Rev Stan's film blog: September 2014

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September 2014

09/29/2014

Review: The tense and intelligent A Most Wanted Man

Synopsis: An illegal immigrant, a Muslim who is half Chechen, half Russian, arrives in Hamburg seeking access to his late father ill-gotten fortune. Who is he and is he a threat? It's a race between different secret services to get to him first and also expose a financier who they suspect is funding terrorist organisations.

Stan's thoughts: A superb spy thriller this is just as much about the rivalry within the German agencies and the American's as it is about catching potential baddies.

It avoids cliche and doesn't patronise its audience with black and white characters and scenarios. Neither does it spoon feed plot or outstay its welcome. Instead it is a film that is intelligent, tense and gripping.

Sad to see what was one of Philip Seymour Hoffman's last films but it is a great one to leave us with. Great performance too from Grigoriy Dobrygin who plays the immigrant Issa. He doesn't say much but is a brilliantly beautiful and intriguing linchpin to the central story. Robin Wright also stands out in what is a relatively small part.

A great, solidly enjoyable film.

Ratings

Stan’s 80%
IMDB 73%
Metascore 73%
Rotten Tomatoes 91%
RT Audience Rating* 71%

Recently seen

Guardians of the Gallaxy

* Based on number of people who rated the film 3.5/5 and higher

Posted at 07:25 PM in American films, Thriller | Permalink | Comments (0)

09/21/2014

Review: Pride, the film that leaves you feeling so good you want to give it a hug

Synopsis: A group of gay and lesbian activists decide to raise money for a group of striking miners in small Welsh town but their efforts cause division in the community.

Stan's thoughts: Pride is the epitome of a feel good movie. It has the perfect mix of laughs with heartfelt tender moments, it is a well-rounded story, with characters you care about and has toe-tapping 80s soundtrack.

Perhaps one of the best ensemble casts you'll see in a film, there are too many star performances to mention all individually. Dominic West continues to surprise with his variety of roles, in this he is a mullet-sporting, disco-hips and it's great to see Imelda Staunton having heaps of fun as the liberal Welsh matriarch who gets a taste for life.

Then there is Andrew Scott who is movingly understated and George MacKay's delicately observed Joe who is newly 'out'. He is definitely a talent to keep an eye out for. In fact it is a film you need to watch more than once to spot and enjoy fully.

Pride is a perfectly huggable film, it is chocker full of good feelings and poignancy, laughter and tears I dare you not to enjoy it.

Ratings

Stan’s 95%
IMDB 82%
Metascore 83%
Rotten Tomatoes 97%
RT Audience Rating* 93%

Recently seen

Guardians of the Gallaxy

Dawn of the Planet of the Apes

* Based on number of people who rated the film 3.5/5 and higher

Posted at 07:19 PM in British films, Comedy | Permalink | Comments (0)

Review: The Riot Club - it's Wolf of Wall St for the young British upper crust

Synopsis: Based on the hit play Posh it follows a group of supremely posh and privileged Oxford students who are members of the elite Riot Club as they recruit two new members and indoctrinate them at one of their infamous dinners.

Stan's thoughts: Loved the play which is set purely at the night of the dinner and the film has been been broadened out nicely. Laura Wade who wrote the play and the film has fleshed out the characters adding in a glimpse of their world outside the club dinner. There are also additional female characters and a romantic plotline which balances the story nicely.

Having expanded the Club's world beyond the dinner it makes their behaviour and outlook all the more ghastly, it dampens the humour of the play. This isn't necessarily a bad thing, it feels more political - The Riot Club is loosely based on the Bullingdon Club which numbered Boris, Cameron and Osborne among its members.

It also emphasises how seductive the Club is. Miles (Max Irons) is the moral touchstone in the play and becomes more so in the film. He is the most socially aware of the group but makes bad choices while swept up in the whirlwind and loses more as a result.

This is a great ensemble of actors to have sharing screen time - there is almost too much going on to really appreciate them fully. This is also a very pretty ensemble of actors - Max joined by Sam Claflin, Douglas Booth, Freddie Fox, Ben Schnetzer, to name just five - and they are like poisoned lilies, beautiful to look out but certainly not beautiful inside.

The Riot Club is funny at times but is also an uncomfortable watch and a little bit depressing. It is a little like Wolf of Wall Street for the British upper crust.

Ratings

Stan’s 75%
IMDB 69%
Metascore 61%
Rotten Tomatoes 78%
RT Audience Rating* 72%

Recently seen

Guardians of the Gallaxy

Dawn of the Planet of the Apes

Begin Again

* Based on number of people who rated the film 3.5/5 and higher

Posted at 10:43 AM in British films | Permalink | Comments (0)

09/20/2014

Review: Jesse Eisenberg is quiet and moody (again) in Night Moves

Synopsis: A group of young eco-activists plot to blow up a dam but the result isn't quite what they expected.

Stan's thoughts: I'm bored of seeing Jesse Eisenberg playing the quiet, moody guy - he can do so much more, The Double gave a hint of it. The problem with this film is that he is so quiet and moody you never really get a sense of what is going on in his head, what is motivating him. And it is similar with the other activists played by Peter Sarsgaard and Dakota Fanning.

I'm all for films that don't patronise the audience but this is a film that is about consequence of action and for that I feel you need slightly more fleshed out characters particularly as the second half plays out.

It starts off promisingly, the first half carries with it a nice tension as the group plan and attempt to execute their act of eco-terrorism but feels like it runs out of steam in the second half.

Ratings

Stan’s 50%
IMDB 61%
Metascore 75%
Rotten Tomatoes 86%
RT Audience Rating* 46%

Recently seen

Guardians of the Gallaxy

Dawn of the Planet of the Apes

Begin Again

Boyhood

* Based on number of people who rated the film 3.5/5 and higher

Posted at 08:44 AM in American films | Permalink | Comments (0)

09/07/2014

Review: The sharp and sweet Obvious Child

Synopsis: A jilted, twenty-something, stand up comic gets knocked up on a one night stand and is forced to assess her life.

Stan's thoughts: A rom-com that gets an airing at my favourite, discerning cinema-goers chain Curzon is always going to get my attention. Likewise a rom-com that isn't pushed as being 'quirky' - which in movie speak usually means a female protagonist who wears flat shoes and normal clothes.

So that's how I ended up watching Obvious Child on a Friday morning at the Curzon in Victoria with about five other people (I was on holiday, not bunking off). And, it lived up to the promise. It has moments of refreshing honesty and a sharp wit but it was also a lot sweeter than I expected. The abortion storyline (it's not a spoiler, it's in the trailer) is also handled with honesty and sensitivity.

Obvious Child is a rom-com that avoids a lot of the usual cliches, succeeds in making you laugh but also leaves you with a warm fuzzy glow. Isn't that what rom-coms are supposed to do?

Ratings