Stars - Johnny Depp, Angelina Jolie, Paul Bettany, Rufus Sewell, Timothy Dalton
Director - Florian Henckel von Donnersmarck
Memorable Quote - ' 20 million dollars worth of plastic surgery. And that's the face you choose.'
Review - 'The Tourist' is full of twists and turns that will lead you on a merry dance across Venice, as Angelina Jolie's sometime criminal's moll selects a random man to pretend to be the criminal himself to fool the world's intelligence agencies, only to find more than she bargained for in her tourist. Of course, it's only natural that any woman would choose Johnny Depp when presented with a train full of gentlemen to pick from, though he does at last begin to show what seem to be a few real signs of aging. The bags under his eyes, whether real or fabricated in make up, are a tiny bit off-putting, though his acting skills remain the same. He convinces entirely as the American teacher out on a trip to Venice to pretend his life isn't dull and empty, until of course he seems to know a few too many tricks and we at last guess the truth. Jolie sparkles as the rich, beautiful enchantress she was made to play, a welcome break from her insistence on the 'gritty' roles. Running through it all and pulling the plot together is Paul Bettany, doing a wonderful job of giving us something to read between his lines, putting undertones to his English Gent exterior. The movie is so A-List that poor old Rufus Sewell only managed to get a cameo in, which should give you some indication of the quality. Although the cleverness of the plot might have been punchier with a different director or target audience - the French, for one, might have handled it better - the Hollywood watering-down is not so severe that it ruins things. 4/5
#2 - THE BROTHERS BLOOM
Stars - Adrien Brody, Mark Ruffalo, Rachel Weisz, Rinko Kikuchi, Robbie Coltrane
Director - Rian Johnson
Memorable Quote - 'The trick to not feeling cheated is to learn how to cheat.'
Review - Why on earth are everyone and their mother hating on 'The Brothers Bloom'? I'm going to put myself out on a limb and say that I actually really enjoyed it. Brody presents himself with the kind of lovable charm he's always been good at, somehow making a cowardly, tired conman underdog into a sympathetic character. The plot is fairly straightforward in terms of what actually happens, but the challenge is to work out what's really going on in each scene - Bloom, Bang Bang, and particularly Stephen spin a web of deceit to the point that even they are sometimes unaware of the truth. The scene in which Stephen pretends to be pretending only for Bloom to later realise he was not (if you've seen it, you'll know) is the most touching of the movie, and possibly the best-done. Bang Bang is a brilliant supporting character, providing a touch of humour and a lot of quirkiness - and her expressions often tell a hundred jokes all by themselves. If I ever need to blow anything up, I will now make sure it's a dinosaur with a Barbie's head. Weisz also builds her part well, though I suppose I'm not sure how someone quite that eccentric would act, and all in all I think the cast did their best. I struggle to find a reason to hate this film: it's no masterpiece, but then neither is it One Magic Christmas, so thank heavens for small mercies. 3.5/5
#3 - MORNING GLORY
Stars - Rachel MacAdams, Harrison Ford, Patrick Wilson, Jeff Goldblum, Diane Keaton
Director - Roger Michell
Memorable Quote - 'I'm not saying the word fluffy!'
Review - Rachel MacAdams seems to be carving a niche for herself in Hollywood. She's the career girl, smart but flawed in some way (naive in 'Up', clumsy here). She's able to charm the older skeptic - Harrison Ford in this case - and ultimately save the day. It may be starting to feel a bit formulaic, but here it works - the film is hilarious at times, funny at others, and produces a smile even in its lowest points. The general story is heartwarming, particularly as Ford gives us a multifaceted character, part grumpy old man and part passionate news reporter, finally swallowing his pride in the build-up to the conclusion. The love story between MacAdams' character and Wilson's is dealt with well in that it does not take over the main arc, instead giving us a full picture of her life that adds to the appeal rather than taking it away. Rather than just another trashy romcom, this is well-made and entertaining, giving you a real sense of a journey throughout. Though it is not exactly highbrow, there's nothing wrong with a bit of light entertainment. 3.5/5
If you enjoyed reading this blog, please take the time to comment, rate, or even click on an ad to support a starving blogger.
No comments:
Post a Comment