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
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