Directors: Jonothan Dayton and Valerie Faris Writer: Michael Arndt Released: January 2006 Starring: Greg Kinnear, Steve Carell, Toni Collette, Paul Dano, Abigail Breslin and Alan Arkin
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If you adored the humour of Juno, you will fall madly in love with this film! It was full of that dry, black humour where you don’t know if you should laugh or cry.
It has that ‘typical family’ quality where you can relate to every character because we all know somebody like them. Sort of.
Olive (Abigail Breslin) wants to compete in a beauty pageant, which is a good one-and-a-half day’s drive away. With an unpredictably suicidal uncle (Steve Carell) who can not be left by himself, the whole family decides to go.
You automatically adore Olive, who brings an innocence to the family who are full of ‘failures’. Her brother refuses to talk, her grandfather is a heroin addict, her uncle is suicidal, and her father is a failed life coach. Meanwhile, her mother is struggling to keep the family together.
Despite me making it sound like a total downer, it’s actually a beautifully triumphant film where everyone slowly makes peace with themselves and each other. I thoroughly enjoyed the adventures and internal conflict with a lot of deep and meaningful messages throughout the film.
A film that will make you laugh, cry, and reconsider your priorities in life.
Director: Robert Redford Writer: Nicholas Evans (Novel) Released: 1998 Starring: Robert Redford, Kristin Scott Thomas, Sam Neill, Dianne Wiest, Scarlett Johansson, Chris Cooper
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I am a sucker for any great horse film – such as Black Beauty, but unlike War Horse.
And The Horse Whisperer is certainly way up there in terms of lack of soppiness, being accurate in the training and horse terms as well as having a strong sense of realism.
So it begins in the most idyllic farm blanketed in thick snow. Grace (the young Scarlett Johansson) puts her riding boots on and tip toes out of the house. She sees he friend over in the next field and yells “HELLO!!” with steam coming from her mouth and her voice echoing. “HELLOOO!!” her friend replies and they run toward each other, then make their way to the stables.
This is my idea of paradise which is why this film starts out on an instant high.
Unfortunately during their ride, Grace’s friend and her horse get hit by a truck and die. The accident was filmed so well! And when I say that it was filmed well, I mean insatiablely exquisitely well! I can’t even put my finger on how they did it… Perhaps they really did get a horse to do all of the stunts or perhaps they got away with realistic dummies due to the many quick-edited shots. Anyway. I almost don’t want to know because it was so convincing.
The accident leaves Grace and her horse Pilgrim physically and mentally injured so Grace’s mum (Kristin Scott Thomas) takes them to a ‘horse whisperer’ called Tom Booker (Robert Redford) in order to help them both recover.
The thing that stood out for me was the acuracy in the training techniques. The Horse Whisperer is based on a training system called Natural Horsemanship where the rider asks the horse for submission, acceptance and softness.
Obviously the reactions of the horse are not always particularly realistic, nor would the lack of time spent on Pilgrim result in the horse becoming totally cured. However, I think we are all grown up to accept that this is a film that has certainly taken the horse’s reactions into consideration, without it becoming an instructional video of how to train your horse.
The epic music is as incredible as Titanic and Black Beauty. I blame the music for my constant blubbering throughout the entire film…
I remember when I last watched this and I felt like there wasn’t enough of the horse’s story in it. However, this was about ten or so years ago and I am rather thankful that a parallel storyline of how humans interact and accept each other was weaved throughout. The love story is strong and does not take from the overall story of the horse’s journey through recovery.
You kind of get to know how cruelly we treat each other, how trauma affects people differently and how we listen and communicate with each other through the recovery of the horse. It’s really quite deep.
The end of the story is unexpected… But I can’t decide if it was in a good way or not. Everything is concluded except for the love story which I was eager to know more about.
After watching this I wanted to buy a ranch in Southern America so badly! Get a horse and go out riding for days. It made horseriding look incredibly natural – which I suppose it isn’t really – with big western saddles, loose reins and calm canters over the endless hills. A fantastically jolting contrast between the uncontained farm land and the claustrophobic New York City show within the film.
A fantastic watch for any horse lover or lover of deep emotion-driven films. I enjoyed the culture of the farm in the south.
Robert Redford has style! So keep an eye out for the use of shadows and colour.
A film that is very well done.
Director: Clint Eastwood Writer: Peter Morgan Released: 2010 Starring: Matt Damon Cécile de France, Bryce Dallas Howard
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Released in 2010?? Are you kidding me? I thought we would have mastered the art of writing and making films by then… Jeez!
And Matt Damon. Matt Damon. Where is your head?? You are on my top 10 actors… And you sign yourself up for this??
So anyway, having bought this DVD on a bit of a whim I felt obliged to like it. But I found it difficult since the story line was virtually non-existent.
Don’t get me wrong, the first ten or so minutes were SO intense! A tsunami comes out of nowhere and you feel the panic under water – similar to the movie 2012. But after that, you pretty much get whip lash from the sudden decrease in pace of the movie.
You can see the Tsunami here:
George (Damon) is a psychic who denies his gift and tries to live a normal life. He eventually meets Melanie (Bryce Dallas Howard) who pushes him to give her a reading which abruptly ends the date… We never see Melanie for the rest of the film. Which was actually a blessing in disguise because Howard did a terrible job of acting – all hands and awkward pauses… rather jarring actually.
There are three story lines that intertwine which could have been effective if it wasn’t so damn slow and predictable. It really was obvious because after you find out George is a psychic and how he got his powers, you can fit the puzzle very quickly. Because you know that whoever dies in the film and comes back to life will have these powers, and the people who witness death will somehow find George.
I called it a ‘puzzle’ but it was literally a three-piece puzzle. Where you could figure out the picture before you had even put the pieces together…
Clint Eastwood is a master of light. But the lack of light in every scene made me squint and it ended up not making the film mysterious because it ignored the audience. Like, the lack of light shut the audience out of the scene.
The scenes of the natural disaster and the car crash scenes were very realistic though. I have to give him that.
I am selling this DVD online – I am confident that I will ever waste two hours of my life on this movie again. It was sssoooo boring!!
Unfortunately Matt Damon is in that We Bought A Zoo film so it looks as though his awesome days of Good Will Hunting, Saving Private Ryan and The Bourne Identity are sadly over…
Matt Damon – Please pick your films more carefully next time!
I AM ABOUT TO LIBERATE YOU WITH THE SOUND OF MUSIC!
Holy crapolahs peoples! Big Mama is back!! It’s got harmonicas, a beat and a strummin’ bass and it makes you want to get moving. The flat-footing days of the south have been preserved for our era… And I’m loving it!
I tell you what, if I could go back in time, I would go back to the days of this kind of music! So freakin’ awesome.
I love this Down Home Shake Down because of Big Mama’s voice in the background – it makes chills go down your spine.
If you want to feel like dancing, I strongly shove you in the direction to watch this:
You don’t have to thank me. Thank the Mama, Dr. Ross, Shakey Horton, John Lee Hooker and the other AMAZING musicians of this genre and time for making incredible, outstanding and really, really cool music.
Jodie.
Wow! So guess what I’ve been watching and totally thought it was extremely similar to a certain film series…
That’s right! After watching the Twilight Saga films which were written by Stephanie Meyer during 2005-2008 (which has created multi-millions in recent years) I realised that it is rather similar to the Roswell series which debuted in 1999 with the final episode airing in 2002.
Let me explain further. I am no “twi-hard”, nor am I a “twilight hater”. I do not enjoy the storyline, the actors or characters within the Twilight films. However, I do watch them because I enjoy the fantasy element and the behind the scenes of how the films were made – as I believe they are made rather well.
I have also enjoyed the Roswell series… Or at least the first series when the storyline is introduced. I have recently returned to the Roswell DVDs I own (post-Twilight) and the similarities are staggering.
Not only are both series set highschool, but their characters have a remarkable likeness. Bella and Liz are both smart, biology-loving, emotion-lacking highschoolers who stumble upon a ‘being’ previously thought to be fictional.
It was quite a shock after I watched Roswell and realised that Twilight is not such a unique idea after all…
For example:
Roswell’s protagonist: Elizabeth (Liz) Parker
Twilight’s protagonist: Isabella (Bella) Swan
Both brown hair brown eyed.
Both enjoy science.
Both meet their freaky boyfriends in BIOLOGY CLASS.
Bella (Kristen Stewart)Liz (Shiri Appleby)
Freaky alien boyfriend: Max Evans
Freaky vampire boyfriend: Edward Cullen
Both monotone, intense and emotionless.
Both have brown hair and brown eyes.
Edward (Robert Pattinson)Max (Jason Behr)
Max Evans has a blonde ‘sister’ named Isabel Evans
Edward Cullen has a blonde ‘sister’ named Rosalie Hale. Both have a chilly disposition against the protagonist. Both are sassy, strong and take care of their looks.
Rosalie Hale (Nikki Reed)Isabel Evans (Katherine Heigl)
Both have a family or clan of similar beings.
Vampire clan of teenagers Edward, Alice, Rosalie, Emmett and Jasper
Alien family of teenagers Max, Michael and Isabel
All of whom are not believed to be blood related and each have individual powers.
Twilight charactersRoswell characters
So, what am I saying? I am saying that there are similarities. I’m saying that a lot of money has been made out of something that is not wholly original. I’m not saying Twilight is bad. Just unoriginal. Which is a little disappointing considering the amount of money that has been made from it.
But will there be original work anymore? Really.
I mean Harry Potter is remarkably like Star Wars. I’m sure you can think of more.
But perhaps I’ll blog about that one another day.
Potter Wars
Is this worth getting worked up about? Or should we just enjoy it?
Just because you can’t be first at something, doesn’t mean you shouldn’t do it. Otherwise you’ll never do anything. (Wise words… Thanks Dad.)
So more and more films are either being made and released as 3D, or re-made in 3D… Is this a necessary evil to keep the industry on its feet? Or are they just doing it because they can?
I’m guessing it is just another money-making scheme.
I honestly enjoy 2D films better than 3D with very few exceptions. VERY few exceptions. In fact, I will name them for you right now:
I think both of these films benefit from 3D because they are animated, the genre is ‘fantasy’ and they are both set in ficticious lands. So the environment is more fantastical without pointless objects being thrown at you for no apparent reason.
Titanic – a step too far? I mean the fact that the sinking of the Titanic was an actual occurence where many died… So by making another, but in 3D, are the production companies simply taking advantage? Then again, thank God it’s not a sequal!!
Having said that, Titanic is a fantastic film that James Cameron did very well on. And it is essentially a love story that happened to be based during a tragic, historical happening…
I just don’t think 3D is needed for good films… (ie: Titanic) But, maybe that’s why. Bad films that would not sell originally, sell very well if they are in 3D. But, you’re paying more for it too. It’s like… $3 extra for watching a crap film that hurts your eyes while using glasses that dig into your face. It’s even worse if you wear prescription glasses.
It’s true. I am not a supporter of this fad. Man, I sure hope it is a fad. I can’t see it becoming a permanent way of watching films to be honest.
I don’t know anybody – who is not under 11 years-old – who actually prefers 3D so… Yeah… Film companies: make sure you keep the 3D films away from the PG rated films and over.
Directors: Chris and Paul Weitz Writer: Nick Hornby Released: 2002 Starring: Hugh Grant, Toni Collette, Rachel Weisz, Nicholas Hoult
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I am in no way a fan of Hugh Grant. He seems to only play one character and that character appears to be exactly what he is like in real life. Having said that…
He is in some pretty wicked films like Bridget Jones, Notting Hill, but the most impressive being this one: About A Boy.
It’s about Will Freeman (Hugh Grant) who has never needed to work and is a professional womanizer. The parallel story is about poor Marcus (Nicholas Hoult) and how he deals with his mother (Toni Collette) who is suffering from depression, all the while having a tough time at school.
Will thinks that having no family and friends is liberating until he meets the friendless Marcus who is looking for family.
It’s such a breath of fresh air because Hugh Grant keeps his typecast role of the ‘handsome’ Englishman yet it is intermingled with Toni Collette’s role as an incredibly sad and hopeless character.
Her voice is stronger than Aretha Franklin’s and her stage presence is as breath taking as… As somebody who has a lot of stage presence…
But this song will get you dancing and longing for the fifties!! As well as longing for a singing voice as strong as Big Mama’s… You just can’t sing along to this song unless your voice measures up to her’s. You just can’t.
I actually prefer the lyrics to this song than Elvis Presley’s because Big Mama doesn’t sing about catching rabbits… I never really got that line anyway…
After watching this scene (tango scene in Scent of a Woman) I wanted to take tango lessons! Yet, I don’t think it was the visuals, but the song that made me fall in love with the scene.
Por una Cabeza (“By a Head”) was written in 1935 by Carlos Gardel and Alfredo Le Pera. Originally with lyrics, it tells a story about a gambler who compares his love of women with his addiction of betting on race horses.
I think it’s the whining instruments that makes the piece sound like it’s yearning for something, like the song is telling a story of losing somebody… I don’t know. It’s awfully touching though!
This is the best version I have found, I think it’s the French accordion that completes it.
I hope you enjoy it just as much as I do!
You can read my review to Scent of a Woman here. Including the trailer.
Director: Martin Brest Writer: Based on Ibuio e il miele by Giovanni Arpino Released: 1992 Featuring: Al Pacino and Chris O’Donnell
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Getting this film in a “two for $20” sale I was cautious, particularly because the front cover showed a rather dated looking image and the title sounded a tad creepy. However, the name ‘Al Pacino’ gave me hope.
Scent of a Woman is an incredibly fascinating film to watch repeatedly because of the script, which is deep and meaningful to say the least.
Al Pacino’s character – referred frequently to as The Colonel – is a blind man who appears to be as mad as a dog at his first screen appearance. But he is such an interesting character I almost wish he were real. He is an experienced soldier and a wise man, who has a story or two to tell.
Chris O’Donnell’s character is Charlie who is hired as Colonel Slade’s aid for a thanksgiving weekend. He is dragged to New York with him, but learns a lot along the way.
There are a couple of incredibly memorable scenes. One is where Colonel does a very moving speech at Charlie’s school. I wrote all about it here. There are some brilliant quotes, and by the end you have total respect for this flawed character.
Colonel: There was a time I could see. And I have seen. Boys like these, younger than these. Their arms torn out, their legs ripped off. But there is nothing like the sight of an amputated spirit. There’s no prosthetic for that.
The other memorable scene is the tango scene. Colonel and Charlie are sitting in a restaurant when Colonel senses a woman sat by herself behind them and he asks her to dance the tango with him. It sounds creepy, but it’s actually beautiful.
Colonel: There are no mistakes in the tango. If you get all tangled up, you just tango on!
Scent of a Woman reminds me a lot of Driving Lessons(and many other films including The Intouchables and You’re Not You): Where an old person drags a young person somewhere. The young person doesn’t know jack about life, and learns a lot from the old, wise person. Then, the young person finds out that the old person has big secrets. So they help each other out. I’ve written about this in my post One Story, Six Movies.
Umm… So this is only the BEST SONG EVER COVERED BY THE BEATLES!
If you’re feeling down, put this record on and scream along to it. So friggin’ awesome.
Cool fact: You can totally hear John Lennon’s sore throat in this recording!! Apparently he struggled to sing throughout the entire recording of the album, Please, Please Me. Naw… Good ol’ Lennon…
Director: Jeremy Brock
Writer: Jeremy Brock
Released: 2006
Featuring: Julie Walters, Rupert Grint, Laura Linney
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Okay, so this film has been HUGELY underrated. Despite being aware that everybody has their right to their own opinion, I, as New Zealand’s official Freak of Film, would like to say:
YOU ARE ALL INCORRECT.
Driving Lessons is a slower-than-usual paced film with a script as philosophical as Forrest Gump, but with humour as dry as Napoleon Dynamite (in some parts).
It’s about a boy named Ben (the gorgeous Rupert Grint… He’s so cool… *sigh*) who is born into a devoted Christian family, which becomes an oppressive and controlled lifestyle that batters Ben down into an emotionally-absent teenager.
Until he meets Evie.
This film has my favourite actress, Julie Walters playing an eccentric elderly woman named Evie who has been “…married and divorced three times. Once to an actor, once to an English Lord and once to a Californian” and is far from the ‘saved’ friends Ben usually acquaints himself with.
She shows him the ropes of life – with the moral being more-or-less that you can learn about how the world should be and the theory of how life works, but you don’t know a thing until you LIVE it.
She has had such a colourful life and is so liberal, which influences Ben to shake the strong reliance his controlling mother (Laura Linney) has over him.
I LOVE Walter’s interpretation of Evie who is a filthy-mouthed but very warm woman who anybody would wish was their nan in real life!
Ben’s mother, Laura Marshall, was played incredibly well by Linney who showed the character to be an insecure and controlling woman who appears almost like a puppeteer behind the mask of a wholesome church-goer. Laura Linney does such a great job, you begin to dislike the character very quickly!
The religious undertone isn’t something that should put non-religious watchers off, as it is an approach that is refreshing and open-minded. The story does very well keeping a non-bias view of beliefs, that do not suffocate the plot with pre-set ideas.
I have got the soundtrack which I absolutely enjoy! However, a few more like Ben Fold’s song “Jesusland” would have been cool.
I can’t help wondering what a TOTALLY different film this would have been if the old woman was an old man and the young boy was a young girl. Even if the plot remained the same… Just found that peculiar…
This is a film that is deep enough to watch repeatedly, yet, light enough for a social viewing. The humour is fantastic and Rupert Grint shows his versatility. A must see!
Jodie’s rating: 8/10
Fave line:
“Evie, you’re in the middle of nowhere.”
“Then I shall cling to the edge of somewhere!”
Director: Edgar Wright Writers: Edgar Wright and Simon Pegg Released: April 2004 Starring: Simon Pegg, Kate Ashfield, Lucy Davis, Nick Frost, Dylan Moran, Bill Nighy, Penelope Wilton
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The best black comedy of all time.
I have a weakness for zombie apocalypse movies anyway. However, this film has taken every zombie cliche` in the book and ends up pointing fun at themselves, which is hilarious!
The creators called it a “Rom Zom Com” aka a “Romantic Zombie Comedy” and the “perfect date film” because it has a heart line of a romantic comedy that happens to be set in a time where zombies are attacking the world.
It starts out with Shaun (Simon Pegg) and Shaun’s girlfriend Lizz (Kate Ashfield) at a bar on yet another date at the Winchester Pub, as Lizz bickers about how they never do anything different. The shot slowly widens to show, Lizz’s friends David and Di (Dylan Moran and Lucy Davis) and Shaun’s foul-mouthed best friend, Ed (Nick Frost). Of course, what better to change the monotonous situation than have their lives bombarded with the living dead!?
That’s what I like about the Wright-Pegg-Frost trio. Their ideas are crazy!
Yet they always work.
These zombies are the classic, lazy walker-types where unless you got trapped or are a really slow walker, you would probably not get caught, unlike the kind that is on the TV series The Walking Dead where they run when they are desperate. But these zombies imitate the world we live in – we wake up, go to work, come home again, miserable. So it does have a bit of a wake-up call feeling to it.
Edgar Wright’s signature fast pans, quick cuts and cut always were present which definitely suited the shocking humour and gruesome occurrences.
Another of my favourite things about this film is the parallels between the start and the ending. Such as the trolley boy collecting stray trolleys in the car park of a shopping centre with little enthusiasm. By the end, the remaining zombies are trained and take over the chore in an equally unenthusiastic way… I don’t know. I just find it amusing…
This is the best black comedy because, unlike some others I’ve seen of the same genre *cough* Zombieland*cough*, the comedy element runs through the entire film, not just random crucial parts. Shaun of the Dead make fun of the terrifying situation at every turn.
This is a must-have item in every film-watcher’s collection.
Director: Jason Reitman Writer: Jason Reitman and Sheldon Turner (based on novel by Walter Kirn) Released: December 2009 Starring: George Clooney, Vera Farmiga, Anna Kendrick
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At face value, this may seem like just another shallow idea with a typical love story. But this is far from it.
It’s an incredible story that has a very serious undertone, indeed. It is actually documenting the effects of the start of the financial downfall that we are now experiencing globally.
The movie is not told from the perspective of an employee being let go and the inevitable family and financial problems that would accompany it, but from the point of view of the man that is hired by the boss to tell their employers they no longer have a job.
This is a song that a man named Kevin Renick wrote after losing his job. He sent it to Jason Reitman after hearing about the film and the song is played on the credits. Shows how real this film is, I think.
It’s a fantastic – yet heartbreaking – perspective, because we also see how technology is ruining human connection. For example, it is proposed that instead of Ryan Bingham (George Clooney) flying from city to city letting these people go face to face, that he could actually tell them online via a camera which would be more ‘efficient’, but obviously much less personal. This proposition doesn’t work for Bingham whatsoever. Let alone the people getting told they’re losing a job.
It’s a sad story of how people’s worlds collapse, how in many respects the odds are against us and that people can no longer rely on each other since it is predominately all about profit. It addresses how we have stopped being personal, only professional, and how a job can become somebody’s life. How it can be their only reliable thing.
Of course, being the director of Juno, Jason Reitman has created another fantastic comedy with very quirky lines. I love this kind of humour, particularly in the scene showed in the photo above.
Ryan: I’m not a shrink, Bob. I’m a wake-up call. You know why kids love athletes? Bob (JK Simmons): I don’t know. Cause they screw lingerie models? Ryan: No, that’s why we love athletes. Kids love athletes because they follow their dreams… Your resume` says that you minored in French culinary arts. Most students, they work on the fryer at KFC, but you bussed tables at Il Picador to support yourself. Then you get out of college and then you come and you work here. How much did they first pay you to give up on your dreams? Bob: 27 grand a year. Ryan: And when were you going to stop and come back and do what makes you happy? Bob: Good point.
My favourite part is when George Clooney’s character is deliberating which line to join for security screening in an airport:
This fantastic film is pretty much about all the different ways somebody can feel ‘up in the air’ with little substance and solidarity in their life.
It is a sad film if you look beyond its face value, with not much of a happy ending which I think is very appropriate since we are not quite out of the dark yet. However, it’s strong, underlying current of humour keeps us afloat and captured throughout the whole film.
Director: Gus Van Sant Writers: Ben Affleck and Matt Damon Released: December 1997 Starring: Matt Damon, Robin Williams, Ben Affleck and Minnie Driver
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This film is fantastic because it achieves thought provoking material without loosing the audience in a deep, meaningful and philosophical black hole. The film is able to do this by keeping the humour, which seems loyal to the culture that the story is based around.
Chuckie (Ben Affleck): You’re sitting on a winning lottery ticket, but too much of a pussy to cash it in
I love these kinds of films. The protagonist, Will (Matt Damon), at face value is a screwed up kid worthy of little sympathy. Yet, his mathematical intelligence is beyond compare, even though he refuses to acknowledge it. Through countless councillors, he finally finds somebody Sean (Robin Williams) who can do more than scratch the surface of his dark past.
Sean: [during a therapy session] You’re not perfect, sport, and let me save you the suspense: this girl you’ve met, she’s not perfect either. But the question is whether or not you’re perfect for each other.
The only way you could tell this film was made on a tighter budget was the repeated songs and the slightly over and under-exposed shots. However, depending on the experience and reputation of the director, this will either be classed as a ‘mistake’ or as ‘art’.
The movie is perfectly cast. Their performances are so totally real and credible that you become immune to the repetitive swearing, which stutters the overall flow of the film until you get to know the characters. I also have a new found respect for Affleck and Damon who wrote the script. Incredible.
This film will either leave you contented with life and excited about your prospects for the future, or, leave you feeling hopeless that you don’t have an obvious talent that could give you a secure future.
But for the most part, you will realise that the script is about how, despite society’s expectations and despite everybody having baggage and fears, everyone has a choice to start again, if only they have the courage to do so. Also, despite all of this we all have the same shot of achieving happiness.
A tremendous film that you can really read into. I thoroughly enjoyed the characters telling their stories too.
Director: Conor McPherson Writer: Neil Jordan Released: 2003 Starring: Michael Caine, Dylan Moran, Lena Headey, Michael Gambon, Miranda Richardson, Michael McElhatton, Abigail Iversen, Aisling O’Sullivan, Ben Miller, Simon Delaney, Alvaro Lucchesi
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The funniest movie I have seen in a very long time.
It’s intelligent-funny… Not happy-clappy, seen it before, recycled Hollywood shizz. With Dylan Moran playing the protagonist and the supporting act being Michael Caine, this concoction of pure awesome is sure to be a pleaser.
Surprisingly, this film is not well-known. But it is a film everybody would enjoy with its ironic plot line and an under-lying love story, which I am happy to say doesn’t take centre-stage regularly. Dylan Moran’s character, Thomas Quirk, is indeed a quirky guy who loosely calls himself an actor working in play with a fellow actor, Anthony O’Malley (Caine).
O’Malley soon hears about a scheme going down in the local bar where “a certain somebody owes money to another certain somebody, but they have never met”. He decides that Quirk does need to practice his acting skills and convinces Thomas to be the collecter whom the debtor has never met. Of course, how could something like that ever be as straight forward as it sounds!?
Dylan Moran’s disguises throughout this scheme are hilarious and you will be sure to be repeating and imitating the characters after! This script is so funny and its catch-phrases remind me of the film Juno.
Despite being an up-beat comedy, the camera work (particularly lighting) in many scenes are spot-on and very well done, so is the music. Now I really want to buy the soundtrack! The songs and compositions by Michael Nyman are spectacularly emotional and support the visuals very well.
It’s a film that merges the stage actors and improvisation actors which I thought was really clever and it gave the film a really unique twist.
I can’t believe the negative reviews I have found on this film… How? o.O I thought it was HILARIOUS and I watch it regularly.
Jodie’s rating: 8/10
I can’t find a trailer, so here’s a pretty funny scene where Dylan Moran is playing Thomas Quirk who is undercover as “Barreller”. Barreller accidentally gave the money to Quirk earlier on. Now, Quirk is pretending to be Barreller, confronting “Jock” who the money was supposed to go to… Ugh, don’t worry, it makes more sense in the film.
So I absolutely idolise Coldplay. Their albums are spectacular, their songs are well written and Chris Martin seems like a genuine guy with a great voice – especially live.
So when I got Mylo Xyloto, Coldplay’s latest album, I was expecting to find many hits that I would put on repeat for hours. But I felt they were pushing their usually faithful audience just a little too far.
It didn’t take long before I lost all confidence and enjoyment in the music by the time I reached the second song on the CD “Hurts Like Heaven” with lyrics sounding like they were being sung to pre-school children:
Written in graffiti on a bridge in a park
‘Do you ever get the feeling that you’re missing the mark?’
It’s so cold, it’s so cold
It’s so cold, it’s so cold
Written up in marker on a factory sign
‘I struggle with the feeling that my life isn’t mine’
It’s so cold, it’s so cold
It’s so cold, it’s so cold…
…Yes, I feel a little bit nervous,
Yes, I feel nervous and I cannot relax,
How come they’re out to get us?
How come they’re out when they don’t know the facts?
Cold, is it? These lyrics really did not fit with the tune which was disappointing when you compare their new shallow and electronic-sounding music to their older songs that are richer sounding and more emotional.
But I suppose if I’m honest, these kind of lyrics did begin on the previous album with the song Violet Hill:
It was a long and dark December,
One the roof tops I remember,
There was snow,
White snow…
Yeah… All joking aside, snow is typically white. If you need to fill in a line, maybe try something a little more adventurous.
The most famous song on the new album ‘Paradise’ was a good song until my Uncle pointed out that it sounds as if Chris is saying “Pair of Tights” not “Paradise”… Yeah, try getting those lyrics out of your head when you next listen to it. Also, despite the deep and meaningful nature of the lyrics not really being carried through with Chris Martin’s short notes, which didn’t quite fit the bill.
(Dreaming of a pair-of, pair-of, pair of tights)
With my favourite album being Parachute which I still listen to often, Mylo Xyloto (and to some extent Viva La Vida) was a gigantic flop which I hope this ground breaking band will be able to make a come-back from.
I have always loved Coldplay albums before I even hear the first single. But usually I’m not disappointed. Now I will not make that impulse purchase of their newest album with new fears that Coldplay is seeing how ridiculous they can make their music before their devoted fans realise.
I’m not turning into a music reviewer, but I did want to point out this massive flaw in this usually talented band, despite still being a huge fan of the band’s old music.
Verdict: Don’t waste your money, watch the parodies for free on YouTube.
Director: Michel Gondry Writers: Michel Gondry, Charlie Kaufman and Pierre Bismuth Released: March 2004 Starring: Jim Carrey, Kate Winslet, Kirsten Dunst, Mark Ruffalo, Elijah Wood, Tom Wilkinson
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My Valentine’s Day post. Why? Because of this line that Joel delivers in the film about Valentine’s Day:
Joel: Today is a holiday invented by greeting card companies to make people feel like crap.
Which I found amusing.
It’s still one of my favourite movies after multiple viewings. I discovered this film in English class at high school and (admittedly not actually getting it the first time I watched it) I have loved it ever since!
Believe you me, the people who said they got it after the first viewing were either lying or they read the plot on Wikipedia.
It explores the idea of erasing painful memories and the implications of this. Imagine being able to erase the memory of an embarrassing moment. More seriously, imagine being so distraught with losing a loved one that you choose to erase the memory of them ever existing.
Mary (Kirsten Dunst): Blessed are the forgetful, for they get the better even of their blunders.
But is erasing difficult memories enabling one to make the same mistakes again? Is never meeting a true love better than enduring the loss?
It follows two main characters Joel (Jim Carrey) and Clementine (Kate Winslet) whose difficult relationship leads them down the road of removing the memory of each other. They are polar opposite. It shows how two people can complete each other, but also how much they can clash.
Clementine: This is it, Joel. It’s going to be gone soon. Joel: I know. Clementine: What do we do? Joel: Enjoy it.
I love how the story explores relationships. How sometimes the things you love about someone becomes the very reason you fall out of love with them.
Joel: [on tape recording] And the whole thing with the hair – it’s all bullshit. Joel: I really like your hair. Clementine: Thank you.
(Cleverly, Clementine has ever-changing hair, which helps viewers keep track of the order of the plot, which jumps between past and present.)
The actors appear to be playing the opposite of the sort of characters they’ve been typecast to play. Winslet and Carrey both nail it though.
This film is thought provoking to say the least. Mind boggling too. But it’s ultimately about accepting that pain is part of growing, and loss is a part of life.
Joel: I can’t see anything that I don’t like about you. Clementine: But you will! But you will. You know, you will think of things. And I’ll get bored with you and feel trapped because that’s what happens with me. Joel: Okay. Clementine: [pauses] Okay.
It’s sort of like Inception meets The Matrix, but that’s just because it’s the exploration of a different perspective of life.
At the end of The Matrix we all asked ourselves ‘is this world virtual?’. At the end of Inception we all asked ourselves ‘am I in a dream?’.
At the end of Eternal Sunshine, you’ll ask yourselves ‘have I done this before?’.
You’ll be sure to pick up a few funny sayings and dwell over the small touches that you would never notice the first three times of watching this layered film.
Clementine: You’re not a stalker, or anything, right? Joel: I’m not a stalker. YOU’RE the one that talked to me, remember? Clementine: That is the oldest trick in the stalker book. Joel: Really? There’s a stalker book? Great, I gotta read that one.
This is an absolutely awesome film that will have you thinking for hours. I thoroughly enjoyed it as it is a fantastic break from the monotonous love stories out there. The technology used and tricks done on set by the camera and the actors is old school, but very cool.
Eternal Sunshine is a film that not everybody could relate to or fully appreciate. I think it is because this is not a spoon-fed love story Fedexed from Hollywood to a cinema near you!
Jodie’s rating: 8.5/10
This trailer really makes this film very light and fluffy… Which isn’t accurate.
I have recently re-discovered a song from the seventies.
This song is by a dude named Don McLean,
and the song is named American Pie.
“…Something touched me deep inside, The day the music died So bye, bye Miss American Pie Drove my Chevy to the levee but the levee was dry Them good ole boys were drinking whiskey in Rye Singin’ this’ll be the day that I die…”
This emotionally-charged blog is being written post-viewing of the film I recently reviewed named “The Boat That Rocked“, where rock and roll, as we knew it in the sixties, came to an abrupt end. When the music died.
It seems many of the most incredible talents die a premature death.
Buddy Holly
Anything from plane crashes such as Buddy Holly who was a great loss to music.
Along with two fellow stars as passengers, Ritchie Valens (who had boarded the plane as a result of winning a coin toss) and Jile Perry Richardson/The Big Popper in 1959. This crash inspired the writing of the song American Pie.
“…Everyday seems a little longer Every way love’s a little stronger Come what may Do you ever long for, true love from me Everyday it’s a-gettin’ closer Goin’ faster than a roller coaster…”
(“Everyday”)
“I don’t like that surfin’ shit. Rock and roll’s been going down hill ever since Buddy Holly died”- American Graffiti
Jimi Hendrix
There were also drug-related deaths, such as Jimi Hendrix in 1970. I think, due to his outstanding guitar skills, his unbelievable singing voice was not recognised quite as much as it should have been.
“…A broom is drearily sweeping Up the broken pieces of yesterday’s life… ‘Cause the life that lived is,
Is dead. And the wind screams Mary…” (“The Wind Cries Mary”)
“You see the thing that makes sense in this crazy world is Rock and Roll.” – The Boat That Rocked (deleted scene)
Elvis Presley
A heart attack got The King, Elvis Presley in 1977 who had the looks, style, talent and personality. I have three photos of him on my wall, even though I wasn’t alive when he was. That’s how influential he was.
“…Please don’t ask me what’s on my mind
I’m a little mixed up,
But I’m feelin’ fine.
When I’m near that girl that I love best
My heart beats so it scares me to death…” (“All Shook Up”)
Wolfman Jack
Wolfman Jack passed away in the arms of his wife, Lou, due to a heart attack in 1995. He was a legendary pop music radio host in the sixties and has appeared in films such as American Graffiti.
Somehow the Rock and Roll stars of our world don’t seem to last.
The Beatles
Sometimes the music dies because it’s simply not created any more. With the most heart-breaking tragedy occurring in 1970, when The Beatles split up.
“…Life is very short
and there’s no time, For fussing and fighting my friend, I have always thought that it’s a crime, So I will ask you once again Try to see it my way…” (“Try To See It My Way”)
By 1980, John Lennon is shot and in 2001 cancer takes George Harrison.
George HarrisonJohn LennonBob Marley
In 1981, the legendary Bob Marley also died of cancer. With his final words being “money can’t buy life”
“…Rise up this mornin’, Smiled with the risin’ sun, Three little birds Pitch by my doorstep Singin’ sweet songs Of melodies pure and true, Sayin’: “This is my message to you Singin’: “Don’t worry ’bout a thing, ‘Cause every little thing gonna be all right…” (“Three Little Birds”)
Michael Jackson
Despite not really being a fan, I can’t deny the incredible influence Michael Jackson has had on other musicians and, of course, his unmeasurable talent as a performer and musician. He died under suspicious circumstances in 2009. This death is a memorable one for me due to its recent occurrence (I was in maths class, and this shocking news put an end to that lesson… Which was the light in the darkness I guess).
“…It’s close to midnight Something evil’s lurkin’ in the dark Under the moonlight You see a sight that almost stops your heart You try to scream But terror takes the sound before you make it You start to freeze As horror looks you right between the eyes You’re paralyzed ‘Cause this is thriller…” (“Thriller”)
Whitney HoustonAmy Winehouse
Of course, this is just a pinch from the endless realm of musical talent that we know of today. Amy Winehouse (2010) and just yesterday, Whitney Houston are a couple of others that have checked-out much too soon. However, they have still influenced our popular culture and, more importantly, inspired future musicians.
We’ve had many sad days when “the music died”. American Pie is a song that represents the importance of our favourite music and artists. This song is for every time a star has fallen.
Give peace a chance, and keep listening to good music! Especially by the musicians I have mentioned – to keep them alive. They represent the better parts of music because they are talented – unlike many of the ridiculous acts the money-grabbing producers are finding today. Just because we have computers that can sing for these “posers”, doesn’t mean that’s what we should be doing. We need to inspire people today more than ever.
The death that has affected my iPod playlists the most, it’s the death of The Beatles. And with that, I will leave you with John Lennon‘s solo tune, Imagine. Which is about how it could be.
“All you need is love”. And when you feel bad, “take a sad song and make it better”.
Jodie.
Director: James Cameron
Writer: James Cameron Released: 2009 Starring: Sam Worthington, Zoe Saldana, Stephen Lang, Michelle Rodriguez, Sigourney Weaver
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When I watched this film in 3D, my review would have been very different to what this review of my second watch is. At first, I would have said that it’s a storyline we’ve seen before, that the characters were typical and that it was all about the technology.
However, this is not exactly what I think now.
Having seen the first hour of Avatar on TV recently, I was surprised at how much I enjoyed it compared to how I felt about it roughly two years earlier. After the adverts interrupting my good time a few too many times, I just had to get the DVD. Which I did. And here’s my verdict:
I thoroughly enjoyed this film, and I think it is mostly because it is very easy – too easy – to compare what happened to Pandora to what is happening everyday on Earth. At least in New Zealand, we’re struggling to prevent businesses fracking the rocks below the surface to collect gas/oil which has massive effects on the environment and the people living nearby.
James Cameron made this before there was the amount of struggle between the value of the environment versus the financial value of the environment, that there is today. So Avatar hit home pretty hard the more realistic the story became.
Beyond the deep and meaningful, the technological advances of this film are at a level that will take a long time for anybody to measure up to. It’s all motion capture – so that’s all green screens and dots – but you would never be able to tell that the actors have no Pandora environments to work with.
The designs of the people (Na’vi) and the intrepid creatures that roam the strange planet and how they all share a similar colour palette to show the interdependence between the environment and it’s inhabitants. With the main message being that it is all about balance.
It is a film of action, adventure, fantasy and science-fiction. It’s kind of like exploring Wonderland, but Wonderland from the future. So it’s not at all boring for a second. Which is why after buying the DVD (and finding it had no special features -_- not cool James, not cool) I had to go back out and buy the 3-disc version to get the ins and outs of the story.
It’s got everything that would make you wish that you were there. Riding on flying dragons, galloping through the jungle on six-legged horses, exploring a land rich in life and colour. Pandora is the land you’ll soon want to exist.
Because although it is a ridiculously long film (although it is actually a lot easier to handle than any of Peter Jacksons epically exhausting creations) I found there was still a lot I wanted to know about Pandora and the tribe of Na’vi. Plus, Jake Sully’s (Sam Worthington) back story is quite an eventful one.
I mean, come on, this is James Cameron we’re talking about. The writer and director of Titanic! So of course this is a film worth watching. In fact, I think Cameron should be famous for his writing more than his directing.
I think this film is one of very few that is very beneficial in 3D! The landscape designs look idyllic and the creatures are so intriguing. I am weary of the sequels, however, that are meant to be on its way…
So depending on what ‘filter’ you’re going to watch this film through, whether it’s from a political point of view, an environmental or religious point of view or, just watching it for plain entertainment, you will find something to take away from Avatar. It’s all about values, balance, the circle of life and appreciation.
2 February 2012:
NZFilmFreak’s one month anniversary!
ONE MONTH!
Thank you to all of the blog commenters, readers and viewers (in that order)! With 464 views I am excited by the growth in popularity and I hope it continues at an alarming rate!
I will continue to write my honest reviews of all of the positively terrible and fantastical films that I have watched and admire the talented writers and directors from around the world.
I will continue to write about many of my random thoughts.
And I will continue with my political rants and raves to help open your eyes to the issues in our world that need attention. Because that is the only way to solve our major problems – by recognising them, talking about them, blogging about them and most importantly doing something about them.
Thank you very much for your support and for fellow bloggers like Dead Homer Society and That Indian Dude (even though it appears it has been deleted, but still…) who have referred to my blog on their site.
Keep reading and commenting – it’s great to know people are reading.
Director: Andrew Niccol Writer: Andrew Niccol Released: 2011 Starring: Justin Timberlake, Amanda Seyfried
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I think this is going to be a short entry today. Because I’ve been mulling this film over and over in my head for a good few months since I watched it.
It’s a film about how in the future everybody would be paid in time. With a count-down timer on our arm (which would make a pretty cool tattoo) we have to use that time to pay for things we need such as bus rides and food.
This film does have some powerful points, such as the rich getting richer while the poor get poorer. It does make a stand how unfair it is that the few wealthy and powerful people in the world have total control over 99% of the planet’s population. It’s a film about greed which is parallel to real life.
Unfortunately, this become secondary to the romance, which dilutes the impact of the potentially strong and shocking political statement trying to be made.
Quite simply, this thought-provoking Matrix/Inception–like film could have been a decent action/thriller if it wasn’t for the following three things:
NUMBER 1: If the story line wasn’t so obviously and devoted to the old-age tale of Robin Hood. Stealing from the rich and giving to the poor. Justin Timberlake wasn’t a bad actor, but his character was too unrealistic. Will Salas (Justin Timberlake) was a worker with just enough income to survive, until a ‘rich’ man donates all of his time to him. Sales then gets into top security places and eventually steels most of the money to donate to the poor sections of the world which he continues to do until every body is equally rich.
Not very original, is it, if you replace the guns with bow and arrows and the city with a forrest.
NUMBER 2: This turned into a romance. Like, I would say that this film was not a “Mystery & Suspense, Science Fiction & Fantasy” (according to Rotten Tomatoes), but a Romance/Action. How the love interest (Amanda Seyfried) could run in those six-inch heels and still rob banks… I do not know.
NUMBER 3: It is quite simply too far-fetched. They should have stuck to developing the lifestyle and internal struggles of watching our life tick away from you. I think that would have been way more interesting…
I was pretty disappointed with this one, actually… But perhaps I was wanting to see a deep and meaningful movie when In Time was essentially a chick-flick disguised as a sci-fi/action in the trailer.
Director: Steven Spielberg Writer: Michael Morpurgo Released: 2011 Starring: Emily Watson, David Thewlis, Peter Mullan, Niels Arestrup, Jeremy Irvine
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Wow. What a spectacular disappointment.
So I went into the cinema with my tissues already to go, as I was expecting another epic Spielberg film that would be as shocking and as accurate as Saving Private Ryan and even more tragic and as touching as Black Beauty.
How I felt before War Horse – ready for a sad and heroic film
Me when the film began
Me when the film ended
I was forgiving at first:
“Okay, the colt is played by a filly… I can get over that…”
“Okay, the foal has different markings to the previous scene…”
But then we got to Albert training the horse, Joey. My suspension of disbelief was non-existent when it was implied that the horse was trained by being spoken to – in English no less.
I mean the farmer dude was saying “hey Joey. Stay… Stay… Stay…. Now come here!” and the horse would come trotting over when he said so… I mean with NO previous training – that’s not possible.
Believe you me, horses don’t learn things by being spoken at. (Although I couldn’t help but try it out on my horse Apache when I got home… He looked at me weird then turned and walked away.
Nor do horses learn by copying a human, such as when Albert wanted to put a harness on Joey. They obviously had two stunt horses; the first one threw his head around at the sight of the harness, but then Albert was all like; ‘come on Joey we need you to plough the field… See you just put your nose through like this’. Then the boy put his head through the harness to show the horse what he meant (smart guy).
Then, HEY PRESTO! The horse had learned, and the other stunt horse – who was trained to have a harness on – seamlessly took the previous horse’s place and they were ready to go to plough the field! Warm and fuzzies… But, I. Mean. Seriously.
I was almost sick in my mouth when Joey ‘taught’ his horse friend how to put a harness on… Because that’s what horses would really do.
Moving on from the horse, the human actors – to put it plainly – sucked ass. Some of the actors couldn’t quite hold their accents very well, such as Emilie (Celine Buckens) who was supposed to be a French girl yet she sounded English. (Hey I was right! I just checked Wikipedia and she is English.)
Some of the actors were very unbelievable, particularly on the battle fields, like when a soldier got shot in the leg, Albert helped him up and they both ran to safety… Ran to safety… Running.
I didn’t shed a tear or feel upset AT ALL during this movie, except, perhaps, when it finished because I felt so disappointed.
I was expecting epic music like Danny Elfman’s in Black Beauty which makes you cry just listening to it. I was expecting fewer stereotypical scenes and more realistic reactions from horses. But they gave the animals human emotions… and the ability to understand English…
I think that’s what made this film go completely topsy-turvey. It was a horrific and graphic story that was seriously sugar-coated. I believe it was aimed at the younger audiences who have recently been weened off Disney films.
Steven, it could have been A-MA-ZING if it was historically accurate!
There were two scenes, however, that had the potential to be memorable scenes if they didn’t try to shelter the audience so much. One was when two German soldiers were shot because they tried to escape the fight on horseback. But the windmill blocked your vision and the extreme wide shot added zero emotion to it.
The other scene was when the English soldier surrendered to walk onto the battlefield to rescue ‘Joey’ from barbed wire and the German enemy came to help. Now this scene would have been so meaningful if it wasn’t for them being too casual with each other. It was pretty much the sort of conversation two old highschool bullies would have had if they met each other forty years later in a department store.
Really?? This is war! Not something to be made light heartedly. Spielberg should know that – he made the most accurate WW2 movie in Hollywood’s history.
I expected Saving Private Ryan/Schindler’s List mixed with Black Beauty... Not Babe mixed with a film that should have gone straight to DVD…
Jodie’s regretful and disappointing rating of: 3/10
Awwwww but the trailer looks so goooooood!! :( Especially the part where the horses are in the girl’s room. (But when you watch the film you see that to get to Emilie’s room, the horses would have had to climb up a staircase that looked like a ladder…)
We covered “adult” or R Rated cartoons briefly in my Media Studies class last year, but it has been brought to my attention once again.
I was watching the seventh season of Family Guy – thanks to my brother’s loyal collection of the TV series – and after watching a good few hours worth of episodes, I reached the final disc: “the making of the 100th episode” where Seth MacFarlane (creator of Family Guy) interviews people who have recently watched an episode of Family Guy for the first time and hated it.
Of course, they didn’t know that the person who they were complaining to was the creator, and divulged they were appalled that a cartoon could be so offensive to almost every community.
One of the questions asked by MacFarlane was “would you let your kids watch Family Guy?” and everybody who was asked said absolutely not.
But that got me thinking. Despite being a TV series based on fictitious characters, which are not played by ‘real’ actors in the flesh, it is still a very violent and graphic series. So, of course you wouldn’t let somebody, say, under 15 or 16 years old watch it. It’s not like it’s actually aimed at that age group…
A cartoon of this rating is no better than a gory horror, yet parents appear to be more outraged that a cartoon such as Family Guy, South Park or American Dad! can be aired rather than something like… Scream (which was on TV not long ago).
Comedy is typically about somebody taking the mickey out of a minority group, something that’s different or a stereotype. Family Guy picks on all of the above and more. I can understand if something may appear offensive but I’m wondering if we’re just being too “PC” and thin-skinned about most things… Of course I could say what all Family Guy fans would say; “if you don’t like it, don’t watch it”.
But I think it ought to be addressed that they pick on women, the typical white American male, typical American lifestyle, African-American people, English people, homosexual people… and so on.
But yeah, if you feel hurt or offended by a stereotypical portrayal of a group or community you belong to or that you feel strongly about, you probably shouldn’t watch it. However, I think it’s good to make fun of yourself and not take it so seriously sometimes. As Macfarlane put it; “”Family Guy likes to hold a mirror up to society and say, ‘Society, you’re ugly.'” and sometimes you may not like what you see!
As I was doing the vacuuming just now, I was thinking about why I like Family Guy‘s humour, and I concluded that I like how it is smart and shocking. I mean, Family Guy is the only cartoon I’ve seen that includes scenes from war and major events that have shaped society for the worse and turned it on its head to make it… well, funny. That sounds so mean saying that… But that’s what sets the series apart; they go where no other cartoon has gone. And they’ve paid for it – being cancelled twice!
They parody songs, popular sayings, celebrities and other cartoons (such as The Simpsons… And how it’s not been funny since you were 13 – sad but true).
They say what you’ve always thought, but were too polite (or conservative) to say. They use the timing of gags and jokes to their absolute advantage until the only reason something is funny is because of how long the scene has been going on for.
I think we should lighten up. Really. And if you don’t like it, don’t watch it because it’s not hurting anybody. It’s not like factory farming where farmers can say; “if you don’t agree with how the animals are raised, don’t buy it” because although you would be boycotting the company, the animals would continue to be living barbaric conditions.
What I’m saying is, that Family Guy is not a practice that inflicts torture on others for an individual’s gain or does anything similarly evil to others.
I don’t believe violent video games or cartoons make innocent people murderers or that they give anybody ideas to copy what a character did. So, no I really don’t think Family Guy is damaging our society and doesn’t set out to offend people. I think it’s a really smart cartoon made by extremely talented people who look like they have so much fun!
It’s about Will Freeman (Hugh Grant) who has never needed to work and is a professional womanizer. The parallel story is about poor Marcus (Nicholas Hoult) and how he deals with his mother (Toni Collette) who is suffering from depression, all the while having a tough time at school.
NZ Film Freak 