What I've Been Watching (January / February 2011)

Here’s what I have been watching since the turn of the year, hopefully to be followed by monthly updates so I can keep track of what movies and TV shows I’ve seen and offer my views on them. There will just a brief summary of what I thought and a rating out of 10, with in depth reviews saved for the future and only for movies I feel like I have a lot to say about (whether it be good or bad). 

2011 started for me with a fair amount of movies, including a few awards season favourites (4 out of the 10 Academy Award Best Picture nominees to add to my previous viewings of Inception, Toy Story 3 and The Social Network, leaving 3 I have yet to see, including the winner). So, let’s begin.

SPOILERS AHEAD

Buried (2010)

My first foray into a movie about somebody stuck somewhere started with Buried, something I’ve was psyched to see since the first buzz a while back due to the interesting concept of a movie taking place entirely inside a coffin. I don’t mind Ryan Reynolds and he doesn’t annoy me nearly as much as perhaps he could. As a lead he isn’t great, but he’s definitely getting there. Hopefully we can see more of the potential displayed here in superhero outings The Green Lantern and the possible Deadpool movie. Buried is a solid film, taking place in what has to be the smallest combined square-footage area for a 90 minute movie ever. I was engrossed in the only full cast member’s plight, but I just didn’t feel the story took me to the places I wanted it to. The ending felt like a bit of a cop-out when it was quite obviously trying to be shocking. I won’t be revisiting Buried any time soon but I think it’s entertaining while it lasts, so I’ve given it a respectable 6 / 10.

Tron: Legacy (2010)

It feels like a good few years since we first saw a promo image for this, the follow up to 1982’s brilliant Tron, which I spent many a Sunday afternoon during my childhood watching. It was only the second ‘shot in 3D’ film I have had the pleasure of watching (after Avatar) and I went into it looking forward to seeing Jeff Bridges kicking ass along with some mind-blowing visuals and a cutting-edge storyline, even if it is a Disney production. Unfortunately this film is let down by bland leading man Garrett Hedlund, who plays Bridges character Kevin Flynn’s son, who has tracked his father down to find him trapped in a digital world that he created, after years of being presumed missing. Hedlund reminds me of Hayden Christensen, which isn’t a compliment by a long shot. I didn’t hate this movie as much as some, it was enjoyable, with Bridges channelling The Big Lebowski’s dude and Olivia Wilde giving a decent turn, but it wasn’t nearly as great a follow up as it was billed, the movie seeming to struggle to gain any momentum. I have a feeling it will be a grower, however, and I’ll be sure to visit it again in the future. 6.5 / 10.

Black Swan (2010)

You went to see a film about ballet? Are you gay? No, there’s a lesbian sex-scene in it. Oh right, I might check it out then. If you are male and this exchange sounds familiar then you’re probably more at ease with internet pornography than the films of Darren Aronofsky, which have no doubt been compared on occasion (who can forget that infamous scene in Requiem For A Dream). Aronofsky’s latest movie tells the tale of a talented yet mentally unstable ballet dancer as she struggles to come to terms with the pressure of her new role as the lead of ballet Swan Lake. Another fantastic exploration into the core of the human condition, something he has experience in after visual masterpiece The Fountain and the stirring reality of The Wrestler. It certainly whets the appetite for Aronofsky’s take on an iconic character when he brings The Wolverine to our screens next year. Black Swan got nods for Best Picture, Best Director and Best Actress for Natalie Portman (who walked away with the prize). I’d recommend it if you are a fan of Aronofsky’s work and I will also point out that the subject matter of ballet (that I’m not very interested in) doesn’t hinder the movie when it picks up the sadistic pace, which is why it gets a 7 / 10. 

127 Hours (2010)

Somebody stuck somewhere again? Oh go on then. Danny Boyle’s 127 Hours tells the true life story of Aron Ralston, a mountain climber and adventurer who gets trapped in a canyon when a loose boulder falls onto his arm. James Franco plays Aron, carrying the movie almost entirely on his own, apart from a few scenes at the beginning of the movie, some dream sequences and flashbacks. He’s another actor proving his leading man credentials and I think the only way is up for him. Another hit from Boyle for me as I was underwhelmed by Slumdog Millionaire (despite its success), the director’s stimulating and visceral style shining through in this film where I feel it was misplaced in Slumdog. Of course, this film leads up to one defining moment and if you know it is coming it just adds to the tension, so I wouldn’t say knowing about the ending would ruin the overall effect of the movie. It didn’t win Best Picture because the category was full of diamonds and I’d say the re-watch factor of this movie is low, that first experience everything it will needed to be judged on. I did enjoy it though, so I’m giving it a 7 / 10.

Fanboys (2008)

I honestly don’t have much to say about this. It was okay, following some Star Wars fans on a road trip to George Lucas’ mansion to get hold of an early copy of Star Wars Episode One – The Phantom Menace so that one of them (who is terminally ill) can see it before his untimely end, but nothing more than that. I may have laughed once or twice but overall it didn’t do much for me, although I’m always happy to see Kristen Bell on screen. It’ll be an uninspiring 5 / 10.

Get Him to the Greek (2010)

This was my second viewing of the spin-off from Forgetting Sarah Marshall, starring Russell Brand and Jonah Hill (who plays a different character to the one he did in that movie, which is strange) after seeing it in cinemas last year. It follows Brand’s character Aldous Snow as record label employee Hill tries to get the excessive drinking and drug-taking rock-star from London to the Greek Theatre in LA for an anniversary show, the duo getting themselves into all kinds of trouble on the way (those rascals!). It clearly tries to take a leaf out of The Hangover’s book, even being advertised as this year’s version of that film if I remember correctly. I like this movie and that’s probably because I like Russell Brand, his type of humour right up my street. He’s my favourite comedian of recent times and often has me laughing out loud to the point of tears (mainly due to his stand-up shows, popular radio podcast and the recent Channel 4 show Ponderland), and that’s probably why I am receptive to his attitude and persona when it appears on screen in the movies (because he does make a habit of playing himself). If you hate Brand, you’ll hate this, no doubt about it. But because I can see past the arrogance that sometimes separates him from a percentage of his audience, I enjoyed Get Him to the Greek a lot (particularly the brief cameo from Metallica drummer Lars Ulrich, whose acting lessons clearly haven’t paid off and a role for Puff / P. Diddy / Daddy). It’s getting a 7 / 10.

Fish Tank (2009)

Fish Tank, a British drama set on an Essex estate, follows foul-mouthed Mia's life with her alcoholic mother and younger sister, her endless aimless days only filled by her passion for dancing. Her mother gets a new boyfriend, Connor (Michael Fassbender) and as they grow closer, the dark material takes grim turns that seem to be building up to some sort of major tragedy. This movie didn't need the plot to end up with that however, the movie working well without an overblown conclusion. It's well acted and put together and seems to have a moral beneath the swearing and gloomy long takes of tower blocks and wastelands, which seems to boil down to simply ‘follow your dreams.’ I can accept that as a moral when it isn’t thrust into my face (even if Mia doesn’t seem to be much of a dancer), and with Fish Tank it isn’t, so much so that it works well and deserves a 7.5 / 10.

This Is England 1986 (2010)

From one sobering British drama to another, this time in Channel 4’s four part follow up to Shane Meadow’s 2006 movie This Is England, reacquainting us with the same characters a few years later. Combining comedy and coarse drama, these four episodes were gripping and kept me guessing as to what the finale was going to be. In the end it was the appearance of Stephen Graham’s character (too late in the series for me) that dragged it in the right direction, the outcome of the four episodes reminding me exactly why I loved the original movie. It’s simply the fantastic performances that made this so watchable and I certainly hope we aren’t finished with This Is England and all it has to offer, so I’ll recommend it with an 8 / 10.

Triangle (2009)

I gave this movie a go after hearing it listed on /Film’s Top Ten of 2010 pod cast (a choice of David Chen, if I remember correctly). It’s set up as a standard slasher after a group of friends are yacht-wrecked in the middle of the sea and climb aboard a mammoth (seemingly deserted) ocean liner. There’s somebody stalking them and they begin to get killed one by one (oh dear!). Then the movie takes a twist that bamboozled me (and no doubt much of its audience), mainly because it was so unexpected and at times, puzzling with what it was trying to do. The main character (the last one alive) played by Melissa George is thrust into what seems to be a loop in the space/time continuum (so if you’re expected something like Scream, step away!) where everything that has happened on the ship happens over and over again, with Melissa having to kill her friends as they get climb aboard in order to escape her fate. It’s an original concept, but yet again something that I think wasn’t executed as well as it could have been. Kept me interested for the running time, though, so it’s another 6 / 10.

The Fighter (2010)

The third Academy Award Best Picture nominee of the month took me down the road of David O. Russell’s The Fighter, following boxer Micky Ward (Mark Wahlberg) and his trainer brother Dickie Eckland (Christian Bale, who picked up Best Supporting Actor for his role) trying to hit the success trail after many failures. Bale plays a former boxer with a famous victory over Sugar Ray Leonard, but he’s turned to the drugs and is a gaunt shadow of his former self, his ‘loose cannon’ character stealing scenes and driving the story. There are good turns from Amy Adams and Melissa Leo (both picking up Best Supporting Actress nominations, with Leo winning), giving this movie a more genuine feel than it’s counterparts in the boxing world, like the Rocky series and Will Smith’s Ali. A true great that will live long as one of the top sports movies, the obvious ending with Micky emerging as a champion not leaving a sour taste. Could become a true classic, 8.5 / 10.

Monsters (2010)

There are aliens on the planet and they’ve been here for a while (District 9 anybody?), and a pair of Americans must travel through an infected zone in Mexico to get back to the US. Monsters feels like it’s raking over old ground here, but the low budget directorial feature length debut for Gareth Edwards stands alone thanks to wonderful cinematography and the appearance of very uniquely designed aliens. 6.5 / 10.

Exit Through the Gift Shop (2010)

Ah, Banksy, robbed of an Oscar by that documentary about banks (ironic) or something with a voice over from Matt Damon. Has there ever been a bigger Academy travesty? I’m sure there has, and I expect Bristol’s own super-celebrity-graffiti-artist-without-a-face will have taken his loss with good grace. The documentary (or perhaps a mockumentary, I am still undecided) isn’t completely about Banksy, he’s more of a supporting character who gives insights into how he shaped the rise of bizarre filmmaker Thierry Guetta to critically condemned street artist Mr Brainwash, directing the movie from inspirational to ridiculous. It was hilarious at times and was a really great watch, earning an 8 / 10.

Dead Space – Aftermath (2010)

This animated accompaniment to the release of Playstation 3 game Dead Space 2 (which I have just purchased and will be cracking on with immediately) throws together a few stories and different animation styles as alien race the Necromorphs attack the inhabitants of a mining spaceship. It wasn’t half as terrifying or atmospheric as what I have experienced from the first Dead Space in 2008 (which I also recently played through for a second time) and felt a little rushed. For good examples of how different animation styles can work better, try the Dante’s Inferno accompanying movie (much better than the game) or Batman – Gotham Knight. Even give Dead Space – Downfall, which this is a follow up to, a go. It is gunna get a 5.5 / 10.

I’m Still Here (2010)

Joaquin Phoenix may have thought that pretending to quit movies and adopt a hip-hop rapping persona for a year or so would pay off, perhaps landing him some mammoth pay cheques and putting his acting credentials through the roof. But no, just no. This documentary (another mockumentary possibility, this time confirmed by Phoenix before release) shows him living his day-to-day life after giving up acting and his struggles as he attempts to get signed by a label and release a rap record. It shows him in a less than pleasant light, over-exaggerating his drinking, drug-taking and womanising to shock and appal us. But it doesn’t, and that’s because we know it’s not real. If it was, perhaps this would be more enjoyable (or intriguing). If only Joaquin knew of the public (and real) meltdown Charlie Sheen would have in early 2011, perhaps he’d decide not to make this movie. I wanted to see it for a while and when I did I was disappointed over anything. I just didn’t find it very funny and when it came down to a scene where one of Joaquin’s friends took a shit on his face while he was sleeping, I was ready to turn off. The shock tactics were cliché and I’d much prefer to watch Joaquin star turns in Gladiator, Signs or We Own The Night than corrupt his talent in this way, which earns this a 5 / 10.

The Girl Who Played With Fire (2009)

The second adaptation from Steig Larsson’s Millenium trilogy isn’t as intensely labyrinthine as its predecessor, The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo, but it’s a good enough thriller to leave me looking forward to the next instalment, The Girl Who Kicked The Hornet’s Nest. After what I saw here, with Noomi Rapace’s character Lisbeth Salander being framed for a murder as journalist Mikael Blomkvist tries to clear her name, I also look forward to what David Fincher does with the US remakes of the trilogy. I doubt Rooney Mara will have such a strong and compelling on-screen persona as Noomi (who I can’t wait to see turn up in Ridley Scott’s Alien prequel Prometheus), but I’m confident enough in Fincher to know that they won’t be disastrous. 6.5 / 10. 

The Town (2010)

It’s a heist movie that has drawn obvious comparisons to Heat and Point Break, but this Ben Affleck directing and starring role doesn’t feel like it’s trying to be either of those classics. It is without a doubt a creature of its own, spacing the action scenes out well enough between well-written dialogue to keep you guessing. Ben Affleck’s character is a bank robber who falls in love with one of the female clerks he took hostage during the first heist of the movie, her not having seen his face and oblivious to the knowledge of his criminal career. Jeremy Renner delivers a juggernaut of a performance as Affleck’s close friend, his unhinged attitude reminiscent of Trainspotting’s Begbie, albeit with a less ‘rip-your-face-off-if-you-look-at-me’ approach. Thoroughly enjoyable, snatching a 7.5 / 10.

The King of Kong (2006)

I've wanted to see this for a long time but never got around to it, and thank the heavens that I finally did. The King of Kong is a great tale of good versus evil, and I don't care how much it was twisted and taken out of context, what appears on screen is engrossing and fun. The documentary begins with gaming champion Billy Mitchell setting the world record for points scored on arcade game Donkey Kong in the early 80s, and when we catch up with him over twenty years later, the record still stands. Cue teacher Steve Wiebe and his attempts to break the record from an arcade machine in his garage, an all American nice guy who wants nothing more than to appear in the Guinness book of records. As time goes on, Billy Mitchell takes on the role of comic book villain as he attempts to bend rules and regulations to make sure his record isn't broken by Wiebe. Mitchell even has a geeky henchman he sends to do his bidding, making this movie thoroughly entertaining as you struggle to understand how the events unfolding in front of you can be real. It's held together by gaming referee (and apparent singer-songwriter) Walter Day, whose passion for arcade games is on such a level that he has devoted much of his life to them. Loved it, 8 / 10.

Best Worst Movie (2006)

This documentary catches up with the cast of the worst movie of all time, Troll 2 (which has nothing to do with the first Troll and doesn’t even have any trolls in it, which seems to be part of its charm), which has gained a cult following since its release in the 80s. If you haven’t seen it, it’s a real stinker, the oddball plot and insane dialogue so confusing it might make your brain turn to slush. Check out the highlights on YouTube for an idea, because it’s seriously weird. The movie talks to the cast who tell of how the movie has affected their lives where the main man George Hardy could be the most jovial man on the planet. The Italian director of Troll 2 still believes the movie is a fine piece of work, which is incredibly strange. This documentary is entertaining but feels as though it would have worked better as an hour special on TV, it was too long for my liking, earning it a 5.5 / 10.

The Reef (2010)

I’m a sucker for a movie about a shark (I’d choose Deep Blue Sea over a lot), so I fell into the trap of this low budget Aussie horror/thriller, which is in the same vein as other ‘stuck at sea’ turkeys Open Water and Adrift, both of which bored me to tears, so I should have learnt my lesson. Real shark footage was mixed into the ocean shot scenes, but it really doesn’t work as well as perhaps it could and you find yourself urging the beast that is stalking 4 people trying to swim to dry land to eat the one-dimensional characters, but even when that happened I didn’t feel at all satisfied. I felt the urge to fast-forward the movie to avoid the awful dialogue and just to get to end, and I haven’t felt that urge since Frozen, a film I hate more than Fernando Torres. It’s for that reason I have to award The Reef the prestigious award of SHIT MOVIE OF THE MONTH (combined January / February) with a delicious score of 3 / 10.

Lemmy (2010)

It's been a month for documentaries, and I top it off with Lemmy, a look at iconic Motorhead frontman Lemmy Kilmister's life and career. Iconic couldn't be a more fitting word, the rockstar living fast but not dying young, a career spanning the decades with unrivalled success and respect amongst his musical peers. I've seen a lot of media focused on Lemmy and wasn't let down with this latest insight, summing up everything he stands for in just under two hours. We get a look at his life in LA, his close relationship with his son, his opinions on modern music and get to see a wonderful jam session with drummer Dave Grohl, which was for me the highlight of this movie. In a world where so much modern music suffers at the hands of image, profit and amount of fans being more important than the core of the music, Lemmy proves that Motorhead's loud and brash rock'n'roll, spearheaded by his unrelenting and sometimes unfathomable ageless presence, will last 1000 years after Justin Bieber has died. A great watch, 7.5 / 10.

Devil (2010)

And the final somebody stuck somewhere film of the month is Devil, the horror/thriller written by M. Night Shyamalan (taking a brief break from directing perhaps because he realises he has well and truly lost his touch). It's about a group of strangers getting stuck in a lift in a high-rise building and (shock horror!) one of them is the devil! I found the concept slightly interesting, but yet again the execution was shaky and I'm glad the whole movie was 75 minutes long, because any longer and I may have fell asleep. It all hinged on the fact that once the inhabitants of the lift start dying; a homicide detective is brought in to oversee the events. What I found ridiculous was that this cop fully believed the 'devil legend' preached by a security guard and once that happened it was all downhill from there. Overall, it was tedious, so it gets a 5 / 10.

Knight & Day (2010)

Any other month and this would have been SHIT MOVIE OF THE MONTH, but when I think about what I’d rather sit through again this beats The Reef by a whisker. Again, something else I have very little to say about. It stars Tom Cruise and Cameron Diaz, he’s secret agent or a ninja or a cyborg or something that has the FBI on his tail because of something he did that apparently he didn’t do. Cameron gets dragged into it because she’s vaguely attractive and blonde, I think. There’s some fighting, chase scenes, double-crossing and the appearance of There Will Be Blood’s Paul Dano, but I didn’t like it at all (I knew I wouldn’t but still nominated it for suitable Saturday night viewing) and found myself talking through most of it. If Mission Impossible: Ghost Protocol is anything like this I’d rather just stare at a wall for 2 hours. It deserves no more than a 4 / 10.

True Grit (2010)

Finally, True Grit, the Coen Brothers’ remake of John Wayne’s classic 1969 Western. I’m a big fan of the Coen Brothers’, my favourite movie of theirs being Fargo closely followed by No Country For Old Men (one of the best cast films of this century) and The Big Lebowski. I’ve been waiting a long time (this movie was released in December in the US and didn’t get to the UK until February) to get to see Jeff Bridges as US Marshall Rooster Cogburn, helping Hailee Steinfield’s Mattie Ross (my pick as Best Supporting Actress winner) track down the man who murdered her father (Tom Chaney, played by Josh Brolin). Texas Ranger LaBoeuf (Matt Damon) comes along for the ride, wanting to collect a bounty on Chaney for his capture. The movie channels the great acting of all involved (even Matt Damon, who for me is somebody I don’t really rate and find hard to watch), exploring the grit each character must call upon to make it through the trials they come up against. It’s funny as well, especially in the early scenes, and Jeff Bridges yet again makes a character entirely his own (sorry John Wayne fans). It may be because I love a Western and feel a certain devotion to the Coens work, but edging ahead of The Fighter by an inch or so I have to award True Grit with the title of MOVIE OF THE MONTH (combined January / February) and give it an 8.5 / 10.

Look out for the next installment of What I’ve Been Watching in March, which will include my opinion on the first season of Steve Buscemi’s Boardwalk Empire.