Director: Michael Mann
Writer: Michael Mann, Ronan Bennett and Ann Biderman
Released: 2009
Starring: Johnny Depp, Christian Bale, Marion Cotillard, Billy Crudup, Stephen Dorff, Stephen Lang
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After reading the blurb on the back of the $9.99 DVD I was preparing myself for a mind-numbing 143 minutes of car chases and gunfire. With such an instant dislike you may wonder why I bothered rescuing this film from the bargain bin. Well, I put my faith in Johnny Depp’s reputation of being in the best of films.
Three words; Way. Friggin’. Cool. The car chases were not boring (possibly for the simple reason that the 1930s cars are wicked!) and the gun fire had consequences. i.e. it wasn’t random gunfire for the most part – some bullets did actually collide with people or surroundings, which is always a bonus.
Public Enemies is a true account of John Dillinger’s (Depp) bank robberies, successes and being on the constant run from the cops during the depression of 1933-34. Despite it being rather difficult to distinguish many of the male characters during the dimmer scenes due to their very similar wardrobe, the characters were pretty well rounded and before you knew it, you were rooting for the ‘baddies’. You know the writers and film makers have done their job when you end up supporting the murdering protagonists. It’s like Dillinger is perceived as a superhero villain/rock star… He’s the dark superstar of the 1930s.
This action thriller is fantastic because it did happen which makes all of the gasping and gob-smacking moments even more appropriate. However, after doing about ten-minutes worth of research after watching the film, I realised that they embellished the love-interest and missed out the hugest mystery of all; the question mark over Dillinger’s death!
Apparently there was a look alike named Jimmy Lawrence who was a petty thief who became Dillinger’s alias in Chicago, and because John Dillinger burned his fingers with acid to remove his fingerprints, the post-mortem was inconclusive despite the FBI closing the case – possibly to save any more embarrassment in relation to the long chase. I think they should have included that, and laid off on the love interest of Billie Frechette (Marion Cotillard) a tad.
The filming and lighting was FANTASTIC! It was mostly hand-held with slow motion shots that made chills go down your spine and incredible shadows which created the entire mood.
“What keeps you up at night?”
“Coffee”
Jodie’s rating: 7.5/10
I was skeptical at first as it seemed like a silly and random storyline. However, after watching it from start to finish I found that the humour was similar to that of Megamind (one of my favourite animations) and the fantasy element like the 2009 animation Coraline.
It was a simple storyline, however. Despite me trying to look deeper – perhaps it’s a stab at genetic modification or corporations wanting to rule the world or global warming – I found it lacked substance. Plus, the ‘absolute low’ in this film lasted as long as a blink. Not very much suspense at all. Perhaps it really was just a film with a tired moral of “not giving up on your dreams”… *sigh*
It’s an easy-to watch film which is pretty funny (not as funny as 
Also, the part where Harry dies and goes to a heaven-like state did not quite sit quite right with me either. Or perhaps I’m just not into the sappy, sentimental shenanigans…. However, I am not disappointed. Because it is the second of two parts; not an isolated film.
Helena Bonham-Carter’s performance made it exponentially awesome – as per usual – playing Bellatrix who is a manically dangerous but feminine killer. So cool. This film is just as dark as the previous, but more of an action than a mystery with the equally fantastic cast and crew who have created another whopper. Technically incredible, of course.
Particularly within the first chapter where everybody who’s helping to protect Harry takes Polyjuice potion enabling everyone in the room to look identical to Harry – a very clever and interesting behind-the-scenes piece regarding how they did this scene on the double disc version.
I’m still not convinced about the unorthodox chemistry between Harry and Ron’s sister, Ginny. No matter how many movies, it just doesn’t work for me… However, Ron and Hermione have a more realistic relationship including somewhat hilarious disagreements.
Deathly Hallows has spectacular audio and music as well as flawlessly creepy flashbacks. My favourite scene is when Hermione tells the story of the Deathly Hallows and the relevance of the Elder Wand, Resurrection Stone and Invisibility Cloak. It is so cool – like you’re in the room listening to
it, it’s the atmosphere of the film that makes it so real.
Director: Robert Zemeckis
“Roads? Where we’re going, we don’t need roads….” We go to the future with Marty (Micheal J. Fox), Doc (Christopher Lloyd) and Marty’s girlfriend Jennifer (Elizabeth Shue) because Doc is concerned that their son will be framed by the grandson of Biff (Thomas F. Wilson), Marty’s high school bully.
This dark film exposes the full extent of the dangers of time travel as Marty finds his father’s grave and his mother married to Biff in the alternate 1985. There’s a lot of gun action and accurately predicts the rise of corporations ruling the world (Biff’s company owning the police force) and everybody’s infatuation with money. It’s a massive flip-side to the innocent times of the previous film which is unexpected.
As we are trapped in the fifties, we see the repetitive nature of the McFlys and how each generation get bullied by the same family of Marty’s bully as well as the lack of self-confidence carried from father to son in the McFly family. This structured life brings out the irony and humour of the story.
So while he is stuck in the fifties he finds the Doc from that era to help try find another fuel to get the usually nuclear-run time machine back to the eighties! All at the same time, trying to get his future parents to meet and fall in love whilst trying to get back to the future! It’s such an exciting and fun film which looks very well made for its time.
The King’s Speech is the account of King George VI, who is forced to overcome his debilitating speech impediment to reach his full potential as a strong ruler which he becomes by default due to his Father’s death, King George V (Sir Michael John Gambon) and the resignation of his brother, King Edward VIII (Guy Pearce). Despite the premise of this film sounding as if it may become a repetitive and stationary story of pure frustration and despair, The King’s Speech was actually an incredible journey of expectation, victory and unity.
After countless ‘royalty approved’ doctors, they were about to give up when Queen Elizabeth (Helena Bonham Carter) found Lionel Logue (Geoffrey Rush). This begins the strong friendship created between the King and his unlikely acquaintance as well as the trust that has to be built between patient and doctor. The humourous, innovative methods and remarkable outcomes of the pair are inspirational and uplifting.
The cast for this movie was not short of perfect. Colin Firth is the protagonist who became the stuttering King George VI convincingly. He shows that he is a versatile actor who is capable of mastering any genre – from Bridget Jones’ Diary to The King’s Speech.
Tom Hooper shows himself to be quite a genius director. The composition of each shot supports the feelings of the King. With the claustrophobic feel of the environment when he is unable to communicate what he needs to say as well as the unsupportive feel of large and empty rooms. Warm and quality lighting creates the atmosphere of being in the presence of Royalty, contrasting the cold, dim, dark glow of the London streets.
This is wonderfully layered film which allows viewers to look into it as deep as they like. Therefore, the second and third viewing is as enjoyable as the first. The King’s Speech is a fantastically made film with every shot perfectly composed and every scene well constructed – this really is a motion picture suitable for anybody old enough to appreciate it.
The cast were fantastic and the post production techniques are impressive and live up to today’s high film expectations, especially since the release of 
With a stream of shallow chick flicks and rom-coms, Inception was a breath of fresh air for those who enjoy a bit of an “epic”.
NZ Film Freak 