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Steak (2007)
Rare gem, future cult classic
Surreal and funny, Steak ticks all the boxes for a bizarre, very alternative comedy. Not by any means a family film, nor a mindless drivel comedy that wholly relies on sex gags for a cheap laugh. Steak has unfairly received negative reviews from critics who obviously couldn't see beyond the veneer. I believe this was partly due to poor marketing and selling it as something it just wasn't.
Ultimately, the film is about friendship and starts out with Blaise being committed to a psychiatric facility for eight years. When he is released, the only family he has left is his childhood best friend, Georges. Over the last 8 years Blaise has been away, a lot and nothing has changed: Georges is trying his hardest not to be bullied at school and does everything to join the coolest gang around, Chivers, yet he is still a loser and wants nothing to do with Blaise and the dynamics start.
The film has a solid story, beautiful cinematography, fantastic soundtrack and an all round vibe that just works. You like the characters you're supposed to like and dislike the ones you're supposed to dislike. The humour is sharp and witty, with a silky daydreamy idleness to it. It is definitely not your run of the mill comedy. Smart Clockwork Orange references are the strongest tongue in cheek parody, but you will notice little nods to other classics too without turning into a cheap rip off.
I watched a copy without subtitles and whilst my french is awful, I still got full enjoyment out of it. It's very rare to find a film that is equal in style and substance. Whilst I was horrified to see such negative remarks, I feel my rating of 7/10 is wholly justified and unbiased.
There are some fantastic little touches that make you smile, like spit roasting eggs on an open fire and the radio controlled frisbee. This is how the future should be. Versus the apocalyptic near-future in Children of Men, I'd choose the Steakivers future.
Fun, beautiful, quirky, cool, light but far far from middle of the road.
Unique. 7/10
Final Fantasy: The Spirits Within (2001)
Some will love it, some will hate it but the reality is that it's only a film
I have been following the progress of this film for about 2/3 years and I was really looking forward to seeing it at last so I went to London with my sister to see the previews and we where amazed at how realistic the graphics where and there where some points in the film where you thought there where real people others where to cartoony (Toy Story-ish) but all-in-all it was a very good presentation and I would have given it 10 if it had not of had such a poor storyline: it was very boring in some places but at others it was very intreiging. They obviously spent more on CG than the story line and one last thing: all this talk about replacing actors with computers is stupid because it takes far too long; it is very expencive; its very time consuming and you still need actors because the characters need voices! So I think this film gets 7/10