Eat Pray Love: DVD Review
Eat Pray Love
Rating: M
Released by Sony Home Entertainment
From the incredibly popular book by Elizabeth Gilbert
and from the director who brought us Nip/Tuck and Glee, Ryan Murphy, comes this
cinematic version of Eat, Pray, Love.
Julia
Roberts stars as magazine writer Liz Gilbert, who's quite frankly restless in
her married life and decides to split from hubby and head around the world for a
year to find herself again.
Stopping off in Italy, India and
Bali, Gilbert seeks nourishment of the physical and spiritual kind - as well as
emotional healing too.
Julia Roberts is good as Liz but she can't carry the film which towards the
end begins to sag and feel quite long and drawn out.
But for a film which should be about soul, there's sadly too much of
this lacking and not enough passion on display.
It's a shame because Roberts does the gamut of emotions well - but
the film takes too long to get to its resolution - and particularly more so in
an extended cut found on this release.
Extras: Directors Cut and Theatrical version.
Rating: 4/10
Tuesday, 15 February 2011
Friday, 11 February 2011
No Strings Attached: Movie Review
No Strings Attached: Movie Review
No Strings Attached
Rating: 7/10
Cast: Natalie Portman, Ashton Kutcher, Kevin Kline
Director: Ivan Reitman
Following on from the drama of Black Swan, Natalie Portman heads into lighter territory with this sex buddy romcom.
She stars as Emma, a girl who's known Kutcher's Adam for several years. Adam has always liked her but the pair never quite got together.
But years later, the pair meet up again and decide to embark on a "friends with benefits" relationship.
However, the inevitable rears its head and Adam wants more but Emma is happier in her no strings attached lifestyle....are they destined to never be a couple?
No Strings Attached isn't half bad - given you already know the ending - and most of it is due to the humour and performance of Portman.
With occasionally crude moments, but plenty of laughs and a script which sparkles with one liners throughout, there's certainly enough to get you engaged - and keep you there.
Portman is great dealing with what was that inevitable twist at end but she shows a great light touch for laughs (no doubt after all her work on us comedy Saturday Night Live) and really brings life to the emotionally repressed medic who puts everything ahead of her own lifestyle and heart.
For once, Kutcher isn't bad either giving a bit of depth to Adam and a vulnerability which sees him finally playing someone you can sympathise with.
The rest of the supporting cast - including Kevin Kline as a monstrous showbiz father, give the film a well rounded feel.
Perfectly titled, No Strings Attached is a light romcom which, you too can have a friends with benefits relationship with too - just perfect in time for Valentine's Day.
No Strings Attached
Rating: 7/10
Cast: Natalie Portman, Ashton Kutcher, Kevin Kline
Director: Ivan Reitman
Following on from the drama of Black Swan, Natalie Portman heads into lighter territory with this sex buddy romcom.
She stars as Emma, a girl who's known Kutcher's Adam for several years. Adam has always liked her but the pair never quite got together.
But years later, the pair meet up again and decide to embark on a "friends with benefits" relationship.
However, the inevitable rears its head and Adam wants more but Emma is happier in her no strings attached lifestyle....are they destined to never be a couple?
No Strings Attached isn't half bad - given you already know the ending - and most of it is due to the humour and performance of Portman.
With occasionally crude moments, but plenty of laughs and a script which sparkles with one liners throughout, there's certainly enough to get you engaged - and keep you there.
Portman is great dealing with what was that inevitable twist at end but she shows a great light touch for laughs (no doubt after all her work on us comedy Saturday Night Live) and really brings life to the emotionally repressed medic who puts everything ahead of her own lifestyle and heart.
For once, Kutcher isn't bad either giving a bit of depth to Adam and a vulnerability which sees him finally playing someone you can sympathise with.
The rest of the supporting cast - including Kevin Kline as a monstrous showbiz father, give the film a well rounded feel.
Perfectly titled, No Strings Attached is a light romcom which, you too can have a friends with benefits relationship with too - just perfect in time for Valentine's Day.
Thursday, 10 February 2011
127 Hours: Movie Review
127 Hours: Movie Review
127 Hours
Rating: 8/10
Cast: James Franco, Kate Mara, Amber Tamblyn
Director: Danny Boyle
So another Oscar contender heads for the big screen.
This time, James Franco gives an Oscar-nominated performance as Aron Ralston, an American climber whose trip into the wild in 2003 changed his life forever when he became trapped down a canyon, with his arm crushed against a wall with a boulder.
Ralston heads out to the canyons on a Friday night in April 2003, not telling family or friends where he's going but simply out on the quest for adrenaline.
He meets two girls (Mara and Tamblyn) before his life changes when he falls down a Utah canyon and is trapped by a boulder.
Over five days, his mental and physical health take their toll as Ralston reflects back on his life and faces the ultimate look at his own mortality.
127 Hours is claustrophobic, uncomfortable viewing in the extreme - thanks to one scene (more on that later).
But it's also terrific, with an undeniable energy and a mesmerising performance from Franco as Ralston.
Given Franco's on screen for most of the film solo, he really needed to pull out all the stops to chart the mental decline, hallucinations, guilt, and memories that Ralston goes through, and he delivers in spades in this total sensory experience of a film.
Every moment, as the camera tracks his wearying expressions, you can't tear your eyes away from Franco; partially that's because of the inevitability of knowing (slight spoiler ahead) he hacks off his own arm with a blunt knife to escape.
Yet it's also a career best for Franco, who has presence aplenty and makes Ralston a multi-faceted character who you care about - despite the guy's fallacies, arrogance and cockiness. If Franco's great, the other star is director Danny Boyle; his visual touches, the simply brilliant soundtrack, the use of flashbacks and memories (as well as premonitions) just means you really can't stop watching what's unfolding in front of you. It's a mightily impressive look into the mind of someone who's falling apart and facing an horrific future.
So to that scene - the one which this film will become known for; the removal of Ralston's arm at his own hand.
It's uncomfortable viewing but it's compelling too - I don't remember the last time I sat in a cinema seat squirming and with nowhere to go, but it's so well done (thanks to bone-crunching sound effects) that it delivers the shock it needs and gives you the emotional and physical release you need after 80 minutes' worth of waiting.
The only real criticism is the jarring final shot of the real Ralston sat on a couch with his wife - it's a real clunker and is becoming this year's fad for true stories. It's really disappointing because it's almost as if the director's saying: "Look we told you this was a true story - and here's the proof." It's narratively flawed and really detracts from what Franco's delivered over the past 90 minutes.
Despite this one flaw, 127 Hours is gut-wrenchingly good, a compelling watch and an unbelievable performance from Franco.
127 Hours
Rating: 8/10
Cast: James Franco, Kate Mara, Amber Tamblyn
Director: Danny Boyle
So another Oscar contender heads for the big screen.
This time, James Franco gives an Oscar-nominated performance as Aron Ralston, an American climber whose trip into the wild in 2003 changed his life forever when he became trapped down a canyon, with his arm crushed against a wall with a boulder.
Ralston heads out to the canyons on a Friday night in April 2003, not telling family or friends where he's going but simply out on the quest for adrenaline.
He meets two girls (Mara and Tamblyn) before his life changes when he falls down a Utah canyon and is trapped by a boulder.
Over five days, his mental and physical health take their toll as Ralston reflects back on his life and faces the ultimate look at his own mortality.
127 Hours is claustrophobic, uncomfortable viewing in the extreme - thanks to one scene (more on that later).
But it's also terrific, with an undeniable energy and a mesmerising performance from Franco as Ralston.
Given Franco's on screen for most of the film solo, he really needed to pull out all the stops to chart the mental decline, hallucinations, guilt, and memories that Ralston goes through, and he delivers in spades in this total sensory experience of a film.
Every moment, as the camera tracks his wearying expressions, you can't tear your eyes away from Franco; partially that's because of the inevitability of knowing (slight spoiler ahead) he hacks off his own arm with a blunt knife to escape.
Yet it's also a career best for Franco, who has presence aplenty and makes Ralston a multi-faceted character who you care about - despite the guy's fallacies, arrogance and cockiness. If Franco's great, the other star is director Danny Boyle; his visual touches, the simply brilliant soundtrack, the use of flashbacks and memories (as well as premonitions) just means you really can't stop watching what's unfolding in front of you. It's a mightily impressive look into the mind of someone who's falling apart and facing an horrific future.
So to that scene - the one which this film will become known for; the removal of Ralston's arm at his own hand.
It's uncomfortable viewing but it's compelling too - I don't remember the last time I sat in a cinema seat squirming and with nowhere to go, but it's so well done (thanks to bone-crunching sound effects) that it delivers the shock it needs and gives you the emotional and physical release you need after 80 minutes' worth of waiting.
The only real criticism is the jarring final shot of the real Ralston sat on a couch with his wife - it's a real clunker and is becoming this year's fad for true stories. It's really disappointing because it's almost as if the director's saying: "Look we told you this was a true story - and here's the proof." It's narratively flawed and really detracts from what Franco's delivered over the past 90 minutes.
Despite this one flaw, 127 Hours is gut-wrenchingly good, a compelling watch and an unbelievable performance from Franco.
Gnomeo and Juliet: Movie Review
Gnomeo and Juliet: Movie Review
Gnomeo and Juliet
Rating: 7/10
Voice Cast: James McAvoy, Emily Blunt, Jason Statham, Ashley Jensen, Michael Caine, Matt Lucas
Director: Kelly Asbury
Romeo and Juliet - told in a gnomes' setting - with music (essentially his greatest hits) by Elton John.
I can tell you've already decided to divert your attention away but wait, come back.
Set in the back gardens of two rival neighbours, the gnomes have been at war with each other since forever. On the one side, the blue-hatted gnomes and on the other, the reds.
But when Gnomeo (McAvoy) bumps into Juliet (Blunt), the pair fall in love and decide to carry on regardless of the ramifications of their relationship.
However, as the feud between the two sides intensifies, Gnomeo and Juliet find themselves right in the middle of it.
Gnomeo and Juliet is a colourfully garish diversion.
It's also a little bit smart too - with the opening packing in a few adult jokes or nods only Shakespeare fans may get, there are signs the humour is aimed at all the family. Visual gags like a banana on a laptop, as opposed to an apple, are prevalent - and they're used as much as a few lines of Shakespeare here and there to provide homage to the source material.
With a flighty, zesty script and an infinitely top-notch vocal cast (Ashley Jensen as Juliet's frog is an insane stand-out), the film crackles along apace and with an eye on the lunatic.
Throw in Elton John's best songs (I'll even forgive the Saturday chorus refrain being changed to "Gnomeo" during Saturday Night's All Right for Fighting) and this is a relative joy, which only dips a little towards the end.
Kids will love it; parents won't find their patience too sorely tested - and even purists of Romeo and Juliet will appreciate the respect with which the writers have treated the story.
Gnomeo and Juliet is great lightweight family fodder - with completely nutty moments, it's good fun all round.
Gnomeo and Juliet
Rating: 7/10
Voice Cast: James McAvoy, Emily Blunt, Jason Statham, Ashley Jensen, Michael Caine, Matt Lucas
Director: Kelly Asbury
Romeo and Juliet - told in a gnomes' setting - with music (essentially his greatest hits) by Elton John.
I can tell you've already decided to divert your attention away but wait, come back.
Set in the back gardens of two rival neighbours, the gnomes have been at war with each other since forever. On the one side, the blue-hatted gnomes and on the other, the reds.
But when Gnomeo (McAvoy) bumps into Juliet (Blunt), the pair fall in love and decide to carry on regardless of the ramifications of their relationship.
However, as the feud between the two sides intensifies, Gnomeo and Juliet find themselves right in the middle of it.
Gnomeo and Juliet is a colourfully garish diversion.
It's also a little bit smart too - with the opening packing in a few adult jokes or nods only Shakespeare fans may get, there are signs the humour is aimed at all the family. Visual gags like a banana on a laptop, as opposed to an apple, are prevalent - and they're used as much as a few lines of Shakespeare here and there to provide homage to the source material.
With a flighty, zesty script and an infinitely top-notch vocal cast (Ashley Jensen as Juliet's frog is an insane stand-out), the film crackles along apace and with an eye on the lunatic.
Throw in Elton John's best songs (I'll even forgive the Saturday chorus refrain being changed to "Gnomeo" during Saturday Night's All Right for Fighting) and this is a relative joy, which only dips a little towards the end.
Kids will love it; parents won't find their patience too sorely tested - and even purists of Romeo and Juliet will appreciate the respect with which the writers have treated the story.
Gnomeo and Juliet is great lightweight family fodder - with completely nutty moments, it's good fun all round.
Fair Game: Movie Review
Fair Game: Movie Review
Fair Game
Rating: 7/10
Cast: Naomi Watts, Sean Penn, David Andrews
Director: Doug Liman
Naomi Watts and Sean Penn reteam for a third time in this movie based on a true story.
Watts stars as CIA agent Valerie Plame, who works at the highest level within the government. The film begins in the aftermath of September the 11th, with the CIA trying to substantiate claims over who's behind the terror attacks and get the evidence needed to support the US government's stance on a war with Iraq.
But when Plame's husband, Joe Wilson (a fiery and defiant Sean Penn) writes an opinion piece in the New York Times in 2003 that the intelligence was manipulated to fit the White House, Plame's cover is blown.
She's revealed to the world as a CIA agent, endangering operations she has in play and lives she has promised to protect.
Not only does it endanger everything she's worked for, but the personal cost on the duo and their young family is crippling.
Fair Game is intelligent film-making, blessed with strong central performances.
While it takes a while to get going, the clever use of archival news footage from that time within the film sees a taut political drama start to unfold. The shaky camera work adds a grittiness (and at times, it must be said, a distraction) but it's really Watts and Penn who shine here. Penn, in particular, gets to vent his spleen well in the character who rages against the injustice - but a more quiet and restrained Watts brings the emotional intensity needed to balance that.
The initial humour ends very quickly as the story changes (on returning from a fact-finding mission to Niger, Wilson's character says he "doesn't feel very 007 right now") and soon, the drama has taken the front stage.
Engrossing and with an ending that certainly packs a powerful emotional punch, Fair Game is an interesting and gripping look into the old David and Goliath argument - and the personal toll beliefs can actually have on those involved.
Fair Game
Rating: 7/10
Cast: Naomi Watts, Sean Penn, David Andrews
Director: Doug Liman
Naomi Watts and Sean Penn reteam for a third time in this movie based on a true story.
Watts stars as CIA agent Valerie Plame, who works at the highest level within the government. The film begins in the aftermath of September the 11th, with the CIA trying to substantiate claims over who's behind the terror attacks and get the evidence needed to support the US government's stance on a war with Iraq.
But when Plame's husband, Joe Wilson (a fiery and defiant Sean Penn) writes an opinion piece in the New York Times in 2003 that the intelligence was manipulated to fit the White House, Plame's cover is blown.
She's revealed to the world as a CIA agent, endangering operations she has in play and lives she has promised to protect.
Not only does it endanger everything she's worked for, but the personal cost on the duo and their young family is crippling.
Fair Game is intelligent film-making, blessed with strong central performances.
While it takes a while to get going, the clever use of archival news footage from that time within the film sees a taut political drama start to unfold. The shaky camera work adds a grittiness (and at times, it must be said, a distraction) but it's really Watts and Penn who shine here. Penn, in particular, gets to vent his spleen well in the character who rages against the injustice - but a more quiet and restrained Watts brings the emotional intensity needed to balance that.
The initial humour ends very quickly as the story changes (on returning from a fact-finding mission to Niger, Wilson's character says he "doesn't feel very 007 right now") and soon, the drama has taken the front stage.
Engrossing and with an ending that certainly packs a powerful emotional punch, Fair Game is an interesting and gripping look into the old David and Goliath argument - and the personal toll beliefs can actually have on those involved.
Me and Orson Welles: DVD Review
Me and Orson Welles: DVD Review
Me and Orson Welles
Released by Madman Entertainment
1930s New York and young teen wannabe actor Richard Samuels (Zac Efron) finds himself on the steps of the Mercury Theatre.
Samuels is a dreamer and wants to tread the boards - and thanks to a chance meeting with soon to be legendary Orson Welles (a brilliant and stellar performance from Christian McKay), he finds himself cast in a minor role in Welles' Julius Caesar.
But from there, Samuels begins to learn the reality of the life backstage isn't all it's cracked up to be.
Particularly not when the director is Orson Welles, a brilliant, impetuous, temperamental and arrogant man who firmly believes the play's the thing.
Me and Orson Welles surprises on a few levels - it's a spot on recreation of 1930s New York (complete with a spry soundtrack) but it's the acting talent and the story which really shine.
While Zac Efron's better than you'd expect given his High School Musical pedigree, it's really Christian McKay who excels in his role as Orson. From the vocal performance and the perfect encapsulation of the volatile Welles, to the characteristics of the man who polarised many, McKay is spot on and emerges as the real winner of this film.
His Orson is a sleaze, the kind of man who takes ambulances to appointments to beat traffic, a real cad and bounder whose passion for performance eclipses everything else. And it's McKay's performance which eclipses everyone else - he steals every scene he's in and is scarily impressive.
Combined with a sweet central romance between Efron's character and Claire Danes' manager, Me And Orson Welles is an unexpected treat, well worth two hours of your time.
Extras: Interview with original theatre players, star interviews, trailers and obligatory deleted scenes
Rating: 8/10
Me and Orson Welles
Released by Madman Entertainment
1930s New York and young teen wannabe actor Richard Samuels (Zac Efron) finds himself on the steps of the Mercury Theatre.
Samuels is a dreamer and wants to tread the boards - and thanks to a chance meeting with soon to be legendary Orson Welles (a brilliant and stellar performance from Christian McKay), he finds himself cast in a minor role in Welles' Julius Caesar.
But from there, Samuels begins to learn the reality of the life backstage isn't all it's cracked up to be.
Particularly not when the director is Orson Welles, a brilliant, impetuous, temperamental and arrogant man who firmly believes the play's the thing.
Me and Orson Welles surprises on a few levels - it's a spot on recreation of 1930s New York (complete with a spry soundtrack) but it's the acting talent and the story which really shine.
While Zac Efron's better than you'd expect given his High School Musical pedigree, it's really Christian McKay who excels in his role as Orson. From the vocal performance and the perfect encapsulation of the volatile Welles, to the characteristics of the man who polarised many, McKay is spot on and emerges as the real winner of this film.
His Orson is a sleaze, the kind of man who takes ambulances to appointments to beat traffic, a real cad and bounder whose passion for performance eclipses everything else. And it's McKay's performance which eclipses everyone else - he steals every scene he's in and is scarily impressive.
Combined with a sweet central romance between Efron's character and Claire Danes' manager, Me And Orson Welles is an unexpected treat, well worth two hours of your time.
Extras: Interview with original theatre players, star interviews, trailers and obligatory deleted scenes
Rating: 8/10
Wednesday, 9 February 2011
Being Human Series One and Two: DVD Review
Being Human Series One and Two: DVD Review
Being Human
Series One and Series Two
Released by Roadshow Entertainment
Rating: R16
A story about three housemates, trying to live their lives as normally as possible sounds particularly dull.
But in this series, the trio involved are a werewolf, a ghost and a vampire.
And these two series are examples of the very best of British.
Series one introduces the gang; George, a werewolf who's struggling to get by and find his place in the world - as well as love; Annie, a ghost, whose death is the result of a shocking twist in her relationship and Mitchell, a brooding vampire, who's lost the taste for blood.
Series two ups the ante dramatically as George battles with his demons and guilt over infecting his girlfriend with the werewolf gene; Mitchell has problems with the vampire community and poor Annie finds life in the spirit world can be very very tough.
Throw in a battle for vampire supremacy, hints of a centuries old fight between werewolves and the vamps, as well as worries over what the neighbours think and you may be wondering what the appeal of this series is.
Well, quite simply it's in the masterful writing, wonderful acting and clever characterization. It's an appealing premise which just works from the get-go; there's no clever set up and it feels real because of it. You really do root for the trio as they face what seem insurmountable odds because of who they are - and their desire to just get by.
The ending of Series two is particularly heart wrenching and fans will be clamouring for more - be warned though; once you start Being Human, you may find the compulsive side of your nature coming out - and you'll have to watch it all in one go.
Extras: Series one has profiles, interviews and behind the scenes stuff - nothing on series two.
Rating: 8/10
Being Human
Series One and Series Two
Released by Roadshow Entertainment
Rating: R16
A story about three housemates, trying to live their lives as normally as possible sounds particularly dull.
But in this series, the trio involved are a werewolf, a ghost and a vampire.
And these two series are examples of the very best of British.
Series one introduces the gang; George, a werewolf who's struggling to get by and find his place in the world - as well as love; Annie, a ghost, whose death is the result of a shocking twist in her relationship and Mitchell, a brooding vampire, who's lost the taste for blood.
Series two ups the ante dramatically as George battles with his demons and guilt over infecting his girlfriend with the werewolf gene; Mitchell has problems with the vampire community and poor Annie finds life in the spirit world can be very very tough.
Throw in a battle for vampire supremacy, hints of a centuries old fight between werewolves and the vamps, as well as worries over what the neighbours think and you may be wondering what the appeal of this series is.
Well, quite simply it's in the masterful writing, wonderful acting and clever characterization. It's an appealing premise which just works from the get-go; there's no clever set up and it feels real because of it. You really do root for the trio as they face what seem insurmountable odds because of who they are - and their desire to just get by.
The ending of Series two is particularly heart wrenching and fans will be clamouring for more - be warned though; once you start Being Human, you may find the compulsive side of your nature coming out - and you'll have to watch it all in one go.
Extras: Series one has profiles, interviews and behind the scenes stuff - nothing on series two.
Rating: 8/10
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