I am still here. Came back from holiday. Spent a ludicrous amount of time sorting through photos, which I’ve only just managed to almost finish.
On holiday I also managed to watch a few films. I can’t say they were all on my ‘to-watch’ list but killed some time.
The Town (20/01/11)
As he plans his next job, a longtime thief tries to balance his feelings for a bank manager connected to one of his earlier heist, as well as the FBI agent looking to bring him and his crew down.
Fantastic film. I really enjoy these kinds of films. Drama/thriller. A little bit gritty. Chuck in a bank heist, maybe more than one or some other criminal activity.
I thought everyone in the film was very good. I know Jeremy Renner’s one of the flavours of the moment after his turn in The Hurt Locker which I shamefully still haven’t seen. I thought Ben Affleck stood out a bit more. I know he hasn’t got that many fans, and I wouldn’t call myself a fan as such. Thought his performance was one of his best since Good Will Hunting. And I do like the films that he’s directed – Gone Baby Gone and this one.
I couldn’t see Jon Hamm as anyone but Don Draper. Even though the character clearly wasn’t, it was Don Draper the FBI man on the hunt for the thieves and waving his shotgun around.
Overall, brilliant film. Just wish I had seen it on a big screen. The poxy little screen on the aeroplane did the film no justice at all and I think I’ll go and search this film out on Blu-ray.
Rating: 4/5
Ninja Assassin (24/01/11)
A young ninja turns his back on the orphanage that raised him, leading to a confrontation with a fellow ninja from the clan.
Not a film I would search out to go and see but it was on TV and I was awake. My reasoning behind watching this isn’t all that convincing, is it?
It was an okay film. Nothing all that impressive or completely original. It did entertain, there was some fairly impressive action and fight sequences. The plot was as bog standard as these kinds of films get.
It filled 90 minutes I had going spare.
Rating: 2/5
He’s Just Not That Into You (25/01/11)
The Baltimore-set movie of interconnecting story arcs deals with the challenges of reading or misreading human behaviour.
See reasons above for watching this film. I’ll be saying the same thing for another film in this update I think!
Your average romcom, with far too many actors thrown at it in some attempt to make it some money by attracting people to see it just because ‘so-and-so’ is in it. I think I might have smiled at a couple of moments in the film. Overall though I can’t really say that much about the film because it was less than average and very forgettable.
Rating: 1/5
Imagine That (27/01/11)
A financial executive who can’t stop his career downspiral is invited into his daughter’s imaginary world, where solutions to his problems await.
This is probably one of the ‘better’ Eddie Murphy movies I’ve seen where he’s not a talking donkey, a fat professor or some other character with a million layers of prosthetics on his body.
Typical family film where a career driven father takes care of his daughter and realises the true meaning of life. Or whatever you want to take away from the film. There were some truly embarrassing moments from Thomas Haden Church. I think I cringed every time he appeared on-screen.
What happened to the good, non-Eddie Murphy driven family films?
Rating: 1/5
Now the next couple of films weren’t seen while on holiday, but figured I’d save some space and add them in here.
Gentlemen Broncos (04/02/11)
A teenager attends a fantasy writers’ convention where he discovers his idea has been stolen by an established novelist.
Well this was just a weird film. I felt mildly embarrassed watching it because some bits were just so weird. Jemaine Clement was funny and amused me. Though he looked awfully like Benicio del Toro in it. There was a lot of facial hair going on.
The ‘sci-fi’ sequences were the most bizarre things I’ve ever seen. I don’t think I’m ever going to see anything like this film again. That’s a good thing.
Rating: 2/5
Hachi: A Dog’s Tale (06/02/11)
A drama based on the true story of a college professor’s bond with the abandoned dog he takes into his home.
Now I knew I was in for a tear-jerker before I even started watching this film, but I had no idea I’d be in tears throughout most of it. As a dog lover and part owner, this film broke me in the worst way possible.
It’s a really lovely film about love and loyalty that dogs to show for their owners and just how deep that bond can go. It really is very touching.
Whoever trained the dog/dogs in the film should be commended. From the puppies right up to the adult dog they used, they were the stars of this film. That’s why I’ve probably given this film one more point than it should really get. Getting dogs to do what you want them to do is hard!
Rating: 4/5
Read on to see the entire list of movies seen this year so far:
13 Movies so far this Year
- The Horse Whisperer 3/5 (1/1/1)
- The Informant! 3/5 (09/01/11)
- The Fighter 4/5 (11/01/11)
- 127 Hours 5/5 (14/01/11)
- The Wolfman 3/5 (15/01/11)
- Believe: The Eddie Izzard Story 4/5 (16/01/11)
- The King’s Speech 5/5 (19/01/11)
- The Town 4/5 (20/01/11)
- Ninja Assassin 2/5 (24/01/11)
- He’s Just Not That Into You 1/5 (25/01/11)
- Imagine That 1/5 (27/01/11)
- Gentlemen Broncos 2/5 (04/02/11)
- Hachi: A Dog’s Tale 4/5 (06/02/11)