Review: Inception (9/10) - 2010: Mind-Bendingly Clever

From the moment I watched this film I wanted to write about it, so here is my very belated verdict. I must admit though, that I actually started writing this a few months ago but got work on a feature film, so am now picking up where I last left off. Christopher Nolan has been in the spotlight since his phenomenal comic-book adaptation of Batman. Every single comic-book film I've ever seen (aside from Kick-Ass, and the original Spiderman films...yes the 80's versions), have been terrible in my opinion. Lots of people have raved about comic book films, etc. but perhaps I just grew out of that phase of my life during my teens.

With this in mind, Christopher Nolan's Memento first caught my (and possibly the film-world's) attention through his thought-provoking "Memento" (2000), with its unique narrative playing from the ending to the beginning. Ten years have passed, and Nolan returns with an almost entirely unique script that he has secretly been working on for years, describing the film as a "contemporary sci-fi action thriller "set within the architecture of the mind."

Inception is one of those films that's fairly hard to describe without ruining the plot. As must be mentioned that this is the first and only review that will contain spoilers. With this in mind, if you have not watched the film, I strongly suggest that you rent/buy the film on DVD as it is definitely worth the investment.

Dom Cobb (Leonardo Di Caprio) is a highly trained thief, the best possibly professional in the dangerous art of extraction, stealing valuable secrets from deep within the subconscious during the dream state (The dream state being when the mind is at its most vulnerable). "Cobb's rare ability has made him a coveted player in this treacherous new world of corporate espionage, but it has also made him an international fugitive and cost him everything he has ever loved. Now Cobb is being offered a chance at redemption. One last job could give him his life back but only if he can accomplish the impossible-inception. Instead of the perfect heist, Cobb and his team of specialists [Arthur (Joseph Gordon-Levitt), Ariadne (Ellen Page), Eames (Tom Hardy), Saito (Ken Watanabe) and Yusuf (Dileep Rao)] have to pull off the reverse: their task is not to steal an idea but to plant one. If they succeed, it could be the perfect crime. But no amount of careful planning or expertise can prepare the team for the dangerous enemy that seems to predict their every move" (Warner Bro's).

Watch the following trailer to get a taster of the film:



I have to admit that the first time I watched the film, I sat there in awe. From a psychological point of view, it hit every single button in my brain. I absolutely loved it. It contained aspects of NLP (neuro-linguistic programming), a subconscious practice which has always fascinated me. The was so thought-provoking that when a friend mentioned that she hadn't seen it, I didn't hesitate to go back to watch it again...not to mention the fact that this 9 year old kid sat next to me, eating nearly every noisy sweet/snack known to man, throughout the first sitting.

Christopher Nolan first pitched the film to Warner Bros. after the completion of his third feature, Insomnia (2002/I), and was met with approval from the studio. However, it was not yet written at the time, and Nolan determined that rather than writing it as an assignment, it would be more suitable to his working style if he wrote it as a spec script and then presented it to the studio whenever it was completed. So he went off to write it, thinking it would take "a couple of months", but it ultimately took nearly eight years (IMDB).

With this film in particular, I will be giving my views on acting performances, as opposed to storyline. It can be mentioned that my high rating for this film come from the phenomenal story, effects and engrossing action that provides an experience to the viewer. From an acting point of view, I think that the only people who performed extremely well were Tom Hardy and Leonardo Di Caprio. Di Caprio needs no introduction or explanation in my opinion, as his roles have defined his capabilities as a versatile, realistic character in almost any scenario.

"The name of Leonardo DiCaprio's character is the same as that of one of the main characters in Christopher Nolan's first feature film, Following (1998). Further, both the characters have the same profession - they supposedly play thieves (IMDB)

From the moment I watched Tom Hardy's performance in Bronson (2008), I couldn't believe the person giving the behind-the-scenes interview was the same person who acted in the film. He is possibly the most versatile actor, and (you heard it here first), the next Johnny Depp. Hardy possesses this rare ability to look different in everything he acts in, not too dissimilar to Depp. He is definitely one to look out for in the coming years.

Another commendable mention can be said for Ken Watanebe, of whom I have been a fan of since The Last Samurai (2003). I believe that he played the role of both friend and foe extremely well. Michael Caine didn't seem to really require the need to stretch his acting as in Harry Brown (2009), but was convincing enough. I thought that whilst Marion Cotillard (who won the Best Actress Academy Award for her role as Édith Piaf in La Vie en Rose) is usually a good actress, I felt she couldn't really grasp the role completely. It just didn't seem like a believable relationship between her and Cobb (Di Caprio).

Unlike his performances in Brick (2005) and The Lookout (2007), I felt that Joseph Gordon-Lovett underperformed in this film. James Franco (Spiderman 3) was originally scripted for the role but was unable to play the role due to scheduling conflicts. In a way I think this was for the best, as although he is a great actor, Joseph was much better suited for this particular role. Joseph has been a great actor from an early age (3rd Rock From The Sun), but he seemed almost wooden/stiff and scripted when communicating his role in this film; which for me is a shame, and whether these were specific instructions from Nolan or not, I'm unsure if it was a positive move.

According to IMDB, "Evan Rachel Wood was Christopher Nolan's first choice to play Ariadne, but she turned it down. Nolan considered casting Emily Blunt, Rachel McAdams and Emma Roberts, but chose Ellen Page instead." I bet Wood is kicking her heels at missing out on this film now. Ever since I watched Hard Candy (2004), I believed that there was something special about Page. In that film she completely commanded the attention of the viewer with her sterling performance. I do believe however, that Inception, she merely came across as a wooden, moody teenager (not too dissimilar to her Juno role). I feel that her true strengths were not utilised to the best of her ability, which is quite a shame.

From an effects point of view, the zero-gravity scene still has me perplexed as to how they actually made it. It was too fluid for strings and no bubbles for water, therefore the only thing I can think is that they built a set in a plane and let it free-fall. I guess I will have to buy the special edition DVD with the "making-of" tied into a 2nd disc, in order to find out.

One of my favourite composers ever Hanz Zimmer provided some insight into his choice of music for the "slow, gloomy, blaring trombones in the main theme of the film score [which] are actually based on an extremely slowed down version of the fast, high pitched trumpets in the beginning of the Édith Piaf song "Non, je ne regrette rien," which is used as a plot device in the film. Furthermore, when music is heard by someone who is currently within a dream, the music is perceived as slowed down. Thus, the main theme of the film score is almost exactly what the beginning of "Non, je ne regrette rien" would sound like to a dreamer. This thematic device is brought to its logical conclusion when the song plays at the end of the credits, signaling that the audience is about to 'wake up' from the film."

Story-wise (now I'm sure this will cause some debate), the ending was flawed because if you thought about it, it means he was either asleep from the beginning, or he was awake and Christopher Nolan just wanted to piss us off and falsely confuse us. Some say if u stay to the end of the credits, you actually hear the pin drop, but I can't confirm this as I have not checked this out personally.

In any case, the only thing I thought was lazy was the snow scene as it was an exact replica of a James Bond film (with Pierce Brosnan). Furthermore, throughout the film, the characters continuously explained and plugged the importance of mazes and confusing the inner brain. Instead, all they did was go through a GINORMOUS VENT outside this supposed maze. What could have been more effective is if they entered this so-called maze, show how complex it was, then when it became impossible to breach due to time constraints, would use/find a vent above them that would bi-pass this maze. Without this, I believe that the breaking-in depicted in this film was somehow a little too easy.

Anyway, despite these very, very minor faults, I've rated this brilliant 148 Minute film 9/10. Christopher Nolan really did bring something special to our screens. It was thought-provoking, engaging, imaginative and incorporated all walks of psychology that I find so interesting. I can't remember a film that had me sat almost upright throughout, trying to figure out what level of dream each of the sequences represented and how they correlated with the original dream level. With this in mind, I wish more films were as engaging as I find it a fairly untapped form of filmmaking.

Oh and for those interested, I came across this extended movie ending for those who wish to find out what really happens!



One more very interesting fact about this film is that "According to Cinematographer Wally Pfister, Warner Brothers executives approached Christopher Nolan about making the film in 3D, but he refused the idea, claiming "it will distract the storytelling experience of Inception" (IMDB). What are you thoughts on this? Have great week.

Review: The A-Team (6/10) - 2010: I Pity The Fools

Remakes are dodgy territory in my opinion, especially a series I grew up watching and loving. The cheesy one-liners, BA's susceptibility to drinking milk to get on a plane, Hannibal's cigar-smoking smile, Murdock's perfect insanity, and Faceman's seductive skills, coupled with flipping cars and bullets that never hit anyone were what made it such a phenomenal television show. So here is how I discovered this new film even existed. I was sitting in the cinema waiting to watch Inception, and the trailer for this film came up. I sat there with my head in my hands, to the point of breaking down in tears as to how they ruined a perfectly respectable show. The characters did not fit those I knew and loved: Mr. T is irreplaceable for one thing, and the new theme tune was nowhere near as good as the original.




Here's a tip to all you directors out there who want to produce a remake: Don't deviate too much from the original, or face the backlash! At least keep the theme tune from the original! I mean fair enough, in one section of the film they use the original track, but be consistent and use it in the marketing too!

The story centers around a group of Iraq War veterans looks to clear their name with the U.S. military, who suspect the four men of committing a crime for which they were framed. The group consists of Colonel John 'Hannibal' Smith (Liam Neeson), Lt. Templeton 'Faceman' Peck (Bradley Cooper), Sergeant Bosco 'B.A.' Baracus (Quinton 'Rampage' Jackson), Captain James 'Howling Mad' Murdock (Sharlto Copley) and also Jessica Biel as Charissa Sosa.

Watch the following trailer to see what I mean:



Flying tanks and general ridiculous storyline were one of the main reasons I did not go to the cinema to watch this film. In fact, I was on a five-hour British Airways flight on-board a flight from Cyprus, back to the UK. Unlike the more modern Cyprus Airways planes I normally fly on, I thought I had stepped back in time onto a plane with shared 16" isle box televisions. "Fair enough," I thought, as I was sure they would have a better selection of films on BA than on Cyprus Airways. I opened the entertainment guide and hey presto... The A-Team. 5 Hours stuck on a plan with no entertainment but this 117 minute pathetic excuse for a remake. I mean, I'm FAIRLY sure it was the Vietnam war, not the Iraq War where they met, not to mention BA usually wears tonnes of gold chains claiming that he "ain't gettin' on no plane," compared to "chopper". I was annoyed but thought I may as well give it a go.

You know what? Director Joe Carnahan actually did a decent job. I have no qualms in saying that the storyline was pathetically poor, as was most of the acting aside from Liam Neeson (as always), and newcomer Sharlto Copley (who is possibly the only person on earth who could possibly immitate Dwight Shultz' version of Murdock). Liam Neeson was as effective as George Peppard (who sadly passed away in 1994 with lung cancer). I thought "Rampage" was quite poor, but there seems to be this considerable trend in that wrestlers/cage fighters seem to think that they can act when they get the chance (aside from Dwayne 'The Rock' Johnson and Steve Austin who are showing considerable signs of improvement). I have a gigantic crush on Jessica Biel, but recently I think she's been a bit wooden as an actress... but don't worry Jessica, I still love you. Bradley Cooper has been getting all the breaks since his hit film "The Hangover" (2009), and he does quite a good job of imitating Dirk Benedict's Faceman.

Overall I have rated this film 6/10, because as a stand-alone film, I did find myself really enjoying myself as it unfolded. I think the charm of ridiculous scenarios, coupled with a bit more violence and grit than the original, was a welcoming addition to this version. I do feel that it was totally unnecessary to show how the group met for the first time, as everyone knows that they were a unit. In a way it was nice to bring the story forward a few decades, but would have been nice to retain the original recordings of the narration and theme tune. Finally, I think that if I had never grown up with the original series, I would have enjoyed this a lot more, but simply because it was not the same feel as the original, it does not beat its charm and wit overall. I guess "I ain't gettin' on no BA Plane" to Cyprus again!

Review: Toy Story 3 (10/10) - 2010: To Infinite And Beyond!

The moment Toy Story 3 was announced, I was both extremely excited and extremely skeptical. The first in the trilogy is in my opinion still the best animation to date. Of course many people will go "but the graphics weren't great," or "UP was SO much better," or "Avatar destroys it in graphics field." No I disagree on this point on a multitude of levels. UP was a phenomenal film don't get me wrong. The talking dog was possibly the best part of the film (primarily as my dog is an uncanny replica to it), and the graphics were very similar in a way to Toy Story 1. Avatar in my opinion shouldn't really be described as an animation as it was too lifelike to the point that you were immersed in Pandora, thus eliminating the animated feel to the film. The whole magic of Toy Story was the realistic, plastic feel of the toys, despite the unrealistic human characters. Besides, you can read my review on exactly what I thought of Avatar, but for now let's concentrate on Toy Story.

The second installment in the film was extremely disappointing, and clearly a lucrative marketing opportunity just four years after the first in 1995. It's hard to imagine that I was just eight years old when the first one came out, so I'm sure you can imagine my emotional ties with the film. People say that you taste changes when you get older, but when I heard that Odeon were going to screen the first one again in 3D, I jumped at the chance with numerous other housemates and friends. I hadn't seen the film in a number of years, but wasn't disappointed. It was exactly how I remembered, allowing me to appreciate the film even more since I've been studying film and television.

The second film for me was a failure for a number of reasons. Firstly, I hated the new characters. Jessie is a terrible addition to the already perfect squad. Secondly, the storyline was very average. Sure it was nice to introduce the Evil Emperor Zurg, but the character didn't fit my childlike imagination. He looked more like a cross between The Devil, Snow White and Rita from the Power Rangers. It was just ridiculous really. Anyway, along with I'm fairly sure the majority of people I know, I thought it was rubbish, so in order to even contend with the first, Toy Story 3 had a lot of making up to do.

Toy Story 3 brings back the same old characters we know and love (minus Bo Peep, Etch & Wheezy, yet annoyingly keeps Jessie). Without giving away too much of the story, Andy (John Morris), is all grown up and getting ready to go to College. His mum asks him to sort out the toys to be donated to charity, and those to be placed in the attic. However, a mix-up occurs and all of the toys (bar Woody who is the only one chosen to go to College) are mistakenly delivered to a day-care center right before Andy leaves for college. As Woody was the only chosen one who could see everything at the time, it is up to him to convince the other toys that they weren't abandoned and that they should return home to their rightful owner.

The following is the trailer for this phenomenal film:



All I can say, is that Disney's Pixar simply hit the nail on the head with this 103-minute film. It was absolutely spectacular. It took them 10 years to develop and complete this film, and the time and dedication completely pays off. The soundtrack takes me back to when I was eight years old, and brings back that innocence we all once had. I guess a lot of people will think that I'm talking absolute rubbish, but it's a truly emotional film. The intro is possibly THE most intelligent introduction to a sequel I have ever seen, and I sat there in awe as it played out. If only more sequels took a leaf out of Pixar's book.

Originally, a sequel was planned when it seemed that Disney and PIXAR would split over creative differences in 2004-2005. Disney started up an animation division titled 'Circle 7,' which would have been in charge of churning out sequels for PIXAR films that would not involve the original creators at PIXAR. Entertainment Weekly published an article that said the original plot for Toy Story 3 was going to be about Buzz Lightyear having a defect. Buzz would then be shipped to Taiwan to be fixed, but the other toys find out that the toy company is just replacing the broken Buzz toys with new ones, so they ship themselves to Taiwan to rescue him. This script had to be canned when PIXAR and Disney made amends. Part of their agreement was not to further develop projects that had been planned during their fallout (IMDB).

I'm glad this didn't happen as this version is much more intricate. The soothing voice combination of Woody (Tom Hanks) and Buzz Lightyear (Tim Allen) brings back the memories in an adventure of epic proportions. I cannot explain just how cleverly crafted this film is, with points in the film where you think "are they actually going to do this? Is this it?!" There are a magnitude of new characters in this installment, and I believe that unlike the 2nd film, they actually got them right this time. Ken was a brilliant addition to the group (and one that would have benefited in "fixing" the second film), but nonetheless, there were so many hilarious moments, both new and reminders of the past films. This is also the first animated film to make one billion dollars at the worldwide box office, achieving this on August 27th, 2010.

Is it better than Toy Story 1? Surely it must be for 10/10 you must think? My verdict is that it isn't as good as the first, but only marginally. I sat at the end of the film with my group of friends (all of whom kept their 3D glasses on even after the film, (we all did it) for obvious reasons. I contemplated the possibility that this may pip the title for my favourite ever animation. It was perfect in every way, from story, to content, to ending. I believe that the only reason this film didn't beat the first, was the recognisably of new characters. Arguably, the reason that Toy Story 1 was so successful, was because the majority of the toys (aside from Woody(?) and Buzz Lightyear were toys that my generation, and those before me genuinely grew up playing with.

There is a scene with an old toy phone in the 3rd film which I felt I associated more with than the other new characters, simply because I will have played with it at a nursery in my childhood, or a friend will have owned one, etc. I believe that seeing as the toys were in a day care centre through donation, surely they would be old-fashioned, disused toys we would have played with, compared to newly created ones? In any case, the story was still phenomenal, but I felt it was important to add my two cents on why I still think the first is the best of the trilogy. I believe that anyone who had an emotional connection to the first film so many years ago will adore this film. So go and watch it, 3D or not, because it is simply out of this world.

Advertising - 2010: Tippex YouTube Sensation

I was casually checking my Friday email's last week and regularly scroll through FHM's Weekly email. Most of the time the links are average, but every now and then, there is a gem. It's been a while since an advertising campaign has caught my eye like this, but when I saw "NSFW. A hunter shoots a bear!" I was intrigued to say the least. On the whole, if videos make it on YouTube, then they are bound to be funny, rather than gory, so another reason to click.



Watch the advertisement below and see just how shocking this video is!



Well, I bet you weren't expecting that! I can tell you I wasn't. On a Cross-Platform Group Project at Bournemouth University, a group of friends and I developed a very similar concept called iDunno.co.uk, for children, and not too dissimilar to Microsoft's Miss Dewey. Miss Dewey has been discontinued, but was a very intelligent website with thousands of responses. Tippex have done a phenomenal job in integrating this concept with YouTube, and in my opinion is the first of its kind. iDunno.co.uk was a safe interactive search engine for children and hopefully will be developed further in the future.

Anyway, back to Tippex... The advertisement was developed by Buzzman in France and you have the ability to rewrite the story however you see fit (hence the Tippex link...obviously). How many different videos can you find? I'll put up the one's I've found, so just add away!

1. Shoots
2. Erases
3. F***s (come on, I bet you put that in first)
4. Punches
5. Photographs
6. Rides
7. Marries
8. Dances
9. Teases
10. Farts
11. Feeds
12. Eats
13. Finds
14. Sings
15. Couch
16. Football

I think that's enough. Find some for yourselves and let me know if you find anything new! I know there was a film camera one but I can't find it anymore!

Enjoy!

James

Review: Piranha 3D (6/10) - 2010: A Mouthful Of Laughs

I never would have thought that when my brother Jon called me up to go to the cinema, I would even begin to contemplate the thought of spending the little cash I've got, on going to watch Piranha 3D. This is a film I have publicly ridiculed and laughed at in disgust whenever the trailer came onto the television.

Directed by Alexandre Aje (Director of The Hills Have Eyes), this 88 minute bloody babe-fest is set in the sleepy town of Lake Victoria, which is coincidentally also the annual setting for Spring Break. After a sudden underwater tremor, scores of prehistoric man(and woman)-eating piranhas are set free into the bikini-laden waters. An unlikely group of strangers (and pornstars) must band together to stop themselves from becoming fish food for the area's new razor-toothed residents.



The film stars Jessica Szohr (Gossip Girl), Steven R. McQueen (The Vampire Diaries), Elisabeth Shue (Hollow Man), Jerry O’Connell (Obsessed), Ving Rhames (Pulp Fiction), Adam Scott (Step Brothers), Richard Dreyfuss (Close Encounters Of The Third Kind), Christopher Lloyd (Back To The Future), and men's favourites, Kelly Brook (model) and Riley Steele (pornstar).

The following video is the film's official Trailer:



As you have just witnessed, I believe that the CGI (computer-generated imagery) throughout the film is potentially the worst I've seen since A Sound of Thunder's (2005) attempt in making a futuristic city, and worst yet on the big screen. The piranha movement looks incredibly fake (especially when "Doc Brown" drops one into the fish-tank). When I witnessed the above trailer on the television, the thought of people even wanting to download it illegally seemed like an unlikely waste of time.

The fact that this film was marketed as a 3D fright-fest is simply laughable, as I'd like to mention that I was not the only person who went completely cross-eyed at the opening credits to the point I had to take them off. Furthermore, the actual 3D bits of the film didn't really work like that on Avatar, or any other 3D film for that matter.

In an interview, Kelly Brook quoted that the film was "The ultimate horror, action exploitation movie" and that it is "everything you want a movie to be, and the fact that it's in 3D, gives it that extra edge." With this in mind, it makes me think that she has in fact recognised this film as an actual, serious piece of acting work on her part. I hate to be an a****le, but her performance is anything but a serious piece of eye-candy (however nice).

Eli Roth cameo's as a wet-tshirt contest host, which virtually sums up what you may expect from a film he may partake in (see Hostel, 2005). There were times in this film where I believe that Peter Jackson's Brain Dead (1990) influenced it with...erm...gore.

So why 6/10 you ask? You know what...I haven't laughed so much in the cinema in a long time. This wasn't necessarily down to scripted funny parts (of which there were quite a few), but due to the sheer unrealistic, over-the-top cliché aspects of the storyline that the audience (well me and my brother at least) found hilarious and downright ridiculously funny (Remember - Boat + everyone in the water; and a piranha's burp). It is evident that to direct that amount of extras is a challenge, but some of them were so poor, it made me cry with laughter. Some of the movie was genuine horror however, and evoked a shocked, manly "eww" when it occurred (Remember - Hair + Motor for when you see it), but more often than not, the graphics let it down.

One thing I can commend in this film is the make-up department. The actual gore displayed post-attack was phenomenal. The prosthetics were realistic, the blood was the right shade of colouring and consistency, and the main cast acting was in fact, quite decent in this instance. This isn't really the type of film that you can particularly label anyone as a stand-out performance (apart from Elizabeth Shue and Jerry O'Connell I'd say). Furthermore, I am still to this day unsure as to whether or not the director intended this film to be tongue-in-cheek/Shaun of the dead horror, or a genuine Hostel" horror with accidental comedy. All I can say is...if you would like to go to the cinema to see a soft-core porno with glimpses of horror and lots and lots of laughs, go and watch it.

An Update You Say? Featuring: Raindance Film Festival, Black Peak & Life

Well to those of you who thought I had given up Blogging, think again! I'm back and ready to bring you my latest views and thoughts on all things film and television (with the odd bit of advertising). As some of you who follow me will know, I have recently completed my Masters in Producing Film and Television at Bournemouth University. With this in mind, I have decided to revamp the layout of the blog so that it doesn't give you a brain tumour when reading white on black.


The final few months have been the most hectic of my life, and I have learned so much much throughout this one year. It feels as though it was just yesterday I was picking up a Sony EX3 for the first time and wondering how to turn it on, whilst now I have worked on countless productions, not to mention having produced, directed and written a twenty minute film (along with the phenomenal people along the way who made it all possible, and to whom I am eternally grateful).

I am also delighted to announce that I recently received possibly one of my greatest compliments in the film industry to date, back in June of this year, from none other than the Raindance Film Festival. The fact that they have taken the time to acknowledge even a little bit of my work (writing or otherwise), is greatly appreciated.

I have always been an advocate of Twitter once I discovered its powers, and I can honestly say that my daily intake of articles published by Raindance, the brilliant Elliot Grove and other excellent writers has aided my progression 10-fold. I don't usually find myself writing about companies as such, but I just felt the need to almost show my appreciation by taking the time to compliment this great service, so thank you Raindance.

In other news, Black Peak is still in the edit. I'm still awaiting CGI integration, final edit, colour, and sound to be completed (not much at all!). Once that is done, I am hoping that those who watch it really appreciate the hard work, horrendous weather conditions and blood, sweat and tears we all endured to make it possible.

I will follow up this post with an ACTUAL movie post, however belated.

Hope you are keeping well.

James

Review: Kick-Ass (9/10) - 2010: Does Exactly What It Says On The Tin..

I began writing this review some time ago, but never got the chance to finalise it. This is primarily due to my lack of spare time and social life throughout my masters, so here it is, however belated. So here we are, graced with yet another superhero movie on our screens.

This is no ordinary superhero movie. This film capitalises on the failures of its predecessors, in that it establishes an original take on an age-old idea. Dave Lizewski (Aaron Johnson) is an unnoticed high school student and comic book fan, who one day decides to become a super-hero. However, he has no powers, training or meaningful reason to do so.






Dave takes it upon himself to put an end to his savage beatings, to prevent everyday, helpless people from being mugged, and provide a service wherever possible. Big Daddy (Nicholas Cage) and Hit-Girl (Chloe Moretz), unknown to Dave, have been tracking his every move in a bid to recruit him in their quest for revenge on Frank D'Amico (Mark Strong), and his geeky son Red Mist (Christopher Mintz-Plasse).

Watch the hilarious trailer below:



From the start of the film after watching this trailer, I knew that this film was going to be something special. I remember reading Twitter feeds that mentioned that this film took the SXSW (South By Southwest) Film Festival unexpectedly, leaving viewers stunned and loving it at the same time. This is exactly how I felt as I watched the film often asking myself the same question over and over "Did they just do that?!" An example of this is Chloe Moretz (AKA Hit-Girl) uttering the phrase "Come get some you C***s!". I was left both in shock and hysterical laughter at the same time.

In response to criticism towards this she stated in an interview that, "If I ever uttered one word that I said in Kick-Ass, I would be grounded for years! I'd be stuck in my room until I was 20! I would never in a million years say that. I'm an average, everyday girl." Moretz has said that while filming, she could not bring herself to say the film's title out loud in interviews, instead calling it "the film" in public and "Kick-Butt" at home.

Moretz can be commended in that she performed around 80% of her own stunts. When you watch this film will realise just how shockingly brilliant this performance was from this upcoming talent. I believe that her natural ability on-screen will improve even further with time, but watch this space...believe me (unless she does a Macaulay Culkin and f***s it up. Fingers crossed she doesn't!).

In a way, some may argue that the film's concept is similar to Watchmen (2009), in that the superheroes don't in fact have any superpowers. However I believe that it is still completely original through its use of wit, comedy, and pure ruthlessness. The soundtrack can also be given a mention as I felt that it was very prominent throughout the film, in text-book superhero fashion.

I must confess that I was not aware that Nicholas Cage was in this film at all, as he was in none of the marketing material I had witnessed. Both Daniel Craig and Mark Wahlberg were considered for the role of Big Daddy before Nicolas Cage was cast, which I think in hindsight was an intelligent move. Cage tends to play a very similar role in every movies he is cast in, and this was no exception. However it can be mentioned that he modelled his speech mannerisms on the original Batman played by Adam West.

I believe that the film benefited from the fact that Cage's role in the film (which is of a decent size) was not used as a marketing ploy. Another marketing strategy that the company could have, but didn't plug, was the fact that Brad Pitt was one of the producers for the film. Every actor has their positives and negatives, however, with a relatively unknown cast other than McLovin' star, Christopher Mintz-Plasse, and maybe Mark Strong (Frank D'Amico), along with Dexter Fletcher (as thug, Cody), this movie (as with Superbad), shows that unknowns often have the potential to be just as convincing and effective as the household names.

There are numerous bits of trivia hidden in this film, all of which can be viewed via IMDB's link. An example is one section in the movie after Kick Ass meets Hit Girl for the first time, where the audience can see Big Daddy standing in front of a gigantic advertising billboard featuring Claudia Schiffer. The main reason for this is that Claudia Schiffer is actually married to the film's director, Matthew Vaughn
.

One of the main positives that can be taken from this film from a film-maker's perspective is that all of the profits are in fact coming back to the UK. This is a rarity even for English films, as numerous investments come from the likes of America, therefore returning to the USA. With this in mind, all I can hope is that this film sets a trend for English films everywhere, helping the British Film Industry as a whole. I would also like to commend my friend Philippe Ludivig from Bournemouth University, who's role in the film was LipSync Post Compositor!

I have rated this brilliantly crafted 117 Minute-long film a rating of 9/10, and aside from mentally picturing Eric Cartman proudly shouting out the title after watching it; the film, like Ronsil, does exactly what it says on the tin... It kicks ass!

Indie Review: An Education (7.5/10) - 2009: English Accents That Are Simply Eargasmic

Through the Bournemouth Skillset & Media Academy (BSMA), I was given the opportunity to attend the The Sony Ericsson Film Lovers' Forum at the BAFTA's this year. Without having the opportunity to have heard of and/or seen the numerous films that were nominated for the awards, this would provide me with an enjoyable list of films to watch and learn from. This particular film did fairly well for nominations and wins.


This particular film saw the lovely Carey Mulligan win the BAFTA for Leading Actress and then come backstage to talk to the fans in the forum. At that point in time I unfortunately could not relate to all of the hype surrounding her performance other than by word-of-mouth as I had not watched the film. She seemed like a genuinely lovely person. (For more information on my time at the BAFTA's, click here).

This film was nominated for 3 Oscars, won one and nominated for seven BAFTA's, as well as winning the British Independent Film Award, among a total of 18 wins and 45 nominations.

Lone Scherfig was BAFTA Nominated for Director; Finola Dwyer and Amanda Posey were Nominated for Best Film; Finola Dwyer, Amanda Posey, Lone Scherfig and Nick Hornby were Nominated for Outstanding British Film; Nick Hornby was Nominated for Adapted Screenplay; Alfred Molina was nominated for Best Supporting Actor; Odile Dicks-Mireaux was Nominated for Costume Design; and last but not least, Lizzie Yianni Georgiou was Nominated for Make Up & Hair.

"An Education" (shot for BBC Films in Ealing Studios in the UK), is set in the early 1960's, where middle-class, intelligent and humorous 16 year old Jenny Mellor (Carey Mulligan) lives with her parents in Twickenham, London. Jenny's sole mission, as spurred on by her father (Alfred Molina), is to pass her A-Levels and receive the grades she needs to get into Oxford University; a dream he shares with her. Her life is ready to take a phenomenal twist as she meets David Goldman (Oeter Sarsgaard), a suave and sophisticated Jewish businessman over twice her age. The film concentrates on his intelligently calculated tact to integrate himself into Jenny and her family's lives. As Jenny increasingly gets to know David, she must make the hardest decision of her life; whether to live the life she could only dream of, or continue her journey to get into the University she had worked so hard to attend.

Click below to watch the film's official trailer:



I am not going to lie, but I was quite uncomfortable throughout the film, not too dissimilar to how I felt watching Stanley Kubrick's Lolita. The creative team were initially worried about casting the 22 year old Carey Mulligan in the role of a 16 year old, but were convinced by her screen test. This realism was put to the test where a number of scenes left me feeling rather uneasy. Whether or not this was the intention of the director, personally I found it quite effective. I recognise that the era of the 60's was completely different to nowadays, however I do find that Jenny Mellor's (Mulligan) father should have prevented any form of contact between his daughter and a male of his age. Perhaps it is my generation that has grown up to avoid strangers when younger, and it would take someone born in that era to fully explain if that was the norm, but as mentioned, it is not something I condone in the slightest.

I felt that the cast was picked superbly well by Lucy Bevan, with Carey Mulligan, Alfred Molina and Peter Sarsgaard all contributing phenomenally powerful and commendable performances. You may have read my previous post concerning Sandra Bullock's Oscar winning performance in The Blind Side, however I believe that Mulligan's performance was overlooked almost entirely. You felt the naivety, the joy, the sorrow, and the development of the character as the film unfolded and developed. This can be said of Bullock's performance, but not on the same scale as Mulligan and I feel that she might be very hard done by not to have won an Oscar she actually deserved.

Alfred Molina, rightly deserved a nomination for his acting as his performance was impecible. Peter Sarsgaard potentially also deserved a mention for his role as the sophisticated, suave businessman. Without giving anything away, his realistic movements, dialogue and gestures indicated his every intention to the audience. I can quite rightly state that my general unease throughout the film can be put down to the combination of his performance, tied in with the superbly portrayed protagonist, Jenny.

It may sound odd, but the impeccably articulate use of grammar and accents was a major highlight for me personally. With no disrespect intended, British films constantly use lower class accents and scenarios as the forefront of their films in modern times (unless they are period pieces of course), resorting to violence and anger as a solution for every problem. This (upper) middle-class film was a refreshing indicator that these classes also have a place in modern British cinema outside Victorian era, a praiseworthy mention that can rest with director Lone Scherfig. She says that she experimented with giving the actors options during scenes. For example, she told Peter Sarsgaard that "if he felt like it, he could start a conversation with an extra playing a doorman in one scene despite there not being any written dialogue" (IMDB). This is a style that I also like to experiment with on my sets, and I feel that it relaxes the actor to produce brilliant results.

I feel that I must commend An Education; a film that does not contain seismic twists and turns, climaxes or shocks, or any noticeable action, plodding along at a steady pace; a film that somehow captivates and grasps the attention of its audience from start to finish.

I have rated this 100 minute long film 7.5/10 due to the aforementioned lack of pace as this is not a film that I would have gone out of my way to watch at the cinema, or even purchase. It is a film that I may have casually switched channels and noticed that it was on Film 4 a few years from now. I believe that the power of the BAFTA's is lost in translation with the majority of the public, and all I can say is that I'm glad that I managed to (almost force) myself to watch this excellent, British film, and that Mulligan's future is bright (no BAFTA-sponsored Orange pun intended).

Review: The Blind Side (7/10) - 2009: A True Story About Compassion, Values And A Little Bit Of American Football

There seems to be an unusual running trend for me writing praise for Sandra Bullock in recent times. She is someone who I openly criticised as a wooden, talentless individual (but nowhere NEAR as bad as Julia Roberts obviously). Her movie career spawned (in my opinion) abysmal films such as Miss Congeniality, Two Weeks Notice, and a list of films I don't think I've ever heard of according to IMDB (do they even exist?!).

Sandra Bullock however, is also someone who gracefully turned up at the Golden Raspberry Awards to pick up the worst actress prize for "All About Steve" (A film she co-produced), and as a goodwill gesture, arrived with a trailer filled with DVDs of the film to give to the audience.

"Something tells me you all didn't watch the film because I wouldn't be here if you really, really watched it and understood what I was trying to say," she said. As she handed out the DVD's to the cheering crowd, she went on to say; "I will show up next year if you promise to watch the movie and really consider if it was truly the worst performance. If you're willing to watch, I'll come back next year and give back the Razzie." (Click here to read more).

This was just one day before she was expected to win an Oscar for The Blind Side...which she did, and up against stiff competition in Carey Mulligan's performance in "An Education", not to mention the everlasting Meryl Streep in Julie & Julia; the "Queen" Helen Mirren in The Last Station; and the undiscovered Gabourey Sidibe in Precious. (Click here for more information on the Oscar winners).

"The Blind Side" depicts the true story of Michael "Big Mike" Oher (Quinton Aaron), a quiet, homeless teenage African-American youngster who hails from a broken home in a rough neighbourhood. Michael does not know who his father is and his mother is a drug addict of whom the State has previously taken custody of her other children. Michael has had little formal education and very few skills or motivation to help him learn, due to the societal dangers area of his upbringing.

Leigh Anne (Sandra Bullock) and Sean Tuohy (Tim McGraw), a well-to-do white family take him in as part of their family due to his unfortunate circumstances, with Michael's presence in the family's lives leading them to some insightful self-discoveries of their own. Living in his new environment, Michael faces a completely different set of challenges to overcome, both academically and physically, accidentally getting involved with American Football due to his natural, raw talent. Working hard to protect his family and with the help of his coaches and new environment, an All-American legend was born.

Click below watch the film's official trailer:



For those of you out there who think that this will be a sports film would be wrong as, in my opinion, it lacks the gritty action that would pick up the tempo of the film. I found myself becoming increasingly interested and excited as soon as there was a sports scene (but then again, I do enjoy sports). This film is more about the emotional attachment between Michael and Leigh Anne, and how they in turn, helped each other.

Once again, as with "The Proposal", I find myself complimenting Bullock's talented performance as both a tough business woman, and emotional mother figure. Quinton Aaron didn't particularly have many lines to learn for this film and his expression remained the same throughout the film, however it was very convincing in the sense that Michael was a quiet individual who did what he was told, and this came across very well. Tim McGraw's performance as the doting husband was very believable and SJ Tuohy (Jae Head), the younger son of Leigh Anne and Sean Tuohy, was a fairly convincing performance from this youngster. Collins Tuohy (Lily Collins), SJ's older sister, also put on a very good performance. One criticism can be made of Adriane Lenox, who played Michael's drug-addicted mother, as she did not act or give the impression that she was constantly under the influence. This can also be attributed to a fairly clean interior house set for a "junkie," and a lack of make-up.

Nevertheless, I have rated this heartwarming 129 minute-long film 7/10 and it is one that I definitely recommend that you go and watch. I believe that it required some more action, however the remaining aspects of the film were exceptional. A special mention needs to be made to the casting director (Ronna Kress), who picked a very similar cast aesthetically to the original individuals.