This film was nominated for many Oscars, BAFTAs and Golden Globes, yet failed to win any major categories. This is a shame, because it is beautiful, well told and superbly acted.
Brad Pitt shows that he can really act here. He plays Benjamin, who was born with a biological age of an 80-year-old, with arthritis and wrinkles. We follow Benjamin's life through the years, and amazingly, he becomes younger with age. He ages backwards. When he looks on screen as the Brad us females know and love, he is in fact about sixty.
We see him progress from a wheelchair bound cripple to a fully functional man, and the obstacles he has to overcome, such as his feelings for Lily (Cate Blanchett).
The film begins in New Orleans just after WWI and spans his entire life, which means the film is quite long. A little too long for my liking and in parts, it is a bit too slow moving. Some may find this boring, but I found myself more interested and really rooting for Benjamin.
The story is told by Blanchett's daughter, whose narrations switches to Pitt's when the film shifts back in the past. The special effects to create the old Benjamin and the make-up for the teenage Benjamin are remarkable and very convincing.
Pitt deserved all the nominations for this but I didn't feel that Cate's heart was in it enough. The emotional end to the film did not hit me like emotional endings usually do.
This is a film for anyone who can appreciate it as a long, slow-moving look at someone's astonishing life. Rating: 4/5
Monday 16 February 2009
The House Bunny (12A)
At the beginning of The House Bunny, you think this is going to be one of those overly stupid comedies, which tries so hard to be funny that it actually isn't. And you would be right in thinking that at the beginning.
I tried so hard not to like at as it seemed so fake and false to start with, especially with Anna Faris playing the lead character, Shelley. Faris, most famous for her role in the Scary Movie films, is not known for her strong acting and she does not disappoint her.
Shelley lives at the Playboy Mansion although she is not a Playboy centrefold. She gets kicked out by a rival Bunny at the age of 27 and has nowhere to live. She discovers a sorority house which is going to be shut down if they do not get any more pledges, because it is full of "losers", and Shelley decides to become their house mother.
The plot is simple and predictable. As many films before this one, you know that the losers will be transformed into "hotties" and that the sorority house will be saved in the end, with sentiments about friendship and appreciating who you are along the way.
That being said, I found myself laughing and cringing a lot. Boys will like this as Shelley spends the whole film in the tiniest outfits ever. The rivals are typical bitches which brings nothing original to the table at all. Also, listen out for Keily Williams' terrible English accent and spot Bruce Willis' daughter, Rumer, and All-American Rejects frontman, Tyson Ritter.
All in all, this is quite a funny film, which requires no thinking whatsoever so if you want to see something for a girly get-together, The House Bunny is for you. Rating: 2/5
I tried so hard not to like at as it seemed so fake and false to start with, especially with Anna Faris playing the lead character, Shelley. Faris, most famous for her role in the Scary Movie films, is not known for her strong acting and she does not disappoint her.
Shelley lives at the Playboy Mansion although she is not a Playboy centrefold. She gets kicked out by a rival Bunny at the age of 27 and has nowhere to live. She discovers a sorority house which is going to be shut down if they do not get any more pledges, because it is full of "losers", and Shelley decides to become their house mother.
The plot is simple and predictable. As many films before this one, you know that the losers will be transformed into "hotties" and that the sorority house will be saved in the end, with sentiments about friendship and appreciating who you are along the way.
That being said, I found myself laughing and cringing a lot. Boys will like this as Shelley spends the whole film in the tiniest outfits ever. The rivals are typical bitches which brings nothing original to the table at all. Also, listen out for Keily Williams' terrible English accent and spot Bruce Willis' daughter, Rumer, and All-American Rejects frontman, Tyson Ritter.
All in all, this is quite a funny film, which requires no thinking whatsoever so if you want to see something for a girly get-together, The House Bunny is for you. Rating: 2/5
Sunday 15 February 2009
Vicky Cristina Barcelona (12A)
I have to admit, I was not captured by the trailer or the premise of the film. I am also not a huge Woody Allen fan. But this film works, it's weird, it's quirky, and I liked it.
The film stars Scarlett Johansson (Cristina) and Rebecca Hall (Vicky), two American tourists vacationing in Barcelona for the summer. Vicky is sensible and engaged, whereas Cristina is hopeless in love and slightly reckless. One night they meet Juan Antonio (Javier Bardem) who invites them to stay with him for the weekend. He pursues Cristina, but then sleeps with Vicky and then his ex-wife Maria Elena returns on the scene.....
The plot is simple and the pace is relaxed, reflecting the exquisite landscape in which the film is set. It seems like a old style romance film rather than modern day, but after all this is a Woody Allen film.
The narration within it is rather annoying to say the least and I it felt like sections from a book were being read out. It pointed out obvious things, such as: 'Vicky went for walk', in which we can clearly see that Vicky is doing just that. It didn't feel right.
Things spice up when Maria Elena arrives on the scene after attempting to kill herself. She is the best character in this film and Penelope Cruz portays her unstable mind perfectly. I have never been a huge fan of Cruz in American films, but in this, she steals all her scenes and deserves her Best Supporting Actress BAFTA.
I would recommend this film to anyone wanting to watch a chilled film about love with some girl friends. This is not a film for males at all, despite the promise of a kiss between Cruz and Johansson. Rating: 3/5
The film stars Scarlett Johansson (Cristina) and Rebecca Hall (Vicky), two American tourists vacationing in Barcelona for the summer. Vicky is sensible and engaged, whereas Cristina is hopeless in love and slightly reckless. One night they meet Juan Antonio (Javier Bardem) who invites them to stay with him for the weekend. He pursues Cristina, but then sleeps with Vicky and then his ex-wife Maria Elena returns on the scene.....
The plot is simple and the pace is relaxed, reflecting the exquisite landscape in which the film is set. It seems like a old style romance film rather than modern day, but after all this is a Woody Allen film.
The narration within it is rather annoying to say the least and I it felt like sections from a book were being read out. It pointed out obvious things, such as: 'Vicky went for walk', in which we can clearly see that Vicky is doing just that. It didn't feel right.
Things spice up when Maria Elena arrives on the scene after attempting to kill herself. She is the best character in this film and Penelope Cruz portays her unstable mind perfectly. I have never been a huge fan of Cruz in American films, but in this, she steals all her scenes and deserves her Best Supporting Actress BAFTA.
I would recommend this film to anyone wanting to watch a chilled film about love with some girl friends. This is not a film for males at all, despite the promise of a kiss between Cruz and Johansson. Rating: 3/5
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