Rev Stan's film blog

Review: Daniel Radcliffe does rom-com in What If (aka The F-Word)

Synopsis: Wallace (Radcliffe) is still moping after chucking his two-timing girlfriend and doesn't go out much. Then he meets Chantry (Zoe Kazan) who is in a long term relationship. Men and women can just be friends right?

Stan's thoughts: First I must just say that Radcliffe is playing his natural English accent in a film set in Toronto implying that he hasn't long been in the country ie was brought up in the UK but he's called Wallace. Nobody in England is called Wallace other than Gromit's friend.

The other thing to push to one side is the very obvious attempts at humour. You know the sort of stuff that's been done a zillion times that just isn't funny any more. Some of it is slapstick - someone standing behind a closed door and in front of an open window...for example. Some of it just silly - the drunken phone call to the other half who is in an important meeting.

Oh and one other thing I'm trying to ignore is the line from a female character about a 'brazilian' being a waste of time when she didn't manage to cop off. Got a bit of feminist rage at that moment.

Right, now that is all out of the way what you are left with is actually quite witty and warm if a little predictable. Laughed out loud a few times and was definitely rooting for Wallace and Chantry which is important. There are some quirky little animated sequences which were a nice touch particularly over the end credits and definitely worth sitting through.

It's not as quirky as it thinks it is but it is good to see the likes of Jemima Rooper and Rafe Spall on the big screen in supporting roles.

Don't want this to sound overly negative because on the whole I enjoyed it and had a warm fuzzy glow when I walked out of the cinema, it just take a while to get into its stride and decide what it wants to be.

Ratings

• Stan’s 60%
• IMDB 73%
• Metascore 59%
• Rotten Tomatoes 70%
• RT Audience Rating* 78%

Recently seen

Lucy

The Rover

Guardians of the Gallaxy

Dawn of the Planet of the Apes

Begin Again

Boyhood

Jersey Boys

Bright Days Ahead

Fault of Our Stars

The Young and Prodigeous TS Spivet

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

Review: Scarlett Johansson puts a smile on the face in Lucy

Synopsis: Lucy is forced into acting as a drugs mule for a violent Taiwanese drugs baron but when the bag bursts in her stomach the drug has an unusual effect, increasing her brain capacity far beyond what normal humans use.

Stan's thoughts: Lucy is a wonderfully bonkers mix of sci-fi, violent gangster thriller and girl power. It is short and imperfectly formed - ironically, given the context, some of the science is best not thought about too much - but it somehow works.

Scarlett Johansson has really turned around my opinion of her as an actress since Under The Skin and it's great to see her in a film like this where she gets to explore two very different characters: the Lucy before and after the drugs.

The way Lucy's increasing brain capacity manifests itself and is depicted is imaginatively done with echo's of The Matrix.

I walked out of the empty cinema - love being the only person in the screen - with a big smile on my face.

Ratings

• Stan’s 78%
• IMDB 66%
• Metascore 61%
• Rotten Tomatoes 65%
• RT Audience Rating* 48%

Recently seen

The Rover

Guardians of the Gallaxy

Dawn of the Planet of the Apes

Begin Again

Boyhood

Jersey Boys

Bright Days Ahead

Fault of Our Stars

The Young and Prodigeous TS Spivet

Belle

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

 

Review: Guy Pearce and Robert Pattinson in The Rover

Synopsis: The straightforward narrative, if you are going to describe it that way, is Eric (Pearce) is determined to track down his stolen car and ends up using the injured brother of one of the thieves - Rey (Pattinson) - to help him.

Stan's thoughts: Have always admired Guy Pearce for his eclectic choice of work. He is a versatile actor. And if Robert Pattinson's post Twilight project choices are anything to go by then he seems determined to take a similar path. He's admitted in interviews that he is learning his craft on each new project and I have to admire him for that.

It makes for an exciting combination particularly teamed with director David Michod who directed the tense and grungy Animal Kingdom. The Rover takes tense and grungy in completely different direction. It is a slow burn that, refreshingly, gives very little detail up front.

For example, the story is set after some sort of economic or social collapse that is never explained. It is important in that those living in the remote Australian outback, where it is set, have retreated into a society that is simplistic in its desire to fulfil basic human need and feral in its pursuit of it. There also  a languorous and almost depressing lack of purpose. Even the cars seem to move slowly in the vastness of the landscape. The only speed is the occasional deathly outburst of gunshot. 

And we don't learn much about about Eric either; what we do learn is a gradual drip feed. Essentially The Rover is about someone clinging onto to a final shred of humanity - or perhaps he has already lost it? There are scant clues to Eric's determination to complete his task but they are there if you look. What you do get without any doubt is a sense of how dangerous it makes him.

Rey, who has a developmental disability, is the connection to the world Eric didn't bargain on and that in itself has him in a quiet inner turmoil.

The Rover is slow and gradual and quietly haunting. A week later I'm still thinking about it. Pearce and Pattinson both give intelligent and nuanced performances and it bodes well for the latter and his developing acting talent.

 

Ratings

• Stan’s 79%
• IMDB 73%
• Metascore 64%
• Rotten Tomatoes 66%
• RT Audience Rating* 64%

Recently seen

Guardians of the Gallaxy

Dawn of the Planet of the Apes

Begin Again

Boyhood

Jersey Boys

Bright Days Ahead

Fault of Our Stars

The Young and Prodigeous TS Spivet

Belle

Edge of Tomorrow

 

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

 

 

Review: More Marvel fun in Guardian's of the Galaxy

Synopsis: An unlikely group find themselves thrown together and in trying to save their own skins end up reluctantly trying to save the galaxy from the baddies.

Stan's thoughts: Went into this Jon Snow and just wanting something mindless and entertaining for a couple of hours.

It does stretch my interest in comic book movies with the absurdity of some of its characters - a talking raccoon and talking, walking tree tree. There are also characters with ridiculous names like Drax, Denarian Saal and Yondu Undonta but it is witty and a occasionally wry and doesn't take itself too seriously which helped me warm to it.

I'm not sure I understood the intricacies of the relationship between the different peoples,  something about parents sending their children to be brought up by baddies and fragile peace accords. There's an powerful orb too that no-one really understands but everyone wants. But none of that mattered too much as the primary plot points are pretty ABC.

Stan points too for having some kick-ass female characters on both sides of the goodie/baddie fence. Great to see the likes of Karen Gillen breaking into Hollywood and completely unrecognisable as the bald, blue-skinned Nebula - she actually shaved her head for the part. And Glenn Close was channelling intergalactic air hostess in her look as leader of something or other. And Chris Pratt as the films hero Quill is quite cute.

So all in all, it ticked all the mindless fun boxes.

Ratings

• Stan’s 70%
• IMDB 88%
• Metascore 76%
• Rotten Tomatoes 92%
• RT Audience Rating* 96%

Recently seen

Dawn of the Planet of the Apes

Begin Again

Boyhood

Jersey Boys

Bright Days Ahead

Fault of Our Stars

The Young and Prodigeous TS Spivet

Belle

Edge of Tomorrow

Two Face of January

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

Review: Dawn of the Planet of the Apes - is me or is it the film that made this feel 'meh'?

Synopsis: Disaster has struck the earth in the form of a virus. Human survivors have set up a colony in San Francisco but are running out of power and the apes have set up their own colony outside the city near the old power station.

Stan's thoughts: This film seems to have everyone excited, critics and audiences alike, but it just doesn't really do it for me. Maybe it's a case of 'its not you, it's me', but I just can't connect with the apes, however brilliantly they are rendered. I can't suspend my disbelief - they are talking apes.

Also there aren't enough shades of grey in the characters. OK so there are goodies and baddies within both camps but it is far too black and white. It is so obvious who falls into which category its like a klaxon going off within their first few lines of dialogue. It feels like it is film that wants to challenge but doesn't.

It's all very well executed and nicely paced etc but it just didn't grab me and excite me in the same way it seems to have excited a lot of others. Maybe it is just me.

Ratings

• Stan’s 50%
• IMDB 91%
• Metascore 92%
• Rotten Tomatoes 83%
• RT Audience Rating* 79%

Recently seen

Begin Again

Boyhood

Jersey Boys

Bright Days Ahead

Fault of Our Stars

The Young and Prodigeous TS Spivet

Belle

Edge of Tomorrow

Two Face of January

Maleficent

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

Review: Keira Knightley and Mark Ruffalo make music in Begin Again

Synopsis: Abandoned alone in New York by her boyfriend, whose music career is taking off, Gretta (Keira Knightley) meets washed-up music producer Dan (Mark Ruffalo) who sees something special in her songs.

Stan's thoughts: The music in this is lovely. The film reminded me of Once. Initially I couldn't quite reconcile Keira Knightley's singing voice with her but apparently it is her own voice and not bad either. Naturally I bought the soundtrack - Maroon 5's Adam Levine plays her boyfriend and sings a few of tracks, a couple have quickly turned into earworms.

Mark Ruffalo is a favourite of mine and is always fun to watch even when his character is behaving like a cock and James Corden does a good James Corden turn as Gretta's fellow struggling musician friend.

Overall this is a lovely, gentle film which appealed to the hopeless romantic deep inside me. It twanged all the right chords and even more so when it didn't go quite where I expected.  There is nothing offensive or challenging, the sort of film that just leaves a warm fuzzy glow and certainly one I'll be adding to my Sunday night DVD collection when it comes out.

Ratings

• Stan’s 75%
• IMDB 78%
• Metascore 62%
• Rotten Tomatoes 82%
• RT Audience Rating* 87%

Recently seen

Boyhood

Jersey Boys

Bright Days Ahead

Fault of Our Stars

The Young and Prodigeous TS Spivet

Belle

Edge of Tomorrow

Two Face of January

Maleficent

X-Men: Days of Future Past

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

Review: Richard Linklater's 12-year film drama Boyhood

Synopsis: As the headline suggests, filmed over 12 years with the same cast Boyhood follows the life of Mason (Ellar Coltrane) from boyhood to High School graduation.

Stan's thoughts: Read somewhere that the film makers were claiming this is the first time a project like this has been done and that isn't quite true. Michael Winterbottom's film Everyday did something similar but over the course of five years and that did have it's problems.

Putting that to one side what Richard Linklater has created is something that is fascinating, engaging and quietly dramatic. He resists the temptation to pepper Mason's life with high drama instead concentrating on an ordinary story of a boy growing up in a modern family.

There is divorce and step-siblings, parents and step-parents trying their best, succeeding at times and failing at times. The drama is seeing it through Mason and his older sister Sam's (Lorelei Linklater) eyes and what impact it has on them. Then there is the drama of growing up, first love, finding your place in the world, deciding what you want to do and becoming independent.

I wondered how much the story was influenced by Ellar's personality - in the film he's a gentle, quiet contemplative boy - and subsequently have seen Richard Linklater talking about how it did shape the story.

Boyhood was a lovely, warm film that perfectly captures the everyday struggles and triumphs of family life. Such is its pull it left me wanting more - another 12 years perhaps?

Ratings

• Stan’s 85%
• IMDB 89%
• Metascore 99%
• Rotten Tomatoes 100%
• RT Audience Rating* 89%

Recently seen

Jersey Boys

Bright Days Ahead

Fault of Our Stars

The Young and Prodigeous TS Spivet

Belle

Edge of Tomorrow

Two Face of January

Maleficent

X-Men: Days of Future Past

Frank

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

 

Review: Jersey Boys (the film, not the musical)

Synopsis: Biopic about Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons who started out as small time club crooners in mob-land Boston to go on to have a string of huge hits.

Stan's thoughts: No I haven't seen the stage version, it's a musical. This isn't a musical it's a film about a band so there are no song and dance routines to get in the way of the story. And it's a great story about friendship and loyalty in a community where such things are elevated by criminal gangs.

Young Frankie Valli's (John Lloyd Young) talents are spotted early on and his career is, to a certain extent, guided by mob-boss Gyp (Christopher Walken) who appreciates his talents. As the band's fame grows tensions naturally mount. Taken away from the neighbourhood, hierarchy and life they are familiar with some find it harder to adjust than others. There are tensions too as families are forced to spend time apart while the band tours.

The four actors playing the leads step expertly from stage to screen, all have worked on the stage version on which the film is based but none are big screen stars. Yes you spend a little time waiting for the band to create their biggest hits and the run time of 134 minutes could probably be shaved a little but otherwise this is good, solid, entertaining biopic fare that has you walking out of the cinema humming "Who Loves You Pretty Baby".

Ratings

• Stan’s 60%
• IMDB 74%
• Metascore 54%
• Rotten Tomatoes 54%
• RT Audience Rating* 71%

Recently seen

Bright Days Ahead

Fault of Our Stars

The Young and Prodigeous TS Spivet

Belle

Edge of Tomorrow

Two Face of January

Maleficent

X-Men: Days of Future Past

Frank

Blue Ruin

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

Review: Bright Days Ahead

Synopsis: Caroline (Fanny Ardent) is a newly retired dentist and her family buys her membership of the Bright Days Ahead activity club to keep her occupied. The only thing she likes about the club is the young computer class teacher Julien (Laurent Lafitte) who starts to flirt with her.

Stan's thoughts: Got to like French cinema for producing films that not only feature interesting, complex and flawed women characters but also interesting, complex and flawed older women. It puts Hollywood to shame.

Ardent clearly demonstrates that there is no sell-by date for sexiness and you never doubt that Julien would find her attractive. Equally this isn't just about sex but about a woman who while confident and worldly-wise is still finding her way as her life changes. She makes mistakes at times, occasionally makes a fool of herself but ultimately comes through it all with a enlightened strength and dignity.

This is about love and sex and adapting to a new life while appreciating the old. It is a breath of fresh air next to most English language cinema when it comes to the portrayal of older women.

Ratings

• Stan’s 60%
• IMDB 62%
• Metascore 57%
• Rotten Tomatoes 86%
• RT Audience Rating* 54%

Recently seen

Fault of Our Stars

The Young and Prodigeous TS Spivet

Belle

Edge of Tomorrow

Two Face of January

Maleficent

X-Men: Days of Future Past

Frank

Blue Ruin

Godzilla

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

Review: The warm and heart-wrenching Fault of Our Stars

Synopsis: Two teenagers meet at a cancer support group and fall in love.

Stan's thoughts: I'm a sucker for this sort of thing, I'm drawn to things that I know will make me cry and this certainly did that but it also made me laugh and smile quite a bit too.

It's the ultimate in doomed teen romance. You know it isn't going to end well right from the start but boy they take you on a roller coaster of emotions on the way.

What gives this the extra emotional depth is in how the teenagers cope mentally and emotionally with their cancer. While the film probably does shy away a little from the ugliness of cancer treatment it doesn't and can't really shy away from the issue of mortality.

While the focus is very much on Hazel (Shailene Woodley) and Gus (Ansel Elgort) you also get a sense of what it must be like for Hazel's parents.

Fabulous central performances from Woodley and Elgort as the star-crossed lovers; they have an amazing chemistry once you get over the fact that they played brother and sister in Divergent earlier this year (wonder if they did this first or second?). There is  a lovely wit and humour to Hazel and Gus that you can't help but enjoy. And most of all the film is perversely life affirming: Life isn't always fair and is uncertain so make the most of the moments.

This is definitely going into my DVD collection when its released, filed under 'Sunday night weepies'.

PS It's a small thing, but great to see the leads looking natural, with the occasional spot and without obvious slaps of make up. Shame they couldn't have replicated that for Divergent.

Ratings

• Stan’s 87%
• IMDB 85%
• Metascore 69%
• Rotten Tomatoes 80%
• RT Audience Rating* 91%

Recently seen

The Young and Prodigeous TS Spivet

Belle

Edge of Tomorrow

Two Face of January

Maleficent

X-Men: Days of Future Past

Frank

Blue Ruin

Godzilla

Ilo Ilo

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