A veritable melee of filmic tustles - nee battles to report on this week:
In the Heavy weight Division In Bruges takes on Happy Go Lucky. In the Middle Weight Division Doomsday takes on Iron Man and in the Featherweight Division Nim's Island is up against What Happens In Vegas.
In Bruges sees the first full length release from oscar winner (Six Shooter), writer/director Martin Mcdonagh. Colin Farrell is the cute, loveable pain-in-the-ass, murdering hitman (Ray), around which the story revolve(r)s. Brendan Gleeson is his partner Ken, the straight man of the double act, who gives a wonderfully subtle, solid and sardonic performance. This is by far the best thing Farrell has ever done. His comic timing is spot on and the twinkle in his eyes bling-itious. I also loved In Bruges' weird and unexpected homage to Nicolas Roeg's masterpiece of Euro-suspence Don't Look Now. Like tourists we are lead through Bruges' Gothic architecture, the winding cobbled crooks and crannies, the archways leading to romantic canals. Throughout we are witness to the child-like tantrumy contempt, disgust and hatred, that Farrell's bored out of his head character, has for it all. The two protagonists must hole up in Bruges after a hit goes tragically wrong (for all concerned) and wait to be contacted by big cheese Ralph Fiennes. Of course holed-up they don't remain - with comedic outings a-plenty. Fiennes gives a memmorable performance as a cock-er-ney gangster, (reminiscent of Ben Kingsley in Sexy Beast) with a succinct way of putting across his point of view. I read there was a brilliant line edited from the movie but which will pick itself up from off the cutting room floor in time for the DVD release. It goes something like this: Fiennes answers a business man making small talk on a train with, "if I wanted to talk to a c**t - I'd've gone to a talk to a c**t shop" Classic! In Bruges is a dark, witty and inappropriately funny film - you won't see better this year (or last year). (9.1)
In the Heavy weight Division In Bruges takes on Happy Go Lucky. In the Middle Weight Division Doomsday takes on Iron Man and in the Featherweight Division Nim's Island is up against What Happens In Vegas.
In Bruges sees the first full length release from oscar winner (Six Shooter), writer/director Martin Mcdonagh. Colin Farrell is the cute, loveable pain-in-the-ass, murdering hitman (Ray), around which the story revolve(r)s. Brendan Gleeson is his partner Ken, the straight man of the double act, who gives a wonderfully subtle, solid and sardonic performance. This is by far the best thing Farrell has ever done. His comic timing is spot on and the twinkle in his eyes bling-itious. I also loved In Bruges' weird and unexpected homage to Nicolas Roeg's masterpiece of Euro-suspence Don't Look Now. Like tourists we are lead through Bruges' Gothic architecture, the winding cobbled crooks and crannies, the archways leading to romantic canals. Throughout we are witness to the child-like tantrumy contempt, disgust and hatred, that Farrell's bored out of his head character, has for it all. The two protagonists must hole up in Bruges after a hit goes tragically wrong (for all concerned) and wait to be contacted by big cheese Ralph Fiennes. Of course holed-up they don't remain - with comedic outings a-plenty. Fiennes gives a memmorable performance as a cock-er-ney gangster, (reminiscent of Ben Kingsley in Sexy Beast) with a succinct way of putting across his point of view. I read there was a brilliant line edited from the movie but which will pick itself up from off the cutting room floor in time for the DVD release. It goes something like this: Fiennes answers a business man making small talk on a train with, "if I wanted to talk to a c**t - I'd've gone to a talk to a c**t shop" Classic! In Bruges is a dark, witty and inappropriately funny film - you won't see better this year (or last year). (9.1)
Happy Go Lucky sees the return of the Marmite embodying Mike Leigh. This is a quirky tale of the litterally happy-go-lucky Poppy (the gifted Sally Hawkins) and her rose-tinted eyeballs. Poppy is a ray of sunshine in a sh***y world. An often really infuriating and annoying ray of sunshine at that, but you would forgive her anything, as there's not a bad bone in her bod . All Poppy wants, is to make everyone happy and she blummin tries her best to achieve this. Even in her meetings with scarey Scott (Eddie Marsan), who steals the acting honours with his portrail of a racist, hate-ist, violent and really really weird driving instructor. Loved his word-association driving methods though. Again a really good film that achieves everything it sets out to do and makes you smile along the way. (7.65)
Doomsday is Neil Marshall's latest (The Descent, Dog Soldiers) British offering beginning with the letter "D". An homage to 80s movies like Escape From New York, Alien, and Mad Max. Doomsday is not unsuprisingly (though a suprise to me) just a remake of Escape From New York and Mad Max and no more. Only the accents have changed (mostly Scottish) and with a very 80s British and specific soundtrack. It is a soundtrack that never really gels for me and it came as somewhat of a relief when some Kasabian came on at the end. Dog Eat Dog (Ants), Spellbound (Siouxsie) Two Tribes (Frankie) Good Thing (F Y Cannibals) - it was all a bit naff for me but I am tainted from actually being old enough to remember these songs the first time around. That joke isn't funny anymore. So anyway Doomsday stars Rhona Mitra (who is basically an affordable Kate Beckinsale) Bob Hoskins and Malcolm Mcdowell. Hoskins and Mcdowell bring a fine tradition of ground breaking cult movie-ism to this film and so obviously, it can't be really bad.... and isn't. It's just not great. Other usual appearances are from Sean (I'm Neil Marshall's muse) Pertwee (the son of who?) playing a sh*t hot scientist who meats a deliciously unsavoury end. No need to tell you the plot as it is amalgamted from afore mentioned cinematic classics .... (6.0)
Iron Man directed by actor John Favreau (Made, Swingers, Friends) is an impressive new addition to the Super-Genre of Marvelesque movies. Arms dealing, armoured suit wearing, funny guy turns new leaf and uses his technological genius for good. Iron Man works cos Robert Downey Jr brings so much real humour and human-ness to the roll. Apparently he was allowed to re-work the script as he went along. Gwyneth Paltrow is adequate as Pepper Pots (brilliant name) his assistant come nearly love interest. Jeff Bridges also turns up looking old, fat and bald and sporting a huge beard - now that's acting. Jeff Bridges however, for me, will always be Lightfoot, from my favourite bank-caper movie the brill Thunderbolt and Lightfoot. Any hoo go watch Iron Man its alreet. (6.4)
Nim's Island is without doubt - my current worst film of the year, narrowly edging out The Accidental Husband. Nim's Island stars the fab child who can act Abigail Breslin (Little Miss Sunshine) and the fabber Jodie Foster (I used to be a child who could act star) how can it fail? Well on all aspects really .... Plot, over-acting, annoying and plot again. Ok so it probably is aimed at 10 year olds but even Nancy Drew was better. So bad you must try and watch some of it. (2.0)
What Happens In Vegas stars Oscar winning Ashton Kutcher (just messing wid-cha) and Cameron Diaz. Ok two unlikely-to-get-wed folk go to Vegas to escape their troubles and ....you guessed it - Get wed. Unlikely to get wed in the sense that these guys have nothing in common (not their age difference which I won't bring up). So they get wed when drunk, then win loads of cash on't bandits and then have to live with each other for 6 months and have councelling in order for either of them to get a share of the money - so says a judge. Cameron's smile is still as mighty as ever and Ashton is growing on me a little as he matures and turns 19. Nae bad (5.4)
And the overall winner is "Den-DenDerrrrrr" - In Bruges (inspirational)
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