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Kingdom of Heaven (2005)
I was a worthy attempt that just fell short of the finish line, not the film that was expected.
The latest release from Ridley Scott centres around a young, recently bereaved, blacksmith named Balian, played by Orlando Bloom. Set in the Dark Ages at the time of the Crusades, the film begins with Balian mourning for his wife, who has just committed suicide. The full scale war that is raging in far off Jerusalem is of little concern to Balian and the pain he is experiencing, he has lost the love of his life and is beginning to lose his faith. His life seems to be over until he meets The Barron of Ibelin, legendary knight Godfrey. Godfrey, a veteran of the Crusades has returned home to France in search of his lost son and reveals himself as Balian's father. Desperate to rid himself and his wife of their sins, Balian embarks on a journey to the crusades with his new found father and mentor. During the journey Godfrey teaches Balian the true meaning of being a Knight. He makes Balian swear an oath to always protect his people. Balian embarks on a quest to the Holy Land where an unsteady peace prevails due to the efforts of the progressive Christian king, Baldwin IV, who dreams of a time when Muslims and Christians alike can live in peace in the sacred city. Unfortunately for him and the rest of Jerusalem, Baldwin is struggling against his own failing health and power greedy knights making war seem imminent. Balian with his new found purpose may have to face overwhelming odds for the good of his people and to keep to his father's wishes.
Kingdom of Heaven was said to be the film to end the epic saga that has saturated the cinema in the past few years. Since the genres revival in 2000 with Gladiator, Kingdom of Heaven is said to restore faith after the relevant flops of Alexander and Arthur. Inevitably this film is automatically compared to Scott's first epic release Gladiator. It is this comparison, how ever worthy, that drags the reputation of the film down. There are a number of noticeable similarities between the two that mean that it is automatically put in direct comparison but hopefully in time it will grow into a film which stands on its own numerous merits. Like Gladiator the story is that of an average person showing great courage and determination to carve out a reputation for himself. There is also the inclusion of the righteous leader being replaced by the tyrant, and the brave central character being the last hope to restore equilibrium. The concept of the 'one who has no desire to rule, must be the one to rule' is included in both films and the both central characters must confront grief and loss of faith, a faith which is eventually regained in the final scenes. There is also a striking resemblance of leading ladies in the two, which could be a reflection of Scott's ideal women, the unattainable dark princess. Although there is a number of noticeable similarities I stand by my theory of nothing is ever truly original and that Kingdom of Heaven will in time stand alone on its own merits. It has an incredible cast with such names as Jeremy Irons, Liam Neeson, Brendan Gleeson and Edward Norton, which are used to full effect. The basis of the story is that of honour and companionship, it is responsibility that inspires Balian, whereas Maximus seeks revenge. I feel that it is easier to relate to Gladiator, as I think that it reflects human nature more effectively. Balian is completely unselfish and stands up to the tyrant for the good of the people. Maximus is a selfish hero and stands up to the tyrant for revenge, I feel that this is a far more just motivation and would do the same had I been in his position. Kingdom of Heaven reflects the brotherhood of man, it shows that honour is on both sides and that in the end we are all the same biology regardless of religion. It is an emphasis that evil resides in the individual not in the nation, a fact that perhaps hits a bit close to home regarding the current war on terror. Kingdom of Heaven rivals its predecessor in every way but one, the lead. Orlando Bloom is in no way Russell Crowe, the role of Balian demands a manly yet sensitive lead which Bloom does not provide. Bloom is far too 'pretty' for the role and at times regress' back into Paris, his pathetic character in Troy. This is by no means the making of Bloom and perhaps the role would have been better suited to a more rugged actor such as Russell Crowe or Collin Farrell. I was a worthy attempt that just fell short of the finish line, not the film that was expected.
3.5/5
Good Bye Lenin! (2003)
a fine example of what the human mind can fabricate in order to protect life.
The film is set in 1989, in East Germany, a then communist country. It centres on a young man named Alex who disagrees with his governments communist views. Alex begins to protest against the regime, and one day when marching to convey his views is witnessed by his mother. So surprised to see her son fighting with the police, she suffers a heart attack and falls into an eight month coma. During her eight month sleep the Berlin wall falls and Germany is united. Against all the odds she regains consciousness, but heart can not take anymore excitement. Alex is left with only one option to hide the exiting news of the communist regimes withdrawal and the new united Germany. But one problem, he can't keep his mother in the dark forever or can he.
Good Bye Lenin is a story of hope. It is a fine example of what the human mind can fabricate in order to protect life. Being a young Englishman I have no way of knowing what it would be like to be liberated from suppression but I feel this films gives me and others like me an opportunity to experience a tiny aspect of life at that particular moment, the film serves as a tool to educate the masses. One thing I did notice was the conflicting emotions that are experienced by the spectator throughout the duration of this film. One hand Alex lies to his mother and goes to great lengths to deceive her, he even keeps her prisoner in her bedroom for weeks. All of my human instincts were telling me that this was wrong. But as the film progressed I realised that truth is not always black and white. He does deceive her greatly but does it for her own good. This is a film of selflessness, but does Alex have the right to dictate what his mother believes or is her in fact just doing what the communist regime did to his people, the same regime that he rebelled against to start this whole thing.
Apocalypse Now (1979)
Apocalypse Now is one of the most disturbing and powerful films of all time
A stunning masterpiece from the director of the Godfather, Francis Ford Coppola. Apocalypse Now is set during the Vietnam War. It follows the quest of a man called Captain Willard who receives orders to travel up river and locate a renegade officer, the mysterious Colonel Kurtz. Once located Willard is ordered to 'terminate his command with extreme prejudice'. The only problem with this is that as the quest progresses Willard begins to see parts of himself in Kurtz and begins to identify with is intended victim.
With an infamous reputation and a cast to match, I built Apocalypse Now up to be a life changing experience. One thing I can say about it is that it stands out among the bombardment of films that my brain has been subjected to over the years. It had a reputation as being a bit of a let down in Coppola's eyes as he spent far too much money for what the film eventually grossed at the box office. To be fair to Coppola, anything that follows a film as prolific and influential as the Godfather would be hard pushed to surpass its predecessor. I believe that Apocalypse Now does this and at the risk of making myself unpopular with all you film buffs out there I believe that Apocalypse Now is twice the film The Godfather is. It is a film that I attempted to watch numerous times but just couldn't concentrate on it, dare I say it I found it tedious. I just couldn't understand how it had the reputation it does. As a film man I very rarely switch a film off but I did this one, at least the first ten attempts. I then was sitting bored the other night and swore to myself that it was something I just had to do so I sat down, stuck the DVD on and started drinking a large cup of coffee. Two and a half hours later I was mesmerised. Some may say it was the coffee, I say it was the film, but never the less that night I just could not sleep with excitement. Apocalypse Now is one of the most disturbing and powerful films of all time, it reflects the true limits of the human mind and demonstrates ideally how our ideology changes in different situations. A true masterpiece of epic proportions, that if stuck with will make you a truly richer person.
5/5
Crying Freeman (1995)
Perhaps I should spend weeks researching Japan and their organised crime in order to get the most out of the film, I think not.
From movie crazy Christopher Ganns, the man behind the French Cinema success of 2001 Brotherhood of the Wolf and the film magazine Starfix, comes a tale based on the famous Japanese manga, the Crying Freeman.
The story centres on a deadly assassin who works for a secret Chinese organisation. The one thing that makes this ruthless killer unique is that he sheds tears of regret each time he kills. One day an American artist witnesses him executing three Yakuzza leaders. She becomes obsessed with this mysterious killer and begins to fall deeply in love with him. The Yakuzza clans seek vengeance for their leader's execution and in an attempt to hurt the assassin, take the artist prisoner. They soon regret ensuing the wrath of the Crying Freeman, China's both most deadly and compassionate killer.
The Crying Freeman is a film of disappointment; it is one big let down. Having watched Brotherhood of the Wolf prior to this, I was expecting a film full of stylishly choreographed Kung foo and a heart warming quest. I expected Dacos to be on top form and blow me away, boy was I mistaken. The Crying Freeman is bland and unexciting. I found it impossible to relate to the main characters and found the plot overall as boring as a Sunday afternoon at grandmas, only without the free twenty pence mix up. I find it soul destroying that one of my favourite films, Brotherhood of the Wolf, could of come from the same directorial mind as this dross. As a film professional I don't often turn films off but this is one of those few exceptions. The only way I could force myself to sit through till the end was to harbour the comforting thought that soon I will critically destroy this evil and wipe it from the earth forever, to be honest I would rather have endured Chinese water torture and if the KJB are reading show your captives this and I'll guarantee they'll talk. On the other hand could this just be a case of cultural ignorance on my part. After all I don't read nor even like Manga animation and what do I know of the Yakkuzza. Can a lack of cultural understanding spoil the interpretation and therefore enjoyment of a film? Perhaps I should spend weeks researching Japan and their organised crime in order to get the most out of the film, I think not.
1/5
The Forgotten (2004)
With comedy, action, horror and thrills galore I say see if theirs nothing on telly. 3/5
The Plot centers on a grieving mother, Telly Parada (Julianne Moore), who is desperately struggling to cope with the death of her 9-year-old son. Her husband is adamant that they never had a son and Telly is referred to a physiatrist (Garry Sinisi). His verdict is that she has created the memories in her head. There are no photos, home movies or any other evidence that the child existed: nothing but the gut instinct of a mother. When she finds another parent who claims to remember his lost child, they embark on a quest to save their children and their sanity.
Upon first seeing the trailer I didn't fancy this film in the slightest, the one thing that put me off was the title sequence, it was in green and blue which immediately made me think of Antitrust, the 2001 flop with Ryan Phillippe. The use of the outrageous green and contradicting blue made me feel noxious and I feared would the film follow suite. I am happy to say it didn't. Its plot was competent, but had it not had the acting talents of Sinisi and Moore, could have been its down fall. In terms of the Science Fiction Genre this was nothing new and with poor unknown actors could have been a straight to video feature. Never the less the film was entertaining; it kept my interest and made me jump a few times. What more could I ask for in a Friday night film. Directed by Joseph Ruben, the man who gave us such bile as Return to Paradise and Money Train, this is a worthy attempt at a supernatural thriller.
The Ring (2002)
A top-notch thriller chiller, a two-hour freight
The ring is Gore Verbinski recent contribution to the cinema scene. Verbinski who made his feature film directorial debut with the comedy hit Mouse Hunt, and then the action comedy The Mexican, starring Julia Roberts, Brad Pitt and James Gandolfini is probably best known for his award-winning work as a commercial director creating the iconic Budweiser frogs. Verbinski has also been honoured with four Clio Awards and a Cannes Silver Lion Award for his innovative work on an assortment of memorable advertising spots, working for companies such as Nike Coca Cola and 7-UP.
The Ring was based on a novel written by Kôji Suzuki. It was originally entitled "Ringu" (The Ring), and was initially published in 1989. The work was supposedly based on an urban myth. Urban legends are the most enduring, are often the most disturbing-stories of murder and mayhem happening to ordinary people that are shared around campfires, retold at slumber parties and spread through chain emails. Suzuki, who wrote the book, actually a series of novels, was once a somewhat obscure writer, but is now referred to as the Stephen King of Japan. Japanese director Hideo Nakata brought the story to the screen in his gothic horror mystery "Ringu," which was released in January 1998. It quickly became a phenomenon, spawning the most successful horror film franchise in the history of the Japanese cinema. The mainstream Hollywood film community then picked up the basic story of the ring. Ehren Kruger who attended college at New York University's Tisch School of the Arts then rewrote the story to attract the western film audience. Kruger's subsequent credits include the hit horror sequel Scream 3, directed by Wes Craven and John Frankenheimer's action thriller Reindeer Games. The new adaptation of the ring was then produced to Hollywood standard using special effects by a top production team, including Walter F. Parkes and Laurie Macdonald the husband and wife team and heads of Dream Works Pictures and two of the most active producers in Hollywood today. Mysterious videotape is killing off anyone who watches it. Whenever the victim watches it, the phone rings, telling them they have only one week to Live. A young reporter named Rachel is investigating these events, but after she and her small son watch the tape, it becomes a race against time to find out why the tape is killing everyone and how it could be stopped. The story centre around Rachel Keller (Naomi Watts) is a young journalist with a divorced husband, Noah (Martin Henderson), and a son, Aidan (David Dorfman). Her niece was recently found dead with a look of pure shock embedded in her face as if something scared her to death. Upon Learning that her niece's three friends died at the same time, too, and hearing about a disturbing videotape that is said to kill you seven days after watching it, Rachel comes into the possession of that same tape. Now, as time grows short, Rachel And Noah race to save their lives from impending doom and discover what the tape has to do with a tragedy-stricken horse ranch and a very strange little girl named Samara.
The ring is a top-notch thriller, chiller horror for a Friday night date. A successful nail bitter of a Film that rattles the nerves and the imagination. If you're looking for a jumpy Friday night of a film look no further but the Ring will not play on your mind, don't expect to remember the film in week. The shots are cliché and at times I found myself bored but the ring is successful in it's appeal it is nothing more than a two hour long fright as it's full of jumps. If your not easily scared don't bother but if you have an active imagination and have nothing more too do at the weekend get yourself along to the Odeon and go and see
Panic Room (2002)
Excellent sound track, inspiring acting and a brilliant scrip but what else can we expect when the greatest scriptwriter in Hollywood teams up with one of the most talked about directors.
Panic room is David Finchers recent contribution to the 2002 cinema scene. Award winning director Fincher is one of the most talked about directors of the 90's He assisted on such classic films as Return of the Jedi before breaking into directing himself, first earning recognition for Alien 3. His career really took off when in 1997 he directed the dark thriller Seven earning him worldwide recognition. Other credits include Fight Club and the Game. Panic Room is the creation of David Koepp one of Hollywood's most prolific scriptwriters Koepp who has worked with some of the greatest directors names such as Spielberg and Zemekis and has written some of the biggest blockbusters of all time films such as Carlito's Way, Mission Impossible and Spiderman. From start to finish the sheer tension of the film hits you. Fincher's choice of an emotive sound track helps to build tension, perfect if you want to get close on a Saturday night. The use of camera angles keeps you worrying throughout the film but the cliché thunderstorm is a little too predictable. The setting makes up for that conveying a somewhat dark charm, rarely seen since Kubricks The Shining, which it echoes. Panic room is one of the best thrillers in years, an emotional rollercoaster from start to finish. Jodie Foster is her usual brilliant self and puts in a performance, which could rival that of Claris Starling in the chilling Silence of the Lambs. Forrest Whitaker also puts in a memorable performance as the troubled villain. Sheer Excellence but what else can be expected when on of Hollywood's greatest director teams up with the hottest Hollywood scriptwriter. The story centres on a town house in Manhattan. The house is purchased by a recently divorced mother and her and her daughter move in. Thieves break into the house believing that it's empty only to find to their horror that it's not. Realising there's invaders the divorcee and her daughter flee to the panic room, an impenetrable room designed for just such a situation. Unbeknown to her and her daughter what the thieves actually want is in the panic room with them and the intruders will do Anything or hurt anyone to get it.