Rev Stan's film blog

Review: The rather splendid Love is all you need

Synopsis: Workaholic widower (Pierce Brosnan) travels to Italy for the wedding of his son. En route he bumps into the mother (Trine Dyrholm) of his son's fiancee who is waiting for the all clear after treatment for breast cancer.

Stan's thoughts: Confess that the poster initially put me off this film, it looked too Mama Mia but then I heard film critic Mark Kermode praising it.

I hadn't realised it was a Danish film and, yes, I can be a bit of a foreign film snob, so I decided to catch it before it disappears from cinemas and I'm so glad I did.

It is a very grounded film and by that I mean it feels closer to real life than you'd usually get on screen. I put that down to it not being a Hollywood made film; Hollywood would blush at showing a 41-year-old woman, who looks like she has eaten more than salad all her life, swimming naked in the sea, let alone a woman who has has a mastectomy.

This is about humans with flaws, a film of heart and depth that elevates it above the usual romantic fare. It has its light moments, charm and a performance from Pierce Brosnan I never expected to see. A lovely and genuinely warm film.

Ratings

• Stan's 78%
• IMDB 64%
• Metascore 58%
• Rotten Tomatoes 73%

Recently seen

Mud

Star Trek Into Darkness

I'm So Excited

Iron Man 3

The Place Beyond the Pines

Olympus Has Fallen

Oblivion

Spring Breakers

Review: Mud

Synopsis: Two boys discover a man living rough out on an island and decide to help him

Stan's thoughts: It always worries me when classic films like Stand By Me are mentioned on a movie's poster. Rarely do they live up to the comparison and Mud is a case in point. It is far from a failure as a film. I particularly enjoyed Matthew McConaughey's performance in the titular role, a feeling that there was something just a little bit dangerous bubbling under the surface. But ultimately this feels like it has stolen too heavily from too many other stories and, therefore, doesn't develop fully its own.

Despite its length (over 2 hours) McConaughey's is the only fully developed character which deprives the film of emotional depth.

Mud is an OK film but doesn't stand up to those films to which some people have made comparisons.

Ratings

• Stan's 59%
• IMDB 79%
• Metascore 76%
• Rotten Tomatoes 99%

Recently seen

Star Trek Into Darkness

I'm So Excited

Iron Man 3

The Place Beyond the Pines

Olympus Has Fallen

Oblivion

Spring Breakers

Good Vibrations

In

 

 

Review: Bad Benedict in Star Trek: Into Darkness

Synopsis: Captain James T Kirk volunteers to go on a dangerous mission to take down baddie John Harrison after he kills his friend and mentor.

Stan's thoughts: No one is more surprised than I about how excited I got over seeing a Star Trek film. There was this incident when I was a teenager which involved a video taped copy of my favourite Mel Gibson film and an episode of Star Trek the TV series which my Dad was a fan of. Needless to say it spawned what was to be a life long hate of anything Trekkie until JJ Abrams got involved with the first film back in 2009 and I was won over.

Throw in one of my favourite actors, Benedict Cumberbatch, playing a baddie and I was almost clapping when it started.

*potential spoiler alert* And it didn't disappoint. BC could only play a highly intelligent villain, the sort of villain that keeps you guessing and secretly has you rooting for him even though you know you shouldn't. I do hope he makes a reappearance in a future film - I'm happy to lead the rescue party.

The rest of the film is a nice balance of action - fistycuffs, shoot-outs and space ships - drama, tension and laughs. A confident and quality follow up to the first film and I can't wait to get my hands on the DVD and watch the extras.

Ratings

• Stan's 82%
• IMDB 84%
• Metascore 74%
• Rotten Tomatoes 90%

Recently seen

I'm So Excited

Iron Man 3

The Place Beyond the Pines

Olympus Has Fallen

Oblivion

Spring Breakers

Good Vibrations

In The House

Review: Almodovar camp airplane-esque comedy I'm So Excited

Synopsis: Spanish aircrew discover shortly after take off that the landing gear is broken and have to try and entertain the business class passengers while resolving their own differences as they fly around trying to find somewhere to land.

Stan's thoughts: Like the Spanish version of Airplane but camper and far more naughty, mainly because it's made in Europe and not America where you certainly wouldn't have so much casual drinking and drug taking. Outlandish and full of giggles and laughs, it's a little too frothy to be among Almodovar's best but nonetheless delightfully silly.

Ratings

• Stan's 65%
• IMDB 56%
• Metascore 61%
• Rotten Tomatoes 62%

Recently seen

Iron Man 3

The Place Beyond the Pines

Olympus Has Fallen

Oblivion

Spring Breakers

Good Vibrations

In The House

Review: Iron Man 3

Synopsis: All you really need to know is that Iron Man goes after a big baddie

Stan's thoughts: Love the Iron Man films primarily because of Robert Downey Jnr's cocky and brash Tony Stark. He's sharp and funny and as always entertaining to watch. As usual Pepper Potts (Gwyneth Paltrow) and Col James Rhodes (Don Cheadle) act add emotional and physical support  but there are some new villains in the form of Aldrich Killian (Guy Pearce) and The Mandarin (Ben Kingsley). Kingsley is having such fun in this film he is a joy to watch and steals several scenes.

My only slight niggle is the final big battle quickly descends into big roberts bashing each other which gets a little bit tedious after a while but it is a minor grumble.

Overall, just good, disengage brain, sit back and enjoy fun film.

Ratings

• Stan's 72%
• IMDB 78%
• Metascore 62%
• Rotten Tomatoes 78%

Recently seen

The Place Beyond the Pines

Olympus Has Fallen

Oblivion

Spring Breakers

Good Vibrations

In The House

Trance

Review: The Place Beyond the Pines

Synopsis: Luke (Ryan Gosling) is a travelling fair, stunt motorcycle rider. He discovers he fathered a child the last time he was in town and decides he wants to be a dad to his son. The mother of his baby has moved on with another man who can offer Luke's son everything he can't but he is determined which leads him on a dangerous path.

Stan's thoughts: Running through this film is the idea of the sins of the father passing onto their sons. And it is at once epic in the sense of a Greek tragedy but also small and intimate. It is unexpected and surprising in its direction and I can't say more than that because it would be too much of a plot spoiler. The second act does feel like it is trying to cover too many bases but taken as a whole I think it gets away with it. Great cast and great performances.

Ratings

• Stan's 70%
• IMDB 78%
• Metascore 68%
• Rotten Tomatoes 80%

Recently seen

Olympus Has Fallen

Oblivion

Spring Breakers

Good Vibrations

In The House

Trance

The Host