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.