Rev Stan's film blog

Review: The Oscar-worthy Nebraska

Synopsis: Alcoholic old man Woody (Bruce Dern) who also suffers from dementia thinks he's won a million in a marketing raffle and insists on travelling across country to claim his prize. Unable to persuade his father it is a scam his son David (Will Forte) decides to humour him and drive him to Nebraska.

Stan's thoughts: So glad I decided to see this because I nearly decided against it and it is such a brilliantly funny, warm and moving film.

You share the frustration David feels about his father's single-mindedness and cerebral impairment while loving him all the same. This is a father-son journey of rediscovery via Woody's past in the town he grew up in.

Simply and quietly shot in black and white and against a backdrop of recession hit small town America this is full of perfectly pitched performances, with characters delightful in their ordinariness. It is the antithesis of other Oscar contenders The Wolf of Wall Street and American Hustle.

Bruce Dern should win the Oscar he's been shortlisted for but he probably won't. If you can catch it, you should because it is perfectly lovely film and will leave you feeling warm and maybe a little sentimental.

Ratings

• Stan's: 86%
• IMDB: 81%
• Metascore: 86%
• Rotten Tomatoes: 91% 
• RT audience rating: 88%

Recently seen and reviews available here unless otherwise indicated

The Wolf of Wall Street

The Railway Man

12 Years A Slave

Mandela: Long Road To Freedom

Secret Life of Walter Mitty

Saving Mr Banks

Philomena

Hunger Games: Catching Fire

Hobbit: Desolation of Smaug

Review: A moral tale or not a moral tale - Scorsese's Wolf of Wall Street

Synopsis: Based on the true story of Jordon Belfort an 80's stock trader who played fast and dirty with other people's money, women, alcohol, drugs and anything else expensive he could get his hands on.

Stan's thoughts: This film has earnt plaudits and criticism in equal measure. On the one hand it is highly entertaining and funny and the three hours running time pass by surprisingly quickly. On the other hand, the victims and consequences of Jordon and his cronies behaviour are notable by their absence.

Jordon Belfort - a Leonardo DiCaprio on find form -  and chums are despicable and immoral and nothing seems to be out of bounds just as long as they are making heaps of cash and having a good time.

In an interview DiCaprio said the aim was to tell the story through the eyes of Belfort who had no moral compass. Fair enough. He then said that the real Belfort now spends his time teaching responsibility in financial trading but the problem is that in the final scene that just doesn't come across. We see Belfort teaching sales technique using a method he himself was taught.

I'm sure there will be plenty of people who, like me, will rankle at least a little at the behaviour portrayed in the film and be tinged by guilt by being so entertained by it; it almost becomes intoxicating and that concerns me slightly.

So I have a dilemma. This is a highly entertaining film but at a cost. It needn't shove morals down your throat but just shade of something would have satisfied.

Ratings

• Stan's: 80%
• IMDB: 86%
• Metascore: 75%
• Rotten Tomatoes: 77% 
• RT audience rating: 82%

Recently seen and reviews available here unless otherwise indicated

The Railway Man

12 Years A Slave

Mandela: Long Road To Freedom

Secret Life of Walter Mitty

Saving Mr Banks

Philomena

Hunger Games: Catching Fire

Hobbit: Desolation of Smaug

 

 

 

Review: Colin Firth and Jeremy Irvine are The Railway Man

Synopsis: Another film based on a true story, this time it's about Eric Lomax who 30-odd years after the end of the second world war is still suffering terrible post traumatic stress because of his experiences as a prisoner of war working on the construction of the Thailand/Burma railway. When he discovers that one of the those involved in his treatment is still alive he decides to settle the score.

Stan's thoughts: Colin Firth plays the older Lomax and Jeremy Irvine plays the younger and this is another distressing and difficult film to watch (probably best not seen as a double bill with 12 Years A Slave as I did).

Lomax's story is a difficult one to tell because essentially he's a man who won't or can't talk about what is distressing him and Firth does his best at showing a man with inner turmoil. What did pack the punch were the flash back scenes to wartime which finally do reveal the extent of what he experienced as POW. Irvine's performance as the quietly brave and somehow the least likely of heroes was a pleasure to watch.

I wasn't aware of the real story on which the film is based but the ending wasn't really a surprise and therefore probably didn't quite have the impact it was suppose to.

Ratings

• Stan's: 70%
• IMDB: 73%
• Metascore: 70%
• Rotten Tomatoes: 69% 
• RT audience rating: 81%

Recently seen and reviews available here unless otherwise indicated

12 Years A Slave

Mandela: Long Road To Freedom

Secret Life of Walter Mitty

Saving Mr Banks

Philomena

Hunger Games: Catching Fire

Hobbit: Desolation of Smaug

American Hustle

 

Review or did it live up to the hype: 12 Years A Slave

Synopsis: Based on the true story of Solomon Northrup (Chiwetel Ejiofor) a black violinist who is kidnapped and sold into slavery in 19th Century America.

Stan's thoughts: There are lots of hyped, award-nominated films coming up what with it being Oscar season and all and sometime that taint judgement. Steve McQueen's latest certainly packs a punch and is, not surprisingly given the subject matter, often uncomfortable and distressing viewing.

Fantastic performances but then there are some of the best of Britain's acting talent - Fassbender and Cumberbatch - and the likes of Paul Giamatti, Paul Dano and Brad Pitt popping up briefly.

Must also mention Lupita Nyong'o as Patsy and Sarah Paulson as Mrs Epps who were probably the most interesting and fully fleshed out characters. And that is where I have to deduct points because I don't feel the film really got fully under the skin of the protagonist Solomon and what was going on in his head throughout it all.

12 Years A Slave almost lived up the hype and certainly did a better job than Gravity or American Hustle on that score. I was a little bit of an emotional mess at the end so for that it definitely gets the thumbs up.

Ratings

• Stan's: 80%
• IMDB: 86%
• Metascore: 97%
• Rotten Tomatoes: 97% 
• RT audience rating: 93%

Recently seen and reviews available here unless otherwise indicated

Mandela: Long Road To Freedom

Secret Life of Walter Mitty

Saving Mr Banks

Philomena

Hunger Games: Catching Fire

Butler

Hobbit: Desolation of Smaug

American Hustle

 

 

 

Review: Mandela - Long Road to Freedom

Synopsis: Based on Nelson Mandela's autobiography this follows the late South African leader's life from teenager to anti apartheid campaigner, imprisonment, freedom and election.

Stan's thoughts: Amazing and moving performances but in trying to cover such a long life this film suffers from a lack of insight and depth. Most of the story is well-trod and familiar - it was in fact Winnie Mandela's story that was the most interesting as that feels less known.

Don't feel I came away knowing much more about Mandela the man but it was engaging enough as a political drama.

Ratings

• Stan's: 65%
• IMDB: 70%
• Metascore: 60%
• Rotten Tomatoes: 56% 
• RT audience rating: 75%

Recently seen and reviews available here unless otherwise indicated

Secret Life of Walter Mitty

Saving Mr Banks

Philomena

Hunger Games: Catching Fire

Butler

Hobbit: Desolation of Smaug

American Hustle

The Counsellor

My best and worst films of 2013

Clocked up 87 films last year and pleased to say all bar one got a little write up here on this blog. The one I missed was Gloria which I saw at a special preview and slipped through the net and while very good it didn't make it into my top 10.

In viewing order, all these film I gave scores of more than 80% to:

1. The Sessions - A surprisingly perfect marriage of tears and laughter.

2. Star Trek: Into the Darkness - Cumberbatch kicked it for me in this one and as a result I ended up buying the DVD which, considering the scars I still carry from a teenage trauma involving a video recording of my favourite Mel Gibson film and my dad recording Star Trek over it it, is testament to how good it was in itself.

3. Breathe In - This subtle film was deeply and quietly affecting and it haunted me for days.

4. Wadja - Brilliant in too many ways to write just a couple of sentences

Review: The Silly (and not in a good way) Secret Life of Walter Mitty

Synopsis: Walter Mitty has done nothing worthy of putting on an online dating profile except in his head, when the picture for the final cover of Life magazine, where he works, the search for it takes him on an adventure.

Stan's thoughts: Oh dear, oh dear, oh dear. This is contrived and far-fetched even for Hollywood. We are supposed to believe that at man who is introverted, hasn't done anything remotely interesting or exciting, let alone travelled, other than in his head, is suddenly capable of trailing a famous photographer to remote and often dangerous corners of the world. And, regardless of where he is, his phone works.

This is at best very mildly entertaining but judging by the ratings its getting perhaps I'm just too cynical for it.

Ratings

• Stan's: 30%
• IMDB: 77%
• Metascore: 55%
• Rotten Tomatoes: 50% 
• RT audience rating: 79%

Recently seen and reviews available here

Saving Mr Banks

Philomena

Hunger Games: Catching Fire

Butler

Hobbit: Desolation of Smaug

American Hustle

The Counsellor