“Hanna” is a fresh take on the typical action thriller by director Joe Wright. The action sequences are stylish and riveting, but there are also some great intimate moments. Saoirse Ronan turns in a star performance yet again. The film also features a banging score by The Chemical Brothers. If you’re looking for a well-made action movie, check out this one.
It's summer and that means it's time for the blockbusters. This year seems particularly heavy on superhero movies, with no less than 4 major comic book adaptations coming our way. Add these to the big sequels like "Pirates of the Caribbean 4", "Transformers 3" and of course the grand finale to the "Harry Potter" series and we can expect massive box office this season. "Thor" has already been released, but I'll post the trailer anyway. Personally, I'm most excited for "X-Men: First Class".
This film is divided into 2 similar love stories, the first of which I really liked. Unfortunately, the 2nd storyline was a bit of drag. I think the film got lost in its desire to show how "artistic" it is.
“The Bridges of Madison County” is a great film about love, responsibility and regret. Clint Eastwood and Meryl Streep are at the top of their games, especially Streep as she completely sinks into her role. Eastwood’s directing talents are evident here as he really creates a deeply romantic, but truthful story. In the hands of a less able director, this could easily have been a cheesy “Lifetime” movie. The tender musical score was pitch-perfect. This really is one of the most romantic films I’ve ever seen. It’s a "slow burn", but the pay-off is really worth it.
The Cannes film festival is all abuzz right now. Unfortunately, it's not for the films, but for the controversial ramblings of director Lars von Trier. During his press conference for the film "Melancholia", he let loose some serious diarrhea of the mouth, stating (among other things)...
"I thought I was a Jew for a long time and was very happy being a Jew ...... Then it turned out that I was not a Jew ...... I found out that I was really a Nazi which also gave me some pleasure."
As a result, he was declared persona non grata by the Cannes board of directors. Here's my "2 cents" on the matter, which I just copied from a blog comment I posted:
He really did cross the line with those remarks. Why did these things even cross his mind to say?? That’s really disturbing to me. Also, his attack on Susanne Bier, Jews and Israel was uncalled for, no matter how jokingly he said it. It really takes away from the art, which is what Cannes is about. We should have been talking about the film and performances of Kirsten Dunst and others, but instead we are talking about this idiot’s sick idea of a joke.
The truly sad thing is the impact it will have on the cast and crew of the film. Everyone knows that he is an attention whore, but people like Kirsten Dunst don't deserve to have their Oscar chances ruined by such publicity stunts.
This week on Hit me with your best shot is an old film (Tarzan the Ape Man) that reminds us how much the film industry has developed. For someone who grew up in the CGI generation, the unashamed use of rear projection of pre-filmed footage was really amusing to me. Cinephiles like to praise black and white, but I think this film would have been more awesome in color. The film was a fun romp through the jungle and my best shot this week relates to the beginning of Jane's adventure. My favourite shot(below), is when Jane (Maureen O'Sullivan) falls off the "Mutia escarpment". It was so unexpected, it made my heart skip a beat! From then on, Jane constantly finds herself in trouble as she encounters all the dangers of the jungle, including lions, apes and dwarfs! Talk about a damsel in distress!
This was a difficult list to compile. 2006 was really a bumper year, with 4 of them making my decade's best list. #1 of the year goes to...Blood Diamond.
Blood Diamond Borat Notes on a Scandal Casino Royale The Prestige Pan's Labyrinth Babel This Is England Dreamgirls The Painted Veil
"All The President’s Men" is a fascinating political drama surrounding the famed Watergate scandal that resulted in the resignation of President Nixon. The film features a great cast, headlined by the collaboration of leading men Dustin Hoffmann and Robert Redford as the eager reporters. The talent of director was evident here, with smart shot selections and scene compositions. The script was also outstanding, giving interesting insight into some of the tactics employed in investigative journalism.
In anticipation of its long-awaited Cannes premiere tomorrow, here's the trailer for "The Tree of Life". This film has such high expectations, that it was being picked for Best Picture last year! It eventually got delayed though and will now be competing for next year's Oscars. I really hope its good.
In this week's edition of Hit me with your best shot we looked at Pedro Almodovar's "Law of Desire". So, I know Almodovar’s films are usually sexually-charged, but sheesh he really didn’t hold back on this one! This really was a fiery film, both figuratively and literally (e.g. the shirt and the typewriter at the end). This flaming desire was the source of everyone’s problems in this film. Hence, my favourite shot relates to this theme.
"Jane Eyre" is an expertly crafted film by up-and-coming director Cary Fukunaga. The subtlety of the music, cinematography, costumes were all sublime, creating a beautifully gloomy atmosphere. Mia Wasikowska was really superb as the title character. For those who haven't read the book, I recommend reading it first(unlike me) in order to really understand the mental conflicts of all the characters.
Hit me with your best shot is back again with David Lynch's cult horror film - "Eraserhead". This film definitely creeped me out, but I'm not sure I really understand it. It really did play like a horrible nightmare. I've seen "Mulholland Drive" and now this and I'm still not a David Lynch fan (cue boos). Misgivings aside, there were definitely a lot of striking images to choose from.
I've now finished "The Godfather" trilogy and I gotta say, part III was the most fulfilling for me. I know it's sacrilege to say that, but I really felt like it was a fitting conclusion to a great set of films. The continuity made me really appreciate the first 2 films so much more. Great performances by the cast members that did return. Especially Al Pacino, as I really loved the anchoring theme of redemption throughout the film.
