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Kick-Ass (2010)
Close but no cigar...
I went into Kick-Ass with high hopes. While I despise (and am quite tired of) Mark Millar's showboating, self-hype as well as outright lies, I'm quite a fan of his work.
His two volumes of "The Ultimates" comics are perhaps the single highlight at Marvel Comics (for my sensibilities at least) in the last decade. Indeed, they are rightfully being used as the inspiration for the current stock of the "Marvel Heroes" (Iron Man/Cap/Hulk/Thor) films.
While Wanted was horribly translated to film, Kick-Ass by all indications is a more faithful adaption. Probably helped by Millar producing the affair.
That said, Kick-Ass, as has been criticised on many occasions by various reviewers I've recently read, tries to have its cake and eat it. It tries to force you to accept that this story takes place in our real world, and then goes back on this idea and tries to give you something out of Kill Bill. Pure fantasy fiction. A bit like Millar in that respect, promising one thing only to give you something else. If used properly this could be quite surprising and fresh, but unfortunately it's ultimately ineffective here as it just confuses the tone and theme and left me unsatisfied with the film as a whole.
Is it entertaining? For sure! Does it have a decent soundtrack? You know it! Does it feel fresh? Hmmm, kinda. Is it ***hyper reality insane bubblegum superhero antics that changes things forever***? Not quite. There are some seconds where I had thought Millar had elevated comic book films to a new level...only to lose it a few seconds later.
Think of it as Spiderman crossed with Kill Bill. Only less awesome than that sounds.
I'm interested though, I'll look forward to Millar's next efforts/translations. Surely he can only improve? In the meantime, if you really want a film about what superheroes would be like in real life, try "Super".
Two Lovers (2008)
Fumbling in the Dark
I wasn't expecting to go to this film, I didn't know anything about it, a friend and I went to the cinema, looked at our options and chose this.
Having no expectations, not having heard or seen any hype about it, I was surprised at how much I enjoyed it. I think all aspects of a *good* film are present. It is beautifully shot and quite brilliantly acted which together created the right, moody, slightly claustrophobic atmosphere for this rather bleak, sometimes humorous, story to progress.
We're given a brief, intimate insight into three damaged individuals lives and I think ultimately shows us some conflicting concepts that arise from the pursuit of love and happiness, and familial duty.
I'm pretty certain this is the best film I've seen so far this year. While there's no way of comparing this to my last years favourite of No country for Old Men, I think this might also be Oscar material.
Nippon y Yokoso (2005)
One hour and £10 that I will never get back...*sob*
This is the blurb from the film festival I went to:
This is the journey of two people and their attempt to escape from reality. They meet under different circumstances: Naoko tells the story of her last voyage through life; Daniel is in Japan to see Mexico play in the football world cup. Naoko follows Daniel through the streets of Tokyo and into the tube where she steals Daniel's wallet. Daniel chases after her, but is unable to spot her in the crowds. Upon checking the wallet she realises that she has made a mistake, pick pocketing the wrong man. Soon Naoko's boss would be looking for her all over Tokyo . There is a chase in the tube, but she manages to escape, joining Daniel on his trip around Japan while she figures something out. Eventually Mexico loses the match against the USA . Naoko, realising that this might be the end of the journey, decides to take Daniel to a forest where they can find the magic that will take their pain away, and
Disappointing, as the premise sounded interesting. I don't know how many Mexican/Japanese films there are. This was filmed on a camcorder, the actors could not act, the subtitles were misspelled and the plot, nonsensical.
This looks like someone went on a holiday to Japan with their drama student Japanese girlfriend and tried to make a film out of it, by mixing it with some football footage.
Honstly nothing to redeem this film, not recommended.
Children of Men (2006)
A good film, amazing action sequences but the story lets me down a little in the end.
I was looking forward to this film. Firstly because I'm a big fan of Alfonso Cuaron, (especially "Y Tu Mama Tambien") and secondly since it's been a while since I last saw a good serious British S-F film, and this looked like it.
Due to the infertility of women, no new babies have been born in some 16 years. Within one hundred years there will not be a human left alive on the face of the Earth. The world has responded by falling into chaos, for without children what is there to look to? There is no future. On the verge of collapse, itself, Britain regresses into an almost fascist state, where immigrants (called fuge's (fugitive) are persecuted and removed from the cities to fenced in immigration (read concentration?) zones.
The director gives us a believable and beautifully (as in starkly) realised representation for this story to occur. I think the main plus of this film is how well the reality in which this occurs has been defined, obviously this is vitally important to accept this films central premise. Another plus I found were the lead actors, who all performed brilliantly. Some insane escape/fight scenes which truly leave you on the edge of your seat up the ante and "make" the film for me.
There are however some negatives; Some of the acting from the supporting cast is pretty abysmal, at times I felt like I was watching a play put on by amateurs at my local pub. While the story makes sense throughout I did find the end wanting a little. I felt that we are left with too many questions unresolved. I understand that this is adapted from a book, which I have not yet read, but I must assume that the ending is left intact. So my main problem may not be with the film, but rather the story, which I felt would have appeased me more with more exposition about the organisation that the lead characters are primarily concerned with.
So a good film, amazing action sequences but the story letting me down a little in the end.
Overall I'd give it a 7/10
Y tu mamá también (2001)
An emotional response...
Y Tu Mama Tambien, captures something about Mexico and life itself that I find so beautiful. I feel that what is presented in this film this is so *real*.
The vapid and loveless sex scenes show just how empty and meaningless lust really is, the glimpses of the religion, folklore and the countryside indicating the layers of history, culture and beauty of this country.
People I know have disliked the film, saying that it is too gratuitous, too sexual, and felt the actors had been taken advantage of.
I cannot for the life of me understand this, to not be able to see the wonder of this film for what it is, a celebration of being alive, not catering to Hollywood, glamorising everything, rather showing things how they sometimes can be, stark, complicated and raw.
All the Real Girls (2003)
Pretty but ultimately empty.
There's no denying that this is a beautifully shot film, showing all the "reality" of life in small town middle America. Well, I think at least this is what was shown, I've never lived there, so have no actual experience of life in such a small town. If the idea was to create a feeling of being out of touch and a in a bit of a backwater, it did that well.
However I didn't like the film, I found it a bit too boring. Well I guess reality is boring, especially little town life, and since the film is meant to be "1000 times more real than Dawson's Creek", I guess the film is real.
I'm sorry I watched this.
Z.
Tonari no Totoro (1988)
One of the best films ever
I cannot believe it took me around 6 years to finally get to watch this film (on an illegally imported Chinese version, no less).
This is an amazing piece of animation, characters are so endearing and real, the story so magical, it takes me back to my childhood fantasies (yes I did fantasise about having a large owl/rabbit creature as a friend).
I guess some may think of it as a children's cartoon, and children will definitely enjoy it, but adults can enjoy it just as much. I think this is Miyazaki's greatest work alongside the recent Spirited Away. Fantastic works they may be, but with just the right amount of personality mixed in that make them truly human films.
I understand this and other Miyazaki's will soon be legitimately available on western shores this summer, a pity with the big name dubbing, but I guess it will make it more accessible to people, and that is good.
I totally recommend this to anyone.