Short Reviews #38 

The Hangover
The Hangover (2009)
starstar star star_half

Todd Phillips has delivered some of my favourite comedies of recent times. I enjoyed Road Trip, loved Old School but I didn’t care for Starksy and Hutch or School for Scoundrels. With The Hangover it’s clear he’s gone back to the smaller budget, ensemble cast buddy movie formula. And with a premise of four friends who go to Vegas for a buck’s night and don’t remember what happened the next day, it’s pretty much a formula for success for Phillips. Why? Because as a director, he gets solid comic performances out of his cast and there’s always a sense of “these guys have been friends for life”. Stealing the show here is Zach Galifianakis, a relatively new face of comedy in major US film vehicles. Zach has been around for a while but this is his movie for the most part. Look out for more of Zach in the future. He provides the biggest laughs and the strangest of mannerisms, not unlike Will Ferrell in Old School. The rest of the cast are also excellent with Bradley Cooper playing the perfect straight man who has to get his friends motivated. But the biggest compliment to give the film is that the laughs just keep coming, from beginning right through to the credits. The film never loses its comedy steam. And that’s a rarity in this age of remakes, reboots and reimagining’s.

The Reader (2008)
starstarstar star_empty

Kate Winslet getting naked and playing a Nazi war criminal? What a conflict of interests! Okay well the film has more going for it than that. At the core of the film is the relationship between a 15 year old boy and a 35 year old woman in post World War II Germany. She asks him to read for her and in return they get to continue their relationship. Years later, he finds out she is convicted of being a Nazi war criminal. The first half of this film is the strongest, when it’s exploring their relationship. The two leads – David Kross as the young boy and Kate Winslet are both excellent. However once the film flashes forward and Ralph Fiennes is the grown up version of the boy, the film plods along. Fiennes is incredibly boring to watch in the role and sure, he has come to deal with the fact that the woman he slept with and had feelings for was essentially a war criminal, but the tone of the film shifts and it’s the less interesting section of the narrative. Perhaps it lingers too long on these events. Either way, see the film for the performances of Kross and Winslet and you will witness a great deal of chemistry and talent.

Breaking Bad: Season 2 (TV)
starstarstarstar_half

Easily the best new drama/comedy show around and the second season continues to keep you on the edge of your seat whilst providing some truly hilarious moments (”What? Are we building a robot?”). Jesse and Walter get mixed up in even more hijinks, this time looking for ways to expand their ‘business’. Walter’s family are also a strong aspect of the show and the writers do a great job of giving them three dimensions. The tone of the show shifts a little towards the end of the season and you really get to see the negative effects of drug use and production for our main characters. The season ends on a mighty cliff-hanger and whilst it might piss off a few people, I loved it. It leaves us wanting more and the good news is there will be with a third season that will be screened next year.

Revolutionary Road
starstarstar_halfstar_empty

Imagine a film that plays out like you are watching a married couple who clearly need counselling or a divorce. That’s essentially what Revolutionary Road is. A seemingly normal American couple with two children who try to escape the confines of suburban life in the 50’s. Director Sam Mendes is no stranger to this territory having explored it in American Beauty and even Road to Perdition. Mendes comes from a theatre directing background and it’s clear there are times whilst watching this film when I felt like I was watching a play. The verbal spats between Leonardo DiCaprio and Kate Winslet are vicious, highly charged and well directed. Both the leads set out to separate themselves the ghosts of Titanic and they do a fine job of it. But in the end this examination of failed married life becomes monotonous and dull. There’s nothing presented here that is overly new cinematically or thematically and would probably work better on the stage. Performances are great but I walked away from this one without any new insight into married life.

Friday the 13th (2009)
starstarstar _emptystar_empty

Okay well for die-hard fans of this series, they’ll probably love this entry into the never ending series of Friday films. Personally, I’ve never appreciated the film series as it pales in comparison to the Nightmare franchise or even some of the Halloween films. However this reimagining of the Friday films has a couple of things going for it – better production values and more nudity. Because let’s face it, teen horror these days is missing the nudity. Unfortunately they don’t offer ANYTHING new to the franchise when the possibility is there and perhaps the biggest disappointment of all is the kills. These films pride themselves on developing unique ways of dispatching teens but the deaths here are very average in terms of inventiveness. Apparently the company behind the films Platinum Dunes admitted defeat there and promise the sequel will right the wrongs to keep the (huge legion of) fans happy. I dunno about you but I’m more interested in seeing the Nightmare remake Platinum Dunes are developing. They have Watchmen’s Jackie Earle Haley in the lead as Freddy and have hired a solid music video director to take the helm. Sure it won’t come close to the original, but there’s some talent there which should prove more interesting viewing than another Friday film.

 
 
0
 
Monday, June 29 2009
 
Film Review
 
breaker

King of Pop dies 


Although everyone has their favourite videos and songs of his, my favourite video after of course Thriller is Smooth Criminal. Not the radio edit but the full video above. The tilting of everyone’s bodies on the dancefloor was the most awesome thing I ever saw in my formative years. My favourite song of his? I’d have to go with Billie Jean. Everytime I hear it, I bust my moves. And speaking of dance moves, Justin Timberlake owes his to Jackson’s often imitated but never bettered techniques. Also Weird Al wouldn’t have a career without Jacko.

 
 
0
 
Friday, June 26 2009
 
Music General
 
breaker

Volcano Choir (Bon Iver Side Project) 

Volcano Choir
Whilst Bon Iver has been busy working on both his follow-up to For Emma, Forever Ago, he’s also been working on this side-project ‘Volcano Choir’ with Collections of Colonies of Bees. The album entitled Unmap is out September 22 through Jagjaguwar. We might have a wait a little while longer for the solo follow up to For Emma, Forever Ago but this should suffice perfectly in the interim judging from the sounds ‘Collections of Colonies of Bees’ produce.

 
 
0
 
Thursday, June 25 2009
 
Music General
 
breaker
Previous Ramblings