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Directed by: Martin Scorsese
Written by: Paul Schrader
Starring: Robert De Niro, Cybill Shepherd, Peter Boyle, Jodie Foster
My rating: * * * * 1/2
D, Cr
Directed by: Trey Parker
Written by: Trey Parker, Matt Stone, Pam Brady
Starring: voices of Trey Parker, Matt Stone, Kristen Miller
Review:This movie is trying to make biting social commentary and be a gross-out comedy at the same time, and often it just doesn�t work. I don�t really understand why it has had such good reviews. Yes, some of the things it says really are amusing and make some good points, but these are often marred by the distasteful and offensive way in which the movie is packaged. I guess it depends on your sense of humour but I don�t find it funny to watch marionettes having sex or a guy puking up twice his body mass. And while the movie tries to hide under the cover of social satire, it is still sure to offend many groups of people. The creators are American, so fine, insult your own country and your own celebrities, but don�t make ignorant jokes about people of other nationalities. I suppose they are trying to make a comment on the way, for example, Middle Eastern people are portrayed in other films/media, but they send them up for humour�s sake and it comes across more as offensive that satirical.
My rating: * *
C, A
Directed by: Gil Junger
Written by: Karen McCullah Lutz and Kirsten Smith
Starring: Julia Stiles, Heath Ledger, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Larisa Oleynik, David Krumholtz
My rating: * * * 1/2
C
Directed by: Steven Spielberg
Written by: Sacha Gervasi and Jeff Nathanson, story by Andrew Niccol and Sacha Gervasi
Starring: Tom Hanks, Catherine Zeta-Jones, Stanley Tucci, Chi McBride, Diego Luna
Review: The Terminal, while not living up to critic's expectations, is still an enjoyable film. The single location makes it quite engrossing and you almost feel like you've been living in the JFK airport terminal along with Victor (Hanks). He is an easy character to empathise with and you'll likely find yourself cheering him on in his endeavours to get by in the airport while trying to win the heart of air hostess Catherine Zeta-Jones. However, while Hanks pulls off the accent decently, the romance between him and Zeta-Jones doesn't work as well. The movie also has some moments that are overly sentimental, but it does have some touching and funny moments as well and overall its an enjoyable film with an interesting undertone that raises issues about US immigration laws, airport security and other touchy subjects!
My rating: * * * 1/2
D, R, C
Directed by: James Cameron
Written by: James Cameron & Gale Anne Hurd
Starring: Arnold Schwarzenegger, Linda Hamilton, Michael Biehn
My rating: * * * * 1/2
SF, A, T, R
Go to my page for The Terminator
Directed by: James Cameron
Written by: James Cameron & William Wisher Jnr.
Starring: Arnold Schwarzenegger, Linda Hamilton, Edward Furlong, and Joe Morton
My rating: * * * * *
SF, A, T, O
Go to my Terminator 2 page
Directed by: Jonathan Mostow
Written by: John Brancato and Michael Ferris, story by John Brancato, Michael Ferris and Tedi Sarafian, based on characters created by James Cameron adn Gale Anne Hurd
Starring: Arnold Schwarzenegger, Nick Stahl, Claire Danes, Kristanna Loken
My rating: * * * 1/2
A, SF
Directed by: Joel Schumacher
Written by: Ross Klaven, Michael McGruther
Starring: Colin Farrell, Matthew Davis
My rating: * * * *
D, W
Directed by: Kevin MacDonald
Written by: based on the book by Joe Simpson
Starring: Joe Simpson, Simon Yates and Richard Hawking as themselves, Nicholas Aaron, Brendan Mackey and Ollie Ryall
Review: Touching the Void recounts the true story of mountain climbers Joe Simpson and Simon Yates who scaled the west face of the 20000ft Siula Grande in the Andes, in 1985. It details the many dangers and obstacles they encountered on their climb. This film is documentary/docu-drama so I feel it needs to be judged on a different basis than a normal film would. At its simplest, it aims to tell a compelling story, just as a film does, but this is real people and real lives so it lends it a much more serious tone. Similar in a way to films, such as Schindler's List, which are based on very real, very emotional stories. This being a documentary and the fact we hear the tale told right from the mouths of those involved makes it even more compelling. We are up there on that mountain with them, yet at the same time, it is a world so far removed from what most of us know. It is an amazing insight into the world of mountain climbing, and a frightening and tense journey through the perils involved. While the cinematography may not be the film quality we are used to, it is never-the-less breathtaking and terrifying, transporting us up to the summits of 20000ft mountains, and down to the depths of bottomless crevasses. Although from the outset we know that the two climbers survive (they narrate the film), we still get caught up in their plight and wonder how they, Joe Simpson particularly, manage to get out of there. It is a truly remarkable story of persistence and endurance against all odds and I recommend it as a compelling example of true life being more amazing than fiction.
My rating: * * * * *
D, Documentary
Directed by: Peter Chelsom
Written by: Michael Laughlin, Buck Henry
Starring: Goldie Hawn, Diane Keaton, Garry Shandling, Warren Beatty, and Andie MacDowell
My rating: * * 1/2
C, D, R
Directed by: Steven Soderbergh
Written by: Simon Moore, Stephen Gaghan
Starring: Benecio Del Toro, Michael Douglas, Luis Guzman, Don Cheadle, Catherine Zeta-Jones, Albert Finney, Erika Christensen, Dennis Quaid
My rating: * * * *
O, D, Cr
Directed by: Antoine Fuqua
Written by: David Ayer
Starring: Denzel Washington, Ethan Hawke, Scott Glen, Tom Berenger
My rating: * * * 1/2
D, Cr, T
Directed by: Wolfgang Peterson
Written by: David Benioff, based on Homer's The Iliad
Starring: Brad Pitt, Eric Bana, Orlando Bloom, Diane Krueger, Sean Bean, Rose Byrne, Peter O'Toole, Saffron Burrows, Brian Cox
My rating: * * * *
D, A, R, W
Directed by: Tony Scott
Written by: Quentin Tarantino
Starring: Christian Slater, Patricia Arquette, Gary Oldman, Dennis Hopper, Christopher Walken, Brad Pitt, Val Kilmer
Review: Clarence Worley (Christian Slater) is just your average loner, working in a comic book store by day and watching Sonny Chiba movies by night. A bit of an Elvis fan, he likes to have conversations with the King in the bathroom mirror. On his annual solitary birthday visit to the cinema, he meets Alabama Whitman (Patricia Arquette), who�s been working as a call-girl for about all of three days. Before you know it they�re married and Clarence wants his new wife out of the hooker business. A visit to her pimp Drexl (Gary Oldman) ends with bloodshed and a suitcase of stolen cocaine. Clarence and Alabama go on the run to L.A., where they try to sell the coke; meanwhile the owners of it are after them. What follows is a lot of swearing and some high levels of bloody violence, which some may find a bit offensive or stomach-churning. I say this more as a warning than as a criticism, though; you expect violence from Tarantino and Tony Scott.
This film was a peculiar mix of unconventional romance and graphic violence. The romance element between Clarence and Alabama was actually quite sweet, but the film is called True Romance after all. Christian Slater and Patricia Arquette have good chemistry between them. I think this movie actually has quite a bit of heart, and despite having some objections to the content of the movie, I can�t help liking it. Also noteworthy is the musical score by Hans Zimmer, particularly the main theme.
My rating: * * * *
C, D, T, R, A, Cr
Directed by: M. Night Shyamalan
Written by: M. Night Shyamalan
Starring: Bruce Willis, Samuel L. Jackson, Robin Wright Penn
Review: David Dunn (Bruce Willis) is the sole survivor in a horrific train crash that kills hundreds. He comes out of the incident without a scratch. In fact, he can�t remember ever being sick or hurt a day in his life. Mysterious comic store owner Elijah Price (Samuel L. Jackson) befriends David and begins to make David wonder why he has never been sick. David seeks to find the truth � is he unbreakable?
Unbreakable is Shyamalan�s follow-up to the critical and commercial hit The Sixth Sense. People therefore had high expectations of this film and when it didn�t fully live up to them they dismissed it. It isn�t as good, true, but it certainly has its merits, and should be looked at separately from The Sixth Sense. It is a dark film in both the literal and metaphorical sense; it is almost perpetually gloomy and grey and the film moves slowly, but steadily. The pace speeds up towards a great ending. All is revealed, in true Shyamalan style, with a clever twist. The film is nicely framed, with some fine accompanying music and intriguing characters. The story is inventive and original in its unconventionality and takes people with strange gifts and comic-book hero qualities into a real setting.
My rating: * * * *
M, D, T
Directed by: Bryan Singer
Written by: Christopher McQuarrie
Starring: Stephen Baldwin, Gabriel Byrne, Benicio Del Toro, Kevin Pollak, Kevin Spacey, Chazz Palminteri, Pete Postlethwaite, Suzy Amis
My rating: * * * * 1/2
C, T, D, M
Directed by: James McTeigue
Written by: Andy and Larry Wachowski
Starring: Hugo Weaving, Natalie Portman, John Hurt, Stephen Rea
Review: V for Vendetta is set in a not-too-distant future where Britain is under totalitarian rule. Based on a graphic novel, it was originally created as a thinly-veiled response to Margaret Thatcher�s Britain in the 1980�s, but has been modified slightly to react to political situations and current issues in the present day.
V for Vendetta is a sometimes scary vision of what could one day be. It has a sense of immediacy about it, as we see today�s society slipping deeper into a fear of things different, handing over more and more control to our governments in the hope they will protect us.
Based on a graphic novel, and masked as a comic book action movie, the movie is more subversive than one would expect to come out of Hollywood, especially in the current climate. V is painted as a hero, but he�s someone who freely and intentionally commits terrorist acts against his own government. That a movie that, in a sense, glorifies terrorism should make it to a release date is surprising. But again, it�s masked as a sort of comic adaptation and consequently gets away with much more I think. Yet the relevancy of this movie to our current and possible future reality is astounding.
Like Nineteen-Eighty-Four, George Orwell�s bleak vision of the future, it suggests the places where society might end up given the right situations and momentum. And as the horrors of Nineteen-Eighty-Four became reality in places like China during the Cultural Revolution, these bleak visions of future reality are always just a little more plausible than we would like to think.
But along with a serious aspect, this movie is a lot of fun! And coming from the creators of The Matrix you�d expect it to be. Some of the action sequences are truly inspired, especially the way the music is used. And as for the actors, Hugo Weaving as V gives quite a powerful performance considering he must rely only on his voice and gestures to convey emotion. His character is never seen without his trademark Guy Fawkes mask on (the reason for which is given in the film). Natalie Portman as Evey takes her character from a mostly quiet and submissive young woman into a fearless and independent one, with more than just a change of hairstyle.
The movie isn�t without its flaws; it�s slightly convoluted in its storyline and dialogue for one thing, but it�s certainly enjoyable, very different, and has a significant political-intellectual line for those that are interested.
My rating: * * * * 1/2
A, T, D, Cr
Directed by: Stephen Sommers
Written by: Stephen Sommers
Starring: Hugh Jackman, Kate Beckinsale, Richard Roxburgh, David Wenham
My rating: * * *
H, A, SF
Directed by: Cameron Crowe
Written by: Cameron Crowe, based on the film Abres Los Ojos by Alejandro Amen�bar and Mateo Gil
Starring: Tom Cruise, Penelope Cruz, Kurt Russel, Cameron Diaz, and Jason Lee
My rating: * * *
D, R, T
Directed by: James Mangold
Written by: Gill Dennis & James Mangold, based on the books The Man in Black and Cash: An Autobiography by Johnny Cash
Starring: Joaquin Phoenix, Reese Witherspoon, Robert Patrick, Ginnifer Goodwin
Review: The strength of Walk the Line is largely due to the commanding performances of its two leads, and a powerful, real life, story. The film doesn�t glorify Johnny Cash; and it�s a testament to its honesty that sometimes you can�t always sympathise with him.
Joaquin Phoenix brings a wonderful intensity to his role as Johnny Cash and really takes charge of the screen. Reese Witherspoon as June Carter counters his performance with an equal strength and provides a great contrast to Cash. The musical performances of the two leads are some of the most exciting parts of the movie. They in essence learnt to sing for the movie and the results are truly great. It�s probably not so much their singing voices (although they are certainly good), but the fact that as actors, they are able to capture the passion of creating and performing music.
The film really belongs to Phoenix and Witherspoon, but there are some strong supporting players as well. Most of note would probably be Cash�s father, played by Robert Patrick (who I always have a hard time watching without thinking of the T-1000) whose brutish character goes some way to helping understand Johnny Cash. The roles of the other musicians (such as Elvis, Jerry Lee Lewis etc) are given to lesser known actors, which helps make them more immediately believable.
Coming a year after Ray, it was said that the chances of this movie doing well during awards season were diminished, which is a shame because James Mangold�s film is beautifully crafted and he coaxes some great performances out of his lead actors. It�s a film worth watching for an honest and not-overly-sentimental portrayal of the life and inspiration of a music legend.
My rating: * * * *
D, R, Mu
Directed by: Steven Spielberg
Written by: Josh Friedman and David Koepp, based on the book by H.G. Wells
Starring: Tom Cruise, Dakota Fanning, Justin Chatwin, Tim Robbins, Miranda Otto
Review: I wanted to see this because it was one of those �event movies� (maybe not the best reason to see a movie) then the bad press around Tom Cruise at the time of it�s release sort of put me off. But after hearing good reviews of it I went to see it and I�m glad I did. Steven Spielberg (and some people may disagree) isn�t really capable of making a mess of a movie. Now I haven�t read the book but I understand they have changed the time period and location which I think works fine. Purists may like it to stay true to the original but a movie such as this is about connecting with as wide an audience as possible. War of the Worlds didn�t blow me away but it was a very suspenseful and engrossing movie, with a few timely (if not always subtle) references to current global situations and recent events. The September 11 references are not too brash and are quite moving. After the aliens begin destroying the home town of Ray Ferrier (Tom Cruise), he runs through the streets trying to get back home while narrowly avoiding the lasers killing people all around him. After running through a building where a couple of people literally get vaporised before his eyes he comes out covered in grey dust, the remains of the dead. When he gets home his kids ask what all the stuff on him is and he has this moment where he can�t speak, he desperately tries to shake the dust off, horrified at the thought of it.
The movie is entertaining and suspenseful, with some excellent FX. The leads give fine performances, and it all comes together to create an enjoying and satisfying movie. Perhaps not a classic SF adaptation, and watch out for Spielberg�s tendency for �sentimental� endings (pretty brief this time), but on the whole it's an intense and well-made movie that's worth seeing.
My rating: * * * *
D, T, SF
Directed by: David Dobkin
Written by: Steve Faber & Bob Fisher
Starring: Owen Wilson, Vince Vaughn, Christopher Walken, Rachel McAdams, Isla Fisher
Review: This was a surprisingly funny movie. I had a few qualms with it, but I think the reason I took notice of them was because they stood out in an otherwise enjoyable and quite hilarious movie. Generally I would judge a comedy by how often and how hard it makes me laugh, and also whether it keeps my interest til the end, rather than turning into a sentimental mess as they often do. Wedding Crashers provided a lot of laugh-out-loud moments and never got too sentimental. Vaughn and Wilson are a very funny team, Isla Fisher was also a crack-up. The issues I did have with it, besides the whole idea of crashing weddings to pick up women being morally ambiguous, were firstly the relationship between Vaughn and Fisher's characters. I liked them as a couple, but it all seemed very sudden - one moment Jeremy (Vaughn) is trying to get away from Gloria (Fisher), the next he decides he likes her. A bit sudden I think. Some people have also commented on the Owen Wilson/Jane Seymour scene (you know the one if you've seen it). At the time I think it was kind of funny, but looking back...man, it was totally wrong! There have also been comments about the gay brother. Yes, that was weird...but I thought it was funny! Anyway, besides those and a few other dodgy bits, it was generally an above average comedy, and worth seeing for some genuine laughs!
My rating: * * * 1/2
R, C
Directed by: Richard Loncraine
Written by: Adam Brooks, Jennifer Flackett, Mark Levin
Starring: Paul Bettany, Kirsten Dunst, Sam Neill
Review: The latest movie from Working Title, the creators of such British rom-com gems as Bridget Jones' Diary and Love, Actually doesn't quite live up to their standard but it's still an enjoyable flick. It is a pretty typical comedy romance but Bettany and Dunst share quite good on-screen chemistry. However, the tennis matches are the most exciting part, and Bettany's internal monologue adds an amusing touch to them.
My rating: * * * 1/2
R, C
Directed by: Robert Luketic
Written by: Victor Levin
Starring: Kate Bosworth, Topher Grace, Josh Duhamel, Ginnifer Goodwin, Nathan Lane, Sean Hayes, Gary Cole
My rating: * * *
C, R
Directed by: Bryan Singer
Written by: David Hayter from story by Bryan Singer and Tom de Santo, based on the Marvel comics
Starring: Hugh Jackman, Patrick Stewart, Ian McKellan, Famke Jannsen, Halle Berry, and Anna Paquin
My rating: * * * *
A, SF
Go to my X-Men page
Directed by: Bryan Singer
Written by: Michael Dougherty, Dan Harris, David Hayter, story by Bryan Singer, David Hayter and Zak Penn
Starring: Hugh Jackman, Halle Berry, Patrick Stewart, Ian McKellan, Anna Paquin, James Marsden, Famke Jannsen, Brian Cox, Alan Cumming, Rebecca Romijn
My rating: * * * *
A, SF
Directed by: Brett Ratner
Written by: Simon Kinberg & Zak Penn
Starring: Hugh Jackman, Halle Berry, Patrick Stewart, Ian McKellan, Anna Paquin, James Marsden, Famke Jannsen, Rebecca Romijn, Kelsey Grammer, Shawn Ashmore, Ben Foster
My rating: * * * *
A, SF
Directed by: Ben Stiller
Written by: Ben Stiller, Drake Sather, John Hamburg
Starring: Ben Stiller, Owen Wilson, Christine Taylor
My rating: * * *
C