I have failed to write anything for this blog for a little while now, and the longer you put something off, the less appealing and chore-like it becomes. So, having watched at least 6 films and the BAFTA’s since I last managed to say anything about anything, the task of playing catch up seems nigh-on insurmountable. My solution is to get this all out of the way in one foul/fowl (?!) swoop/post, which will involve a significant reining in of my natural verbosity, but probably an excellent exercise in succinctness and brevity. So here goes…
Cinema trips:
Youth in Revolt (Miguel Arteta, 2010) – Ronseal. Meaning - does exactly what it says on the tin. A witty and slightly-too-eloquent comedy with plenty of sex, cringing and genuine LOL moments. Best line: “I want to tickle your belly button… from the inside”. More Cera please, we like it!
The Wolfman (Joe Johnston, 2010) – Tonally confused and funny for all the wrong reasons, most notably starring Anthony Hopkins' evil twin who can’t act for toffee, this was more than disappointing. I thankfully realised about 10 minutes in that this film was going to be total dross and so managed to enjoy myself by predicting the entire plot from one ridiculous set-piece to the next. Highlight being the Hulk-style Werewolf smackdown at the end. There are hints of what could have been a great film here, before it got mired in development hell. The lighting is spectacularly haunting and chiaroscuro, the ancestral home is spooky as hell and the transformed werewolves are a wonderful homage to the original’s B-movie prosthetics. Combine this however, with atrocious scripting, last minute spatters of unnecessary gore and jarring CGI transformations into afore-mentioned 50s werewolves, and the whole thing falls to bits. Overall – lame.
The Lovely Bones (Peter Jackson, 2010) – intense and beautiful, perhaps a little too much of the former, my heart was thumping in nervous anticipation for too much of the running time! The visual imagination in this film was simply stupendous. The 'fantasy' scenes harken back to Jackson’s earlier Heavenly Creatures (1994), but with more maturity and a considerably higher budget. Aside from a slight drop in interest due to a bit of 2nd act meandering (which I must admit mars almost all of Jackson’s directorial efforts for me), this film was astoundingly good. Justice done to a stunning piece of literature. In short, brilliant.
And a bit of home viewing:
Changeling (Clint Eastwood, 2008) – Crikey Jolie can act when she wants to. Still there’s something anachronistically modern about her face, which I always find distracting in a period drama. Minor face-quibbles aside, this is another directorial triumph from Eastwood (almost makes me want to see Invictus), the film is incredibly well-paced, beautifully shot and forms a wonderful portrait of a woman fighting for her child, and her rights, in a world that casts her as irrational before she’s even opened her mouth. With corrupt policemen, uncaring journalists and vicious mental nurses seeming greater villains than the perpetrator of the horrific child murders at the centre of the film, Eastwood asks uncomfortable questions throughout and leaves you with a feeling of grim determination to make the world a better place once it’s over. Nice one, Clint.
Jackie Brown (Quentin Tarantino, 1998) – It’s a crime that I hadn’t seen this film prior to last week. Now rectified, I can carry on expounding the genius of Tarantino with confidence. Does anybody soundtrack better than QT?! As slick, smart and violent as you’d expect. Ace.
Forgetting Sarah Marshall (Nicholas Stoller, 2008) – watched this last night. Silly, but thoroughly enjoyable. As my boyfriend and I are the only people in the world not to have seen this film already, there’s no need to say anything else.
And finally…
The BAFTAs – made medium-entertaining viewing this year. Well, considerably better than the Brits anyway, which was ghastly. Herewith my observations:
- Very glad that Hurt Locker took best film and director, I mean, yes Avatar was very exciting and all, and it can have all the Oscars it likes, but the BAFTAs should award more worthy films than CGI tent pole pictures (in my humble opinion). So huzzah.
- Kristen Stewart is a bit of a div (or has had a late-onset awkward teenager phase), her posture is even worse than mine.
- Relatedly, Twilight fans should be exempt from all public voting systems. And the gene pool in general.
- Colin Firth is a funnier man than I anticipated.
- Even though I know Attenborough won’t live forever, Prince BLINKIN William should not be allowed within a spit of a position at BAFTA.
- Christopher Waltz seemed a very charming chap.
- I wanted Moon to win more awards, if you haven’t seen it – go. Go now.
- I’m still very much in love with Kate Winslet.
Image from dailymix.com
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