Film 2009

[Brian Fantana]

I appear to be in the minority in thinking that Benjamin Button was BRILLIANT. I found it a very powerful and very moving film. For once I actually enjoyed a performance by Brad Pitt.

It was a film that has really made me think, and that is what i tend to judge good films by.

 

[challengechappers]

Taken

Liam Neeson stars as a one man war machine when his daughter away with her friend in Paris is kidnapped by a gang of Albanians and force into prostitution being drugged and sold on. Neeson gets a call from his daughter on her mobile just as she is about to be snatched. He gets on the first flight from the USA to Paris pronto and sets about tracking down the gangs and rescuing her.

Suffice to say there is loads of acton and Liam manages to kill at least 50 people on his own with a tour de force of brutal retribution. There are some stand out fight scenes, car chases and a eye watering torture scene.

Neeson at 56 is one Cool dude and shows the older man can still hack it.

This has been a suprise huge hit in the USA taking $ 78 000 000 in 3 weeks. Neeson is back on the map , big style.

Well worth a look for a cracking throw away action movie evening. Check it out.

7.9

saw this ages ago and THOROUGHLY enjoyed it, but it is in truth a total crapfest!!

 

[Uncle Spielberg]

Its like Commando, ridiculous but bloody entertaining.

 

[Uncle Spielberg]

It almost dissapeared off the radar having limited release in the UK and Europe but has taken the USA by storm amasing nearly $ 80 000 000 in 3 weeks and is still number 3 in the USA box office charts. It is rated 8.0 on imdb so plenty of people think it is very good.

 

[Uncle Spielberg]

I appear to be in the minority in thinking that Benjamin Button was BRILLIANT. I found it a very powerful and very moving film. For once I actually enjoyed a performance by Brad Pitt.

It was a film that has really made me think, and that is what i tend to judge good films by.

Pitts peak was Se7en and then Fight Club of that there is no doubt.

 

[Janbha]

Bejamin Button is the best film I have seen in a very long time!

 

[SNOOBS]

Saw Slumdog today - overrated

 

[Acker79]

Vicky Cristina Barcelona
I'm not a fan of Wood Allen, and this as no exception. I wanted to follow the old man who walked out of our showing, but I kept hoping something good might happen. I like Javier Bardem and Rebecca Hall, but I flip flop on ScarJo, and for me this was one where I didn't like her, and I never like Penelope Cruz, there's no way she deserves an oscar for this film.

 

[Easy 10]

The Boy in the Striped Pajamas

Gut-wrenching, slow-burning drama about two eight year old boys on either side of a fence who form a secret friendship. One is a Jewish boy held captive inside a concentration camp, the other is the son of an SS officer running it. Good performances all round, but particularly from the two little lads playing the main roles. Dreadful and depressing, but utterly compulsive.

8.9

 

[Acker79]

Push
Slow to get going, but in the end was a lot of fun. If you struggled to understand Total Recall or Mission: Impossible you might struggle with this, though. They seemed to be giving Dakota Fanning the 'Natalie Portman in Leon' look...

Friday 13th
As far as slasher horror remakes go this is a decent film.

Franklyn
I am struggling to decide how I feel about this. I liked aspects of it for it sure.

 

[Stumpy Tim]

Vicky Cristina Barcelona
I'm not a fan of Wood Allen, and this as no exception. I wanted to follow the old man who walked out of our showing, but I kept hoping something good might happen. I like Javier Bardem and Rebecca Hall, but I flip flop on ScarJo, and for me this was one where I didn't like her, and I never like Penelope Cruz, there's no way she deserves an oscar for this film.

I'm not a fan of Woody Allen but I thought this was excellent. Cruz was superb & stole the film. Excellent film - I would recommend it.

In Bruges - very funny & original film. Made me laugh throughout, and Colin Farrell was superb

 

[magoo]

Tropic Thunder.

Hello? Three Amigos anyone?

Tom Cruise was actually very funny. "Do me a favour. Take one step back and f*** YOUR OWN FACE!!"

7/10

 

[Uncle Spielberg]

I agree with Tim, In Bruges was superb and it was Farrells' career best performance, highly recommended.

Ghost Town

Ricky Gervais plays an anti social dentist who dies and come back but can see the dead. He helps said Dead man make amends with his wife and other walking Deads in NYC who have unfinished business. I liked it very much, a sweet affair and I like Gervais and he gives a decent performance here. Ok, its a trite unbelievable the ever gorgeous Tea Leoni would go for Gervais's looks or personality but it has a decent message and its well worth a look imho.

7.7

 

[Acker79]

The Internatonal
Seemed like an old-fashioned conspiracy-thriller movie. The dialogue is a little clunky at times, and Naomi Watts annoyed me.

Gran Torino
I found this to be thoroughly entertaining, though not always for the right reasons.

The Unborn
Could have easily been called The Exorcist 2009: Kabbalah Twins. I didn't particularly enjoy The Exorcist, but this was just about passable.

Watchmen
This seems to be subtly affecting me, making me love it without knowing why. Really good, imo.

 

[Uncle Spielberg]

Clint Eastwood has said this is the last film he is going to act in and direct. If that is the case what a way to go out. Walt is one of the greatest character's in his illustrious career an aged Dirty Harry. At 78 he takes no shit and kicks butt. He is a grumpy old man as said earlier but this guy is no Victor Meldrew he is a doer and deals with things himself and in his own way.

The are many stand out scenes, like the way he got rid of 5 hoodlums " get off of my lawn " has as much menace as " make my day " and the way he saves the next door neighbour's girl from 3 men pushing her around is wonderful and gains respect from said men a quarter of his age.

He starts off as a true all Amercain midwest racist living in a community of mainly Asians he is out place in " his own country " and he resents this calling them all manner of un pc names. Whilst doing something wrong at a BBQ of theirs he says to the whole room " what are you Fish faces all looking at ". He does not compromise and has an anti Asian agenda from his action in the Korean war. However eventually after saving the boy next door from the gangsters he becomes a hero and is showered with gifts and love and in time he becomes a father figure to girl and boy next door and has more in common with the " Mongs " than his own American family.

The last 20 minutes is tied up with a bittersweet payoff where instead of bullets and action, Walt uses his head to enact the perfect revenge of the gang that trashed the neighbours house and raped and beat up the girl. Therefore giving them freedom and peace from the daily threats being their inheritance.

This is a BRILLIANTLY observed piece on middle America and inherant rasicm by Eastwood and his unpc comments and ways do raise many laughs but I however think they are intended as we squirm and are embarrassed but somehow admire him for his outspoken ways.

This is a slow burner but invest your time in the story and characters and the pay off is well worth it.

The Gran Torino takes up the final shot and you are over the moon at who is driving it.

Magnificent.

8.4

 

[Spider]

American Teen
Probably going to be difficult to find, and certainly not for everyone - I, however, really enjoyed ths film. For those who haven't heard of it, it's a documentary about 5 American kids in their senior year at high school. The kids all fit into the different cliques (the geek, the jock, the princess, the rebel), and although the film never really goes very far to prove that there is much more to the kids than their social group, it certainly shows 5 individual characters all looking for purpose in their life. If there's a problem with the film it's that it doesn't always feel entirely convincing as a documentary, if it's not staged then it sometimes seems that the characters only act the way they do because the cameras are there, however I believed the characters and the film had enough touching moments for me to overlook this flaw.

7/10

 

[CHAPPERS]

Moi gaan dou (aka Infernal Affairs)

Probably better than the Departed but only because you have to say that because it has subtitles and is prettier. I preferred The Departed though I think, just.

 

[Acker79]

Moi gaan dou (aka Infernal Affairs)

Probably better than the Departed but only because you have to say that because it has subtitles and is prettier. I preferred The Departed though I think, just.

I've seen infernal affairs, and so refused to watch the departed (that and my dislike of leo, and general apathy towards scorsese films).

 

[Acker79]

American Teen
Probably going to be difficult to find, and certainly not for everyone - I, however, really enjoyed ths film. For those who haven't heard of it, it's a documentary about 5 American kids in their senior year at high school. The kids all fit into the different cliques (the geek, the jock, the princess, the rebel), and although the film never really goes very far to prove that there is much more to the kids than their social group, it certainly shows 5 individual characters all looking for purpose in their life. If there's a problem with the film it's that it doesn't always feel entirely convincing as a documentary, if it's not staged then it sometimes seems that the characters only act the way they do because the cameras are there, however I believed the characters and the film had enough touching moments for me to overlook this flaw.

7/10

I want to see that. Where did you see it?

 

[ben andrews' girlfriend]

The Young Victoria

Cannot describe how wonderfully romantic this movie is. It's beautiful, with wonderful acting, casting, scripting and cinematography. Oh, and great music to boot.

Totally in love with Rupert Friend too. *swoon*

9.9999999