I'M A SCHMUCK

I thought I would be good this time round and write my post as soon as I could; it is also down to the fact that I won't be going to the cinema/writing my blog for a whole week because I'm off to the Canaries for some sunny good times! I went to the cinema last night to see 'Dinner for Schmucks' so here is my latest review.

Faye

DINNER FOR SCHMUCKS
28th Aug 2010

Director: Jay Roach
Verdict: I was always going to love this film because Steve Carell never disappoints in my eyes, I always find his characterisation so hilarious. The film explores a man (Paul Rudd) trying to get a job promotion and he learns that he must attend a dinner where all of the collegues bring a long 'idiots' to make fun of them (not to their knowledge). When Rudd's character Tim happens to bump into Barry (Carell) he cannot believe his luck because he seems like the ultimate idiot, picking up a dead mouse from the road to take it home and dress in clothes. It took a bit of time, but before long I was cracking up at some great moments. Rudd and Carell really worked well together and made the film very enjoyable for me. To wrap up, I walked out of the cinema smiling which is always a good thing and now I'm just waiting for 'Despicable Me' to come to the big screen. If you haven't seen the trailer, you must look now! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c_rUbqbhUEQ

FAYE VS FILM

I have been very busy recently so I have again been behind on writing my reviews. I have been waiting for my A Level results which I'm pleased to say I passed and I am now off to University of Kent to study Film Studies and English Literature which I am very much looking forward to. I have been to see four films since my last post so I will now update my blog.



Faye

SALT
19th Aug 2010 (12A)


Director: Phillip Noyce
Verdict: I went into the cinema feeling positively about this film and I’m happy to say that I came out feeling the same. In the past I haven’t been too impressed by Angelina Jolie’s performances but she really impressed me in this and I really believed in her character. The tagline of the film, “Who is Salt?” really sums up the entire film as the viewer is left confused about who Jolie is playing and I felt forever intrigued to find out. The film ends quite openly which I thought worked quite well. Some have likened it to the Bourne trilogy which I can agree with to a certain extent but I did enjoy ‘Salt’ a lot more, but could that be down to the strong female protagonist?


I would also like to add that this cinema trip was made even more exciting when we realised that Vic Reeves had been sitting in the same cinema as us!

THE EXPENDABLES
20th Aug 2010 (15)


Director: Sylvester Stalone
Verdict: I went to see this with an open mind as the film was bursting with testosterone. On this occasion I went with three boys who seemed to enjoy the over exaggerated action and the appearances from Jason Statham, Sylvester Stalone and Jet Li. I do admit that at some points in the film, even I was entertained by the action but near the end it just went too far and became purely comical. I found Jason Statham less irritating than normal as his character seemed to be a little more realistic that his normal roles, but overall I thought the film was just an excuse for Stalone to be a hero and get the girl (even though she was young enough to be his granddaughter). To conclude, I believe Stalone should keep to the acting rather than directing or writing, but to be honest maybe he should just give up all three!

SCOTT PILGRIM VS THE WORLD
25th Aug 2010 (12A)


Director: Edgar Wright
Verdict: I know I will upset a lot of people with this review because I seem to be of a minority that didn’t particularly enjoy this film. Maybe it was down to the fact that I had not even heard of the comic, but I just found the entire thing a little silly and at some I was wondering how long I had been sitting in the cinema because it seemed like days. However, I did appreciate Edgar Wright’s work as he seemed to bring the story to life with his sharp editing and suitable effects. I liked the way he connected the scenes together and how he created the idea that Scott Pilgrim was a bit of a dreamer, played by Michael Cera, who as usual, played an awkward geek. Overall, I can understand why lovers of the comic or people that enjoy quirky, supernatural would enjoy this film but I would say I was slightly disappointed as I left the cinema.

GROWN UPS
26th Aug 2010 (12A)


Director: Dennis Dugan
Verdict: Well if you are looking for your average American, feel good film then this is the film for you. The story looks at five men who have come together after thirty years due to their old school coach dying. At the funeral, they are all reunited, families included. The movie did make me laugh at times but some jokes were just too obvious for the audience. There were the usual annoying, bratty kids but it also had its cuties, including a four year old who struggled to be apart from his mother’s breast, which created a few laughs throughout the film. I would say I was not particularly happy as I went into this film because I had forgotten my Unlimited card which meant I had to pay, much to my annoyance. Overall, this film did not offend me but it certainly did not become one of my favourite films.

A CATCH UP

Seeing as though I have seen five films since Toy Story 3 I thought I would put all five reviews in this one post so that I was up to date! So here we go...

Faye

THE REBOUND

27th Jul 2010 (15)

Director: Bart Freundlich

Verdict: I did enjoy this film but I found it slow at times. I believe music could have been used more often and more effectively as I find that well chosen music really enhances a film. However, I did find it comical at times and it wasn't the typical rom-com with the story based around a 40 something single mum who falls for the 20 something nanny! Catherine Zeta-Jones impressed me, playing an American, as I believed in her character and her emotions. Justin Bartha worked well alongside the Welsh actress and he deserved this part after his smaller part in 'The Hangover'. Overall, it was OK to watch but I will not be buying the DVD!

THE A-TEAM

29th Jul 2010 (12A)

Director: Joe Carnahan
Verdict: Even though I was slightly sceptical about this film (considering I didn't know anything about the original show or characters), I really enjoyed it as I was very amused and hooked the whole way through. I also thought the actors were very talented, especially Sharlto Copley who played a completely different character to what he played in 'District 9', but he was natural in both. Unlike 'The Rebound', I thought the music was used very effectively. I would recommend this to everyone and I would definately see it again.

STEP UP 3D

6th Aug 2010 (PG)

Director: Jon Chu

Verdict: Having loved the first two I was very excited to see this film. I thought the dancing was impressive but it could have been sharpened to have the same effect as the first two had. Even though I do love a bit of romance and cheese, there was just too much in this film and I found the soppy music in the background almost laughable. Without the lovable and talented character Moose, who was introduced in the second film, this film would have only recieved half a star!

KNIGHT AND DAY
6th Aug 2010 (12A)

Director: James Mangold
Verdict: Surprisingly I really loved this film and I have been to see it twice now, once with my boyfriend and then with my parents. I liked it because it had a bit of everything (which was what my mum didn't like); it had love, action and comedy. I thought Cameron Diaz and Tom Cruise were particularly good together and they gelled really well. The editing was very cleverly used with the fades acting as a mask to what actually happend and how they got out of a tricky situation; some might say that it was a cheat but I think it added to the humour.

THE LAST AIRBENDER

12th Aug 2010 (PG)

Director: M. Night Shyamalan

Verdict: I really would like to start off by saying that I really did not wish to see this but I got offered a trip to Primark in return so how could I refuse? I knew it wasn't going to be five star, seeing as though everytime I had been to the cinema and this trailer was shown, the whole audience would laugh as the title was revealed. The whole way through I felt like walking out as it became obvious it would've done much better on the Nickelodeon channel, rather than on the big screen. It also did not bode well that there were about five other people in the cinema. The only reason I have given it one star is because the effects were pretty good but they were brought down by the over-cheesy kiddy actors and the cringe worthy script.

TOY STORY 3D

I realised once I had written my first post, I hadn't been very personal. Since I purchased a Cineworld unlimited card (which I really recommend to anyone: http://www.cineworld.co.uk/unlimited) nearly a month ago I have been to the cinema A LOT and I decided to write reviews for each film. Below, is my second review (which I know is very short... I will aim to make them longer in the future) and many more will follow as I need to get up to date. I realise that my grammar isn't A* but hopefully it will come with time! I have to ensure I put emphasis on the fact that these are my own opinions and I am sure many people will disagree with what I write. I hope that people will enjoy reading my posts as much as I am going to enjoy writing them!

Faye

24th Jul 2010 (U)  

Director: Lee Unkrich

Verdict: I really enjoyed this as it's such a classic and Unkrich managed to keep it up to date. The comedy still remained, making children and adults laugh. I did, however find it slow to start but once the characters started their journey, I became further engrossed.

INCEPTION

(17TH July) 12A


Director: Christopher Nolan

Verdict: The film explores the character of Dom Cobb, played by the well known Leonardo DiCaprio who extracts dreams from people’s minds. This complex idea pretty much sums up the entire film. The film has a similarlarity to ‘Shutter Island’, a masterpiece by Martin Scorsese. I can definitely appreciate the CGI which Nolan pairs with a moving soundtrack and I was particularly interested in the new talent that is Joseph Gordon-Levitt who I also found impressed in ‘500 Days of Summer’. Overall I believe Nolan’s latest mind-boggling film should be watched more than once in order to appreciate its ideas and cinematography.