REVIEW: The Ghost

Its pretty hard to see this movie away from the whole Roman Polanski thing. Its seems likely that this will be his last film, as he spends the rest of his days behind bars. Perhaps where he should have spent a few more. The movie world would be without a few great, great movies, but using that is an excuse seems the slightest bit deluded. Guy raped a teenage girl and genius or no, there is only one response to that.



So The Ghost is given an added extra-textual weight in which this is the last work ever to come out of a movie -making genius, and someone who I would put up there as flat-out one of the best film-makers of the 20th century, but this seems a little unfair. The Ghost isn't Chinatown or Rosemary's Baby. It's an efficiently crafted, well-acted thriller that is taut, intelligent and keeps you guessing. And that's all really. It may lay claims to political relevance, but this didn't really bite for me. It sensationalized the politics from which it drew a bit to heavily ( The Blairs were on the books of the CIA indeed) which means it can be seen as nothing more then entertainment. But view it as that and its a perfectly fine way to spend �7.50/ 2 hours.



I have kind of enjoyed Pierce Brosnan's post-Bond career. There's been cack, but he's shown a desire to do some interesting work and the talent to back at it up. The Matador is probably his tour de force, but he does a scarily textured Tony Blair impression here, complete with all the mannerisms, illusions of relatability and two-faced behavior. I liked his performance as 'Stephen Lang' quite a bit. And Ewan McGregor makes for a perfect audience surrogate in this kind of thing. There's a doe-eyed naivete in his performances that makes him a person who could be believably be manipulated. That sounds like an insult but he is actually good here in a relatively empty lead role. Dollhouse's Olivia Williams shows up in a welcome substantial role as Ruth Lang (Cherie Blair) and brings here trademark closed of seething bitterness, which is always great to see.



Its a plot driven movie, and that aspect is handled smoothly enough going from point to point with pleasing drive, and this movie makes some great comedic use of the phrase ' For Fuck's sake' something that clearly not enough movies do. It has a strong if not mind-blowing final act, and all in all its kind of like Shutter Island, in that it covers a bunch of stuff we've seen done before very well. This isn't quite that movie though, but if it is Roman Polanski's swansong, then there are worse ways to go out.



Rating: 6/10

Reference: http://nextwednesdayinstead.blogspot.com/2010/04/review-ghost.html

Note: A Week Off

Hey all. I hate to do this, but this is going to be kind of a crazy week for me, and since I was gone all weekend, I don't have any reviews scheduled or even brimming in my mind. So, I am going to take the week off here at LLB. I have three posts on Ten Thousand Places are already scheduled, so if pop over there, if you like. Otherwise...I'll see you on the 26th!

Reference: http://littlelambbooks.blogspot.com/2010/04/note-week-off.html

Alice in Wonderland [Blu-ray]

Alice in Wonderland [Blu-ray]

Blu-ray ~ Johnny Depp

47,870% Sales Rank in Movies & TV: 62 (was 29,742 yesterday)

(59)

Release Date: June 1, 2010


Buy new: $39.99 $27.99



(Ranking is updated hourly. Visit the Movers & Shakers in Movies & TV list for authoritative information on this product's current rank.)

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Review & Description

Tumble down the rabbit hole with Alice for a fantastical new adventure from Walt Disney Pictures and Tim Burton. Inviting and magical, Alice In Wonderland is an imaginative new twist on one of the most beloved stories of all time. Alice (Mia Wasikowska), now 19 years old, returns to the whimsical world she first entered as a child and embarks on a journey to discover her true destiny. This Wonderland is a world beyond your imagination and unlike anything you've seen before. The extraordinary characters you've loved come to life richer and more colorful than ever. There's the Mad Hatter (Johnny Depp), the White Queen (Anne Hathaway), the Red Queen (Helena Bonham Carter), the White Rabbit (Michael Sheen) and more. A triumphant cinematic experience - Alice In Wonderland is an incredible feast for your eyes, ears and heart that will captivate audiences of all sizes.Tim Burton was born to bring Alice in Wonderland to the big screen. Ironically, his version of the Victorian text plays more like The Wizard of Oz than a Lewis Carroll adaptation. On the day of her engagement party, the 19-year-old Alice (a nicely understated Mia Wasikowska) is lead by a white-gloved rabbit to an alternate reality that looks strangely familiar--she's been dreaming about it since she was 6 years old. Stranded in a hall of doors, she sips from a potion that makes her shrink and nibbles on a cake that makes her grow. Once she gets the balance right, she walks through the door that leads her to Tweedledum and Tweedledee (Matt Lucas), the Dormouse (Barbara Windsor), the Blue Caterpillar (Alan Rickman), and the Cheshire Cat (a delightful Stephen Fry), who inform her that only she can free them from the wrath of the Red Queen (Helena Bonham Carter channeling Bette Davis) by slaying the Jabberwocky. To pull off the feat, she teams up with the Mad Hatter (Johnny Depp in glam-rock garb), rebel bloodhound Bayard (Timothy Spall), and Red's sweet sister, the White Queen (Anne Hathaway in goth-rock makeup). While Red welcomes Alice with open arms, she plans an execution for the hat-maker when he displeases her ("Off with his head!"). Drawing from Alice's Adventures in Wonderland and Through the Looking-Glass, Burton creates a candy-colored action-adventure tale with a feminist twist. If it drags towards the end, his 3-D extravaganza still offers a trippy good time with a poignant aftertaste. --Kathleen C. Fennessy Read more

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Reference: http://moviestvreview.blogspot.com/2010/04/alice-in-wonderland-blu-ray.html

Alice in Wonderland Review

I've been a fan of Tim Burton for the longest time now, and his latest offering, Alice in Wonderland, is filled with his unique style and fairy tale wonder.



Growing up I knew the basics of the general plot of the tale, that Alice falls down a rabbit hole and enters a fantastical world she called Wonderland, but I've never read the book or knew much more than that. So I was pleasantly surprised that Burton's film isn't really a retelling of the tale, nor is it a proper sequel but rather his version of a sequel.



The film opens with Alice as a little girl (Mairi Ella Challen) having bad dreams about this magical world, and her father consoles her, telling her the most gifted people in all the world are mad. Flash forward several years later and her father has passed on, and Alice (Mia Wasikowska) and her mother are on their way to an aristocratic party.



Alice and her mother are already arguing about her style of formal dress, showing that Alice does have a rebellious streak and keeping in theme with Burton's reoccurring motif of important characters going against the social norm. Through a series of events that lead Alice to try and get away from the party, Alice follows a peculiar rabbit (Michael Sheen) and falls down a rabbit hole.



The events of Alice in Wonderland have already happened when she was a little girl, however Alice believed them to be nothing more than a dream. Now she finds herself back in this mysterious world, and though she refuses to believe it's not all in her head, she can't help but become attached to the people she meets.



As with most of Burton's work, his version of Wonderland is darker and gothic. The Red Queen (Helena Bonham Carter) is in power, and she's gripped the land in fear. Her favourite saying of "Off with his head!" is the standard punishment for all who cross her, and while her card soldiers maintain her semblance of order, it's her creature, the monstrous Jabberwocky (Christopher Lee), that everyone fears. The oppressed people of Wonderland look for a champion who can slay the beast and set the deposed White Queen (Anne Hathaway) back upon the throne, and they believe this champion to be the reluctant Alice.



I would say the most regrettable aspect of Alice in Wonderland, which is a complete visual splendor with unique and wonderful characters and a world full of the flare and style we've come to expect from Burton, is that it does shift from being very fantastic and spontaneous to becoming rather predictable, as the film begins to follow a more standard narrative to a generic climax with an ending I felt to be unsatisfying.



Still, this did not take away from the fact that I thoroughly enjoyed Alice in Wonderland and would recommend it to anyone looking for a fun, enjoyable film. Johnny Depp as the Mad Hatter is, as always, spectacular, bringing the character to life with whit and charm, and instilling him with a great deal of depth. Depp is truly an actor capable of flawlessly performing such a wide range of rolls that he's always a treat to behold.



On one hand, thanks to his usual involvement with Burton, Alice in Wonderland reminds me a great deal of Burton's earlier film, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory (2005). Both are extremely fun and enjoyable films, and Depp provides an outstanding performance in each, but each film isn't a blockbuster that's a must-own.



That said, however, Alice in Wonderland provides a great means for audiences to escape the everyday for a time, and to delight in a well crafted world. With both character, charm, and Burton's classic fairytale morality, Alice in Wonderland is a film that you should certainly see.

Reference: http://arbitersjudgement.blogspot.com/2010/04/alice-in-wonderland-review.html

365 Movies: Saturday's Children Review

Saturday's Children stars Anne Shirley, John Garfield, Claude Rains, and Lee Patrick in this 1940 Vincent Sherman film. The film is about 22 year old Bobby(Shirley) who meets and falls in love with fellow employee, Rims Rosson(Garfield). Things start off great but when the two get married, they find out just how difficult it is, to stay happy, with so little in their pockets. Anne and John sparkled as the newbie couple and it honestly seemed, like they genuinely liked working with one another. I loved Claude Rains' performance as the overly protective father to Bobby. He was so sweet and kind. The role of Rims was very different for me to see for John Garfield to play. Though, this character had a small streak of rebelliousness in him, he wasn't at all, like John's usual characters. I was pleasantly surprised by that. The beginning and middle of the film is nice but at the end, it just falters. It's one of those movies, where about 50% of it is good and the rest is ehh.

- Sorry, I didn't post this last night but I completely lost my internet connection. I tried several times to get it back but failed each and every time.

Review for Tomorrow: Desirable

Reference: http://oldhollywoodislove.blogspot.com/2010/04/365-movies-saturdays-children-review.html

A Conversation with Gervais and Merchant...

As promised at the end of last weeek, here is a link to Obsessed With Film and my interview with Ricky Gervais and Stephen Merchant, who talked to me to promote their new film 'Cemetery Junction'. My review will be up on the same site on Wednesday, so I'm told.



I won't publish the whole thing on here (I don't know that I'm allowed) but I'll put a taster here to encourage you to read the full article:



Robert Beames: Even though you obviously write these moments and you know Emily Watson is a really good actress so you're not too surprised, but does it still surprise you at the end of the day when you're watching dailies and you see your words�



Ricky Gervais: Yes. Yes. Absolutely.



Stephen Merchant: Those people always bring something extra.



RG: The way she does that and people like that underplay it. At the time you don't think anything of it, but when you look back at it on a screen they fill your heart. Honestly, they've got something else, they've got an alchemy. It's indescribable and I don't know how they do it. And that's the difference between a great actor and a film star and you can be both. There about fifty people in the world who are both.



SM: Well Ralph Fiennes turned up and I think the first thing he did was that big�



RG: Speech. Remarkable.



SM: Wasn't it? That big monologue he's giving the guy and [Merchant rhythmically slaps his hands] he came in word perfect, bam, there in front of two hundred extras, nailed it. We were embarrassed; we didn't have any direction to give him� "do you want to do it again?"





Go and read the full article now!!!

Reference: http://beamesonfilm.blogspot.com/2010/04/conversation-with-gervais-and-merchant.html

Review:

You know how, when you go to see a movie called Hot Tub Time Machine, you ask yourself, "it's called Hot Tub Time Machine...how can it NOT be great?"



Turns out it can not be great in so many ways. For one, it could not be funny. I mean, sure it could have some laughs here and there (mostly chuckles with one honest guffaw). For two, it could have a cast of truly stellar comedic actors who could not be less interested in making something of this (except for Rob Corddry, God love him).



Mostly, though, it feels like the entire creative team asked themselves the same question you asked yourself walking into the movie, and pretty much let that do the work for them. Just as you let it do the work in getting you to the theater (I include myself in this, one hundred percent).



More after the jump...



Now admittedly, humor is a very subjective thing, and with a movie as completely shaggy and ill-considered as this, the question of quality starts and stops with "did I laugh?" I can acknowledge that Dodgeball: A True Underdog Story probably isn't very good, but I laugh my ass off every time I watch it. So if you dig Hot Tub Time Machine, it's probably for that reason, and that's fine. But I just didn't laugh all that much, and when I did it wasn't nearly as hard as the movie wanted me to (with the notable exception of Crispin Glover's first scene, mostly because I find anything Crispin Glover does to be hilarious - Alice in Wonderland aside).



The film is theoretically about three friends - Lou (Corddry), Adam (John Cusack), and Nick (Craig Robinson) - who haven't seen much of each other lately but decide to take a trip back to their old party spot, a ski resort, with Adam's nephew Jacob (Clark Duke) in tow. Once there, they find the town in shambles and the resort feels like it was abandoned at a certain point and left to rot. They then go for a hot tub which sends them back through time to 1986, when drugs and women came as easily as turning on the tap. And that's that.

I'll admit - I don't get the appeal of Lou, who the movie is clearly positioning to become the next frat boy icon, along the same lines as Zach Galifiniakis in The Hangover or Will Ferrell in Old School (although all roads eventually lead back to Belushi in Animal House), only he's completely without the charm of those characters. There is a certain innocence to those characters that makes their outrageous, stupid behavior kind of endearing, but Lou is just a bad person. Which isn't to say bad people can't be funny - I stand firmly behind Danny McBride's Kenny Powers of Eastbound and Down, who makes Lou look like a total innocent - but as they say, there's no there there when it comes to Lou. He's completely empty, and for me, I'm past the point where a cutting remark counts as comedy.



But it says something that Corddry's character is by far the least interesting, when emotionally we're even less attached to him than Jacob, who has absolutely no heft in this film, at all. Which, in turn, says something about Adam and Nick. Now, Cusack and Robinson are two of the most reliable performers I can think of, but Cusack's oscillating between leaning on old tricks (this is a pale imitation of the quintessential Cusack character) and complete disinterest, and Robinson is totally out of his comfort zone (which has been typified by his role on The Office, but his funniest work for me remains in Pineapple Express).



For a movie like this, that's the end of it for me - if the characters aren't engaging, I've totally checked out. I suppose, to the movie's credit, they've accurately captured people who have just given up on life, but moreover it becomes clear pretty quick that these people were never interesting, and the wear and tear of life has only made them less so. And to have the movie follow uninteresting people saying the most clever things they can think of...there's exactly as little there as you would imagine. The movie has its moments of insane inspiration - Chevy Chase as a repairman/possible time travel expert comes close - but by and large it's too flat, too dry, too...little.

Reference: http://railoftomorrow.blogspot.com/2010/04/review-hot-tub-time-machine-dir-steve.html