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
Tuesday, 8 July 2014
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
Tuesday, 17 June 2014
Last Vegas - 17th June 2014
Tuesday has come around yet again, tonight we are settling down with a recent film, well recent DVD / Blu-ray release anyway. From 2013 and starring Michael Douglas, Robert De Niro, Morgan Freeman and Kevin Kline, we present;
Last Vegas
Well we have been waiting to see this one since it came out at the cinema and we missed it. And it was worth waiting for. Last Vegas is like The Hangover for pensioners! However, it is a lot more than that, what's it all about? Well let us fill in some detail.
Michael Douglas, Robert De Niro, Morgan Freeman and Kevin Kline star as Billy, Paddy, Archie and Sam, four best friends from childhood who grew up together, forming their own gang who would stick together through thick and thin. Roll forward 58 years and their lives have changed. Billy is due to get married to a girl half his age. Archie has had a stroke. Sam is living the old aged Florida life, waiting for death and Paddy is mourning the loss of his wife and is still annoyed that Billy never came to the funeral. Based on those facts the story begins. Billy calls up the boys (except Paddy) to announce his forthcoming wedding. Archie and Sam are determined to get away from their staid and stale existence and throw a bachelor party in Vegas for Billy, all they need to do is to convince Paddy to come along.
And that's about it for the basic opening gambit of this touching story of friends, friendship, loyalty and love. A lot of people, us included, have suggested that Last Vegas is The Hangover on Viagra, but it isn't really. The Hangover is anarchic, erratic, wacky humour, Last Vegas is more mellow, mature and moralistic. All of which is a good thing, it takes the irreverence of a bachelor party and belies it with an undercurrent of moral fibre, adding weight to a fun story, but without stealing the laughs at the same time. And there are laughs a plenty. It's more dialogue based humour than slapstick, relying on the first rate acting skills of the quadrumvirate of male stars. Allied to this four cornered male plot line, we have an older woman to provide a love interest as well as a sideline plot, yes indeed when the guys eventually get to Vegas, they bump into cabaret singer Diana played by the gorgeous, delightful and thoroughly delectable Mary Steenburgen. (A keen favourite here at TNiFN Towers).
The film naturally falls into three parts; the setup and travel to Vegas; the party section where then fun begins, but where also some twists are wrung out of the plot. Finally the movie is rounded off with the ending where those twists are straightened out and the loose ends that get frayed in the middle section are tidied up.
Yes it does follow the feelgood film formula. And yes, it does so in a standardised way, but it follows the formula with a brilliantly written script, which is wonderfully delivered with energy and verve by our oldie actors, but also with beautifully timed irreverence, alongside solemnity and pathos where the story dictates.
That might be over egging the pudding somewhat, but Last Vegas just seems to tick a lot of boxes, albeit the boxes we here at TNiFN tend to define in our choice of films.
If we are to look at individual performances, we would have to pick out Morgan Freeman as being just so cool and perfect for Archie. Michael Douglas does a great job of almost sending himself up with his very orange tan, (he makes David Dickinson look pale!) his very white teeth and dyed hair, which were all a necessity to make sure that the successful and rich Billy was portrayed by Douglas with the correct persona. Keven Kline was great as Sam, providing a lot of the laughs with his Viagra fulled antics. And of course Robert De Niro played the gruff, dour Paddy as only De Niro can. Mary Steenburgen just lights up the screen almost without effort and is always a delight to watch.
So there you go. A cracking little movie, oh yes, a cracking little movie. Watch it!
TNiFN Rating 83%
IMDB Link
Last Vegas
Well we have been waiting to see this one since it came out at the cinema and we missed it. And it was worth waiting for. Last Vegas is like The Hangover for pensioners! However, it is a lot more than that, what's it all about? Well let us fill in some detail.
Michael Douglas, Robert De Niro, Morgan Freeman and Kevin Kline star as Billy, Paddy, Archie and Sam, four best friends from childhood who grew up together, forming their own gang who would stick together through thick and thin. Roll forward 58 years and their lives have changed. Billy is due to get married to a girl half his age. Archie has had a stroke. Sam is living the old aged Florida life, waiting for death and Paddy is mourning the loss of his wife and is still annoyed that Billy never came to the funeral. Based on those facts the story begins. Billy calls up the boys (except Paddy) to announce his forthcoming wedding. Archie and Sam are determined to get away from their staid and stale existence and throw a bachelor party in Vegas for Billy, all they need to do is to convince Paddy to come along.
And that's about it for the basic opening gambit of this touching story of friends, friendship, loyalty and love. A lot of people, us included, have suggested that Last Vegas is The Hangover on Viagra, but it isn't really. The Hangover is anarchic, erratic, wacky humour, Last Vegas is more mellow, mature and moralistic. All of which is a good thing, it takes the irreverence of a bachelor party and belies it with an undercurrent of moral fibre, adding weight to a fun story, but without stealing the laughs at the same time. And there are laughs a plenty. It's more dialogue based humour than slapstick, relying on the first rate acting skills of the quadrumvirate of male stars. Allied to this four cornered male plot line, we have an older woman to provide a love interest as well as a sideline plot, yes indeed when the guys eventually get to Vegas, they bump into cabaret singer Diana played by the gorgeous, delightful and thoroughly delectable Mary Steenburgen. (A keen favourite here at TNiFN Towers).
The film naturally falls into three parts; the setup and travel to Vegas; the party section where then fun begins, but where also some twists are wrung out of the plot. Finally the movie is rounded off with the ending where those twists are straightened out and the loose ends that get frayed in the middle section are tidied up.
Yes it does follow the feelgood film formula. And yes, it does so in a standardised way, but it follows the formula with a brilliantly written script, which is wonderfully delivered with energy and verve by our oldie actors, but also with beautifully timed irreverence, alongside solemnity and pathos where the story dictates.
That might be over egging the pudding somewhat, but Last Vegas just seems to tick a lot of boxes, albeit the boxes we here at TNiFN tend to define in our choice of films.
If we are to look at individual performances, we would have to pick out Morgan Freeman as being just so cool and perfect for Archie. Michael Douglas does a great job of almost sending himself up with his very orange tan, (he makes David Dickinson look pale!) his very white teeth and dyed hair, which were all a necessity to make sure that the successful and rich Billy was portrayed by Douglas with the correct persona. Keven Kline was great as Sam, providing a lot of the laughs with his Viagra fulled antics. And of course Robert De Niro played the gruff, dour Paddy as only De Niro can. Mary Steenburgen just lights up the screen almost without effort and is always a delight to watch.
So there you go. A cracking little movie, oh yes, a cracking little movie. Watch it!
TNiFN Rating 83%
IMDB Link
Tuesday, 10 June 2014
Charlie St. Cloud - 10th June 2014
Tuesday Night is Film Night is having another Zac Efron night, as he stars in this week's film;
Charlie St. Cloud
Oh lordy lordy! How does one start a review of this film? It was really great on many levels, but it could also be classed as being pretty bad on many other levels as well. It is a unique story in a way, but it is also a mish-mash of many other stories rolled into one. It's almost beyond genre classification, dealing with romance, fantasy, supernatural overtones and drama. Let us leave it like that for now and put some facts into it, then we'll return to the critique.
Based on the book by Ben Sherwood; The Death and Life of Charlie St. Cloud, Zac Efron takes the lead as Charlie St. Cloud; an accomplished young sailor whose life is ahead of him as he secures a college scholarship that should take him away from his sleepy Pacific Northwest hometown. Kim Basinger stars as Charlie's mother and Charlie Tahan plays his younger brother; Sam. The drama kicks off early in the story, as Charlie survives a tragic accident, involving himself and Sam. The upshot of this tragedy is that Charlie starts to see life in a new and unique way. The plot takes on another turn when his high-school classmate Tess (Amanda Crew) returns home unexpectedly. Charlie is then torn between maintaining a promise he made to Sam five years earlier and possibly moving forward with a new found love interest in the form of Tess.
Needless to say putting too much detail into the synopsis will spoil the story, so we'll leave it there, however Charlie and Sam move forward together, trying to make sense of the past, present and future.
We said that it was great on many levels, that is true. The story is unique to a degree, it is also full of drama, suspense and twists, which always lends itself to films such as this, to make them more interesting. However does that make the film seem much better than it really is? Which leads nicely to the disappointing levels. The ladies of the house may not agree, but Zac Efron doesn't quite cut it as the lead actor here. He was a little hammy to start off with, getting better as the film went on, but perhaps another actor may have been better. That's harsh, but Efron may have been cast more for his looks than the gravitas he could have bought to this role. Although we liked the story, sometimes the plot wore thin and thus you could lose interest. Stick with it and it is heart-warming, it is moving and ultimately rewarding, but it could have been a lot more.
Not an easy or long review, which often indicates the level of quality of the film. We at TNiFN Towers did enjoy it, but perhaps we could have enjoyed it more.
TNiFN Rating 71%
IMDB Link
Charlie St. Cloud
Oh lordy lordy! How does one start a review of this film? It was really great on many levels, but it could also be classed as being pretty bad on many other levels as well. It is a unique story in a way, but it is also a mish-mash of many other stories rolled into one. It's almost beyond genre classification, dealing with romance, fantasy, supernatural overtones and drama. Let us leave it like that for now and put some facts into it, then we'll return to the critique.
Based on the book by Ben Sherwood; The Death and Life of Charlie St. Cloud, Zac Efron takes the lead as Charlie St. Cloud; an accomplished young sailor whose life is ahead of him as he secures a college scholarship that should take him away from his sleepy Pacific Northwest hometown. Kim Basinger stars as Charlie's mother and Charlie Tahan plays his younger brother; Sam. The drama kicks off early in the story, as Charlie survives a tragic accident, involving himself and Sam. The upshot of this tragedy is that Charlie starts to see life in a new and unique way. The plot takes on another turn when his high-school classmate Tess (Amanda Crew) returns home unexpectedly. Charlie is then torn between maintaining a promise he made to Sam five years earlier and possibly moving forward with a new found love interest in the form of Tess.
Needless to say putting too much detail into the synopsis will spoil the story, so we'll leave it there, however Charlie and Sam move forward together, trying to make sense of the past, present and future.
We said that it was great on many levels, that is true. The story is unique to a degree, it is also full of drama, suspense and twists, which always lends itself to films such as this, to make them more interesting. However does that make the film seem much better than it really is? Which leads nicely to the disappointing levels. The ladies of the house may not agree, but Zac Efron doesn't quite cut it as the lead actor here. He was a little hammy to start off with, getting better as the film went on, but perhaps another actor may have been better. That's harsh, but Efron may have been cast more for his looks than the gravitas he could have bought to this role. Although we liked the story, sometimes the plot wore thin and thus you could lose interest. Stick with it and it is heart-warming, it is moving and ultimately rewarding, but it could have been a lot more.
Not an easy or long review, which often indicates the level of quality of the film. We at TNiFN Towers did enjoy it, but perhaps we could have enjoyed it more.
TNiFN Rating 71%
IMDB Link
Tuesday, 3 June 2014
The Graduate 3rd June 2014
Tuesday Night is Film Night is going way back in time tonight. Last week was a brand new film, this week we uncover a classic, but will it be an education as we watch;
The Graduate
Well to say this has been on our "Watch List" for quite a while is an understatement. Yes, we have to go all the way back to 1967 for The Graduate, although it's only been on the list for the last few years.
What can we say about The Graduate that hasn't been said already? Well, we're not sure but we will give it a go and provide a synopsis and a critique.
Starring Dustin Hoffman as Benjamin Braddock and Anne Bancroft as the seductive Mrs Robinson, The Graduate is a quirky, sometimes dark, comedic tale of lust and love. Benjamin is the 21 year old graduate who returns home to his parents house to find a jubilant crowd to celebrate his educational achievements. Unfortunately Ben is none too pleased by the attention, preferring to spend time alone in his room, enjoying the sound of silence. Coerced to make an appearance, he reluctantly shows himself to the crowd, only to be forced back into seclusion, this time pursued by one Mrs Robinson. Mrs Robinson asks Ben to give her a lift home and this is where the seduction and affair starts. Interestingly, although Ben is 21 and Mrs Robinson is; ".....nearly twice your age....", Hoffman and Bancroft were 30 and 36 respectively at the time of filming.
The Robinson's daughter; Elaine is around the same age as Ben and as both families have been close for years, it seems sensible for Ben to be more interested in Elaine, Ben's parents are certainly pushing for that liaison, but Ben understandably is reticent and his ongoing affair with Mrs Robinson is a bit of a showstopper. In fact, Mrs Robinson point blank refuses any kind of tryst between Ben and Elaine. However, this doesn't stop Ben and this momentary love triangle implodes in a bout of impropriety.
That should suffice for the synopsis, obviously the story continues, but if you haven't already enjoyed The Graduate we won't spoil the ending.
The Graduate is a classic film, albeit somewhat dated viewing some 47 years after release, but it has stood the test of time and is pleasant story. A couple of points to make that entices The Graduate from the shadows of mediocrity and into the spotlight of glory. Firstly; there is the fantastic cast, Bancroft and Hoffman are sublime. Ann Bancroft especially as the the seductive siren that is Mrs Robinson, providing a Sixties style of sexual allure. Benjamin's father is played by William Daniels, who later to rose to further fame as the voice of KITT the futuristc car and star of Knight Rider. Secondly, and very importantly the soundtrack provided by Simon and Garfunkel is fantastic. All songs were penned by Paul Simon and we defy you not to be singing along to the musical backdrop to this film.
It was definitely worth waiting for and we are pleased that we have seen this film, although it was quirky and the comedy was thin. The moody Benjamin Braddock was a tad precocious and troubled to start off with, but the story and characters played out quite well eventually.
What can you say? It's a classic, although the TNiFN Rating may not reflect that.
TNiFN Rating 70%
IMDB Link
The Graduate
Well to say this has been on our "Watch List" for quite a while is an understatement. Yes, we have to go all the way back to 1967 for The Graduate, although it's only been on the list for the last few years.
What can we say about The Graduate that hasn't been said already? Well, we're not sure but we will give it a go and provide a synopsis and a critique.
Starring Dustin Hoffman as Benjamin Braddock and Anne Bancroft as the seductive Mrs Robinson, The Graduate is a quirky, sometimes dark, comedic tale of lust and love. Benjamin is the 21 year old graduate who returns home to his parents house to find a jubilant crowd to celebrate his educational achievements. Unfortunately Ben is none too pleased by the attention, preferring to spend time alone in his room, enjoying the sound of silence. Coerced to make an appearance, he reluctantly shows himself to the crowd, only to be forced back into seclusion, this time pursued by one Mrs Robinson. Mrs Robinson asks Ben to give her a lift home and this is where the seduction and affair starts. Interestingly, although Ben is 21 and Mrs Robinson is; ".....nearly twice your age....", Hoffman and Bancroft were 30 and 36 respectively at the time of filming.
The Robinson's daughter; Elaine is around the same age as Ben and as both families have been close for years, it seems sensible for Ben to be more interested in Elaine, Ben's parents are certainly pushing for that liaison, but Ben understandably is reticent and his ongoing affair with Mrs Robinson is a bit of a showstopper. In fact, Mrs Robinson point blank refuses any kind of tryst between Ben and Elaine. However, this doesn't stop Ben and this momentary love triangle implodes in a bout of impropriety.
That should suffice for the synopsis, obviously the story continues, but if you haven't already enjoyed The Graduate we won't spoil the ending.
The Graduate is a classic film, albeit somewhat dated viewing some 47 years after release, but it has stood the test of time and is pleasant story. A couple of points to make that entices The Graduate from the shadows of mediocrity and into the spotlight of glory. Firstly; there is the fantastic cast, Bancroft and Hoffman are sublime. Ann Bancroft especially as the the seductive siren that is Mrs Robinson, providing a Sixties style of sexual allure. Benjamin's father is played by William Daniels, who later to rose to further fame as the voice of KITT the futuristc car and star of Knight Rider. Secondly, and very importantly the soundtrack provided by Simon and Garfunkel is fantastic. All songs were penned by Paul Simon and we defy you not to be singing along to the musical backdrop to this film.
It was definitely worth waiting for and we are pleased that we have seen this film, although it was quirky and the comedy was thin. The moody Benjamin Braddock was a tad precocious and troubled to start off with, but the story and characters played out quite well eventually.
What can you say? It's a classic, although the TNiFN Rating may not reflect that.
TNiFN Rating 70%
IMDB Link
Bad Neighbours - 27th May 2014
A slight diversion for Tuesday Night is Film Night, we actually went to the cinema to watch a new release! Here's the blog for;
Bad Neighbours
It’s true that Bad Neighbours could have been a really terrible film, but it is of that popular irreverent comedy genre of recent history that seems to get away with being bad.
Luckily Bad Neighbours isn't actually bad, but it is only quite good. With 97 minutes of anarchic comedy. A decent cast that includes Seth Rogen, Rose Byrne and an almost funny Zac Efron, who tends to appear half naked most of the time just for the titillation factor. The story flits between unfunny, funny and outrageous.
The plot revolves around Marc and Kelly Radner (Rogen and Byrne), a young couple with a six-month-old daughter, Stella and their new neighbours; a fraternity of university students. The club, "Delta Psi Beta", is led by president Teddy Sanders (Efron) who befriends the couple. However the students’ penchant for endless partying leads the couple next door to eventually call the police, an act that the university students see as a breakdown of their neighbourly friendship.
So a war of neighbours ensues, as each house attempts to force the other to leave the neighbourhood. Things escalate quickly and sometimes hilariously, with each antic more ridiculous than the last.
Bad Neighbours has fun with the idea of people coping with what is expected from them at a certain point in their life. On one side we have a young couple desperately trying to prove to themselves that life has not changed as they struggle to cope as new parents. And the fun loving students who soon realise that there is more to life than wall-to-wall partying.
It's a fun film, the jokes could be better and longer though. Not sure that it was worth the full ticket price at the cinema! Luckily we had vouchers.
TNiFN Rating 77%
IMDB Link
Bad Neighbours
It’s true that Bad Neighbours could have been a really terrible film, but it is of that popular irreverent comedy genre of recent history that seems to get away with being bad.
Luckily Bad Neighbours isn't actually bad, but it is only quite good. With 97 minutes of anarchic comedy. A decent cast that includes Seth Rogen, Rose Byrne and an almost funny Zac Efron, who tends to appear half naked most of the time just for the titillation factor. The story flits between unfunny, funny and outrageous.
The plot revolves around Marc and Kelly Radner (Rogen and Byrne), a young couple with a six-month-old daughter, Stella and their new neighbours; a fraternity of university students. The club, "Delta Psi Beta", is led by president Teddy Sanders (Efron) who befriends the couple. However the students’ penchant for endless partying leads the couple next door to eventually call the police, an act that the university students see as a breakdown of their neighbourly friendship.
So a war of neighbours ensues, as each house attempts to force the other to leave the neighbourhood. Things escalate quickly and sometimes hilariously, with each antic more ridiculous than the last.
Bad Neighbours has fun with the idea of people coping with what is expected from them at a certain point in their life. On one side we have a young couple desperately trying to prove to themselves that life has not changed as they struggle to cope as new parents. And the fun loving students who soon realise that there is more to life than wall-to-wall partying.
It's a fun film, the jokes could be better and longer though. Not sure that it was worth the full ticket price at the cinema! Luckily we had vouchers.
TNiFN Rating 77%
IMDB Link
Tuesday, 20 May 2014
Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows - 20th May 2014
Tuesday Night is Film Night is watching this week;
Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows
Guy Ritchie is back at the helm for this 2011 sequel to Sherlock Holmes, with Robert Downey Jr. and Jude Law reprising their roles as the master criminologist and his trusty sidekick. This time they are out to thwart the evil plans of one Professor Moriarty, who is intent on making his wealth from the spoils of war. Set in the 1890's once more into the breach run Holmes and Watson in another tale of derring-do.
As with the 2009 film Guy Ritchie and the team proffer a two hour tale of intrigue, suspense, mind games, logic and brilliant effects all set to the backdrop of Victorian London and beyond. Again Downey Jr. portrays our hero as a rather swash buckling and fists flying individual who relies on his massive power of observation and logical deduction, as well as a few swift bouts of fisticuffs. Some Sherlockian purists may not enjoy the more physical adventures, but the thought processes and mental acrobatics are still there, as Messrs Holmes and Watson pursue the evil genius Moriaty.
John Watson manages to marry Mary, although with no real help from his best man; Holmes. Indeed Holmes turns the stag night, the marriage and the subsequent honeymoon to his advantage, to ensure that Watson is around to deal with Moriaty's henchmen.
The rest of the actual story is a little complicated and involved, therefore we could not do it justice here, needless to say it is a tale of good versus evil and the battling brain and brawn of the two adversaries. Jared Harris makes a rather wonderful Moriaty, playing it cool but sinister. Whilst Holmes brings in his brother Mycroft for assistance, superbly played by that doyen of Britishness; Stephen Fry. When Fry first appeared it was an absolute delight, and one hoped that this was not just a fleeting cameo and luckily enough it wasn't, and his presence bought a somewhat calming, proper influence, with a comedic undercurrent, to the plot twists.
The film is fun to watch, although the action is a tad over the top, it's the use of narration over slow motion thought processes that we enjoy, where a scene is described, then replayed in real time, giving you an insight into the character of Holmes. There's also some good use of high speed camera work, to give some ultra slow motion effects, over the top of live action. A most enjoyable film, better in some regards to the first outing for this pairing.
Not much else to say really, apart from at 129 minutes it is fairly long, but should hopefully keep you entertained for that period of time.
TNiFN Rating 75%
IMDB Link
Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows
Guy Ritchie is back at the helm for this 2011 sequel to Sherlock Holmes, with Robert Downey Jr. and Jude Law reprising their roles as the master criminologist and his trusty sidekick. This time they are out to thwart the evil plans of one Professor Moriarty, who is intent on making his wealth from the spoils of war. Set in the 1890's once more into the breach run Holmes and Watson in another tale of derring-do.
As with the 2009 film Guy Ritchie and the team proffer a two hour tale of intrigue, suspense, mind games, logic and brilliant effects all set to the backdrop of Victorian London and beyond. Again Downey Jr. portrays our hero as a rather swash buckling and fists flying individual who relies on his massive power of observation and logical deduction, as well as a few swift bouts of fisticuffs. Some Sherlockian purists may not enjoy the more physical adventures, but the thought processes and mental acrobatics are still there, as Messrs Holmes and Watson pursue the evil genius Moriaty.
John Watson manages to marry Mary, although with no real help from his best man; Holmes. Indeed Holmes turns the stag night, the marriage and the subsequent honeymoon to his advantage, to ensure that Watson is around to deal with Moriaty's henchmen.
The rest of the actual story is a little complicated and involved, therefore we could not do it justice here, needless to say it is a tale of good versus evil and the battling brain and brawn of the two adversaries. Jared Harris makes a rather wonderful Moriaty, playing it cool but sinister. Whilst Holmes brings in his brother Mycroft for assistance, superbly played by that doyen of Britishness; Stephen Fry. When Fry first appeared it was an absolute delight, and one hoped that this was not just a fleeting cameo and luckily enough it wasn't, and his presence bought a somewhat calming, proper influence, with a comedic undercurrent, to the plot twists.
The film is fun to watch, although the action is a tad over the top, it's the use of narration over slow motion thought processes that we enjoy, where a scene is described, then replayed in real time, giving you an insight into the character of Holmes. There's also some good use of high speed camera work, to give some ultra slow motion effects, over the top of live action. A most enjoyable film, better in some regards to the first outing for this pairing.
Not much else to say really, apart from at 129 minutes it is fairly long, but should hopefully keep you entertained for that period of time.
TNiFN Rating 75%
IMDB Link
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