Monday, March 28
Phill's Important Movie Pass Experiment - Week 2 Roundup
I've been getting the most out of my movie pass this week. So much so that I feel like i'm beginning to know the staff at Nottingham UGC personally...
5. Somersault
If you are a fan of The Secret Life Of Us, the you will love this film. Abbie Cornish stars as a teenage girl who runs away to a ski resort the mountains after 'accidently' getting off with her mum's boyfriend. There she embarks on a series of rights of passage type adventures, before hooking up with a moody bloke who looks like Kelly Jones from the Stereophonics. At times the film is very otherworldly, the cinematography is excellent, with lingering shots of the landscapes and textures of the isolated Australian town. However, things occasionally don't make sense, like when the moody bloke suddenly decide to shag a middle aged man half way through. But these small inconsistencies in the plot do not take much away from what is an excellent film.
Rating 84%
6. Robots
Absolutely fantastic. Funny characters, great visuals, Robin Williams back on form, cameos agogo (even from Terry Wogan!). This is everything that a modern animation should be, appealing to both adults and children, the perfect mix really. Ewan McGregor is likeable as the main character and all of the smaller parts really make the film come alive. Recently appearing on Parkinson, McGregor said that this film was much less fun to make than Valiant. Sorry Ewan, when it comes to animation, American's do it better.
Rating 92%
7. The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou
Wes Anderson is a genius. Rushmore is one of my favourite films of recent years and he again teams up with Bill Murray (who I still insist has never made a bad film). There is so much going on here - coolCGI effects stop frame animation, quirky sideplots and characters, Bowie songs in Portuguese. Several times I just found myself chuckling at some throwaway line. Cate Blanchett delivers her second fantastic performance in a row after The Aviator and Murray adds his usual world-weary cynicism and charm. This is a very intelligent and funny film.
Rating 88%
8. Constantine
This film is just ridiculous and way, way too long. What the hell was going on? I don't really know or care. Keanu plays the role almost exactly the same as Neo from the Matrix, he's not exactly versatile is he? Rachel Weisz isn't really given much to do besides the usual female action flick fodder. It's quite interesting at first as the plot slowly unravels, but towards the end it just goes on and on and on with a load of pseudo religious rubbish. At least half an hour could have been left on the cutting room floor. Some novelty factor is provided by Gavin Rossdale getting half his face ripped off (something we'd all like to have done, surely!). The special effects were really good, but for me failed to hide the gaping plot deficiencies. At the end, the woman next to me said "Wow that was awesome......I didn't understand any of it, but it was fantastic!" I think that just about says it all really. Fincho quite liked it though...
Rating 69%
I've been getting the most out of my movie pass this week. So much so that I feel like i'm beginning to know the staff at Nottingham UGC personally...
5. Somersault
If you are a fan of The Secret Life Of Us, the you will love this film. Abbie Cornish stars as a teenage girl who runs away to a ski resort the mountains after 'accidently' getting off with her mum's boyfriend. There she embarks on a series of rights of passage type adventures, before hooking up with a moody bloke who looks like Kelly Jones from the Stereophonics. At times the film is very otherworldly, the cinematography is excellent, with lingering shots of the landscapes and textures of the isolated Australian town. However, things occasionally don't make sense, like when the moody bloke suddenly decide to shag a middle aged man half way through. But these small inconsistencies in the plot do not take much away from what is an excellent film.
Rating 84%
6. Robots
Absolutely fantastic. Funny characters, great visuals, Robin Williams back on form, cameos agogo (even from Terry Wogan!). This is everything that a modern animation should be, appealing to both adults and children, the perfect mix really. Ewan McGregor is likeable as the main character and all of the smaller parts really make the film come alive. Recently appearing on Parkinson, McGregor said that this film was much less fun to make than Valiant. Sorry Ewan, when it comes to animation, American's do it better.
Rating 92%
7. The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou
Wes Anderson is a genius. Rushmore is one of my favourite films of recent years and he again teams up with Bill Murray (who I still insist has never made a bad film). There is so much going on here - cool
Rating 88%
8. Constantine
This film is just ridiculous and way, way too long. What the hell was going on? I don't really know or care. Keanu plays the role almost exactly the same as Neo from the Matrix, he's not exactly versatile is he? Rachel Weisz isn't really given much to do besides the usual female action flick fodder. It's quite interesting at first as the plot slowly unravels, but towards the end it just goes on and on and on with a load of pseudo religious rubbish. At least half an hour could have been left on the cutting room floor. Some novelty factor is provided by Gavin Rossdale getting half his face ripped off (something we'd all like to have done, surely!). The special effects were really good, but for me failed to hide the gaping plot deficiencies. At the end, the woman next to me said "Wow that was awesome......I didn't understand any of it, but it was fantastic!" I think that just about says it all really. Fincho quite liked it though...
Rating 69%
