Movie: The Hunger Games

 

I’d vaguely heard about the books, just vaguely. In that I heard there were books.

So I’ve not been eagerly awaiting this film like much of the world seems to have. By the way, does the author get paid more if the film does super-well?

I only go as there’s nothing else I particularly want to watch and what started grimly actually has some humour so I’m pleasantly surprised after about 20 minutes. At first it felt like I was watching in monochrome and then someone remembered to switch on the colour. The story is of a future America, led by the president (Donald Sutherland) although it is not explained how the country got into a state in that the rich were rich and the poor were given jobs to do depending on what ‘district’ they lived in and they still had to hunt for food, starving. There’s clearly been some sort of unexplained war and/or rebellion/uprising.

We the audience are rooting for the two people, male and female, who are randomly selected from District 12 to fight in the Hunger Games, the annual national contest where everyone kills each other and there is only one victor. Thank heavens for Woody Harrelson who plays the good time mentor to District 12; having been a victor himself, he is now one of the privileged rich. The star of the show is a very camped up Stanley Tucci, playing the Hunger Games TV host, now on my very short list of actors that make any film watchable.

It’s better than I thought and had me gripped for about 70% of the film but I’m not in a rush to a. read the books or b. see the next one

7/10

Smile factor 5/10 – Just Stanley Tucci and Woody Harrellson

Movie – The Fairy (La Fee)

Another film I may never have seen if it wasn’t for Flatpack Festival and it provided another excuse to visit the always quaint Electric cinema.

An excuse because, my Regular Reader will know, I’m a fully paid up member of Cineworld Unlimited card so it’s pointless paying £7 for a ticket at the Electric when I already pay for unlimited films but a film like this rarely shown at the mainstream cinema. And somehow more befitting in the oldest working cinema in the country.

In this film from Belgium/France, the fairy in question, Fiona turns up at a hotel to grant Dom, the hapless employee three wishes. Before he realises he’s falling for her, she’s in a mental institution and the hunt is on to find her and break her free.

Hence they are always on the run from the authorities, with their hearts in the right places and the humour continues.

There isn’t much dialogue, which saves me reading the sub titles, but this is a delightful, modern slap-stick comedy. Not one of my favourite genres and indeed they did go very over the top during a baby left on the car bonnet scene towards the end but nonetheless, a lovely watch.

7½/10 

Smile factor 7½/10

The Electric Cinema

Movie – Blank City

Just by chance I heard about this documentary film and by even more remote chance, it was part of Birmingham’s FlatPack film festival.

The reason for my interest in Blank City is because it details Lower East Side, New York in the late 1970s, into the 1980s where seemingly everyone made films. Not being a film geek, I recognised very few film makers but it was great to see people like Deborah Harry being interviewed alongside all these film clips made by people literally on the street or in squats.

The neighbourhood then, particularly Alphabet City way out to the East Side – a place I only ventured to a few years ago after many years of visiting the city – was an absolute no-go area. As is documented, residents feared for their life every day walking back and forth but on the plus side they didn’t have any belongings or money so thieves knew there was nothing to be stolen. It was more of a narcotics thing and as well as the drugs scene, Aids came to be around this time so there is talk of lost lives.

Really, it’s amazing to see people survive as so little was known in the very early eighties.

I loved this film from the popular culture angle but film makers and geeks – and indeed photographers will enjoy the artistic element.

7½/10

Smile factor 8½/10

Movie – The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel

This is another film that if you blink, you’ll miss it at your friendly, local, picture house.

One would think any film with Judi Dench in it is a) good and b) a hot ticket (although her being in it will not get me to see a Bond film, wild horses wouldn’t drag me, etc etc).

The film has a full array of Brit actors in their prime, all of which I feel the next generation or two can learn from.

The run-down ironically named Best Exotic Marigold Hotel is in desperate need of guests and advertises itself as a place for the ’retired and the beautiful.’ A group of disillusioned British strangers head over hoping to find meaning in what’s left of their life and partake in new adventures and inevitably make friends – or enemies. So far, the person with the funniest lines is Muriel (Maggie Smith), who is only going over in the short term to jump the NHS queue for a hip replacement and is gloriously an ignorant racist. It doesn’t take many marbles to work out she will be won over by India before the end of the film.

All the characters are in search of something but it’s only the judge, Graham (Tom Wilkinson) who knows what; his lost love of some 40 years ago, his first boyfriend.

The young – and possibly the most enthusiastic hotelier in the world – has his own woes with a domineering mother putting him under pressure to sell the loss-making, hotel left to the family by the father.

I love how the stories gently unfold and how the group started bonding and unlike some comments from Indian people I have seen, I think India is portrayed pretty well – remembering this is fiction! Of course a real hotel where even the phones didn’t work and there was layer of dust on unused furniture will not present itself open for business in a country known for its warm hospitality!

7½/10

Smile factor 9½/10

 

Movie – Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close

A Tom Hanks film that I nearly missed; I say a Tom Hanks film but as we know from the trailers, he is dead in the movie and so appears infrequently. In fact, annoyingly, the main character that’s in every scene is young Thomas Horn who plays Oscar, the bereaved son of the Hank’s character who perishes in the World Trade Centre on September 11^th.

This is the first ‘footage’ I have seen of those events; I couldn’t even bring myself to watch on the day or since, nor have I been to the site since. However, the film isn’t about 9/11 but about a young boy coping after the early and cruel death of his beloved father. I though given that he is on his own they’d be a lot of support from his mother, played by the excellent Sandra Bullock but sadly she has even less of a role than Hanks.

Instead the film focuses on Oscar’s hunt to find out where a key he found by accident in his perfect father’s closet may lead. This would be a great story if this was a fantasy adventure but it’s set in early present day New York so a non-story to start. Whether Oscar’s self-harming and (extremely) annoying (loud) nature is due to the passing away is not clear, nor is why a mother would let her child out alone all over the city on subways, busses and walking whilst he looked to interrogate everyone with the surname ‘Black’ the name found on the keys’ envelope.

The emotional wrench that I felt from the trailers is delivered through a key point made throughout the film of Oscar hearing his Dad’s phone messages as the situation deteriorated in WTC. The most poignant though is of his mother having her last telephone conversation with him as she looks out in absolute horror at the building crumpling in front of her across the city skyline.

I know this is based on a book (which everyone suddenly seems to be reading without knowing the film had been released) but what I expected more of is a relationship (however) tense portrayed between the son and the widower. Instead the highlight is Oscar befriending his Grandma’s ‘lodger’ from across the street. That and the fact that a lot of the action is based around the Upper West where I used to live.

7/10

Smile factor 5/10

Movie – The Muppets

Confession time; I have never seen anything of the Muppets. I think I felt I was too old for it first time round but now seems the perfect age to enjoy it and in any case, I still recognise many of the characters, not just Kermit and Miss Piggy.

I joined many other first time viewers at the cinema last Friday evening, admittedly the rest of them were under 3 ft high but we all loved it. What I admire about modern day children’s films are the copious adult in-jokes that only we can appreciate and yet they take none of the joy away from the kids.

The story line is of a lone Muppet, Walter, who visits the  old Muppets LA studio only to find it’s about to be destroyed in the name of the almighty dollar by a wealthy businessman. He sets about trying to prevent this, with the help of his (human) best friend along with his unwitting girlfriend, who have travelled to LA for their 10^th anniversary. She hopes this means a proposal but the ‘men’ set out looking for the mansion inhabiting Kermit to persuade him to put on a fundraising television show and save the studio from evil tycoon.

Kermit has to reunite the gang including Miss Piggy, now an editor at French Vogue, Fozzie who performs in a tribute group, the Moopets, Gonzo who now runs a successful company and best of all Animal from an anger management re-hab unit that includes Jack Black which means he is restrained from playing his beloved drums. (Who does that remind me off…..?)

The cast break into song fairly often; when Mary feels let down by her potential fiancé Gary who is busy looking out for his little Muppet brother, Walter, when Miss Piggy and Kermit reminisce about their old romance and .. well pretty much at every opportunity.

The movie leaves me wishing I could travel by map (as in when they show a line moving across a map in movies to denote travel) and the ditty ‘Man or Muppet’ is already stuck in my head, partly due to Chris Evans playing it on Radio Two.

I’m going to have to score it highly since it kept me awake at the end of an extremely tiring and sleep deprived day.

8/10
Smile factor 10/10

Movie – The Descendants

I’ve come a long way since avoiding George Clooney films. It all started with seeing ‘Michael Clayton’ on my birthday in San Francisco as there was nothing else I wanted to watch and I’ve enjoyed ‘The Men Who Stare at Goats’ since. I don’t care for ‘Up in the Air’ though. And I still draw the line at Mr Pitts’ films.

The story is of man coping with his wife in a coma after a boating accident. Matt King (Clooney) lives a relatively charmed life in Hawaii as a lawyer with a considerable heritance in the way of land owned through generations of his family for which he is the trustee. The accident happens whilst going through negotiations to sell the land and as King finds himself ’getting to know his daughters again.’

So far it’s a Hollywood cliché but for once, annoying rich brats become likeable quite quickly. After dragging the older daughter home from her expensive school, she reveals her mother’s affair to King and of course the tone of the film changes. The marriage clearly wasn’t a strong one but I’m glad he hated (a strong word, I know) his wife for her betrayal, despite the fact that she is being kept alive by machines.

The film moves along well with the flurry of stories; finding out more about the wife’s lover (what’s the male word for ‘mistress’? Is there one?), negotiating for the sale of land, mending the family and of course dealing with a potential bereavement. There are plenty of family characters to keep us interested and despite the sadness, the film has humour throughout.

The Oscar fuss over this one hasn’t hyped it up unduly although I don’t think its Oscar material myself, but then as has been proven time and time again on these pages, what do I know about film?

I’m not sure whether to give it a 7.5 or 8.

7½/10 (TBC)

Smile factor 8½/10

Highest grossing films of 2011

This is interesting; clearly I’m not your average film goer as I’ve only seen one of these! And I only saw that because nothing else was on. Review here

1	Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – Part 2
2	Transformers: Dark of the Moon
3	Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides
4	The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn – Part 1
5	Kung Fu Panda 2
6	Fast Five
7	Mission: Impossible – Ghost Protocol
8	The Hangover Part II
9	The Smurfs
10	Cars 2

Read the full article here

Films of 2011

I’ve leant after years of being a Cineworld ‘Unlimited’ card holder that I’m generally in the minority with my taste in films. I mark the film purely on my cinematic experience rather than story, direction, photography, actors, script, soundtrack – actually no, soundtrack I do take into consideration. Therefore, a story can be mediocre but made up for in action or comedy.

I’ve seen 40 films (that I’ve remembered to write about) and marked all of them out of 10 throughout the year so this is just the top five looking back on those scores.

1. Movie – The Help

2. Movie – Larry Crowne

3. Movie – The Rise of the Planet of the Apes

Plus in no particular order

Movie – Fair Game

Movie: The Kings Speech

Movie – Lincoln Lawyer

Movie – Captain America:The First Avenger

2012 has started well so I hope it continues to do so and it’s not just the Oscar rush!

Movie – War Horse

I’m not as fond of animals as most but I love this film. It starts with the story of young Albert, the son of a hard on his luck Devon farmer who buys a young thoroughbred horse at an auction instead of plough horse that he desperately needed, mostly to spite his wealthy landlord that is also bidding.

The film traces where the horse, Joey, goes so it’s a long film. Firstly, Albert is determined to train the horse to plough the fields to prevent the family losing their farm/livelihood. In the next instance to war as a Captain’s ride, mainly as a rainstorm ruins the field and the horse has to be sold to pay off debts to the landlord.

Joey goes through many escapades that have me gripping my seat and occasionally reaching for a tissue especially the hard ship endured when he gets taken over by German command after a brutal battle but there are also touching scenes of a young French girl befriending him and his new pal, another horse he trained with for military manoeuvres.

Finally the story moves forward to an age when Albert can enlist and so I’m at the edge of my seat again to see when (surely it’s only a matter of time) the two are re-united.

It may have standard film clichés to tug at every heart string you possess but it’s a great watch, indeed, for all the family.

8/10

Smile factor 8/10

Movie – W.E.

W.E as in Wallis & Edward. After being wowed with the King’s Speech a year ago, this felt like the next instalment about one of Britain’s most famous and fascinating stories. It’s interesting that the Kings Speech, which is about Edwards’ brother who succeeded him to the throne after his abdication had an immediate Oscar buzz whereas this, this about the actual events that lead to that, told from the view point of Wallis Simpson, has of course, had none.

Another twist to this film is that there is second modern day story running through, of Walli, a New York housewife who is named after and obsessed with Mrs S to the point of visiting the Sotheby’s auction house daily when the former royal couple’s goods are finally for sale. Walli is (for some reason) married to a successful, abusive, philandering doctor who insists on her not working in the auction house but now refuses to have the child she is desperate for.

The film easily moves between the stories, one set in a 30s British royal household and the other in a well to do modern Manhattan  apartment and picks up on synergy between the two women; they are both child free yet broody and both abused by their first husbands. The gruesome beatings are incredibly hard to watch; I had to cover my eyes and we learn much later that Mrs S cannot bear children due to the abuse during her first marriage that meant losing an unborn child.

There are lots of chronicles running through; including, what I feel is the lesser story of the friendship that Walli strikes up with a Sotheby’s security guard when her marriage is crumbling. The one liners that come from Mrs S throughout are divine but it’s only towards the end that we really delve into her feelings about what she has lost in order to spend the rest of her life with Edward, much of it in exile.

Beautifully told and shot, the film has me gripped throughout and is utterly watchable.

8½/10 

Smile factor 910

I really must add a little thing about film critics – or rather those people who decide to see a film based purely on what one person has said about it. Someone – or hundreds of people have put their blood, sweat and tears – not to mention money – in making it. If you like the idea of the film, I suggest you go and make your own mind up rather than letting anyone influence your decision.

Movie – The Iron Lady

The hype is guaranteed to be huge when you take into account the subject matter, the star and the many gags about it being the follow up to The Iron Man.

It’s time to get up! It’s time go to work! It’s time to put the great, back into Great Britain!

I’m not sure why people haven’t enjoyed this film – I loved it. It’s everything I would hope and more. The subject matter is Margaret Thatcher but this isn’t a political film as such, although of course if you’re featuring one of Britain’s most successful Prime Minister’s, politics is going to feature.

I for one was not a fan of Mrs T in her day but having watched this, I realise this was probably peer pressure as I was too immature to form my own opinion during her early years. Now, politics aside, I see what a phenomenal woman she is.

Meryl Streep turned on the Oscar-worthy performance as the film depicts the story through Lady T’s matured eyes looking back on memories. As such, her thoughts dart about and I believe this has been the films’ biggest criticism. As always, I have no need to read reviews so this is just what I have heard via Twitter and indeed the people I saw the film with.

The pearls are absolutely non-negotiable

The most impact is felt when scenes of how Lady T broke the mould in what was – as much as I detest this phrase – a man’s world; her first time walking into parliament, the above quote when her advisors ask her to lose the hats and basically tone down her femininity, the young Margaret being mesmerised by her grocer father giving a speech, first fighting to be elected and then there are some gorgeous scenes of her talking to her dead husband, Dennis, played exactly as you would expect by Jim Broadbent, although the film probably draws on that a little too much.

I dislike too much ‘positive discrimination’ in the job market but it really does help if the country is being run by an equal amount of men and women and although we are far away from that, I’m pretty sure Maggie opened the doors.

The supporting cast are, in equal parts, excellent and amusing (Richard E Grant as Michael Heseltine). The film isn’t in chronological order and nor does it cover all of the many news worthy moments in her reign, but it sure depicts the woman behind the politician. I cringed at Phyllida Lloyd’s directorial attempt of Mama Mia, where she manages to make one of my all time favourite bands/theatrical moments, Mama Mia, dismal but here I have my money’s worth.

8½/10

Smile factor 9/10 In the minority

Movie – The Artist

The most amusing quote I’ve heard about this film, ‘they don’t make them like that anymore. Well no, we’ve had sound on films for some years now. This is, as many have commentated, a delightful film, full of humour whilst dealing with the more serious issue of redundant actors making way for the new breed once talkies came along.

It portrays the silent movie era exactly as I imagine; a bustling film industry full of wannabees, the small minority of which will move over from and ‘extra’ to ‘star.’ It’s on glamour overload but then I wasn’t expecting anyone to be wearing jeans & trainers (heavens!) and although I fell asleep for a few minutes in the opening sequences, it’s just because there is no talking and the music is so relaxing! After that, I’m gripped right up to the fairly obvious but still great ending.

It has lashings of charm, a helping of romance, a touch of drama and even a song a dance routine for our pleasure; what’s not to like?

I would have liked to see a new silent film set in more modern times rather than in the 1930s and I’m not sure if the makers can sustain another one but I’d give it watch if they do.

7½/10

Smile factor 9/10

 

Movie – Mission: Impossible – Ghost Protocol

I’ve never seen any of the three MI movies, or James Bond or the Bourne series for that matter – although I’ve caught bits of the latter on TV. I’m not a huge fan of the Cruise and yet the Last Samurai is one of my favourite films, so here goes.

It’s a standard albeit enjoyable flick with the usual spy-gadgets, impossibly glamorous spies in fast cars but with a few ridiculously dangerous stunts. The typical storyline is something like (I forget already) Ethan Hunt and his team are after a terrorist who has the codes for Russian (don’t they get fed up of always having to be the terrorists?) nuclear bombs but their first attempt ends in the Kremlin being blown up. Now the department that our hero worked for has closed so any missions ‘should he choose to accept’ are now dark, i.e. Ghost Protocol.

Cruise is supported by Jeremy Renner (who even I have heard of via the Hurt Locker) and Simon ‘boy done good’ Pegg. The stunts lived up to the hype and there are plenty of sequences to keep my brain from wondering although why anyone would choose to jump of the world’s tallest building is beyond me.

In all, an enjoyable but forgettable boys-with-their-toys film. Bring on 24; the Movie.

7½/10

Smile factor 8/10

Movie – Shame

I’m pleased I’m actually free to see this bloggers preview as generally there’s little notice and I’m already booked up. However, seeing as it’s a preview for bloggers to review, with less than a dozen people in the room, I wasn’t able to take occasional notes either using my phone or the torch pen I have especially for these events because another ‘reviewer’ objected and asked me to leave. I guess I’m the only reviewer that doesn’t have a photographic memory but here goes.

According to the brief, the main character is addicted to sex and his life is turned upside down when his sister arrives to stay.

I took that to mean that at least 50% of the film will be about his sister helping his recovery; what actually happens is his sister is no help whatsoever, a night club singer with her own low self esteem demons to deal with. So 95% of the film is as dull as dishwater with intimate close up coverage of the addict’s daily (or more) conquests. I have no idea why every women he looked point blank at immediately rose from their seat, be it on a train or any other public place and then stripped off to have sex with him, wherever.

I’ve wondered if you could be addicted to sex – I feel it’s just a matter of willpower as it is with other addictions. As a child, we want everything as we don’t control when we may get it again, i.e. sweets and chocolate. As an adult, we realise we mustn’t behave like that as we will hurt others and ourselves.

In almost every scene at home he’s naked and we are (mis-) treated to close ups of his dangly private parts which let’s face it, are not that attractive but especially not on a large screen.

I didn’t feel the film dealt with his issues at all, rather just focussed on his desperate longing for sex and indeed pleasuring himself several times a day. After all, there is no damage to him as he appears to enjoy a lucrative career despite being away from his desk many times due to the above mentioned activities. This character made me feel uncomfortable as I wondered how far he may do – other than turn to prostitutes occasionally – to feed his addiction.

If it dealt with his addiction at all, the film may have been saved. Avoid unless you are a hormonal young boy – or girl for that matter. Just don’t get addicted.

0.5/10 – there were some nice home interiors to look at

Smile factor 0/10

Movie – Sherlock Holmes; A Game of Shadows

Everything about this film, the second Guy Ritchie take on Sherlock Holmes is fine; the story, the acting, the production, the special affects – all absolutely fine.

Holmes & Watson are portrayed very well by Robert Downey Jr and Jude Law despite them appearing to be very much in the 21^st century via the theatre dressing up box. The support cast add a huge dose of humour but I didn’t get the wow factor I had when I left the cinema after watching the Sherlock Ritchie style Mark One.

Perhaps because that was Christmas day in snowy Montreal or maybe because it’s more of the same this time.

RDJ still plays Holmes more as an SAS trained action man rather than a be-suited detective but it’s good to see Stephen Fry play himself as his brother.

I’ve forgotten both story lines (saw this one 5 days ago!) but that doesn’t mean I didn’t enjoy and will look forward to what I assume will be a third one in a couple of years.

7.5/10 (same as the last one)

Smile factor 8/10

 

Movie – 50/50

A light hearted movie about cancer.

Well it isn’t really, it tackles the issues around getting the illness head on but the story is based on the Adams’ (Joseph Gordon-Levitt) relationship with his best friend Kyle (Seth Rogen). It all focuses on Adam and how the people around him cope and react with the shock. His best friend’s main goal in life is to party hard & get laid, he doesn’t have a close relationship with his Mum (Anjelika Huston) and his Dad has Alzheimer’s. It’s inevitable he’ll grow closer to his Mum, helped in part by his shrink but not at ll by his cheating girlfriend who didn’t take the easy way out when offered. What we expect the film to focus on though is how his best friend will support him and the answer is better than the façade he puts on.

Cancer and comedy are not natural bed fellows and of course the whole time watching this movie I am thinking what if it happens to someone I love, although it already has, both ladies are doing well and being closely monitored and thankfully they hadn’t got to this advanced stage.

Well worth a watch as the movie is packed with humour and love even in the few gloomiest moments.

8/10

Smile factor 7/10

 

Movie – Arthur Christmas

It’s still too early to see a Christmas film on November 18^th but there’s nothing else on and at least the Christmas lights are switched on, far too early but on nonetheless.

This year’s Christmas cinema visit (I don’t know of any other films that I’d want desperately to see but I  always try and see one festive offering) is for an animated tale of what happens in Santa’s North Pole in the 21^st century.  It is indeed a modern take as Santa now has a space ship and thousands of elves in the Christmas warehouse ensuring every child receives a gift.

Except this year, the system fails and one – just one – present falls of the conveyor and Arthur, Santa’s younger, hapless but caring son, takes it upon himself to get that present delivered. Fortunately, Granddad Santa is still around to steer him through the old fashioned way, using magic dust.

A no-nonsense Christmas film that is worth a watch to get you into the Christmas spirit, even if you’re past the age of seven.

7½/10

Smile factor 8½ /10

 

Movie – Tower Heist

Eddie Murphy

Mathew Broderick

That’s all I need to know for that this movie to be at least half good and actually, Ben Stiller is not too bad in it.

Plus it’s set in a hotel apartment building – actually the Trump Tower at the bottom of Central Park in New York – and I love a good hotel scenario.

When Building Manager Josh (Stiller) finds out that the president of the building, Mr Shaw has swindled the staff out of their pensions with a Ponzi scheme (sound familiar?) he sets about getting their money back. The bank accounts are empty so he figures there must be a cash reserve in his apartment.

Shaw is under house arrest so Josh needs a team to help him work out how to get the cash. Enter the criminal (Murphy) who he has to first bail out of jail, the newly jobless Wall St genius (Broderick) who is being evicted from the building, Charlie (Casey Affleck) who is still employed on the inside and the fabulous Odessa (Gabourey Sidibe).

What’s not to like.

8/10

Smile factor 9.5/10 

Movie – The Adventures of Tintin: The Secret of the Unicorn

I just remember the name from my childhood rather than any of his adventures so I’m looking forward to seeing 21^st century TinTin. Although it is still set in bowler hat times and what starts as a children’s film soon builds into an fast moving action comedy as TinTin (Jamie Bell) and Captain Haddock (Andy Serkis) join forces to look for hidden treasure that could save Haddock from being just a drunken sailor who’s last in a line of seafarers.

All the time, the pair are fighting off the wicked Mr. Sakharine (Daniel Craig) who until know has had the Captain locked up whilst hi-jacking his ship.

How’s your thirst for adventure, Captain?

Throw in a couple of bumbling detectives and this animation is a fun packed, high-speed film with no room for boredom that for once lives up to the Spielberg hype. Oh, the star of the show, Snowy the dog.

8/10

Smile factor 9½/10

Movie – The Ides of March

I’m not a fan of Clooney but he keeps making films I want to watch, this is the third in recent years I’ve enjoyed; Michael Clayton (saw that almost 4 years ago to the day in San Francisco, also on my birthday weekend) and The Men Who Stare at Goats, a ridiculous idea turned into a hilarious movie.

The draw to this one is my little thing for American politics but The West Wing this isn’t. It’s slower, not as quick witted and less of a story in all its 101 minutes than the West Wing had in its short 60 minute segments. Clooney plays the Democrat running for Presidential candidacy and Gosling (again, he’s everywhere) his campaign manager who finds out something about his Boss he needs to smooth over but the press have already got hold of it; something about an intern with a powerful political figures as a father, blah blah blah.

It has a good cast; Paul Giamatti and Philip Seymour Hoffman brilliant in opposite political camps and the fantastic Marisa Tomei playing the only (NY Times) reporter who seems allowed in. Alas, I see it far too late in the evening and have to keep fidgeting in my seat just to stay away. All I’m saying is it should have done more.

7/10

Smile factor 5/10

Movie – The Three Musketeers

This is one of my favourite stories so unless someone I’m unable to abide is on the screen, I’ll always watch. In this case, I don’t know anyone on the screen, except Mr Bloom, although I recognise some faces. I’m pretty sure I saw Jonathan Ross’ face on one of the posters. The movie is that comical, it wouldn’t have surprised me if they’d cast Wossy.

So taking away from the fact that this bares little resemblance to historical facts – after all they have air ships doing battle in the skies and over usage of guns rather than just the traditional swords – this is fresh take on the children’s classic. The Musketeers are now at a loose end, with no cause to fight for, so are looking for action.

Its 105 minutes of escapism if you can bare the annoying use of slow motion in the fight scenes and the predictable script; I feel like I’ve heard it all before and then realise they are pillaging lines from films left right and centre.

Its The Musketeers meets Pirates, if you like that sort of thing.

7½/10

Smile factor 7½/10

 

Movie – The Help

‘Fried chicken just tend to make you feel better about life’

I have a new, new favourite actress:

She has been in my all time favourite American drama series, West Wing, my favourite film of 2009, ‘Away We Go’ and now this, amongst other productions.

Allison Janney (I remembered her name!), plays the mother of the Skeeter and utters these lines which pretty much set the tone of the film:

‘Your eggs are dying, will it kill you to go on a date?’

From the off, I’m drawn to the home interiors; the film is based in the 1960s but happily the well to do featured are in a time warp so the furniture is from a bygone era but the frocks are delightfully 1960s, in a girlie rather than slutty way. The hair however, has a half a pint of hairspray glued on: goodness forbids any respectable lady having a hair out of place!

The story centres on the question, what’s it like to bring up other peoples white babies when yours are being looked after by someone else?

The question is uttered by a writer to the black maids looking after the society households in the southern state of USA who would have kept slavery legal if it was up to them. One of the main characters, Aibileen, has a regular mantra for the toddler she’s bringing up who’s own mother barely shows affection to; You is kind. You is smart. You is important.

Separate bathrooms for coloureds is just one issue bought up, which of course is hilarious to us but ridiculously true in an era of separate coloured sections on buses and in restaurants and the story included that it was illegal in the state of Mississippi to move books from ‘coloured schools’ to white schools.

What comes out of the film is the friendships lost and built; lost between the strong-willed Skeeter, who writes these maid’s stories for her book and her college pals – those who hire the maids – and the new bonds she then makes with the maids.

It’s a serious story told in a refreshing, enlightening and heart-warming way, bursting with thunderous humour.

I’ve never eaten friend chicken – yet – but this is the film of the year.

9½/10

Smile factor 9½/10

Movie – Drive

I have no idea who this boy Gosling is but he seems to be cropping up all over the place, all of a sudden.

‘Drive’ is on-and-off my to-see list when I finally see it at the end of its run on a Sunday lunchtime and only as I’d missed my cinema treat for a couple of weeks. It’s OK if you like a film filled with menacing broodiness.

The driver in ‘Drive’, forget his name – you know I never remember character names – is a getaway driver earning his, I imagine, smaller and more honest salary at his day job as a movie stunt driver. Of course the story is going to lean to ‘his last job and then he’s going straight’ and is ably assisted in this decision because of his interest in his neighbour, married mother of one whose husband is due out of prison any minute. She’s played by the British girl in the Lynn Barber story, An Education and has equally few lines as her admirer. It’s a good cast and I’m sure the younglings do indeed have a promising future.

The twist is our Driver agrees to help said husband out of sticky life-or-death situation which ends the lives of a few more people to add up the tally.

7/10

Smile factor 7/10

Movie – The Battle of Warsaw 1920

I mainly saw this because it was on at 3.15, a near perfect time for me as far as going to the cinema is concerned and it didn’t have anyone in it that I don’t enjoy watching. Not because I’m a fan of war films in particular.

Two striking story lines about this film:

• ·         The lead character has (approximately) nine lives
• ·         He survives several armies

Everyone who ever attacked poor Poland, inconveniently situated on the route to the much sought after Germany, are featured; Red Army, Bolsheviks and I think another one. One put him to work and another helped him escape. The other unfortunately, he did have to fight.

The underlying love story – there has to be one – is a little inevitable but I’d have been distraught if the newly we couple hadn’t found each other again. (not really a spoiler)

That said, it must be a decent film as I didn’t reach for the cinema sweets –  dolly mixtures, as you ask – although that may have something to do with the ¾ of Peyton & Byrne Coconut & Raspberry cake that I scoffed with a mug of coffee before I went in.

7/10

Smile factor 7/10