Robert De-Niro stars as the psychotic Max Cady terrorising his former defense lawyer Nick Nolte and his family. Directed by Martin Scorsese the film is a re-make of the 1962 thriller with Robert Mitchum and Gregory Peck (the two appear briefly in this film). Whilst not one of Scorsese's best Cape Fear is a hugely enjoyable suspense thriller nonetheless. The cinematography often echos that of Alfred Hitchcock, particularly "Vertigo", with its use of sharp colours and dramatic close-ups. Not to mention the update of the original Bernard Herman score.
De-Niro is brilliantly creepy as Cady and clearly has fun playing up the character's madness - even if he does over-do it a little in the final 10 minutes.
I enjoyed Cape Fear '91 but for me Cape Fear '62 is infinetly superior. Scorsese's film just had too much going on. They wanted the family to be ugly, they wanted to throw in bible verses, they wanted Cady to interact with the entire family, and then they have two climaxes. Too much distracts from the main plot. Cape Fear '62 was straight foward as well as provocative; How far does one go to protect his family ? That's the question Cape Fear '91 just did not address. Despite all that, Scorsese's film was a good effort but I just wish he was more interested in making his own film.
I watched Sudden Impact for the first time ever last night - the fourth Dirty Harry film and directed by Clint Eastwood too - it was brilliant!
Yeah it was great. To me, Sudden Impact is a modern day film noir. The expressive lighting and storyline would something adkin to a Bogart or Mitchum hard-boiled private dick film. Also what make this film stands out is how truly "ugly" it is. The villians are not interested in corrupting San Fransisco or holding it hostage, they are just low-dow reprobates who raped two women and one of them became blood thirsty for revenge; This is why I think people are generally turned off by the film despite the popularity of that immortal line. Too bad this wasn't the last DH film though. The Dead Pool was just terrible. If SI is a film noir then DP is a cheap TV movie.
I enjoyed Cape Fear '91 but for me Cape Fear '62 is infinetly superior. Scorsese's film just had too much going on. They wanted the family to be ugly, they wanted to throw in bible verses, they wanted Cady to interact with the entire family, and then they have two climaxes. Too much distracts from the main plot. Cape Fear '62 was straight foward as well as provocative; How far does one go to protect his family ? That's the question Cape Fear '91 just did not address. Despite all that, Scorsese's film was a good effort but I just wish he was more interested in making his own film.
I haven't actually seen Cape Fear '62 though I have a feeling it is the better film. Also, from what I gather, Mitchum is insane is much quieter way compared to De-Niro's "fun" nut-job.
I enjoyed Cape Fear '91 but for me Cape Fear '62 is infinetly superior. Scorsese's film just had too much going on. They wanted the family to be ugly, they wanted to throw in bible verses, they wanted Cady to interact with the entire family, and then they have two climaxes. Too much distracts from the main plot. Cape Fear '62 was straight foward as well as provocative; How far does one go to protect his family ? That's the question Cape Fear '91 just did not address. Despite all that, Scorsese's film was a good effort but I just wish he was more interested in making his own film.
I haven't actually seen Cape Fear '62 though I have a feeling it is the better film. Also, from what I gather, Mitchum is insane is much quieter way compared to De-Niro's "fun" nut-job.
You are correct. Mitchum's Cady was much more subtle but at the same time he clearly was a sociopath with a perverse defintion of justice. De Niro was defintely far more OTT because his Cady mixed in with Robert Mitchum's other famous role Rev. Harry Powell from The Night of The Hunter.
I enjoyed Cape Fear '91 but for me Cape Fear '62 is infinetly superior. Scorsese's film just had too much going on. They wanted the family to be ugly, they wanted to throw in bible verses, they wanted Cady to interact with the entire family, and then they have two climaxes. Too much distracts from the main plot. Cape Fear '62 was straight foward as well as provocative; How far does one go to protect his family ? That's the question Cape Fear '91 just did not address. Despite all that, Scorsese's film was a good effort but I just wish he was more interested in making his own film.
I haven't actually seen Cape Fear '62 though I have a feeling it is the better film. Also, from what I gather, Mitchum is insane is much quieter way compared to De-Niro's "fun" nut-job.
You are correct. Mitchum's Cady was much more subtle but at the same time he clearly was a sociopath with a perverse defintion of justice. De Niro was defintely far more OTT because his Cady mixed in with Robert Mitchum's other famous role Rev. Harry Powell from The Night of The Hunter.
I did see Night of the Hunter a few years ago. RM was clearly crazy in that.
I haven't actually seen Cape Fear '62 though I have a feeling it is the better film. Also, from what I gather, Mitchum is insane is much quieter way compared to De-Niro's "fun" nut-job.
You are correct. Mitchum's Cady was much more subtle but at the same time he clearly was a sociopath with a perverse defintion of justice. De Niro was defintely far more OTT because his Cady mixed in with Robert Mitchum's other famous role Rev. Harry Powell from The Night of The Hunter.
I did see Night of the Hunter a few years ago. RM was clearly crazy in that.
Speaking of Hunter, I am so happy it was given the Criterion treatment ! I may just hold out and make it my first Blu-Ray film whenever I get the player.
The Tourist
Angelina Jolie and Johnny Depp star in this film that has been ravaged by the critics, after seeing it, I now know why. Jolie is Elise Clifton-Ward (complicated name for a movie) a glamorous woman who is involved with an international thief. We never see the thief; she just occasionally receives notes from him asking her to appear somewhere. Depp is Frank Tupelo, a math teacher from Wisconsin. They meet on a train trip to Venice when Jolie sits next to Depp hoping the authorities who are following her will think Depp is the thief. As they spend some time together on the train, Jolie appears to develop a fondness for Depp, but is it real, or is she just using him? Both the authorities who want to arrest her boyfriend and a gangster, who wants to kill her boyfriend for stealing from him, fall for the trick and Depp is suddenly involved in a complicated game of life and death.
I really enjoyed the first 30 minutes of the film, dialogue is minimal, the scenery is beautiful, Jolie is gorgeous, the music provides a sense of intrigue and then the wheels come off the wagon. We get a scene that is humorous, kind of like one of the scenes from 70's Bond films, except instead of Bond in a clown suit, we get Depp in his pajamas running on the Venice roof tops and jumping into a fruit wagon. We also get plot twists that just leave you shaking your head in disbelief.
Joile is gorgeous throughout the film, dressed glamorously, with hair and makeup never out of place, when she walks into a ball the crowd parts like the red sea and all the men and women stare at her, I would have too. She has a few nice scenes, where her eyes reveal her true feelings, but other than that, she isn’t asked to do much. Depp I believe is miscast, he has a part that in the old days may have been played by Cary Grant, but Depp lacks Grant’s romantic leading man persona and instead appears humorous, in scenes, where I don’t think he is supposed to be.
For Bond fans, Timothy Dalton has a small role in the film as a department head at Scotland Yard. Early in the film he is sitting at a desk signing papers while questioning an agent who blew a case. I came away from that scene believing that Dalton would make a great M. I really think he would be excellent.
Forget about all the stupid crap Hollywood has made with Theodore Giesel's pseudonym on it. THIS is a 100% live-action Seuss feature co-written by the man himself. Lavishly produced and wildy inventive, The 5000 Fingers of Dr. T is the quintessential excursion into a child's wild imagination.
Dr. T centers around a boy named Bartholomew Collins who falls asleep playing the piano. He awakens in bizarre musical institution run by his real-life piano Dr. Terwilliker. He attempts to escape before Dr. T conducts a concert with 500 boys playing on a massive piano. As Bart makes his way through out the massive and bizarrely constructed building he finds his brain washed mother, a dugeon for anyone who dosen't play any instrument besides the piano, and a series of wonderfully coreographed and over the top musical numbers.
The great thing about Dr. T is it really feels like a kid's film. Dr. T's institute looks exactly like something out of a Dr. Seuss book. Adults are big orges who are corrupt and are after their own selfish interests and the kids are the great rebels. Nothing is grounded in reality. You have two guys skating who have attached by a long beard, half naked guys with stripped pants, and young men painted green preforming musical in shredded tuxedos. The songs are catchy and pleasing and as I said earlier, the coreography was spectacular. It's films like this that are missing out of kids' lives today; Entertainment that encourages them to use their imagination.
A gripping psychological thriller directed by Rob Reiner and staring James Cann and Kathy Bates. The story is based on the original Steven King novel.
Cann is an author who is rescued by his "Number One Fan" - a reclusive nurse played by a superb Bates. This intense, somewhat old-fashioned horror flick has more than a few nods to Hitchcock (particularly the Norman Bates-like house) and features a genuinely creepy, un-predictable antagonist who switches from being the caring devoted nurse to raging psychotic in the blink of an eye. Cann is also excellent as the calm yet increasingly desperate author.
The sheer unpredictablity of Bates ensures a feeling of suspense throughout. Additionally the fact that our hero is immobile (Rear Window!?) adds to the tension and sense of helplessness.
Let me start by admitting I am not a big fan of Will Ferrell, being loud and acting like an idiot doesn't strike me as funny, but I watched this film because other family members wanted to see it.
Will Ferrell and Mark Wahlberg play disgraced New York cops assigned to desk duty due to past misdeeds, in Wahlberg's case, he accidently shot New York Yankees shortstop Derek Jeter. Wahlberg wants to redeem himself by getting back on the streets and making a big bust. His partner Ferrell is happy sitting at his desk writing reports. Wahlberg eventually forces Ferrell to help him on a financial fraud case and that is when the high jinks begin. Ferrell is scared, Wahlberg is overly gung ho and the mismatched pair ineptness leads to laughs, well a few laughs.
The film did make me laugh a few times, but at other times I wondered why the scene I was watching was even in the film. For the most part, Ferrell is reserved, but in a couple scenes he breaks out his usual routine of over acting while running around screaming and acting like an idiot. Which is the biggest problem with this film, everyone, in some manner, is an idiot? Not one intelligent character exists in the film which, for me, detracts from the humor. If you like Ferrell's shtick, you will like the film, for me, no thanks.
Let me start by admitting I am not a big fan of Will Ferrell, being loud and acting like an idiot doesn't strike me as funny, but I watched this film because other family members wanted to see it.
Will Ferrell and Mark Wahlberg play disgraced New York cops assigned to desk duty due to past misdeeds, in Wahlberg's case, he accidently shot New York Yankees shortstop Derek Jeter. Wahlberg wants to redeem himself by getting back on the streets and making a big bust. His partner Ferrell is happy sitting at his desk writing reports. Wahlberg eventually forces Ferrell to help him on a financial fraud case and that is when the high jinks begin. Ferrell is scared, Wahlberg is overly gung ho and the mismatched pair ineptness leads to laughs, well a few laughs.
The film did make me laugh a few times, but at other times I wondered why the scene I was watching was even in the film. For the most part, Ferrell is reserved, but in a couple scenes he breaks out his usual routine of over acting while running around screaming and acting like an idiot. Which is the biggest problem with this film, everyone, in some manner, is an idiot? Not one intelligent character exists in the film which, for me, detracts from the humor. If you like Ferrell's shtick, you will like the film, for me, no thanks.
Farell's talent is very limited but sometimes, it does work. Really, I think you can say this for about 90% of the people who have been on SNL.
In a week given over to drink and hedonism, lovefilm chooses to send me from my list the DVD of Jesus Christ's life! I do wonder about their selections sometimes.
This is a stark, authentic B+w Italian film from 1964 with unknown actors. It's quite stripped down and devoid of the old Hollywood excess. At first it seemed that Jesus Christ is bald, and I though, well, I'm sorry. You can't have a bald Jesus Christ. There's no mention of that in the Bible at all. In fact, I was all set to start up a website, www.ajc.co.uk - Absolutely Jesus Christ, but it's okay, it turned out it was John the Baptist. Christ turned out to be a George Harrison type.
It's satire folks...
Anyway, I recommend it, best watched in one stint however.
The Expendables
Well this could have been good with real action sequences but for the most part it is actually very boring, as if the presence of so many action heroes renders the need for actual action obsolete.
The meeting of the big 3 of Stallone, Willis and Schwarzenegger has a nice nostalgic feel with all 3 jostling for position and standing their ground.
But the film is often derailed by pointless sidenotes like Jason Statham chasing the heart of his on/off girlfriend(Crank), Mickey Rourke trying to explain how miserable he feels(the Wrestler), and Jet Li and Dolph Lundgren feuding. These subplots have no place in this film.
Statham really feels like a poor man's Steven Seagal.
We do get an enjoyable climactic scene where the crew infiltrate the enemy base(a very welcome familiarity), but most of the film feels like padding as we wait for this climax.
Ultimately a very dissapointing film that could have been a great throwback.
“Everything that irritates us about others can lead us to a better understanding of ourselves.” - Carl Jung
I can say without hesitation that this is one of the best films I've ever seen. For me, it has a somewhat sad ending, and I really felt sorry for the accused that he was subject to such racial bias at that time. It's hard to imagine that that sort of racial bias was once reality.
Inception
I've finally seen the film of the year.
I expected this to be good coming from Christopher Nolan but it completely exceeds my expectations. For once a stellar cast where every star has a major part to play, it feels like there are about half a dozen main characters, not to mention Michael Caine and Pete Postlethwaite offering enjoyable cameos.
This cast is supported by the most amazing story and some of the cleverest and exciting action sequences I have ever seen.
Not to mention a wonderful score from Hans Zimmer.
This film should bag Nolan a long overdue Oscar, otherwise I may lose all faith in awards ceremonies.
Inception has to be considered one of the greatest films ever made.
“Everything that irritates us about others can lead us to a better understanding of ourselves.” - Carl Jung
Does anyone else agree with me The Pretenders' "Where has everybody gone ?" blows A-Ha's title theme out of the water ? They really should have used that one instead. Also "If There was a man" was the best ending song for a Bond film ever. Hell, it's a great song in general.
I was given a boxset of 14 films starring The Duke for christmas, and started my viewing with Hondo – a film which I had heard praised on these boards before. I was not disappointed! I thought the film was a good, solid Western tale (based on a story penned by Louis L'Amour) – economical on running time (83 minutes on DVD) and high on excitement. Interesting also to note that it was shot in 3D, and it is clear to see where the 3D effects would have been, with numerous shots of knifes etc. lunging towards the cameras and arrows flying just past the lens. The Duke is on fine form here, and the portrayal of Indians seems quite progressive for its time. Overall, probably my second favourite Wayne film so far (after The Searchers). Still got lots more viewing to do...such classics as The Shootist and The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance coming up, as well as many other lesser known films. I'll post my thoughts when I get to watching them.
Film tells the true story of Mickey Ward, a fighter from working class Lowell, Massachusetts. Trained by his crack head brother, played by an unrecognizable Christian Bale and managed by his eccentric mother, played by Melissa Leo, Ward has managed to lose his last three fights. He meets a bartender played by Amy Adams in a role far far away from her Enchanted character Giselle, who convinces Ward that his family doesn't have his best interest at heart. After a series of confrontations between his family and Adams, his brother and the police, his sisters and Adams, he finally begins to train seriously and eventually works up to a title shot.
Although the movie is called The Fighter and the main character is a prize fighter, the movie is really not about boxing. Except for the climatic championship fight, very little action takes place in the ring. The more interesting story is Mickey Ward's life and all he overcame to get a shot at the title.
This is an excellent film, one of the best I have seen this year. The acting is superb, with excellent performances from everyone. I firmly believe at least three Academy Award acting nominations will be garnered from this film. Melissa Leo, who I was not familiar with previously, is excellent as Wards mother/manager. Amy Adams shows her ability to play any role as she plays Charlene, a college dropout now tending bar in a shot and a beer joint, cussing better than the customers. One of my favorite scenes occurs when Ward brings Charlene over to meet the family, who isn't at all happy she has pulled Mickey away from his family. The exchange between the mother and Adams is excellent as neither woman is going to back down from the other. Christian Bale is wonderful as Dicky, Mickey Wards older brother, who once fault Sugar Ray Leonard and now hangs out in a crack house. His facial expression and speech patterns portray a man who has done damage to himself both in the ring and in life.
I will add that I had the pleasure of watching the real Mickey Ward fight several times on television and they were always toe to toe affairs. His fights with the late Arturo Gotti were classics.
Highly recommend
LoeffelholzThe United States, With LovePosts: 8,990Quartermasters
Still got lots more viewing to do...such classics as The Shootist and The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance coming up, as well as many other lesser known films. I'll post my thoughts when I get to watching them.
Great stuff, Golrush007! {[] I recently showed my sons the original True Grit, inasmuch as we'll be seeing the remake this weekend sometime, and I'm determined to school them in the classics B-) I've got Wayne stuff from Stagecoach through The Shootist, and I'm really looking forward to vicariously experiencing them for the first time (once again) as I show them to Loeff Jr and Loeff III...
Tonight, taking advantage of the holiday down time (and our new PS3), we've *finally* entered into the world of Blu-Ray...
"Inception"
The latest Christopher Nolan mind-f*** (he hasn't done one on this level since Memento, IMO)...looking great in 1080p, featuring an incredibly dense narrative and masterful performances from everyone. Structurally, I found this one to be amazingly tight---allowing for the requisite suspension of disbelief, as the protagonists perform multiple miracles, etc.---and one hell of a lot of fun.
This was my first viewing, and I'm very glad I own it, because it surely merits revisiting. Dreams within dreams within dreams---complete with gunplay and explosions, not to mention a nice emotional hook at the end. Very satisfying. 4.5 out of 5 stars.
Check out my Amazon author page!Mark Loeffelholz
"I am not an entrant in the Shakespeare Stakes." - Ian Fleming
"Screw 'em." - Daniel Craig, The Best James Bond EverTM
Just saw Salt--possibly the best female spy flick I've ever seen. Fast-paced, exciting, and tons of fun, though never played for laughs. Highly recommend it!
Vox clamantis in deserto
LoeffelholzThe United States, With LovePosts: 8,990Quartermasters
Just saw Salt--possibly the best female spy flick I've ever seen. Fast-paced, exciting, and tons of fun, though never played for laughs. Highly recommend it!
That's great to hear! Loeff III has had a crush on Ms Jolie since---well, ever Glad to hear it's a good time...you never know these days...
Check out my Amazon author page!Mark Loeffelholz
"I am not an entrant in the Shakespeare Stakes." - Ian Fleming
"Screw 'em." - Daniel Craig, The Best James Bond EverTM
Great stuff, Golrush007! {[] I recently showed my sons the original True Grit, inasmuch as we'll be seeing the remake this weekend sometime, and I'm determined to school them in the classics B-) I've got Wayne stuff from Stagecoach through The Shootist, and I'm really looking forward to vicariously experiencing them for the first time (once again) as I show them to Loeff Jr and Loeff III...
The new film of True Grit is probably my most eagerly anticipated film in the near future. The original is not one of my favourites, but as a big fan of the Coens and also a fan of westerns in general I'm sure it will be great. I'm also glad to see that it is getting good reviews - 8.5 on IMDB, and 80 on Metacritic. Unfortunately I'll have to wait until late February to see it - but hopefully its worth the wait.
Meanwhile, I've watched The Great Waldo Pepper. Magnificent entertainment starring Robert Redford as a stunt flyer in the 1920s - the era of barnstorming. The great attraction are the old planes and the great aerial stuntwork. Unfortunately the DVD I saw was panned-and-scanned, but I hear there is now a widescreen version out in the US. Definitely worth checking out IMO.
Watched Taken last night - thought it'd be rubbish butit was brilliant - Liam Neeson is awesome...
And I'd love to see him in a Bond film - he's so watchable!
Things I hate:
1. People who hate things.
2. Irony.
3. Lists.
LoeffelholzThe United States, With LovePosts: 8,990Quartermasters
"True Grit"
The much-anticipated remake of the Henry Hathaway-helmed John Wayne film of 1969. I have heard that the Coen Brothers' adaptation followed the original book more closely than the Wayne film; I haven't had the pleasure of reading the novel, but I can happily report that the new film is very close to its cinematic forebear, both in precise lines of dialogue and overall story.
The female lead is younger here---she's only supposed to be 14---and there is some extra stuff in act two, and an extended coda at the film's end, which I can only assume were part of the novel.
...So if you've seen the original, there won't be much here that will surprise you---personally, I found the dialogue brilliant in the Wayne version, and the reading here is also very effective: hugely entertaining and frequently quite wry and funny.
Performances all round are excellent: The young lady who plays Maddie Ross is very good, Matt Damon in the Glen Campbell role of LeBoeuf (the Texas Ranger), Barry Pepper in Robert Duvall's role as "Lucky Ned" Pepper (ironic they share the same last name!), and Josh Brolin as "The Coward Tom Chaney" B-) Pepper and Brolin's parts are little more than cameos, but they make the most of their climactic scenes. But naturally it's the great Jeff Bridges who owns this version, just as the Duke owned the original. Bridges' Rooster Cogburn is just as funny, in his own way, as Wayne's---but Bridges comes off as a little more haunted, detached---and deadly dangerous. Clearly, Bridges loves working with the Coens, and they him.
The Coen Brothers need to do more westerns. The milieu suits them---and they treat the material with the reverence it deserves. The Loeffelholz boys---Loeff Jr and Loeff III---and I had just seen the original last week, and I'm glad we did. My sons give Wayne's version the slight ege...but I'm not 100% sure of that myself. I want to see it again. At 110 minutes, it is a perfect length for the story.
A very solid 4 out of 5 stars. Highly recommended.
Check out my Amazon author page!Mark Loeffelholz
"I am not an entrant in the Shakespeare Stakes." - Ian Fleming
"Screw 'em." - Daniel Craig, The Best James Bond EverTM
Watched Taken last night - thought it'd be rubbish butit was brilliant - Liam Neeson is awesome...
And I'd love to see him in a Bond film - he's so watchable!
I liked Taken aswell. I also think Neeson would be a great Bond but the thing is he is probably too old for the part now - shame!!
If you haven't seen Seraphim Falls, it might be worth giving it a look. Him and another Irish-man by the name of Pierce Brosnan star in the film.
Some things get better with time...The Terminator is not one of those things. I cringed at some of the awful acting/dialogue that came out of Michael Biehn's mouth. 'Vapid' is the word that comes to mind.
I finally watched "Against All Flags". Good pirating!
Whoever thought of putting Errol Flynn, Maureen O'Hara and Anthony Quinn in the same film is my friend. Their exchanges were music to my soul and they all had terrific chemistry. Errol himself seemed to be having a blast and it traveled to the viewer. One of his best later period roles and some great lines.
"Brave men are not forgotten."
"Thank you, sir, but sometimes they don't live long enough to be remembered."
O'Hara was at her peak and knew how to handle Flynn.
Comments
I enjoyed Cape Fear '91 but for me Cape Fear '62 is infinetly superior. Scorsese's film just had too much going on. They wanted the family to be ugly, they wanted to throw in bible verses, they wanted Cady to interact with the entire family, and then they have two climaxes. Too much distracts from the main plot. Cape Fear '62 was straight foward as well as provocative; How far does one go to protect his family ? That's the question Cape Fear '91 just did not address. Despite all that, Scorsese's film was a good effort but I just wish he was more interested in making his own film.
Yeah it was great. To me, Sudden Impact is a modern day film noir. The expressive lighting and storyline would something adkin to a Bogart or Mitchum hard-boiled private dick film. Also what make this film stands out is how truly "ugly" it is. The villians are not interested in corrupting San Fransisco or holding it hostage, they are just low-dow reprobates who raped two women and one of them became blood thirsty for revenge; This is why I think people are generally turned off by the film despite the popularity of that immortal line. Too bad this wasn't the last DH film though. The Dead Pool was just terrible. If SI is a film noir then DP is a cheap TV movie.
I haven't actually seen Cape Fear '62 though I have a feeling it is the better film. Also, from what I gather, Mitchum is insane is much quieter way compared to De-Niro's "fun" nut-job.
You are correct. Mitchum's Cady was much more subtle but at the same time he clearly was a sociopath with a perverse defintion of justice. De Niro was defintely far more OTT because his Cady mixed in with Robert Mitchum's other famous role Rev. Harry Powell from The Night of The Hunter.
I did see Night of the Hunter a few years ago. RM was clearly crazy in that.
Speaking of Hunter, I am so happy it was given the Criterion treatment ! I may just hold out and make it my first Blu-Ray film whenever I get the player.
Angelina Jolie and Johnny Depp star in this film that has been ravaged by the critics, after seeing it, I now know why. Jolie is Elise Clifton-Ward (complicated name for a movie) a glamorous woman who is involved with an international thief. We never see the thief; she just occasionally receives notes from him asking her to appear somewhere. Depp is Frank Tupelo, a math teacher from Wisconsin. They meet on a train trip to Venice when Jolie sits next to Depp hoping the authorities who are following her will think Depp is the thief. As they spend some time together on the train, Jolie appears to develop a fondness for Depp, but is it real, or is she just using him? Both the authorities who want to arrest her boyfriend and a gangster, who wants to kill her boyfriend for stealing from him, fall for the trick and Depp is suddenly involved in a complicated game of life and death.
I really enjoyed the first 30 minutes of the film, dialogue is minimal, the scenery is beautiful, Jolie is gorgeous, the music provides a sense of intrigue and then the wheels come off the wagon. We get a scene that is humorous, kind of like one of the scenes from 70's Bond films, except instead of Bond in a clown suit, we get Depp in his pajamas running on the Venice roof tops and jumping into a fruit wagon. We also get plot twists that just leave you shaking your head in disbelief.
Joile is gorgeous throughout the film, dressed glamorously, with hair and makeup never out of place, when she walks into a ball the crowd parts like the red sea and all the men and women stare at her, I would have too. She has a few nice scenes, where her eyes reveal her true feelings, but other than that, she isn’t asked to do much. Depp I believe is miscast, he has a part that in the old days may have been played by Cary Grant, but Depp lacks Grant’s romantic leading man persona and instead appears humorous, in scenes, where I don’t think he is supposed to be.
For Bond fans, Timothy Dalton has a small role in the film as a department head at Scotland Yard. Early in the film he is sitting at a desk signing papers while questioning an agent who blew a case. I came away from that scene believing that Dalton would make a great M. I really think he would be excellent.
As for the film, I can’t recommend it.
Roger Moore 1927-2017
Forget about all the stupid crap Hollywood has made with Theodore Giesel's pseudonym on it. THIS is a 100% live-action Seuss feature co-written by the man himself. Lavishly produced and wildy inventive, The 5000 Fingers of Dr. T is the quintessential excursion into a child's wild imagination.
Dr. T centers around a boy named Bartholomew Collins who falls asleep playing the piano. He awakens in bizarre musical institution run by his real-life piano Dr. Terwilliker. He attempts to escape before Dr. T conducts a concert with 500 boys playing on a massive piano. As Bart makes his way through out the massive and bizarrely constructed building he finds his brain washed mother, a dugeon for anyone who dosen't play any instrument besides the piano, and a series of wonderfully coreographed and over the top musical numbers.
The great thing about Dr. T is it really feels like a kid's film. Dr. T's institute looks exactly like something out of a Dr. Seuss book. Adults are big orges who are corrupt and are after their own selfish interests and the kids are the great rebels. Nothing is grounded in reality. You have two guys skating who have attached by a long beard, half naked guys with stripped pants, and young men painted green preforming musical in shredded tuxedos. The songs are catchy and pleasing and as I said earlier, the coreography was spectacular. It's films like this that are missing out of kids' lives today; Entertainment that encourages them to use their imagination.
Ha, IMO there's nothing wrong with a man getting in touch with his feminine side...sometimes
A gripping psychological thriller directed by Rob Reiner and staring James Cann and Kathy Bates. The story is based on the original Steven King novel.
Cann is an author who is rescued by his "Number One Fan" - a reclusive nurse played by a superb Bates. This intense, somewhat old-fashioned horror flick has more than a few nods to Hitchcock (particularly the Norman Bates-like house) and features a genuinely creepy, un-predictable antagonist who switches from being the caring devoted nurse to raging psychotic in the blink of an eye. Cann is also excellent as the calm yet increasingly desperate author.
The sheer unpredictablity of Bates ensures a feeling of suspense throughout. Additionally the fact that our hero is immobile (Rear Window!?) adds to the tension and sense of helplessness.
Bates won an oscar for her performance in 1990.
Let me start by admitting I am not a big fan of Will Ferrell, being loud and acting like an idiot doesn't strike me as funny, but I watched this film because other family members wanted to see it.
Will Ferrell and Mark Wahlberg play disgraced New York cops assigned to desk duty due to past misdeeds, in Wahlberg's case, he accidently shot New York Yankees shortstop Derek Jeter. Wahlberg wants to redeem himself by getting back on the streets and making a big bust. His partner Ferrell is happy sitting at his desk writing reports. Wahlberg eventually forces Ferrell to help him on a financial fraud case and that is when the high jinks begin. Ferrell is scared, Wahlberg is overly gung ho and the mismatched pair ineptness leads to laughs, well a few laughs.
The film did make me laugh a few times, but at other times I wondered why the scene I was watching was even in the film. For the most part, Ferrell is reserved, but in a couple scenes he breaks out his usual routine of over acting while running around screaming and acting like an idiot. Which is the biggest problem with this film, everyone, in some manner, is an idiot? Not one intelligent character exists in the film which, for me, detracts from the humor. If you like Ferrell's shtick, you will like the film, for me, no thanks.
Farell's talent is very limited but sometimes, it does work. Really, I think you can say this for about 90% of the people who have been on SNL.
In a week given over to drink and hedonism, lovefilm chooses to send me from my list the DVD of Jesus Christ's life! I do wonder about their selections sometimes.
This is a stark, authentic B+w Italian film from 1964 with unknown actors. It's quite stripped down and devoid of the old Hollywood excess. At first it seemed that Jesus Christ is bald, and I though, well, I'm sorry. You can't have a bald Jesus Christ. There's no mention of that in the Bible at all. In fact, I was all set to start up a website, www.ajc.co.uk - Absolutely Jesus Christ, but it's okay, it turned out it was John the Baptist. Christ turned out to be a George Harrison type.
Anyway, I recommend it, best watched in one stint however.
Roger Moore 1927-2017
Well this could have been good with real action sequences but for the most part it is actually very boring, as if the presence of so many action heroes renders the need for actual action obsolete.
The meeting of the big 3 of Stallone, Willis and Schwarzenegger has a nice nostalgic feel with all 3 jostling for position and standing their ground.
But the film is often derailed by pointless sidenotes like Jason Statham chasing the heart of his on/off girlfriend(Crank), Mickey Rourke trying to explain how miserable he feels(the Wrestler), and Jet Li and Dolph Lundgren feuding. These subplots have no place in this film.
Statham really feels like a poor man's Steven Seagal.
We do get an enjoyable climactic scene where the crew infiltrate the enemy base(a very welcome familiarity), but most of the film feels like padding as we wait for this climax.
Ultimately a very dissapointing film that could have been a great throwback.
It simply wouldn't be Christmas without it
I can say without hesitation that this is one of the best films I've ever seen. For me, it has a somewhat sad ending, and I really felt sorry for the accused that he was subject to such racial bias at that time. It's hard to imagine that that sort of racial bias was once reality.
I've finally seen the film of the year.
I expected this to be good coming from Christopher Nolan but it completely exceeds my expectations. For once a stellar cast where every star has a major part to play, it feels like there are about half a dozen main characters, not to mention Michael Caine and Pete Postlethwaite offering enjoyable cameos.
This cast is supported by the most amazing story and some of the cleverest and exciting action sequences I have ever seen.
Not to mention a wonderful score from Hans Zimmer.
This film should bag Nolan a long overdue Oscar, otherwise I may lose all faith in awards ceremonies.
Inception has to be considered one of the greatest films ever made.
Does anyone else agree with me The Pretenders' "Where has everybody gone ?" blows A-Ha's title theme out of the water ? They really should have used that one instead. Also "If There was a man" was the best ending song for a Bond film ever. Hell, it's a great song in general.
I was given a boxset of 14 films starring The Duke for christmas, and started my viewing with Hondo – a film which I had heard praised on these boards before. I was not disappointed! I thought the film was a good, solid Western tale (based on a story penned by Louis L'Amour) – economical on running time (83 minutes on DVD) and high on excitement. Interesting also to note that it was shot in 3D, and it is clear to see where the 3D effects would have been, with numerous shots of knifes etc. lunging towards the cameras and arrows flying just past the lens. The Duke is on fine form here, and the portrayal of Indians seems quite progressive for its time. Overall, probably my second favourite Wayne film so far (after The Searchers). Still got lots more viewing to do...such classics as The Shootist and The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance coming up, as well as many other lesser known films. I'll post my thoughts when I get to watching them.
Film tells the true story of Mickey Ward, a fighter from working class Lowell, Massachusetts. Trained by his crack head brother, played by an unrecognizable Christian Bale and managed by his eccentric mother, played by Melissa Leo, Ward has managed to lose his last three fights. He meets a bartender played by Amy Adams in a role far far away from her Enchanted character Giselle, who convinces Ward that his family doesn't have his best interest at heart. After a series of confrontations between his family and Adams, his brother and the police, his sisters and Adams, he finally begins to train seriously and eventually works up to a title shot.
Although the movie is called The Fighter and the main character is a prize fighter, the movie is really not about boxing. Except for the climatic championship fight, very little action takes place in the ring. The more interesting story is Mickey Ward's life and all he overcame to get a shot at the title.
This is an excellent film, one of the best I have seen this year. The acting is superb, with excellent performances from everyone. I firmly believe at least three Academy Award acting nominations will be garnered from this film. Melissa Leo, who I was not familiar with previously, is excellent as Wards mother/manager. Amy Adams shows her ability to play any role as she plays Charlene, a college dropout now tending bar in a shot and a beer joint, cussing better than the customers. One of my favorite scenes occurs when Ward brings Charlene over to meet the family, who isn't at all happy she has pulled Mickey away from his family. The exchange between the mother and Adams is excellent as neither woman is going to back down from the other. Christian Bale is wonderful as Dicky, Mickey Wards older brother, who once fault Sugar Ray Leonard and now hangs out in a crack house. His facial expression and speech patterns portray a man who has done damage to himself both in the ring and in life.
I will add that I had the pleasure of watching the real Mickey Ward fight several times on television and they were always toe to toe affairs. His fights with the late Arturo Gotti were classics.
Highly recommend
Great stuff, Golrush007! {[] I recently showed my sons the original True Grit, inasmuch as we'll be seeing the remake this weekend sometime, and I'm determined to school them in the classics B-) I've got Wayne stuff from Stagecoach through The Shootist, and I'm really looking forward to vicariously experiencing them for the first time (once again) as I show them to Loeff Jr and Loeff III...
Tonight, taking advantage of the holiday down time (and our new PS3), we've *finally* entered into the world of Blu-Ray...
"Inception"
The latest Christopher Nolan mind-f*** (he hasn't done one on this level since Memento, IMO)...looking great in 1080p, featuring an incredibly dense narrative and masterful performances from everyone. Structurally, I found this one to be amazingly tight---allowing for the requisite suspension of disbelief, as the protagonists perform multiple miracles, etc.---and one hell of a lot of fun.
This was my first viewing, and I'm very glad I own it, because it surely merits revisiting. Dreams within dreams within dreams---complete with gunplay and explosions, not to mention a nice emotional hook at the end. Very satisfying. 4.5 out of 5 stars.
"I am not an entrant in the Shakespeare Stakes." - Ian Fleming
"Screw 'em." - Daniel Craig, The Best James Bond EverTM
That's great to hear! Loeff III has had a crush on Ms Jolie since---well, ever
"I am not an entrant in the Shakespeare Stakes." - Ian Fleming
"Screw 'em." - Daniel Craig, The Best James Bond EverTM
Great film.
It's such a shame Heath Ledger passed away when he did. But they managed to finish it as a tribute to him.
The new film of True Grit is probably my most eagerly anticipated film in the near future. The original is not one of my favourites, but as a big fan of the Coens and also a fan of westerns in general I'm sure it will be great. I'm also glad to see that it is getting good reviews - 8.5 on IMDB, and 80 on Metacritic. Unfortunately I'll have to wait until late February to see it - but hopefully its worth the wait.
Meanwhile, I've watched The Great Waldo Pepper. Magnificent entertainment starring Robert Redford as a stunt flyer in the 1920s - the era of barnstorming. The great attraction are the old planes and the great aerial stuntwork. Unfortunately the DVD I saw was panned-and-scanned, but I hear there is now a widescreen version out in the US. Definitely worth checking out IMO.
And I'd love to see him in a Bond film - he's so watchable!
1. People who hate things.
2. Irony.
3. Lists.
The much-anticipated remake of the Henry Hathaway-helmed John Wayne film of 1969. I have heard that the Coen Brothers' adaptation followed the original book more closely than the Wayne film; I haven't had the pleasure of reading the novel, but I can happily report that the new film is very close to its cinematic forebear, both in precise lines of dialogue and overall story.
...So if you've seen the original, there won't be much here that will surprise you---personally, I found the dialogue brilliant in the Wayne version, and the reading here is also very effective: hugely entertaining and frequently quite wry and funny.
Performances all round are excellent: The young lady who plays Maddie Ross is very good, Matt Damon in the Glen Campbell role of LeBoeuf (the Texas Ranger), Barry Pepper in Robert Duvall's role as "Lucky Ned" Pepper (ironic they share the same last name!), and Josh Brolin as "The Coward Tom Chaney" B-) Pepper and Brolin's parts are little more than cameos, but they make the most of their climactic scenes. But naturally it's the great Jeff Bridges who owns this version, just as the Duke owned the original. Bridges' Rooster Cogburn is just as funny, in his own way, as Wayne's---but Bridges comes off as a little more haunted, detached---and deadly dangerous. Clearly, Bridges loves working with the Coens, and they him.
The Coen Brothers need to do more westerns. The milieu suits them---and they treat the material with the reverence it deserves. The Loeffelholz boys---Loeff Jr and Loeff III---and I had just seen the original last week, and I'm glad we did. My sons give Wayne's version the slight ege...but I'm not 100% sure of that myself. I want to see it again. At 110 minutes, it is a perfect length for the story.
A very solid 4 out of 5 stars. Highly recommended.
"I am not an entrant in the Shakespeare Stakes." - Ian Fleming
"Screw 'em." - Daniel Craig, The Best James Bond EverTM
I liked Taken aswell. I also think Neeson would be a great Bond but the thing is he is probably too old for the part now - shame!!
If you haven't seen Seraphim Falls, it might be worth giving it a look. Him and another Irish-man by the name of Pierce Brosnan star in the film.
Whoever thought of putting Errol Flynn, Maureen O'Hara and Anthony Quinn in the same film is my friend. Their exchanges were music to my soul and they all had terrific chemistry. Errol himself seemed to be having a blast and it traveled to the viewer. One of his best later period roles and some great lines.
"Brave men are not forgotten."
"Thank you, sir, but sometimes they don't live long enough to be remembered."
O'Hara was at her peak and knew how to handle Flynn.
Very highly recommended swashbuckler.