Ghost Ship (2002) Film Review

A film about a salvage crew who are tempted by a record haul who end up on a haunted ship staring Julianna Margulies and Gabriel Byrne… what’s not to love there? I mean, the opening sequence shows a dance floor filled with cruise ship passengers where something goes wrong and a rogue cable… no, I’m going to leave that there. If you read these reviews and haven’t seen the film, go find it. It’s on Stan in Australia. You don’t need to watch the whole film. Honestly, it’s probably not worth it. But watch the start. Unless you don’t like gore.

The Silence of the Girls by Pat Barker – Audio Book Review

This is a story of women in war. Throughout time, women have been victims of war; kidnapped, raped, destroyed. This story is from the perspective of Briseis, the queen of a city the Greeks took around the time of the battle of Troy. She is the trophy of Achilles, now a slave and concubine. She has no say in her place in the world, and she despairs. Her place is tenuous, controlled by men.

There are several things that I loved about this. Briseis is quietly observant, and so it is a different perspective on some of these great, mythological characters that so much has been written about. The pacing is slow but constant, and the urgency of battle is present, but slightly distant to Briseis’ existence – while still managing to be extremely central. I listened to this as an audiobook and loved the tone of Kristin Atherton. I’m now very keen to re-learn some of the mythology, and keep this perspective in the back of my mind.

Avengers: Infinity War (2018) Film Review

If you haven’t heard the spoilers for the end of this film, I’m not going to be the one to tell you. I’ll just leave it at wow. Thanos (Josh Brolin) the bad guy is back and wants to do bad stuff. And everyone is there to stop him. The usual Avengers, the Guardians of the Galaxy, the lesser-known Avengers. So many superheroes. And I just kind of lost focus. Who was doing what? Have you guys met before? Why do you not like her or him, and should I care that you are doing whatever you’re doing?

I’m sure heaps of people loved this film. I just lost interest… back off, one story at a time. (Although given that I have this personal gripe that if there are that many super-powerful folks, why don’t they all just drop everything when one of them is having a massive battle? Where were you all when Wakanda was threatened, or Asgard or, um, the Dr Strange world? So, when they do actually all come together and it doesn’t really work for me, perhaps I should acknowledge that and keep that in mind next time I watch a film with only one or two superheroes… probs will just keep complaining, though).

Awards Season 2018

Oscars 2018

Actor in a Leading Role

Timothee Chalamet (Call Me By Your Name)

Daniel Day-Lewis (Phantom Thread)

Daniel Kaluuya (Get Out)

Gary Oldman (Darkest Hour)

Denzel Washington (Roman J. Israel, Esq.)
Actor in a Supporting Role

Willem DaFoe (The Florida Project)

Woody Harrelson (Three Billboards outside Ebbing, Missouri)

Richard Jenkins (The Shape of Water)

Christopher Plummer (All the Money in the World)

Sam Rockwell (Three Billboards outside Ebbing, Missouri)

Actress in a Leading Role

Sally Hawkins (The Shape of Water)

Frances McDormand (Three Billboards outside Ebbing, Missouri)

Margot Robbie (I, Tonya)

Soaise Ronan (Lady Bird)

Meryl Streep (The Post)

Actress in a Supporting Role

Mary J. Blige (Mudbound)

Allison Janney (I, Tonya)

Lesley Manville (Phantom Thread)

Laurie Metcalf (Lady Bird)

Octavia Spencer (The Shape of Water)

Animated Feature Film

The Boss Baby

The Breadwinner

Coco

Ferdinand

Loving Vincent

Cinematography

Blade Runner 2049

Darkest Hour

Dunkirk

Mudbound

The Shape of Water

Costume Design

Beauty and the Beast

Darkest Hour

Phantom Thread

The Shape of Water

Victoria & Abdul

Directing

Dunkirk

Get Out

Lady Bird

Phantom Thread

The Shape of Water

Documentary (Feature)

Abacus: Small Enough to Jail

Faces Places

Icarus

Last Men in Aleppo

Strong Island

Documentary (Short)

Edith + Eddie

Heaven is a Traffic Jam on the 405

Heroin(e)

Knife Skills

Traffic Stop

Film Editing

Baby Driver

Dunkirk

I, Tonya

The Shape of Water

Three Billboards outside Ebbing, Missouri 

Foreign Film

A Fantastic Woman

The Insult

Loveless

On Body and Soul

The Square

Makeup and Hairstyling

Darkest Hour

Victorial & Abdul

Wonder

Music (Original Score)

Dunkirk

Phantom Thread

The Shape of Water

Star Wars: The Last Jedi

Three Billboards outside Ebbing, Missouri

Music (Original Song)

Mighty River (Mudbound)

Mystery of Love (Call Me By Your Name)

Remember Me (Coco)

Stand Up for Something (Marshall)

This Is Me (The Greatest Showman)

Best Picture

Call me By Your Name

Darkest Hour

Dunkirk

Get Out

Lady Bird

Phantom Thread

The Post

The Shape of Water

Three Billboards outside Ebbing, Missouri

Production Design

Beauty and the Beast

Blade Runner 2049

Darkest Hour

Dunkirk

The Shape of Water

Short Film (Animated)

Dear Basketball

Garden Party

Lou

Negative Space

Revolting Rhymes

Short Film (Live Action)

Dekalb Elementary

The Eleven O’Clocl

My Nephew Emmet

The Silent Child

Wate Wote/ All of Us

Sound Editing

Baby Driver

Blade Runner 2049

Dunkirk

The Shape of Water

Star Wars: The Last Jedi

Sound Mixing

Baby Driver

Blade Runner 2049

Dunkirk

The Shape of Water

Star Wars: The Last Jedi

Visual Effects

Blade Runner 2049

Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2

Kong: Skull Island

Star Wars: The Last Jedi

War for the Planet of the Apes

Writing (Adapted Screenplay)

Call Me By Your Name

The Disaster Artist

Logan

Molly’s Game

Mudbound

Writing (Original Screenplay)

The Big Sick

Get Out

Lady Bird

The Shape of Water

Three Billboards outside Ebbing, Missouri 

Golden Globes 2018

Best Motion Picture – Drama

Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri

Dunkirk

The Post

The Shape of Water

Call Me By Your Name

Best Motion Picture – Musical or Comedy

Lady Bird

The Disaster Artist

Get Out

The Greatest Showman

I, Tonya

Best Performance by an Actress in a Motion Picture – Drama

Frances McDormand (Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri)

Jessica Chastain (Molly’s Game)

Sally Hawkins (The Shape of Water)

Meryl Streep (The Post)

Michele Williams (All the Money in the World)

Best Performance by an Actor in a Motion Picture – Drama

Gary Oldman (Darkest Hour)

Timothy Chalamet (Call Me By Your Name)

Daniel Day-Lewis (Phantom Thread)

Tom Hanks (The Post)

Denzel Washington (Toman J. Israel, Esq)

Best Performance by an Actress in a Motion Picture – Musical or Comedy

Saoirse Ronan (Lady Bird)

Judi Dench (Victoria & Abdul)

Helen Mirren (The Leisure Seeker)

Margot Robbie (I, Tonya)

Emma Stone (Battle of the Sexes)

Best Performance by an Actor in a Motion Picture – Musical or Comedy

James Franco (The Disaster Artist)

Steve Carell (Battle of the Sexes)

Ansel Elgort (Baby Driver)

Hugh Jackman (The Greatest Showman)

Daniel Kaluuya (Get Out)

Best Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role in Any Motion Picture

Allison Janney (I, Tonya)

Hon Chau (Downsizing)

Laurie Metcalf (Lady Bird)

Octavia Spencer (The Shape of Water)

Mary J. Blige (Mudbound)

Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role in Any Motion Picture

Sam Rockwell (Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri)

Willem DaFoe (The Florida Project)

Armie Hammer (Call Me By Your Name)

Richard Jenkins (The Shape of Water)

Christopher Plummer (All the Money in the World)

Best Director – Motion Picture

Guillermo del Toro (The Shape of Water)

Martin McDonagh (Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri)

Christopher Nolan (Dunkirk)

Ridley Scott (All the Money in the World)

Steven Spielberg (The Post)

Best Screenplay – Motion Picture

Martin McDonagh (Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri)

Guillermo del Toro, Vanessa Taylor (The Shape of Water)

Greta Gerwig (Lady Bird)

Liz Hannah, Josh Singer (The Post)

Aaron Sorkin (Molly’s Game)

Best Motion Picture – Animated

Coco

The Breadwinner

Ferdinand

Loving Vincent

The Boss Baby

Best Motion Picture – Foreign Language

In The Fade

A Fantastic Woman

First They Killed My Father

Loveless

The Square

Best Original Score – Motion Picture

Alexandre Desplat (The Shape of Water)

Carter Burwell (Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri)

Jonny Greenwood (Phantom Thread)

John Williams (The Post)

Hans Zimmer (Dunkirk)

Best Original Song – Motion Picture

This Is Me (The Greatest Showman)

Home (Ferdinand)

Mighty River (Mudbound)

Remember Me (Coco)

The Star (The Star)

BAFTAs

Best Film

Call Me by Your Name

Darkest Hour

Dunkirk

The Shape of Water

Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri

Outstanding British Film

Darkest Hour

The Death of Stalin

God’s Own Country

Lady MacBeth

Paddington 2

Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri

Outstanding Debut by a British writer, director or producer

The Ghoul – Gareth Tunley

I Am Not A Witch – Rungano Nyoni

Jawbone – Johnny Harris

Kingdom of Us – Lucy Cohen

Lady MacBeth – Alice Birch

Best Film Not in the English Language

Elle

First They Killed My Father

The Handmaiden

Loveless

The Salesman

Best Documentary

City of Ghosts

I am Not Your Negro

Icarus

An Inconvenient Sequel

Jane

Best Animated Film

Coco

Loving Vincent

My Life as a Courgette

Best Director

Denis Villeneuve (Blade Runner 2049)

Luca Guadagnino (Call Me By Your Name)

Christopher Nolan (Dunkirk)

Guillermo Del Toro (The Shape of Water)

Martin McDonagh (Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri)

Best Original Screenplay

Get Out

I, Tonya

Lady Bird

The Shape of Water

Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri

Best Adapted Screenplay

Call Me By Your Name

The Death of Stalin

Film Stars Don’t Die in Liverpool

Molly’s Game

Paddington 2

Best Actress

Annette Benning (Film Stars Don’t Die in Liverpool)

Frances McDormand (Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri)

Margot Robbie (I, Tonya)

Sally Hawkins (The Shape of Water)

Saoirse Ronan (Lady Bird)

Best Actor

Daniel Day-Lewis (Phantom Thread)

Daniel Kaluuya (Get Out)

Gary Oldman (Darkest Hour)

Jamie Bell (Film Stars Don’t Die in Liverpool)

Timothee Chalamet (Call Me By Your Name)

Best Supporting Actress

Allison Janney (I, Tonya)

Kristen Scott Thomas (Darkest Hour)

Laurie Metcalf (Lady Bird)

Lesley Manville (Phantom Thread)

Octavia Spencer (The Shape of Water)

Best Supporting Actor

Christopher Plummer (All the Money in the World)

Hugh Grant (Paddington 2)

Sam Rockwell (Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri)

Willem Dafoe (The Florida Project)

Woody Harrelson (Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri)

Best Original Music

Blade Runner 2049

Darkest Hour

Dunkirk

Phantom Thread

The Shape of Water

Best Cinematography

Blade Runner 2049

Darkest Hour

Dunkirk

The Shape of Water

Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri

Best Editing

Baby Driver

Blade Runner 2049

Darkest Hour

Dunkirk

The Shape of Water

Best Costume Design

Beauty and the Beast

Darkest Hour

I, Tonya

Phantom Thread

The Shape of Water

Best Make-up and Hair

Blade Runner 2049

Darkest Hour

I, Tonya

Victoria & Abdul

Wonder

Best Sound

Baby Driver

Blade Runner 2049

Dunkirk

The Shape of Water

Star Wars: The Last Jedi

Best Special Visual Effects

Blade Runner 2049

Dunkirk

The Shape of Water

Star Wars: The Last Jedi

War for the Planet of the Apes

Best British Short Animation

Have Heart

Mamoon

Poles Apart

Best British Short Film

Aamir

Cowboy Dave

A Drowning Man

Work

Wren Boys

EE Rising Star award

Daniel Kaluuya

Florence Pugh

Josh O’Connor

Tessa Thompson

Timothee Chalamet

 

 

 

Awards Season 2017

Oscars 2017

Actor in a Leading Role

Casey Affleck (Manchester by the Sea)

Andrew Garfield (Hacksaw Ridge)

Ryan Gosling (La La Land)

Viggo Mortensen (Captain Fantastic)

Denzel Washington (Fences)

Actor in a Supporting Role

Mahershala Ali (Moonlight)

Jeff Bridges (Hell or High Water)

Lucas Hedges (Manchester by the Sea)

Dev Patel (Lion)

Michael Shannon (Nocturnal Animals)

Actress in a Leading Role

Isabelle Huppert (Elle)

Ruth Negga (Loving)

Natalie Portman (Jackie)

Emma Stone (La La Land)

Meryl Streep (Florence Foster Jenkins)

Actress in a Supporting Role

Viola Davis (Fences)

Naomie Harris (Moonlight)

Nicole Kidman (Lion)

Octavia Spencer (Hidden Figures)

Michelle Williams (Manchester by the Sea)

Animated Feature Film

Kubo and the Two Strings

Moana

My Life as a Zucchini

The Red Turtle

Zootopia

Cinematography

Arrival

La La Land

Lion

Moonlight

Silence

Costume Design

Allied

Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them

Florence Foster Jenkins

Jackie

La La Land

Directing

Arrival (Denis Villeneuve)

Hacksaw Ridge (Mel Gibson)

La La Land (Damien Chazelle)

Manchester by the Sea (Kenneth Lonergan)

Moonlight (Barry Jenkins)

Documentary (Feature)

Fire at Sea

I am not your Negro

Life, Animated

O.J.: Made in America

13^th

Documentary (Short Subject)

Extremis

4.1 Miles

Joe’s Violin

Watani: My Homeland

The White Helmets

Film Editing

Arrival

Hacksaw Ridge

Hell or High Water

La La Land

Moonlight

Foreign Language Film

Land of Mine

A Man called Ove

The Salesman

Tanna

Toni Erdmann

Makeup and Hairstyling

A Man called Ove

Star Trek Beyond

Suicide Squad

Music (Original Score)

Jackie

La La Land

Lion

Moonlight

Passengers

Music (Original Song)

Audition (The Fools Who Dream) – La La Land

Can’t Stop the Feeling – Trolls

City of Stars – La La Land

The Empty Chair – Jim:The James Foley Story

How Far I’ll Go – Moana

Best Picture

Arrival

Fences

Hacksaw Ridge

Hell or High Water

Hidden Figures

La La Land

Lion

Manchester by the Sea

Moonlight

Production Design

Arrival

Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them

Hail, Caesar!

La La Land

Passengers

Short Film (Animated)

Blind Vaysha

Borrowed Time

Pear Cider and Cigarettes

Pearl

Piper

Short Film (Live Action)

Ennemis Interieurs

Le Femme et le TGV

Silent Night

Sing

Timecode

Sound Editing

Arrival

Deepwater Horizon

Hacksaw Ridge

La La Land

Sully

Sound Mixing

Arrival

Hacksaw Ridge

La La Land

Rogue One:A Star Wars Story

13 Hour: The Secret Soldiers of Benghazi

Visual Effects

Deepwater Horizon

Doctor Strange

The Jungle Book

Kubo and the Two Strings

Rogue One: A Star Wars Story

Writing (Adapted Screenplay)

Arrival

Fences

Hidden Figures

Lion

Moonlight

Writing (Original Screenplay)

Hell or High Water

La La Land

The Lobster

Manchester by the Sea

20^th Century Women

Golden Globes 2017

Best Motion Picture – Drama

Moonlight

Hell or High Water

Lion

Manchester By The Sea

Hacksaw Ridge

Best Motion Picture – Musical or Comedy

La La Land

20^th Century Women

Deadpool

Florence Foster Jenkins

Sing Street

Best Performance by an Actress in a Motion Picture – Drama

Isabelle Huppert (Elle)

Amy Adams (Arrival)

Jessica Chastain (Miss Sloane)

Ruth Negga(Loving)

Natalie Portman (Jackie)

Best Performance by an Actor in a Motion Picture – Drama

Casey Affleck (Manchester By The Sea)

Joel Edgerton (Loving)

Andrew Garfield (Hacksaw Ridge)

Viggo Mortensen (Captain Fantastic)

Denzel Washington (Fences)

Best Performance by an Actress in a Motion Picture – Musical or Comedy

Emma Stone (La La Land)

Annette Bening (20^th Century Women)

Lily Collins (Rules Don’t Apply)

Hailee Steinfeld (Edge of Seventeen)

Meryl Streep (Florence Foster Jenkins)

Best Performance by an Actor in a Motion Picture – Musical or Comedy

Ryan Gosling (La La Land)

Colin Farrell (The Lobster)

Hugh Grant (Florence Foster Jenkins)

Jonah Hill (War Dogs)

Ryan Reynolds (Deadpool)

Best Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role in any Motion Picture

Viola Davis (Fences)

Naomie Harris (Moonlight)

Nicole Kidman (Lion)

Octavia Spencer (Hidden Figures)

Michelle Williams (Manchester By The Sea)

Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role in any Motion Picture

Aaron Taylor-Johnson (Nocturnal Animals)

Mahershala Ali (Moonlight)

Jeff Bridges (Hell or High Water)

Simon Helberg (Florence Foster Jenkins)

Dev Patel (Lion)

Best Director – Motion Picture

Damien Chazelle (La La Land)

Tom Ford (Nocturnal Animals)

Mel Gibson (Hacksaw Ridge)

Barry Jenkins (Moonlight)

Kenneth Lonergan (Manchester by the Sea)

Best Screenplay – Motion Picture

Damien Chazelle (La La Land)

Tom Ford (Nocturnal Animals)

Barry Jenkins (Moonlight)

Kenneth Lonergan (Manchester by the Sea)

Taylor Sheridan (Hell or High Water)

Best Motion Picture – Animated

Zootopia

Moana

My Life as a Courgette

Sing

Kuba and the Two Strings

Best Motion Picture – Foreign Language

Elle

Divines

Neruda

The Salesman

Toni Erdmann

Best Original Score – Motion Picture

Justin Hurwitz (La La Land)

Nicholas Britell (Moonlight)

Johann Johannsson (Arrival)

Dustin O’Halloran, Hauschka (Lion)

Hans Zimmer, Pharrell Williams, Benjamin Wallfisch (Hidden Figures)

Best Original Song – Motion Picture

La La Land – City of Stars

Trolls – Can’t Stop the Feeling!

Faith – Sing!

Gold – Gold

Moana – How Far I’ll Go

 

BAFTAs 2017

Best Film

Arrival

I, Daniel Blake

La La Land

Manchester by the Sea

Moonlight

Outstanding British Film

American Honey

Denial

Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them

I, Daniel Blake

Notes on Blindness

Under the Shadow

Outstanding Debut by a British Writer, Director or Producer

The Girl with All the Gifts

The Hard Stop

Notes on Blindness

The Pass

Under the Shadow

Film Not in the English Language

Dheepan

Julieta

Mustang

Son of Saul

Toni Erdmann

Documentary

13^th

The Beatles: Eight Days a Week – The Touring Years

The Eagle Huntress

Notes on Blindness

Weiner

Animated Film

Finding Dory

Kubo and the Two Strings

Moana

Zootopia

Director

Arrival

I, Daniel Blake

La La Land

Manchester By The Sea

Nocturnal Animals

Original Screenplay

Hell or High Water

I, Daniel Blake

La La Land

Manchester by the Sea

Moonlight

Adapted Screenplay

Arrival

Hacksaw Ridge

Hidden Figures

Lion

Nocturnal Animals

Leading Actor

Andrew Garfield (Hacksaw Ridge)

Casey Affleck (Manchester by the Sea)

Jake Gyllenhaal (Nocturnal Animals)

Ryan Gosling (La La Land)

Viggo Mortensen (Captain Fantastic)

Leading Actress

Amy Adams (Arrival)

Emily Blunt (The Girl on the Train)

Emma Stone (La La Land)

Meryl Streep (Florence Foster Jenkins)

Natalie Portman (Jackie)

Supporting Actor

Aaron Taylor-Johnson (Nocturnal Animals)

Dev Patel (Lion)

Hugh Grant (Florence Foster Jenkins)

Jeff Bridges (Hell or High Water)

Mahershala Ali (Moonlight)

Supporting Actress

Hayley Squires (I, Daniel Blake)

Michelle Williams (Manchester by the Sea)

Naomie Harris (Moonlight)

Nicole Kidman (Lion)

Viola Davis (Fences)

Original Music

Arrival

Jackie

La La Land

Lion

Nocturnal Animals

Cinematography

Arrival

Hell or High Water

La La Land

Lion

Nocturnal Animals

Editing

Arrival

Hell or High Water

La La Land

Lion

Manchester by the Sea

Nocturnal Animals

Production Design

Doctor Strange

Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them

Hail, Caesar!

La La Land

Nocturnal Animals

Costume Design

Allied

Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them

Florence Foster Jenkins

Jackie

La La Land

Make-up & Hair

Doctor Strange

Florence Foster Jenkins

Hacksaw Ridge

Nocturnal Animals

Rogue One: A Star Wars Story

Sound

Arrival

Deepwater Horizon

Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them

Hacksaw Ridge

La La Land

Special Visual Effects

Arrival

Doctor Strange

Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them

The Jungle Book

Rogue One: A Star Wars Story

British Short Animation

The Alan Dimension

A Love Story

Tough

British Short Film

Consumed

Home

Mouth of Hell

The Party

Standby

Insurgent (2015) Film Review

Tris (Shailene Woodley) and Four (Theo James) are in hiding after thwarting the effort of Jeanine (Kate Winslet). They make their way back to the big city, and they have the option of hooking up with another group of rebels. Things get a lot confusing along the way, but there is a box. It opens up if a divergent does a strange challenge type thing. But, no matter how many divergents Jeanine hooks up, they all just keep dying. It’s a real shame. Of course, it has to be Tris who unlocks it. But it is not what they expect… oh, where to next, dystopian future?

I liked it, a lot more than the last couple of Hunger Games films. And I liked the end a lot. I’m interested in seeing more, I want to know where it is all going. I reckon that makes it a somewhat decent flick. But I’m not shouting its greatness from the rooftops, perhaps I’m just a bit over this genre?

 

Slacker (1991) Film Review

Richard Linklater likes to play with the form in his film making, and I really like it. From the recent Boyhood, filmed over eight years, to the Before series(Before Sunrise, Before Sunset, Before Midnight), he’s tried a few different things.

Slacker is one of his really early films. Set around a student area of Austin, Texas, it show vignettes of things happening – or often of things not happening. People talk, people flirt. Strange stuff, extremely mundane stuff. It’s way dated, but charming because it is. Fabulous.

The Incredible Burt Wonderstone (2013) Film Review

Burt Wonderstone (Steve Carell) and Anton Marvelton (Steve Buscemi) have a steady gig in Vegas, playing the same show they’ve done a thousand times, and crowds are dwindling. Their boss, Doug Munny (James Gandolfini) is urging them to get interesting, like new face on the scene, Steve Gray (Jim Carrey). Gray doesn’t wear a flashy costume, and his tricks are more like endurance events, and tend to be way gross. After a failed attempt to compete, Anton walks away leaving Burt to reassess. And even though his new stage girl, Jane (Olivia Wilde) shows all faith in him, and wants to help him, it takes old-timer Rance Holloway (Alan Arkin) to bring his love of magic back.

Yawn. You know, I love Steve Carell and Jim Carrey, and I love that they get to play ridiculous characters every so often. But it is boring. Expert in something who is at the top of his field gets shafted in some way and falls to pieces, but with the help of a beautiful woman who has absolutely no reason to fall for such a misogynistic ass and a bit of willpower, he claws his way back to the top. It’s the same story as Anchorman, and Blades of Glory, and Zoolander and and and…. Boring. It was a nice touch having Steve Buscemi in it, but you can’t polish a turd. Not even Steve Buscemi can fix this.

My Sister’s Keeper (2009) Film Review

For so long, I’ve avoided this for one single reason: I am prepared to cry at a movie. Hey, I cry at all almost every film. I am a film crier. So, give me a film about a family with one daughter who has cancer, who have a second daughter to provide bits and pieces to kept the first daughter alive and the second daughter decides she’s had enough? Ah, the tears!

Actually, I always thought that it might be somewhat cheesy. I suspected it would be, I don’t know. And it probably is, but I totally loved it. It is absolutely a cheesy series of flashbacks and what have you, but it was great. What’s more, it is not just what happens to a sick teenager dealing with life, but what happens to the whole family. The young, donor, sister. The mother, having her entire existence be about keeping her older daughter alive. The father, pained through the constant fight. The brother, all but forgotten.

 

Hercules (2014) Film Review

You know Hercules, Ancient Greek legend, son of Zeus, he did these twelve near impossible labours and was just pretty awesome? So, what if it went a little differently – like that Hercules (Dwayne Johnson) was not actually the son of Zeus, but let everyone believe it to raise the price of his services? (Although he’s also still a good guy, don’t get that side of things wrong. Noble as.) What’s more, he didn’t complete the twelve labours alone – he had the top fighter and seer Amphiaraus (Ian McShane), his mate from school Autolycus (Rufus Sewell) , a slightly nuts feisty thing, Tydeus (Aksel Hennie), Atalanta (Ingrid Bolso Berdal) the Amazon warrior and his nephew Iolaus (Reece Ritchie) who is the storyteller who creates the legend. Then what happens if he gets hired to help Lord Cotys (John Hurt) to teach his men to protect themselves, and Cotys has a daughter and grandson, but nothing is what he expects?

Of course I loved this. It’s a fairly decent twist on Hercules, it has Dwayne Johnson in it, and I love him, and the rest of the cast is pretty tops too. There’s humour, violence and some fabulous slow mo action. Oh, and I’d recommend paying attention during the cool animated closing credits – you get to see how the twelve labours were completed by the team working together.