Hors de Prix

Hors de Prix [Priceless] (2006) starring Audrey Tautou, Gad Elmaleh, Marie-Christine Adam, and Vernon Dobtcheff.

Before...not much to say on this one...hadn't heard of it before and it was a film I saw and decided to watch it without any prior knowledge really. Audrey Tautou was fantastic in Amélie, Dirty Pretty Things, and Un long dimanche de fiançailles [A very long engagement] so I felt that it was a sure bet that this wouldn't be a bad film.

On the Riviera with her elderly provider (Dobtcheff) to celebrate her birthday, Irene (Tautou) slips down to the hotel bar when he falls asleep on her. She mistakes barman Jean (Elmaleh) for a well-healed guest and he encourages the deceit by taking her up to the Royal Suite for the night. A year later the same thing happens but this time her lover finds out and disowns her. Now knowing Jean is indeed a barman of little means doesn't stop her from continuing to live in style until his money is gone. He soon finds himself in Irene's business with older and worldly-wise Madeleine (Adam), and though Irene also takes up with a new paramour the two of them keep in increasingly close touch.

So where to start...the real issue I have with this film is it's sickly sweet nature. The film is very much a romantic comedy, in way of jokes and style and the whole set up, it is very much set in it's genre and in some ways it is weird that this is a problem. I mean is it a problem that Kramer vs Kramer is a drama, or Dodgeball is a comedy. This issue that I have with the film at most is a very small one that really doesn't effect the outcome of my review. Ultimately the issue that I have is not about it's sickly nature but more the fact that it's highly predictable.

Despite it's predictability the film is fantastically stylish. Then again, I cannot name a French movie that doesn't have a slick stylish nature to them. The focus of the film steers happily away from vulgar crass jokes and focuses itself around human comedy, which is does brilliantly. Tautou's comic timing again resurfaces after being shown in Amelie. Both her and Elmaleh have a fantastic chemistry both in a relationship sense and also in a sexual chemistry sense.

The casting of this movie is brilliant. Tautou moves away from her sweet innocent role that she has become known for in the mainstream, instead she is presented with a more complex character. One that is darker naughtier, and much more of a bad girl. She plays it fantastically. Elmaleh also plays a brilliant role, someone who has far more morals. Not only that but like Irene he plays it with charm and sophistication.

What I like most about it is that at it's heart it is a movie that truly cares about it's characters. None of the characters come out in a bad way, all are seen to be real people and none are made out to be fools. The fantastic thing about the film is that by the end of it all you have a real feel good feeling about it.

For me Priceless is one of the best rom-com's I have seen in a while, it may not be the most original film I have seen but it does what it says on the tin. It is a fantastically funny and light-hearted film that makes you smile, which is why I am giving this film...

★★★★☆

Max Payne

Max Payne (2008) starring Mark Wahlberg, Mila Kunis, Beau Bridges, Ludacris, Chris O'Donnell and Amaury Nolasco.

Before...for too long now we have been subjected to mediocre 12A videogame adaptations. So now seeing Max Payne being a 15 gave me some sort of hope, if I'm honest. Also what gave me hope with this film was Mark Wahlberg, he doesn't often choose a dud movie. However, due to the fact that videogame adaptations generally aren't done well I was still nervous about this film. I just had to watch and see...

Max Payne (Wahlberg) is a cop on the edge, in the middle of a search for the killer of his wife and baby that takes him into a murky underworld of Russian assassins, betrayal and a conspiracy that may or may not involve strange, winged creatures. He meets Mona Sax (Kunis) who is trying to find her sisters killer. Payne's old boss BB Hensley (Bridges) is there to give him advice and help as Payne starts to look into the cold case that was his wife's death. As Payne becomes the renegade cop killing those who gets in his way he gets tracked by fellow Detective Lt. Jim Bravura (Ludacris).

So where to start...problems as usually. The main issue I have with this film may be the fact that I have no prior knowledge of the videogame. In the past when I have watched films adaptations of videogames I have known their background and enjoyed seeing the characters I loved playing as brought to life, yet with Max Payne I have never played it. So my issue with it is that I don't feel it gives much scope for new comers to the film...it seems harder to get involved in it.

The acting seems to just not be there either. Wahlberg seems to be on auto-pilot and the other actors involved do nothing to show how good they can be, which is a real shame as there is an eclectic group of stars involved in this film. From Nelly Furtado to Beau Bridges, Amaury Nolasco (of Prison Break fame) to Olga Kurylenko (of Quantum of Solace fame). With such an multitude of different actors surely something good can come out of it...right? Wrong. I was disappointed with all actors involved with this film.

The tense nature of the film's plot is non-existent to be perfectly honest. It scrambles and struggles to show any real depth and intensity that the videogame had, or so I am told. The other star point that the videogame has that the film fails to have was the use of bullet time. Instead of bullet time the film just slows certain scenes down, which is a real shame, because from what people have told me the bullet time feature of the game and to ignore a key feature of the game seems pointless. Even Doom was able to give the true feel of the videogame.

Good points about this film then...the imagery of the strange winged creatures gives the film more of a Constantine feel, which is a true compliment. The feel and the imagery used gives a very gothic film and it is the CGI that aids this. Visually this film is stunning, both in way of the action sequences and the the cgi.

Overall I was severely disappointed with this film, acting bad, plot poor, no scope for new comers. It is a dumb-testorone filled film that forgoes any wish to be remembered for the right reasons. Enjoyable yes...though-provoking, definitely not, which is why this film gets...

★★☆☆☆

Horton hears a Who

Horton hears a Who (2008) starring the voices of Jim Carrey, Steve Carell, Carol Burnett, Will Arnett, Seth Rogen, Isla Fisher, and Jonah Hill.

Before...I love, absolutely love, Dr Seuss. He is one of my favourite childhood authors. So to hear that they were planning to do a film of Horton hears a Who excited me a lot. However the real fear for me was the mess that they had made with Cat in the Hat, the most recent adaptation. They had utterly massacred it. On the bright side Jim Carrey had made magnificent work of the adaptation of How the Grinch Stole Christmas.

One day, Horton the elephant (Carrey) hears a cry from help coming from a speck of dust. Even though he can't see anyone on the speck, he decides to help it. As it turns out, the speck of dust is home to the Mayor of Whoville (Carrell) and the Whos, who live in their city of Whoville. Horton agrees to help protect the Whos and their home, but this gives him nothing but torment from his neighbors, who refuse to believe that anything could survive on the speck. Still, Horton stands by the motto that, "After all, a person is a person, no matter how small."

So where to start....as always I think starting with the faults is the best thing to do. Gets them out of the way, so we can focus on the good things. The main issue I had with the movie...well the only issue was the out of place 2D dream sequences that absolutely positively did not fit in at all with the Seussian look of the film. It was as if Jimmy Hayward and Steve Martino thought "What can we do to give this film an non-Seussian feel?" And then they went and did it. However maybe they did it to fill out the time in the movie, as there is not much depth in plot to pad it out. Not to say that it isn't a done well though.

One of the many great things about this film is the voice acting. All of the voices are perfectly suited to each of the characters. We are also presented with two actors, Carrey and Carrell, whos chemistry on-screen is perfect. They both play off each other fantastically. It is not only them that are great in the movie, the other characters are wonderful too. It seems that each actor was hand-picked for their role, because I couldn't see any other actors voicing them.

Not onl that but the CGI in the film is simply stunning. It is done by the same people who created Ice Age, and it shows, it is simply wonderful. Not just because it is good CGI but also the fact that they have captured the world of Dr Seuss perfectly. They have got the colours spot on and the whole feel of the film is wonderfully Seussian.

That I think is the key to this film. The fact that even though they have placed within the film a section of utterly non-Seussian imagery, the core of the film is Seussian, from the choice of the actors, to the colours used, from the way the characters move, to the use of the odd Seussian language. It is all of this that means that I want to give this film...

★★★★☆

Transformers 2: Revenge of the Fallen

Transformers 2: Revenge of the Fallen (2009) starring Shia LaBeouf, Megan Fox, Josh Duhamel, Tyrese Gibson, and John Turturro.

Before...excited is an understatement. The first transformers easily lived up to my expectations, and this one, with more transformers and more action and a personal promise from Michael Bay that the fighting woul be easier to follow meant that I was very much looking forward to the film that I was about to see. It was a blockbuster yes but it still had the potential to be awesome! :)

Autobots and the US military have united to form NEST, an elite unit dedicated to wiping out Decepticons. But when they catch a rogue ‘bot in Shanghai, it warns that something very bad is heading for Earth: a diabolical entity known as ‘The Fallen’. Meanwhile Sam Witwicky (LaBeouf) and Mikaela Banes (Fox) struggle to come to terms with a long distance relationship as Bumblebee continues to watch over him.

Where to start...action packed absolutely. From the word go Bay takes us on a very exciting ride. Autobots vs Decepticons. A whole load of stunning CGI all in the first ten minutes. It was simply stunning and I loved it. It is this that helps the film to utterly shine. Each CGI moment is fantastically crafted and if this film fails to win the special effects Oscar next year then I cannot wait to see the film that does.

The play between LeBoeuf and Fox is also brilliant. The chemistry between them is great in my view. Quirky enough to feel real and it just works. The other actors in the film are few and far between, purely because most of the focus is on the CGI transformers. Tuturro returns with a comedic turn and does it very well. Duhamel and Gibson are solid in their performances, nothing special, but then again what can you do with such poorly constructed characters.

And this is where we come to the first real problem of the film. The characters in this one are even less formed than they were in the first one. At least you felt as though in the first that these characters had a life beyond the movie. With this film however the sole focus is present situation which leaves us with badly formd characters and a plot that is so fast and so relentless that you are unsure which way is up.

The plot isn't just fast and relentless but it is also utterly confusing, this also ties into the characters, but not the real ones. Instead the real problem with the plot is the lack of introduction to any of the 42 different transformers in this film. You are left with the core of the Autobots that were in the first one with 5 new additions, "the twins" a pair of wise cracking black talking transformers and also three motorbikes, who we don't even get any info about apart from the fact that they are women.

For me it wasn't the Autobots that frustrated me the most, it was the Decepticons. The amount of different decepticons on show thoroughly confused me. There are so many little robots, like Frenzy in the first, that are easily confused. Secondly, and most distressingly for me, is the total and utter mis-use of Devastator. Yes he was used as the big focal point of the finale, but they glossed over the fact that he takes lots of different transformers to be created in my view. They should have built it up more.

I suppose what this movie has done is tried to cram too many awesome transformers into the film, so lessening the impact that each one has. It suffers from X-men: The Last Stand syndrome. It is far better to focus on few and do it well, as Transformers did, than to focus on many and stumble and trip your way through the film.

Overall I thoroughly enjoyed the blockbuster movie, but ultimately I felt that it was let down by Bay listening too much to the fans who asked for more transformers. In way of X3 and Transformers 2 less is most definitely more. Which is why I am giving this film...

★★★☆☆

The Eye

The Eye (2008) starring Jessica Alba, Alessandro Nivola, and Parker Posey.

Before...I went into this, knowing that in the past Japanese Horror remakes had been mixed. They had ranged from a good first attempt at The Ring, though not achieving the heights of the original, to a poor destruction of Dark Water, the original being utterly brilliant. So in the case of this film I was hoping for something worthy, though I have yet to see the original myself, though I am told that the original is worth a watch! However on the flip side of the coin I hadn't recently watched a train-wreck of a movie with Jessica Alba, Awake. It was truly awful and so in seeing that Alba was the star of this one I didn't hold out much hope, not due to her acting but due to her recent choice of movies, she really should fire her agent...

Concert violinist Sydney Wells (Alba) is well-adjusted to blindness, but undergoes a “corneal transplant” at her sister’s (Posey) urging. However, she begins to experience terrifying visions, and despite the counsel of her doctor, Paul Faulkner (Nivola), she suspects a supernatural cause.

So where to start...the phrase "if you can't say anything nice, don't say anything at all" springs to mind when saw this film...if that is true then really I should just stop right here and tell you my rating...However, although I am not a professional reviewer I do feel it is my duty to give you my honest opinion of this film. So here we go...

For me there is no saving grace about this film. To start with let's look at the acting, all of the actors seemed to have a fixed look of shock on their faces throughout, as if the director has said "I want you to be fearful because you never know what is going to happen", and because of that the film immediately lost me. Alba, Nivola and Posey have all taken one step forward to forced early retirement through choosing this movie in my opinion. the acting is truly dreadful.

Secondly, the plot...although I haven't seen the original, because of the way this film has been done it made the whole film seem kind of farcical. It is silly contrived and overall just a plain bad movie to watch. It has it's twists and I am happy to say that I was grateful for the twists, though it still didn't hide the films faults. Its like adding a dollop of whipped cream to the worst dessert in the world, it sweetens it slightly but it is still truly awful.

Thirdly, the genre...this is a strange one to talk about really, I don't often pick up on the different genre's of films, but when watching a horror movie it's meaning is to scare you, or it least to give you a few jumps. Instead, The Eye subjected me to a series of different points in the film where I was just laughing hysterically, and this all ties back into the acting, and also choice of music. I honestly feel that if they choose to use the theme from The Archers they would have had more success in scaring me.

I completely agree with empire's verdict that J-horror should now be left well alone. Yes it was successful in it's original form. Yes the original deserves to be made known to all the world. However what is not acceptable is destroying the true essence of the original films. Why oh why must we be subjected to 5th rate horror films. Enough is enough move on...no more crappy remakes. Leave the originals in the past and start to come up with your own ideas for films!! This for me was even worse than Forgetting Sarah Marshall and Masters of the Universe so for that welcome to my first no starred movie...

☆☆☆☆☆

21

21 (2008) starring Jim Sturgess, Kevin Spacey, Kate Bosworth, and Laurence Fishburne.

Before...well having heard about the fact that it was based on a true story I was immediately encouraged by this. Generally films based on true stories have the potential to be very good, as the characters are already relatively strong. On top of that Kevin Spacey plays a key role in this film and as his films as few and far between these days it is good to see him on screen.

Ben Campbell (Sturgess) is a young, highly intelligent, student at M.I.T. in Boston who strives to succeed. Wanting a scholarship to transfer to Harvard School of Medicine with the desire to become a doctor, Ben learns that he cannot afford the $300,000 for the four to five years of schooling as he comes from a poor, working-class background. But one evening, Ben is introduced by his unorthodox math professor Micky Rosa (Spacey) into a small but secretive club of five. Students Jill (Bosworth), Choi, Kianna, and Fisher, who are being trained by Professor Rosa of the skill of card counting at blackjack. Intrigued by the desire to make money, Ben joins his new friends on secret weekend trips to Las Vegas where, using their skills of code talk and hand signals, they have Ben make hundreds of thousands of dollars in winning blackjack at casino after casino. Ben only wants to make enough money for the tuition to Harvard and then back out. But as fellow card counter, Jill Taylor, predicts, Ben becomes corrupted by greed and his arrogance at winning which lets his feelings get in the way, and it also puts Professor Rosa, as well as the group, on the radar of a brutal casino security enforcer, named Cole Williams (Fishburne), who holds a personal grudge of some kind against Rosa which threatens to undo everything the students have learned and earned.

The film from the word go is extremely slick and stylised, flashes of the recent Ocean's film come to hant me as the film is played out. With the use of the slowed shot effect that comes up everytime a character does a tell it is comfortable to know what sort of company you are in. Like the Ocean's films this is a film who's key theme is all about greed and it is through the lead character, Campell (Sturgess), that this comes across most.

It is about the fall of the everyman into greed and corruption and how eventually he pulls himself out of it and back into the real world. Sturgess plays this role briliiantly, he is captivating and a joy to watch on screen, and the chemistry between him and the other actors is wonderful. Particularly his reparté with Spacey, someone who he is able to hold his own against, which is high praise considering how good Spacey is.

Bosworth in this film initially looked to be the simple girl role that HAS to be put in, in order for the lead actor to play against, however the script opens up more as the film goes on and a stronger part is revealed. My one gripe about the Bosworth and Sturgess relationship on screen is the need to put in a sex scene half-way through, although not gratuitous it is completely unnecessary and pointless. When watching this part of the film it reminded me of the uproar cause about the Watchmen sex scene, however it is very different in that one. Snyder for Watchmen was simply recreating the comic, whereas for this film I doubt that the author of the book waxed lyrical about his sexual escapades.

Spacey is great in his role as the clever professor who is running the show, and it is the fact that Sturgess and Boswell are backed by such a good actor that gives this film gravity and impact for me. My one gripe and annoyance about the characters unfortunately comes from Fishburnes character. I have no doubt in my mind that it is not his fault, but unfortunately the depth and threatening nature of his villainous role is not pulled off at all. He falls into the trap of not being bad enough at times. Maybe that is a good thing, as he is meant to be the law in the film and we are on the side of the anti-heroes, I'm not sure, but i just felt that there could have been something more from his character.

The film isn't pretending to be anything it's not, which is what garners its greatest appeal for me. The film is about gambling and it doesn't go beyond it's means to try and shock or surprise it's audience. It does what it says and the tin, and it does a very good job of it. So that is why I am giving it...

★★★★☆

Fool's Gold

Fool's Gold (2008) starring Matthew McConaughey, Kate Hudson, Donald Sutherland, Ray Winstone and Kevin Hart.

Before...McConaughey hasn't got the greatest track record among the critics, however I happen to think he is actually quite a fun and good actor to watch. He has a very relaxed style that I find enjoyable to watch, and what more in How to lose a Guy in 10 days Hudson and him have a great chemistry so I was expecting more of the same in this film. The added benefit of this film is that it has the backing of Sutherland and Winstone, 2 quality actors. So even though the reviews were atrocious I was quite looking forward to this film.

Benjamin Finnegan (McConaughey) is a deep-sea treasure hunter certain he's onto the find of the century in waters near an island close to Key West owned by a murderous rap star (Hart) to whom Ben is in debt. Ben's flat broke and recently divorced from Tess (Hudson), his long-time research and diving partner whom he still loves. She's nearby, working as a steward aboard the yacht of Nigel Honeycutt (Sutherland), a multimillionaire. The rapper has hired a rival treasurer hunter (Winstone). Can Ben convince Nigel to bankroll his search, convince Tess to work with him, keep the rapper and his thugs at bay, and find a Spanish treasure hidden for centuries and rich beyond imagination?

Well...to start I found McConaughey's acting quite good, though that is maybe because he is simply playing himself. Hudson plays opposing foil to McConaughey's Finnegan equally well. Hudson and McConaughey seem to be the female and male counterpoints of each other and that is why their chemistry is so good in my view.

The plot is a little jumbled and confused but all in all it is quite an action-packed exciting film. Lots of boat chases, Jet skis, motorbikes and waterlanding planes and lots of beautiful underwater scuba diving sequences. The setting of this film is a BEAUTIFUL backdrop, sky blue water, amazing fish, and also the added bonus of lots of tanned and toned bodies on show. The concept of the movie is one that is theived from the National Treasure movies, both of which do a much better job of it than this film does.

The characters in the film are a hotchpotch of everything. We have an old bumbling millionaire, his bimbo daughter, the intelligent beauty, the hopeless romantic lead, some stupid henchmen and an idiotic bad guy. All in all it is very original in the fact I doubt there is a film out there with such an eclectic cast of characters.

It is no-where near the best film I have seen by a long shot, but it is still not that good either. Despite its faults and failures though I couldn't helped to be charmed by it, which is why I am giving this film...

★★★☆☆

Twilight

Twilight (2008) starring Kristen Stewart, Robert Pattinson, Billy Burke, Edi Gathegi, Rachelle Lefevre, and Cam Gigandet.

Before...I think I was of the mind that it was the new black, the new Harry Potter. The trailer was simply stunning in my view. It showed passion, emotion and action all rolled into one. The one fear of mine was that it was going to be very teenagery and because of that would be ridiculous. Also the cast is full of unknowns, and that is a very risky strategy, at least with Potter it was full of classic British actors who are all brilliant. Yet with this they are all unknowns, and that amount of uncertainty means it could be doomed to failure. The reviews were mixed, some saying brilliant others saying awful, so I really was unsure about it. I hoped it would be good, ut I just didn't know.

Isabella Swan (Stewart) moves to gloomy Forks to live with her father (Burke). As she starts her junior year in high school she becomes fascinated by Edward Cullen (Pattison) who holds a dark secret which is only known by his family. Edward falls in love with Bella as well but knows the further they progress in their relationship the more he is putting Bella and those close to her at risk. Edward warns Bella that she should leave him but she refuses to listen and to understand why he is saying this. Bella learns his secret. He is a vampire, however she is not afraid of his blood-thirsty needs and the fact he could kill her at any moment. Bella is afraid of losing him, the love of her life. The thrill begins when a three new vampires, Laurent (Gathegi), Victoria (LeFevre) and James (Gigandet) finds it a challenge to hunt Bella down for her irresistible blood. The game is on and James will not stop until she is killed.

So faults...at times it pushes the line of cheesy smultzy love story. Pattison and Stewart at times completely ham up there roles but it is more the script that urges them to do so. Rosenberg's script at times feels as though it is stumbling through clichéd line after clichéd line. And yet it holds together amazingly. Despite its small faults in way of script, Twilight was slick and stylish.

The acting, as I said, at times is a little ropey, but somehow it seems to work. Pattison sometimes feels wooden but then I think he is playing the role of Cullen perfectly, slightly aloof and distant. Stewart's Swan is fearful and loving, she plays it brilliantly. The evil vampire, James, is played brilliantly. His fire and passion is terrifying. The emotional intensity of this film is played brilliantly by all involved. The soundtrack is another thing that kept me captivated by the film. An anthemic rock ballad driven soundtrack that delivers on nearly every song.

Even though it is a film about vampires, this film deeply rooted in romance. It is a compassionate and loving and it is set against the beautiful landscape of the Pacific Northwest. Later in the film it moves back to sunny Phoenix. It is filmed with a real intensity, not of fear, but more of passion and according to Hardwickes back catalogue this is something she is used to, see Thirteen. The passion and emotional intensity in Thirteen is mirrored in this film. It is thanks to Hardwicke that this film holds onto the integrity of it's convictions. Even though it is a vampire movie, this is one of the most impactful and well written love stories I have seen. The only real regret I have about this film is that I did not have the conviction to wait to read the book first.

Reading through this review, as much as I would like to give it 5 stars due to the clichéd script I cannot. It is an extremely stylish, beautifully shot film and from what I understand about the film it is also a very faithful adaptation which leads me to give it...

★★★★☆