Cast: Daniel Craig. Harrison Ford, Olivia Wilde, Sam Rockwell, Adam Beach, Paul Dano
Synopsis: Jake Lonergan (Craig) wakes up in the desert with a weird bracelet attached to his wrist and no memory of who he is and how he got there. He rides to a nearby town where he gets himself in the crosshairs of local mogul Woodrow Dollarhyde (Ford). All differences must be put aside though when an otherworldly threat abducts many of the citizens of the town, and Lonergan’s bracelet is their one best defence.
Cast: Tom Hanks, Michael Clarke Duncan, David Morse, Bonnie Hunt, James Cromwell, Michael Jeter, Sam Rockwell, Doug Hutchison
Synopsis: This is a period film that tells the story of the wardens and inmates on death row, the green mile of the title. John Coffey (Clarke Duncan) is the latest inmate, accused of raping and murdering two young girls, apparently having been caught red handed. As the wardens get to know him better (led by Hanks’ Paul Edgecomb), they discover that Coffey is far from ordinary, with an extraordinary ability to heal people by touch. Convinced he is innocent, can they go through with sending him to the electric chair?
It is very appropriate I choose this film as one to make me feel down. There are quite a few that make me cry, but many of those have endings that inspire hope or mean you can leave smiling. Atonement for me is certainly up there based on these criteria, and is worth of an honourable mention, but there is a film that for me has had an even longer lasting impact. The Green Mile does have a resolution, but the mood one leaves the film with is one of sombre reflection. The impact it had on me was deep, to the point that I made sure I watch it rarely so as to retain the impact it had on its first viewing.
To clarify a point, this film is heavily thematically Christian, however I do feel that it is still a film that can be enjoyed by anyone that either believes in a deity, or that at least respects other people’s desire to believe in a deity. I am raised a Christian, and though I have let my church attendance lapse and at times my world viewpoint is at odds with what Catholicism as an organised religion preaches, I do still have a core belief in God. The implication of the film is that Coffey is a gift from God, one of His miracles. So where does that leave the men that have a duty to kill him. It is a true moral dilemma, made harder by how sympathetically the character is portrayed. This was Clarke Duncan’s break out role, and he embraced the opportunity in his enormous hands. Coffey is physically imposing, yet has the mind of a child, and takes a child like delight in simple beauty, such as the stars in the night sky. Acts of violence and hate are incomprehensible to him. It is a true reflection that goodness and morality are not the realm of the intellectual or those that can identify the grey areas. I leave the film thinking that we spend so much time on clarifying what is grey that we have forgotten that good and evil are as disparate as oil and water. An inability to see the grey could indeed be the key to making the most moral choices.
Hanks is of course the other shining light in this film. His performance is largely understated, yet he shows great emotional depth and anguish in a man who has a responsibility to remain calm and minimally responsive. It is a skill Edgecomb has clearly had to learn, working around men who know the date and minute of their final breath. He can make the decision when a firm hand is needed to quell a disturbance, or a gentle discussion to help these men prepare for their final moment. The film is also deftly handled by Darabont, who was so stellar in bringing another Stephen King story to screen with even greater success, The Shawshank Redemption. Clearly the pen of the writer and the eye of the director here is a fruitful collaboration.
If you are not of a personality to seek a film that does not leave you smiling, this film would be very hard going. Yet the messages within and the thematic issues addressed are all relevant to today’s society, especially as some areas still endorse the death penalty. You may not want to see it again, but you are only robbing yourself if you refuse to see it at all.
Cast: Martin Freeman, Zooey Deschanel, Mos Def, Sam Rockwell, Bill Nighy, Warwick Davis, Alan Rickman, Anna Chancellor, Stephen Fry, Helen Mirren, Bill Bailey, John Malkovich
Synopsis: A story adapted from the first of the series of books written by Douglas Adams. Arthur Dent (Freeman) escapes Earth moment before its destruction with the aid of his best friend, Ford Prefect (Def), whom as it turns out was an alien all along. Ford writes for the renowned Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy (voiced by Fry). Their travels intersect with the those of Ford’s cousin and President of the Galaxy, Zaphod Beeblebrox (Rockwell), and his travelling companion Trillian (Deschanel), who is the only other remaining survivor of Earth.
A review by Film Nerd.
I was quite a fan of the Hitchhiker’s Guide as a series of books, the infamous trilogy in five parts. It was a series that was all about the ridiculous, and not to everyone’s sense of humour. I was often quite tickled by it, so the prospect of a movie to me was quite a thing of anticipation. The fact that Adams himself had contributed a lot of the screen play before his passing was promising, the fact he had taken so long to get it successfully off the ground was not.
But on the surface of things, there were a lot of smart choices made with this film. Freeman has always made the perfect “every man”, and was ideally cast as the always bathrobe wearing Arthur Dent. Mos Def I was unfamiliar with, which concerned me, and though there is nothing wrong with the performance it was not necessarily brilliant either. My love for Deschanel is well on record, once again in the type of role she has made her own, the independent woman who is more quirky than harsh. Rockwell is let off his leash in full crazy mode, and can be a true delight in this film. Then just look above at a lot of the rest of the acting talent, including Rickman voicing Marvin the Paranoid Android, and Fry’s dulcet tones filling in for both Narrator and the guide itself. So really, the casting in most cases could not be more spot on.
The film also opens brilliantly, taking Adams’ record of the last communication from dolphins to humans; “So long, and thanks for all the fish”, and making an opening credits song out of it, is just what is needed to break the audience out of normality and into the realm of Adams mind. And yet from that point on, the film is somewhat lacklustre. Adams comedy does not always shine through, with some of the less famous lines from the novel feeling somewhat flat on delivery. Despite all the brilliant individual performances, they somehow do not add up to a whole that is entirely enjoyable. It is hard to pin-point where things go wrong, yet somehow they do. There are moments that are great, breaking up a rather ordinary film. It is a real shame, as this had the potential to be gut-bustingly funny, and yet it is just a pleasant time-waster.
My recommendation? If you are unfamiliar with the books and curious, give it a look, but at your own peril. This makes some of Adams’ work look kinda boring, so you could unfairly pre-judge the books before reading them for yourself. If you have an open mind though, there is enough here to enjoy. If you are already a fan, it perhaps is more entertain knowing the source material, and yet you will be disappointed knowing what this film could have been.
Cast: Tim Allen, Alan Rickman, Sigourney Weaver, Sam Rockwell, Justin Long
Synopsis: Follows the story of a group of washed up actors that starred in the science fiction series Galaxy Quest 20 years earlier, now languishing in careers spent touring the convention circuit. Than is of course until they are recruited by a group of aliens that have modeled their lives and technology on the “historical documents” transmitted into space from Earth. They hope their heroes can save them from an imminent threat.
A review by Film Nerd.
This is a film that was always destined to be reviewed here on Film Actually. As if Alan Rickman week was not enough cause, the fact that this show lovingly lampoons my favourite original cast of Star Trek means it was always going to be on my “tobe reviewed” list without question. I say lovingly lampoons, as though the characters do appear obvious caricatures of Shatner, Nimoy, and co, it also has a level of depth to it as well, as we learn that they are all languishing in want of something more, something that is offered to them when they climb aboard the fully functional NSEA Protector.
Though Allen’s career was somewhat languishing post Home Improvement, aside from his Buzz Lightyear voicing duties, his Jason Nesmith just screams Shatner. He is a character of swagger, of self-importance, who almost truly believes he is the legendary starship commander he played on-screen. He continuously upstages his cast mates and takes all glory for himself (as Shatner at the time was often reported to be guilty of, though in his Boston Legal years I am seeing two sides to that story now). His confidence is shattered however when he overhears himself being mocked, and sees the walls he has built around himself. So far, so sombre. From that point on we hit space, and the true comedy starts. The comedy mines every Trek cliché… the red-shirted crewman that is the expendable one sure to die on the planet, the captain losing his shirt in fight scenes, no one quite sure what the female on the bridge is doing, but she sure does look good, and the character actor now more well-known for the alien crewmember he played rather than his Shakespearean background. All very obvious comedy points, but all delightfully portrayed here.
Aside from Allen, he is strongly supported by Rickman in the Nimoy-esque role, so frustrated with being typecast he refuses to repeat his character’s catch phrase. It is a character full of bitterness, and Rickman has always had that skill to just spit out lines loaded with sarcasm, but also with the perfect comic timing. Perfect casting then!! When you add sci-fi veteran Sigourney Weaver playing a very un-Ripley role as the series sex object, the juxtaposition is ripe for comedy. The smaller roles are also delightful, with the helmsman who has no idea how to fly a real ship, the engineer unable to operate a real transport beam system, and the always amazing Sam Rockwell as the red shirt… “Crewman Number 6″. They maintain this gag so well, even his character’s real name is just “Guy”.
This is a funny movie in its own right, with the situational comedy enough to entertain all audiences. But for complete Trek novices, I would give this a rating of 3 out of 5. However, knowledge of Trek-dom really brings this film to life, and being a self-proclaimed expert in that respect myself, it deserves another star. “By Grabthar’s Hammer… by the Sons of Warvan… you shall be… avenged!”
Cast: Robert Downey Jr, Gwyneth Paltrow, Mickey Rourke, Don Cheadle, Sam Rockwell
Synopsis: Tony Stark’s popularity has sky rocketed since revealing to the world he is Iron Man. However, the government desires the suits tech to be handed over, not trusting such power in the hands. Pressure to relinquish the suit only increases when mysterious Ivan Vanko produces his own miniature Arc reactor, the same device that powers Iron Man’s suit, and poses a threat to national security. Meanwhile, Stark is losing control as a result of battling his own demons.
A review by Film Nerd
There is no question that the original Iron Man was a surprise hit, unless you were already a dedicated fan of Marvel comics before the release of the film. For many, it not only marked another successful comic book adaptation, but a sparkling return to form for Robert Downey Jr., whose presence and charisma defined the film and fitted the character of playboy billionaire Tony Stark like a glove. Sequels to films such as these are a very tricky prospect, needing to capture what made the original so entertaining, while adding new elements to avoid a feeling of dull repetition.
Iron Man 2 is a very solid, entertaining sequel. Once again, it is truly Downey Jr.’s film, his character defining the tone, and maintaining a sense of fun to the proceedings. However, Stark is battling personal demons this time whereas in the last film it was battling the demons of his company’s legacy. It is revealed early on that the element Palladium, which acts as the core of the Arc reactor and powers the Iron Man suit, as well as keeping his heart running, is slowly poisoning him. Indeed, the very thing keeping him alive is also killing him.
This is bad enough, without external pressures mounting. The government is seeking access to the suit technology in the interest of national defence, the (not unreasonable) fear being that other countries may indeed develop this technology to use against the United States. Stark’s defence that this technology being developed elsewhere is not likely for another five to ten years is destroyed on the appearance of Rourke’s Ivan Vanko, who develops his own Ark reactor to power his own suit. He adopts the identity of Whiplash to take revenge on the Stark family for stealing the Ark technology from his father in the first place. Roarke continues his career resurrection here, playing the role with an effective, quiet menace.
The external characters all get a chance to shine. Don Cheadle replaces Terrence Howard as Stark’s best friend Lt. Col. Jim “Rhodey” Rhodes, and frankly does a much better job. Gwyneth Paltrow’s Pepper Potts maintains that mix of spice and vulnerability that worked so well in the first film, and Scarlett Johansson’s Black Widow is thankfully an entertaining performance in a way many of hers have not been of late. Special mention has to go to the always brilliant Sam Rockwell as Justin Hammer, a business rival of Stark’s. It is a role that could have been dull when playing against top form RDJ and Rourke, but in Rockwell’s hands it is a true stand out.
Overall, the film equal’s but does not quite better the original outing. That said, it does have a true “middle chapter” feel. Though Iron Man 3 is not yet slated, Marvel’s Avengers is due out next year, uniting Iron Man and Hulk with Thor and Captain America, both characters due for their own films prior to the release of the Avengers. That said, it is here that the true Marvel Fanboy can get extra out of this film. I noticed at least two Easter eggs in the film hinting to these later films, one of which had me nerd-gasm enough to give my fiancée a significant fright in our car at the drive-in! Note, stick around after the end credits, as one of these Easter eggs is dropped then. All I can say is that I can’t wait!
A entertaining sequel that, despite not feeling an improvement of the original film, at least equals that previous effort. An extra half star was given for the fanboy references.
