Guilty Pleasure?

Ok, so I'm still debating whether this film is one to rave about or not. It certainly does have its highlights (including supporting actors, pace- to name a few) but it also has its fair share of cringe-worthy moments (dialogue, plot, predictability, etc). I first saw this film in the cinema and later purchased it on blu-ray as a means to watch it without having to worry about giving my brain a workout. It certainly is a lot more enjoyable than the previous film I wrote about but it does have its moments where you're left thinking 'I saw that coming'. The Sweeney is a remake of the classic TV series of the same name from the 1970s starring John Thaw and Dennis Waterman. I know I'm not normally a fan of remakes but considering I had never watched the original series (though I had heard of it), I thought I'd give it a go. Plus, the fact that they weren't making it into a comedy in the vein of Starsky and Hutch and Charlie's Angels was a bonus. It follows Ray Winstone as Regan, (the character that John Thaw made famous) and his partner George Carter as portrayed by Ben Drew (a role originated by Dennis Waterman). Ray Winstone is his usual cockney, larger-than-life self, something that works well as a hardened cop but no real surprises there. It is Drew's Carter that is the pleasant surprise here; I came into the film only knowing him as his rap persona - Plan B, I left the film satisfied that Drew isn't just another singer  who think they can act when really it is just an excuse for another paycheque. His laid-back style in this film is a nice contrast to Winstone's fired-up angry cop but Drew holds his own in the scenes that require emotion (as seen when defending his partner) yet, instead of over-acting, he is able to calmly act through the scene without hamming it up. Damian Lewis also makes a notable appearance as Carter and Regan's boss, giving the film an almost sense of credibility.

I guess this film's downfall is the development of the female characters, in which there doesn't seem to be much. The main female character as portrayed by Hayley Atwell is, at first glance, a modern 21st Century girl-a member of the notorious Flying Squad, she can kick ass and still get the guy. Of course, when the guy happens to be middle-aged, gruff Winstone, I don't know if that can be ruled as a good thing. And looking closer still, yes she is one of the few females to be a part of the Cop Crew but, aside from doling out a little slap here and there, she still has to hide behind Winstone's Regan and stand aside while the men save the day. But, I guess this is a typical testosterone-filled action, and given its predictability, shouldn't be taken too seriously.

The pace is what stops this film from becoming too dull and stale. The action is constant, even if the storyline was one I had seen before in previous films. Although, having it set in a glamorous-styled London is a nice change of scenery from typical British films (drab, constantly raining, poverty are just some connotations that spring up when I think of a British film). It is still obviously British though, so no need to worry that the British Film Industry has turned Hollywood.

  All in all, an enjoyable film with some predictable bits here and there. A film to watch when lazing around, I give it 3 out of 5 ***

What An Appropriate Title

Bullet to the...
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Well, what can I say about this film? I originally saw Bullet To The Head at the cinema, after someone dragged me along to see it. All I can think is that I must have offended the person I was with in the past for them to make me suffer at the hands of this film. There have been very few times when I've nearly walked out of a cinema due to the atrocity showing on the big screen, this being up there. I guess I'll start at the beginning, since that seems logical. The film opens up on a black and white sequence that the audience later finds to be a flashback. First, if that wasn't a cliched film technique then I don't know what is. Second, it was filmed in a way that would have been more suitable in an 80s Rap music video-slow motion with jagged cuts along with the aforementioned black and white technique. Yes, I get it-throwback to 80s action films especially with Stallone starring but other movies have managed it without being so obvious.
Next up are the actors-I've already mentioned Stallone. I don't think there's a Stallone-starring film out there that should be taken seriously so I guess it is my fault for going to see it. But really, that's no excuse for his mumbling-I was straining to understand him. It was also no excuse for his co-star Sung Kang, whose acting was painful to watch. Christian Slater also pops up as a sidekick to the main villain, shouting his way through all of his lines, giving Al Pacino a run for his money (and no, not in a good way).
I would comment on Jason Momoa's turn as the henchman to the villain but since he seemed to be there purely for muscle, I forgot most of his performance. Maybe the fact that I fell asleep towards the end explains my amnesia (something I haven't done since I was a toddler)
The storyline is a basic plot that has been seen over and over in films-man has daughter who gets kidnapped, man goes after bad guys for revenge. Daughter falls for the older man's younger partner. That was it. Whereas in other films the plot gets fleshed out, here it stays the simple premise as noted above.
   I don't think I have ever left the cinema faster than I did after watching Bullet To The Head. I give this film 2 out of 5 **

Most Anticipated Films of 2013

Picture by jwelcher Photo

Let's start with Iron Man 3. This is a film that I have mixed feelings about. Half of me is really excited to see what is in store for Tony Stark and his Iron Man adventures, especially after seeing The Avengers. Going by that alone would totally leave me convinced that the next installment will be a hit. But then I remember Iron Man 2...Not a bad film by itself but when compared with the first Iron Man, it shows that Iron Man 2 had a long way to go to even begin to compare (ignore the fact that I saw the film 3 times in the cinema and now I naturally find the best character to be Sam Rockwell's Justin Hammer). It seemed to me on reflection, that the sequel tried too hard-at making it funny, the first one doing so naturally; at trying to pack in as many characters as possible; at the rushed storyline of Tony's drink problem. I also think over-seeing the trailer didn't help, so I'm learning my lesson by staying away from future online spoilers/trailers (not an easy task). Here's hoping that the combination of Shane Black's writing (who directed one of my favourites Kiss Kiss Bang Bang) and the presence of Robert Downey Jr make it a more enjoyable film.

Next up is Carrie. Yes again, I'm a bit skeptical about this one. After all, it is

Original picture by screenweek Photo

 a remake, something most people are right in criticising. If a film is successful, then why the need to present it in the same format a few years later? However, Carrie has a strong cast (Chloe Grace Moretz as the title character, Julianne Moore as Carrie's mother) and hopefully it will bring a modern spin to a Stephen King classic. I have my fingers crossed for this one.

The Way, Way Back IMDB  Click to see more details.
Of course, you should have expected Sam Rockwell film on the list. But don't worry, I'm not just picking it purely for the fact that Rockwell stars in it. This is an indie comedy co-starring Steve Carell, Toni Collette and Allison Janney so hopefully it will be in the same vein as Little Miss Sunshine, a previous indie starring Carell. The Way, Way Back has premiered at Sundance Film Festival with strong reviews so hopefully they know what they're talking about. I'm hoping for a quirky comedy with plenty of laughs.

Original picture by Pop Cutler Geek Photo

Kick-Ass 2 is another film I'm excited to seeing this year. With the majority of the cast from the first film returning, with the additions of Jim Carrey and Donald Faison to the cast, this looks to be a promising sequel. I have to admit, my only problem with the first Kick-Ass, was Nicolas Cage as Big Daddy. Yes, I know that he was meant to have based his character on Adam West and how he used to speak for the original Batman series, but that didn't stop it being distracting and off-putting to the rest of the film. My worry about the sequel is that it's not by the same director or writer (Matthew Vaughn and Jane Goldman) but I'm sure it's in capable hands of the current director.

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TV Time....White Collar

So, this was a tv series that I discovered back in 2010. I was on the lookout for a new series in between Chuck's seasons (2007-another TV series worth watching, especially the first two seasons). What drew me to White Collar in the first instance was one of the main stars-Matt Bomer who I was familiar with from watching him in Chuck. Plus, the premise sounded cool and original-conman who teams up with an FBI agent to solve white collar crimes. Well, by the end of the first episode I was hooked. An extended episode, it set up all the characters perfectly. The first scene tells you everything you need to know about Matt Bomer's Neal Caffrey, without giving too much away so the audience has no need to tune in the next week. A conman, the first episode sees him serving time when he decides to just walk out. An unlikely occurrence, you may think but, along with the strong writing by creator Jeff Eastin and the natural charisma of Matt Bomer, it all suddenly seems possible. Eventually, the law catches up with him in the shape of Tim DeKay's FBI Agent Peter Burke but it isn't long until Neal is wheeling and dealing, coming up with the idea of him helping out the FBI with unsolvable crimes.
And so a beautiful partnership is formed. The chemistry between DeKay and Bomer is unmistakable, making the audience switch sides between the moral (Peter Burke) and the bending-the-rules side (Neal Caffrey). On more than one occasion during season 1, I found myself either rooting for the child-like conman with a heart or the more practical, right-side of the law adult. Combining the non-stop action with comic writing made the show exciting, thrilling and funny, not just a rip-off of Catch Me If You Can or just another one of the numerous crime shows already out there. The supporting characters are also what make the show-Willie Garson is hilarious as Neal's con-associate/mentor which is where most of the humour comes from. Tiffani Thiessan makes a nice return to TV (I grew up watching her in Saved By The Bell) as Peter's wife, a lovely partnership that breaks all stereotypes in TV.  And of course, not forgetting the great Diahann Carroll, Neal's landlady with her own stories to tell.
White Collar is a programme that will constantly leave you wanting more, especially with the cliffhangers (featured in the mid-season and end-of-season finales.) I've watched it with more than one person who all gasp out loud when coming to the end of the episode with a big reveal, all asking me what will happen next. Hopefully, it will continue for a long time to come-I give the show as a whole 4.5 out of 5 ****1/2.

Let's Talk About...Seven Psychopaths

Seven Psychopaths...
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 Seven Psychopaths was a film that me and a friend discovered back in December. I remember seeing the trailer at a re-release showing of The Shining and thought 'Oh, that looks intriguing and amusing'. Well, I'm glad to say it exceeded my expectations. I loved every minute of it (which is a rare thing for me.) The pace was fast, the humour was spot on and the three main actors were perfect for each role. We'll start with Colin Farrell as poor, hapless, writer Marty. Now I'm not usually a fan of Colin Farrell, although I quite enjoyed his performance as In Bruges (from same director as Seven Psychopaths), he never wowed me as he did others when he was in The Recruit. And I was always rooting for Kiefer Sutherland's character in Phone Booth rather than his main protagonist. But there was something quite endearing about his on-screen frustration and exasperation towards his friend Billy (Sam Rockwell) to eventually his devotion to both Billy and Hans (Christopher Walken). The audience sees everything through Marty, as he researches into his new idea for a movie-Seven Psychopaths, learning about each psychopath he wants to feature with hilarious results. Christopher Walken stars as Hans who's in business with Billy. His performance throughout was so relaxed and at ease, a nice contrast to Rockwell's Billy. Who, let's face it, was the main attraction to the film with his energetic performance never once ceasing. With anyone else cast as the slightly manic Billy, the role may have come across as annoying or unsympathetic but with Rockwell's devotion to totally immerse himself in a role, Billy becomes loveable even after doing questionable things throughout. It's Billy's determination to be a good friend to Marty that shines through, especially towards the end and that is very evident due to the performance here. His quick-fire deliveries with Colin Farrell and Woody Harrelson's villain of the film makes the pace constant, leaving the audience members satisfied. The humour was dark, though since it was a film about psychopaths, it was an almost given. The humour may not suit everyone, as it did get slightly gory at some points (though certainly not on a horror film scale) but it catered to my tastes. It had the right amount of quirkiness that didn't leave me thinking that it was a device of the filmmaker to make the film forcefully unique (other films have a habit of deliberately using a technique in a film to try and show the audience that they are different, leaving them thinking what was the point as it seemed to have no significance.) All in all, a quirky, funny film with a lot of heart that will hopefully stay with you long after the credits have ran. Speaking of, there's a fun little scene before the credits properly start which was a nice surprise. I give this film 4 out of 5 ****

Lights, Camera, Action!

(Picture by Nikolissima http://www.flickr.com/photos/nikolissima/7975666806/in/photostream )

So, my initial reason to starting up this blog was due to the fact that I felt I lost my passion of anything media-related. I studied Media as a degree and have always wanted to do something more with that. A particular event at work had opened my desire again - What better way, I thought, than showing others what I thought of a particular film and maybe even point people in the direction of any cool films I've seen (and which ones to steer clear of). I have a habit of going through phases of having favourite actors. A couple of years ago, it was Robert Downey Jr. This year, it's Sam Rockwell. So if you see a string of films with something in common (i.e. with the same actor appearing in more than one film featured), then you will know why. I will feature reviews of my favourite TV shows as well, shows that I think deserve to be watched and loved. The blog will also have special features: future films; TV show of the month; films with specific actors that will be rated, etc.

So sit back, grab some popcorn and read on.