Wednesday, December 4, 2013

Italian mafia vs Mexican drug cartel

So in last two days I have seen two very different films but with the same theme... Mafia.

The Counselor and Family...

But two very different kind of mafia... (yes, feel free to tell jokes about Russian Mafia:)) but in both cases, mafia was unnecessary violent.

The counsellor... when you see the cast like that you just have to go see it. I don't think it was a box office winner... I actually did not quiet get it I guess. Now that does not happen very often. Actually this never happens.



The opening scene... the sex scene made me so uncomfortable and I so wanted to be Penelope Cruz at that moment in time. By the end of the film I really did not want to be her...
This film was a great thing of script and dialogue, a dialogue, well more of monologue, porn really... Too good. And Fassbender... Oh Fassbender... you feel for the guy.



I guess that film had one message.. No matter how smart you are it is nothing if you are super greedy. There was no history. Just that moment in time and that everything has consequences every action... But I guess when dealing with mafia one should know better Counselor. I think |I might need to see that film again but I do not think I would have patience for it.
Counsellor is like Dangerous Method, great film but just bit too slow and not much happening... Beautifully done but not a mass success.
Oh but Cameron Diaz proved to be a real gem in it, I have never seen her like that. Wish she would get more roles like the one in this film. Amazing and so deliciously evil!!

 
But Owen nailed opinion about this film in one word... Underwhelming! Yes I agree!


And today I went to see less scary and more dysfunctional mafia people. The Family.



Robert De Niro, Michelle Pfieffer... Oh so silly, funny and full on Luc Besson. I should have guessed he did this film. Action packed and slightly over the top drama with daughter.



The Family is more user friendly... with humour then the Counsellor is more true I guess.
The mafia films are always too real for me to watch... I guess The Family is a pleasant exception... well and the locks stocks and smoking barrels, but that is a very British film there fore something entirely different.
Family has more humour in it, therefore makes it more entertaining... but otherwise it would have been a very dull and grim story.
To conclude... I probably will see the family again... maybe with my step father, he would think it is funny. The counselor I would see with my very dear friend Owen, he would appreciate it for its esthetical value and magical actors' work.


Written by Daria while consuming oysters and wine

Sunday, November 17, 2013

A Movie That is Out of This World!

Gravity


When I heard that was making a new film I was instantly excited. He is responsible for two of my favourite films having previously directed Y Tu Mamá También and Children of Men both of which I highly recommend you seek out and watch if you haven't seen them. It has been seven long years since Children of Men so seeing his name attached to a movie as director once again sold me instantly.

I went into Gravity knowing as little as possible and it is the way that I would recommend anyone seeing it if possible. It is also the reason that this post will be short and sweet I simply don't want to talk about what happens as the journey that the movie takes you on is what makes it special. I think its okay to say that its set in space and stars and as two astronaut on a mission which doesn't go entirely to plan.

 Ryan Stone (Bullock) and Matt Kowalski (Clooney)

Now what I can say is that Gravity was like nothing that I had seen or experienced in the cinema before. It looked stunning with the best use of 3D I've seen since Life of Pie. I'm not a fan as 3D as a rule as it seems every blockbuster has to shoehorn it in in order to add a few extra pounds onto the each cinema ticket. But I don't mind when it is used to improve a movie and this is a prime example of that. It use here helped to convey the depth and isolation of space, making you feel a part of every scene and shot.

And man what shots those are! The opening one in particular was incredible seeming to last 10 plus minutes without a cut. We are taken around the scene as if we ourselves are up there floating with them, but then seamlessly moving into Bullocks helmet getting a first person view and then back out again continuing the scene. It was breathtaking and I would love to sit Cuaron down and ask him how he did it.

Then there was the use of sound and in several cases absence of it perfectly portraying what it would be like to be in the vacuum of space. When you combine the sound and visual techniques on display you are left with a unique and ultimately brilliant cinema experience. One that stuck with me and had me thinking about it for the days that followed. I felt like I had been put through the same experience as the characters in the film and that was special because they are experiences that cinema has rarely touched on especially with this much style.


 Curaon passing on his vision to Clooney & Bullock

Come Oscar time this will be a front runner and I can see it picking up most of the technical awards such as sound design and visuals but I also hope that Curaon is also recognised because he has created a unique and extremely polished cinema experience which once again proves that he is one of the great directors working today.

I will be seeing this again before it leaves the cinema as I don't think it will have the same impact on a TV screen and if you even have a passing interest and have not seen it yet I urge you to go as soon as you can. This is the time of year when the cinema is full of interesting and potentially excellent movies but I will be impressed if any can top Gravity this awards season. I no doubt will have fun finding out though.

Written by
Owen whilst recovering from watching Wales stuff Argentina :D



 

Few films I saw over last month

it's been hectic... work work work... No play what so ever... I was walking around like a zombie had my brain only watching series and not paying much attention to anything else but the work.

I finally had enough and made some me and cinema time.
I saw Thor...
I saw Dredd...
And last but not least I saw Ender's Game...

A tipple post people!

Thor: The Dark World



Well I actually saw Thor Dark World twice. Husband said that he wanted to see it too purely because of awesomeness of Loki. 
If the 1st Thor movie was a bit simplistic and not as exciting as The Avengers were, or Iron Man, the second film is more improved. I do think they have changed the director... Owen, am I right? 
It was fun to watch. If Thor is all goodie goodie Loki was as much mean as Thor is good. In Owen's words Loki was much of a main character than Thor. On the acting ability only I must agree. But it was always harder to play "bag" guys then good, doesn't give actor much of the range really to play with if you are meant to be a good guy. 
So Thor did his awesome Thor thing, Loki did his mean but I will help you think, Dr Sevlig did his Swedish thing by running around with nothing on, and Darcy did the comedy bits. It was a fun film. They ruined Greenwich in London. FUN! Not as ruining all New York Avengers fun but fun non the less. 
The traditional Stan Lee cameo was fun one too. 


If you are a fun of the Marvel films do watch it. Watch it till the very end for more bits to come.... till the last last title screen goes off the screen. There are tow small "Easter eggs" in there. I am please to say there is more Thor and Marvel dudes to be on our screens in near future. Hooray!

Dredd.



Hubby and I had an evening of cooking and watching something you did not have to think much about, so thank you NetFlix we chose Dredd. One thing certain that film would have look spectacular in 3D. Even if I think it is overrated! I liked it. It was fast paced action with some graphic and unnecessary violence. Good entertainment for boys really. Lena Headley was so evil, she is actually one of my favorite actors at this very moment. If you want to watch something blow up watch Dredd, it was good. 

Ender's Game.

I really did not know what to expect, I did not read the book or any reviews, when to the cinema on a whim. I wanted to see Harrison Ford do his thing, Sir Ben with tattooed face and Viola Davis being amazing as usual.


I was blown away by young Asa Butterfield.. He was amazing, you could actually feel his frustration about him being like his brother... 
What I don't get if why they decided to make kids in charge of war ships... Do not get that. 



But I saw the main twist coming... 
I am actually still uncertain how I feel about this film, but I do know how I feel about these young actors in it. There were amazing. And definitely ones to watch.



I would actually appreciate some one else opinion on the Ender's Game. Please people help me make up my mind.



written by Daria while drinking lots and lots of coffee. 


Wednesday, November 6, 2013

Aye Aye Captain Phillips!

Captain Phillips


If you look at the ingredients that go into Captain Phillips you have an acting great in , a proven director in and a true story full of drama. It all adds up to what should be a movie that will feature heavily come the awards season. When I saw the trailer I did have some reservations however as I thought that it showed a little too much which put a bit lower down on my to watch list. But a host of positive reviews changed my mind and so I went into my local World of Cine unsure if it would live up to the hype and if there was more to the story than the trailer, in my opinion, gave away.

Well I guess the first thing I have to say is that Tom Hanks was once again outstanding as Captain Phillips. The man is just a master of his craft and is infinitely watchable be it simply dealing out orders to his crew or talking to a gun wielding Somali pirate. Normally I would say that he stole every scene he was in but that would be doing an injustice to who plays the pirates captain Muse. Abdi who is from Somalia was making his acting debut in this movie and the way that he manages to stand toe to toe with the legend that is Hanks is the best praise I can give him.

Barkhad Abdi (2nd from left) and his crew
and below with Hanks looking like lovely blokes

The scene in which Phillips comes face to face with the pirates for the first time was excellent and one that I think gained a lot from a decision that Greengrass made to keep the Somali actors and American actors apart until that scene was filmed. It is something that Hanks has said really helped to build the tension as he found the sight of the actors intimidating. That look combined with the performances from the Somalian actors, Abdi in particular, really took that scene to another level.

Phillips comes face to face with Muse

I think that it is fair to say that if this movie had been directed by someone else we would have gotten a completely different experience and I would say in most cases for the worst. What Greengrass has done with this movie which sets it apart is give you an insight into the pirates, their motivations and personalities. They are not simply portrayed as senseless killers and I found myself having a lot of sympathy for them as the events unfold. He took it beyond being simply movie about pirates and managed to interlace it with social commentary about what is going on in war torn places like Somalia and what its people have to do to survive.

Greengrass achieves this right at the start of the film where we are shown Tom Hanks driving to the airport from his beautiful house that he shares with his loving family. They talk about his son going to college and how he needs to work hard if he wants to get a good job. This scene is then followed by a similar scene in Somalia as Muse is woken in his mud hut by the gun wielding gang members sent by their overlord to demand that the village go out and steal else they face his wrath. The contrast and at the same time similarities between the two scenes set a tone for the movie that I thought took it to another level.

"Surely there's something other than fishing and kidnapping people you could do?"
"In America, maybe"

So the leads are both outstanding and matched by Greengrass's direction and I have no doubt that all will rightfully be nominated come Oscar time. But I did have a few reservations that stopped me truly loving the movie. In particular I found that I didn't find the final act as tense as I think others may. This may be because I had an fairly good idea of what was going to happen and so some moments lost their edge due to this. This is not the movies fault as any movie based on a true story runs this risk, I just wish that I was on the edge of my seat more. Though there is one bit of acting near the end however which rates up with the best I've ever seen and it is because of moments like this that I can recommend Captain Phillips to anyone looking for an intelligent movie that tells a very real story and has two stand out performances which manage to say a lot more than the movie had to about the state of the world we live in.

Written by 
Owen during a wonderful Welsh storm

Tuesday, September 3, 2013

Way way...........

I had a long day at work and was going to come home do the "fun" housework and go for a run... But then  went to cinema in between work and home. Oh!

It was one of the best decisions I have made in a while.  This this is an amazing movie.... Oh sorry it's called The way way back. Film for people about people, relationships about the decisions we made sometimes are so not right. But in the end it all worked out I guess, however in life some times it doesn't.



But first things first.

Teen boy and his divorced mother going away to the beach with her boyfriend (also divorced) and his daughter. Dude is a really meany to a boy. He thinks that on the scale from one to ten the kid is a three and he tells him so... Some great parenting! He actually bullies this way Duncan who only wants to be left alone... Amazingly that horrid mother's boyfriend is played by amazing Steve Carell who you really hate in this film. Great actor!!



You really feel for the kid... Like I actually wanted to come up to the screen and punch Steve Carell in the face. 
Where is Duncan just trying to get away from this holiday of hell his mother (Toni Collet) is trying to blend in. "It's like a spring break for adults"... Well you said it.
But then Duncan meets a real father figure, bit dysfunctional but a real supporter and fun guy Owen (Sam Rockwell) He really helps Duncan to gain the confidence and to be able to stand up to evil mother's boyfriend..



It's a great story. With many many amazing actors who are doing a remarkable job. I would say it is almost one of my favorite films. It is uplifting in way, and it is there next to Dan in Real Life on my imaginary shelf of great films everyone should watch!


Written by Daria in hope of the reply post from co-blogger Owen. Hint hint! I know you loved that too

Saturday, August 31, 2013

(Now you see me) And now you don't

I do enjoy films that take place in NYC, they always end up being stylish. And this time it was just simply magical! Pan intended. 



Well it was one really dynamic film, fast paced and with great mystery. I do hope that you would actually have time to spare to watch it. 
Isla Fisher in tiny skirts, Jesse Eisenberg with a curtly mop and so much charm, Woody Harleson was evil in it, like a master mind with no filter, Dave Franco and Mark Ruffalo is... well do watch it all I'm saying. 





The magicians in this film are kind of like robin hoods... But it was a great revenge story. I actually did not see that end coming... I had a theory about it but my theory was incorrect.
I would say it is one of the best films of this year. 
Also it is a major men candy film.


Written by Daria, many months later after watching this film, still thinking it was a fun film and worth rewatching. 




Thursday, August 29, 2013

Book into a film...never easy

There are many books adaptations into a film some are good, some are not and some  I m just undecided.
Onegin...


Bad..

Anna Karenina...


Strange and undecided...

Confessions of the Shopaholic...


 good

Girl with the dragon tattoo (Swedish film) amazing


The Help


 almost as good as a book but very good cinema
and then there are these things like Twilight... as bad as the books I guess, only saw 2 films.

But then with Mortal Instruments I was excited, I really am enjoying the books. You worry when some one decides to make a book you love into a film. I actually went to see MI twice since I really couldn't make a decision. I guess as much as I did not want to have expectations I had some after all.
It is a good adaptation, got all important points and a massive spoiler.. I'm trying to block it out. But it is not however a wholesome film.
So... 
The story line is very consistent. At first I thought the beginning felt rushed, but know I think it was from Clary's point of view, she learnt a lot about this new strange world of demon hunters and such, so the beginning was fast. I do like that Jocelyn abduction was elaborated on and also spoilers there, but girl put up a fight. You wouldn't expect less from the Shadowhunter.


Visually the film is how I wanted it to be, with a "nod" towards Goth. Sexy, dark and shiny. Yes, in my head it makes sense, watch it and see for your self. 
I also though it would have some cool tunes in... not just music but actual songs and stuff, but it didn't. Somehow at some scenes music was missing and missed. 
It's a complex world and has a lot of characters, in the film some of them seemed a bit flat...
Isabelle, beautiful and stunning,  somehow did not have that annoying but adorable personality. She was just a girl with cat like eyes, not good enough.
Magnus Bane is actually one of my favorite dudes in the book, his party was special, he is flamboyant and such and I though of him as Lafayette Raynolds in True blood series, but he wasn't...
When the "gang" is together all the conversations are had by only Jace and Clary and sometimes Simon is allowed to butt in... Same story with Luke aka Lucian, not enough. 
Rational part of me says that yeah, makes sense really, if they put more into these characters film would have been long....
But then it comes to werewolves, these big bag wolves and their white teeth that could get you decapitated... well they were pu#@%s. Couldn't even kill some demons... 
I realise that I'm being really negative so far but when you love the book ... how can one not be overly critical?!



I really loved that they kept most of the original jokes from the book. It was really good to have giggle when you are not just laughing to your kindle but also with bunch of people. 
There were moments when I got super excited and these are... Aiden Turner appearing on screen, yes, I know I am so very sad, but I think he is one beautiful beautiful man! Lena Headey slamming the frying pan into the intruders with such grace. Alec looking up when Magnus said "he with blue eyes"... Fight scenes in DuMort, so good... Jace looking down on Clary in the moment when they got into the institute for the 1st time.



Do not think I approve of Jonathan Rhys Meyers as Valentine, he looks too young... and he's too dark. When he tells that thing to Clary and then hugs her it was not right somehow, it was sexual if anything. Come on, director, re shoot that!
But I was very pleasantly surprised with the leads. They all were so good. 
Lilly Collins was lovely as Clary. I only saw her as a Snow White in Mirror Mirror and frankly it's not a good film to judge anyone. Where she was all tired and having a meltdown next to very very serious young Shadowhunter Jamie Campbell Bower. Now he is ideal Jace, did not see Alex Pettyer as Jace.



Certain moments of the film seemed rushed and unfinished. I do think it could have done with more musical score at the background, somehow I do not think Magnus' party did not have any music... Important bit of the plot and it did not imprint in me after seeing the film twice.

I wishes they turned Simon into a rat and introduced Raphael, they gonna have to in the next film. Yes, I wish for the next film! I wish there were more of the whole du mort situation and correct werewolf involvement and that demons would been more like in the books. Ms Clare did the great demons.

Unfortunatly interpersonal relationships were not developed fully, I guess it just would not be feasible. 

I will be going to see it again... I am in love! 



Written by Daria while day dreaming about Jamie Campbell Bower


Tuesday, August 20, 2013

something I really look forward

Recently I had a lot of time to kill during my trip back home, so I read. I finally finished Hobbit and know to bring a tissue to the next films. I have started last True Blood book, but feel too sad to read it since it is the last one and there will be no more southern supernaturals, so I thought I'd give Mortal Instruments a try...

Do not get me wrong it is no literally masterpiece and surly not a Stieg Larsson, but it is fun. And I am in love with Shadowhunters. I very much look forward to the film.... 


I really have no expectations.. I just want to see pretty people in a pretty story. Twitter gave me this link..



Isn't the Institute just magical.... and isn't Jace (Jamie Campbell Bower) just an under-aged sex on legs... in leather trousers?!

I look forward to see how the world came alive in this film, how the actors became these fun and sometime strange characters... I want to see the interpretation of the book and the story. 
By the way I am half way throw the second book already. 


Friday, July 12, 2013

Yes to the original!! Reaction to last post

Since last post by Owen I felt the need to say something about this remaking thing... or shall we say make it more accessible for people who cannot be arsed to read the subtitles. Well guess what I really love films in their original language, and I will spend time and read the subtitles. In English, that is not my first language. I just feel sorry for people who won't go see film because it is not in the language that they can understand and too lazy to read subtitles. 


For me Lisbeth always will be Noomi Rapace... and not that scary looking girl with no eyebrows. Talking about over styling. I have never seen the US version and I will never will. 
I always try to watch films in their original language. Maybe it is because I grew up in the country where everything was dobbed and sometimes rather badly.
Watch a film in the original language, give it a try.

New Oldboy...First Impressions

It's here!...


So above is the first red band trailer for the US remake of the Park Chan-wook's South Korean revenge thriller masterpiece Oldboy. The first post I ever did on this blog was about the original Oldboy because when I thought about what my favourite film was it jumped straight into my mind. In my eyes it is a perfect film which I can watch over and over and my enjoyment never diminishes.

I really can't praise it enough and that is why I have always been worried about what the inevitable American remake would do to my favourite movie. I know that I will always have my original but the US remake will be the version that the majority of my friends and movie going public will see and I just hope that it will do justice to the original.

You see this is an example of a typical conversation goes when I suggest watching Oldboy...

Me - 'Hey you fancy watching Oldboy it's amazing!'
Friend - 'Not heard of it what is it?'
Me - 'It's a South Korean revenge thriller by Park Chan-wook starring Choi min-sik'
Friend - 'Ummm I don't really do subtitles shall we watch something else'

But imagine that conversation with the remake...

Me - 'Hey you fancy watching Oldboy it's amazing!'
Friend - 'Not heard of it what is it?'
Me - 'It's a revenge thriller by Spike Lee starring Josh Brolin'
Friend - 'Oooo sounds good go on then'

This is why I want this remake to be good as it will hopefully act as a catalyst for people to discover the original and join me in realising it's brilliance. It was therefor with trepidation that I watched the above trailer and got my first glimpse of what Spike Lee had done with my beloved Oldboy.

First impression was that I like as Oldboy. He is an actor who I have admired since  No Country for Old Men (he was pretty good in  The Goonies but for different reasons) Over the past few years there has been many actors linked with the role one of which was Will Smith! I remember that when I heard this I immediately wrote it off as Will Smith would never be in a film as dark and impactful as the original. I always toted Gary Oldman for the role but as time went by and he got older that became a pipe dream. But Josh Brolin is a worth candidate and his opening line in this trailer seems to invoke the Oldboy character.

In fact the start of the trailer is possibly the only part of the whole thing that feels like the original. The imprisonment of Oldboy is a key part of the plot but I did find the fact that his daughter is shown grown up in these scenes suggesting that the whole end of the original can't be in this remake disappointing. It looks as though the motivation for Oldboy in this version is to save his daughter and get revenge on his capture. The original Oldboy only had 'Why was I imprisioned' as motivation and is told if he doesn't find out why then someone will die.

The final scenes of the original were so impactful. They left you feeling like you had been punched in the stomach and they were what made sure that it stayed in my mind for weeks/years/decades afterwards. So if this has been taken out then straight away this isn't Oldboy. I can understand that the Hollywood machine is not a fan of churning out films that deal with darker themes but I hoped with Spike Lee at the helm he would stay true to the original. He may still for all I know but from this trailer it doesn't look good.

It appears that the hammer is going to stay as Oldboys weapon of choice which is a no brainer and I will wait with interest to see Spike Lee's take on the 'Hallway Hammer Fight Scene' of the original. A scene that I think is one of the greatest ever scenes committed to film (see my original post for more) If Lee can come even close to it then it will be brilliant!

It is going to be a very interesting experience watching this movie as I really can't see how it can match the original and I will find it very hard to not be critical of it as it is dealing with something that I love and feel protective of. I hope that I enjoy this but I live safe in the knowledge that if it does disappoint me then I can go home and watch the original Oldboy and I will instantly be cheered up. As I said earlier if all this remake does is act as a gateway for others to discover Park's masterpiece then it can't be a bad thing.

Written by Owen
While drinking Corona & eating Fudge

 

Tuesday, July 9, 2013

So it's been a while...



I have not posted in a while due to life and laziness getting in the way but worry not I have been watching films and I do have a few opinions on them. Some were good some were bad and some for a while held the place as my new favourite film. I had every intention of writing about them but it didn't happen so what I thought I'd do is a quick fire run down of the some of those films and what I thought about them.

Iron Man 3


I did a Quick Impression on this after I saw it but since then I have spoken to friends and heard their views on it so thought I'd add this...

So the second phase of Marvels all conquering franchise begins with Iron Man 3. I personally am worried that the Marvel films are going to get old fast and would personally of been happy if they had put the avengers lot on ice after the pinnacle that was Avengers and visited a few other lesser known characters. I mean Iron Man was not the all conquering character it has become since Robert Downey Jr took the role so it would be nice to see some other characters given the limelight. But we are told that this is all set for phase 3 so I will have to wait for Edger Wrights Ant Man movie...which I'm not sure I can.

In fact I think that Iron Man 2 is a great example of why I worry for the franchise as it was not a good movie and suffered as it was more a build up to the main event that was Avengers than a film in it's own right.

So after all this I have to say that what has done with Iron Man 3 is exactly the opposite to my fears. I liked the fact that we got to explore the Tony Stark side of Iron Man and I know people who complained that there wasn't enough 'Iron Man' in this film to which I always answer 'who do you think Iron Man is?' you take Tony Stark out of the film and you have no Iron Man.

What I like about the Iron Man films and what has made it so popular is and his natural humour and charisma. So the more of that the better. Now the Quick Impression I wrote a while ago focuses more on the plot so you can read that to get the rest of my views....spoiler I kinda liked it but didn't love it.

The Purge


So The Purge...The film that stared at me from every phone box in Cardiff for months...the film from the guys that did Paranormal Activity (all be it only the money men)...It's got Ethan Hawke in it and Lena Heady this could be alright. Add in an kinda interesting concept this could be a decent horror.

That was my thoughts going into The Purge and after 30 mins of adverts and trailers and 20 mins of the film those thoughts were now...this concept has now been explained to me twice...I don't really like Hawke or Heady's characters...oh look Lou Carpenters daughter Lolly from Neighbours in it too...and she's playing an idiot!...this is going to be a shit horror.

One thing that is key in any home invasion horror is that you care about the characters and only the son of the family is in any way likable. The rest are just privileged morons who I wanted to die asap. The concept though interesting couldn't support a whole film and it just wasn't scary! Putting a mask on someone and getting them to look at the camera with their head tilted isn't scary if you want that person to get their hands on the people they are after. Plus the end was terrible!

I went to see this so you don't have to. Don't even watch it if your bored and you see it on NetFlix, keep searching and you will find something better I guarantee it.


Margin Call


Margin Call is set over one night during the financial crisis as a group of bankers meet to decide how to handle the impending collapse. It boasts a top cast including , and the mighty all of whom are brilliant. It felt very much like a play with no action violence just people talking and arguing as egos collide. 

The subject of the bank collapse was also fascinating to me and gave me an insight into what went on. At the time I didn't properly understand what the happened to cause the collapse but this movie did a great job of explaining it without at any point dumbing down the language which is testament to the script. Not great but enjoyable and very interesting plus I could watch Spacey and Irons butt heads all day long!
 
Star Trek Into Darkness


Earlier this year I put this in my Ones to Watch list ahead of Iron Man and Man of Steel. It was the big blockbuster that I was most looking forward to this summer and I'm happy to say that it didn't disappoint.

is a man who knows how to make a big budget popcorn movie. This had great action set pieces and a fun and interesting plot that I thought flowed nicely. All the cast are likable and embody the spirit of the original show. I really like the relationship between 's Kirk and Spock which is natural and funny. These two are ably support by the likes of and but all of these are overshadowed by the brilliant who steals every shot he is in and even some that he's not in he's that good! 

Cumberbatch's character is is an enigma in that you are never sure whether to like him or fear him. I personally always came down on the like side. Evey time he is on screen whether it be taking out a Klingon patrol single handedly or delivering a moving monologue he shows that he really is a master of his craft. In fact it was the action scenes that were most pleasing because he has proven that he can act in Sherlock but those scenes showed that there is nothing that he can't do and I hope will mean that he can flourish in Hollywood bring his class with him.

So that's my gushing over Benedict over with all I can say is that if you want a fun and exciting Hollywood blockbuster then watch this. It does what so many other film tries by entertaining while maintaining a high standard in all departments and has a standout performance at it core. I look forward to seeing what Abrams does with Star Wars and if he can somehow find a place for Benedict that would be amazing! :D

Olympus Has Fallen


This film wanted to be Die Hard in the White house. This film wanted to be funny, wanted to be serious want to be tense and it failed at all of them for me. Like The Purge I didn't like any of the characters or care about them. The attack on the White House was a violent moment with innocent people getting gunned down in the street which was impactful but the problem after that was that all the jokes felt in bad taste. In the world we live in where terrorist attacks are a very real thing (this film was released a week after the Marathon bombings) the way that the President and his cabinet deal with the situation was distasteful.

The way that they are willing to hand South Korea to the North Korea just to save the President actually angered me. If 's President was the good man that we were meant to believe he was and whom we were meant to route for then he wouldn't have let this happen. I thought that was going to be the level headed character that would make the tough calls but he again happily gave into all the terrorist demands just to protect one man. If I have learnt anything from 24 it's that America does not negotiate with terrorists...except in this film!

The fact that character was meant to have been out of the secret service for 2 years yet all his passwords still work in the White House made me shake my head with disbelief. It was just sloppy writing. Then there is the fact that he tortured a man and killed another whilst making jokes and that man, who minutes earlier had been ruthlessly slaughtering people in what must have been a well planned attack that took years of planning, gives up all the information he can because he was stabbed in his leg. The film can't deal with the themes that it did at the start and also make light of them.

Die hard worked because it was always John trying to save his wife, the stakes were personally high for him but were not on a world stage as this film is. This film is dealing with an event that would likely cause WW3 and because of that I didn't enjoy the humour. A perfect example of how the two themes didn't mix was at one point the President is standing surrounded by the dead services men who had given their lives to protect him and he makes a joke about the White House having great insurance. The film even took time to let you get to know some of the dead service men to know they had young families and this made the joke even more tasteless.

This film gets it all wrong for me. I really hated it. I could rant for hours and pick out many many flaws but I won't. I'm sure a lot of people enjoyed the action and liked it. I think that those people are wrong and would implore them to just go and watch the original Die Hard to see how it's done. To anyone who hasn't seen it then I say DON'T! JUST WATCH THE ORIGINAL DIE HARD!


Up


Lots of people have told me that I have to watch up, that the start is so sad and its such a wonderful film. I eventually was sat down by my friend Mel and I did watch it...sooo I thought that it was OK *waits for screams of disbelief from Disney fans* but hear me out.

Yes it was a bit of a sad start they couldn't have children and he never got to go to the waterfall with his wife this is definitely sad....but I looked at it like this. He met the love of his life when he was 10 and got to spend what must have been 60 years with that person which in my eyes makes him a very very lucky man. Yes in Disneyland this is a sad start but as someone who grew up on Studio Ghibli films this start was pretty happy.

I actually saw in the old man lead character the kind of old person I dread dealing with in work as he was just grumpy and angry at the world and he will drag others down to his level of happiness if possible. I didn't like him and in a film like this that is a problem.

I did however like the Dog and Bird combo and got a fair few laughs out of them. SQUIRREL! There were other moments that were good but not enough for me. It didn't live up to the high standards that peoples praise had made for it. But if others people love it then it must strike the right chord with them I guess. I just have no desire to see it again.

Stoker


I plan on doing a longer post about Stoker when I've watched it again on DVD/NetFlix so all I'm going to say now is simply this...

It's a film and it is by far the best film out of this list! :)

Written by Owen
While watching the Lion(Wales) destroy Australia in the 3rd test again.

Sunday, July 7, 2013

"they eat garbage on principal" (The East)

So my new local cineworld did not show Much Ado About Nothing, shame. Well actually Cardiff did not show it either, very small release. Why can we have smaller films to be shown on big screen too?

Well The East is a smaller film, I think it was in the cinema only for a week or 2 weeks. I made all effort to go see it... I think you should too. 


Oh it was amazing! Made me think... 
I thought it was like eco terrorism... but it was not quiet. It was more of terrorism against the modern corporate world. And yeah all of use by dates are there not only to look after the consumer but more about the corporation to cover its own back. I suppose it was not news to me but how it was presented... was rather brutal and in your face kind of way. 
The "Gem" involving the medication was actually very scary thinking that might be true... 
Interesting plot, ending was bit strange think I need to watch it again, just to make sure I understood it correctly. 
It is amazing to know that there are people out there like that... live the same way... 


I felt like Dr Temperance Brenan (you know from Bones, not the books, that was a very normal) discovering another socio group.

Brit Marling was lovely main character, very intelligent. I do like the person who Sarah became in the end of the film. Ellen Page's Izzy omg! I loved her as usual, very bitter end, very sad and yet touching, shows however much we resent our parents they are still our parents.


And the men candy... All male characters are hot. Alexander Skarsgard is a master mind and leader of the east, and gets naked or almost naked twice. Always nice to see, however bizarre the scenes might be seen. Shiloh Fernandez with all his makeup and deep trauma... 

To conclude, the East is my new favorite film. 


Written by Daria while watching Mama Mia on TV

Monday, July 1, 2013

My new crush! Henry (I can fly and wear a cape) Cavill

It was promised to be a fun day. I was off to the gym, then cinema and then home to cook and tidy. And after the gym I got some pretty distressing news form home, actually very sad news... 

And after the almost 3 hours in the cinema I felt a bit better, less of a mess ... Henry helped a lot... and Chris Nolan.. and all the fast fighting and evil evil Micheal Shannon. Good action movie takes your mind of things.



To be honest I though I would watch it with hubby, but he didn't wanted to since apparently he does not like superman and I quote "He's a knob", well I did not read any comic books ever so I do not have anything against the man from Krypton. So I spent some time with Kryptonians and Earthlings:) 

To be honest I went to see Immortals purely for half nude men and sword fights and I went to see Sucker Punch for cute outfits... Zack Snyder did not impressed. Oh and Watchmen was soo boring, I guess there are split opinions on that, I did not like it, no amount of men candy can make this film ever shorter, must watch in again:)



Oh I also fell down in the shower in the gym. Well I almost fell down and I really hurt my leg like the same way when I fell down stairs at work and couldn't do the race the next day. Well anywho...

I did not know what to expect, yes Chris Nolan did his bit for the film, but still Sucker Punch, Watchmen and Immortals, I was prepared for 3 hours of boredom with some sexy men frown in. I was pleasantly surprised! I do actually think that Chris Nolan had something to do with it.



So the story as you know it, kid arrived to Earth... But I did enjoy the back story, Genreal Zod's uprising against the people who killed Krypton. truly admirable, but kind of f%^ked up at the same time. Oh and his mother played by Ayelet Zurer (I am not actually sure how to pronounce it) but her there crying when programming the space ship for her only son going for this scary journey.



Also Russel Crowe's presents through out the film for the dead guy is amazing, he's like everywhere and all the time!



Now, Diane Lane as Clake Kent's mother, that hot mama! Amazing! Kevin Costner as his very inspiring dad, oh god I was so sad when he died. But let's get to my main topic and how good his looks with no top on or with very tight suit on, Henry (I can fly and wear a cape) Cavill. These blue eyes are so touching, moving and exciting. He just stares at the camera and you feel it... it was just magical. Sad moments I felt really sad, and the 1st kiss with Lois Lane (got to say, sad name for such a hot lady like Amy Adams).



I mean yeah, she was called this in the original film, but come one, would you name your child Lois not? All I think now when I hear Lois is Lois Griffin from Family Guy. (Maybe it is Russian in me talking, and I do apologies if I offended anyone) 

Good story, great acting, amazing action scenes, fabulous first kiss, all the fight scenes. However... 

I loved the story. Loved the big evil general Zod. Loved fights scenes, they must look epic in 3D.



As you know I am a sucker for a good fight scene and sexy men in these fight scenes, so I am a little bit biased but I do think I might be watching it over and over again. It is not fast moving as Avengers but it is good. Cinematicly and aesthetically was amazing. Some camera work did give me a bit of the sea sick but I did enjoy the experience and I am willing to watch it again. In fact I might see it tomorrow again :D 

I love Henry Cavill and Chris Nolan! 
Oh and fiy I have a massive bruise on my leg....

Now... I do have one more thing though not enough shirtless shots of sexy man of steel...


And now I'm happy... 
Now the big question is was Man Of Steel my favorite film... I'd say so. Until something else.. Besides I have Empire magazine in my handbag and I have not read the review these lovely people put up of this film...