Wednesday, October 01, 2003
Micro-Reviews
I've seen some amazing films recently, and one or two average ones. However, it occurs to me that I've not written anything here about films for a while and won't get the chance to sit and write proper reviews, so it's micro-review time:
The Rage in Placid Lake: Ben Lee plays Placid Lake, who is what we all think Ben Lee is probably like in real life. Miranda Richardson and Garry McDonald play Placid's self-indulgent pacifist parents with real panache, and Rose Byrne is endearingly cute as Placid's best-friend-cum-love-interest. Placid tries to reinvent himself after high school; has some dramas; works for an insurance firm; gets promoted; has sex in a stationary room; has two 'fast trackers' eye off over him (one of whom is Clare Daines if, unlike me, you pay attention and notice it); and finally Placid finds his inner Lake and all is well. This film is well put together, perhaps not overly ambitious, but is kinda light and great fun!
Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl: Two words: Johnny Depp. Depp's character Captain Jack Sparrow steals the show with so much energy, humour and skill that you don't need a plot of other characters. He is brilliant. However, this film does have a great cast with Keira Knightly as Miss Elizabeth Swan, the not-so-elven Orlando Bloom as well-smitten Will Turner, the enigmatic Geoffrey Rush as the evil Barbossa and Jack Davenport as Norrington. More to the point, the script by Ted Elliot and Terry Rossio (or Shrek fame) is outstand and director Gore Verbinski (who recently made the much darker The Ring) prods some fine comic performances. While we're all heard that this film was based on a ride from Disneyland, it must be said that this is probably the best popcorn film so far in the twenty-first century. (That's right, I rather liked it!)
28 Days Later: Director Danny Boyle (of Trainspotting fame) re-envisages the zombie horror film with haunting (if a trifle grainy) images that will haunt your dreams and scare the crap out of the person sitting next to you. Horror fans, this one's for you. Oh, and there's an alternative ending after the credits end. Don't be silly and leave before you see it (I did; because I'm a spoon!).
American Splendour: Want to know about everyday American life? Harvey Pekar wrote ironic comic books about the uber-banality of his life as a filling clerk and hit a raw nerve with underground comic readers. His gritty stories are the backbone for this extremely well made, engrossing and ultimately incredibaly provocative film. Perhaps not 'fun' in the traditional sense, but American Splendour revels in its satire and gives some amazing insight into the mythical idea of middle America!
Finding Nemo: Nemo nemo? Very cute, very Disney and a fun film if not quite up to Shrek standards in that it lacked the adult layer of humour. It is preceded by a short from Pixar made over a decade ago called Knick Knack which really tickled my funny bone and is worth seeing all by itself.
I've seen some amazing films recently, and one or two average ones. However, it occurs to me that I've not written anything here about films for a while and won't get the chance to sit and write proper reviews, so it's micro-review time:
The Rage in Placid Lake: Ben Lee plays Placid Lake, who is what we all think Ben Lee is probably like in real life. Miranda Richardson and Garry McDonald play Placid's self-indulgent pacifist parents with real panache, and Rose Byrne is endearingly cute as Placid's best-friend-cum-love-interest. Placid tries to reinvent himself after high school; has some dramas; works for an insurance firm; gets promoted; has sex in a stationary room; has two 'fast trackers' eye off over him (one of whom is Clare Daines if, unlike me, you pay attention and notice it); and finally Placid finds his inner Lake and all is well. This film is well put together, perhaps not overly ambitious, but is kinda light and great fun!
Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl: Two words: Johnny Depp. Depp's character Captain Jack Sparrow steals the show with so much energy, humour and skill that you don't need a plot of other characters. He is brilliant. However, this film does have a great cast with Keira Knightly as Miss Elizabeth Swan, the not-so-elven Orlando Bloom as well-smitten Will Turner, the enigmatic Geoffrey Rush as the evil Barbossa and Jack Davenport as Norrington. More to the point, the script by Ted Elliot and Terry Rossio (or Shrek fame) is outstand and director Gore Verbinski (who recently made the much darker The Ring) prods some fine comic performances. While we're all heard that this film was based on a ride from Disneyland, it must be said that this is probably the best popcorn film so far in the twenty-first century. (That's right, I rather liked it!)28 Days Later: Director Danny Boyle (of Trainspotting fame) re-envisages the zombie horror film with haunting (if a trifle grainy) images that will haunt your dreams and scare the crap out of the person sitting next to you. Horror fans, this one's for you. Oh, and there's an alternative ending after the credits end. Don't be silly and leave before you see it (I did; because I'm a spoon!).
American Splendour: Want to know about everyday American life? Harvey Pekar wrote ironic comic books about the uber-banality of his life as a filling clerk and hit a raw nerve with underground comic readers. His gritty stories are the backbone for this extremely well made, engrossing and ultimately incredibaly provocative film. Perhaps not 'fun' in the traditional sense, but American Splendour revels in its satire and gives some amazing insight into the mythical idea of middle America!
Finding Nemo: Nemo nemo? Very cute, very Disney and a fun film if not quite up to Shrek standards in that it lacked the adult layer of humour. It is preceded by a short from Pixar made over a decade ago called Knick Knack which really tickled my funny bone and is worth seeing all by itself.
[Posted by Unknown] [11:01 pm]
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