Something slightly different today from my usual review as I write a top 5 list instead. After watching the excellent Rango it got me thinking about good animation movies, which in turn led me to Pixar and their animated shorts (movies not clothing!). I did some digging and realised that I hadn't even seen them all with 2 somehow eluding me! You sit there now saying to yourself that that's preposterous and you have definitely watched them all but I'll wager that you haven't. Go ahead check on this list here.
Now I thought setting myself the task of choosing of my top 10 favourite films of all time was a challenge but this was a step up indeed. I do like a challenge me! For those a bit rusty on their Pixar, they currently have 19 shorts with the 20th due to coincide with the release of Cars 2. Alright if we are being pernickety the first short- 'The Adventures of Andre and Wally B' is not strictly Pixar but rather the animator John Lasseter working for Lucasfilm Computer Graphics Project which later went on the become a start-up company we now know as Pixar! Without it though animation may not have been what it is today.
After honourable mention to Geri's Game, Lifted and Burn-E who missed out by a cat's whisker I give you the top 5 animated shorts by Pixar...
5. Luxo Jr [1986]
Pixar's 1st/2nd short ever which created the mascot and star that has appeared in all of their movies to date. Who do I talk about you ask? The legendary lamp of course. Despite having no expressions whatsoever Pixar still pull off making that lamp so cool and excitable. Had to get into the top 5.
4. Knick Knack [1989]
Another golden oldie here about a snowman who just longs to be free from his snowglobe prison. Less well known and not quite as funny as the next three but good none the less.
3. Presto [2008]
When watching this in the cinema before Wall-E I laughed so hard that I couldn't breathe and it gave the stomach muscles a good old work out the likes that they had or will never receive again. The music especially the 'TaaDaaaa' fanfare after ever stunt makes this good short great.
(If you want to see a higher quality version but it has a watermark across it go here)
2. For The Birds [2000]
Best use for a dog's squeaky toy ever (remove dog from room before playing this clip!) and sticking with the loveable character theme once more. We feel for the big bird who just wants to fit in and steals the last laugh.
1. Partly Cloudy [2009]
Everytime. Everytime I watch this I shed a tear of laughter and it just keeps getting better and better the more I watch it. Follow the trials and tribulations of a stork as it tries to deliver babies to their new parents. The stork has to be one of the best Pixar characters about. Enjoy!
Hope you liked the selection of the top 5 Pixar shorts on display and that you all got a couple of laughs out of it. I know I sure did when I was choosing them.
When next time rolls around I will be reviewing the movies that are being released in April, both good and bad. [click here]
Farm
Are you fanatical about film? Then follow this site on Twitter @ FAbFilms
15 - 116mins - Drama/Fantasy/Horror - 5th November 2010
Let Me In is a remake of the successful Swedish horror Let The Right One In [2008] and despite not having seen this I am led to believe sticks to the storyline extremely closely. This is not what I would call your typical vampire movie with the vampire taking shape in the form of a 12 year old girl Abby (Chloe Moretz) and not a wooden stake to be seen. If anything it is more of an emotional love story.
We start, as is the growing trend these days at some unspecified point in the future with a man being rushed to hospital finding out along the way that he is the prime suspect in several murders occurring around the sleepy backwater town of Los Alamos, New Mexico. Whilst is left alone in his hospital room he jumps from the window to his death.
Rewind two weeks where we are introduced to Owen (Kodi Smit-McPhee) a boy who is bullied at school by three of his peers and whose parents are currently going through a divorce leaving him somewhat of an introvert and lacking confidence. The director is clever in that the father is never seen and the mother is only in scenes briefly so we do not get to know her which means we really only get to know Owen and hence share his loneliness. With the arrival of Abby and her father though, he finds happiness in her company and the pair create a friendship that Mortez and Smit-McPhee act out excellently.
Alongside this growing friendship is the more sinister hunt for fresh blood which leads to the disappearance of some locals and the police search that ensues. Where many vampire movies head down the vicious mass murdering group who go around killing for fun this paints the picture of a much more calculated sect who kill to survive and are aware that many killings will lead to too many questions being asked and them eventually being found. It is a means to survive nothing else.
There were some well crafted pieces of cinematography with one scene in particular involving a car crash making up for the poor use of CGI and special effects (that were thankfully infrequent) which would be more in line with a lower budget production.
The background and history of Abby and her father is kept vague for most of the movie which invites the viewer to create their own past for them, suffice to say that we are assume they have been around a long time. This leads to an interesting question that wasn't really answered- if Abby had been around a long time trapped in a 12 year old body surely her mind would have grown up? Yes there is a sense of maturity surrounding her but at the same time she never really shakes off that sense of still actually being an innocent kid. Perhaps this was intentional and shows the innocence of youth prevailing over the evil within. Either way Mortez is fantastic at depicting her character showing us that she has a very bright future in the industry.
When I sat down to watch Let Me In I was not expecting what was served up before me. Luckily though it was a pleasant surprise as the movie gets you hooked at the start and thanks to the great on screen chemistry between Mortez and Smit-McPhee keeps you engaged right up until the credits start rolling. Definitely worth a watch.
Welcome back to my blog for those returning and just welcome to those who are new to it. Today I've gone off the beaten track slightly and opted for a Welsh movie (don't worry they are speaking English for those non-natives of the Welsh language). As mentioned in my last post where I reviewed Limitless, this is to celebrate my return to Wales for a short visit to the lovely Cardiff. Now before the review just a quick disclaimer: as far as I am aware no sheep were shagged in the making of this film but one might have been molested!
Twin Town follows the Lewis brothers also known as the the twins (Jeremy and Julian) played by Rhys Ifans and Llyr Ifans- also brothers in real life although only the former has gone on to forge a successful career in the movies (Notting Hill, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 1, The Amazing Spider-Man [2012]). Put simply they are delinquent layabouts who are renowned locally for their compulsion to steal cars, get into mischief and take as many tokes as they can from all manner of homemade bongs- utilizing everything from shower heads to golf clubs. They live on a caravan site overshadowed by the Swansea industrial works with their parents, sister and dog Cantona (named so after a Welsh football player).
The plot revolves around a series of confrontations that start as frivolous but soon escalate to serious between the twins and the local big crook as the twins feel their father, Fatty, has been wronged. Throw in bent copper Terry with delusions of grandeur played well by Dougray Scott, a karaoke king, some cocaine and a poodle and you've got yourselves the making of an intriguing movie.
The movie unsurprisingly is riddled with Welsh references that some people may be unfamiliar with and understanding the lingo might take a couple of minutes if you have never heard a Welshman before but hang in there as your patience will be rewarded. What I particularly like about this movie is that its rough around the edges and very realistic as you can imagine these types of people existing in the real world.
It's also well known for containing its high usage of the word fuck summed up brilliantly with the first line of the movie- "Fucking dead, fucking dead as fuck". It is to Twin Town what alcohol is to Withnail And I. As you can therefore imagine the script is not elegant and may not be to everyone's liking but there is some good dialogue thrown in to get you laughing and the development of the plot is well thought out occasionally throwing you in the wrong direction and leading to a well concluded climax.
Twin Town is a unique dark comedy that's passed too many people by and this needs to be rectified as it's a very good movie that has just the right amount of comedy, violence and in the Lewis brothers a couple of cracking, if not slightly disturbing, characters that you end up getting behind and really connecting with.
On a slightly sadder note Elizabeth Taylor (aged 79) passed away yesterday, one of the last Hollywood greats (if you get nominated for the Oscar of best actress in a leading role 4 years running you must be doing something right) with perhaps her best role as the voice of Maggie Simpson amongst others, no I'm not making that up! Hats off to her.
Next time I will be serving up Let Me In [2010] [my review] which is a bit of an alternative vampire movie starring the up and coming Chloe Mortez (of Kick-Ass fame). So until then as the Welsh would say 'nos da'.
Farm
Are you fanatical about film? Then follow this site on Twitter @ FAbFilms
Soon to be released on the 23rd of March, Limitless focuses around the life of writer Eddie Morra (Bradley Cooper) a man who is heading nowhere fast in life; he is most definitely in the slow lane. The book he's currently working on has reached healthy zero words after an extended spell of writers block and his love life is trending down a similar road.
Cue a chance encounter with an old acquaintance and the discovery of a way to escape the mundane world that he is currently calling his life. The way you ask? Take a pill, a simple clear pill that will solve all his problems. It has the ability to open up access to all of his brain function rather than his current 20% and release the boundaries and confines that he was once restricted to. Realising that nothing can get much worse than it already is he uses it and things immediately become easy for him. The only slight issue being he does not have an endless supply and that unsurprisingly he is not the only one who knows of its existence.
Whether meant to be ironic or not the first time you see Eddie you could be forgiven for thinking he was on drugs and as the movie progresses along with his life thanks to the help of the drug, NZT-48 he cleans up his act. Cooper does a good job of self narrating the well written script that gives us some funny moments and dry wit to boot whilst his ability to move between the two altering personalities while he is on and off the drug is impressive.
De Niro and Cornish play their parts well but are not given enough screen time to develop their characters into noteworthy performances as most of the focus is kept on Eddie. This leads me into my only slight disappointment with the movie in that the secondary characters seem to get no mention, then appear for ten to fifteen minutes before disappearing never to be seen or referenced to again making the plot slightly disjointed to say the least.
This is countered by the fact that I absolutely love the cinematography and the way that this movie has been constructed. The effect carried out at the opening credits as the camera continuously tunnel zooms through the urban nightlife sets the standard for the rest of the film. When on the drug everything is brighter, people are well groomed and then when off it everything is gloomier/darker so as to visualise the emotions and state of mood being felt in Eddie's mind. Not only that but you can feel the heightened effect the drug is having as more things are put on screen to engage the viewer and get you thinking while at the same time the camera flits about the place as the tempo is increased to indicate Eddie's enhanced brain activity.
Don't read on if you don't want to find out about some of the plot! The movie ties up most lose ends but nothing is ever really made of the death/murder of the girl in the hotel room drawing back to my point of token extra characters. This could be meant to be sinister especially with the lawyer stating that someone had the decency to wipe the place of prints. Also the ever increasing desperation and the willingness to do anything for that next hit (drinking the blood off the floor) could have been played on a bit more to show the true darkness of how drugs can effect us.
~~~~~
All in all Limitless was a very enjoyable film that kept me entertained for its duration. The drug effects on the world around Eddie were cleverly depicted as was most on the CGI letting you feel the drug with him and although I felt they could have pushed the boundaries slightly further and explored the drugs side of things a bit more I was glad to have watched this fun flick.
So after the latest blockbuster review what's next in my bag of tricks I hear you ask. Well in order to celebrate my upcoming trip to Wales I will be giving you a Welsh movie to get your teeth into. That's right, prepare yourself for Twin Town [1997] [my review], Wales answer to Lock Stock And Two Smoking Barrels. Here is a short clip explaining the joys of Swansea.
Farm
Are you fanatical about film? Then follow this site on Twitter @ FAbFilms
15 - 112mins - Comedy/Drama/Romance - 29th December 2010
In general I fit the stereotypical male movie goer- guns = good, action = good, comedy = good, romance = good...as long as it combines a lot of guns and action and so it was with a bit of trepidation that I approached Love And Other Drugs which I had down as a bit of a romcom. This especially looks the case if you view the short trailer I left at the end on my previous article.
The movie is about Jamie (Jake Gyllenhaal) who is a bit an all round confidant chap and knows how to handle himself with the ladies. After hopping from sales job/woman to sales job/woman he finally lands another one as a pharmaceutical rep selling to all of the local clinics in his area. Competition is tough between reps though so wooing the receptionists is all part of the game plan which plays nicely into his hands. During one such visit he meets Maggie (Anne Hathaway) and is determined to have her.
Maggie is a creative type who has been limited by the onset of Parkinson's Disease and shares Jamie's belief in how to have a good time. I got the feeling that this is more due to her underlying hatred of the disease meaning she doesn't want to guilt anyone into having to look after her in the future and so intentionally tries not to form a relationship whereas Jamie just doesn't want a relationship in the first place. The movie does bring up the issue of Parkinson's Disease especially in younger people and is handled with the respect it deserves. Where a OTT romcom might have used it as a way to get a few cheap laughs, this treats it with importance and helps make it slightly better than the generic romcoms.
The plot does become a bit predictable in places and I was never really left wondering what was going to happen at the end. It would also have been beneficial if during the movie some idea of time had been kept so as to stop me from wondering if one day, week or even a couple of months had flown by.
Some of the best laughs come at the expense of Jamie's brother Josh (Josh Gad) a self made millionaire (although you would never know it) who is nothing like his brother in any respect. There is lots of boisterous brotherly banter and awkward moments between the two which is refreshing and reminds you that this movie is not just about the romance. Hats of also goes to the people picking the soundtrack as they hit the nail on the head with great tunes at just the right times.
In the end though this movie stands up due to the on-screen chemistry between Gyllenhall and Hathaway who were not afraid to get down and dirty for the cause. Quick quips and teasing jokes between the two of them and copious amounts of promiscuity help the cause in defining their complex relationship.
Was I blown away by this movie? No but it was better than I thought because it made me laugh with a few good comic scenes, showed off plenty of Anne Hathaway (wolf whistles please) and opened up the less well known world of what it's like to try and live with Parkinson's on a day to day basis and the emotions that come with it. Decent movie that gets a...
Before I go on to divulge the next movie to be reviewed (it's a big one!!!) just a quick update from the lands of New Zealand where after a lot of stuttering, nearly strikes and the natural elements to contend with The Hobbit [Late 2012] has begun filming. Thanks Peter Jackson (who is looking quite scary now he is thin) for finally pulling your thumb out, now please make it as good as the Lord Of The Rings series or I will cry.
For tomorrows reading pleasure and to keep you just that one step ahead of game what with its release on the 23rd March, I give you Limitless [my review]!!! Your welcome.
Farm
Are you fanatical about film? Then follow this site on Twitter @ FAbFilms
The premise for this movie is an interesting one and brought with it the chance to lay down some solid comedy. With the Farrelly brothers producing the likes of Dumb and Dumber and There's Something About Mary, hopes were higher than usual for this type of film. Rick (Owen Wilson) is married along with all his closest friends but this doesn't stop him and his mates sharing a jovial joke or two about what they would be getting up to if they weren't with the other half. In fact the first half an hour of the movie you will spend wondering whether you have happened upon sex crazed teenagers trapped adult bodies given how horny they all seem to be.
Rick and Fred (Jason Sudeikis) believe that they have honed their abilities to leer at women with extreme subtlety and are sure that they are never caught in the act. Their spouses however are well aware of their antics and on most occasions spot or overhear their husbands. After going just that bit too far both Rick and Fred are granted a 'hall pass' from their wives. An entire week to spend doing whatever or whomever they want.
The movie is broken down into the 7 days that they have and the mischief that they get up to. For the first few days Rick and Fred are joined by their mates who watch as they talk the talk but don't walk the walk. Even after copious amounts of alcohol and a quick read up on the latest internet chat-up lines neither one is bringing their A-game to the table. Parallel to this however are the wives who both go to Cape Cod for the week and being spouse free themselves find that male attention is quite easy to come by. Rick and Fred's friends who include Stephen Merchant (am not sure how they managed to get him in this but he should probably have given it a wide berth) are not engaging and except for a golf scene involving brownies laced with weed they don't contribute to either the plot line or the comedy.
The Farrelly brothers have gone the way of lude and crude and for some that will cater to their comedy needs. 'Over the top' and 'gross-out comedy' have been muttered when talking about this movie and I would agree wholeheartedly. For me though there is only so much laddish humour I can take before it starts to become a bit repetitive. There are some good moments hidden away in a sea of average especially towards the end but they are fewer and farther inbetween than I would have liked.
It's a shame the movie didn't begin half way through because this is when I felt it started to stutter into life and even after the credits started rolling there was still some laughing to be had. Hall Pass has set itself up to cater for a certain type of viewer and it will be one of these movies that you either end up loving or hating. I'm usually a fan of toilet humour and a bit of banter but this just didn't quite cut it.
Sticking with the comedy theme whilst throwing in a fair chunk of romance to spice things up, the next movie up in front of the firing squad is Love And Other Drugs [my review]. I'm not gonna lie, the promise of naked actress Anne Hathaway helped me make my choice all that little bit easier when deciding what to watch. Look below for the teaser trailer.
Cheers for reading
Farm
Are you fanatical about film? Then follow this site on Twitter @ FAbFilms
Now I'm not great at working out whether this was historically accurate or not so that's not going to be affect the way I rate this new movie. I'm just going to assume that all was well unless someone cares to correct me in my ignorance? Except for the fact that thumbs up in a gladiatorial ring means kill (simulates thrusting the sword up into the body) and thumbs down means live... can't let that one slide, ever! As for whether this was based on a true story or not, I will leave that to the real journalists.
The Eagle is set in Roman occupied Britain in 140AD 20 years after the mysterious disappearance of the whole Ninth Legion in the glens and mountains of Scotland. It follows a Roman centurion, Marcus Aquila (Channing Tatum) and early on we are introduced to the fact that Marucs's father was standard bearer of the eagle for the Ninth Legion and that, when they along with the eagle, disappeared in the Scottish highlands disrepute was brought to the family of Aquila. Longing to be close to where his father disappeared and to restore his family honour, Marcus hot off the training camp for Roman centurions has requested that his first post be at the edge of the known world near Hadrian's wall, far from the choice any sane man would pick.
Eventually we are introduced to Esca (Jamie Bell) who is indebted to Marcus after having had his life saved by him and becomes his slave as penance. Together they set off to try and recover the lost eagle which forms an intriguing relationship development between the two characters as Esca is forced to obey his Roman master despite his hatred for who he is and what he stands for. This pairing results in an unpredictable plot with Esca's true intentions well hidden throughout.
The main crux of the story seems to be twofold with the development of this relationship between the two men and the desire shown by Marcus to restore the honour of his father and seek closure through the recovery of the eagle. Tatum shines in his part and you can sense the driving passion he has for his cause whilst Bell conveys his internal struggle over his split loyalties well. Other notable acting merit goes to Donald Sutherland for his bit part as the uncle of Marcus.
As a whole the battles portrayed are well choreographed and the cameras thrust you up close and personal with the warriors whilst they fight. In what seems to be a developing trend, the cameras are shaky and unsteady giving that sense you are actually there. The director Macdonald intentionally kept CGI to a minimum and it has paid off with the movie seemingly more realistic for it. The gore is not excessive and allows for the actual fighting to take centre stage rather than how red they can turn the battlefield which I liked.
The Scottish tribes play their part as a conceivable enemy during the film and speak in the native Gaelic tongue which is a nice touch that is less seen now as directors tend to swap to English after a brief dialogue to make it easier on the audience. It was also nice to see that the tribes that crossed paths with our main protagonists each had a different personality and feel about them rather than all being clumped together as Celts and getting portrayed as one generic group.
This movie although set in Roman times is less about the history and bureaucracy of Rome and more about the journey that two men take. It's a solid movie with good acting and fighting scenes but it starts to lag slightly in the middle. I wouldn't go out of my way to watch it if there were other choices available but you could do a lot worse.
12A - 116mins - Action/Sci-Fi/Thriller - 11th March 2011
Well I hope everyone is recovering well from their St Patrick's Day hangover and I start with a small pre-film ramble before sitting down to watch Battle: Los Angeles and see what it's got to offer. I must admit that since I first became aware of this movie my initial thoughts were that it's not going to be quite the hit I think it is expecting to be and as a worst case scenario it might turn into the next Skyline. Big word of warning, do not watch that movie, you can't get the time back no matter how hard you try. It is truly diabolical. I would rather be relaxing on the beach at the start of Battle: Los Angeles if the trailer is anything to go by than see that again! Fingers crossed lets see what we've got...
Right then. First impressions are that this film is a bit of a WYSIWYG (what you see is what you get), if you wanted a battle that's located in Los Angeles then guess what, this is not going to disappoint so long as you don't mind other areas of the film lacking. We arrive pre-invasion to set up the characters and get to grips with who we are going to be sharing the next two hours with, unfortunately they are rather one dimensional and stereotypical. Without giving too much away, yes we have the man with the pregnant fiancée, the young new rookie with a taste for power, an appearance for the hardened female soldier and the main character, SSgt. Michael Nantz (Aaron Eckhart) who is past his prime and on his way out to name but a few. I'm sure I've seen this lot somewhere else before?
Another bone I have to pick with this movie is with the music (Brian Tyler) that seems to be a continuous background noise of semi-patriotic soon to be bursting into a glorious celebratory ensemble number which continues regardless of what scenario is unfolding in front of us, good or bad. The most engaging parts are actually when everything goes silent and only then can the suspense grow.
One thing I did appreciate from this movie was the cinematography which is filmed in a similar style to that of Cloverfield putting you right in the thick of the action and making you feel a lot more involved with the group of marines around which the plot revolves. Hopefully you'll appreciate this as I can imagine that a cameraman with Parkinsons will be getting on some viewers nerves by the end. The way information is relayed to the viewer about what is happening elsewhere on the battlefield is through background radio and TV sources which is rather clever as you only ever know what the marines know which keeps the intrigue.
Quick mention to the visuals which during the helicopter flyover scenes at the start and aerial views over the city are very impressive. The aliens also look real enough as do their ships and as a whole it's very realistic. However if you replaced every alien in this film with a human I honestly don't think I would have noticed much of a difference.
Stop reading now if you don't want to know what happened in parts of the movie. A couple of points that also got to me just that little bit. Once they had destroyed the alien command centre it went all very Independence Day on itself with them relaying off the message of how to take those sons of bitches down. And if you are going to put emotion into this setting then try to find a better way than civilian kids who tended to be plain old annoying without adding much. Finally, if your going to have a film with aliens in it then please please make them act like aliens rather than just large humans with a heart equivalent slightly offset from where ours are. I'm sure with the technology they have they could come up with something slightly better than ballistic based weapons.
~~~~~
I felt the director Liebesman wanted the viewer to be involved and to try and feel the bond that was supposedly evident between these marines and yet for some reason it just didn't work. At points it was more akin to playing Call of Duty than a movie as they search the city for survivors coming up against enemies who were ever increasingly difficult to kill. The suspense it built just about held me at the start when the mystery of the enemy was still strong but that faded as the movie continued.
As you can see Battle: Los Angeles will not be going down as one of my favourites of all time. It can be summed up by taking the action from Black Hawk Down, the cinematography of Cloverfield and a pinch of Independence Day plot thrown in for good measure. Only problem is it has taken the average parts from all of them rather than the best. Watchable indeed but nothing more than a generic 'lets shoot then before they shoot us' action with which I never found that connection to the stereotypical/clichéd characters that I can only assume I was supposed to.
Up next time, the newest release The Eagle [my review] which follows a Roman centurion in his quest to honour his fathers memory in bonnie wee Scotland. Have a gander below to see what it's all about. Ciao for now.
Farm
Are you fanatical about film? Then follow this site on Twitter @ FAbFilms
Welcome back to those who are eagerly anticipating/have absolutely nothing better to do than to read the second instalment of my top 10 greatest movies ever. Just a quick note to point out my ever expanding blog has a new page showing what the ratings I give my movies actually mean. I know, I also thought that might come in handy to you lot as well. Anyway first off a quick reminder from 10 to 6 of my top 10 to save you from reading or, if you really are in a bit of a crazy/delirious state, rereading the previous crap that I wrote.
So we kick off with another classic about a family in suburbia and the seemingly normal life that they lead to the outside world but which is starting to fall apart behind the scenes. The movie is narrated by Lester (Kevin Spacey), who deservedly won the 1999 Oscar for best actor for his role, as he comes to terms with his mid-life crisis and subsequent revival through infatuation for his daughter's friend (Mena Suvari). I have always felt this movie is over analysed with people reading to much into specific scenes and accompanying dialogue (the plastic bag scene for example) for hidden meanings that are not there. However this movie does get you thinking and had a very good ending intertwined with several intriguing sub-plots. Add to that the fact that it has a naked girl lying on a bed of rose petals and you are onto a winner everyday of the week!
The solitary entry for a comic book hero in my list now in a film that was dominated by the arrival of one character, the Joker (Heath Ledger). The Joker returns to Gotham City for this chapter of the Batman series proceeding to reawaken several underground criminals in the process. Ledger steals the show as the depraved on-edge lunatic, winning an Oscar in the process and despite his untimely death the cynical part of me still wonders if the movie was more of a success because of this. Time will tell with the release of The Dark Knight Rises only around the corner in 2012. Regardless, Alfred (Michael Caine) and Lucius Fox (Morgan Freeman) bring a touch of comedy to what is otherwise a very dark movie with the main reason for this hitting the highs of number 4 is down to the writing. It's so chock-a-block full of twist plots (look no further than the opening bank heist) and second guessing that I seriously do not know how they managed to fit it all in. Finally, the music (Hans Zimmer) is excellent and reverberates through you whilst you're watching adding to the experience that is The Dark Knight.
The second appearance on the list for director Christopher Nolan having also directed the above and who can be considered to be on some what of a roll on the movies front at the moment (Batman Begins, The Prestige, Inception) with everything associated with him being of a very high standard. This movie is about Leonard (Guy Pearce) who is involved in an accident and subsequently is no longer able to form long term memories. His memories prior to the crash are intact but now he can only remember things for 15 minutes before he forgets them. Where the sheer brilliance of this movie occurs is that it starts with the ending and then works backwards in short memory bursts whilst still somehow keeping the mystery and intrigue and giving nothing away. Each new burst shatters your previous illusions and you are constantly reforming your beliefs and loyalties throughout the movie. It's a real thinker but stick it out and its fantastic.
I've always enjoyed movies set in prisons from The Green Mile to Cool Hand Luke but this one takes the biscuit and everything else for that matter every time. The story begins with Andy Dufresne (sure as hell didn't think it was spelt like that) played by Tim Robbins who is incarcerated into Shawshank Penitentiary for a crime he says he did not commit. Cue Red (Freeman) and Andy's friendship over the next 40 years as the men grow accustomed to life in jail. Probably one of the first films that sent narrating in movies into overdrive but the strength of this film lies in the fact that it doesn't have special effects or cockamamie ideas, only the quality and detail in both the main plot/sub-plots being told and superb acting all around.
And so finally we reach number 1. Drum roll please...
What's not to love about this movie? It has absolutely everything any other movie has and more. Whether you are looking for a war film, sports film, comedy, action, adventure, fantasy, drama, romance this movie has it all I tells ya! It's centred around the lovable Forrest Gump (Tom Hanks), a simple minded man who crosses paths with many greats and events throughout history interwoven with the search for the love of his life, Jenny (Robin Wright). There are so many amazing characters- Bubba, Lt. Dan that always make me laugh and that's not even including the genius of Forrest himself. This movie will have affected everyone in some way even if it's just because at some point in your life you have uttered "RUN (insert word here) RUN" or another catch phrases associated with it. Forrest Gump is the classic, is the best, end of!!!
Ta da. So there are my top 10 films of all time. What have we learnt then? Old school definitely seems to be kicking new school right in the family jewels with years 1994 + 1999 hogging 6 out of my top 10 and only one entry forcing its way in during a decades worth of new movies. Who thinks I've nailed it on the head and who thinks I'm missing out a glaringly obvious classic- The Godfather perhaps, I don't rate it that highly myself, it was OK don't get me wrong but nothing special. If all goes to plan there should be a poll somewhere at the bottom of this page, so why not cast your vote and see how much the masses agree with me or not as the case may be.
Until next time... which will be tomorrow (got rid of the palpable suspense right away there didn't I) where I will be reviewing the recently released Battle: Los Angeles. Here is a sneak peak to get you in the mood...
Farm
Are you fanatical about film? Then follow this site on Twitter @ FAbFilms
PG - 107mins - Animation/Adventure/Comedy - 4th March 2011
With western films seemingly on the comeback in recent years, it was only a matter of time before an animated version of the wild wild west made it to our screens and it has done so in the guise of Rango.
Rango (Johnny Depp) is an eccentric chameleon with ambitions of one day becoming the thespian that he believes he is destined to be. Fate casts him a die and as with many animated films these days catapults him from within his comfort zone, accompanied by his ever trusty sidekick Mr. Timms (a plastic goldfish) into the barren and unforgiving wild... the wild west in fact. As usual Depp brings his own unique style to the character of Rango really making it his own.
Rango meets up with many other inhabitants of the desert (20+) who are quirky and unique animals in their own right giving the movie real depth and I have to say that the visuals in this are stunning. They are some of the best out there and it really is starting to get to that point that you forget it is an animation with the scenery and hot dry climate being portrayed looking top notch. Add the gritty aforementioned critters who look like they have been worn down by the desert sands over time and it's a hats off to the animators who have outdone their Pixar/Dreamworks rivals (it's a Nickelodeon production for those wondering).
The movies humour is great and combines lots of slapstick, good one liners and excellent facial expressions that really got me going but this I felt is traded off, if only slightly, as the movie advances so that the plot can develop further. As usual with these films there is some subtle and some not so subtle comic references for the older generations that are likely to swoop over a few younger heads. Links to old wild west films are strewn in as well with the spirit of the west and the man with no name making their traditional western appearances. In fact more so than usual I would say that the humour is based more towards an adult audience than that of a children's one.
Throughout the movie four singing mariachi owls accompany Rango narrating his tale a la the three mice from Babe, well not quite but you get the gist- maybe more akin to the rooster from Robin Hood and provide another perspective that does well to break the movie up and add to the comedy of it all. The mariachi owls music and the movie score also draws you in and any movie that can play Ride of the Valkyries on a banjo and still make it sound good wins my vote! Hans Zimmer (Batman, Inception, Gladiator, Lion King to name but a few) working his musical ability once again.
All in all Rango has managed to combine great jokes, funny characters and stunning visuals within a solid story. The combination of Depp and Verbinski (Pirates of the Caribbean 1,2,3) has worked well again and it seems to have broken the mould in so far as it's a children's animation and yet I can see the adults coming away with the bigger smiles.
Favourite quote (highlight to view):
Owl 1 (In your best Mexican accent): "Here in Mojave desert animals have had millions of years to adapt to the harsh environment, but the lizard -- he is going to die."
Owl 2: "When is he going to die."
Owl 1: "Soon."
So I'm still here and going strong less than 24 hours later, who would have thought it! I decided that since I'm just setting off with this blog I would let everyone know about my favourite films (thereby immediately alienating anyone with different tastes to me, cheers to the 4 people who somehow stumbled onto this page and quickly left again) by giving a run down of my top 10 movies of all time. A nice simple task to get the ball rolling then... unsurprisingly this has not turned out to be the case with my cut down list hitting a stumbling block at 34, that's nearly 10 right? Damn!
I'll be honest, if I watched this film now it probably wouldn't make it into my top 10 so why does it merit it's place amongst the best? Especially with the fact that if I were to do a top 10 worst films ever, I'm sure M. Night Shyamalan would have a couple of entries. Timing is everything and this was one of the first films that truly stumped me. I did not work out what was going on right until the film told me and that very rarely happens to me. Add to that the storyline of a boy who can see the dead and it just scrapes itself into the top 10. Random fact... the colour red is used subliminally in the movie to relate to everything with connotations of being bad or evil).
A story of a serial killer using the seven deadly sins to murder seemingly random people as detective Morgan Freeman and his rookie Brad Pitt fight to catch him before he can strike again- what's not to love about this? The film goes so much further than other odd-couple detective pairings with the relationship between them developing intensely alongside the plot. The killers methods add a dark depravity to the film not unlike some of the games from the Saw franchise giving Kevin Spacey lots to work with and boy does he pull off evil genius (dependant on your viewpoint) ever so well. Top that off with an excellent finish unlike many similar movies and David Fincher's Se7en is surely one of the best around.
Slight change of pace now with what can only be described as a gangster crime thriller with a strong sense of dark humour underbelly running throughout. Guy Ritchieproduces another gem whereby four hapless Londoners get themselves in a spot of bother with the local mob boss which results in them having to pay off a half million pound debt and with only a week to do it in. What follows can only be described as chaotic as our four happy go lucky characters drag themselves into the crime world without ever really knowing what they are doing and leaving a wake of plot twists, cunning schemes and rip-off's that culminates towards the end with a whole lot of guns to the background music of Zorba the Greek. Not forgetting the scene with the much loved traffic warden leading me to say I could have summed up this film in one word... immense!
No list would be complete without just that little bit of Disney to brighten the day and this is where The Lion King wins hands down over other Disney films in my eyes. Surely a controversial statement for some there but not me! Aladdin and Robin Hood may run it close but The Lion King definitely has the whole package as far as Disney goes. Loveable characters, evil characters, lots of comedy and of course some classic songs to back it up. If you don't think 'hakuna matata' is one of the best of the Disney songs then please leave this blog, I'm not saying 'bear necessities' isn't right up there but add 'I just can't wait to be king' and your onto a winner. Now yes it could be argued that The Lion King absolutely ripped off Kimba the White Lion but still I love it all the same.
Granted the less said about the sequels the better (except the car chase in the second, that was class) but that is only because The Matrix was such an original movie in the first place that nothing was ever going to be able to top it. The sequels were destined to fail. I'm sure everyone knows the plot but just in case, Neo is the one who is destined to free humans from their machine captors who harvest the humans for their energy and imprison them in an artificial reality known as the Matrix. This movie brought us slow mo effects which is nearly enough in itself to place it in the top 10 but it made everyone bring up the reality 'am I real, are we real' debate, in school at least, for over a year and opened up a whole new perspective that I and others had rarely thought about before. Still waiting for the Wachowski Brothers to get back to their original best despite the very good V for Vendetta but they have some projects on the go so fingers crossed.
Well that's enough for now so I will leave you guessing at the rest until my next post...
[UPDATE: Click here for the second half]
Farm
Are you fanatical about film? Then follow this site on Twitter @ FAbFilms
As a way to procrastinate, my life as a blogger has begun. This is most likely to be the worlds shortest blog site as I will no doubt lose interest in a matter of days but lets see how it goes.
As the observant amongst you will have noticed (not that I plan for anyone to actually read this) I will be blogging about films past, present and future, knock out some reviews as and when I watch them and generally blab on about it all.
So if in some magical way you acutally end up on this site... do let me know how. Enjoy the ramblings of some film fanatic who at the moment has nothing better to do/something more important that he should be doing.
you may want to skip a few lines to avoid me ruining a movie for you. If you do want to read it, I will fade out the writing so just highlight it with you mouse eg. highlight this to read it all.
Are you fanatical about film? Then follow this site on Twitter @ FAbFilms
