Posted by: minifigpootles on: 5 August, 2008
Some people have been complaining that the BBFC has not been harsh enough in their 12A rating for The Dark Knight. In order to be able to explain myself properly, there’s a vague chance that I might give a spoiler or two. Frankly though, if you haven’t seen the film already, and you’re that bothered [...]
Posted by: minifigpootles on: 28 April, 2008
I guess that Anton Corbijn’s control was never likely to be the cheeriest of films. Charting the brief rise and fall of Joy Division, and concentrating on the demise of their lead singer, Ian Curtis through suicide at 23 I guess that casting Adam Sandler and making it into a slapstick comedy probably wouldn’t have [...]
Posted by: minifigpootles on: 18 April, 2008
Some people feel that Hammer and Tongs first foray into feature films, the ill-fated Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy movie was a bit of a disappointment, and yes, it was flawed, but it had some great moments as well. The opening was great, Martin Freeman was a perfect bit of casting, Marvin was a lot [...]
Posted by: minifigpootles on: 11 April, 2008
The Orphanage (El Orfanato) is a Spanish film produced by Guillermo del Torno, and directed by Juan Antonio Bayona. A couple move into the orphanage in which the woman was raised. It being a horror film, strange things happen, especially regarding their child who appears to have a range of imaginary friends. During a party, [...]
Posted by: minifigpootles on: 27 March, 2008
Wes Anderson Season 2008: Part 2
This is the film that kicked off my little Wes Anderson season. It’s one of my favourite films. I watched it first back in 1999 when it first came out (well, first came out in the UK anyway).
It’s difficult not to love this film. From the early wide-angle shots [...]
Posted by: minifigpootles on: 24 March, 2008
I’m not what anyone would call a patriot. I don’t believe I’m anything special because I was born in Britain, nor do I believe that Britain is particularly special because I live in it. That said, there are a lot of things that make me glad that I’m British. We know how to make good [...]
Posted by: minifigpootles on: 18 March, 2008
Wes Anderson Season 2008: Part 1
On the poster for Wes Anderson’s debut film, a reviewer calls the film “A Hip Comedy”. The use of the word ‘hip’ in that sentence is as a synonym for ‘weird’.
The film charts two friends, Dignan and Anthony, played by the Wilson brothers. As the film starts, Anthony is leaving [...]
Posted by: minifigpootles on: 17 March, 2008
I know this is a film about Russian gangsters, and I know, therefore, that this films wasn’t likely be High School Musical 3 (although a Russia-based part of the series where all the cast get brutally slaughtered would be more entertaining). That said, there’s a lot of blood in the first few minutes of Eastern [...]
Posted by: minifigpootles on: 12 March, 2008
Ploughing through Oscar-winning films never used to be much fun. When they were good, they were dull, when they were popular they were terrible, and when they were worthy you normally needed a large bucket and a week off work to recover from the resultant emptying of your stomach, its lining and most of your [...]
Posted by: minifigpootles on: 9 March, 2008
I watched both of these films this week, and, intending to review both of them, it seemed to make sense to form them into one, since they are a perfect contrast.
Downfall is a film based in Hitler’s bunker in the final days of World War II days before Hitler’s suicide and the surrender of Germany. [...]
Posted by: minifigpootles on: 8 March, 2008
I’m not generally one for writing lengthy reviews of films.
I’m not here to tell you the plot since either you’ll see the film and it will be pointless, or you won’t therefore don’t care. I don’t need to tell you what to think about the films in question, or explain them to you, since I [...]
Posted by: minifigpootles on: 3 March, 2008
Saw, the original film, is a tense, mildly original horror/thriller. It is claustrophobic, disturbing and nasty and has a twist at the end which I did not see coming in any way. Saw II is not a great film, but the twist is novel enough and just about drags a sadistic but broadly entertaining film [...]
Posted by: minifigpootles on: 3 March, 2008
Obligatory comparison with There Will Be Blood because of Oscars: It’s not as good.
Anyway, with that bit over and done with, let’s get down to the meat of the review. Because despite not trumping PT Anderson’s masterpiece, this is a beautiful film. I thought the Coens doing a more ’serious’ film would be rather strange, [...]
Posted by: minifigpootles on: 2 March, 2008
I’m rather a sucker for superhero movies.
Firstly, this is because I love comics. Secondly, it’s because, sooner or later, I think that I’m bound to find a really great one. One that gets to the heart of the characters, has great special effects. Really tells me something profound about myself. Thirdly, since the second is [...]
