This quintessentially British drama has become an instant classic. Warm, funny, endearing, insightful and challenging by turns, and compulsive viewing throughout.
Star-crossed teenage lovers find each other again in their 70s. By now they have very different lives, histories and families, and many eyebrows are raised as their relationship develops.
I watched this last night! not normally a fan of found footage and shaky camera work myself BUT this was engrossing and the shaky camera settles after 10 mins, gotta say was really surprised by this it's different to any of the other found footage type films iv'e seen before in the sense that it is probably the most consistant and detailed found footage film to date, normally i'm watching and picking at what has been missed or the impossibilities but i didn't with this one , although i knew on a couple of scenes i didn't want to see what was coming i couldn't tear my eyes away, i scratched at my skin all the way through it lol this is what my nightmares are made of and i really loved it. Barry Levinson's Direction is what sets this apart and completely raises the bar for found footage movies of the future. Definitely worth a watch but be warned you will never look at a glass of water the same way again ;)
Eco Horror, A Small town in Maryland is plagued by flesh eating parasites resulting from the levels of bacteria in Chesapeake Bay
Its-not-about-Scientology-but-it-is-really, epic from writer / director Paul Thomas Anderson ('Magnolia', 'Boogie Nights'). 'The Master' explores the troubled relationship between a traumatised WWII sailor (Joaquin Phoenix) and charismatic cult leader (Philip Seymour Hoffman) in 1950s America. Phoenix and Hoffman give the performances of their lives, both are equally brilliant: Phoenix is the raging alcoholic who'll drink anything (e.g. solvents, mouthwash etc) with a demented, gormless grin and squint that can shift from mild mannered to out-of-control in an instant. He's the quintessential lapdog, indoctrinated muscle for the cult who accommodates his own demons whilst embracing those of his mentor. Philip Seymour Hoffman plays the eponymous Master, an approachable but short tempered megalomaniac-in-waiting who embodies the cruel hoax of the American dream. Hoffman's soothing, spiritual mumbo jumbo conceals the dark heart of a dyed-in-the-wool conman out to make his fortune.
The scene where Hoffman 'processes' Phoenix with a series of probing, rapid fire questions was easily one of the best acted and directed scenes of 2012 and perfectly serves to illustrate the ruthless determination of the group to break & compromise its inductees: Phoenix's disturbing revelation in this scene sets the tone for the rest of the movie. And that's the problem: The rest of the movie. Now since I've got nothing but praise for the acting, directing, cinematography and beautiful 70mm scope of 'The Master' I really ought to like this movie more than I do. But as with every PTA film, the flaws are there for the taking and I'm surprised that a director of his calibre still hasn't grasped the importance of pace and editing. 'The Master' would've been a 110 minute classic, what it is, however, is a 137 minute OK-ish film with a lot of padding and a couple of scenes so superfluous and self indulgent (e.g. Philip Seymour Hoffman's nude musical number) that it drags down an otherwise excellent film.
There are points in the film where its already been established that Philip Seymour Hoffman is a charlatan and that Joaquin Phoenix is a bit of a loose cannon, but PTA wants make these points again...and again, and again. I mean; I love the dark, laugh-out-loud humour of the scene where they make Phoenix go from window to window describing what he feels, Hoffman and Phoenix's explosive confrontation in jail or the part where it becomes clear that Hoffman's wife (the brilliant Amy Adams) is the power behind the throne but these scenes, great as they are, lose some of their potency when Anderson repeats himself. For its as if he didn't think those moments were good enough or, worse still, that he doesn't trust the audience to grasp the argument he's trying to make.
'Magnolia' is probably Anderson's most accomplished work to date, though 'There Will Be Blood' is a close second. As far as pace goes, I'd have to say 'Hard 8' and 'Boogie Nights' were the best edited. 'The Master' is a frustrating film for the reasons cited, but there are still enough great scenes to warrant a recommendation. Its one of those movies you'll find yourself thinking about afterwards; placing certain images into the subtext and recalling visual clues that connect to certain aspects of the story that may have only briefly registered whilst you were watching it. By no means a classic but worth seeing for the performances alone.
Entertaining pro-police propaganda film from cop-centric writer/ director David Ayer ('Training Day'). 'End of Watch' is a well paced, brilliantly acted and often-tense picture, that follows the personal lives and work-related misadventures of L.A cops Jake Gyllenhaal and Michael Pena. International audiences dismissed this movie as yet another cops and robbers escapade from the man who bought us 'Dark Blue' (reasonably good), 'Training Day' (good), 'SWAT' (average) and 'Street Kings' (quite good). But 'End of Watch' is slightly more than the sum of its parts and executed with such verve / style that you'll be drawn into the story however absurd it may actually be.
'End of watch' also tends to rely on negative stereotypes and isn't above employing clichés e.g. the Hispanic gang-bangers are one obscenity away from self-parody whilst I was kind of surprised that some African American actors would accept roles that hark back to the way they were portrayed in the 60s and 70s. That said, this isn't exactly a whitewash of the police but the scene in which the system is critiqued is far too subtle given the tone of the film as a whole and I'm sure many people would miss it altogether.
Ayer's police procedurals always borrow thematic elements from westerns like 'High Noon' and 'Shoot-out at the OK Corral'. 'End of Watch' is no different, in that the script often refers to the protagonists as "Ghetto gunfighters" and the basic structure revolves around these likeable leads proving how heroic they are (e.g. rescuing a baby from a fire etc) before squaring up to two-dimensional Latino layabouts for a gripping and brutally violent finale.
Michael Pena and Jake Gyllenhaal are on top form, patrolling the mean streets of south central in the midst of a deadly turf war between Black and Hispanic gangs. The leads successfully mange to hold the film together and some of their improvised, buddy cop banter is hilarious and gives the movie a sense of immediacy and realism that was absent in some of Ayer's previous screenplays. 'End of Watch' is a good, well acted film that lets itself down with an over-reliance on ridiculous 'street' parlance, an anachronistic depiction of minorities and doesn't come close to Ayer's underrated, anti-war masterpiece 'Harsh Times' (2005). Even so, its definitely worth a look: Watch it.
Well this is a story all about how
Will Smith's career got to where it is now
And I'd like to take a minute, just sit right there,
I'll remind you how he became a star in "Fresh Prince of Bel-Air".
The setup for the series, so the story goes
See Will get into trouble with some local bro's
So from West Philadelphia, Will's Mum decides
To send him to LA, where his uncle resides
As Will bonds with his uncle's son and daughter,
It soon becomes clear that he's a fish out of water
And as the streetwise Will explores their middle-class lives
It's from the clash between the two that the comedy derives.
In a supporting cast that works together well
(including deadpan butler Geoffrey, played by Joseph Marcell)
Alfonso Ribeiro stands out, as the uncool Carlton Banks
who's frequently the target of Will's jokes and pranks
James Avery also shines as Uncle Phil
Who tries to thwart the schemes put in place by Will
But letting nothing disturb his coolness and calm
Smith effortlessly shows us his charisma and charm
Other players' roles are more ancillary
Like Will's younger cousin Ashley or the older Hilary
But Carlton and Geoffrey get loads of good gags
ensuring that the story never grates or drags
This initial series rather shows its age
With a theatrical nature that seems more suited to the stage
But as it continues, the stars find their feet
And it turns into a sharp sitcom that's funny and sweet
(It's also fun to rewatch this show
as evidence of the fashions of long ago
As the nineties clothes on which the cast relies
are so bright that you'll want to claw out your eyes)
Joking aside, it's plain to see indeed
how this modest show made a star of its lead
as the show revolves around the likeable Smith
and the witty one-liners he plagues his family with
His timing is perfect, and his acting is good
(even if some of the actors seem to be made of wood)
He lends the show a great rap theme tune too
which is what inspired the format of this strange review
So if you want to see how an icon got his start
and turned a simple sitcom into quite an art
then the time is right to let down your hair,
and sit on your throne to take a trip to Bel-Air.
Rom-com.
It's a word (well, ok, hyphenate) that sends shivers up the spines of most right-thinking men. Usually uttered in response to our generous offers of "why don't YOU choose what we watch tonight?", it immediately conjours up the spectre of predictable plots, sub-Adam-Sandler-level acting, cheesy dialogue, lame and unfunny romantic situations, and a layer of schmaltz and sugar that would be enough to send you into a diabetic coma. "Why must it be this way?", we ask; "Surely somebody can come up with a rom-com that's actually funny, smart and original, and which has an appeal that goes beyond a single gender?"
Well after watching Friends With Benefits, it seems like someone has finally answered our prayers.
Because Friends With Benefits is almost the anti-rom-com. Starting out with an opening sequence that sees both of the lead characters reject romantic love outright (after they each separately suffer bad break-ups in their existing relationships) the film quickly brings them together to set up its central premise - and it's a doozy. Because whilst the most classic rom-com of all time (When Harry Met Sally) posed the question, "can a man and a woman ever be friends without the sex getting in the way?", Friends With Benefits flips this on its head, asking "can a man and a woman ever have a purely sexual relationship without their friendship getting in the way?".
That's a pretty smart inversion of the classic rom-com template, and it immediately stakes out Friends With Benefits as an altogether more adult and raunchy film than most rom-coms you'll see. Whilst it might end up treading some familiar paths (it's a Hollywood boy-meets-girl movie, so it's inevitably going to end up following the formula to an extent), the route it takes to get there is very different, and deals with some subject matter that's quite rare to see explored on film. For example, the minutiae of physical observations about the opposite sex that usually go unspoken; the various details of male and female sexual etiquette; and the conscious rubbishing of most rom-com clichés (which actually happens explicitly, on-screen, as the pair watch bad rom-com movies together and point out how stupid they are).
Talking of the central pairing, it seems remiss of me to have not mentioned by now that this movie stars Justin Timberlake and Mila Kunis as the couple in question. And if you weren't interested before, I can guarantee you are now, no matter what your gender or sexual orientation. Luckily, as well as looking great, these two actors have a great chemistry on screen together, and you can really believe in their friendship as well as their attraction to one another - which is crucial if we're going to buy into the film's central premise. And happily, they can both act pretty well too, especially when the film moves into its more thoughtful second-half that deals with the backstory of Justin Timberlake's character and his relationship with his father and absent mother.
As well as the central relationship between the couple and the serious family stuff that gets explored towards the end, the film can also boast a smattering of comedy setpieces that go beyond the usual rom-com fare by actually being pretty funny. There's an amusing running gag involving Kunis' character's free-love-embracing hippy mother who can't remember who her daughter's father is; there's a charming performance from a child actor who plays Timberlake's character's magic-obsessed nephew, who can never get his tricks to go right (on one occasion setting himself on fire in the process); and there's a great physical-comedy setpiece involving the iconic Hollywood sign, which ends up escalating and escalating until it reaches a ridiculously over-the-top payoff. Oh, and there are some nice performances from supporting actors too, most notably Woody Harrelson as a gay sports journalist who works for the same magazine as Timberlake's character, and who manages to come off as a complete and well-rounded personality that avoids almost all of the clichés that usually accompany token gay characters in these kinds of movies.
The only bad thing I can say about the film is that it occasionally seems a little dated - which feels like an odd thing to say about such a recent movie, but all the references to 2011-zetigeist stuff like flashmob dancing, Playstation Move and slick touch-screen computers now feels decidedly two-years-ago. Still, it's not a big problem, and it doesn't get in the way of all the film's other positive attributes. Because this film manages to be smart, funny, sexy, clever, touching (but not schmaltzy), sexy, unpredictable (and did I mention sexy?) - all within the framework of what purports to be a regular mainstream rom-com. Guys, if your girlfriend says she wants to watch a rom-com tonight, then this is the one to pick. And girls, if you want to pick a romantic comedy that your boyfriend will enjoy at least as much as you will, then Friends With Benefits is the choice for you.
Good dvd.
Lawless is loosely based on historical novel The Wettest Country In the World and follows the fortunes of the Bondurant brothers in rural Illinois during the 1920s Prohibition. At nearly two hours long, this organised crime story naturally invites comparison with greats such as The Godfather trilogy. However, Lawless is more obviously similar to The Untouchables; both films are set against the backdrop of outlawed alcohol in and around Chicago and both plots concern crusading authority figures bent on upsetting the status quo. But there the comparisons must end. Lawless makes no bones about the fact that it is the Bondurants who are the heroes, moonshiners completing the supply chain between illegal countryside distilleries and organised crime in Chicago. Howard Brondurant played by Tom Hardy is the undisputed leader of the clan, supported by brothers Jack and Howard played by Shia LeBeouf and Jason Clarke respectively. They are pitted against Guy Pierce's Charlie Rakes who has been sent by the district attorney in Chicago to enforce a crackdown.
While this subtext of good ol' boys up against overzealous law enforcement may sound clichéd (Dukes of Hazzard, anyone?), Lawless is in fact quite original in many ways. For a start, it eschews the more urban backdrop of most crime movies so that we get an insight into a true cottage industry at work; whole hillsides are lit up at night as the distilleries make their illegal brew. Production is tolerated because it allows for a happy equilibrium between the local law, who just want peace, and the moonshiners, who just want to make a profit. But the peace is shattered when Rakes, surely one of cinema's most reprehensible screen villains, enters the scene. An immaculately pruned dandy, he reminds us of Frank Nitty from The Untouchables, only this version is supposedly on the 'good' side. Insulting to the locals, disdainful of rural life, abusive to women, disrespectful of the local sheriff, unlawfully violent and psychopathic, it's not long before we are jumping out of our seats willing on his demise. It is this portrayal of the ghastly Rakes which surely confirms Pierce's status as the consummate character actor.
This is not to say that the other performances are less worthy. Tom Hardy underplays well the man of few words that is his character Forrest while Shia LeBeouf is interesting as his brother; emerging from the shadows of Transformers, he is gaining the confidence to tackle weightier roles like Wall Street 2 and now Lawless. LeBeouf is undoubtedly at his best when playing wide-eyed bewilderment and this energy transfers well to wooing a local girl too. But it is Hardy's passivity that is probably better suited to the scenes where violence and revenge are the overriding themes. The performances are rounded out by Dane DeHaan playing Cricket, Jack's side-kick who conveys utterly his vulnerability in a harrowing scene with Rakes. Love interest is served by Jessica Chastain who plays Maggie. Time magazine recently featured her as one of the "100 most influential people in the world" and one film critic labelled her "one of the finest actors of her generation". To say expectations were high would therefore be an understatement but thankfully they were justified when her character audaciously seduces Forrest in one of the film's most memorable scenes.
So how does Lawless measure up overall? Firstly, we should remember that it's against very tough competition in its genre. The Godfather trilogy and The Untouchables have already been mentioned while its more contemporary rivals include Public Enemies with Johnny Depp, set in the same era. My own view is that Lawless does a good job of holding its own in this exalted company. Critics have highlighted a certain soullessness and the fact that the violence is often played out in a vacuum. It is true that some of it can lack context, for example the scene where a Chicago crime boss suitably played by Gary Oldman randomly punishes one of his lackeys with a spade (needless to say he wasn't assigning him gardening duties). However, these momentary lapses are more than made up for in the final, climactic shootout. This scene is choreographed and conceived superbly, but it's rendered even more powerful by its blood-soaked message, that laws are only legitimate if they have the consent of the people who are expected to observe them. Without this, the film tells us, enforcement can legitimately be resisted and, if that enforcement is brutal and indiscriminate, then it should be resisted with extreme violence. Based on what happens in the film most viewers will sympathise with this viewpoint even if they are slightly uncomfortable with the moral ambiguity of violent moonshiners doing the resisting. But gangster flicks have had us rooting for the 'baddies' before; Ray Liotta's Henry Hill in Goodfellas, Al Pacino's Tony Montana in Scarface (before he completely loses it) and Robert de Niro's Neil McCauley in Heat are just a few examples. That such comparisons can be made at all surely bodes well for Lawless's legacy in the annals of crime cinema; its moral message, confounding of audience expectations and genuine acting highlights make it a vital watch.
Fresh Prohibition-era crime epic pulls no punches
I had expected more because this was from director/producer Joss Whedon, but was sadly disappointed. The effects are the latest thing true enough, there is a little bit of creepy tension-building, and from then the action is fast and furious. However this film has nothing that all those surprise-reveal "surely that cant be true?" twist in the tale horror movies were doing in the 70s and 80s. Except in this film, the weird surprise that would have been novel or unsettling and revealed near the end of a movie in 1970, seems a bit lame, and is explicitly revealed almost from the outset here. Its your time, but I felt mine had been wasted.
Below average teen horror fare with a lot of running and screaming, zombies and other monsters, and a surprise twist that is given away from the start.
Truly terrifying investigation about the murders of family's, very good plot, will have you hiding under the covers, find out if the family survive and if you move into a house don't go in the loft
25 years ago, in 1987, a very special film was released - The Princess Bride. Written by William Goldman and directed by Rob Reiner and filmed on location in England and Ireland, with a trans-atlantic cast, it's as close to perfect as you're ever likely to see.
As a special 25th anniversary edition of the Blu-ray, with new cast and crew interviews and retrospective content, is due to be released in March, I took the opportunity to re-visit this classic on the original Blu-ray.
Buttercup (Robin Wright) is the most beautiful girl in the land. She lives on a small farm in the country of Florin. She and her farm boy, Westley (Cary Elwes), fall in love and he sets off in search of a fortune so that they can be married. However when Buttercup hears that Westley has been killed by the Dread Pirate Roberts she is heartbroken and falls into a deep depression.
".Westley and I are joined by the bonds of love, and you cannot track it, not with a thousand bloodhounds, and you cannot break it, not with a thousand swords." - Buttercup.
The law of the land states that Prince Humperdinck (Chris Sarandon), the heir to the throne of Florin, can choose any woman as his bride. He chooses Buttercup. But she does not love him. Before the wedding can take place Buttercup is kidnapped by a group of lovable outlaws - Vizzini (Shawn Wallace), a criminal mastermind, Inigo Montoya (Mandy Patinkin), a master swordsman and Fezzik (André René Roussimoff), a gentle giant - who have been hired by Humperdinck to kidnap her to stir up trouble between Florin and the neighbouring country of Guilder.
Is Westley really dead? Can he rescue Buttercup from her kidnappers and stop her marriage to Humperdink? And will Inigo avenge his father's death at the hands of Count Rugen (Christopher Guest), the six-fingered man?
This film uses the rare, but effective, story-telling device of a story-within-a-story. The fairytale element of the film is framed by a contemporary story of a kindly Grandfather (Peter Falk) telling the story (of The Princess Bride) to his young, sick, Grandson (Fred Savage). It's a tale full of adventure, fencing, fighting, torture, revenge, monsters and miracles - and the moral that true love is the most important thing in the world.
".Death cannot stop true love. All it can do is delay it for a while." Westley.
The Princess Bride is unusual as it is a film that begins where most other films would end - with a commoner about to become a Princess. Of course as Buttercup doesn't love Humperdink she spends the rest of film trying to escape him to be with her true love, Westley. And just when other films might try to cloyingly end the story with the pair being happily married or themselves becoming the Prince and Princess, this film ends with them on the run (although it is implied that they escape and live happily ever after).
The film draws upon all the best traditions of fairytales. Westley is the swashbuckling hero who provides the action and adventure. Inigo is the man that had his childhood ruined when his father was ruthlessly murdered and then devotes his life to avenging his father. Buttercup is the beautiful, but not helpless, heroine. Miracle Max provides the magic, important to any fairytale, and Count Rugen and Prince Humperdink fulfil the fairytale requirement of being the villains.
".My name is Inigo Montoya. You killed my Father, prepare to die." - Inigo.
There are several morality themes running through the film. The hero and heroine show true character by pledging their whole lives to the pursuit of true love, even overcoming death to do it. In order for Westley to save Butercup he must overcome several obstacles and there are three significant battles for him, although not all in a conventional sense. The fencing duel between Westley and Inigo is perhaps one of the finest sword fights ever seen on film. The actors learnt to fence to a professional level purely for the film and watched endless filmed sword fights in order to create something very special. The battle of wits between Westley and Vizzni is clever, beautifully written and brilliantly delivered by the actors. And the battle of strength between Westley and Fezzik. I like the sense of morality shown by both Inigo (allowing Westley to rest before the fencing dual) and Fezzik (alerting Westley to his presence to ensure a fair fight rather than ambushing him), it sets them both up as characters that will become more important later in the story.
".You fell victim to one of the classic blunders! The most famous of which is 'Never get involved in a land war in Asia,' but only slightly less well-known is this: 'Never go against a Sicilian when death is on the line!...'" - Vizzni.
William Goldman takes all the elements and weaves them together perfectly to create a beautiful film that although whimsical, fantastical and heart-warming is also balanced by a hint of darkness. It's filled with actors that produce career-defining performances. It's a true family treasure that is ageless meaning that children can watch it with their parents and that they can one day watch with their own children.
The direction is unerringly strong and the performances from the entire cast are faultless. Cary Elwes is perfect as the handsome, intelligent, dashing hero. Robin Wright really is the most beautiful and feisty woman in the land. Mandy Patinkin is exceptional as Inigo, really channelling his emotions at the death of his own father to produce a poignant performance.
Since the beginning of the fairytale there had been five fairytales that had been rated the most passionate, the most pure - this one left them all behind. And as the film ends you know you're sure you're going to want to watch it again.
".Grampa, maybe you could come over and read it again to me tomorrow?." - Grandson.
Watch The Princess Bride again? As you wish.
I love animated movies, since I had my son I have had an excuse to watch them with no embarrassment; before he was born though it was always a guilty pleasure and he was never going to grow up not liking Toy Story!
I first saw this movie trailed when I went to see ParaNorman and unfortunately I didn't get to see it in the cinema so I purchased the Blu-ray 3 days ago and watched it with my son.
It opens with part of the back story (I'm not posting spoilers in this review so it is safe if you haven't seen it) and at the very conception of Dracula's Hotel of horrors!
Set in a deep, dark and doomed forest well away from human interference it is a home from home for all manner of ghouls, ghosties and 8 legged beasties!
A great array of 'lead roles' with voices from actors such as Adam Sandler, Selena Gomez and Steve Buscemi this movie is great family viewing. There are subtle adult references - enough to keep us oldies interested but it is FULL of laughs for the kids. My son didn't stop laughing the whole way through!
CGI Animation is fantastic and humorous with enough characters to keep everyone entertained. I wouldn't say it was brilliantly scripted for adults to enjoy such as Toy Story or Monsters Inc. but it was enough not to bore me and my son was thrilled with it.
Highly recommended for a weekend or film night with the family.
Dracula is opening a Hotel and it will be a MONSTER party to remember!
Not as good as the disney of the 90's especially in terms of soundtrack but a still a quality disney film! Great for all the family! Great to see a disney film set in somewhere like Scotland, it brings a new angle and concept. Really enjoyed it!
Set in Scotland, Princess Merida has grown up not acting like a typical princess. A skilled archer and a bit of a tom boy, when she turns 16 her mother wants to marry her off and to act like a normal princess! However, in rebellion, Merida comes across a witch who casts a spell to cause an adverse reaction in her mother!
Despite the very poor visual effects (what can you expect for such an old film?!) this is an amazing classic that I can easily watch time and time again. A film which lifts the spirits and restores faith in man kind!
The most fantastic film for kids, this immediately transports me back to my childhood! Why doesn't a factory like this really exist?! This film will be passed down to my children and hopefully theirs, timeless classic :)
Stephen King adaptations are a curious beast - they're rarely done justice to, especially when much of the source-material is 600+ pages long. Witness 'IT' with Tim Curry as the titular villain - it feels like a trailer (a 3 hour long trailer, mind) for a much longer, more satisfying film if you've read the book. The main action is just about there, but it feels so much shallower. Then there's the daddy of all big-screen King films - The Shining. Famously dismissed by King as too far removed from the source material and far too Jack Nicholsoned for the main character. Obviously The Shining is a masterpiece of film making - Kubrick told the story he took from the book, he didn't just list the main points of the book and stick them on celluloid.
At the other end of the film-making spectrum, we have this - 'Riding the Bullet'. Adapted from a short story exclusive to the internet from 2000, this could be the worst adaptation of a King tale yet. Knowing very little about the film or short story, I was extremely surprised to find it had been released in 2004 - it would have been a laughable excuse for a film in 1983! The acting is sub-par (in particular, Alan's 2 college friends deserve attention for their woeful portrayals of college stoners from 1969), the visual effects barely serviceable and a supremely irritating turn from lead actor Johnathan Jackson, who comes across as a young and gormless Johnny Depp. His character, Alan, is a morbid young soul who likes to sulk, keep people at a distance and draw vivid, death-obsessed portraits. He's also prone to those self-indulgent fantasies you may remember from being an adolescent - the ones where you imagine how your death will affect everyone, or a spiralling worst-case scenario that stems from a misunderstanding.
After a rough day in which he almost makes a fatal error, Alan is excited to receive tickets to see John Lennon and the Plastic Ono Band from his girlfriend. Unfortunately, they are snatched from his grasp by fate after he is told of his mother's stroke, which has put her in the hospital. After briefly considering waiting 'til after the concert, Alan decides to head straight to the hospital. However, with no ride, little money and 120 miles to travel, the only option is to hitchhike through the night.
What follows is a "soul-searching" journey which forces Alan to grow up - whether this is down to the forces of darkness or a more earthly, illicit substance, is left to your imagination. But whatever the cause, watching David Arquette ham it up as an undead boy racer who offers Alan an impossible choice is unintentionally amusing at first, until it becomes wearisome.
By the end, you'll feel you really travelled the distance with Alan - and not in a good way. This may well have been a thoughtful character piece in text, but on screen it loses any finesse it may have had and commits the cardinal sin of boring the audience.
A rather morbid college student has a Hell of a journey whilst hitch-hiking to visit his sick mother at the hospital.
Absolutely hilarious US sitcom, filmed as though it were a fly on the wall documentary following the various branches of one extended family -
First is sixtysomething Jay, his much younger, glamorous Colombian wife Gloria, and her son Manny who is ten going on forty.
Next is Jay's daughter, stay at home mom Clare, her wannabe cool, hip, husband Phil, and their three permanently embarrassed kids Haley, Alex and Luke.
Last but not least we have Jay's son Mitchell, his partner Cameron, and their adopted baby daughter Lily.
You can't get a much more Modern family than that.
The show is just brilliant. From Manny's old beyond his years musing over coffee, to Luke's spirited refusal to wear pants, from Gloria's malapropisms (our favourite is the box of baby cheeses....) to Cam's diva tendencies - you will love the characters and their reactions to the situations they get into. It's the documentary style that makes it so funny, I can't imagine it being nearly so good if there were studio audiences laughing at the antics.
Wholeheartedly recommended.
Funny funny funny mockumentary about "modern family life" hence the name
I've always had a lot of time for Oliver Stone, I think he's a great writer / director whose made some classic films over the last 30 years. Granted, there have been a few misfires here and there (e.g. 'Natural Born Killers', 'World Trade Centre', 'Any Given Sunday') but he's still one of the most innovative auteurs working in Hollywood today. 'Savages' sees Stone back in 'U-Turn' territory with a character driven crime caper based on a novel by Don Winslow. The story focuses on a polyandrous relationship between Californian surfer chick Blake Lively and best friends / Marijuana dealers; Taylor Kitsch and Aaron Taylor Johnson. The trio are all set to sell up their cannabis racquet and go legit abroad, but when an expanding Mexican cartel led by Salma Hayek makes them an offer they can't refuse, its only a matter of time before things go south (of the border).
'Savages' takes a while to get going but once we're introduced to all the players; their motives, moves and counter-moves make for compelling viewing. Aaron Taylor Johnson and Taylor Kitsch are the brains and brawn respectively whilst Lively is the ditzy, free spirit, pseudo-hippy: everyone's hopelessly in love with everyone else so it's a relief when they're separated and things kick into high gear with some realistically violent, suspenseful action sequences.
An all star cast attack their roles with reckless abandon, going all out to create bold, colourful characters that you'll remember after the credits have rolled: There's the brilliant Benicio Del Toro as a sleazy, menacing cartel enforcer who remains believable despite the fact he literally twirls his moustache. John Travolta, in one of his best performances in years, is a corrupt FBI agent trying to play both sides, Salma Hayek is the OTT cartel boss whose half Kaiser Soze and half Meryl Streep in 'The Devil Wears Prada' and I've got to mention the underrated Mía Maestro who plays Benicio Del Toro's put upon wife in Mexico. Maestro doesn't have much of a role but plays off Del Toro and successfully manages to convey the drudgery of their marriage in a few short scenes.
The leads are reasonably good too: now everyone seems to hate Blake Lively but I thought she was OK here, not particularly great but its not as if she ruins the movie or anything, Aaron Taylor Johnson likewise but its Taylor Kitsch who, once again, gives a great performance in a film that no one really saw. It's a shame that so many people have written off this potentially great young actor so early on in his career: I thought he made a superb Gambit in 'X-Men Origins: Wolverine' whilst 'John Carter of Mars' was criminally underrated and mugged by mob mentality critics, I won't defend 'Battleship' but 'Savages' gives Kitsch a good opportunity to play to his strengths as a cool leading man who can convincingly pull off an action scene.
Oliver Stone makes full use of the sun drenched Californian vista as well as the hot and humid dustbowls of the Native American reservations (listen out for Travolta's cruel gag about Native land) and cleverly plays with our preconceptions of the genre. A minor complaint would be that the American druggies are portrayed in a very sympathetic manner, whereas the Mexican drug barons are all complete lunatics, but 'Savages' is played in such board, almost comic book, strokes, that the charge of stereotyping would be a hard one to prosecute. 'Savages' is an entertaining return to form from Stone, its not the best ensemble crime movie ever made, but it held my attention for over two hours and should appeal to fans of films like 'Go' and 'The Way of the Gun'.
What can I say, absolutely stunning effects, amazing actors and exciting storyline! I want to live in rivendell!
Absolutely fantastic film that is realistic and shows the real issues that are faced by substance misusers. The actors, particularly Robert Carlyle and Ewan mcgregor are amazing. I could watch this film time and time again
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