Re-View11 Comments

Batman Forever (1995) Re-View

Ben

How can a film with all the right ingredients get everything so badly wrong? One of the greatest superheroes (check), two of his greatest villains (check), a decent cast (check), a budget that is more than enough to create a classic (check)! I’ve never written a film or directed a movie but I am a huge Batman fan and believe that if a studio told me to create a Batman film that included The Riddler, Two Face, Robin and Nicole Kidman, I could do a very good job of it. It would feel like half the work is already done for me. … Continue reading Batman Forever (1995) Re-View

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Casino (1995) Review

Ben

Martin Scorsese is only good at making one kind of movie… Gangster movies. I know this is a bold, generalised statement but recently I have been hugely disappointed with Scorsese “classics.” I didn’t enjoy Raging Bull as much as I thought I would and thought Mean Streets was even worst. Taxi Driver is considered one of his most iconic and best films but I failed to find anything amazing about that film either. I do rate a lot of Scorsese films though. Goodfellas is an incredible movie and The Departed is one of my favourite films. It seems like Scorsese produces his best films … Continue reading Casino (1995) Review

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A Complete History of My Sexual Failures (2008) Review

Ben

You have to be either brave or stupid to play out your past relationships on-screen, for everyone to see, especially if all of them “failed.” You also have to be quite self-involved and egotistical. Its one thing to decide that you are going to analyse yourself in an attempt to make yourself happier or a better person, but to then decide that other people would want to watch the experience and share it with you is another thing entirely. Of course, my argument there fails because I was intrigued. I did want to watch and was interested about the idea … Continue reading A Complete History of My Sexual Failures (2008) Review

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The Prestige (2006) Review

Ben

I think Christopher Nolan has the best start of any director’s career. I can’t fault any film of his I’ve seen and two of them, Dark Knight and Inception, are probably my favourite films. He doesn’t compromise on the direction of his films. They are never gimmicky, lazy and are always perfectly pitched and executed for the film he is trying to make. Memento was brave and compelling storytelling, Insomnia produced amazing performances from two brilliant actors, (Al Pacino and Robin Williams) Batman Begins and Dark Knight are the definitive way to put Batman on-screen and Inception was intelligent, creative and … Continue reading The Prestige (2006) Review

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Boogie Nights (1997) Review

Ben

I have spoken before about how much I rate Mark Wahlberg and Boogie Nights gives me another opportunity to do that. This is a guy who started his entertainment career (as far as I’m aware) as a white rapper called Marky Mark! To most people that would be career suicide or at least a fairly sizable black mark on the CV but Wahlberg seems to be carving a decent and pretty comprehensive film career for himself. He can easily share a film and screen time with a host of other, more established actors. In The Fighter, Wahlberg held his own alongside a brilliant Christian Bale, he … Continue reading Boogie Nights (1997) Review

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The Queen (2006) Re-View

Ben

When an actor, even a brilliant one, decides to do a biopic and play a popular or recognisable person, the performance, though incredible, is often more of a caricature than a fair or accurate representation. This was put bluntly by David Frost when someone asked him to assess Michael Sheen’s version of himself in Frost/Nixon; “He’s not playing me, he’s playing a version of me.” Sometimes though, an actor or actress can embody the person they are playing to the point where you forget which actor it is you are watching. Meryl Streep as Margaret Thatcher in The Iron Lady is a perfect … Continue reading The Queen (2006) Re-View

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The Amazing Spiderman (2012) Review

Ben

I get nervous watching films that are based on popular characters, particularly ones I love. I get the same nervousness with sequels, films based on novels I love or anything that fits roughly into that category. The key examples that come to mind at the moment are Indiana Jones 4, Superman Returns, War of the Worlds and, quite fittingly, Spiderman 3. In fact, Spiderman 3 is the worst example of this utter disappointment and disbelief. I’ve never been so baffled, amazed and shocked by how you can have two films that are so brilliant, the ingredients for a third film that practically writes … Continue reading The Amazing Spiderman (2012) Review

Review1 Comment

Three Kings (1999) Review

Ben

There seems to be a pattern with war films, of any war, to either be a silly comedy or more commonly, a serious drama with an underlying, deeper theme or message. The old days of a fun war film, that had more of an adventure feel to it rather than a serious, heavy theme, seems to be over. I think there is still place for films that get shown on a Sunday afternoon. The kind of films your Dad tells you is a classic and you sit down to watch and find yourself entertained but not preached too, usually for … Continue reading Three Kings (1999) Review

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Brazil (1985) Review

Ben

Films set in a dystopian future will hold your interest for maybe the first half an hour but will always, eventually, need a decent story or at least a narrative that makes sense, to maintain my focus and attention. Part of the “fun” with a film set in a dark, grim future is the unfolding of the world. What are the “rules” or “laws?” What makes this future scary, stupid or ridiculous? What part does our “hero” play in this dark, new and maybe inevitable world? These intriguing questions will only last for a while before you need your hero to … Continue reading Brazil (1985) Review

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Arthur (2011) Review

Ben

It’s a risky move casting a stand-up comedian in a film role because ultimately, they will play themselves and that only appeals to some of the audience. These decisions are usually made because it’s a great way to cash in on the growing or already huge fan base of a particular comedian and the first few roles are just that comedian being himself in a specific story. Comedians can then become great comedic or even dramatic actors. The first few Eddie Murphy films were just Eddie Murphy being Eddie Murphy but soon he managed to make films that were less reflective … Continue reading Arthur (2011) Review