The Departed

Another Eastern original (Infernal Affairs) remade - but this time, done well.

Martin Scorcese directing & plenty of money spent on the stars, meant it was no flop (unlike Michel Gellar in The Grudge - by the time that one got to the final reel you were glad it finaly got her as well)

Jack Nicholson took the film - as he always does but excellent stuff from all the main cast - I worried that the last 20-30 mins would suffer but it kept you hooked even tho the main premise had been done before: how will the hero bring the badden to book when every one who knows aint around anymore...?

The interaction of the different police groups was nicely played - Baldwin, Wahlberg, etc (What was with Markey's hair-style?!) Nice to see Sheen out of the White House but Superman he aint.

The Boston accent that everyone was going "far" (geddit?) was a bit trying to listen to but it was different from the usual New York/Bronx we normally see in Scorcese's films.
And what was Ray Winstone going for . . . ?

De Caprio is a becoming a great actor & will be good to watch his future work. Excellent portrayal of a desperate man, scared of being caught out, left out in the cold.
Matt Damon having it easy - loadsa money, flash pad & good-looking girl-friend - you just had to hate him. To do otherwise, provokes a few questions - he was no hero but his efforts were heroic...and callous

However, despite the pedigree and the class, the story felt a bit clinical - I couldnt get behind any of them - maybe because I knew the story (?).

It's a great film, superb entertainment but not a masterpiece, sadly
But it was great to see Jack's rat impression


http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0407887/

A History of Violence

David Cronenberg always surprises & this one did by it's normality.
At least, at first.

The initial impression is that maybe Cronenberg had apparently given up per- and sub-version & gone mainstream. The premise of small-town America being hit by evil outsiders, saved by a lone quiet hero has been done times before - High Noon for instance. But no - he's just got better, the subversion is there below the B-movie surface; it appears when you look closer. . .

The occasional glimpses of violence - sexual as well as murderous - are explicit and exciting and reveal the director. The physical effects of that violence (the "history" of it?), gave the impression of accuracy (the ruined nose, blood spatter, smashed jaw - the stair-bruised back) adding to the reality. Uncomfortable watching.

Despite that, it's a subtle film - nothing is spelt out - no flashbacks: a grown-up film. It sticks with you, making you think about the points it raises - can a personality change (not just Tom's)? deception (the shot of the wife coming out of the bathroom showing the lie of her hair colour - which I found, surprisingly[?], shocking); family protection (or not)? & love. One sentence by the William Hurt character (what was with that beard?) told you the brothers' story - it was as simple as that.

And finally, the final scene (what else?), although (I think) hopeful, it reminded me of the before & after relationship between husband & wife (and similar relationships I've been through): showing how lives can shatter so quickly & the sadness of knowing that it won't ever be the same again . . .

See it


http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0399146/

X Men 3

Now if you want to see how a sequel should work - forget MI3 & Star Wars, check this one out.

Not a brilliant film but when compared to 1 & 2, just as good & with some extra effects and a good plot to bring the sequence to a close.... or not
Had a few swipes for Pro-Choice & some parts of the dialogue clunked but you don't go to these films for Shakespeare.
Super!
And how did they get Ian McKellen looking like he did 20 years ago?
- that was almost as good as the other effects

Dark and Final (is it?)

Unleashed

Or Danny The Dog as I've seen it called
Ah what a combination: Jet Li, Bob Hoskins & Morgan Freeman - writing credits by Luc Besson! and directed by a first timer - and French! - Altho he worked on the Transporter so I guess it fits

Still, bluddy good time had by all (watching it that is - can't say the same for the actors)
Bob, reprising his malice from The Long Good Friday - altho I did get reminded of Alan Sugar a few times.
Freeman, the old blind guy that always see the good in everyone (well he can't see anything else)
& Jet doing what he does best and acting as well! It's a shame he's giving up the Martial Arts stuff because I find his work far more physical & in this it actually hurts! The fight scenes are pretty good & I've not seen their like before

Nice one

Closer

Well crafted intelligent piece about the comings & groanings of a group of people.

Showed how blokes only think with their knob & women? - god knows!
But the weaving of the relationships & eventual conclusion - without a lot of explanation of the intervening periods made it. The blokes come out of it worse & rightly so
About the only one to come out of it with any honour was Princess Amadalla - or Hubba-hubba, after seeing the lap dance club.
And does she really mean what she says at the end . . .?

Mission Impossible 3

Good-ish fun - some of it appeared to be a poke at itself

A bit disatisfying with the involvement of a "private life" for Hunt - less cold compared to predecessors.
But the stunts amazed as usual - albeit with a few hiccups - the parachute drop, the comical faces- which detracted from the effect of the first two films - I could have done without those.

It was like a visit to a well-used restaurant - somehow it was still as good as before but lacking in bite.

The Interpreter

Pretty good
Nicole Kidman, looking as good as always - a trifle vulnerable, skinny, resembling the girl out of Cold Case
- spent most of the film wondering who she reminded me of & now I've got it.
Tho having checked - maybe she don't.. still no matter

Sean Penn looking as ugly as always but watchable (as always)

Plenty of twists in what could have been a fomula - plenty of others like it - so well worth a watch
- especially the first few mins - take notes

Mr & Mrs Smith

Triffic!
Leave your brain with your reality outside the door & go with the flow. Don't pick on the details
The scenes in counselling were a trifle ironic considering what else was going on but nicely done
But the action sequences were superb - espec the store shootout
- I did wonder whether they should have included the deleted scene (obviously I saw it on DVD) as the sequence was so stupidly enjoyable but it may have added another 5 or so mins to the total & the feigned cockups were probably thought unnecessary

As my old Gran used to say: it's just like sh*t from China - "far-fetched"
But that doesn't mean it's a bad film, honey

Great way to pass the time AND with jolly Miss Jolie thrown in to boot - and Brad certainly did

The Da Vinci Code

Never was so much spouted by so many for such a waste of time
What a shame & what a waste of talent (Audrey Tatou - oooo).
There's been so much hot air & hype put out about this film (the makers must've been rubbing their hands with glee over the free publicity - just like the author) - the eventual viewing was like an over-ripe banana.

The script was naff - to be expected given the subject
There were some good CG-action - used to help extricate the makers from the terminal explication scenes. But they weren't enough to keep you awake & I ended up wondering why they bothered
The whole thing had the feeling of trying to keep to much to the book - which I spose they had to do, to give it some verrisimilitude (did I get that right?) - & lets face it, if it had strayed from the book, it might have made a better film but they'd be in more trouble from the fans & "experts".
The story itself is a good yarn, Indiana Jones & (less so) National Treasure were along the same lines but a lot more fun - at least they can make sequels out of them (tho for the latter you might wonder why)
- altho I also hear that there's talk of making another Dan Browne book into a film . . . Deep joy!

But did it keep to, or stray from? Ay there's the rub. The problem I've got now is whether to bother reading it - this was not a very good incentive.

Good news: the tickets were free so I shouldn,t complain too much
Bad news: I already bought the book

Million Dollar Baby

Not the most pleasant experience I've had but that's not the film's fault, it's its success.
The two male leads (Eastwood & Freeman) were superb - completely believable as two old stagers: been around, seen & done most but just not quite made it. The regrets, mistakes & lost chances might be piled on top but they were still fighting - excellent. Made me sad to think of their passing (the characters & the actors), so accurate were their portrayals - I'm already missing them both.
Some of the fight scenes looked a bit too quick to be true but I felt them even so.

Hillary Swank deserved the award but I was less taken with the feisty no-hoper from Trailer-Park Land - probably an age thing.
To some extent the plot was standard (underdog makes good until . . . but then comes back*) but it was the little details (Dunn's visits with the priest, the interplay between Dunn & Scap-Iron), that made the whole piece complete.

Excellent film but hard to watch

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0405159/