Winter In Wartime: Movie Review
Rating: 6/10
Cast: Martijn Lakemeier,
Yorick van Wageningen, Jamie Campbell Bower
Director: Martin Koolhoven
Set in the
last winter of World War II, Nazi occupied Holland is under siege - both from
the Germans and a blanket of snow.
15 year old
Michiel (Lakemeier) is one of those who is appalled by the Nazis and wants to
join the Resistance in some form of other. Despite being inspired by his Uncle
Ben and warned off by his father who's the mayor of the town, Michiel ends up
helping a crashed pilot (Campbell Bower). It's this act of defiance which sets
in motion a series of events which will end Michiel's teenage years in ways he
could never imagine as he finds his innocence shattered forever.
Winter In Wartime was the official Dutch entry into
the Academy Awards this year - and it's beautifully shot and captures the
atmosphere of the time excellently, The story's well told and is captivating
from beginning to end - there's an ease to the central performance from
Lakemeier which makes it easy to watch. He captures the petulance of the teenage
years, the conflict with his mayor father who wants to protect him from the
troubles and the desire to grow up and be treated like a man very well.
Campbell Bower (Twilight: New Moon star) interacts
well with Lakemeier and the pair invest a fair amount of emotion into their
friendship. While all of the cast's performances are solid, the film does follow
a slightly predictable path - when Michiel finally bonds with his father, the
war comes crashing into their world. It's a little predictable - as is the twist
towards the end which if you're savvy can be seen coming a mile off.
However, that doesn't lessen the impact of the film
- while there appears to be a glut of war films on the slate this year (Max
Manus, Home By Christmas to name but two) each of them deserve your time in the
cinema.
Winter In Wartime succeeds as a tale of
lost innocence and thanks to the universal story, you may find yourself dragged
more into this world than you would expect.
Thursday, 15 April 2010
Genova: Movie Review
Genova: Movie Review
Rating: 5/10
Cast: Colin Firth, Hope Davis, Catherine Keener, Willa Holland, Perla Haney-Jardine
Director: Michael Winterbottom
Genova stars Colin Firth as a professor whose life is turned upside down by the death of his wife in a car accident.
But it's not just his life which is changed; his two daughters are deeply traumatized by the incident as they were in the car at the time. The youngest, Mary (Perla Haney-Jardine) was a prime factor in the crash and is struggling to deal with the guilt, as well as being wracked by night terrors.
The eldest Kelly (Willa Holland) is bordering on her teen years and so with these two in mind, Firth's Joe moves the pair of them to Genoa, Italy to try and start afresh.
However, the move to Italy has different effects on all of them as Mary begins to see her dead mother (an ethereal Hope Davis) and Kelly begins to discover her sexuality.
Genova is an odd film; shot in hand held close ups in places and with beautiful scenery, it is at times, a little too slow to get into. Granted, it's supposed to be about the build up of the circumstance, but you don't quite know what genre it's aiming for.
At times, it's a teen drama as the family begins to fall apart, but the appearance of the mother appears to suggest a degree of ghost story. Sadly it doesn't quite work as well as perhaps it should.
This is no reflection on the cast who carry the script well and the shots inside Italys myriad mazes of streets do well to capture the claustrophobia of parts of the city. However, it's the end of the film which just slaps across the face. After a build up in the last 15 minutes, and a major incident involving all three of the main protagonists, you're expecting to see some kind of closure and resolution. But what you get is another scene on the end which doesn't suggest there's any kind of end for any of them.
Whilst it's fair to say thats true of life, having invested 90 minutes into these characters, it seems only reasonable to expect a little more.
Rating: 5/10
Cast: Colin Firth, Hope Davis, Catherine Keener, Willa Holland, Perla Haney-Jardine
Director: Michael Winterbottom
Genova stars Colin Firth as a professor whose life is turned upside down by the death of his wife in a car accident.
But it's not just his life which is changed; his two daughters are deeply traumatized by the incident as they were in the car at the time. The youngest, Mary (Perla Haney-Jardine) was a prime factor in the crash and is struggling to deal with the guilt, as well as being wracked by night terrors.
The eldest Kelly (Willa Holland) is bordering on her teen years and so with these two in mind, Firth's Joe moves the pair of them to Genoa, Italy to try and start afresh.
However, the move to Italy has different effects on all of them as Mary begins to see her dead mother (an ethereal Hope Davis) and Kelly begins to discover her sexuality.
Genova is an odd film; shot in hand held close ups in places and with beautiful scenery, it is at times, a little too slow to get into. Granted, it's supposed to be about the build up of the circumstance, but you don't quite know what genre it's aiming for.
At times, it's a teen drama as the family begins to fall apart, but the appearance of the mother appears to suggest a degree of ghost story. Sadly it doesn't quite work as well as perhaps it should.
This is no reflection on the cast who carry the script well and the shots inside Italys myriad mazes of streets do well to capture the claustrophobia of parts of the city. However, it's the end of the film which just slaps across the face. After a build up in the last 15 minutes, and a major incident involving all three of the main protagonists, you're expecting to see some kind of closure and resolution. But what you get is another scene on the end which doesn't suggest there's any kind of end for any of them.
Whilst it's fair to say thats true of life, having invested 90 minutes into these characters, it seems only reasonable to expect a little more.
Food Inc: DVD Review
Food Inc: DVD Review
Food Inc
Rating: PG
Director : Robert Kenner
It's no surprise that at a time when sustainability and the grow your own ideals continue to permeate our society, we should get a doco about the truth about the foods Americans buy at their supermarkets.
In Food Inc, that's precisely what Robert Kenner does as he looks at what is consumed these days, how it's produced and what the personal - and long term - costs are.
With input from Fast Food Nation's author Eric Schlosser and Michael Pollan who wrote The Omnivore's Dilemma, the veil on the industry is lifted.
However, what is shown on screen doesn't lose any of its impact - amid graphics, we learn of the personal horrors being committed by the mega businesses as they try and stop the family farm from growing. The cheap factory mentality manifests itself as you see how one farmer's being prosecuted for helping other farmers save seed - his actions and desire to prove his innocence have led to years of court cases, which he can't ever win - it's continuing proof that the odds are stacked against the Davids in this fight against Goliath.
All of the major companies talked about in this film obviously refuse to appear so it's fair to say while the doco isn't biased, it certainly doesn't have both sides of the argument represented.
That said, Food Inc presents a compelling case which you feel engrossed in throughout - it throws up several issues which, if you're not already aware of them, may shock you into wanting to do something to break the mega-corp influence.
Extras: The sole extra is a photogallery which while looking pretty as it slideshows across your machine does little to add to the experience; disappointing given that a film like this could always serve up an update as an extra.
Rating: 7/10
Food Inc
Rating: PG
Director : Robert Kenner
It's no surprise that at a time when sustainability and the grow your own ideals continue to permeate our society, we should get a doco about the truth about the foods Americans buy at their supermarkets.
In Food Inc, that's precisely what Robert Kenner does as he looks at what is consumed these days, how it's produced and what the personal - and long term - costs are.
With input from Fast Food Nation's author Eric Schlosser and Michael Pollan who wrote The Omnivore's Dilemma, the veil on the industry is lifted.
However, what is shown on screen doesn't lose any of its impact - amid graphics, we learn of the personal horrors being committed by the mega businesses as they try and stop the family farm from growing. The cheap factory mentality manifests itself as you see how one farmer's being prosecuted for helping other farmers save seed - his actions and desire to prove his innocence have led to years of court cases, which he can't ever win - it's continuing proof that the odds are stacked against the Davids in this fight against Goliath.
All of the major companies talked about in this film obviously refuse to appear so it's fair to say while the doco isn't biased, it certainly doesn't have both sides of the argument represented.
That said, Food Inc presents a compelling case which you feel engrossed in throughout - it throws up several issues which, if you're not already aware of them, may shock you into wanting to do something to break the mega-corp influence.
Extras: The sole extra is a photogallery which while looking pretty as it slideshows across your machine does little to add to the experience; disappointing given that a film like this could always serve up an update as an extra.
Rating: 7/10
Wednesday, 14 April 2010
Dr Who: End Of Time: DVD Review
Dr Who: End Of Time: DVD Review
Doctor Who - The End of Time
Rating: PG
Cast: David Tennant, John Simm, Timothy Dalton, Bernard Cribbins
Released by BBC and Roadshow Entertainment
And so the end comes to pass on one of the most popular Doctors in the show's 47 year old history.
The End Of Time - Parts One and Two (aka 2009 Winter specials) sees David Tennant's Doctor vacate the TARDIS for the last time as he takes his swansong.
Since the end of the Waters of Mars, the Doc's known his time is up and his death draws near - and so summoned by the Ood, he finds his old nemesis the Master (John Simm, all bleached hair and hoodie) reborn and on the brink of bringing around the end of time itself. However, what neither of them realize is that pretty soon everyone's lives will be changed forever by the return of something no-one could foresee&
The End of Time is brilliant in places - and infuriating in others. It's not just David Tennant's swansong, but it also sees the departure of the team which brought back the show in 2005 - including head writer Russell T Davies, who wrote these two episodes which clock in at over 2 hours of Whooey goodness.
But the cracks show in some of the story telling; if you're being nitpicky, you could claim that Davies has stolen various parts of fantasy elements for the (slightly absurd) resurrection of the Master; and when the big bads of these episodes are revealed, the plot holes abound.
That said though, while the first part of the story lacks a little, it's the end which sees this corker of a finale come to life - thanks in large to the acting of two people; David Tennant, who showcases all of his best at the end and Bernard Cribbins, who despite being in his eighties, shows what a wonderful actor he is. Simple scenes between this pair will leave most of you close to tears as they show (in one scene in a café) what good writing and superlative acting can do.
EXTRAS: On Blu Ray, the final product looks superb in full HD and is well worth investing in if you have the extra cash. Also included on the 2 disc set are the behind the scenes making of the final episodes (complete with David Tennant's last day on the set - and all the emotion which comes with that), as well as the BBC idents made specially for the series swansong over Christmas 2009. But the highlight has to be the David Tennant video diary in which we actually witness through his own camcorder, the end of the era - just brilliant.
Oh and one thing I almost left off - you get your first look at the 11th Doctor Matt Smith at the end of these episodes - and if you're not left salivating for more, you're clearly never going to be a Whovian. The perfect send off piece on a great set.
Rating: 9/10
Doctor Who - The End of Time
Rating: PG
Cast: David Tennant, John Simm, Timothy Dalton, Bernard Cribbins
Released by BBC and Roadshow Entertainment
And so the end comes to pass on one of the most popular Doctors in the show's 47 year old history.
The End Of Time - Parts One and Two (aka 2009 Winter specials) sees David Tennant's Doctor vacate the TARDIS for the last time as he takes his swansong.
Since the end of the Waters of Mars, the Doc's known his time is up and his death draws near - and so summoned by the Ood, he finds his old nemesis the Master (John Simm, all bleached hair and hoodie) reborn and on the brink of bringing around the end of time itself. However, what neither of them realize is that pretty soon everyone's lives will be changed forever by the return of something no-one could foresee&
The End of Time is brilliant in places - and infuriating in others. It's not just David Tennant's swansong, but it also sees the departure of the team which brought back the show in 2005 - including head writer Russell T Davies, who wrote these two episodes which clock in at over 2 hours of Whooey goodness.
But the cracks show in some of the story telling; if you're being nitpicky, you could claim that Davies has stolen various parts of fantasy elements for the (slightly absurd) resurrection of the Master; and when the big bads of these episodes are revealed, the plot holes abound.
That said though, while the first part of the story lacks a little, it's the end which sees this corker of a finale come to life - thanks in large to the acting of two people; David Tennant, who showcases all of his best at the end and Bernard Cribbins, who despite being in his eighties, shows what a wonderful actor he is. Simple scenes between this pair will leave most of you close to tears as they show (in one scene in a café) what good writing and superlative acting can do.
EXTRAS: On Blu Ray, the final product looks superb in full HD and is well worth investing in if you have the extra cash. Also included on the 2 disc set are the behind the scenes making of the final episodes (complete with David Tennant's last day on the set - and all the emotion which comes with that), as well as the BBC idents made specially for the series swansong over Christmas 2009. But the highlight has to be the David Tennant video diary in which we actually witness through his own camcorder, the end of the era - just brilliant.
Oh and one thing I almost left off - you get your first look at the 11th Doctor Matt Smith at the end of these episodes - and if you're not left salivating for more, you're clearly never going to be a Whovian. The perfect send off piece on a great set.
Rating: 9/10
Seven: 15th Anniversary: DVD Review
Seven: 15th Anniversary: DVD Review
Seven - 15th Anniversary Edition
Rating: 18
Cast: Brad Pitt, Morgan Freeman, Gwyneth Paltrow
Released by Roadshow Entertainment
15 years after it first shocked audiences with its what's in the box denouement, Seven is repackaged and re-released to celebrate the decade and a half on.
David Fincher's vision is still chilling after all these years; the plot sees John Doe, a killer, exacting punishment on those who get off on being involved in the seven deadly sins.
Morgan Freeman's hard bitten Detective Somerset along with Brad Pitt's newbie Detective Mills are soon on his trail - but as each horrific crime is unveiled, the net draws closer on Doe - and also the pair who are hunting him.
Seven is still a killer despite all the time having passed; its impact on the thriller genre can't be dismissed and its ending certainly raised the stakes for what audiences would expect post its release.
Extras: The re-released set is a good one too - with 2 discs seeing an array of audio commentaries (from the likes of the sound team, the production team and the actors and Fincher themselves) which will add to the experience; coupled in with that are storyboards, filmographies, promos, notebooks and alternate endings showing what could have happened, this is a pretty comprehensive package.
Also thrown in for good measure is a limited edition 32 page comic which concentrates on the poor schlub who was the victim of gluttony - just don't read it after you've eaten.
Rating: 8/10
Seven - 15th Anniversary Edition
Rating: 18
Cast: Brad Pitt, Morgan Freeman, Gwyneth Paltrow
Released by Roadshow Entertainment
15 years after it first shocked audiences with its what's in the box denouement, Seven is repackaged and re-released to celebrate the decade and a half on.
David Fincher's vision is still chilling after all these years; the plot sees John Doe, a killer, exacting punishment on those who get off on being involved in the seven deadly sins.
Morgan Freeman's hard bitten Detective Somerset along with Brad Pitt's newbie Detective Mills are soon on his trail - but as each horrific crime is unveiled, the net draws closer on Doe - and also the pair who are hunting him.
Seven is still a killer despite all the time having passed; its impact on the thriller genre can't be dismissed and its ending certainly raised the stakes for what audiences would expect post its release.
Extras: The re-released set is a good one too - with 2 discs seeing an array of audio commentaries (from the likes of the sound team, the production team and the actors and Fincher themselves) which will add to the experience; coupled in with that are storyboards, filmographies, promos, notebooks and alternate endings showing what could have happened, this is a pretty comprehensive package.
Also thrown in for good measure is a limited edition 32 page comic which concentrates on the poor schlub who was the victim of gluttony - just don't read it after you've eaten.
Rating: 8/10
Is Anybody There? DVD Review
Is Anybody There? DVD Review
Is Anybody There?
Rating: M
Cast: Michael Caine, Bill Milner, Anne-Marie Duff, David Morrissey
Released by Roadshow Entertainment
1980s England - and in the stifling atmosphere of an old people's home, we find death and dementia not too far away.
10-year-old Edward (Bill Milner) lives in a care home run by his parents - but to get by on a daily basis, Edward has a morbid fascination with death - obsessed by the final moments of some of the residents, Edward spends his time recording their last dying breaths in an attempt to find out what comes after.
One day, while out walking and listening to the exit of an elderly resident on a pair of headphones, he's nearly run over by Michael Caine's ancient magician Clarence. The two form an unlikely bond as Edward realizes after Clarence tries to commit suicide, that he holds the secret to what comes next&
Is Anybody There? is a tear-jerker in parts - but thanks to a stellar performance from Michael Caine it avoids heading down the three hankies track. Once again, Caine manages to turn what could have been a fairly mawkish script into some truly emotive moments - there's pathos in spades here as Clarence first visits the home; he's shocked to realize that he will ultimately end up here but too weary to fight against the inevitability of his condition.
Bill Milner's Edward isn't a bad performance - while his morbid fascination and depressing endless questioning is a product of where he's been brought up, the sense of playfulness and earnest desire to learn about the afterlife and find some meaning in the world make the character rise above what could have been a tearful, doleful mire.
The only unwelcome note in Is Anybody There? is the family marriage melodrama which blights the final portion of the film - it's an unnecessary footnote to what's gone before.
Extras: None (disappointingly)
Rating: 7/10
Is Anybody There?
Rating: M
Cast: Michael Caine, Bill Milner, Anne-Marie Duff, David Morrissey
Released by Roadshow Entertainment
1980s England - and in the stifling atmosphere of an old people's home, we find death and dementia not too far away.
10-year-old Edward (Bill Milner) lives in a care home run by his parents - but to get by on a daily basis, Edward has a morbid fascination with death - obsessed by the final moments of some of the residents, Edward spends his time recording their last dying breaths in an attempt to find out what comes after.
One day, while out walking and listening to the exit of an elderly resident on a pair of headphones, he's nearly run over by Michael Caine's ancient magician Clarence. The two form an unlikely bond as Edward realizes after Clarence tries to commit suicide, that he holds the secret to what comes next&
Is Anybody There? is a tear-jerker in parts - but thanks to a stellar performance from Michael Caine it avoids heading down the three hankies track. Once again, Caine manages to turn what could have been a fairly mawkish script into some truly emotive moments - there's pathos in spades here as Clarence first visits the home; he's shocked to realize that he will ultimately end up here but too weary to fight against the inevitability of his condition.
Bill Milner's Edward isn't a bad performance - while his morbid fascination and depressing endless questioning is a product of where he's been brought up, the sense of playfulness and earnest desire to learn about the afterlife and find some meaning in the world make the character rise above what could have been a tearful, doleful mire.
The only unwelcome note in Is Anybody There? is the family marriage melodrama which blights the final portion of the film - it's an unnecessary footnote to what's gone before.
Extras: None (disappointingly)
Rating: 7/10
Tuesday, 13 April 2010
The Final Destination: DVD Review
The Final Destination: DVD Review
The Final Destination
Rating: R16
Cast: Bobby Campo, Shantel VanSanten, Mykelti Williamson
Released by Roadshow Entertainment
When Nick O'Bannon (Campo) gets premonitions at the local speedway of a whole heap of deaths thanks to a speeding flaming car hitting the grandstand, he manages to get himself, his friends and a few bystanders out of the park before it's too late.
Just seconds after they've vacated the track, catastrophe strikes and over 50 lose their lives as the envisaged accident takes place escape. However, with one of the bystanders killed within hours of the race track carnage, and thanks to a little help from the worldwide web, it soon becomes clear to Nick and his friends that their cards are marked and death is going to find them one way or another.
The Final Destination franchise lurches on with yet another tale of teens in peril - this time though, death's saved 3D as its preferred method of dispatching people. There's little to offer in the way of character development, plot or anything sensible - but for this franchise which started a decade ago, it's never really been about anything other than the deaths.
And while the use of this new digital technology sees some very impressive Bond style opening credits which mesh all the previous deaths from prior films, it soon resorts to having you duck and squirm in your seat as various deathly implements head towards you in the cinema. However, half the problem of this film lies with its characters.
Obviously underdeveloped and with little back story or attitudes which make you like them, it makes it difficult to care about any of those the Grim Reaper has his eye on. Even one of the main leads, an airhead jock, is so unlikeable that you don't really care when he meets his maker.
Mercifully short and with the 2D and 3D versions included in this release, there will be some who will absolutely love it - and there will be others (myself included) who hope this really is the end of the franchise.
Rating: 5/10
The Final Destination
Rating: R16
Cast: Bobby Campo, Shantel VanSanten, Mykelti Williamson
Released by Roadshow Entertainment
When Nick O'Bannon (Campo) gets premonitions at the local speedway of a whole heap of deaths thanks to a speeding flaming car hitting the grandstand, he manages to get himself, his friends and a few bystanders out of the park before it's too late.
Just seconds after they've vacated the track, catastrophe strikes and over 50 lose their lives as the envisaged accident takes place escape. However, with one of the bystanders killed within hours of the race track carnage, and thanks to a little help from the worldwide web, it soon becomes clear to Nick and his friends that their cards are marked and death is going to find them one way or another.
The Final Destination franchise lurches on with yet another tale of teens in peril - this time though, death's saved 3D as its preferred method of dispatching people. There's little to offer in the way of character development, plot or anything sensible - but for this franchise which started a decade ago, it's never really been about anything other than the deaths.
And while the use of this new digital technology sees some very impressive Bond style opening credits which mesh all the previous deaths from prior films, it soon resorts to having you duck and squirm in your seat as various deathly implements head towards you in the cinema. However, half the problem of this film lies with its characters.
Obviously underdeveloped and with little back story or attitudes which make you like them, it makes it difficult to care about any of those the Grim Reaper has his eye on. Even one of the main leads, an airhead jock, is so unlikeable that you don't really care when he meets his maker.
Mercifully short and with the 2D and 3D versions included in this release, there will be some who will absolutely love it - and there will be others (myself included) who hope this really is the end of the franchise.
Rating: 5/10
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