Gran Torino (2008)

Clint Eastwood as a director is superb. His eye for drama and detail, have made some of his films epic, such as Changeling (2008) and Unforgiven (1992) which are two of my favourites. Eastwood as an actor is also great. His performances are loaded with gristly testosterone, and the characters he most often portrays are tough, disagreeable and angry. Having seen Eastwood's Gran Torino I was pleased to see that his style was very much alive, and that the film was current and realistic.

The story is of a volatile neighborhood in the U.S., where racial tensions are boiling. Eastwood plays Walt Kowalski, a veteran of the Korean War, who finds himself living amongst a largely Hmong population. After his wife passes away, Walt struggles to find peace in his own house. His family are leeching gold diggers, and his local priest is nothing but a pest. When the Hmong family next door come under attack, Walt must deal with an internal struggle between his racist attitudes, and his moral conscience. The film is a great segment of modern American life, where the 'boiling pot' legacy is anything but a paradise.

While Eastwood's gruff performance is nothing new for cinema-goers, the compassion and ideals his character goes through and explores are very much worth watching. The methods used during the film make it seem intense, such as very little music, and dull looking scenery. This film has a brutal realism about it that seemed to engage me from start to finish, and the little moments of dark comedy make the film even more appealing.

Love Happens (2009)

With self-assurance, Hollywood puts out numerous romantic dramas throughout the year, safe in the knowledge that a considerable proportion of the general viewing public will go and see them. I have no problem with romantic films. The themes which are often connected with romance I find entertaining, and, I must admit, the soundtracks are usually my favourite of all film genres. My hesitation with romance films, lies in their structure...predictability.

Having seen Brandon Camp's Love Happens starring Aaron Eckhart and Jennifer Aniston, it seems that Hollywood are not even trying any more. All the clichés were there, a brooding lead (Eckhart) stumbles upon a quirky-yet-confident hottie (Aniston), the romantically awkward dates, the realisation of past regrets, the will-they-wont-they build up, and the final eye-watering euphoria of hurdles jumped. Sorry if this ruins the film for anyone who has not seen it, but trust me, if you have seen one you have seen them all.

The story was never going to be laden with twists, turns, and pitfalls, but it would be nice to have some conflict which does not involve high school relationship tension. Set in the beautiful city of Seattle, the film does have some aesthetic pleasures, scenery and music being the main two. The acting is fine as well, nothing to sing about, but decent.

Romantic films will always find it hard to be original, as the themes have been stretched out so far they cover all bases, but directors and film companies should be able to insert some semblance of reality which will make the film relate to its audience. Love Happens like many others, is just pretty people with problems.

The Rainmaker (1997)

Being a Grisham fan, I am always sceptical of films made from his books. As with any translation of literature to the silver screen, there is always a danger of losing the essence of the story. The Rainmaker has managed to avoid this danger, and captured the drama which Grisham is so famous for. Director Francis Ford Coppola carries much weight with his past projects, such as The Godfather trilogy (1972-1990) and Apocalypse Now (1979), but his intimate portrayal of this underdog-courtroom story is worthy of praise.

Plot-wise, anyone who has read a Grisham book will not be surprised. Matt Damon plays young lawyer Rudy Baylor, whose inexperience and incorruptible morals land him in the trial of his life. Baylor is the prosecution lawyer for the Black family, whose son Donny Ray is dying of cancer. When Donny Ray was diagnosed with his condition, the Black's medical insurance company refused to pay out, hence the court case. So now, Baylor must transcend his inexperience and take on the corporate giants and their team of expensive lawyers, headed by Leo F. Drummond (Jon Voight). What ensues is a courtroom drama filled with secrets, despair and heroism, as well as the personal journey of Rudy Baylor.

As a fan of courtroom films, The Rainmaker would fail to make my top 5, simply for not having much of a social commentary attached to it. It is, however, and excellent film with great performances, and a solid plot. Coppola evokes the nature of the Memphis setting, as well as the harsh reality of modern legal warfare.

Let Me In (2010)

Having been to the opening night of Matt Reeves' vampire film Let Me In last night, I thought it wise to write a review. While the vampire genre seems to expanding, with more and more films and TV shows focusing on the blood-sucking ghouls of the night, it can often be hard to find the true gems amongst the trash. Let Me In is most certainly a gem. The film is stylish, authentic, and original, and has two of the best child actors in the business, Kodi Smit-McPhee (The Road) and Chloe Moretz (Kick-Ass).

The film is set in a small town called Los Alamos in New Mexico during the 1980s, and follows the story of a bullied young boy Owen (Smit-McPhee) who befriends new neighbour, and vampire, Abby (Moretz). While Owen struggles with his violent peers, as well as his divorcing parents, Abby must fight to stay alive by finding the blood of humans, which she does with the aid of her guardian (Richard Jenkins).

Reeves, who directed Cloverfield, manages to capture a truly engaging vampire film, with a coming-of-age subplot. There are some amazing set pieces during the film (be on the lookout for a great car crash), and the whole aesthetic of the movie is so distant from these modern, glossy vampire flicks which seem to be more about sex than horror. As a remake of the 2008 Swedish version, and being based on the book Let The Right One In by a Swedish author, Reeves has taken this Scandinavian element and placed it into small town USA, which works excellently.

This is a great movie for its look, style, and edge, as well as its refusal to be like so many of the other types of vampire films around at the moment.

Moon (2009)

Psychological Thriller Moon, is the story of astronaut Sam Bell (played by Sam Rockwell), whose job it is to collect and send new energy taken from the Sun whilst in a power station on the Moon, and send it back to Earth, thus solving the energy crisis. His loneliness is broken only by a talking computer called GERTY (voiced by Kevin Spacey), whose mission it is to protect and support Sam in his work. The plot develops into a mysterious tale of discoveries and drama, as the complexities of his mission reveal themselves, and his future becomes uncertain.

Director Duncan Jones has managed to make what is essentially a one-man show, into a biting and cerebral adventure film. The tense and uninviting atmosphere will unnerve the viewer, and sci-fi elements to the film are comparable to some of the greatest movies such as 2001: A Space Odyssey (1968). The film refuses to bow to conventional methods and techniques, and uses isolation and the unknown to drive the story, which is a remarkable feat.

Not a film for people who like action-sci-fi, as the movie does not resort to big, flashy scenes, but the special effects are impressive, and the environment of the moon seems realistic. It is a challenging, engaging and impressive film.

The Strangers (2008)

Horror films are not my usual genre to dip in to. I find the category consumed with cheap thrills and unrealistic characters doing unrealistic things. Very few horror films make it into my top 50 films of all time...and The Strangers is definately not an exception. From the outset I found the film failed to engage me, which left me cold to the plight of the characters, and the lack of dialogue seemed more of a lack of effort than a stylistic choice.

The plot is of two lovers, James Hoyt and Kristen McKay, staying in a remote, isolated vacation home owned by the Hoyt family. When the pair return home from a night out, they are disturbed by a knock at the door by a girl looking for someone. After they send her off, the couple are terrorized by several masked unknowns, whose efforts to scare increase as the film develops. The motivation behind this attack is never explained, and the people behind it are never revealed, making the film completely random and somewhat pointless.

While I appreciate the techniques which have been employed, such as leaving aspects unexplained and not providing too much dialogue, these methods seem to be through a lack of trying. The set pieces are amatuerish, and the use of loud noises to frighten the audience seems lazy. You would think that having such a small cast, low number of locations, and few props that the producers would at least spend some money on some great stunts or effects, but they do not. There is one great scene where a record is skipping and things seem to get tense, but after that I kept looking at my watch.

The beginning of the film says that the story is inspired by real events, but that is just a ploy to make it seem scarier. Films about actual serial killers are often misleading, and the sensationalized plots end up detracting from the gritty realism which would have made a far superior story on screen.

Lakeview Terrace (2008)

Somewhere between Paul Haggis' Crash (2004) and Antoine Fuqua's Training Day (2001) you will find Lakeview Terrace, which is Neil LaBute's action thriller starring Samuel L. Jackson and Patrick Wilson. Set in Los Angeles, Jackson plays bitter cop Abel Turner, whose racist animosity towards new neighbours Chris (Wilson) and Lisa Mattson (Kerry Washington) turns into a fiery feud amidst peaceful suburbia.

The film does a respectful job of discussing the issues surrounding mixed-race relationships, and comes at it from the black perspective which is interesting to see. Jackson is excellent as the angry-yet-cool single father, whose hypocritical attitudes towards his working and home life give an excellent insight into the feelings of many Americans, and how racial equality in the U.S. is still far from view.

L.A. is often the setting for drama about racial tensions, and reflects the tense relationship that the city's inhabitants seem to have. The co-existence of so many ethnic groups appears to make a great film. LaBute has tried to tackle the issue of mixed-race relationships whilst highlighting other issues, such as discrimination in the work place, as we see the female black character struggling to find paid employment whilst the white man has a white collar job and the black man has a civil service job.

There are aspects of the film which seem to relegate it from the ranks of films like Crash and Training Day, such as the all-too-neat ending and the underdeveloped background of Abel Turner, but Lakeview Terrace deserves some appreciation. LaBute has faced some difficult problems in American society head on, and made a film which is both enlightening and entertaining.

The Crucible (1996)

American witch-hunts, be they literal or metaphorical, are always full of excellent drama. Arthur Miller's play The Crucible was made into film by director Nicholas Hytner, who has managed to capture the intensity and pace of the play. Miller wrote the screen play for the film, which works excellently and is evidence of his genius.

The story of The Crucible is about the Salem witch-hunts which took place in the 17th Century. After a group of girls, led by Abigail Williams (Winona Ryder), are discovered dancing in the forest by their puritan leader, the town descends into chaos, with the girls accusing certain townsfolk of bewitching them. What ensues is a dramatic quest for truth amongst vendettas, paranoia, and lies.

Within the film there are some heavyweight performances, most notable is Daniel Day-Lewis, who plays the flawed hero John Proctor, trying to free his accused wife whilst struggling with his own guilt about his private life. Ryder is excellent as the antagonist, and Rob Campbell displays a multitude of abilities as the Reverend Hale.

Plays often work well as movies, as the foundation is already well developed: the script. However, the limited scene locations and duration can often be aspects of a film which do not translate well onto screen. However, Hytner has captured the essence of the story, and made the themes which made Miller's play relevant in the 1950s (during the Red Scare) relevant to a modern audience. The lessons of the Salem witch trials will always be valuable, and cultural productions which evaluate them, such as Miller's play of Hytner's film, are important artifacts for the modern world.

The Warriors (1979)

Walter Hill's The Warriors (1979) is based on a book of the same name, and follows the events of one night in gangland New York, after a meeting of all the gangs in the city ends in the shooting of the most powerful leader. Coney Island gang The Warriors end up being accused of taking the shot, ironically by the actual shooter, and the film follows The Warriors as they attempt to find their way home amidst rival gangs and the police.

The film if full of action packed fighting scenes, chases, and tense moments of wandering the spooky streets at night. While The Warriors works as an action film, it fails to deliver a realistic account of gangland New York, with cleaned up vernacular and outrageously inept rival gangs and cops. Once you see Swan (Michael Beck) lead his group past the first couple of gangs with relative ease, the viewer knows they will be fine getting past the rest.

The structure of the film works well, and the fact that the story takes place over just one night gives a pace and adrenaline rush which will keep the viewer hooked. Also, there are a few snippets of a lady DJ who acts as a public service announcer for the enemy gangs, and keeps them updated on the Warriors progress, which gave a heightened sense of danger within the story. Hill utilizes a comic strip template for the movie, which at first seems like a really interesting way of linking scenes, however, some of the tag lines become ridiculous and it ends up feeling a little silly.

As a gang film is does not deliver the gritty realism which some might expect, but as an action thriller attempting to entertain it succeeds. Just try not to laugh too much.

Funny People (2009)

First of all, this film is not what you think. If you are expecting Adam Sandler and Seth Rogen to have you rolling around on the carpet for two hours think again. Funny People is a dark comedy about two comedians who are both unsuccessful in their own way. Sandler plays George Simmons, who is a famous comedy actor with a string of outrageous, yet popular, films on his belt (no points for making the connection there). Simmons learns that he is dying, and thus descends into a pit of despair and self-pity. One night, during an open mic comedy show, Simmons sees comic Ira Wright (Rogen) and decides that he will employ this young up-and-coming funny man to write some material for him.

The two comedians become close, and we learn all about Simmons' problems, not only medically, but also personally. Ira, at first drawn to the money and fame which will undoubtedly come with being associated with George, gets deeply involved with the suffering of his new employer, and endeavors to help him, even though Simmons subjects him to what can only be described as mental cruelty. The relationship is tumultuous and we see cracks in both personalities.

As a dark comedy, the film is excellent. It worked well for me as I was expecting something completely different, and was pleasantly surprised by the emotion of the story. Sandler gives an excellent performance which is a million miles away from his comedy characters of the past (don't get me wrong, I am a big fan of Little Nicky and Happy Gilmore). Rogen plays the counterpart well, however his character seems a little unbelievable and too saint-like in places. The love story which emerges between Simmons and his ex Laura (Leslie Mann) at first seems like a gripping storyline, however, it soon descends into chaos and lacks any sense.

Directed by Judd Apatow (who has made a whole host of comedy films such as Superbad and Anchorman), the film plays a dirty trick on the viewers who will be expecting a comedy knockout, and will only receive watery eyes and a few laughs. But for those who watch it and also love a bit of depth to their movies, they will be pleasantly surprised. After seeing Sandler's abilities in this film, I will never be able to watch The Waterboy again...That's a lie, I love that film.