Mini Reviews
Inside Job (out Feb 17) is a well made documentary which looks at the reasons behind the global financial crisis. It's easy to understand (the charts and diagrams are very persuasive) and features many very interesting interviews. A friend of mine calls it "the best comedy of the year". You can only laugh at how crazy some people are within the financial services industry. See it! Grade: A.
No Strings Attached (out Feb 10) is about two friends who try to have a relationship based purely on sex. We all know where it's going (can't expect much more from a rom-com) but it's got some good one-liners and a funny supporting cast. The film works because of the bouncy performances from two of my favourite actors, Natalie Portman and Ashton Kutcher. Grade: A-.
Hereafter (out Feb 10) centres on three lonely people in three different countries who have an interest in what lies beyond in the afterlife. The film is likely to have an effect on those who have had similar experiences. Others may be less impressed - wondering if Matt's Damon's psychic abilities push the film into some strange sci-fi genre. As for me, I found it interesting but not fully satisfying. Grade: B.
Tamara Drewe (out now) is a muddled film. It's a kind of hybrid between a regular comedy and a black comedy. It's as if it doesn't know what genre its shooting for. As for the plot, there are too many stories going on to cover in this simple summary. The title itself confuses me as I'm not convinced that Tamara is the central character. Odd. Grade: C+.
Sanctum (out now) is moderately suspenseful. The idea of being stuck in a cave system kilometres below the surface will naturally create that suspense. Unfortunately, the dialogue and storyline needed a lot of work. I'm not convinced the 3D effects add much value either. Grade: B-.
The Next Three Days (out now) is about a teacher (Russell Crowe) who sees his wife jailed for a murder she didn't commit. He then goes on a quest to break her out of prison. The film is a little too neat in places but this is still a tense thriller that goes down some unexpected paths. I'm now keen to see the 2007 French film (Pour Elle) on which it is based. Grade: B+.
127 Hours (out Feb 10) gets two thumbs up from me and one thumb up from the leading character. We all know how this story will end (a guy trapped under a boulder cuts his own arm off to survive) but there's a lot more to it than that. It does a great job capturing his deteriorating mindset throughout the ordeal. Wonderful direction from Danny Boyle (Slumdog Millionaire) and James Franco is excellent. Grade: A.
Faster (out Feb 3) is about a guy (Dwayne Johnson) released from a 10 year stint in jail who then goes on a vigilante mission to kill those who put him there. This film might look like fun on paper but the finished product is something quite different. There's a subplot involving a hired assassin which seems to have been included only so that the film can reach 90 minutes. Poor. Grade: C+.
How Do You Know (out now) is an excruciatingly awful romantic comedy. James L. Brooks has made some great films (As Good As It Gets, Terms Of Endearment) but this is not one of them. The characters are overly neurotic and feel compelled to describe every emotion in ridiculous detail. Don't even start me on the farcical plot. I wish you could see my facial expressions while I was watching this. Grade: C.
True Grit (out Jan 27) is a rare Coen brothers let down. I realise it's a dialogue driven piece but I was still frustrated by the lack of story. Jeff Bridges mumbling didn't help either. It's the story of a young girl who hires an experienced U.S. Marshall to track down her father's killer. The film's best quality is the feisty performance from first timer Hailee Steinfeld. She's terrific. Grade: B-.
The Green Hornet (out now) made me want to hit Seth Rogen very hard with a baseball bat. I didn't mind some of his earlier work but I'm starting to tire of his routine. Thankfully, this comic book adaptation is saved by his sidekick, played by Jay Chou. He's awesome! The film offers nothing new in terms of storyline or style but it's not too bad. Grade: B-.
