I saw this film on 21st January at Stratford Picture House
The hero of this film is a professional firer; he travels around the US telling people they have lost their jobs. Like Albert Pierrepoint the hangman, Ryan does his job as well and mercifully as possible. He also thrives on his never-stay-in-one-place lifestyle. Then, enter the efficiency experts. The characters are somewhat one-dimensional; the plot is almost predictable; the satire on the portayed way of life is more shallow than subtle and the overall message is fairly well worn. All the same, George Clooney portrayed Ryan very well and Vera Formiga's Alex was entertaining. Altogether I found the film very enjoyable although not great.
Up in the Air had been nominated for a BAFTA award, but the Stratford audience numbered five, including myself, a rather disappointing turnout.
Friday, 22 January 2010
Thursday, 21 January 2010
The Book of Eli
I saw this film on 20th January at Stratford Picture House
Eli travels across America with a mission. He kills large numbers of nasty people as he goes; their deaths are all deserved but many innocent bystanders go the same way. That's what happens after an apocalypse as Mad Max showed us thirty years ago. The hero himself, played by Denzil Washington, seems to have superhuman protection and almost superhuman fighting capability. The chief villain, played by Gary Oldman, has neither. Although I found the film quite gripping I kept wondering what it was really about and expecting some sort of deeper message; there wasn't one. Although there was a small twist toward the end I found the film's conclusion rather disappointing. This was a fairly entertaining way to spend a couple of hours but otherwise the film has not a lot to recommend it.
Eli travels across America with a mission. He kills large numbers of nasty people as he goes; their deaths are all deserved but many innocent bystanders go the same way. That's what happens after an apocalypse as Mad Max showed us thirty years ago. The hero himself, played by Denzil Washington, seems to have superhuman protection and almost superhuman fighting capability. The chief villain, played by Gary Oldman, has neither. Although I found the film quite gripping I kept wondering what it was really about and expecting some sort of deeper message; there wasn't one. Although there was a small twist toward the end I found the film's conclusion rather disappointing. This was a fairly entertaining way to spend a couple of hours but otherwise the film has not a lot to recommend it.
Friday, 8 January 2010
Up - 3D
I saw this film on 7th January at Odeon Covent Garden
My first film of the year was one I had missed first time round. Animation and 3-D effects wre very well done. But the story? A young boy has a hero who was denounced as a fraudster and a young girl longs to visit her dream location. Together they do neither and we are shown their lives in the first five minutes. After that the film went downhill as fast as the balloons went up.
My first film of the year was one I had missed first time round. Animation and 3-D effects wre very well done. But the story? A young boy has a hero who was denounced as a fraudster and a young girl longs to visit her dream location. Together they do neither and we are shown their lives in the first five minutes. After that the film went downhill as fast as the balloons went up.
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