There's nothing quite as entertaining as these two on a Sunday morning. It's got the right balance of exciting food, and natural, sometimes welcoming silly comedy that sets the guests at ease. Keep it going folks, we need stuff this. 👍
Reviews
7 Reviews
In Time
(2011)
Underwhelming but with a clever concept
5 November 2011
Warning: Spoilers
Our lead is Will Salas, portrayed affably by Justin Timberlake. His life is on the ghetto side of the time-line and one day in a bar, Salas rescues a man in the wrong side of town with over a hundred years left of his time. It turns out the rich kid is very old, no longer wants to live and commits suicide by 'timing out' and giving all his time to Salas. From here, the flip-side of the difference between lives from both sides of the spectrum begins and although this is possibly commentary on a current economic climate and the massive gap that still exists between class in society, it doesn't really embed that question into the mind as the film progresses.
Once Will has all this time on his side, he wants to take down the people at the top and quickly finds a way to New Greenwich, where all the money is and people live forever. On his journey he encounters Timekeeper Raymond Leon (Cillian Murphy), a man out to keep the status quo in humanity because he believes it all needs to balance. Murphy is a definite bright spark in a muddled film, his time-cop persona breathes life into many scenes as does Vincent Kartheiser (MAD MEN'S Pete Campbell) who plays Philippe Weis, the man who owns New Greenwich and this seemingly eternal life.
In this world, we're also introduced to Weis's daughter, Slyvia Weis (Amanda Seyfried) who gets involved with Will Salas because she believes she wants to feel what life is without any safety net or in her words "The poor die and the rich don't live." Timberlake and Seyfried do have flashes of chemistry but the script falters in plot discrepancies and doesn't really allow for much character development beyond what you work out early on from their characters.
There are cars chases, an extreme amount of 'time' puns - to the point of groaning – throughout and although it has a lot of interesting ideas and possibilities, it doesn't quite merge into a cohesive, confident film that really believes in what it's saying.
However, In Time does have flickers of enjoyable moments and could well be considered an entertaining time-heist film with echoes of Enemy of the State and the faint ideology of Bonnie & Clyde. So, if that's what you're looking for, then this should hit the spot.
Once Will has all this time on his side, he wants to take down the people at the top and quickly finds a way to New Greenwich, where all the money is and people live forever. On his journey he encounters Timekeeper Raymond Leon (Cillian Murphy), a man out to keep the status quo in humanity because he believes it all needs to balance. Murphy is a definite bright spark in a muddled film, his time-cop persona breathes life into many scenes as does Vincent Kartheiser (MAD MEN'S Pete Campbell) who plays Philippe Weis, the man who owns New Greenwich and this seemingly eternal life.
In this world, we're also introduced to Weis's daughter, Slyvia Weis (Amanda Seyfried) who gets involved with Will Salas because she believes she wants to feel what life is without any safety net or in her words "The poor die and the rich don't live." Timberlake and Seyfried do have flashes of chemistry but the script falters in plot discrepancies and doesn't really allow for much character development beyond what you work out early on from their characters.
There are cars chases, an extreme amount of 'time' puns - to the point of groaning – throughout and although it has a lot of interesting ideas and possibilities, it doesn't quite merge into a cohesive, confident film that really believes in what it's saying.
However, In Time does have flickers of enjoyable moments and could well be considered an entertaining time-heist film with echoes of Enemy of the State and the faint ideology of Bonnie & Clyde. So, if that's what you're looking for, then this should hit the spot.
Prime Suspect
(2011–2012)
Smart, Snappy & Intelligent.
20 October 2011
First up, I'm a UK Viewer. Secondly, this is an adaption so don't worry about what they'll do with the old material. It's whole new take and Maria Bello excels in the lead role of Jane Timoney, a slight alteration on the name but no-less a strong female lead.
It's a very special cast as well, Kirk Acevedo (Fringe), Brian F. O'Byrne (Mildred Pierce), Aiden Quinn (Legends of the Fall) and many more work wonderfully as an ensemble cast. This challenges a lot of other cop shows out there at the moment, offering something fresh and intriguing.
You may not like everyone to start with but stick with it, surely that's more interesting than liking everyone straight away and agreeing with the quick viewpoints, slick camera work and so forth. In the days of CSI and all those similar, this is refreshing, gritty, real and I really hope the US - or other countries - start to take to more and give it a bigger chance because at least it's taking risks.
It's also quite brutal in places and makes you question all parts of every character. Well worth your time if you want something intelligent and original. Even if it's another part of La Plante's legacy.
It's a very special cast as well, Kirk Acevedo (Fringe), Brian F. O'Byrne (Mildred Pierce), Aiden Quinn (Legends of the Fall) and many more work wonderfully as an ensemble cast. This challenges a lot of other cop shows out there at the moment, offering something fresh and intriguing.
You may not like everyone to start with but stick with it, surely that's more interesting than liking everyone straight away and agreeing with the quick viewpoints, slick camera work and so forth. In the days of CSI and all those similar, this is refreshing, gritty, real and I really hope the US - or other countries - start to take to more and give it a bigger chance because at least it's taking risks.
It's also quite brutal in places and makes you question all parts of every character. Well worth your time if you want something intelligent and original. Even if it's another part of La Plante's legacy.
Better Things
(2008)
Lack of focus for debut.
2 September 2009
Although I understand what the writer/director is trying to do with this debut, I just felt massively underwhelmed by the project. It also feels too lengthy and dragged out. If the stories were told a little faster and with some stronger actors, I'm sure I would have been pulled into their dark, stormy worlds.
A good start grabbed me attention wise and I wanted to know where the characters were going but there is only so many long shots of an every-day scenario you can take before it becomes something akin to looking at a photograph intently for 10 minutes when you've seen the same photo 5-times before.
The old couple were particularly poignant but the other characters didn't capture the mindset excessively or vividly. An interesting debut for someone who must have had good backing and I think it could have been snappier and shorter and still retained its gritty teeth.
Direction can, indeed, make a film as much as good acting can overhaul dodgy directing. However, 'Better Things' doesn't live up its positive title. I understand the irony/play on that title but even in the depths of reality and creeping inside the corpse of drug abuse, I wanted a lot, lot more to happen and a lot more to get me thinking about.
A good start grabbed me attention wise and I wanted to know where the characters were going but there is only so many long shots of an every-day scenario you can take before it becomes something akin to looking at a photograph intently for 10 minutes when you've seen the same photo 5-times before.
The old couple were particularly poignant but the other characters didn't capture the mindset excessively or vividly. An interesting debut for someone who must have had good backing and I think it could have been snappier and shorter and still retained its gritty teeth.
Direction can, indeed, make a film as much as good acting can overhaul dodgy directing. However, 'Better Things' doesn't live up its positive title. I understand the irony/play on that title but even in the depths of reality and creeping inside the corpse of drug abuse, I wanted a lot, lot more to happen and a lot more to get me thinking about.
Utterly Disappointing!
12 August 2008
Warning: Spoilers
Okay, 7 years later and I wasn't expecting a brain trembling experience, it IS the Mummy after all, but it was worse than hoped for and utterly underwhelming. If you wanted cliché's in a film and how to go about using them obviously and painfully uncomfortably, then this movie has done it almost perfectly. Jet Li, an amazing martial art's perfectionist....changes into giant animals, that can chew and scratch people? Why? Even...what? John Hannah and Brendan save what dignity this film can have, without them it would be truly awful. Hannah's 'relationship' moment with a Yak is probably the highlight of the movie and if that's all you've got to say about a film...then it's got problems. I'm really not one for slagging off films, normally I'm entranced and excited, even by the bad ones. But this lacks in so much, Bello is a little painful to be fair as well and why replace such a character? Weisz has given it so much chemistry and Bello has none, she tries hard...yes...but it doesn't make up for it. And as for their son, is he the same age as his Mother? One final thought for a possible 4th instalment, just go with the son and maybe John Hannah - if he wants another final payday, which is disappointing for such a good actor - and just do something FRESH and NEW.
Stranger Than Fiction
(2006)
A heartfelt, original story
6 March 2008
This film lightens up my day in an otherwise less exciting world of movies, from early on where normal films get cut down this just goes from strength to strength. What's great is I've watched this with people who aren't Ferrell's biggest fans and they've been turned by his character and how passionate he is with it. If you're a fan of thought-provoking original ideas and are happy that they might fall into that 'quirky' category then definitely check this out. I don't like to use the work quirky as I don't think it's a fair description as Thompson and Ferrell are beautiful to watch. You completely fall into every character and see what they all want complete with great turns from Maggie Gyllenhaal & Dustin Hoffman. Very much recommended.
Shooter
(I) (2007)
Although not bad, not brilliant
6 March 2008
Warning: Spoilers
I did like this film and although you feel their are twists of such, it doesn't ever really push the boundaries of something original nor ground breaking, I also feel the director works with some amazing shots and then instantly to an underwhelming shot that kills the flow.
I was expecting a much more in depth character and even though you know what he is trying to do and why he wants certain things, it all feels like you knew how it was going to go and from that I'm glad I got the DVD rather than went to the cinema. There are a lot of films regarding the US government, tricks they play on each other, the lies within and so on.
I think the problem is you know everyone will be against everyone and not to trust - or to trust - all the characters and because of that there isn't much depth and certain obvious scenes kills what could have been a lot lot better.
I was expecting a much more in depth character and even though you know what he is trying to do and why he wants certain things, it all feels like you knew how it was going to go and from that I'm glad I got the DVD rather than went to the cinema. There are a lot of films regarding the US government, tricks they play on each other, the lies within and so on.
I think the problem is you know everyone will be against everyone and not to trust - or to trust - all the characters and because of that there isn't much depth and certain obvious scenes kills what could have been a lot lot better.
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