A great film for the under 12's - not to denigrate those under that age - but otherwise the film might be a bit of a bore.
Great looking, with a great cast but ultimately, compared to the book, light weight and a bit disappointing. Nicole Kidman hams it up great as the mysterious and school-marmish Mrs Coulter. The best find in a child actor since the Harry Potter lot - Dakota Blue is smashing and believable - someone to watch out for should she decide to continue acting. Blink and you'll miss him Daniel Craig looked promising whilst I was overly happy to see one of my favourite actors ever, Tom Courtney.
It's an adventure story of a film. The book covers so much more and is so much darker than the film - it covers religion, growing up and so much more. The film, maybe understandably given the range and depth of the subjects covered in the books, does not get to grips with the issues of importance. Nevertheless, the effects are pretty wonderful - especially the polar bears and the animal daemons each of the characters have. It does get a little brutal in some of the bear fight scenes (several grown ups in the audience were heard to 'oooh' at that point) and the scene in which the main character Lyra is subjected to an experiment is very tense and touching.
I did like this film but it's difficult in my mind to separate the Philip Pullman books and the flick. I do hope they get the go ahead for the next two books but hope the future makers stick a little closer to the original substance of the novels.
I would like to comment on the costumes and scenery - pretty much how I had imagined in the books and really pretty wonderful. I loved the architecture of the wealthier houses and the griminess of the docks. The transport was particularly stand out - the coach without horses and sky balloon ships were great.
Another endearing element was in the closeness the film was able to present the relationship of the characters to their corresponding daemons - Lyra's Pan was sweet whether a mouse, moth or pine-martin whilst Mrs Coulter's monkey was a hideous orange monkey-type creature with evil eyes and twitchy fingers. Just as I had imagined (except without the orange hair!)
I really shouldn't be too hard on this film. I'm thankful that it wasn't Americanised - apart from the change in title!!??!!!. Oxford, as a setting, was really refreshing.
This has to be the Christmas film to go and see. It's fun and touching and I will go and see any that follow in the series.
Sunday, 9 December 2007
The Darjeeling Ltd ~~~~~
THE best film of the year (or maybe a tie with Bourne III)!
I loved, loved, loved this film. Totally and for many, many reasons. But before you think oh, I'll go see this, you must first empty your mind and heart of anything alluding to pretentiousness and hardness in order to take the film at face value. A great big smiley face too! (Also if you didn't like 'Life Aquatic' or 'The Royal Tenenbaums' by the same director Wes Anderson, then you'll probably not warm to this either... shame on you!)
Anyway, the story involves three brothers played by Owen Wilson, Adrien Brody and Jason Schwartzman who meet up after their fathers funeral to spend time together and track down their mother who's taken refuge in an abbey in India. The brothers are all full of quirks and have very particular relationships with each other - and at least half the joy of the film can be found in these relationships. They are full of wonder and sentiment, distrust and love. I could have watched their lives and adventures all day! That's the sentimentalist in me perhaps?
Their journey takes them onto the wonderful and colourful 'Darjeeling Ltd' train across India; full of travellers and staff who come into contact with the brothers and enrich and enrage their lives. The brothers bring with them a marvellous array of monogrammed luggage (about 5 or 6 bags each) inherited from their father whilst many of the highlights of the film involve the siblings arguing, squabbling and fighting over other items left to them by their dearly departed pop.
The film is so rich and full of noise and colour - I immediately wanted to have an adventure in India on a train. You could close your eyes and imagine the markets in the towns or the train restaurant carriage and maybe, quite easily, the brothers apartment full of spilled alcohol, perfume and prescription drugs. At some point it could all be interpreted as quite a bizarre world of overindulgence and mental health issues but I see it the other way. Quirky is good. Gentle is wonderful. Love and understanding will make everything better.
Even before the main film begins, you are treated to a wonder 15 minute vignette with brother number three (Schwartzman) and Natalie Portman. Set in a French hotel room, no overlaid music, no explanations one is introduced to an awkward relationship going somewhere unknown. It made me cry - tears of both understanding and joy - joy at how wonderful film can be!
Please give this film a chance. Even if you are disappointed and profess not to know what to do with it, I guarantee it will make an impact one way another. If you'd like to get me a Christmas present (ok it will be a bit late) please get me a copy of this film. Wonderful.
I loved, loved, loved this film. Totally and for many, many reasons. But before you think oh, I'll go see this, you must first empty your mind and heart of anything alluding to pretentiousness and hardness in order to take the film at face value. A great big smiley face too! (Also if you didn't like 'Life Aquatic' or 'The Royal Tenenbaums' by the same director Wes Anderson, then you'll probably not warm to this either... shame on you!)
Anyway, the story involves three brothers played by Owen Wilson, Adrien Brody and Jason Schwartzman who meet up after their fathers funeral to spend time together and track down their mother who's taken refuge in an abbey in India. The brothers are all full of quirks and have very particular relationships with each other - and at least half the joy of the film can be found in these relationships. They are full of wonder and sentiment, distrust and love. I could have watched their lives and adventures all day! That's the sentimentalist in me perhaps?
Their journey takes them onto the wonderful and colourful 'Darjeeling Ltd' train across India; full of travellers and staff who come into contact with the brothers and enrich and enrage their lives. The brothers bring with them a marvellous array of monogrammed luggage (about 5 or 6 bags each) inherited from their father whilst many of the highlights of the film involve the siblings arguing, squabbling and fighting over other items left to them by their dearly departed pop.
The film is so rich and full of noise and colour - I immediately wanted to have an adventure in India on a train. You could close your eyes and imagine the markets in the towns or the train restaurant carriage and maybe, quite easily, the brothers apartment full of spilled alcohol, perfume and prescription drugs. At some point it could all be interpreted as quite a bizarre world of overindulgence and mental health issues but I see it the other way. Quirky is good. Gentle is wonderful. Love and understanding will make everything better.
Even before the main film begins, you are treated to a wonder 15 minute vignette with brother number three (Schwartzman) and Natalie Portman. Set in a French hotel room, no overlaid music, no explanations one is introduced to an awkward relationship going somewhere unknown. It made me cry - tears of both understanding and joy - joy at how wonderful film can be!
Please give this film a chance. Even if you are disappointed and profess not to know what to do with it, I guarantee it will make an impact one way another. If you'd like to get me a Christmas present (ok it will be a bit late) please get me a copy of this film. Wonderful.
Stardust ~~
I'll keep it short and sweet...
A great fantasy film for kids but considerably lacking for grown ups.
Michelle Pfeiffer was beautiful, Clare Danes was pretty awful, Peter O'Toole was alive and just about kicking (wonderful to see him) and Robert De Niro was quite fantastic as a very special pirate (won't give it away!) The lead Charlie Cox did nothing for me whilst Sienna Miller stood out for all the wrong reasons. The biggest highlight for me was in seeing a great ensemble cast of brothers including Rupert Everett, David Walliams and Jason Flemyng. Although an even bigger highlight was in seeing Nathaniel Parker back on the big screen.
Lovely sets, suitable humour, familiar gags. The music was completely overpowering. Just quite hammy and boring really. What a philistine am I?
Nevertheless, it was an enjoyable two hours or so. A possible perfect Sunday afternoon flick to chill out to.
A great fantasy film for kids but considerably lacking for grown ups.
Michelle Pfeiffer was beautiful, Clare Danes was pretty awful, Peter O'Toole was alive and just about kicking (wonderful to see him) and Robert De Niro was quite fantastic as a very special pirate (won't give it away!) The lead Charlie Cox did nothing for me whilst Sienna Miller stood out for all the wrong reasons. The biggest highlight for me was in seeing a great ensemble cast of brothers including Rupert Everett, David Walliams and Jason Flemyng. Although an even bigger highlight was in seeing Nathaniel Parker back on the big screen.
Lovely sets, suitable humour, familiar gags. The music was completely overpowering. Just quite hammy and boring really. What a philistine am I?
Nevertheless, it was an enjoyable two hours or so. A possible perfect Sunday afternoon flick to chill out to.
Elizabeth: The Golden Age ~~~
Cate Blanchett is Queen... literally! She is a magnificent actress and whilst Elizabeth is a great film it is by no means the totally enjoyable romp is could have been. Everything about is hints at greatness but it falls down as slightly disappointing. The cast seem to be doing everything they can to bolster what I think might have been a slightly weak script... or at the very least, a driving plot.
The 1998 original is a far greater film. Maybe less accessible but more memorable and enjoyable for those reasons. Geoffrey Rush (Walsingham), Abbie Cornish (Lady in Waiting), Samantha Morton (Mary Queen of Scots) and Clive Owen (Raleigh) are all excellent in place as are the beautiful costumes (some very modern looking and luscious) and scenery. Unfortunately, with the addition of so many other characters, and the rather dragging yet undeniably predictable love affair triangle between the Cate, Cornish and Owen, Elizabeth the women seems to get a little lost along the way.
There were definite references to some old Errol Flynn films (Fire Over England (1937) and pirate flicks) in the Armada scenes which in another film might have been appropriate but in this wanna be heavy weight just detracted from the otherwise serious substance. It seemed to descend into a rather weak, Vaseline-lensed love fest. We didn't even get to hear the famous "I may have the body of a weak and feeble woman but I have the heart and stomach of a king" speech at Tillbury (whether true or not!). What a let down - but maybe that's just me having studied this period at school!
I'd love to go on more about this film (so maybe it wasn't that bad after all) but time is short. I will say that there were parts which invoked great emotion in me and others which really made me laugh. Even with an undercurrent of murder and intrigue I wanted more. Overall it was very enjoyable just a little light!
The 1998 original is a far greater film. Maybe less accessible but more memorable and enjoyable for those reasons. Geoffrey Rush (Walsingham), Abbie Cornish (Lady in Waiting), Samantha Morton (Mary Queen of Scots) and Clive Owen (Raleigh) are all excellent in place as are the beautiful costumes (some very modern looking and luscious) and scenery. Unfortunately, with the addition of so many other characters, and the rather dragging yet undeniably predictable love affair triangle between the Cate, Cornish and Owen, Elizabeth the women seems to get a little lost along the way.
There were definite references to some old Errol Flynn films (Fire Over England (1937) and pirate flicks) in the Armada scenes which in another film might have been appropriate but in this wanna be heavy weight just detracted from the otherwise serious substance. It seemed to descend into a rather weak, Vaseline-lensed love fest. We didn't even get to hear the famous "I may have the body of a weak and feeble woman but I have the heart and stomach of a king" speech at Tillbury (whether true or not!). What a let down - but maybe that's just me having studied this period at school!
I'd love to go on more about this film (so maybe it wasn't that bad after all) but time is short. I will say that there were parts which invoked great emotion in me and others which really made me laugh. Even with an undercurrent of murder and intrigue I wanted more. Overall it was very enjoyable just a little light!
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