Sherlock Holmes

As part of the research for the film I'm writing I read some 'Sherlock Holmes' stories. I quite liked them. My expectations for this film were quite low. The talent had nothing to do with it as I was mostly worried that the sophisticated stories would be dumbed down for the mass market.I was pleasantly surprised to find that it didn't happen.

Poor Guy Ritchie has not had much success of late after he had success with his first two films. It seems his marriage to Madonna affected his work. This is his first big budget Hollywood type film and he steps up to the mark really well. As I said my main concern was the story and character would be changed too much. I had nothing to worry about. I have been very surprised at the success of this film in the USA. I found the dialogue in the film to retain its old fashioned, posh quality and yet the Americans have no problem with it. The story is also sufficiently complex and has many interesting turns to keep you involved. Guy also does an excellent job with the action sequences making them fun and exciting. I was also pleased that they were able to present Holmes deductive reasoning in a very visual way.

Robert Downey Jnr. is fast becoming one of the best actors working today. After many years doing small budget stuff he is now establishing himself as the A-list star of action franchises. So you know he is just some average actor. He has proven himself already. Many Holmes purists may not like his take on the character but I thought Robert was excellent. Robert does a great job of playing the lovable hero. It is also nice to see Jude Law in a successful film. He and Robert play off each other really well and have an excellent friendship. Rachel McAdams was a little disappointing but it is not her fault. I kind of felt she had very little to do. She is a great femme fatal. Mark Strong is another role I would like to have seen more of. I really like him as an actor and love seeing him in so many films.

An excellent first film in what I think that will be a very good franchise. We get a nice set up at the end of the film for a sequel that I'm sure will be wonderful as Holmes takes on his greatest nemesis.

The Princess And The Frog

A few years ago a big deal was made of the fact that Disney was no longer going to make traditional 2d, hand drawn animated films. Their 3D computer generated films were not all that flash (not including Pixar there because Disney only distribute the films not make them) but then John Lasseter took over Disney Animation and bought back the tradition.

It is kind of a shame that this this was the film to bring the format back to Disney. While the film is good it is no where near as great as some of the classics Disney has produced. The advertising for the film made comparisons to the likes of 'Beauty & The Beast'; 'Aladdin' and 'The Lion King'. This pretty much set the bar far too high for this film to succeed and sadly it doesn't. It is by no means the worst of the animated films made but is just not all that great. One interesting thing I found was the tone and look of the film. I felt like I was watching a really old Disney film from the 50's or 60's and not something made now. The story is very good and has some interesting twists and turns. But I do feel that the title of the film does give away the ending.

The voice cast is not all that famous and might be part of the film's problem. While I agree that we do not need 'name' or 'famous' actors to play the parts, it would be nice to have ones which bring a little more personality to their voices. The cast is serviceable for the parts they play but is not as great as it could be.

As long as you lower your expectations you should find this a decent animated film. It might impress young kids who have not seen past Disney greats to compare it to.

Nine

Every Summer here in Sydney we have outdoor cinemas. I saw 'Fantastic Mr. Fox' at one of them called Moonlight Cinema while I saw this film at one of the others called Open Air Cinema. This one is by the harbour with the Opera House and Bridge in the background. Something that can be a bit distracting when watching a film and having a wonderful view behind the screen. Last time I went to this cinema I got rained on and there was a threat of rain this time, but I was lucky enough to stay dry.

I am a huge fan of 'Chicago'. Before seeing it I knew very little about it or any of the songs so was totally blown away by how good it was. Since then Rob Marshall has gone on to direct 'Memoirs Of A Geisha' which was an OK film but I was very pleased when he returned to the musical. Unlike 'Chicago' I was looking forward to this film more and but was still very pleased. I was going to buy the soundtrack before hand but didn't and so did not know much about the music. While the songs were not as good as 'Chicago' I still loved the way they were staged. I'm more of a musical/comedy fan so ballads and slow songs don't normally appeal to me. I like upbeat, happy songs. Which is why I liked 'Be Italian' and 'Cinema Italiano' the most. The only disappointing thing was that Rob staged the musical numbers much like he did in 'Chicago'. They were not integrated into the story but staged as fantasy sequences filmed on a stage. This is only a minor quibble as the musical number look brilliant.

The cast of this film is truly amazing. I was so pleased that Daniel Day-Lewis made this film as he very rarely does anything so light-hearted. He normally does such serious films. I thought he handled the comedy really well and I hope he does more in the future. Marion Cotillard gets the meatier role of all the women so has more to work with but rises to the occasion and does an excellent job. So too does Penelope Cruz who plays the sexy role really well. Judi Dench and Nicole Kidman are good but have very little screen time. The one that really blew me away was Kate Hudson. She has been in so many ordinary or terrible films lately that it was nice to see her in something of quality. Plus she is a brilliant singer and dancer. I loved her song in this film and had the audience applauding at the screening I went to.

Another wonderful musical from the great musical film director. Maybe not quite as wonderful as 'Chicago' but still an excellent film.

Up In The Air

Jason Reitman is certainly proving himself to be a brilliant director and writer as well. It maybe because he is the son of a highly respected director that he needs to prove himself more. So far he has certainly done that and does it once again.

I'll begin by saying that I'm not completely convinced of the concept of this film. A company hiring someone to do their downsizing for them sounds a little bit silly and a waste of money to me. So while I had a bit of trouble with that aspect I still thought this was a brilliant film. The film is about the portrait of a man who has cut himself off from society in an unusual way and meets two women who change his perspective of that isolation. In his previous films Jason was able to take characters that society has programmed us to hate and made them real and human. Here Ryan Bingham is not a character we necessarily hate but we are trained to look down on him because he refuses to conform to society and find a relationship and relate to other people. Instead he is constantly on the move and doing a job where people come to hate him. You come to respect his decision and in some ways understand why he chooses that lifestyle. In some ways the story is a little predictable but as I said this is more about a character than the story. You come to learn and understand a man. The ending however was a little bit of a shock and one of the most heartbreaking moments in film I've seen in a while.

I think George Clooney is one of the best actors working today. He not only gives excellent performances but he is also an excellent writer, director and producer. I also resepct the decisions he makes when choosing the films he does. Many say that he is basically playing himself in this film and while that might be true he does it brilliantly. George is able to move from light hearted moments to emotional ones with the greatest of ease that he is a joy to watch. This is by far one of his greatest performances. Vera Farmiga is an excellent actress who we see not just in studio films but smaller budget indies. Here she is existentially playing a female version of George Clooney's character and does an excellent job. The two of them play off each other so wonderfully. This is a wonderful breakout role for actress Anna Kendrick. She is able to play the young confident go-getter who also has a soft vulnerable side when she comes to realise how tough the job she is doing is. There is also a wonderful supporting cast made up of some of Jason's friends.

A brilliant film that I cannot recommend highly enough. A brilliant character study of a man in an unusual job. I predict that George Clooney will get the Best Actor Oscar for this film. Make sure you go see it to see why he deserves it.

The Lovely Bones

I've been a fan of Peter Jackson, long before he made his famous trilogy. The first of his movies I saw was 'Braindead'. It was hilarious and disgusting and I fell in love. My favourite non-rings film is 'The Frighteners'. I was however disappointed with his last film 'King Kong' and had a few mixed feelings about this film.

I think the mixed feelings helped me enjoy the film even more. I had my expectations low enough that I was pleasantly surprised at how good it was. I appreciate how Peter was able to hold back on the special effects a little with this film. But he was not able to hold back completely. Now don't get me wrong, I think the scenes with Sally in 'the in-between' are excellent but it kind of made me wonder what it would have been like if that part was done differently and with less special effects. I've not read the book either so maybe that's how it has to be. But with the scenes where she is watching her family and killer I wonder what it would have been like if she was actually there not watching from 'above'. The story is pretty conventional but it is told in an interesting way in how this family deals with a major loss. Despite this convention Peter is enough of a skilled film maker to keep the tension high. Especially the scene where Suzie dies. You don't want her to make the decisions she makes but you know she has to in order for the film to happen. The film is very emotional and you really come to care about the characters.

Saoirse Ronan is an excellent young actress who I respect for not taking the usual teen movie route. Here she gives a great performance as Suzie. She can really play the sweet innocent young girl who makes a bad decision that ends up costing her life. Mark Wahlberg is one of those actors that needs a skilled director to bring out the best in him. Peter does that here and makes Mark an excellent father, a role he does not normally play. Rachel Weisz is once again her brilliant self. I felt Stanley Tucci while an excellent actor was a little bit of an obvious choice for the role here. Susan Sarandon does great as the films comic relief.

A wonderfully emotional story of a family dealing with grief. An interesting way that a person must deal with their death and how they must let go. Not as action packed as other Peter Jackson films but a great way for those who only came to him after the 'Rings' trilogy to see what else he is capable of.

Did You Hear About The Morgans?

Marc Lawrence is known for making generic romantic comedies that usually star Sandra Bullock. He now returns with Sandra's 'Two Weeks Notice' co-star Hugh Grant.

You know by now that one of my favourite genres is the romantic comedy. I will admit that I can cut that type of film a lot more slack than other types of films. But I must admit that this one is nowhere near as bad as you have heard or may expect. I'm not saying that it is the greatest film ever made but that it meets your expectations for being a decent and fun romantic comedy. You can see every plot point coming, all characters are pretty cliched but the charisma of the leads helps to make this less painful than you might expect. I don't think Marc Lawrence would have gotten this film made if he didn't have these leads or others that are just as popular.

Hugh Grant has made a career out of being a charming fop in romantic comedies, usually written and/or directed by Richard Curtis. I'm a huge fan of Richard Curtis so prefer those films to his other movies. But Hugh is still very charming. I think Marc Lawrence thinks so as well because he gives Hugh most of the best lines in the film. I will say that his character is a little different this time too and comes across as more real than others he has played. I'm not a huge fan of Sarah Jessica Parker. She is a decent actress but has not done anything that has 'wowed' me. Here she is good and has fun with some of the more slapstick moments. I'm a huge fan of 'The West Wing' so got a big thrill from seeing Elizabeth Moss in this film. Mary Steenburgen and Sam Eliot fill out their fairly stereotypical roles well.

A decent romantic comedy with no real surprises which is what you'd expect. Maybe not worth seeing at the cinema but wait for DVD.

In The Loop

Regular readers will know that this was my favourite film of 2009. I had seen it at the Sydney Film Festival in June. I recently had the chance to attend a Q & A screening of the film with the director, an opportunity I could not pass up.

I'm a huge fan of political satire, it is one of my favourite forms of comedy. While I do watch and read the news, most of the information I get from politics comes from satirical programs and comedy shows. When I looked through the Sydney Film Festival program and came across this film I just had to see it. Armando Iannucci is one of the biggest names in British comedy. Something I did not know until I saw this film. The brilliance of the film has made me want to seek out his earlier work. Especially 'The Thick Of It', the TV series on which this film is partially based. I have never laughed as hard or as much in a film in a long time. Even when this was the 4Th time I've seen the film (I bought it on blu-ray from the UK). The comedy comes from some of the most brilliant lines I've heard in a film. I need to warn you though that the film is literally filled with coarse language. But it is some of the most creative coarse language ever heard in a film. Speaking at the Q & A Armando spoke of how the writers wanted to use coarse language but in a more creative way. They have definitely succeeded. He also spoke of how some parts of the plot came from real events in the lead up to the invasion of Iraq. It makes you wonder how much of a farce real politics is.

The acting in this film is simply brilliant. All the characters are wonderfully realised by an excellent ensemble cast. James Gandolfini is probably the best know. He is so funny as a General and proves he can do comedy as well as drama. Tom Hollander you will all recognise from 'Pirates Of The Caribbean: At World's End'. He plays a character with less confidence here and is brilliant at stumbling his way into trouble. It was great to see Anna Chlumsky from the 'My Girl' movies back on the big screen. The real star of the film though is Peter Capaldi. The man is a force of nature in this film and has most of the best lines. He swears in almost every sentence he utters but does it in so many hilarious ways.

A brilliant political comedy that is incredibly funny. If you are offended too much by bad language then maybe you won't like it. But you should try to get past this to see some of the cleverest writing in a film in a long time. Please make sure you check it out.

Nowhere Boy

John Lennon is a legend of music whose life has been mined a few times to make movies about. We now get to hear about his childhood and his relationship with his mother and the aunt who raised him.

I've spoken before of my musical taste. I like The Beatles but they are not my all time favourite group. I do enjoy some of John's music but in some ways I find his life more fascinating than the music he created. Although we do find out where his rebellious spirit came from. This is a very good film and has a good story, but for me I did not find it all too interesting. I'm not sure if that's because I'm not a huge John Lennon fan and so may not pick up on some of the references that impacted his later life. I did however like the relationship John had with his mother and aunt. It is very unconventional and is what I found the best part of the movie. I liked how John became torn between which woman would become the mother figure in his life. I was also a little disappointed that they kept all the big revelations for the ending.

This is the first time I've seen Aaron Johnson and he is an excellent actor. He really brings out the emotional conflict in John Lennon's life. As I said I do not know much about Lennon so not sure if he is like the real Lennon, but he certainly looks the part. Thomas Sangster is an actor I have seen a lot and he's an excellent actor but just found him wrong for this part. While he is an excellent actor and is 19 years-old he still looks like he's 12. Poor kid is cured with youthful good looks. Anne-Marie Duff is great as John's mother who must struggle with having made a tough decision in her life. Kristen Scott Thomas is wonderful as always in her usual refined best.

Fans of John Lennon and The Beatles will no doubt get more out of this than non-fans. While it is an interesting story with an unconventional maternal relationship it just didn't rise above being good.

Bran Nue Dae

As I've mentioned before last year was a pretty good year for Aussie films. One area we saw a lot of was more film about indigenous Australians. Most were fairly serious and dire but a few were lighthearted. This is certainly a lighthearted one.

It is interesting that people have been complaining that Aussie films are always so serious and about depressing subjects. Then they get upset when these films do not do well at the box office. One thing that last years successes taught us was that Australians want to see more happier Aussie films. The biggest successes like 'Mao's Last Dancer' and 'Charlie & Boots' were more inspiring and happier films, proving that this is what audiences want. This film is certainly the brightest and happiest Aussie film released in a long time. Plus it is is one of the best. The film is just filled with so much joy and fun it is wonderful. We don't get many musicals here in Australia so it is great when they come by and are as great as this. I will admit that the story is not the best but in musicals they are usually pretty simple so you are not expecting the greatest. It is really the musical numbers that make the film fun. They are brilliantly film and most are very funny.

There is a great young Aboriginal cast in this film as well as a couple of Aussie veterans. Rocky McKenzie is an excellent young actor and is great in this film as Willie. He is not only a great singer and dancer but can handle the emotional stuff as well. Most people know Jessica Mauboy from 'Australian Idol'. With Jennifer Hudson doing so well in Hollywood films it was only time before one of our own Idol contestants turned to film. Jessica is very good but is mostly there to sing. She is very good on that side and is good at acting too but may need a non musical role to prove it. Ernie Dingo has been away from films for a while now mostly doing TV, so it is great to see him return. He is excellent here and very funny. I've said before that I like when Aussie actors who have had success overseas come back to make movies here. Geoffrey Rush is very funny in this film and really looks like he is having a lot of fun.

I cannot recommend this film highly enough. I know that some Aussie films have been pretty dismal and depressing lately but this one is the complete opposite. If you want to have fun at the movies then make sure you see this film.

Bright Star

Boxing Day, December 26th is a huge day for movies. It is generally the biggest and most popular day of the year for movie going. It is also a big day for new holiday releases. This is one of the more art house releases. I've been working so much lately that I need some time to catch up.

I will say right from the start that I'm not much of a fan of poetry. I respect it as a form of writing and do not hate it, I just don't care much for it. I'm not sure if it is because I kind of feel a little dumb when reading it. That there are so many deeper meanings I do not understand I have to really 'read' it to understand it. That is not to say I did not enjoy this film. On the contrary I really enjoyed it. That is because the film focuses more on John Keat's relationship with Fanny Brawne rather than his poetry. While she obviously did influence his work I think that people who know and appreciate Keat's poems will possibly get more out of it. But don't let that put you off as the rest of us can just watch a wonderful love story. I think I enjoy period love stories more than modern ones. There is just something so romantic about the past as opposed to the present. There is less chance of infidelity which is something I cannot abide. When two people fall in love they do all they can to be together despite obstacles. Being a British film it is all about class and finance. But it is still a joy to watch, even if you have seen many variations on this story before. Jane Campion does another wonderful job of showing us one of histories great romances.

Abbie Cornish is a brilliant Australian actress who has been making a name for herself overseas. I am of coarse ignoring the tabloid name. I appreciate how she takes on more art house films and she is brilliant in this film. Abbie is great as a strong independent woman in a time when women were not meant to be as strong. She lives in a household of mostly women so that helps. Ben Wishaw is an excellent actor who I have enjoyed in all the films he has done. Here he is wonderful as a doomed romantic. Paul Schneider pretty much steals the show as Keat's friend Charles Brown. His thick accent and bombastic attitude makes him stand out. Long time Campion actress Kerry Fox returns in a great performance but to me looks far to young to be Fanny's mother.

An incredibly romantic film for those who are romantic. Poetry lovers may get more out of it because of their love of Keats. But you don't have to love poetry to enjoy the film.

Top 10 Films For 2009.

Well that's another one down. How was it for you? For me movie wise it was not too bad. I had the greatest movie experience when I got to attend the World Premiere of 'Star Trek' at the Opera House. I got to meet (briefly to sign a poster) some of the cast and director of the film. Plus it was an awesome film. I upset a few people with my review of 'Avatar'. I will be seeing it again soon but I'm sorry that plot point was just one of those things that bothered me. I also got upset with the success of 'Paranormal Activity'. Normally I can understand how people can like films but this one just baffled me at to what people found so scary about it.
This is my list and by no means is an indication of greatness. This is just a list of films that, this year, for me were the ones I most enjoyed. I know that you may not like them all but it might give you a better idea of my tastes if anything. If you go back through my blog you can see full reviews for most of the films on this list.

10. Samson & Delilah
This was a great year for Aussie films. While there is still a tendency to be sad and depressing there are a few that are more enlightening. While this film is not one of them it is still an excellent work that makes you proud to be Aussie. Especially with all the awards it is getting overseas.

9. Fantastic Mr. Fox
Many maybe disappointed that 'Up' did not make the list but for me this film was better. I love stop-motion animation and it was so funny. Plus it is my favourite Roal Dahl book.

8. Milk
This one came out in 2008 in most places but I did not get to see it until 2009. Such a brilliant biopic about a truly great man.

7. (500) Days Of Summer
I love romantic comedies and this is by far one of the best I've seen in a long time. It tells the story in an unconventional way and does not end the way you expect. Plus it reflected a personal moment in my life.

6. Balibo
Another excellent Aussie film. I did not know a lot about the story before watching the film and so I was not only entertained but informed as well. The film has also meant that justice will be served for those involved. That is the true power of cinema.

5. Inglourious Basterds
A truly great Quentin Tarantino film. Brilliantly written and full of all those great dialogue scenes he is famous for. As well as having one of the best acting performances of the year.

4. Let The Right One In
This is what a film about a vampire falling in love with a human should be like. It will be interesting to see what the remake will be like. But I encourage you to check this Swedish film out first. Especially if you are a 'Twilight' fan.

3. Slumdog Millionaire
Another film that was out in 2008 but I saw in 2009. Nearly everyone knows how good this film is so I don't need to go on about it.

2. Star Trek
It was one of my hardest decisions as to which film got the top spot this year. This film had the fact that I got to go to the World Premiere but the next one just took my by surprise. Not only a brilliant Star Trek film but a brilliant action film as well. I hope this will renew people's faith in this beloved sci-fi franchise.

1. In The Loop
This film is not released in Aussie cinemas until January 21 but I saw it at the Sydney Film Festival in June so that's why it makes my list. I'm going to a Q & A screening with the director next week so will leave my comments for when I post my review of it then.

That's it folks. What do you think? Leave your valuable comments for me please.