Black Swan (***)

Black Swan film poster
Black Swan film poster

Film about a ballerina (Natalie Portman) who gets to play the part of the Swan Queen in Swan Lake. Natalie Portman was the young girl in Jean Reno’s film Leon many years. The film tries to show the pressures, rivalry, politics and egos of the ballet world. Portman who lives with her mother who never beyond the corps de ballet, and treats her daughter like she was twelve, becomes more a more delusional and starts t imagine and dream some terrible thoughts about her rivals, but it all seems to be part of the preparation to play the part of the black swan.

Three stars not as good as I hoped it might be, and a bit confusing.

District 9 (*****)

District 9 Film poster

Helen put this on our Love film list. It gets good reviews but I was a bit sceptical. Peter Jackson is involved with the film, and he comes with a reputation for doing great films, Lord of the Rings, and the most recent King Kong. None of the actors in it were known to me so, in fact the main actor had never acted before, I was not sure how it would be. It came about when a film based on Halo (video game) fell through and Peter Jackson offered Neill Blomkamp 30 million to do what ever he wanted.

The story involves aliens that have come to earth and are stuck here, their mother ship is parked over Johannesburg, and the aliens are kept in a camp that looks like the shanty town of the apartheid era. It is told in the style of a documentary, interviews of people,  interspersed with the actual story. The MNU (an arms company) is contracted to move the aliens from district 9 to a new camp outside the city, and the main character is the man on the ground in charge of the operation.

During the operation he gets splashed with an alien liquid and then things take a turn for the worse and the whole thing goes crazy. It is a fantastic film with lots of very well done CGI, and I would recommend watching it, which I give a very rare 5 stars to.

Monsters (****)

Monsters film poster

Film made on a budget, about a future time when the US/Mexican border is a no go zone due to extra terrestrials, which have invaded earth after NASA tinkered with their planet which is in our solar system. There are only two main actors in the film and it was often improvised.

The story is basically the boy a reporter trying to get a scoop, is charged with getting the daughter of the owner of the newspaper he works for back to the US from Mexico passing through the “Infected Zone”. There is lots of CGI in the film but it is done really subtly it add to rather than being in your face.

A good film worth 4 stars.

Departures (****)

Departures film poster

This is a Japanese film set mainly in a fairly rural region, Daigo a cellist loses his job when his orchestra is disbanded, so with his wife he returns to his home town to live in the house that his mother left him. He gets a job with a guy who prepares bodies to be placed in coffins. The preparation is a traditional Japanese ceremony, the job is seen by many as one that might bring shame on someone. During the course of the film Daigo speaks of his father who he has never forgiven for leaving him and his mother to fend for them selves. Slowly the main characters start to appreciate the work that he does and the valuable role he plays in the grieving process.

The film is well filmed in the almost always grey weather. It is nice to see the real Japan rather than the Tokyo that we always see in other films. I got the sense that there was definitely some Japanese humour in it that I may have missed, I suspect that it also touched on a subject that is perhaps Taboo in Japan. It deserves four stars for being different, interesting and for giving me an insight into Japanese life.

The Kings Speech (*****)

Kings speech film poster

Those of you who follow the blog will know that it very rare that a film would get 5 stars, well I think this one just about deserves 5. The film is based on the true story about the relationship between King George VI, and his speech therapist. The film covers the period before and up to the abdication of Edward.

The cast of the film goes some way to explaining why it is so good, Colin Firth, Colin Rush, Helena Bonham Carter star but also Timothy Spall, Guy Pearce, and Aidrian Scarborough. Match that with the fantastic sets and great shots of the people of the time, and you have a film worthy of 5 stars.

Wall-e (***)

I like a good animation film, and Pixar in my opinion produce the best. Wall-e was on TV this afternoon and given the weather and our new large sofa, it felt wrong not to watch it.

Wall-e film poster

The film is about the last remaining robot left on earth after all the humans had departed after burying them selves in their own detritus. Wall-e spends all day making cubes out of the rubbish and piling them up into large piles. One day a problem from space lands and they become friends. The probe Eve spends most of the day searching and analysing. Eventually Eve finds the plant life she is searching for and leaves but not before Wall-e has hitched a ride, on the mother ship and ends up in space, to eventually save the human race fpor a life spent drifting across the universe.

The film is typical of Pixar and is full of humour to suit all ages, it is however not good enough to score more than the average 3 stars.

Another Year (****)

Another Year film poster

Had a real treat last night we went to The Rex in Berkhamsted with Abida. Another Year is a bit of a connoisseurs film. It is by Mike Leigh and it lived up to his usual fare i.e. a bit bleak and depressing.

Having said that the film is full of shots that made mundane things appear to be a thing of beauty. The film is about a couple, their son and friends (about 7 people in all) over the course of a year, and focuses on the relationships between all the people and the dramas and traumas of ordinary life.

44 Inch Chest (**)

44 Inch Chest Film poster

After getting a new TV which is capable of watching LoveFilm films over the internet, we chose to watch this film. It had some great British actors in it and promised to be a good film. It is set in London where a group of friends from various backgrounds, but I got the impression criminals, gather together to support one member (Ray Winston) whose wife had just left him. The friends had kidnapped the wife’s lover and had put him in the wardrobe of the derelict house where most of the film is set. The story of how the wife left is slowly revealed as the friends discuss the options and wind each other up.

The film is full of swearing and doe not live up to the casts potential hence two stars.

London Boulevard (****)

London Boulevard Poster

This is a film about Mitchel (Colin Farrel) who is released from prison, determined to lead and crime free life. However his past very quickly catches up with him. He finds a job looking after a famous actress (Kiera Knighley) in the media spot light, but his past life is forever popping up and getting in the way of try to stay straight.

The are some violent moments and some classic  scenes. Anna Friel plays a mad sister, David Thewlis plays a stoned resting actor,  Eddie Marsan plays a bent copper, and Ray Winston plays the psycho gangland boss. Graet film worth the 4 stars, Helen thought 2, as she felt it was too disjointed.

Heartbreaker (****)

Heartbreaker poster

Quirky French comedy about a team (two men and a woman) who take money to split up couples. The story revolves around the father of a girl who is going to marry a English banker, who does not want the wedding to go ahead. The leader of the heartbreaker team is also in debt and has a heavy after him.

Over time inevitably the team leader falls in love with the girl whose life he is about to throw upside down. I guess it is a bit like the assassin who falls in love with his victim, I am sure I have seen a film where that happens.

Anyway a good film worth the 4 stars.