Bad Teacher (2011)

A sharp-scripted, American comedy starring Cameron Diaz as an unruly school teacher, whose blatant disregard for her students, is matched only by her determination to find a rich husband.

Diaz plays Elizabeth Halsey, a primary school teacher, who has to return to teaching after her plans of marrying a rich man fall through. Now though, her plan is to raise enough money, using all the illicit tricks in her repertoire, to have breast enlargement surgery, which, she hopes, will snag her a sugar daddy.

Also starring Jason Segel as the comedic, pot smoking gym teacher, who takes a fancy to Elizabeth, and Justin Timberlake as the goodie-two-shoes substitute, whose cash and ignorance make him a perfect target for our bad teacher.

A very funny film in places, the script is witty, pointed, and very adult. Diaz is a revelation in this movie, moving away from her angelic image, and providing us with a demonic portrayal of this awful character. Her performance is very funny, and so is Segel’s and Timberlake’s, whose on-screen rivalry has some laughs.

A film to watch if you enjoy funny one-liners, a light-hearted story, and a lot of unnecessary sexy bits.

Knowing (2009)

Starring Nicolas Cage as an obsessed teacher who believes he has found a document which foretold many tragedies, and holds the time and place of future disasters.

Cage plays John Koestler, a clever science teacher, who recently lost his wife. John has a son Caleb, whose school fifty years ago placed a time capsule into the ground, containing numerous drawings by the students, who were asked to draw what they thought the future might look like. While the majority of students drew rocket ships and robots, one peculiar child drew a long list of numbers, that, at first glance, appear to be random.

However, this drawing, in the hands of John, became a code for every significant disaster that had happened in the last fifty years, along with three that had not happened…yet. The numbers also contained the amount of people who have/will die.

Now it is a race against time, as John attempts to cheat fate, and avoid the inevitable.

An exciting film during the first half, it had all the best aspects that disaster/sci-fi films have to offer: an interesting lead character with a moody back story, a mysterious plot, and a tense race against time. However, as the film moved into the second half, it kind of fell apart. Rather than drumming up a logical explanation for the child’s predictions, they went into the realm of fantasy and make believe.

This awkward combination of multiple genres was not comfortable to watch, and the ending is particularly poor, which is unfortunate, as the film had potential.

Cage is decent as the lead, and some of the special effects are amazing: in particular (spoiler alert) a plane crash scene, but overall I lacked depth and effort.

One of those films I am glad I have seen, because I know I’m not missing out on anything special.

Kung Fu Panda (2008)

Animated kids film about a Panda called Po, who wants to become a kung fu legend, but when he is chosen as the Dragon Warrior, and must defeat a deadly enemy, his resolve is soon tested.

Voiced by the energetic Jack Black, Po is a simple waiter in his father’s noodle bar, but dreams of becoming a brilliant fighter, however his size and fitness do not lend themselves to the ancient martial art very well. This being said, during a chance encounter at a local ceremony that chooses the next Dragon Warrior (a fighter deemed worthy to receive enlightenment), Po manages to gate crash and ends up being picked. Now, he must be trained by reluctant expert Shifu (Dustin Hoffman) in the sacred art.

However, disaster strikes when Shifu’s former prodigy-turned-evil Tai Lung (Ian McShane), escapes from his high security prison, and makes his way to destroy his former village. Now, with the help of Shifu and his furious 5 warriors, Po must summon the courage and skill in order to become…awesome.

An entertaining, light comedy with plenty of animated slapstick moments, it is an enjoyable watch. Po is a very likeable character, and, if you are a fan of Jack Black, you will enjoy the funny lines about being awesome. Many celebrities provide excellent voiceovers, and McShane in particular is menacing as the film’s foe.

The film uses some kung fu filming techniques, as well as eastern influences, to create an authentic look to the movie, which makes is a bit different from your usual animated movies. It also carries with it the same moralistic elements which make it an effective kids film.

Nothing to really sink your teeth into, or make you think about, but enjoyable nonetheless.

The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn Part 1 (2011)

The beginning of the end for this vampire fantasy/drama.

A few years back, the first Twilight (2008) film came out, starring Robert Pattinson and Kristen Stewart, in what was an enjoyably cultish story about a girl who falls in love with a vampire. Since then, the franchise has become fiendishly profitable, encroaching upon endless amounts of popular culture and merchandising, with “Edward versus Jacob” debates taking place around the world.

This latest instalment sees Bella and Edward getting married, much to the disappointment of Bella’s unrequited heart-throb Jacob, who comes from a clan of wolves, whose intense rivalry with the local vampires, becomes the central theme for this movie. Whilst on honeymoon (spoiler alert), Edward gets Bella pregnant with his blood-sucking spawn, putting his love’s life at risk.

A particularly boring first half, the film failed to make any major progress in the story until about an hour in. While some minor peril is threatened from the wolf pack, very little conflict emerges in this part of the story, and it begs the question, with a very obvious answer, as to why the producers decided to split this film in two. The performances are stronger though, the main three players seeming to gain confidence with each movie, and Steward in particular tackles her difficult role well.

As always with the Twilight Saga films, the music was very enjoyable, a varied combination of indie tunes and tender piano tracks, creating a dark and emotive atmosphere. This could not save the rest of the film though, which seemed to slog through a couple of events with no sense of urgency.

Few could argue this was the best film of the series yet, but for those deeply involved with the Bella/Edward romance, I could see why some would like this movie. For the rest of you though, I would warn against seeing this film unless you like paying to be bored.

The Ring (2002)

Dramatic thriller in which strange deaths befall anyone who watches a rare and obscure video tape.

Based on the Japanese original, The Ring is a much adored cult story, one which has prevailed amongst modern popular culture as a horror success story. The plot follows one journalist’s attempt at uncovering the story behind this evil tape, whilst she herself counts down the seven days it takes from first watching the tape, and dying. Using the urban legends surrounding the tape, as well as her own research methods, she soon begins finding out a deeper secret, underneath.

It is a suspenseful and effective film, one which uses iconic imagery and music. Unlike most modern horrors, The Ring takes a slower pace, allowing the tension to build masterfully, and keeping our attention with a gripping story, and unrelenting peril. The idea is simplistic, which is the basis for any good horror film, and the outcome is neither predictable nor boring.

Performances are of a good standard, Naomi Watts as the journalist does a good job at keeping us engaged throughout, but, as a whole, the film is more about the utterly brilliant creepiness and thrilling drama.

Not as scary as some have made it out to be, this is an enjoyable modern thriller/horror/drama, and one which uses the method of urban legends to great effect.

Bad Lieutenant (2009)

Bizarre black comedy starring Nicolas Cage as a New Orleans police detective trying to solve a homicide case, whilst his addiction to narcotics sends him into anarchy.

Set in the aftermath of hurricane Katrina, Bad Lieutenant follows the shameful antics of Terrence McDonagh (Cage) as he half-heartedly attempts to solve a murder case, in which the family of a drug dealer were brutally murdered. Terrence’s private life is one of grotesque wickedness, using illegal substances, taking part in illegal gambling, and consorting with prostitutes (one of which is Eva Mendez). He also uses his status as a cop to acquire free drugs, either by scamming them from the evidence room or from robbing unsuspecting suspects on the street.

As Terrence becomes more heavily dependent on substances, his grip on reality becomes distorted, and his desperation takes a heavy toll on the innocents he encounters, as well as the criminals he chases.

Aside from a few funny moments, this film was a total disappointment. The story is only loosely held throughout, the script seems to shy away from any realistic portrayal of modern crime, and, by the end, the audience is left with very little to take from the film…apart from: do anything you want, and things may work out. By using a character whose main flaw is substance abuse, the film hides its shoddy editing behind a smokescreen of apparent “trippy” moments for Cage’s character, which, instead of creating an ethereal quality, render the film inconsistent and disjointed.

Cage’s portrayal of this hunchback-cum-junkie is amusing for a while, but soon becomes abhorrent and offensive. Eva Mendez provides the only likeable main character, but is not enough to save this film.

If you want to watch a worthwhile film that deals intelligently with drug abuse and hallucinations, try Fear and Loathing In Las Vegas (1998).

Gone Baby Gone (2007)

Ben Affleck’s directorial debut, with a hauntingly traumatic film about a child abduction in Boston.

Based on a set of books by Dennis Lehane, Gone Baby Gone is the story of two private detectives who are hired by a missing girl’s family to search the Boston area, and bring her home. Casey Affleck takes the lead role as Patrick Kenzie, a youngish Bostonian, whose street smarts and endless contacts give him something the Boston PD don’t have, cooperation from the community. As Patrick and his partner Angie (Michelle Monaghan) trawl the neighbourhood looking for leads tough, they run into more than their share of trouble, and find themselves facing difficult obstacles that will test their relationship.

Alongside this, decorated police captain Jack Doyle (Morgan Freeman) is leading the cop’s search for the girl, and do not take kindly to being subverted by a know-it-all newbie. The plot thicken as the two search parties come towards a promising lead, but nothing is certain in the compellingly heartbreaking story.

Ben Affleck has really done this story justice, avoiding the tendency to run amok with pointless heroism and altruism, he has opted for a more gritty approach, that sees the inner core of several characters displayed on screen, in all their vulgarity. Patrick, whilst the quasi-hero of the film, has several flaws, including a continuous inner struggle between right and wrong (which is the main theme), and our ideas of punishing wrongdoers. Other characters, such as police detective Remy (Ed Harris), display a violent and unrelenting approach to battling crime in Boston, and see their actions as necessary evils.

The film tackles several hard-hitting issues well, such as paedophilia, child abduction, and child cruelty, but does so from a bystander point-of-view, leaving the judgement in the hands of the viewer. As one of the producers of the film states, the film asks more questions than it answers. It will create strong, divided opinions, and allow for further exploration…which is the mark of a good movie.

Great performances, a gripping and emotional story with lots of depth and pathos, and a wonderful debut from Ben Affleck; I highly recommend his second film The Town.

Milk (2008)

The heartbreaking story of gay activist Harvey Milk, who became the first openly gay official to be elected into office in the U.S.

Set during the 1970s in San Francisco, Sean Penn plays Harvey Milk, a forty-year-old homosexual who moves from New York to the West Coast with his lover Scott Smith (James Franco). Once there, Milk becomes somewhat of a leader for the gay scene, and soon tries his hand at politics, which, during this era, was harshly opposed to same-sex relationships.

Milk comes up against all kinds of prejudice and hatred, in particular from those politicians who condemn his sexuality as an act of heresy. Also, Harvey finds an unstable alliance with a fellow politician called Dan White (Josh Brolin), whose attitude towards Harvey’s lifestyle is aggressively confused.

Harvey Milk becomes more and more influential as he rises through the power structure, but must balance his place as a gay rights leader, with his private life.

It is a superb film for its stark representation of a turbulent period in American history. The gay rights protests coincided with a lot of other human rights issues which were flaring up all over the nation, and this film manages to capture the tension of the era spectacularly.

Sean Penn gives an amazing performance as Harvey, portraying the idealism of his character alongside his vulnerability perfectly. There is so much depth and complexity to Milk that it is a film that deserves several watches.

Gus Van Sant, the director, has created some stunning moments in the movie, in particular the use of photo snap shots which come to life in the opening section of the film. This created a sense of history coming to life which was a lovely entrance into the compelling story.

A few moments of the film are a bit brief, skipping over parts that seem important, but, like all films with a historical foundation, they can never fully represent everything that happened. Furthermore, it just works to inspire viewers to carry on and research the events for themselves.

A worthy film, with a spectacular performance from the legendary Sean Penn.

Duplicity (2009)

Two double agents infiltrate rival soap companies in order to create chaos between them and reap the benefits.

Somewhere between the Bourne films, and Knight and Day, lies this film starring Clive Owen and Julia Roberts. They each play covert spies who are highly trained in the art of corporate espionage and infiltration. Having worked for the bigger boys, like MI5, the pair crossed paths during an operation, and develop a confusing relationship completely based upon mistrust of the other.

The film sees the two getting heavily involved in two companies, one owned by Paul Giamatti and the other by Tom Wilkinson, which are at utter war with each other, constantly undermining the other, and trying to discover their secrets. When Wilkinson’s company announces a top secret new idea which will change the cosmetics industry, Giamatti pulls out all the stops to get his hands on it, and the pair of spies, Owen and Roberts prepare to clean up.

It is a confusingly complicated film, that fails to develop into a rich story. The personal journeys of the characters are typically bland, and the inevitability of the ending was painful. None of the performances were particular great, although Giamatti added a certain gravitas to the proceedings. The relationship between Roberts and Owen is conventional, making sweeping statements about the need for trust that are redundant.

Some moments were pretty tense, and there was an atmosphere of impending turmoil, that made it entertaining…somewhat, but in all, it was a pointless film. The characters were unappealing, the story was predictably unmoving, and the social commentary of our untrusting nature made for a lukewarm attempt at depth.

Chloe (2009)

Marital despair drives a woman to hire an escort to tempt her husband, in order to prove that he will cheat on her.

A very adult thriller, the film stars Julianne Moore and Liam Neeson as Katherine and David Stewart, a couple that have become distant from each other after many years of marriage. When David starts acting peculiar, missing his birthday and getting messages from younger girls, Katherine becomes desperate to know if he is cheating on her. In an act of fate, she runs into Chloe (Amanda Seyfried), a young escort whose services Katherine hires to put her husband to the test.

However, as Katherine becomes obsessed with testing the faithfulness of her husband, she becomes blind to the situation developing in front of her.

A very intense film, it has moments that are truly moving and disturbing. Some of the dialogue is explicit, but not in a way that is grotesque. Chloe’s character is very interesting, keeping the viewer engaged to see why she does the things she does, but it is Katherine, and therefore Moore, who gives the most compelling performance. Seeing this character dismantle before our eyes is captivating, and the reasons for her breakdown are realistic. Her relationship problems with David seem relatable to the audience, and their troubles are not glorified, just her reaction to them.

Some moments were a bit slow, and the film could have been a bit darker for my liking, but all in all a worthwhile watch, with good performances and an interesting tale of seduction and misery.

Bridge on the River Kwai (1957)

Set in a Japanese prisoner of war camp, British soldiers are forced into building a bridge for their captors.

Alec Guinness stars as Colonel Nicholson, the leader of this band of captives, who is the perfect model for what a soldier in the British army should be. He is a stickler for the rules, and lives by a code of honour and pride. When he is pitted against the evil Colonel Saito (Sessue Hayakawa), the head of the Japanese POW camp, the two seem to be fierce enemies. Nicholson demands that Saito abide by the Geneva Convention, giving the British soldiers and officers the basic rights that all POW’s have, whilst Saito only cares that his bridge is finished in time for the inaugural ceremony, and doesn‘t care how many die in its construction.

Saito attempts to break the spirit of the British, by using harsh punishments and degradation tactics, but Nicholson holds firm to his beliefs, which instils great respect in his soldiers, who continue to support him. Once Saito accepts he needs the cooperation of the captives to complete this massive project, he gives in to Nicholson’s request, and the two enjoy a productive relationship. As the British begin building an impressive bridge for the Japanese, Nicholson looses sight of his role as a prisoner, and becomes obsessed with doing his job perfectly.

All the while, one of the rare escapees from the POW camp, an American called Shears (William Holden), is forced back into the jungle with a small group of British special forces, to find the bridge and blow it up.

This is a remarkable film for its time, one that is still a powerful example of a war movie (although there is very little fighting). The movie has some compelling ideas about the effects of war on soldiers, and how heroism can be the downfall of a man. The character of Nicholson is brilliantly interesting, how his loyalty to the rules and protocol ends up leaving him in a very precarious situation.

A few stylistic points make the film seem dated, such as the melodramatic fight scene at the end, and the quick-mouthed character of Shears. Also, being a PG, the film’s main baddie, Saito, lacked any real threat. Very little is shown or even remarked upon about his evil deeds, and it would have been nice to see a more villainous side to him.

That being said, I can still see why this film remains a classic. It has enduring themes about war, humanity, and life that keep it a relevant and entertaining movie.

The Godfather (1972)

Few films can boast of the legendary status that Coppola’s movie has earned. Frequently The Godfather enjoys pride of place at the top of favourite films lists, and many refer to it as the greatest film ever made. It was written by Mario Puzo, both as a novel and for the screen, and tells the beautifully tragic story of an Italian-American family heavily involved in organised crime, and their transition into modern America. Marlon Brando stars as Don Vito Corleone, the head of this mafia family, whose seeks to transfer his immense legacy and power to his unwilling son Michael (Al Pacino).

Set in the inglorious streets of New York during a time when the most powerful criminal families had control of the city, the Corleone family must endure and overcome violent attempts to overthrow their power from rival syndicates, whilst creating a future for themselves.

It is a masterful film, juxtaposing the dark and brutal world of organised crime against the beautiful backdrop of Italian culture. Coppola shows true genius in recreating Puzo’s imagery and themes, which are both romantic and dangerous. The performances are downright outstanding: from Brando’s brilliant portrayal of the complicated Don, to Pacino as the troubled Michael. James Caan captures the hot-tempered Sonny with savage excellence, and Robert Duvall is simply brilliant as the Corleone’s family lawyer Tom Hagen.

The themes of the story are as enduring as the film, exploring issues of family, race, honour and greed within American society, and depict a terribly distorted version of the American dream. The Godfather is arguably one of the most deepest critical explorations into the tragic side-effects of a powerful capitalist society ever put on screen.

Trust (2010)

David Schwimmer directs this emotionally gripping drama about a girl groomed on the internet, and the devastating effects it has on her family.

Annie (Liana Liberato), is a typical fourteen-year-old high school student. Her life consists of hanging out with friends, spending time with her family, and playing sports. However, she develops a relationship with a guy called Charlie online, who, at first, gives her advice on how to improve her volleyball abilities. The two soon become more involved, speaking on the telephone, texting all the time, and developing romantic feelings towards each other, and when Charlie suggests they meet, Annie is left in a dilemma about her relationship with Charlie which she has kept mostly secret from her parents.

It is a beautifully tragic film, one that is extremely relevant and potent. The film’s comments about our current cultural reliance upon electronic communication and the exposure of it to the youth are well made and informed. Also, rather than becoming preachy about parent’s duties to their kids, and keeping them locked in a bubble, it simply explores the nature of a family during very hard times, and also the coping mechanisms which people initiate.

Clive Owen plays the dad of the family, whose murderous anger at the situation is very compelling and engaging to watch, and Owen delivers a few moments which are brilliantly performed. The star of the film, though, has to be Liana Liberato, whose depth and emotional vulnerability make her the most interesting performer on screen, and she tackles the difficult moments in Annie’s life with subtle confidence.

Schwimmer has directed a wonderful film here, one that tackles the emotional heartache of the story well, brilliantly balancing the ugliness with the poignancy. His choices in camera angles give for some intimate moments of character development, and we see physically how this situation affects them. Also, not using music during some of the scene changes gave a sparseness to the atmosphere which went well with the film’s themes of devastation and tragedy.

Daybreakers (2009)

In a world run by vampires, humankind are used simply as their fuel, but as the population of humans becomes dangerously low, it is up to a scientist to find a cure.

Ethan Hawke stars as Edward Dalton, a vampire scientist who works for a powerful corporation searching for a substitute to human blood, so that the vampire race can live on. However, Edward’s loyalties to his job are soon tested when he runs into a band of humans on the run, who claim to have a solution to the problem - being able to turn vampires back into humans. As the vampire race quickly degenerates into violent, desperate creatures, the race is on to see who will prevail.

It is a brilliant concept for a film, even with all the vampire spew that seems to have been flung at our screens in recent years. However, the execution of the plot seems to fall a bit flat after while, and the ending was very disappointing.

Hawke is good as the lead role, but I think someone with a darker presence and forbidding nature would have been more appropriate. Also, the film is too short. Just when the action seems to get going, and the tension rises, it is basically over, and a lot is left unsaid.

The dystopian view of an earth run by vampires in 2019 is thoroughly engaging though. The way life has similarities such as waiting in line for a coffee (only the milk is substituted for blood), or pouring a glass of pure human blood over ice after a hard day. I think more could have been made of life in this world, the audience deserved to see more of the trivialities to make it a more thorough viewing experience.

A good film, a decent attempt at a modern vampire flick, but still not worthy of acclaim within the sci-fi-horror genre.

Gnomeo & Juliet

Animated gnomes portraying a rendition of Shakespeare’s enduring romantic tragedy…I would have love to have seen the pitch to the movie studio on this one.

In a typical suburb, two adjoining houses have occupants who dislike each other, however, a greater, and even more hate-filled feud exists between the occupants of each house’s garden. In a Toy Story-esque situation, the garden gnomes of these houses come to life whenever their owners are not looking, and seem to spend most of their time at war with the gnomes next door.

One house red, the other blue, everything about these two opposing sides seems to clash. That is, you guessed it, until one rugged garden ornament called Gnomeo runs into a beautiful gnome called Juliet, and the two fall for each other. They try to keep their romance a secret, but between murderous gnomes, a squawking plastic ostrich, and a loudmouth frog, their undercover trysts are soon discovered, and the raging war between the blues and reds intensifies.

Few films that came out this year had the same shock factor as Gnomeo & Juliet, simply for the massive challenge that the film had. To try and make a decent animated film, based on arguably the most famous play of all time, using simple garden gnomes! It was quite a funny film at times, some good action moments and childish humour, but largely it failed to come together. The characters seemed a mishmash of original characters from the story and new characters made to fill gaps, and the plot seemed to be a similarly unsuccessful attempt at fusing an old story with a new idea.

The over voices were quite entertaining, in particular Ozzy Osbourne as a reindeer, and the music, mostly Elton John seemed to give the film an entertaining pace and liveliness. Overall though, it was only faintly engaging, and seemed to lack the sophistication of other animated films that are much more entertaining.

It was nice to see a couple of quirky references to the Bard himself though.