Sunday Roundup I

Good evening! In order to ensure I maintain at least a shred of commitment to this blog, as well as to alleviate the boredom that accompanies the Sabbath day, I decided I would aim to do a weekly round-up of the films I've watched, complete with mini-reviews and recommendations. Admittedly, I couldn't have picked a worse time to start, for three reasons: 1. It's a Monday. My sleeping pattern doesn't allow for scheduling 2. I only started this blog on Saturday, so it's not like I've got a vast amount of films to talk about and 3. I won't be doing it next Sunday as I'm hoping to liveblog the Oscars then instead. So far, so bad but I thought I'd give it a shot anyway. I've managed to watch four films since Saturday (one of which was for my dissertation, something I'll discuss in more detail in a few weeks) so here's a few quick reviews.

TINKER TAILOR SOLDIER SPY (2011)

Shamefully, I've never seen the Alec Guinness TV adaptation of Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy so I'm unable to compare the two. However, I'm not sure it really matters too much. Tomas Alfredson's adaptation is a slick and, for the most part, accomplished film that doesn't come without some major weaknesses. Though it is tough to fault the performances - Oldman is excellent as George Smiley and is well supported by a host of quality stars, such as Benedict Cumberbatch, Colin Firth and even Kathy Burke - the movie itself is a bit hit and miss. Not only does the story take an age to get going but when it finally does start moving it is quite heavy and confusing, which isn't helped by the non-linear structure. However, don't let you put this off. Though a tad too long (at just over two hours), it is worth perservering with simply to witness how the characters evolve and the details fall into place. There is a strong focus on the human side of those working for the secret service without which the film really would be a drag. If you're looking for a high-stakes action thriller then this film definitely isn't for you. However, if you're looking for a decent, subtle spy movie rich in character development and well-performed by all involved, you can't go too far wrong with Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy, despite its obvious flaws. 7/10

MIDNIGHT IN PARIS (2011)

At just ninety minutes long, Midnight In Paris is a charming, elegant tale that suffers from being just that little bit too short. Whilst the first hour is a witty and at times quite beautiful story about nostalgia and love (with director Woody Allen's presence, and his admiration for Paris and the culture of the 1920s felt throughout), the final half-hour feels rushed and a bit of a letdown. Though I wouldn't quite label it a 'return to form' for Allen, namely because it lacks the subtlety of some of his best works, Midnight In Paris is both funny and touching. The plot is handled with care and the performances are a joy to watch. Owen Wilson, an actor whom I've never really had any time for at all, is excellent as Gil and fits into the socially awkward lead role that Allen's films are pretty much famed for with ease. Despite the problems with the last half-hour, it is difficult not to be enthralled by Midnight In Paris. Allen uses Paris' aesthetic beauty to its full effect and taps into the nostalgia for a non-existant golden age that is so intrinsically human the way only a director of Allen's experience and ability can. It's by no means a masterpiece but Midnight In Paris is a fine piece of cinema that anyone with any appreciation for *decent* romantic comedies should really see. 8/10

It's impossible not to fall immediately in love with Paris and Allen uses the city's natural elegance and charm to hook his audience from the off.

HALLOWEEN (1978) *DISSERTATION*

If one was to find fault with Halloween, it would surely be that John Carpenter can't be forgiven for starting a trend that lasted almost fifteen years - a trend that ultimately produced as few as ten good films and thousands of fucking awful ones. That trend is commonly known as the 'modern day slasher movie'. Considering so many films pay homage to Halloween, it's a miracle that they've managed to be so awful when Halloween is so breathtakingly good. It's not big on budget and there are times when the scenes come across as a bit clunky and cheap. And yet, Carpenter manages to strike the perfect balance between thrills and chills, creating a film that is never boring and is, to this day, really quite terrifying. Donald Pleasance and Jamie Lee Curtis are excellent in their prospective roles as Dr. Loomis, the determined and slightly deranged counterpart to the film's killer, and Laurie Strode, the epitome of the now common 'final girl' trope. Aided by one the greatest soundtracks in cinematic history, a director who knows exactly how to ratchet up the tension and a fine cast of supporting stars, all of whom are properly fleshed out, Halloween is the perfect seventies horror flick. Considering just five people (and two dogs) end up dead, compared to films such as Friday The 13th, where endless streams of non-descript teenagers end up being murdered in the same, nonchalant and utterly boring manner, it is a testament to Carpenter's skills as a director and the strength of the performances that Halloween is considered such a classic. And rightly so. 9/10


One of the most perfectly crafted chase scenes in horror movie history. THE HELP (2011)

It's easy to see why three of The Help's stars have been nominated for Academy Awards. Though the themes and plot of the film are clearly driven with awards season in mind, this doesn't take away from the fact that it is an accomplished and powerful piece of cinema. The issue of race and the vulgar discrimination black people - in particular black women - suffered in 1960s Mississippi is handled both courageously and sensitively, with a warming mix of humour thrown in to ensure that realism is maintained throughout. Tate Taylor (as both director and writer) is careful not to turn the characters into stereotypes, instead managing to create a complex hive of people, each of whom suffers in their own personal, often subtle way. Viola Davis and Octavia Spencer are dazzling as the eternally suffering maids of the white Mississippi elites, whilst Jessica Chastain truly dazzles as Celia. Recognition too must go to Emma Stone as Skeeter, the likeable (if not ever-so-slightly one dimensional) woman who wants to write about life from the perspective of the maids and Bryce Dallas Howard, who plays perhaps the film's most complicated and vile character, portraying perfectly the face of "acceptable", surburbanite racism. Despite its length, The Help is entertaining throughout and were it not up against some stiff competition this year would probably do quite well at the Oscars. 9/10

Take One and... Action!

You'd be forgiven for thinking, judging by the title of both this introduction and of the blog itself, that the purpose of this already-destined-to-fail venture into internet based opinion spouting was to talk about films. For the most part, you'd be right. Whenever I've blogged in the past it's always lacked purpose and cohesion and that, alongside my inability to stick at anything for more than about twelve seconds, is why it has always collapsed into obscurity (if it's possible for something as obscure and unpopular as one of my blogs to 'collapse' any further...) very quickly indeed. So I thought I needed some sort of purpose or theme to focus on this time. The theme I settled on, after wrestling with the idea of publishing some dreary, angsty blog about politics or some mundane account of my attempts to cook meals, a la Julie & Julia, or my attempts to lose weight, a la 50% of all blogs on the internet, was film. It's something I'm quite interested in, it's something I can get quite passionate about and it's something that people might - shock horror - want to read. Or it's a massive waste of everyone's time and patience. But we shall see...

The aim of this blog is simple. It's to chronicle my attempt to find a film that I love more than The Silence of the Lambs. It's an odd raison d'etre admittedly but since I was about 12 years of age, I've always thought it was the single greatest movie ever made and no amounts of Gone With The Wind, Metropolis or The Godfather Part II have managed to convince me otherwise. I'm the first to admit that it doesn't have the timeless elegance of Casablanca, nor does it have the artistic qualities of (the mindnumbingly boring) Citizen Kane, not to mention that its cinematography is far bettered by countless other films. Yet, there's just something about it. No other film has ever enthralled me so much and yet, at the same time, I'm sure there's at least one film out there that I'd like more. And so the purpose of this blog is to find such a film. You can leave suggestions if you wish and I'll make sure I watch as many of them as I can but just because IMDb thinks The Shawshank Redemption is the greatest movie of all time doesn't mean I don't find it contrived and, in all honesty, a bit shit (clearly I'm in the minority there) so if you suggest something amazing and I say it's crap, it's either because I'm being purposefully obstructive or because my taste in films is dreadful. But I digress.

To help me on this little journey, I've made a watchlist of over 200 films that I need to get through over the next few months. Some of them I've seen before but the majority are new to me. In some cases, I'm ashamed that I've never seen the films before. In others, I'm actually quite glad...

I almost pride myself on having not seen this film before...

You may also have noticed, particularly if your internet connection is as shit as mine, the veritable feast / modest three-course meal of trailers down the right hand side of the page. Basically, they're the trailers for the next five films I plan to watch (so, Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy is first, Midnight In Paris second and so on...) and everytime I update the blog, I'll update the list. Hopefully there's some poor soul out there with nothing better to do who might be interested in that although in fairness, I only put them there because I couldn't think of anything else to put there. I also think they look quite pretty but what do I know, I think Frankie Cocozza is pretty. Well, not pretty. Not even attractive but... Oh you know what I mean.

Anyway, as I suggested in my now long forgotten opening paragraph, I won't just be writing about films. Up until about three years ago, I used to love creative writing. I was always working on a novel (I must have about twenty unfinished opening chapters lying around somewhere) or some poetry. Then, once University came along and sapped all my passion for literature and writing, I just stopped. I'd love to get back into it but I need serious practice. So, this blog is going to serve both as a testing ground for some creative writing projects and as a place where I can just write random bollocks, like this, and get back into the swing of the whole thing. Feel free to ignore it. I would if I were you...

And now I shall leave you with this video of Stewart Lee slagging off Top Gear. It serves no other purpose than to cheer you up and stop you reaching for the xanax after getting this far... enjoy! =)