Wednesday 29 February 2012

MOVIE REVIEW: SAFEHOUSE (15)

"RAGING ACTION THROUGHOUT"
 ++++
Safehouse is an action thriller directed by Daniel Espinosa. A young CIA agent is tasked with looking after a high profiled fugitive in a safe house. But when the safehouse is attacked, he finds himself on the run with his charge. 

Its Starring Denzel Washington, Ryan  Reynolds, Verma Farmiga, Brendan Glesson, Sam Shepard, Ruben Blades, Nora Arnezeder, Robert Patrick, Liam Cunningham & Joel Kinnaman.

                #Fact: Sam Worthington, Shia LeBeouf, Andrew Garfield, James McAvoy, Zac Effron,Channing Tatum, Jake Gyllenhaal, Tom Hardy & Chris Hemsworth were all considered for Ryan Reynolds role, Matt Weston.

THE REVIEW:
When i saw the trailer for Safehouse, i kept the release date in mind because i love action films and one of my favorite actor (Washington) was the front man. I also still think Mr Reynolds owed me a good movie after his failed attempt at Green Lantern.

After watching Safehouse on a late Wednesday night I'm happy to say this is film is good entertainment from the start to finish. The action scenes are explosive, the storyline is just about good enough but the acting rapidly makes up for that. This actors were very important because they kept the story going and most importantly interesting. Denzel Washington did what he does best in all his film and that's to take control even when he has does not have the upperhand. The presence he has gives this film a lot overall, without him this film would not have been the same or had the same effect at the end. Reynold and rest of the cast did very well. They just wasn't used to all their capacities.

What this film does best is all the action screens, they looked raw, real and brutal at times. I would recommend this film because i had a good time watching it and i think it will be talked about although i'm not sure if it will be remembered as a great film. There are loopholes in the storyline because there are parts which will make the audience ask why they did not handle some situations different. I didn't like how the story was surrounded with the government, it felt like a storyline that was recycled from a television drama series. I just wish the writers were more inventive and did more to the story rather than just leave it to the action scenes to steal the show. The camerawork was a little too shaky at times, i hoped it would get better but the cinematography just distracts.
OVERALL: GOOD ENTERTAINMENT.
 STAR RATINGS OUT OF 5:  4
++++
ONE FAVOURITE MOMENT IN THE FILM:
The last 30minutes of the movie.
(if you loved another moment in the film, please feel free to share it with us in the comments)
TRAILER:

Sunday 12 February 2012

THE 2012 BAFTA AWARDS: THE WINNERS

...AND THE BAFTA AWARD GOES TO...
WINNERS:

SPECIAL VISUAL EFFECTS
HARRY POTTER AND THE DEATHLY HALLOWS PART 2 
Tim Burke, John Richardson, Greg Butler, David Vickery

SHORT ANIMATION 
A MORNING STROLL 
Grant Orchard, Sue Goffe
SHORT FILM
PITCH BLACK HEIST 
John Maclean, Gerardine O’Flynn
ORIGINAL MUSIC
THE ARTIST
 Ludovic Bource
SOUND
HUGO
 Philip Stockton, Eugene Gearty, Tom Fleischman, John Midgley
EDITING
SENNA 
Gregers Sall, Chris King
CINEMATOGRAPHY
THE ARTIST 
Guillaume Schiffman
COSTUME DESIGN
THE ARTIST
 Mark Bridges
MAKE UP & HAIR
THE IRON LADY 
Marese Langan
FILM NOT IN THE ENGLISH LANGUAGE
THE SKIN I LIVE IN 
Pedro Almodóvar, Agustin Almodóvar
OUTSTANDING DEBUT BY A BRITISH WRITER, DIRECTOR & PRODUCER
TYRANNOSAUR 
Paddy Considine (Director), Diarmid Scrimshaw (Producer)
PRODUCTION DESIGN
HUGO 
Dante Ferretti, Francesca Lo Schiavo
SUPPORTING ACTOR
CHRISTOPHER PLUMMER 
Beginners
OUTSTANDING BRITISH FILM
TINKER TAILOR SOLDIER SPY
 Tomas Alfredson, Tim Bevan, Eric Fellner, Robyn Slovo,
Bridget O’Connor, Peter Straughan
SUPPORTING ACTRESS
OCTAVIA SPENCER 
The Help
ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY
THE ARTIST 
Michel Hazanavicius
OUTSTANDING CONTRIBUTION TO BRITISH CINEMA
John Hurt
THE ORANGE WEDNESDAY RISING STAR AWARD (voted by the public)
ADAM DEACON
DOCUMENTARY
SENNA 
Asif Kapadia
ADAPTED SCREENPLAY
TINKER TAILOR SOLDIER SPY 
Bridget O’Connor, Peter Straughan
ANIMATED FILM
RANGO 
Gore Verbinski
DIRECTOR
THE ARTIST 
Michel Hazanavicius
LEADING ACTRESS
MERYL STREEP 
The Iron Lady
LEADING ACTOR
JEAN DUJARDIN 
The Artist
BEST FILM
THE ARTIST 
Thomas Langmann
BAFTA FELLOWSHIP
MARTIN SCORSESE

Sunday 5 February 2012

MOVIE REVIEW: MAN ON A LEDGE (12A)

"GOOD THRILLER ON A LEDGE"
+++~
Man on a Ledge is a thriller Directed by Asger Leth. This film follows a police psychologists work who tries to talk down an ex con who is threatening to jump from a Manhattan hotel rooftop, whilst the biggest diamond heist ever committed is in motion. Its Staring Sam Worthington, Elizabeth Banks, Jamie Bell, Anthony Mackie, Genesis Rodriguez, Ed Harris, Kyra Sedgwick, Edward Burns & Titus Welliver. 

#Fact: Det. Lydia Mercer (Elizabeth Banks) helps Nick (Sam Worthington), a wrongfully convicted man who escapes from prison to prove his innocence. In 'The Next Three Days', Banks played a character who is wrongfully convicted and escapes from prison. 


THE REVIEW:
When I saw the trailer for this film, I first thought it had the Phonebooth look to it (Colin Farrell film). I was not too sure why but whatever it was this looked entertaining.   
                                                     
 I had the chance of catching a late viewing of Man on a Ledge and I'm happy to say I had a thrilling time watching it. This movie had me on the edge of my seat, especially the shots of Cassidy (Worthington) on the ledge of the hotel. The cinematography shows really well because the camera angles kept letting us know how far up this building he is. He was just a man who wanted to prove he was innocent for a crime he was convicted for by actually committing the crime the world thinks he had already committed (hope thats understandable).                 This is what thriller movies should be about, a good storyline with great acting. Its not the most original story ever but the way it plays out is fun to watch.The twist and turns the storyline takes added to the entertainment value and I didn't see some of it coming. The plot holes are easily spotted by the naked eye but I'm sure people wont mind that much, it is the Hollywood way. (nothings ever perfect)

I liked the fact this movie wasn't too violent and when the action scenes came it was good and not farfetched. I would recommend this to any thrill seeking movie watcher.

The other Cassidy (Bell) and his girlfriend Angie (Rodriguez) perform 
great together on screen, they bring us comedy whilst getting the job done. Oh did I mention that she's HOT!. As a whole the cast does a brilliant job.

OVERALL: GOOD THRILLER.
STAR RATINGS OUT OF 5: 3.8
+++~
ONE FAVOURITE MOMENT IN THE FILM:
The last 20 minutes of the movie.
(if you loved another moment in the film, please feel free to share it with us in the comments)
TRAILER:

Friday 3 February 2012

MOVIE REVIEW: JACK & JILL (PG)

"COMPLETE WASTE OF TIME"
+
Jack & Jill is a comedy film Directed by Dennis Dugan. (same guy that brought us Grown Ups & Just Go With It) Jack Sadelstein is a family man who is dreading the Thanksgiving visit of his twin sister, the needy and passive-aggressive Jill. She arrives and refuses to leave. Its Starring Adam Sandler, Katie Holmes, Al Pacino (as himself), Eugenio Derbez, Tim Meadows, Nick Swardson, Allen Covert, Valerie Mahaffey, Gad Elmaleh, Gary Valentine, Dana Carvey, Johnny Depp & Drew Carey.


THE REVIEW: 

From the trailer i had a feeling this film was going to be a complete car crash (and right i was). I mean how funny can a film about thanksgiving where a man plays 2 characters (man & woman). Its only February and we already have a candidate (and possible winner) for the worst film of 2012. I'm sure Adam Sandler will look back on this film in months to come and say to himself "what the hell was i thinking when i made this?"

He is not funny dressed as a woman & apart from the ridiculous amounts of money hes going to make from this Mr Sandler must be careful not to ruin in carrer for the sake of them "£/$" signs.

Nothing really seem to work in Jack & Jill. The jokes/humor & skits are not funny enough and for a PG rating its pretty offensive. The jokes are just full of what Adam Sandler thinks is funny. Some scenes feel out of place and doesnt seem to work. Believe me when i say that its a waste of time & money, if you are going to watch this then make sure to set your standards as low as possible. There is no storyline, i dont even think there is a concept. Some of the characters dont make sense at all. I wouldnt know who to recommend this film to because im sure they would come back to me with unimpressed faces (-_-). Havent said that If Jill had been portrayed as a nice big hearted woman then maybe (just maybe) this movie would have worked. How Al Pacino was sucked into this film i will never know. 

I must be honest and say i didnt watch the whole film. I got terribly bored as i didnt find anything funny or intresting on screen.

Watch The Trailer Only.
OVERALL: BAD FILM!
STAR RATINGS OUT OF 5:  1
+
ONE FAVOURITE MOMENT IN THE FILM:
N/A
(if you loved another moment in the film, please feel free to share it with us in the comments)

TRAILER: