What i'm watching

Top 6 Films from May, 2012 (Excluding re-watched films)

Total watched this month: 13 (6 new)

Winchester ‘73 4/5

The Conspirator 3/5

Men in Black 3 3/5

Everything Must Go 3/5

Flatliners 2/5

Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrow 1/5

#362/#79 Men In Black 3

When Agent K (Tommy Lee Jones) is erased from existence, Agent J (Will Smith) must go back in time and work with a younger K (Josh Brolin) to stop the alien responsible before it’s too late.

While I don’t think to many people were clamouring for a 3rd MIB film it’s nice to have it all the same. While nowhere near as good as the original film it does outstripped number 2 by a good margin. Smith fits back into his old role with ease and Brolin is doing such a pitch perfect Tommy Lee Jones throughout the film that you almost forget that he is another actor. It’s also got some good comedy, some good secondary characters and an overall summer popcorn movie feel to it.

It’s not without it’s faults however. There are some really ham fisted attempts at foreshadowing which are about as subtle as a foghorn, a pretty so-so villain and a completely unneeded twist near the ending that added nothing and, with the benefit of a couple of days thinking time, actually kinda screw up elements of the earlier films. There is never enough there to stop making it an enjoyable experience but they are annoying to have to watch all the same.

Nothing we haven’t seen before, and it’s not going to blow anyone’s mind, but it is an entertaining watch with a bunch of friends regardless. 3/5

#361/#78 The Conspirator

Following the assassination of Abraham Lincoln all of the living conspirators in his murder are rounded up and put on trial. Mary Surratt (Robin Wright), the only female conspirator, is defended by returning Union war hero and lawyer Fredrick Aiken (James McAvoy) who initially believes her as guilt as everyone else. Over time however, he begins to see just how twisted and corrupt the legal proceedings have become and attempts to defend her when the issue of her guilt becomes somewhat murky.

Much like the Crucible was in equal parts about McCarthyism as it was the Salem witch trials, so too does this film address the after effects of the 9/11 attacks as much as it does those of the Lincoln assassination. Whether you agree with the comparisons or not is up to you but I thought it did a good job of showing there will always be a blinkered, rage-induced, knee jerk reaction to every tragedy that requires a target (even if it’s not the right one) and there will always be those trying to fight for an ideal/trying to hold humanity to a higher level of accountability.

McAvoy and Wright were both fairly earnest in their parts and backed up by a solid cast of supporting roles, but no one in particular really requires specific praise. If unfamiliar with the history, as I was, it was an entertaining way of learning about it though.

A bit slow and a bit dry overall but an interesting watch all the same. 3/5

#360/#77 Winchester ‘73

In every one thousand rifles made there is one perfect gun. One of these guns is the winning prize at a shooting contest both Lin McAdams (Jimmy Stewart) and his quarry ‘Dutch Henry’ Brown (Stephen McNally) are competing for. Thus beginning a journey following the gun through its various owners as Lin continues to track down Dutch.

I’m not usually a big fan of westerns but this one is really quite enjoyable. While there is the main story line of Lin and Dutch running through the whole narrative the interconnected stories of the gun and all of its owners are what makes the film stand apart from the regular ‘good guy fights bad guy’ westerns that are so synonymous with the genre.

Stewart makes for a good and engaging leading man, backed up by Millard Mitchell as his supporting friend, and McNally fills his role of villain with equal resolve. Only the fairly tacked on love interest of Shelley Winters brings the film down a touch.

I doubt I’ll watch it again but it made for an enjoyable lazy Sunday afternoon. 4/5

#359/#76 Everything Must Go

Following being fired from his job of 16 years, recovering alcoholic Nick Hasley (Will Ferrel) comes home to find his wife has changed all the locks and put all of his stuff on the lawn before taking off. This being the last straw, he has a relapse and a break down and starts living on the lawn. Legally being allowed hold a ‘yard sale’ for up to 3 days, he begins selling all of his stuff and attempting to deal with the situation he now finds himself in.

Ferrel can be very hit or miss with his comedy but his more serious roles tend to be fairly on the ball. Having really enjoyed Stranger than Fiction, I thought I’d give this one a go as well and I quite liked it. It’s slow pace and gentle approach to some interesting subject matter might be a little too slow for some, or a little bit too indie for others, but I enjoyed the slow burn of the whole thing. Ferrel plays it well and his supporting cast back him up accordingly.

Other than slightly weak twist near the end, the whole film was overall rather good. 3/5

#358/#75 Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrow

In an alternate steampunk 1940s, someone is killing off scientists right before a new wave of giant robotic devices start randomly attacking major cities and disappearing as quickly as they arrive. Reporter Polly Perkins (Gwyneth Paltrow) is hot on the trail of this mystery; inadvertently leading her to her former lover, the dashing Sky Captain (Jude Law). Will the pair be able to track down the true culprit or will their constant bickering be their own undoing?

This is an interesting film to say the least. You can applaud the filmmaker for trying something a little different in an industry that, as of late, hasn’t tended to take a risk on anything that wasn’t already an established brand. It’s then unfortunate however, that it doesn’t really work.

It’s an ambitious attempt at trying to combine Indiana Jones, the African Queen, steampunk and film noir together (all while on a totally greenscreened set) but it’s definitely a case of the filmmaker’s reach exceeding their grasp. Elements of it work; like Law’s performance as Sky Captain or the interesting visual effects, but on the whole it’s just a jumbled mess of genres with a really lackluster storyline and some horrible comedy.

There is also no chemistry between the leads and Paltrow, in particular, is giving a really sub-par performance. If they are going to be twittering on at each other for the entire film then I really need to be interested in at least one of them or find their relationship compelling. Bogart and Hepburn these two are not.

It’s not unwatchable but it’s a very poor man’s Temple of Doom without all the interesting story to make up for the rest of the short comings. 1/5

#357/#74 Yes Man

(Rewatch)

Terminal no-er Carl Allen (Jim Carrey) is missing out on life by saying no to everything he could be saying yes to. When he attends a self help seminar on just saying yes however, his whole world view is turned on its head, as he has to say yes to everything he’s asked or face the universe’s wrath. Soon he’s living life more, reconnecting with old friends and maybe even finding love.

This one got overlooked by a lot of people because it seemed very similar in tone to one of Carrey’s earlier films (Liar Liar) and that’s a shame. While it’s not the most overall engaging or inventive of films it does have a real feel good factor to it that shouldn’t be overlooked. It’s one of Carrey’s funnier comedy roles of late and by the end of it you really like all of the characters involved throughout the story. It also allows for a whole raft of interesting yeses to occur while letting the audience see how opening up to different possibilities can lead a person to a completely different destination.

The only thing I don’t like all that much about the film is Zooey Deschanel as the love interest. On paper she’s the perfect person for the role, given that she’s a manic pixie girl in every films she’s in, but the age different and the different comedic timings between the two actors means they never really connect successfully. I don’t dislike her, or even her character, but she just doesn’t mesh well with the vibe and tone Carrey had already established for the film.

That said, it’s never enough to take me out of the good time I’m having with the rest of the film. Fans of Carrey should check this out but really anyone that just likes a feel good film should as well. 4/5

P.S. This film was loosely based of a British book called Yes Man by Danny Wallace and it’s 10 times better that this already rather enjoyable film. It’s very British, very funny, has only a fraction of the romance and deals more with why this man suddenly undertakes this endeavour rather than just saying the universe is going to punish him if he doesn’t. Even if you give the film a miss I’d definitely recommend giving the book a read.

#356/#73 Flatliners

A group of medical students attempt to understand what happens after we die by killing each other in a controlled manner before revival. At first this seems to be working, providing a glimpse into the beyond, but soon it appears some personal past sin haunts each of those that ‘died’ back in the physical world.

I was a touch wary when I saw Joel Schumacher was the director on this, given his history with the Batman franchise, but once I got over that (and remembered he also directed Phone Booth) I was able to get on board.

The premise is quite interesting and the cast is well filled out with soon to be/newcomer stars (including Kevin Bacon, Kiefer Sutherland, Julia Roberts and Oliver Platt) doing their best, but it all gets just a little too silly around the halfway mark to be taken entirely seriously.

When the hauntings initially occur it seems like they could be a credible threat, or useful tool to really psychologically impact the characters, but they quickly become gimmicky and overall just kind of funny to watch. Not really the tone the filmmakers were going for I think.

It’s not a bad film but it just sort of loses focus/credibility as it goes on, and by the end you don’t really care that much about what happens to our heroes. 2/5

#355/#72 Lady and the Tramp

(Rewatch)

Upper class cocker spaniel Lady is shown a good time on the town by the lovable Tramp while her owners are away.

This film has never been particularly high up on my list of Disney movies. I don’t dislike it but there is just not an awful lot to it. Much like Dumbo, it feels more like a collection of animated shorts, following the adventures of Lady at different points in her life, rather than a fully realised narrative tale. Nice enough but lacking the emotional investment, or punch, of earlier or later Disney films.

I do enjoy the supporting cast of Jock, the Scottish Terrier, and Trusty, the old bloodhound, though. Both of them have some great bits of dialogue, a great back and forth with each other and even a poignant moment near the end. Trusty’s continual attempts to relay his grandpappy Old Reliable’s advice is probably the funniest part of the film as well.

It’s still drawn to the usual Disney standard, and I liked it fine as a kid, but there is just something lacking for this one that doesn’t make it a must watch/own in the way some of its brethren are. 3/5

P.S. If you are rewatching this film as an adult look out for the communist joke from the Russian wolfhound in the pound. Certainly didn’t pick up on that the first time around.

#354/#71 Gone in 60 Seconds

(Rewatch)

When veteran car thief Memphis Raines’ (Nicholas Cage) little brother Kip (Giovanni Ribisi) gets into trouble with an underworld crime boss, Memphis has just 3 days in which to steal 50 cars before his brother is killed. Getting his crew back together the team set off to do just that but the Long Beach police department are nipping at their heels.

Much like the Italian Job remake or Fast Five, this is another one of those films where the right combination of characters, comedy, storyline and visuals all line up perfectly to give a wholly enjoyable movie. It’s not that deep, and a lot of the characters are purely representative of one main trait, but it all just seems to work regardless. You’re enjoying the story and the character interactions enough that these things, ultimately, don’t seem to matter.

While all the actors are great in this, the two I want to draw attention to are Angelina Jolie as Sway and Vinnie Jones as Sphinx. Jolie is great in a lot of main roles but I think this is one of the best examples of how she can also just be a great supporting character as well. She doesn’t do a lot but she is fairly memorable regardless. Jones is also great in his role. Much like Arnie or the Rock he might not have the largest range but you put it in his wheel house and he’ll knock it out the park every time.

Jerry Bruckheimer and Cage are just a match made in heaven for good popcorn action flicks and I think this might be their best collaboration of the bunch. 4/5