Goodfellas and Jaws

I had my new friend Karyn over to watch these two with me. We discussed them, exchanged funny comments and so on. Its nice watching movies with friends, I’ve really missed it! Anyways, I’m going to use Karyn as an excuse for my reviews being short and crap because she distracted me from my note-taking!!! Both films neither of us had seen before which was good.

Fight Club

I’ve been dreading reviewing this because I knew it was going to end up being a long review that I’m just too tired to write. This is because it is such a freaking awesome movie. The beautiful cinematography, mind-boggling editing, the acting, the storyline and the characters are all perfect in the sense of great movie making. Obviously, the storyline and characters are due to the book [which I shall put on my reading list] but… I don’t know, its just amazing. This film is kind of like Marmite, you either love it or you hate it. I love it. My brother loves it. I remember he saw it for the first time when me, him, our mum and uncles were on holiday in Wales and my uncles had brought their portable DVD player and some DVDs and he just watched Fight Club on repeat for the whole week. Yes, he enjoys it because of the fighting and he loves Brad Pitt but I think, unbeknownst to him, that its more than that.

Donnie Darko

I’ve watched this movie about 7 times now and I’m only just understanding it. People don’t like this movie because its confusing and weird. Others love it because its confusing and weird. You do have to watch it more than once to even get a small grasp on the whole thing but in a good way. You WANT to understand it and figure it all out. Well, I did anyways.

This movie is about poor little Donnie Darko who has ‘emotional problems’ and his BFF Frank, the 6ft tall bunny rabbit. Sounds like Harvey but its no where near as comical and we actually see the bunny though we kind of wish we didn’t!

This review probably won’t make any sense because the film makes little sense so blame the film if you read this and you’re going “er… what?”

The first shot is of a boy, laying on the ground in the middle of a road on what looks like the side of a mountain, his bike on one side next to him. We have questions from the word go with this film. Forever asking questions. Why is he on the floor? Why is he in his pajamas? Is he Donnie Darko? How did he get there? Why is he so happy? Has he escaped death? WHAT’S HAPPENING?! That last question is pretty much repeated for the whole movie.

It is Donnie Darko. And its Jake Gyllenhaal. Its very yummy Jake Gyllenhaal.

The soundtrack is a mixture of 80s classics and scary music, completely perfect for this movie. The scary, instrumental music shows us the underlying tone of a scene that we wouldn’t realise was sinister.

This whole movie is about time. Everything is about time. Even the fabulous, amazing editing is about time. Fast motion. Slow motion. Interlacing scenes. Its just fantastic. I actually wrote about the editing for film studies A Level. If you’re interested in what I wrote, continue reading. If not, skip this paragraph and move to the next bullet point:

Casino Royale

I will admit that I was one of the people that didn’t want to see this movie when it was in the cinema because I didn’t feel that Daniel Craig was James Bond. He didn’t fit the ‘tall, dark and suave’ Bond that we all know. However, I regret this now as Craig showed a different side of Bond and a storyline which worked perfectly with his appearance and acting style. If you, like me, took one look at Craig and was like “hell no” you may want to reconsider, its not the Bond we’re used to but it shows us how he became the Bond we’re used to. Its very interesting to see how and why he is the way he is.

The opening scene is in black and white and has a real film noir feel about it which works with Bond, oddly enough. I don’t think it would of worked with previous Bonds [except maybe Sean Connery but he could make any scene work]. It’s a very risky start to a Bond movie but it worked brilliantly for me.

I love the Casino-themed opening credits. The song is awesome, my dad loves it too. There weren’t any lady silhouettes or shapes which I thought was very interesting as that was always a running ‘theme’ in Bond credits. This movie is all about why Bond can do his job and why he objectifies women; this is before he would shag anything that moved. Therefore, I think its good that there’s no woman ‘shapes’ in the credits because its not the thing that’s on his mind. Anyways, I love the Casino theme, with the card types [heart, spade, club, diamond] being shown as bullets, weapons and blood.

We know the bad guy is the bad guy because he has slicked back hair, a scar over his eye, the music screams ‘BAD GUY’ and he has asthma.

When Bond was in Madagascar watching a group of men gamble as a snake fought a weasel, I thought to myself “Bond would never wear something like that!” but then I remember that if he wore his usual attire, he’d stick out ‘virgin in a brothel’ [sorry, Gene Hunt quote there >.<]. This doesn’t mean that he doesn’t dress stylishly for the majority of the movie [well, whenever he HAS clothes on]. He has his usual suits and then Bond Girl has a tailored suit made for him and he has his [now] iconic suit. My dad kept reminding me that this movie shows how everything was ‘born’, as it were; the suit, his drink, his lust and so on. You need to remember this too.

19 minutes into the movie and we see our first objectification of a woman. However, we also see our first objectification of Bond! I know! I think that’s what makes this movie so interesting; it’s the first time that Bond is also a ‘piece of meat’ and not just the women. His body isn’t exactly the ‘wow’ factor for me but… I don’t know, he almost looks like he has a normal[ish] body and not a Hollywood ‘cheese grater abs’. Obviously, still fit but something that men can look at and think “I could actually look like that, for once.” You know? And obviously, there are some women who went to see this movie just for the shot of Bond coming out of the water in tight Speedos. The shot of him coming out of the water almost mirrors Ursula Andress’s rise from the sea in Dr. No.

I Am Legend

This review will probably turn into an more of an analysis rather than review. I will put the parts of my ‘review’ with spoilers to the storyline in the cut [click ‘more’ to see them] as I feel that if you haven’t seen this movie that some of the things I say will spoil it and that’s the last thing I want to do.

Before I get started, this movie isn’t in Empire magazine’s Top 500. It was on TV and my dad and brother wanted to watch it and I had an opening in my list so I’ve chosen to review this. I think a lot of people have seen this movie but there may be the odd few who were like “hmmm I dunno, I might like it… but…”

I hate horror movies, I get scared soooo easily so I have no idea why I can watch this movie. I guess because the ‘infected’ are just that, infected, is why I can close my eyes and sleep after watching it. I’m scared of zombies and ghosts and stuff because they’re dead, but I guess I’m not so freaked out by the infected because they’re still alive… I can’t describe it at all, sorry. They’re still scary, don’t get me wrong but… I dunno, I can sleep at night. Maybe that’s a bad thing, I don’t know. Anyways, lets get on with the review shall we!

It opens with a news report on the cure for cancer [so we can blame Emma Thompson]. Then we see 3 years into the future and the whole of New York city is abandoned and is slowly turning into an actual jungle [sometimes New York is referred to as the skyscraper jungle]. So, we have the reason why its all abandoned, because Emma Thompson found the ‘cure’ for cancer but buggered it up and now everyone is dead. Or so we think! Anyways, I think that’s a great opening because it gets straight to the point and doesn’t actually say this is the reason but the audience works it out and therefore the audience feels clever.

In strolls Will Smith in a flashy red sports car [like you do] and starts hunting, HOLLYWOOD!Human style! And we see he’s not alone because he has a gorgeous dog called Sam. Anyways, Will Smith is shown as the big action guy but still relatively normal as he doesn’t hit his target [a deer]. I think that’s what makes this so different to other movies, the fact that he may be the ‘hero’ of the movie but he’s far from perfect, especially HOLLYWOOD!Perfect. Anyways, he’s this tough guy who looks like he wouldn’t be scared of anything. Then his watch goes off and you can see the pure terror in his eyes. As an audience, you think “man, if Will Smith is scared of it then we’ve got to be scared of it!” Someone else’s reaction and the sound of the infected’s screams is worse than seeing them. I love this effect because I always believe that hearing is worse than seeing because your imagination runs wild. That’s probably why, in the end, the infected aren’t really that scary.

This movie has flashbacks to what happened before Will Smith was alone. You can tell when the flashbacks start because there’s people in the scenes. I know this sounds dumb but unless you’re going to have the flashbacks in black and white or do some kind of LOST sound, no one is going to know you’re in flashback so to have Will Smith go from on his own to loads of people is a sign that this is a flashback. Then there are other hints that it’s a flashback with all the panic, the quarantine and his family. The flashbacks are in chronological order but are spaced apart, mostly on cliffhangers. The last flashback is the worst, be ready with tissues.

My brother pointed out that Will Smith hardly talks in this movie. Well, I disagree as there is a fair bit more talking in this movie than say Castaway [another ‘on your own’ movie, and a fantastic one at that, please watch it!] but for Will Smith, there is hardly any talking.

Don’t Bother to Knock

This film is a mixture between a love story and a thriller story. A couple have broken up but neither one wants to and a mentally unstable woman baby-sits a child. It all takes place in one place; a hotel [which now makes me want to go to a hotel, I love hotel rooms!].

Marilyn Monroe is fantastic in this movie and it was done early in her career. I don’t know why no one took her seriously, she’s can do drama really well! I knew from the start that her character was mentally unsound, she portrayed it wonderfully. As the character’s mental state deteriorated, Monroe’s acting got better. You can tell so much from her eyes; she does psycho very well, shame she didn’t do it more often.

Monroe’s character is the mental type like James Stewart was in Vertigo, where he sees his love in someone else. However, in Vertigo, it was actually the same person but the way he tried to change the woman into her and was determined… actually, that’s probably a bad example. But anyways, Monroe’s character sees this man and believe he is the man she loved and lost in the sea. She genuinely thinks its him and hates anything that gets in her way. it’s a very good character, its just a shame that they didn’t go into it more, there was so much they could of done.

There really should only of been one storyline, the babysitting/Monroe storyline. There was no need for the couple, especially as it dragged on the introduction to the film and the character’s situations. It just felt unnecessary.

Its not a fantastic film but I’d watch it just for Monroe’s acting so you can all see that she was a great actress, not just the blond bombshell you think she is.

139/212

Kate
xoxo

Notorious

I think I’m the only film nut who dislikes Hitchcock movies. I understand why his movies are classics and stuff but it just does not do it for me. I was bored the whole way through and almost fell asleep. Mum liked it though, she says that maybe you have to be a certain age to like his movies.

88/212

Kate
xoxo

Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street

Hmmm… I love Tim Burton’s style, Johnny Depp and Helena Bonham Carter but… aside from that I didn’t really like it but I think that’s the Broadway writer’s fault, not the filmmakers.

Its all about blood, unfortunately the blood doesn’t look like blood and totally ruins it for me. I know its supposed to be a tribute to the old horror movies but it just looks crap compared to everything else. And its pink.

Some kid sings one line about London then suddenly Johnny Depp comes into shot and you can just sense that when this was in the cinema, a few people went “SQUEE! ITS JOHNNY DEPP!!”

I loved the over the top make-up. I read that its [again] a tribute to the old silent films.

The flashbacks are in bright, golden colours which is a great contrast to the grayish-blue of the rest of the film.

SNAPE! Sorry, I’m a Harry Potter nut so it was hilarious for me to see Snape sing.

I loved it when the camera sped around London and showed all the different depressing aspects of London. And no, Americans, it doesn’t actually look like that.

Helena Bonham Carter is awesome as always. The way she played this character made me think of my very good friend Sarah and I started thinking of her and that she would be absolutely perfect for the role of Mrs Lovett. Anyways, I watched this film with my mum who worked and teaches cooking and she was at her wit’s end, cringing “she’s making the pie wrong!!!!” Oh, and Helena Bonham Carter’s boobs should have their names in the credits on their own!

His knives are his friends. Seriously, think only works because its Johnny Depp and its Johnny Depp singing.

Sweeny Todd’s daughter, Joanna, looks kind of like my mate Jess. Anyways, she sings far too high pitched for me because I didn’t understand a sing word she sung.

ITS SACHA BARON COHEN!!! Loved him as Borat and loved him even more as Ali G [hated him as Bruno, felt like he was trying too hard]. Now, as much as I love him, the Italian accent was far too strong and I didn’t understand anything he said or sung and I didn’t know he could sing! I knew he could rap [lol]. And then he turns his accent back to his normal, British accent which was awesome! I half-expected him to suddenly go all Ali G on us. Then he dies but his death is a great death but the blood was crap.

Cute little ginger boy gets sentenced to hanging. Sad even if he is a ginger and gingers don’t have souls. [Damn you South Park!!]

Ew. Snape- I mean, the Judge wants to marry his adopted daughter. Ew. Ewwwww.

I loved the scene where Sweeny Todd is singing about his revenge and is talking ‘at’ people who don’t know he’s there. I don’t know why but I thought that was brilliant. Also loved when Todd and Mrs Lovett dance and she’s got a rolling pin in her hand and he’s got a knife in his hand; their roles.

The songs get too damn repetitive! Yes, we know her name is Joanna! GET ON WITH IT!

When Todd kills them, that bit is gross but when the body crashes on the floor, that’s when me and my mum hid behind a cushion.

SICK OF THE NAME JOANNA!!

Laughed at the seaside clothes, especially Todd’s.

Its probably in the musical but I loved that someone sent Wormtail- I mean, Snape’s- I mean, the Judge’s right-hand man to check health and safety of the baking room. In England, its all about health and safety to the point of it not helping people but pissing them off so I found it funny.

69/212

Kate
xoxo

Speed

I like this movie and I hate this movie. There are elements which I think were awesome, moments I thought were OK then moments where I just rolled my eyes and played on Facebook.

The opening titles give the impression that it’s a sci-fi film so that’s a bit misleading.

I feel two things for the beginning sequence where there are people in the elevator and are now hostages. As I was watching it, I felt it went of for too long because I thought it was just supposed to be an introduction to Keanu Reeve’s character and his job. Then, as the movie went on and stuff happened on a bus, I realize that the opening part is very important. I guess I need to break away from the typical setting up of movies.

Since watching The Dark Knight and hearing Michael Caine talk about bad people and stuff. I now don’t think people would go through all this bomb work just for money. People normally do the bombing for revenge or to prove a point. That’s why I hated the fact that the bad guy in this movie is supposedly doing all this bomb stuff for millions of dollars. How the hell does he expect to get away with it. They mention in the movie that he is a mad man but if he was, he wouldn’t care about the money, he’d just want to see people suffer. Don’t get me wrong, I love the idea of a bomb being on a bus and if it goes lower than 50mph then it blows up, I think that’s a fantastic idea, I just hate the reason behind it.

I didn’t like that when they were rescuing the people from the elevator that a woman’s bum was shown. I know its probably kind of realistic as the last thing you’d worry about was your underwear but I felt it was unnecessary and made the whole thing cheap.

Who knew that bus rides could be so exciting! I bet there’s been a few times when you’ve been on a boring bus journey and you’ve wished for Keanu Reeves to jump on the bus shouting that there’s a bomb on it.

The film nerd in me loved the 360° camera moves, where they’d [fot instance] circle Reeves as he’s putting his bulletproof jacket on which would have been a boring shot if it was just done with a still camera.

“Well, I should probably tell you that I’m taking the bus because I had my driver’s license revoked.” “What for?” “Speeding.” It’s a cheesy line but it still made me laugh. I also laughed when the tourist is on the phone to the other police guy and is saying what Reeves is saying Reeves: “F*** me!” … Tourist: “Oh darn…” I also thought it was interesting that Bullock’s character asks this about the bomber “What did we do? Bomb the guy’s country or something?” See! That’s why people bomb other people, not to get money!

I know I’ve bashed Sandra Bullock once or twice in my reviews, she’s a good actress and very funny, she just chooses bad movies. Anyways, I loved her character in this because I found I could relate to her. I felt that if I were ever in that situation that I would react in the same way she did.

Then, about halfway through, my internet stopped and I couldn’t continue to watch the movie, hence the review the next day because once the internet was back up the Academy Awards were on. But anyways, yeah, bloody internet left and the whole house went into panic-mode, trying to remember what we did before the internet.

LOL at the gap in the road being a gap in the road that’s a bridge. There is no way in hell that a bus could jump that gap but alas, that’s what action movies are all about!

I know that quite a few action movies are about saving strangers but I actually love that about action movies, that in horrible, dyer circumstances, we will come together and help everyone out.

There’s a surprise that’s not really a surprise if you think about it.

I thought it was very typical action movie for the director to go ‘no! A bus exploding is not good enough! We shall have the bus explode so that it makes an airplane explode too!’ And I just had the image of the dude from Tropic Thunder going “Mother Nature just pissed her pants!”

I thought that it was a nice dig at the police to have the snipers in full view as they’re trying to be sneaky. To be honest, I always love it when movies take digs at the police or government or something.

HIS HEAD FLEW OFF! IT FLEW OFF AND YOU SEE IT FLY OFF!!! YOU SEE IT!!

‘The train track isn’t finished!!’ Typical. I did love Reeve’s reaction of ‘you are NOT going to believe this…’

Hmmm… didn’t quite like the kiss at the end… there was no need, it would have been better if Reeves had asked her for a coffee or something first… just seemed crap to me… Reeves and Bullock have great chemistry but it was a bit ‘oh, yeah,, the female audience want a kiss’.

It’s a good action movie that has its flaws but they’re flaws that you can laugh at rather than just cringe at.

65/212

Kate
xoxo

Memento

Oh. My. God. This movie is freaking AWESOME! I will scan my notes tomorrow morning as I wrote them in nice handwriting and I actually like the reviews being in handwriting rather than typed. I might change back to typing but right now, I just wanna scan. But anyways, yeah, everyone has to see this movie! EVERYONE! Its just so amazing on so many different levels! 5 out of 5!