I haven’t put anything up on here for a while and it’s annoyed me. I’m seeing True Grit today, so after that I’m going to write a review for that, Black Swan and Tangled, so in the meantime here are 7 of my favourite films.
This isn’t a top films list or whatever and they are in no real order, but I just want to share some of the films that I really love. They aren’t all exactly good films, but they are films that I really enjoy for one reason or another, so enjoy.
THERE MAY BE SOME SPOILERS, BUT I’LL TRY TO KEEP THEM OUT WHERE I CAN OR AT LEAST PUT THINGS IN THERE THAT ARE OBVIOUS OR HOLD NO REAL BEARING ON THE PLOT!
Persepolis (2007)
This film is a wonder of animation. Though not exactly the best drawn animation, the design really conveys the feeling that this is taking place in the past and contributes to an overall bleak feeling that this film tries to put across, though still expressing a lot of humour that makes this film more enjoyable than if it was completely serious!
Taking place in Iran during the fall of the Shah and the rise of the current Muslim regime, Persepolis tells the story of Marjane Satrapi, whose life we follow. The film shows the innocence of a child during such turmoil and how it affects such a young girl, following her throughout her youth and teenage years as she feels the pressures of the regime that has taken over her country, which attempts to stifle any freedoms the people of the country may hold.
It is especially poignant in that the main character is a female, and therefore is more likely to feel the pressure of the government, which tailors more for the men than the women. This leads her to escape the country and study in Vienna, contrasting the ‘free’ Western world to that of the oppressive government of Iran.
Beautifully animated and narrated, this film is definitely worth watching, as it can show us how some of the problems in the Middle East have come about and how they can affect the people living there. Also, if you see it anywhere then pick up the original graphic novel this film is based off of, as it gives a lot more information about Satrapi’s life.
‘Emotional’ is probably the best way to describe this film. I really don’t want to include any spoilers for this one, at all, as it is so much better if you discover everything yourself. The only stuff I’ll tell you will be on the back of the DVD box and how I felt.
Sam Bell, played by Sam Rockwell, is a man working on the Moon collecting energy resources (explained slightly in the film) with only one other companion, a computer called GERTY (voiced by Kevin Spacey). After an accident on the Moon he makes a number of discoveries that turn his word upside-down.
It is from this seemingly simple plot that we get one of the most intelligent sci-fi films I have ever seen. Bell’s performance conveys a number of emotions that make you connect greatly with the character, so that whatever happens to him tugs at your heartstrings. Not only this, but the voice of GERTY is so calming and relaxing that you immediately grow a liking for him.
By the sounds of it this is very comparable to 2001: A Space Odyssey, however Moon is nothing like it. Though it can convey similar feelings of isolation it is far more emotional that can bring a tear to some people’s eyes.
This is a weird film to put on here. It’s not at all well known and isn’t that good if you look at it in a certain way. Don “The Dragon” Wilson stars as Jimmy Boland, your classic ‘man imprisoned for a crime he didn’t commit’ action star, who gets on the wrong side of both the White and Black gangs in prison. Boland essentially wants nothing to do with anyone, but the gangs keep picking on him, in the meantime getting their arses handed to them.
The action and fighting in this film is pretty good, especially for one of the Bloodfist films. At times it can get pretty intense and has some disturbing scenes. The gangs are extremely racist and this film is great at showing that hating someone else just by the colour of their skin gets us nowhere, and yet when they do co-operate they can get on swimmingly.
This film also has Richard Roundtree (Shaft) playing one of the most likeable characters I’ve seen in a film, trying to help the inmates get free through legal means, as well as being generally kind to everyone who deserves kindness. He also hits some people with a baseball bat. Win!
No, not the one by Guy Ritchie. This is The Asylum’s version of Sherlock Holmes. And it is awesome. It has Sherlock Holmes up against dinosaurs. Do I need to say more?
Though the person who plays Sherlock Holmes is not that good an actor, everyone else plays their characters pretty well. In fact, Sherlock Holmes does what Sherlock Holmes would do in the situation, which is odd but really well done.
Sherlock Holmes is extremely creative, including a sea monster and dinosaurs. It also includes a chase scene between a hot air balloon and a dragon that is burning London. This sounds so ridiculous, and it is, but it gets your attention and is actually a really well told story.
There’s not much I can really say about this film other than this: awesome. Go find it and see it, because this is extremely entertaining, in both a good and funny way!
Ah, Casablanca. I shouldn’t like it. It’s a romance film, and I’m not too keen on romance films. But Casablanca is done so well, with such finesse, that I find it hard not to love. It’s also what I like to call a ‘true romantic film’ (I’ll get onto my problem with romance films at some point).
Set in unoccupied Africa during WWII, we follow Rick Blaine, an American bar owner in Casablanca, Morocco. He comes into possession of two letters of transit, which allow the movement from Morocco to another country. Whilst there he comes into contact with a rebel leader, Laszlo, who comes with a previous love of Rick’s, Ilsa.
The rest of the movie focuses on the love between Rick and Ilsa, as well as the love between Laszlo and Ilsa. The character of Captain Renault is both amusing and likeable, though he has his flaws. In fact, all characters have their flaws, which make them all the more likeable as they seem more human and relatable.
The story of Casablanca is one of sacrifice and shows the extent to which one would go to in order to secure the safety and happiness of the one you love. Casablanca shows what a true romance is, that it is not full of sunshine and rainbows like so many romance films these days show.
Talking of romance films I like, I need to include Sideways. This is, yet again, what I would call a ‘true romantic film’. And yet it is nothing like Casablanca. Though this is not necessarily a romance film, one could call it a romantic comedy.
Set in California’s wine country, Miles (Paul Giamatti) and Jack (Thomas Haden Church) are two friends that are having a week long road trip for Jack, who is getting married. Jack’s main goal for this trip is to get laid, whereas Miles just wants to get over his ex-wife. Both go about their romances in two extremely different ways, with Jack being more forward than the nervous Miles.
Paul Giamatti has to be one of my favourite actors. He plays the character of Miles so well that we feel for him greatly. Everything he does we can relate to. There are moments of great awkwardness that only his acting seems to be able to convey.
The film, overall, is rather bipolar. I’m not sure whether or not it is supposed to be light-hearted or deeply dramatic. Some may be put off by the dark drama, however this only allows the periods of humour to be even funnier.
Sideways involves so many twists and turns that it holds your attention throughout and delivers a story that is strangely relatable at times, as well as completely ridiculous. Like Casablanca both characters have flaws, but this makes them all the more likeable and interesting.
Also, being a lover of wine it’s nice to see so much of it going around!
I was considering not putting this on here, but I love this film. Not many people will have heard of it but it’s by someone who made a very good film: In Bruges. Though not a normal film per se, it being a short film and all, it still has enough content and drama to feel like one.
Martin McDonagh’s Six Shooter is a black comedy at its finest, mixing enough drama and comedy to create an awkward feeling. This awkward comes about not from the brilliant performance of Brendan Gleeson as a recent widower, but more so from the psychotic kid he meets on the train to Dublin (yes, this film is chock full of Irish people), played by Rúaidhrí Conroy. It is through his performance that we get most of our laughs, but also some of the most awkward and disgusting moments. At many points I was unsure whether to like him or hate him.
Throughout all 27 minutes of this film we get to know around 4 characters, but we mostly learn the story of Gleeson’s and Conroy’s characters. At times this film can seem somewhat depressing, either through the characters’ stories or from what happens to them, but the mood is kept elevated at times.
All of this builds up to a stunning conclusion that, like the rest of the film, is both upsetting and funny.
So those were 7 of my favourite films. I’ll probably list some more at some point, but first I need to get these three reviews done. Thanks for reading!
No comments:
Post a Comment