Now readers please don’t have a cow
when you see that this poem’s low brow
but try as I might
it is real hard to write
since I’m still in New Jersey right now.

Redbelt es una peli de 2008 que me vi por casualidad en HBO, el fin de semana pasado. Pensando que era una serie, la empecé a ver y quedé atrapado en la historia.

Siempre me han gustado las pelis de artes marciales y su filosofía ascética de la vida y me pareció interesante que estuvieran haciendo una serie alrdedor del tema. El capítulo estaba largo y pensé que era un especial pero después de una hora y viendo que se estaba generando un nudo y su consiguiente solución, entendí que no iba a haber más capítulos en la serie y que era una peli cualquiera.

David Mamet, el director, es más conocido como director de seriados para TV, de pronto eso también me confundió. Y la peli es de excelente factura pero, en serio parecía una trama televisiva. En fin, un reparto bastante particular como por ejemplo Tim Allen o Joe Mantegna combinados con Chiwetel Ejiofor, Alice Braga, Emily Mortimer y Rodrigo Santoro, hacen una mezcla interesante entre experiencia y juventud.

La peli es buena en cuanto a cámaras, a textura y actuación. Es una peli normal de artes marciales y por lo mismo la hace entretenida. No se si hubiera ido a verla a cine pero para un domingo estuvo bien.

Master storyteller Hayao Miyazaki follows-up his Academy Award winning animated film “Spirited Away” with a tale of wizards, witches, spells and mysterious walking castle.

The story concerns a timid hat-decorator Sofi (Emily Mortimer) who falls under an aging spell by the Witch of the Waste (Lauren Bacall). Sofi is forced to seek out an eccentric wizard named Howl (Christian Bale) whose magical wandering castle travels around the country. She can’t talk about her curse or who cursed her. Sofi becomes Howl’s new housecleaner in hopes of one day finding her freedom.

The intricate worlds, animals, machines, supporting players and magic that Miyazaki dreams up is always out of this world and a sight to behold. There are so many storylines in this film that you just never know where the film will go next.

My favorite characters in the whole film were the silent bouncing scarecrow Turnip-Head and of course Billy Crystal’s delightful fiery character Calcifer. Crystal is out of this world as this character and has so many clever moments.

I have to admit I did have some problems with some of the story and the film’s eventual conclusion. I never felt that Sofi’s age-transition was properly discussed or examined especially in the last half of the film. I also felt that her story arc suffered greatly from the over-whelming Howl storyline. The film’s conclusion feels way to Disney and didn’t wrap up some of the other characters storylines.

Miyazaki’s new epic fantasy is amazing, breathtaking and a sight to behold. Miyazaki has always had a gift for finding the most interesting and fantastical stories. This film will fit nicely into his body of work.

3.5 out of 5

So Says the Soothsayer.

This is social realism ageing Batman-style, as Michael Caine plays a senior citizen who snaps one day and decides to get seriously medieval on the asses of some loathsome yobbos and junkies. To desensitise the audience for what is to follow, though, there is a whole litany of sordid scenes involving drugs, beatings, intimidation, murder, guns, sexual assault, vandalism, and any amount of foul-mouthed invective. The conclusions that we are being begged to accept here are that Britain’s sink estates are both utterly lawless and entirely beyond redemption and that the police are mere bumbling brutes who do not do enough to protect the decent folk who are forced to live in these places.

Of course, this all sounds like the sort of comic-book urban dystopia that gets cooked up for nonsense films such as Escape from New York. That said, most of the scenes could just as easily have been plucked from the pages of the eternally ludicrous Daily Mail (and it comes as no real surprise that the newspaper’s film critic manages to mangle his way to a positive assessment of it all). This is a shame, as the social problems being depicted here should not need such crass exaggeration in order to command our attention. Moreover, the notion of a cold-blooded, chivalrous, and geriatric vigilante with emphysema, who is not being played for laughs, is probably best considered with a bagful of sodium chloride at the ready.

That said, Caine is as masterful as ever in the titular role, really embodying each of the emotions that he is asked to portray here. While Harry Brown’s complexities as a character may be disappointingly underwritten, Caine plays the role with sufficient understatement to still make the former reasonably credible. Alongside him then and despite representing the first real sign that the film is about to shoot off around the S-bend, Sean Harris puts in a bizarrely memorable cameo as the scarred and scrawny guns-and-drugs-dealing junkie, pimp, and pornographer Stretch. Ben Drew is robust enough as the snarling thug Noel, whilst Emily Mortimer and Iain Glen also do justice to their stock characters.

Equally, it has to be acknowledged that first-time director Daniel Barber and screenwriter Gary Young do know how to make a gritty and pulsating thriller that is fuelled by some fizzing in-your-face dialogue. The bright lights of Hollywood surely beckon now for the pair of them.

However, towards the end of the film, DS Hicock (Charlie Creed-Miles) gets to the heart of the matter when he rhetorically asks if Harry Brown would be doing the police a favour if he got rid of the “cunt” Noel, who had a “cunt of a father” and will otherwise go on to have “cunt kids”. While Hicock need not expect any humanitarian-of-the-year awards for his sentiments, he does have a point. How do you break the generational cycle of kids who grow up virtually predestined to be gangsters, junkies, and thugs? The epilogue quietly lauds one possible outcome. However, if this really is what civilization now amounts to, then we have failed and failed utterly.

Harry Brown (Caine) is an elderly man who loses his wife and best friend in the space of a few days. He decides to avenge his friend’s death by taking the law into his own hands sorting out the estate he lives on.

This film is definitely thought-provoking in the sense that you wonder how close all of this could be to happening in different places across the UK, and indeed what exactly is happening at the moment on the streets and if fear is a big factor in people’s everyday lives with unruly people around them.

“Hoodies” or “Chav’s” are usually unruly young people/teenagers in the UK. Not as extreme as in the film, but I am sure everyone who watches this and has seen these “hoodies” around will enjoy seeing them being shot and tortured in one of the scenes. Kinda getting what they deserve so to speak.

Michael Caine really does put in just a fantastic performance as Harry Brown. So many scenes which really cut through you, especially when he was too scared to use the under path because of the “hoodies” when he was rushing to the hospital to see his wife . . . and watching it you just knew he was not going to make it in time. Then the funeral scene for Len when you see loads of cars going past with Grandad on the flowers, then seeing Harry standing at the grave with the vicar knowing that was not his funeral that went past. Knowing that now Harry was alone and did not have anyone else to turn to really was heart breaking.

In order to find out who killed Len and in his attempts to get a gun leads us to seeing some drug use, which I have to admit was quite difficult to watch. This has to give some credit to the actors for the performances that were put into this film. Another thing which was difficult and annoying to watch was the way the hoodies spoke to the police in the interviews.

This film does not really paint the best picture towards the police, and how they would deal with things. Again is this in some parts based on the truth and then made worse for the film or is it more realistic than you would first think?

This film really does bring up some good talking points, and highlights somethings which could become or already be major issues. It is not the best film ever and has plot holes but these are not too bad. Caine’s performance pretty much makes this film well worth the watch.

讀電影的時候，同學交流的作品之中，最令我感受深刻的，是一套關於一個人發夢夢見一個人發夢夢見一個人發夢……的故事，到那時我才意識到，創作原來是沒有一回事，可以不依從任何類型、慣例、模式等等繁文縟節，而我，也許，一世人都創作不出這種作品。

對我來說，Charlie Kaufman是珍貴的，而且越來越貴。假如簡約一些，他當然可以仿Woody Allen玩玩創作人自我投射，再要主角對住鏡頭說三道四，說出創作人孤單、悲傷與黯然；假如風格一些，他當然可以用David Lynch的美學符號攝住觀眾，一步一步帶你走進異域迷團，越說越迷；假如輕巧一些，他當然可以像Federico Fellini般飛簷走壁，輕盈冷看意大利人與事，與君同舞。

但是，Charlie Kaufman始終堅持，繼續惡搞文本，一浪接一浪的寫出這個創作人沉溺的故事，譜出人的生活與死亡，再說存在於世的主客制度。或者是為自戀而自戀，或者是為扮野而拼命扮野，但是，面對豐富深厚的文本，Charlie Kaufman卻義無返顧，無心去蕪存菁，沒理起承轉合，而選擇慢慢的逐一道來，讓觀眾與作者同步走、同步想。

我承認，我也是迷惘的觀眾之一，但符號、意念可曾是絕對，要靠想像去連接思緒，要靠記憶去銜接脈絡時空，也是累人。如此往來，這部作品就不只呈上創作人的孤寂與惶恐，不再只是讓「觀眾」花時間去看一個虛構人物的一個虛構故事，而這作品本身就是一個生命，與編導互動，與觀眾交流，你自然可以舉一反三，你自然可以起身離場，但哲學家花萬言千字寫的存在疑團你不看，卻能在這兩個多小時的作品中與你消磨，實在，也是珍貴，也是難得。

伸延：
．《無痛失戀》
．《何必偏偏玩謝我》
．《神探》
．Hoffman 繼續精采 ：《Capote》

1138 REPORT CARD: 5/10 (C)  Can Do Better!

Why would you want to see this film? The short answer! Michael Caine. The long answer! Because Michael Caine is in this movie. Over the years Caine has provided some brilliant performances; performances that importantly match a time in history. Zulu (1964), The Ipcress File (1965), Alfie (1966), Get Carter (1971), The Cider House Rules (1999), The Quiet American (2002) all stand out as icons of cinema. Caine’s performance in Harry Brown (2009) is competent and compelling; it attracts empathy and allows the audience a good insight of the character Harry Brown. Caine is fraying at the seams, greying at the edges, wrinkled and slower. The dialogue is not delivered with the crispness and sharpness it once was; but Michael Caine can still offer an audience a master class of acting: not bad for someone who can’t really act!

The performance in Harry Brown is somewhat reminiscent of Jack in Get Carter (1971). If there was a family tree with all of the Caine characters on it, Harry appears as an older uncle that is never quite happy at the attention that the young Jack gets; but there are family resemblances. In both characters there is a deep and confident anger born out of pain and frustration. Harry has none of the confidence or swagger of Jack, but the facial grimaces that say ‘now I’m bloody annoyed’ are there in both. The violence that exists in Harry seems too misplaced, too artificial and too staged, whereas in Jack it was fluid, natural and very real.

Being a heavy is no longer ‘a full time job’ for Caine and is better suited for more gentile roles, The Cider House Rules (1999), while ten years ago, being a case in point. It is the lack of verisimilitude that shows to an audience that what we once saw in Jack Carter, we will not see again. Harry Brown (2009) tries in vain to recapture the bright golden days of Caine’s youth, but fails to make the past become present.

Where this film does score points with an audience is with its readiness to show the ‘real inner city streets’. Reality Police shows have brought to a wider audience, familiarity with real life; real boorish behaviour; real violence; and the real aftermath of both. Harry Brown (2009) appears to capture this audience and willingly plays to their narcissism. After watching this film twice in private I went to a local cinema and paid to watch it again. The Theatre was filled with youths, aged 18 – 27, loud and confident. Feet on the chairs and mobile phones lighting up like a firework display. I found strange that they were not appalled at the treatment of Leonard (David Bradley) but cheered and laughed and seemed to support the villainy. They wanted to associate with the villains of the film and were disappointed when they got their comeuppance; but were still entertained by the violent way this comeuppance was shown.

Harry Brown (2009) seems to reveal in the public perception of inner city gangs, and uses this stereotyped violence as a backdrop for Harry’s existence within the story and uses violence to drive Harry from one scene to the next. Violence justifies violence and the Harry killing people is somehow justified as ‘the greater good’. It is OK to shoot someone as long as they are not very nice! All this is far too predictable and it is this predictability that forms the main reason why you should stay away from this film.

In short, Harry Brown (2009) is exciting and yet predictable with little in it to try and make this film a British Gangster classic. Its worth as a film is simply that it offers a reflection of what may be modern British inner city gang culture. I’m just not convinced that there is anything worthy here to bring to the screen, bring attention to or pay to watch.

I’m not going to slam the look of the film, Martin Ruhe makes this film look beautiful. The lighting in the dark scenes was perfect and in the light scenes, the darkness was always around!

So, should you go and see this film? Will if you like ‘Road Wars’ this film might just appeal to you. If you want to see Michael Caine provide a reasonable acting performance then again this film might appeal to you. If you want something more than predictable nonsense wrapped up in a blanket of violence, then stay away. Maybe by staying away, the viewing public will send a message to the film industry that it really should do better!

Just saw Harry Brown at the cinema which is a British crime thriller which was directed by Daniel Barber. The film stars Michael Caine, Emily Mortimer, Jack O’Connell and Liam Cunningham.

Michael Caine plays the main character Harry Brown. The story is about how he seeks revenge after his friend is killed by the group of thugs.

The film puts across very serious and relevant messages to the audience about gang crime.

I really enjoyed this film- it felt very genuine and realistic because of its ‘gritty/raw’ style. The film is very violent, has a lot of bad language and hard drug use but it does make the film more realistic.Michael Caine was very good in this role and i think that this is one of his best performances in most of his recent films.

This film is worth seeing in you like British thrillers or films such as Gran Torino, Kidulthood and Adulthood.

Film Rating: 8/10

by The Great White Gypsy

The Box – Written and Directed by Richard Kelly
The premise of this film sounds like a bad teenage horror story. A strange man gives a box to a couple having money problems. They will get money every time they push the button, but every time, someone they don’t know will die. Though it’s riding on Cameron Diaz’s acting skills (um…), if anyone can make it cool, writer/director Richard Kelly (Donnie Darko, Southland Tales) will have no problem.
Cameron Diaz, James Marsden, Frank Langella, James Rebhorn
November 6

Endgame – Directed by Pete Travis, Written by Paula Milne
Another slow, patient South African political film? Meh. I mean, I really like Hurt and Ejiofor, but Pete Travis directed Vantage Point, which sucked asshole. I really, really want it to be good, I’m just scared it’s going to be really, really bad.
William Hurt, Chiwetel Ejiofor, Johnny Lee Miller, Mark Strong, Derek Jacobi
November 6

The Men Who Stare at Goats – Directed by Grant Heslov, Written by Peter Straughan
Actor Grant Heslov hasn’t done much directing. Same goes for Peter Straughan and writing. But if you look at this cast, you really can’t go wrong in a story about Telekenisis/Psychic programs in the army. Hell yes.
George Clooney, Ewan McGregor, Jeff Bridges, Kevin Spacey, Robert Patrick, Stephen Root
November 6

Precious – Directed by Lee Daniels, Written by Geoffrey Fletcher
I hate the fact that the full title of this film is “Precious: Based on a novel by Sapphire”. I also hate the fact that Tyler Perry and Oprah Winfrey are “presenting” this one. However, cliché and cheesy as it most likely is, I seriously almost cried watching the preview. This has the potential for two hours of raw emotion that leaves you speechless. Or two hours of horrible acting and bullshit storyline. I’ll wait for cable.
Gabourey Sidibe, Paula Patton, Mariah Carey, Lenny Kravitz
November 6

The Fantastic Mr. Fox – Written and Directed by Wes Anderson
I hate, I hate, I hate Wes Anderson. However, there are always a couple elements of his films that impress me, and his attempts at stop motion animation intrigue me. Will I like it? Probably not. Will I see it? Of course.
George Clooney, Meryl Streep, Bill Murray, Jason Schwartzman, Willem Dafoe, Owen Wilson, Michael Gambon
November 13

Pirate Radio – Written and Directed by Richard Curtis
When I saw the preview for this, I thought, “Hey, that looks exactly like that movie advertised last year called “The Boat that Rocked”. Wait… I have no idea why this film took so long to release, or why they changed the title, but after waiting so long, I’ve built it up to possible “Almost Famous” level in my head. I really hope I’m not disappointed.  About a boatful of radio DJ’s who broadcast banned music over British airwaves in the ‘60’s. Curtis directed Love Actually.
Philip Seymour Hoffman, Bill Nighy, Rhys Ifans, Emma Thompson, Kenneth Branagh, Nick Frost
November 13

The Messenger – Written and Directed by Oren Moverman
Foster and Harrelson play a very overlooked part of the military in this new drama about the officers who deliver the horrible news to KIA soldiers’ families. Foster starts to care too much…you see where this is going. Moverman’s first film, looks good.
Ben Foster, Woody Harrelson, Samantha Morton, Jena Malone
November 13

2012 – Directed by Roland Emmerich, Written by Roland Emmerich and Harald Kloser
When I want to see an action packed explosion film with weak story, I’ll catch the new Michael Bay flick. When I want to see a really entertaining film with great special effects that will leave me dumber for having watched it, I’ll go see a Roland Emmerich film (Independence Day, Stargate, Godzilla, 10,000 BC). If you don’t know what this film is about, you should probably look into it, cause we’re kinda running out of time, dude…
John Cusack, Amanda Peet, Chiwetel Ejiofor, Thandie Newton, Woody Harrelson, Danny Glover, Oliver Platt
November 13

That Evening Sun – Written and Directed by Scot Teems
I think Clint Eastwood had a scheduling conflict playing a grumpy old man in Gran Turino, so Holbrook stepped in. This is a perfect example of a cookie-cutter Midwest drama starring a senior citizen afraid of change that might not be very good, but will definitely get nominated for at least 2 Oscars. Don’t get me wrong, Hal is great, but the story has the potential to be full of holes.
Hal Holbrook, Ray McKinnon, Mia Wasikowska, Carrie Preston
November 13

Uncertainty – Written and Directed by Scott McGehee and David Siegel
At the risk of sounding like a douchebag, I am very uncertain about this movie. Part romantic comedy, part drama, part action thriller? So confused. McGehee and Siegel have written and directed three other films together, and I’ve never heard of any of them. But Gordon-Levitt hasn’t let me down so far, and Thirlby and Collins are sexy. I’ll flip a coin.
Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Lynn Collins, Olivia Thirlby
November 13

Bad Lieutenant: Port of Call New Orleans – Directed by Werner Herzog, Written by William M. Finkelstein
Controverial old-school director Werner Herzog (Encounters at the End of the World, Grizzly Man) is remaking the 1992 drama (starring Harvey Keitel) about a gambling/drug addict cop, and he’s setting it in post-Katrina New Orleans. They say it’s Cage’s best performance since Leaving Las Vegas (not really hard), and Kilmer’s presence is reassuring. Looking forward to it.
Nicholas Cage, Val Kilmer, Eva Mendes, Michael Shannon, Fairuza Balk, Xzibit, Shawn Hatosy
November 20

Chi Bi (Red Cliff) – Directed by John Woo, Written by John Woo and Khan Chan
This is an epic film in the style of Hero and House of Flying Daggers. John Woo started out with some good films (A Better Tomorrow, Killer, Hard Boiled), he even had some good American movies (Hard Target, Face/Off), though there were bullshit ones too (Windtalkers, Paycheck). However, his dramas, like Last Hurrah for Chivalry, have gone largerly unnoticed by American audiences. And, of course, it’s been out in China for two years, and we’re just getting it now. Tarantino needs to step his game up.
Tony Leung, Takeshi Kaneshiro, Wei Zhao
November 20

Fix – Directed by Tao Ruspoli, Written by Charles Castaldi and Paul Duran
Documentary filmmaker Ruspoli blends styles in this fictional documentary about a convicted drug dealer and his friends, who are attempting to raise enough money to put him in rehab before 8pm so he can avoid jail time. I can already tell that Andrews’ over-the-top personality is going to steal the show, and Wilde is kinda cute. When’s it coming to Netflix?
Olivia Wilde, Tao Ruspoli, Dedee Pfeiffer, Shawn Andrews
November 20

The Missing Person – Written and Directed by Noah Buschel
Modern noir about a private detective (Shannon in a lead role…nice) searching for a missing person after 9/11. Elements of drama and comedy make it appear a little disjointed, but Shannon and Ryan are solid. Kinda surprised it didn’t go straight to DVD, but whatever.
Michael Shannon, Amy Ryan, Frank Wood
November 20

Me and Orson Welles – Directed by Richard Linklater, Written by Holly Gent Palmo
I can’t see Efron’s name on anything without thinking Highschool Musical, which makes me want to punch everyone under the age of 17 in the eye. However, this film is a little more dramatic, a lot less musical, and Christian McKay looks like the best Orson Welles since D’onofrio in Ed Wood. And if that still doesn’t convince you to see this period film about Welles directing stage plays, I have three words for you: Richard motherfucking Linklater (Scanner Darkly, Waking Life, Dazed and Confused). There you go.
Zac Efron, Claire Danes, Christian McKay, Ben Chaplin
November 25

Ninja Assassin – Directed by James McTeigue, Written by Matthew Sand and J. Michael Straczynski
The directors of The Matrix are producing this balls-to-the-wall violence-fest about…are you ready? A Ninja Assassin. Crazy right? Just think blades, bullets, blood, and nonstop special effects. I can’t freaking wait.
Sung Kang
November 25

The Road – Directed by John Hillcoat, Written by Joe Penhall
I must admit, I didn’t care for Cormac McCarthy’s award winning novel. The fact that writer and director are inexperienced worries me. Whether the acting, cinematography and effects can save it or not, the story makes me think no one will like this no matter what.
Viggo Mortensen, Charlize Theron, Robert Duvall, Guy Pearce, Garret Dillahunt
November 25

KEEP YOUR EYES OPEN

Metropia – Directed by Tarik Saleh, Written by Fredrik Edin
Anything with Vincent Gallo attatched generally gets my attention (Buffalo 66 was fucking weird). In this animated social commentary, Gallo’s character goes nuts when he starts hearing voices in the expansive underground tunnels Europe was forced to build after gas prices went too high. The animation looks pretty damn cool, so we’ll see.
Vincent Gallo, Udo Kier, Juliette Lewis, Stellan Skarsgard, Alexander Skarsgard
November 6 (Sweden)

Harry Brown – Directed by Daniel Barber, Written by Gary Young
Michael Caine hasn’t really been a badass since Get Carter, but this one may change that. Granted, it’s another cranky old man pissed off at street hooligans, but they did kill his friend…and he is ex-military. Comes out in the UK this month, possible limited releases in US.
Michael Caine, Emily Mortimer, Iain Glen
November 11 (UK)

Los abrazos rotos (Broken Embraces) – Written and Directed by Pedro Almodovar
Almodovar is huge in Spain, and the last time he teamed with Cruz was Volver, which was damn good. This film is about a writer/director telling a young man the story of why he changed his name after an accident took the life of his true love 14 years prior. Limited release this month, but expect it to be everywhere in time for the Oscars.
Penelope Cruz, Lluis Homar
November 20 (Limited)

Mammoth – Written and Directed by Lukas Moodysson
Husband and wife with a “perfect” life are put to the test when he takes a business trip to Thailand and decides to let loose a little. It looks very similar to parts of Babel, but more focused. Bernal and Williams have grown on me the last couple years, and Moodysson has done good work in Sweden.
Michelle Williams, Gael Garcia Bernal
November 20 (Limited)

In that note, below are some movies to watch.

The Road (2009)

Director: John Hillcoat
Writers: Cormac McCarthy (novel) Joe Penhall (adaptation)
Release Date: 25 November 2009 (USA)
Genre: Adventure | Drama | Sci-Fi | Thriller
Plot: A post-apocalyptic tale of a man and his son trying to survive by any means possible.

Cast
Charlize Theron -Wife
Viggo Mortensen -The Man
Guy Pearce -The Veteran
Robert Duvall -Old Man

The Lovely Bones (2009)

Director: Peter Jackson
Writers (WGA): Fran Walsh (screenplay) &  Philippa Boyens (screenplay)
Release Date: 15 January 2010 (USA)
Genre: Crime | Drama | Fantasy | Horror | Thriller more
Plot: Centers on a young girl who has been murdered and watches over her family – and her killer – from heaven. She must weigh her desire for vengeance against her desire for her family to heal.

Cast
Mark Wahlberg -Jack Salmon
Rachel Weisz -Abigail Salmon
Susan Sarandon -Grandma Lynn
Stanley Tucci -George Harvey
Saoirse Ronan -Susie Salmon
Michael Imperioli -Len Fenerman

Tell-Tale (2009)

Director: Michael Cuesta
Writers (WGA): Dave Callaham (screenplay) Edgar Allan Poe (short story “The Tell-Tale Heart”)
Genre: Drama | Horror | Sci-Fi | Thriller
Plot: A man’s newly transplanted heart leads him on a dangerous journey to find out who murdered its donor.

Cast
Josh Lucas -Terry
Lena Headey -Elizabeth
Brian Cox -Van Doren

I Love You Phillip Morris (2009)

Directors: Glenn Ficarra and John Requa
Writers (WGA): John Requa (written by) & Glenn Ficarra (written by)
Release Date: 12 February 2010 (USA)
Genre: Comedy | Drama
Plot: Steven Russell is happily married to Debbie, and a member of the local police force when a car accident provokes a dramatic reassessment of his life…

Cast
Jim Carrey -Steven Russell
Ewan McGregor -Phillip Morris
Leslie Mann -Debbie

Shutter Island (2010)

Director: Martin Scorsese
Writers (WGA): Laeta Kalogridis (screenplay) Dennis Lehane (novel)
Release Date: 19 February 2010 (USA)
Genre: Drama | Horror | Mystery | Thriller
Plot: Drama is set in 1954, U.S. Marshal Teddy Daniels is investigating the disappearance of a murderess who escaped from a hospital for the criminally insane and is presumed to be hiding on the remote Shutter Island.

Cast
Leonardo DiCaprio -Teddy Daniels
Mark Ruffalo -Chuck Aule
Ben Kingsley -Dr. John Cawley
Emily Mortimer -Rachel Solando
Michelle Williams -Dolores Chanal
Max von Sydow -Dr. Jeremiah Naehring
Jackie Earle Haley -George Noyce

Daybreakers (2010)

Directors: Michael Spierig and Peter Spierig
Writers: Michael Spierig (writer) Peter Spierig (writer)
Release Date: 8 January 2010 (USA)
Genre: Action | Drama | Horror | Sci-Fi | Thriller more
Plot: In the year 2019, a plague has transformed most every human into vampires. Faced with a dwindling blood supply, the fractured dominant race plots their survival; meanwhile, a researcher works with a covert band of vamps on a way to save humankind.

Cast
Willem Dafoe -Elvis
Isabel Lucas -Alison Bromley
Ethan Hawke -Edward
Sam Neill -Charles Bromley

Source: http://www.imdb.com/

Academy Award-nominee Daniel Barber (The Tonto Woman) makes his feature directorial debut with this gritty critique on contemporary British society starring Michael Caine as an elderly shut-in who’s spurned into action by a senseless act of violence. Harry Brown (Caine) resides in a desolate public housing apartment block as his sickly wife lies dying in a local hospital. He spends most of his days in solitary, only getting out to play the occasional game of chess at a nearby pub with his best friend Leonard (David Bradley). The days of basic human decency seem to be a thing of the past, because in recent years barbarous drug dealers and gangsters have overtaken the dilapidated complex. Killing is a way of life for these young thugs, and as a result overburdened detectives Frampton (Emily Mortimer) and Hicock (Charlie Creed-Miles) are essentially relegated to knocking on doors and notifying parents when their children have been killed in the latest fracas, instead of investigating the crimes and jailing the guilty parties. When Leonard is murdered just feet from his own apartment, former Royal Marine Harry puts the skills he learned while fighting the IRA to take on the aggressive chavs that have intimidated the police into inaction

Ett amerikanskt missionärspar (Woody Harrelson och Emily Mortimer; Lars and the Real Girl, Rosa Pantern 2) beslutar sig för att åka transsibiriska järnvägen mellan Beijing och Moskva och blir under resan vänner med Carlos och Abby (Eduardo Noriega och Kate Mara; Full of It, Shooter). Dessa har dock inte helt rent mjöl i… väskorna och i samband med att Harrelsons karaktär missar att komma med tåget vid en station startar en kedja av händelser som omkullkastar allt för de inblandade.

Jag har själv tillbringat några timmar på en fruktansvärd flygplats i Moskvas utkanter och den här filmen spär ytterligare på min sedan tidigare kraftfulla övertygelse om att inte besöka Ryssland igen. Regissören Brad Anderson har uppenbarligen velat göra en Hitchcock-influerad thriller och det börjar väldigt bra utan att man egentligen vet vad som är att vänta. Viss urspårning sker vad gäller intrigen och summan blir inte riktigt vad jag hoppats. Harrelson är vansinnigt enerverande som präktig men ack så trögtänkt tågnörd. Ben Kingsley som brutal rysk kriminalare är desto bättre och Mortimer gör en intressant karaktär som den komplexa kvinnan runt vilket det mesta cirklar. Helt ärligt kan jag så här efteråt inte riktigt bedöma om filmen är annorlunda eller halvkass – trots det (eller just på grund av detta) har jag svårt att inte gilla den.

Betyg: 3

Jeremy Irons to perform at John Mortimer at the Court…and later at the Bar on 15 November

Photo courtesy of The Royal Court Theatre on facebook and The Evening Standard

http://www.royalcourttheatre.com/whatson01.asp?play=563

Tom Hollander, Alan Rickman and Dominic West have joined the cast of John Mortimer at the Court… and later at the Bar, a tribute to the late playwright held at the Royal Court in the Jerwood Theatre Downstairs (of which he was chairman and president) on 15 November. Curated by playwright Stephen Jeffreys, the evening will also features performances from actors including Sinead Cusack, Edward Fox, Jeremy Irons, Emily Mortimer and Harriet Walter. Proceeds will go to the Royal Court’s Writers Development Fund.

Dear Frankie is a charming little story about a young woman’s love for her deaf son and the lengths she will go to protect him from any disappointment and danger regarding his father.

Lizzie (Emily Mortimer) lives with her son Frankie (Jack McElhone) and her mother. The story of Frankie’s dad remains a mystery to the viewer for a while.  What we know though is that Lizzie has been exchanging letters with Frankie, posing as his father. She has told  him that he works on a ship and has to travel a lot, which disables him from coming home. She has even used a name of a ship she has seen on a stamp. But as luck would have it, the ship is real and is about to come to their town. Though torn between telling the truth and keeping up with the reality she created, she painfully decides to hire a man to pose as Frankie’s dad. Her friend finds her a man with no past,present and future- a man she knows nothing about, just like Lizzie wishes. This Stranger (Gerard Butler) meets Frankie and spends a day with him. What she couldn’t have plan for was that this guy would form a bond with her son and herself and would want to spend an extra day with them…

It is not the most original script, I am going to admit that. But sometimes, just like this movie, the performances are so beautiful and powerful that you don’t mind that you might have watched similar stuff before. You get lost in the story, root for Lizzie and her son and you want the stranger to stick around. The landscape is amazing. This is not a movie that costs a lot. This is not a movie you expect to be marketed aggressively. But the important thing is, it is not a movie that you will forget. And that’s what matters at the end of the day.