Change Your Image
blood_summit
Reviews
Titanic (1997)
message from a cynic - worth a look
***Spoiler Warning***
Since watching Avatar again recently, it's worth taking a retrospective look at some of James Cameron's other works. Most notably his previous record breaking film "Titanic".
Now being a wee bit cynical and not fond of romance, my instinct would normally be to dismiss this movie as awful and condemn it to the lowest pits of hell.
Despite this, I won't. I can see that there is some truly brilliant filmmaking that has gone on.
The first and most notable example is the setting.
The Titanic is recreated with incredible detail and attention to accuracy. From the sets to the costume department, the design team really outdid themselves, working from historical records and photos produced from hours and hours of extensive research. Speaking as someone with an interest in history, I can safely say that their homework really shows.
The score does a good job of adding a sense of drama to the movie itself and against all the odds, James Horner's Celtic take of the hammy and overdone and Celine Dion track "my heart will go on" manages to work well. The soundtrack does add to give a great sense of place and together with the visual setting adds some strong atmosphere.
The characters vary, some being well portrayed, others two dimensional. Billy Zane's character in particular seemed the threatening villain but managed to bring a vague sense of sly charm to him.
The heroine of Rose had the best character arc as her aristocratic identity is gradually pulled away, coming to a head to reveal astounding bravery when she goes deep into the ship to rescue an incarcerated Jack as it begins to sink.
The Jack character however seemed more of an everyman but his "romantic and artistic wandering drifter" character seems to be something of a character that had been seen before. Despite that (and his blatantly 90s boy band haircut), he is well portrayed.
The historical social divisions are well represented as the glamour and uptight attitudes of the upper classes contrast greatly with the boisterous and energetic lower class and not just with the passengers, the contrast between the buttoned up officers and the coal shovelling stokers and engineers are only glimpsed but offer a similar picture. In short, a broad picture of the ship and everyone residing on board is well represented despite the focus of the romantically charged main storyline.
The scale of the tragedy is also extremely well done as it builds up to the inevitable climax, turning from an initial creeping inevitability to a raging force of destruction with people helpless to do anything to prevent it.
It's also incredibly well shot. Many stand out in memory. In particular the one where Rose is standing alone in a corridor shouting for anyone to hear her. Others include the water beginning to creep slowly along the floor, the smashing plates as the ship tips and a transition from her sketch being drawn back to the present day Rose recalling the event. All of which is evidence of excellent cinematography and filmmaking.
Despite the atmospheric and broad picture painted, this is by no means a perfect film. The melodrama of the romance and some of the more famous moments come off as cheesy and you're less likely to be moved by their romantic aspirations (Its most famous scenes having been parodied into oblivion probably adds to this). This and the fact that it made a ton of money are two main reasons why "Titanic" is disliked as much as it is.
There is also some corniness in the Irish element of the third class. While their dancing and partying shown part way through the film does add a sense of fun and relief from the stuffy upper class, it comes across as a bit too cheesy at times as romanticised Irish in Hollywood had been done repeatedly many times before 1997 so by then it was an overused cliché.
Overall, this is a very well made movie and if you look beyond the clichés or the schmaltz then you will see that this is a movie does have a greater depth of artistic worthiness than you'd expect.
Doctor Zhivago (2002)
Very good production
POSSIBLE SPOILERS
It clearly goes without saying that this is in the shadow of the original David Lean film and understandably as it is a hard act to follow. It would be easy to condemn this as being "amateurish" but I have to say that I strongly disagree. This production dealt with the setting and period in a more subtle and understated manner and it's in the format of TV which is completely different to the big screen and less cinematic.
Despite this being early on in Keira Knightley's career, she does a good job portraying Lara as being a well rounded character. Kris Marshall was another one who stood out for me as his character of Pasha Antipov as his character development was not only well portrayed but more jarring as he turns from an idealistic and optimistic revolutionary to a brutal and merciless Bolshevik General.
This also portrays the Russian Revolution in more of a "Warts and all" kind of way as opposed to the romanticised depiction given originally and is executed in a very compelling way. There is an interesting use of archive footage (remeniscent of the use of archive footage in the 1978 TV series "Secret Army") that adds some extra depth to the portrayal of 1910s/1920s Russia.] I'd say that you should listen to what Anna Rust has said and give it a look.
Fifty Dead Men Walking (2008)
Well made thriller concerning the Northern Ireland troubles
MINOR SPOILER WARNINGS
I watched this a couple of days ago. I didn't really expect much from it. The author Martin McGartland (a former RUC tout in the PIRA before going on the run) disowned the film since it deviated from the original story in a few ways. However, I was surprised as to how good it actually was. Ben Kingsley does well as the Special Branch officer and comes across as hardened but still carrying a grey morality with him.
Jim Sturgess is plausible as a West Belfast Jack-the-lad come PIRA member/police informer and Northern Ireland actually feels like Northern Ireland in the late 1980s.
Though its only fairly loosely based around McGartland's story, It is well shot and deals with the troubles in a gritty manner that pulls no punches. There is no flag waving or finger pointing, just the simple depiction of "how it was" and its really believable. The grey morality of what was a horrendous and destructive conflict it was and how each side were doing some extremely underhand things really shows on screen. This is how it is shown to the audience.
Of course there are parts - such as one towards the end - which contains some willing suspension of disbelief but fortunately doesn't cause any serious damage and the relationship between McGartland and his girlfriend worked in the plot's context.
Rose Magowan surprised me as well. While I was expecting the worst from her and was dreading a horrendous "Devil's Own" Brad Pitt accent, I was pleased to see that her grasp of the Ulster brogue was relatively good (okay not perfect but better than I expected). Her "femme fatal" character was fairly well written and was faintly threatening even if her hairstyle was a little bit on the clichéd side.
This was a damn sight better than that festering turd called "The Devil's Own" and offers a full and unapologetic insight into the conflict while being a decent thriller.
Of course the fact that the film is "loosely" based around McGartland's original story doesn't detract from the fact that as a film it's excellent.
The finale is quite touching but I'll say no more than that.
I highly recommend this film to anyone who wants to see a decent troubles based drama/thriller.
The Day of the Triffids (2009)
not groundbreaking but not terrible either
I read and really enjoyed the original book and on watching it, I was expecting it to be fairly decent at the very least. It didn't disappoint as it loosely followed the original storyline.
There are points in the story which you need to take with a pinch of salt such as Eddie Izzard's method of surviving a plane crash being successful.
The storyline is entertaining and compelling but the main problem is that it was fairly rushed. If it had been feature length, the characters would have had a little more development and we would have been given more of a sense of place that was lacking a little bit in the second half (and to a lesser extent in the first.) and the climax could have been a bit more carefully drawn. The two armed girls were a nice touch though in an "I-am-Legend" sort of way.
It's entertaining, not straying too far from the original story and the production crew have done well while working with a modest budget, It was enjoyable enough for me to watch the whole thing. It was fairly flawed but reasonable.
5/10
The Honeymooners (2003)
Nicely executed Indie rom-com
I was curious to see this (partly because I'm a bit of an Alex Reid fan and partly because I want to see what a feature on a low budget would be like to experience) I brought the DVD without carrying huge expectations but when I saw it, I was pleasantly surprised. The two main characters seem real because initially they are fairly unlikable (Initially, David's a miserable git and Claire's a bit of a cow) but I kind of warmed to them as I got to know them more while the story progressed.
For me it was a breath of fresh air from usual glossy Hollywood rom-coms because it was believable and had this great sense of charm when matching it with the Donegal countryside (the part where they swim together in the sea being a fantastic scene). It made my Dad want to go back to visit Northern Ireland but I digress! Give it a chance, you might just agree with me!
Ultraviolet (2006)
Not bad, a damn sight better than Resident Evil Apocalypse
As far as the average action movie goes I thought that this wasn't so bad. I guess all the haters wanted something with a lot of depth or something of the like but if you're asking from that from a typical action flick then you're probably looking in the wrong place Most of it seemed like it wouldn't be out of place in an anime film but I liked the weird glossy and colourful style that went with it. It looked great, Milla looked great, the action looked great and I have to say that it worked as far as style and action go.
The storyline wasn't too bad either, not groudbreaking but I kind of liked Violet's relationship with the character of Six. Mainly because it was kind of unusual and fairly well written.
It also is an action movie that doesn't suffer the crippling ailment of an ensemble cast that occasionally damage the story.
My one beef is the way the planes at the beginning are continuously circling the tower without being attacked. That I didn't like.
All in all, I thought it was a halfway decent action flick. Not groundbreaking but decent enough. Looks good, decent storyline, decent action, does exactly what is says on the tin.
Knowing (2009)
Very good...until the ending where it has a little accident over itself.
HERE BE MAJOR SPOILERS!
READ AT YOUR OWN DISCRESSION
I was interested in seeing this film as I always liked something that has an edge of horror and intrugue to it.
The sequences of the film were very good to say the least. The disasters were incredibly well done and had me clenching my teeth all the way through them, the mysterious figures had a feeling of mystery and menace to them and the storyline kept me wanting to find out more.
However, the ending then proceeded to crap all over itself when it was worked into a convenient inescapable doomsday ending that not only was implausible in theory and contradicted its own theory but also was the kind of Hollywood ending that rendered the last portion of the plot completely bloody pointless! Sure the alien element was well done, some good design was made and the spiritual subtext I kind of liked but the convenience of the finale made me think "come on! surely you could do better than that!" It was more of a cop out than the ending to "I am Legend" (especially since the alternate "I am Legend" ending was much more pogniant and intriguing but I digress).
Having said that, I largely enjoyed it and am glad I went to see it just so I can form my own opinion than take the word from someone else.
Blessed (2005)
I would have given this a minus ten if I could have but I'll settle for 1.
Let's get one thing straight; This was BAD! So Putrid that it doesn't even qualify to be imprinted on anyone's memories.
The ever repeating storyline (who's constant recycling of not only jokes but story lines and character appearances.) A typical storyline goes as follows; Sue (the mother) opens the episode quoting on how she loves her baby son but smells awful (As if THAT doesn't get old! har-de-bloody-har!), some Australian quasi-nationalist "bogan" -look it up- appears to say how she thinks she's awesome because she's an ozzie while everything/everyone else that isn't sucks before disappearing for the rest of the episode. (a small mercy)
The rest of the plot revolves around the father (Gary) getting in some kind of disagreement with Sue and him talking to members of his band for advice on how to sort it out.
The phrase "words fail me" is an old one but this is where it is the most truthful thing to say. It is so incredibly BAD! So HORRIBLE, that I would like every trace of it's existence sent to the lowest depths of the North sea and life can go on.
It saddens me though, to see someone as good as Sally Bretton (good actress, I like her) make a prat out of herself, Ardal O Hanlon (My Hero aside) has the ability to be pretty funny - but not here - and Ben Elton, distinguished for so much good stuff somehow manages to come up with this...thing then comedy is in very serious trouble!
Faintheart (2008)
Moving, hilarious, fantastic.
I saw this last night, and what's special about it is that it was filmed in my home town of Ludlow (the shots of the Castle and the Church are landmarks in the town like the Empire State Building is in New York and the Eiffel Tower is in Paris), and also in Hereford just half an hour away, so I was dead eager to see it. Especially since I missed seeing it filmed because I was on a stunt course in Cardiff during that week in summer. After watching this movie, I was glad that I don't live in LA or New York (used to seeing a film in the cinema shot just down the road), because I found it fascinating to see a film with shots of the park, the castle, and the main street that I grew up with.
Luckily, I was not disappointed. There is not a single weak link in the cast. There are moments that make you laugh out loud so often (such as the moment when Ewen Bremner's character realises that he's landed a date with a fellow trekkie), and when you want to cry (for example, when Eddie Marsan's character realises that his hobby of battle re-enactment is the reason his relationship with his family has gone awry).
I would love to go on, but I fear it'd spoil the story. If the climax didn't warm you, you have a heart of concrete. A real feel-good film that will brighten your day without a doubt.
Anastasia (1997)
half and half.
First I'll say what was wrong with it:
Too many American accents for my liking it stopped me from having any idea that the characters were genuine Russians.
Just some accents would have been enough. and no real convincing idea of the Russian setting or communism rising up as it should have done. I know this isn't Doctor Zhivago but there should have been at least SOME idea that the Bolsheviks were rising up.
Romanticism was obvious but then again...it's entirely fictional and thus able to do what you want with it.
I also read the original script and thought that some opportunities to make it a little bit more interesting were lost such as:
1. Proper references to Bolshevism 2. Cameos from Stanislavski and Yuri Zhivago.
However, the look was good, it was enjoyable and the animation was impressive, especially since it was one of the last hand drawn animations to come out from Disney.
Distant Voices, Still Lives (1988)
Hmmm...
This film didn't do it for me I confess.
*SPOILER WARNING*
I found it far too long and tedious with too much bloody singing, static shots, not enough story or engaging characters. Everything jumped around so one minute, someone was falling through a plate glass window then the next, he was getting ready for his wedding. It didn't get any atmosphere apart from it being "somewhere-up-north-and-bloody-miserable".
Pete Postlethwaite was fairly good as the abusive dad and there were some decent tense moments. After his character got bumped off. The storyline became repetitive and uninteresting. The characters weren't in the slightest bit engaging. Just recognisable I won't get started on the singing because I'd be here for too long. It was just boring.
My advice to you is ignore this and watch something decent like "Angela's ashes" or "East is East" THEY BOTH have good characters, THEY BOTH have good stories and BOTH have great atmosphere and feeling to them.
Smallpox 2002: Silent Weapon (2002)
inaccurate Scaremongering.
I saw this a while ago and to be honest, I reckon that Messrs Chinn and Perceval have a lot to answer for.
This was broadcast a while after 9/11 and it's obviously scaremongering to whip tension (especially in the wake of the Anthrax scare) so In that way, I take a particularly dim view of this fake documentary.
Besides, why smallpox? If it was as contagious as it sounds then it would have run rampant during the middle ages onwards. (The most likely way to catch it would have been close and dare I say, irresponsible contact with a victim) This would have been better if it was made as a feature film as it would be more appropriate and responsible, besides, its out of date now isn't it? However, it was not without it's upsides as the drama was well portrayed, well documented and well thought up (despite it's plot holes and controversies).