2010 | MARKED MOVIES

Archive for 2010

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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The Town * * * *

Posted in Action, Drama, thriller with tags 2010 on January 28, 2012 by Mark Walker

Director: Ben Affleck.
Screenplay: Ben Affleck, Peter Craig, Aaron Stockard.
Starring: Ben Affleck, Jeremy Renner, Jon Hamm, Rebecca Hall, Blake Lively, Pete Postlethwaite, Chris Cooper, Titus Welliver, Slaine, Owen Burke.

After his excellent directorial debut “Gone Baby Gone”, Ben Affleck then had the pressure of fulfilling his potential with the tricky second feature syndrome but with “The Town” he proves that he’s no flash-in-the-pan behind the camera.

Based on the novel “Prince of Thieves” by Chuck Hogan, it follows professional thief Doug MacRay (Affleck) and his crew after a bank heist, where the bank manager, Claire Keesey (Rebecca Hall) may be a potential witness against them. Just to be sure, MacRay keeps tabs on her, resulting in them developing a romantic relationship and putting himself and his crew in even more danger. Meanwhile, MacRay’s hot-headed friend Jem (Jeremy Renner) shows his disapproval and F.B.I agent Adam Frawley (Jon Hamm) closes in on them.

The story is nothing new and has shades of Michael Mann’s “Heat” and Kathryn Bigelow’s “Point Break” coursing through it’s veins. However, Affleck still manages to make the film his own. He shows his knowledge of the neighbourhood with excellent use of Boston locations and employs a fine supporting cast. Jeremy Renner channels another wild man performance that got him a Oscar nomination for “The Hurt Locker” and Jon Hamm effortlessly crosses over from TV’s “Mad Men”, this time playing a ruthless and driven F.B.I agent, hot on the gangs heals. Affleck himself, is also really rather good. I’m not his biggest fan but he has a brooding, cold and calculated presence and next to Renner’s unpredictable hot-head, he never looks shaken or concerned by his friend’s dangerous behaviour. There’s no doubt that he’s in charge.
Much like “Gone Baby Gone”, Affleck shows his film to have substance. He gives his characters and actors time to establish themselves and you get the feeling that he’s not cutting corners. Its a solid piece of work and I shall watch with anticipation for the next time he’s calling the shots.

Its not as grand or as flamboyant as “Heat” but more a grittier look at the working-class criminal lifestyle.

Mark Walker

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Frozen * * 1/2

Posted in thriller with tags 2010 on January 28, 2012 by Mark Walker

Director: Adam Green.
Screenplay: Adam Green.
Starring: Kevin Zegers, Shawn Ashmore, Emma Bell, Ed Ackerman.

Considering this is a film that has three relatively unknown actors, on screen with nowhere else to go for almost the entire 90mins running time, it’s surprising gripping.

After a day skiing in the mountains, Dan (Kevin Zegers), Joe (Shawn Ashmore) and Parker (Emma Bell) are the last ones on the ski-lift at the end of the day. Unknowingly, the staff believe everyone to have left, and switch off the lift, leaving them stranded 100 feet in the air and the mountain closed for the weekend. No-one will find them for days, and wolves gather below, leaving them fighting for their lives in the freezing cold and facing some very stark decisions to make.

If you like films where the characters are faced with life or death decisions to make, causing you to question yourself in a similiar situation then there’s plenty to enjoy from this low-budget shocker. It’s been said several times already but it really is like 2003’s “Open Water”. Not flashy in the slightest and the premise is very simple, which is what helps it work. Tension is built slowly and effectively by B-movie, horror director Adam Green and the three very promising young leads deliver the goods, amounting to a surprisingly enjoyable and tension filled hour and a half.

If you ask me, the best piece of advice the three youngsters could have been given in their predicament would have been…’Don’t eat yellow snow’.

Mark Walker

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Legend Of The Guardians: The Owls of Ga’hoole * 1/2

Posted in Adventure, Animation, Family, Fantasy with tags 2010 on January 28, 2012 by Mark Walker

Director: Zack Snyder.
Screenplay: John Orloff, Emil Stern.
Voices: Jim Sturgess, Geoffrey Rush, Helen Mirren, Sam Neill, Hugo Weaving, Ryan Kwanten, Joel Edgerton, David Wenham, Anthony LaPaglia, Richard Roxburgh, Abbie Cornish, Miriam Margoyles, Angus Sampson.

After a great directorial debut with the zombie flick “Dawn of the Dead” and two back to back successful comic adaptations in “300” and “Watchmen”, you’d think that Zack Snyder would be a fine choice to adapt this children’s fantasy book by Kathryn Lansky. However, that’s not the case with this one.

Young Soren and Kludd are two owl brothers, fascinated with the history and legend of the ‘Guardians’ (an herioc owl clan that defeated the powers of evil in the past). When playing one day, the two brothers are abducted and taken to the sinister fortress of St Aegolius, where supposedly long-since defeated evil owl overlord Metalbeak is secretly raising an army. Soren takes it upon himself to escape and seek out legendary owl-paladins “the Guardians Of Ga’Hoole”, and save all owlkind.

This has some great animation and 3D effects but ultimately the story is uninteresting and frankly, very dull. After a weak beginning I was certain the film would kick up a gear, considering it had Snyder involved, but it never did. It remained flat, tedious and despite it being a fantasy, it still didn’t suspend disbelief. I often found myself wondering how the Owls made their armour, let alone wear it. Now that’s a bad sign. It’s also bad that your one of only three people in the cinema watching it and another being your four year old, who is crying to leave halfway through when the popcorn has ran out. It suffers with Owls being the main characters for a start. I mean, how many times can you make an owl look different from each other, so the audience don’t get mixed up with them and how many expressions can you force out of them. Attention to detail in the owls is undeniably impressive but I don’t fancy watching 90mins identifying every single feather or reflection of light in their eyes. Yes, it’s nice to look at but more attention should have been paid to the script and less on the fluff. Most of the effort seemingly went into the long and drawn out title of the film, which in terms of consistency, it at least shares the same stupidity as the film itself. There is one scene worthy of attention, with Soren in slow motion flight played out with the haunting vocals of “Dead Can Dance” singer Lisa Gerrard, but apart from that and the impressive visuals it’s a real let down from Snyder and a film that has being seriously overhyped.

A more suitable title would have been “The Bowels of Ga’Hoole” – it’s a real stinker.

Mark Walker

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The Social Network * * *

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

Director: David Fincher.
Screenplay: Aaron Sorkin.
Starring: Jesse Eisenberg, Andrew Garfield, Justin Timberlake, Armie Hammer, Max Minghella, Rooney Mara, Josh Pence, John Getz, Douglas Urbanski, Joseph Mazzello.

After the whimsical and slightly disappointing “The Curious Case of Benjamin Button”, David Fincher attempts another change of direction. However, It’s yet again, a surprising and not entirely successful choice of film from him.

In an act of revenge after being dumped by his girlfriend, Harvard student Mark Zuckerberg (Jesse Eisenberg) hacks into all the local college computers and writes a scathing blog about her and exposes her to everyone. People seem to love it and the site becomes very popular, so Zuckerberg develops plans for a social network site called ‘The Facebook’, which becomes a near-overnight success. As ‘The Facebook’ grows Zuckerberg soon finds himself being the worlds youngest billionaire but drifts away from his best friend and business partner while infuriating a pair of jocks who claim he has stolen their idea, resulting in law suits and legal battles.

Fincher forte is doing dark and I suppose in some ways this is just that, considering it captures the egotistical and greed fuelled invention of the world wide, social networking site “Facebook”. It’s just that his trademark style, seems to be absent. This could quite easily have been directed by someone other than the man that brought us “Se7en” or “Fight Club” as it mostly deals with the legal wranglings of Zuckerberg’s monetary compensation to friends and colleagues who claim the site was their idea. It’s long and it’s talky, if your not paying attention to the almost constant flow of dialogue, the film will leave you behind.
The story is interesting enough but lacked any real depth and I don’t really think it merited a film about it, certainly not so soon after the events. The real life characters are not really a bunch of folk I’d enjoy spending time with either, even from the comfort of my own home. That being said, the solid direction from Fincher and fine performances, particularly Jesse Eisenberg as the confilcted genius Zuckerberg and surprisingly, Justin Timberlake as fast talking “Napster” inventor Sean Parker, keep it ticking along, all-be-it, with some slight buffering.

I “like” it, but I wouldn’t “add as a friend”.

Mark Walker

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Scott Pilgrim vs. The World * * * 1/2

Posted in Action, Comedy, Fantasy, Romance with tags 2010 on January 28, 2012 by Mark Walker

Director: Edgar Wright.
Screenplay: Edgar Wright, Michael Bacall.
Starring: Michael Cena, Mary Elizabeth Winstead, Kieran Culkin, Anna Kendrick, Ellen Wong, Mark Webber, Don McKellar, Abigail Chu, Clifton Collins, Jr, Bill Hader, Thomas Jane, Brandon Routh, Chris Evans, Jason Schwartzman.

Following the success of “Shaun of the Dead” and “Hot Fuzz”, director Edgar Wright ventures into the American market with a lot more zero’s added to his budget. I’m an admirer of his style, despite his previous outings lacking a little something.

Scott Pilgrim (Michael Cera) is a jobless, aimless 22 year-old who plays in a garage band, shares a rent free flat with his gay friend Wallace (Kieran Culkin) and is dating a 17year old high-schooler (Ellen Wong). His life doesn’t have much focus, until he meets Ramona Flowers (Mary Elizabeth Winstead) and falls head over heels in love with her. In order to continue dating her though, he’ll have to fight her seven Evil Ex-boyfriends in hand-to-hand combat.

Wright’s venture to Hollywood, unfortunately hasn’t ironed out his weakness. That, being the script. While watching with my partner (who wasn’t impressed) she astutely and bluntly observed, that the film is essentially about a “pubescent young boy looking for his hole”. Otherwise, Wright’s visual flair is there in abundance. A highly stylish film but unfortunately, it still has the feel of just another Michael Cera flick, of which, I am not a fan. In fairness to Cera though, he does manage to shake off some his goofiness this time around and his action moves are convincing. What isn’t convincing is the attraction he would have to the ladies, unless as suggested, the whole film takes place in his head and is in fact, a boys own fantasy. The fight fests and showdowns are visually stunning and the brief appearances from Chris Evans, Brandon Routh and Jason Schwartzmann as three unsavoury exes are excellent but it’s a film directed at a particular gender and particular generation. Wright expertly captures the feel for the comic and video game generation though, channeling Japanese Anime with “Street Fighter” and “Tekken” and again shows what a quality director he is. If the names of these video games mean nothing to you, then its likely that’ll be the effect the film will have on you also. It probably won’t appeal.

The gaming generation will rejoice in it’s fresh, creative approach to film, while others will find it more style over substance. Either way there’s still an abundance of fun to be had.

Mark Walker

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The Book Of Eli * * * 1/2

Posted in Action, Western with tags 2010 on January 28, 2012 by Mark Walker

Directors: Allen & Albert Hughes.
Screenplay: Gary Whitta.
Starring: Denzel Washington, Gary Oldman, Mila Kunis, Ray Stevenson, Jennifer Beals, Evan Jones, Joe Pingue, Michael Gambon, Frances de la Tour, Tom Waits.

Having already been dealt a dollop of the post-apocalyptic with “The Road”, we are dealt another, in the same year, with this latest offering from “Menace II Society” and “From Hell” directors Allen & Albert Hughes.

An atomic war has ravaged America leaving it a harsh and barren land. Wandering through this land is Eli (Denzel Washington), guarding his most precious possession – a book. Carnegie (Gary Oldman), boss of a small town, wants the book, which he thinks will give him power. When Eli escapes from town with Carnegie’s adopted daughter Solara (Mila Kunis), Carnegie and his gang set out in pursuit, in the knowledge that the book is in fact, the only one remaining of the King James Bible, that brings protection and guidance to whoever possesses it.

Religious undertones – or overtones for that matter, as they are hardly subtle – don’t sit well throughout this modern, ethereal western. It unashamedly preaches Christianity from the heavens but if you can see beyond the religious mumbo-jumbo, the film has a lot going for it. The cinematography by Don Burgess is simply stunning in capturing the burnt-out and desolate apocalyptic landscape. Some of the images – although bleak – are beautifully captured and a photographer would be pleased to have them in their portfolio. The direction by the Hughes Brothers is slow paced, which adds to the loneliness of Eli, but when it kicks up a gear the action scenes are undeniably impressive and they handle it very well. In particular, the camerawork during the house shootout scene is magnificent, weaving in and out of the action, giving you a full immersive experience. Fine performances from a fine cast also, but both Washington and Oldman seem somewhat subdued this time round. They’ve done similiar roles in the past to much more effect but then I suppose it’s difficult for an actor to convey any real emotion when they’re wearing sunglasses for almost the entirety of the film. Great use of music also, adding to the overall supernal feel. However, with all the effort and talent involved in this, it’s the story that’s left lacking. There are numerous inconsistencies and the “Bible shall set you free” message, leaves a bad taste.

Essentially it’s “Mad Max” on “The Road” with a little “Children of Men” thrown in. Plenty to enjoy, but at times, I had the feeling that I should have been wearing my Sunday best, during the sermon.

Mark Walker

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Alice In Wonderland * * * *

Posted in Adventure, Family, Fantasy with tags 2010 on January 27, 2012 by Mark Walker

Director: Tim Burton.
Screenplay: Linda Woolverton.
Starring: Johnny Depp, Mia Wasikowska, Helena Bonham Carter, Crispin Glover, Anne Hathaway, Matt Lucas, Tim Piggot-Smith, Frances de la Tour, Geraldine James.
Voices: Michael Sheen, Stephen Fry, Alan Rickman, Barbara Windsor, Paul Whitehouse, Timothy Spall, Christopher Lee, Imelda Staunton, Michael Gough, Frank Welker.

Lewis Carroll’s classic tale “Alice in Wonderland” has been covered time and time again throughout the years but is there anyone more suited to a version than gothic visionary director Tim Burton?

Years after her adventures in Wonderland have become a dimly remembered dream, 19-year-old Alice (Mia Wasikowska) takes a tumble into eerily familiar ‘Underland’, a realm of terror under the mad Red Queen (Helena Bonham Carter), who has usurped the White Queen (Anne Hathaway). Disappointed she’s forgotten them, the Mad Hatter (Johnny Depp) and friends insist Alice is their prophesied champion returned and that she’s back to end the Red Queen’s reign of terror.

Followers and avid fans of Lewis Carroll may not be happy with Tim Burton’s adjustment to the story. He has tweaked a few things, mainly changing Wonderland to Underland and making Alice older. They may seem like unnecessary changes but it’s allowed in adaptations and that’s exactly what this is, an adaptation. Not a complete transfer from page to screen. That being said, I still loved it. Burton can be a bit hit and miss of late but there’s no denying the splendid vision and imagination he has brought to this classic children’s adventure tale. Yes, it’s laden with CGI but it looks absolutely wonderful and everyone in it is perfectly cast. I normally can’t stand Bonham Carter but she is excellent as the tyrannical Red Queen with her shrunken body and bulbous head and Depp makes a very fine flame-haired, schizophrenic Hatter with convincing Scottish brogue, as well as a fine voice cast and a more than competent Wasikowska as the older Alice. To upset fans further though, Lewis Carroll’s word play, language and riddles are omitted but if you accept it as Burton’s variation then there is lots to be enjoyed.

An exciting, visually splendid undertaking from the (7th) Burton/Depp partnership. Pure fantastical escapism.

Mark Walker

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127 Hours * * * 1/2

Posted in Adventure, Biography, Drama with tags 2010 on January 26, 2012 by Mark Walker

Director: Danny Boyle.
Screenplay: Danny Boyle, Simon Beaufoy.
Starring: James Franco, Amber Tamblyn, Kate Mara, Clemence Poesy, Kate Burton, Lizzy Caplan, Sean A. Bott, Treat Williams.

After bagging a surprising best director Oscar for “Slumdog Millionaire”, Danny Boyle’s next project was always going to gather some anticipation. Wisely, Boyle didn’t go for anything too big but he could maybe have set his sights just a little higher than this.

Based on the true story of professional adventurer Aron Ralston (James Franco) who, while hiking in the mountains of Utah, falls into a crevice, where his right arm is crushed and trapped by a boulder. Faced with impending death, Ralston slowly realises he needs to make some difficult choices.

During our introduction to Ralston, riding through the desert on a bicycle, there is no mistaking that he is a thrill seeker with infectious enthusiasm and Boyle’s kinetic, energised direction does well to capture this. It has the same vibrancy shown in “Trainspotting” and “Slumdog Millionaire” and the same eye for the landscape as “The Beach”. Using a mixture of Aron’s video diaries and his fantasies and memories we live through the daily torment and ordeal with him, as well as hallucinations and desperation taking hold. Again, good narrative devices used by Boyle. Franco puts in a good one man show, going through a mixture of emotions; from shock through anger and disillusionment to the eventual acceptance of his predicament. A remarkable true story of one mans determination to survive at any cost and Boyle does well to keep the film flowing despite it being contained in the one place for an hour and a half. However, as much as this is impressively done, it’s also somewhat hollow and uneventful. I won’t give anything away but if you’re aware of the story about Ralston, it’s almost like treading water until your told what you already know. This gives it an air of vacuousness and serves no other purpose than being a warning about going out to play by yourself.

This is a film with loads of talent involved. Franco’s performance is captivating and Boyle’s direction is flawless but although I can’t criticise, I also can’t sing too many praises either.

Mark Walker

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Black Swan * * * *

Posted in Drama, Mystery, thriller with tags 2010 on January 26, 2012 by Mark Walker

Director: Darren Aronofsky.
Screenplay: Mark Heyman, Andres Heinz, John McLaughlin.
Starring: Natalie Portman, Vincent Cassel, Barbara Hershey, Mila Kunis, Winona Ryder, Benjamin Millepied, Ksenia Solo, Janet Montgomery, Sebastian Stan, Mark Morgolis, Tina Sloan.

Director Darren Aronofsky follows up the sweaty gyms and rings of 2008’s “The Wrestler” with another bleak character study. This time focusing on the dance halls, stages and equally competetive nature of Ballet.

Fragile dancer Nina (Natalie Portman) lives a sheltered, ballet-obsessed life with her over-protective, ex-ballerina mother (Barbara Hershey). When Nina is promoted to prima for a new production of Swan Lake, her director, Thomas (Vincent Cassel), urges her to explore her dark side so that she can better embody the dual role of the Swan Queen and the Black Swan. This, combined with her concern over the ambitions of a new arrival at the company, Lily (Mila Kunis), pushes Nina towards breaking point.

Ballet has always been something I have found to be impressive but not entirely appealing or dramatic. That is, until now, with this very dark and gripping psychological horror. Comparisons with Aronofsky’s “The Wrestler” will no doubt be made, as both films focus on the struggle of their protanganists’ chosen careers. What is also comparable is the tour de force performances from both lead actors. Like Mickey Rourke in “The Wrestler”, Natalie Portman’s Oscar winning performance is nothing short of superb. At first, childlike and innocent before transforming into a ruthlessly dark woman, combining commited ambition and fragility with ease. The most obvious tool in conveying conflict within a person is their own reflection and Aronofsky’s use of mirrors here, is excellent. Never overused, just lurking in the backround, exposing the frailty and duality in the character and also deliberately blurring the line between fantasy and reality. His direction is flawless, keeping us close to the action throughout, with very close camerawork and drawing fantastic performances from all his actors. Vincent Cassel oozes confidence and charisma and Barbara Hershey as the controlling mother is especially good and eerily sinister. The ballet scenes are fantastically shot, allowing the tension and melodrama of the plot to unfold – as it rightly should – on stage and delivers a visually splendid punch at just the right time.

Another triumph by Aronofsky and very reflective of Tchaikovsky’s “Swan Lake” and Portman’s character… dark yet beautiful.

Mark Walker

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Stone * * 1/2

Posted in Drama with tags 2010 on January 26, 2012 by Mark Walker

Director: John Curran.
Screenplay: Angus MacLauchlan.
Starring: Robert DeNiro, Edward Norton, Milla Jovovich, Francis Conroy, Enver Gjokaj, Pepper Binkley.

It’s a real shame that the great Robert DeNiro is starting to show his age, as their are very few roles out there that seem to suit him anymore. That’s not to say that he’s not good in this. He is, but I couldn’t help wondering what he could have done with Edward Norton’s role when he was in his prime.

Jack Mabry (DeNiro) is a parole officer in a state prison who is handed the case of Gerald “Stone” Creeson (Edward Norton), a prisoner who has served 8years for arson and the death of his grandparents. With the decision now left with Mabry as to whether he is for suitable release, Creeson convinces his wife (Milla Jovovich), on the outside, to seduce and manipulate the parole officer and hopefully aide his freedom.

It’s a pleasure to watch two of the finest actors of their generation put in great performances. However, the material they have at their disposal, sadly, isn’t up to standard. It starts very promising, shapes up to a fine menage-a-trois thriller midway, then suddenly goes flat and never really recovers. It tries, but once it decends into spirituality it loses itself. The two leads make the most of it and it’s excellent to see them sparring again after “The Score” – their first collaboration in 2001- which, for that matter, was also disappointing.

It has it’s moments but ultimately it’s a wasted opportunity, with two masterful actors who are the only ones keeping this from sinking like a ‘stone’.

Mark Walker

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The Hole * * *

Posted in Adventure, Family, Fantasy with tags 2010 on January 26, 2012 by Mark Walker

Director: Joe Dante.
Screenplay: Mark L. Smith.
Starring: Chris Massoglia, Haley Bennett, Nathan Gamble, Teri Polo, Bruce Dern, Quinn Lord, John DeSantis, Douglas Chapman, Mark Pawson, Dick Miller.

Is there any other director that can capture the adventurous imagination (Spielberg being a notable exception) like director Joe Dante? Done with the same awe and lighthearted feel that he brought with “InnerSpace”, “Explorers” & “Gremlins” and there’s even a shade of “The ‘Burbs” thrown in.

Doctor Susan (Teri Polo) uproots her two children, teen Dane (Chris Massoglia) and younger brother Lucas (Nathan Gamble), to that old cinematic staple, the small American town. Soon the kids, joined by literal gal-next-door Julie (Hayley Bennett), discover a bolted-up trapdoor in the basement, exposing a hole that’s seemingly endless and taps into each persons personal fears.

The master of the modern B-movie returns after a long hiatus and he hasn’t lost his touch, showing the same enthusiasm and tension we are used to from him. Much of the film is based on the relationships of the three young characters, rather than taking the most obvious root of diving straight into the action. When the action does happen, it’s impressively done, but unfortunately you can tell that it was intended to be viewed in 3D. On 2D it doesn’t have the same impact and this will probably be a common problem with films that rely heavily on that format. Nonetheless, it’s a well handled light horror that will appeal to all the family.

If your a fan of Dante’s earlier B-movie suburban adventure yarns, then you’ll find loads to enjoy with this recent addition.

Mark Walker

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The Fighter * * * *

Posted in Biography, Drama with tags 2010 on January 26, 2012 by Mark Walker

Director: David O. Russell.
Screenplay: Scott Silver, Paul Tamasy, Eric Johnson.
Starring: Mark Wahlberg, Christian Bale, Amy Adams, Melissa Leo, Jack McGee, Mickey O’Keefe, Melissa McMeekin, Bianca Hunter, Erica McDermott, Dendrie Taylor, Kate O’Brien, Jill Quigg, Art Ramalho, Sugar Ray Leonard.

Director David O. Russell is better known for his quirky off-beat films like “Spanking The Monkey” and “I Heart Huckabees”, so it’s a surprise to have him craft an absolutely fantastic blue-collar, gritty, sports drama.

Based on the real life story of the legendary fighter ‘Irish’ Micky Ward (Mark Wahlberg), who triumphed over a very difficult family situation, including his crack-addict brother/trainer Dickie Eklund (Christian Bale), to become a welterweight boxing champion in the 1980’s.

“The Fighter” may seem like an un-original title for a film, but on the contrary. It’s a perfect title for a story that not only describes Micky Ward’s tribulations in the ring but also his ongoing personal disputes with his disfunctional family. Yes, it’s underdog narrative will be compared to “Rocky” but that still doesn’t take away from this fine drama. It’s also similiar in structure to “Raging Bull” where the fight scenes are secondary to the struggle of the man himself.
The performances are uniformly brilliant. Wahlberg plays his character right down, delivering a solid reserved show of stoicism and anchoring the whole film. The Oscar winning Melissa Leo as the arrogant and controlling mother lends excellent support. Also fine support comes from the Oscar nominated Amy Adams as Micky’s fiesty girlfriend and it’s nice to see the avuncular Jack McGee (from TV’s “Rescue Me”) getting a decent role as Micky’s father. It’s Christian Bale (also Oscar winning) who impresses most though. He lights up the screen whenever he appears, full of strung-out twitches, dark empty eyes, balding hairline and skeletal features. It’s an absolutely superb transformation from his recent Batman/Bruce Wayne escapades and despite always delivering fine performances in the past, here he has outdone himself. As the narrative arc treads old ground, there’s no mistaking this film is all about the acting, and it’s a fine ensemble working under the surprisingly assured direction of Russell – in this genre.

A tight, eventful, rags-to-riches sports flick with never a dull moment and career best performances.

Mark Walker

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Exit Through The Gift Shop * * * *

Posted in Documentary with tags 2010 on January 26, 2012 by Mark Walker

Director: Banksy.
Narrated By: Rhys Ifans.
Featuring: Bansky, Thierry Guetta, Debora Guetta, Monsieur Andre, Zues, Shepard Fairey, Ron English, Space Invader, Beck.

What defines art? It’s a question we often ask ourselves. Street graffiti artist ‘Banksy’ thinks if you shout loud enough about your talent (or on this case, the lack of) then people will show an interest whether you’re good or not.

That’s exactly what happens to (very) amature filmmaker Thierry Guetta, who decides after filming several street artists’ work, that he wants to enter into the world of art himself, despite being an abslolute imbicile and not possessing a creative bone in his body. This however, doesn’t stop the American public from being lulled into this so-called artist’s deranged view of his (non-existant) talent and buying up his work, amounting to Thierry accruing over $1million from his exhibition in Los Angeles and becoming very well known in the art world.
The man is a buffoon, but what does that then make the people who snapped up his pieces?

A great look into post-modern art and raising some serious questions as to what people percieve art to be. On this note, it is pretentious claptrap and shows up the proposterous cheese eating, wine sipping critics who talk right out their arse.
Is this documetary even for real? Is Thierry really this new modern artist adored by the public? Or has Banksy crafted a film to expose the tawdry and ostentatious opinions of pompous, upper middle-class snobs who pretend to have an opinion, but really only want a slice of the recent fad for themselves. Who knows?

The film itself may be a an experiment in life imitating art, imitating life. Either way though, the question still stands and it’s a thought provoking little documentary.

Mark Walker

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Rabbit Hole * * * 1/2

Posted in Drama with tags 2010 on January 25, 2012 by Mark Walker

Director: John Cameron Mitchell.
Screenplay: David Lindsay-Abaire.
Starring: Nicole Kidman, Aaron Eckhart, Dianne Wiest, Miles Teller, Tammy Blanchard, Sandra Oh, Giancarlo Esposito, Jon Tenney, Stephen Mailer, Mike Doyle.

Films with bleak subject matters tend not to be easy viewing but when they are infused with sterling actors, working from a Pulitzer prize winning play, it’s hard not to find something to enjoy.

Becca (Nicole Kidman) and Howie (Aaron Eckhart) lost their son eight months ago, when he was accidentally run over by a teenage driver (Miles Teller). They are struggling to cope and maintain their marriage, while their differing approaches to the tragedy threaten to tear them apart.

As we pick up the story of these two heartbroken parents in the aftermath of the accident, the cracks are already apparent. Grief is primarliy the focus here and it’s explored to a lenghty extent with each parent dealing with things in their own and very different way. It’s a tough subject matter that’s dealt with respectfully and gently, infused with a surprising amount of humour and skillfully manages to avoid cliche. There is nothing showy or extravagant. It’s just relies on the strength of it’s writing and solid acting, of which it has in abundance; both raw and emotive, Kidman and Eckhart deliver strong progressive characterisations and they are supported by the ever-reliable Dianne Wiest and one for the watching, newcomer Miles Teller. Kidman was the one that recieved a best actress Oscar nomination (and deservedly so) but it’s a film that no performance can be singled out. They are all equally brilliant. Despite the fanatastic cast though, the morbidity does become a bit of a slog. You soon realise that the grief will always be with them, there is no happy ending here, no sense of relief or satisfaction, only coping mechanisms, leaving you feeling as exhausted as the characters.

The tensions between Kidman and Eckhart are brilliantly observed and as a character piece it’s outstanding, just don’t expect to come out of it with a smile on your face.

Mark Walker

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Devil *

Posted in Horror, Mystery with tags 2010 on January 25, 2012 by Mark Walker

Director: John Erick Dowdle.
Screenplay: Brian Nelson.
Story: M. Night Shyamalan.
Starring: Chris Messina, Logan Marshall-Green, Jerry O’Hara, Bokeem Woodbine, Geoffrey Arend, Bojana Novakovic, Jacob Vargas, Matt Craven.

M. Night Shyamalan director of the very successful “The Sixth Sense” – which made such a lasting impression that it has now entered popular culture – now takes a step away from the camera and does the writing duties on this low-budget horror.

Five complete strangers find themselves trapped in a lift and what seems to be an everyday event, soon turns out to be a lot more. They have been brought together for reasons unbeknownst to them and one of the five is in fact, the Devil, who has come to collect on a debt.

This film recieved a fairly decent release at the cinema and made a fairly decent name for itself in the process, but I struggle to see why. It’s amature filmmaking at best and is no better that cheap, late-night television fodder. The concept is a reasonably good one and you’d think it could maybe be pulled off. To do that though, you’d need someone with some experience in charge, not shock-jock horror director John Erick Dowdle. The acting is also woeful and unconvincing. The only one who commands any interest is the annoying salesman (Geoffrey Arend), he’s a good (and the only one with) character but also the first to be despatched of by old Nick. The rest are all just there for further bloodshed and red herrings. M. Night Shyamalan couldn’t buy a decent film these days. He’s become King Midas in reverse at the moment, everything he touches turns to shit and he’s in serious need of a hit film before being banished to straight to DVD obscurity. This is the first film in a purported trilogy, “THE NIGHT CHRONICLES”, from stories by M. Night Shyamalan, but written and directed by others.

Absolute cheaper than cheap dross. I can only assume that Shyamalan sold his soul to the Devil for his earlier success and is now paying the price.

Mark Walker

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The Killer Inside Me * * * *

Posted in Crime, Drama, Film-Noir with tags 2010 on January 24, 2012 by Mark Walker

Director: Michael Winterbottom.
Screenplay: John Curran.
Starring: Casey Affleck, Kate Hudson, Jessica Alba, Simon Baker, Bill Pullman, Ned Beatty, Elias Koteas, Tom Bower, Brent Briscoe, Jay R. Ferguson, Liam Aiken.

After Casey Affleck’s performance in his brother Ben’s directorial debut “Gone Baby Gone” and his Oscar nominated turn in “The Assassination of Jesse James…”, he’s fast proving that he is the brother with the acting chops, with yet another excellent delivery in this brutal film-noir, based on Jim Thompson’s novel.

Deputy Sheriff Lou Ford (Affleck) is an all round clean cut, impeccably mannered, law enforcing kind of guy. At least that’s on the surface. Behind his steely-eyed glare lurks a undercurrent of violence which displays itself with outburts toward the women in his life as he connivingly orchestrates the death of a local tycoons son and the woman he is eloping with, while trying to maintain his facade.

Michael Winterbottom has always been an interesting and controversial director and he yet again draws the attention of the finger-waggers, with a violent and sadistic sociopath as his protaganist. With very violent scenes, this film is hard to watch at times but still captivating nonetheless, thanks to an exceptional cast. Jessica Alba and Kate Hudson both add strength and depth as the Deputy’s prostitute mistress and fiancee respectively but still don’t stand a chance with the duplicitous nature of Ford’s psychopath. He’s cool and calculated and Affleck plays it to perfection with a disturbing and disdainful execution.

Very unsettling and graphic viewing but on the whole, it’s a quality film and despite a slightly weak finale, it’s still a fine addition to the film-noir genre.

Mark Walker

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How To Train Your Dragon * * * *

Posted in Action, Adventure, Animation, Family, Fantasy with tags 2010 on January 24, 2012 by Mark Walker

Directors: Dean DeBlois, Chris Sanders.
Screenplay: Dean DeBlois, William Davies.
Voices: Jay Baruchel, Gerard Butler, Craig Ferguson, Jonah Hill, Christopher Mintz-Plasse, America Ferrera, Kristen Wiig, T.J. Miller, Ashley Jensen, David Tennant.

If your a fan of “Shrek” then this recent Dreamworks animation should be right up your street. It’s yet another cartoon that will appeal to both children and adults.

Hiccup (Jay Baruchel) is a young Viking, who’s father Stoick (Gerard Butler) is the Chief of the dragon slayers in their village. Stoick has the same expectations of his young son and longs for the day when he will become a man and take his place in the clan. Unfortunately Hiccup doesn’t seem to have it in him. That is… until he tries to prove his people wrong and make his father proud of him, by venturing out to slay a dragon of his own. He wounds a dragon in flight and when he finds it, he can’t bring himself to kill it. Instead he nurses it back to health and in the process, creates a strong bond with it. The relationship between them brings a new outlook to Hiccup who now believes the way to protect his village and people is by befriending the dragons, not by slaying them, much to the chagrin of his father.

A brilliant little film with good humour, excellent animation and a surprising emotional core throughout, that’s normally not dealt with in animated films. The relationship between Hiccup and his father is delicate and the bonding between Hiccup and “Toothless” the dragon is very well structured and engaging which adds to the exciting, edge of your seat adventure they take you on.

Mark Walker

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Kick Ass * * *

Posted in Action, Comedy, Fantasy with tags 2010 on January 24, 2012 by Mark Walker

Director: Matthew Vaughn.
Screenplay: Jane Goldman, Matthew Vaughn.
Starring: Aaron Johnson, Christopher Mintz-Plasse, Chloe Moretz, Nicolas Cage, Mark Strong, Elizabeth McGovern, Clark Duke, Evan Peters, Michael Rispoli, Dexter Fletcher, Jason Flemyng, Tamer Hassan, Xander Berkeley, Craig Ferguson.

Director Matthew Vaughn had mixed results when he adapted Neil Gaiman’s “Stardust” in 2007 and I found his results were mixed again with this adaptation of Mark Millar’s comic.

Dave Lizewski (Aaron Johnson) is your average high school geek who reads too many comics and since nobody has ever tried it, takes it upon himself to fight crime and be the local superhero. He dons a spandex suit and mask to become his alter-ego “Kick Ass”. This leads to some hilarious results as he soon realises why nobody has done it before… because it’s dangerous. However, the trend catches on and more spandex hero’s hit the streets.

What then ensues is a pastiche of superhero films, managing effortlessly to blend graphic violence with some hilarious dialogue and characters, namely Nicolas Cage’s “Big Daddy” and young Chloe Moretz as his 11-year-old assassin daughter “Hit Girl”, who after dispatching of a room full of villians says things like…”Okay, you Cunts! Let’s see what you can do now”. It’s darkly humerous and it’s moments like these that make this film enjoyable and there are several of them.

But although this is a spoof of superhero films it ultimately becomes the very thing it’s sending up and I’m not the biggest fan of the genre.

Mark Walker

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The Ghost * * * *

Posted in Drama, Mystery, thriller with tags 2010 on January 22, 2012 by Mark Walker

Director: Roman Polanski.
Screenplay: Robert Harris, Roman Polanski.
Starring: Ewan McGregor, Pierce Brosnan, Kim Cattrall, Olivia Williams, Tom Wilkinson, Timothy Hutton, James Belushi, Eli Wallach, Jon Bernthal, Robert Pugh.

Roman Polanski was in a Swiss prison cell – due to his past personal exploits – while finishing editing this film, but thankfully it doesn’t show. He has crafted a brilliant film to rival his previous great efforts and shows why he’s a respected director.

Ewan McGregor plays a ghost writer hired buy former Prime Minister Adam Lang (Pierce Brosnan) to help finish his memoirs. As Lang’s previous ghost writer was found washed up on a beach, McGregor digs a little deeper into Lang’s life. He begins to find evidence of illegal deportation, corruption and possibly murder, which then puts his own life at risk.

Polanski’s latest intriguing political thriller is reminiscent of thrillers of the 1970’s and decides on a slow burning approach and for the story to unfold at a lesuirely pace. However, once it gets going it’s very gripping and keeps the tension and suspense right till the very last minute, with help from excellent performances by the leads. I’m normally not too keen on Pierce Brosnan but he is perfectly cast as the smarmy and elusive former P.M. (with some obvious allusions to Tony Blair) and McGregor – in his best performance in ages – adds an endearing character with some subtle comic touches, contrasting his dark and edgy surroundings. Released in America as “The Ghost Writer”.

It requires a bit of time and patience but worth it in the end.

Mark Walker.