Daybreakers, Nowhere boy, The Road, Book of Eli

The first 40 minutes of Daybreakers has fun messing with the ideas of what-if-vampires-ruled-the-world kind of film? I was enjoying it, as it was gory in a silly way that reminded me of Dusk till Dawn but then it started going down hill. The final hour turned into crap. They would bring in characters that we didn't care about just to kill them in the next scene and have sad music like we were supposed to care about them. Ultimately the script & film looses momentum with a silly cure for being a vampire and a fairly lame "epic" climax.

2 stars (worth a watch on dvd maybe).

Nowhere Boy is about John Lennon growing up and forming his first band... but it's also about his messed up childhood. It doesn't shy away from showing his mother as being abit easy or him acting like a prick, it tells the story with all it's dirty secrets. Very strong performances from the actors involved.

4 stars.

The Road is dark and depressing as it looks. There isn't anything to eat, everyone is starving... except the cannibals I guess. They get the ruined earth spot on, with the empty highways grubby faces... horrible teeth. About a Man and his son traveling in the hopes of finding somewhere in america that isn't so apocalyptic.

What ruined this film for me was there slight reference that the would got that way from "climate change", and as something that is getting constantly shoved down our throats at the moment it really bugged me. Oh yeah and the kid constantly whining to his Dad, you would think being brought up in such a harsh environment he would have slightly thicker skin. There is also a point in the film where the boy and the Dad hear a dog barking and the boy says that he hears a dog (and the Dad says he's wrong)... they had already explained early that all the animals (including insects) had all died out/been killed off even before the boy was born... so how would he know what one even sounds like?

SPOILER ALERT

With the end... I personally found it odd and not overly realistic (motivation wise on the other family), the boy left on his own is approached by a man telling him to come this him and the boy believes what the man tells him. A few minutes later the boy meets his new family who already have two kids and a dog. The wife of the man tells him how "she had been so worried for him" and they had been following him and his Dad for weeks. Why there following them if they knew he was safe with his Dad?! Why didn't they attempt to approach them if they were that worried? Were they a bunch of stalkers!?

The Father and son should have stayed in the bomb selter they found with all the food a little while longer and got slightly healther before heading out into the world again.

But even with all my negativity it's still a decent well made film - 3.5 stars.

The Book of Eli is less the apocalyptic vision of The Road but more like Mad Max, don't worry about running out of ammo... everyone has shitloads! I was also enjoying this film as mindless entertainment... untill I realized it really was quite a crap film with a couple of decent fight scenes at the start. Gary Oldman plays a villian that he's done many times before, who is trying to get Denzel Washington's copy of the bible, which also just so happens to be the last on Earth. Mila Kunis is a bar wench who decides that she is better off with Denzel... because he's so bad ass... but also can read and has an ipod. What was really confusing was the film makers, I'm not sure if they were hinting it or showing it... that Denzel had been blind the whole time... which makes absolutly no sense... but what's the point of thinking about this stinker too much. - 2 Stars (just for the violence & having Mila Kunis as eye candy)

Pocahontas/Avatar

Don't know who made this, but it's brilliant...

IT'S COMPLICATED

This is a feel good rom-com that does exactly what it says on the tin. Meryl Streep, Alec Baldwin and Steve Martin all have tremendous fun playing the three main characters in the complicated love triangle of the title, and it is refreshing to see a film that deals with it at a more mature age and not at some American high school, though the same issues, problems and situations remain the same!

Not much more to be said about this. It’s just a good fun film and the one great thing about it is it leaves you constantly guessing as who should be with who and will pull (gently) at your heart strings as you see the relationships and the people involved go on their rollercoaster journey throughout the film.

3 stars

THE ROAD

This is a great film, but it is also a very dark and bleak film. There are moments where it will leave your heart empty and black. It is set in a post apocalyptic America and centres around Man, played brilliantly by Vigo Mortenson, and his son, trying to survive in this lawless land where food is scarce and other human cannibals roam. In a few flashbacks we see Man, with his then wife Charlize Theron, who couldn’t take the harshness of this new reality and leaves them by choosing to take her own life, this makes the rest of the film seem even harsher knowing that many people would rather die than to continue struggling to survive. Watching this film you get to see two very different sides to the human psyche, firstly it is the unflinching bond of love between a boy and his son (played with outstanding brilliance by Kodi Smit-McPhee). And the sacrifices they make for each other. On the flip side you see humanity at its lowest and most desperate form, feral groups hunting America for other humans to eat, sometimes storing them in cellars to feed on at a later date, and the absolute feeling of each man for himself and the primeval instinct for self survival, brilliantly shown in a moment when Man and Boy argue about what to do with a man they come across.

So a terrifically performed film, just don’t go see if you’re depressed or feeling down. That said the ending, whilst still realistic, is not all and gloom .

4 stars

NOWHERE BOY

A brilliant film. This film is not so much about the early stages of The Beatles, but just a brilliant account of a young boy growing up with a difficult and challenging upbringing. The fact that it is the legendary young John Lennon who is the young scally who created one of the greatest bands of all time just adds extra weight.

I love the fact that it shows Lennon as a real youngster in Liverpool it doesn’t paint him about to be an angel child, if anything he’s the opposite - a young scally more interested in fingering girls up against a tree in the park than attending school. The same can be said of his upbringing and his real mother who has serious issues of her own, resulting in him living with his aunt. It holds no punches, and you get the sense the director is really showing what it was like for him growing up.

First-rate performances from an absolute stellar cast, special mention has to go to Aaron Johnson who plays John Lennon who has an extraordinary task portraying a range of emotions and feelings throughout the film, and does so amazingly.

4.5 stars

DAYBREAKERS

An interesting concept of a movie – the world is run by vampires who live as we live but just at night and with blood instead of a coffee on the way to work. Humans are in the minority hiding from the government as they are being kept and farmed for blood. The plot revolves around a vampire trying to find a blood substitute before all the blood runs out and the humans trying to find one also, although their method seems to involve turning vampires back to humans.

There are some interesting ideas and themes within this movie, though it does seem to deal with them all lightly. I am a big fan of Ethan Hawke, so this might be slightly bias, but he is very good as the central vampire unhappy with who he is and longing to be human again.

So a great idea for a film, executed modestly. Enjoyable watching but definitely not essential.

2.5 stars

NINE

This is a completely pointless movie. Nothing much happens, and what does happen you don’t actually care too much for it. It is the story of a movie director who is due to start filming his new film in 10 days but he has no idea what to film, even though pre-production is in full swing with costumes and sets being made and built - already this seems like a ridiculous plot. The problem is nothing happens, we spend the rest of the film seeing him remember different girls in his mind who then perform a single song and dance piece in a completely different setting, and then reverts back to Guido (Daniel Day Lewis) as if nothing has happened. The song thus being rendered completely pointless, I mean yeah the songs look good and are great to watch, but they serve actually no meaning to the film whatsoever.

All throughout the film you keep seeing Guido struggling with what to film and I got the sense that I was supposed to feel for him being so frustrated and angry, but it is incredibly hard to feel for a character who is such a complete bastard, a cheating, lying scumbag who is cheating on his wife and rude and obnoxious to everyone around him. I don’t care about him or what he does.

Personally I think the main problem with this film is the actual story of Nine which is an established Broadway musical (how I don’t know?), not to do with the actors as they all turn in very good performances and Rob Marshall makes it all look brilliant but it’s all style and no substance and I left the cinema thinking that was 2 hours of my life I would never get back.

1 star

Did You Hear About the Morgans/Sherlock Holmes

Did you hear about the Morgans reminds me of a 80s movie, plot wise the Morgans witness a murder and are put into witness protection in the country... but Oh no they are from New York how will they cope?! Their marriage is kind of in trouble as they have separated but Hugh Grants character is really sorry for sleeping around and wants to get back with his wife. Sometimes you wonder how a film gets made because the script is so bad and once finished it even makes the cinema rather than going straight to DVD. It isn't that the acting is bad... it's the script and plot... it was never going to be good without major re-writes. I think Hugh Grant and SJP were just thinking about the money when they took this job. I don't see anyone under the age for 65 liking this film. 1 Star.





With Sherlock Holmes my expectations were middling to high. I'm a fan of Robert Downey Jr. (since Iron Man I guess), dislike Jude Law (in anything) and like Guy Ritchie as a director most of the time but he has been hit (Snatch) and miss (Swept Away). One of the biggest flaws with this movie is that the funniest bits & big special effects had all be shown previously in the trailers... this wasn't necessary they didn't need to show so much before hand... it's a good movie word would have go around, so where I should have been laughing I'd seen it before. Also it felt abit like Moriarty had been shoved into the film for the sole purpose of having a sequel, making the film feel slightly incomplete. 3 1/2 Stars.

Peter G's top ten of 2009

well Peter S's top ten is clearly wrong, so here is my (definitive) list....

1. (500) days of summer – awesome film detailing the love and heartbreak of an ordinary relationship but showing it from the guy’s perspective for once. Women are evil.

2. sin nombre – amazing film detailing the hazardous journey of a train line through Mexico carrying illegal immigrants and the brutality of gangs in the region, like city of god but better.

3. up – beautiful animated film. Will have you choked up within 10 minutes.

4. Moon – stand out performance of 2009 from Sam Rockwell. Great idea, great performance, brilliantly executed

5. Zombieland – just pure fun. And great to see Woody Harrelson back to form. Also has the cameo performance of the decade.

6. the hangover – a bunch of legends get wrecked and can’t remember anything and spend the film trying to find out what happened. What more do you want?

7. district 9 – sci – fi with brains. Classic idea. Incredibly violent

8. inglorious basterds – Quentin back to his supreme best. Great dialogue, some classic scenes, proves Tarantino is till at the top of his game.

9. Avatar – truly special film. The concept and vision of James Cameron is truly immeasurable.

10. Hurt locker – summing up the fucked situation in Iraq brilliantly.

SHERLOCK HOLMES

Well I am surprised. I thought this was going to be awful, I thought this would be a Guy Ritchie movie where he had clearly too much money to throw around and no sense and I thought it would be an absolute mess, I thought that although I love Robert Downey Jr – the casting of an American as Sherlock Holmes was wrong, I also thought Jude Law would be awful. I was wrong, this is a thoroughly entertaining gung ho adventure through the streets of ye olde london town. Robert Downey JR is indeed a class act and plays Holmes brilliantly clearly having fun in the role and that fun seeps through the screen and infects the audience throughout. The plot is dragged out a little too long in parts for my liking, and I think they could have got to the point quicker especially within the first half. There is plenty of action also though with the trademark Ritchie slapstick gratuitous violence and ultra slo-mo some of which looks absolutely awesome. All in all a great fun film, I was right on one thing though – Jude Law is still crap.

4 stars

Peter S's Top Films of 2009

These are my top films of the year, in no particular order...

District 9 a very cool satire of the South African apartheid, an amazing acting debut from Sharlto Copley who will next be seen in the A-Team film. I can not wait for the sequel, assuming there will be. The first film this year that had me cheering for the aliens when they were killing the evil humans. 4.5 Stars.

500 Days of Summer is the first proper "romantic comedy" I've ever seen that was made specifically for men. Only film that I watch 3 times in 2009. Not a love story by any means and not a film made for women. Joseph Gordon-Levitt acts in the lead role in one of the best films of the years (he also acted in one of the worst films of the year, G.I.Joe). The film tells a very faithful account on how men cope with love and women breaking our hearts for the first time. If you have any old wounds this film will easily open them them. 5 stars.

Avatar - One of the longest films in the making and one of the longest films I've seen in the cinema in 2009. Also the second time this year I was cheering for the aliens to kill the humans. Hopefully James Cameron won't wait another 10 years before making another movie. 5 stars (See my Avatar review for more details.)

Coraline really showing what 3D can do for films. Abit too scary to be a kids film in my opinion but a very good cautionary tale. 4.5 stars.

Watchmen - the telling of the only graphic novel to ever win a Hugo award and make Time top 100 novels. The film is as faithful an adaption as was probably possible without making it a 12 hour long HBO adaption. Best to get it in import on Bluray as the Watchmen ultimate cut (Warner Brothers don't region code their Blurays yet). 4 Stars.

UP - Pixar does it again. Wasn't a fan of Ratatouille but Up really moved me. I'd heard rumour before that it was making people cry and it did make me tear up a couple of times. 5 Stars.

Inglorious basterds - Quentin Tarantino makes his best film since Pulp Fiction. Re-writes history in a very cool fashion. 5 Stars.

Moon - Amazing directing debut from the son of David Bowie. 5 Stars.

The Hangover - Probably the funniest film of the year. I want to go to vegas. Zach Galifianakis made this film. 4.5 Stars

Anti-Crist - The most twisted thought provoking film I saw this year. It was really uncomforatble to watch... the whole time... (if things are getting chopped off or not) Either 1 star or 5 Stars.

Other Notable Films - Star Trek (4 Stars) had a very good reboot this year, previously I hated this franchise with a vengeance. Changling (4 Stars) was the best film I've seen with Angelina Jolie. Curious Case of Benjamin Button (4 Stars) is the best Forest Gump film of the year (Please checkout Curious case of Forest Gump on Youtube.) Wolverine & GI Joe were probably the biggest disappointments of the year (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RkPEHM38_DA G.I.Joe should have been more like this video from funny or die). Mesrine: Killer Instinct (5 Stars) & Mesrine: Public Enemy No. 1 (4 Stars) best gangster films of the year... and best French films I've seen in along time.