Tuesday Night is Film Night squeezes in a film tonight, after we missed last week. This week we see what happens in;
Drinking Buddies
So what is Drinking Buddies all about? According to IMDB;
"Luke (Jake Johnson) and Kate (Olivia Wilde) are co-workers at a brewery who spend their nights drinking and flirting heavily. One weekend away together with their significant others (Jill and Chris played by Anna Kendrick and Ron Livingston), proves who really belongs together and who doesn't."
And that's it, it looks to all intents and purposes that the opposite members of the two main couples are ideal for each other and we watch as the relationships bloom and dissolve accordingly.
The story is as weak as the beer they are constantly drinking. The dialogue is as scintillating as an empty beer barrel. It looks like director Joe Swanberg has tried to let the actors ad-lib their way through the film, which in this particular case does not work at all. Not one iota!
It is diabolically bad. In fact it is insipid, vacuous and with no redeeming features whatsoever. Except for the end credits and they couldn't come soon enough. Even at 90 minutes long, that was 89 minutes too long for us.
Really, really awful film. And one that will go on the "never to be repeated and burn the DVD at the soonest possible moment" pile!
TNiFN Rating 8%
(And that was for Olivia Wilde taking her top off!)
IMDB Link
Tuesday 29 July 2014
Tuesday 15 July 2014
The Trials of Cate McCall - 15th July 2014
We are back again for another Tuesday Night is Film Night. This week, amid the hustle and bustle of mid July, we can just about squeeze in a drama from 2013. This week's film is;
The Trials of Cate McCall
There is nothing like a good courtroom drama to get the Film Night juices flowing and The Trials of Cate McCall is certainly a fantastic example of that genre, but it is also a lot more than that. Kate Beckinsale takes the eponymous lead in this thrilling drama, playing the hotshot lawyer McCall. Unfortunately, we find Cate at the start of the film as a recovering alcoholic, on probation and fighting to reclaim her place at the bar. More than that, she is in a custody battle with her estranged husband, fighting to maintain contact with their young daughter. All in all, Cate is in bad shape at the start. She attends Alcoholics Anonymous for what it is worth and can only take the cases she is given to prove her worthiness as a lawyer. Her only companion in all of this is Bridges, played with a superb gruff, yet friendly persona by Nick Nolte. We do not find out until the very end, the connection between the two, apart from them both being lawyers, that is.
After the initial set up, which you need to follow closely for salient pieces of information, the film falls into the main plot line, which is where Cate is assigned the case of Lacey Stubbs (Anna Anissimova). Lacey was convicted of the murder of another woman, however she has always pleaded her innocence and has appealed at every step of her conviction and imprisonment. When Cate picks up this case, she is convinced of Lacey's guilt, but something changes her mind as she delves deeper into the case. Working on her own, apart from support from Bridges, Cate pieces together a defence that could clear Lacey's name. She finds suggestions of police misconduct, witness and evidence tampering, along with corruption in the DA's office, information that could blow the case right out of the water and also cause issues for Cate, as she throws doubt on the evidence and names those that have lied in court to convict an innocent person.
However, to get to this part of the film we have only gotten halfway and there is more story to unravel. There's a cliffhanger for you.
We said at the top of the blog that this was more than a courtroom drama and it is, but the courtroom scenes are superb. Kate Beckinsale is truly sublime as McCall, reminiscent of Kevin Costner as Jim Garrison in JFK, although you would be hard pressed to find better courtroom scenes than the ones in JFK. However, McCall (Beckinsale) is truly magnificent as she turns the case around, leading witnesses to stumble over their previously submitted evidence. It's real gripping stuff.
The beauty of this superbly written drama (written and directed by Karen Moncrieff), is the multi-faceted threads that you need to follow to reach the end of the film. It is titled "The Trials......" because it's not just the case of Lacey Stubbs, it is the personal trials for Cate, the previous trials that she has been involved in that come to the fore, the custody issues and the constant battle against the bottle. All of these things combined come together to make a compelling, memorable and very watchable drama. Although the film only weighs in at 93 minutes long, within that time frame there is a lot of information to digest, a lot of dialogue to listen to, a lot of character interaction to understand and that is what makes it so real, so intriguing and so compelling.
The beauty of this superbly written drama (written and directed by Karen Moncrieff), is the multi-faceted threads that you need to follow to reach the end of the film. It is titled "The Trials......" because it's not just the case of Lacey Stubbs, it is the personal trials for Cate, the previous trials that she has been involved in that come to the fore, the custody issues and the constant battle against the bottle. All of these things combined come together to make a compelling, memorable and very watchable drama. Although the film only weighs in at 93 minutes long, within that time frame there is a lot of information to digest, a lot of dialogue to listen to, a lot of character interaction to understand and that is what makes it so real, so intriguing and so compelling.
It's certainly one for the Watch Again list, not just for the story, but for the benefit of those at TNiFN Towers who were not around to watch it or those who fell asleep during some crucial moments! From the perspective of the blogger; I'll watch it again because it is a worthy film to watch and one which kept me enthralled throughout.
TNiFN Rating 92%
TNiFN Rating 92%
Tuesday 8 July 2014
Captain Phillips - 8th July 2014
Tuesday Night is Film Night goes all nautical this week, as we take to the high seas for a thrilling drama, but will we be splicing the main brace or walking the plank after;
Captain Phillips
Tom Hanks takes the lead role as Rich Phillips, the captain of the container ship Maersk Alabama, tasked with moving cargo from Oman to Mombassa. The route takes them past the coast of Somalia, renowned in recent history for it's pirates. Phillips is alert to these threats and orders some drills to ensure security, however a drill turns to reality as they are followed closely by a small band of pirates, intent on capturing the huge container ship. The Alabama being unarmed has to resort to standard procedures to fend off any attacks, which include the deployment of high pressure water hoses to keep any attackers from boarding. Needless to say this deterrent does not deter them for long.
There, in a nutshell, is the set up for this tale of piracy. Based on the true story of the Maersk Alabama hijacking of 2009. Captain Rich Phillips and lead pirate, for want of a better phrase; Abduwali Muse, fight out the remainder of the film in a dramatic, nail biting and gripping affair.
Hanks, as always gives 100% as the kidnapped captain and Barkhad Abdi provides a fitting adversary in the form of Muse. The film is more than a drama, we see a battle of wits and the strange juxtaposition between the two leaders, who have more in common than first meets the eye and it is this link that is revisited throughout the film. Although in real peril Phillips manages to form a tenuous bond to Muse, which invariably saves his life.
As was mentioned earlier it is a gripping story, but not just for the mere fact that it is true, the way the story unfolds keeps you hooked and draws you in closer and closer to the action, the developing story and ultimately to the dramatic ending. At two hours and fourteen minutes long, it is no mean feat to keep the audience captured for so long, so it is therefore to the credit of the director Paul Greengrass and to the writer of the screenplay Billy Ray, that they have taken a real life adventure and adapted it for the big screen, in such a way that as the story evolves, the action, drama and tension intensifies. They drip feed information and twists which has the effect of maintaining the viewers concentration and pulls them into the story.
Credit should also go to Richard Phillips as well, for his book that the film was based upon; "A Captain's Duty: Somali Pirates, Navy SEALs, and Dangerous Days at Sea". Captain Phillips was nominated for six Oscars in 2014, but failed to secure a win in any of the categories, which is a real shame, as the film is a definite "must watch". It also continues our view here at TNiFN Towers, that Tom Hanks has never made a bad film and continues to be one of our all time favourite actors.
Credit should also go to all the actors who portrayed the Somali pirates, as they were spot on with their determination, aggression and demeanor. (Barkhad Abdi, Barkhad Abdirahman, Faysal Ahmed and Mahat M. Ali). Apparently the first day of shooting the hijack scenes, was the first time the actors playing the pirates, had met the actors playing the Alabama crew. This was done so that the tension between the two groups was more tangible. It certainly worked. The interplay between the two sides was perfect and the intervention of the Navy and ultimately the Navy Seals was not over played as is sometimes the case with American hero / action movies. Greengrass played down the action and heroics, more intent on capturing the tension of the piece, going not for an action movie, but a reaction movie.
As for the scores, well this one divided the room yet again.
TNiFN Rating 87%
Blogger's note: Watching films with two women can be quite tricky, as although I'm no stranger to the chick-flick, the female contingent don't seem to be able to reciprocate when it comes to a biographical thriller. So although I absolute loved Captain Phillips, one member of the audience classed it as boring after about an hour. Unfortunately their score was lower and therefore the rating suffers. You can't win them all.
IMDB Link
Captain Phillips
Tom Hanks takes the lead role as Rich Phillips, the captain of the container ship Maersk Alabama, tasked with moving cargo from Oman to Mombassa. The route takes them past the coast of Somalia, renowned in recent history for it's pirates. Phillips is alert to these threats and orders some drills to ensure security, however a drill turns to reality as they are followed closely by a small band of pirates, intent on capturing the huge container ship. The Alabama being unarmed has to resort to standard procedures to fend off any attacks, which include the deployment of high pressure water hoses to keep any attackers from boarding. Needless to say this deterrent does not deter them for long.
There, in a nutshell, is the set up for this tale of piracy. Based on the true story of the Maersk Alabama hijacking of 2009. Captain Rich Phillips and lead pirate, for want of a better phrase; Abduwali Muse, fight out the remainder of the film in a dramatic, nail biting and gripping affair.
Hanks, as always gives 100% as the kidnapped captain and Barkhad Abdi provides a fitting adversary in the form of Muse. The film is more than a drama, we see a battle of wits and the strange juxtaposition between the two leaders, who have more in common than first meets the eye and it is this link that is revisited throughout the film. Although in real peril Phillips manages to form a tenuous bond to Muse, which invariably saves his life.
As was mentioned earlier it is a gripping story, but not just for the mere fact that it is true, the way the story unfolds keeps you hooked and draws you in closer and closer to the action, the developing story and ultimately to the dramatic ending. At two hours and fourteen minutes long, it is no mean feat to keep the audience captured for so long, so it is therefore to the credit of the director Paul Greengrass and to the writer of the screenplay Billy Ray, that they have taken a real life adventure and adapted it for the big screen, in such a way that as the story evolves, the action, drama and tension intensifies. They drip feed information and twists which has the effect of maintaining the viewers concentration and pulls them into the story.
Credit should also go to Richard Phillips as well, for his book that the film was based upon; "A Captain's Duty: Somali Pirates, Navy SEALs, and Dangerous Days at Sea". Captain Phillips was nominated for six Oscars in 2014, but failed to secure a win in any of the categories, which is a real shame, as the film is a definite "must watch". It also continues our view here at TNiFN Towers, that Tom Hanks has never made a bad film and continues to be one of our all time favourite actors.
Credit should also go to all the actors who portrayed the Somali pirates, as they were spot on with their determination, aggression and demeanor. (Barkhad Abdi, Barkhad Abdirahman, Faysal Ahmed and Mahat M. Ali). Apparently the first day of shooting the hijack scenes, was the first time the actors playing the pirates, had met the actors playing the Alabama crew. This was done so that the tension between the two groups was more tangible. It certainly worked. The interplay between the two sides was perfect and the intervention of the Navy and ultimately the Navy Seals was not over played as is sometimes the case with American hero / action movies. Greengrass played down the action and heroics, more intent on capturing the tension of the piece, going not for an action movie, but a reaction movie.
As for the scores, well this one divided the room yet again.
TNiFN Rating 87%
Blogger's note: Watching films with two women can be quite tricky, as although I'm no stranger to the chick-flick, the female contingent don't seem to be able to reciprocate when it comes to a biographical thriller. So although I absolute loved Captain Phillips, one member of the audience classed it as boring after about an hour. Unfortunately their score was lower and therefore the rating suffers. You can't win them all.
IMDB Link
Tuesday 1 July 2014
Philomena - 1st July 2014
Tuesday Night is Film Night hits July with our 209th film. After missing out last week, although we did manage a cinema trip, which hasn't been blogged (waiting for it to come out on Blu-ray), we'll continue tonight with a film that we wanted to see at the cinema when it was released, but missed out. Tonight's offering is;
Philomena
We were hoping that Philomena would be a charming and lovely biographical drama and we were not disappointed. It is delightful and heartwarming, innocent in nature, but with some sinister plot overtones as well. What's more it is based on a true story, as documented in Martin Sixsmith's book of 2009; "The Lost Child of Philomena Lee".
Philomena charts the story of Philomena Lee from her humble Irish childhood, through a teenage pregnancy, which led her to being ensconced into the care of nuns at the abbey in Roscrea. Although this settlement was far from cosy and she was forced to work in the laundry, to pay her way and for the care of her child. After 4 years of toil, Philomena learns that Anthony; her son, was taken away for adoption. Thus we have the basis for the story, Philomena keeps her son a secret until the day that would have been his 50th birthday. She retells the story to her daughter, who in turn bumps into Martin Sixsmith at a party, where she is acting as a waitress. She suggests that Sixsmith, who had recently fallen heavily from grace within the Labour party, may like to take up the journalistic challenge of this nice human interest story. He graciously declines, but the thought clearly sits in the back of his mind, as he ends up taking a U-turn and meeting Philomena to gain some depth to the story.
Let us take a break there from the story itself and concentrate more on the cast. Philomena is played flawlessly by Judi Dench, she delivers a gentle Irish brogue, allied with a sweet innocence of character, which is just perfect. One time BBC journalist and Labour party adviser Martin Sixsmith is portrayed by Steve Coogan, who also wrote the screenplay and produced the film. Clearly Coogan immersed himself into this story as he portrays Sixsmith with a passion and total honesty.
The film then takes off as Martin and Philomena start trying to piece together the movement of Anthony after the nuns at Roscrea arrange for his adoption. This turns into a transatlantic adventure after the discovery that American families came over to Ireland to adopt the children looked after by the nuns. Obviously we don't want to spoil the story here, but it does not follow the feelgood formula, as Martin finds Anthony fairly quickly, about a third of the way through the film. However, it is not that simple as there are many, many plot twists and turns to the story that you are not necessarily expecting. Which is such a delight to not to follow a predictable path, but to be led on this amazing and very personal journey.
Not only is the story fantastic and true, but it is also the way that the film highlights the juxtaposition between Philomena's and Martin's outlooks. Philomena just wanted to know that Anthony was safe and happy. Whilst Martin with his dogged journalistic instincts wants answers as to why the nuns at Roscrea gave away a mother's son without letting her know, even almost 50 years on, why, where or how things turned out. Philomena is happy to forgive, Martin wants some kind of atonement.
We were really looking forward to Philomena and it was a pleasure to watch, there is a depth of story that you don't get with other films. There are subtleties with the delivery, the dialogue is natural and free flowing and funny. The comedic lines are more intuitively delivered, not artificial at all, bringing even more realism to what is already a true story, based on people that are still alive. It is this realism and honesty that makes the film. Although in parts it is clearly lachrymose and wistful, as this story would be expected to be, the way that Dench and Coogan play off one another is a delight to watch.
We often elude to the formulaic approach to movies, that provide a certain security in the knowledge that you know you're going on a journey, but it will end up all alright in the end, with Philomena that formula is torn up and we instead rely on a well delivered narrative, from a beautifully written script, based on a book that is filled with humanity without irony, based on an amazing real life story that is both endearing and touching.
We must buy the book now.
As for the TNiFN scores, yet another bone of contention, although the blogger loved it, the blogger's wife was slightly more restrained in her appraisal when it comes to dishing out the scores. Anyhow, enough chicanery!
TNiFN Rating 87%
IMBD Link
Philomena
We were hoping that Philomena would be a charming and lovely biographical drama and we were not disappointed. It is delightful and heartwarming, innocent in nature, but with some sinister plot overtones as well. What's more it is based on a true story, as documented in Martin Sixsmith's book of 2009; "The Lost Child of Philomena Lee".
Philomena charts the story of Philomena Lee from her humble Irish childhood, through a teenage pregnancy, which led her to being ensconced into the care of nuns at the abbey in Roscrea. Although this settlement was far from cosy and she was forced to work in the laundry, to pay her way and for the care of her child. After 4 years of toil, Philomena learns that Anthony; her son, was taken away for adoption. Thus we have the basis for the story, Philomena keeps her son a secret until the day that would have been his 50th birthday. She retells the story to her daughter, who in turn bumps into Martin Sixsmith at a party, where she is acting as a waitress. She suggests that Sixsmith, who had recently fallen heavily from grace within the Labour party, may like to take up the journalistic challenge of this nice human interest story. He graciously declines, but the thought clearly sits in the back of his mind, as he ends up taking a U-turn and meeting Philomena to gain some depth to the story.
Let us take a break there from the story itself and concentrate more on the cast. Philomena is played flawlessly by Judi Dench, she delivers a gentle Irish brogue, allied with a sweet innocence of character, which is just perfect. One time BBC journalist and Labour party adviser Martin Sixsmith is portrayed by Steve Coogan, who also wrote the screenplay and produced the film. Clearly Coogan immersed himself into this story as he portrays Sixsmith with a passion and total honesty.
The film then takes off as Martin and Philomena start trying to piece together the movement of Anthony after the nuns at Roscrea arrange for his adoption. This turns into a transatlantic adventure after the discovery that American families came over to Ireland to adopt the children looked after by the nuns. Obviously we don't want to spoil the story here, but it does not follow the feelgood formula, as Martin finds Anthony fairly quickly, about a third of the way through the film. However, it is not that simple as there are many, many plot twists and turns to the story that you are not necessarily expecting. Which is such a delight to not to follow a predictable path, but to be led on this amazing and very personal journey.
Not only is the story fantastic and true, but it is also the way that the film highlights the juxtaposition between Philomena's and Martin's outlooks. Philomena just wanted to know that Anthony was safe and happy. Whilst Martin with his dogged journalistic instincts wants answers as to why the nuns at Roscrea gave away a mother's son without letting her know, even almost 50 years on, why, where or how things turned out. Philomena is happy to forgive, Martin wants some kind of atonement.
We were really looking forward to Philomena and it was a pleasure to watch, there is a depth of story that you don't get with other films. There are subtleties with the delivery, the dialogue is natural and free flowing and funny. The comedic lines are more intuitively delivered, not artificial at all, bringing even more realism to what is already a true story, based on people that are still alive. It is this realism and honesty that makes the film. Although in parts it is clearly lachrymose and wistful, as this story would be expected to be, the way that Dench and Coogan play off one another is a delight to watch.
We often elude to the formulaic approach to movies, that provide a certain security in the knowledge that you know you're going on a journey, but it will end up all alright in the end, with Philomena that formula is torn up and we instead rely on a well delivered narrative, from a beautifully written script, based on a book that is filled with humanity without irony, based on an amazing real life story that is both endearing and touching.
We must buy the book now.
As for the TNiFN scores, yet another bone of contention, although the blogger loved it, the blogger's wife was slightly more restrained in her appraisal when it comes to dishing out the scores. Anyhow, enough chicanery!
TNiFN Rating 87%
IMBD Link
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