Should really be called: The Politics of the Church.
Set in England around the 12th Century, this production is a rather curious mix of Braveheart, Gladiator and Mad Men! Braveheart and Gladiator for the rather enthralling battle-sequences in all their bloody glory, together with the musical stylings (reminiscent of both); and Mad Men for the style of story-telling: a myriad of inter-woven mini-stories that are all connected in some way, at the same protracted pace.
My only criticism at this point has to be the explicit characterisations: you know the creepy-looking bad guys from the offset with their long dark greasy hair (a la Alan Rickman from Harry Potter) as well as the protagonist heroes (Rufus Sewell looking quite butched up as 'Tom Builder' whose trade just happens to be a... well, Builder!). Also of note is the obvious attempt to please the unconvinced with the (unnecessarily) gratuitous sex-scenes, and other moments of sexual insinuation. Not quite as bad as The Tudors (for which I stayed with for only a handful of episodes), but a little patronising for the viewer... I'm sure the novelisation is a touch more subtle and nuanced.
Who would have thought a story about the building of a Cathedral in the context of British Politics could be made to seem so entertaining and engaging! A Cain and Abel storyline, doomed love, forced love, the nature of family (the harmonious and the dysfunctional), and the seemingly overwhelming power of church and monarchy vs the simple morality (apparently) of the decent under-class...
Not a masterpiece, but engaging enough. I look forward to the next episode!
With guest Danny Leigh - seems like a proper move buff!...
The Social Network
Both lavished praise on 'The Social Network' with West Wing writer Aaron Sorkin, and Director David Fincher. Unusual for how, according to Leigh, 'cinema is a lumbering beast with keeping up with events' - this movie does. Oscar nods abound, with interviews from the writer and the key members of the cast.
The London Film Festival
Debating what to call the troupe of other experts/enthusiasts:
Chris Hewitt (him off Empire) with Darth Vader shoes, was at The London Film Festival. Anticipating '127 hrs' and 'Submarine'.
Someone called Quirke (a more elitist film viewer) anticipating 'Bridge on the River Kwai', a newly restored print, and 'Howl'.
A proper young dude (a blogger) anticipating 'Black Swan'.
Hewitt at the premiere of 'Never Let me Go', and speaking to the trio of protagonists Carey Mulligan, Kiera Knightly, and some other dude. It felt like he was interrupting a private social gathering, as they were all giggling uncontrollably, in mock jest at eachother. Felt sorry for Chris Hewitt who was trying to be serious, and was obviously not allowed into that inner circle of the joke being shared...
Leigh's most looking forward to 'Neds' - Anton Corben, and is his recommendation for the Festival.
Despicable Me
Leigh says he's smitten with the film, and was generally opposed to the comparisons with Pixar. Claudia found it a touch predictable but said she loved it. Were in mutual agreement about the film's finite nature, closing down the possibility of another franchise a la Shrek and Toy Story. People under 3.5ft will love it - according to the duo.
Charlie's Top 5 scenes to do with the Moon:
(The young blogger dude from before)
An American Werewolf in London
Enter the Dragon (Bruce Lee's apparently naff metaphor for the moon) - resonated with me and raised a chuckle!
AI: Artificial Intelligence (with the big fake moon chasing Law and Haley Joel)
The Truman Show (with Ed Harris being wistful in his sky-moon office)
Moulin Rouge (where the moon joins in singing with Kidman and McGreggor). Never noticed that before! Quite amusing!
Berated by Danny Leigh that the choices are made by an 8-year-old/12-year-old! Swiftly defended by Claudia professing her love for him.
Vampires Suck
Rolling Stone apparently gave it a four-word review "This film sucks more". Unfunny and offensive. There are more interesting things to do to pass time.
Over Your Cities, Grass will Grow
Claudia not really feeling it. Lacking dialogue and commentary. Leigh anticipated fisticuffs between the two, as he liked the film for it's engaging and immersive imagery.
A brief interview with Simon Pegg:
(with a massive Burke and Hare poster in the background)
Dream role?
Nic Cage's character in Raising Arizona
Guilty pleasure?
Rom-coms! A League of their Own in particular, viewed on a plane with Nick Frost. The moment when Hanks reveals death of a husband, said he found touching.
Fav films?
Dawn of the Dead (the Romero one)
Taxi Driver - a fantastic character study
Raising Arizona
Though the obvious one would be Star Wars!...
I have to admit:
Struggles with Gone with the Wind. The wife loves it, has got it on DVD. Sweeping, epic. Yeah, so what?... Ha ha!
The programme ended with a (supposedly exclusive) trailer for the upcoming Narnia movie. Looked horrible. A grotesque infatuation with CGI, a cartoon-like mash-up of Harry Potter and Lord of the Rings. Perhaps it's a bit premature to say, but it's definitely one I'm NOT going to see...
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Impressions of the new format:
You can tell that the programme's not secure or self-assured enough to have Winkleman completely on her own: she has to have a seemingly wide-spectrum of 'qualified' people to act as a supporting cast. Predictably, proper film buffs deride the format with some saying it's all over the place, and others, such as myself, am indifferent but rather welcome the change.
I really liked the show with Jonathan Ross, but did feel it was just what he thought, his opinion, an enthusiast, not an expert. Here, it's a messy blend of everything, and you can pick and choose what you like - or not. Overall, it's neither garishly offensive, or light-weight in content - and was happy enough to see something different. I also quite liked the banter between the snobby elitist movie people against the triers and the unsung workers (notably Chris Hewitt and that blogger dude). I look forward to the next episode!
There's no denying the stylistic quality and consistency of this four-parter, as a continuation of Shane Meadow's fine movie: This is England.
I found it thoroughly engaging and compelling. I loved the contextualisation of the drama for the more memorable events of the 80's (the Falklands War, the 1986 World Cup and Diego Maradonna's Hand of god goal), and the distinctively vibrant soundtrack that characterized the original movie. But there was something about it that just didn't sit right for me.
It wasn't the raw and visceral scenes of sexual abuse, or of the rather comical entrapment of one of the side characters by an older woman (a la The Graduate)... It was more of the contrivance of the story, like an episode of Friends (and I do like Friends, by the way!).
I'm not sure whether it's because I'm of the 'glass-half-empty' disposition, but I did find it a touch unbelievable that the rather amiable and care-free troupe central to the movie storyline were still together 3 years later... That they happened to come across Sean, via his one-time girlfriend (Smell), in the first episode was also an extended suspension of reality... And everything else just seemed to fit neatly in... It didn't feel natural, or organic to the narrative, which is perhaps what I found most disconcerting. I feel the need to reiterate that I did enjoy the series, it's just a minor niggle that I had.
The supposed 'villain' also literally crashes back into the picture at the end of the third act, whose redemption for past sins also feels forced, contrived, as well as fleeting to the point of indifference...
From Empire's Flash feature on 'Becoming a War-Movie Expert in 10 films'!
Das Boot (1981) When Eagles Dare (1968) Waterloo (1970) La Grande Illusion (1937) Paths of Glory (1957)* Platoon (1986)* Army of Shadows (1969) A Bridge too Far (1977) Come and See (1985) Saving Private Ryan (1998)*
Hosted by Jonathan Ross (sporting a goatee beard, looking a touch dishevelled) at the BFI Southbank - on BBC4.
Can't believe there were only two awards being presented! Felt quite over-elaborate, ostentatious, unwelcoming. The 'filler' sequences felt similarly so, but was intrigued nonetheless for the movies that were to be discussed.
Peter Bradshaw (I think it was, did a summary of the year's best).
Dogtooth Draquila - Italy Trembles Women without Men Soi Cowboy Katalin varga The Illusionist Metropolis (1927) A Prophet The White Ribbon Let the Right One In I am Love Waltz with Bashir
The Jury: Aamir Khan Christopher Hampton Sophie Fiennes Bidisha
Didn't really like how they gave nearly the whole plot away for all the movies! 'Twas like an extension of Film 2010 with Jonathan Ross... The nominated movies were given this treatment before and after the 'World Cinema Achievement Award 2010'.
- A Prophet - I am Love - Let the Right one In
Then the presentation for the Achievement Award to Bernardo Bertolucci. The Conformist Last Tango in Paris 1900 The Last Emperor The Sheltering Sky The Dreamers
The remaining nominees: - The White Ribbon - Waltz with Bashir
Winner: The White Ribbon, by Michael Haneke.
Allegedly couldn't be there in person owing to 'Casting calls organised long before', so got one of his actresses to accept the award. Seems like a cool guy! Loved The Piano Teacher. Definitely have to check out more of his stuff!
To get better value for money, deleting most Blu-Rays and replacing them with ordinary DVDs:
Avatar Up Doubt Cloverfield Persepolis Waltz with Bashir I've Loved You So Long Shooter The White Ribbon Harry Brown Paranormal Activity Jennifer's Body Public Enemies Moon Blade Runner Men Who Stare at Goats The Road Star Trek Next Generation Box Set 3:10 to Yuma (both versions) Rescue Dawn American Graffiti Capitalism - A Love Story Mesrine Parts 1+2 Che Sex and the City Star Trek The Pursuit of Happyness American Gangster A Prophet The Reader The Queen A Clockwork Orange Barbarella Boogie Nights The Savages Nil By Mouth Highlander Police Story Sex Drive Franklyn Death Wish Robin Hood
Saw yesterday morning with sis, after a long while!
Quite funny, for all the wrong reasons. A very narcissistic movie for Stallone, the central ex-80s action star, who's pairing himself with the Stath (Jason Statham) as his equal! If you can accept that initial concept for the main protagonists, you could then begin to accept this movie, warts and all of which there are many!
The moral of the story/main message? As long as the cause is saving a 'hot' Mexicana, you can justify mass genocide, and a total and blatant ignorance of what's going on in the world. And innocuously bombastic episodes of brutal and explicit violence.
For me, the film in it's entirety can be framed by five 'key scenes':
1. Mickey Rourke's crying scene. (Even worse than in Iron Man 2, light years away from The Wrestler, but funny all the same.) 2. Stath and Stallone using an animal welfare cargo ship to eviscerate an entire South American army! 3. The Godfather car chase scene culminating in Jet Li's fight with Dolph Lungren 4. The 6-min random bomb deployment scene! (So funny for it's pointlessness) 5. The in-your-face 'All vs All' fight scene at the end (using guns, knives, diamond-tipped machine-guns, and explosives), with the typical 'oil-barrel-in-water-exploding' to top it off!
It sort of makes me think: they probably started with this as a template, and added everything else around it for extra padding/insulation to inflate the running time (brief as it was)!
Commendable: this is an idea that will make heap loads of money. However it's almost disrespectful for all those concerned. This motivation ultimately compromises respect and artistic integrity. If this is supposed to be a throw-back movie evoking the spirit of the 80s action movie, it doesn't say much about what the main cast think in retrospect, or what they represent (if anything at all). This totally vindicates Jean Claude Van Damme's very public decision to turn down a role, following a personal call from Sly himself. Thought he was an arrogant tit at first, just a bit of fun... But any serious actor still wanting to be taken seriously in the movie-world would not have gone for this. And I sympathise. Stallone know's he's in the twilight of his career - the biceps can only bulge so far (like Rourke's belly) - and he intends to go out with a loud explosive atom bomb.
If the budget was as expendable as the collective acting, more effort on story and characterisation (over explosions, locations and set-pieces) would have been a more welcome outcome. Originality, inventiveness, and creativity (bar a few moments of insanity) this is not.
That the movie unites some of the major stars of that particular genre is reason enough to watch it. Like Jet Li's fight with Jackie Chan in 'The Forbidden Kingdom': poo film, but what a fight! I suspect that's the reason for most critic's compulsion (mine included) to commend the film beyond its numerous and various flaws and deficiencies. Nostalgic sympathy.
For what it lacks in expectation it tries to compensate with 'Sly' lines of dialogue, brief vignettes, excessive guns, violence and explosions. A notable example of the former include Schwarzeneggar's Terminator-esque entrance as a potential rival to Stallone (The Last Action Hero), and his reference to "My friend likes to play in the jungle" (Rambo). Stallone ripostes: "He wants to be President!" no doubt a cheeky jibe for the Governator's political aspirations.
Of particular attention are Dolph Lungren and Eric Roberts' characters. There feels like a genuine malevolence and maliciousness that adds to the obligatory 'villain' role. These characters are two of the focal assets of the movie, despite Stallone's attempts to trump everyone as main lead. This is in stark contrast to the General's dictator character ('An-ghell' off Dexter), a decortated Teddy Bear that no one really takes seriously.
The most annoying thing about this movie is that it really leaves you wanting more... I really wanted to see more of Jason Statham and Jet Li displaying their awesome fighting skills of movies past. (I was thankful for Cory Yuen's choreography for Jet Li - the Director of Stathams debut, The Transporter - a saving grace for the movie, when it occurs to me that Stallone and Statham just improvised themselves, on the spot their own fight scenes). You wanted to see more of Stallone's vulnerability from his first ever movie, Rocky. You wanted to see a more intimidating robotic automaton from Dolph Lungren (Universal Soldier, and Rocky IV). You wanted to see something more substantial from Randy Couture (essentially an accessory to the cast) showing off more about what he's famous for (Mixed Martial Arts) beyond someone who's flippantly and artificially affected with 'psychological issues'. And for that reason alone - for wanting more - you would anticipate and look forward to watching a sequel, and the numerous others after it no matter how bad they were!...
Perhaps the biggest disappointment of them all was the lack of the main advertising theme tune! (But that's a minor quibble!)
