Top 5 (2010)

5. The Karate Kid

Director: Harald Zwart
Writers: Christopher Murphey (screenplay), Robert Mark Kamen (story)
Stars: Jackie Chan, Jaden Smith and Taraji P. Henson

 Spotlight: 2010 in the remake stakes was supposed to be the year of The A-Team, however this modification of the 1984 original would transpire into one of the years pleasant surprises. The key to Director Harald Zwartz's success is in its ability to forgo nostalgic sentiments, the story is taken to new places and different faces trading Los Angeles for the mystique and beauty of Beijing. Of course the core components are in tact Jaden Smith is "the Kid" - Dre ripped from all he has ever known in Detroit, and forced to belie his early years in order to assimilate with the cultural, educational and social transitions of a new life in the far east. There is a girl, there are beatings to take and lessons to learn too. The most difficult task for the project would be to replace the iconic Mr Miyagi and who better than a legend of Jackie Chan's standing, Chan play's Mr Han a janitor and inwardly tortured soul who guides Dre from tears to glory. Chan's performance is subtle, gracious and most importantly real- Far above the buffoonery of his earlier works but still recognisably Chan when it comes to the physical elements of his martial arts. The Karate Kid shifts effortlessly between near operatic grandeur, terrier like spirit and sweeping melodrama whilst still preserving all the charm and innocence of the original and maybe more.


4. Another Year 
Director: Mike Leigh
Writer: Mike Leigh
Stars: Jim Broadbent, Ruth Sheen and Lesley Manville
Low down: Tom and Gerri have a solid marriage but those around them are crumbling in Mike Leigh’s follow up to Happy Go Lucky (2008) which is part character study, part comedy, part tragedy portrayed with a devastating sense of triviality and observational terror. 

3. Mr Nice 
Director: Bernard Rose
Writer: Bernard Rose (screenplay)
Stars: Rhys Ifans, Chloë Sevigny and David Thewlis
Low down: International drug trafficking has never felt more innocuous in cinema than Rhys Ifans Pot pedalling depiction of  Howard Marks. Mr Nice based on Marks’ Autobiography of the same name is a real gem that smokes, cries, cheats and shags its way to oblivion and back at least twice. 

 
2. The Town  
Director: Ben Affleck
Writers: Peter Craig (screenplay), Ben Affleck (screenplay)
Stars: Ben Affleck, Rebecca Hall and Jon Hamm 

Spotlight: The Bank robbery is Hollywood’s favourite criminal pastime, whether it’s a suave Thomas Crown or a maniacal comic book villain heist movies come and go, year in year out with almost inevitable certitude. Charlestown is “The Town” and is to Bank Robbers what Orlando is to theme park junkies. Further it is a brutish Boston suburb painted in much the same way as in Scorsese’s Departed (2006) as a criminal municipality where the boundaries between the right sides and the wrong sides of the law are faded lines of obscurity and communal division. Ben Affleck is the architect on and off screen, firstly he plays Doug Macray a career Bank-buster at a sudden cross roads in his life following a partially bungled recent job. An equivocal middle-manager Doug begins to question his career prospects but between his subordinates including out of control crime partner Jem (Jeremy Renner) and superior big boss Fergie (Pete Postlethwaite) getting out wont be easy. An equal measure of irony and fate provide the real complication when Bank manager and former victim Claire (Rebecca Hall) becomes the catalyst for his change of heart as they fall in love. 

Secondly and perhaps most impressively is Affleck's work behind the camera, The Town is a slick, confident almost self assured crime thriller. Affleck in his second directorial offering captures absorbing dramatics, finding his characters weakness' and magnifying their strengths. It's more than just cops and robbers pastiche, a tale of forbidden love, a metaphor for inner less tangible imprisonment, with misplaced loyalties and displaced enemies.

 

 
1.Inception 


Director: Christopher Nolan
Writer: Christopher Nolan
Stars: Leonardo DiCaprio, Joseph Gordon-Levitt and Ellen Page


Spotlight: Prior to Inception's release Christopher Nolan's greatest triumph was arguably a battle between  2000's mercurial masterstroke Memento, a deeply cerebral thriller, driven by an uncompromising flair for invention or The Dark Knight (2008) a giant of a movie rich in cinematic bluster, yet at the same time a diligent exploration of character and goods relationship with evil. When it comes down to it Inception manages to take the best of both worlds Cobb played by Leonardo Dicaprio is every bit the broken man that Memento's Leonard Shelby is, both are widowers paradoxically tortured by the memories of their wives but live only to preserve them. As with our adventure with the Caped Crusader Inception is a team effort, everyone has a role to play be it Ariadne's (Ellen Page) DIY psychology, Arthur's efficiency or Eames' (Tom Hardy) creativity it's all part of the plan.

The central idea is intuitive if not simple, "Dream Sharing" is a concept that allows multiple persons access to the dreams of another. "Extraction" is the art of manipulating the dream to steal ideas and information from the dreamer. "Inception" is the seemingly unknown feat like a pre-conquered Everest where its possibility is questioned, this time an idea needs to be implanted rather than supplanted and Cobb a is set the challenge which stands between him and a return to normality. 

Quietly Nolan has become a master of the action set-piece and Inception is filled with all of the white-knuckle thrills that wouldn't look out place if his surname where Bay or Mann. We get everything from explosions and adrenaline fueled chase scenes to zero gravity punch-ups and a multitude of shoot out sequences which adds tension at the same time as providing relief from the mind bending narrative. All of which is perhaps Nolan's most significant accomplishment here, in that Blockbuster budget is parted from Blockbuster cliche, a film that both engages and explodes with imagination at the simultaneously.. 

New - Chatroom (2010)

In a year that served us with the Social Network and Inception we have a piece in the way of Chatroom (2010) that as strange as it may seem manages to drop between the weightier concepts of its two more esteemed colleagues. Nolan's world is the looser comparison but whereas dream and dream space are used as an extension of the psyche, Director Hideo Nakata attempts a physical representation of the Internet chat room, caught somewhere between abstract fantasy and an extension of ones persona in a domain that allows endless creative freedom for it.

Whilst you will not find any reference to Facebook directly, there is clear comparison to the Social Networks look into the effect of the internet on younger generations and their communicative dependence on it. The insight however comes from a different angle as we see consequence- Ostracism, broken parental relationships and obsession. Thematically we are in a darker world of Paedophilia, Suicide, Self harm and so on, our Subjects are teen caricatures Aaron Johnson (Kick Ass) plays the lead as William a seemingly causeless rebel and leader of the group which includes posh girl Eva (Imogen Poots), loner Jim (Matthew Beard), geek Emily (Hannah Murray) and self doubting Mo (Daniel Kaluuya).

When it comes to the execution Chatroom suffers from an overdose of its own ideas, all of which never materialise into anything remotely as interesting as the abundant pretences. For example there are two occasions where the film breaks out stop motion animation sequences in a naive attempt to deliver some parts of the narrative. Naïve is also an apt way to describe the cast whose performance is little more than comprehensive school drama club standard, coupled with a script which paints it's characters as vaguely existential. Nakata must take some of the blame also, the film is horrifically paced and even the 90 minute run time feels like a slog, lack of discipline is his ultimate flaw here multiple ideas without substance are no match for substantial development of a single idea.

5/10

New Burlesque (2010)

From seemingly nowhere there has been a recent outburst of interest in all things Burlesque, transmogrified by fashion, dance and other mediums in an attempt to modify the niche into something more commercial and accessible. So it's no surprise that Hollywood would get in on the action with Burlesque (2010) a feature length debut for Christina Aguilera alongside fellow musical behemoth Cher.

Stylistically Burlesque is a musical, although luckily there are no spontaneous outbreaks of song and dance except for when Cher decides to sing us a song to signify how fed up she is. Ultimately everything is constructed around the theatre and performance, driven by a collection of music/cabaret video sequences glued together by what turns out to be a fairly interesting set of characters and stories. Centrally we have a little cliché, Ali (Aguilera) is a small town girl from Iowa who decides she wants to leave behind everything to pursue the dreams and promise of Los Angeles. Destiny guides her to would be mentor Tess (Cher) the divorced, struggling owner of a neo-Burlesque club "The Burlesque Lounge". Ali becomes enamoured with the club, as well as Jack (Cam Gigandet) a hunky barman whose already complicated love life is thrown into further turmoil when he find himself with Ali as a makeshift roommate.

The tagline reads "It takes a LEGEND... to make a STAR!" which is sort of embolismic of the Aguilera/Cher partnership, Cher herself has managed to put together a fairly impressive acting career and her young on screen protégé is quite impressive in this debut. We see Ali jumble the juxtapositions of her womanhood, love life, her career and the accompanying emotions they bring to good effect. Christina already has the look of a Hollywood star and the talent is on show here to suggest that she could have a substantial big screen future. Cher does her bit too playing the struggling business woman married to her struggling club which she faces losing, until Ali's hidden singing talents re-energises her club and show. The Sharks are circling meanwhile and Tess must fight them off if the club is to survive, among the predators are an Ex-husband (Peter Gallagher) she must buy out, an aggressive Tycoon (Eric Dane), and the destructive jealousy of her former star pupil (Kristen Bell).

There are some problems however, script and resulting dialogue are a little misjudged, often being overly fluffy and cute instead of really taking on some of it's themes with real bite. Hence the message of the film is a little lost somewhere between feminist empowerment and the true nature of Burlesque as an art form, with the latter summed up by the repeated lines "They're not here to hear us sing" which appears to fall on deaf ears. As a result Burlesque's audience is a little ambiguous, it doesn't feel like a girls night out in the way a Sexy In The City Movie might, but still mature enough to halt teenagers flocking en masse, all of which is possibly the price to pay when bringing a niche into the mainstream.

Surprisingly solid.

6/10

New The Tourist (2010)

Stop me if you’ve heard this before in 2010: Hollywood A-list male and Hollywood A-list female thrust together in part funny, part romantic, part action-thriller movie madness. Ring any bells? Well cast your mind back to the summer where Tom Cruise and Cameron Diaz teamed up in James Mangold’s rollercoaster Knight and Day (2010). The Tourist appears to work along similar lines, most prominently we get another glowing partnership with co-stars Angelina Jolie and Johnny Depp this time taking center stage, which in itself affords The Tourist slightly more potential due to Jolie and Depp's greater talents.

Venice is the beautiful and idyllic setting for the story to take place, a labyrinth of Canals symbolic of the divisive narrative awash with twists and turns keeping both audience and subjects off balance. Elise (Jolie) is an elegantly poised English beauty, whose demeanour combines a fierce sophistication with near aristocratic sensibilities. Elise is attempting to rendezvous with a criminal love interest named Alexander Pearce, whilst simultaneously shaking off surveillance from international law enforcement hoping to track down the same person. Elise fatefully becomes acquainted with Frank (Depp) the American tourist a widowed Maths teacher. The plot then takes on a Keyser Soze-esque dynamic which sees all parties including a sinister Steven Berkoff searching Venice for Pearce yet his identity nobody knows or even can be sure exists at all. 

  

Director Florian Henckel von Donnersmarck it would seem has a difficult job to knead the ingredients into something worth watching, he manages to abstain from the wall to wall buffoonery of the aforementioned Knight and Day by focusing more on the aesthetic delights of his stars and scenery, allowing Jolie and Depp room to conjure up an at times engaging on screen chemistry. The viewing experience in the end is fairly satisfying as the tourist does little more than flaunt its good looks in an entertaining fashion that masks successfully its flaws.

7/10  

2 Talk About

Cars In Film

The other night I am watching Collateral (2004) which is essentially a typical Michael Mann movie where we have 2 central male leads and some how in our exploration of them Mann is going to demonstrate that they are two ends of the same stick. Anyway the reason I bring this up is that one of the highlights for me of the film is the opening scene in which takes place inside the Taxi of Max (Jamie Foxx) as we observe an at times insightful conversational exchange with Jada Pinkett Smith's character Annie, whilst a quite soulful Groove Armada number adds a lush tone to the scene.

So it had me think about other classic in car movie moments, and in an effort to become more interactional I thought I'd invite you to share you most revered in car movie memories. It could be a car chase like some of my favourites such as Nic Cage tearing up the streets of San Francisco in the The Rock (1996) or Steve McQueen doing likewise in Bullitt (1968). It may be a Road Movie or as mentioned earlier a one off scene.

Any way this is what I'm bringing to the table.

1. Seven (1995)

Scene: Brad Pitt, Morgan Freeman and Kevin Spacey

In order to complete his murderous masterpiece John Doe (Spacey) strikes a deal with detectives Mills (Pitt) and Somerset (Freeman) which culminates in the trio's fated car journey. What makes the scene work is the dynamic of control and restraint, Somerset is the driver but Doe is the navigator shackled in hand cuffs, yet Mills is the one who seems caged. It's a classic 3 way battle for supremacy with an atmosphere you could cut with a spoon, highlighted by Morgan Freeman's occasional glances into to his rear view mirror which sit somewhere between fear and fascination.




2. Vanishing Point (1971) 

Barry Newman's task appears simple as Kowalski he must deliver a white 1970 Dodge Challenger from Denver to San Francisco by Monday. After small bet and and troubled encounter with law the delivery in addition becomes a chase. With only the help of DJ Super Soul to guide him Vanishing Point is a superbly cool and psychedelic race against the odds, filled with a smoothly joyful soundtrack and a sense of infinite wonder and open interpretation.

What are yours? 

New London Boulevard (2010)

London Boulevard is a big screen adaptation of Ken Bruen's 2001 fictional crime novel of the same name and a directorial debut for William Monahan of Departed (2006) fame, for which he contributed the screen play in Martin Scorcese’s seminal Oscar triumph. Monahan manages to assemble a pretty interesting cast for the job matching big name attractions notably Colin Farrell for the lead of Mitchell an ex-con trying to place his life on the straight and narrow who finds complications aplenty but centrally in the shape of Keira Knightley playing Charlotte, a reclusive actress in need of Mitchell’s muscle in order to fend off pesky paparazzi, perform some odd jobs around her abode whilst also seeking comfort in his softer side when making use of Mitchell as a confidante.

The strength of the piece is in the supporting cast who mainly transpire as conduits for Mitchells struggle with the temptations of a potential return to his old ways. Leading the second tier is Ray Winstone as crime lord Gant who genuinely creates an atmosphere of dread when on screen as he attempts to lure Farrell back to the dark-side. David Thewlis is equally adept as he plays Jordan a drug induced failed thespian who is Charlotte’s business manager. There are also roles for Ben Chaplin as a blundering hood whilst Stephen Graham and Eddie Marsan are shamefully under used in their minor roles.

As you might be thinking there is a lot a going on here and that's sort of where Monahan gets into trouble, the narrative is littered with plot-holes and semi developed ideas and characters such as Anna Friel who pops in and out the story as a Mitchell's troubled sister, this is largely a product of the derivative nature of the project. Monahan seems to be tipping his hat at the types of movie he himself has indulged, for example there is clear a sense of early Guy Ritchie in style of the visuals, soundtrack and occasional attempts at humour. The mood and tone owes more to Scorcese traits such as an angry gratuitous racism and overly proud glorification of the gangster life style. It’s a rarity when a film could be said to be too short, but one way London Boulevard could have been improved is an extra 45 minutes or so to pay attention to its many details.

The major task London Boulevard will have is proving it has any substance, it will be interesting to see if William Monahan will be encouraged to take this debut any further and perfect or enhance his directorial style with future work, if so this could be remembered more fondly as part of a bigger picture. If not it will fall through the cracks of irrelevance rather quickly.

6/10

4 the Weekend

1. Some Think Old

All the Right Moves (1983)

  

Long before the Mission Impossible franchise, Oprah’s Couch, and even 3 years before Top Gun (1986) All The Right Moves (1983) was one of Tom Cruises first steps on the road to an equal amount of Hollywood success and infamy. The story of Stefen Djordjevic (Cruise) is just one of the many personal and collective dramas that we follow through the setting of Ampipe High School,  the educational heart of a small town and steel mill community of the same name. Djordjevic is both football fanatic and realist eager (like many of his peers) to use his football skills as a method of progression as he attempts to gain a scholarship to further his education in order to enhance his future.

What I liked about All The Right Moves is its ability to work at so many levels, at its heart it’s a film about devotion to ambition, dreams, loved ones and devotion to cultural etiquettes and social preservation, which is exhibited by all characters. Alternatively the film is an impressive social dissection of the life design for steel orientated Pennsylvanian communities. The older generations languish in banality and unemployment leaving Cruise, girlfriend Lisa (Lea Thompson) and the rest of the younger generation to battle against bleak prospects whilst coping with the complexities of young adulthood.

Another layer of the piece is the use of Football (American Football if you need the distinction) which although isn’t as central or dynamic, isn’t a million miles away from Friday Night Lights (2004), here we meet egocentric Coach Nickerson played by Craig T Nelson and become familiar with his role as mentor as well as the ability to control the destinies of his players off the pitch as much as on it.

Negatives are few but obvious, technically its by no means a masterpiece the sports scenes for example lack explosiveness and will feel dated. At a swift 90 minutes we are unable to detail or develop a relationship with all the characters and the rest of the cast, possibly a product of limited vision from seldom director Michael Chapman, but still a nice piece of work. 

7/10 

2. Some Think New

Due Date (2010)

The” Road Movie” is a fairly reliable cinematic mechanism , immediately conjuring memories of some personal favourites in this field such as Kalifornia (1993) which taps into the psychological examination of tensions and the inevitabilities of conflict within the predicament. Another favourite of mine in this genre is Terrence Mailk’s Badlands (1973) which is among other things is a film about the journey of the heart, the chasing of dreams  the promise of better things to come.

Anyone who knows anything about Due Date (2010) will know that director Todd Phillips is coming at this from the comedy angle, where we have been here before with Phillips in Road Trip (2000). In mentioning this I am probably led to my first issue with Due Date as it ignores the possibilities and potential of being a good bit of genre, the journey feels somewhat empty and we don’t meet any diversified characters or encounter any cultural references or subtleties of any kind.

The comedic mileage is attained through the "Odd Couple" pairing of Robert Downey Jnr and Zach Galifianakis who feels like he is attempting to reincarnate his role from the overrated Hangover (2009). The predicament is somewhat convoluted but the basic gist is that Pete Highman (Downey) absorbed in the running of his own life which mainly include work and the impending arrival of his first born, along with budding actor, odd ball Ethan Trembley (Galifianakis) both end up on the no fly list but both must get to LA from Atlanta by car for their own reasons.

As the action grows it becomes apparent that director Phillips is looking to divide it’s audience, there are two sides Downey’s wealthy, self-righteous bully or Galifianakis’ naive but warm hearted ineptitude, leaving the audience to decide who they empathise most with. Here ultimately lies the films next issue in that neither character is particularly adhesive or worth the effort of caring. We are also victim to a rather odd and irritatingly unnecessary plot dynamic which involves the cameo appearance of Jamie Foxx, which is totally ill-judged. 

It’s not all bad I’d be lying if I said that Due Date doesn’t generate any laughs, the fact of the matter is it does produce some moments of hilarity which will satisfy those in search of light entertainment. There are plenty of “gross out” toilet gags such as masturbating dogs and people vomiting, as well as “stoner” jokes and general craziness.  However what we are reminded of is that sometimes the laughs are just not enough.

 6/10

 3. Some Think To Borrow

  
The International (2008)

“Sometimes a man can meet his destiny on the road he took to avoid it” is the adopted mantra of Clive Owen's broken down humanitarian and champion of justice Interpol agent Lou Salinger when he comes to realise the gravity of his situation. Salinger is working alongside Assistant DA Eleanor Whitman (Naomi Watts) the pair are looking to bring down a major International Bank suspected of having some less than ethical business protocols, cutting through a fog of conspiracy and murder in the process.

Conducting the action is German director Thomas Tykwer, who seems to find strength in the films technical possibilities. Firstly The International like its shooting locations is a lavish piece in both look and feel. Tykwer starts in his beloved Berlin reminiscent almost of his finest work Run Lola Run (1998) before heading to Milan, New York and the films conclusion in contrasting Istanbul. Secondly the dialogue is crisp, tidy and well organised. Keeping up with the story feels refreshingly effortless yet somehow remains engaging throughout, whilst allowing the cast to grow with the material and the intricacies of the narrative.

Said cast is an interesting grab bag of nationalities and styles, Owen provides a steely determination to his role as Salinger, backed capably by a diligent Watts. Of the supporting cast the highlight is German veteran Armin Mueller-Stahl who plays Wexler who is sophisticatedly sage-like in presence. Ostensibly the film is an examination of it's characters limits be it more clearly defined or visual limits such as rank, law enforcement, hierarchy. As well as more inward boundaries like greed, power, loyalties and resilience.   

Seasoned espionage thriller fans will likely gain the most from the film, people indifferent to the genre will probably prefer something more exhilarating in pace or action such as a Bourne or Bond movie, remembering occasionally though that less can be more which is certainly the case here..

8/10  

4. Some Think Due

  

The Dark Knight Rises (2012)

Okay okay okay it's way too early to get excited about the third and final installment of the Nolan Batman series right?... WRONG news recently broke of Nolan's "end of our story" will be titled The Dark Knight Rises scheduled for release in 2012. To me the most exciting potential for Dark Knight Rising is the promise of a climax to the series where Nolan can leave nothing to chance and produce a full on assault on the senses. The spine of its predecessors are set return Bale, Oldman, Freeman and Caine have all been confirmed, whilst Inception's Tom Hardy joins the team in an as of yet unnamed role coupled with rumours that Nolan is casting for a young female lead! Cat Woman anyone?

4 Halloween

1. Some Think Old 

 

The Thing (1982)

On any given day if I were asked to list my top ten movies of all time you might find some irregularities, one day I might include something I neglected in a previous list and vice versa. In the case of John Carpenter's Sci-fi Horror classic The Thing (1982) I'm fairly confident it would stand up to the inconsistencies of my list making abilities. The opening scene described by Carpenter as "Apocalyptic" in a DVD commentary is a lesson in tonal architecture and wizardry. Through a blanket of seemingly infinite snow and Ice we are witness to bizarre yet mesmerising chase involving an Alaskan Malamute and a Norwegian Helicopter, gun shots and explosions sporadically filing the sonic voids, it is eerie stuff.

The Thing's central theme is paranoia driven by the decaying predicament of our would be victims and heroes, who are a collection of US scientists stationed on an Antarctic base as they come to terms with a series of mysterious events, coupled with the impending doom of a conflict with a shape-shifting malevolent alien being, accelerated by the desolate nature of their surroundings.

One of the more ingenuous aspects of the film is the creative brilliance of Make-up and effects guru Rob Bottin who went on to be hot property following his work here moving on to the likes of RoboCop (1987) and Seven (1995). Bottin’s deranged depictions of death and mutation still hold their own against today’s CGI.
Kurt Russell's plays both hero and anti-hero in his role as R.J. "Mac" MacReady in arguably the best ever performance of his career, as he leads an all male supporting cast notably Wilford Brimley who plays spooked Doctor Blair and Keith David who reprises Mac's rival Alpha-male Childs.

Years after release and despite limited commercial success perhaps The Things most impressive feat is its legacy, seen as a hauntingly premonitory like warning of the AIDS epidemic that would sweep the world a couple of years later. The Things influence through an assembly of iconic scenes and set pieces would go on to influence a generation of films and film makers such as Alien 3 (1992), Species (1995), The Faculty (1998). Whilst being among others one of Quinten Tarantino's big influences using the all male cast ethos closely in his signature work Reservoir Dogs (1992).

9/10 

2. Some Think New

Paranormal Activity 2 (2010)

There is a pretty standard set up for Paranormal Activity 2, family moves into house – house may or may not be haunted – paranoid ethic nanny believes in demons  – house appears to have been burgled and so on. These are among the circumstances that directly and indirectly lead family figurehead Dan to invest in some home security cameras in an effort to get to the bottom of what is going on.

Naturally this allows the audience to participate in a voyeuristic viewing experience for much of the film. The rest of the story is told through the families persistent use of a hand held video camera particularly more intimate family and personal moments in a lost/found footage type plot structure. The cast is largely un-credited, assumedly to provide more credence to the notion of real life authenticity. In the main they don’t do too bad a job of playing the modern day family Dad Dan is the breadwinner, mom Kristi is the attentive mother and step mom to Martine, we also have as previously mentioned an “is she crazy is she not” Nanny , Baby boy Hunter and family Dog Abby.

The action relies on drawn out video sequences to build the suspense for the impending horror, which usually comes in the shape of jumpy scares out of moments of intense silence that are effective in delivering  some frights and thrills. There are however some badly misjudged segments of the film which may amuse rather than terrify as intended.

In closing this is a film for casual horror fans and or lovers of shaky camera work paired heavy breathing and footsteps which likely drew people to the predecessor and other films of similar look or feel. Not for everyone but decent none the less. 

7/10

 

3. Some Think Foreign   
  

Let The Right One In (2008)

Like it or not the rise and modernisation of the vampire genre through a recent glut of literature, prime time TV series and feature length cinematic conversions of both, have seen a somewhat de-mystification and counter demonisation of the Vampire. The likes of the Twilight Saga for example opting to focus more on moody teen angst rather than traditional horror concepts and ideologies.

Let the Right One In offers a darkly insightful representation of Vampirism tinged with pre adolescent confusion and fascination. The Story is quintessentially a tale of friendship between a bullied schoolboy Oskar who suffers for the pain of his innocence, and a genderless Vampire child Eli suffering an inner void prompted by a distinct lacking of innocence. By searching within each other both characters are able to emancipate feelings and emotions trapped within the confines of their own lives which despite appearing to being of similar age are deeply contrasting.

The story itself is a unique ensemble of thematic diversities taking on murder, revenge, subversion whilst countering with childhood innocence, loyalty and redemption. In directing the film Tomas Alfredson is masterful in his choice of low angled camera shots which helps create the child like perspective of our protagonists, yet also managing to hold genuine horror elements through shadowy lighting, jumpy suspense and clever use of symbolism.

The film is Swedish and subtitles but that should not deter anyone from seeing a fantastic piece of romance, horror and mystery. The story is easy to follow and the dialogue at no point pontificates or over indulges allowing the narrative to unfold naturally. Well worth the effort.

9/10

 
4. Some Think Due

Released: 5 November 2010 

Let Me In (2010) 

Those who aren't tolerant to subtitles maybe interested in the American re-make of Let The Right One In (2008). Taking on the task is Cloverfield (2007) director Matt Reeves with Chloe Moretz from Kick-Ass (2010) and Kodi Smit-McPhee from last years The Road (2009). Despite the release date you can catch special Halloween previews this weekend.

4 The Weekend

1. Some Think Old

True Identity (1991) 

The comedic verve of Lenny Henry has flourished on both stage and television over 35 years for one of Britain’s most loved entertainment personalities. However Dudley’s finest son has never managed to translate his talent on to the big screen with much success.  One of Lenworth’s few attempts to break into Hollywood came in the 1991 release True Identity.

True Identity is a Comedy/Crime effort that owes much of it’s scope and design to Beverly Hills Cop (1984), which will generate comparisons for those who have seen White Chicks (2004). Henry plays a struggling actor who involuntarily ends up on the Hit List of a want away Mafia crime boss played expertly by Frank Langella. To avoid assassination Henry utilises the make-up prowess of a neighbour to turn himself into a white man, whilst teaming up with burned out FBI agent Houston (JT Walsh).

Lets get something straight True Identity isn't the greatest work you'll ever see, but somehow the film kind of pulls off something worth watching,  Henry's talent is obvious and with help from the supporting cast manages to get mileage out of the gags that do work, and the film delivers it’s message while hovering  around some potentially sensitive themes without ever taking itself too seriously.

6/10

2. Some Think New

RED (2010)

I really wanted to like RED, I couldn’t help but be excited by the legendary cast and the promise of laughs a plenty. Yet somehow for me it ended with a pretty devastating sense of disappointment and emptiness.

I’ll attempt to break down where it all went wrong by stating that the problems are in the main fundamental. Firstly the script is as unoriginal as it gets churning out tired old clichés and drab gags that tell themselves. Secondly the direction is confused and inconsistent,  director Robert Schwentke seems to try too hard to be the star of the show using distracting and overblown visuals meshed in with an unforgiving collection of load expensive gun fights. Further the film lacks the ability to find it’s audience, jumping  fidgetily between generic action comedy and stumbling occasionally into attempts of deeper and more contrite self-reflection.

The least irritating element of the film is the cast, who with all mentioned previously are left with the unenviable task of trying to make something of out of very little. Bruce Willis leads from the front as the former Black-ops agent  Frank Moses who endeavours to reunite his former crew (Mirren,Freeman and Malkovich) to help him solve an intricate plot he has unwittingly become part of, whilst dragging over-matched love interest Mary-Louise Parker along for the ride.

I can’t help but feel  that with such an illustrious cast and big budget that this was a wasted opportunity. RED isn’t half as terrible as it is disappointing yet it's just hard to shake the feeling that the cast had a much better time making it than I and many others will have watching it.

5/10

3. Some Think to Borrow 

 

My Sister's Keeper (2009)

Based on the 2004 novel by the same name, My Sister's Keeper is a superb drama Starring Cameron Diaz, Jason Patric and Alec Baldwin.  The film takes us through the turmoil of an American Family dealing with the pain of their Leukaemia stricken daughter Kate. Parents Sara and Brian (Diaz and Patric) through in vitro fertilization conceive a second daughter Anna to provide a genetic match for Kate to survive through bone marrow donation. Things take a turn however when Anna decides she no longer wants to be Kate’s walking Donor bank and sues her parents to gain medical emancipation and protection.

There is so much to like about this film, mostly the surprising performances from the cast and director. Starting with the latter Nick Cassavetes who previously tackled similar themes in John Q (2002) delivers a touching piece of work blending tear-jerking moments with run of the mill family orientated ups and downs. The Cast are near perfect Diaz and Patric are most convincing, whilst the maturity in which teenagers Abigail Breslin (Anna) and Sofia Vassilieva (Kate) afford their roles is nothing short of immersing.

9/10

4. Some Think Due

 The American (2010)

Director: Anton Corbijn
Release Date: 26 November 2010

Starring: George Clooney

Keep an eye out for trailers of George Clooney's new film the The American (2010), Directed by Dutchman Anton Corbijn with a predominantly European cast filmed mainly in Italy.

I've become a fan of Clooney's recent drama/thriller roles in particular the brilliant Michael Clayton (2007) and before that Syriana (2005). The American looks to be an interesting fusion of European cinematography and pace with Clooney working his Hollywood magic in front of the cameras.  

New: The Social Network (2010)

A few minutes into The Social Network we are presented with a fairly staggering piece of  irony that stuck with me for the rest of the film, and that is that the would be creator of the ultimate social networking tool would himself be a socially inept outcast eager to find acceptance and inclusion within the Harvard University elite. So in tracing the genesis of the Facebook The Social Network whilst wrestling with concepts of creation and inspiration finds the idea in it's simplest form early on, defining the subject in it's own necessity from the outset.

Core to the film are relatively routine thematic dynamics such as greed, betrayal and of course friendship, those who are familiar with Director David Fincher's previous works such as Seven (1995) and Zodiac (2004) will recognise Fincher's look at the inner workings and purpose of his characters relationships, as well as the speed in which those relationships come and go in way reminiscent of The Curious Case of Benjamin Button (2008). 

The Narrative of the film is constructed cleverly through the use of two depositions which effectively provide a running commentary of two stories. Both depositions feature our central character Mark Zuckerburg (Jesse Eisenberg) as he attempts to stave off those claiming credit for the invention that would go on to define him "The Facebook". The first sees Zuckerburg headhunted to be chief programmer for ambitious entrepreneurs and athlete twins Tyler and Cameron Winklevoss  (Armie Hammer) and their associate Divya Narendra (Max Minghella). The trio ask Zuckerberg to help them build a Social Networking Website called "Harvard Connection" one of many notions suggested as a potential forerunner for the Facebook concept, the similarity of the sites leads the twins and Narendra to press for legal charges after Facebook explodes in popularity.

The second and more interesting of the depositions focuses on the creation and rise of Facebook, as well as the relationship of co-founders Mark Zuckerburg and  Eduardo Saverin played by Andrew Garfield. It is here we are also introduced to Justin Timberlake's smooth talking portrayal of Sean Parker who attempts to muscle in on the Facebook frenzy. As mentioned earlier the inner workings, nature and strength of the relationships are inspected by Fincher and the cast here.

So what did I like? Well the cast does a sound job with the nicely calculated script. Eisenberg and Garfield are the highlights for me, both manage to bring conviction and whit to their roles. In addition those who indulge in Facebook themselves will enjoy seeing how the site along with many of it's intricacies were conceived, also there is much to relate within the film's references to how the site has impacted peoples lives and created new social behaviours.

On the flip side the subject matter is ultimately more captivating than it's subjects, who for the most part are reflective of over privileged American youth culture. The climax of the movie is pretty unremarkable and lacks any true climactic tension. With that said it's not enough to detract from what is a solid project, guided by fine work from all involved which should be a largely inclusive viewing experience for movie goers and Facebook lovers a like.

Go see it
7/10

Some Think New: Mr Nice (2010)

Do you ever think what is the true difference between the criminally inclined and the everyday/work a day types like you and me? Mr Nice like most films which wrap themselves around criminals and criminal lifestyles, takes you to the point where you have taken the tour of the criminal psyche and you end up at your own self designated STOP sign. What I was reminded of by this film is that the point at which I stop caring for the criminal, or no long feel I could live the life is my own such plateau.

Howard Marks is the central character and career criminal played effortlessly by Rhys Ifans, a welsh school boy turned big city student and pothead. We see Marks transformation through a series of off beat scenes in which director Bernard Rose reflects on Marks' humble, dull yet honest origins. Then our protagonist through a combination youthful substance experimentation and a fateful convergence of circumstances is established as an international Drug smuggler.

We are gradually introduced to a plethora of interesting characters that vary from casual love interests to drug dealing allies, who materialise as Ifans travels deeper into Marks' world of dope, dealing and debauchery. Amongst the group are fine supporting efforts notably from David Thewlis who delivers the hilariously cranky IRA terrorist turned middle man Jim. Chloë Sevigny convinces as the overly supportive wife and mother Judy and Omid Djalili sparkles intermittently as the Pakistani pusher Saleem Malik.

The film journeys through the tumultuous times of sex, drugs, betrayal, greed, prison and pot which Marks and his merry men navigate their way through against a lush backdrop of 70's pastiche. The central themes (a part from the obvious pro pot messages) of trust and loyalty feeds the relationships between the characters and their own motives which is heightened by superb cast.

Final bit of credit must go to director Bernard Rose who delivers a mesh of crass humour, abstract visuals whilst capturing authentic human emotions and behaviours. Best British film of year to date.

8/10

Welcome

Those who know David Reid will know he is one those outspoken types, you know the ones who eaves drop a conversation, one who likes the sound of his own voice, one who has a lot to say for himself, values his opinion above most and enjoys watching sucky films...

This is how my loving wife would introduce my maiden blogging voyage, and to be honest I am not going argue too much, but I would like to say this I love debate and love Cinema, I love sharing ideas and thoughts with all other like minded people. However if I post something negative about a film I am not suggesting you dont watch it in fact the opposite I would love for you to see any of the movies I talk about and would be interested if you feel the same or not.

"Some Think" will be a blog in which I will share my views with you about my own movie going and watching experiences including news, reviews of new and not so new releases.

I Hope you will not only enjoy reading but interact with this Blog also.

Happy Reading!!!