Catfish

**WARNING!** Do not read this review until after you have seen the film. The less you know about this film the more enjoyment you'll get out of it. Just know that it is an excellent documentary that you should try to see.

There has been a storm of controversy that has risen up over this film and whether it is real or not. With the number of 'home movie' style films being made such as: 'The Blair Witch Project'; 'Cloverfield' and 'Paranormal Activity' it is easy to see why you may think this film is fake. I went to a Q & A screening with the directors Henry Joost and Ariel Schulman and the subject Nev Schulman and for me they put forward a convincing argument that the film is real. Despite the coincidences, sometimes all these things can come together. I think that considering the film was first seen almost a year ago that I'm sure someone would have come forward by now to discredit the film and prove it is not real. As far as I'm aware that has no happened.

I do a bit of Internet dating, so in someways I can relate to what goes on in this film. You meet someone online and exchange pictures trusting that when you finally meet up that they look and behave like they do online. I've not had many bad experiences so far. But this film shows how sometimes things can not go as you planned. There is a great deal of tension as Nev, Rel and Henry go on their journey to find Megan. You have this thought in the back of your mind that they are going to die. What they find is quite the opposite. Angela is a perfect example of how the internet can help people reach out in ways they never knew possible. The only thing is that the internet also means you can check up on the veracity of what people say to you. I'm surprised some of things Angela said and tried to pass off as being hers considering how easily it would be to check on what she's said. So while things could have turned out bad for the boys they ended up being good and some good was done. They got to make a friend and their friend had her work recognised by a larger group of people.

Go see this film to decide for yourself if it is real or not. Definitely a film that is the product of our times and one of the many consequences of our social network society.

Love And Death + Stardust Memories

My final trip to the past with Woody Allen takes me to Russia and to a seemingly deeply personal film where Woody plays someone much like himself.

'Love And Death' is another one of Woody's earlier films that showcases his sillier and more physically humorous side. The plot is a little disjointed and all over the place. While there is a basic plot of a cowardly guy trying to avoid fighting in Russia's fight with Napoleon it plays like he is making it up as he goes along. Despite this it has some really funny moments. There are also many funny send ups of foreign films and styles favoured by famous European directors.

'Stardust Memories' is a lesser work for me. It is not as funny as most of the other Woody Allen films I've seen lately and I just did not find as interesting. This feels like a film that was triggered by a personal experience. It features him being honoured at a movie convention and reminiscing about past women. There is a running joke of him being hounded constantly by various people. While it is good at the start it get a bit boring after a while. Over all I found this to be a fairly boring film and no where near as interesting as his other films.

Woody plays himself in both film very well. In 'Love And Death' he is playing his funnier self which I found more enjoyable. Dianne Keaton looks like she is having a great deal of fun in 'Love And Death' and gets right into the fun of the film.

I have enjoyed my time a great deal watching all these old Woody Allen films. Some I've never seen before. I've placed my order for box sets on Amazon as a result.

Black Swan

In his last film Darren Aronofsky explored the harsh world of wrestling. Now he explores the equally harsh world of ballet.

I will admit that I enjoy watching dancing but I am not a big fan of ballet. Mostly because I do not understand it. I've only been once when I was very young and probably too young to understand it. Not much has changed. I've never been much good at interpreting body language which is what ballet is all about. Luckily though it did not stop me from enjoying this film. Much like wrestling in 'The Wrestler', the ballet in this film is only a backdrop to what is really happening to a character. From what I understand an appreciation of the ballet 'Swan Lake' would help to understand the film better but I've not seen it and it did not stop me from enjoying the film. Darren does a brilliant job of directing this film that leaves you constantly guessing about the sanity of Nina. We never know what is real and what is not. This can make for some very disturbing imagery but Darren was never one to shy away from being confronting.

I don't know what it is about actresses recently but so many of them are giving such brilliant performances. Many are better than men. This is very true of Natalie Portman. This performance is not only the best in the film but one of the best ever. Simply astonishing. Not only does she have to deal with the mental stability of her character but learn ballet as well and all the difficulties that come with that. Mila Kunis is nicely proving herself to be an excellent actress too. Moving away from Jackie on 'That 70's Show'. She has mostly done comedy so it is good to see her stretch herself with drama. Vincent Cassel does a good job of playing his usual sleazy Frenchman. Barbara Hershey we sadly don't get to see much of lately so it is a pleasure to see her, especially when she is this good.

As long as you don't go in expecting a nice ballet movie then you should appreciate this brilliant film with one of the best performances ever.

Tamara Drewe

We have had many films adapted from graphic novels. Most have been about action heroes or comic book characters but now we get one that's a comedy.

There is something about people who live in small towns, or villages if your in England, that makes them so insular. Once something or someone arrives that is different it really changes their whole lifestyle. Which is why they are so popular for film makers. Tamara Drewe is one of those sexy prodigal daughters who can has a history with the village and so shakes things up quite a lot. Director Stephen Frears has crafted an excellent ensemble comedy that is full of clever and witty dialogue. I did however feel that the second half of the film dragged a bit and could have been tightened. Otherwise this is a charming and deliciously clever comedy.

It is great that Gemma Artiton is branching out in the types of films that she does. She has a real knack for comedy as is evidenced here. While Gemma is listed first this is a real ensemble film. Roger Allum is a distinguished actor who has been in many English films. He plays the sleazy husband role really well here and you come to hate him. The big surprise for me though is Tamsin Greig. I have been a fan of hers from the TV series 'Black Books' where she held her own comedic ally with two funny men. Here she shows a slightly more dramatic side and is brilliant. I loved her performance.

A really delightful English comedy that proves the small village can provide some of the best comedy.

Blue Valentine

My regular readers will know that I'm quite a romantic at heart and appreciate a good love story. This film is one that looks at two extremes of romance.

This film is about a couple who fall in and out of love. It jumps backwards and forwards between the two. Which makes it a really heartbreaking experience. As you watch Dean and Cindy in the early stages of their relationship we also see them in the closing stages and your heart breaks as you watch them filled with so much promise but knowing that things will not end well. The story is real. These feel like real people who are going through this. None of it feels manufactured. The way they talk and the way they perform feels almost like you are watching a documentary. This is testament to the brilliant direction of Derek Cianfrance

A film like this is all about the performances. And we have two of the best here. Ryan Gosling has always been an amazing actor, choosing roles that make him stand out. Which he certainly does here. His character, Dean, is a man who does not want to grow up. In the 'end of the relationship' scenes Dean behaves more like his daughter than an adult. But he still tries his best to reach out to Cindy to keep his relationship going. But as Cindy, Michelle Williams has had enough. She does not need a second child and is being given an opportunity to maybe leave and follow her dreams. She must struggle to decide if she wants to stay with Dean or more on. Something that Dean does not make easy. As mentioned above the film feels real and so do the performances. You don't feels like you are watching actors.

If you want a romantic film that is not as fake as you normally see in most Hollywood films (not that it is a bad thing) then you must see this film. It is a real story about how easily romance can come and go.

Tangled

Disney has finally reached the magic milestone of their 50th animated film. In true Disney tradition they turn to a classic fairytale for the story.

Rapunzel is one of those stories that I'm surprised that no one has tackled before. It has all the ingredients that Disney love for their animated films. Which Disney use to wonderful effect. I found the film very slow to start and get into. Part of the reason is the music. I did not find them all that great with only one song being really catchy. If the rumours are to be believed the story was worked on quite a lot to steer it away from being too girly. The creators have done an excellent job of that and bumped up the character of Flynn. This makes the film more of a buddy comedy which just happens to feature a princess. You pretty much know where the story is going and there are no surprises or major twists. However it is a charming and delightful journey that grows on you as it goes along. Much like the characters in the film. You can tell that John Lasseter has brought his immeasurable influence to the Disney animation studio he now runs.

Unlike some other animated films 'Tangled had voice actors whose names do not over shadow the voices of their characters, which is the case here. Both Mandy Moore and Zachary Levi are excellent. Mandy brings sweetness and naivety to her role. While Zachary brings great brashness and that roguish quality his character requires. I also loved Donna Murphy who looked and sounded a lot like Bebe Neuwirth.

The true Disney tradition continues with this very traditionally Disney movie. While the music is not very memorable the characters certainly are.

The Tourist

Last year the main idea in Hollywood seemed to be making action/romance films. With 'Knight And Day' and 'Killers'. Now comes the third one.

When I saw the trailer for this film I thought it looked exactly like 'Knight And Day'. This was both a blessing and a curse. While the film turned out to not be anything like 'Knight And Day', but in saying that it meant I expected a lot more action. And a lot more thrilling. The film turned out to be very ordinary and lacked thrills. This was really disappointing considering the talent involved. A few years ago Florian Henckel Von Donnersmarck (I love that name) made the brilliant film 'The Lives Of Others' and so we all had high expectations for this film. Sadly it does not live up to them. I'm not sure if he had a lot of studio interference but this film lacks anything special that would make it good. The characters are very typical and the action is not all that thrilling. I also expected the story to be a bit more complex. I did not find the twists all that surprising. Some came as being quite obvious.

It is a good thing that the film has a good look looking cast to look at. Angelina seems to be cruising through this film playing that being cool character she always does. I think I prefer Johnny Depp when he is playing a character and not an ordinary person. It gives him something more to work with which is lacking in this film. I did however like Paul Pettany, even if he was playing a very cliched role.

Does not live up to the expectations you expect from this cast and this director. All the action is in the trailer and there are no great surprises.

Manhattan + Hannah And Her Sisters

For these two films Woody Allen writes from what he knows and creates characters played by himself that are writers for a TV show who are going through a crisis.

The other similarity to his real life self, at least in 'Manhattan', is that he dates much younger women. 'Manhattan' has one of the best openings for a film. The wonderful use of music with Gershwin's 'Rhapsody In Blue' and the images of New York are brilliantly edited together. Luckily the film lives up to the opening. The idea of a man in his 40's dating a 17 year-old girl will creep some people out but if you can get past that then this is a typically witty Woody Allen film about a neurotic man going through a crisis. This time he is torn between his love for his young girlfriend and his friend's mistress. There is very little plot to speak of and is just about the relationship between these people. Woody, though can write some really clever lines so it is a very funny film.

'Hannah And Her Sisters' is a similar type of film but is more of an ensemble piece. Woody is in it and is even more neurotic as a hypochondriac writer this time. He shares his character traits around this time. Instead of one character struggling to work out who they love we have several. Everyone seems to not be interested in the person they are with. Once again Woody imbues the script with clever lines and some cleverly written characters.

Woody is once again Woody in all the films he is in. So not much has changed. Diane Keaton is excellent in 'Manhattan'. Woody can certainly write great characters for women. Which is why he has a knack for getting his actresses Academy Awards. Dianne Wiest has got two from Woody's films and 'Hannah' was her first. Equally as good on the male side is Michael Caine in 'Hannah'

Another very good pair of Woody Allen films. Full of wonderful, witty dialogue and great characters that are brought to life by excellent performances.

Unstoppable

Director Tony Scott once again teams up with his favourite actor and once again they both go playing with a train set.

Tony Scott has not been one of my favourite directors of late. He has been using the same visual style which is fine for a few films but gets rather annoying after a while. It is not so bad in this film which is good. The story and plot are pretty simple. You know pretty much where it is going the whole time. The characters are not very complex. While there is some back story it is quite thin. The main character in the film is the train. Despite all this it is still a really thrilling movie. I found it to be quite tense towards the end.

I'm really surprised that Tony was able to talk Denzel into doing this film. Denzel usually does films with characters that have a lot more depth. He has nothing to work with here and is only human ballast for the runaway train. He spends the entire film in a train compartment. He does a good job of it though. Chris Pine too works well with the little scope given to his character as well.

An excellent and fun action thriller. Just do not expect much by way of character. This film is all about the train.

Gulliver's Travels

Hollywood has once again taken a classic novel and turned it into a modern film. This time it is the Jonathan Swift classic.

I have this really weird habit of reading books that I have heard are going to be turned into films. Sometimes it gives me a chance to read classics I may not normally read. I know that in this case the film would bear no resemblance to the original book, but I decided to read it anyway. I was pretty disappointed with the book as it came across as very dry and not as exciting as I'd hoped. What surprised me was that it had built in sequels for the makers of this film to exploit if the film became successful. The books basic concept has been used as well as one crude moment from the book. The problem is that they have tried to make a family film but only made it fun for kids. I can see kids loving this film but not adults. The humour is very low brow and the type that kids love. There is not much here for adults to enjoy. It is just an excuse for Jack Black to go stomping around a small country. I also found the editing of the film to be very weird. They seem to cut short scenes and some don't flow together.

Jack Black is one of those actors who is hit and miss with me. I seem to prefer when he playing a character as opposed to someone who is more like him. I did not find him all that funny here as he is just taking advantage of a gullible group of people. The people of Lilliput are made up of some of the best comedic talent that the UK has to offer. But I'm not sure why they signed on. They are not required to be funny but just be straight people to Jack's jokes. Chris O'Dowd gets most of the comedy and is quite good. If nothing else it will help raise his profile. Billy Connolly and Catherine Tate do virtually nothing.

If you have seen the trailer then you know what your in for with this film. Don't expect very sophisticated humour. Only for the really devoted Jack Black fan and small children.

Sarah's Key

For my next film in 2011 I'm staying in France again and learning about a devastating incident from World War II.

After all these years and so many films it still amazes me that film makers can still find events we have not explored yet on film from World War II. The film looks at an incident in Paris where Jews were rounded up by French police and lock up in a velodrome before being taken to camps. The fact that it was French police doing it and not the Nazis makes it more horrific. The story is brilliantly told as a detective story with a woman, Julia, investigating the life of a girl, Sarah, who was rounded up. The fact that she tried to help her brother makes it so incredibly emotional. As we discover each of the clues to what happened to Sarah it leads to some devastating conclusions. It is also nice to have someone moving into a house and not being haunted by ghosts. However, the ghosts here are more metaphorical rather than literal. My only problem with the film is that we are not told why the French did the rounding up and not the Nazis. Obviously they were coerced but it would have been nice to find out why.

Kristen Scott Thomas is a brilliant English actress who has been getting more mark in France these days. It means she can get excellent work like this. Plus she is multi-lingual which helps with her character. Kristen makes a great detective haunted by personal turmoil.

Another incident from history that is told in a wonderful way. An incredibly emotional story that is told in an interesting way.

Heartbreaker

In my first film for 2011 I traveled to France specifically Monaco in this romantic comedy.

The only annoying thing about some French films is that as In watch them I cannot help but imagine what the inevitable Hollywood remake is going to be. I cast the film in my head (I have a good brother/sister pair of actors for this film) and pick locations. But it does not stop me from enjoying them. The plot is very predictable and you know exactly where it is going at every turn. So the joy is not in the destination but in the journey. The writers have crafted a very clever script that utilises some funny situations and has witty dialogue. Director Pascal Chaumeil certainly makes good use of the beautiful locations as well. The French have so many wonderful places right on their door step that they love to show off in their films.

Romain Duris is one of those actors who I'm surprised has not been in Hollywood yet (I've got a role in the remake of this film for him too). He is very versatile and can do both comedy and drama. He uses his charm and comedic talents here to great success. Sadly we have not seen much of Vanessa Paradis lately so it is nice to see her. She does nicely as the straight man to Romain's comedy.

Another delightful French comedy that is sure to be remade. Make sure you go see it. Let me know if you want my casting choices.

My Top 10 Favourite Films Of 2010

I have to say that I was quite impressed with this year in movies. I had a hard time compiling this list. There were many note worthy films that did not quite make it. I had very few films that I really hated this year, which must be a good thing. It was also a good year for Aussie films. I'm trying not to get my hopes up too much for one of them being nominated for an Oscar.

And now here they are in reverse order:

10. A Single Man A film that is not only beautifully visually but in story as well. Colin Firth will no doubt win the Oscar for 'The King's Speech' but could have easily won for this film as well.

9. Nine I know this seems an odd choice but for some reason this film spoke to me. I loved the music and songs. I also loved seeing Daniel Day Lewis doing something light-hearted. The concept of an artist struggling to create something and being constantly distracted was something I could relate to.

8. Four Lions I'm a huge fan of black comedies anf you don't get much blacker than this. The idea of making a comedy about suicide bombers shocks many people but it is this type of bravery that makes me love the film so much. It is also really hilarious.

7. The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo My only regret with this film is that I did not read the book before hand. I have trouble reading books after seeing the film so won't be able to read it. But otherwise this film totally blew me away. The Hollywood remake certainly has a lot to live up to.

6. Scott Pilgrim Vs. The World Edgar Wright once again proves he is a brilliant film maker. Filled with so many clever scenes and lines and little touches that fill you with joy. All this despite not being a game player and still appreciating it.

5. Animal Kingdom Simply one of the greatest Australian films ever made. Beautifully written and directed with two of the best performances of the year. Ben Mendolson is stunningly evil and so is Jacky Weaver. Fingers crossed come Oscar nomination time.

4. The Hurt Locker I still have memories of how I felt when coming out of the cinema after seeing this film. Many people can get a high from taking drugs or alcohol but for me the high comes from seeing filmatic perfection. The fact that it beat 'Avatar' at the Oscars just made it even better.

3. The Social Network I was a fan of Aaron Sorkin before this film but now he has my unconditional love. David Fincher also uses some wonderful directoral flourishes that are brilliant. Then there is the performance of Jesse Eisenberg.

2. Toy Story 3 Pixar can do no wrong. It would have been interesting to see what movie Disney would have made if they did not buy Pixar. Just thinking about some of the scenes in this film make me want to cry. Goodbye Woody and Buzz, we will always love you.

1. Inception It is a good thing that 'The Dark Knight' was so successful, because I tend to think we may not have seen this film. Such a unique concept is very rare in Hollywood these days and deserves all the praise it can get.

Well that is it everyone. What do you think?

Little Fockers

Has former CIA agent Jack Byrnes finally come to like and appreciate his son-in-law Gaylord Focker? We will find out in the next instalment of this comedy series.

Much like most of the world I was pleasantly surprised by the film 'Meet The Parents'. While the premise was familiar, it had enough charm and honest humour that made it so much better than you expected. A few years later they followed with the equally good 'Meet The Fockers' (I tend to think part of the popularity of this series is the title which gives some people the excuse to accidentally swear). Now after a bit of a gap we get another installment. Sadly this is one of those situations where you can really only get two films worth of mileage out of a concept. Once you have met the parents from both sides of the family there is not much else to explore. Which is why this film does not live up to expectations. By now we know Jack hates Gaylord and that it is not really going to change. Gaylord needs to understand that he will never win Jack's approval no matter what he does. This maybe alright for the film if it was funny but the makers of this film cannot seem to come up with too many good situations or funny lines to make the film good enough. There are also subplots, like anew house that Gaylord is having renovated that could have provided more comedic potential but wasn't. A few of the 'boner medication' jokes are good but most of it we have seen before.

The regular cast of the series pretty much play their roles as expected. None of them do anything terribly special to make them stand out. Owen Wilson gets a lot more screen time and just extends his role as a rival to Gaylord. Another concept which is wearing thin. Laura Dern gets a few good laughs from her minor role. What I hated the most about this film was Jessica Alba. Her character really irritated me and came across as far too annoying. I think for her role to be effective she needed to be less over the top in her pursuit of Gaylord. If they could have developed more innocent situations for them to be involved in that accidentally caused problems. Rather than such obvious ones where you can see the jokes coming.

While I like the closure of a trilogy, this is not a film series that needed a third outing. Perhaps if they tried a bit harder in coming up with a better concept it may have worked better.

The King's Speech

Film makers are working their way slowly through all the members of the British Royal family. We now look at some recent events with King George VI.

These days we are constantly bombarded with stories in the tabloids about the Royal Family. Writers of these publications make up stories about what is happening in their lives based on little bits of information they can gather from sources who work behind the scenes. That is sort of the case here with films but it is done in a more credible way. The story of Prince Albert's stutter is an amazing one of a man who trying to live a low key life (as low key as he can being a member of the Royal Family) but through various circumstances gets thrust into the spotlight. He had a hard time meeting the expectations of his father and so developed a stutter. It took an unassuming Aussie to help him out. I was constantly thinking throughout the film about how a member of the Royal Family would cope today if they had an affliction like this. Luckily for Bertie the media was only in its infancy and so he was scrutinised as he would have today. There is a scene where Elizabeth (the Queen Mum) is searching for Lionel's office and you can't imagine that happening today without a team of photographers following her. David Seidler has definitely written a very clever script. It is full of some great dialogue and the story uses the events to craft a wonderful plot.

The real star of this film is the cast. This is the type of film that lets that lets the actors really show their skills. It would have to be one of the best cast films in a long time. Colin Firth is really choosing some great roles for himself lately. It would have been incredibly difficult to speak with a stutter that makes it seem real and not a joke. Which is why he will no doubt win the Oscar this year. We all know how brilliant Geoffrey Rush is and this film just confirms it. He brings the wonderful Aussie spirit to his character that makes him so relatable. Helena Bonham Carter has been playing so many crazy characters lately that it is nice to see her playing someone more refined and sensible. She is a lot more subdued than we're used to which kind of makes her stand out more.

Not only a wonderfully uplifting story but some of the best pieces of acting we've seen lately. Sure to rack up lots of awards in the coming months.

Love & Other Drugs

Director Edward Zwick takes a break from all his dramatic, epic dramas to make a nice romantic comedy/drama.

The topic of drug companies hawking their wares to doctors as a quick fix for problems is an interesting one that I don't think has been explored all that often in film. It was very refreshing to see it here but I was a little disappointed that it did not dig very deep. The main plot of the film is the romance between Jamie and Maggie and the problems they have because Maggie is sick. So while they explore the issue of drug companies it is not done in as scathing way as I would have liked. Now that is not to say the film is bad because the main plot is excellent. I'm a big softy for romantic films and so I really responded to it. It really makes you think about your relationship and whether you would stay with someone if they got really sick. Most films if one of the couple is sick then you kind of know they are going to die, but here Jamie must decide if he can handle being with someone who is going to be sick for the rest of her life. This makes for many emotional scenes which made me very emotional as well.

This is the type of role that Jake Gyllenhaal was made for. He is brilliant at being the charming suave guy who can charm women to get what he wants. Being good looking helps as well. He can also be funny when it is required as well as dramatic. Anne Hathaway is also perfect for her role as well. The confident young woman trying to hide her disease. She does such a brilliant job of playing the illness but not in a smothering way so it gets too much. Oliver Platt is once again a joy to see in anything he does. And Josh Gad makes a wonderful comic relief character.

A wonderful romantic comedy/drama that while not as scathing on the pharmaceutical companies as you'd like but better on the romantic side.