The Fighter was released on December 10, 2010. It was directed by David O. Russell, with the story by Keith Dorrington, Paul Tamasy, and Eric Johnson, screenplay by Scott Silver, Paul Tamasy, and Eric Johnson. It stars Mark Wahlberg, Christian Bale, Amy Adams, and Melissa Leo.
I don't have that much to say about this film. It was good, the performances were good, the directing was good, and I did throughly enjoy the film. Aside from that, I really don't have much to say. Something that I have constantly heard was that both Christian Bale and Melissa Leo would win their respective Oscars this year. I can understand why people would say that, they were damn good, however, they seemed to be hyped up for me. In retrospect, it seems like Geoffrey Rush is a more fitting win for the Oscar. However, for Best Supporting Actress, it's a toss up between Melissa Leo and Hailee Steinfeld for me. (Why is she nominated for Best Supporting Actress, Academy? Think, it's not that hard to figure out!)
I do apoligize for such a short review, I just really don't have much to say. It's this generation's Rocky, or Raging Bull. Will it win Best Picture? No. However, you should check it out, especially if you enjoy boxing, or boxing films. I will say one thing about the film that I did love: Dicky's kid. That kid was so cute, I just loved him. My favorite scene was (no spoilers here) Dicky is punching a locker in front of his kid, extremely angry. When he finishes, his kid goes up and punches the locker as well. So damn cute. :)
Overall, I give this film an 8 out of 10. Check it out, if you want. And once again, I do apoligize for such a short review, for such a good film.
Saturday, January 29, 2011
Monday, January 17, 2011
The Green Hornet
The Green Hornet was released on January 14, 2011. It was directed by Michael Gondry, written by Seth Rogen and Evan Goldberg, and starred Seth Rogen, Jay Chou, Christoph Waltz, and Cameron Diaz.
Now let me get this straight. I am not a fan of the Green Hornet. It's not that I don't like the serials and the television show from the 60s, I just don't really care for it. Regardless, I do know the basics. Think of the Batman 60s show, if it was less comedic, and more of a superhero story. Based on that, you should immediately realize that Seth Rogen is NOT supposed to be involved with the Green Hornet in anyway. He was one of the funniest men of the last decade, and should stick to that, not superhero stories, unless it's a parody. Regardless, him and frequent collaborator Evan Goldberg made the Green Hornet, starring Seth Rogen.
The plot concerns Britt Reid (Seth Rogen), the heir to the Daily Sentinel, the biggest newspaper in whichever city they live in. His father (Tom Wilkinson) dies, leaving the newspaper to him. He meets his father's mechanic, Kato (Jay Chou), and the two of them decide to become superheroes, pretending to be criminals, in order to get rid of the crime in the city, and take down Chudnofsky (Christoph Waltz), the head of crime in the city.
Seth Rogen is laughable as a superhero. He has no skills, can't fight for his life, and would really be dead if he tried this in real life. However, he is funny, and he does have some good jokes in the film. Jay Chou is much better, and it would actually make sense if he was a superhero. Cameron Diaz is not needed in the film. Literally, the film could exist without her. The only reason she's here is probably because more people would come to the film if Cameron Diaz was in it. Christoph Waltz is such an amazing actor, who shouldn't be in this. He had to dumb himself down for this film, for Chrissake's! Originally Nicolas Cage was supposed to be in his role. Why didn't they do that? That would've been amazingly hilarious, and enjoyable!
Michael Gondry directs, the guy who made Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind. Shocking, how a director can go from a damn good film to damn bad film.
Also, why was this film in 3D? There were no scenes in this film that utilised 3D, or could've utilised 3D at all. There was one scene where some bottle caps fly near the viewer, but that's it. That's really it. There is nothing else. 3D is just a useless gimmick that filmmakers use to make more money off of their films. It depresses me that we live in a time where people do this, and won't learn, because it makes more money, which is good for them. If we want no 3D, the film industry needs to undergo some major changes.
Overall, I give this film a 4/10, and that's only based on the comedy. The only reason you have to check this out is if you are a big Seth Rogen fan. I checked it out mostly cause of Christoph Waltz, and was extremely disappointed.
Now let me get this straight. I am not a fan of the Green Hornet. It's not that I don't like the serials and the television show from the 60s, I just don't really care for it. Regardless, I do know the basics. Think of the Batman 60s show, if it was less comedic, and more of a superhero story. Based on that, you should immediately realize that Seth Rogen is NOT supposed to be involved with the Green Hornet in anyway. He was one of the funniest men of the last decade, and should stick to that, not superhero stories, unless it's a parody. Regardless, him and frequent collaborator Evan Goldberg made the Green Hornet, starring Seth Rogen.
The plot concerns Britt Reid (Seth Rogen), the heir to the Daily Sentinel, the biggest newspaper in whichever city they live in. His father (Tom Wilkinson) dies, leaving the newspaper to him. He meets his father's mechanic, Kato (Jay Chou), and the two of them decide to become superheroes, pretending to be criminals, in order to get rid of the crime in the city, and take down Chudnofsky (Christoph Waltz), the head of crime in the city.
Seth Rogen is laughable as a superhero. He has no skills, can't fight for his life, and would really be dead if he tried this in real life. However, he is funny, and he does have some good jokes in the film. Jay Chou is much better, and it would actually make sense if he was a superhero. Cameron Diaz is not needed in the film. Literally, the film could exist without her. The only reason she's here is probably because more people would come to the film if Cameron Diaz was in it. Christoph Waltz is such an amazing actor, who shouldn't be in this. He had to dumb himself down for this film, for Chrissake's! Originally Nicolas Cage was supposed to be in his role. Why didn't they do that? That would've been amazingly hilarious, and enjoyable!
Michael Gondry directs, the guy who made Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind. Shocking, how a director can go from a damn good film to damn bad film.
Also, why was this film in 3D? There were no scenes in this film that utilised 3D, or could've utilised 3D at all. There was one scene where some bottle caps fly near the viewer, but that's it. That's really it. There is nothing else. 3D is just a useless gimmick that filmmakers use to make more money off of their films. It depresses me that we live in a time where people do this, and won't learn, because it makes more money, which is good for them. If we want no 3D, the film industry needs to undergo some major changes.
Overall, I give this film a 4/10, and that's only based on the comedy. The only reason you have to check this out is if you are a big Seth Rogen fan. I checked it out mostly cause of Christoph Waltz, and was extremely disappointed.
True Grit
True Grit is a remake of the popular western, True Grit, released in 1969. It was written and directed by the ever-popular Coen brothers, and starred Hailee Steinfeld, Jeff Bridges, and Matt Damon, as well as Josh Brolin and Barry Pepper. It was released on December 22, 2010.
Well, it's time for another Coen brothers film. You already know that it was gonna be good, but would it hold a candle to the original, or go in a completely different direction? The Coen brothers said while making the film that unlike the original, this was to be a direct adaptation from the 1968 book, with the same name as both films. Quite frankly, I'm glad of this. Not to insult the original film, it's a great one, but compared with the remake, the original is a comedy. I mean no offence with this, it's just in this day and age, True Grit works more as a drama. That said, let's get to the review.
The film was spectacular. It has that Coen brothers feel to it that we all love, where it makes you laugh one minute, and shocks you the next. As well as that, it is an effective Western, having gun competitions while drunk, an ample amount of horse riding, and of course, Rooster Cogburn. It even has some references to the original, ie, "I didn't think you were gonna do it!"
Let's talk about the acting. Jeff Bridges. What can you say about him that hasn't already been said? The man is an amazing actor, and is more than sufficient to replace John Wayne in the role of Rooster Cogburn. Jeff Bridges is always good, and even better when with the Coen brothers, so we all knew he would be good. The person we're all wondering about however, is young Hailee Steinfeld, the new actress who plays Mattie Ross. She was surprsingly good, a very impressive child actor. She was able to play a young child who wanted revenge for her daddy's death, and also a young scared child. It was impressive, and I hope that unlike the original Mattie Ross, she will have a career. Now, for the other actors, Matt Damon, Josh Brolin, and Barry Pepper. Matt Damon plays Texas Ranger La Boeuf, attempting to hunt down Tom Chaney. Matt Damon always does a good job, and this is no exception. Josh Brolin I was fairly surprised with. Whenever he plays villains, I always saw him as a smart villain, a thinker. However, Tom Chaney is just a hired hand, a dumb villain. Josh Brolin surprised me when he played him, because, "I didn't think he'd do it!" All jokes aside, he was very good. Barry Pepper's role was a small one, which he decently acted, but nothing special.
Overall, this film gain s a score of 8.5/10. If you liked the original, check it out. If you like the Coen brothers, check it out. If you like Jeff Bridges, check it out.You should probably just check it out anyways, cause it's really good.
Monday, January 10, 2011
Black Swan
Black Swan is a 2010 film directed by Darren Aronofsky, with a screenplay by Mark Heyman, Andres Heinz, and John McLaughlin, story by Andres Heinz, and starring Natalie Portman, Mila Kunis, Vincent Cassel, and Barbara Hershey. It premiered at the Venice Film Festival on September 1, and was shown at a variety of film festivals since, including TIFF, before receiving a limited release on December 3, and a nationwide release in the United States on December 17.
Black Swan was a film I was highly anticipating, since I heard great reviews from TIFF. Despite living near Toronto, I didn't see it then. However, it recently received a wide release in Canada, and that's when I saw it. So, what did I think of it? Superb. Simply superb. The plot concerns a young ballet dancer, Nina Sayers, played by Natalie Portman, as she is given the role of the Swan Queen in a production of Swan Lake, directed by Thomas Leroy, played by Vincent Cassel. All she wants is to be perfect. Nina is tremendous as the White Swan, but lacks when it comes to the Black Swan. Her understudy, Lily, played by Mila Kunis, fresh from the Griffin household, is a much more better dancer as the Black Swan, and Nina starts to believe that Lily is trying to take the role from her. Scratch that. Nina starts to hallucinate that Lily is trying take the role from her.
When watching this film, you can't help compare with Aronofsky's former film, the Wrestler. Both are about people dedicated to their art, they have tremendous performances from all actors. But that's where the similarities end. Whereas The Wrestler was about an old wrestler trying to survive in the modern world, Black Swan is about a new dancer trying to achieve perfection, and be the best she can be. Whereas The Wrestler was a straight-forward biography of sorts, Black Swan is more of a psychological thriller, with a bit of surreality reminiscent of David Lynch. Hell, there's even a lesbian sex scene in the film! (Despite what people say, Mulholland Drive is still a better sex scene, although this one was quite good.)
The performances in this film were spectacular, particularily from Vincent Cassel, and Barbara Hershey as Nina's overbearing mother. Barbara Hershey was so spectacular in the role, a true bitch who just wants their daughter to be everything they couldn't. I am almost 100% certain that she will win Best Supporting Actress at the Academy Awards this year. Vincent Cassel was also great as the director. He comes across as sexy, in a way, using sexuality to make his dancers become better dancers. Natalie Portman does a very good job, as a fragile young dancer, who only wants to be perfect. Mila Kunis also does a good job. I haven't seen her in anything else, except for Family Guy, of course, so it's good to see she can act too. Credit must also be due to Natalie Portman and Mila Kunis for their tremendous ballet dancing. You would swear that they are both professional ballet dancers.
The directing was brilliant. Aronofsky usually does a good job, and this time is no exception. I especially enjoyed one scene near the end, I don't want to give anything away, but there's a transformation of sorts, and it was just spectacular. He is easily a certain contender for Best Director this year, and if you ask me, it is very likely he may will win as well.
Overall, this film was excellent. It reminded me of David Lynch, which is always a good thing, and the worlds needs more David Lynch, so I recommend you go see this. This film gets a score of 9/10, a definite a-must.
Well, that's it for this review, and I'll see you in the next review.
Black Swan was a film I was highly anticipating, since I heard great reviews from TIFF. Despite living near Toronto, I didn't see it then. However, it recently received a wide release in Canada, and that's when I saw it. So, what did I think of it? Superb. Simply superb. The plot concerns a young ballet dancer, Nina Sayers, played by Natalie Portman, as she is given the role of the Swan Queen in a production of Swan Lake, directed by Thomas Leroy, played by Vincent Cassel. All she wants is to be perfect. Nina is tremendous as the White Swan, but lacks when it comes to the Black Swan. Her understudy, Lily, played by Mila Kunis, fresh from the Griffin household, is a much more better dancer as the Black Swan, and Nina starts to believe that Lily is trying to take the role from her. Scratch that. Nina starts to hallucinate that Lily is trying take the role from her.
When watching this film, you can't help compare with Aronofsky's former film, the Wrestler. Both are about people dedicated to their art, they have tremendous performances from all actors. But that's where the similarities end. Whereas The Wrestler was about an old wrestler trying to survive in the modern world, Black Swan is about a new dancer trying to achieve perfection, and be the best she can be. Whereas The Wrestler was a straight-forward biography of sorts, Black Swan is more of a psychological thriller, with a bit of surreality reminiscent of David Lynch. Hell, there's even a lesbian sex scene in the film! (Despite what people say, Mulholland Drive is still a better sex scene, although this one was quite good.)
The performances in this film were spectacular, particularily from Vincent Cassel, and Barbara Hershey as Nina's overbearing mother. Barbara Hershey was so spectacular in the role, a true bitch who just wants their daughter to be everything they couldn't. I am almost 100% certain that she will win Best Supporting Actress at the Academy Awards this year. Vincent Cassel was also great as the director. He comes across as sexy, in a way, using sexuality to make his dancers become better dancers. Natalie Portman does a very good job, as a fragile young dancer, who only wants to be perfect. Mila Kunis also does a good job. I haven't seen her in anything else, except for Family Guy, of course, so it's good to see she can act too. Credit must also be due to Natalie Portman and Mila Kunis for their tremendous ballet dancing. You would swear that they are both professional ballet dancers.
The directing was brilliant. Aronofsky usually does a good job, and this time is no exception. I especially enjoyed one scene near the end, I don't want to give anything away, but there's a transformation of sorts, and it was just spectacular. He is easily a certain contender for Best Director this year, and if you ask me, it is very likely he may will win as well.
Overall, this film was excellent. It reminded me of David Lynch, which is always a good thing, and the worlds needs more David Lynch, so I recommend you go see this. This film gets a score of 9/10, a definite a-must.
Well, that's it for this review, and I'll see you in the next review.
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