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Amelie * * * * *

Posted in Comedy, Drama, Fantasy, Foreign Language, Romance with tags 2001 on February 2, 2012 by Mark Walker

Director: Jean-Pierre Juenet.
Screenplay: Guillame Laurant.
Starring: Audrey Tautou, Mathieu Kassovitz, Rufus, Yolande Moreau, Artus de Penguern, Urbain Cancelier, Dominique Pinon, Maurice Benichou, Jamel Debbouze.

Director Jean-Pierre Jeunet’s collaboration with co-writer/director Marc Caro resulted in a couple of marvellous and inventive films in “Delicatessan” and “The City of Lost Children”. Those two had a dark element to them but now that Jeunet has went his own way, “Amelie” shows that he is the one that possesses the lighter side of the duo.

In the heart of Paris, Amelie (Audrey Tautou) brings joy to her friends, secretly sorting out the sad little problems in their lives. But when she discovers a strange photo album belonging to Nino (Mathieu Kassovitz) she realises that she is in love and has problems of her own to sort out.

I struggle to think of a contemporary film that boasts such richness in detail and creative, infectious enthusiasm as ‘Amelie’ does. It’s playfulness, poetry and emotion are rarely touched upon these days in film and director Jean-Pierre Jeunet deserves applause for his uplifting achievements here. It’s also stunningly shot by cinematographer Bruno Delbonnel (inspired by the paintings of Brazilian artist Juarez Machado) lending an artistic look to the highly creative and artistic content. Without being overly elaborate though, it finds its art in the simple things in life, observing people’s individual pleasures and pains. Quite simply, the whole film is a complete joy to behold. The performances are also delightful. As much as I’m an admirer of actress Emily Watson (whom the role of Amelie was originally intended) I’m glad the relatively unknown Audrey Tautou got the part. She is absolutely adorable and captures the essence of this wonderful character perfectly. With flair and originality that’s hard to come by these days, ‘Amelie’ is one of the most beautiful pieces of cinema I have seen and will always be one of my favourites.

The humour; the look; the characters and performances; the delightful and fitting music by Yann Tiersen all culminate into the ultimate feel-good film and confirmation of the creativity and inventiveness of French cinema. A heartwarming modern classic.

Included in My Top Ten films.

Mark Walker

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Midnight In Paris * * * 1/2

Posted in Comedy, Fantasy, Romance with tags 2011 on February 2, 2012 by Mark Walker

Director: Woody Allen.
Screenplay: Woody Allen.
Starring: Owen Wilson, Rachel McAdams, Marion Cotillard, Michael Sheen, Kathy Bates, Adrien Brody, Mimi Kennedy, Kurt Fuller, Alison Pill, Tom Hiddleston, Lea Seydoux, Corey Stoll, Carla Bruni, Gad Elmaleh.

An unexpectedly whimsical time-travel fable from Woody Allen. He’s not been his usual self lately, what with his ventures into London crime drama’s. But after “Vicky Cristina Barcelona” and now this, we are starting to see a glimmer of the Allen of old.

Gil (Owen Wilson) is a struggling writer who takes a romantic trip to Paris with his fiancee Inez (Rachel McAdams). However, Inez finds herself drawn to academic Paul (Michael Sheen) while Gil falls in love with the city itself and is inspired by the legendary writers and artists who once inhabited it during the 1920’s. Then magically, Gil gets the chance to meet them face-to-face as he is transported back to their time in history.

Owen Wilson is not exactly a favourite of mine but he equipts himself well here, channeling a Woody Allen surrogate. The rest of the cast also put in fine shows, particularly the pompous psuedo-intellectual Michael Sheen and the excellent, but all too brief, Adrien Brody as Salvador Dali. Not exactly what I was expecting when I went into this but it was a pleasant little film and a reminder of how rare intellectual humour is these days. Allen is one of the craftsmen of it’s kind and although this pales in comparison to his earlier stuff, his idiosyncratic style has been missing from films for far too long and its a pleasure to revisit his neurotic world.

Slightly diluted Woody Allen, but still a charming little film that will please old fans and maybe even make some new ones. Delightful.

Mark Walker

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Lars And The Real Girl * * * *

Posted in Comedy, Drama with tags 2007 on February 2, 2012 by Mark Walker

Director: Craig Gillespie.
Screenplay: Nancy Oliver.
Starring: Ryan Gosling, Emily Mortimer, Patricia Clarkson, Kelli Garner, Paul Schneider, Nancy Beatty, Doug Lennox.

When you see the poster for this film, with a moustachioed Ryan Gosling sitting on his sofa, grinning from ear to ear and accompanied by a sex doll, you be forgiven for entering into this and expecting some form of farcical sex-comedy. The poster however, is somewhat misleading. This is more of a drama (with a hint of quirkiness) and it’s a sensitive and heartfelt one at that.

Pathologically shy guy Lars Lindstrom (Ryan Gosling) introduces his new ‘girlfriend’ Bianca, a lifelike plastic doll, to his sister-in-law Karin (Emily Mortimer) and brother Gus (Paul Schneider). Somewhat concerned, they decide to call in sympathetic psychologist Dagmar (Patricia Clarkson) who advises that everyone play along with treating Bianca as a real person to try and get to the bottom of Lars’ obvious mental condition.

Lars is a tragic character that Gosling imbues with a real fragile innocence. It’s another marvellous and enigmatic performance from him. He keeps the audience at just the right distance. Never letting you in, but still maintaining a likeability. Lars is a character that could so easily be laughed at and ridiculed but it’s testament to writer Nancy Oliver, director Craig Gillespie, the supporting cast of Mortimer, Schnieder and Clarkson, and particularly Gosling’s lead in bringing the character – and his social trauma – so vividly to life. Instead of being a farcical film of cheap jokes, it becomes a touching exploration of mental health that’s quite unlike anything you’ll have seen before.

It’s deliberately paced and some may even find it lethargic but I found it to be a highly original and deeply sensitive drama anchored by a marvellous central performance.

Mark Walker

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Rango * * 1/2

Posted in Adventure, Animation, Comedy with tags 2011 on February 2, 2012 by Mark Walker

Director: Gore Verbinski.
Screenplay: John Logan.
Voices: Johnny Depp, Isla Fisher, Abigail Breslin, Ned Beatty, Alfred Molina, Bill Nighy, Stephen Root, Harry Dean Stanton, Timothy Olyphant, Ray Winstone.

When director Gore Verbinski and star Johnny Depp collaborated before they brought new life into the swashbuckling genre with “Pirates of the Caribbean”. This time they bring a different take on animation, with very mixed results.

A pet lizard (Johnny Depp) falls out of a car in the desert, and earns himself a heroic reputation in the makeshift animal town of ‘Dirt’ as gunslinger “Rango”. Dirt’s water-supply is controlled by a turtle mayor (Ned Beatty) and his gang, but Rango rallies the decent folks when it seems the community will be destroyed.

Partly the problem I had with “Rango” was it’s stunningly good opening. For the first 10mins or so it looked like it was going to be something very special indeed but as it progressed it fell somewhat flat and ended up as dry and barren as the landscape in which it was set. The voice cast were impressive, particularly Depp. He has a good range and if you didn’t know beforehand, you probably wouldn’t know it was him. The animation was also very well done but the desert creature characters were so realistic that they were also a bit freaky, leaving them less endearing than they should be, which has you wondering why Verbinski chose the style he did. Choosing the great cinematographer Roger Deakins as visual consultant was a good move though, as the landscapes and western style were brilliantly achieved.

A valiant effort to produce something different but the characters were just a bit too far gone and the story seriously ran out of ideas early on.

Mark Walker

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The Brothers Bloom * * * 1/2

Posted in Comedy, Drama, Romance with tags 2008 on February 2, 2012 by Mark Walker

Director: Rian Johnson.
Screenplay: Rian Johnson.
Starring: Rachel Weisz, Mark Ruffalo, Adrien Brody, Rinko Kikuchi, Robbie Coltrane, Maximilian Schell, Max Records, Zachary Gordon, Andy Nyman, Joseph Gordon-Levitt.
Narrated by: Ricky Jay

Following on from his modern noir and impressive directorial debut “Brick” in 2005, director Rian Johnson faced the tricky second feature syndrome. After a three year wait he delivered this… another convoluted tale, but with altogether different results.

Stephen (Mark Ruffalo) and younger sibling Bloom (Adrien Brody) are a couple of con-men who criss cross the globe shafting the unwary. Their latest mark, however, is something new: wealthy recluse Penelope (Rachel Weisz) who, having spent her life mastering a miscellany of random skills (break dancing, banjo plucking, juggling chainsaws), is only too happy to follow them and their mute munitions expert ‘Bang-Bang’ (Rinko Kikuchi) to Prague where a priceless antique is ripe for the taking.

With this second feature it looks like Rian Johnson enjoys a good puzzling story. His debut was full of twists and turns and more than a nod or two to crime writers Dashiell Hammett and Raymond Chandler. This time he employs a subtext with nods to several classic literary novels and authors. The references are subtle but cleverly dropped into his tangled and intricate flim-flam story. Added to which are bags of visual flourishes and fine performances by the four leads. However, what is a strong and satisfying hustle soon becomes a bit too clever for it’s own good and as it draws to a close it ends up tying itself in knots. Leaving us with an unsatisfactory (and unnecessary) conclusion. Getting there is loads of fun though and Rian Johnson is shaping up to be a more than competent new director.

Four fun, enjoyable and sharply dressed characters play out their scams in an impressive and stylish addition to the Bunco genre. It’s just a shame it cons itself out of a convincing ending.

Mark Walker

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The Witches Of Eastwick * * * *

Posted in Comedy, Fantasy, Horror with tags 1987 on February 2, 2012 by Mark Walker

Director: George Miller.
Screenplay: Michael Cristofer.
Starring: Jack Nicholson, Cher, Susan Sarandon, Michelle Pfeiffer, Veronica Cartwright, Richard Jenkins, Keith Jochim, Carel Struycken.

Playing the Devil must be highly appealing to an actor. It gives them the chance to let their darker side out and three of the most prestigious have done just that; Al Pacino gave it gusto in “Devil’s Advocate”, Robert DeNiro had a creepy stab at it in “Angel Heart” and this was Jack Nicholson’s fun filled and menacing turn.

Alex (Cher), Jane (Susan Sarandon) and Sukie (Michelle Pfeiffer) are three dissatisfied single women from the picturesque village of Eastwick, who laughingly try to conjure a man to fulfil all their desires. Soon enough, Daryl Van Horne (Jack Nicholson) movies into the town, but he will have a strange effect on each of them, granting them strange powers and as the lives of everyone in the whole town start to unravel, it becomes increasingly clear what Daryl’s real identity might be.

“Just your average horny little devil” is one of the first self imposed descriptions we get of Daryl Van Horne as Jack Nicholson revels in playing such a vibrant and perfectly suited character. That’s not to say that the rest of the cast aren’t impressive. They are. The three female leads are all perfect, particularly Sarandon with her transformation from shrinking violet to no-nonsense slut. Richard Jenkins, as usual, is able support as the quietly spoken local journalist and a special mention must go to Veronica Cartwright for her hilarious yet frightening turn as his possessed, churchgoing wife who sees Van Horne for what he is. Despite such a solid cast though, this is still the Jack Nicholson show. With every scene, he just chews up the screen and when his darker side is revealed, his performance only gets better, helping to forgive the fact that the shift in tone of the film is slightly uneven. It ranges from fantasy, through comedy, to horror. It’s a transition that won’t appeal to all and the special effects suffer slightly also. However, there’s that much fun to be had with this film that it’s hard to pick holes.

Movies are to be enjoyed and this is a film that has fun and excitement in abundance, helped by a great supporting cast and a dynamic performance by Nicholson, in a role that ranks as one of my favourites from him.

Mark Walker

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A Town Called Panic * * * * 1/2

Posted in Adventure, Animation, Comedy, Family, Fantasy, Foreign Language with tags 2009 on February 1, 2012 by Mark Walker

Directors: Stephane Aubier, Vincent Patar.
Screenplay: Stephane Aubier, Vincent Patar.
Voices: Stephane Aubier, Bruce Ellison, Benoit Poelvoorde, Jeanne Balibar.

Stop-motion animation still has a place in film today despite the computer generated brilliance of Pixar and Dreamwork etc. “Wallace and Gromit” are still a success and with the arrival of this inventive adventure, it shows that there’s still some mileage left in the old stop-motion style yet.

Papier mache toys Cowboy and Indian’s plan to surprise Horse with a homemade birthday gift backfires when they accidently destroy his house. No sooner have they built a new home only for it to be stolen from beneath their noses by a stealthy and cunning assailant. Strange adventures ensue as the trio travel to the centre of the earth, trek across frozen tundra and discover a parrallel underwater universe where dishonest subaquatic creatures live.

As long as there’s still imagination and creativity in the world, there will still be works of art produced regardless of being at a disadvantage. This little animation is proof that millions of money isn’t necessary to produce something that works. Stop-motion animation is probably the most difficult and painstaking of techniques, making you wonder why they even bother in the first place. Fortunately they do bother and we are treated to this fantastic little gem. It’s basic in it’s setup and characters, with second rate little toys brought to life, injected with hilarity, detail and crammed full of creativity and imagination that it’s hard to resist. An absolutely wonderful little treat and very unlike most animation today. Yes, “Wallace and Gromit” are famous stop-motion characters but they are still miles from this surreal Belgian adventure from Stephane Aubier and Vincent Patar.

It’s a pure joy that will shamefully be overlooked by many and deserves a wider audience for it’s originality alone. Added to which, it unashamedly boasts…”shown in glorious 2D.” Superb!

Mark Walker

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Paul * * *

Posted in Comedy, Science Fiction with tags 2011 on February 1, 2012 by Mark Walker

Director: Greg Mottola.
Screenplay: Simon Pegg, Nick Frost.
Starring: Simon Pegg, Nick Frost, Kristen Wiig, John Carroll Lynch, Jason Bateman, Jeffrey Tambor, Jane Lynch Sigourney Weaver, Bill Hader, Joe Lo Truglio, David Koechner, Blythe Danner.
Voice of: Seth Rogen.

After the British success of “Shaun of the Dead” and “Hot Fuzz”, messers Simon Pegg and Nick Frost go American with this latest collaboration. Gone is director Edgar Wright from the aforementioned films and replaced by “Superbad” director Greg Mottola with mixed results.

Graeme (Pegg) and Clive (Frost) are two British geeks on a road trip of the US. Along the way, they pick up an unexpected hitchhiker – a small, foul-mouthed alien called Paul (Seth Rogen), who enlists the duo to help him get him home. But the Government has other ideas, dispatching agents to pursue the trio.

Fans of Pegg and Frost will no doubt lap this up and some may even be happy about the arrival of Mottola. I however, find the comic duo a bit hit-and-miss and I find Mottola even less appealing. The highlight of this film is the voice and humour of Seth Rogen. In a film littered with unnecessary bad language the only one who can actually pull it off is Rogen. The rest of the cast attempt to, but it just comes across as desperate attempts at jokes that turn out to be completely lacking in hilarity, when they should really be splitting your sides. There is still entertainment to be had though, with enough in the tank to keep you amused but it’s far from hilarious. The sci-fi in-joke involving Steven Speilberg and his creation of “E.T.” is cleverly dropped in, as well as a few nods to “Close Encounters…”, “Star Wars” and “Aliens”. With a story that has enough strength to provide an abundance of jokes, it’s a shame they never seem to come, leaving all the good gags to Rogen, who effortlessly steals the film from everyone.

Another reasonably decent effort from Pegg and Frost but I think had Edgar Wright been involved, he could have complimented their brand of humour rather than Mottola’s profane punchlines that don’t always work. Fun, but a bit disappointing.

Mark Walker

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Zombieland * * * 1/2

Posted in Action, Comedy, Horror with tags 2009 on February 1, 2012 by Mark Walker

Director: Ruben Fleischer.
Screenplay: Rhett Reese, Paul Wernick.
Starring: Woody Harrelson, Jesse Eisenberg, Emma Stone, Abigail Breslin, Amber Heard, Derek Graf, Mike White, Bill Murray.

Zombie flicks have always had an underlying sense of humour throughout them, which has also made them perfect fodder for an out and out comedy. “Shaun of the Dead” was a British attempt at it and this, in some ways, could be seen as it’s American cousin.

A virus has swept the world and turned 99% of the population into ravenous zombies. A few “normal” humans remain, like young Columbus (Jesse Eisenberg), who hooks up with a gun-toting zombie-eradicator named Tallahassee (Woody Harrelson). Their road trip gets detoured when they encounter two savvy sisters Wichita (Emma Stone) and Little Rock (Abigail Breslin) heading for an amusement park in California.

This film had me hooked from the beginning with it’s excellent fun packed introduction complete with Eisenberg’s life saving “rules” to surviving a now over populated world of Zombies and a hilarious slow-motion credit sequence with zombies, of all kinds, chowing down. As it progresses though, it begins to run out of ideas becoming a bit uneventful. This is mainly due to the characters having no real purpose in their lives and are left to just waste time on their travels. As a result it becomes a little stale but the arrival of a cameo appearance by Bill Murray playing himself, lightens up the proceedings and the amusement park finale is pure excitement. A perfect way to see our Zombies friends meet their fate. The four actors all put in good performances. Harrelson gets the juicy role but it’s Eisenberg who really shines, combining comedy with drama effortlessly. It’s good to see that he is getting some choice roles and continues his good streak. Ruben Fleischer does a fantastic job here and is definitely a director to watch. He has a creative and fun-filled visual style that keeps this film going, despite some periodic lulls.

Zombie fans should find plenty of enjoyment and fans of comedy won’t be displeased either. Roll on the sequel.

Mark Walker

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Away We Go * * * 1/2

Posted in Comedy, Drama, Romance with tags 2009 on January 29, 2012 by Mark Walker

Director: Sam Mendes.
Screenplay: Dave Eggers, Vendela Vida.
Starring: John Krasinski, Maya Rudolph, Allison Janney, Maggie Gyllenhaal, Jeff Daniels, Catherine O’Hara, Melanie Lynskey, Chris Messina, Paul Schneider, Carmen Ejogo, Josh Hamilton.

Director Sam Mendes may never reach the abundant award winning heights of “American Beauty” again, but he’s proved along the road (Revolutionary and Perdition included) that he can still deliver the goods. This is a change of direction for him altogether but it’s still a fine addition to his growing catalogue of family dramas.

Burt (John Krasinski) and Verona (Maya Rudolph) are expecting their first baby. When Burt’s parents, the couple’s sole reason for moving to their current non-descript town, decide to leave the US, the couple go on a trip cross-country to find somewhere to raise their child.

When the film opens we are given a introduction to the solid relationship that the two main characters share, as while performing oral sex on his partner, Burt candidly talks about the theory of different vaginal flavours due to menopause or pregnancy. This duly recieves a slap in the face mid-performance, and thankfully for us he was talking about the latter. So then begins the journey of Burt & Verona as they mould the future of their family. John Krasinski and especially Maya Rudolph are a delight as the two endearing parents-to-be. In fact all the performances are appealing and subtly real and the whole cast pitches in. The real highlights though are the eccentric characters on our protaganists travels, mainly Alison Janney as the witty and offensive ex-colleague and Maggie Gyllenhaal as the free spirited sister. They are particular standouts in an exceptional cast. Despite mainly being a humorous road-trip, it’s peppered with some wise and wonderful scenes and has some moments of heartbreaking realism. The soundtrack is also filled with wonderful gems of music and despite it’s style, it’s missing only one thing…a Nick Drake song.

Mendes has equipt himself well once more and delivered an unusually heartwarming and quite lovely little film.

Mark Walker

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A Midsummer Night’s Dream * * *

Posted in Comedy, Fantasy, Romance with tags 1999 on January 29, 2012 by Mark Walker

Director: Michael Hoffman.
Screenplay: Michael Hoffman.
Starring: Kevin Kline, Michelle Pfeiffer, Calista Flockhart, Stanley Tucci, Rupert Everett, Christian Bale, Dominic West, Anna Friel, David Strathairn, Sophie Marceau, Roger Rees, Bill Irwin, Bernard Hill, John Sessions, Sam Rockwell.

As a rule, I dont like to watch any William Shakespeare adaptations until I have read the play first. Having just finished reading this classic comedy/love story, I was eager to see it on screen like I am of any of the screen adaptations of his wonderful works. This however, isn’t as good as the great master deserves.

While preparing for the wedding of Duke Theseus (David Strathairn) to Hippolyta (Sophie Marceau) a group of actors including Bottom the Weaver (Kevin Kline) rehearse an amature play for the forthcoming betrothal while forbidden lovers Hermia (Anna Friel) and Lysander (Dominic West) run away together, pursued by Demetrius (Christian Bale) and Helena (Calista Flockhart). Meanwhile, in another part of the forest, Faerie King Oberon (Rupert Everett) wants to get at his wife Queen Titania (Michelle Pfeiffer). He dispatches malicious ‘sprite’ Puck (Stanley Tucci) on a mission to humiliate his Queen. En route Puck can’t resist messing with the mortals lost in the woods also, ensuring all sorts of confusion.

Director Michael Hoffman’s take transports us from ancient Greece to late-19th-century Italy (complete with newly invented bicycles) and I have to say, it works. The sets and costumes are absolutely stunning, drawing you into the magical and mystical land of the faeries. He addresses it with the same playful tone that Kenneth Branagh captured for his adaptation of “Much Ado About Nothing” and also like that, uses the same mix of both American and British actors who are perfectly suited to their roles. It’s a lush and extravagant production, infused with Shakespeare’s humour but something doesn’t quite click. The mock Pyramus play at end is way overlong and almost grinds the film to halt. The only positive is that this is when the underused Sam Rockwell gets a chance to contribute something, but by then it’s too little too late. As David Strathairn’s ‘Theseus’ says around this time “No epilogue I pray you…” if only he’d said this 15 mins earlier, we could have had a satisfying ending.

It’s classic Shakespeare that, shockingly, hasn’t had a decent adaptation yet. This is the best so far, but for fans of the great playwrite only.
It captures the look but doesn’t quite capture the heart.

Mark Walker

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Once Upon A Time In The Midlands * * *

Posted in Comedy, Drama with tags 2002 on January 29, 2012 by Mark Walker

Director: Shane Meadows.
Screenplay: Shane Meadows, Paul Fraser.
Starring: Robert Carlyle, Rhys Ifans, Shirley Henderson, Ricky Tomlinson, Kathy Burke, Finn Atkins, Andrew Shim, James Cosmo, David McKay, Vic Reeves, Bob Mortimer.

Shane Meadows is without doubt, one of the best British directors around at present. He knows his way around the working class lifestyle of Britain with a welcome and refreshing outlook that has, until his arrival, been commandeered by the likes of Ken Loach and Mike Leigh.

Waking up in a drunken haze Glaswegian crook Jimmy (Robert Carlyle) sees his ex, Shirley (Shirley Henderson), being proposed to on a daytime TV chat show. She spurns the proposal of Dek (Rhys Ifans) live on air, leading Jimmy to head back to his old town to claim back Shirley and his young daughter (Finn Atkins), that he left behind years ago.

After “TwentyFourSeven” and “A Room for Romeo Brass”, this completes Shane Meadows’ so called ‘midlands trilogy’ and with the actors involved, this has an abundance of quality. Despite this though, it’s the weakest of the trilogy. That’s not to say that there’s nothing to enjoy, there is, and its plentiful. It just seems a bit too lighthearted in comparison with Meadows’ other films. The excellent actors involved put in fine performances. Ifans and particularly Carlyle are two of the best in the business; Henderson is one of the most underated of actresses, deserving of far more attention and adding Kathy Burke and Ricky Tomlinson for some mild comic relief is always welcome. However, with this undoubted talent onscreen, it only makes it more frustrating that they aren’t pushed to the extent that they’re capable of. I suppose this is down to Meadows prefering a more humourous approach and if you’re aware of this beforehand then you might not feel as disappointed with the lack of danger that he normally applies to certain characters. His use of a spaghetti western theme throughout a ‘kitchen-sink’ family drama is a wonderful touch though.

A good little comedy/drama that certainly entertains but it lacks any real emotional punch and should have made more of the fine ensemble of actors. Meadows’ most impressive cast, yet strangely, one of his least impressive films.

Mark Walker

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I Love You Phillip Morris * * * *

Posted in Comedy, Drama, Romance with tags 2009 on January 29, 2012 by Mark Walker

Directors: Glenn Ficarra, John Requa.
Screenplay: Glenn Ficarra, John Requa.
Starring: Jim Carrey, Ewan McGregor, Leslie Mann, Rodrigo Santoro, Antoni Corone, Brennan Brown, Michael Mandell.

Jim Carrey’s goofy, rubber-faced, slap-stick material has been getting a bit stale recently. The best of his films have been when he has delivered a serious role; “Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind” and “The Truman Show” have been notable showcases for this, but now he can also add this to his growing catalogue of fine comedic and dramatic
achievements.

Steven Russell (Jim Carrey), a southerner who marries his churchgoing sweetheart (Leslie Mann), then finally reconciles with the reality that he’s gay. In an effort to support a new, extravagant lifestyle he summons his latent gift for larceny and becomes a skilled con artist. Eventually this lands him in prison, where he falls in love with a fellow inmate named Phillip Morris (Ewan McGregor), and his real swindling takes over.

Despite Carrey and McGregor being two of the most familiar faces in film today, they still manage to give entirely believable performances as a gay couple, in a surprisingly heartfelt love story. It’s very brave and bold roles for them both. Carrey brings just enough humour and zaniness without overdoing it and McGregor adds a welcome naive and gentle innocence in their kinetic entanglement. It’s these strong, committed performances that propel this wildly inventive, modern romance. Some may be put off by the homeosexual nature of the story but they needn’t be. This is as valid and earnest as any heterosexual love affair and if anything, only serves to prove how much the actors have invested in it’s telling. It’s not too surprising that this was directed by Glenn Ficarra and John Requa, the writers of the lewd Billy Bob Thornton film “Bad Santa“, but what is astonishing is their ability to keep it all real and their impressive balance of the story. It has all the right ingredients; great characters, an interesting and exciting story, hysterically funny moments, scenes of powerful drama and two excellent lead performances. It never goes into exactly how some of Steven Russell’s swindles are achieved but it’s fun to watch all the same. His elaborate scams border on the implausible but for the fact, that this is based on true events, making it all the more impressive and enjoyable.

A fine and fresh directorial debut for the “Bad Santa” boys, helped by two of the most enjoyable performances of the year. Next up for this directing team is “Crazy, Stupid, Love” with Steve Carell and Ryan Gosling. Here’s hoping it’s half as good as this.

Mark Walker

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Sunshine Cleaning * * * *

Posted in Comedy, Drama with tags 2009 on January 29, 2012 by Mark Walker

Director: Christine Jeffs.
Screenplay: Megan Holley.
Starring: Amy Adams, Emily Blunt, Alan Arkin, Steve Zahn, Jason Spevack, Clifton Collins Jr, Mary Lynn Rasjkub, Eric Christian Olsen, Paul Dooley, Kevin Chapman, Judith Jones.

From the producers of “Little Miss Sunshine” we are told. Unfortunately, a film like this is reduced to riding on the success of another to gain any attention for itself. What a shame, as this well crafted ‘dramady’ has quality all it’s own.

In Albuquerque, N.M., struggling single mum Rose Lorkowski (Amy Adams) starts a business mopping up crime scenes. She has no experience in this highly specialized field so she recruits her stoner sister Norah (Emily Blunt) to help out and both siblings become emotionally involved in the lives and deaths of the messily deceased, while rediscovering their self-esteem and creating a bond between them that they have longed for as sisters.

I can’t say that the tag of a film being ‘produced’ by the same people actually means anything. As far as I’m aware producers don’t add anything creatively to a film. Personally I’m drawn to films that have interesting storylines or people involved that I’ve enjoyed before, and in this case, it’s Amy Adams. Having seen “Junebug” and “The Fighter” of late, I’ve been really impressed by her superb performances which have lead me onto the path of this unanticipated treat. It’s an adept comedy/drama with beautifully understated performances. The balance of dark comedy with family drama is skillfully handled by director Christine Jeffs, from an impressive debut script by Megan Holley. Minus a couple more oddballs family members, this has much in common with the previous producers film “Little Miss Sunshine”. It has the same well drawn characters (Alan Arkin’s eccentric grandpa included, only this time heroine free), the same mix of humour and pathos and the same upbeat tone in downbeat scenarios.

After steadily building a reputation for herself, this is another choice role for the marvellous Amy Adams, who is without doubt, the actress to watch these days. A wonderfully structured little film that achieves a balance in the realism of it’s characters in slightly surreal situations.
An unexpected delight.

Mark Walker

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How To Lose Friends And Alienate People * *

Posted in Comedy with tags 2008 on January 29, 2012 by Mark Walker

Director: Robert B. Weide.
Screenplay: Peter Straughan.
Starring: Simon Pegg, Kirsten Dunst, Jeff Bridges, Megan Fox, Gillian Anderson, Danny Huston, Thandie Newton, James Corden, Chris O’Dowd, Max Minghella, Miriam Margoyles, Toni Collette, Kate Winslet, Daniel Craig.

Now that Simon Pegg has broken into the American market, he is getting offered more meatier roles. This was his first stab at a leading comedic part amongst an impressive star studded cast but despite the weight behind this one, it never quite gets off the ground.

Sidney Young (Simon Pegg) is a down-on-his-luck British journalist offered the chance of a lifetime at glossy US magazine ‘Sharps’. However, his plans to conquer New York hit speedbumps in the shape of a glamorous starlet (Megan Fox), her ruthless publicist (Gillian Anderson) and his increasingly irate co-workers (Kirsten Dunst, Danny Huston & Jeff Bridges).

This lightweight comedy has it’s moments; Pegg is as endearing and buffoonish as ever and the rest of the cast also deliver fine performances – particularly Bridges who chews up his role – but unfortunately, the very talented lineup are wasted in a poorly written and sometimes desperate execution. The culture-clash scenario of a lone Brit tackling America, supplies enough gags for a while, but it soon grows tiresome and relies too heavily on this premise to get by. Other than this, we are offered a few slapstick Farrelly brothers moments which are, at best, mildly amusing. It is actually based on the real life experiences of Toby Young who wrote his book as a scathing attack on the vanity and shallowness of celebrity culture and if the film had stuck to a satirical approach, it might have worked. Instead, we get a predictably uninteresting, formulaic effort that wastes a very talented cast.

Promises so much yet delivers so little. Only Jeff Bridges manages to make something of his role and come out relatively unscathed, but then… he is Jeff Bridges after all.

Mark Walker

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King Of California * * * 1/2

Posted in Comedy, Drama with tags 2007 on January 28, 2012 by Mark Walker

Director: Mike Cahill.
Screenplay: Mike Cahill.
Starring: Michael Douglas, Evan Rachel Wood, Kathleen Whilhoite, Willis Burks II, Laura Kachergus, Paul Lieber.

Nepotism is rife throughout Hollywood and as much as I despise it, I think I may have to finally admit that after all these years, Michael Douglas does have some talent of his own and isn’t just a by-product of his father Kirk.

Charlie (Michael Douglas) is a free-spirited eccentric who’s just been released from a mental institution and is obsessed with locating an ancient Spanish treasure that he believes is buried right under peoples noses in California. To aide him in his crazy quest – and against her better judgement – he enlists his sixteen-year-old daughter Miranda (Evan Rachel Wood).

Douglas is a treat to watch here. I always took him to be one of the self-important Hollywood types, but here he doesn’t take himself too seriously at all and reminded me that he, has in fact, produced some wonderful comedic performances throughout his career; “War of the Roses”; “Wonderboys”; and “One Night at McCools”, to name a few. His character of Charlie can be included amongst these oddities. He’s highly intelligent but also quite dysfunctional on a basic level and Douglas perfectly captures this creative, intelligent madness. This is also helped by Evan Rachel Wood’s sensitive performance as Miranda and her almost escapist, dreamlike perspective which adds to the surreal and farout nature of her father and her feelings of a stolen childhood, due his quirky demeanor. They are both delightful performances in an unexpectedly delightful film.

It’s not groundbreaking material by any means but it is an original little caper with a real sense for the offbeat.

Mark Walker

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Micmacs * * * 1/2

Posted in Comedy, Foreign Language with tags 2009 on January 28, 2012 by Mark Walker

Director: Jean-Pierre Juenet.
Screenplay: Jean-Pierre Juenet, Guillaume Laurant.
Starring: Dany Boon, Andre Dussollier, Domonique Pinon, Nicolas Marie, Jean-Pierre Marielle, Yolande Moreau, Julie Ferrier, Omar Sy, Michel Cremades.

Director Jean-Pierre Juenet certainly has an idiosyncratic style and if your familiar with, and enjoyed, his other films “Delicatessen” and “Amelie” then you will find plenty to enjoy here. As it’s – in his own words – a cross between the two.

Bazil (Dany Boon) is film buff who luckily works as a video store clerk. Unluckily though, he witnesses a shooting one evening which leaves him with a stray bullet lodged in his head. After surviving the incident and learning that the symbol on the bullet is also the same symbol that was on the landmine that killed his father years ago, he sets about to bring down the arms dealers responsible and enlists the help of a group of former circus performers, inventors and all round social misfits to aide his revenge.

Jeunet’s usual visual flair and eccentric oddball characters are ever present as is, his knack for finding art in the every-day. There are very few directors working today with the vision and inventiveness that Juenet consistantly shows (the Coens being notable others). As close as your likely to get to a live-action cartoon, ranging from human cannonballs to a bowl full of wasps dangling precariously above it’s target with an alarm clock ticking, waiting to send it on it’s way. Very inventive and creative throughout but it suffers from being poorly paced and not entirely keeping you engaged and as Juenet would like to claim that it’s a mix of both “Delicatessen” and “Amelie”, it unfortunately lacks the surreal darkness of the former and the beauty and charm of the latter.

However, if you view this on it’s own merit, without comparison, you may well be less critical, as it’s still a fine addition to Juenet’s wonderful work and a very enjoyable and entertaining watch.

Mark Walker

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The Informant * * *

Posted in Comedy, Drama with tags 2009 on January 28, 2012 by Mark Walker

Director: Steven Soderbergh.
Screenplay: Scott Z. Burns.
Starring: Matt Damon, Scott Bakula, Thomas F. Wilson, Melanie Lynskey, Clancy Brown, Larry Clarke, Frank Welker.

Following the epic, political biopic “Che”, director Steven Soderbergh takes on another biopic, resulting in a strange little project for him and star Matt Damon.

Based on the real life events of Mark Whitacre (Damon), in the early 1990’s, who was the vice-president of agri-chemical firm ‘ADM’. Suffering from Bi-polar disorder and being highly convincing in his storytelling, he liaises with the FBI to root out a possible industrial spy in his workplace and then reveals that his employers are involved in a price-fixing cartel. The FBI take a massive interest and have Mark gathering evidence and wearing wires to bring his employers down. The problem is though, is that Whitacre also seems to be a compulsive liar and gradually reveals his own involvement in the embezzlement schemes.

A bizarre change of pace for Soderbergh and very unlike anything he has done before. As much as it was a fine attempt, I wasnt entirely convinced. I didn’t feel that the tone was right. I could see that Soderbergh was going for the absurdity in the situation but it could maybe have been a better film, had he played it straight and decided on some tension. However, given the facts, this story may have been difficult to take seriously. The whole film has the look of a comedy but with very few laughs. The overuse of dramatic music at sporadic moments is off-putting and after the first couple of times, with the novelty wearing off, it becomes intrusive and unnecessary. Damon is perfectly cast-against-type in the role of Whitacre, complete with dodgy ‘tache and hair-do. Despite being quite irritating, he’s highly entertaining and his recurrent voice-over throughout, is both humorous and informative. It’s a performance that’s worthy of attention and kept my interest until the end, which did seem a liitle far off at times.

Although interesting, it’s not an entirely succesful change of direction for Soderbergh, but it’s a terrific turn from Damon.

Mark Walker

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The Illusionist * * * 1/2

Posted in Animation, Comedy, Drama with tags 2010 on January 28, 2012 by Mark Walker

Director: Sylvain Chomet.
Screenplay: Sylvain Chomet.
Voices: Jean-Claude Donda, Eilidh Rankin, Duncan MacNeil, Tom Urie.

A few years ago there was “Paris, Je T’aime” and more recently “New York, I love you”, both films celebrating the culture and essence of these great cities. With this follow-up to his animated film “Belleville Rendez-vous”, French director Sylvain Chomet, could easily re-title this…”Edinburgh, Je T’aime”. It is a painstakingly hand-drawn animation of Scotland’s capital city (where Chomet now lives) and so vast in it’s detail that only someone who knows and loves the city could capture.

Based on an incomplete script by French comedian Jacques Tati, it tells the story of ‘The Great Tatischeff’, an illusionist who is scraping up a living by doing his magic tricks in the old music halls of France and England. His profession is not in demand anymore and he eventually travels to the Scottish islands for another rare paid job, where he meets a girl called Alice. She is amazed by his abilities and follows him to Edinburgh where they explore the wonders of the city together.

It’s such a treat to get hand-drawn animation these days and with “The Secret of Kells” also released, we have been treated to two fantastic animations in one year. However, on both occasions the stories have not been up to scratch. “The Illusionist” only lasts for approx 1hr 25mins but as it’s mainly dialogue free, it seems a lot longer. Don’t get me wrong, the animation is absolutely beautiful and the city of Edinburgh is hand painted to perfection that you could say that, the city itself, is the main character in this story but it’s hard to maintain your interest for the entire length of the film when there’s not a lot happening. Visuals can only work so long and it also doesn’t fully explain the motivation behind the two main characters. We are left as bewildered and meandering as them, with their French and Scots Gaelic language barriers. It’s a real shame, as I’d really like to give this film top marks but the narrative let’s it down. The hand-drawn animation is something to behold though, and it definitely deserves top marks in that department.

Chomet has delivered a deeply melancholy little film about the demise of vaudevillian entertaiment, in visually splendid style. Unfortunately, it lacks a narrative drive but like the protaganist in his profession, it has a few things up it’s sleeve.

Mark Walker

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Team America: World Police * * * *

Posted in Action, Animation, Comedy with tags 2005 on January 28, 2012 by Mark Walker

Director: Trey Parker.
Screenplay: Trey Parker, Matt Stone, Pam Brady.
Voices: Trey Parker, Matt Stone, Kristen Miller, Masasa Moyo, Daran Norris, Phil Hendrie, Maurice LaMarche.

“I’ll rip your fuckin’ balls off and stuff them up your ass. So, the next time you shit, you’ll shit all over your balls! Got it?” This quote pretty much sums up the level of humour from “South Park” creators Trey Parker and Matt Stone’s take on the conflict in the Middle East, with their usual offensive and riotously funny approach.

“Team America” are an anti-terrorist group who claim to be the “world police”, bringing democracy and the American way to people ‘less fortunate than them’. During a terrorist busting mission in France, one of their team is killed-in-action which results in the team’s decision to replace him with an actor. Their intention being, to bring down the terrorist organisations and dictators with someone on their side who can infiltrate ‘the baddies’ using their acting chops.

More a pastiche of the old marionette puppet show “Thunderbirds” and several Hollywood blockbusters than a political satire. It’s a bit overlong and doesn’t always hit the mark but it’s very hard to dismiss a film that has a recurrent song with lyrics like…”America, Fuck yeah! Lick my butt and suck on my balls”. Profane but absolutely hilarious. It’s ridicules everyone from the Taliban to former North Korean dictator Kim-Jong Il and left wing politicised actors, namely Alec Baldwin, Sean Penn, Tim Robbins and Matt Damon among others, as well as the gung-ho destructive and ignorant nature of America. It doesn’t take prisoners, any political or celebrity figure who CAN get the piss taken out of them, DO get the piss taken out of them and political correctness goes out the window from the get go.

The puppets are uproariously funny but this is definitely not for the easily offended. However, if you like your humour a little (or a lot) more risque, then this is for you. Fuck yeah!!

Mark Walker