I like Noel Clarke the writer and Co-Director of 4.3.2.1 and was so close to bagging his Autograph at last years frightfest but he was rushed into the film as everything was running late!
4.3.2.1 is the story of 4 girls over 3 days set in 2 cities with 1 chance of success. And for the most part this film was really good; I liked the girls all decent up and coming actresses in a film with attitude. Clarke seems to have added a bit more humour to this urban story over his previous films and some of the situations are quite funny. It’s concept of telling the story isn’t new but Clarke’s version works well, from a point near the start of the film, the 4 girls go their separate ways, and this split provides the starting point for 4 stories which interweave which each other brilliantly. Cassandra’s story was the best though, with a great cameo as well.
Clarke also has a part in the film and has come a long way since his days on Dr Who, but it’s the 4 girls who shine, Emma Roberts, Tamsin Egerton, Ophelia Lovibond and Shanika Warren-Markland. The script helps, a little clunky in places but overall sharp and witty.
The one thing which let it down were the over-long sex scenes, although well shot they did drag on!
The soundtrack is also pretty good.
Overall really good (8/10).
Tuesday 29 June 2010
Black Death
Christopher Smith directs this film about a group of Christian soldiers charged with investigating a village which had escaped the plague during the 14th century. I have a lot of time for Smith, and Triangle wasn’t a bad film on the whole. But I was little disappointed with this effort. It’s not the story, that wasn’t bad, but the pacing was a little off. Followed by the camera work, which nearly sent me over the edge, the one major action sequence was really poorly edited. It’s getting old hat having the camera as close to the fight as possible, pull back let us see them fighting!!
The story is okay, and has some clever moments, however the script isn’t the best and some of the acting is very wooden. None of them shine, most tread water while some do sink. Smith doesn’t really ask much of them, Bean growls around the screen, Redmayne has the most emotion to convey and some time goes too far. Much of the cast I haven’t really seen before in films.
Overall uneven, poorly edited with average acting and a poor script, just saved by the story (6/10)
The story is okay, and has some clever moments, however the script isn’t the best and some of the acting is very wooden. None of them shine, most tread water while some do sink. Smith doesn’t really ask much of them, Bean growls around the screen, Redmayne has the most emotion to convey and some time goes too far. Much of the cast I haven’t really seen before in films.
Overall uneven, poorly edited with average acting and a poor script, just saved by the story (6/10)
Sunday 20 June 2010
The Killer Inside Me
Michael Winterbottom directs the novel by Jim Thompson, a book they said would be hard to film. I don't know the book, but I did like the film for the most part. A couple of scenes were brutal and were a little uncomfortable but still not as distressing as The Girl Next Door (the Jack Ketchem story).
The cast was very good, Casey Affleck was superb in the main role, he was supported well by Jessica Alba, Kate Hudson, Elias Koteas and Simon Baker. Hudson was very good, and it was also a good turn from Alba for once.
The story is slow and builds up the tension, the violence is brutal at times, but it gives the film the realisum it needed. The soundtrack was very good as well.
It's also made me interested in finding the book and giving it a go.
Overall I liked the film (8/10)
The cast was very good, Casey Affleck was superb in the main role, he was supported well by Jessica Alba, Kate Hudson, Elias Koteas and Simon Baker. Hudson was very good, and it was also a good turn from Alba for once.
The story is slow and builds up the tension, the violence is brutal at times, but it gives the film the realisum it needed. The soundtrack was very good as well.
It's also made me interested in finding the book and giving it a go.
Overall I liked the film (8/10)
Thursday 17 June 2010
The Losers
I was hoping this was going to be better than it was, but it wasn't a complete let down, it had some good moments.
Directed by Sylvian White (I'll always know what you did last summer (V)), he's done a good job, but nothing outstanding, pop-culture cinematography with some over worked shots!
The cast is pretty strong and all did well with an average script. Jeffery Dean Morgan leads the losers and he's good, if a little underused. Zoe Saldana, Chris Evans, Idris Elba and Oscar Jaenada are all good, but Columbus Short was the standout actor in the Losers group, he had some good lines and his performance was great!
However, Jason Patric's villain was so far over the top it nearly ruined the film for me. I'm not sure if he was going for this approach or what, but I didn't get it, which is a shame because the film needed a more sinister bad guy!
It's not a bad film, it's just not a great film which is what i was hoping for!
It suffered from too much comic book antiques in visual style and from the actors, well mainly Patric!
Hopefully the DVD or BD will have some more footage on, otherwise it's a bargain bin purchase!
Overall, it's an OK film!
(6/10)
Directed by Sylvian White (I'll always know what you did last summer (V)), he's done a good job, but nothing outstanding, pop-culture cinematography with some over worked shots!
The cast is pretty strong and all did well with an average script. Jeffery Dean Morgan leads the losers and he's good, if a little underused. Zoe Saldana, Chris Evans, Idris Elba and Oscar Jaenada are all good, but Columbus Short was the standout actor in the Losers group, he had some good lines and his performance was great!
However, Jason Patric's villain was so far over the top it nearly ruined the film for me. I'm not sure if he was going for this approach or what, but I didn't get it, which is a shame because the film needed a more sinister bad guy!
It's not a bad film, it's just not a great film which is what i was hoping for!
It suffered from too much comic book antiques in visual style and from the actors, well mainly Patric!
Hopefully the DVD or BD will have some more footage on, otherwise it's a bargain bin purchase!
Overall, it's an OK film!
(6/10)
Prince of Persia
Well I've been away for a couple of weeks, but just before I went I caught Prince of Persia, well actually saw it twice.
My daughter was really looking forward to this, and it didn't dissapoint her, she loved it, but she does like Pirates and LOTR so this was right up her street!
Mike Newell directs and Jake Gyllenhaal is the lead and they both pull it off to a degree. Not sure about Jake's accent but I liked his action hero style! Gemma Arterton is great, much better in this than Clash of the Titans. Ben Kingsley also stars and is also good. The script is a little weak, and the film is heavy on CGI, but i liked it. The look of the film is very good and I also really liked the music - (so does my daughter!).
The story is ok, but it may have lost some of it's charm if they had over complicated the plot lines! Keeping it simple does seem to help, as it's quite a visual film, some of the set pieces are great and the fight scenes are very good.
It's a good length as well and doesn't really overstay it's welcome.
Much better than Clash and overall I enjoyed it, a great Sunday afternoon adventure film for the family!
(8/10)
My daughter was really looking forward to this, and it didn't dissapoint her, she loved it, but she does like Pirates and LOTR so this was right up her street!
Mike Newell directs and Jake Gyllenhaal is the lead and they both pull it off to a degree. Not sure about Jake's accent but I liked his action hero style! Gemma Arterton is great, much better in this than Clash of the Titans. Ben Kingsley also stars and is also good. The script is a little weak, and the film is heavy on CGI, but i liked it. The look of the film is very good and I also really liked the music - (so does my daughter!).
The story is ok, but it may have lost some of it's charm if they had over complicated the plot lines! Keeping it simple does seem to help, as it's quite a visual film, some of the set pieces are great and the fight scenes are very good.
It's a good length as well and doesn't really overstay it's welcome.
Much better than Clash and overall I enjoyed it, a great Sunday afternoon adventure film for the family!
(8/10)
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