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sophie_so_good
Reviews
Make It Happen (2008)
Awful (with serious spoilers)
I'm not sure where to start with this film. To start with, I was offended by the fact that her audition routine is criticised for not being 'feminine' or 'sensual' enough. However, she becomes good when she basically lap dances her way in. This is her great adventure. The film attempts to make it seem decent and respectful to women by putting some cheering women in the crowd.
Second, the film is basically exactly the same as 'Save the Last Dance', which I enjoyed. The plot is more or less the same, without the racial issues in her area, and less convincing acting.
While the plot to Step Up 2 basically fell through, the film was saved by the stunning dance routines. The dancing here was not particularly spellbinding to tell the truth.
Finally, the film is so thoroughly formulaic that I basically was able to plan out all the events in the first 10 minutes. Girl goes to audition but is crushed- girl is taken in by friendly girl and is given a book-keepers job- girl meets attractive boy but sees him as being arrogant and not nice- girl makes out with attractive not nice arrogant boy- girl randomly gets on stage and everyone realises she is a star- girl realises her dreams conflict with... things- girl is sent by domineering brother to audition- girl gets into college!!- horrid bitchy person turns out to only have been trying to help her and they are now good friends... Etc
Keep your hard earned cash and go see WALL-E instead.
Enduring Love (2004)
turned an amazing book into a cheap thriller
The film starts on a hillside where a couple begin to have a picnic, but it quickly turns into a nightmare as a hot air balloon sails past, clearly in trouble. Despite the efforts of Joe, the protagonist, and others in the area, a man dies. This begins to affect Joe badly, especially as it seems that one of those who tried to help with the balloon, Jed, has now developed an obsession with Joe. All in all, problems are piling up! Well, to be quite honest, particularly in comparison with Atonement which did the novel perfect justice, this film completely ruined the book. What was subtle and ambiguous, has here the subtlety of a man smashing up another man's dingy flat. It all just worked so much better when Jed was a well-off liberal, rather than a man who seems tantamount to being a vagrant, when Claire was a poetry enthusiast, when the audience was actually left in doubt, like Claire, about the state of Joe's mental health. Here, it is virtually impossible to sympathise with Claire: isn't it obvious that Jed is following Joe around, singing 'God only knows'? That poor man: what is he still doing with someone who so clearly does not understand him! When reading the pages, I flew smoothly through the pages, feeling shocked, anticipating, interested, while the film just left me feeling vaguely sick. To say that it made for difficult watching is an understatement. I never want to see it again. In fact, I have taped over it. I could easily, however, read the book again.
Atonement (2007)
wonderful
As a huge fan of Ian McEwan's novel, I was originally anxious as to how any film could accurately portray it, and not a little jealous as I had decided it my destiny to write the screenplay. However, Joe Wright exceeded my already reasonably high expectations (he did well on Pride and Prejudice) and delivered a masterpiece. Briony, a 13-year old girl, has an extremely fertile imagination, and has been writing stories from a very young age. At the beginning of the film, she has just completed her first play, and is learning the difficulties that follow this, i.e., actor trouble and worries about rehearsals. It is clear early on that Briony has slightly egocentric tendencies. For one, all her toy animals face her writing desk, where she is usually to be found. So when her older Cecelia and her friend Robbie finally start their long anticipated relationship, Briony has misinterpreted the signals that led to it, and believes Cecelia to be the victim of a predator. And so she tells a lie that will ruin the couple's chance of happiness. Years later, Robbie has been sent off to war, Cecelia is a nurse, and Briony a trainee nurse, trying to atone for what she did four years ago. We have star acting from all of the main cast, and to be honest, I really loved Robbie's army buddy, whose final line finally brought out my long held back tears. Keira Knightly looked lovely, and has finally moved on from coming-of-age roles to Woman, and may I say she does it beautifully! All three actresses who played Briony did so just right for her age, especially Vanessa Redgrave. James McAvoy, however, delivered a stunning performance- from quite comic humour as he realises a rather embarrassing letter mix-up to seething with anger as he shouts at a humbled Briony. Atonement has already been predicted as a huge Oscar winner, and I can definitely back that.I would definitely recommend this film and give it ten stars.