Just Go With It – 3*

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Posted: 09/02/2011

If there’s a romcom on the horizon, chances are it stars romcom babe Jen Aniston playing her usual tart but loveably dizzy character – not far removed from her Rachel days in fact. So, without knowing much more, the film immediately sparks interest. But Aniston teamed up with manly hunk Gerry Butler in The Bounty Hunter last year, and that stank to high heaven. So, Aniston opposite ‘asexual’ Adam Sandler (sorry, Adam) seems a little far-fetched in the chemistry stakes. Sandler may always want to come across as your average man’s man, the likeable ‘guy next door’ – a comfortable stance to take, but setting the gorgeous Aniston’s heart a flutter in a film seems a long stretch.

Well, Aniston helps by dumbing it down for starters in this, playing Katherine, a single mom with two (irritating) kids who is not only Sandler as plastic surgeon Danny’s office manager/medical assistant, but his best friend, and the one who (surprise, surprise) knows him best. After keeping the ‘downtrodden married man’ routine going when an attempt at getting hitched turns sour, Danny finds the woman of his dreams in Palmer, a stunning blonde maths teacher (played by swimwear model Brooklyn Decker) at least 10 years his junior, and tries to convince her he’s the genuine article. Along comes Katherine as the ‘fake ex’ to save the day, and help spin one big fat lie after another. As you can guess, the Doc sees sense at the last minute, and the rest is history in glorious Hawaii.

Aniston attempting to look dowdy aside – greasy hair, specs and a pashmina is not going to convince anyone, there is a warmly witty banter going on between Aniston and Sandler to enjoy that seems effortless. Naturally, neither offers anything new to their history of romcom appearances – including their bog-standard attire, with Sandler still dressed in his trademark baggy jeans as a plastic surgeon (come on), and Aniston letting those famous tanned pins out for an airing in some of the best footwear of the season.

For us females who often scowl and covet for Aniston’s toned physique, there’s an added secret pleasure. It’s the biggest question of the lot: Who’s the fittest in the itsy, bitsy bikini? Aniston or Decker? There is a Bo Derek 10 moment when bikini babe Palmer comes out of the water like a lost Bond girl who’s just gone for a quick ocean swim, so even before you get to the ‘girl pissing contest’ by the Hawaiian waterfall, Decker’s in the lead for the gong for ‘top totty’. Move over, Jen. And to add to the fortysomething’s woes, Decker is a nice surprise – yes, the model can act, and actually gets to deliver some funny lines, albeit in a goofy manner. It’s no easy feat either, considering whom she plays opposite. The only bile-inducing moment is when they wheel in her real-life hubby, Andy Roddick, for a magical meeting cameo in the Mile High club.

The comedy show stealer by far, though, is Nicole Kidman as the ultra-competitive Devlin Adams, Katherine’s acidic-tongued and insensitive school nemesis who has ‘foot-in-mouth’ disease. Kidman in a part against type is utterly hilarious and has an obvious ball in the process, so this comes across well. Musician Dave Matthews is her equally nauseating husband, Ian Maxtone Jones, supposed iPad inventor, who’s in denial of a different sort. There’s a ‘coconut decider’ that involves Devlin, Ian, Katherine and Danny that’s a real hula howler.

The film also stars Nick Swardson as Danny’s egit cousin Eddie, who comes along for the paradise ride, and pretends to be a sheep exporter and Katherine’s new flame as part of the plan. His appearances turn the film back into a Sandler schoolboy farce, but they detract some of the idiocy away from Sandler who comes across as a wiser being in this.

There are the token kiddies meant to twang the heartstrings, with Bailee Madison as a little Cockney (in the very loosest terms) haggler and Griffin Gluck as her shy brother, Michael, who wants to swim with the dolphins – queue Hawaii. As young actors go, they irritate the hell out of you as they try to be as funny and quirky as their adult counterparts, but are a necessary evil in the plot. The film also has some highly bizarre injects of ‘humorous’ scenarios or set-up shots, like the kid getting Mom with a drink in the car park as Danny’s ‘family’ stride with purpose towards the camera in the background. It’s one of the many slow-mo moments for those who haven’t quite realised how stunning Katherine/Aniston is now she’s all scrubbed up. Plus Palmer does a proper slow-mo Bo moment for sheer titillating purposes, so something for the boys to enjoy.

As the title suggests: just go with it, and take it how you think it will be – you’ll be spot on, either way. You will find some sunshine laughs, though. This isn’t a Devlin by far – you need to see the film to understand this in context, but rest assured there will be plenty using this turn of phrase afterwards, so pity any real Devlins out there. There are far worse romcoms out there at present – not looking at anyone in particular, Kate Hudson…

3/5 stars

By @FilmGazer

LFF: Never Let Me Go – 3*

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Posted: 09/02/2011

Alex Garland’s adaptation of Kazuo Ishiguro’s 2005 novel, Never Let Me Go, is what film festivals and awards ceremonies were made for. Even though the film of the same name gracefully opened the 2010 BFI London Film Festival in October, delivering an example of understated, ethereal British elegance in its style and cinematography, it has been somewhat oddly overlooked at the major film awards of recent months. Could it be that the subtle sci-fi aspect doesn’t fully capture the imagination, or that Garland’s screenplay is too ‘safe’ in its unquestioning nature of some of the rather disturbing elements of his friend Ishiguro’s book?

That said Garland has been restraint in capturing the delicate nuances of the novel, keeping the sinister mystery of the three main protagonists’ fate sealed as far as possible, to allow us to feel hope until the very end that one of them will escape their ultimate destiny, especially as we are ‘guided’ by Kathy’s (Carey Mulligan) reassuring narration. Coupled with Mark Romanek’s patient direction, each scene seems to reveal something painstakingly profound, like watching a child or a visiting alien discover new things along its path to enlightenment, so you are always waiting for the penny to drop.

Wise Kathy, overly curious Ruth (Keira Knightley) and shy Tommy (Andrew Garfield) are three pupils of the prestigious Hailsham School for ‘special’ children. Hailsham initially feels quintessentially like a 1950s boarding establishment with strict health rules and tagged but privileged ‘inmates’. However, it soon becomes apparent that this is an alternative contemporary England, where certain humans are expendable, after a shocking truth is relieved to a class of 11 year-olds. But what the immediate authorities have in store for the youngsters on maturity – which is akin to state-licenced homicide, and we are not given any more insight into how the rest of the population feels about the medical atrocities happening in their name, doesn’t seem to particularly faze the chosen youth one bit. This is where this sci-fi drama that is being peddled more as a love triangle story differs from anything else seen on screen in the latter category, and could be conceived as slightly frustrating to those not in the know of the quietly provocative novel.

Even though the three friends discover the truth, are given some form of freedom in a ‘half-way’ house to come and go as they please, and don’t appear to have any authority watching over them, it’s a powerful tale of propaganda and conditioning that sees them blindly walking towards their inevitable demise that has any sane person asking; why? It is this question that drives you slightly mad, even though the characters’ naivety is so endearing that to scold them would be like scolding a small child, plus there is a sweetly amusing scene when they venture into their first cafe. Perhaps we are fooled by Ruth’s sporadic bursts of passion for life and newfound frustrations to do with matters of the heart that we are kept perplexed by what they all truly want? We certainly want to see them get what they really deserve: freedom of choice. But ironically, this is what they have, so why do they not do as the rest of us would in the situation, and escape for a chance of happiness? It’s a fascinating and torturous debate.

There are simplistic ‘red herrings’, including the fact that showing a flare for art demonstrates a soul worth saving – a deeper explanation of which is glossed over in the film, and that only love can save them in the end. Cruelly, this is merely a carrot with which to lead us into believing something can be saved from this morose tale that is crushingly tragic and pointless, apart from showcasing some remarkable performances, including Knightley as a dying woman and Garfield as a tormented man-child. Taken from a sci-fi perspective, it goes against the grain, in that anything to do with science is questioned, and anything corrupt is challenged and defeated. Therefore, thinking of it as a love tragedy of Shakespearean proportions seems easier on the mind, but still leaves obvious queries unanswered.

As with the novel the film-makers offer no final reprieve for cast and audience alike, suggesting death will become us all as we drifted towards our time and date. Never Let Me Go is churlish and unforgiving in love and life, and one of the most discreetly disturbing films you will see as both actors and their characters are left to face their expiration without any contention.

3/5 stars

By @FilmGazer

Gnomeo & Juliet in 3D – 3*

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Posted: 09/02/2011

Shakespeare never got cuter, it seems. Kelly Asbury and co. bring the famous bard’s tale to the big screen in 3D in one of the most charming and child-friendly ways possible, whilst educating the little darlings in the process. Yes, garden gnomes are used to retell the tale of forbidden love across the divide – or the garden fence in this case – and there’s a touch of Shakespeare’s As You Like It thrown in for good measure to a rocking Elton John soundtrack. As the chubby porcelain figurines never fail to put a smile on the face, Gnomeo & Juliet comfortably sets the scene for a quintessentially eccentric British tale.

Garden gnomes Gnomeo and Juliet find love one night under the moonlight in an overgrown garden, whilst trying to locate a flower, and Juliet wows him with her ninja moves. The trouble is, Gnomeo is a Blue-hatted gnome and Juliet is a Red-hatted one, and never the two shall meet. With the help of an abandoned plastic pink flamingo, this diminutive young couple find lasting happiness and unite the warring factions.

The beauty of this film, apart from its eccentricity and originality (bringing garden ornaments to life) is the visual background detail that will be lost on one viewing. There are so many references that it does require a second sitting. Initially, the thought of just sitting through one was a little daunting, but this story draws you into a magical existence, and is so soft hearted and daft at times in that delightfully British ‘Carry On Laughing’ way that it’s hard not to be swayed by the little garden people. But don’t be deceived; these gnomes are a bunch of pottery hot heads, obsessed with blasting the hell out of each other and their neighbouring showpieces, or winning the coveted lawnmower race held in the adjoining alleyway.

Asbury has given each one a contemporary, street/garden-smart personality that kids of all ages seem to respond to in this day and age for things to be a little more ‘believable’. Even though this is Disney, don’t expect the idyllic tales of days gone by. Like Tangled, this is animation for the Noughties, where it seems innocence has long gone and been replaced with reality injections, as well as the token adult double entendres to be considered all-round family entertainment. Even though there is one ‘traumatic’ scene involving a lawnmower that will cause trouble for some parents with sensitive youngsters, everything else is kept clean and above board – albeit it there is a mankini-wearing, gay fellow who brightens up the flowerbeds.

Indeed, the film-makers have been very fortunate in bringing the characters to life with a fantastic cast that includes the voices of James McAvoy, Emily Blunt, Michael Caine, Jason Statham, Maggie Smith, Patrick Stewart, Ashley Jensen, Julie Walters, Matt Lucas, Stephen Merchant and even Ozzy Osbourne as a bad-joke-telling gnome. For this reason alone, the film has some impressive credentials.

As for the 3D, it was put to good use, as only animation seems to know how, and was comfortable on the eyes, helped in part by the vivid colours and amenable pace. Indeed, there is some painstaking detail, from the visual dust and fluttering foliage, to the sound of chinking hats and miniature torsos that just remind you that you are still in fact watching gnomes. And as new daddies, Elton and David Furnish are producing, fans of the music will get an added thrill that tops the Englishness of the whole affair, especially when one gnome ‘goes all flamboyantly Elton’ on us.

Admittedly, there have been far better offerings of late in this genre, with Disney certainly leading the way. Cynically, you could argue that Hollywood loves to cash in on a Shakespearean tale, even to the point of the flaming obvious with a showman statue of the bard making an appearance in this film. But although there are some Tinseltown additions (the glitzy ‘Disney’ style pink castle that would never see the light of day in a gnome-filled English garden), Gnomeo & Juliet still feels almost homegrown, gleefully celebrating English quirkiness, fetishes and way of life, even though the topics have universal significance. It’s a bit of colourful fun that fast turns into a surprisingly guilty pleasure, to be honest. You’d have to have a heart of stone not to be entertained.

3/5 stars

By @FilmGazer

Sanctum 3D – 2*

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Posted: 03/02/2011

This is one of those films that fill you with great expectations, especially with Avatar’s James Cameron at the producing helm, but leaves you thoroughly underwhelmed afterwards. Exciting visions of a watery ‘other-world’ wonder from Cameron, especially with The Abyss reference (Virgil), turn into a lengthy cave-exploring/father-son-hugging tedium. Still, it is based on a true story, so can’t be that far-fetched.

The characters, a bunch of super-fit thrill-seekers, seem potentially intriguing. Leading the expedition is megalomaniac explorer Frank, played by deadpan and hunky Richard Roxburgh (on poster), who is the no-nonsense father to frustrated and under-appreciated Josh (Rhys Wakefield) who is equally toned and provides the beef for the younger eye. Admittedly, the father-son relationship needs to work for the film to be credible, and it does. But there seems to be too many strops and pent-up hormones at the start for you to really care, or sympathise with Josh at his father’s apparent disregard for life and Frank’s ‘playing God’ with his crew. Schmaltz, bizarre poetry moments, and illuminating tooth aside, our interest does grow as the film proceeds and the group gets into deeper troubled water.

From a female perspective, both female characters are clichéd. Butch Judes’s (Allison Cratchley) lack of sleep and pigheadedness lead to tragic results, whilst Alice Parkinson adds the glam and the brains as Victoria, a scientist who has never dived. Queue underwater disaster. The trouble is, far from adding anything constructive to the group’s dynamic that includes an accent-confused Ioan Gruffudd as her corporate boyfriend, Carl, the latter takes on the token ‘burden female’ in tow, obsessed with her appearance, and made worse by a stiff performance. Only once do we empathise with Victoria, after she struggles to follow the team through a claustrophobic rock tunnel, but once she meets her grizzly demise, it’s a case of ‘good riddance’. Gruffudd provides the only recognisable big-name on the list, and takes on the baddie role quite satisfactorily, if a little under-used. This is probably deliberate by Cameron and director Alister Grierson to prevent distractions from the subterranean world they are trying to make us in awe of, or simply a matter of budget.

Indeed, this seems to be another carrot-led element: the lack of really breathtaking 3D scenery that should trigger the ‘wow’ factor. Although some of the cave scenes look amazing, the 3D doesn’t sit comfortably on the eye at times, especially with darker, gloomier areas, or light shining directly from a character’s helmet torch. Again, for someone who bangs the 3D drum loudly and is experienced in the format, Cameron often doesn’t use the technology to its full potential with the camera framing, resulting in a lot of wide shots, and the film actually not being tailored for a 3D experience at all. With 3D ticket prices costing a pretty penny at the box office, this is a big consideration.

Perhaps this critic has seen too many subterranean horrors and was misguided by Sanctum 3D, if perfectly honest, expecting a repeat of The Abyss’s alien life discoveries in the caves at the core of the earth? But the overall effect, including the 3D, was quite disappointing, considering the film gets off to an epic build-up of enthralling tension at the start as the storm sets in.

2/5 stars

By @FilmGazer

Brighton Rock – 3*

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Posted: 03/02/2011

There’s been a real lack of film noir offerings in recent years, so it’s pleasing to have the choice of watching one at the box office – even though you may not have realised it from the former whimsical-looking poster. This is a tweaked version of the 1947 film of the same name, starring Richard Attenborough as Pinkie Brown, a small-town hoodlum whose gang runs a protection racket, and the 2010 version remains purely British and loyal at heart.

Slick, stylish and a credit to home-grown talent, director Rowan Joffe’s Brighton Rock revels in its moody, crime-riddled Hitchcockian feel and its dramatic colour noir stand-off scenes, whilst opening up the nostalgia floodgates for a time gone by, when life seemed simpler by the seaside. However, Joffe’s sinister undercurrent to his adaptation of Graham Greene’s novel stifles any picturesque and seemingly idyllic feelings, exposing an ugly core, like the reference to a stick of rock, coupled with a buzz of change brought on by a youth movement. At its heart is a story of unfrequented and doomed love set in uncertain times of the Mods and Rockers clashes of the 1960s, where relationships seem to take second place to acquiring position and wealth.

Although lacking a certain substance in places, it’s a film saved and set back on course by its acting prowess, attracting a Brit A-list. Nobody can deny the thrills at witnessing Helen Mirren slip into Prime Suspect’s Det. Supt. Tennison mode again to save the girl and solve the crime, so it’s going to be a real treat for fans for the TV Dame. Mirren’s performance as teashop owner Ida is undoubtedly apt, acquiring an actress of her stature to do it justice, opposite a bit cameo by John Hurt as Ida’s companion, bookie Phil Corkery. Andy Serkis is a supporting gem as the camp and exuberant crime mob boss, Mr Colleoni, providing enough menace and gentlemanly civility to make his mark, even with minimal screen appearance to play with.

However, it’s Sam Riley who takes on the Attenborough role as Pinkie who amusingly growls his way through the film, but still packs a malevolent punch, full of 1940s’ old-school charisma. Adding some Sixties chic, Riley is reminiscent of a young Caine in his heyday, playing the part with a latter-day patience and engaging presence. Rising star Andrea Riseborough as his love interest, Rose, a naïve waitress who works with Ida, but becomes a liability after she unwillingly gets tangled up with mob business, is a suitably alluring opposite Riley, never letting Rose blend into submission by keeping her fragile but dangerously strong-willed until the end. It is Riley and Riseborough who must retain our interest throughout, and they do, keeping the mystery of whether Pinkie ever felt anything for Rose looming heavily and dramatically until the end, but with the aid of the powerhouse that is Mirren, Hurt and Serkis.

As an example of Britishness in a time of exciting change, Brighton Rock boldly flies the Union Jack, and is a platform for showcasing some excellent British talent in an old-fashioned, but strikingly modern way that is sure to bring its younger stars to cinema-goers attention. Joffe’s vision is brought alive and told well, even if his film sometimes lacks a certain conviction at times, but is worthy of a look-in.

3/5 stars

By @FilmGazer

A Little Bit Of Heaven – 2*

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Posted: 03/02/2011

With Valentine’s Day fast approaching, picking the right rom-com to see is crucial to setting the right mood. A Little Bit Of Heaven should be on the cards – and with Kate Hudson in the lead, things look particularly promising. But that’s where the love story begins to fade because she’s cast opposite The Motorcycle Diaries’ Gael García Bernal.

Although Hudson fizzles with vitality in that special way we love her for, radiating warmth through the screen, she seems to ‘burn out’ Bernal’s rather stiff appearance in every scene she shares with him, resulting in very little believable chemistry between the pair. The Latin love is simply non-existent. We fully understand and support director Nicole Kassell‘s brave attempt at casting actors in roles they’re not normally associated with – even Hudson’s character, Marley, a carefree advertising exec who discovers she has terminal cancer, alarmingly, loses her light and energy by the end. But it all feels like a futile attempt by Kassell that doesn’t sit entirely comfortably. It’s also unclear as to when Marley decides to change her staunch independent ways, and let a special man into her life, considering Bernal who plays her doctor, Dr. Goldstein (a Mexican Jew – yes, you heard correctly) makes virtually little effort in the chase, short of treating her, then inviting her to a cancer fundraiser. And hey, presto, they’re suddenly an item.

That said the film does redeem itself with the family/friends casting, including Kathy Bates as Mum, and Lucy Punch and Romany Malco as Marley’s best pals, who manage to blend the comedy with the tragedy with apparent ease, supplying the laughs and the tears in equal measure. Thankfully, they throw up some believable scenarios. Cliches aside, like the gay next-door neighbour (Malco), these characters each have some quality screen time with Hudson as Marley, so we understand their significance in her life, which is thoughtfully fleshed out. Plus they all nicely piece together in the colourful and positive surroundings of New Orleans, too.

The film has its wacky moments. For quirkiness value, there’s a dwarf gigolo (Peter Dinklage) who entertains Marley for an evening – perhaps, an effort by the writers to highlight New Orleans’ intriguing melting pot of characters, who knows? Whoopi Goldberg also drops in to play God, literally, like an extra straight out of a Philadelphia cheese spread ad in a bizarre heavenly moment of Marley reflection. Still, it’s fun to see her, and she gets a glass of champers out of it in the end – large dollops of cheese still present. These moments certainly add comedy value, but they do seem so random that they confuse matters and the film’s pace, at times, trying to blend reality with fantasy in a not too cohesive and convincing fashion.

Hudson is undoubtedly in familiar territory that she can navigate with her eyes closed, proving once more that she’s the ‘darling of rom-coms’. Hence her fans will catch this latest film anyway. She also demonstrates something new and more mature to her acting arsenal, like a latter-day Bette Midler in Beaches. It’s just a shame about leading man Bernal who, physically, just looks rather mismatched next to Hudson on screen – regardless of the age-old saying of ‘opposites attracting’. For such an accomplished actor, he just comes across as more ‘dud than stud’ in this.

2/5 stars

By @FilmGazer

New York, I Love You – 3*

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Posted: 03/02/2011

Big cities worldwide draw all walks of life, and therefore, provide absorbing material for film-makers trying to discover another angle in the way they live, breathe and connect their inhabitants. There are some potentially intriguing and original storylines to indulge in, in this collection of 11 intriguing snapshots of life in the Big Apple, but there is still something fundamental missing from New York, I Love You to put it on a par with 2006’s Paris, Je T’Aime… Just not sure what? Perhaps the latter just has more ‘Je ne sais quoi’ to it that helps fuel its inner mysteries?

Some of the scenarios in the New York picture seem implausible, and others border on pointless, with the majority painting New Yorkers as a bunch of nicotine-addicted philanders who congregate on street corners to express their undying love for the city. But one thing is for sure; all the stories keep you guessing as to their outcome by serving up a few fresh surprises to keep interest ticking like a dark emotional time bomb.

The best tale is by far the most believable, involving an old couple with lots of memories, played by Eli Wallach and Cloris Leachman, going for a walk on their 67th wedding anniversary on a pier. They momentarily forget their quarrels and gripes, and as if in a trance, are spellbound and magically transformed back to their youth and courting days by the Brooklyn seafront, before reality brutally snaps they back and the nagging and bickering reconvenes. Without sounding melodramatic, it’s a poignant chance of reflection for all of us to just take a moment to appreciate our surroundings and each other, and it is filmed in the simplest and most effective way.

The cinematography and editing is superb and makes up for any shortfalls with some of the stories, but the film’s obvious draw will be its stellar ensemble cast that will create wider interest than the usual art-house crowd. It boasts Oscar nominee Natalie Portman, Bradley Cooper, Shia LaBeouf, Andy Garcia, Hayden Christensen, Orlando Bloom, Christina Ricci, Maggie Q, Ethan Hawke, James Caan and Justin Bartha, among others. The talent obviously want their time in this film to demonstrate their personal love affair with the city, as well as the nine directors’ individual affection. However, the problem with having numerous directorial inputs is it highlights the weaker storytelling talents of some, compared with others, and in turn, shows some acting talent in a lesser light.

New York, I Love You is a refreshing change to the current diet of cinema at box offices, with the added attraction of an A-list cast that will hopefully allow it to make its mark.

3/5 stars

By @FilmGazer

LFF: The Fighter – 4*

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Posted: 03/02/2011

Like its title, this is a story full of determination and fighting spirit, set in gritty and meagre surroundings, which unsurprisingly, bolster our empathy for its colourful array of characters. Considering The Fighter has got a few Oscar nods and a Golden Globe for Christian Bale and Melissa Leo, alarm bells start ringing of yet another The Blind Side triumph in the making, following along the same lines of an underprivileged male come good and setting the world alight in sport. The fact that like the previous hit, director David O. Russell’s film is also based on a true story further cements its appeal and any awards it might attract.

The Fighter follows the bumpy rise to fame of Massachusetts boxer “Irish” Micky Ward and the influence of his mentor and nemesis half-brother, Dicky, who helped train him before going pro in the mid 1980s. It is solidly and weightily told, with Massachusetts native Mark Wahlberg in the lead playing Micky. Boston-born Wahlberg who is also the producer and worked on getting the story on the big screen for years may well be the best person to understand and hence play the boxer, considering he already has all the right traits and credentials and comes from a similar background, so is more than apt at fleshing out his character in this engaging character piece. Some might say it’s ‘a walk in the park’ for Wahlberg, and yet another ‘non-taxing’ role like others we’re used to seeing him in, such as that of Bobby Mercer in Four Brothers. The irony is, like his laid-back character Micky, Wahlberg brings nothing particularly new to the table, therefore, is instantly overshadowed by Bale in the commanding role of ‘The pride of Lowell’, Dicky Eklund.

If you were unaware that the usually straight-laced Bale was in the film, you could be watching and wondering just who is playing the ex-boxing star/hyperactive drug addict accompanying Micky at the beginning. Bale transforms himself, both vocally and physically, in a powerhouse performance that is both tragic and comical in equal measure. In fact, his character is the unintentional joker to Wahlberg’s rather austere presence. Coupled with a truly magnificent performance from Leo, who is equally unrecognisable as the loathsome, caustic and overbearing mother/boxing manager, Alice Ward, these two actors demonstrate why they have been nominated and won, providing the bittersweet humour and elevating The Fighter out of pure sports drama status and into a captivating study of family relationships, hence widening its appeal.

Amy Adams drops the cutesy act in this film as Micky’s headstrong girlfriend Charlene, showing warts and all, and giving as good as her character gets when she comes up against Bale and Leo’s forceful ones. As any ‘daughter-in-law’ will tell you, confronting the ‘out-laws’ is no easy feat, and there is a divine scene where Alice and daughters confront Charlene for not allowing them access to Micky, who they see as their rightful meal ticket, like a bunch of indifferent dole spongers. Adams fights for her position and shows them who is boss in an against-type role that rather suits her. She is just one of the many supporting talents in this film that make the experience so authentic in the relationship stakes – plus it has some impressive and realistic ring-side boxing, with the real Micky in a cameo.

This is a film about overcoming adversity, but not necessarily in terms of the sporting challenge, which is really a uniting/destructive subtext. It’s that’s also designed to make you bristle along the way as none of the flawed characters at all likeable to start with, conflicting with each other in the most annoying manner. But none are so awful that you don’t understand their point of view and predicament. It’s for this reason that, although a predictable rags-to-riches tale, The Fighter is an admirable piece of work because we grow to respect each character’s perceptions and forgive their faults, allowing them to win us over in a jubilant finale – a far cry from the schmaltzy The Blind Side.

4/5 stars

By @FilmGazer

The Mechanic – 3*

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Posted: 28/01/2011

This may well be a remake of the classic 1972 Michael Winner film that had the rather grander US title of ‘Killer of Killers’, and starred mean machine Charles Bronson, but when The Mechanic has Jason Statham in the lead, it’s another Transporter film, whichever way you (cynically) look at it. Good news for Statham fans, and fans of shoot/blow-em-up kung-fu-lery because it has all those exciting and well-staged elements done in an erratic and on-the-clock fashion, leaving out important plot-developments along the way, as though they’re irrelevant because the Statham stunt choreography and physique will distract any nitpickers.

Statham manhandles a film and makes it his own, with sheer power, muscles, guts and steely-eyed determination. The fact that the actor does all his own stunts makes his projects even more inviting to watch. However, Simon West’s 2011 remake that stars Statham in the Bronson role of crack assassin Arthur Bishop seems to make some plot elements implausible, such as how Bishop first gets away, unscathed, in his opening assassination scene – and how he got in position in the first place in such a guarded fortress of a home? Indeed, he must survive for there to be a film, but sometimes a scene, even in this type of genre, needs to breathe to let all the factors and believability settle into place. West seems too impatient to allow that, or his editor just got a bit chop-happy.

This film does have an extremely appealing cast, though, co-starring the magnetic Ben Foster and legendary Donald Sutherland – the latter of whom, admittedly, is only in it as wheel-chair-dependent spook Harry McKenna for a brief period. The combination of Statham and Foster as Harry’s wayward son and new killer protégé, Steve, makes for a thrilling one, even before he steps on the scene. Foster equals unhinged and risqué in pretty much every character he’s known for, always making for an exhilarating ride. And he doesn’t disappoint in this, having a wail of a time getting his hands dirty and smeared with blood. In fact, his ‘gay’ initiation scene and subsequent killing sprees, along with mentor Bishop manage to upstage the ‘man of action’ Statham. But for those familiar with the original, Bishop does get his own back – and Statham for that matter on Foster’s screen dominance – with the car scene that serves cold justice on Steve.

There is little else to comment on, for fear of revealing all the plot elements. But as a grittier popcorn action flick with Statham at the helm, it’s as good as any other he’s done to cement his reputation in this kind of role. With Foster in the frame, it’s a wanton frenzy that should come with a hazard warning, both physically and psychologically, even though West tries to show the subtleties and ‘planning’ that each kill takes, and the after effects on the killers. Boys and their big toys instantly springs to mind, so ramping up the action, and forsaking a bit of credibility, may seem like a copout, but it’s an enjoyable one all the same, albeit, hardly groundbreaking as action films go.

3/5 stars

By @FilmGazer