Pillars of the Earth - Ep.6

A near feature-length finale (perhaps the amalgamation of 2-3 episodes).

The grisley death-toll of 'characters we like' is kept to a minimum ie. we don't care about the ones that don't see the closing credits.

All loose ends are wrapped up, though in a rather complicated, rushed and sometimes incoherent way. There is a pervading sense of tension throughout, as our sense of expectation is constantly being toyed with: you can't help but think something macabre and unexpected might happen to 'the good lot' at any given moment.

What struck me most about the final instalments is the idea that grudges, ideas, delusions of power and grandeur can be so long-held over the course of 9 years or so - and to what end?... At least that amount of time passes during the course of this last epsiode, and even more throughout the entire narrative of Ken Follet's epic.

Perhaps a more realistic tone would have been to say "it's best to live life with what you've been given, rather than spending the majority of it chasing it for something seemingly unattainable". The annoying thing about the narrative is that he actually rewards his characters with their variable sufferings, thereby inviting the reader/viewer to dream fantastically that all things work out in the end: that uneducated crowds are patient, and easily susceptible to reason, eloquent and loquatious logic; that powerful monarchs and beuraucrats can be brought down to earth by the common man/any Tom, Dick and Harry; that true and pure love can find it's way despite all limitations of distance and political obstacle; and it is possible to bump into the family you never knew purely by chance and coincindence.

Whilst I obviously have huge misgivings about the apparent message and narrative of the final parts of this epic interpretation, I did find it rather compelling and engaging to watch, tense and suspenseful till the end, and on the whole rather satisfying in general.

No doubt, had the my observations been taken into consideration (a complete absence of any fairy-tale ending, some deliciously evil injustices still prevalent, taking out at least one more 'goodie' character) the story would perhaps not be the apparent 'Best-Seller' it is now, or worthy of its critical acclaim. It's just my personal taste, and how I would have liked to have seen it pan out, adhering to a sense of realism...

Pillars of the Earth: Ep. 5

A little more optimistic - a roller-coaster of plot twists, and unexpected turns.

Perhaps learning a thing or two from the politically strategic Prior, Alfred (Tom Builder's biological son) forces and appoints himself the successor to his father. With this new appointment, and added wealth, he's now in a position to similarly force a marriage upon Aliena (desperately destitute following the burning of her cotton trade, and needing to finance her brother's knighthood and Earldom). She in turn is torn between her natural romantic sensibility towards the 'Red Head' Jack, and her promise to her father - in one of the earlier episodes before his death - to reinstate her brother as Earl of Shirling. Duty and honour take precedence, and she reluctantly accepts.

Maude is defeated, is forced to flee to France, and gets less than five minute's screen time.

The conniving Bishop is threatened and confronted by the incestuous duo (Mother and Son), forced to honour his promise, and they again concoct another devious strategy: to finally make a last play for the son's ascension to Earldom, and the Bishop's succession to Archbishop of Canterbury.

The narrative seems more like an exposition of the seeming hypocrisy, injustice, and lack of common sense amongst the main protagonists of the series, as well as Church and Royalty in general... Ideals, power, titles, ceremony, protocol are all ultimately inconsequential. God, it seems, has abandoned Kingsbridge, and it's constituents. There's a strong romantic and familial drive/message in this penultimate episode.

I didn't quite understand Jack's need to go to France alone, without his mother. After all, she's got nothing left in England left either, unless she truly is a sort of witch that can predict the future...

Some predictions for the next episode

There was a hint of Arthur's sister having some sort of Romantic attachment to Jack (especially her eagerness to hide Jack's stolen ring), which I'm sure will be explored in the final episode - perhaps by Alieana's death?...

Jack is sure to encounter the exiled Maude, perhaps by gaining fame for helping build the Parisian Landmark.

It would be a bit too predictable for Jack and Aeliana to be together happily ever after (and expect there to be some sort of nasty twist in that regard).

I can't see justice being served for all parties concerned. It would run counter-intuitive for the way the series has gone so far. More likely, is the domination of the powers of the establishment, in spite of their evil deeds, yet a glimmer of hope for the future: be that a vengeful wife getting her own on the newly instated Earl of Shirling, a would-be-Queen's son fighting for the Crown of England, a happy and peaceful family living in exile and poverty, or even the use of a ring to reinstate a just monarchy.

One of the better episodes. I look forward to the next episode!

Pillars of the Earth: Ep. 4

A thoroughly depressing Episode... Melodrama supersedes balance of story, and yet another character departs the series indefinitely.

The cliffhanger from the previous episode is resolved as 'red head' and Prior resume their roles. The Cain and Abel story/rivalry is developed a bit further, as some unexpected opportunities arise for the wannabe Tom Builders. A seeming sexual rejection sends one-a-Monking, and further efforts are made to convert the heathen-kind. There's a possibility for lost son and father to reconcile, and truths to be finally revealed.

But the ever-plotting and conniving Bishop (whose ambitions are set for Archbishop of Canterbury) and Mother-Son opportunists do their best to decimate any semblance of a happy ending, and ally themselves with the newly empowered Maude with devastating effect.

The 'empress' Maude, in turn, becomes outwitted, and her seeming advantage over the King becomes neutralized. War ensues again, and it's all a rather tragic mess...

How is this all going to end?
Who's going to survive this never-ending political entaglement?
Will the Cathedral ever get built?

I'm guessing there might be some delicious irony about the new Archbishop of Canterbury owning and residing in the Cathedral when it's eventually built. But that would be quite harsh. With the way things have gone hitherto, you never know for sure!...

Still, curiosity engages my interest to watch 'till the end, rather than an appreciation of a work of art. (This isn't).

2001: A Space Odyssey (1968)

Thoroughly thought-provoking, intellectually stimulating take on evolution/artificial intelligence/the reaches of technology. Took a while to get used to from the very beginning, and once you're sort of in the groove of following, you're thrown off again towards the end! But after a while, I think that's what I liked about it.

The scientific and technological visuals are eerily ahead of it's time considering it was made in the late 60s (spot the iMac with webcam, the iPhone and iPad!) as well as an authentically realistic quality (much like Ridley Scott's 'Alien'), though was thrown off slightly by the descent (or ascent) into Surrealism closing the movie. Definitely opens up a new level of artistry (to me).

A truly artistic movie, that is sure to have inspired intense debate, and doesn't seem to conform to any formulaic movie constructs I've come across so far. Something that appears to be completely original! Definitely worth looking into the elements of it's making, and trying to read into it: Also Spake Zarathustra, Gayena, the tone poem/philosophical text used, as well as the specific imagery employed (the 'monolith' representing death?, the wheel).

Would put 85% if that were possible! Down 15% purely because of the enjoyment factor. Definitely an intellectual excercise, though not as entertaining or enjoyable a movie as other 5-Star/100% fare. You wouldn't take your girlfriend to see it, unless she was a bonafide nerd!(Originally composed on my Rotten Tomatoes account!).

Film 2010 : Episode 3 - October 27th

Episode 3

Broadcast: BBC1 at 10:45pm, Wednesday - 27th October 2010

The Kids are Alright

With Annette Bening, Julianne Moore, Mark Ruffalo, Directed by Lisa Cholodenko.

Interviews with all of the above, bar Annette Bening. Julianne Moore says "Films reflect popular culture, instead of vice versa", and this film is no exception. Mark Ruffalo says: "Hollywood sees money, and doesn't give a crap about what you're making".

Claudia loves and recommends this. Says it's an Indie hit, and received a standing ovation at the Sundance Festival. With talk of Oscar nods, she's rooting for Moore as being more deserved than Bening - the former being the more likeable and endearing character in the movie. She acknowledges that the movie is sold as a Comedy Drama.

Danny says the movie has a truthful realism. Whilst he is a Moore fan in general, he's rooting for Mark Ruffalo to get an Oscar nod, being the dark horse stand-out performance in the movie. Would say that this would be his Family Values movie of the week.

Top 5 Scenes featuring a Bath (with Chris Hewitt):

1. Fatal Attraction (the last closing scene, featuring the demise of Glenn Close!...)
2. Spartacus - amusingly alludes to the apparent subtext of someone gauging the other's sexual preference. That scene was removed from the original, but was later restored with Tony Curtis re-dubbing lines, and Anthony Hopkins doing Oliver Reed's lines.
3. The Shining - the scene involving Jack Nicholson encountering a naked lady who transforms to something more grotesque as he embraces her...
4. Les Diaboliques (1955) Directed by Henri-Georges Clouzot, when a corpse rises from a bath.
5. Nightmare on Elm Street - When Freddie Cruger's knife-blade hand emerges from the bath whilst an unsuspecting female is half-sleeping in it!

Hewitt's attempt at humour fell rather flat in my view, but there was no denying his expertise, and esoteric knowledge. You could assume that he probably came up with them off the top of his head without any research!

Danny Leigh apparently hates Twitter, as Claudia was about to read out a few messages. He says that he is happy to see The Shining there, but that the scene referenced was the 'second' most disturbing. The first was, in fact, a falatio scene... Claudia is eager to move on!...

The Frank Capra Retrospective at the BFI

It Happened One Night (1934)

Peter Bradshaw (of The Guardian) is present, a Capra fan. Talks of the movie as a "forthright muscular punch in the cinema, with it's slushy, idealistic sense of romance". Felt he was a little pretentious.

Danny calls himself a Capra sceptic (which Bradshaw responds with "Oh Dear").

Claudia says she's just happy that Clark Gable's in it!

Apparently the actors didn't want to do the film. They hated the script, and a friendship between the two protagonists was bourne out of this mutual contempt for the film. And it shows in every scene!

Mr Smith Goes to Washington (1939)

A controversial movie.

Danny talks of "the head-achey legacy with Capra, that a simpleton is needed to save the government". He briefly alludes to Sarah Palin with the Tea Party movement, topical in the news that week.

Bradshaw interjects, disagrees, and says that he sees James Stewart more as Obama. For a number of years, Obama was referred to as the junior Senator from Illinois. Thought that was a good point, which kept Danny Leigh on the quiet.

On James Stewart, Bradshaw says that he has a "touch of dandyism, like a ballet dancer, a fastidious version of Gene Kelly". A comparison is made with Clark Gable in It Happened One Night, they looked practically the same, before Gable went on to do Gone with the Wind.

On The London Film Festival finishing tomorrow...

Highlights?

Bradshaw says that he enjoyed Black Swan, by Darren Aronofsky. As the subject material has much to do with ballet, he says comparisons to Michael Powell's 'Red Shoes' are bound to be made. And most would stand inferior, except for this. It's vulgar, mad, and in fantastically bad taste.

Claudia, the whole while is excitedly giddish (annoying) in agreement. Danny differs in opinion, and is less enthused, which Bradshaw frames as "a difference of emphasis, as we say in the business". Tw*t. He continues: "There are some seriously brilliant moments, which reminded me of Rosemary's Baby in it's toxicity".

Danny rebuffs by saying that it's one thing to compare the movie to Rosemary's Baby, and another to compare it to a Marilyn Manson video! Thought that was well funny! There's no love lost between the two, as Claudia is trying to act as the intermediary. However she is in agreement with Bradshaw, with the latter calling for a Referee (presumably to Red Card Danny)...

Danny says that The London Film Festival takes place in the backdrop of British cinema in crisis. For him, the standout, memorable highlights have to be:

- Archipelago (2010) Direected by Joanna Hogg

- Neds (2010) by Peter Mullan

It was nice to see Danny standing up for British interests, and bringing attention to the situation, not caught up in the glitz and glamour of Hollywood as Bradshaw and Claudia seem to be...

'How I Ended this Summer' was the film that won the festival.

A bold choice, a seeming consensus among the three.

The Hunter (2010) - Directed by Raffi Pitts

Made in Tehran in 2009. Film 2010 had an interview with the Director, who's apparently banned from the country for making the movie.

Claudia said she liked the film, that it was a movie of two halves. The first was very powerful, the second, not quite so. In the context of 'Iranian cinema', it's an important movie to the genre, according to Danny.

Interview with Guillermo Del Toro

With Hobbit news this week, with Martin Freeman playing the title role, it leads on to the next feature - an interview with Guillermo Del Toro who famously walked away from the project.

Showing clips of 'Pan's Labyrinth', the Director spoke of himself as experiencing "lucid dreaming" as a very young child. He saw monsters, was terrified of them, and made a deal with them (to not scare him going to the toilet, for example) - a deal which allowed him to become friends with them.

Del Toro says that in movies and art, there are two ways to show things: the happy side, and the darker side. The first he found to be very boring. The latter he finds much more attractive.

Dave Karger is the interviewer.

Brings attention to 'Venetian Notebooks' that Del Toro keeps in planning movies. The Director says that he thinks and writes in Spanish. Sort of like a diary, but not daily.

Notes for "Cronos" are lost to 'Jim' Cameron who misplaced it!...

When he received awards for that movie, Del Toro says he was crying with a giant cheque in his hand. He was happy for two reasons:

A - It was recognition of his work.

B - He wasn't going to jail! The movie was in debt for $1/2 million!

Thought that was quite funny, but the interviewer wasn't feeling it.

On walking away from The Hobbit after so long on pre-production, how hard/difficult was it?

Del Toro: The hardest decision, felt heartache, like recently being widowed.

What to expect next?

Del Toro: 'At the Mountains of Madness' - produced by Jim Cameron. He has been trying to do this film for 13 years!

Spiderhole (2009)

Claudia says she scares easily, but not by this. Reminded her of Jaws 2, and drew attention to its bulky dialogue. Danny says that it has much the sentiment of The Shining, and makes a comment about a 'giffer' in the movie. Basically low-budget British Horror.

Horror DVDs to recommend for tomorrow:

Danny's choice is Dead of Night (1945) by Ealing Studios.

Claudia's choice is Rosemary's Baby, which she found terrifying!

A look at 'Burlesque' (with Cher and Christina Aguilera) closes the programme.

Looks terrible!

28 Days Later

A surprisingly engaging and compelling Horror movie. Brendan Gleeson, Cillian Murphy, Christopher Eccleston lead a very strong and credible acting cohort, together with the two female newcomers. Very impressed with their capabilities (the former in particular sporting various 'out of character' accents convincingly - two Englishmen and an Irishman, but who's who?). Great acting.

Raises a lot of ethical questions admidst compromising circumstances, much like The Beach. There's also a subtle commentary on the nature of government, the police, and the armed forces. There's emotional pathos too for a few brief moments, but that essentially takes second seat to the blood, horror and apocalyptic overtones that define the movie.

There was ample opportunity for cheese, shmaltzy dialogue, and situations that conform to expectation. But Director Danny Boyle subverts, entertains, and surprises us at almost every turn. Of particular amusement is the curt and direct dismissal of a potential relationship blossoming early on in the movie:'Do you want us to find a cure and save the world, or do you want us to fall in love and fuck? Plans are pointless. Staying alive is as good as it gets.'

The so-called zombies are genuinely terrifying, and are effectively potrayed using all the tricks of the trade, and then some. Heightened for maximum effect.

I'm undecided about the ending. The Director had three options from which to choose from, it seems: one is a happy ending, one is a grim pro-feminist statement, and the last is deliberately ambiguous. The movie shows all three! And whilst that's a unique way to finish - giving the audience a choice of what to accept - it betrays a small lack of confidence on the Director's part, indecisive about one particular ending, and wanting to please everybody. However, I'm a little more consigned to the former view though. It's quite typical for movies to end so singularly, and definitively. Danny Boyle again subverts expectation (also by the manner of its execution) by ending in the way he has chosen - and the movie's all the better for it.

Curious to read more Alex Garland stuff.

Lady Vengeance

Lady Vengeance

Just the DVD Menu.

Baroque instruments.

Old Boy had a Shostakovich-ian vibe...

Curious about the other music in the rest of the other two in the trilogy...

Vivaldi and Paganini - connotations of the Devil...

A real dark sense of humour....

Shock value

Demands repeat viewings!...

Touches of surrealism that a tasteful and effective...

You totally can't see stuff coming...

Insanely unexpected...

But plausible.

Ending, medieval music....

Minstrels...

Music kinda beautiful...

Scott Pilgrim vs the World

Roger Ebert once wrote of Luc Besson as a high school kid with fantasies who was instantly allowed to become a film-maker. I recall him striking a rather derogatory tone. Personally, I don't think such a comparison is necessarily a bad thing. The same could be said for Edgar Wright, and I thought his direction of Scott Pilgrim vs the World was inspired!

I think people past a certain age won't appreciate this film (namely those in the years more advanced than 30). A harsh generalisation, but true methinks. That's not being derogatory, compared to the seemingly emminent Ebert, but just a matter of fact.

The movie's aesthetic and feel draws heavily upon the computer games of yore: the MIDI based music and tones (particularly the rather ingenious opening!), the Mortal Kombat/Tekken-style beat-em-ups, and the stylishly ultra-violent confrontations that never yield a single drop of blood, but rather points and coins (an obvious reference to Nintendo's Super Mario!). It's all very 80s and 90s. In common with that particular genre is the frenetic visuals, the uncontainable energy and verve that dominate and dictate the action and the story. If you can get past this initial onslught, as well as accept the various trappings of the 'comic-book'-come-movie style, Scott Pilgrim is a movie that becomes very hard to dislike!

At the heart of this conflation of genres is a fairly linear storyline - perhaps a little bit of a piss take for action movies/martial arts movies during the same period. Boy loser likes a girl, and girl likes him back. But in order for their relationship to materilise, boy has to earn it by passing through various levels ('defeating girl's seven evil exes'!). This inevitably leads to the ultimate boss at the end!

My only misgiving about the movie was that dramatically, there was some potential for the protagonist (and the protagonist's Chinese teenager girlfriend for that matter) to become an evil ex themselves, thereby perhaps repeating this fairly warped concept. But the movie is far too neat and convenient to further explore that territory, for fear of alienating it's target audience. Instead of complicated plot, the movie compensates with colourful and interesting characters, who in their comic bombasticness contribute to a satisfying and entertaining genre pastiche.

Scott Pilgrim is no genius of a movie to say the least. But it's neatly directed. With great and quirky visuals, a few stereotypes, deliberately over-exaggerated characters, it's jolly good fun for 80s and 90s computer game nostalgia, and nerds who never got the girl. I really liked it!

The Last Airbender

Better than 'Clash of the Titans' and 'Golden Compass'; more interesting and multi-faceted than a Star Wars prequel. A pimped up martial arts fantasy (with a handful of fights), that has the potential to be deep and meaningful, but is drowned by hasty and clumsy direction. Still engaging enough to watch.

Hadn't been to the cinema in ages, and felt like going tonight. Choices that I would have been interested to see: 'Knight and Day' - which looked like a more-American MI:2, only with a different leading lady; 'The A-Team' - which looks like a no-brainer contrived to fit the original, inevitably falling short of expectation; which left 'The Last Airbender'.

I had seen trailers for that last movie about a year ago, and had been quite excited about it. The visuals coupled with a seemingly authentic martial arts proponent looked quite impressive indeed.

I was subsequently dismayed to hear that it has been widely lambasted by the media at large: derided, critically panned, the scorn of all the popular voices pertaining to the film world.

Knowing this, I still wanted to see it for myself. I have had a crappy past week, and was up for some martial arts fantasy to potentially be engrossed with - irrespective of the quality. It was more in tune with my sensibilities compared to the other two.

I'm glad I did see it.

Make no mistake about it. This is no work of genius, or a masterpiece to say the least. But there are elements of it that make for captivating, engaging, and entertaining cinema. It's definitely worth watching, and didn't think it a waste of the £1.50 extra I paid to see it in 3D, in addition to the £0.80 for the glasses I neglected to bring with me.

There is a serious attempt to do justice to the material - a certain respect and gravitas imbued into the production, which is in part underlined and helped by James Newton Howard's score (The Dark Knight). There's a definite sense of grandiosity. Locations in Vietnam, and New Zealand influence the aesthetic.

But it's complicated and complex - and not necessarily in a high sophistication sort of way. Very dense in esoteric Avatar-ism, which I'm sure only the most die-hard fans of the anime cartoon series would be most comfortable following. For the lay, such as myself, it was a struggle. But you get the general jist of what's going on. There's a couple of genuinely surprising twists in the movie that keep the drama interesting, but it's not explicit enough - you're left questioning your sanity a bit throughout the movie: Did that just happen, or didn't it?

Moderately amused by how all the primary villains were straight up English or American, despite looking explicitly Asian, and of a 'foreign land'. Would have been better if there was more of a culturally diverse flavour, the odd subtitle here and there, even if it was gibberish (Lord of the Rings).

15% action scenes/martial arts sequences that left us wanting more. Much like the Duel of the Fates sequence at the end of The Phantom Menace - you wanted more. But what you did see was fairly spectacular.

Ultimately it's clumsy and awkward direction that fails the movie. In better, more capable hands, this really could have been something spectacular. A truly epic fantasy. Some cringe moments, punctuate the movie quite frequently, as do comparisons with other epics that wreak of contrivance (see Anakin and Amidala and the non-chemistry between them). Whilst we identify with the plight of the protagonists, we don't feel or identify with the protagonists themselves - we don't care about them. A shame because there's huge potential there. That the Avatar Shaolin dude is who he is becase he abandoned responsibilities forced on him by his parents, makes for huge dramatic potential... Taken to the wheyside by the special effects, but not drowned by them completely.

I think is says something about a movie, when, in it's opening week, it's only available in 3D. As if it needed that gimmick for anyone to see it, a 2D offering would be expectantly empty/deserted - I imagine the marketing analysts were thinking.

Visually spectacular, full of promise and potential. The action sequences are intelligent, engaging, enthralling, though sparse. Delivers in part, but not a wholly rewarding or satisfying experience. Definitely not a no-brainer though, gotta keep your noggin' on to follow and appreciate the good stuff of which there is much of.

The Ring

Freaky stuff! Definitely had some genuine jumpy moments.

From the get go, it felt quite contrived... You've got the main 'kids' of the movie looking blatantly spooky themselves, the likeably attractive heroine (Naomi Watts), the dream-hunk Hollywood-esque male lead (who has an uncanny resemblance to Matthew McConoughay), and the formula is near-complete.

What immediately ensues is some shoddy acting by the intermediary cast, and some convenient plot development.

As an example: Naomi Watts (Rachel) and her son Aidan are at the wake of a recently deceased cousin at the start of the movie. The mother of the deceased says how she has trawled the internet to find similar cases, and is bewildered by the incident and has no idea of how to begin looking for an explanation. At this precise moment, Naomi Watts (who also happens to be an investigative journalist) comes across her first clue by flicking through an obviously placed photo album. Within the cover is an undeveloped ticket receipt with the address slapped bang in the middle in obvious print. That the mother and the police would have missed this completely is a little hard to believe, and a little insulting to the audience in my view.

But this movie is far from trying to be an accurate portrayal of reality. It's a supernatural horror story. And for that effectual and affectual intent it works exceedingly well.

The introduction of Brian Cox's character mid-way through the movie marked the first spark of emotional engagement for me. And the story commanded my attention from there on. Aside from some randomly unexplained moments (the demise of Brain Cox's character), and even the nature of the ending, there were some brilliant twists that made for an interesting story, with plenty to make you jump about for. I have to admit, I was a little scared!

That the Direction wasn't perhaps as attentive to detail as I would have liked (taking into account more of the emotional nuances, or even the human drama) is perhaps no real surprise coming from Gore Verbinski of Pirates of the Carribean fame. He seems more adept at genre realisation (ie. Hollywood Blockbusters in the style of Michael Bay, or Horror), than the dramatisation of the human condition - and that shows through.

Interesting too, that the movie is made by Dreamworks. Spielberg was reportedly in talks to remake the South Korean hit 'Old Boy' with Will Smith way back when (perhaps around the same time as this was being made). But thankfully, plans never came to fruition. Knowing that this was a remake of a Japanese Classic makes me wonder how much better the original might be. I would imagine it to be more minimalist (not on a Hollywood budget), more raw and elemental, and very much look forward to checking it out sometime in the near future! (As soon as my Blockbuster Rental List allows, or funds become more available).

There Will Be Blood (2007)

Just finished watching There Will Be Blood for a second time...

Completely emotionally engaged with this the whole way through this time around. Remember finding this a difficult watch before. I don't think I understood it, or appreciated it - I just didn't get it. I guess I wasn't receptive to it at the time, and wasn't under the right circumstances ie. requiring all of my concentration, free from trivial distractions...

But reading up on it sometime afterwards, compelled me to give it another viewing. That the movie can be viewed as a wider metaphor for America's relationship with Money, Power and Religion make for a compelling and complex narrative. And being of a more serious, contemplative disposition on this occasion, my mindset was more receptive to the movie.

Viewing it this time around, you can see every frame has meaning. Every nuance, deliberate. The sonic choices deeply effectual to the story being told. There are no clear winners, losers, or heroic individuals in this epic tale. Rather an exploration of how things may have come to be, where the darker shades of humanity feel very fierce and palpable in poetry.

Loved it. Definitely on my list of favourite films.

The Sucker Punch Trailer

A Comment I posted on Nickel-Eye News in response to questions about the new 'Sucker Punch' Trailer:

I am quite excited. Looks like a fan-boy's dream with lots of movie-pop-culture references done in the style of 'Charlie's Angels meets Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrow', but with a mega budget! Am curious as to the absence of John Hamm in the trailer, which seems to suggest he might make more of a cameo...

Similar to yourself, I've always regarded Snyder as a 'style-fetishist' - aesthetic over narrative - and this trailer doesn't do much to change that view. As such, I don't have too many high expectations of the next Superman film.

Superman is arguably 'the' original superhero, and Donner's movie still sets the standard to beat. A successful movie, in my view, would need a story that's well-told, with a sense of gravitas, dignity, and respect. That would have to be balanced with a certain wit and humour that innovates, to resonate with today's audience, rather than replicate Donner's 1978 version (a la Superman Returns!). A tall order for anyone, let alone someone of Snyder's more limited scope, as accomplished as he obviously is.

I fear Snyder's leanings towards style and aesthetic will supersede the Nolans' concept for the character. The narrative power of any compelling story might lose out to an amazing visual: embellished with lots of style, cool, a raw violent tension... He's primarily not a great story-teller, and as such, don't have a lot of confidence in his capacity to bring anything truly special to Superman.

But I reserve judgement until proven otherwise.

'Superman: Man of Steel ' is set to hit screens in 2012.

Pillars of the Earth: Ep. 3

Tom Builder (Rufus Sewell), sporting a more grey-haired appearance, takes a surprsing back-seat in this episode, perhaps amassing no more than six minutes of screen time; and his outlawed lover significantly less.

Set four years later from last episode's events, the series carries on with the formula of brutal and graphic opening. The episode opens with Maude being beseiged in Lincoln Castle surrounded by King Stephen's forces. She's left to starve into submission and surrender. It's left to Maude's brother to come back to save her. The brother succeeds, but gets himself caught by Stephen's men. The same happens to King Stephen in the inevitable confrontation.

Seemingly the sudden playmaker, it's left to Maude to dish out a deal with the primary perpetual conspirators: the evil Archbishop, and the power-hungry mother and son - in ever-increasing wrongness. You know it's not right, but you can't help but watch...

Red-haired Jack, and the noble Prior all get caught up in the mess with quite devastating consequences, a new romantic entaglement retains something potentially happy, positive, and genuinely exciting (a rarity in this rather gritty tale) and we're left on an extremely annoying cliffhanger!

Despite the complexity of the narrative, the episode felt depressingly predictable... The director doesn't know the meaning of subtle! But I still like it, and it still engages, like an early episode of X Factor. Watching more for (unfathomable) loyalty and curiosity from now onwards!