City Island

There are so many films being released that I don't get the time to see them all. There are some I avoid because I know they will be bad or I have no interest. Then there are some I rely on reviews for to know if they are any good. This film received many good reviews so I sought it out.

All families have secrets and the Rizzo family have a lot of them. Each member has their own little dream or desire that they are hiding from the other members of the family. The joy in this film comes from the establishment of these secrets and then watching the characters try their best to hide them. This all takes place in an area we don't normally see on film. So while the setting is unique the story is not but you don't really care when the characters are this good. It is a wonderfully classic comedy story of a family in crisis. The father of the family Vince introduces his own secret to the family who discovers their secrets and helps to bring them out.

Andy Garcia is an excellent actor who mostly works on the low budget end of town but occasionally goes up town for films like the 'Ocean's' trilogy. He is excellent as usual here and shows a great comedic touch. There is one particular scene where he goes to an audition which was a joy to watch. Lately I've been watching the TV series 'The Good Wife' so it is great to see Julianna Margulies do something which shows a lot more emotion. Something the TV series does not let her do much. Emily Mortimer is also excellent as someone with secrets who is not a member of the family.

I know that critics are not always reliable, but sometimes they can get it right. An excellent family comedy with great performances.

Greenberg

Ben Stiller takes a change of pace from the usual big budget comedies he normally does to do a small independent comedy/drama.

Writer/director Noah Baumbach is excellent at creating very believable characters tat get involved in real situations. Generally there is very little plot and is more about the characters and how they deal with situations that arise. Roger Greenberg is definitely an interesting character. A crisis has occurred in his life that has meant he has become a bit aimless. Most people would not let a minor set back like that harm them but Roger is different. It his through his relationships with and old friend and a new friend that we learn about him. It is through his friendship with Ivan that we learn what his life used to be like. How one dumb move made him bitter. Roger is quite an unpleasant character and treats some of his friends badly. He is kind of punishing himself and takes it out on his friends too. He does though find someone who likes him and has a romance with Florence, and it is through this relationship that he learns to become a better person. Noah has once again crafted interesting characters and makes you think they really exist. His documentary directing style adds to the authenticity.

I am a fan of Ben Stiller and really admire how he does other jobs besides acting. I also admire how he can show he is more than just a big time comedy actor by doing more dramatic films like this. This is sort of a comedy but not the broad type your used to seeing Ben do. He has to really show his dramatic skills. I really liked his in this film and think it is one of his best performances. This will certainly be a breakout role for Greta Gerwig who is wonderful as Florence. She gives a wonderfully sweet performance. Rhys Ifans is normally known for wacky characters that he plays in other films. So it is nice to see him play someone more real and he is excellent.

While there is very little plot here it should not matter when there is such great characters to watch. Worth seeing for those who only know Ben Stiller for his broad comedies.

Predators

The 80's are making a comeback this year as we see remakes and sequels to come classic films from this decade. Fox now try to reboot one of their most popular franchises with this 'sequel'.

The English movie magazine 'Total Film' has this graph they put in some of their reviews to measure the interest you will have in a film at certain points during the film. For some reason I was really aware of this when watching this film. You could say this is a real roller coaster of a film as your interest has many peaks and troughs. The highs can get really high but the lows can go incredibly low. The plot is pretty conventional and there are no real surprises. The writers must have had faith that this film would do well as they do not give too much away. Hopefully if there is a sequel we can get to know a bit more about why these people are put on the planet. I did not get a chance to see 'Predator' before I saw this film so will have to go back and see that to find out more. One other problem I had with the film was the characters. This is a mixed group of what are supposed to be the nastiest people on earth. But what this means is that each of them don't really care about each other so as an audience you don't care about them either. So it is pretty much having fun watching these people get slaughtered.

Adrien Brody works mostly in independent films, so it is nice to see him do bigger budget studio films like this. He does not normally do action films like this so that's a refreshing change too. But the setting is rather similar to his last action film. Topher Grace moved from comedy to action a couple of years ago with 'Spider-Man 3' but here is mostly the comic relief. His character does have a nice twist at the end. The real highlight though is Laurence Fishburne. His performance alone makes the film worth seeing. A real crazy off-kilter role that is so wonderful.

A fairly conventional plot that is enjoyable if you like seeing people get picked off by ruthless aliens. But is also worth seeing just for Laurence Fishburne.

Shrek Forever After

This is the second of the big animated sequels this season. Dreamworks is saying goodbye to one of their most lucrative franchises. But it is OK as they have lots of other ones.

I'm sorry but with the intense rivalry between Pixar and Dreamworks it is inevitable that you have to compare their films. Pixar just seems to have some indefinable quality that makes their films so much better. The last couple of 'Shrek' films were very mediocre. It was especially disappointing considering how great the first film was. The first film had a background touch of revenge to it as Jeffery Kattzenberg was sending up the studio that screwed him over. The second and third films lost that sense of malice you might say. This film is OK but just does not have the same quality as a Pixar film. I know no one sets out to make a bad film but here there does not seem to be the same care and love that you expect. It just feels like they are just churning out a film and not trying to expand the characters or story. There is an attempt to try something different but it does not work. All it means is there are lots more lame jokes to tell. The makers can just stick any old thing on the screen and people will flock to see it. That may be true but as we have seen by the box office there is a lot more return business for other animated films.

The cast just seem to be going through the motions here. I'm a huge fan of Mike Myers and I hope he gets back his mojo sometime soon. Thankfully Eddie Murphy has these films as his career has been completely ruined by doing one too many fat suit comedies. Antonio Banderas does a great job as usual. Walt Dorn though is excellent.

A very mediocre finally to what started out with a brilliant opening film and then went down hill very fast from there.

Knight And Day

It is amusing how Hollywood will release two films at the same time with very similar plots. It has taken them a few years to finally copy 'Mr. & Mrs. Smith' and now we get two copies.

Director James Mangold has mostly been making dramas and thrillers lately, and now is dipping his toe into two new genres: comedy and action. I have to say he does quite a good job, especially in the action department. The story I will admit is a bit silly and contrived. There is not much reason given for why Roy need June to for fill his mission, other than that he is in love with her. While that is a pretty good reason I just don't get that feeling from Roy's interactions with June. Having said that though I really enjoyed the film. I was able to get swept along with the action and story and just relax and have fun with it. It is not terribly sophisticated or clever but is a bit of light fun.

I have not been much of a fan of Tom Cruise. For me he is very over rated and 'A Few Good Men' is the only film of his that I've liked. However since his downfall after jumping on a couch I seem to like him more. Part of my problem with him has been his reluctance to do a comedy. I thank Ben Stiller for bringing Tom out of his shell as it seems he is choosing to do more comedies. He is quite funny funny here in this film and seems to be sending up his 'M:I' role. Cameron Diaz is no stranger to comedy and I was surprised she would do a role like this. Her character is more of a damsel in distress type and Tom's character is continually drugging her which I found quite weird. She does gain strength at the end of the film but there needed to be more of it from the start.

As long as you go in with low expectations and just let your mind go, I think you can have a bit of fun with this film.

The Karate Kid

Jaden Smith the son of actor Will Smith makes his leading man debut in this remake of a beloved classic.

As mentioned in my introduction this film had really high expectations. The original 'The Karate Kid' is still held in really high regard by people who grew up in the 80's. So to remake this film was pretty dangerous. While I have seen the original, I did not love it as much as everyone else. So my expectations were not very high. I must say then that it was better than I thought it would be. I'm not saying it is great as it has a few flaws but it was not as awful as I was expecting. The main flaw being that it is unnecessarily long. At almost two and a half hours it is about half an hour too long. Scenes seem to take ages and there could have been a lot more editing to make the film shorter and have a quicker pace. The other major flaw is the title. Many have spoken about how the film is called 'The Karate Kid' but he learns kung-fu. I realise that they would want to associate the film as a remake and link it to the original. I'm not sure why they would need to, unless they had to do it that way to stop any litigation. I also think that the fights are quite unnecessarily brutal. For some reason the writers have decided to make Dre's rival part of a kung-fu group who win at all costs and show no mercy. For a film aimed at kids I'm not sure that was a correct decision. It is a bit weird to be watching 12 year-olds trying to beat each other senseless.

I must admit that I'm not a huge fan of Jaden Smith. While his previous films have not been 'happy' film and this one is a drama, but the kid always looks so serious. He hardly ever smiles or shows happiness, even when great things happen to him. I think he so far lacks the charm his father has. It is something he will have to work on and maybe do a comedy. The real reason to see this film, though, is Jackie Chan. His choice of films lately, mostly his American films, have not been all that great. But here he is given the chance to show his acting abilities and not just rely on his awesome fighting skills. There is one scene in the film which I'm sure will be the one to get him awards recognition.

While not the disaster that you may expect, it is a good film but not a great film. Far too long but worth seeing for one of Jackie Chan's best performances.

Farewell

This film depicts a series of events that helped bring down one of the best ideas in film making - the Cold War. Thankfully, though, we have the Middle East now.

I'm a big fan of films with a political theme. I had fairly high expectations for this film but sadly they were not quite met. While maybe not as wonderful as I had hoped it is still a good film. Part of the problem is the pacing. In the trailer we are led to believe that the film is a relatively fast paced thriller, however in reality it is slower and more of a character study. The film not only explores the events but the men involved and why they are doing what they are doing, especially Sergei Gregoriev. He is risking a great deal to reveal the information but has a noble cause to do it. He is though a deeply flawed character as well. His 'partner in crime', Pierre Froment, is risking a lot too but the threat does not seem as great. The other problem I had with the film is time frame. The story is set in 1981 and is supposed to have led to the end of the Cold War but that did not happen until 1989. I would have liked a bit more information on what happened in those intervening years.

I am not familiar with the cast of this film but they are all excellent. Emir Kusturica is very good as the Russian agent. He gives a multi-layer performance as a very flawed family man who wants to do good but is also doing some unsavoury things. When I saw Guillaume Canet's name in the credits I thought the name looked familiar but I did not recognise the face. I think the beard put me off. Looking up IMDB I saw he has been in a few French films I've seen over the past few years. He is good here as the 'every man' caught up in a scandal. I would have liked a bit more background information about his character, the job he does and how he got involved in French intelligence.

A very good political thriller that while not as fast paced as you may expect is still interesting for the events it depicts.

I Am Love

Every so often I like to go to other countries through the cinema. This time I'm travelling to Italy and spending time with the Recchi family.

This is another film for me that confused me with the time it is set. Right from the start with the cinematography and opening credits font you think it is set in the 1960's. I'm not complaining just commenting on the style director Luca Guadagino has chosen to open his film. The film could have been set in the 60's and not been any worse off. The story is fairly simple with a 'housewife' (I use that term loosely as being a rich woman with servants she is hardly the typical definition of a housewife) loosing interest in her domestic life and finding fun in the arms of another man. The plot is very slow moving and most of the action takes a while to happen. But when a film looks this good you don't mind. I really loved the cinematography and camera work. The way the camera moves through scenes and picks up certain things. It is like it is dancing thorough the room and playing with the actors as it moves around. The fact that these are rich people with nice clothes and houses helps as well to add to the beauty of the film. One other aspect I was really impressed with was the score. There were a couple of scenes that really impressed me with the music used and how they accentuated the action. The story too while slow paced is still very interesting. We always get a perverse thrill from seeing rich people fall from grace. The other strong feature of the film is the food. There is an almost erotic quality to it that makes the characters look like they are making love rather than eating. Do not see this film on an empty stomach.

I really admire actress Tilda Swinton. She is not afraid to play a diverse range of characters and in many different countries. Here she has the grace and elegance to play a wife who is loosing interest in her life. Normally she plays very cold-hearted woman but for once she lets her warmth show. Her co-stars are very impressive to as I don't think I've seen them before. Edoardo Gabbriellini is excellent as Tilda's love interest. He does not say or do much but has a great intensity that makes him very sexy.

A film that is more for the discerning film goer. A very beautiful film that may have a slow moving plot but is still rich with texture and great food.

Grown Ups

Over the years Adam Sandler has been co-star, writer and producer of films that feature his mates. He has now assembled all his mates into the one film.

Adam Sandler and his co-writer Fred Wolf have crafted an excellent drama that explores the many issues that men must go through as they grow older. It is a theme that is rarely explored in film and is very refreshing. Each of the men in the film represent the many different facets in everyday life, with the main issue of family being the one thing that joins them together. These men are able to take a holiday and share their time together and explore these aspects as they reminisce about their time when younger. The film explores how people, not just men, can grow up and loose touch with the things and people they had when younger. Considering the cast I was pleasantly surprised that that a dramatic tone with the film. There are many emotional scenes as the men struggle with the various burdens of their family. These burdens, mainly their family and especially their wives, prove a big obstacle in letting the men explore their connections that they have lost since leaving each other. You can really tell these men enjoy each others company and really respect each other for the decisions they have made in their lives. They are able to be open about things and not have to keep secrets.

Adam Sandler has done a few dramatic films before. I think most of his films have been in that genre. Here he gives a very nuanced performance as he explores the complex issues brought to bear.I think he handles the drama very well. His co-stars also do well in bringing out the various issues that plague their characters. Kevin James is normally quite funny in his TV and films, but he shows that he can do drama just as easily. David Spade breaks out of his comfort zone to play a character we have not seen him play before. He is more than up to the challenge. Chris Rock is a very respectable actor and shows his true talent. Rob Schneider has many deeply emotional scenes to play with so has more to do than his co-stars. The women work well at playing their roles and really show that men these days have a lot to put up with and must really be admired for handling them so well.

A complex and challenging drama that I think many people will have trouble viewing. It challenges our thinking about growing older and what that means to our lives. We must face many hurdles in our life and this film makes us think about how we can better handle them as people.

The A-Team

For years now Hollywood has been mining old TV shows to make movies and start a new franchise. The most surprising thing for me has been that it took so long to get this TV series to the screen big screen.

There is a line spoken by Hannibal in this film which I think sums it up perfectly: 'overkill is underrated'. I think 'over the top' is a tame expression to use to describe this film. For some films this can be a bad thing but for this film it works. Director Joe Carnahan and his co-writers have written a film that is pretty full on in the action department with some sequences that are a bit silly. But it seems to work with the story and situation. Joe has been able to make a really fun action film that sweeps you along in all its silliness and gives you a great time. The story is fairly thin and predictable but you don't care because the action is what you come for. I must say though he does give a few of the characters some dimensionality which goes along way to make them seem more than just action pawns.

One other great thing Joe has done is cast the film well. Liam Neeson was in another silly action film earlier this year. But here he seems to be having a lot more fun and getting into the action. Bradley Cooper is becoming a big star now and he is nicely moving through various genres. I think he could become a good action hero. I'm not a fan of Ultimate Fighting but Quinton Jackson does a very good job as BA Baracus. A role not easy to get into considering the previous occupant. The real star here though is Sharlto Copley. He shows a great deal of talent as a comic star and I hope we see him in more films. Jessica Biel and Patrick Wilson do a great job in pretty under written roles as government agents.

As outrageously silly as this film is, it is still a great deal of fun. While it will not challenge you cerebrally it will make you laugh and go 'wow that's cool'.