Paranoia (2013)

 

 
 


Year: 2013
Running Time: 106 minutes
Director: Robert Luketic
Writers: Jason Hall and Barry L. Levy
Cast: Liam Hemsworth, Gary Oldman, Harrison Ford, Amber Heard, Lucas Till, Richard Dreyfuss

Paranoia will open in Australian cinemas on the 5th of September 2013 and is distributed by Icon Films.
Opens in the United States on the 16th of August 2013.

 Paranoia is what one would call a run of the mill thriller. It's got everything a typical thriller has, which is it's main failing point. It is absolutely nothing new as it just tries too hard to be like it's peers.

The type of film which you can tell would have looked a lot better on paper than it does on screen, Paranoia is a lack-lustre and unoriginal film with equally lack-lustre and unoriginal characters. There are some interesting enough twists, but none that are mind blowing enough to make the film a success. It's tries so hard to be a coming of age thriller, but it just seems confused as to whether it is a young adult film or whether it is a grown up film.

Adam Cassidy (Liam Hemsworth) is a twenty-seven year old entry level employee who feels like he is on the brink of his career breakthrough, when he and his friends are fired when he challenges his billionaire boss, Nicholas Wyatt (Gary Oldman) and then uses his credit card on a boozy night out. Rather than pressing charges against Adam, Wyatt gives him the opportunity to earn more money than he ever thought possible and allow his friends to get their old jobs back by going undercover at Wyatt's archenemy's, Jock Goddard's company and gathering his secrets. What begins as an amazing opportunity for Adam to experience how the other half lives, becomes a dangerous game in which Adam must fight for his life and the lives of those he loves.

It is easy to see how the screenplay, written by Jason Hall and Barry L. Levy and based on the novel by Joseph Finder would have looked like a winner on paper. The twists are all there and are quite unpredictable. Yet, on screen it just doesn't seem to work. Paranoia gives us nothing new that we haven't seen before. Besides the twists, nothing about this story allows it to be an original thriller movie.

What Paranoia tries to do is make a coming of age story into a thriller, which doesn't sound bad at all in theory. It is Robert Luketic's direction that just overcomplicates it. Liam Hemsworth's Adam Cassidy does definitely grow and change throughout the film, but he and his friends still seem like they are college students in an internship program throughout the whole film. The loud music supplied by Junkie XL makes the film feel more like a dance party at times than a serious tale of danger. Therefore, Paranoia seems like it is just a little too old some the younger audience, while it is just a little too young for the older audience.

Liam Hemsworth is not a convincing lead in this film. This is nothing against Hemsworth or his acting ability, but rather the way he is used in the film. His character of Adam Cassidy is not a particularly likable character to begin with, but doesn't redeem himself during the course of the film to the point where the audience starts to connect with him or barrack for him. He starts off as just plain arrogant and ungrateful and although he seems to have lost this by the end of the film, he hasn't picked up the qualities that would make him endearing to the audience. Hemsworth does seem to have the acting potential to be greater than what he has given here, but it is a shame he wasn't allowed to use his full potential in this film.

The chemistry between Hemsworth and Amber Heard is terrible, and again, this is not the fault of either of the actors. The two sleep together once, bicker back and forwards for awhile, sleep together again and then all of a sudden have some deep emotional and romantic connection. There is no indication that they are a couple who care deeply for each other before they start talking about meeting parents. They say the words that two people who have fallen for each other would say, but there is no chemistry or actions to back this up. Luketic seemed to be more interested in showing a montage of their bedroom activity rather than on actually emotions which are apparently there.

Perhaps the best part of the film is watching Gary Oldman and Harrison Ford argue amongst themselves. Again, it doesn't seem like a particularly fiery feud when they are in the same room until the end of the film, but when it does it is worth waiting for. Oldman and Ford are perhaps the two best things about the film, with Richard Dreyfuss, who plays Adam's father, not far behind.

While some films can afford to be not entirely original as they can redeem themselves in other ways, Paranoia just doesn't. It's characters and their players seem hard done by in the way in which they were presented on screen and lead to this film being just a bit of a mess. Although it may just be interesting enough to encourage you to read Joseph Finder's novel.

4/10




You may have also seen Gary Oldman in....
The Dark Knight Rises as Commissioner Gordon

Lawless

Year: 2012
Director: John Hillcoat
Cast: Tom Hardy, Shia LaBeouf, Gary Oldman, Jessica Chastain, Mia Wasikowska, Guy Pearce

Before I begin my review….

 As an Aussie, I still get a kick out of seeing Guy Pearce in Hollywood.

Of course, it is always exciting someone of the same nationality as you make it in Hollywood and there is a good acting brigade of Australians in Los Angeles at the moment. Yet, Guy Pearce is one of those actors that, if you are a child of the 1980’s like myself, it is just that tad more exciting.

Pearce was the heartthrob back in the 80’s and early 90’s. He appeared in both Home & Away and Neighbours, which so many Australian actors who have made their break in Hollywood have done. You may recognise some of the names of Home & Away alumni….Heath Ledger, Melissa George, Isla Fisher, Ryan Kwanten, Chris Hemsworth and the list goes on.

Pearce is one of the most versatile actors there is out there. He’s appeared in so many movies, that you always read through the list of films he has made and forget how many of his you have seen.  He appeared in two consecutive Academy Award Best Picture winners in The Hurt Locker and The King’s Speech and is never afraid to take risks, such as in Bedtime Stories and as Andy Warhol in Factory Girl.

Versatility is what makes good actors great, and Pearce has that. I was so happy for him when he won the Emmy last year for Best Supporting Actor in A Mini-Series for Mildred Pierce. I would just love to see an Academy Award nomination added to his list of achievements one day in the future!

Review

With a knock-out cast, you would expect Lawless to blow you away. However, it is doesn’t quite reach those heights.

A true story like this has so much potential, yet there always feels like there is something missing. Not a complete bomb by any means, but one of those films where you can’t see where it is headed. A surprise in a film is never a bad thing, but as they say, it is about the journey rather than the destination.

 In 1930’s Virginia, Bondurant brothers Forrest (Tom Hardy), Howard (Jason Clarke) and Jack (Shia LaBeouf) run an illegal moonshine trade. Legend has it that the brothers are invincible, a legend which Special Deputy Charlie Rakes (Guy Pearce) is willing to test to bring their operations to a halt. Rakes isn’t the only one the brothers have to watch their back for, as Franklin County erupts in violence that could compete with Chicago’s gangster culture.

The story of the Bondurant brothers is a particularly interesting one, and it is no surprise why musician, Nick Cave wanted to adapt Jack Bondurant’s grandson, Matt’s novel into a screenplay. It is a well written screenplay as the dialogue doesn’t lack at all, but played out on screen isn’t quite as thrilling as what it should be. The last 15 minutes are by far that best in the film so it is worth waiting for. Yet, the film is very slow to get going and even though it has some shocking moments, just doesn’t pack the punch to feel like the film completely consumes you as an audience member. You have some sort of an idea where the film is headed, but it seems in no rush to get there and can just be downright frustrating at times.

In saying that though, there is plenty to keep the film going. The soundtrack is great and very fitting for the time period. The time period itself is represented beautifully with some stunning images on the screen of Franklin County. It has the right elements in the visuals for the time period such as the separation of white and coloured and the beautiful vintage automobiles. The costume design is also commendable. The costumes are symbolic as to which part of the country the characters are from and the personalities.

Tom Hardy is very good as Forrest Bondurant. Although there is no real stretch of emotions in his role, he does give a solid performance and does all he has to do to bring his role to life. Taking in the knowledge the Hardy is British as well, makes you also want to commend him on his convincing southern accent.

Shia LaBeouf is playing a typical Shia LaBeouf role. He has become the actor in Hollywood to be cast as the underdog in action and thriller films who isn’t your stereotypical action star, but the one who represents a “normal” guy who does extraordinary things.  It’s a role someone has to have to that every guy out there can believe they can also be a hero. So this role isn’t too hard for him to play, but he does what he has to do to make it work.

Guy Pearce is very good, as he does really come across as the arrogant and dangerous deputy who can really do anything he likes.

Both Jessica Chastain and Mia Wasikowska are also good. Chastain plays the damaged Maggie Beauford well and Wasikowska plays the sweet preachers daughter, Bertha Minnix well.

Gary Oldman does well for the smallish role as gangster Floyd Banner well, but what happens to his character? His role in the film is left unspoken of. Maybe in the extended version we will find out.

Lawless is visually a very good film, but besides what the eye see’s, there’s nothing overly thrilling about it.

6.5/10

Sources
The Internet Movie Database
Collider.com
The Guardian

The Dark Knight Rises (2012)

The Dark Knight Rises

Year: 2012

Director: Christopher Nolan

Cast:  Christian Bale, Tom Hardy, Anne Hathaway, Michael Caine, Marion Cotillard, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Gary Oldman, Morgan Freeman

Before I begin my review….

                Every so often I see a movie that reminds me and completely sums up why I love movies and writing about them so much. I am so happy to say that The Dark Knight Rises is one of those rare movies.

                I was completely speechless coming out of the cinema after this film. I just didn’t know where to start as to why this was such a brilliant film. Not only is it a brilliant film, but I loved it. That may sound ridiculous, but I believe you can acknowledge a film as being brilliant without actually liking it that much if it isn’t the type of film you actually enjoy. I really loved this movie.

                So I got to thinking. Yes, Heath Ledger was nominated for and won the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor for his portrayal as The Joker in The Dark Knight, but could a ‘superhero’ film actually be Oscar nominated?

                I was absolutely LOVE to see Christopher Nolan nominated come awards season for his The Dark Knight Rises direction. His direction in this film is better than his direction in Inception, which he was nominated for.  Yet, ‘superhero’ movies(in commas because it isn’t your typical superhero film we are talking about here, yet Batman is classified as a superhero) and often blockbuster films are snubbed by the academy. Not all blockbusters are exempted from nominations (for example, Avatar), but it is a rarity to see one right up there.

 I believe Nolan is completely deserving of a nomination here. What I love about what he has done with the last three Batman movies is that he took the films and put his personal directing stamp on each one of them. They weren’t like the previous Batman films which were typical of the superhero genre. He took the films and while providing the big action sequences and special effects that are typical of the genre, he bought great a great story and script, some amazing performances and that Nolan atmosphere of drama and thriller that is prominent in his films.

I’ve always been a Nolan fan, but after The Dark Knight Rises, I have no problem in saying that he is one of the greatest film directors alive at the moment. It would be like a welcome Christmas present come the end of this year to see his name up there amongst those names muttered during awards season…superhero film or not.

Review

There is no doubt, the last of Christopher Nolan’s Batman films is the greatest. He has saved the best for last.

Not only is The Dark Knight Rises the best of Nolan’s Batman films, it is a spectacular film in itself. You don’t have to be a massive Batman fan to enjoy it, but you do have to have some knowledge of the previous two films in order to completely understand what is happening. The direction, acting and screenplay are all impeccable and there is no denying that The Dark Knight Rises will be remembered and treasured for years to come…and there are not many films that will do that these days.

Eight years on from Harvey Dent’s death, Gotham City is in a state of peace and the one who was blamed for Dent’s death, Batman and his alter ego, Bruce Wayne (Christian Bale) have not been seen since. The peace is unsettled with whispers that underground terrorist leader, Bane (Tom Hardy) is on the rise and gathering forces. Batman once again shows his face, but soon finds that Bane is perhaps the most evil and deadly enemy he has faced.

Nolan is a genius. His direction and screenplay written with his brother, Jonathan Nolan in this film are superb. Scenes such as when Wayne and Selina Kyle (Anne Hathaway) are doing their doe-see-doe at the fundraiser, the police car and motorcycle chase, Bane’s airplane adventure and when Bane is approaching the football field are just brilliant. The cinematography, character placement and accompanying sounds completely enhance the feelings that are to be evoked in these scenes. Nolan takes advantage of every little feature of every scene to get the most out of every moment of the scene.  His use of flashbacks to help tell the story is also very good.

Although a little on the long side, every scene is worthwhile and contributes to the story. There is no stone left unturned and no questions left unanswered. Everything means something. The story also pulls on information from the past films to contribute to the film as a whole. This is perhaps the only downfall of the film. You do need to see the two previous Batman films to understand what is going on. There is quite a bit of assumed knowledge, but Nolan still tries to help by using flashbacks and providing beneficial scenes such as the opening scene with Commissioner James Gordon (Gary Oldman).

The story is very well composed. There are the twists and turns you would expect to find in a thriller film and when you think you have it all figured out, you really don’t.

The acting in The Dark Knight Rises is simply perfect. There is not one bad performance in the film and nothing left to be desired. Christian Bale gives his best performance of the three films by far. There are no longer any comparisons to Michael Keaton to be made, Bale is Bruce Wayne. Everything about his performance is the man behind the mask. You see him change from the reclusive millionaire at the beginning to the high flying business man once again to the man with the tough exterior who is on a mission. And then of course, there his better than ever Batman.

It was reported that Anne Hathaway was worried about playing Catwoman and bring compared to Michelle Pfeiffer’s role in Batman Returns. She clearly had nothing to worry about. She fits the role perfecting acting wise and physically. Like the traditional Catwoman, you never know where her true loyalties lie.

Both Gary Oldman and Michael Caine also bring their best Batman film performances to the table. Oldman is always likable and you want to cheer for him as much as the masked hero. Caine just shines as Alfred. You have no problem believing that he truly loves Bruce Wayne like a son and he has some completely heartbreaking moments.

Tom Hardy. Terrifying. The man had massive shoes to fill as he is the main Batman villain to follow on from Heath Ledger’s Joker in The Dark Knight. Hardy’s Bane is what nightmares are made off. The man behind the mask with the booming and intimidating voice is the villain who the audience believes could really beat Batman. It is always a great thing to give a performance where you can’t see their whole face, but tell just from his eyes exactly what is going on in that head of theirs.

Joseph Gordon-Levitt also has to be paid credit to. He is no longer the little boy who we saw in 3^rd Rock From The Sun all those years ago and can swing it with some of the biggest names in acting on the planet. He is completely believable in every way as John Blake, the policeman turned detective that James Gordon takes under his wing.

The Dark Knight Rises is the perfect end to Nolan’s Batman films. The trilogy is rounded up in the best possible way and we have in fact witnessed a classic.

9.5/10

References
The Internet Movie Database
Sky News
Photo Credit- Wikipedia

Kung Fu Panda 2

Kung Fu Panda 2

Year:  2011

Director: Jennifer Yuh

Cast: Jack Black, Angelina Jolie, Dustin Hoffman, Gary Oldman, Seth Rogan, Lucy Liu

In My Own Words

                Actors must love animation roles. Sure, the obvious reason for loving them is that it provides an easier alternative to their usual on screen acting by only have to act using your voice rather than having to link it up with believable facial expressions and having to worry about where you are standing in relation to your co-stars. The reason I think animation roles are great for actors is because it gives them a great comeback when critics say “(insert name here) plays the same role all the time” and “ Such and Such isn’t a very versatile actor”. What a great way to prove them wrong! Provide the voice for an animated animal on the big screen! That will always provide a “different” role for you on the big screen!

                For example, Jack Black. Someone says “Jack, you are playing too many of the same roles. You always seem to be playing the guy who no one, including themselves takes seriously. You need to branch out to other roles”.

                Black says “Okay. Well, my next role will be about another underdog who no one takes seriously, but this time I will be a….PANDA!” (this isn’t actually a quote from Mr Black, this is just theoretical).

                I’m sure it’s not the versatility that critics are after, but at least it is fun for the actors, and it is a good comeback if someone says you play the same role all the time. “Oh yeah? I play the same role all the time? Well, when was the last time I played an aardvark? When have any of my roles resembled that of a big nosed creature on it four legs obsessed with eating ants?”

                These are my own words and here is my review.

Review

                “The sequel is never as good as the original”.

                This is most probably what the majority of people would have been thinking about Kung Fu Panda 2, and they would have had good reason to as it is not often that a sequel comes anywhere near the quality of the original (The Godfather II  a major exception). However, it is a pleasant surprise to find that Kung Fu Panda 2 is just as good as the original, if not better. The animation is brilliant, script funny and it appeals to all ages.

                Po the Dragon Warrior panda (Jack Black) is back with his Furious Five team of kung fu warriors. When he finds out that the famous warrior, Thundering Rhino has been killed in Gongmen City  by the evil peacock, Lord Shen (Gary Oldman) and his pack of wolves, he and the Furious Five set off to free the city from Lord Shen’s evil ways. Before leaving the Valley of Peace, Po was a “shocking” discovery that he is adopted and that his noodle cooking goose (he is actually a goose, not a silly person, although some may object) father, Mr Ping is not really his father. Po has reason to believe that Lord Shen knows who he really is and where he came from. To Po, this awesome mission is now personal.

                Animation in cinema has come a long way since the first animated feature length film, Snow White And The Seven Dwarves in 1937. The quality of the visuals in Kung Fu Panda 2 are very impressive. The action scenes are almost up to the standard of those which you would see in a non-animated action film. It’s not just the action scenes that make you forget that you are watching an animation, there are several nature visuals which you could easily mistake as being that of photography.

 On the other hand, there are then some scenes which resemble a video game, such as when Po is running through the streets of Gongmen City. This isn’t a bad thing, as this video game likeness makes the film a great deal of fun.

                Kung Fu Panda 2 doesn’t just rely on its visuals, it is also accompanied by a very funny script. It has a very sarcastic and random sense of humour to it with some very funny scenes and dialogue. The ending is a bit frustrating however. Although, you can understand why the film makers made it that way.

                The best performances in animation films are those who can disguise their voice to the point where you really can’t guess who’s voice it is you are hearing. Jack Black is the main voice and you can tell he has a lot of fun with the role. It is perfectly suited towards Po. Angelina Jolie is extremely controlled as Tigress and Dustin Hoffman, quite the peaceful master. It is Gary Oldman who does the best job. He tackles new territory as the voice of Shen and is completely disguised in the character. That’s the way it should be when an actor supplies their voice to a film, there should be a sense of becoming someone you’re not, even if it is just by using a different voice to your own.

                Kung Fu Panda 2 is a sequel out of the ordinary. Funnier than the first film and more suspenseful than many non-animated films. A great film for the holidays for families and adults alike.

7/10

Red Riding Hood

Red Riding Hood
Year: 2011
Director: Catherine Hardwicke
Cast: Amanda Seyfried, Gary Oldman, Billy Burke, Shiloh Fernandez, Max Irons

In My Own Words
Oh boy, I really wanted to like this movie. I love the idea of a dark take on a fairytale. There hasn't really been that many since "The Brothers Grimm" starring Matt Damon and Heath Ledger back in 2005. To tell you the truth, I don't know if there is any other way to do make a fairy tale into a movie these days than to do a dark take on it. Of course, to make a fairytale worth watching these days it needs to be somewhat different to the version we have heard hundreds of times since we were children. There are two such dark fairytale adaptations coming up in the future. "Sleeping Beauty" has been redone once again with Emily Browning in the lead and is set for release this year. However, this film won't be one you'll be wanting to take your children to see. In this remake, a university student find herself caught up in prostitution and other naughty activities. The other dark fairytale which is currently in pre-production is "The Brothers Grimm" Snow White", which is already gaining a tremendous amount of interest with it's recent casting news. Julia Roberts is to play the Evil Queen, Saoirse Ronan  is cast as Snow White and Armie Hammer of "The Social Network" fame is to play the Prince.

It almost seems almost as though the only people who can get away with making a traditional fairytale into a movie and doing it successfully is Disney, but even they don't do it as much these days as what they used to. They released "The Princess And The Frog" and "Tangled"  in two consecutive years, but upon release of "Tangled" they released a statement saying that they would be making no more princess movie.

Everybody loves a fairytale, whether in traditional style or with a twist. A twist creates a lot more interest these days though and doesn't seem to hurt at the box office as "Red Riding Hood" has shown. As we all know though, box office figures don't always point to a good film.

These are my own words and here is my review.

Review
Catherine Hardwicke knows she struck gold when she directed the first and best so far of the "Twilight" saga. After a three year break from feature film directing, she returns with "Red Riding Hood". The film's release was greatly anticipated, but the release fails to live up to expectations. "Red Riding Hood" is a classic example of how directors have a success and feel that they have to continue their success by trying to replicate their first success. The result is a film which seems like it is just trying too hard and is overdone in everyway. However, there is still something entertaining and suprising enough in the film to make it bearable. Amanda Seyfried is Valerie (Red Riding Hood), the small medival village girl who is betrothed to Henry (Max Irons) and in love with Peter (Shiloh Fernandez). Her village has a truce with a wolf who live in close proximately to her and her family, until the wolf strikes again after many years and kills Valerie's sister. The whole village is now in danger and the wolf specifically has it's eye on Valerie.

The main reason why "Red Riding Hood" fails is because it is trying so hard to be a dramatic historical horror film. It doesn't qualify as a horror film despite how dark the film tries to be because while being suspenseful, it really isn't that scary. The image of the wolf really isn't as threatening as one would expect it to be. The wolves in "Twilight" were scarier than this one! The film is suspenseful and actually succeeds more in being a thriller or a mystery as the ending is quite surprising. This is the best thing about the film and a film where you don't see the ending coming is more often than not a success. This film is a success in suspense and storyline, but weak in everything surrounding it. The cinematography and the way which the landscape is captured is really quite beautiful, although some scenes in the snowy village are quite clearly inside a set. The script is quite well written, but the way it is carried out on screen and directed is horrible.

The acting and chemistry between the actors is really quite atrocious. Amanda Seyfried isn't bad as Valerie and she was a good choice for the role. The character of Valerie is quite a dark character, never cracking a smile and extremely serious. She doesn't show too much emotion throughout the film, which she probably should have done more of in certain scenes. The chemistry between Seyfried and Shiloh Fernandez is really poor. These two have no connection with each other at all even in the most intense of scenes and physically do not look right together on screen. Fernandez's performance is also not anything to write home about. He was a horrible choice for the role and one might think that he was cast as the role of Peter just because his looks somewhat resemble that of the black wolf. Max Irons is nowhere near as bad as Henry showing the right amount of emotion at the right moments in the film. Gary Oldman probably gives the best performance in the film as Father Soloman, even though it is far from his best role. Again, the chemistry between Seyfried and Virginia Madsen who plays her mother, Billy Burke who plays her father and Julie Christie who plays her grandmother is almost non-existant in each case.

Looking back at "Red Riding Hood", it is so easy to see why there has been so many comparisons to "Twilight". The wolves, a girl with two boys after her and Billy Burke once again playing the lead character's father. The film isn't bad enough to miss altogether, but it is more worthwhile borrowing it on DVD when it comes out rather than make the trip to cinemas to see it on the big screen.
4.5/10

The Book Of Eli

The Book Of Eli
Year: 2010
Director: Albert and Allen Hughes
Cast: Denzel Washington, Gary Oldman, Mila Kunis

In My Own Words
I wish this movie was adapted from a novel. Well, there is a novel called “The Book Of Eli” by Sam Moffie, but it bears no similarity to the film. The reason I wish there was a book of this film is because all my questions could be answered. Very rarely do I get completely confused by a film, especially a film like this. If I was confused by a David Lynch movie, another story, but a film like this shouldn’t be so hard to figure out. At first I thought it may just be me, but after I asked my movie companion the same questions I was asking myself and he couldn’t answer them either, I was satisfied that it wasn’t just me. I do really wish that this movie was based on a book so that I could read the book and completely understand what I had just seen. If this movie was a book, I could imagine the book being really quite good, as it had the potential to be a good film based on the story and a book can express things in more words (funnily enough). Instead, I will have to guess the answers to my questions or I may be able to one day interview the Hughes brothers and writer Gary Whitta, and question them myself. For example, why do people ask Eli to show them his hands and who does this distinguish him from? I would love to put more of my questions here, but I don’t want to spoil any of the movie for people who are planning to see it!

These are my own words and here is my review.

Review
“The Book of Eli” is a film that had the potential to be very good, but is not very well scripted. The huge problem with this film is that there are not nearly enough explanations offered as to why things are the way they are and therefore seems incomplete and not nearly as tense or suspenseful as directors, the Hughes brothers would want it to be. In the future, the human race has taken a huge step backwards as a result of the war making things such as food, water, education, shelter and power scarce. Eli (Denzel Washington) is on a lone traveller making his way across the land with a sacred book which is considered to be a weapon. When he arrives in a civilised town, he comes in contact with Carnegie (Gary Oldman), who is delighted to meet someone from before the “Flash” who remembers what life used to be like. He becomes obsessed with Eli when he realises that Eli is carrying the book which Carnegie has been so vigorously searching for. Eli tries to escape Carnegie’s town so to keep on his path of taking the book westward.

The good thing about this film is that in theory, it is a very good idea for a film. Unfortunately, it does not execute this idea to its full potential. It is very slow to get going as it is not until the 40th minute that the film actually offers any explanation as to what is going on. Even then, it doesn’t at one moment feel as though it hits the level of suspense that one would expect it too. The film has plenty of action and drama in it, but it feels slow and dull. Although the story itself is very interesting, it definitely feels as though the film’s writer takes his time to tell it and even then has problems trying to tell it. In hindsight, it is not an easy story to tell on screen, but it should have at least had more background so that the audience felt more comfortable in their understanding of what was going on. Possibly the idea of explaining what has happened to society as we know it gradually through the film may have been what the film makers were planning to do, but it does not work.

There are some good points about the film. For one, the cinematography is very good. The action sequences are very well filmed and edited. There are different filming styles used throughout the film which do actually make it visually pleasurable to watch. The musical score is also very fitting. It is not Denzel Washington’s best performance, but it is not a bad performance. The character of Eli is not a very complicated one to play, suggesting that this is one of the easier roles that Washington has played. Gary Oldman, on the other hand, is very good as the bad guy, Carnegie. He shows a ton of emotion in bringing this character to life and is the one that the audience will connect with the most.

The story is the foundation of any film, and if the story is weak for any reason, there is no chance that a successful film will come of it. “The Book OF Eli” succeeds visually, but this is about that only area that it does succeed in. Not a strong film by any means and will most likely be forgotten in the near future.
4.5/10

A Christmas Carol

A Christmas Carol
Year: 2009
Director: Robert Zemekis
Cast: Jim Carrey, Gary Oldman, Colin Firth, Robyn Wright-Penn

My Own Words
Welcome to Christmas! That’s what I saw this movie as representing. The start of the Christmas media season. I’m actually surprised it wasn’t released at the beginning of December rather than the beginning of November.

Anyway, I was very excited about seeing this movie. I love the story of “A Christmas Carol”, although, sadly, I have never read the book. I really should get around to that one day. There have been over 35 films based on Charles Dickens novel. However, I have only seen two of them. Those being “Mickey’s Christmas Carol” and “The Muppets Christmas Carol”, both of which I love. This version which I saw tonight, was a very different interpretation. In saying that though, I did really enjoy it and thought it was a great movie.

The one thing I have to say about this movie and is a bit of a warning to parents out there or people who were contemplating taking children to see this, it is not as child friendly as it appears. There are some pretty frightening parts in it for children. One of my friends took her three year old to see it the other day and as she was buying the tickets, the attendant told her that if the movie gets too scary for Bailey, feel free to bring him back out and she will refund her money. Apparently this had been the case with quite a few small children. But little Bailey soldiered on. He apparently got scared in a few bits, but was happy to stay until the end. In other words, “A Christmas Carol” is more of an adult animation. There were even bits I thought were a bit too full on!

These are my own words and here is my review.

Review
The latest interpretation of Charles Dicken’s masterpiece, “A Christmas Carol” comes at the hand of Robert Zemekis. The new, animated version of the timeless classic is beautifully made and is an extremely unique interpretation that still remains true to the original story. It exhibits how much computer generated animation can now achieve and is truly impressive.

For those that don’t know the story, Ebenezer Scrooge( Jim Carrey) lives a lonely life consumed by his wealth and greed. On Christmas Eve, he is visited by his past and long dead business partner who informs him that tonight he will be visited by three ghosts, the Ghost of Christmas Past, the Ghost of Christmas Present and the Ghost of Christmases Yet To Come. This version is quite dark and at times, can be disturbing. Although it is by the Disney company and looks harmless enough, it is definitely not a children’s movie. There are several images that would not seem out of place in a horror movie in terms of their fright factor, especially those of Jacob Marley.

However, the images, gruesome or not in some parts, are amazing. This film is definitely a credit to Zemekis and his direction. It is clearly obvious on screen who Jim Carrey is, as well as Gary Oldman in his portrayal of Bob Cratchit and Colin Firth as Scrooge’s nephew, Fred. Carrey’s Scrooge is extremely well constructed as it shows his sadistic and pessimistic nature right down to the tiniest detail, and the changes throughout the movie to the character are well portrayed. Even though it is animation, it is still very easy to pickup on Carrey’s mannerisms and facial expressions. Credit must be paid to him for portraying an old man so successfully, even if it is in animation!

The only criticism with “A Christmas Carol” is that it can feel in some sequences that Zemekis is trying to show off the amazing things that animation is able to do these days. This can lead to some sequences being longer than they have to be. However, in saying this, these sequences are still beautiful and it is indeed amazing what animation of this kind can do nowadays. Otherwise, it is extremely hard to find another criticism for this movie. It is a movie that everyone should see before Christmas and is likely to get you in the Christmas spirit. Just don’t expect it to be light and fluffy because it is clearly not a happy Christmas movie for the majority of the film. The film is dark, but it is still incredibly beautiful and a great version of a classic using modern technology.

8.5/10