Archive for the ‘Movies’ Category

My Blueberry Nights

Seriously, I tried to watch this movie but had to wash the dishes and do the ironing at the same time to even attempt it.

The dialogue is third rate from the very beginning, the acting is atrocious, the film is so full of clichés and really obvious devices masquerading as something deep and meaningful that I felt insulted!

The ingredients were there for at least a half decent movie – the settings, some decent actors, interesting themes…but somehow the result was an amateur level script and pointless over stylised camera work.

Total rubbish. I’d fire my agent.

Into The Wild

Into The Wild has a lot of things going for it: great cinematography, beautiful Alaskan scenery, a terrific soundtrack by Eddie Vedder, solid casting and an extremely moving true story. It’s probably going to appeal more to males than females as it tells the tale of a troubled young man who goes on an epic journey across The States to find answers and escape his life.

He travels from North to South on a shoe string, encounters fascinating characters who all have something to offer him in the way of friendship and guidance, and attempts to live the life of a huntsman in the Alaskan Wilderness.

Parts of the movie do jar a little, there’s some ridiculous dialogue and events that let the story down, but on the whole it’s almost a classic.

****

Quantum Of Solace trailers and video clips on Yahoo! Movies

Looking at the new trailer, it looks like we get to see more of the new Bond who Daniel Craig brought to us in Casino Royale. Fantastc sets, cars, stunts, and of course the new Bond girl (Olga Kurylenko)….I hope it lives up to expectations.

Link to trailers

Laitakaupungin valot (Lights in the Dusk)

The third installment in the “Loser” trilogy by Aki Kaurismaki delivers pretty much what you expect after having seen the other two films.

The visual style again shows great love and nostalgia for the 50’s, the interior shots painted in lovely shades of muted red, green and blue. In this film the effect is slightly oddly juxtaposed as Kaurismaki shows alot of shots around the shopping malls and subways around central Helsinki, which clearly place us in the present day.

We get weighed down as we watch the loser protagonist trying to get ahead in life and the sparse dialogues with lengthy pauses and 1000 yard stares. There are moments of relief, like the glorious answer given to a girl when she asks the protagonist what prison was like. Although I think it only really works well in Finnish.

Not bad, but a bit tedious and obscure.

Collateral

I’d seen this movie before, but I don’t think I’d quite grasped just how well it was shot. The cinematography and camerawork is truly amazing, it sets an incredible mood and tone for the whole movie, which raises it high above the level of the script (a bit like Miami Vice, altho the script for that really was shit).

Makes you want to drive late at night. Just not a cab.