So I’m still not sure what I’m doing with this site and whether anyone is interested in what I’m writing. But I’ve gotten back into the swing of cinema trips again and I’ve seen a couple of great films and a couple of questionable films too. I’ve also read a lot of great reviews from various sites and I just felt like posting again. So here’s a short round up of four films I’ve watched in the last few months.
The Hunger Games: Mockingjay – Part 1
Jennifer Lawrence and Julianne Moore in Mockingjay
Director: Francis Lawrence
Starring: Jennifer Lawrence, Josh Hutcherson, Liam Hemsworth, Donald Sutherland, Woody Harrelson
Runtime: 123 minutes
Plot: “With the Games destroyed, Katniss Everdeen, along with Gale, Finnick and Beetee, end up in the so thought ‘destroyed’ District 13. Under the leadership of President Coin and the advice of her friends, Katniss becomes the Mockingjay, the symbol of rebellion for the districts of Panem” (cred: floraxie01/IMDb)
Verdict: I was very impressed with this half of the adaptation. It’s tough to make two-parters, despite the fashion since Deathly Hallows, but this was executed well. It was very clean cut and tidy. The acting was on point as usual and the difference between Lawrence’s Hunger Games and Gary Ross’ Hunger Games is immeasurable. The quality is miles better, the visuals are wonderful and the effects are as believable as they should be. Particularly amazed at the Hanging Tree segment of this film. The sound mixing was absolutely stellar. It was an interesting point to leave it but on reflection, a place that makes sense given how much is yet to happen. So I wait with moderate excitement and interest for the final part.
4/5
Into the Woods (2014)
Emily Blunt and James Corden in Into The Woods
Director: Rob Marshall
Starring: Meryl Streep, Anna Kendrick, James Corden, Emily Blunt, Chris Pine, Billy Magnussen, Johnny Depp
Runtime: 125 minutes
Plot: “A modern twist on the beloved Brothers Grimm fairy tales in a musical format that follows the classic tales of Cinderella, Little Red Riding Hood, Jack and the Beanstalk, and Rapunzel-all tied together by an original story involving a baker and his wife, their wish to begin a family and their interaction with the witch who has put a curse on them” (cred: IMDb)
Verdict: It wasn’t what I was expecting. I couldn’t help thinking it was probably a very good Broadway musical (which is is) rather than a film. It was very strange, quite long and a bit boring at times. It seemed to go on a bit and it seemed to rely, like so many other films with a massive cast, on its stars. To be fair to it, one of the reasons I liked this film was for the Queen herself, Meryl Streep. When she turns young she looks bloody fabulous, also classic example of quality acting. Equally I really enjoyed all scenes with the beauty that is Chris Pine. For me, the real film saver was the scene/song ‘Agony’. It is a perfect mock of classic fairy-tale princes that love themselves, are vain and wonder why all the princesses don’t love them – enter Chris Pine and Billy Magnussen thrashing about in a waterfall trying to outdo one another as head attractive prince (like so). On a last note this film was actually slightly gruesome for children, red riding hood annoyed me and, why was Johnny Depp in this film?
3/5
Whiplash (2015)
Miles Teller in Whiplash
Director: Damien Chazelle
Starring: Miles Teller, J.K. Simmons, Paul Reiser, Melissa Benoist
Runtime: 107 minutes
Plot: “A promising young drummer enrolls at a cut-throat music conservatory where his dreams of greatness are mentored by an instructor who will stop at nothing to realize a student’s potential.” (cred: IMDb)
Verdict: You may have heard that this film is ’emotionally tense’ or ‘stressful’…let’s put it this way, I was sweating. I also didn’t realize but my head and neck were stuck in a position leaning toward the screen which I couldn’t get out of until the credits rolled. The music is ridiculous and just pretty perfect. It stays in your head for days. The acting. Don’t get me started on the acting. Miles Teller is superb and you almost feel his pain as he drums faster and faster, or his confusion and fear from Simmons slapping him yelling “Are you rushing or dragging?”. You want the punishments or shouting to end yet you can’t look away. In terms of Simmons, he is in fact so good I am now afraid of J.K. Simmons as a person. If I had to present him with an award (which he is likely to win for this) I would throw it at him and run before he shouted or hit me. He is too good. His remarks and abuse are pure gold; “Its not your boyfriend’s dick, don’t come too early” he tells one musician. It’s actually so tense at one point I gasped and at another I thought the film would end in a murder. This is marvellous. Chazelle has a very bright future.
5/5
Kingsman: The Secret Service (2015)
Colin Firth and Taron Egerton in Kingsman: The Secret Service
Director: Matthew Vaughn
Starring: Colin Firth, Taron Egerton, Mark Strong, Michael Caine, Samuel L. Jackson, Mark Hamill
Runtime: 129 minutes
Plot: “Based upon the acclaimed comic book and directed by Matthew Vaughn, Kingsman: The Secret Service tells the story of a super-secret spy organization that recruits an unrefined but promising street kid into the agency’s ultra-competitive training program just as a global threat emerges from a twisted tech genius” (cred: 20th Century Fox/IMDb)
Verdict: This is a very odd film and the trailer hides a lot. This film is like your regular James Bond, Brit spy film (or at least that’s what the trailer might suggest) – it’s actually a Brit spy film mocking a Brit spy film which occasionally leads to confusion. I enjoyed it and parts were funny and parts were clever. Parts, however were unnecessary and/or extreme (a wee bit OTT at times). I like Colin Firth as much as the next person, and did enjoy Mr Darcy losing his shit at a gang of street blokes. However, this film was utterly saved by Taron Egerton and his character ‘Eggsy’. His adventures with a hopeless little pug, his humour, his smart wit and general attitude is a winning combination that boosts the film up to a three star flick. I didn’t want to see this film originally because of how much I absolutely hate the poster (it’s quite possibly the worst poster yet). Yet I, like most of the audience, came out slightly surprised. I don’t think its actual production was top quality (and I really hated the title sequence-this may be my year making a title sequence for A-level talking). It’s strong points were Egerton, the mockery of British schoolboy culture and its complete eccentricity. Once you accept its completely jokey nature, you can enjoy it – or at least consider it a guilty pleasure purchase. (On a final note, Taron Egerton looks pretty smashing in a suit).
3/5
talk movie to me 