I didn’t know what to expect but I knew it was supposed to be good. The film got off to a slightly slow start which didn’t quite hold my attention but I was drawn in as it went along. I was very impressed at how much was packed into this film: references to other films, thrilling action sequences, awesome villains, comedy (sometimes quite dark), morals, music and philosophy. There is plenty for adults. Not only that but you have to be sharp to catch everything as it is very fast paced after the beginning. One thing that no one can argue with is that the animation is absolutely stunning. I ended up watching it twice in the last couple of days because it’s just so delicious.
I watched Catch Me If You Can a couple of nights ago. It’s warm, funny and lighthearted but kind of epic as well. A perfect film for a lazy Sunday night on the sofa with a blanket.
Office Space reminded me that I’m eternally grateful that I don’t work in an office anymore. It’s a funny, harmless film, with some top quality moments, particularly the printer smashing scene, which has clearly resonated with a lot of people as if you there are plenty of recreations of that scene on YouTube!
I watched Control last night. Given the rave reviews it’s received, especially on Rotten Tomatoes (which usually I find to be very reliable) I was disappointed. The film is beautifully shot in black and white, but it’s very slow moving and even boring at times. I may have found it so because I’m already very familiar with the story, in no small part due to watching The New Order Story documentary on TV.
I recorded that documentary back in the nineties and I watched it over and over again. It showed the real Rob Gretton, the real Tony Wilson and real band members. To be completely frank, the real people were far more likeable and entertaining in the NO Story than the actors in Control. The anecdote about Ian having a fit in the car on the way to the gig for instance was brought to life far better in the documentary than the film.
One of my favourite films – 24 Hour Party People – tells the same story but intertwined with with everything else that was happening and again, it is far more absorbing. I suppose it is a bit unfair to compare the two as Control is a biopic of Ian Curtis who was never that much of a cheerful soul and 24 hour is a portrait of the Madchester scene.
Anyway, to return to Control, I’m not sure whether it was deliberate but the women in Curtis’ life are annoying to the extreme. Why does Debbie put up with so much? She has such an awful, pathetic voice. Why does Annik accept being the bit on the side when she wanted more? Annik’s voice is even worse, not only pathetic but she talks in half whispers so you can barely hear her. I found myself shouting at the TV ‘Speak up!’
The two redeeming features were the music (I can’t think of any other band I’ve heard who is quite as haunting and hypnotic and yet still punky) and Sam Riley’s utterly captivating performances as Ian Curtis on stage. I could barely believe that he wasn’t the real deal. So I’ll leave you with a sample of that awesomeness:
Harry Brown
Gritty and shocking. Michael Caine is fantastic.
The King’s Speech
Good but didn’t live up to the hype for me. Some wonderful settings though and a glorious ending.
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 1
I’ve enjoyed the special effects in all the Harry Potter films. This one didn’t disappoint and they go to some spectacular parts of Britain too (I’ll be looking them up later). It’s also the darkest so far.
The Town
Good story, plenty of violence, some suspense and awesome action sequences.
I watched The Wrestler earlier this year. That got me interested in seeing Black Swan, which I finally watched last night. These two are the best films I’ve watched this year. Both were directed by Darren Aronovsky, who claims that they are companion pieces. In spite of being set in completely different worlds, the films do have a huge amount in common. Both main characters suffer for their art to the point of self destruction. They have problems in their relationships. There is no happy ending. But The Wrestler is heart wrenching where Black Swan is disturbing. Both are full of cliches but it doesn’t prevent them from being utterly compelling.
Africa United is a charming and innocent film. There is some breathtaking African scenery in it. Some of the plot is upsetting and heartrending. It made me feel ashamed for moaning and griping about minor things. Ultimately it was very uplifting. I was even more impressed when I found out about the real lives of the cast on the film’s official site.
I was about to say that I can’t think of another film I’ve seen that’s quite like it, but then I remembered Offside, which I would also highly recommend:
The Hangover is a great film to watch when you have a hangover, which tends to be the state of affairs on a Saturday daytime. I loved this film. It was so silly and just what I needed yesterday afternoon. One of the best parts was when Mike Tyson makes the guys listen to his favourite part of the song In The Air by Phil Collins:
I’ve been listening to In The Air on Spotify this morning and giggling.
EDIT (27 Nov 11): I hadn’t seen this before but In The Air has another comedy incarnation – The 2007 Cadbury advert:
Yesterday I also watched The Social Network. It was very enjoyable; it was fast paced, I had to concentrate to follow all the dialogue (a good thing) and I liked how unusually unlikeable the characters were. But the fact that Facebook was created by shallow, dysfunctional people only confirms my own negative thoughts about Facebook: I feel shallow and dysfunctional when I spend too much time on it.
