. Towards the end, however, as the inevitable conclusion drew nearer, the film does pick up, and the finale is satisfyingly grim. The performance of Depp was appropriate, but he is hardly doing anything innovative here. Overall, what was interesting about this movie came from other sources. Of course it is well made and produced, but I don't think it is a good, lasting film, and it's been significantly over-praised in the media.

Wednesday

There Will be Blood is almost a masterpiece. Instead, it is just a very, very good film, which isn't a bad thing, of course. I hesitate to say what you would need to add or remove to make it better, but the answer has to be 'not much'. It is a remorselessly intelligent movie which treats its audience as intelligent. Someone told me P. T. Anderson is too contrived, but I think they have a different meaning of that word than me. The music sustains a grim mood, and the lack of sound effects and silence in horrific moments makes them even more horrifying. The humour at times seemed out of place, and this may have come from the book, but was missing in the rest of the film. Daniel Day Lewis, on screen for almost the entire film, puts in an amazing performance. At times, however, it felt too intense, too 'method', and the difference between this and his role in Gangs of New York seemed minor. The ending was perhaps the only major blemish, turning the film into a biography of the man, rather than a portrayal of part of his life. The brief flashback to happier times, and the last scene itself, felt out of touch with what had gone before. But these are minor complaints. This is easily one of the best films I've seen in a long time.