Wednesday, October 23, 2013

Captain Phillips

SF: Sadly this way one dull movie. I suppose the point was to have mounting tension but I found myself uninterested. The finale while tense and well executed didn't do much to save this. Tom Hanks is amazing and that's the only praise I have. Prehaps a bit more character development at the start might have helped. It is an incredible story And might appeal to some. 6/10

50 Eggs: This had been hyped quite a lot so my expectations were raised, and sadly not met. I don't know if it was the 12 oz burger I ate beforehand, but I got awful sleepy about halfway though this film. It's only 2 hrs, but it feels much longer because the middle section drags on a loooong time without ever really progressing the story. Having said that then ending is worth the wait; a tense and compelling finale where Tom Hanks gets to act his socks off. 7/10

DonkeyB: Wow. Mean reviews. Gripping from start to finish. This is arguably Hank's best performance ever. A role he seems born to play (its a testament to his growth and brilliance as screen actor that the same was also true of Big). The terrorists performances are also excellent. Oscar for Hanks please. Greengrass breaks out the shaky cam again to bring his signature style to the film, again having seen the film you can't imagine anyone else being able to direct it. A film about globalisation and culture clashes and the unintended consequences of 'The War on Terror'. 8/10

Overall: 7/10

Wednesday, October 2, 2013

The Wickerman (directors cut)

SF: This can only be described as one thing - trippy. I remember this being really sinister but this time just odd. Still think Edward Woodward was great though. 3/10

50Eggs: n/a

DonkeyB: I have the DVD which included a lot of previously 'lost' material, which I believe had turned up in a landfill under the M25 when they were excavating to build more lanes. I didn't really notice any more material, but it's a long time since I last saw the film. It's a seminal film but one I don't think has dated very well, the music and the scenery make it well worth a trip to see it on the big screen, but unfortunately I think the power of the film have been diminished over 40 years. 7/10

Overall: 5/10