Paul

http://www.whatispaul.com/

As a huge fan of Spaced, Shaun of the Dead and Hot Fuzz (and as someone who's met Nick Frost - he was one of the nicest famous people I've ever had the pleasure to meet!) I was looking forward to Paul like you wouldn't believe. I've known about it ever since Simon Pegg and Nick Frost first started talking about it which must have been at least two or three years ago now. I was intrigued at how different a movie Paul would be considering Edgar Wright wasn't going to be involved, as he'd been instrumental in the three previously mentioned Pegg/Frost outings. 


Paul is an alien who crash landed on earth in 1947. Only he wasn't called Paul then. He was pulled from the wreckage of his spaceship and so named by the young girl who found him. Paul is then taken to Area 51 where he remains, a prisoner of the US Government, for the next 60 years. Whilst trying to escape Paul crashes again (this time a car rather than a spaceship) in front of an RV (camper van for you non US folks!) driven by British geeks Graeme (Simon Pegg) and Clive (Nick Frost). The three of them embark on a road trip across America, along the way picking up Ruth (Kristen Wiig), a devout Christian who doesn't believe in aliens, and a series of federal agents following their trail.


I was right to wonder how different Paul would be without Edgar Wright's co-writing and directing skills. And I couldn't help but miss him and wonder what Paul would have been like with him at the helm. Truthfully, probably not that different. I'm not saying I didn't like Paul, just that it was different, and there's not necessarily anything wrong with different. 


I think I just wanted to like it so much and in the end I just thought it was alright. I put down the casting of Paul as one of the reasons I didn't love the film. *If you don't like knowing who voice actors are, please skip to the next paragraph* As mentioned previously, I'm really not a fan of Seth Rogan. I hate to repeat myself but as with the review I did of his film 'The Green Hornet' I feel like he only knows how to play himself. Now I don't honestly know if Paul was written with him in mind. If it was, well I don't really blame him for taking it, as I would probably take any part that Simon or Nick wrote especially for me. But he's not exactly fighting the typecast here. 


I can't fault any of the other cast. Jason Bateman was sufficiently stern as the no-nonsense federal agent who gives chase to the elusive alien and his cohorts. I loved Kristen Wiig, having not really seen much of her before I didn't know what to expect and I thought she was delightful as the shy and innocent Ruth. So sweet and charming but then with a potty mouth you'd never expect! Pegg and Frost were on form as ever, it's always a pleasure to see them on screen together no matter what they're doing. I just wish I could put my finger on why Paul didn't do it for me, maybe I was just looking forward to it too much? Maybe it was the voice casting of Paul, as I thought the CGI was excellent? I wasn't all that disappointed, it just wasn't as great as I'd hoped. Maybe it will be a grower. When I've watched it a couple more times, I'll let you know. 7 out of 10.

Viewing Date - 20th February 2011

UK Release Date - 14th February 2011

Cast Overview:

Simon Pegg ~ Graeme Willy

Nick Frost ~ Clive Gollings

Sigourney Weaver ~ 'The Big Guy'

Jason Bateman ~ Special Agent Zoil

Bill Hader ~ Haggard

Joe Lo Truglio ~ O'Reilly

Kristen Wiig ~ Ruth Buggs

John Carroll Lynch ~ Moses Buggs

Blythe Danner ~ Tara Walton

Jane Lynch ~ Pat Stevenson

Jeffrey Tambor ~ Adam Shadowchild

and

Seth Rogan ~ Paul

Director ~ Greg Mottola

Writer(s) ~ Nick Frost and Simon Pegg

The Princess Bride

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0093779/

For the explanation of how I came to go to a special screening of one of my all time favourite films The Princess Bride, you will need to read the corresponding post on my personal blog as it's kind of a story in itself. 


Having said that I will say that I saw this on the same day as Blue Valentine and at the same cinema, the Prince Charles Cinema in London (http://www.princecharlescinema.com/). One of the reasons I love that cinema so much is the fact that they show quirky independent films on general release as well as special screenings of older classics, such as this.


I honestly can't remember how old I was when my brother introduced me to this film but I'm sure I must have been around 10 or 11 years old. Basically around the age of Fred Savage's character at the start of the story. I loved it instantly as I'm sure any kid that age must have. I continue to love it to this day, for reasons different to those which made me love it as a child, and for many of the same reasons I loved it as a child. It is consistently the film I watch when I'm sick, to make me feel better.


In case you don't know, The Princess Bride is a film based on a book by William Goldman. In the film, the novel 'The Princess Bride' is read by a grandfather (Peter Falk) to his poorly grandson (Savage). As the grandfather says to the grandson (to get him interested in the book) it's a tale that includes "fencing, fighting, torture, revenge, giants, monsters, chases, escapes, true love and miracles". What more could you ask?


In the enactment of the narration we meet Buttercup, a young woman who lives on a farm in the fictional country of Florin. Her only company is Westley, her farm boy whom she loves to torment. He only ever says three words in response to her every command, "As you wish". One day, Buttercup realises that when Westley says "As you wish" he is really saying that he loves her. This realisation sparks another for Buttercup, that she truly loves him back. Westley has no means for marriage to Buttercup so he seeks his fortune across the seas, but his ship is attacked by pirates with a reputation for leaving no survivors. Buttercup, believing Westley to be dead, is inconsolable. Five years later Buttercup is chosen by the heir to the throne of Florin, Prince Humperdinck, as his bride to be. What Buttercup doesn't know, is that he secretly plans to start a war with the country across the sea, Guilder, by having her murdered and framing the Guilderians for her death.


Has Westley's death all been a bad dream? Does Buttercup succumb to Prince Humperdinck's dastardly plan? Does it all end happily ever after? Well if you haven't already seen The Princess Bride there is NO WAY I'm going to tell you. You will simply have to buy (Amazon - http://tinyurl.com/6caln6a) or rent (LoveFilm - http://tinyurl.com/6boftob) it and find out! To borrow the tagline I will tell you is that this is 'not just your basic, average, everyday, ordinary, run-of-the-mill, ho-hum fairytale'. It's so much more! Among other things it's a love story, a fairytale, a comedy and a revenge plot. 


It has sumptuous costumes and locations, filled with some of the most ridiculous characters you'll ever see. The dialogue is perfectly witty and sarcastic in equal measure, and so completely out of place for the era (and yet perfectly fitting at the same time) it's hilarious. The casting is genius, without any exception. I wouldn't change a single member of this cast or the way they portray their characters. I love the way this movie has me laughing, crying, quoting, caring, hating and adoring every moment. Therefore I think it's fitting that The Princess Bride should be my first - but hopefully not last - perfect 10 of the year. 10 out of 10.

Viewing Date - 14th February 2011

Original UK Release Date - November 1987 (I was 6)

Cast Overview:

Cary Elwes ~ Westley

Robin Wright ~ Buttercup

Mandy Patinkin ~ Inigo

Andre the Giant ~ Fezzik

Wallace Shawn ~ Vizzini

Chris Sarandon ~ Prince Humperdinck

Christopher Guest ~ Count Rugen

Billy Crystal ~ Miracle Max

Carol Kane ~ Valerie

Peter Cook ~ The Impressive Clergyman

Mel Smith ~ The Albino

Fred Savage ~ The Grandson

Peter Falk ~ The Grandfather/Narrator

Director ~ Rob Reiner

Writer ~ William Goldman (Screenplay written from his Book)

Blue Valentine

http://www.bluevalentinemovie.com/

As mentioned previously, I am a big fan of The Notebook. In developing a love of that film I also developed a fondness for it's stars Rachel McAdams and Ryan Gosling. And as such I tend to look forward to their up-coming projects. Blue Valentine is no exception to that rule. 


Blue Valentine had the added bonus of also starring Michelle Williams, who I've been a fan of since her Dawson's Creek days. I was eagerly anticipating the film's release when I read a fascinating interview with Ms Williams in Empire Magazine (http://tinyurl.com/6hq9toh). In the interview Williams talks about how committed she'd been to telling this story, ever since she first read the script when she was in her early 20s*. The interview also sheds light on the director's methods of enabling his actors to get to know each other well enough to hate each other. Williams explains how she and Gosling prepared for their roles by living together for a month, in between filming, in order to find out what would annoy them about each other if they were a real couple. For example, what would make them argue etc.


By the time the film's release date came around, it was obvious that none of the cinemas in my town (or surrounding area) were going to be showing it. I find it's always the way with the ones you REALLY want to see! Thankfully I have an amazing best friend who not only wanted to see the film, but also didn't mind taking time out of her Valentines Day plans to go to London, and see the film with me at the delightful Prince Charles Cinema.


The film flips between present day bitterness and the bittersweet early days of Cindy and Dean. They met by chance when he was working for a removal firm, moving an elderly man into a home. She happened to be visiting her grandmother at the same home on the same day. As Cindy had a boyfriend, she turned down Dean's offer of a date. They meet again a month later when Cindy has become disillusioned with said boyfriend and decides to give Dean a chance. In between these flashes of the past we also see Dean and Cindy as they are now, embittered and worn down by life, family, jobs and each other. The film continues to switch between Cindy and Dean then, getting to know each other and falling in love, to now, knowing too much about the other person and falling out of love. 


While I concede that this is not the cheeriest of films, I thought it did accurately portray the way that people drift apart and how sometimes, love just isn't enough. The interwoven flashback scenes of how Dean and Cindy met and fell in love are so believable. So much so that I felt a little uncomfortable watching the more intimate scenes, as though I were peeking into a real couple's private life through a keyhole. This only speaks of how good Williams and Gosling are, and how much they put themselves into these characters. Their director clearly had method to his madness in having them live together during filming, as I'm sure it was this prolonged time together that made their performances so grounded in reality. 


I can't go so far as to say that the film was enjoyable, as watching two people fight for their love rarely is. But I will say that it was a fascinating insight into the lives of a realistic and thoughtfully portrayed (dis)functional couple. 8 out of 10.

*For the purpose of grasping how long writer/director Derek Cianfrance has been trying to get Blue Valentine made and released, Michelle Williams is now 30.

Viewing Date - 14th February 2011

UK Release Date - 14th January 2011

Cast Overview:

Ryan Gosling ~ Dean

Michelle Williams ~ Cindy

Faith Wladyka ~ Frankie

John Doman ~ Jerry

Mike Vogel ~ Bobby

Director/Writer ~ Derek Cianfrance

Writer ~ Cami Delavigne

Writer ~ Joey Curtis

Chalet Girl *Exclusive Preview*

http://chaletgirlfilm.wordpress.com/

I signed up to SeeFilmFirst some time ago but always seemed to miss out on the exclusive previews they did in Brighton. Not so with today's screening of Chalet Girl. What with it's uninspiring concept and trailer I was very glad I was seeing this film for free. But unlike my other recent free film The Kids Are Alright, I would have happily paid to see this.

Chalet Girl tells the story of Kim (Felicity Jones), an up-and-coming talent in the world of pro skateboarding. She quits when a car accident causes the untimely death of her mother. With her skateboarding career set aside, she takes on a job at a local burger bar which allows her to financially take care of her father, Bill (Bill Bailey). With a shot at earning more money, Kim decides to take a job as a chalet girl. At expected, she finds the move to Austria and her new job to be quite an adjustment from her old life. Kim is now working for the rich family who own a large part of the ski-resort (if not the whole resort), and in her spare time she is making new friends and learning to snowboard. One of Kim's new friends Mikki (Ken Duken) convinces her to enter the up coming snowboarding competition, in which she could win $25,000, which would dramatically help her situation at home. In the midst of all this she grows ever closer to the son of the rich family, Jonny (Ed Westwick), who is hiding the fact that he is engaged to a girl his family deems much more 'suitable' for him than Kim.

Chalet Girl could have been very contrived and annoying but I am very happy to say that it wasn't, on either count. Admittedly this is because it appealed to my inner 12 year old girl. But I'm not saying it will only appeal to 12 year old girls, or older women who still have an inner 12 year old, as I went to see this with a man in his late 30's who also enjoyed the film immensely. It is obvious what will happen in the movie from the outset but I didn't feel as though this detracted from the enjoyment of watching it all unfurl and getting to know these characters in the process.

Chalet Girl is a feel good film, it's not too taxing, it doesn't really make you think, but it is well acted, bringing a warmth to the characters which wouldn't have necessarily been there on paper. 7.5 out of 10.

Viewing Date - 12th February 2011

UK Release Date - 16th March 2011

Cast Overview:

Kim ~ Felicity Jones

Jonny ~ Ed Westwick

Richard (Jonny's Father) ~ Bill Nighy

Caroline (Jonny's Mother) ~ Brooke Shields

Chloe ~ Sophia Bush

Nigel ~ Nicholas Braun

Georgie ~ Tamsin Egerton

Jules ~ Georgia King

Bill (Kim's Father ~ Bill Bailey

Mikki ~ Ken Duken

Willy ~ Adam Bousdoukos


Director ~ Phil Traill
Writer ~ Tom Williams

The Kids Are All Right

http://filminfocus.com/the_kids_are_all_right

You might find it odd that I'm reviewing this film now, when it came out last year. Truth is I have no idea why I didn't see it when it was released as I fully intended to. I started this blog with the intention to review all of the films I see at the cinema this year, therefore, however late I may have been in seeing The Kids Are Alright, it has to be included in this compilation.

The film is about a family consisting of two mums and two kids. The mums are a married lesbian couple who have each had one child using the same sperm donor. So the kids are half sister and brother. Following so far? We join them when the kids, aged 18 and 15, decide they want to meet their biological father. Joni (Mia Wasikowska) is 18, the daughter of Nic (Annette Bening) and about to head off for college. She's asked by her brother Laser (Josh Hutcherson), who is the son of Nic's wife Jules (Julianne Moore) and only 15, if she will make a call to the sperm bank where their mums obtained sperm donated by then 19 year old Paul (Mark Ruffalo). Paul, now late 30's, agrees to meet with the kids. Although the first meeting is awkward, it sparks a curiosity in all three to meet again and get to know each other better. However, as the first meeting happens without the knowledge of the mums, it comes as something of a shock for them to discover that their kids have not only contacted, but met up with a man neither of them know. The mums therefore decide that they must also get to know Paul and this is where the family drama's come in. 

I have to admit that I was left somewhat confused by The Kids Are Alright. First, although I thought the actors gave their all, and each of them had at least one strong scene, I have no idea how this film has won and been nominated for so many awards. Second, I found the early sex scenes in the film totally unnecessary. You might think this strange coming from the girl who has mentioned in several unrelated reviews how much I loved Love and Other Drugs, but hear me out. I didn't feel like either of the early sex scenes aided the story in any way. In fact, I think you could have cut both scenes completely and lost nothing in the way of plot. And before you go thinking I'm some sort of gay sex prude, I will state for the record that I thought the lesbian sex scene in Black Swan was one of the best portrayed, most realistic and sexiest gay sex scenes I have seen. Not that I'm an expert obviously.

Unnecessary sex aside, I also felt like the film was trying too hard to be funny. Sometimes with cringe worthy results. During the lesbian sex scene it emerges that they watch male gay porn in order to get aroused. This is mentioned later when Laser finds the porn and asks them why they watch it, being that they're lesbians and all. I have to say that I'm glad he did because I was dying to know. I don't know that many lesbians, but of the ones I do know I'm 99.9% sure they don't watch guys going at it to get turned on. At this point the writer obviously thought it'd be funny to point out that straight women often play lesbians in films and it's very unrealistic. That might have been a great joke if she'd spent any time making Bening and Moore into a believable lesbian couple. But for me personally, I didn't think they were. And I don't think the lack of sexual chemistry between them was helped by the terrible sex scene inflicted upon them.

I genuinely enjoyed a lot of the nicer moments of the film. Although it was obvious that Jules and Paul were going to start an affair, I enjoyed watching their relationship blossom. I similarly enjoyed seeing Paul's relationships change with each of the kids. I liked that he became more dad-like with them and their response to that side of him. I loved the scene at the dinner table with Annette Bening's moving rendition of Joni Mitchell's Blue, but I felt it was somewhat sullied by the scene that followed. The moments I enjoyed made me long for more, as this was when I was really beginning to like the characters and starting to see them less like a bunch of stereotypes who'd all been stuck in a movie together, hippy dad who was absent when the kids were growing up, the repressed and unappreciated mum who starts an affair, the borderline alcoholic mum who's too tightly wound to notice her wife's impending affair, the daughter who's trying to break out of mums grasp by rebelling etc. We've seen all of these characters before, in other, better movies. What makes these tired characters interesting is the change they undergo during the film, the lessons they learn. The problem here is that they don't change, or learn, they end the film exactly how they started.

My final *minor* criticism is that while I fully believe that the free spirited Jules would name her son Laser, I don't think her straight laced wife would have ever allowed her to go through with that. Yet again putting this movie firmly in the unrealistic category. I'm sorry to say that while the kids may have been alright, the film wasn't. 4.5 out of 10. 

Viewing Date - 9th February 2011

UK Release Date - 29th October 2010

Cast Overview:

Annette Bening ~ Nic

Julianne Moore ~ Jules

Mark Ruffalo ~ Paul

Mia Wasikowska ~ Joni

Josh Hutcherson ~ Laser


Director/Writer ~ Lisa Cholodenko
Writer ~ Stuart Blumberg

Tangled

http://adisney.go.com/disneypictures/tangled/

Ah, the first Disney movie of the year, and who doesn't love Disney? *Cue everyone to leave a comment badmouthing Disney!* Well me personally, I LOVE Disney. Pixar have recently taken over in my animated affections but Disney movies still hold a place in my heart. The last 'pure' (see below # for definition) Disney film I saw at the cinema was The Princess and The Frog which really surprised me. I wasn't expecting to like it as much as I did as I'd been watching and loving Disney Pixar for so long.

Unfortunately this meant that I put quite a lot of expectation onto poor Tangled and I'm sorry to say that it did suffer a little under the strain.

Tangled is a re-jigging of the familiar fairy tale 'Rapunzel' and indeed features Rapunzel (and her abundant flowing locks) in the lead role. Rapunzel is a princess who was kidnapped as a baby and locked away in a tower. Her kidnapper, an old hag who has discovered that Rapunzel's hair contains magical powers that can make her young again, locks her in a tower and tells her frightful stories so that she will never leave. The hag, Mother Gothel, tells Rapunzel that she is her mother and is keeping her in the tower for her own good. Rapunzel grows up never knowing of her real heritage, and although she loves her (fake) mother, and would never defy her wishes, she longs for the outside world. In particular she longs to see the lights which appear in the sky every year on her birthday. Unbeknownst to Rapunzel, the lights are lanterns released by Rapunzel's parents, the king and queen, and of the inhabitants of the kingdom. They release the lanterns every year on Rapunzel's birthday hoping that one day, they will bring about Rapunzel's safe return. 

Through a series of events which I won't go into, Rapunzel meets handsome thief and general scallywag Flynn Rider, who agrees to lead Rapunzel to the castle so that she can watch the lanterns on her 18th birthday. Of course, this being Disney she meets a whole host of unlikely friends and dastardly foes along the way to her destination. 

I said earlier that Tangled suffered under the strain of my expectations of it. And it did. Please don't take this to mean that I didn't enjoy it and wouldn't recommend it. As I did, and I would. I just wouldn't necessarily rush out and buy it. For me Tangled felt like it lacked something? I have a feeling this was the lack of a real villain. Don't get me wrong, mother Gothel is far from a kindly old lady, she kidnaps baby Rapunzel and locks her in a tower for Pete's sake, but she isn't really evil? She takes care of Rapunzel for all of those years, doesn't overly seem to mistreat her and Rapunzel loves her as her own mother for most of the movie? This leads me to think she can't have been that bad? It's only when facing the loss of her secret youth that she strikes out. To me, this just ain't old school Disney. The villains used to be truly evil and strike fear into the hearts of small children. And I don't think Tangled's Gothel would scare a mouse, let alone the hardened youth of today.

As usual I digress. Tangled is as well made as you would expect from Disney's standards, the 3D is excellent, especially in the beautiful lantern scene. The characters have all been brilliantly brought into the 21st century (Gothel aside as she should have been scarier), the songs are good and not too annoying or too frequent for non musical fans and it's a movie that all ages can, and probably will, enjoy. 7 out of 10.

#'pure' Disney meaning the old style animation - although I appreciate Tangled is CG - and not in conjunction with Pixar

Viewing Date - 6th February 2011

UK Release Date - 28th January 2011

Cast Overview:

(If you don't like knowing who the voices are DONT SCROLL DOWN! ;0)

Rapunzel ~ Mandy Moore

Flynn Rider ~ Zachary Levi

Mother Gothel ~ Donna Murphy

Stabbington Brother ~ Ron Perlman

Director(s) ~ Nathan Greno and Byron Howard

Writer(s) ~ Dan Fogelman (Screenplay)

Jacob and Wilhelm Grimm (Fairy Tale)

Morning Glory

http://www.morningglorymovie.com/

At last, a film I wanted to see before I even saw the trailer! I have loved Rachel McAdams since I saw her in The Notebook in 2005 and was excited to see Morning Glory just by seeing the poster. Problems started when I discovered I was going to be away during the opening weekend, then had a really bad cold which meant I couldn't go out. The final nail in my cinema going coffin was that no sooner had Morning Glory arrived than it was dropped by my local cinema. 

Undefeated I decided to make the short train journey to Worthing and saw the film with my best friend in the delightful Dome Cinema. I'd had the most awful afternoon at work and was in a terrible mood when I arrived, but the cinema is so quaint and welcoming that I instantly felt better the moment I walked into the cozy lobby. My mood was lifted further when I saw that they were selling off movie posters, for the bargainous price of 2 for £2, two of which were for Love and Other Drugs. If you know me or have read my earlier reviews you'll realise how ridiculously happy this made me. Bad mood forgotten, we purchased coffee from the bar and headed up to the screen. 

The film opens on ambicious TV producer Becky Fuller (McAdams) who is made redundent from her job on 'Good Morning New Jersey'. The job was her life and so she quickly starts trying to find a new one, sending resumes to any and every television network out there. Eventually she gets a break from IBS Network Executive Jerry (Jeff Goldblum), who hires Becky as the new Executive Producer of their morning show, Daybreak. Becky soon finds her feet in her new job when she fires the show's co-presenter on her first day, earning her a reputation as a no-nonsense boss. In trying to find a replacement co-presenter Becky stumbles across legendary, award winning news reporter Mike Pomeroy (Harrison Ford), who is already on contract with IBS but who has found a loophole in his contract that means he can get paid for doing nothing at all. Becky, determined to get Mike off his ass and onto her show makes him an official job offer he can't refuse. Literally, as if he does, he loses his salary! Disgruntled and cantakerous, Mike accepts the job on one condition, that he can refuse any story he doesn't want to do. Being a serious reporter on a breakfast television show means that he turns down most of the stories offered to him, leaving long suffering co-host Colleen (the surprisingly hilarious Diane Keaton) to pick up the slack. Somehow, during all of this Becky manages to start a relationship with fellow IBS producer Adam (the charming Patrick Wilson), conjure up innovative ways to increase Daybreak's ratings, saving the show from being cancelled, and land an interview with the prestegious Today Show which is where she has always wanted to work.

I shan't spoil the ending but I will say that Morning Glory was a welcome delight. At first I thought that Mike's grumpiness was a tad too much. Not that Harrison Ford was OTT, just that it made him more unlikeable than he needed to be. I didn't see how he could possibly redeem himself. Like I said, I won't spoil it! I loved Diane Keaton so much in this movie. One of the last films I saw her in, which ironically also starred Ms McAdams, was the awful Family Stone. Which I will never forget, had a review on the back of the box that said it was "very funny". It isn't! However in this, she had me crying with laughter. Amazing the difference a decent script can make!

Engaging and genuinely funny, with believable characters at it's core. I can only hope the DVD cover ends up saying something like that, because it'd be true! 8 out of 10.

Viewing Date - 2nd February 2011

UK Release Date - 21st January 2011

 Cast Overview:

Rachel McAdams ~ Becky Fuller

Harrison Ford ~ Mike Pomeroy

Diane Keaton ~ Colleen Peck

Patrick Wilson ~ Adam Bennett

Jeff Goldblum ~ Jerry Barnes

Director ~ Roger Michell

Writer ~ Aline Brosh McKenna

Hereafter

http://hereafter.warnerbros.com/

As I said on the Black Swan review (below), there are some films I know I will probably end up seeing even if the trailer doesn't particularly grab me. This is mainly because I'm an Unlimited Cineworld card holder and I go to the cinema a lot! It's also because I love movies and I particularly love watching movies at the cinema. You can keep your pirate DVD's coz I'd rather see a film the way it was meant to be seen, on the big screen.

Ok, ramble over. The reason I mention this is that Hereafter was a movie for which I saw the trailer but the trailer didn't really make me want to see the film. If you also felt that way I urge you *now* to ignore the trailer and go watch the film. It's directed by Clint Eastwood, who's only other directorial film I've seen is Million Dollar Baby. While I liked that movie it didn't inspire me to watch everything else Mr Eastwood had directed (or starred in). Hereafter is something entirely different.

The film is separated into 3 stories. The first story we encounter sees a French Journalist, Marie (Cecile De France), swept away by a Tsunami whilst on holiday (it's never confirmed but I assume this is meant to be the Indonesian Tsunami of Christmas 2004). Marie drowns but is resuscitated and retains memories of her brief encounter with what lies beyond. The second story is about twin brothers, Jason and Marcus, who live in London with their junkie/drunk single mother. Whilst running an errand one day, one of the boys - Jason - is killed in a car accident. His brother Marcus is left alone to deal with his mum, foster care and coming to terms with his brothers death. The third story centers on American factory worker George (Matt Damon). He's a psychic who's turned his back on his 'gift' believing it to be more of a curse. All 3 stories share the theme of death and it's effects on the living.

This might not sound like the cheeriest of films. I won't lie to you. It isn't. But it is thought provoking, well writen, insightfully directed and beautifully acted. One of the problems I had with the trailer (that put me off seeing the film) was the fact that it showed the star of the film to be Matt Damon. Don't get me wrong, I have nothing against Matt Damon. But I also don't own any of his movies. If you feel similarly let me re-assure you that although he is the biggest name amongst the actors, this is very much an ensemble cast and they are all faultless. Matt Damon included. I am happy to state now that when this DVD is released it will be my first purchase of a Matt Damon movie. My only criticism, cast wise, would be the underuse of Bryce Dallas Howard as I wish there'd been more of her character. This is only a minor criticism however as I don't think they could've made her role bigger without making major changes to the story. 

I was so surprised by this film on so many levels. How attached I got to the characters, how well the characters were established and not made into caricatures, how the stories all blended and each character had equal screen time to tell their story and finally, *SPOILER ALERT* how the moment when they finally all meet is believable and cleverly conceived when it could've so easily seemed contrived. 

I could go on all night (and nearly have!) about how good I thought this was and I really hope that my passion for the film will mean at least 1 other person goes to see it. Excellent 9 out of 10.

Viewing Date - 1st February 2011

UK Release Date - 28th January 2011

Cast Overview:

Matt Damon / George Lonegan

Cecile De France / Marie LeLay

Frankie and George McLaren / Marcus and Jason

Lyndsey Marshal / Jackie - Marcus and Jason's Mother

Thierry Neuvic / Didier - Marie's Lover

Bryce Dallas Howard / Melanie

Jay Mohr / Billy Lonegan - George's brother

Director ~ Clint Eastwood

Writer ~ Peter Morgan

Black Swan

http://www.foxsearchlight.com/blackswan/

There are some films I want to see before I've seen the trailer, others that I want to see after seeing the trailer and occasionally there are films I know I'll end up seeing, even if there was nothing about the trailer that made me want to see it. Black Swan is one of the latter films. I'd seen the trailer a couple of times and just didn't know what to make of it. It looked like a satisfying mix of dark and twisted but also looked like it had the potential to bore the pants off you by being overly pretentious. Thankfully, the pretentious overtones were limited and the dark and twisty elements were the dominant factors. 

The story centers on a girl, Nina (Natalie Portman), who has always dreamed of starring in the lead role of her ballet company's next big production. She works tirelessly at this goal night and day and one day gets her big break in the production of Swan Lake. But the role of her dreams starts slipping away when Nina's paranoid mind starts playing tricks on her. 

This might make me a bit of a freak but for me, this is when the film really started to become interesting. If a little disturbing. If you're squeamish there's lots to look away from, as well as moments to make you go "Gah!" My poor friend witnessed me squirming in my seat during several of the films more gruesome scenes. I consider myself a hardened horror fan but even I found myself jumping when the lady seated in front of me leapt out of her seat. 

It's a well acted, well directed movie but it's not amazing. In some ways I feel it's worth the hype - Natalie Portman's performance is certainly one of the best I've seen her give and must have been very tough for her to do, in both the physical and mental sense - but in other ways it's not worthy. Yes it does give an insight into the arduous world of ballet but as my friend pointed out afterwards, that can also take away some of the magic. When we learned how Superman really flew it didn't make us marvel at the technical wizardry as much as make it all less real, less of a fantasy. My friend is going to see Swan Lake in a few weeks and has now lost some of her enthusiasm toward it. And I can understand why.

This is a film of very good performances. Although I only noted Natalie Portman above I should also mention the faultless performances of Mila Kunis, Barbara Hershey, Winona Ryder and Vincent Cassel. Black Swan is a very dark and disturbing film but for those who like movies to provide the magic rather than destroy the illusion of it I would stay clear. 6 out of 10.

Viewing Date - 18th January 2011 (saw it on preview)

UK Release Date - 21st January 2011

 Cast Overview:

Natalie Portman ~ Nina Sayers

Mila Kunis ~ Lily

Vincent Cassel ~ Thomas Leroy

Barbara Hershey ~ Erica Seyers

Winona Ryder ~ Beth Macintyre

Benjamin Millepied ~ David 

Director ~ Darren Aronofsky

Writer(s) ~ Mark Heyman (Screenplay), Andres Heinz (Screenplay/Story)

and John J McLaughlin (Screenplay)