On Wednesday I saw 1917, starring George MacKay and Dean-Charles Chapman.
Two Lance Corporals (MacKay and Chapman) in the British army during World War I are sent by their general (Colin Firth, who disappointingly only appears only for a few minutes of the film) across the French countryside to stop an attack that will likely not end well for their people, if executed.
That's it. That's the whole film.
So, yes, despite the gorgeous cinematography and the haunting silences that befall our protagonists, the story drags on and on ... and on.
Only one "unexpected" thing happens along the way, a sure consequence of any war, but before and after that event, we see our share of corpses, explosions and worst of all, rats.
There's nothing enjoyable about this film for someone who's not a die-hard war buff. And there's really nothing that bonded me to either main character (in fact, I got most excited when seeing Firth, and Benedict Cumberbatch, who has a cameo later in the story). I have a feeling I'd have been more entertained by the story told to Director Sam Mendes by his grandfather, which inspired the film.
Of the Best Picture nominees, this doesn't come close to the top for me.
~~~
Showing posts with label Sam Mendes. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Sam Mendes. Show all posts
Friday, January 31, 2020
Sunday, December 30, 2012
Skyfall
Tonight I saw Skyfall, starring Daniel Craig and Javier Bardem.
What a fun ride!
I'll confess that I haven't loved the entire library of Bond movies—and the last one left a lot to be desired—but this one brought me back.
The opening scene is nothing if not exhilarating, with 007 (Craig) jumping trains and operating heavy equipment (yep) to bring down his first enemy of the chase.
Behind the scenes, M (Dame Judi Dench) is calling the shots, and unfortunately not calling them too well. There are moments of worry that the entire film may turn into one long funeral, but of course that's not the case. Bond is back, after all.
And even as wonderful as the two of them are, nothing injects the story with more pizazz than the appearance of villain Silva (Bardem), who appears to relish in the art of revenge.
Bardem is in fact so good in this role, it sort of makes me wish he could just pop in to every movie and "be the bad guy" because he brings his characters to life with such dimension. We fear him, we loathe him and we can't take our eyes off of him.
He's sadistic here, but also sad—showing traces of the time when he was once on the right side of the action. That said, our threshold for tolerating gratuitous violence may be exhausted several times as we anticipate the good triumphing over evil.
Aside from the excessive guns and explosions (it is, after all, a spy film), this story twists and turns with sexy scenes and fast-paced thrills that never disappoint.
The running time of almost three hours just flies by.
~~~
What a fun ride!
I'll confess that I haven't loved the entire library of Bond movies—and the last one left a lot to be desired—but this one brought me back.
The opening scene is nothing if not exhilarating, with 007 (Craig) jumping trains and operating heavy equipment (yep) to bring down his first enemy of the chase.
Behind the scenes, M (Dame Judi Dench) is calling the shots, and unfortunately not calling them too well. There are moments of worry that the entire film may turn into one long funeral, but of course that's not the case. Bond is back, after all.
And even as wonderful as the two of them are, nothing injects the story with more pizazz than the appearance of villain Silva (Bardem), who appears to relish in the art of revenge.
Bardem is in fact so good in this role, it sort of makes me wish he could just pop in to every movie and "be the bad guy" because he brings his characters to life with such dimension. We fear him, we loathe him and we can't take our eyes off of him.
He's sadistic here, but also sad—showing traces of the time when he was once on the right side of the action. That said, our threshold for tolerating gratuitous violence may be exhausted several times as we anticipate the good triumphing over evil.
Aside from the excessive guns and explosions (it is, after all, a spy film), this story twists and turns with sexy scenes and fast-paced thrills that never disappoint.
The running time of almost three hours just flies by.
~~~
Friday, July 03, 2009
Away We Go
Tonight I saw Away We Go, starring Maya Rudolph and John Krasinski.
Burt (Krasinski) and Verona (Rudolph) are a couple in love who have just made a baby and don't want to go it alone. When they learn Burt's parents are moving to a foreign country before their baby's arrival, they set out on a cross-country journey to find a desirable place to live, near people they love.
Who knew such a task would be so grueling?
And I don't necessarily mean for the couple—I mean for the audience.
From the moment they couple decides to 'go exploring,' everything around them turns from reality to caricature and each stereotypical human annoyance is met along the way. First it's an obnoxious former co-worker, then it's an uber hippie who you can't imagine they'd want to be friends with in the first place. Even the folks at the airport accuse Verona of being further along in her pregnancy than she is and deny her flying rights. Travesty!
Amidst all of the blatantly flashing signs that Life Isn't Easy: Especially With Kids—there is a somewhat tender, genuine relationship between the couple. It's a shame even that is overshadowed by Krasinski's distracting beard and unwashed hair.
Am I being picky? I don't think so. I'm just highly disappointed that two very gifted actors and a director I'd previously loved would make such a mess of what could have been a fresh concept.
Burt (Krasinski) and Verona (Rudolph) are a couple in love who have just made a baby and don't want to go it alone. When they learn Burt's parents are moving to a foreign country before their baby's arrival, they set out on a cross-country journey to find a desirable place to live, near people they love.
Who knew such a task would be so grueling?
And I don't necessarily mean for the couple—I mean for the audience.
From the moment they couple decides to 'go exploring,' everything around them turns from reality to caricature and each stereotypical human annoyance is met along the way. First it's an obnoxious former co-worker, then it's an uber hippie who you can't imagine they'd want to be friends with in the first place. Even the folks at the airport accuse Verona of being further along in her pregnancy than she is and deny her flying rights. Travesty!
Amidst all of the blatantly flashing signs that Life Isn't Easy: Especially With Kids—there is a somewhat tender, genuine relationship between the couple. It's a shame even that is overshadowed by Krasinski's distracting beard and unwashed hair.
Am I being picky? I don't think so. I'm just highly disappointed that two very gifted actors and a director I'd previously loved would make such a mess of what could have been a fresh concept.
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