Archive for the 'England' Category

The Long Good Friday

Published
by
Chalupa
on May 24, 2009
in Crime, Drama, England, Mob, Mystery, Thriller and Uncategorized
. 0 Comments

Bob Hoskins is an actor I have noticed in recent films the past 10 years.  He’s obviously somebody that is respected in the acting world.  Today I think I found out why - The Long Good Friday.

If you’re a fan of Guy Ritchie and his cockney gangster films, you have to watch this.  In this Hoskins plays a big-time gangster who is trying to capitalize on some prime real estate, but everything seems to be going wrong.  His friends and family are being targeted along with his businesses.  This is not looking good to the investors and the American mobsters are re-thinking their investment options.

I knew the film had to be good from the start because it had a catchy tune.  Movies these days seem to lack the kind of openings like this.  Then I realized both P.H. Moriarty (Hatchet Harry fromLock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels) and Alan Ford (Brick Top from Snatch and Alan/Narrator from Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels) were in it.  Pretty soon I also started noticing phrases like, “This is like a bad night in Vietnam.” being very similar to “A minute ago this was the safest job in the world. Now it’s turning into a bad day in Bosnia.”  The similarities continue.  I would even suppose that both Moriarty and Ford took some inspiration for their parts in Ritchie’s films from Bob Hoskin’s portrayal of a gangster.

Seeing how great Guy Ritchie apparently thought of John Mackenzie, I’m now interested in seeing what else Mackenzie has directed.  Oh, and did I mention this is in the Criterion Collection? If you’re a fan of British film, you’re sure to recognize many actors from back in the day. Definitely worth renting!

Rating: ★★★★☆

Elizabeth: The Golden Age

Published
by
Chalupa
on July 2, 2008
in Biography, Drama, England, History and War
. 0 Comments

This is one of those movies seemingly everyone has talked about.  They’re just astounded with Cate Blanchett’s performance as Queen Elizabeth.  I never really heard much about the movie except Blanchett was awesome.  I do agree that she owned the role as the Queen of England, but I wasn’t super thrilled with the movie.

Maybe it’s just because I’m a guy, but I really wish they had done more with the destruction of the Spanish Armada.  That was a huge turning point in history for sea supremecy in present-day Europe.  Liz tells me that’s because the movie was centered on Elizabeth, her feelings, and her loneliness.  She had no one to love because she was too busy being the “queen-mother” of her country.  One very interesting moment, several days later, was when Liz and her sister were going on about how sad the movie was.  I didn’t even realize the movie was sad, I was just hoping for some more sea battle action.

I was definitely pleased with individual performances in this film.  They would include Geoffrey Rush, Samantha Morton, and Jordi Mollà.  You might not recognize that last name, but you might recognize his face.  I always remember him from Blow.  Clive Owen played the role of Sir Walter Raleigh.  I thought he just did ok.  Not bad, just ok.  He seemed a bit under utilized.

I really feel like I need to see the first film where Blanchett plays Elizabeth.  It might kind of tie everything together.  I watched the extra features and they did make a humongous life-sized boat for the ship scenes.  Supposedly it was one of the biggest made for this purpose - especially since it was all shot on a sound stage.  I just wish they could have had some cooler battle scenes.

Rating: ★★★☆☆

The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian

Published
by
Chalupa
on May 22, 2008
in Action, Adventure, Based on a book, Based on a novel, England, Family, Fantasy, Remake, Sequel and WWII
. 1 Comment

If you were disappointed by the first film in this more recent series, I think you might enjoy the second installment. I thought The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe was too kid-like and G-rated for my tastes. Don’t get me wrong - I enjoyed it, it’s just that I thought a lot more could have been done with the fight scenes. I do realize this series was C.S. Lewis’ response to J.R.R. Tolkien’s The Lord of the Rings and it wasn’t necessarily made for adults, but it could still be way cooler. If you didn’t know, they were pals back in the day and hung out at the same pub. They both decided to make something for the kids and these two great literary works are what came of it. I should know this because the university I attended and currently work at has a big part of their library dedicated to Mr. Lewis and an exact replica of said bar…

Anyways, back to the movie - I really enjoyed what was done with Prince Caspian. I think Andrew Adamson did a fine job at stepping up to the plate and directing something worth seeing. If you didn’t know, he did direct the first film along with a couple of the Shrek films. He’s also slated as a producer on The Chronicles of Narnia: The Voyage of the Dawn Treader set to come out in 2010.

If you’ve seen the BBC versions, you might be aware that Warwick Davis played several roles throughout those films. I’m not sure what he’s most famous for because he played an Ewok in Star Wars. He was also in Willow, the Leprechaun movies, Labyrinth, and many others more recently. He’s really made a career for himself as being the guy that gets into suits. He happens to play Nikabrik in this film and Liz and I thought it was really cool to see him in a movie with Peter Dinklage, another amazing actor who has also made a great name for himself.

Seeing the progression of these two movies, if there’s one to be seen, reminds me of the Harry Potter series in the way that it grows in age appropriateness with each installment. I really hope these films continue in this manner. I’d also like to see them tackle the last three books that the BBC never got to, The Horse and His Boy, The Magician’s Nephew, and The Last Battle. It’s always been my opinion that these three are the coolest of the seven, and also the hardest to make due to needed special effects.

Rating: ★★★★½

The Other Boleyn Girl

Published
by
Lij
on March 28, 2008
in Based on a true story, British, Drama, England, History, Romance and Royalty
. 0 Comments

Ask people what they know about Henry VIII, and you’ll hear one thing: he killed his wives.

People more interested in history will also tell you about his divorce of his first wife, his splitting with the Catholic church, and his major impact on world history because of those two splits, but most people at least know that Henry VIII killed his wives.

In The Other Boleyn Girl, starring Scarlett Johansson as Mary Boleyn and Natalie Portman as Anne Boleyn, director Justin Chadwick attempts to explore the earlier parts of Henry’s reign. This is before Jane Seymour, before his second and third Catherines, and before he’d begun beheading people because things weren’t going his way.

Eric Bana plays the king, and he does well. Johansson plays the kindhearted Mary Boleyn well, while Portman is at once endearing and conniving. You want to like her because she is strong and unwilling to be trampled, but she’s also self-centered and self-serving. Her fate, though, is still tragic, and her final monologue is excellent.

The story follows Mary and Anne as they are ordered through their lives by the men around them — their father, their uncle, their husbands, and more. It’s upsetting to see them traded as commodities, which is basically how the men in their lives see them. Even Henry VIII, who is either in love with or infatuated by each of them from time to time, is shown as loving them only because they are what he can or cannot have.

Mary is the first sister to become the mistress of the king, who is being driven to desperation by his wife’s inability to give him a male heir. Anne only becomes the mistress of the king later, after she manipulates her way into a better place. This works for and against her.

I liked that the film didn’t try to hard to make you love or hate any of the characters. It did well to show them as human enough that you care for them, but it also showed that they were flawed. Some more than others.

Rating: ★★★½☆

Eastern Promises

Published
by
Chalupa
on March 27, 2008
in Crime, Drama, England, Graphic Violence, Investigation, Mob, Mystery, Russian, Thriller and Twist
. 0 Comments

Eastern Promises is a follow-up of sorts to A History of Violence. Both are directed by David Cronenberg, Viggo Mortensen stars in both, and they are both stories about somebody involved in the mob. While Cronenberg’s first mob film takes place in the US, Eastern Promises involves Russian mobsters and takes place in London.

Viggo’s character, Nikolai, works for a very notorious crime family. He’s the driver and he does more than just drive the car from point A to point B. One night he encounters Anna, played by Naomi Watts, as she is looking for somebody at the restaurant owned by the Nikolai’s employers. Anna works at a hospital and a girl died recently giving birth to her daughter. The young girl had a diary which contained a business card for said restaurant. Even though Anna speaks little Russian herself, it is part of her heritage and her uncle, who claims to be ex-KGB, warns her to stay away from the situation. Anna soon finds herself in the midst of a complicated situation as I’m sure you can guess.

One very interesting aspect of this movie is tattoos. In this crime society, tattoos are given as badges and marks of honor. They essentially tell the story of your life. The tattoos are also standardized so anybody can recognize your past glories and exploits merely by noticing the tattoos you have. In the same respect, having tattoos you did not earn can be quite detrimental to ones wellbeing.

Viggo Mortensen is AMAZING in this film. He’s a bit of a method actor in that he heavily researches roles he has and becomes the characters he plays. I know that most people only know him from his exploits in a little trilogy called Lord of the Rings, but seriously guys, Mortensen is a great actor that has been around for a while. I think the first film I remember seeing him in was Crimson Tide. I’ve since seen him in Witness, Carlito’s Way, The Prophecy, Young Guns II, G.I. Jane, and Psycho. The only movie I’ve seen him in that I wasn’t a big fan of was Hidalgo. If you’ve seen any of these and enjoyed Mortensen’s acting skills you should definitely check out some of his other films.

Other noteworthy performances came from Armin Mueller-Stahl, Seymon, who plays the head of the crime family. You’ll probably also recognize Vincent Cassel from Ocean’s 12 and Ocean’s 13. I always remember him as the creepy brother from Brotherhood of the Wolf and the one movie I always throw out there for “wow factor”, Irreversible.

I really enjoyed this film and hope you do too. Let me know if you have any thoughts or comments.

Rating: ★★★★☆

Eastern Promises

Eastern Promises

Published
by
Neville
on November 6, 2007
in Crime, Drama, England, Graphic Violence, Investigation, Mob, Murder, Mystery, Russian, Thriller and Twist
. 1 Comment

I have a confession to make: director David Cronenburg is one of those critically acclaimed directors I just don’t get.

However, his last film “A History of Violence” was the first one I watched and felt its power. I felt there was something there, even if I wasn’t fully understanding just how complex it was.

Similar to “A History of Violence,” “Eastern Promises” stars the talented Viggo Mortensen and the underrated Naomi Watts in a crime drama revolving around babies, body parts and a sect of the Russian Mafia in London. Written by Stephen Knight, the screenwriter that gave us “Dirty Pretty Things,” another story more specifically about black market body parts, “Eastern Promises” begins with a jolt. True to Cronenburg’s form it seems, the violence in his films is often drawn out–shot without music or edited with stylized style–and it’s also visceral. So are the scenes in “Eastern Promises.” They touch on delicate subjects (underage prostitutes, abortion, homosexuality, pure human deception) and everything seems to be marked by the sins of these Mafia characters (similar to their iconic-like tatoos). The tagline for the film reads: “every sin leaves a mark.” And this is really what the movie is all about. It unpacks this idea through its visuals and asks its audience to be subjected to its darkness (make no mistake about it, it is dark). But can we bear it? Can we endure through it?

I think the film could’ve been more effective (or at least more accessible to mass audiences) if more music was in the film, but I’m quickly learning that this is not Cronenburg’s style. He seems to like revealing things, not as if it’s cinema but as if it’s real life, and this tension is felt continually throughout the film. Do I believe things like this go on? Absolutely. But can I ever see myself as one of them? Probably not.

It wasn’t until the film’s end until I sensed any kind of humanity in the “villian” characters of the film. What distinquishes people as people and people as monsters? This is another question the film asks.

Mortensen and Watts are both strong here and both give convincing performances with convincing accents. But so much darkness is here I wonder if Cronenburg would’ve been wise to have let a little more light in (into the scenes, into the colors, in the images/icons of the film). I know this is neo-film noir from a very experienced and artistic filmmaker but I still can wonder, right?

All in all, worth a rental, not quite worth the $10 cinema ticket price (unless you want to really really feel the violence–then maybe you should go to the cinema and watch it).

Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix

Published
by
Lij
on July 21, 2007
in Adventure, Based on a book, Based on a novel, England, Family, Fantasy and Sequel
. 1 Comment

There’s nothing I can say that hasn’t already been said about Harry Potter & the Order of the Phoenix, which came out more than a week ago. I only saw it last night, shortly after re-reading the book. The last time I read it was when I bought it at Heathrow Airport in the summer of 2003, after my sister’s wedding in Nepal. I had planned on buying the paperback when it came out, but as soon as I saw the book in the airport bookstore, I had to have it.

The same thing happened in 2005, when I saw Book Six (Harry Potter & the Half-Blood Prince) in a bookstore in Lourdes, France.

Then, the same thing happened today — the release date of the final book — when I was at the mall running an errand. There it was, staring me down, and I was forced (forced!) to buy Book 7, Harry Potter & the Deathly Hallows.

I like Harry Potter a lot. I think that JK Rowling is a creative genius. I would love to have even an ounce of her creativity and ingenuity for myself.

I guess I’m telling you all of this because unless the movie just sucked, I was going to love it. This is a biased, unfair review, because I LOVE Harry Potter & The Order of the Phoenix. I love the storylines, the character conflicts, the absolute perfect portrayal of what it’s like to be 15. I love the book so much, and that meant that I could only love the movie. Oh, and I love Sirius Black.

The best moment of the whole movie, I think, was when Harry confessed to his godfather Sirius, “I’m angry all the time.” The darkness of the story lets us know that a major part of this anger comes from the connection between the Dark Lord Voldemort and Harry himself, but the honesty of the story tells us something else: it’s also because he’s 15, and when you’re 15, you have little control over your emotions.

Sure, the director of Movie #5, David Yates, tried to cram a whole lot more than he should have into the movie. But how could he not? Also, he does a great job of knowing what to leave out: Hagrid’s story of living with the giants, the emotional saga of Harry’s banishment from Quidditch, the lengthiness of Dumbledore’s eventual conversation with his favorite student about the history of the prophecy in question.

Yates also knew what was essential: the relationship between Harry and Sirius, first of all, and then Harry’s emotional state. We’ve seen Harry abused and defeated through four books/movies, despite his victories. In the fifth chapter, it’s finally taking its toll. He’s tired, and he’s unsure of himself.

And that’s what Yates does so well to capture. He understands that exhaustion and that weakness, and he shows it to us plainly and honestly. The movie definitely has flaws, but despite them, it’s a really, really good story.

The Queen

Published
by
Chalupa
on July 11, 2007
in Based on a true story, Biography, Drama, England, Family, Government, History and Independent
. 0 Comments

Finally saw The Queen and what everybody was raving about at the Oscars. Helen Mirren does indeed rock the kasbah in her portrayal of Queen Elizabeth II. It was very interesting to see historical events reenacted that I remember happening just 10 years ago. I don’t know much about the royal family or what goes on across the pond, but it’s something that has always fascinated me a little. There’s just something about royalty that grabs my interest and imagination. It makes me think of knights and castles and decadence.

I hadn’t really thought about it before, but it was interesting to see the queen portrayed as someone from a different generation with methodical logic and reason behind her decisions and actions. Yeah it seemed cold-hearted to not publicly acknowledge the loss of Princess Diana, but that’s just not what you did 50 years ago. It was also interesting how they pointed out some of the accomplishments and achievements of Elizabeth II’s reign. I hadn’t really thought about it before, but she’s been on the throne for 55 years or so and became queen when she was 26. That’s how old I am. I don’t think I’d do too well at being president/king of anything, let alone a country, or commonwealth.

I’ve heard people say this movie was long and boring. I guess that could be true if you’re not into historical things and dramas. This actually wasn’t that long. Only about 90 min. I’d suggest you check it out if you have time.

Notes On A Scandal

Published
by
Neville
on February 23, 2007
in Based on a novel, Drama, England and High School
. 0 Comments

What can’t Judi Dench do? She can play the Queen of England with a fierce, jewel-lined-smile in Shakespeare in Love. She can play the rambuctious, sexually free owner of a dying English theater in Mrs. Henderson Presents. And now she’s playing a sexually frustrated and lonely old school teacher (borderline crazy teacher at that) in Notes on a Scandal, another Oscar-nominated performance. So what can’t she do? Really?

Even though Notes on a Scandal feels like raw material for an ABC Sunday Night Special, Judi Dench and Cate Blanchett (also nominated in the Best Supporting Actress category) set this film high abovce that status. Told with conviction, a North-Country-meets-The-Talented-Mr.-Ripley-meets-Psycho-meets-What-Ever-Happened-To-Baby-Jane little schoolhouse drama/thriller that eventually creeps you out and makes you chuckle at Dench’s voice over at the same time. Clearly a great DVD rental, if not somewhat unsettling, this movie’s just one of the many in the long line of 2006 that could be called “good films.” And speaking of 2006. Top ten lists you three????

The Prestige

Published
by
Chalupa
on January 15, 2007
in Based on a novel, Drama, England, Fantasy, Mystery, Revenge, Sci-fi, Suicide, Thriller and Twist
. 0 Comments

Back in September there were commercials and previews out for two movies about magicians: The Illusionist and The Prestige. Trying to keep them separated in my head was quite a task. I even went to see The Illusionist in the theater and thought I was going to see The Prestige. Even though I enjoyed that outing and was entertained by the film, I recently found out The Prestige is way, way better. It even made me want to go watch Batman again after seeing Christian Bale and Sir Michael Caine in action together a second time.

In this film you have two magicians who have been around each other for a long time and are competing to see who is best. There is also a grudge war between the two that all started with an unfortunate accident that resulted in Angier’s wife’s death. In the end, the obsession to be on top ruins both men’s lives and there are a few twists in there that aren’t easily seen through from the beginning.

This film is full of wonderful actors. It was definitely a treat to see Bowie back in action. I think his performance as Nikola Tesla blows his Labyrinth performance out of the water. Andy Serkis plays his assistant. I’m glad to see he’s getting more work. The two magicians are played by Hugh Jackman and Christian Bale. Michael Caine is an engineer who builds and designs the illusions and Scarlett Johansson plays an assistant. Besides just being a great movie, I think this film also portrays what an unhealthy obsession can do to somebody when taken to extreme levels.

One thing I really appreciated was the lack of offensive material. So often in the box office I see films that great, except I can’t recommend them to certain people because of certain content contained throughout. This is one that will hopefully keep you entertained, and, isn’t full of nudity, violence, language and drug-use. So go out and see it. I caught it at our dollar theater. Hopefully it’s playing somewhere around you for cheap too.