tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-335276782024-02-19T09:12:54.761+00:00Charlene's Film BlogPlease leave a comment if you like or dislike something I've written! I love feedback.
Enjoy!Charlenehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09243423154353221962noreply@blogger.comBlogger203125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33527678.post-65206063570638019322014-05-27T23:49:00.001+01:002014-05-29T15:56:50.828+01:00How We Love Now: Don Jon and Her<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5QP2GuDwItPJcjt6VW5DQuKXdihiRZw5rdcxBVospie20eboqvcl25u4ODCOuzvYVxs35PAEiZLoruYIg6NYSvbeIDSs8KMk4mE8eP9dkCdxnPvkC_Y6EmhMeIY0S4SyEtBQh/s1600/don+jon.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5QP2GuDwItPJcjt6VW5DQuKXdihiRZw5rdcxBVospie20eboqvcl25u4ODCOuzvYVxs35PAEiZLoruYIg6NYSvbeIDSs8KMk4mE8eP9dkCdxnPvkC_Y6EmhMeIY0S4SyEtBQh/s1600/don+jon.jpg" height="200" width="400" /></a></div>
It’s time
to say goodbye to old-fashioned ideas about love. Gone are the days when
society deemed love acceptable only when it ended in marriage and procreation.
Finding a partner is becoming a far more tailored affair. Not too long ago (and
still prevailing in some cases) the idea of two people of the same gender
falling in love was deemed wrong simply because it didn’t end in procreation.<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-IE" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-IE;">Nowadays,
the family unit has become a different thing. Women have entered the workforce,
resulting in an enormous upheaval in the way society as a whole works. The
family unit is not the only structure that shapes our lives anymore. It’s a
fact - for better or worse. And I’m certainly not decrying the shake-up of the
traditional family structure. It’s fine. Whatever works! But it does beg the
question, if we’re not falling in love because we are socially conditioned to,
then why do we? And with the male-female dynamic in society so monumentally
altered, where does that leave men?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-IE" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-IE;">Two recent
films have raised this very issue. Both take a look at the changing world and
also how our increasing reliance on the internet as a social tool can give us a
warped view of who we and more importantly who other people, are. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguGdUwVuGOGysQWsboCNUETuMwfIeMJ-wJbENzNWes07FfO_AUMGfFa_nAlSZm_znMzjaO-qqOacUJdps-EhYYbNytC2hNlM5ejau0YeZCYX20IaCJdvxnCz7PWHtHrXrmp-P_/s1600/her+film.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguGdUwVuGOGysQWsboCNUETuMwfIeMJ-wJbENzNWes07FfO_AUMGfFa_nAlSZm_znMzjaO-qqOacUJdps-EhYYbNytC2hNlM5ejau0YeZCYX20IaCJdvxnCz7PWHtHrXrmp-P_/s1600/her+film.jpg" height="200" width="400" /></a><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span lang="EN-IE" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-IE;">Don Jon </span></i><span lang="EN-IE" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-IE;">was received with a lukewarm shrug as it
swaggered on to our screens last year. Marketed as a bit of a lads flick, or a
rom-com, neither of which were accurate, there is undeniably an air of smugness
about this film that could potentially make it difficult to like. However, this
film, more than any other film I saw last year, has stayed with me. Possibly
only due to my frustration at the lacklustre reception but I feel it needs
defending. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span lang="EN-IE" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-IE;">Don Jon</span></i><span lang="EN-IE" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-IE;"> introduces us to a typical douchebag Jon and
his douchebag friends. Jon takes pride in his pad, his ride, his girls, gym,
his family and his church. He likes things to be perfect, he takes care of
himself and he judges everybody else by his own high standards. When he meets Barbara (Scarlett Johanssen) she is “a ten”. Beautiful, no-nonsense, ready to whip
him into shape and make him man enough for her to marry and build a life with.
She sends him back to college to better himself and lays the ground rules about
internet porn. Here’s the thing. Jon likes porn better than sex. Less hassle to
whack one out to a video than the real thing. Women look better on camera than
flat on their backs anyway, right? <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-IE" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-IE;">As we wait
for this rom-com to predictably see them break down at his weaknesses then
regroup because he realises the error of his ways, something strange happens.
Jon realises that he doesn’t need her and decides to get to know himself better
and become comfortable with who he is before trying to allow a woman to decide
what’s best for him.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-IE" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-IE;">Not since <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Fight Club</i> has there been a film that
discusses masculism and the crisis of modern
masculinity in such depth. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-IE" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-IE;">Jon is a
man, like so many others, who doesn’t know his place in the world and starts to
ask himself questions about what it means to be a man. As a result of these
questions, he engages in a relationship with Julianne Moore who teaches him
something nobody ever really bothered to before. Sex is about love. About
emotional connection. Otherwise it’s just mutual masturbation.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-IE" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-IE;">Joseph
Gordon Levitt has crafted a film here which discusses the place of the modern
man in today’s shaken up society. In all the ways that for years films and
music and books have screamed at women that they need to love themselves and
not allow a man to become the centre of their world and to be who they are,
etc, this is a film that allows men that indulgence. Don’t always feel pressure
to “man up”, to prove yourself. Learn to love yourself and let go of your
vanities and those walls and figure out what works for you!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-IE" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-IE;">A small but
vital part of Jon’s character which is never addressed is his tendency toward
obsessive compulsive behaviour. Though it is never driven home, Jon’s penchant
for extreme neatness and routine and perfection does indicate some mental
health issues. Not to mention issues of Catholic guilt and pressures to conform to traditional family values that stem from his family.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-IE" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-IE;">The softer,
warmer Jon we see towards the end of the film is a man who is happy being
himself and who has figured out how to love; by letting yourelf
indiscriminately care for someone.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-IE" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-IE;">Another
film that looks at the way in which love is changing is Spike Jonze’s
delightful oddity <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Her. </i>Set in a not
too distant future where hipsters have seemingly taken over the planet, <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Her </i>tells the story of lonely Theodore Twombley
(an extraordinary Joaquin Phoenix), recently separated from a wife he adores
and employed as a proxy writer of love letters, the online equivalent of a
Cyrano De Bergerac. A hopeless romantic and a man in dire need of connection,
Theodore</span> sets up the new operating system on his phone, a kind of Siri idea, a very
connected, very sophisticated artificial intelligence that exudes warmth,
curiosity and humour not previously found in an OS. Over time, and they show us
this in excruciating detail, allowing us time to see that this is a genuine
love affair and not some perversion, we see Theodore and Sam slowly become genuine
companions, laughing together, being kind to each other, helping each other
grow, all the things one could ever want in a real relationship. They are in
love.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-IE" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-IE;">Spike Jonze
is asking us the question, in this day and age when social pressures are gone
and we are left with nobody to please but ourselves, can we indulge such
companionships? What does artifical mean anyway when technology is so advanced.
Spike Jonze is a forward thinker, leaving us room to entertain the questions
and ideas being presented in a non judgmental fashion. This is not science
fiction. This is romance, pure and simple. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-IE" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-IE;">The end of
the film doesn’t leave us with any simple answers either. Jonze is forcing us
to look at ourselves and what we want in life and from relationships and
question the time we spend with our computer each day. To my mind though, he’
not lecturing us. He is asking us to think about it.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-IE" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-IE;">Both films
are doing a straight-forward thing. They are showing a man’s journey through love:
both completely opposite men. One a brazen man-child, the other an old-fashioned
romantic. But their journeys are similar. Jon’s is certainly more fulfilling
than Theodore’s. In fact, it’s probably more accurate to say Theodore doesn’t go on a
journey, we do.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-IE" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-IE;">It’s about
time we start to think about how the world is changing. There are still people
getting married, having babies and buying houses in the suburbs but more and
more, the traditional two-parent one bread-winner pattern is being upended. So,
if not out of habit or out of necessity, why do we fall in love? Why do we
marry? Now that the working world is becoming more of an equal playing field
how does this affect the male-female dymanic in society?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-IE" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-IE;">What does
it mean to be a man? <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Fight Club</i>
discusses this in a very extreme way. Edward Norton’s “Narrator” is a ghost in
a world that doesn‘t know what to do with him. Jon in <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Don Jon</i> has built a world of which he is very definitely a part,
but he has built it out of habit and he is only now asking what he really
wants.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Theodore is a man who needs a
companion to feel complete. He is finding new ways to love in the absence of a
physical companion. Again, if we’re not coming together to make babies then
what is it that we REALLY want?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-IE" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-IE;">Two films
that ask questions as a form of comment but in a completely non-judgmental
fashion; <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Don Jon </i>and <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Her </i>are first and foremost character
studies. They present us with very well realised men with very well thought out
neuroses and psychological nuances. Perhaps these filmmakers aren’t the male
equivalent of The Spice Girls yelling “Girl Power” but they are a call to
action to men to look at themselves and know that you don’t’ have to<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>be your father, you just have to be yourelf.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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Charlenehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09243423154353221962noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33527678.post-21977548404233994772014-05-27T23:39:00.003+01:002014-05-27T23:39:20.134+01:00My Favourite Films of 2013It was agonising to cut this list down to ten from an original list of thirty-five brilliant films. I've changed my mind a hundred times and no doubt I'll change it again. I tried and failed to put this list in some kind of order but I jut couldn't figure it out so let's just enjoy each film for it's own merits and not worry about choosing favourites.<br />
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<b>Django Unchained</b></div>
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Quentin Tarantino has olways been admired as an audacious filmmaker, sometimes deservedly, but more often than not (in my opinion) he is just being violent/flashy/weird/bad/controverial/obnoxious. To me, <i>Django Unchained</i> is his first really important work since <i>Pulp Fiction</i>. While it is similar in tone to <i>Inglorious Basterds,</i> I thought that film felt kind of phony whereas this film really had something to say. While it was just as flashy and obnoxiously aggressive as his other films, Django took a rather mature look at the complicated mess that was slavery in America in the 19th Century. Samuel L Jackson's character of Steven was probably the most important character in cinema this year. You have to hand it to him, not many filmmakers would have the balls to present a character like that to the world. Fair play!</div>
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<b>The Place Beyond The Pines</b></div>
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It was a love it or loathe it kind of film and it seemed to me that the balance lay in your opinion of the third act. Many felt the final act of the film was a bit meandering but in my opinion it was what made it special. All three layers of the plot worked for me. The story was woven together so beautifully and the crisis of masculinity, in the form of fathers and sons was laid bare for all to see in the most lovely, poetic way. Now, I'm certainly not a fan of Ryan Gosling. I'm one of the few ladies who just doesn't get it but I have to say he was utterly magnetic as the dumb, down on his luck biker. Likewise, Bradley Cooper was magnificent as a cop struggling with his sense of morality. A truly unique film, Derek Cianfrance knocked it out of the park with his second feature. Can't wait to see what he does next.</div>
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<b>Iron Man 3</b></div>
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Finally! A comic book movie that really did it right. Hilarious, emotional, clever and full of great action sequences, Iron Man 3 brought this franchise back in a big way! Feeling very much like vintage Shane Black, RDJ is as charming as ever and it goes to show that the answer to a great blockbuster lies very much in having a whopper script! Best Marvel film ever.</div>
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<b>A Hijacking</b></div>
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Although <i>A Hijacking</i> was outshone by another excellent high seas pirate movie, <i>Captain Phillips,</i> it was by far the better of the two films. Written and directed by Tobias Lindholm, writer of last year's <i>The Hunt</i>, <i>A Hijacking</i> spends half its time on the boat and half its time in the boardroom with the corporation who is negotiating with the pirates. Completely non-judgmental of the negotiators yet pointing out the very clear differences between classes, this gut-wrenchingly tense drama left me in tatters with a subtly brilliant final shot that really hit home the films central thesis.</div>
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<b>The Kings of Summer</b></div>
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Again, a film that was overshadowed by another similar film, <i>The Kings of Summer </i>unfortunately fell under the shadow of Jim Rash and Nat Faxon's inferior <i>The Way Way Back </i>and the also excellent <i>Mud</i> from Jeff Nichols. But it was <i>The Kings of Summer </i>for me by a mile. The sense of effortlessness that this films easy charm portrays is doubly incredible given that this is a first time director, Jordon Vogt-Roberts. The young cast are amazing and the film manages to make the "McLovin"-esque weird kid utterly believable and not even annoying! Everything about this little film worked for me. It had a sense of wonder and passion that is rarely captured by films about kids and made me long for those lazy, hazy days and hope against hope that there are young men like these out there somewhere. A true snowflake of a movie.</div>
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<b>Maniac</b></div>
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I'm the very one who is constantly banging on about pointless remakes and on paper a remake of William Lustig's grind-house masterpiece is about as pointless as they come. But on screen Franck Khalfoun has created something quite lovely. Contemporary and different from the original in all the ways it needs to be, <i>Maniac, </i>sees a very likeable Elijah Wood stalk the streets of L.A. scalping young women and making mannequins of them. How is that likeable you ask? Well, therein lies the alchemy at work in this film. Elijah Wood's doe-like face make you want to mother him and hope that he'll find a better path. Of course, that's not going to happen and therefore the film gives you an emotional "in" that is rarely found in horror. Also, the music and cinematography are as handsome a you'll find anywhere this year.</div>
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<b>Blue Jasmine</b></div>
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When he's great, he's great. And this time, he's REALLY great! Woody Allen hasn't made anything this good since the 80's and this modernised <i>Streetcar</i> is both funny, insightful and packs a serious emotional punch in the form as the ever-fading Jasmine, played splendidly by Cate Blanchett. The final scene on the park bench is worth your tenner alone. </div>
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<b>Prisoners</b></div>
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This truly magnificent thriller from Canadian filmmaker Denis Villeneuve is a sad dissection of the ways in which we (often badly) deal with pain. The title ties the films themes together so nicely that it almost makes it's theses sound simple. But they're not. This is a complex look at the evil that men do and the places that these evils come from. They're not from a god or a devil, they're from pain. I wouldn't call it anti-religion but it is certainly dismissive of ideas that anyone is responsible for your actions except yourself. Jake Gyllenhaal, Hugh Jackman and the rest of the cast play a stormer here with material that must be the stuff of wet dreams for actors. And Roger Deakins does a phenomenal job as per usual.</div>
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<b>Short Term 12</b></div>
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Brie Larson...where did you COME FROM? Hands down, breakout of the year! This very simple tale of lovely young people who work in a home for young tearaway teenagers is surprisingly fantastic. Mostly due to the central performance by a heartbreaking Brie Larson who plays an intelligent and resourceful care-worker whose own tragic issues bubble under the surface. I know, I know, this doesn't sound great but really it is. </div>
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<b>Don Jon</b></div>
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I know this wasn't exactly revered upon release. I wasn't too sure about it myself the first time I watched it. I liked it, thought it was charming and interesting but on second viewing I really thought there was some phenomenal stuff going on with this film. A film about connections and expectations and what it means to be a man. I'd go so far as to say there hasn't been a discussion this deep about modern masculinity since Fight Club. Some have accused the film of being shallow and accused it's central character Jon of being a cartoon. And he is. But he's only a cartoon until he starts to become an actual person. Quite clever script-writing actually I think.</div>
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Charlenehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09243423154353221962noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33527678.post-71761389251697206332013-07-18T23:33:00.002+01:002014-03-18T23:11:52.337+00:00Interview with Jesse Eisenberg for Now You See Me<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvNTedhP0EIzE-Vyf_jtzRmZHppCjeAvbDivffhbeR9feKmxvdF36ZeZ3lp_0c0IJ2HGX_oqy3eKYnadz0Qx9I0USzzPOTR99PAxnO_YyYt-gEi3wHwLjQSEhL_MbrqdWC9Tol/s1600/jesse+eisenberg.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvNTedhP0EIzE-Vyf_jtzRmZHppCjeAvbDivffhbeR9feKmxvdF36ZeZ3lp_0c0IJ2HGX_oqy3eKYnadz0Qx9I0USzzPOTR99PAxnO_YyYt-gEi3wHwLjQSEhL_MbrqdWC9Tol/s1600/jesse+eisenberg.jpg" /></a></div>
It's rare that I come in contact with a genuine movie star, and even more rare that it's one that admire as much as I admire Jesse Eisenberg. Along with giving one of my all-time favourite performances in what will probably be my favourite film of the decade, <i><a href="http://charlenefilmblog.blogspot.ie/2010/10/social-network.html" target="_blank">The Social Network</a></i> I'm also fascinated by any interviews I have read/watched with him. He always comes across clever and interesting, but intolerant of nonsense.<br />
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My fears of igniting his temper aside, when the opportunity presented itself to interview Jesse, I just couldn't resist. As it turns out my interviewing skills are pretty rusty but it's still a pretty delightful interview.<br />
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<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/Lw9tTEm9o6M" width="420"></iframe><br />
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<br />
Originally published on 4/7/2013 on Film Ireland<br />
<a href="http://filmireland.net/2013/07/04/interview-jesse-eisenberg-now-you-see-me/">http://filmireland.net/2013/07/04/interview-jesse-eisenberg-now-you-see-me/</a><br />
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- Charlene Lydon<br />
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<br />Charlenehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09243423154353221962noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33527678.post-90842591277441190862013-03-11T21:14:00.001+00:002013-03-11T21:26:04.591+00:00OZ, The Great and Powerful<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGZtrvr0n4kfoY83o1dHTJAtlpoWqs_lMsG_wNYFitDaYWzYWD4rOiKj2s1WG0EK6hVHr36MlPh-yz5PGXQVG8nPbHhTADoOkAiC0ctt7qC2Gx1RQz-ZISk9cTgfZUj_BNrsBw/s1600/oz.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="210" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGZtrvr0n4kfoY83o1dHTJAtlpoWqs_lMsG_wNYFitDaYWzYWD4rOiKj2s1WG0EK6hVHr36MlPh-yz5PGXQVG8nPbHhTADoOkAiC0ctt7qC2Gx1RQz-ZISk9cTgfZUj_BNrsBw/s400/oz.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<div style="background-color: ; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 18px; margin-bottom: 15px;">
<b>Written By:</b> Mitchell Kapner, David Lindsay Abair</div>
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<b>Directed By</b>: Sam Raimi</div>
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<b>Starring:</b> James Franco, Michelle Williams, Mila Kunis, Rachel Weisz</div>
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<b>Rating</b>: 7/10</div>
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<span style="color: #333333; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 12px; line-height: 18px;">I have to admit, I have a soft spot for the merry ol’ land of Oz, so off I went in my sparkly red shoes (egg on my face though, cos there wan’t a ruby slipper to be seen in Raimi’s version) to a Sunday morning family screening of Oz The Great and Powerful.</span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #333333; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 12px; line-height: 18px;">Raimi’s film is essentially the origin story for the wonderful wizard. Oz (Franco) is a selfish circus con-man whose tendency towards smoke and mirrors has left him devoid of any real sense of self. Like Dorothy, he is swept away in a cyclone and transported to a strange and magical world where he is soon recognised as the man who is destined to rule all of Oz. In order to gain the throne and a room full of gold, he must convince them, and himself, that he’s the man they need him to be</span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #333333; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 12px; line-height: 18px;">Knowing Sam Raimi and his tendency towards playfulness I was unsurprised but no less delighted to see him open his film with 4:3 monochrome, where it stayed until we enter Oz, where he then revealed in all its 3D glory, all the beauty and spectacle we would hope to see in Oz.</span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #333333; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 12px; line-height: 18px;">The plot sees three witches struggling for power over Oz (the place AND the man), one is beautiful, naïve Theodora (Kunis) who falls in love with Oz as she leads him to meet her sister Evanora so they can plot to kill the wicked witch who has been banished to the woods but they suspect to be planning an uprising. But things get complicated when he finds the “wicked witch” and she turns out to be the beautiful, wise and good Glinda The Good.</span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #333333; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 12px; line-height: 18px;">The production design, CGI effects and cinematography are absolutely beautiful throughout the film, which instantly removed the slight alarm bell of cynicism that might have existed in me around this project. But it’s clear from the outset that love and passion went into the aesthetic of this film. Special mention must go to Gary Jones for the unbelievably beautiful costume design. All the actors seem to be having a blast camping it up in their roles (does Franco ever really do anything else?) and it’s especially nice to see Michelle Williams in a happy film for once.</span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #333333; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 12px; line-height: 18px;">At almost two and a half hours, I couldn’t help but feel that the thin plot didn’t really warrant the lengthy running time, but having said that I absolutely adored so many aspects of the film that I never really wanted it to end. Raimi’s stamp is all over the film in the most wonderful ways! His flying cameras, his sharp visual wit and not to mention his horrifying witch and flying baboons, there’s plenty on display here to keep his fans happy. But what about the most important audience of all? The children. What’s in it for them? Magic, a cute monkey, a lovely little china doll, action, scary villains and most of all a wonderful sense of what epic 3D cinema should be. Big! From where I was sitting (which was surrounded by hundreds of children) they seemed very, very pleased with themselves. One thing it is missing though – singin’ and dancin’; but I guess I can’t have it all.</span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #333333; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 12px; line-height: 18px;"><i> - Originally published in Film Ireland: http://filmireland.net/2013/03/09/cinema-review-oz-the-great-and-powerful/</i></span></span></div>
Charlenehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09243423154353221962noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33527678.post-69329571214839242182013-01-01T15:56:00.000+00:002013-01-01T15:56:09.181+00:00A Rundown of Horror Films in 2012<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAvJ9D12XODxRUVwButMnLFa4adVbdJH9PqVI2ccnR6TDuUtVT5C0ertmT4VOiSKn8XkOa0dWgbHEuVlZkymujGYXZ7SOd3t1gKbKefKPCsl4Hlx3o0Y8WQ7f4zrUPxyigWBoT/s1600/rip+2012.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAvJ9D12XODxRUVwButMnLFa4adVbdJH9PqVI2ccnR6TDuUtVT5C0ertmT4VOiSKn8XkOa0dWgbHEuVlZkymujGYXZ7SOd3t1gKbKefKPCsl4Hlx3o0Y8WQ7f4zrUPxyigWBoT/s320/rip+2012.jpg" width="224" /></a></div>
Here's another little project I worked on this New Year's Eve. Another guest spot on the Under Your Bed podcast, this time discussing the best horror films of the past year.<br />
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I think both Bren and I agree that Cabin In The Woods is the year's best but we also discuss Grabbers, Sinister, Sightseers, Excision, Killer Joe and many other wonderful films. Enjoy! And check out the rest of the Under Your Bed podcasts. They're superb.<br />
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http://underyourbed.org/wp/blog/2012/12/31/the-horrorcast-episode-14-horror-2012/Charlenehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09243423154353221962noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33527678.post-44773620037023999192013-01-01T02:08:00.003+00:002013-01-01T16:00:15.317+00:00My Favourite Films of 2012<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwzC498lT4olhuoZPhvy1_KMhfWapKnYo_i94h3HSBUQiecIEvM_DBf6W6oLBFdtQa-_Kopw-XZBb8OB9dOXmjUg32UTKayMOOZbeCWdfn70_CeEs-EiPGfHqItZ797QrTKwH1/s1600/beasts_of_the_southern_wild_press.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="233" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwzC498lT4olhuoZPhvy1_KMhfWapKnYo_i94h3HSBUQiecIEvM_DBf6W6oLBFdtQa-_Kopw-XZBb8OB9dOXmjUg32UTKayMOOZbeCWdfn70_CeEs-EiPGfHqItZ797QrTKwH1/s400/beasts_of_the_southern_wild_press.jpg" width="400" /></a><span style="color: #222222; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><b>1. Beasts of the Southern Wild</b></span><br />
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<span style="color: #222222; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">My top three are pretty much a tie, but <i>Beasts</i> pips the others to the post because of its sheer boldness and the fact that it is a startling debut that came out of nowhere. This odd little film could just as easily have been terrible but with it's delicate blend of beauty, sadness and joy, Benh Zeitlin has brought us one of the most perfect films in recent memory. All of the facets of this strange world fit together beautifully, not least of which is the power of the lead actress Quvenzhané Wallis, who jumped into first place in my favourite child performance of all time (replacing Patty McCormack in The Bad Seed) chart. At the end of the day I have a feeling that this film, it’s fine performances and it’s bloody marvellous soundtrack will stay with me for a long, long time. See below for a sample of the beautiful soundtrack.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">His CV might be short but it is flawless. Andrew Dominik has made only three films,</span><span style="color: #222222; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"> </span><i style="color: #222222; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Chopper, The Assassination of Jesse James By The Coward Robert Ford </i><span style="color: #222222; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">and now</span><span style="color: #222222; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"> </span><i style="color: #222222; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Killing Them Softly</i><span style="color: #222222; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"> </span><span style="color: #222222; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">and his films just keep getting better and better. Receiving unfathomable mixed reviews upon its release, it seems that the films’ bleak economic backdrop might have been too on the nose for many but I found it refreshing to see America in such a stark light. I dare say that for future generations this will be the seminal film of this chapter of America’s history. A superb ensemble cast, a frankly stunning script and an atmosphere that chills to the bone. I’d pay good money for a spin-off following the exploits of Ben Mendelsohn and Scoot McNairy’s characters.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">As much as I loved Killer Joe I have to say I was pleasantly surprised to see how many other people did too. One of the most uncomfortable viewing experiences of my life, I was convinced that surely it was only my sick brain that could be so seduced by this trashy, unpleasant, nasty and vicious story. But no, other people are just as sick, it seems. In one fell swoop Matthew McConaughey’s name on a poster went from being the biggest turn-off to being the biggest incentive to see a film. His performance is unlike anything I have ever seen onscreen. I actually can’t even begin to compare it to something else. So slimy, so sleazy, so wise, so strangely sympathetic. Yurck! He leaves you wanting a shower with brillo pads. But I can’t help but allow my heart leap at that final shot. What is wrong with me???</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Ben Affleck has proven himself to be a wonderful filmmaker already but Argo is the one that has catapulted him to the top of the Most Wanted list. This tight, tense hostage drama is very much a Hollywood picture but it is certainly more of the Sidney Lumet calibre. Some were let down by its (presumably) exaggerated airport chase-scene finale but personally I enjoyed and respected the fact that it was wearing it’s “Hollywood” on its sleeve and at the end of the day it had fun with its own cinematic knowledge. Kudos to Affleck who also managed to balance the sober and the absurd quite beautifully.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="color: #222222;"><b>5. What Richard Did</b></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="color: #222222;">Ok, this one is a little bit close to my heart as I worked on the film at script stage when I worked in script development and watched it grow into a real film. I saw its rough cuts, final cuts and poster mock-ups right up until, now a cinema programmer, I got to see it screened in my own cinema! What a thrill! Especially since the world LOVES this film almost as much as I do. Written by my good friend Malcolm Campbell and directed by another friend and constant inspiration Lenny Abrahamson this is a remarkably restrained, uniquely Irish, yet strangely universal story of a young over-achiever who makes a fatal mistake and must deal with the repercussions. I didn’t want to put it at the top of my list because that just seems like favouritism so I put it slap, bang in the middle so it’s all perfectly fair…dodgy logic. Take my word for it, it’s haunting, it’s brilliant and it’s the greatest Irish film of all time.</span></span><br />
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<b><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">6. The Raid</span></b><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">This was the year that I started to appreciate Asian fightin' flicks. And it's all thanks to Gareth Evan's rambunctious, bloody, ridiculously well-made action film, The Raid. From the time I saw the brilliant trailer back in September 2011 I had a feeling this was going to be the one to convince me that there is something to be enjoyed in that genre. I was right. I was pretty sure I could only be disappointed and that the film couldn't possibly live up to the trailer but every lovingly crafted move, every brilliantly economical shot and every beat of the superb score allayed my fears immediately. To be fair, the 11am JDIFF screening of the film will go down as one of the most electric and lively two-hours of cinema-watching in Dublin's history so I definitely saw it in the right environment. But I've seen it twice since then and it's still wonderful. The simplicity of the plot, the videogame structure, the quiet intensity of lead actor Iko Uwais, it all adds up to slick action-packed fun!</span><br />
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<b><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">7. Cabin In The Woods</span></b><br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDNeeHoHuyZGVCVgRUl8A0KDoyI1YqqeSnRbqnCzwKYLGO7yy5M_BhXj-2CZ0V7KoGWxSNgYkzIMKqrUJ4Rc7XbySEUt_GSluV4baPlVFpEIhiJ193E2BX4vVkcz6RGIIvljiK/s1600/cabin-in-the-woods-poster.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><img border="0" height="301" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDNeeHoHuyZGVCVgRUl8A0KDoyI1YqqeSnRbqnCzwKYLGO7yy5M_BhXj-2CZ0V7KoGWxSNgYkzIMKqrUJ4Rc7XbySEUt_GSluV4baPlVFpEIhiJ193E2BX4vVkcz6RGIIvljiK/s400/cabin-in-the-woods-poster.jpg" width="400" /></span></a><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">I make no secret of my adoration of Joss Whedon and his weird and wonderful way of getting around pop culture in a way that nobody else can. I found myself underwhelmed by Avengers Assemble (sorry!) so The Cabin In The Woods is my Whedon flick of the year. He didn’t direct it but he co-wrote it with telly scribe extraordinaire Drew Goddard and in fairness the film has Whedon’s stamp all over it. A stroll (or manic turbo zoom) through horror cinema history, this film lovingly plays with and subverts pretty much every genre cliché in the book and gives us one of the most memorable, funny, sometimes scary and just plain classy postmodern films of our time. And no, I don’t think that’s hyperbolic (but maybe it is). It rubbed many up the wrong way as being too clever for its own good or for being too silly but it’s just pure Buffy, plain and simple. If you’re on board, it’s genius, if you’re not, it’s silly fluff. I’ve been having this argument my whole adult life.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLeu2Q8mXYcLmugetdxdNao06-2ZBKFz86YSEP2EOqfkmpO5GAkijfly7UInLMV-TJoIHIsARO6lTqYZyvv6OmMxUT3WiaMpBOdG7fG4lplAGi3sxQQx7T2GoQz_BeDA-aDI2m/s1600/matthew-mcconaughey-dallas.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="251" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLeu2Q8mXYcLmugetdxdNao06-2ZBKFz86YSEP2EOqfkmpO5GAkijfly7UInLMV-TJoIHIsARO6lTqYZyvv6OmMxUT3WiaMpBOdG7fG4lplAGi3sxQQx7T2GoQz_BeDA-aDI2m/s320/matthew-mcconaughey-dallas.jpg" width="320" /></a><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><b>8. Magic Mike</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">This one was (logically) marketed as a glamorous stripper movie with fit actors with their pecs out. I can see why that was necessary but it’s a shame this films wasn’t given a broader appeal to the arthouse crowd because it really is utterly fantastic. Not only am I now sold on Channing Tatum being an incredible actor (this, coupled with a brilliant turn in 21 Jump Street, the best comedy blockbuster of the year by far) but it also gave McConaughey (My Man of the Year by a mile) another chance to shine as gross, slimy club owner Dallas. Steven Soderbergh may seem like an odd choice to direct this film but his temperate direction but lack of restraint in showing the boys doing what they do best keeps the film on the fine line between garish and heartfelt. Brilliant. Also see below for Oscar-eligible song from my man of the year Matthew McConaughey...</span><br />
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<span style="color: #222222; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><b>9. Take This Waltz</b></span><br />
<span style="color: #222222; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">I am definitely in the minority on this and maybe it has something to do with being a young person in a very long-term relationship or maybe it’s to do with having lived at Dufferin and Bloor in Toronto and allowing Sarah Polley to remind me of beautiful evening strolls along College to the gorgeous bars and restaurants of the area. Whatever the reason, something about Take This Waltz struck a chord with me. I don’t think I’ve ever seen a relationship breakdown handled in such a mature, realistic and often ugly way. Michelle Williams' unsettled wife gives in to temptation after a long flirtation with an annoying hipster neighbour. As we watch the story unfold, it is difficult to remain on anyone's side. They are all behaving stupidly and nobody is doing the right thing and you just want to punch everyone by the end of the second act. But by the end of the third act, it becomes clear just how clever a storyteller Sarah Polley is. Gorgeously put together, brilliantly performed and just beautiful overall, I found Take This Waltz absolutely irresistible.</span></div>
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<b style="color: #222222; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">10. Looper</b><br />
<span style="color: #222222; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Of all of this year's big action blockbusters, this one has to take the biscuit not only for being absolutely cool on every single level, but it also has the privilege of being the only one that is completely original. I loved the story, I love Rian Johnson's style and I love the entire cast. Can't argue with that. My one and only gripe is JGL's ridiculous facial prosthetics. Distracting and unnecessary. Everything else was spot on. And extra points for Garret Dillahunt!</span></div>
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<span style="color: #222222; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial;">I have a weakness for gritty violence. There - I said it. I was never going to dislike Lawless. It would go against everything I am. People weren't keen on it for some reason but I thought it was superb! Brilliant performances (yes, I even liked OTT Guy Pearce), interesting world, great pacing and a fantastic finale shoot-out. It goes without saying though, that Tom Hardy was by far the absolute star of the piece. Hardy, and Emmylou Harris singing Nick Cave-penned tunes. It undoubtedly tops my soundtrack of the year list (or maybe ties with Beasts).</span></span></div>
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<b style="color: #222222; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">12. The Descendants</b><br />
<span style="color: #222222; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Clooney, Payne, Hawaii. Enough has been said about this film throughout the year. I just want to acknowledge the tenderness, care and humour that came through in this screenplay, a deserving winner of the Best Screenplay Oscar. Absolutely wonderful. And Clooney has never been better. The complications, stress, fear and sadness of having a loved one in a hospital bed indefinitely is portrayed here with grace and humour with a superb cast, interesting subplots and terrific direction allowing the film to go down the typical weepie route. </span><br />
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<span style="color: #222222; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Oh...and my beloved Jim Rash did THIS during his Oscar acceptance speech.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #222222; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><b><u>Honorary Mentions</u></b></span><br />
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<span style="color: #222222; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><b><u>** EDIT:</u> </b>Oh my God I can't believe I forgot <b>Moonrise Kingdom...</b>I just re-watched it two days ago. It's truly lovely!</span><br />
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<span style="color: #222222; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><b>Holy Motors</b> - a weird and wonderful fairytale from director Leos Carax and featuring an incredible central performance from Denis Lavant</span><br />
<span style="color: #222222; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><b>21 Jump Street - </b>a surprisingly witty and clever action comedy. </span><br />
<span style="color: #222222; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><b>The Hunger Games - </b>Forget your Batmen and Spidermen and Iron Men, this was where it was at for me this year as far as action blackbuster franchises go. Clever, competent and featuring a truly inspirational heroine. </span><br />
<span style="color: #222222; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><b>The Artist - </b>I almost forgot this was 2012. Beautiful film.</span><br />
<span style="color: #222222; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><b>Sightseers - </b>It kills me that I didn't fit this into the main list but I didn't have room for everything. Hilarious, unique and lovely! Ben, Alice and Steve are brilliant!</span><br />
<span style="color: #222222; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><b>Grabbers - </b>Irish writer Kevin Lehane delivers a sharp, clever and never patronising (despite it's unapologetic OIrishness) monster comedy. Superb! And Ruth Bradley plays a brilliant drunk!</span><br />
<span style="color: #222222; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><b>Silence - </b>Hypnotic, beautiful and refective. Pat Collins' film is the third Irish film on the list and probably deserves to be higher. Remarkable. If you missed it in the cinema, you can watch it here: http://www.volta.ie/films/silence</span><br />
<span style="color: #222222; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><b>Silver Linings Playbook - </b>I only saw this the other day so I need more time to process. Superb film though. Love the sober first half and completely absurd second half.</span><br />
<span style="color: #222222; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><b>Your Sister’s Sister - </b>Lynn Shelton delivers another mumblecore gem. Great cast, great tone.</span><br />
<span style="color: #222222; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><b>The Hunt - </b>Difficult to watch, and featuring a tremendous performance from Mads Mikkleson, this parable about the nature of gossip is not without its flaws but deserves to be seen.</span><br />
<span style="color: #222222; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><b>Safety Not Guaranteed - </b>Mark Duplass again. He's superb. This brilliant sci-fi comedy romance indie drama won't stop traffic but it's highly enjoyable.</span></div>
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Charlenehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09243423154353221962noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33527678.post-71824668697874918742012-07-30T22:10:00.002+01:002012-07-30T22:18:30.129+01:00Under Your Bed Horrorcast<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpNmDUzBKxCfODqDs66b6aLVZsxDVCub44hZpPR7SDmxzPH_6nPpeMUVV55I_Ez1e7YpOMO93Omot_cwgR7yfwBohxPYzyTdevCjTlczSMAyivtizYU76PiCybfX1xpePQN40t/s1600/devils+rejects.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpNmDUzBKxCfODqDs66b6aLVZsxDVCub44hZpPR7SDmxzPH_6nPpeMUVV55I_Ez1e7YpOMO93Omot_cwgR7yfwBohxPYzyTdevCjTlczSMAyivtizYU76PiCybfX1xpePQN40t/s320/devils+rejects.jpg" width="216" /></a>Check out my brief foray into the world of podcasting. Listen to my guest spot on Bren Murphy's fantastic Under Your Bed Horror Podcast.<br />
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I'm talking about my three favourite horror film; John Carpenter's <i>Halloween</i>, Roman Polanski's <i>Repulsion</i> and Rob Zombie's brilliant sequel <i>The Devil's Rejects. </i>It's never easy to pick only three favourite films so there's brief interludes of me gushing about <i>Scream </i>and <i>Child's Play.</i><br />
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Apart from my guest appearance, have a rummage around the blog. It's only new but there's some interesting articles up there about the world of horror. And podcast #1 features talented Dublin writer Emmet Vincent.<br />
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Enjoy!<br />
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<a href="http://underyourbed.org/wp/blog/2012/07/28/the-horrorcast-episode-2-charlene-lydon/">http://underyourbed.org/wp/blog/2012/07/28/the-horrorcast-episode-2-charlene-lydon/</a><br />
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<br />Charlenehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09243423154353221962noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33527678.post-72986878855468119322012-02-01T14:04:00.002+00:002012-02-03T12:59:18.604+00:00Martha Marcy May Marlene<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0dpshT1uB9XDhJx4ma2dbPykHRep3x8bxSdFxFIANuMlA6NA1W3Sq-Gj96PLziaROQE7y25ffsOzGskCwV5pbQF0x2Us1x6vL9P6lDkr_qnIqziQ5epnh1o11fuqO01DkC0IN/s1600/mmmm1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="163" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0dpshT1uB9XDhJx4ma2dbPykHRep3x8bxSdFxFIANuMlA6NA1W3Sq-Gj96PLziaROQE7y25ffsOzGskCwV5pbQF0x2Us1x6vL9P6lDkr_qnIqziQ5epnh1o11fuqO01DkC0IN/s400/mmmm1.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">Written and directed by: Sean Durkin<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">Starring: Elizabeth Olsen, Sarah Paulson, John Hawkes, Hugh Dancy<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">Rating: 9/10<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">For such fascinating subject matter there really aren’t very many good films made about cults. I know there have been countless TV movies about the Manson family, Jonestown and Waco but it is sadly rare to see films that treat the subject with any kind of psychological depth. Sean Durkin’s debut film <i>Martha Marcy May Marlene </i></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 16px; line-height: 18px;">is one such rarity.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 16px; line-height: 18px;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">Focussing very much NOT on the machinations of life in a cult, but instead on the devastating psychological residue after one girl’s daring escape from the commune, the film's insight into life in the commune comes in flashes. These short but very telling snippets merely highlight what she went through and some of the ploys used to keep the members loyal. Durkin chooses not to dwell on life in the cult which serves the overall arc nicely but leaves the audience gagging to spend more time inside the commune and in the presence of their absolutely terrifying leader Patrick, a typically </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 16px; line-height: 18px;">charismatic leader </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 16px; line-height: 18px;">dripping with menace.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6FMMyzoeH329fzbza3bn73FHcP8wK6Jb4zbW-NKJHQfAmfstCP9Osy1n_RvPkrI81V7HvMS_KBxjoQjI-Urq6vu_gbJemjG89mCzqmPVwKPNlOPp_ZhyphenhyphenHsyxA018bhhYk51Wu/s1600/mmmm2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6FMMyzoeH329fzbza3bn73FHcP8wK6Jb4zbW-NKJHQfAmfstCP9Osy1n_RvPkrI81V7HvMS_KBxjoQjI-Urq6vu_gbJemjG89mCzqmPVwKPNlOPp_ZhyphenhyphenHsyxA018bhhYk51Wu/s320/mmmm2.jpg" width="320" /></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 16px; line-height: 18px;">Martha, the young escapee is taken in by her older sister. Their relationship is complicated and it is clear that this is not the warmest environment for Martha as she tries to rejoin society. Her sister Lucy (Sarah Paulson) lives in a large lake house; very modern and very cold, with her new husband Ted, a short-tempered workaholic. It is the polar opposite of beat-up, energetic but strangely inviting house on the commune. As Lucy genuinely tries to understand her sister and sympathise with her there is always a sense that she is weary of Martha’s negative presence in her otherwise pleasant life. There are tender moments between the two and some affection but the sisters just cannot connect.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 16px; line-height: 18px;">The two worlds the film inhabits, the lake house and the commune, seem equally oppressive to Martha and it is with great sadness that the audience slowly accepts that maybe this girl won’t ever feel part of any society.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 16px; line-height: 18px;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">Much of the film focuses on Martha’s paranoia after escaping the cult. She fears Patrick and she knows he will go to any lengths to get her back. The line is often blurred between what is happening in reality and what Martha’s mind is creating out of fear. For some this may prove tiresome and that’s understandable but there’s something to be admired in Durkin’s ability to stay true to his vision for the film and not to fall into any soap opera theatrics, though the film is not without its nerve-shredding scenes.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLceZQWseEW-_OAsqkJN2iN3iok6jpBSfjQAgPt33ynSllgbEfrX4RPJU7ikwK4dFvgX3vZ1s_ZeprE0tn9TX4IajXdNiAMPDX0tSRTu_XtJm0P3Uxqeht8t3yJWcoqQlBDP8a/s1600/mmmm4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="168" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLceZQWseEW-_OAsqkJN2iN3iok6jpBSfjQAgPt33ynSllgbEfrX4RPJU7ikwK4dFvgX3vZ1s_ZeprE0tn9TX4IajXdNiAMPDX0tSRTu_XtJm0P3Uxqeht8t3yJWcoqQlBDP8a/s400/mmmm4.jpg" width="400" /></a><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">Martha, a complex, not always likeable character, is played with remarkable power and haunting sympathy by Elizabeth Olsen, sister to the not even remotely haunting Olsen Twins. Cast just two weeks before the shoot, Elizabeth’s wholesome beauty and melancholy eyes are sure to remain niggling at you for a long time after the films ends. The same can be said for John Hawkes as Patrick, whose sharp sneer and intelligent eyes will surely stay in your nightmares for a long time after. </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 16px; line-height: 18px;">Like his Oscar-nominated turn as Teardrop in <i>Winter’s Bone, </i>Hawkes is both brimming with menace and oozing unconventional charm. The hold he has over Martha (or Marcy May, as he chooses to name her) and her naïve acceptance of his love packs a powerful punch mainly due to the wealth of subtle energy behind both actors’ eyes. </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 16px; line-height: 18px;">Despite the depth of Patrick’s cruelty and devastating emotional manipulation there’s something in the performance that makes him strangely alluring; just seductive enough to ensure the situation is believable. </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 16px; line-height: 18px;">Two extremely strong characters and equally strong performances carry the film into much more interesting territory.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><i><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">Martha Marcy May Marlene</span></i><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"> may not be a perfect film and many will be frustrated by its lack of conclusions of any sort but it is certainly unique and it’s dozy, dreamy air makes for haunting cinema.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"> - Charlene Lydon</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><br />
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<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/0_k3wCsOgqk" width="560"></iframe></div>Charlenehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09243423154353221962noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33527678.post-80848600668308355902012-01-17T14:50:00.003+00:002012-01-17T15:06:51.132+00:00Shame<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgy6vsgXyQBS9FZQQwOvfTeIuYGmrVY-mcSu2UqeC0cODWgj2HpdlLY7v0j3evGwp0938vI04MW3V8Q6UbYnwog-F6bn-dWTZWJOvrdVzKoqIQRGjGySanfmmCSiLvOyc_vKZjo/s1600/film1_shame_michael_fassbender_carey-mulligan.widea_-640x425.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgy6vsgXyQBS9FZQQwOvfTeIuYGmrVY-mcSu2UqeC0cODWgj2HpdlLY7v0j3evGwp0938vI04MW3V8Q6UbYnwog-F6bn-dWTZWJOvrdVzKoqIQRGjGySanfmmCSiLvOyc_vKZjo/s320/film1_shame_michael_fassbender_carey-mulligan.widea_-640x425.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>Written by: Abi Morgan & Steve McQueen<br />
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Directed by: Steve McQueen<br />
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Starring: Michael Fassbender, Carey Mulligan<br />
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Rating: 7/10<br />
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Psychological afflictions don’t come much more interesting than sex addiction. It’s a sad, fascinating and deeply damaging disease and one which has been washed over by dozens of over-sexed fading movie stars who have touted it as the reason for their sudden stint in rehab. As we raise our eyebrows at these less than sympathetic characters the reality of the affliction becomes little more than a joke to most people. But of course sex addiction does exist and it’s ugly, deadening and painful to watch.<br />
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Director Steve McQueen, the king of “horribly stark” takes us on a journey over the course of a few days with Brandon, a handsome yuppie living it up in downtown Manhattan. He is also a sex addict. For a while it’s all piercing stares and visual examination of his clearly carefully sculpted body but it soon becomes very clear that for Brandon, sex isn’t sexy. It is creepy and it is cold and his hunger for it is a constant distraction. Things really kick off when his sister Sissy invades his life and invites herself on to his couch for a few days. Brandon’s world is cold, clinical and ordered and when a frazzled, damaged Sissy enters it, all hell breaks loose.<br />
<br />
If Brandon is a closed book, Cissy is his polar opposite. She wears her naïve heart on her sleeve and it is horrible to see how broken she is but even worse to know (or guess, I suppose) that this is a situation she gets herself in time and time again. As we follow Brandon through his series of encounters and a particularly upsetting date with a woman who is smart, beautiful and who he really feels for we experience the depths of his problems and his despair.<br />
<br />
Fassbender plays this role to perfection. His sculpted body and square jaw give him enough cheesy appeal to ensure we believe he would rarely find it difficult to attract women but his steely, cold eyes give him the mystique to buy into the fact that there’s more going on behind the eyes than we think.<br />
<br />
The relationship between he and his sister is not explored fully but enough is shown and hinted at to presume that they did not have a conventional childhood. Both seem to understand each other in that level of familiarity that only exists between people who grew up together but they are also worlds apart in so many ways that they almost challenge each other to understand the alien worlds they each live.<br />
<br />
Shame is a success on many levels. It is engaging and atmospheric and shows many of the ways in which sex addiction is unglamorous. However, I was slightly disappointed with the film’s ability to bring anything new to the table. As it ended I came away feeling that I’d seen all this before and at the end of the day for all its nudity and lingering focus on its subjects it didn’t feel very intimate and felt almost conventional. As engaging as it was, there was nothing to mull over when the credits rolled and no new perspective to justify the time we spent in Brandon’s company. Maybe I’ve been desensitised by four seasons of Californication, a subtler but no less unsettling exploration of sex addiction but I didn’t feel that Shame gave me any new material to consider on the subject.<br />
<br />
Shame is enjoyable and aesthetically pleasing but ultimately unrewarding, I can’t help feeling like this is a somewhat shallow representation of a misunderstood and underestimated disease. That being said, there’s much to admire in the film and it’d definitely worth seeing on the big screen.<br />
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- Charlene LydonCharlenehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09243423154353221962noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33527678.post-80842129503290327522011-11-14T12:25:00.000+00:002011-11-14T12:25:54.710+00:00rukkle wins People's Choice<img src="http://a8.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc7/386600_10150453852064772_550064771_10303732_205753464_n.jpg" /><br />
<br />
I am absolutely DELIGHTED to announce that a website that I contribute to regularly and one which happens to be the ingenious brain-child of a great friend of mine won a major public vote and was<br />
presented with a prestigious Big Mouth 2011 Eircom Spider Award by Dara O'Briain in the Convention Centre, Dublin.<br />
<br />
The Spiders are an annual event honouring Irish individuals and organisations<br />
for their outstanding achievements online and are considered an important<br />
benchmark for distinction and merit in web-based business strategies. (AKA The<br />
oscars for us web nerds!!!)<br />
<br />
Congratulations to Dave and to rukkle for a well-deserved win!!<br />
<br />
Read more here: <a href="http://rukkle.com/entertainment/rukkle-wins-peoples-choice-web-award/">http://rukkle.com/entertainment/rukkle-wins-peoples-choice-web-award/</a><br />
<br />
www.rukkle.com.<br />
<br />
Follow rukkle on twitter.com/rukkle and facebook.com/rukkleCharlenehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09243423154353221962noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33527678.post-57428139773696938862011-11-08T19:48:00.000+00:002011-11-08T19:48:26.131+00:00LFF: The Artist<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/OK7pfLlsUQM" width="560"></iframe>Charlenehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09243423154353221962noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33527678.post-88063604349027980992011-11-07T11:41:00.012+00:002011-11-07T21:57:29.169+00:00Highlights from BFI London Film Festival<div id="document-header" style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: left;"><div class="section" id="standfirst" style="margin-bottom: 28px;"><div class="content" style="font-weight: bold; line-height: 16px; text-align: justify;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0.8em; margin-top: 0.2em; padding: 0px;"><span style="font-size: small;">I went positively square-eyed for five days of non-stop cinema-going in London for <a href="http://www.volta.ie/">Volta</a> at the 2011 <a href="http://www.bfi.org.uk/lff/" style="color: #0099cc; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank" title="BFI London Film Festival">BFI London Film Festival</a> last week. Here is a run-down of what we learned and some of the films you should look out for in your local cinema in the coming months.</span></div></div></div></div><div id="document-content" style="float: left; font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: left; width: 600px;"><div class="section" id="body" style="margin-bottom: 28px;"><div class="content" style="line-height: 16px; text-align: justify;"><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiu17SOtFgXSS-nlzJUWFJO62MfwzmFUumBbw5hODMnw9xq7JqwlblZqLXKF7LqPNQsqkeplvBeZDgQe9aNurBIWMOM4SIFuYO4T65CvMkGFuvINGhUdTbzNbLRY7Au7xEVEW2u/s1600/the_artist_.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiu17SOtFgXSS-nlzJUWFJO62MfwzmFUumBbw5hODMnw9xq7JqwlblZqLXKF7LqPNQsqkeplvBeZDgQe9aNurBIWMOM4SIFuYO4T65CvMkGFuvINGhUdTbzNbLRY7Au7xEVEW2u/s1600/the_artist_.png" /></a></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0.8em; margin-top: 0.2em; padding: 0px;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>The Artist - France, dir. Michel Hazanavicius</b> </span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0.8em; margin-top: 0.2em; padding: 0px;"><span style="font-size: small;">A sneaky hope for this years Oscars? This inventive and charming silent film is so authentic that it is impossible not to fall in love with it. But can a black & white, silent comedy win over the multiplex audience? We'll have to wait and see! With extremely likeable performances from the two leads, Jean Dujardin channelling Gene Kelly and Bernice Bejo as a rising starlet, the film is slyly post-modern but joyfully unironic. Check your cynicism at the door.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;">Watch the trailer here: <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O8K9AZcSQJE">http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O8K9AZcSQJE</a></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0.8em; margin-top: 0.2em; padding: 0px;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"><b>Lotus Eaters - UK/Ireland, dir. Alexandra McGuinness</b> </span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0.8em; margin-top: 0.2em; padding: 0px;"><span style="font-size: small;">Alexandra McGuinness directs and co-writes this insight into the London hipster scene. Although it's difficult to engage with the characters whose incessant vapid ramblings make up the bulk of the film, the film doesn't judge, nor does it glamourise. It serves as a window and the world McGuinness creates is so believable that it feels very much like we are watching a summer in the lives of these people. Filmed in crisp black and white with a fashion-conscious eye, McGuinness has a stylish edge to her filmmaking that should make her one to watch. Watch the trailer here: <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rACt1o5Uzmk">http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rACt1o5Uzmk</a></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0.8em; margin-top: 0.2em; padding: 0px;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFOAWOad-02ONj1cEa6HNuGejC5MxgYrENcH6Ku9m68NJ-Pynos1MwvQRVKdcGasSodAZ0oD86Ume65ECJUi85ajtAu6CZk53svmIlUjCI60pHWsI3sxB2I0diAshzrBTvIF5y/s1600/bernadette_notes_on_a_political_journey_2011_20641.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFOAWOad-02ONj1cEa6HNuGejC5MxgYrENcH6Ku9m68NJ-Pynos1MwvQRVKdcGasSodAZ0oD86Ume65ECJUi85ajtAu6CZk53svmIlUjCI60pHWsI3sxB2I0diAshzrBTvIF5y/s1600/bernadette_notes_on_a_political_journey_2011_20641.jpg" /></a></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0.8em; margin-top: 0.2em; padding: 0px;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>Bernadette Devlin: Notes on a Political Journey - Ireland, dir. Leila Doolin </b></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0.8em; margin-top: 0.2em; padding: 0px;"><span style="font-size: small;">The fascinating story of Bernadette Devlin McAliskey is brought to life in this documentary by Leila Doolan which tracks Bernadette's rise to power in the 1970's all the way through her political carrer and her most recent struggle, the attempted extradition of her daughter Roisin to Germany. Voted to UK parliament as a 21 year old student, Bernadette Devlin became a passionate international voice for the troubles in Northern Ireland. Mixing some fantastic archive material with present-day interviews with the subject herself, the film marvels at the massive impact one simple, intelligent voice can have on a global scale.</span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0.8em; margin-top: 0.2em; padding: 0px;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjK84ZqhlUyFzQZKzevpd7_YSY3VQ-VY_uX2YMlCQBuDJKaX6dVPidGKES3mq6G9ra6jHWKx7al54a7-JIh7CwXYtyVg4ZdyAryEm__2XEjLq0a1ybEOnZ8A92pPUkgPr0jdMFy/s1600/take+shelter.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjK84ZqhlUyFzQZKzevpd7_YSY3VQ-VY_uX2YMlCQBuDJKaX6dVPidGKES3mq6G9ra6jHWKx7al54a7-JIh7CwXYtyVg4ZdyAryEm__2XEjLq0a1ybEOnZ8A92pPUkgPr0jdMFy/s200/take+shelter.jpg" width="200" /></a></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0.8em; margin-top: 0.2em; padding: 0px;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>Take Shelter - US, dir. Jeff Nichols</b> </span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0.8em; margin-top: 0.2em; padding: 0px;"><span style="font-size: small;">A man sees hallucinatory visions of an impending storm and must decide whether he is a prophet or a madman. That is the quite simple setup of this brilliant family drama/horror film from director Jeff Nichols who re-teams with actor Michael Shannon for the second time (the first being his very interesting Shotgun Stories). Filmed in just four week with a miniscule budget, the film is a masterpiece in atmosphere and tension. Michael Shannon, already an Oscar nominee for his performance in Revolutionary Road, puts in what could be the best performance of his career to date as a man struggling with his mental health. Definitely worth a watch for the magnificent storm sequences alone. Watch the trailer here: <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1B6VleLDh0I">http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1B6VleLDh0I</a></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0.8em; margin-top: 0.2em; padding: 0px;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6UYJxM5XFZgZToyqyPLaR0bajSzegfchtHR28kBAAezCkCqdIPTsgfalswxlSTHkFKFJQCMME7kwLaAeI34FxRXFnO_mDa02Nd9SgUV4W0M0FEfpuXyMSUG7j0ChQpjiV-YYy/s1600/C-PRE_zMartha-Marcy-May-Marlene.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="140" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6UYJxM5XFZgZToyqyPLaR0bajSzegfchtHR28kBAAezCkCqdIPTsgfalswxlSTHkFKFJQCMME7kwLaAeI34FxRXFnO_mDa02Nd9SgUV4W0M0FEfpuXyMSUG7j0ChQpjiV-YYy/s200/C-PRE_zMartha-Marcy-May-Marlene.jpg" width="200" /></a></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0.8em; margin-top: 0.2em; padding: 0px;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>Martha Marcy May Marlene - US, dir. Sean Durkin</b></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0.8em; margin-top: 0.2em; padding: 0px;"><span style="font-size: small;">One of the films that got the most buzz at the festival was this drama/thriller. A dreamy, beautiful film which deals with the psychological aftermath of a girl who has escaped from a cult. Starring Elizabeth Olsen who will surely be in a casting tizzy after this, the film focusses on Martha's life after leaving the cult; the paranoia, the sense of isolation, and the craving to return to the arms of terrifying but charismatic leader Patrick (a brilliant John Hawkes). There are flashbacks to life at the commune but these serve mainly to highlight Martha's current state of mind than to give the audience a look at the machinations of a cult. Though some might find the lack of conclusive storytelling frustrating, the characters, the performances and the ambitious intent of the film will surely gain the film some fans. Masterful and chilling. Watch the trailer here: <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ERREgOobLOs">http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ERREgOobLOs</a></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0.8em; margin-top: 0.2em; padding: 0px;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0.8em; margin-top: 0.2em; padding: 0px;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiqKlXO6Z4PaJ5Me8OmEyM6mqAFpVXidIgyZgA1JNvWiM0WDHEuRBelplOqK23N2G8BMm2IGwPy0ALkBbk4ZvDqzkbsIaQbFLfXWF_QI42sdHjVWZIqlLMZMAOFBAggVeZn9Fl/s1600/descendants.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="110" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiqKlXO6Z4PaJ5Me8OmEyM6mqAFpVXidIgyZgA1JNvWiM0WDHEuRBelplOqK23N2G8BMm2IGwPy0ALkBbk4ZvDqzkbsIaQbFLfXWF_QI42sdHjVWZIqlLMZMAOFBAggVeZn9Fl/s200/descendants.jpg" width="200" /></a></span></div><span style="font-size: small;"><b>The Descendants - US, dir. Alexander Payne </b></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0.8em; margin-top: 0.2em; padding: 0px;"><span style="font-size: small;">Alexander Payne's latest drama, The Descendants, is a film far superior to its potentially melodramatic set-up. A woman lies in a coma, waiting to die and her husband realises she has been having an affair and must come to terms with the mistakes they have made as a family before letting her go. Payne masterfully gets to the genuine human experience at the heart of the story and proves himself yet again one of cinema's great pain merchants. He cuts to the bone, allowing the audience intimate access to spectrum of subtle feelings one might experience at such a time. As always though, Payne infuses the extremely heavy subject matter with just the right touch of light-heartedness. Funny, touching and intelligent, The Descendants is a far better film than expected. Judge for yourself, hee's the trailer: <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-OBvd5MgPYA">http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-OBvd5MgPYA</a></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0.8em; margin-top: 0.2em; padding: 0px;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3uttXQgXwEqAxbuXXy9Rc1BfA6JEXadcgrdyoRYCdpP34IMS0wr2qfEQtUXd2eBK05BVPMNcfb0Pmw5dbdbMk875TsT-xZIPCElkXdT6towYDkJdLz8wQQ7WH3F-TNeBxJF7K/s1600/miss+bala.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="112" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3uttXQgXwEqAxbuXXy9Rc1BfA6JEXadcgrdyoRYCdpP34IMS0wr2qfEQtUXd2eBK05BVPMNcfb0Pmw5dbdbMk875TsT-xZIPCElkXdT6towYDkJdLz8wQQ7WH3F-TNeBxJF7K/s200/miss+bala.jpg" width="200" /></a></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0.8em; margin-top: 0.2em; padding: 0px;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>Miss Bala - Mexico, dir. Gerardo Naranjo </b></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0.8em; margin-top: 0.2em; padding: 0px;"><span style="font-size: small;">A beauty pageant hopeful from the slums of Tijuana becomes inadvertently involved in cross-border gangland warfare. This disquieting, sad and innovative film is a well-paced and unique addition to the gang crime genre. Director Naranjo handles the slow drama and the gory action set-pieces with equal finesse. Definitely a filmmaker to watch, and credit must go to Stephanie Sigman who must carry the film almost silently, and does so with tremendous grace and delicacy. Watch the trailer here: <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LxOhqJ98QJY">http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LxOhqJ98QJY</a></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0.8em; margin-top: 0.2em; padding: 0px;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhx03HITkUJe6YlCpKzsu5GNszYUkvHJa_hnYRVkIy1qM7Cdk85CzHgiTU7CYZCbHHWAUqDoIp-aOLSv7JxU_NgZCv5fVlEZslehv8m5tXy_U5PQHY4wypyMKPXXHMUQp7-h76N/s1600/poupoupidou.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhx03HITkUJe6YlCpKzsu5GNszYUkvHJa_hnYRVkIy1qM7Cdk85CzHgiTU7CYZCbHHWAUqDoIp-aOLSv7JxU_NgZCv5fVlEZslehv8m5tXy_U5PQHY4wypyMKPXXHMUQp7-h76N/s200/poupoupidou.jpg" width="135" /></a></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0.8em; margin-top: 0.2em; padding: 0px;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>Nobody Else But You (Poupoupidou) - France, dir. Gerald Hustache-Mathieu</b> </span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0.8em; margin-top: 0.2em; padding: 0px;"><span style="font-size: small;">This fun, French, small-town murder mystery centres on the apparent suicide of a beautiful local celebrity whose journals help investigators figure out how she wound up dead in the snow. The girl's story parallels the life and death of Marilyn Monroe in many different ways and the film is a form of conspiracy theory about what really happened to Marilyn. Quirky, intriguing and atmospheric, this film is a unique story, well told. Watch the trailer here: <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L0hVvp4sSEo">http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L0hVvp4sSEo</a></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0.8em; margin-top: 0.2em; padding: 0px;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0.8em; margin-top: 0.2em; padding: 0px;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>Shame - UK, dir. Steve McQueen</b> </span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0.8em; margin-top: 0.2em; padding: 0px;"><span style="font-size: small;">Hunger director Steve McQueen teams up with Michael Fassbender again as they delve into the murky world of sex addiction. We follow Brandon as he lives from day-to-day trying to ensure his life never gets in the way of his intense sexual urges. There is no easy way to explore this subject matter but McQueen has created a cold but sympathetic portrait of a man with a very complex set of neuroses. Gorgeous-looking, challenging and featuring a superb perfrmance from Fassbender. </span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0.8em; margin-top: 0.2em; padding: 0px;"><span style="font-size: small;">Trailer: <a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/film/video/2011/oct/14/shame-trailer-video">http://www.guardian.co.uk/film/video/2011/oct/14/shame-trailer-video</a></span><br />
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<div style="margin-bottom: 0.8em; margin-top: 0.2em; padding: 0px;"><span style="font-size: small;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3_UMUXNQez9WakEpOv36vs3ZOT6YjlHLPVUXrcXZkTXVHhr08IJa85HLzgm8fN08MGkI-7aS-jPeqSFHAYVwUdKS4hjR3g8lIXOMYo0lvr64qOo521ClFb8DvXOStBeQ2i77p/s1600/bernie+amall.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3_UMUXNQez9WakEpOv36vs3ZOT6YjlHLPVUXrcXZkTXVHhr08IJa85HLzgm8fN08MGkI-7aS-jPeqSFHAYVwUdKS4hjR3g8lIXOMYo0lvr64qOo521ClFb8DvXOStBeQ2i77p/s1600/bernie+amall.jpg" /></a><b>Bernie - US, dir. Richard Linklater </b></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0.8em; margin-top: 0.2em; padding: 0px;"><span style="font-size: small;">Richard Linklater teams up with Jack Black for this dark comedy about a beloved local mortician who murders his abhorrent elderly companion and keeps her in the freezer for nine months. The film is based on a true story and feels very authentic as Linklater sets the film in his home state of Texas. A strong performance by the Jack Black and a number of suberb supporting characters makes this a fun, likeable black comedy.</span><br />
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</span></div></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0.8em; margin-top: 0.2em; padding: 0px;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>We Need to Talk About Kevin - UK, dir. Lynne Ramsey</b> </span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0.8em; margin-top: 0.2em; padding: 0px;"><span style="font-size: small;">A devastating account of a mother's struggle with her disturbed son and her dissection of the reasons behind his violent attack on his school. Beautifully shot by Irish cinematographer Seamus McGarvey and featuring an outstanding, conflicted performance by Tilda Swinton, this film won Best Film at the festival and it's easy to see why punters and critics alike were so taken with it.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;">Check out the trailer here: <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZLRgAe2jLaw">http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZLRgAe2jLaw</a></span><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8NQdcNeFQepE36z8r82NZEMy0GHg6JjVbWBCKmiKWKEpabJrToYC23FHuhN9XIKLHvQg1f9e945O1CUJimEsfzHNRbN9PeximZoOzB3oRZYGKbg6vXhXcwe-v0EblvLpT65zH/s1600/snowtown.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8NQdcNeFQepE36z8r82NZEMy0GHg6JjVbWBCKmiKWKEpabJrToYC23FHuhN9XIKLHvQg1f9e945O1CUJimEsfzHNRbN9PeximZoOzB3oRZYGKbg6vXhXcwe-v0EblvLpT65zH/s200/snowtown.jpg" width="140" /></a></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0.8em; margin-top: 0.2em; padding: 0px;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>Snowtown - Australia, dir. Justin Kurzel</b> Australian filmmaker Justin Kurzel's debut film tells the story of notorious serial killer John Bunting and his influence on a young man whose home life is extremely unpleasant. When Bunting comes into his family's life his charismatic charm seduces him, his mother and the rest of the community. Soon, Bunting is rallying friends to "rid" the town of its paedophiles, homosexuals and junkies. Often abstract, very dark and harrowing throughout.</span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0.8em; margin-top: 0.2em; padding: 0px;"><span style="font-size: small;">Watch the trailer on YouTube: <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x6DmfOT2EtI">http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x6DmfOT2EtI</a></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0.8em; margin-top: 0.2em; padding: 0px;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0.8em; margin-top: 0.2em; padding: 0px;"><span style="font-size: small;">For more articles on the best of independent cinema please go check out Ireland's best VOD resource, Volta. <a href="http://www.volta.ie/articles">http://www.volta.ie</a></span></div></div></div></div></div>Charlenehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09243423154353221962noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33527678.post-26008985135530854832011-10-26T16:30:00.005+01:002011-11-23T12:34:30.571+00:00Take Shelter<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiHTVKaITAC5mJ5NAMOyegR8-LVGpYIBUfEEn8Dj-t6k6kreicesfvmgqHHhw0bB40wlJAfMKetVoAqka5Z5v1ZhMCVMMhe5hhysQwSqgl6pIqdBXPzxMR6axhJub7AA5h6kne/s1600/take+shelter.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiHTVKaITAC5mJ5NAMOyegR8-LVGpYIBUfEEn8Dj-t6k6kreicesfvmgqHHhw0bB40wlJAfMKetVoAqka5Z5v1ZhMCVMMhe5hhysQwSqgl6pIqdBXPzxMR6axhJub7AA5h6kne/s400/take+shelter.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">Written & Directed by: Jeff Nichols<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">Starring: Michael Shannon, Jessica Chastain, Tova Stewart, Shea Whigham</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">Rating: 9/10<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">From the opening moments of this dark, dreamy tale it is clear that we are in for something quite extraordinary. Jeff Nichols’ <i>Take Shelter </i>begins with a nightmare and continues as such even after our protagonist Curtis LaForche wakes up.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">Curtis’s nightmare comes in the form of a storm. Ominous clouds roll towards him, black and imposing and spitting greasy, yellow rain. This opening sequence, indicative of the rest of the film, is terrifying, beautiful and full of awe at nature’s power. When the dreams continue, and start to come in the form of waking hallucinations, Curtis must decide whether he is a prophet or a lunatic.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">There is a history of mental illness in Curtis’ family as we see when he visits his mother, now in full-time care for paranoid schizophrenia.Curtis has untapped fears surrounding his own mental health and is terrified that he is starting to lose his grip on reality. However, he takes a “better safe than sorry” approach and begins to obsessively build a storm shelter so that he might keep his family safe if a storm does come.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">The bulk of the film looks at Curtis’ declining mental health. Is he slipping further into some kind of hereditary psychosis or is he driving himself insane with paranoia? His descent into madness is terrifying to watch and while the film never really quite decides whether he is a prophet or a madman it keeps its feet firmly planted in reality and never loses sight of the true intention of the film, to watch a man as he disintegrates.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">There is something very Cronenbergian about the crisis of masculinity going on in <i>Take Shelter </i>and the violent way in which it manifests itself. Also, the issue of the role of the man as provider and the loss of control in the current worldwide recession is a theme at the forefront of a lot of people's minds and one which is tackled here with grace and terrifying thoughtfulness. Curtis is a kind, loving husband and father but his paranoia, his fears for his family and his fears for his own sanity drive him to some very erratic behaviour that might have disastrous results for his family, storm or no storm. The relationship between Curtis and his wife and daughter is realistic and Jessica Chastain's earthy beauty compliments the character's strength, trust, intelligence and warmth just perfectly. As they struggle to keep their marriage together despite Curtis's many misadventures, one can feel her shock that something that was once so strong could be taken from her so cruelly.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><i><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">Take Shelter</span></i><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"> is a beautiful film. It is a lyrical film and it is a poetic film. It is not necessarily a film that provides answers but it is not ever trying to riddle you. The script is tight, pitch-perfect and nicely paced suggesting that Jeff Nichols is as skilled as a writer as he is a director. Shot with unbelievable beauty by lenser Adam Stone, the film looks and feels profoundly alluring and is a pleasure to behold throughout. However, the real heart of the film rests on the shoulders of Michael Shannon, who is superb here as the desperate Curtis. He is cuddly enough to be sympathetic but giant enough to be terrifying. His performance is a towering achievement and, in my eyes, cements him as one of the most interesting actors working today. This is the kind of performance that rarely comes around and he tackles the subtle moments and the melodrama with equal elegance. If there is something to be said against the film it is the final few minutes which have proven to be divisive for audiences. However, I felt that the more the ending sat with me and I mulled it over in my head, the more I felt comfortable with it and the looming question mark it leaves the audience with.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">Part family drama, part disaster movie, part psychological thriller and part horror, this truly unique film must be seen on the big screen if at all possible and I can only implore people to make the effort to go out and give this film your money. <i>Take Shelter </i>is a low-budget (not that you can tell) masterpiece that truly deserves your attention.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"> - Charlene Lydon</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 18px;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/KF8nsAfyPE4" width="560"></iframe></span></div>Charlenehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09243423154353221962noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33527678.post-51027520010155790972011-09-27T12:43:00.001+01:002011-09-27T12:45:06.814+01:00A Film With Me In It<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnr9bOeKLIODSIEpyaUt-a_QfQuls45nmq9DdRsvsQxG76tKQ34mkzuU3s76c1TwxBtUJbmugrQ4eAd8uJKqIP8olJe6-B7uzzLMOqFs7L9vEfZduxqdGAGfvNfw2aknLkdIUw/s1600/AFWMII+Quad.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnr9bOeKLIODSIEpyaUt-a_QfQuls45nmq9DdRsvsQxG76tKQ34mkzuU3s76c1TwxBtUJbmugrQ4eAd8uJKqIP8olJe6-B7uzzLMOqFs7L9vEfZduxqdGAGfvNfw2aknLkdIUw/s320/AFWMII+Quad.jpg" width="224" /></a></div>Written by: Mark Doherty<br />
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Directed by: Ian Fitzgibbon<br />
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Starring: Dylan Moran, Mark Doherty, Amy Huberman, David O'Doherty<br />
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Rating: 8/10<br />
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Ian Fitzgibbon's black comedy <i>A Film With Me In It</i> is a dark, funny, grimy and somewhat depressing comedy, with a tone akin to <i>Withnail and I</i> that somehow makes the protagonists genuinely bleak disposition part of the overall charm. The less you know about the plot the better so I won't get into a summary here. But I will say this; your enjoyment of this film will depend on how much you will allow yourself to suspend disbelief. It is a film about coincidence and the lengths to which fate will go to in order to screw you over.<br />
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Mark, a struggling actor, lives with his invalid brother Dave and his beautiful girlfriend Sally in a run-down flat on the south-side of Dublin. His best friend Pierce (Dylan Moran) is an alcoholic writer whose comically morose outlook on life is the main comic relief in the film. Mark is behind in his rent, jobless and in trouble with Sally because he is too chicken to ask the gruff landlord to fix the many, many problems in their flat. Things go from bad to worse to downright cruel for Mark as a series of accidents land him in some seriously hot water.<br />
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The comedy here lies in the cruel joke that the universe in playing on the hapless Mark. He finds himself in a situation so implausible that there's no way to convince anyone that it is not of his own making. The aesthetic and humour are so pitch black that it can sometimes be difficult to endure but the snappy pacing and the clever dialogue keeps the film consistently entertaining. The chemistry between the leads is wonderful and it's easy to buy into the friendship between the pair of curmudgeonly grumps whose only emission of warmth is towards each other, and only on occasion. They are grumpy, they are sarcastic and you can't imagine why a girl like Sally would ever bother with either of them but they are also oddly likeable and as their situation gets more and more sticky you can't help but sympathise. I'm reminded of the under-rated dark comedies of Danny DeVito, films like <i>The War of the Roses, Death to Smoochy</i> and <i>Our House, </i>all films whose black hearts make for unsettling and guilty laughs, but laughs nonetheless. How much torture can we watch our heroes go through? It's an endurance test alright, but <i>A Film With Me In It </i>is likeable, well-plotted and has a hilariously nasty payoff.<br />
<br />
Worth a watch.<br />
<br />
Available from 30th September <a href="http://www.volta.ie/">here</a><br />
<br />
- Charlene Lydon<br />
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<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/af43xf2jl5s" width="560"></iframe>Charlenehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09243423154353221962noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33527678.post-4049736543521287122011-09-26T22:24:00.003+01:002011-09-27T10:33:23.797+01:00Red White & Blue<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmkaRQGXlA6NtsFdrDZWxu3raLEdhoVMlL13ao9EPDaxGjEcidPO0lyB7VTnaDjinb3OaCDGWeGkwxau5i15Xm-cJbZPDwQrzOHaqyeaCuDhPpasPxE9-7CnSmuaLYHJCs3TvA/s1600/red-white-blue-noah-taylor1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="168" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmkaRQGXlA6NtsFdrDZWxu3raLEdhoVMlL13ao9EPDaxGjEcidPO0lyB7VTnaDjinb3OaCDGWeGkwxau5i15Xm-cJbZPDwQrzOHaqyeaCuDhPpasPxE9-7CnSmuaLYHJCs3TvA/s320/red-white-blue-noah-taylor1.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>Written & Directed by: Simon Rumley<br />
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Starring: Noah Taylor, Amanda Fuller, Marc Senter<br />
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Rating: 7/10<br />
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Independent U.S. thriller <i>Red White and Blue </i>is a fascinating specimen indeed. As delicate in its portrayal of love as it is explicit in its portrayal of violence, the film begins as a strangely voyeuristic exploitation film, playing like a series of vignettes and ends as an intensely non-judgmental exploration of moral boundaries. Unique and certain to plague your thoughts for a long time after it ends, this is a thoroughly original, though not entirely successful piece of work from director Simon Rumley.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJIcmixGpz45V7gKn2o_vvD3llDGl4rHebGteeT0nUu9qGYdtCjsKY-H4xgW2o0gK3QOROfDBjLcuPywYqbBKPoe_GPHLN77FUTeSAUWZKkRCvA4omqy1JjhAiNVm3iwHff9L-/s1600/rwb.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJIcmixGpz45V7gKn2o_vvD3llDGl4rHebGteeT0nUu9qGYdtCjsKY-H4xgW2o0gK3QOROfDBjLcuPywYqbBKPoe_GPHLN77FUTeSAUWZKkRCvA4omqy1JjhAiNVm3iwHff9L-/s1600/rwb.jpg" /></a></div>Erica is a dark, damaged young woman who enjoys picking up men in seedy bars, but never sleeps with the same one twice. She keeps to herself, doesn't "do friendship" and is generally a closed book. Nate is an army vet, with links to the CIA who has a history of animal torture and lives in Erica's building. He is as damaged as Erica but with a slightly more vulnerable air. Erica is interested in this mysterious stranger but doesn't want to sleep with him. It must be love. Meanwhile Franki, a rock musician who indulged in an orgy with his bandmates and Erica has received some shocking news that sets up the final, gruesome act.<br />
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It's unfair to categorise this as a horror film as there is nothing here designed to scare the audience. It is not a film that keeps you in suspense either. <i>Red White and Blue</i> is very much a human drama, despite it's showy display of violence towards the end. The central couple, Erica and Nate, are two tragic characters and their slow bonding and eventual coming together is the stuff of indie drama, not horror, but there is a looming sense of tragedy as we see flashes of a seriously dark side to Nate, an otherwise extremely likeable character. In fact, he is so likeable that this makes the final half hour even more difficult to watch since you can't help but feel his pain and you may enter some very murky moral ground.<br />
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The film is structured in such a way that the focus shifts between characters. We start off with Erica who is played by a perfectly cast Amanda Fuller. Her performance is brave, subtle and so interesting that she goes from unlikeable to desperately sad and vulnerable as the film goes on. The second character we explore is Franki and a huge problem for me watching the film is that I couldn't bring myself to like this character no matter how hard I tried. As with the other characters, he has his dark side and his light side but I just couldn't stand him. Maybe it's my dislike for soul-searching hipster types but not being able to sympathise with him really dampened my enjoyment of the film, particularly as events begin to unfold. If this character had worked better I think the plot as a whole would have felt more effective. By far the best thing about the film is the great Noah Taylor, digging right down into the pits of darkness for this role and giving us a side of him we haven't seen before. A genuinely scary, monstrous romantic lead. The blend of innocence, sweetness and pure psychotic rage ensures that the audiences head is spinning by the end of the film. The final shot of the film is somewhat heartbreaking and in a nice little play on time perception, we get a rather poignant little twist in the tale that reminds us exactly what the film is really about. Two damaged people who, for a fleeting second, found love.<br />
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With nothing to go on but the fact that Noah Taylor was in it (pretty safe bet) and a pretty frightening trailer I gave this film a chance and I'm glad I did. While the film definitely has its problems, I was pleasantly surprised to find that beneath its gruesome surface it is a film with a big heart and, in an unconventional way, wears it on its sleeve. The film will not be to everyone's taste but it has a certain resonance that is all too rare in genre films.<br />
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The film will be released in the UK on 10th October.<br />
<br />
- Charlene Lydon<br />
<br />
<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/3Pu7mvo0rZ0" width="560"></iframe>Charlenehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09243423154353221962noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33527678.post-25994616530865520132011-09-06T13:13:00.003+01:002011-09-07T14:41:21.034+01:00Friends With Benefits<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKd9k13eoCieO93Td1Bv1QcOzOinhriqzRReUwJtIHlCSpqfFZQRIJGNAtqAQMCbHzoZKkG4h4QTiUEWDHGtYHpCTYFygynkG0wdaa5iNqhdJYEK-20h6jTt58fn0DZQv1_lN5/s1600/2011_friends_with_benefits.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="212" nba="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKd9k13eoCieO93Td1Bv1QcOzOinhriqzRReUwJtIHlCSpqfFZQRIJGNAtqAQMCbHzoZKkG4h4QTiUEWDHGtYHpCTYFygynkG0wdaa5iNqhdJYEK-20h6jTt58fn0DZQv1_lN5/s320/2011_friends_with_benefits.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>Written by: Keith Merryman, David A. Newman, Will Gluck<br />
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Directed by: Will Gluck<br />
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Starring: Mila Kunis, Justin Timberlake, Patricia Clarkson, Richard Jenkins<br />
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Rating: 4/10<br />
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<div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">It boggles the mind how two films with strikingly similar concepts and a strikingly similar cast can go on release within six months of each other. February saw the release of <em>No Strings Attached</em>, a rom-com starring <em>Black Swan</em> actress Natalie Portman and Hollywood a-lister Ashton Kutcher about friends who enter into a physical relationship without the emotional pressure of a normal relationship. Neither wants a relationship but enjoy the comfort of each others beds. That is until they start to realise they were made for each other. Now we have <em>Friends With Benefits</em>, starring <em>Black Swan</em> actress Mila Kunis and Hollywood a-lister Justin Timberlake, with exactly the same plot. Perhaps it’s simply an unfortunate coincidence that these two films exist in such close proximity and since I thought <em>No Strings Attached</em> was pretty awful I quite hoped <em>Friends With Benefits</em> would be a bit more likeable.</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">Dylan (Timberlake) is an LA website developer who is recruited to work for GQ magazine in New York. He is met at the airport by Jamie (Kunis), a beautiful, quirky girl who helps him settle in to the very different world of Manhattan. Tired of frustrating failed relationships the pair enter into a sexually-charged friendship on the basis that they don’t need to get bogged down with the politics of dating. It’s all going well until they start to realise they’re made for each other.</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><em>Friends With Benefits</em> starts well. The co-stars are glamorous, likeable and their on-screen chemistry really works. The audience has a great time watching them together and the bawdiness of their sexploits makes for a few giggles. A lot of time is spent making fun of conventional rom-coms, with a fictional film referenced throughout (starring Rashida Jones and Jason Segal) as an example of how manufactured and delusional the world of rom-coms are. This is the film’s way of declaring itself the anti-rom-com. But then what does it go and do? It bloody well becomes the most sappy, conventional rom-com of them all! In the process it also loses all sense of fun and the giddy naughtiness of the first half becomes overtaken by family drama and issues with trust and self-doubt. </div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">There is something infuriatingly smug about a film that pokes so much fun at its own genre but then refuses to think outside of the box defined by generic convention. It’s a bad case of having your cake and eating it too…and even worse, it’s a waste of the breezy charms of its superb co-stars! Unfortunately this starts well but becomes a complete bore by the end, dampened even further by a terribly cheesy ending. If you have a high tolerance for bad romantic comedies, you might enjoy this but if you’re expecting the edgy, sophisticated comedy the first act promises, you will probably be very angry by the time the credits roll. Disappointing!</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">- Charlene Lydon<br />
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<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="345" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/34xfcoRceeU" width="560"></iframe></div><br />
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<div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"></div>Charlenehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09243423154353221962noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33527678.post-42316815939077648652011-08-24T17:57:00.002+01:002011-08-24T23:19:09.041+01:00The Skin I Live In<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjO2fKdBW1337g7bAdOOuLRiVSK2C9MVRyGI6ZpNz3BvVAAHLY9w5RYNZGpWLiiLUkw2SSqGnaY_mlYM-EOMQLb9vFxMhToBF3MxMbL8yE7caGBwJTcGyL3tjJvquX2GbN3Rsh0/s1600/p_e_The-Skin-I-Live-In-2011-Movie-Poster.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjO2fKdBW1337g7bAdOOuLRiVSK2C9MVRyGI6ZpNz3BvVAAHLY9w5RYNZGpWLiiLUkw2SSqGnaY_mlYM-EOMQLb9vFxMhToBF3MxMbL8yE7caGBwJTcGyL3tjJvquX2GbN3Rsh0/s400/p_e_The-Skin-I-Live-In-2011-Movie-Poster.jpg" width="206" /></a>Written & Directed by: Pedro Almodovar<br />
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Starring: Antonio Banderas, Elena Anaya, Jan Cornet<br />
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Rating: 10/10<br />
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As a longtime fan of Pedro Almodovar's films, I will admit the trailer for his latest film <i>The Skin I Live In </i>left me somewhat baffled (see embedded trailer below). Having now seen the film however, I see the method in his madness. The trailer tells you little or nothing about the film but bombards the viewer with crazy images which are in retrospect probably designed to confuse. The trailer serves the purpose of telling the viewer very little of what the film is about while titillating with striking visuals. A bold move but an effective one, because the less you know about this film going in the better.<br />
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With that in mind, I'll keep this review short and will try not to give anything away. Antonio Banderas plays a rather unhinged scientist who is keeping a beautiful young woman prisoner in his home while using her as a human guinea pig for a new type of synthetic human skin. That's about as much information as you need. As the story unfolds, petal by petal in that flower-like way we've become accustomed to seeing from Almodovar, each scene adds wonder and flavour to an already robust set-up. Moving at a break-neck pace, not a frame is without beauty and not a second is wasted without pushing the story along. This screenplay is extremely polished and beautifully nuanced.<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjceaf_gCUG3H42NA7veoD52qKr9YzHHwyO5jhWq0E6XWstFlWQRObNi4gaTu-SosOIlKVZs83XSMgoVsAm6lvUY0ypM9z2EsF1Ys_U3B_r_Sp_1O8PxAR1ga98AtLvxs9pP4ec/s1600/the-skin-i-live-in-almodovar+banderas.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjceaf_gCUG3H42NA7veoD52qKr9YzHHwyO5jhWq0E6XWstFlWQRObNi4gaTu-SosOIlKVZs83XSMgoVsAm6lvUY0ypM9z2EsF1Ys_U3B_r_Sp_1O8PxAR1ga98AtLvxs9pP4ec/s320/the-skin-i-live-in-almodovar+banderas.jpg" width="320" /></a><br />
As usual, cinematographer Jose Luis Alcaine delivers beautifully vibrant visuals, but unlike other Almodovar films, this palette is decidedly less colourful, sticking mainly to Cronenbergian metallic colours fused with fleshy tones but with the odd gash of vibrant colour. It is as beautiful to behold as any other Almodovar film, but perhaps less garish.<br />
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In a film that relies on ambiguity in so many ways the cast here must be commended. Delicate balances are achieved by all concerned and it's wonderful to see Antonio Banderas settling into the rather unsettling role of Dr. Robert Ledgard. He exudes the same charisma and sexual bravura that made him famous but without the least whiff of sex symbol status coming through in the performance. He is creepy, strangely alluring and underplays the "mad scientist" bit admirably. Elena Anayas also impresses in a very challenging performance both physically and emotionally, both of which are perfectly effective as her story unfolds. A brilliant character who may not have been so impressive in the hands of a less capable actress. The camera intimately caresses her face and body throughout and she steadfastly rises to the challenge of being as beautiful a muse as a director could ask for.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4GdKktyZD9I9ZzBwFMlgajg0GEFgsTdMW6FJPhck_Dsj9C1Q6F-5b3-FSUmwsvpFw5GGznyrQidSH7T6YkBw9y5M3qTLHi48U4exwD6m0wqW6wXkScFRBImhI3E0FZ9HOFu1u/s1600/skin+i+live+in+still.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4GdKktyZD9I9ZzBwFMlgajg0GEFgsTdMW6FJPhck_Dsj9C1Q6F-5b3-FSUmwsvpFw5GGznyrQidSH7T6YkBw9y5M3qTLHi48U4exwD6m0wqW6wXkScFRBImhI3E0FZ9HOFu1u/s320/skin+i+live+in+still.jpg" width="320" /></a>It is unlikely that Almodovar will win over any new fans with <i>The Skin I Live In </i>but he will surely satisfy his already massive fanbase. A dark, thoughtful, frightening piece but never shying away from the heights of melodrama that Almodovar is known for, this sits beautifully on the line between Cronenberg at his best and a crazy soap opera.<br />
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Unique, gothic and delightfully melodramatic! I love it!<br />
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- Charlene Lydon<br />
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<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="345" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/bcEdhBx6U9c" width="560"></iframe><br />
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Charlenehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09243423154353221962noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33527678.post-39430068755143420972011-08-05T20:12:00.001+01:002011-08-05T20:13:20.706+01:00Interview with KNUCKLE director Ian Palmer<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhX3JNT285HWHYARHJUMXg6VZirYvL9zRJoe9XT7eiSVLkDq-87uaFdRYDq0aqTT_KLoBUnL_4GgrH8MIWQVhhXk3o6Jx1xONyLfUyO5q8Yd_s1dJ3nstqKYODR3eGUYNM58QAr/s1600/knuckle-poster-434x600.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhX3JNT285HWHYARHJUMXg6VZirYvL9zRJoe9XT7eiSVLkDq-87uaFdRYDq0aqTT_KLoBUnL_4GgrH8MIWQVhhXk3o6Jx1xONyLfUyO5q8Yd_s1dJ3nstqKYODR3eGUYNM58QAr/s200/knuckle-poster-434x600.jpg" width="144" /></a></div><br />
<a href="http://www.volta.ie/clips-and-trailers/knuckle-interview-with-director-ian-palmer">http://www.volta.ie/clips-and-trailers/knuckle-interview-with-director-ian-palmer</a><br />
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Here's my video interview with Ian Palmer, the director of fantastic documentary KNUCKLE which follows two traveller families who are involved in the scary world of bareknuckle boxing.<br />
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KNUCKLE is available to stream or download here: <a href="http://www.volta.ie/films/knuckle">http://www.volta.ie/films/knuckle</a><br />
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<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="349" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/flEgKSvlGWk" width="560"></iframe>Charlenehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09243423154353221962noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33527678.post-41752136753678414172011-07-22T10:22:00.000+01:002011-07-22T10:22:59.279+01:00"Spider" short filmWritten by: Nash Edgerton and David Michod<br />
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Directed by Nash Edgerton<br />
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Starring: Nash Edgerton, Mirrah Foulkes<br />
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The people who brought you The Square and Animal Kingdom combine their powers here to great cinematic effect. I shall say no more...just watch!<br />
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It's all fun and games until someone loses and eye...<br />
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<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="390" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/Jmbv8kevQ-E" width="640"></iframe>Charlenehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09243423154353221962noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33527678.post-71525586056179397672011-07-21T12:37:00.002+01:002011-07-21T12:41:35.497+01:00Horrible Bosses<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5fXMpo5GoqmQmBMCJjxTKYCGBZyIk68pXWUF5EohvWMvrMVTz5p1Sk9BnHhoTcCAey7v_K3jm80jK-joc0N6bXXPkpGQm_FyoIPbUesPcls0Gv2up8BagpLSdS7QI5Runce_M/s1600/horrible-bosses-movie-photo-02-550x366.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><img border="0" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5fXMpo5GoqmQmBMCJjxTKYCGBZyIk68pXWUF5EohvWMvrMVTz5p1Sk9BnHhoTcCAey7v_K3jm80jK-joc0N6bXXPkpGQm_FyoIPbUesPcls0Gv2up8BagpLSdS7QI5Runce_M/s320/horrible-bosses-movie-photo-02-550x366.jpg" width="320" /></span></a></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 1px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 1px; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Written by: Michael Markowitz, John Francis Daley, Jonathan Goldstein</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 1px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 1px; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Directed by Seth Gordon</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 1px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 1px; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Starring: Jason Bateman, Jason Sudeikis, Charlie Day, Kevin Spacey, Jennifer Aniston, Colin Farrell</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 1px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 1px; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">If it’s satisfying, edgy summer comedy you’re after look no further! Horrible Bosses is naughty enough to ensure the odd shocked snigger, but funny enough to ensure you don’t spend too long shifting uncomfortably in your seat. The plot is simple, three best friends agree to murder each others horrible bosses. Riffing on Strangers on a Train and Throw Momma From the Train (which was itself riffing on Strangers, how very post-post), Horrible Bosses combines the squirmy suspense of the former and the darkly comic nasty streak of the latter to produce a very enjoyable and funny comedy.</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9fkBYp9EgXisiLhhc-FUNsIYlgEJlk1FPnHvvsjVgj4KuWQSaogmv9Z421ZZZ0evlVaoYjxoPtSWdVYjbwr5pYEkX-uIj2i-6c57xZPwYqdVY2SLdX94vCIjitsL-WPNM3b3y/s1600/d2381_ht_charlie_day_jennifer_aniston_horrible_bosses_mw_110707_wg.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="179" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9fkBYp9EgXisiLhhc-FUNsIYlgEJlk1FPnHvvsjVgj4KuWQSaogmv9Z421ZZZ0evlVaoYjxoPtSWdVYjbwr5pYEkX-uIj2i-6c57xZPwYqdVY2SLdX94vCIjitsL-WPNM3b3y/s320/d2381_ht_charlie_day_jennifer_aniston_horrible_bosses_mw_110707_wg.jpg" width="320" /></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 1px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 1px;"><br />
</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 1px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 1px;">Nick (Bateman) is working for a faceless corporation and taking all kinds of rubbish from his boss Dave (Kevin Spacey) with a view to an impending promotion. Dale is being sexually harassed by his boss Julia (Jennifer Aniston) and getting little sympathy from his friends and Kurt’s lovely boss just died leaving his cokehead idiot son (Colin Farrell) in charge. The guys are so miserable that they somehow come to the conclusion that their only solution is to “whack” their bosses.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 1px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 1px;"><br />
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</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 1px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 1px;">The trick to pulling off this potentially tired little plot is to ensure that the cast of performers are on the ball at all times. Playing it safe with some of TV’s strongest comedy actors Jason Bateman (Arrested Development), Jason Sudeikis (SNL) and Charlie Day (It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia), the three leads were clearly cast for skill and not box office draw. This ploy works, bigtime! The three actors hit every comic beat and squeeze every ounce of juice out of each joke. As loveable as these guys are, the bosses are equally despicable. Spacey, Aniston and Farrell are clearly having a blast here with their rather vaudeville characters. The chemistry and fun created by the cast reminds me of early Farrelly Brothers movies, where so much of the energy was created by actors just having a blast at being ridiculous. The villains are all breaking out of their usual moulds and playing to their underused comic abilities.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 1px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 1px;"><br />
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</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 1px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 1px;">It may not be the most original story but it is delicately plotted so that the many twists and turns are given the right amount of comic punch. Sometimes simple is best and watching these hapless guys indulging this absurd fantasy is about as simple as comedy gets. There’s something about these wish-fulfilment comedies that can playfully strike a chord with something very primal in audiences. This enables a sort of forgiveness that encourages the essential suspension of disbelief. It’s necessary with films like this to avoid thoughts like “there’s no way they’d ACTUALLY do something like this”. That sort of thinking is utterly pointless and denies the viewer the opportunity to enjoy the ride. So, word of warning, this is not a documentary, this is a farcical comedy and should be treated as such.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 1px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 1px;"><b><br />
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</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 1px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 1px;">Apart from the fact that this is rather conventional fare and the end could have used a bit more punch, Horrible Bosses is a hilarious comedy and thanks to the easy-on-the-eye cast and a colourful cinematographer it’s a very pleasant film to watch. The script is tight, the laughs are plentiful, and the jokes are naughty! What more could you want in a summer comedy?!</span></span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 1px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 1px; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"> - Charlene Lydon (from: www.frankthemonkey.com)</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 1px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 1px; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="390" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/mh9cG5dzs-U" width="640"></iframe></span>Charlenehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09243423154353221962noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33527678.post-58911343777717171272011-07-15T12:26:00.002+01:002011-07-26T11:27:25.620+01:00The Guard<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiotg4fl88Ctb41j6NYEmNY1k2Wvcbwth0k7bfq1YstJddLnxND4GTa412QS8nC8VRWaQYvpbpJQaGsSkX8FZjBHYWmWlHox14TJxole5VjSnkP3BxU7NW6fqrN1mtdAtwbOVWs/s1600/the+guard+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiotg4fl88Ctb41j6NYEmNY1k2Wvcbwth0k7bfq1YstJddLnxND4GTa412QS8nC8VRWaQYvpbpJQaGsSkX8FZjBHYWmWlHox14TJxole5VjSnkP3BxU7NW6fqrN1mtdAtwbOVWs/s320/the+guard+2.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>Written & Directed by: John Michael McDonagh<br />
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Starring: Brendan Gleeson, Don Cheadle, Mark Strong, Liam Cunningham, David Wilmot<br />
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Rating: 8/10<br />
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The Irish sense of humour is a strange beast; disrespectful but warm, xenophobic but friendly, indignant yet self-deprecating. A strange beast it may be but it is also one of this nations finest attributes. With <i>The Guard, </i>John Michael McDonagh has managed to capture the spirit of Irish humour with all it's darkness and all it's irreverent charm. Following Sergeant Gerry Boyle (Gleeson) during an uncharacteristically action-packed week on the beat in rural Galway, the film sees three philosphising drug smugglers arriving in town, followed closely by straight-laced FBI agent Wendell Everett (Cheadle).<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgm6FyYRPI1PvN2CM98sail-OnlY73uVLTe14C-JqpU0DyjM1aXnpN-m9_kQ5D53966F-K75ACVANS9UbY4vq6h7Bx813NehrLLLZEt8ceYob4OWBLXWcAA2XwgaQ8YRHVirdpu/s1600/the+guard+1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgm6FyYRPI1PvN2CM98sail-OnlY73uVLTe14C-JqpU0DyjM1aXnpN-m9_kQ5D53966F-K75ACVANS9UbY4vq6h7Bx813NehrLLLZEt8ceYob4OWBLXWcAA2XwgaQ8YRHVirdpu/s320/the+guard+1.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>Gerry is smart as a whip but doesn't suffer fools gladly and likes to indulge in drink, drugs and prostitutes whenever possible. He is not your conventional rural Irish guard. His intolerance of the bureaucracy involved in police work, especially a big case like this, is the backbone of the character but essentially he is also a man of great integrity and compassion where he feels it's deserved. As he becomes unwittingly embroiled in this case, Gerry manages to offend but ultimately endear himself to the straight-laced American Wendell Everett, who is getting something of a hard time from the locals. Over time these two highly intelligent men from completely different backgrounds learn to respect each other amidst a sea of mind games and cutting jibes flying both ways.<br />
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Don't be fooled by the elements of "bromance", <i>The Guard</i> is a character study, plain and simple. The plot and the supporting cast are secondary to exploring this fascinating character. Brendan Gleeson relishes the role of a lifetime with class, dignity and humour, allowing the character to remain just mysterious enough that we never know what to expect of him. This bravura performance helps to cover up some of the flaws in the film, most notably, the poor direction especially when it comes to the final act action scenes. As streamlined as the script is, the film would have benefited hugely from a more experienced director. That being said <i>The Guard</i> is hugely enjoyable, the jokes are killer, the main cast are superb and there is just enough intelligence to raise the bar, but not enough to make it feel pretentious.<br />
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Credit must go to Mark Strong, David Wilmot and Liam Cunningham for their portrayal of a trio of drug smugglers who are smart enough to know not to underestimate Gerry but stupid enough to think that they could emerge victorious. They are funny but somehow also menacing, giving the film an essential sense of danger. The dark undertones in the film help to ensure that audiences know that there is always something at stake and this is not your average comedy.<br />
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<i>The Guard </i>is exactly what the Irish film industry needs right now, a brave, solid genre film with enough substance to endear itself to an international market. With a cracking cast, an endlessly quotable script and a unique voice, this film is undoubtedly a classic of Irish cinema.<br />
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- Charlene LydonCharlenehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09243423154353221962noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33527678.post-40315318725846632582011-07-15T12:03:00.001+01:002011-07-15T12:13:52.670+01:00Cell 211<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5-w9mE1KZOjeNTSYZarI_MB75x9gFpIEE9qEZRwSMgBTV9B07I5YpaMmGhJGqCBK4g82exABW7_yzW6gLcX5JWKUrFs3VKQlrLuILrUj8FOwtWbCq4_gyBSkHf4kZ9b7pl-ie/s1600/cell+211.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5-w9mE1KZOjeNTSYZarI_MB75x9gFpIEE9qEZRwSMgBTV9B07I5YpaMmGhJGqCBK4g82exABW7_yzW6gLcX5JWKUrFs3VKQlrLuILrUj8FOwtWbCq4_gyBSkHf4kZ9b7pl-ie/s320/cell+211.jpg" width="224" /></a></div>Written by: Jorge Guerricercaechevarria, Daniel Monzon<br />
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Directed by: Daniel Monzon<br />
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Starring: Alberto Ammann, Luis Tosar, Marta Etura<br />
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Rating: 7/10<br />
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It is Juan Oliver's first day as a prison officer, a job he took to provide for his wife and forthcoming baby. Juan Oliver is a quiet, earnest, likeable young man with a more than usually intuitive. Unfortunately for him, as he is being given the tour of the prison all hell breaks loose as the prisoners attack the guards and take over the prison. Left for dead, abandoned by the guards, Juan Oliver finds himself stuck in the prison with no hope of escape. In order to survive, he poses as a new inmate and manages to befriend the leader of the prisoner, the powerfully charismatic but terrifying Malamadre (which, I believe translates as "son of a bitch").<br />
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As Juan Oliver becomes deeper embroiled in the negotiations and rises quickly through the ranks to become Malamadre's right hand man, he begins to see the dark underbelly of the authorities and his loyalty is swayed as his somewhat naive and optimistic view of the institution he works for falls asunder.<br />
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As a thriller, <i>Cell 211 </i>is a superior effort. The screenplay is intelligent, tight and well paced. The characters are defined and believable while the universally strong performances bring nuance to what could easily have been just a bunch of thugs. Recalling similar film like John Hillcoat's remarkable <i>Ghosts of the Civil Dead </i>and Hector Babenco's <i>Carandiru </i>(with which this film shares many traits), <i>Cell 211</i> is a prison thriller that delivers. It may not be emotionally visceral enough to leave you haunted afterwards, but it is certainly a slick, brilliantly executed film. Director Daniel Monzon does not shy away from violence and cruelty, nor does he revel in it. There is a refreshing respect and fear of pain in this film. Every act of violence, whatever the reason behind it is harrowing without being gratuitous. The film's strength lies in the fact that we stay with Juan Oliver throughout and even as his character faces the darkest of moments, the audience remains with him, feeling his madness, feeling his pain. However, the film does allow itself to get bogged down in political preachiness which can be tiresome after a while.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSAvemipeRrDXaUHaEoLS3L0g2J-C7SFZsYkfFOGxtOrE4AxwvsHCcNpSZ0VtJduG2R6hgjwMWDRfQTdi5BkebPm-IM1NdS96baRnOSHV0EzxAh6MO9T1loRyMTLLX4bA5IlEm/s1600/cell211.1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="202" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSAvemipeRrDXaUHaEoLS3L0g2J-C7SFZsYkfFOGxtOrE4AxwvsHCcNpSZ0VtJduG2R6hgjwMWDRfQTdi5BkebPm-IM1NdS96baRnOSHV0EzxAh6MO9T1loRyMTLLX4bA5IlEm/s320/cell211.1.jpg" width="320" /></a><br />
The focus on media interaction gives the film a fresh, contemporary spin, setting it apart from other, more claustrophobic prison movies. There is a sense that what's going on outside the prison shocks the prisoners as much as what's happening inside the prison shocks the outside world. A solid effort, <i>Cell 211 </i>deserves an audience and I have no doubt that it will find it. Perhaps it's small theatrical release won't have them coming in their droves but this is one that should catch on with a DVD release. Worth a watch.<br />
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- Charlene LydonCharlenehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09243423154353221962noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33527678.post-61034554483064011412011-07-15T11:07:00.002+01:002011-07-15T12:35:31.133+01:00Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows - Part 2<div class="MsoNormal"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPIRuO3EixP_BuxIcVsG1yIo1krEW6838Jg8UONlxUXwpaGWxKxMOG7O0PYILWlrbV8rT4wpeAc0ZAqkg3saUKgUcXBmzdFTDAm9bxkckiYUGREOWu02EgwIW2LggOrK1pyMjA/s1600/dementors+hogwarts.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="237" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPIRuO3EixP_BuxIcVsG1yIo1krEW6838Jg8UONlxUXwpaGWxKxMOG7O0PYILWlrbV8rT4wpeAc0ZAqkg3saUKgUcXBmzdFTDAm9bxkckiYUGREOWu02EgwIW2LggOrK1pyMjA/s400/dementors+hogwarts.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><span class="apple-style-span"><span style="color: black;">Written by: Steve Kloves</span></span><br />
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<span class="apple-style-span"><span style="color: black;">Directed by: David Yates</span></span><br />
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<span class="apple-style-span"><span style="color: black;">Starring: </span></span><br />
<span class="apple-style-span"><span style="color: black;">Daniel Radcliffe, Rupert Grint, Emma Watson, Alan Rickman, Ralph Fiennes</span></span><br />
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<span class="apple-style-span"><span style="color: black;">Rating: 8/10</span></span><br />
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<span class="apple-style-span"><span style="color: black;">Many years ago, about a decade now, I decided that difficult as it may be I was going to use the medium of film to experience the story of Harry Potter. I decided against reading the books despite the many temptations over the years.</span></span><span class="apple-converted-space"><span style="color: black;"> </span></span><span class="apple-style-span"><i><span style="color: black;">Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2</span></i></span><span class="apple-converted-space"><i><span style="color: black;"> </span></i></span><span class="apple-style-span"><span style="color: black;">was the culmination of my decade of patience and I was proud of myself for having achieved this small feat. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjzvgs0tmOmBDZ68j8fRO2I2ZVrx-2oR4lYLFJRNruY868cR7B4EgEksdNJwqD6nezgkGNSZ9ntgVGigV_7zw573jAgkHK8US-84MZ-mgdmp5EzEd7isd6UQn2_VYYeNUtVpfi/s1600/harry-potter-deathly-hallows-2-harry-hermione-ron-600x400.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjzvgs0tmOmBDZ68j8fRO2I2ZVrx-2oR4lYLFJRNruY868cR7B4EgEksdNJwqD6nezgkGNSZ9ntgVGigV_7zw573jAgkHK8US-84MZ-mgdmp5EzEd7isd6UQn2_VYYeNUtVpfi/s320/harry-potter-deathly-hallows-2-harry-hermione-ron-600x400.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><span style="color: black;">As a non-reader of the book I feel I have definitely missed out on some of the more intricate plotting that is glossed over in the films for the sake of brevity. I can feel that some of the characterisation is lacking, as well as a lot of background information that enriches the plot. That being said, these films do a remarkable job at telling the story of Harry, his friends and the magical world he inhabits.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: black;">The final chapter of the story is about as hyped as a film could be. A decade of fretting about "he who must not be named" finally pays off as Hogwarts finally faces the Death-Eaters in an epic battle of both wits and magic. <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: black;">The films opens with the truly breathtaking image of the dreaded Dementors hovering around Hogwarts, now a very different place than the benevolent, warm home to young wizards we’ve come to know and love. This opening shot, dark and beautiful, sets the tone for what is to come. The ensuing film is visually grandiose and emotionally dark enough to ensure that the audience can feel genuinely fearful for the lives of the characters. Anyone could die, it’s a cruel story and Voldemort is a seriously dangerous presence.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: black;">The first act of he film sees Harry, Ron and Hermione on an exhilarating chase through a Dickensian goblin bank in search of one of Voldemorts horcruxes (objects where Voldemort has hidden part of his soul in the hope that he will remain immortal). This part of the film is fun and lively but it feel a little redundant as we patiently wait for the real battle to begin. As soon as Harry, Hermione and Ron get back to Hogwarts and are reunited with their friends things start to seriously pick up. Battles are fought, families are torn apart, young lives are lost and secrets are revealed. From this point on, the film becomes everything a fan could have hoped for! <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgN8pDG4i4-q95TCGNmjzn9nVjxSaag1chw5Nd-lCtXm5clVOJVDyDaWS9uSFXzhj2HQAhtOrmkfEk1L0yeD-XeTlkKq-a4H82nZOBrTTxPKObASmB1WBJKsifwe_AfDFGQm_mw/s1600/wand+battle.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="168" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgN8pDG4i4-q95TCGNmjzn9nVjxSaag1chw5Nd-lCtXm5clVOJVDyDaWS9uSFXzhj2HQAhtOrmkfEk1L0yeD-XeTlkKq-a4H82nZOBrTTxPKObASmB1WBJKsifwe_AfDFGQm_mw/s320/wand+battle.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><span style="color: black;">There are some pretty serious plot points that are lost on non-readers like me, as they are washed over in the hope that you’re having so much fun you’ll turn a blind eye. Good strategy and it totally worked! On me at least. I was having way too much fun on the edge of my seat to care that I didn’t quite understand why certain things were happening. It’s cheating of the highest order but at this stage in the story the need for further magical gobbledegook and funny new words is not a priority for me. I’d rather go along for the ride and not have to worry too much about exposition. Anyway, this instalment is strictly about the characters, their relationships and the culmination of everything that has come before and how it has fit together to bring us to this point. This final part of the story is about resolving the story in a meaningful way and giving us an end point for the characters who have so richly (and subtly) evolved throughout the series. At this point, I must mention Neville Longbottom who is a character I dismissed as comic fodder but who surprised me by stepping up to the plate and becoming a true hero in his own right. This is a character who has evolved slowly over the course of series and who has sneaked into our hearts by proving again and again, much like Ron that being born with super wizard skills isn’t everything, it’s overcoming the obstacle of mediocrity that counts. <o:p></o:p></span><br />
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</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2pnVe6iVCQV56xZLHeVUbBDDNaC0DljRk8G8NxucfciF38AaX2OhP1_B38h6YrUoB7EQBFbLGZy8LSf0o3Fwy12DrIb-0LTFscx1M8XMGjGRU5peWSHk5u2n6FWDZN1IYOIoS/s1600/neville.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2pnVe6iVCQV56xZLHeVUbBDDNaC0DljRk8G8NxucfciF38AaX2OhP1_B38h6YrUoB7EQBFbLGZy8LSf0o3Fwy12DrIb-0LTFscx1M8XMGjGRU5peWSHk5u2n6FWDZN1IYOIoS/s320/neville.jpg" width="216" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: black;">Having said that, I would be remiss in leaving out the wonderful Malfoy family. I was surprised at where the story took them, but delighted with the non-judgmental sense of understanding and (almost) pity for them as they play their part in the story. Lucius, Narcissus and Draco have long been one of my favourite elements of the Harry Potter universe (not least because of Narcissus’ wonderful hair and costumes) and for me, their story in the final film was immensely satisfying, brave and lacking in sentimentality.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: black;">The final act sees some wonderful twists and developments concerning a character that is close to my heart (no spoilers here) and a fresh perspective breathes new life to a character many people may have written off. HP readers will know what I’m referring to but I won’t discuss it any further here for fear of spoiling anything. But I will say this: the plot development in question is the single most wonderful thing the series has ever done and it made every flaw in the series worthwhile, for me at least and opened my eyes to the vastness the story and the clever plotting that has been so subtly interwoven from the very start.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: black;">The cultural impact of the Harry Potter books is undeniable and although the films have never quite been masterpieces (except perhaps <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The Prisoner of Azkaban</i>), they have still consistently made for entertaining blockbusters, always reliable as solid films, if not always perfect. <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Harry Potter & the Deathly Hallows – Part 2</i> is not perfect. Yet again, David Yates proves himself to be a mediocre director with a great eye for visuals. The 3D is pointless, I would definitely recommend the 2D version and there are some hugely significant emotional moments in the film that felt much flatter than they should have. However, the film is a triumphant conclusion to the story and a fantastically thrilling summer blockbuster. Prepare to shed a tear or two because things get quite emotional in the second half…<o:p></o:p></span><br />
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</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiMSsX6WVgun56zCKAo_gQwm1nHcBzv-ptDwTSJVPqCYxk7w0fOs6L1HF0y5CV4EiQ_F3iv26LLOcjOnRXcPjGkS4BjirgHdYTx4cB9BHDV4o1EGekR0IVkSq87ohFMbJiP3_q/s1600/snape.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="142" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiMSsX6WVgun56zCKAo_gQwm1nHcBzv-ptDwTSJVPqCYxk7w0fOs6L1HF0y5CV4EiQ_F3iv26LLOcjOnRXcPjGkS4BjirgHdYTx4cB9BHDV4o1EGekR0IVkSq87ohFMbJiP3_q/s200/snape.jpg" width="200" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: black;">Goodbye for now Harry, Ron, Hermione, Albus, Severus, Draco, Voldemort, et al, I look forward to getting to know you in more depth when I begin the journey all over again in book form!<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoListBullet" style="margin-left: 0cm; mso-list: none; tab-stops: 36.0pt; text-indent: 0cm;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoListBullet" style="margin-left: 0cm; mso-list: none; tab-stops: 36.0pt; text-indent: 0cm;"><span style="color: black;"> - Charlene Lydon</span><o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div>Charlenehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09243423154353221962noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33527678.post-91012611165869712092011-07-11T20:59:00.004+01:002011-07-15T12:37:42.149+01:00We Love Summer...Weekend at Bernies!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMbTSd-GeXGNyImJ7LUM-jBylZL4RBydVoLwi4LuphrHekODD0K3yIeYgNiyOH34JcmnQrCLMTNOp9V6_GIzUbLS2CCzC9TTPVZkK1v2kAv2vz7BytWiJxEezJSGiST9pHENAW/s1600/weekend-at-bernies.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: black; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMbTSd-GeXGNyImJ7LUM-jBylZL4RBydVoLwi4LuphrHekODD0K3yIeYgNiyOH34JcmnQrCLMTNOp9V6_GIzUbLS2CCzC9TTPVZkK1v2kAv2vz7BytWiJxEezJSGiST9pHENAW/s320/weekend-at-bernies.jpg" width="320" /></span></a></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 22px;">The beauty of summer movies is that they don’t have to be classy, they don’t have to be clever, they just need to be fun! For me at least, </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 22px;"><em style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">Weekend at Bernie’s</em></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 22px;"> has a lot to offer those in need of some summer madness. For those of you who have not had the pleasure, here’s the plot in a nutshell. Larry and Richard, two down on their luck office workers uncover an anomaly which suggests someone is ripping off the insurance corporation they work for. Their shady boss Bernie, the real culprit, invites them to his place in The Hamptons during a massive New York heatwave where he plans to have them ‘silenced’. The plot thickens when the dodgy characters Bernie is involved with decide to ‘silence’ him instead, killing him and leaving him propped up at his desk with sunglasses on. When Larry and Richard arrive for their well-deserved weekend of fun, they realise what has happened but fate (and the prospect of ‘getting laid’) intervenes to ensure that they can’t quite find the time to phone the cops.</span></span><br />
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<div style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; line-height: 22px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 10px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-align: left;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWlO4R0b9z2cS4rE9YRJnl45nHUU2CR9hS1U6NEhp0ZEu95l5xIoK-3UvkC3zv8Yfr-8pgwB2_DD3ji-VBFxgCIzQVHkbPdwS7oP4SMoX6OSAWuQnRBqniToD6IyYT-ZSRH2CA/s1600/weekendatbernies.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: black; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWlO4R0b9z2cS4rE9YRJnl45nHUU2CR9hS1U6NEhp0ZEu95l5xIoK-3UvkC3zv8Yfr-8pgwB2_DD3ji-VBFxgCIzQVHkbPdwS7oP4SMoX6OSAWuQnRBqniToD6IyYT-ZSRH2CA/s200/weekendatbernies.jpg" width="200" /></span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">In the true spirit of ’80s comedy, a lot of over-the-top nonsense ensues whereby Larry and Richard must pretend to everyone, from party to party that Bernie is alive, just kind of ‘wasted’. This is easier than you imagine when everyone’s an airhead, a floozy or just completely hammered for the whole weekend. This is 1980’s New York we’re talking about here, hedonism is rampant for the well-heeled. <em style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">Weekend at Bernie’s</em> feels like <em style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">Some Like it Hot</em> crossed with a Bret Easton Ellis novel, completely ridiculous, over the top and slyly commenting on the hollow lifestyles of the rich and famous. Is that a stretch? Maybe it is.</span></div><div style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; line-height: 22px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 10px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">At the heart of <em style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">Weekend at Bernie’s</em> is the desperate hunger to get out of the heat of Manhattan. The director does a good job of painting a picture of the unpleasantness of New York City in the sticky heatwave. It looks like the last place you’d ever want to be and therefore somewhat believably gives the guys an incentive to want to stay in The Hamptons at all cost. Disbelief must be suspended tremendously if you are to have any fun watching this film, but if you can just roll with it, it’s very funny and has an unjustly ignored fantastic central performance from Terry Kiser as Bernie. For two thirds of the film, he is dead. He has no lines. But the physicality of his performance is more than admirable, it’s downright brilliant!</span></div><div style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; line-height: 22px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 10px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-align: left;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2SmVMflHZoXB0pQvAml3UwiWCkFhwnWkz7hnV30DXmw9WEH1qguVTg8Se7ZPmWjRvEFAp6zDB7lSmAmROyQnIoZkL0XGqylkcrp5Ectofao1Nvm7b9qxLC7igcLKNjnNKC9CF/s1600/600full-weekend-at-bernie%2527s-screenshot.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: black; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><img border="0" height="127" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2SmVMflHZoXB0pQvAml3UwiWCkFhwnWkz7hnV30DXmw9WEH1qguVTg8Se7ZPmWjRvEFAp6zDB7lSmAmROyQnIoZkL0XGqylkcrp5Ectofao1Nvm7b9qxLC7igcLKNjnNKC9CF/s200/600full-weekend-at-bernie%2527s-screenshot.jpg" width="200" /></span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">With a premise like this, you’ll either love the film or hate the film, but it’s difficult not to crack a guilty smile here and there at the sheer absurdity and hideous lack of morality displayed by pretty much everyone in the film. Necrophilia, grave-robbing, desecration of a corpse via staple-gun, if it weren’t so damn sunny and nonchalant this would be a dark, dark piece of cinema. We’d all be shifting uncomfortably in our seats, unable to stay on board with these horribly selfish characters. But if you can allow yourself the indulgence <em style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">Weekend at Bernies</em>will evoke that feeling of desperately trying to enjoy the perfect summer weekend when you know it’s fleeting, even if you have to cart a corpse around with you to do it.</span></div><div style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; line-height: 22px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 10px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Sun, sand, women in bikinis, speedboats, creepy kids armed with a bucket and spade and of course a dead guy with his shoelaces tied to your shoelaces as you cruise the beach… that’s the recipe for a great summer movie!</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">From www.filmireland.net</span></div><div style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; line-height: 22px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 10px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">P.S. Best Halloween Costume EVER - </span></div><div style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; line-height: 22px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 10px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-align: left;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivqBuNydxl8XgM-nk6fOCvipCgMXe1MwPvgXClep0qBm9VS-J9a57DTyaIyF24CV5jbrN63x2OdBGzzr0IjjHoyCvdO7RsjIFoHogp44YE2XlC19pFDeOnTeuwUbW3y5f9b068/s1600/widget_cBd6QeHOnjL4ud_aC5h1_M.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: black; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivqBuNydxl8XgM-nk6fOCvipCgMXe1MwPvgXClep0qBm9VS-J9a57DTyaIyF24CV5jbrN63x2OdBGzzr0IjjHoyCvdO7RsjIFoHogp44YE2XlC19pFDeOnTeuwUbW3y5f9b068/s320/widget_cBd6QeHOnjL4ud_aC5h1_M.jpg" width="320" /></span></a></div>Charlenehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09243423154353221962noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33527678.post-62042479411758439502011-06-10T12:45:00.004+01:002011-06-22T11:16:51.921+01:00Bridesmaids Premiere<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgp-K3DAsG06GKUg_gIVdB8p6jwJ7XLT6KXWiynRSi-tf-Yp5KqO-UCGHcMIP0pK77KI59tMy7bEJLVBE_kHRU_GJ-NReZhReYDcAnjJCHTHBarXg98t8jmfDYx69LxFKZKm1g/s1600/me+n+kristen.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgp-K3DAsG06GKUg_gIVdB8p6jwJ7XLT6KXWiynRSi-tf-Yp5KqO-UCGHcMIP0pK77KI59tMy7bEJLVBE_kHRU_GJ-NReZhReYDcAnjJCHTHBarXg98t8jmfDYx69LxFKZKm1g/s320/me+n+kristen.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>** Disclaimer: I swear I have been in no way swayed by the kind attentions of the fabulously funny Ms. Kristen Wiig...<br />
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Written by: Kristen Wiig & Annie Mumolo<br />
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Directed by Paul Feig<br />
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Starring: Kristen Wiig, Chris O'Dowd, Maya Rudolph, Melissa McCarthy, Jon Hamm<br />
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Rating: 8/10<br />
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"Better than The Hangover!" That's what the poster says...since when is The Hangover the bar by which great comedy should be judged? Well, whatever the case may be, that poster boast is definitely correct. Bridesmaids, in the guise of a gross-out comedy is beyond anything The Hangover could ever dream of...<br />
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibHX6qLTFXyWPEjh3BbKradbnQnEAnNt5LR1SpznzmymNSXjXsbU6qT4ffPDjj6JqkN5HLFtfHfYVhvxH-Jf_smg92ozXgdIlM92qwGlr2ts3HApx3VwMNxqgguPqZ_9MNLang/s1600/bridesmaids+premiere+cast.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibHX6qLTFXyWPEjh3BbKradbnQnEAnNt5LR1SpznzmymNSXjXsbU6qT4ffPDjj6JqkN5HLFtfHfYVhvxH-Jf_smg92ozXgdIlM92qwGlr2ts3HApx3VwMNxqgguPqZ_9MNLang/s320/bridesmaids+premiere+cast.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Source: entertainment.ie</td></tr>
</tbody></table>Last night saw the director and cast of Bridesmaids walk the pink carpet at the Savoy Cinema, Dublin for the Irish premiere. Director Paul Feig (who I was tickled to recognise as Sabrina's biology teacher from Sabrina the Teenage Witch) along with stars Kristen Wiig (Saturday Night Live, Whip It, Knocked Up), Melissa McCarthy (Gilmore Girls, Mike and Molly) and Chris O'Dowd (The IT Crowd) were all on hand to answer questions and meet their fans (and in Chris's case, a swarm of cousins) and they appeared before the screening to introduce the film.<br />
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The hype from the States was huge but in my eyes the film more than lived up to it. Don't get me wrong, Bridesmaids is crass, silly, fun and follows the classic rom-com template. There's nothing new here. It's just that it gets every convention and nails it perfectly. It takes every low-brow joke and gives it class. It takes potentially cliched characters and make you seriously <u>feel</u> for them. A combination of top-notch performances and first-class direction from Paul Feig ensured every comic beat is hit, and the best is made of every joke.<br />
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The story follows Annie (Kristen Wiig), a woman on the verge of forty, whose business collapsed and boyfriend scuppered, taking with him her sense of self and every ounce of her energy and ambition. Her best friend Lillian (Maya Rudolph) announces she's getting married and she wants Annie to be her maid of honour but Lillian's new, prettier, richer, sweeter best friend Helen (Rose Byrne) is trying every underhanded trick in the book to upstage Annie. At the core of the film is Annie's journey from decadent passivity to realisation that she has hit rock bottom to a slow, realistic effort to find her spark again. The journey is truly a touching one and it helps tremendously that Kristen Wiig puts in a powerhouse performance. Her quick, razor-sharp wit and vulnerability allows us to forgive the unfortunate behaviour she exhibits at her lowest point.<br />
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjaqCJQZKLao_dYw5aMYjnpyGkzhljcSH3UZXAYnsFbNJa_LTLdwC8tSUs5Uyv4JMTPN7VAGMV6bxC842DeI4PqhRUAEXWfx8jcwnwDeWOFz1mwsyy0RMVcU_MdQFaup95_obHZ/s1600/chris+odowd+bridesmaids.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjaqCJQZKLao_dYw5aMYjnpyGkzhljcSH3UZXAYnsFbNJa_LTLdwC8tSUs5Uyv4JMTPN7VAGMV6bxC842DeI4PqhRUAEXWfx8jcwnwDeWOFz1mwsyy0RMVcU_MdQFaup95_obHZ/s320/chris+odowd+bridesmaids.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Source: entertainment.ie</td></tr>
</tbody></table>Having said that, this is by no means a depressing film and unlike Annie, it doesn't allow itself to wallow for a second. Not a minute goes by without a superb gag and the supporting cast are such great performers that they make even the most gutter-worthy gags hilarious...and believe me, there's some gags in this movie that would make the Farrelly Brothers blush. The chemistry between the cast is electric and the developing relationships between the women are believable, but most importantly the developing romance between Annie and Officer Nathan Rhodes (O'Dowd) is really sweet and felt completely natural. Chris O'Dowd more than holds his own here as the good-natured, lovable policeman who falls for Annie. And as much as we all love Jon Hamm (who, again, proves his comic capabilities are second to none), we can't wait until he's out of the picture and Annie can pick up the pieces of her waning self-esteem with the warm, encouraging Nathan. He must also be applauded for not falling into any of the usual Oirish cliches but managing to represent Irish men in a wonderful light. Full of humour, smiling eyes and sly charm, he is a far cry from the characters he usually plays and pulls it off remarkably.<br />
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Rose Byrne, Maya Rudolph and Melissa McCarthy are all outstanding in their roles, each making the most of their meaty roles, superbly written by Kristen Wiig and Annie Mumolo. This screenplay is deserving of all kinds of awards but I predict that, like Judd Apatow's horribly overlooked <i>Funny People</i> it will probably be deemed too much fun to earn awards.<br />
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I can only presume that Bridesmaids will be as successful here as in the States. The magical combination of girly and gross-out should satisfy everyone and the balance of low-brow and high-brow should even keep the grumpy critics happy!<br />
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- Charlene Lydon<br />
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<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="390" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/nrRd2QSsGc4" width="640"></iframe>Charlenehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09243423154353221962noreply@blogger.com4