A Film With Me In It: DVD Review

A Film With Me In It: DVD Review

A Film With Me In It
Cast: Dylan Moran, Mark Doherty, Keith Allen, David O Doherty
Director: Ian Fitzgibbon
Mark (Mark Doherty) isn't doing too well.
An out of work actor who's trying to write a film with his mate Pierce (Dylan Moran), Mark just can't seem to get any luck whatsoever.
His girlfriend is about to walk out on him because of the ramshackle accommodation they live in; his landlord wants he - and his wheelchair bound brother (David O Doherty) evicted -so all in all, Mark is really struggling to get by.
Then one fateful day, his life is completely changed when everyone around him (except Pierce) is killed in a series of unfortunate, unplanned mishaps in his flat.
As Mark struggles to cope trapped in the flat with a plethora of dead bodies, Pierce convinces him there is a way out of it - which doesn't involve either of them going to the police and confessing what happened&..
A Film With Me In It tries for pitch black humour - and somehow ends up being just a little bit dull - and far too contrived to feel much sympathy for Mark.
Moran's Pierce isn't intended to be a nice character - and his matter of fact bullying of Mark who just wants to go to the police doesn't make you feel any kind of sympathy for Pierce and just makes you wish Mark would stand upto him.
The problem with this film is that the contrived incidents - while they're hinted at in the beginning of the film - seem far too wacky and coincidental to be believable - although I'm guessing those who were involved would say that's actually the point.
At times, it throws up echoes of Shallow Grave but there's no real urgency to the pair when faced with a growing body count - and consequently you don't end up willing them to succeed in their quest to avoid jail.
While it ends up being pitch black dark farce towards the end, A Film With Me In It is a curio - it feels overlong despite its brief running time and is a disappointment given the comic caliber of those involved.

In the end it's a film which has missed potential and a melodrama which fails to have any real heart in it - if you had felt more for the characters and their plight, chances are you'd have been a little more sucked into their world instead of feeling like those who'd died got off lightly.

Rating 3/10

Rachel Getting Married: DVD Review

Rachel Getting Married: DVD Review

Rachel Getting Married
Cast: Anne Hathaway, Bill Irwin, Sebastian Stan, Rosemarie DeWitt
Director: Jonathan Demme
Can there be anything worse than an enforced family gathering?
Well, if it's a wedding then sometimes, although it's supposed to be a happy occasion, there can be one or two problems.
Throw in a dysfunctional family and a girl fresh out of rehab, and it's heading for "memorable" (read: disastrous)
Hathaway is stunning as Kym, the sister of the titular Rachel (DeWitt) who shows up back at home days before the actual ceremony.
Straight out of rehab for drugs, she's the flashpoint for some long buried family tensions to resurface as the happy day grows closer.
This film saw Hathaway nominated for an Oscar for Best Actress - and based on this performance, she was robbed by Kate Winslet's taking of the statue.

Her Kym is everything a screwed up, rehab character should be - her acting in this elevates her beyond the Princess Diaries most will remember her for - it's subtle, nuanced and mesmerizing.
In one particular scene, called to the family table to celebrate her sister's wedding rather than sing her sister's praises, Kym actually seizes the moment to bring out her 12 steps programme.
The direction by Demme (The Silence of The Lambs) isn't intrusive - it's all about observation and that lends itself to a documentary style feel.
Rachel Getting Married shows Hathaway's risen well above the teen fodder - and based on this performance, coupled with the right material, she's got a stellar career ahead of her.

Extras: Commentary with Producer Neda Armian, Screenwriter Jenny Lumet and Editor Tim Squyres, Commentary with Actress Rosemarie DeWitt, A Look Behind the Scenes of Rachel Getting Married, The Wedding Band, Cast and Crew Q&A at the Jacob Burns Center, Deleted Scenes

Rating: 6/10

The Escapist: DVD Review

The Escapist: DVD Review

The Escapist
Released by Vendetta Films
Rating: M
Cast: Brian Cox, Liam Cunnigham, Dominic Cooper, Damian Lewis, Joseph Fiennes, Steven Macintosh
The Escapist is one of the latest entrants to the prison break genre - and is one of those films which will have you debating long after the credits have rolled.
Even if you saw it in the cinema, you'll still be looking for the clues to help piece together the puzzle.
Brian Cox is Frank, a lifer, who, on hearing his only daughter is ill after a drugs overdose, decides now is the time to get out. But he can't do it on his own - so he pulls together a gang of associates (a small trusted group) to help him pull off his own prison break. And just when it looks like it's about to come together, the plan could unravel any moment thanks to the arrival of Frank's new cellmate (Dominic Cooper) who inadvertently picks up the attention of one of the meanest inmates.
The Escapist is a pretty gripping piece of cinema - thanks 100% to its lead. Cox is compelling as Frank,a weary man who's determined to serve out his sentence but whose desire to leave is all too real once he realizes the danger his daughter is in. Scenes involving his character towards the end are just heartbreaking and gut wrenching and Cox conveys more of that because of the lines on his face than any piece of dialogue could ever manage.
There are some great character turns in this film - Band of Brothers fave Damian Lewis is brilliant as Rizza - rumour has it he wore women's underwear to perfect the walk Rizza has; Steven Macintosh is just creepy as Tony who menaces Dominic Cooper's James Lacey. Director Rupert Wyatt does a sterling job - you see (spoiler) the break out intercut with scenes from the prison and it takes a little time to piece together the chronology of events.
The soundtrack is a little much at times - the music is perfect, but somehow in the final mix, someone cranked it up to 11 and it's a little piercing during certain key scenes - even if it does get the adrenaline pumping.
The Escapist ultimately may be viewed by some as just another prison flick but as far as I'm concerned it's a slightly superior intelligent drama which you'll find yourself completely engrossed in by the end.

Extras: A Making of the Escapist Behind the Scenes featurette, Story Board Comparison, Audio Commentary and Original Theatrical Trailer make a reasonable package for a good film

Rating: 8/10

Drag Me To Hell: DVD Review

Drag Me To Hell: DVD Review

Drag Me To Hell
Released by Roadshow Home Entertainment
Rating: M
Cast: Alison Lohman, Justin Long, Lorna Raver
The words Sam Raimi and horror film are enough to make any cinephile quiver with excitement.
And so it is with Drag Me To Hell which arrives on DVD - and will make any night the perfect fright night fun.
Alison Lohman is Christine Brown, a loans officer, desperate for promotion.
One day, when told she has to show more leadership and make tough decisions, she chooses the wrong person to exert her authority on. That person is an old lady in the form of Mrs. Sylvia Ganush (played by Lorna Raver) - when denied a loan to stave off eviction and feeling humiliated, Mrs Ganush curses Christine. The curse means Christine will be Dragged to Hell by a Lamia demon within three days...
So Christine tries everything in her power to beat the curse and ensure she lives on.
Drag Me To Hell is a scintillating return to the genre from the master Sam Raimi - although it turns out the script was written some 10 years ago after the end of the Evil Dead trilogy, Raimi's clearly been spending his time working out how to perfect the spectacle - oh, and doing the 3 Spiderman films as well.
Granted, you pretty much know where some of the shocks and jolts are coming in this film - but it's the gross out horror humour moments which are the best for Drag Me To Hell. There's a few of those scattered around the film which are just, to be blunt, icky and make you squirm in your chair. But what Raimi manages to do, thanks to an at times deliberately deafening score is drag out some of the tension in the film and really confound some of your expectations as to when the shock's coming.
Drag Me To Hell is a restrained horror - it's not based purely on gore, but seeks to freak you out of your cinema chair when you least expect it - and have you laughing or groaning in disgust when you know you shouldn't. Lohman's Christine is a sweet character, so well played by the actress - you really feel for her as she starts to realise the level of threat she's up against - and Raimi pulls an excellent performance out of her by making the acting straight up and never veering into parody. There's scenes which will have you empathising with Christine and as the wall of sound builds in your living room, you may find yourself jumping when you least expect it.
On paper the elements of humour, gross out or otherwise, and horror shouldn't work. But with a master like Sam Raimi behind the camera, Drag Me To Hell succeeds in spades - it reinvigorates the smart horror genre which has become so bogged down by the likes of the SAW franchise.

Extras: Production Video Diaries- would have been great to have had more given how beloved Sam Raimi is.

Rating 8/10

Coraline: DVD Review

Coraline: DVD Review

Coraline 3D
Released by Universal Home Entertainment
Rating: PG
Vocal Cast: Dakota Fanning, Teri Hatcher, Jennifer Saunders, Dawn French, Keith David
From the director of James and The Giant Peach, The Nightmare Before Christmas, and MonkeyBone comes Coraline, based on a book by renowned fantasy writer Neil Gaiman.
Coraline Jones (Dakota Fanning) has moved to a new apartment with her mother and father (Teri Hatcher and John Hodgman) - but she finds that her parents are too busy to get her settled in.
To her amazement during her exploration of the new drab home, she finds a locked door - which, when opened takes her through to an alternative version of her current life.
The trouble is, in this alternative world, her Other Mother and Other Father are much more attentive and she starts to feel maybe she should stay with this family (even though everyone in this world has buttons for eyes).
But she gradually begins to discover that not everything is as it seems in the new world&.can she escape back to her old life before it's too late?
There's much to love in this latest animated outing.
Coraline is a beautiful piece of Gothic tinged work - full of dark greys to start off with, its colour schemes are resplendent on the big screen TV - even the fact this film is in 3D and you can wear glasses in your home (much to the mirth and merriment of those around you)
They're vibrant and vivid to show the contrasts in Coraline's world and life - Coraline herself wears a bright yellow coat in her humdrum world - but when she goes through to the Other World, the garden comes to life with plush colours (blues, purples, reds) which really light up the screen.
It's a dark, cleverly animated fable which will scare some smaller children and is a cautionary tale (in some ways) of Mother Knows Best.
Coupled with its ethereal soundtrack (which is wonderfully evocative) and beautiful surroundings, it's quite the treat to behold - the subtleties of the 3D really bring the worlds to life.
The stars of the show - outside of the score and animation - are Teri Hatcher and Dakota Fanning; Hatcher in particular is both motherly and sinister and works hard to bring the Other Mother to life.

Coraline is a gothic horror film for children and adults alike - and it should be cherished and enjoyed - even if it does scare the little horrors senseless in places.

Rating 8/10

Astro Boy: Movie Review

Astro Boy: Movie Review

Rating: 6/10
Voice Cast: Freddie Highmore, Nicolas Cage, Bill Nighy, Donald Sutherland, Nathan Lane, Kristen Bell, Eugene Levy
Director: David Bowers
From the immensely popular Japanese Manga comics comes the big screen version of Astro Boy.
The film takes place in a future where the humans have been forced to abandon the planet and now live in Metro City, which floats high in the skies.
It's the tale of Toby (voiced by Freddie Highmore) a genius boy who suffers from an absentee scientist father Dr Tenma (Nicolas Cage in typical laconic mood). Tenma's involved in helping the military might of President Stone (Donald Sutherland) - however, one day his nosey son breaks into the lab and watches the unveiling of the Peacekeeper robot.
Unfortunately Toby's trapped when the robot goes beserk, and is vaporized. His grieving father then sets about building a robot replacement but soon realizes it's no substitute for his son and abandons him. Once the military find about robot Toby, they try to kill him off to retrieve his power source; ultimately Toby ends up on the surface of the discarded earth.
So left behind on a planet strewn with robot junk, Toby tries to find his place- and ends up embroiled in the fight to save the day when Stone's military re-election plans spiral out of control.
For an origin film, Astro Boy is a strange mixed bag - there's a mournful sadness running throughout as the absentee father tries to assuage his guilt after his son dies; there are overtures of Frankenstein mixed with hints of Gepetto/ Pinocchio as Tenma brings the robot Toby to life; there are some pretty terrible intelligent puns (Descartes before the Horse being the worst); there's Toby and the band of orphan children (a la Oliver Twist) on the surface trying to fit into the world; and there's Matt Lucas making an appearance as the head of a robot communist group which provides the comic relief.
But it scores well on some other fronts - the score when Astro Boy discovers he can fly for the first time coupled with the soundtrack during the fight scenes - just beautiful.
And then there's the animation - for a 2D film (and maybe we're spoiled a little these days with all this Avatar style 3D trickery) there are some beautifully eye popping moments. The final showdown scene shows a lushness of animated colours (purples, reds, blues) which have to be appreciated on the big screen and are just gorgeous.

Granted, Astro Boy is not the most original film - but for a younger core of the audience it will prove to be a diverting use of their time.

It's Complicated: Movie Review

It's Complicated: Movie Review

It's Complicated
Rating: 6/10
Cast: Meryl Streep, Alec Baldwin, Steve Martin, John Krasinski
Director: Nancy Meyers
In this romantic comedy, Meryl Streep is Jane who's divorced her philandering hubby Jack (Alec Baldwin) over a decade ago. Since then, she's carved herself a dandy life as she cooks and he's remarried to a younger model with a child.
However, as they come together to celebrate their son's graduation, the pair find there's still an attraction and against the odds begin an affair.
As they rekindle their relationship, it becomes clear that Jack's more into it than Jane as he views it as a reconciliation and a chance to get back together. So things are further complicated when Jane's architect Adam (a muted playing it straight Steve Martin) starts to develop feelings for her.
Ultimately things start to come to a head for Jane and she has to find her place in these relationships&
Meryl Streep was Golden Globe nominated for this piece - and it's easy to see why. It's clearly her film - and while Baldwin brings his roguish caddish comedy touch to the role, neither he nor Martin can compete with Streep - she's light years ahead of them on the screen.
She manages to brilliantly use a deftness of touch to make Jane the likeable element in this - left on the sidelines and unsure of how to get involved in relationships, her transition is plausible, pleasant and in places, funny. She gives a masterclass on bringing subtlety to the character.
Meyers wrote and directed this piece which not only benefits from some zingy one liners but an excellent ensemble cast; Martin underplays his sad sack Adam who's been divorced and unsure of the game for a while - and John Krasinski provides some much needed comic relief in places) but sadly suffers from a lull about 75 minutes in.

It's Complicated is going to appeal more to certain sector of the audience than some; putting it politely, as Nancy Meyers does great films for women, it's fair to say this charming comedy is squarely in the grab a bunch of your girlfriends and head to the flicks.