Reviews Round Up: Fair Game, Gnomeo & Juliet and The Last Exorcism

Fair Game

I could just about watch any film, but one genre which doesn't stick with me is the political thriller. I try to like them, I really do, but I have so much trouble understanding them (yes, you could call me a stupid, misguided youth who should really just stick to watching brainless blockbusters). So when it came to watching Fair Game, I got everything I expected. I did understand the movie as much as I possibly could, but the one thing I was most interested in was the marriage of Valerie (Naomi Watts) and Joe (Sean Penn). One reason that contributed to this was probably the beautiful chemistry between Watts and Penn, who turn in two excellent performances. However, I've always liked movies that explore the dynamics of marriage and family, and this one is particularly interesting. Just imagine living like Valerie - secretly being a CIA agent and then having her status revealed to the world, which results in people sending her family death threats. The way that works around her marriage and family life is nothing short of interesting. However, I can't really say that this film excited me that much. There's nothing wrong with the story (a true one, even though I'd like not to believe that), the script, the direction, the tension...anything else technical. It is a very well-structured film. But at times, the only reason why I was still watching the film was for Watts and Penn, who are at the top of their game here (see what I did there?). I could definitely recommend the film, but it probably helps if you like political thrillers a little more than I do.

What I hoped for:

What I got:

Gnomeo & Juliet

Shakespeare, as told by garden gnomes? Are we really that desperate already? I do have to admit, I thought this sounded like a fun idea. But then, once I actually remembered what happens in the play, I realised that maybe gnomes weren't made to act it out. Nor was the play ever supposed to be sugar-coated into something appropriate for young kids. Instead of the Montague's and Capulet's just straight out hating each other, they have to be sorted into groups of red and blue. They have rifts over lawnmowers! Okay, for the most part, there is some creativity in the way they have made it for young children. Then again, there are quite a few jokes in the movie which aren't really suitable for it's target audience...if it has one. I imagine it will completely fail in trying to introduce Shakespeare's beautiful play to a younger generation, and it's better if they just learn about the real deal in high school. However, between the problem with having gnomes acting it out and a tiresome Elton John heavy soundtrack, this movie really doesn't give. It isn't the kind of movie I'd go to first to keep the kids happy. It was just...there. Nothing special, nothing awful...just a movie. Now, if only we could get it's voice cast into a live action movie: James McAvoy, Emily Blunt, Michael Caine, Ashley Jensen, Maggie Smith, Jason Statham, Stephen Merchant, Patrick Stewart, Julie Walters...Hulk Hogan? Now that would make an interesting movie.

What I hoped for:

What I got:

The Last Exorcism

The Last Exorcism is the latest movie in the long line of docu-horrors and exorcism flicks (seriously, there's this movie at the shop called Exorcismus - it has pretty much the exact same cover as this one, and it has basically the same premise). Like Paranormal Activity, it isn't terribly exciting, but there are some genuine scares that don't last a very long time, nor to they actually induce nightmares, but they are good for the experience. To be honest, the family that this 'documentary' visits are the scariest thing ever. First we meet the son, Caleb (played by Caleb Landry Jones, better known as Banshee in X-Men: First Class), who gives the creepiest directions ever to the camera crew. Then we meet the father, who is a little brash. And of course, we meet Nell (Ashley Bell, who does all of the body contortions herself, since she has hypermobility), who is a sweet and pure young girl that's just really scary to watch. However, not everyone gets scared by people as I do, so this film will probably be very disappointing for horror fans. It isn't anything new and it takes forever to get going, but I did quite enjoy watching it. The end was quite a strange and twisted one, and was something that I didn't really expect after watching the movie for so long. Now I'm thinking about it, though, the end was blindingly obvious from the beginning.

What I hoped for:

What I got: