The Artistry and the Egotism

An ambitious and brilliantly realised film biography of the American artist Jackson Pollock, Ed Harris stars, directs and paints on-screen. Harris’ performance is a tour de force, superbly portraying a challenging (and challenged) individual, and Marcia Gay Harden is excellent (and rightly recognised by the Academy) as his wife, artist Lee Krasner.

It’s apparent from Mr. Harris' portrayal that Pollock was a difficult person to deal with and it seems clear that he had mental health issues – quite possibly being bipolar, in spite of his talents as an artist he is not a likable character for whatever reason.

But despite the fact that neither Pollock’s art nor his personality do anything for me, Mr. Harris’ film is absolutely compelling and a very rewarding watch. The painting scenes are remarkable, they have a hypnotic quality and in their raw creativity are a stark counterpoint to the destructive tendencies that the man exhibited at times. They also present moments of calm in the alcohol-fuelled whirlwind that apparently surrounded Pollock for periods of his life.

If you like biography I think you will enjoy this piece, it’s a career-topping performance and a brilliant portrayal of an intriguing talent and the people around him.

Four Thumbs Up

Beautifully constructed morality tale from Rupert Wyatt with some really remarkable visuals. The effects work and the actors’ interactions with their 'props' are so assured that the outcome is highly convincing to the point that you won’t notice the join, and it's a huge accomplishment that will (if there's any justice) deservedly catapult Mr. Wyatt into the big leagues.

It’s a good if rather predictable story, but satisfying to spot the delicately placed traces of continuity that link to the later phases of the PotA franchise. In the first half at least John Lithgow is the emotional heart of the film and his performance is extremely touching and effective. James Franco’s is a strong turn too and Freida Pinto provides a powerful counterbalance to Franco's character’s increasingly reckless pursuit of a cure. It’s also good to see Tom Felton casting off his robes and discarding his wand (although just as nasty as ever).

John Lithgow

In relation to Caesar and the other apes it is difficult to comprehend the skills that must be necessary to perform effectively with what must be highly invasive technology. Andy Serkis is obviously a highly skilled actor in his own right, as evinced by his performances as Ian Dury and in The Prestige, Brighton Rock and Little Dorrit (tv) to name a few, but is he really the only guy who can play these marquee motion capture roles? I don't mean to be critical, far from it, I think Mr. Serkis will be remembered as the first and possibly greatest exponent of this newest branch of thespian-ism, but only because of making the transition to 'live action'. I find it interesting to consider whether any of Serkis's fellow mocap-ers will ever have the profile that he has deservedly achieved.

Andy Serkis - I still say Bluetooth is yesterday's technology

In the end RotPotA is highly enjoyable effects romp but is best, perhaps unusually, not in its big set pieces but in the personal interactions at the film’s heart.

All four thumbs up - bring on the Dawn...

Groan Ups

Every bone in my body wanted to hate Grown Ups. Surely this would be another brain-dead Adam Sandler spliff, his partner in crime Senor Schneider’s presence like a red rag to a bull, and yes GU is often crass and tasteless, smeared with great dirty stains of crude and puerile humour, but there is something else going on here.

There is a resonance in the central theme of lost childhood and the simplicity of bygone days that speaks to our need for friendship and simple pleasures, and that enables me to forgive a lot of this film’s lazy failings. For me there was one reluctant laugh for every two inward groans, and shakes of the head were often followed by a nod of recognition and possibly even a smile.

There are some moments of effective slapstick and as we know from his better moments Sandler is capable of being likable. His posse of Kevin James, Chris Rock, David Spade and the ubiquitous Schneider have an easy camaraderie that is watchable, and their significant others Salma Hayek, Maria Bello, Maya Rudolph and Joyce Van Patten provide effective foils for all the nonsense. Ultimately there is a sound message at the heart of Grown Ups and this is what redeems it.

Infantile, misogynist, heart-warming fun for all the family.

X Marks the Spot

Take everything that was excellent about the first trilogy and put those ingredients in the hands of someone who knows exactly what they are doing with the comic book genre, then sit back and enjoy the results. Superb entertainment delivered by Matthew Vaughn of Kick-ass fame, directing an engaging and dynamic cast.

James McAvoy and Michael Fassbender are entirely convincing at Xavier and Lehnsherr, and they have strong support throughout a well-constructed story from both A-listers and up-and-coming young stars alike.

Michael Fassbender throws stuff around

Jennifer Lawrence is again worthy of great plaudits essaying the troubled Mystique and January Jones is the screen equivalent of superglue to the eyeballs. Kevin Bacon has no trouble convincing as the personification of evil and the action hinges around his hideous masterplan, which is straightforward in its scope, but as usual with X-men it's the personal relationships where most of the real fireworks are flying. Great stuff - essential viewing for hero fans.

January Jones does bling

Cherchez Le Pterodactyl

Highly enjoyable historical hokum from the man who brought you Leon; Big Blue; Fifth Element; Subway; etc. Auteur Luc Besson presents a whimsical but nonetheless entertaining comic-book adaptation from the pen of Jacques Tardi (9 comics from 1976 to 2007).

The material presented here liberally plunders Indiana Jones’ locker and is chock full of the trappings of ancient Egypt, but Adele does not have the depth of (arguably) Spielberg’s greatest character. Nonetheless our spunky, no-nonsense yet glamorous heroine is played with great verve and style by Louise Bourgoin.

There is also a lot of humour in her performance, which is very engaging and drives the film forward – polite reserve is not a part of Adele’s armoury, but her impatience with others can perhaps be forgiven in view of her sister’s plight. It’s all a bit breathless and the plot does somewhat stagger from frame to frame in the way of a comic, but despite the other characters being little more than caricatures, and Adele’s motivation being very one dimensional (albeit noble), Mademoiselle Bourgoin’s charisma is more than enough to carry the film. Not taxing but loads of fun.

Louise Bourgoin

Captain Courageous

Whoa there, hang on a minute, Chris Evans is Johnny Storm a.k.a. The Human Torch, what the heck is going on here?! Initial concerns are quickly swept aside however since Mr. Evans was clearly born to play the iconic Captain America, whether in initial pint-sized and weedy form, or once transformed as if he’s been chiseled out of Mount Rushmore.

Chris & Haley

Great turns from an excellent cast, especially the hard-bitten Tommy Lee Jones; the deliciously frosty Haley Atwell; a gloriously malevolent Hugo Weaving, and the myopically intellectual Toby Jones – and not forgetting excellent work by Dominic Cooper as ‘old man’ Stark. The film is chock full of glorious rock ‘em, sock ‘em comic book action, and ‘Cap’ hits all the nails square on the head, from the frustration of his employment as a War Bond figurehead, to his fearless forays into the heart of enemy territory with his own band of brothers, all present and correct.



Dominic Cooper

It’s actually quite refreshing to meet a hero who is not flawed, as seems to have become the norm over the decades. Steve Rogers isn’t dark, he isn’t conflicted, nor is he guilt ridden (yet), he’s just out to punch old Adolf in the eye – although as it turns out he has bigger problems to face. The emotional centre of the film is nicely handled, not overplayed, there’s a war on after all and duty comes first, but there is still time for some brief, tender moments that add a romantic strand which is nicely played by Atwell and Evans.

General TLJ

The toning down of Cap’s costume is a wise move and allows the use of a more muted pallet of tones that helps to root the film firmly in the forties, and the production portrays the period beautifully. All this helps to set the film apart from the Marvel fare that we have been served up to date, and adds all the more to the enjoyment of it. One of the greatest pleasures however, as with ‘Thor’, is the anticipation of something greater, and there is a jarring closing sequence which is very well handled, another promise of things to come. Good, solid, square-jawed fun.



One cube to rule them all... Hugo Weaving



Watch The Right One

I previously ‘reviewed’ this without seeing the film because of my outrage at the original being remade, but I knew that was unfair, I’m glad that I have seen ‘Let Me In’ now. For one thing I think the title is better than ‘Let The Right One In’ which is a straight lift from the book. ‘Let Me In’ has the same muted palate as the original film and looks just as atmospherically grimy and dark. For me Chloe Moretz and Kodi Smit-McPhee are not quite as engaging as Lina Leandersson and Kare Hedebrant in the lead roles. It’s easy to see why Smit-McPhee’s character would be picked on and is called ‘little girl’ by the bullies because of his androgynous quality, but I think that quality is unnecessary for the story.

Elias Koteas - Kodi Smit-McPhee

In terms of the setting, on the one hand it is to director Matt Reeves’ credit that the feel is not overtly American. Other than some of the accents there is none of the flag waving, none of the trappings of the US of A (notwithstanding the Pledge of Allegiance, which didn’t jar for me), and Elias Koteas presence plus Ritchie Coster’s Slavic(?) gym teacher as central characters at least provide some link to the European original.

It’s clear that ‘Let Me In’ benefits from the ‘advantage’ of a bigger budget, but the occasional CGI almost acts as a barrier between the audience and the film. The car crash is a positive inclusion, very effectively done and quite a jump when it happens, then again the underpass scene is inferior, less convincing than the original for me.

Ultimately it’s a different film, more of a horror story and less of the fairy tale than the original is, and to me that says that Matt Reeves has, either deliberately or through misunderstanding the original, taken a different path, despite many of the scenes being lifted directly from Tomas Alfredsson’s film. To be kinder you could say they are lifted from the original screenplay, to the extent that John Ajvide Lindqvist is credited prominently. I find it quite objectionable that the credit is ‘written for the screen by Matt Reeves’ because the vast majority of the work was done by Tomas Alfredson and John Ajvide Lindqvist before him, and there is very little that is new, it is clearly a remake of the film and not a new adaptation of the book.

Richard Jenkins

For all that I did enjoy ‘Let Me In’, the performances of Chloe Moretz, Richard Jenkins and Elias Koteas are excellent, and the central relationship between Owen and Abby is well handled and nicely played, but in the end I think ‘Let Me In’ succeeds because of the utterly engaging original story and brilliant source material, and only served to remind me how good the original film is. If you haven’t seen either film, treat yourself to ‘Let The Right One In’ first.

Far Beyond Driven

Jaw-dropping piece of cinema from Nicolas Winding Refn, there isn't a weak link in the chain from the top-billed performances of Gosling and Mulligan down to the knuckle-dragging henchmen, everyone brings their A-game. Refn has a unique voice as his previous work (including Bronson and Fear X) ably demonstrates and this must be his strongest outing to date. Gosling's performance is beautifully empty, the epitome of 'spare' while Mulligan effortlessly illuminates the screen, making it impossible to tear ones eyes off her in much the same way as in 'An Education' (or anything else she's been in).

Carey Mulligan

These two performances alone would make an excellent film, but it is in the 'supporting' roles that 'Drive' is elevated from a good movie to a definitive piece of modern cinema that will stand out for years to come as a beacon of what can be achieved with total belief in a good project. Ron Perlman and Christina Hendricks know how to captivate an audience. Hendricks owns every one of her scenes in the peerless 'Man Men' and Perlman is the godfather of the twisted soul, but thankfully is given the chance to play it straight up here and does so to brutal effect, whereas Hendricks delivers a nicely judged if brief appearance transitioning from bravado to a much truer, baser emotion.



Bryan Cranston

These four performances are to be expected from the individuals in question, but the standouts are those ones that come from left field. Albert Brooks was for so long the straight man in funny movies but who knew he had this in him. His turn as Bernie Rose is every bit as menacing as De Niro at his best/'worst', but Brooks' foil is possibly even more surprising. Bryan Cranston, for so long delivering howlingly funny often slapstick comedy as Malcolm's dad, in 'Malcolm in the Middle', turns in a beautifully nuanced performance as Gosling's mentor Shannon. None of the main characters is entirely good or evil, with the probable exception of Mulligan's 'Irene' and Perlman's 'Nino' and it is perhaps that facet that makes 'Drive' as enthralling as it is.

Albert Brooks

'Drive' could be seen as yet another demonstration that so much that is exciting in modern storytelling is coming from Scandinavia, however I think it is actually a vivid illustration that the best cinema comes from the melting pot, with no barrier preventing directors, actors, writers and all the other creative fields from coming together. It's strong stuff in places, but if you can get past that you are in for one of the most memorable films in the last 20 years.