Magnum Force, SommerSturm, The Curious Case of Benjamin Button

A new initiative starting from this week is the idea of regular updates. From here on in I will be updating every Sunday, schedule permitting. It might be a Saturday, it might be a Monday, but as far as I am able I will be updating on a weekly basis. But, you might say, surely I can't guarantee that I will watch three movies every week? Well, that's fine, because I will also be padding out with movies that I have already seen and somehow failed to review, as well as re-reviewing those from the 'three word review' times. So, in other words, a lot of old movies coming up, chaps. Also, if you think there's something I really need to watch that it is a crime to not have reviewed here, drop me a line! I'm completely open to suggestions, especially considering that I'll be using a lovely little free trial rental service I have in the new year.

#1 - MAGNUM FORCE

Stars - Clint Eastwood, Hall Holbrook, David Soul, Felton Perry

Director - Ted Post

Memorable Quote - 'A man's gotta know his limitations.'

Review - Harry Callahan is back, and he is even less to be messed with. This starts off quite promisingly, with first of all a murder and second of all Harry single-handedly taking down a team of plane hijackers. It does not quite pack the same punches as 'Dirty Harry' in terms of catchphrases and in terms of awesome final scenes, and I felt a little bit like things were repeated too much. Of course it's still a good film, but it perhaps would have been better if there had not been a first movie to compare it to. Eastwood is dashing as ever, though it seems a little bit superfluous to have women throwing themselves at him quite so much - yes, he's attractive, we know, but there's no need to illustrate it so obviously. The plot became progressively more predictable as it went on, though I still think it was a little bit disappointing that Davis was revealed so early on... nitpicking, but anyway. I sound like I'm slating it, but I did enjoy it - I just have a very high expectation for Clint Eastwood movies, I suppose. I think that this ranks lower than 'Dirty Harry' in general, but that does not mean that it does not have any worth as a film at all, particularly as part of the series. And Callahan is still pretty damn cool. 3.5/5

#2 - SOMMERSTURM

Stars - Robert Stadlober, Kostja Ullman, Alicja Bachleda, Hanno Koffler

Director - Marco Kreuzpaintner

Memorable Quote - 'If you hide your whole life, you'll forget who you even are.'

Review - This is translated, as it were, from an old three-word review, and to be honest with you I can't really believe the fact that I haven't given it a full review here yet, because it is one of my top ten movies of all time, possible top five. I can't tell you how much I love this film. In my room I have an 'influence wall', where I have started adding prints of images of things that inspire me, and there are only five images on it so far: a still from SommerSturm, this still, is one of them. The whole piece is moving and emotional throughout, as we follow Tobi as he battles internally with the fact that he is in love with his best friend, Achim. For me, the highlights of the movie are the scene where he confesses the truth to Anke, the scene where he ends up with Leo the first time, and the summer storm itself with his final denial/confession. I recommend this for anyone who has ever been through adolescence or had a crush, because this is not just a coming out movie - it's a growing up movie. It's about nervousness and not being sure of who you are, and once you find out, learning to be comfortable with who that person is. The way it is filmed is also beautiful, and with small touches of humour alongside a soundtrack that perfectly suits the mood of the film, there is nothing that I can fault. Worth a watch, and a rewatch, and again. 6/5


#3 - THE CURIOUS CASE OF BENJAMIN BUTTON

Stars - Brad Pitt, Cate Blanchett

Director - David Fincher

Memorable Quote - 'I was thinking how nothing lasts, and what a shame that is.'

Review - Just like the film above, this is a re-do of a three word review, and I think it deserves more. I've read the short story by F Scott Fitzgerald, and I would have to say that they are almost unrecognizable when compared side by side. That said, I think it is important to take the film as an entity in its own right rather than comparing it. The storyline is enchanting, in a way that draws you in, making you ask questions and stay until those questions are answered. The effects are great, since one of the main things this relies on is making the an eighty year old man look like the same person as an eighteen year old, and making sure that everyone looks like Brad Pitt. I was amazed, actually, to see just how many people there were involved in playing Benjamin himself. The colour of the film overall is beautiful, giving it a feeling that lasts throughout and is almost nostalgic. Blanchett is also graceful and enchanting alongside Pitt, and her own transformation is also quite good. I think the best scene has to be where she gets hit by the car - the way that it is narrated and played out before us is impeccable. With a star cast and the influence of a classic author, this could have gone wrong as these things often do; but it did not - and this is a film that I fully recommend. 4/5