So, we pass the first half of 2012, the next film night will be in July and then it's all down hill to Christmas! Anyway, I digress, what was the last film of the first half of 2012 I hear you ask?
Dear John
I have a real problem with blogging Dear John, normally I have a good many words, stuck in my head, to describe the film we have watched, way before the film has ended.
Tonight, I have nothing. My head is empty.
Dear John was not a bad film, but was it a good film? That's a matter of opinion. I enjoyed it, but nothing jumped out at me, grabbed me by the neck and screamed "enjoy this film!!" into my left ear.
Let's put some details in here, so you can get what the film is about.
John Tyree, played magnificently by Channing Tatum, is a Special Forces soldier on leave in his hometown, when he has a chance meeting with Savannah Curtis, played by the quite cute looking Amanda Seyfried. They spend two weeks together. Two weeks where they fall in love. At the end of the two weeks, John needs to return to the army. They vow to get back together after John's one year tour of duty is at an end.
In the meantime, they write to each other constantly, and a lot of the film is taken up with the reading of these letters.
However, after the attacks of 9/11 John decides to re-sign up for more active service and although Savannah doesn't want him to, him does and they continue to write, until the letters stop.
OK, there's the basic idea. There is more storyline surrounding this thin plot, which includes John and Savannah's family and to be honest, these peripheral stories are somewhat better than the main action in many respects. However, they do all come together in the end, so keep concentrating.
Dear John is billed as a romantic drama. It was romantic, but hardly a weepy. It was dramatic, but not very. The story was good, but could have been better. The acting was really good though and made up for the somewhat thin plot.
The book is probably a lot better.
Anyway that was Dear John.
Tuesday 26 June 2012
Tuesday 19 June 2012
Unknown - 19th June 2012
So, after watching Taken a few weeks ago, we are trying a similar film, also starring Liam Neeson;
Unknown
According to the blurb on the cover of the DVD; "Fans of Taken are gonna love this".
I was / am a fan of Taken, it was a good film, but the jury is still out on Unknown. Don't get me wrong, it was a gripping, dramatic film.
Liam Neeson is fantastic and is certainly rising up the "Actors I Like" chart. Diane Kruger, was also brilliant. However, the storyline in Unknown has left me a little confused, not difficult I know, but still. Let me elaborate.
Liam Neeson plays biochemist Martin Harris, who is heading off to a major conference in Berlin. He is accompanied by his wife Liz, (played by the lovely January Jones)............
But is he, Martin Harris? Is he heading off to a major conference in Berlin. And is Liz really his wife?
These are the questions you'll be asking yourself after the first 10 minutes!
Martin Harris, is involved in a car accident and awakes from a coma, four days later in hospital and is convinced he is Martin Harris. However, when he catches up with his wife, he finds there is another man posing as Martin Harris!
Confused? You will be.
To tell you here and now, why we have two Martin Harris's, would give the game away and make the film pointless to watch. However, although is is not a patch on Taken, Unknown is worth the watch. It may even get on the list of films to watch again, if only to work out some of the confusion I still have.
Obviously, Martin Harris is not who he says he is, but you will have to watch the film to find out who he really is. Let's just say that there are themes of espionage, terrorism and assassination going on. Although the cross, double cross, undercover, identity swap and who is working for who routines are a little jaded and extremely confusing, if you do not concentrate.
Anyway, that was Unknown. Enjoy!
Unknown
According to the blurb on the cover of the DVD; "Fans of Taken are gonna love this".
I was / am a fan of Taken, it was a good film, but the jury is still out on Unknown. Don't get me wrong, it was a gripping, dramatic film.
Liam Neeson is fantastic and is certainly rising up the "Actors I Like" chart. Diane Kruger, was also brilliant. However, the storyline in Unknown has left me a little confused, not difficult I know, but still. Let me elaborate.
Liam Neeson plays biochemist Martin Harris, who is heading off to a major conference in Berlin. He is accompanied by his wife Liz, (played by the lovely January Jones)............
But is he, Martin Harris? Is he heading off to a major conference in Berlin. And is Liz really his wife?
These are the questions you'll be asking yourself after the first 10 minutes!
Martin Harris, is involved in a car accident and awakes from a coma, four days later in hospital and is convinced he is Martin Harris. However, when he catches up with his wife, he finds there is another man posing as Martin Harris!
Confused? You will be.
To tell you here and now, why we have two Martin Harris's, would give the game away and make the film pointless to watch. However, although is is not a patch on Taken, Unknown is worth the watch. It may even get on the list of films to watch again, if only to work out some of the confusion I still have.
Obviously, Martin Harris is not who he says he is, but you will have to watch the film to find out who he really is. Let's just say that there are themes of espionage, terrorism and assassination going on. Although the cross, double cross, undercover, identity swap and who is working for who routines are a little jaded and extremely confusing, if you do not concentrate.
Anyway, that was Unknown. Enjoy!
Tuesday 12 June 2012
Shallow Hal - 12th June 2012
Tuesday Night is Film Night, continues with another Farelly Brothers comedy tonight, as we delve into the film fun of;
Shallow Hal
So another Farelly Brothers comedy, this time from 2001, starring Jack Black and Gwyneth Paltrow.
Shallow Hal is the tale of Hal (Jack Black), who is unsurprsingly, shallow.
Indeed he is very shallow when it comes to girls. He attempts to date women who are physically beautiful. Which more often than not ends in failure.
However, a chance meeting with television self-help guru; Tony Robbins. (I'm not sure if this guy is a real-life self-help guru, I think so, it'll be worth a Google).
Anyway, this chance meeting in a broken down lift, gives Tony Robbins a chance to help Hal with his women problem. So Hal is kind of hypnotised by Robbins, into seeing the inner beauty of all the women he encounters.
So, you can now guess what happens next........
Yup, the next woman Hal see's, he see's the inner beauty and not the "real" person, who maybe, not wanting to be offensive here, large, buxom, not pretty (avoid the use of the word ugly!), etc. etc.
This is where he bumps into Rosemary, (Paltrow). To Hal she is the skinny blond beauty, (that The Paltrow is), in reality and in the eyes of others, she is a distinctly overweight blond individual, with huge knickers ( you'll see), that has a heart of gold and the body of a heffer.
I'm not going to spoil the film too much, it is a comedy and there are some hilarious moments, but watch out for the sad bits! Oh yes, you'll be reaching for the tissues at some point. Let's just say that Hal see's the inner beauty in lots of people.
Jack Black is brilliant, as Hal. He is totally believable and perfect for the part and Gwyneth Paltrow is a perfect foil, either as her skinny self, or suited up in the "Rosemary fat suit".
I didn't hold up much hope for Shallow Hal. I was totally wrong. Totally, It was a fantastic film and will be on the "watch again" list.
Oh and watch out for the end credits, a lovely touch. They show all the cast and crew either in photo or video form, so you actually see everyone who worked on the movie. Well, I liked it!
Enjoy.
Shallow Hal
So another Farelly Brothers comedy, this time from 2001, starring Jack Black and Gwyneth Paltrow.
Shallow Hal is the tale of Hal (Jack Black), who is unsurprsingly, shallow.
Indeed he is very shallow when it comes to girls. He attempts to date women who are physically beautiful. Which more often than not ends in failure.
However, a chance meeting with television self-help guru; Tony Robbins. (I'm not sure if this guy is a real-life self-help guru, I think so, it'll be worth a Google).
Anyway, this chance meeting in a broken down lift, gives Tony Robbins a chance to help Hal with his women problem. So Hal is kind of hypnotised by Robbins, into seeing the inner beauty of all the women he encounters.
So, you can now guess what happens next........
Yup, the next woman Hal see's, he see's the inner beauty and not the "real" person, who maybe, not wanting to be offensive here, large, buxom, not pretty (avoid the use of the word ugly!), etc. etc.
This is where he bumps into Rosemary, (Paltrow). To Hal she is the skinny blond beauty, (that The Paltrow is), in reality and in the eyes of others, she is a distinctly overweight blond individual, with huge knickers ( you'll see), that has a heart of gold and the body of a heffer.
I'm not going to spoil the film too much, it is a comedy and there are some hilarious moments, but watch out for the sad bits! Oh yes, you'll be reaching for the tissues at some point. Let's just say that Hal see's the inner beauty in lots of people.
Jack Black is brilliant, as Hal. He is totally believable and perfect for the part and Gwyneth Paltrow is a perfect foil, either as her skinny self, or suited up in the "Rosemary fat suit".
I didn't hold up much hope for Shallow Hal. I was totally wrong. Totally, It was a fantastic film and will be on the "watch again" list.
Oh and watch out for the end credits, a lovely touch. They show all the cast and crew either in photo or video form, so you actually see everyone who worked on the movie. Well, I liked it!
Enjoy.
Tuesday 5 June 2012
Abduction - 6th June 2012
Avoiding links to the jubilee celebrations and all things royal, this weeks' Tuesday Night is Film Night, heads off into the realms of undercover espionage and double cross, with the gritty drama;
Abduction
So then, Abduction was not that bad, although at the start, it did seem to be any excuse to see Taylor Lautner with his shirt off.
Lautner plays Nathan, a so-it-would-seem ordinary high school kid, however he is soon to discover that he has a completely different past to the one that he knows.
Whilst working on a school project with friend and neighbour; Karen (Lily Collins), Nathan finds a missing persons website, with what looks to be a picture of Nathan when he was younger. Intrigued by this, he starts to delve deeper and contacts the website.
The site tries to obtain more information about Nathan but he smells a rat and speaks to his parents to ask if they are really his Mum and Dad.
Before they can explain the situation, two "cops" turn up at the house and several struggles later, both parents and both "cops" are dead and the house explodes, luckily Nathan and Karen escape.
Yes, it's a confusing start, but stay with it. It does get a lot better and you will be gripped.
It turns out that Nathan is the son of a CIA operative, who has some information that some foreign terrorists are after. Nathan is the key to getting this information. If they can get to the son, they can get the father.
It is all a bit confusing, but it is remarkably good. Some great performances from Lautner, in the lead role. Also, Alfred Molina who plays a slightly dodgy CIA agent and Sigourney Weaver, who is at first Nathan therapist, but turns out to be a good CIA agent.
If you can stick with the storyline Abduction is a really good drama. Slightly let down by a poor ending, but the journey to get there, is worth the ride.
Abduction
So then, Abduction was not that bad, although at the start, it did seem to be any excuse to see Taylor Lautner with his shirt off.
Lautner plays Nathan, a so-it-would-seem ordinary high school kid, however he is soon to discover that he has a completely different past to the one that he knows.
Whilst working on a school project with friend and neighbour; Karen (Lily Collins), Nathan finds a missing persons website, with what looks to be a picture of Nathan when he was younger. Intrigued by this, he starts to delve deeper and contacts the website.
The site tries to obtain more information about Nathan but he smells a rat and speaks to his parents to ask if they are really his Mum and Dad.
Before they can explain the situation, two "cops" turn up at the house and several struggles later, both parents and both "cops" are dead and the house explodes, luckily Nathan and Karen escape.
Yes, it's a confusing start, but stay with it. It does get a lot better and you will be gripped.
It turns out that Nathan is the son of a CIA operative, who has some information that some foreign terrorists are after. Nathan is the key to getting this information. If they can get to the son, they can get the father.
It is all a bit confusing, but it is remarkably good. Some great performances from Lautner, in the lead role. Also, Alfred Molina who plays a slightly dodgy CIA agent and Sigourney Weaver, who is at first Nathan therapist, but turns out to be a good CIA agent.
If you can stick with the storyline Abduction is a really good drama. Slightly let down by a poor ending, but the journey to get there, is worth the ride.
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