DVD--Takers

or: Ocean's Eleven minus the cool

One word to sum it up: Tacky

What do you get when you give someone a list of all the things that should happen in a heist thriller, get a cast full of rapstars and white hotties (and Matt Dillon), and give the camera to someone who likes blue tones EVERYWHERE? Takers, the latest heist movie that tries to be Ocean's Eleven with the amount of guys in suits it has, but also tries to make acting careers out of people who don't really deserve it. Oh well, I guess every dog has it's day.

A seasoned team of bank robbers, including Gordon Jennings (Idris Elba), John Rahway (Paul Walker), A.J. (Hayden Christensen), and brothers Jake (Michael Ealy) and Jesse Attica (Chris Brown) successfully complete their latest heist and lead a life of luxury while planning their next job. When Ghost (Tip T.I. Harris), a former member of their team, is released from prison he convinces the group to strike an armored car carrying $20 million. As the "takers" carefully plot out their strategy and draw nearer to exacting the grand heist, a reckless police officer (Matt Dillon) inches closer to apprehending the criminals.

Seems like a rather run over plot idea, doesn't it? Trust me, it feels run over. It was like someone just decided to take a whole lot of ideas from similar movies and smack them into one, but they also made sure they didn't miss any of the typical heist movie components out. There was the aging cop who took more attention of his job then he did of his family, even if it didn't get him anywhere. There was the pretty white guy who rolled around in his suave suits but seemed to have all the right ideas. There was the big dude who was looking for a change but couldn't resist doing one last job. There was the big family of criminals and the girl who respected them all, no matter how terrible they were, because she was rolling in the cash they were getting.

However, there was one original thing Takers had: Hayden Christensen in a really dorky hat. Seriously, what was up with that, and while we're at it, what was up with his character? I don't quite know what they were aiming for there. The acting was just okay, some were worse than others. Chris Brown surprisingly showed a little talent, it was just a shame that his character resembled Junior off My Wife and Kids. While it has all of its two dimensional characters and flat story, Takers is some okay entertainment. Just a shame that the big finale was horribly corny, and whatever music they were playing was so pitchy my ears nearly died. One would have to wonder why they still make movies like this, but at least it wasn't a total failure.

THE VERDICT: Takers is flat in the way of characters and story, but there are some admirable scenes which keep things afloat.

What I hoped for:

What I got:

Rewind--Boy A

or: Another Andrew Garfield movie.

One word to sum it up: Intense.

Until Andrew Garfield got his huge Hollywood break in that really small film that know one has heard about, The Social Network, people weren't really aware of how much of a great actor this young chap is. Unless, of course, you live in Britain. While most people are caught up in 'the star of the moment' side of Andrew, few realize that Andy was 'the star of the moment' back in 2007 when he starred in Boy A, his first feature film/starring role, which saw him receive a BAFTA for Best Leading Actor in a TV-movie. So his performance in The Social Network can suck it, because his performance in this movie was, quite frankly, the bomb.

The film opens with a scene between Terry (Peter Mullan), a case worker who works on ex-prisoners and helps them gain a better life on the outside, and his latest project, Jack (Andrew Garfield). From this first scene, which shows just how clueless but haplessly innocent he is when he beams over a pair of new shoes. Jack has been in prison since he was young for a horrible crime he committed when he was just a child, and has been released under the new name 'Jack' and is sent to live in Manchester, where no one is aware of his identity or what he has done in his past. Here's where a romance comes into the equation: Jack meets a beautiful coworker, Michelle (Katie Lyons), and though their encounters are initially awkward, the two are soon in a serious relationship. This isn't the only good thing which comes Jack's way. Jack becomes a hero by saving a young girl who was in a car accident, and everyone is singing his praises.

Not a film to be a happy story about a bad guy turned eternally good, Boy A spends it's time unfolding the story behind the story, which eventually turns out to be pretty darn horrible and causes the viewer to draw their own conclusions as to what they feel for the protagonist. Boy A also serves as a gritty allegory for the past catching up with someone in the worst possible way. Cleverly edited sequences of flashbacks, present time and even fantasy make up this movie to be a high brow TV movie that is significantly slow in pace, but also a gripping morality drama. The ideas which it explores and it's refreshing take on an oft-trodden topic are nothing short of impressive, plus the fact that it has a few tricks up its sleeve and a killer ending which make this a very watchable film.

The arc of this film, really, is Andrew Garfield. As the film unfurls, so does his character, but you can't help but only see the good side of him thanks to his enlightening performance. Like most of his other work, his subtlety is really overpowering, and he uses his weakness as a weapon to get us to all fall in love with him. And it's impossible not to. This film saw the birth of a star. Unfortunately it took until now for the rest of the world to come to the party (me included, but hey, it only came out on DVD here a year or so ago). His performance is the highlight of the film, and sometimes carries it through the few lulls in the script and whatnot. It's not a one man show though. The supporting cast do an excellent job, especially the kids who play out Jack's past. Boy A serves as further proof that the Brits are never people to do things half way, and deliver an engrossing, slightly sad drama about someone just trying to make up for all his mistakes.

THE VERDICT: Andrew Garfield's brilliant central performance gives Boy A the lift it needed, but the film is a surprisingly brash and gripping watch.

What I hoped for:

What I got:

(see what that means)

DVD--Harry Brown

or: UK's Gran Torino.

One word to sum it up: Gritty.

There were some reservations to be had with Harry Brown. It had a very similar storyline to Clint Eastwood's instant classic Gran Torino: an aged pensioner taking on the baddies. While that comparison certainly isn't wrong, Harry Brown is way more intense than Gran Torino. Plus, it's great to see Sir Michael Caine kick some ass again. Like, he kicks some serious ass here, and it's lovely to see those thugs go down...even if it wasn't a very nice movie.

In England, retired marine Harry Brown (Michael Caine) spends his lonely life between the hospital, where his beloved wife Kath is terminally ill, and playing chess with his only friend Leonard Attwell in the Barge pub owned by Sid Rourke. After the death of Kath, Len tells his grieving friend that the local gang is harassing him and he is carrying an old bayonet for self-defense; the widower suggests him to go to the police. When Len is beaten to death in an underground passage, Inspector Alice Frampton (Emily Mortimer) and her partner Sergeant Terry Hicock are sent to investigate. They pay Harry a visit but don't have good news; the police have not found any other evidence, other than the bayonet, in order to arrest the hoodlums. This mean that should the case go to trial the gang would claim self-defense. Harry Brown sees that justice will not be granted and decides to take matters into his own hands.

To put it straight: I loved Harry Brown. Sure, it wouldn't have been much a film if Michael Caine wasn't in the titular lead role. He exudes this weird kind of don't-mess-with-me attitude, but he seems to cover that up with the normal helpless-old-guy exterior. His performance is about as heart-breaking as it is scary. Michael cries, you feel like crying. Michael kills, you feel just about the same as him. Yeah, he's still got it. Trust me, there's more to him than being the confidante in every Nolan film.

On one layer of this film, it's an observation of the things that happens in the dodgy parts of England. Once you get to another layer, it throws you right into what really happens within those gangs. Sometimes it feels like you have seen too much, but once you see Caine making things right (in his own little way), it makes what he is doing all the more special. The film loudly ticks over to it's grand finale, which sends shockwaves through to the core...I don't think I've ever been so on edge in my life while watching that bit. Those sensitive to violence will find this a bit too shocking, as it gets really close to home with it's depiction of gangs. However, give Harry Brown a go. It certainly isn't the best film ever made, but if one is searching for a thought provoking piece filled with all the drama, action and moral dilemmas, then Harry Brown is a film which one would feel fulfilled by.


THE VERDICT: Harry Brown boasts an exceptional performance from Michael Caine, which helps level out all the violence that comes with it.

8/10

Classic--Se7en

or: One of the reasons why I love David Fincher.

One word to sum it up: Creepy.

It's official. David Fincher is now my third favourite director. Wow, come to think of it, Se7en will be the fourth film of his that I give the full quota of stars to. Again, Fincher proves his versatility with the crime and creepiness of this one (which kinda compares with Zodiac). When you look at his other great films, such as the visionary Fight Club, the schmaltzy and adorably romantic The Curious Case of Benjamin Button and the all round amazing The Social Network, it's hard to imagine a director so incredibly capable of making all these different movies work. Se7en pretty much serves as one of his finest works, and the markings of a true genius.

Se7en portrays the exploits of a deranged serial-killer. His twisted agenda involves choosing seven victims who represent egregious examples of transgressions of each of the Seven Deadly Sins. He then views himself as akin to the Sword of God, handing out horrific punishment to these sinners. Two cops, an experienced veteran of the streets who is about to retire and the ambitious young homicide detective hired to replace him, team up to capture the perpetrator of these gruesome killings. Unfortunately, they too become ensnared in his diabolical plan....

As one of David Fincher's earliest works, this isn't done as stylistically as Fight Club was. Instead, he adopts the subtle style as seen in Zodiac, which makes the movie all the more better. While Zodiac is very similar to this film, Se7en comes up trumps because of it's stronger themes and how generally disturbing it is. The dialogue used in this film is graphic, therefore adding to how morally wrong this movie is, as opposed to using senseless gore to display the story. Along with being an amazing crime film, Se7en is also a fantastic psychological thriller and quasi horror. Mixed in with those genres are themes of obsession and guilt, and of course, the successful interwoven Seven Deadly Sins. What comes out of this film feels like a film within a film, which is often intriguing and terribly entertaining.

Morgan Freeman, the cinematic God that he is, turns up in this film being like a father figure to a then young and rookie Brad Pitt. Their partnership throughout this film is one of the greatest elements to it. Now I see why most cop movies these days feature a near retired cop trying to help along the headstrong and more technically talented rookie cop. Not only does this film focus on the serial killer storyline, but it also weaves our protagonists personal feelings into this, which makes the ending that little bit more satisfying. The supporting performances from Gwyneth Paltrow and Kevin Spacey are both really well done too. The perfectionism from David Fincher is most evident in Se7en, which aligns with the films theme of obsession in a way that sets this apart from others.


THE VERDICT: David Fincher creates a masterpiece of psychological thriller, with an ingenious blend of obsession themes and disturbing and graphic content to help the story along. Top performances from the leads make this film one to remember.

10/10

Classic--The Godfather

or: The Godfather of great movies.

One word to sum it up: Amazing.

I'll admit, this is my first time watching The Godfather. Yes, I feel bad that I have waited until now to watch it. But in my defense, it's an R16 here, so I'm technically not allowed to watch it until my birthday next year, and also, I had watched about 20 minutes of it when I was 11/12 before I was sent off to bed. Coming in as a first time viewer in the age we are currently living in, I still thought The Godfather was every inch as great as everyone says. If anyone was wondering what a timeless classic was, I would definitely point them in the direction of The Godfather.

The story begins as "Don" Vito Corleone (Marlon Brando), the head of a New York Mafia 'family', oversees his daughter's wedding. His beloved son Michael (Al Pacino) has just come home from the war, but does not intend to become part of his father's business. Through Michael's life the nature of the family business becomes clear. The business of the family is just like the head of the family, kind and benevolent to those who give respect, but given to ruthless violence whenever anything stands against the good of the family. Don Vito lives his life in the way of the old country, but times are changing and some don't want to follow the old ways and look out for community and 'family'. An up and coming rival of the Corleone family wants to start selling drugs in New York, and needs the Don's influence to further his plan. The clash of the Don's fading old world values and the new ways will demand a terrible price, especially from Michael, all for the sake of the family.

While I was skeptical about it's 175 minute running time (I put off watching the DVD for a while because I simply did not have the time to watch it all), The Godfather uses that time to it's absolute advantage. I have never seen anything quite so captivating as it was. To be perfectly honest, it didn't hold my attention in a tight grip, but I was so engrossed that I couldn't look away. After watching the movie, I simply couldn't get it out of my head, as it haunted me in some strange way. I'm probably just reiterating what critics have said about the film over the years, but there aren't many different ways of explaining how amazing The Godfather is.

Here's my contribution: The Godfather is made by the most wonderful performances from it's brilliant ensemble cast. They all come together with such valuable chemistry that makes you believe in their organized crime family they have going on. Marlon Brando is, quite frankly, so scary as Don, with his husky voice and the authority which oozes out of him. Al Pacino, however, is even more amazing as Michael. I guess it's his naivety which turns into darkness that does it for me. All I have to say is this: thank you, Francis Ford Coppola, for making a bloody interesting gangster epic which has some of the most amazing performances I have ever seen. I can't wait to watch it again, and also make my way through the series.


THE VERDICT: Do I need a verdict? You know it's amazing.

10/10

DVD--Animal Kingdom

or: Kids and crime.

One word to sum it up: Gritty.

Imagine my delight when I found a copy of Animal Kingdom in the preview drawer. Here is a movie which I hadn't heard of until seeing a glowing five star review in an issue of Empire, and had wanted to see ever since. It had a small release here in NZ, mainly circulating through the New Zealand Film Festival, but I'm pretty sure it's still playing at many independent cinemas across the country (I'm not sure when it's out on DVD here, but I'll just say that this is a DVD review anyway). Again, Australia proves why it is the best at making compelling family dramas, adding a fantastic crime vibe which David Michod should be proud of.

After Joshua 'J' Cody's (Jame Frecheville) mother dies in front of his eyes from a self-inflicted heroin overdose, J, who is slightly detached from life, feels he has no choice but to contact his maternal grandmother, Janine "Smurf" Cody (Jacki Weaver), the family matriarch, for a place to live. Smurf rules the family with a borderline incestuous love over her three sons, the quietly menacing Andrew "Pope" Cody (Ben Mendelsohn), the hyperactive Craig Cody (Sullivan Stapleton), and the barely of age Darren Cody (Luke Ford). Pope and his best friend, Barry "Baz" Brown (Joel Edgerton), are armed robbers, with Darren their up and coming apprentice, while Craig is a mid level drug dealer. Melbourne's Armed Robbery Squad is after specifically Pope, who is hiding out. But when the standoff between the Codys and the Armed Robbery Squad is brought up a notch, an all out war ensues, with some casualties and J caught in the middle. The only grounding in J's life is his girlfriend, Nicky Henry (Laura Wheelwright). With those casualties comes an investigation by Homicide Detective Senior Sergeant Nathan Leckie (Guy Pearce), who knows the Codys are involved in some of those deaths. As Leckie tries to get J on his side, J has to figure out how best to get himself out from the middle, where he trusts neither side. J also wants to figure out how to exact what he considers justice in an all around bad situation.

The Cody's have just become the most interesting crime family to grace our screens in a long time. This family is blessed by fantastic actors who give powerhouse performances filled with aggression and barely any emotional stability. It doesn't feel like a film when you are watching it, as you are instantly drawn into to it's frighteningly realistic world. Animal Kingdom is not the kind of coming-of-age film you'd expect; however, James Frecheville's great debut performance as J pretty much epitomizes how hard it can be growing up, especially when you are surrounded by crims.

While it may look like an average crime genre violent frenzy riot, it's not. Animal Kingdom chooses not to be glorifyingly violent and packs a punch in ways we can all relate to. It asks the viewer how they would feel if they were J: having to choose between right or wrong and having to live with crims who are unpredictable at the best of times. Jacki Weaver, perhaps, has the best part of the movie, playing the strange matriarch who I couldn't quite wrap my head around, but I think that's what her point was. She deserves as many accolades as possible, she really is the pearl of the film. Animal Kingdom is a film which isn't to be missed, and is to be seen twice. David Michod is onto something big here.


THE VERDICT: David Michod crafts a superbly written and directed film, made even better by it's fearless performances that should be seen to be believed.

8/10

Following

Date: still 12/07/10. Watched this movie straight after the immense disappointment of Remember Me, as I found it at the Christopher Nolan Blogothon, where someone found it online. My prayers have been answered.

Now I don't feel so guilty about regarding Christopher Nolan as my idol. Following was his debut film (I have seen all of his films now apart from Insomnia and of course, Inception), and what a start to a great film career it was.

A young writer (Jeremy Theobald) takes to following people in the street for inspiration for his new novel. While he is doing this, he is noticed by a man who goes by the name Cobb (Alex Haw), who takes the young writer under his wing. The pair start to rob peoples houses, to get a feel of what its like to be them. He meets a woman (Lucy Russell), who wants the young man to do a job, but he soon realises that things aren't as they seem. Like Christopher Nolan's future films, this adopts the broken chronological order which he seems to use so effectively. In this film, it is an extremely good concept, which makes the most of its interesting premise. I wouldn't say this is Nolan's best work, but that's mainly because he is always bettering himself..

The fact that it was made for just $6,000 is an achievement in itself. I mean, the low budget aspect of it makes it even better, even if at most times it's a bit second-rate. Also, it's black-and-white cinematography--done by Nolan himself--is fantastically done. But honestly, with its low budget and no-name stars, this is a masterpiece. You can see the genius of Nolan in this film already, and really, can he put a foot wrong?

The discipline of it's budget makes it somewhat better. because every scene absolutely counts. That doesn't mean the film is perfect though. It draws on some bland scenes which are supposed to make sense to the whole story, but by the end some of the vital information may have been missed. Nolan's skills weren't fully developed, so in comparing this to his other works, this is pretty much a dud. In Nolan-world, a dud is actually called 'great', compared to 'fantastic'.

A great debut from Master Nolan, possibly one of the best low-budget films ever made.

7/10

The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo

Is it just me or does Sweden make some of the best films ever? Like Let the Right One In, and now The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo (2009). This film, surprisingly, had a twelve week run at the local cinemas--which is almost for as long as Avatar ran for. It's easy to see why the people were flocking to see it.
The Vanger clan were shocked by the disappearance of Harriet Vanger in the 1960's, and her uncle has wanted to know what happened to her and why her body was never found. He enlists the help of journalist Mikael Blomkvist (Michael Nyqvist) to investigate the murder. Mikael finds out about a young computer hacker Lisbeth Salander (Noomi Rapace) and asks her to help him with this case. What they find is more shocking and violent than they bargained for.
This film is a masterpiece of the crime genre, a fine one, may I add. It is engaging, boosted by a masterful performance by Noomi Rapace. Who ever said a movie derived from a book can't be that great? Well, I haven't read the books, but I am certainly looking forward to the sequels to this film to be released--if they ever are. European film is morphing into the better side of American culture, so America, watch out, The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo is after you.
8/10