Tyrannosaur v Cloud Atlas

Last week I went to see my best friend Paul and his girlfriend Alicja down Cambridge way. On the way over he told me to rent a DVD so I picked up Tyrannosaur from the slim pickings and also purchased Man on Fire for £4 incase Tyrannosaur turned out to be a Berberian.

(Berberian def; short for Berberian Sound Studio, a flick rated as the film of the year of 2012 by Britain's most established film critic Mark Kermode, but is actually, an exquisite waste of time).

'Park up the side alley my car-park is full'. Paul cried from the kitchen window as I rolled up to his gaff.
I duly do so.
'No park it on the curb, leave room for the tractors'. He said chucking spaghetti into a colander.
I get some revs and throw both wheels onto a high rustic step.
'No get the wheels on the grass beyond the curb, don't fuck up the grass though.' He ordered.
With a reluctant sigh I accelerated gingerly onto the precious grass, knocking out my exhaust on the curb. The belly of my car cried and a throaty explosion followed.
'FUCK IT!' I cried. 'Happy now? Got your two fucking inches worth of space?'

I abandoned the car, ate some spaghetti and watched Tyrannosaur with subtitles so Alicja could follow the dialogue.

MOVIE INFO

Joseph (Peter Mullan) is an unemployed widower with a drinking problem, a man crippled by his own volatile temperament and furious anger. Hannah (Olivia Colman) is a Christian worker at a charity shop, a respectable woman who seems wholesome and happy. When circumstance brings the pair together, Hannah appears as Joseph's guardian angel, tempering his fury and offering him warmth, kindness and acceptance. As their relationship develops, Hannah's own secrets are revealed - her husband (Eddie Marsan) is violent and abusive - and Joseph emerges as her unlikely savior. With striking performances and a deeply felt story, actor-turned-writer/director Paddy Considine's film is a stunning debut about the emergence of grace and redemption from the least likely of places.

The movie starts with a succession of 'cunts' and 'fucks' as the main protagonist (Peter Mullan) gets kicked out of a bookies and stamps his own dog to death. That pretty much sets the tone for the entire movie. What's funny about Peter Mullan is that he was the guy in Braveheart that told Mel Gibson he is not up for fighting the English;

'Fight? Against that? No. We will run. And we will Live."
Then Gibbo gives the freedom speech, persuades Mullan into battle and Mullan gets his fucking head chopped off. Nice one Gibbo.

But in stark contrast to that character Peter Mullan is up for a fight in pretty much every scene in this film. He is of course, a rather unsavoury character, but is eventually redeemed as the characters surrounding him are even more grotesque. He takes sympathy on his neighbours kid and this had shades of Gran Torino for me. But it mainly centres on a relationship with Olivia Colman, a Christian do-gooder of whom is subjected to some pretty nasty stuff from Eddie Marsan. He even pisses on her in her sleep!

As far as British Miserablism goes this is at the better end. There are moments where it needs a rocket up its arse. A few scenes where Mullan asks how Colman likes her tea I could have done without. And the soundtrack is pretty middle of the road for something this extreme.

Tomato Meter - 82% critics
Tomato Meter - 85% audience
Peter Meter - 78%


Last night I got a lift down to Cineworld by my buddy Rael and we watched Cloud Atlas.

MOVIE INFO

Cloud Atlas explores how the actions and consequences of individual lives impact one another throughout the past, the present and the future. Action, mystery and romance weave dramatically through the story as one soul is shaped from a killer into a hero and a single act of kindness ripples across centuries to inspire a revolution in the distant future. Each member of the ensemble appears in multiple roles as the stories move through time

I remember hearing a story about how the NME couldn't review The Beatles track 'Strawberry Fields' because it was so revolutionary and ahead of its time, it literally didn't know what to make of it. And for the first hour of this film I was getting those vibes. This could be either the best film I've ever seen, or the shittest. (Incidentally I researched that NME story to see if I could get any validation for that NME story, but came up with nothing, so most probably heresay).

There are many problems with Cloud Atlas and I feel I should address those first.

1. It's too fucking long. At one point I was wondering if this film was a practical joke. Imagine not knowing anything about a film, watching it, and it just never ends. It looks like it could end at any moment but at what point do you walk out? 3hrs? 5? So having that thought rattling around was not a good thing.

2. There is zero chemistry between Halle berry and Tom Hanks. Considering this film is based on how love is an entity that can survive even death, this for me was a problem.

3. There is about 10 different story-lines taking place in different passages of time. Only about 3 of them were interesting to me. Maybe it's a coincidence that Jim Broadbent was featured heavily in those story-lines, and the ones that were not so interesting, he cameos in.
Maybe not.

4. The tone of the film flicks between serious, comedy, serious, comedy. I found the balance shift slightly misplaced at times. But that's not necessarily a major flaw, black comedy can be pretty hard to pull off.

Ok that's enough negativity. But for a film this ambitious it puts itself out there to be shot at.
At the same time the ambition of the film should be heralded. You don't get many films that look like this and it should be commended for that. The couple of story-lines I enjoyed were done very well. The Whishaw and Broadbent scenes were the best ones for me.

Oh and there's a great sex scene in this, true true.

Tomato Meter - 66% critics
Tomato meter - 73% audience
Peter Meter - 74% 

Last Sunday my best friend Paul got me some tickets to see my team Liverpool host Swansea at Anfield. My first time in going and we thumped the Welsh 5-0. Luis Suarez was omnipotent in that game and the 'You Never Walk Alone' theme sung seconds before kick off sent chills. So go watch Liverpool play at Anfield and NOT Tyrannosaur OR Cloud Atlas.

@thepeterbrooker

Wreck it Ralph v Anna Karenina

So last Sunday I took my buddy Rael down to the local Cineworld to watch Wreck it Ralph.

MOVIE INFO

Ralph (John C. Reilly) is tired of being overshadowed by Fix-It Felix (Jack McBrayer), the "good guy" star of their game who always gets to save the day. But after decades doing the same thing and seeing all the glory go to Felix, Ralph decides he's tired of playing the role of a bad guy. He takes matters into his own massive hands and sets off on a game-hopping journey across the arcade through every generation of video games to prove he's got what it takes to be a hero. On his quest, he meets the tough-as-nails Sergeant Calhoun (Jane Lynch) from the first-person action game Hero's Duty. But it's the feisty misfit Vanellope von Schweetz (Sarah Silverman) from the candy-coated cart racing game, Sugar Rush, whose world is threatened when Ralph accidentally unleashes a deadly enemy that threatens the entire arcade. Will Ralph realize his dream and save the day before it's too late?

First thing to say about this is that there is a beautiful short film at the start called Paperman. It's a delicate little love story that it is utterly enchanting and for the single hopeless romantics out there, this will restore your faith in fate if only for a minute.

On to the film itself. The premise is fantastic, and the story was rich with nice touches. Such as the characters being able to travel from game to game via electrical power leads, discovering bonus levels that were never completed, and having traps such as 'Nesquick sand'. 

The 3D was unnecessary and ended up being slightly formulaic. Other critics have spoke about welling up at the end but my over active tear ducts were unperturbed. That's not to say I wasn't charmed.

Perhaps thinking back I would have liked to have seen more of the characters I grew up with such as Bowser and Ryu. They make brief cameos but aren't developed at all. I guess Disney didn't feel they could make any money on the merchandise for those characters, which is understandable. Why give money to Nintendo or Capcom when they can cash in for their own original characters?

If they make a sequel I hope it turns out to be funnier than this.

On another note I noticed Jane Lynch (gym coach from Glee) voiced the role of Sergeant Calhourn, a cyper gun-toting action heroine on a mission to destroy the bugs in the Sugar Rush. Now the cartoon is demure, athletic and quite sexy, and Jane Lynch is, well, none of those really. So that confused my cock and balls throughout the movie. Maybe Demi Moore would have been a better idea.

Tomato Meter- 85% (critics)

Tomato Meter -89% (audience)

Peter Meter - 78% (5% increase because of Paperman)

Last night I couldn't find anyone to accompany me to see the new Die Hard movie, so reluctantly rented Anna Karenina.

MOVIE INFO

The third collaboration of Academy Award nominee Keira Knightley with acclaimed director Joe Wright, following the award-winning box office successes Pride & Prejudice and Atonement, is a bold, theatrical new vision of the epic story of love, adapted from Leo Tolstoy's timeless novel by Academy Award winner Tom Stoppard. The story powerfully explores the capacity for love that surges through the human heart. As Anna (Ms. Knightley) questions her happiness and marriage, change comes to all around her

I have to admit I fell asleep half way through this flick, but that's not uncommon behaviour for a friday night. I caught the second half just after breakfast this morning. In a way it's the ultimate compliment to any film if I give it a revisit. Everyone should take a break halfway through a film and ask themselves, do I give a shit about what happens to these people? Do I need to see this to the end?

First off I'm not a fan of Keira Knightley. She rarely turns up in a film and makes it a better experience for me. I tolerate her in Love Actually because everything else in that film is brilliant and doesn't revolve around her. Incidentally have you ever thought about that scene where she answers the door to her hubbies best mate who is out in the street with pictures and a megablaster. What if the guy answered the door? Would he have had to go through the same bullshit charade? 

Anyway, Anna Karenina tests my patience ten minutes in because it's just nutty. Adapted from a Tolstoy novel that I had not read. But then there is a fantastically choreographed dance between Aaron Johnson and Knightley that is just mesmerizing and suddenly, I got it. This film is deliberately nutty. A lot of scenes are played out on a theatre stage even though, it's not a play, or an opera. I'm guessing the metaphor would be that life is a stage, and we are all supposed to play a part. 

Jude Law is great in this as the husband of a wife who is cheating on him. Personally I would have liked to have seen him do some shouting or some head-butting, but there's none of that. 

The real winner in this film is the sound guy. There are wonderful touches such as the dance I mentioned earlier where the whipping of dresses are made to sound like ocean waves as the two joust for position on the dance floor, and later on at the horse race when the hand fans are mixed seamlessly into the beating of horse hoofs across the turf.

So a quick heads up to the sound department on this flick, nice job. Incredibly cinematic even though most of it is shot on a theatre stage.

Tomato Meter - 63% (critics)

Tomato Meter - 58% (audience)

Peter Meter - 81%

Earlier in the week I caught the final episode of Africa on the iPlayer. The last scene with Attenborough cooing to a blind baby rhino was incredibly moving. The whole series is a triumph, and should be made compulsory viewing in schools everywhere. I also caught The Doors documentary on the iPlayer. This centered on the making of L.A Woman, The Doors final album before Jim Morrison moved to France and died a few short months after. It had interviews with the remaining members and archive footage and was a real treat for any Doors fans. I was so inspired i instantly went on to eBay and swacked down a bid for a Fender Rhodes as seen played by the keyboardist Ray Manzerick. So watch THE DOORS documentary, and not WRECK IT RALPH or ANNA KARENINA.

@thepeterbrooker

Flight v The Good Shephard

Last weekend I picked up my buddy Alex Greaves and his mate, now our mate Luke and we went to the local Cineworld to watch Flight.

MOVIE INFO

In this action-packed mystery thriller, Academy Award winner, Denzel Washington stars as Whip Whitaker, a seasoned airline pilot, who miraculously crash lands his plane after a mid-air catastrophe, saving nearly every soul on board. After the crash, Whip is hailed as a hero, but as more is learned, more questions than answers arise as to who or what was really at fault and what really happened on that plane?

The first scene contains boobs, fanny, booze and drugs. So I'm in straight away. Infact I'm thinking about walking out knowing that it won't get any better for me than this. But I stayed on. Of course Denzel flies a plane upside down because he is loaded and who can blame him. If I was plummeting to a certain death I'd probably have a crack at doing the same. The first 20 minutes are gripping, and Zemeckis knows how to crash a plane on film. Watch Castaway for proof, but watch this aswel because its better from the view of a cockpit.

The film then plays out as a story about an alcoholic in denial. Denzel is in great form but I would say that where it falls down is that he drinks everything. EVERYTHING. Whiskey, beer, gin vodka. If you're an alcoholic you stick to one poison, and thats where you get your fix. Eventually he becomes undone as the spotlight on him grows. There is a relationship that develops with a crack addict that doesn't go anywhere. The relationship with his son and ex-wife is never properly explored, but despite its flaws, and even though the film doesn't quite come together, it is incredibly watchable, at times pretty amusing. Denzel has his best performance since Training Day but will still lose out in the oscars to Day Lewis.

Best bit - John Goodman trying to sober Denzel up by shoving rails of coke up his nose.
Worst bit - The relationship with the girl that felt like filler.

Tomato Meter - 78% critics
Tomato Meter - 77% audience
Peter Meter - 81%


The second film I managed to catch this week was The Good Shepherd on the iPlayer.

MOVIE INFO

One man bears witness to the secret history of America during the Cold War in this drama directed by celebrated actor Robert De Niro. In 1939, Edward Wilson (Matt Damon) is a young man with a bright future ahead of him -- he's a top student at Yale and the protégé of one of the school's leading English professors, Dr. Fredericks (Michael Gambon). But Wilson's life changes dramatically when he's invited to join Yale's powerful secret society, Skull and Bones. Through his Skull and Bones connections, Wilson meets Sam Murach (Alec Baldwin), an mysterious FBI agent who asks Wilson to investigate charges that Fredericks is a Nazi sympathizer working with the German government. Later, at a Skull and Bones party, Wilson is introduced to Clover Russell (Angelina Jolie), the sister of one of his classmates and the daughter of a powerful politician; their one-night stand leaves Clover pregnant, and Wilson must leave the woman he loves, Laura (Tammy Blanchard), to wed Clover and give their child a name. Shortly after their wedding, thanks to his work with Murach, Wilson is invited to join the Office of Strategic Services, a military intelligence organization organized by Bill Sullivan (Robert De Niro), and Wilson accepts. Through World War II, Wilson serves with the OSS, and learns he can trust no one in the game of international espionage, which helps make him little more than a stranger to his wife, his son, and his few friends. As the OSS evolves into the Central Intelligence Agency after the war, Wilson becomes party to America's darkest and most dangerous secrets, and in the wake of the futile Bay of Pigs invasion in 1961, Wilson is forced to make a terrible choice between the security of his nation and the safety of his family. Inspired by the true-life story of CIA founder James J. Angleton, The Good Shepherd boasts an impressive supporting cast, including William Hurt, John Turturro, Billy Crudup, Joe Pesci, and Timothy Hutton.

I watched it in bits because its close to 3 hours long. Many things intrigued me about this film. Matt Damon is one of my favourite actors, De Niro directs and co-stars. Alec Baldwin is in the mix, but the main reason for me was the fact that Joe Pesci was amongst the cast. Let me tell you something incase other people are going to watch the movie hinged on that particular reason. He turns up after 2 hours for twenty seconds as a bit part, and I have no idea what relevance it had on the movie. He looked spent, and did nothing. Very disappointed. The rest of the film has little mystery, but ticks along and is a bit like Tinker Tailor Soldier What Now? but with a cohesive plot.

Best bit - When a girl gets chucked out of a plane.
Worst bit - Seeing how old Joe Pesci was for 20 seconds.

Tomato Meter - 54% critics
Tomato Meter - 52%
Peter Meter - 61%



Well thats it for this week. Yesterday I did manage to get to South Bank and had a tour of Tate Modern. Really inspirational. I highly recommend Picasso's Cubism Art, and the light display they have in the cinema bit. So watch Picasso at Tate Mordern and not FLIGHT or THE GOOD SHEPHARD.


@thepeterbrooker

Zero Dark Thirty v Moonrise Kindom

Last sunday I caught the late showing of Zero Dark Thirty with my good buddy Alex Greaves and the lovely Lauren Gell at the local Cineworld.

MOVIE INFO

For a decade, an elite team of intelligence and military operatives, working in secret across the globe, devoted themselves to a single goal: to find and eliminate Osama bin Laden. Zero Dark Thirty reunites the Oscar winning team of director-producer Kathryn Bigelow and writer-producer Mark Boal (The Hurt Locker) for the story of history's greatest manhunt for the world's most dangerous man.

Going in I had mixed expectations. I liked the directors previous picture The Hurt Locker, but had not been overwhelmed with other war films set in the Middle east. Black Hawk Down was ok, Three Kings I've not revisited, The Green Zone was a major disappointment. Vietnam spawned the best war flicks. Platoon, Born on the Fourth of July, Full Metal Jacket and yes I'm going to throw Forrest Gump in there too.
So knowing the content, the genre, even the ending to the film before going in, gave me an unnerving sense of trepidation. The film reportedly was based upon a failed attempt to capture Bin Laden, but after we nailed that dick in 2011 the writers had to rejig the script. The beginning shows a lot of torture scenes. Torture scenes always leave me pondering; at what point would I blab. Waterboarding looks terrible, but I'd take that any day over someone duct taping my hands to a steering wheel, snipping the ends of my fingers off with a cigar cutter before cauterizing the wound with a dashboard lighter. (Anyone care to name that movie?).
But there is a lot of it, and at the core of the film lies the question, does torture work as a means to get information? Is it morally right to do so?
Well the film doesn't glaze over this. Infact the information that secures the lead to Bin Ladens lair is actually ascertained without the use of torture, so you could say, no. By the way that is not a plot spoiler if you know your history.
I would say there was a lot of meat to this film, some of which I found hard to get through. Much like the massive bag of Minstrels I was eating to myself, I enjoyed it, but found it tough going. (I managed though).
The ending however is fascinating. The finale of the seal team going in without the consent of the Pakistani government and taking down the big dick was realistic and gripping. The end is not really an ending or a cliff hanger so brace yourself for that.

Best bit: When Jessica Chastain is told that we're going in. It's time to kick ass!
Worst bit: When I heard that they're not showing this film in Pakistan because they believe the content is not appropriate. Come on Pakistan, grow up.

Tomato Meter - 94% (critics)
Tomato Meter - 84% (audience)
Peter Meter  - 80%

So last night I got a bag of chips and a steak pie and rented Moonrise Kingdom.

MOVIE INFO

Set on an island off the coast of New England in the summer of 1965, Moonrise Kingdom tells the story of two twelve-year-olds who fall in love, make a secret pact, and run away together into the wilderness. As various authorities try to hunt them down, a violent storm is brewing off-shore -- and the peaceful island community is turned upside down in more ways than anyone can handle. Bruce Willis plays the local sheriff. Edward Norton is a Khaki Scout troop leader. Bill Murray and Frances McDormand portray the young girl's parents. The cast also includes Tilda Swinton, Jason Schwartzman, and Jared Gilman and Kara Hayward as the boy and girl. 

I fell asleep with my clothes on during this movie and woke up this morning with my feet dangled dangerously close to the fan heater. So I caught the last half hour between writing the second book and making some Italian tomato soup. First off, its hard to get involved with a film about scouts. I fucking hated being in the scouts myself. I broke my arm during a game of 'it' when a porker fell on top of me. Every other scout earned their first aid badge as they took it in turns to put my bust arm in a sling before I was shipped off to an A&E. I don't use the word hate lightly and I vehemently hated the scouts. But I managed to put my prejudices aside and enjoyed the cuteness of this little film. It has a good heart and every shot is clinical. All the actors are playing everything straight, little room for emotion. The feel of the film was perhaps better than its content. I was never bored but Wes Anderson is an acquired taste and chances are you won't like this if you don't like his other work. Royal Tenenbaums, Fantastic Mr Fox etc.

Best bit: Realizing I hadn't set fire to myself in my sleep.
Worst bit: Feeling that I wasted a Friday night.

Tomato Meter - 94% (critics)
Tomato Meter - 87% (audience)
Peter Meter - 74%


Now lately i have been too busy to watch anything recent, but I will recommend a better Wes Anderson movie; Rushmore. I remember catching that at college and think I might dig that one out later and watch it. So watch RUSHMORE and not ZERO DARK THIRTY or MOONRISE KINGDOM.

@thepeterbrooker