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Reviews
Victoria (2015)
Many reasons why this is a masterpiece, except the plot
This movie was a genuinely hard one for me to decide on my opinion for, because it was by far one of the best movies I've ever come across, in terms of cinematography and style. And it wasn't the "one-take" part that impressed me the most (although it was part of it), but all of the other touches that went with it. For example, most releases tend not to include subtitles for what the German-speaking people are saying, which means that, unless you can speak the language yourself (I can't), then you're basically in the same place as young Victoria. You have no idea what's going on, what everyone else is saying, and, in turn, no idea what's about to happen until it happens.
Then there was the seamlessness of the filming combined with the overall chaos of the film; first off, the dialogue is stilted and quite difficult to follow, and not just because of the language barrier - they're talking naturally, and most of what they're saying is improvised. It almost feels like you're there with them, trying to follow a rowdy conversation that you cannot quite remember how it started. And then there's the fact that, occasionally, someone will make a mistake, which ranges from the not-so-serious (Fredrick Lau accidentally dropping the cigarette that was handed to him and making up for it by getting all sullen) to the almost fatal (that part where Laia Costa accidentally took the wrong turning and almost drove right into a crowd of camera crew, prompting panic in the car and her to start cursing in Spanish). It was things like that that made the one-take style so effective. And it was what drew me to the film.
However, as mentioned in the title, it was not without its flaws. And the pretty big one was the plot of the film.
Let me be fair; it was the second half I'm complaining about. In the beginning, when it was just a Spanish girl, alone, with a low-paying job she has to go to in a couple of hours, following the rowdy group of German guys that she can barely understand through the streets of Berlin and getting on so well with them was just beautiful. Because I've been there. It felt relatable.
But the second half didn't just feel awfully contrived. It was awfully contrived. It suddenly lost all sense of realism and felt like we were drifting from a perfectly fantastic story into a cliché-ridden, rubbish version of a heist movie. I genuinely found myself wishing that we could go back to the epilepsy-inducing strobe lights of the nightclub that I could barely watch at the beginning.
That said, it was still a great movie. And I'd particularly like to highlight Laia Costa's performance. She was definitely the stand-out of the film, and by far my favourite. Especially the way she ended the film. And, if I may, she has such an amazing smile.
Smosh: The Movie (2015)
Whoa, what just happened?
Now this movie took me completely by surprise. I'm going to come out and admit that I like Smosh as a channel, and am a subscriber. And when I saw that they were making a movie, I just assumed it would be to the same standard as the sketches on YouTube, just feature- length.
It wasn't.
It was well-crafted, carefully done and actually made me laugh out loud several times. And it carried a genuinely serious message that I wasn't expecting. But at the same time, it retained everything that makes me like Smosh - the humour is the same, the special-effects, slightly wooden acting and cheesiness - all there, combined with references to their videos (particularly the Pokemon lip-synching one). I recognised almost immediately that, to anyone not familiar with Hecox and Padilla's videos - let's call them non-Smoshers - it would seem dull, clichéd and god-awful. But to someone who actually followed them on YouTube and watched their skits - let's call them... Smoshers - it was, for all intents and purposes, a fantastic piece of cinema. You almost felt like it was one massive joke, but you had to be in on it to find it funny. Which is, in my view, the best type of humour there is. Truly an original piece of cinema, and I hope it nets Ian and Anthony the recognition they deserve.
On a side note, it helped that they were releasing it to rent and buy on iTunes and Amazon Plus beforehand - I would've had to wait until December to watch it here in the UK, apparently.
How I Live Now (2013)
Frighteningly realistic, but also surprisingly artistic
A remake of an award-winning book, the movie covers a world that could very easily become a reality, but hopefully only under exceptional circumstances. Set against the backdrop of a worsening world political situation, Saoirse Ronan's Daisy, a New-York teenager with a chip on her shoulder, is dropped into a world that could not be further from what she is used to - the British countryside. She has promised herself that she will push her boundaries and get out of her comfort zone, not knowing that the journey that awaits her will require her to push herself further out of said comfort zone than perhaps she was intending, and help her younger cousins at the same time.
Despite its genre, the movie was actually remarkably artistic - not just in the beautiful countryside that is so tragically spoilt by the outbreak of a massive global conflict, but also in its portrayal of the nature of war. Notably, the enemy is not identified once, beyond the fact that they are "terrorists." Our only interactions with them in the movie could imply that they are anarchists, but this is mere speculation. And it is not told from the military point of view, who might be used to threats like this, but rather from the point of view of the civilians, whose lives have been torn apart.
I found Saoirse Ronan's performance to be stellar. Although I felt that the moody side to her character was a little ham-fisted, she definitely captured the essence of a neglected teenager who misses her mother, feels like misfortune follows her around and grows to feel love in all its intensity. George MacKay, meanwhile, played an introverted but incredibly strong-willed teenager who can bring out the best in a seemingly selfish and moody American teenager brilliantly. And there was no indication that Tom Holland and Harley Bird's characters were around merely as irritating supporting characters, because they performed their roles brilliantly.
The Host (2013)
Surprised me
I am a man of honesty, rather like the Souls in the movie. When I walked out of the movie after seeing it, the first thing I did was check it's Reception section on its Wikipedia page, and I confess to being rather surprised to find out that it was so universally panned, because I actually rather enjoyed it.
I agree, it wasn't quite Harry Potter, or Casablanca, but I thought that there were moments - quite a few, actually - where I found myself actually really enjoying it. And, in my opinion, that's what makes a movie count. What made me really sad, though, is that it is yet another movie starring Saoirse Ronan that has suffered from bad reviews, and that distresses me, because I think she is a wonderful actress.If ever I meet her, I'm going to tell her not to ever repeat some of her lines in this movie, or some of her others, like in The Lovely Bones, in her American accent, because I will never be able to get it out of my head.
That said, I can sort-of see what people didn't like about the film, particularly as it was based on a book which, I confess, I have only just bought and not quite found the time to read. Film adaptations of critically acclaimed novels rarely do well.
The Office (2005)
Similar but unique
Having been forced to adapt to a different audience and present a similar but unique take on a successful British show, pulled the transition off successfully. This is because of several things they do right:
First of all, we have Michael Scott (Carell). He is essentially like the original David Brent (played by Ricky Gervais), being socially inept and rather offensive, but well meaning. But what is different is that he has not got the nastier traits that Brent had - most of what he does, though outlandish, crazy and inept, is well-meaning and good-natured, and as often as not, it is the meanness, spitefulness and self-centredness of the employees - namely Oscar, Stanley, Angela, Kelly, Kevin and Phyllis - which causes the most tension in the office. And if one were to take sides - Michael's or theirs, one might find oneself taking Michael's side the most. This is especially apparent in the segment where Michael decides to quit Dunder Mifflin and start his own paper company - which, rather unexpectedly, did some proper damage to his former company, and forced the people who had previously scoffed at him to laugh on the other sides of their faces. It is always good to see Darryl, though, as he is one of the very few characters who is genuinely nice. Also, unlike in the original Office, a lot of the reasons why Michael comes out on top is the fact that things don't always go Corporate's way. When the restructuring operation - that would've been the equivalent of a major plot line in the first series of the original version - fails, it is not because the manager failed a medical test, but because the plans are thrown completely into disarray by another branch manager's actions. There is nothing better than seeing what is deemed as an unfair corporate action being completely scuppered.
Then there are the amusing characters in the show, such as Dwight, Andy, Creed, Toby and Meredith, who are especially lovable. Dwight's eccentricity and rantings are always a treat to watch – as long as he doesn't get away with doing nasty things, however, because he then becomes genuinely evil and unlikeable as a result. Andy, meanwhile, is always funny to watch and provides his fair share of the laughs on the show, particularly with his naivety, his awful singing voice and his bragging about Cornell. Creed, Toby and Meredith, meanwhile, are fun to listen to and watch, even if they too are occasionally as unlikeable as their co-workers.
My favourite characters, however, are Jim and Pam, whose relationship is every bit as good as the Tim/Dawn relationship that preceded them. Unlike Tim and Dawn's relationship, Jim and Pam's relationship has more screen time – whereas Tim and Dawn only got together at the very end of the series, we get to see the actual relationship, which is much better than one might think.
All-in-all, a great series.
Let Me In (2010)
A remake like no other
Having initially been scared it would not do justice to the book or the original film - to die for, incidentally, I was definitely not disappointed. In fact, I found it was better done, because the emotions each character feels is made clearer - in the Swedish version, the vampire was extremely cold and the feelings it felt for the boy were not shown as well as it could've been. In this one, on the other hand, Abby's human side is made much clearer in the way she interacts with Owen. Additionally, her love for him is shown a lot more convincingly, such as when, upon discovering the truth about her, he makes to leave and she instinctively moves in front of the door to block his exit.
The only thing that disappointed me about the film, though, was the fact that the "be me" interaction between the boy and the vampire, one of my favourite scenes in the entire novel, was deleted. Having seen the deleted version of this scene, I felt that had it been included, it would've done it a lot more justice than the Swedish version, which had no flashback and defeated the purpose a little bit, whereas this version had its own take on the flashback the boy saw, with a 13-year old Abby being bitten by a ghastly vampiric creature while in bed, admittedly quite recently.
But perhaps the thing I liked most about this film was the fact that the ambiguity of the vampire's gender was not expanded upon. Though there were subtle hints of it, I found the ambiguity of Eli's gender in the Swedish film, and the original novel, a little unsettling, and was grateful that it was not a prevalent topic in this one.
My Summer of Love (2004)
European touch to a British topic
In some ways, it is very fitting that a story filled with very British themes on social class and teenage romance was adapted the Polish-born Paweł Pawlikowski, whose very European, artistic touch turns it into something of a work of art. I found myself drawn in particular to the focus on the beauty of the Yorkshire countryside and - something that Pawlikowski incorporates very well into his movie. There were segments of the movie which sees the two girls alone with each other in this beautiful landscape, effectively becoming equals to each other despite their vastly different backgrounds, and creating a certain bliss to the atmosphere that few other movies do so well. Pawlikowski's timings for these scenes couldn't be better - at the end for instance, when Tamsin's entire web of deceit has been revealed, she and Mona's last confrontation is in this very setting.
Of further note, the characters themselves are admirable. Their relationship, which follows Mona's breakup with her boyfriend, her brother's finding God, and Tamsin's suspension from school, is unique. Mona was vulnerable, and Tamsin needed someone to amuse her. Then they formed a relationship. And while Mona went into that relationship with her heart, Tamsin went in with her head, and there you get the ending that viewers now know and remember. In some ways, though, the ending did leave me a little dejected, to see Mona walking away from her attempt to kill Tamsin with so much confidence, even though she now no longer has her love, and has run away from her brother.
Arrested Development (2003)
Hard not to love
A good premise, and a great storyline, Arrested Development is definitely worth a watch. Aside from being a little hard to follow and the extremely confusing narrations, the Bluths are the epitome of a dysfunctional family, with childhood resentments, crooked parents and questionable relationships hiding behind every door (and, in the case of George Sr., in the attic and under the floor as well).
Personally, though, I found that the greatest feature of the show was not its storyline - George Sr.'s legal woes, which, it has to be said, was quite simple, but very hard to follow - but rather the little things. For me, the real soap opera was the obvious homosexuality of Tobias, the plight of Buster, and George Michael and Maeby's relationship. The latter was particularly well- done, because of the fact that their efforts to hide their feelings for each other are hampered by the fact that the whole world seems to be working against them. Forced to share a room, inadvertently married to each other and having the fact that their blood relationship may not really exist constantly held over their heads, all because she took the drastic action of making out with him to spite their parents, any normal human being may have been driven insane! But what's more, it is Tobias's inability to embrace his inner homosexuality, and Buster's childish (and questionable) attachment to his mother that gives that show the edge of frustration about it that makes people want to watch it all the more, and see how it all pans out. And most of those frustrations are left unsatisfied.
Fresh Meat (2011)
Fresh and new
Definitely an interesting new take on an aspect of life we previously thought differently of - the life of a group of university students during what is meant to be the best days of their lives.
My favourite aspect of the storyline is Kingsley and Josie's relationship, which brings to mind Tim and Dawn from The Office - two people who obviously have feelings for each other, but unable to bring themselves to confess to it, partly because she has a boyfriend and lacks the willpower to dump him. But as Dawn and Tim eventually got together, hopefully so will Kingsley and Josie. Even though their later interaction was a little difficult to watch, because it was obvious that it was their love for one another that was making them argue and fight so much, but one still felt rather uncomfortable that neither could defend themselves when the other launched into them - Josie experienced it in the early stages of the season, and Kingsley in the later part of the season. Vod and Oregon's interaction, though, was also particularly fun to watch - it was obvious that Oregon was trying to emulate Vod to disguise her privileged upbringing, even agreeing with Vod's open disgust for students who have cars, despite Oregon having one herself. Vod's reaction upon discover her best friend was lying about herself and was the very thing she hated was a very good idea indeed.
But I am also impressed with J.P. - for all the flak public schoolboys tend to receive, and the general perception of being prim, proper and well-mannered that's associated with them, it's nice to see a more realistic perspective of one for a change - yes, he is arrogant, but he is comically arrogant, and incredibly hedonistic. It was particularly satisfying for him to say outright "Am I just the posh guy nobody wants to hang out with?"
The best laughs, though, came from Howard. There's nothing people like more in a sitcom or TV show than a socially inept guy, and a guy with a regionally distinct accent, and, while I appreciated Josie's sweet nature and Welsh accent, Kingsley's insecurity, JP's arrogance and posh accent, Vod's forthrightness, and Oregon's insecurity over her image, none of those traits put together would've equalled Howard, who definitely killed two birds with one stone.
I'd say, meanwhile, that my favourite part of the series was the very final scene, where very few loose ends were tied up, but we were satisfied they would be answered very soon - it felt satisfying to see JP finally show that he was human by mourning for his father while in the shower, and to see Oregon and Vod's friendship at least partially resume. I am glad, though, that the Kingsley/Josie saga wasn't quite wrapped up, but that it was clear that Josie no longer felt angry with Kingsley. I shall continue watching with great interest.
Zombieland (2009)
Strong and poignant characters.
Definitely one of my favourite movies yet. Admittedly, I am not a big fan of the whole zombie thing - zombies are genuinely scary creatures, even in movies which use them for slapstick, like this one. But this one definitely ranks high. Not because of the plot, but rather because of the characters. It easy to see how the survivors survived - Columbus was smart, physically fit and very easily scared, Tallahassee was resourceful and fearless, Wichita and Little Rock were crafty and didn't trust anyone. So they make quite a team. But it's the inner personalities of the characters that matter. Columbus' life used to be so empty and meaningless that he was almost like a zombie himself before the invasion took place. Underneath Tallahassee's rough, fearless exterior is the kind and tender father he once was. Despite Wichita's cunning and cleverness, she is still a goodhearted person who empathises with Columbus for his loss. And despite Little Rock's own cunning and tough exterior, she still occasionally lets her inner child escape her - from not knowing who Gandhi and Bill Murray are, to getting genuinely scared when Tallahassee so easily overpowers her. Sometimes, even if the plot makes little sense, one can still argue that it's the development of these characters that is part of the plot. And on that note, the plot flowed very smoothly.
Beaver Falls (2011)
I'm Flynn away
I came very close to writing it off as a strange series. But I liked the idea of British lads in America - and it did well to stay in the grey zone between the whole "War of Independence/Special Relationship" thing that normally comes with Anglo-American shows like this. Perhaps if they'd focused just a little more on that, it would've been brilliant.
Generally, I liked the premise - a sex-crazed Scottish lad, a computer-obsessed virgin and a heartbroken sleep walker at a camp full of hot girls and jocks, and yet saddled with the most unpopular bunk in the entire camp. On the downside, it did tend to focus a little too much on the social hierarchy of the camp - so much so that as Barry and Kimberly kiss in front of Jake, he resorts to stating outright that jocks are meant to date hot girls. It did, however, amuse me a great deal to see the attractive girls going to prom with the fat kids, leaving the jocks dateless - a role-reversal that definitely deserves an award. But my personal favourite scene was Flynn intimidating Jake and his jock cabin - giving the Americans a taste of having to deal with an angry Glaswegian is pure comedy!
True Grit (2010)
If you like Western films, you'll love this.
Definitely deserving of an 8. This remake of a classic 1960's Western film could not have been done better. As many reviewers have mentioned, the Coen Brothers have not quite lost their touch with accents, and the Southern drawl and Old Western speak fit in perfectly. But what is really worth watching is Hollywood's latest child star, Hailee Steinfeld establish her credentials in the acting world, especially when she is playing a character of such resilience and determination as Mattie. And what makes her character stand out is that it is quite easy to see a similar scenario happening in real life - we are all familiar with Jeff Bridges (Rooster Cogburn) and Matt Damon (Texas Ranger LaBoeuf) in the acting world, but it is the new and relatively unknown Steinfeld who really deserves the screen time she gets. The only part I did not like was the ending, which I found a little too abrupt and rather unappealing. But other than that, well worth the money.
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows - Part 1 (2010)
Harry Potter at its finest
In my opinion, this film is perhaps the best in the series yet. The reason is that it took the wind out my sails a lot more than any of the previous films. It deserved its title as being the darkest of the series - it was, without a doubt, incredibly scary. But it was also very real. Gone are the days where it was a story about magic and people learning how to use it.
It has been replaced by a story of war, of fear and escape. Harry, Ron and Hermione are no longer under the protective spell of Hogwarts - now they are out in the real world, where death lurks behind every corner, where even the quietest of hiding spots is dangerous, and where to be caught will mean torture and certain execution. In some ways, the film is comparable to films about war in real life.
And yet, I felt that it also contained a sense of comfort about it - the long scenes in the tent, with only the voices on a radio or the conversation between the three friends under the protective spells Hermione has managed to conjure up. I think the scene which really stood out for me occurred midway through the film, when Hermione, depressed over Ron's departure (and more so because she is wearing the cursed locket) is listening to the radio. Harry hears the song playing and, with perfectly captured tenderness, gently removes the locket from her neck and invites her to dance.
The dance the two perform could not have been done better – a scene of warmth, friendship and innocence set against a backdrop of tension and nervousness in a world where one has to constantly keep looking over one's shoulder for fear that someone could show up at any moment and drag them off to a manor where torture and death is waiting for them. I also think that Ron's encounter with his personal fears hits home. It is in this scene where we see that his true fear is that he is unloved and unwanted, and the thought of Hermione, whom his love for was quite clear even before now, kissing Harry is just too much for him to bear. If anything, the horcrux's ability to bring out Ron's insecurities was what led to its destruction. The scene of Hermione's torture really drove through the message that the film is more than just a children's film now. The pain she endures at the hands of Helena Bonham Carter's character, Bellatrix Lestrange not only shows how evil the Death Eaters and Voldemort's followers are, but it demonstrates just how enduring Hermione really is.
Long ago, Emma Watson's character of Hermione Granger could have come across as an annoying and arrogant swot. But not now. Now we see a character who can endure even the worst of torture and whose audacity, beauty and supreme intelligence make for a character who will last longer than the films or the books. Rupert Grint's character of Ron Weasley, meanwhile, is a far cry from the cowardly right-hand-man. We now see a man of integrity, strength and courage who would trump every sidekick in movie and literary history. But perhaps the best character on the set was definitely Daniel Radcliffe, as Harry Potter himself. In the old days, he was a celebrity who wallowed in the admiration of others, who was young and very innocent. Now we see a wiry and very cunning Potter, with a great strength of mind and integrity like no other. He will not go down without a fight, and who is guided mostly by his own conscience. I don't think there are many heroes who could be considered more admirable.