Reviewed: Rubber [2010]

Rubber [2010]

15 - 82mins - Comedy/Drama/Horror - 10th November 2010

Now here is a strange and weird one for you to get your teeth into. I saw a trailer for this several months back and although I knew this was going to be no high roller, it intrigued me so much that I just had to watch it. Rubber is all about a tyre named Robert. One day Robert who used to be just like and other inanimate tyre comes into existence and starts rolling around the desert where he discovers that he also has telepathic powers enabling him to blow things up with his mind. During the movie he also gains a love interest in the form of Sheila (Roxane Mesquida) and woe betide anyone that gets in his way.

The opening sequence is quite possibly one of the weirdest that I have ever seen from a movie but it introduces us to the main concept that it's based around..... "no reason". This somewhat gives Quentin Dupieux, the director, a free licence to do whatever he wants. A sheriff (Stephen Spinella) directly addresses the viewer breaking the so called fourth wall and throughout we are continuously reminded that we are watching a movie, altering the norm of trying to draw the viewer into the movie experience. Not only this but there is also an audience watching the movie from within the movie via binoculars. (Your just going to have to watch it for this to make more sense.)

I did like the way that Robert was cleverly moved around and would be intrigued to know the techniques that were implemented to make that happen. What with the main 'character' being unable to speak, the score of the movie took precedent for large parts in an attempt to make us feel for Robert and I think a combination of this and the cinematography (including plenty of close-ups and 'tyre-cam' shots) really worked to bring home his character. He also has flashbacks/dreams, gets tired and does normal menial tasks that we do so he becomes rather human in some respects.

Along with the in-movie audience, the sheriff is also hard to work out and it isn't obvious if he knows that he is an actor who wants to finish or if he is just a character who wants the story to end so he can go home. Along with sneaking in other movie references (try and spot the obvious Hitchcock for example) Dupieux (a DJ who gave us this classic) also mocks his own movie where at one point Robert's love interest states- "Who wrote this garbage?" when reading from a script the sheriff had given her.

Add to this some dark comedy and a fair dose of dry wit which gave me a few moments of laughter and it's looking like an even stranger movie. My overall emotions were probably that of confusion and intrigue which drew me through some parts where there was a bit of repetition- i.e. bang goes another head. This leads me onto the gore which was present but if you are expecting a massive blood-fest then I don't think this movie is quite what you are looking for.

This is definitely one you are either going to love or hate and I think I loved it. It is certainly the most original piece of film work that I have seen in a long time with good music, cinematography and that feeling that it's not quite as one dimensional as it wants people to think it is. Yes the plot can drag slightly but anyone who can make a tyre seem interesting in any way has my vote!

Rating: A-

Since we are heading into the festive Easter period, I thought I'd treat you to something that should get you in the mood. Hop [my review], an Easter animation, is up next to be reviewed.

Farm
Are you fanatical about film? Then follow this site on Twitter @  FAbFilms

Reviewed: Sucker Punch [2011]

Sucker Punch [2011]

12A - 110mins - Action/Adventure/Fantasy - 1st April 2011

Sucker Punch intrigued me before its release due to the seemingly random storyline and what looked like impressive graphics. So I sat down to watch it wondering whether I was going to enjoy the story it has to tell or be confused by it. Unfortunately it was the latter. Now I try and find both positives and negatives in everything I review but graphics aside (which were very enjoyable to watch and engaging) I struggled to for Sucker Punch.

Sucker Punch revolves around Baby Doll (Emily Browning) who is imprisoned in a mental asylum by her wicked and abusive stepfather so that he can lay claim to an inheritance meant for her and her sister. Whilst in the asylum she retreats to a fantasy world of a brother and then further again (Inception-esque) through the medium of dance while her attractive and scantily clad new found friends assist her in her quest to break out of the asylum/brothel and gain freedom. Still with me? Good.

It is quite obvious that this movie comes from the same director (Zach Snyder) that brought us 300 as the return of the super slo-mo fight scenes have arrived in abundance as they did in 300. I have to say they work well in the action scenes in the fantasy world but are also used when no action is taking place... the film could cut 10 minutes from its 110 by just running those parts at normal speed with no real loss.

Now I'm not sure whether I just completely missed the point of this movie or not but I don't want to have to watch it for a second time to find out. Usually I would warn of spoilers but there can't really be any when there is no plot in the first place and the scenes are so random and disjointed that nothing really makes sense. I got the logic behind the desperation of Baby Doll needing to escape her reality as a way of coping but come on she can only do this through dance? And when she is dancing this puts every man in the real world into some sort of a trance?

So on the positive side then the graphics do drag this movie upwards in the ratings with the overall CGI action being very impressive covering a plethora of locations and situations. Even so the graphics did not really add much to the story. Don't get me wrong they were great and I enjoyed the scenes but I got the feeling that Snyder just put them in because he could when he should have perhaps been concentrating slightly more on developing the characters and making us care about them.

Finally my last gripe with this movie is that you never think that the girls are in any danger during the fight scenes and so even if you did end up caring whether they die of not, they don't look like they are ever going to making the slo-mo bullets and swords kind of pointless.

Bonus marks for people who can work out it this is going to get a good rating or not. Despite impressing with graphics, the plot and acting are poor, you never invest in the characters well-being and the graphics seem to be surplus to the movie anyway. If the graphics were the punch then the rest of the movie was definitely the suck.

Rating: D

Next time to make up for Sucker Punch I shall bring something completely different to the table in the form of Rubber [my review]. The story of a tyre with telekinetic powers that goes on a rampage through the desert. Check out the trailer below before you write it off!

Farm
Are you fanatical about film? Then follow this site on Twitter @  FAbFilms

Reviewed: Source Code [2011]

Source Code [2011]

12A - 93mins - Action/Mystery/Romance - 1st April 2011

So I sit before you having just watched one of my top tips for an April hit and I find myself somewhat stuck on the fence before I even start writing the review so I shall have to watch this one again. I think this is more down to a mild bout of sleep deprivation rather than the movie though but lets see.

Upon second viewing, I have concluded that it was indeed lack of sleep working its magic to confuse me rather than the movie (although it does try its best to). Source Code follows a soldier, Colter Stevens, (Jake Gyllenhaal) who awakens to find himself on a train heading for Chicago. After talking to the stranger opposite him, Christina (Michelle Monaghan) who seems to know him well, he goes to the bathroom and standing in front of a mirror sees another person staring back at him. As we think about what on earth is going on, the train suddenly blows up and he wakes up, again disorientated, to another scenario. Leaving all those questions unanswered, it kind of drags you in!

Now within a dark room we find he is linked to a program, the source code, that uses shadows of peoples memories to relive the last 8 minutes of their lives. Goodwin (Vera Farmiga), a sympathetic operator of the source code sets him the task of finding the train bomber so that other attacks that have been planned later in the day can be stopped before they occur.

When I watched this movie, I thought that it was going to be solely the whodunit mystery revolving around the train and the identity of the bomber. However this is not quite the case as Colter finds himself unsure of his surroundings while not in the source code. This leads to the viewer having two riddles to solve- on the one hand who is the bomber and on the other the mystery behind who has put him into the source code and why is he there. I feel this puzzle within a puzzle adds to the excitement giving the movie several levels to work on.

The one thing that this movie had to contend with is the potential for there to be large scenes of repetition whilst Colter is on the train reliving the same moments again and again. This is well handled with enough variety that you become more intrigued by what he is going to do next and start demanding that he pick on a particular character that you have had your eye on for a while rather than the one he is currently investigating.

The movie is well acted with Gyllenhaal in particular putting in another strong performance to follow up his one in Love and Other Drugs with the relationship factor once again playing a strong part in his role in the movie. In general though the acting is impressive and I look forward to Duncan Jones (son of David Bowie wouldn't ya know!) next foray into the movie world because after this and Moon he has a lot of pressure to deliver something exceptional.

The only slight issue I have with this movie is something I can't really talk about until you have watched it. So all I will say is this- I was not a great fan of the way things ended.

Source Code looked like it was heading for a good haul before it was released and it does not fail to disappoint. I was never falling off my chair in anticipation but it is a cleverly thought out plot that is executed well with good CGI, acting, music and enough mystery to pull you through to the end. Not a classic but a very good watch none the less.

Rating: B

So from one hot off the press release to the next with Sucker Punch [my review] next on my to do list. The graphics look stunning so lets see if the movie can hold up under some scrutiny. Check it out...

Farm
Are you fanatical about film? Then follow this site on Twitter @  FAbFilms

Reviewed: Død Snø [2009]

Død Snø [2009]

18 - 91mins - Comedy/Horror - 9th January 2009

Død Snø is set in mountains of Norway with the movie acted out in Norweigan. It opens with a woman being chased through the snowy countryside by zombies (to a well chosen jingle if I do say so myself) before being caught and well I'll let you guess the rest. Fast forward a short period in time to where we meet six medical students who have gone on a holiday picking a remote cabin as their choice of location which sets the scene for our stereotypical horror movie.

After larking about in the snow and having fun with skidoos during the days and drinking away their evenings, they are visited by a strange man. He gives them a history lesson of the region and why they should therefore tread carefully so as not to disturb the evil that lies in the mountains which the students take with a pinch of salt. Low and behold after a long build up zombies do indeed arrive on the scene and yep you guessed it, they are Nazis to boot.

With a movie tag of Ein! Zwei! Die! attached to a plot about Nazi zombies this movie does not fail to deliver on what it promises with lots of zombie action and basic horror movie 101 lessons not being learnt- they split up, get just that bit too near the window at the worst possible time etc and many other comparisons that can be drawn from its zombie movie predecessors. Where so many of the older and newer zombie movies have failed though Tommy Wirkola strikes up a very good balance between the humour and horror. Yes at some points it seemed like the producers only had enough money for one prop (intestines) and spent most of their time thinking up evermore elaborate ways to use it but there is always a laugh to be had alongside this.

Although being classed as a horror, you will have to have quite a jumpy personality for this movie to get you cowering behind a cushion. The first half of the movie is more about character banter with most of the laughs written into the script and some suspense but during the second half this turns into gore and more of a slapstick comedy feel develops (think Shawn Of The Dead). For this kind of movie overall the second half tends to work better than the first but only just.

The actors and actresses all do their jobs but there are no outstanding performances amongst them to be worthy of a mention. Where this movie succeeds is in the writing of the script and as mentioned just the right amount of comedy. The zombies don't look half bad either dressed up in their Nazi memorabilia and although they lose some of their scare factor with most of the second half shot in the daylight, I wouldn't want them running at me any time soon!

To sum up then, Død Snø is nothing original in its premises borrowing heavily from similar movies (Evil Dead II, Dead Alive etc) around but it does so in a refreshing way that has some genuinely funny moments. As mentioned, think Shawn Of The Dead but with more gore and ominous surroundings. It's one of the best zombie movies about and it covers a couple of genres to boot. If this is your cup of tea then I strongly recommend you add Dog Soldiers to your watch list too.

Rating: B+

Up next I bring you one of my tips for the top movie in April- Source Code [my review]. As always, here is a sneak peak of the action.

Farm
Are you fanatical about film? Then follow this site on Twitter @  FAbFilms

Previewed: April's Releases

I felt that as I'm writing a blog about movies that it wouldn't hurt to look at what the next month has to offer. This is the first of the monthly posts 'Previewed: Next Months Releases' which will be dedicated to pointing you in the right direction for those must sees and steering you away from those must nots.

Alright then we have a real mix of movies trying to make us part with our money this month but which are going to be the blockbusters and which will be the box office flops?

Top movies of April:       1. I Saw The Devil
                           2. Source Code
                           3. Your Highness
                           4. Rio
                           5. Apollo 18

Action/Fantasy/Thrillers
Sucker Punch (1st April) [my review]
Bit of a strange one this as a girl retreats to an alternate reality to cope with the mental facility she has been placed in. Looks like its going to be high on the graphics front but low on acting quality.

Source Code (1st April) [my review]
A soldier who wakes up on a train to relive 8 minutes in someone else's body in order to try and find the bomber of said train. This looks like one to go and see if you have some time to spare and will tick most boxes on the entertainment front.

Fast Five (21st April) [my review]
The next one in The Fast And The Furious franchise with Vin Diesel returning for more of the same. Expect lots of car chases with stunts and not a lot else.

Thor (27st April) [my review]
After being cast out of Asgard, Thor is left to roam the world with mortals and defend them from whatever evil is thrown his way. One to wait to come out on TV I think.

I Saw the Devil (29th April) [my review]
Foriegn one this. After losing his wife to a serial killer a detective goes on the hunt in order to avenge her death. Looks like its going to be strong on the gore and one to go and watch if you can cope with subtitled movies.


Animations/Children
Hop (1st April) [my review]
The son of the Easter bunny does not want to follow in his father's footsteps and would much rather see what the world has to offer. Will go down well with the kids no doubt but just using Easter as a way to sell a movie is a bit weak. Made by the guys and gals behind Despicable Me and looks like there are some similarities with the yellow minions and the chick minions.

Mars Needs Moms (8th April)
Milo has his mom kidnapped by Martians because they need moms too. Graphics look terrible, storyline looks even worse. In for a shot at worst movie of the year.

Rio (8st April) [my review]
Rio a domesticated macaw gets taken to Rio de Janero where he meets another macaw and adventures ensue. Brought to you by the people behind Ice Age I think this will fare the best out of all the animations on show this month.


Comedy
Your Highness (13th April) [my review]
When Prince Fabious's bride is kidnapped, he goes on a quest to rescue her... accompanied by his lazy useless brother Thadeous. Heading down the lude, rude and boisterous humour route this one. Looks like it's going to be a good laugh.

Arthur (22nd April) [my review]
A drunken playboy stands to lose a wealthy inheritance when he falls for a woman his family doesn't like. Remake of the 1981 movie of the same name with Russel Brand taking the lead. Nearest romcom release for this month.

Cedar Rapids (29th April)
Tim Lippe has no idea what he's in for when he's sent to Cedar Rapids, Iowa to represent his company at an annual insurance convention, where he soon finds himself under the "guidance" of three convention veterans. Generic comedy that will get a few laughs but nothing more.
 

Drama/Documentaries
Oranges and Sunshine (1st April)
Based on a true story, Margaret Humphreys a social worker, uncovered one of the most significant social scandals in recent times: the forced migration of 130,000 children from the United Kingdom to Australia and other commonwealth countries. This describes her plight to reunite the families that were torn apart. One to watch if drama is your cup of tea.

Beastly (22nd April)
A modern day Beauty and the Beast where a New York teen is transformed into a hideous monster in order to find true love. Probably not going to amount to much and not really worth a look in.


Horror
The Roommate (8th April)
College student Sara finds that her new roommate Rebecca has an obsession with her, which quickly turns violent. Probably give a couple of scares but looks a bit budget to be honest.

Red Riding Hood (15th April) [my review]
Another modern take on an old tale set in a medieval village haunted by a werewolf, where a young girl falls for an orphaned woodcutter, much to her family's displeasure. Don't think horror movies are heading in the right direction and this is not going break the mold.

Scream 4 (15th April)
Ten years have passed and Sidney Prescott, who has put herself back together thanks in part to her writing, is visited by the Ghostface Killer. Another franchise that won't die off and I can't really understand how this is going to differ from anyother of the Scream movies.

Apollo 18 (22nd April) [Changed TBA]
Set around the real mission to space in the 1970s and why it was cancelled by NASA. Looks like it could lead to a bit of an emotional rollercoaster and this is my pick of the horror movies.

Next time I review Død Snø [2009] [my review] a zombie comedy movie from Norway.

So there we go. I hope I have steered you in the right direction for the month of April. Happy viewing.

Farm
Are you fanatical about film? Then follow this site on Twitter @  FAbFilms