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b-doyle
Reviews
Captivity (2007)
So bad it was good.
Absolutely fantastic.
Now, before a legion of cinema purists choke on their lattés, allow me to elaborate. Much as I enjoyed it, this is quite simply one of the worst films I have ever seen and is certainly the worst film I've seen at the cinema (an impressive claim, as I remember seeing Daredevil on the big screen). The two leads (Daniel Gillies and Elisha Cuthbert) were unconvincing at best and downright awful at worst. Of course, they weren't helped by a script that had as much emotional depth as a Daphne & Celeste single and characterisation that was about as convincing as the OJ defence. The plot (to stretch the term slightly) was thin to non-existent and the 'gore' scenes, whilst undoubtedly brutal, were irrelevant and laughably formulaic. What plot there is revolves around a twenty-something model (Cuthbert) who is abducted, imprisoned and subjected to various visceral tortures, both psychological and physical. The torture scenes feel like disconnected set pieces and the emphasis was laid squarely upon shocking rather than scaring the audience. Whilst there really are very, very few positives to draw from this film, its redeeming features are the very flaws that make it such a dreadful film. I have never heard a more vocal audience in a cinema. Within twenty minutes, the entire cinema was in stitches and remained that way throughout. For my part I came out flushed with laughter, buoyed by a film that had ascended to the pinnacle of appalling film-making. Whichever way you look at it, this is truly a cinematic achievement and a blueprint for future directorial wannabes detailing minutely how not to make a film.
P.S. I omitted to mention that I managed to get in to the film free...so I can afford to laugh about it. I was still tempted to ask for my money back...it really was THAT bad.
The Big Lebowski (1998)
Say what you will about the tenets of national socialism - at least it's an ethos
Simply the greatest slacker film ever made. The Coen bros. script is intelligently written, with characters which, although larger than life, are both believable and hysterically funny (particularly the vitriolic John Goodman). The plot centres around the theft of 'the Dude's' rug (Jeff Bridges), and his subsequent quest for its return, which takes in nihilists, modern, improv. dance and, of course, bowling. Steve Buscemi plays a timid 'Donnie', constantly under the thumb of the domineering, Vietnam obsessed 'Walter' (Goodman). Whilst it is hard to pick an outstanding performance...John Goodman is stellar, consistently funny...but watch out for Jesus. Also, Flea has a brief cameo. All in all, a fantastic film, one of my all time top ten...I guess that sometimes there's a film which, well, it's the film for it's time and place.
Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas (1998)
Travelling to the heart of the American dream
Based on the recently deceased Hunter s. Thompson's book of the same name, Johnny Depp plays Raul Duke, a hedonistic, slightly deranged journalist heading to Vegas with his attorney, played by Benicio del Toro. The film essentially depicts the two characters searching for the American dream and lamenting it's loss on a drug fuelled journey of mayhem. Having been written in the afterglow of the swinging 60s, Raoul Duke and his attorney choose to follow acid guru Tim Leary's advice and 'turn on, tune in, drop out', seeking a chemical enlightenment, which ultimately seems to be a false promise. Depp is superb as Duke, displaying Hunter S Thompson's quirky characteristics to a tee. Del Toro's performance is equally as impressive, and Terry Gilliam's direction gives the film a wild, anarchic feel that was very much at the heart of the book. Watch out for a brief cameo from Christina Ricci as a young, tripping artist. Overall, an interesting, compelling examination of the realities and myths surrounding the American Dream.
A History of Violence (2005)
Pretentious and nonsensical
Having sat down to watch 'A History...' with relatively high expectations, I came out of it very, very disappointed. Whilst there are some excellent performances (particularly Mortensen and Ed Harris), the whole film reeks of a victory for style over substance, the plot is thin to nonexistent, and the character's reactions to certain situations are implausible at best, and downright ridiculous at worst (see Mortensen's sex scene - with his deceived wife). Viggo Mortensen plays the mild mannered protagonist whose past comes back to haunt him, in the form of aging mobster Ed Harris. The result is a confusing bundle of violence and gunplay...the culmination of which leaves the audience feeling that they have missed something. Whilst the acting is often excellent, the film does not seem to go anywhere...and Cronenburg's self-consciously arty style begins to grate after a while.
Running Scared (2006)
So Paul Walker can act...a bit
Having seen trailers for this film my hopes were not high. I have never really found Paul Walker's laid back, surfer-dude persona overly convincing, yet this film turned out to be strangely gripping. Walker plays a 'wiseguy' involved in a shootout involving crooked cops, which sees him killing one of them. When asked to dispose of the murder weapon, he hides it in his house, where it is then found by one of his children's friends who uses it to kill his abusive, Russian mobster step-father. The film hinges on Walker's attempts to find the boy, and by extension the gun, before the police and his fellow gangsters. Walker is, on the whole, convincing as the gritty criminal and is adequately supported, particularly by a decent turn by Cameron Bright as the Russian mobster's troubled son. There is some nice, post-Matrix camera work, and the bleak, gritty tone is well maintained throughout, although occasionally it does seem overly dark, which is a shame, as this film should work without shock tactics. As an extension of the same criticism, the swearing is at times gratuitous and seemingly incongruous with the characters of several central players (watch for Vera Farminger's 'they're going f*****g down' line). Having said all this, this is a decent film, with Paul Walker proving that he isn't simply a pretty face. One question though...considering the twist at the end...why did Paul Walker need to chase the gun at all...surely his evidence would have put away all concerned for a long, long time. Oh...and he doesn't say 'bro' or 'rad' once!
Good Will Hunting (1997)
Robin Williams' best performance?
One of my all time favourite films, 'Good Will Hunting' portrays the trials and tribulations of a 20-something genius fighting to reconcile his talent and his lifestyle. Matt Damon is superb as the fresh-faced, insecure Will Hunting, and displays a striking sense of vulnerability beneath a rough, uncompromising exterior, particularly in the psychiatry scenes...which brings me to Robin Williams. Whilst I have occasionally thought that Williams can tend towards the cloyingly sentimental, his performance here as Will's psychiatrist is truly towering, which was acknowledged by a 'best supporting' Oscar. Peter Sasgaard (think that's how you spell it!) is also worth a mention, with an excellent performance an unlikable, but ultimately well-intentioned professor. Minnie Driver also stars in a nicely portrayed, if somewhat limited role.