It must be noted that it has taken a truly horrifying amount of time for me to post a movie review. So due to the sheer number of movies I have watched since my last post and now, I've decided to give you palatable (I hope), bite-sized chunks of my 2 cents... Also: some of these films are not recent ones, but I liked them so I wrote about them anyway.
THE INVENTION OF LYING:
An original concept where Ricky Gervais is a loser (seriously, a big big loser) who lives in a world where 'lying' has not yet been invented. As the first person to tell a lie in history, he has to deal with the consequences of such a revelation. By bringing the idea of 'God' into this film, the plot can get a bit messy at times, but the ending is nice and the movie is, overall, neat and cute.
THE SEPTEMBER ISSUE:
A bit of a let-down for me, to be honest. Perhaps if I had picked up the September 2007 issue of US Vogue I would have appreciated this film more. There is no doubt that it is a fascinating "insight" into the life of Anna Wintour (I use the word "insight" in inverted commas because it's not really as personal as one would like) and Grace Coddington-Smith (hope I spelt that right). It is definitely hard work being so fashionable all the time.
PRECIOUS:
A film with emotionally gripping and really very confronting scenes, Precious will haunt you long after you leave the cinema. In particular, a terrible revelation from Mary (Precious’ mother) left me gasping for breath. The last few scenes in particular are shocking, saddening and truly, truly awful. The way MoNique (who plays Mary) manages to fit so much emotion into that one performance is really admirable and I think her Oscar is definitely deserved. That said, the stoicism with which Precious handles her life adds a glimmer of hope at the end.
NINE:
Watching Nine is like listening to a CD. Each scene serves the purpose of showcasing another song and although nicely staged and visually appealing, I felt a lack of continuity between each song-and-dance routine. Both the opening and closing scenes were a good contrast to the glamour of the rest of the film as they were relatively free of smoke and shadows (literally and figuratively) though some may find the ending unsatisfying. Daniel Day-Lewis is a good Italian, charming with his skinny black tie. Fergie is just plain disturbing as a slightly chubby prostitute. Nicole Kidman is simply MEH. But Marion Cotillard as the wronged woman takes the cake - she's awesome.
THE BLIND SIDE:
While it cannot be denied that this movie is a heart-warmer, I could not get over the paternalistic/patronising tone. The blatant stereotyping also annoyed me - there was no appreciation for more complex human qualities. The opening scene could leave you feeling a bit confused due to an overuse of football jargon though it's a good movie to watch if you're feeling brainless.
CLOUDY WITH A CHANCE OF MEATBALLS:
An absolutely hilarious movie. I loved it to bits. I thought that the visuals were really well constructed and the characters were all quirky, unique and funny in their own way. Morals for the kids are discretely wound into the plot which is of the nerd-saves-the-day-after-learning-a-life-lesson kind. And I wanted a jello pool in my backyard after I watched this film.
BRIGHT STAR: (woah... so long ago)
Brilliant film. Abbie Cornish's acting is really really excellent. The conclusion is particularly moving. Ben Wishaw as Keats has the right disposition to play a slightly wussy yet lovable poet who dies because he took a ramble in the rain. Impressive given that he was not familiar with Keats prior to making this film. But one question must be asked: why oh why didn't he take his coat or umbrella with him on his walk?? Even so, I left the cinema with his voice still in my head... Pillow'd upon my fair love's ripening breast/To feel for ever its soft fall and swell/Awake forever in a sweet unrest.... Cue tears.
~ Hurley Who?
