Rev Stan's film blog

The Heartless review

If you read the earlier post, you'll know I had some viewing problems with Heartless which may well have influenced how much I did or didn't enjoy the film. So with that said, here goes....

Firstly, Heartless is horror film, not a genre I would  go for but as a Philip Ridley-film starring Jim Sturgess and with a number of large cameo's filled by noted Brit actors such as Timothy Spall and Eddie Marsan, I was a bit curious.

*POSSIBLE PLOT SPOILERS* It's set in familiar Ridley territory, London's East End, and centres on Jim Sturgess' character Jamie who has a large birthmark on his face. Bullied, teased and stared at he is withdrawn, quiet and self conscious seeing little good in the world, a view that is confirmed when his mother is brutally murdered by a local gang. 

He then meets a Papa B who claims that nothing is random and violence creates a necessary suffering from which beauty can be appreciated. Jamie does a deal with Papa B who gets rid of his birthmark in exchange Jamie will commit some random, mild act of chaos at some point in the future.

Filmstalker: Hobbit loses Guillermo del Toro

I don't know about you but this is perhaps the most surprising news I've heard in a long time. Guillero del Toro has left the production of The Hobbit films, and the problem seems to be wholly down to the studio.

via www.filmstalker.co.uk

This is a real shame and hope the film still gets made. I've never quite understood why they need to milk the story into two films - perhaps one would make it more financially palatable.
Whatever happens, if Peter Jackson is involved it will be done well.

Heartless experience

Back at the beginning of the month Mark Kermode did a vodcast on his blog about whether a film being released simultaneously on DVD, pay per view TV and at the cinema made you think any less of that film.

The film that sparked the comment was Philip Ridley's Heartless and Kermode is a bit of a Ridley fan (vodcast is at the end of this post).

I'm also a bit of a Ridley fan, familiar more with his plays than his films, but really wanted to see Heartless so the debate interested me. Yes for me there is a type of Pavlov dog reaction when films are announced as going straight to DVD, a bit of snobbishness comes into play, there I've admitted it. But now I've actually seen Heartless it has changed my view slightly.

You see I really wanted to see Heartless on the big screen. I like the experience of sitting in the dark with no distraction. But Heartless was perhaps a victim to it's simultaneous release and was only on at a very few screens here in London for a short period of time and at silly times for those of us who have a day jobs.

I did try to see it, dashing out of the door of the office like a greyhound after a rabbit at the stroke of 5pm one day only to find my cinema of choice was closed for premiere that night.

So I was forced to watch it on Sky Box office at home, yesterday afternoon.

Mark Kermode loves Tracey Emin. Ahem

This is quite funny.

SATC2 - serve with a suitable cocktail or bottle of wine

I don't know quite what to say about Sex and the City 2 and that isn't necessarily a bad thing. I got quickly bored with the TV series but gave the first film a go as something light and frothy to watch on a Friday night after a tough week at work and it fitted the bill.

So I approached SATC2 with the same mindset. It's a Friday night, I want something frivolous and entertaining and a nice glass of wine to wash it down with. And again it fitted the bill.

It starts with a glamourous and camper than camp gay wedding complete with Liza Minnelli. The famous four are all impeccably and achingly fashionably dressed from ridiculous designer shoes to silly headwear, there are the usual emotional and relationship traumas to deal with but everything is OK in the end. The only thing that is different is that most of the film takes places while they girls are on a trip to the UAE.

Trailer Watch: Vincent Cassel in Notre Jour Viendra | Talking Films

Romain Gavras is known for his on violent music videos. He is the son of Costa Gavras and now he will be putting his hand into a feature length debut after so many years in the Music Video market. The film was initially called Redheads and has been retitled as Our Day will come.

via www.talkingfilms.net

This film looks incredibly disturbing and it's got the amazing Vincent Cassel in it. He was brilliant in Mesrine films. Can't wait to see it but no UK release date yet.

My growing list of bad cinemas in London

1. Covent Garden Odeon, well most Odeon's really

CG first because it smells damp, several of the seats are ripped and falling apart and some have been replaced with different sized seats which would be charming if it wasn't in the West End charging West End prices. And then pretty much most of the Odeon's around Leicester Square because they are frustrating rabbit warrens and are desperately in need of make-overs and ditto about the prices.

2. BFI IMAX

I've seen three film here and only one did I feel the IMAX experience was worth the inflated ticket price. That was Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix. With Avatar, I was sat quite low down the bank of seating on and therefore got little of the 3D effect. And with Prince of Persia the film was grainy and had hairs travelling up and down the screen at almost regular intervals - there was me thinking such things only happened on the old fashioned film projectors. It is most off-putting when it is travelling down the cheek of the hero during an important close up.

3. Empire Leicester Square

Only because I wanted to see Heartless, checked the film times yesterday, rushed out of work on the stroke of five to get over to Leicester Square on time only to find the cinema was closed for a premiere. Not a word of warning on the website. V. disappointed as I'd been looking forward to it all day.

Film news Bloom and Cordon join Three Musketeers | TotalFilm.com

I don't think it's possible to combine all the many sides of The Three Musketeers in a movie - as far as I can tell, it's only ever been done badly. It's full of action and comedy and romance and really dark stuff as well. It's a tall order.

via www.totalfilm.com

So Orlando Bloom, probably the most successful, good-looking actor with such mediocre talent (although Robert Pattinson is fighting him for the title) is to play a Duke in Paul W S Anderson's Three Muskateers film.
I confidently predict a posh wooden performance.

Richard Coyle Interview ‹ Little White Lies – Independent Film Magazine

Related reviews and interviewsPrince Of Persia: The Sands Of TimeThe problem in this empty cinema of spectacle is that there are hardly any arresting images or memorable momentsRecipe For DisasterIs it just us, or was the recent natural hiccup the perfect action flick set up?BrothersWeighty conflict isn’t necessarily the same as distinctive entertainmentTrailer Talk – Prince of Persia: The Sands of TimeOne of the world's best-known video game franchises gets the Disney treatment. There's already plenty of buzz, but how does the trailer measure up?Shoot! Week: Anthony GreenIn the third of six profiles introducing you to the creative players behind PlayStation Shoot!, meet director Anthony Green.

via www.littlewhitelies.co.uk

Interesting interview with Richard Coyle about his role in Prince of Persia. Saw him on the stage last week and he was very good (http://theatre.revstan.com/2010/05/polar-bears-at-the-donmar.html) Don't agree with LWL summing up of the film though - I enjoyed it.

Prince of Persia is perfect popcorn movie (and I liked it more than Avatar)

Always knew Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time was going to be a popcorn movie so expectations weren't high except for the beefed-up presence of Jake Gyllenhaal in the lead role.

It's based on a video game and is about a street urchin, Dastan, adopted into the Persian royal family as a young child who is framed for his father's murder, at the same time as coming into possession of a dagger that facilitates time travel. Cue: lots of chasing and fighting as he is pursued both for the murder and the dagger.

But it's good fun, some nice little twists in the plot, lots of action, a witty script (if you ignore some of the cheesier lines) and nicely paced. Not normally one for lots of fighting, the scraps are well done with lots of impressive parkour-style jumps, tumbles and dodging weapons.

Gemma Arterton plays the beautiful Princess Tamina who is the feisty damsel and guardian of the dagger and Jake, well, Jake looks gorgeous, playing Prince Dastan with a cheekiness and English accent that made me giggle like a fourteen year old. (There's a nice interview with Jake over on HeyUGuys.)