Cold Souls: DVD Review

Cold Souls: DVD Review

Cold Souls
Released by Madman
Rating: M
Paul Giamatti (complete with sad sack eyes and jowly cheeks) plays Paul Giamatti, a fictionalized version of the actor, who's struggling with his part in Uncle Vanya. Clearly Chekhov's play is resting heavy on him - and one day, he sees an ad for a Soul Storage place which piques his curiosity.

So, with the ad's slogan "Is your soul weighing you down?" he heads to see if he can find some relief.

What he actually finds is a surgery which can remove souls and hold them in special units (or if they want to avoid tax, can be shipped to New Jersey) to give their owners a new lease of life.

Giamatti undergoes the treatment - and things get more complicated for him when a soul trafficking group from Russia ends up stealing his soul to satiate a Mafioso style don's girlfriend. Giamatti ends up facing the possibility of heading to St Petersburg or remaining soulless for the rest of his life.

What can you say about Cold Souls? It's slightly odd, slightly heart warming and entirely different. Once again, Giamatti shows why he's a talented actor and wins over the audience with this existential type role which could have backfired.

It's an interesting premise which is well executed (aside from feeling a little long at the end) but Cold Souls offers up some interesting ethical and soulful dilemmas.

Rating: 6/10  

Sherlock Holmes: DVD Review

Sherlock Holmes: DVD Review

Sherlock Holmes
Released by Roadshow Entertainment
Rating: M
A Holmes for the new generation.
Robert Downey Jr and Jude Law - along with director Guy Ritchie - bring a new take on the Sherlock Holmes/ Dr Watson dynamic which for years has had a measured and slightly stuffy feel.
Upon arresting the nefarious Lord Blackwood (the ever brilliant Mark Strong), Holmes is riddled by taunts from Blackwood that this is only the beginning of the game.
When Blackwood appears to come back from the dead and starts haunting London, Holmes begins to realize there's more afoot - and sets out to try and crack the riddle.
But on the domestic front, Holmes is about to lose Watson to marriage and is distracted by the return of old flame Irene Adler (a wasted Rachel McAdams) - can he crack it all and save the day?
This new Sherlock Holmes is slightly disappointing as it's more about relaunching the franchise rather than providing a solid story. The plot's somewhat muddled and is more about setting up a sequel rather than giving the series a good solid start thanks largely to another crowd winning performance from comeback kid Downey Jr.
The end result means that some of Ritchie's more dazzling moments are crippled; a great action sequence and excellent way of showing how Holmes cracks problems are nice touches to the genre but this is a slightly missed opportunity.
Extras: Sherlock Holmes Reinvented looks at how the franchise was relaunched.

Rating: 6/10

Under The Mountain: DVD Review

Under The Mountain: DVD Review

Under The Mountain

Released by Sony Home Entertainment
Rating: M

In this version of Under The Mountain, (a little removed from the iconic eighties television series) teen twins Theo and Rachel (Tom Cameron and Sophie McBride) are growing apart after the death of their mother.

The psychic bond shared by the pair is under strain as Theo refuses to face the reality of the situation - however, the pair stay with relatives in Auckland and discover their future lies in helping Mr Jones (Sam Neill) defeat the Wilberforces before they unleash the power beneath the volcanoes and destroy the world..

Personally I think it's hard to really appreciate Under The Mountain out of context of New Zealand - the whole production is clearly a NZ venture; from the sweeping panoramic shots of Auckland and the NZ countryside to a very funny aside about the reality of calling in the New Zealand Army, Under The Mountain is steeped in Kiwiana.

It's also perfect for the small screen - while there's nothing inherently wrong with the effects, that, coupled with the scenery, make it a good ride on the telly.
While Neill, and Oliver Driver do well with their iconic roles, there is a moment when Under The Mountain slightly fumbles the ball.
That comes after the 60 minutes mark - after building an incredible atmosphere of menace and threat, it all becomes a little unstuck and the ending is somewhat rushed and a little muddy. A moment of sacrifice from a major character unfortunately doesn't ring as emotionally true as it should and it clouds the film's denouement.

Rating: 7/10

Amelia: DVD Review

Amelia: DVD Review

Amelia

Released by Roadshow Entertainment
Rating: PG

Hilary Swank stars as the symbol of optimism and hope to many during the great depression in this latest attempt to bring Amelia Earhart to the screen.

Earhart's story is obviously one which is well known given how her final flight turned out - although the mystery behind it has never been solved, there's been endless speculation about what exactly happened when she disappeared.

The story's told in flashbacks as we see Earhart taking her final flight, the 1937 round the world attempt from which she disappeared - book ended with her first meeting with publisher George Putnam (Richard Gere) the film attempts to build up a picture of the woman who meant so much for so many in difficult times.
And yet it fails to soar - or even take off as it follows an entirely predictable path. Yes Swank really does look like Earhart but in all honesty, Amelia just doesn't gel together; the story's a little flat and it's hard to emotionally engage with Amelia herself and sympathise with her plight as she tried desperately to pioneer her way in the skies.
Which is a real shame.
Extras: Deleted scenes which don't really add much to the overall disappointment.

Rating: 4/10

Whip It: DVD Review

Whip It: DVD Review

Whip It

Released by Roadshow Entertainment
Rating: M

Drew Barrymore is the one behind the camera for the majority of this her debut.

It's a coming of age story starring Juno's Ellen Page as Bliss Cavendar, a young girl in a mid American town who wants to get away. Her mum insists she enters beauty pageants and Bliss goes along with it because she doesn't want to hurt her feelings.

However, one day Bliss comes across the world of roller derby. Bliss decides she will join the local downtown Austin team, The Hurl Scouts, and becomes Babe Ruthless, the team's latest addition.

But she can't tell her folks and soon Babe Ruthless becomes a star - and Bliss is left facing a very real choice.

Whip It is wonderful - a deft directing debut from Drew (who appears as a fellow roller derby player) which charms and makes the simple soar.

There's a simplicity of story with Whip It - it wears the cliche on its sleeve (although the ending is anything but) and thanks to some good solid performances, you will find yourself walking out with a big grin. It manages to nicely capture the frustrations of small town America as well as the desperation of wanting to shine at something rather than a family tradition.

Whip It has heart and soul aplenty - there's an exuberance to this tale of girl power which will affect you more than you want to admit.

Rating: 8/10

Sex And The City 2: Movie Review

Sex And The City 2: Movie Review

Sex And The City 2
Rating: 4/10; but 6/10 for the chick flick film sector
Cast: Sarah Jessica Parker, Kim Cattrall, Kristin Davis, Cynthia Nixon, Chris Noth
Director: Michael Patrick King
Ok, so let's get the reviewer disclaimer out of the way.
I am not the target market for the Sex And The City gals. Furthermore, what I know about fashion could be written in very large letters on a very small postage stamp.
What I say about this film won't stop quite a few of the female persuasion gathering up their friends and heading out for a girl's night out - and I'm comfortable with that.
So back to the film itself - it's two years after Carrie (SJP) married Chris Noth's Mr Big and the gang all reunite for their friend Stanford's wedding. Kristin Davis' Charlotte is now a full time mum, getting by with the help of her Irish nanny (Alice Eve); Cynthia Nixon's Miranda is getting no respect from her legal career and putting her family second; and Samantha (Kim Cattrall) is struggling to fight off the menopause and clinging on to her ways of cougardom.
But at the wedding, events conspire to put doubts in all of their minds - neurotic Charlotte starts to worry that her nanny will steal her husband; Miranda worries that her job is going to cost her her life; and Carrie starts to question whether life with Big is as perfect as she expected and that his stay at home lifestyle isn't truly what she wants.
So, Samantha comes to the rescue and offers the girls an all expenses paid trip to Abu Dhabi - and with each of them trying to avoid something in their life, they head there for sand, sun and sex. (Well, some of them)
But things are further complicated for Carrie when she bumps into former flame Aidan (John Corbett) and old feelings are stirred up for the one who got away...
As I've already explained, this film will appeal to a certain section and is review proof - and I knew that as I went in - but it's fair to say Sex And The City 2 will prove a crippling disappointment to fans of the series.
With a series of very humdrum moments, predictable rows and kitchen sink dramas, it's clearly not meant to be anything substantial but I have a feeling it may have detracted a little from the magical escapism and some of the characters with whom many have an affinity.
Granted, each of the girls is given a story which makes them identifiable to the audience (though I find it hard to have sympathy for Carrie whose main complaint is she's turning into Mrs Married), it becomes more about escalating farce -particularly the scenes in Abu Dhabi in the final section of the film.
But much like some of the fashion in the film, it's more about style than substance.
And talking of the fashion, there's plenty of it on display. In terms of spectacle, this is a post-recession opulence fest as every extravagance is rolled out to satiate the senses. Sure, the majority of the outfits are outrageous and impractical, but isn't that half of the fun of this hyper-reality fest?
I could rail about the fact that any pretence of a plot simply goes AWOL towards the end (and minor spoiler here - the story between Aidan and Carrie is unresolved) and that also sections of the Abu Dhabi story seems to be a training video to all Americans about Muslim tolerance, but I have a feeling many will cry "So what?"
Of the main quartet, Kristin Davis and Cynthia Nixon come off best - there's a quiet desperation and humanity about them dealing with the reality of their life as a parent; Sarah Jessica Parker does the best she can with material that makes her flouncy girly character look like a spoilt brat and Kim Cattrall hams it up in places to comic effect.
There's some quippy one liners, an amusing 80s flashback sequence and a great Liza Minnelli cameo - but it's not enough to sustain a second outing for Carrie and the gang.

At the end of the day, the real question is how fans of the girls will feel when they leave the cinema - and I have a nagging feeling that many will see this Sex And The City sequel as lacking that substantial sparkle that the last film gave them.

A Nightmare On Elm Street: Movie Review

A Nightmare On Elm Street: Movie Review

Nightmare on Elm Street
Rating: 5/10
Cast: Jackie Earle Haley, Clancy Brown, Connie Britton, Thomas Dekker, Katie Cassidy, Rooney Mara, Kyle Gallner, Kellan Lutz
Director: Samuel Bayer
Freddy's back for a new generation.
In this reimagining of the once popular Elm Street series, the teens of a small American town are dozing off - and being plagued by visions of a man in a red and black striped jumper and with a burned face.
After a series of deaths, one of them, Nancy (Rooney Mara) along with her friend Quentin (Kyle Gallner) try to work out why they're being tormented - and how to stop Freddy from killing them all.
But the longer they stay awake, the more dangerous their fight becomes - as sleep deprivation starts to force their bodies to shut down. And that's when Freddy will strike.
It's always going to be difficult to redo the iconic 1984 film A Nightmare on Elm Street - that was always one which defined a generation of horrors and had a major impact on the genre.
So it's not that the team behind this one doesn't try - they do and the successful updating finds Freddy Krueger given more of a sinister backstory which is more relevant and shocking to our times and sensitivities.
But herein lies the problem - Krueger was so intrinsically linked to Robert Englund that it makes it difficult to see anyone else in the role. That's not to say there's anything wrong with Jackie Earle Haley's performance - his growling and menacing Freddy works ok; he's not a patch on the original and there's something ever so slightly wrong with the make up of this Freddy; the face looks reminiscent of as if the Thing from Fantastic Four had been left near a heater and melted.
The cast do okay with their roles; they're all fairly disposable and the relative lack of big names (outside of genre TV shows) means you're not quite sure who's going to make it to the end.
There's the usual predictable shocks, gore and jolts and some of the death scenes are reminiscent of the original - but there's one plus to this film - some of the dream visuals. In particular, a scene where snow is falling inside a bedroom is beautifully done and is haunting as every dreamscape should be.
All in all, this new Nightmare clearly has aspirations to relaunch the series - especially given the final scenes - but it's clear those involved need to make a creative decision about the direction of any future films.

Because based on this first film, Freddy needs a little more bite to sustain a series of sequels.