SOME
SPOILERS AHEAD
A
slight delay in my review of movies/TV for the month of April due to some very
busy weeks in my household! Writing has taken a back seat but I’ll be sure to
allow some more time for it in the coming weeks. Here’s ‘What I’ve Been
Watching’ in April 2012, including a couple more of 2011’s ‘must-sees’, a brief
nostalgia trip with some WWE documentaries and a delve into some classic crime
thrillers in the form of the impeccable ‘Training Day’ and the stylish ‘L.A.
Confidential’.
The Epic Journey of
Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson (2012)
The
world of WWE (or WWF as it was known during my time in love with it) doesn’t
have the grab it had on me when I was 13. Back then, it could do no wrong, but
unfortunately as I approached my late teens I couldn’t become as engrossed with
the new characters and storylines as I could back in the day when my wrestling
hero, The Great One, was whooping asses all over the ring. That man was Dwayne
‘The Rock’ Johnson and this recent release charted his rise from college
football player to competing in the family business of sports entertainment,
the World Wrestling Entertainment. The documentary included The Rock, his
family, his co-stars, opponents and admirers, discussing the legend of the
wrestler, his rise to the top and his move to the world of Hollywood. It was a
great nostalgia trip for me to witness some classic matches that remained
lodged in my memory and experience the excitement of said moments over again.
It was a great watch for current or former fans of the WWE and a decently put
together documentary. 7.5 / 10.
The Darkest Hour (2011)
Alien
invasion action thriller ‘The Darkest Hour’ really is something, and that is in
no way a compliment. The Moscow set movie follows five people who fight back against
an alien race who have attacked Earth through the power supply, meaning that
the extra terrestrial race hide in electricity currents as they make their
attack. Sound exciting? Well, it’s not. It’s bland, full of both idiotic and
infuriating characters that you can’t wait to bite the dust. Even the lead,
played by Emile Hirsch, is a big old bore. I really don’t recommend ‘The Darkest
Hour’, unless incredibly tedious and poorly executed science fiction is your
thing. So if you enjoyed ‘Skyline’, this might be for you. But if that’s the case,
please sort your life out. It’s a measly 3
/10, earning the prestigious SHIT
MOVIE OF THE MONTH title.
Into the Abyss (2011)
Director
Werner Herzog’s documentary about capital punishment in the USA is an illuminating
movie where the story of two men on death row is told through interviews with
them, the families of their victims and a rousing voiceover from the director
himself. It’s a portrayal of life and death through some of the most extreme
scenarios and the psychological study neither supports nor condemns the plights
of any of those involved, leaving it open for the audience to make their own
decision about the eventual outcome of the movie. Unsettling, intense and profound,
7.5 / 10.
Hop (2011)
My
two year old daughter stayed with me for the Easter weekend and while we were
purchasing some movies for us to watch while stuffing our faces with Easter
Eggs, I came across last year’s live-action/animated combo fiasco, ‘Hop’,
exploring the tale of the Easter Bunny (voiced by Russell Brand), who is
actually a wannabe rock ‘n roll drummer who shies away from his Easter duties
and travels to Hollywood to make it big. It’s actually quite amusing in places
(I like me a bit of Russell Brand, so his injection of humour was a welcome
addition) and it was entertaining enough for the little one with sophisticated animation,
big musical numbers and several laugh out loud moments (for her, of course, I
laugh in my head, okay?). Good fun, 6.5
/ 10.
Shame (2011)
Steve
McQueen’s second team-up with actor Michael Fassbender was ‘Shame’, a tale of
sex addiction in New York City and a movie that received critical acclaim when
it was released at the very end of last year. I will save my thoughts for it in
a more in-depth review of it when I post a piece entitled ‘A Deconstruction of –
Shame’ next month, along with the long delayed ‘A Deconstruction of – Drive’,
my favourite film of 2011. Although if I had seen ‘Shame’ in 2011, it would
have been up there with it, as it gets an 8.5
/ 10.
Derek – Pilot Episode
(2012)
‘Derek’,
the latest brainchild from Ricky Gervais, which sees the comedian starring,
writing and directing, is an old people’s home set comedy drama where the title
character is a staff member with learning difficulties. Now, as many thought
before and perhaps still thought after, Ricky Gervais’ portrayal of ‘Derek’ is
a risk simply because it puts a person of visible disability up for ridicule.
But, truth be told, if you think that, then everything about this pilot episode
has gone over your head. It isn’t the behaviour, mannerisms or magnitude of
Derek’s personality that is there to be laughed at, it’s the situations he gets
himself into (just as David Brent did) that are that are hilarious here. Gervais
has been forever testing the boundaries of what is acceptable to laugh at, but
really, all he is doing is making light of situations we find ourselves in
every single day. If we can’t laugh with those less fortunate than us for that
reason alone then we have seriously lost our way with British comedy, because
that’s the way we gravitate towards the characters on screen. Anyway, back to
the programme because the 30 minutes of ‘Derek’ is as equally heartbreaking as
it is hilarious, with some slapstick moments thrown in to increase the appeal.
Gervais is competent at creating a believable character with ‘Derek’, while the
supporting cast (including Karl Pilkington as a slightly different version of
himself) allow Gervais to shine when he needs to. It’s intelligent and sincere comedy,
and for anybody who thinks otherwise, suggesting it’s exploitative, please
climb gently down from your high horse. ‘Derek’ has now been picked up for a
full series, which I am incredibly happy about. The pilot gets a 7 / 10 from me.
Training Day (2001)
The
first classic crime caper of the month came in the form of ‘Training Day’, a
standout movie for Denzel Washington as he picked up the Best Actor Academy
Award for his portrayal of bent cop Alonzo Harris. Now, I love Denzel, but he
has never really rivalled the great heights of his role of rogue detective.
Much of his recent work is overly similar and in some cases attempts to
replicate the visceral style he produces with this role or completely counter-act
it, which doesn’t always work. Anyway, I’m not here to discuss Denzel’s career,
I’m here to discuss ‘Training Day’, which really is a wonderful ride which
shocks as much as it thrills. Narcotics officer Harris takes rookie Jake Hoyt
(Ethan Hawke) on a ride along to show him the ropes in an L.A. flush with drugs
and violence. Alonzo’s methods of upholding the law are questionable and
certainly not by the book, and that’s exactly where he and Hoyt start clashing
heads. Sure, it would appear that Alonzo is no villain as the movie progresses,
simply a man who gets the job done with a method that doesn’t exactly withhold the
law. But it’s as the movie approaches the third act, as several of the twists
have gone through the motions that you realise that this man really is an evil
bastard. That’s what won Denzel the top acting prize for this role, because
Alonzo keeps us guessing, which is exactly what we should be doing in a movie
like this. ‘Training Day’ is essentially a fairly straightforward tale of
honesty and decency triumphing when all the cards are down, but it’s pushed
into the further realm of being a classic movie by memorable moments, quotable
lines and a devastating antagonist. 8.5
/ 10.
Kidulthood (2006)
Noel
Clarke has done me some terrible injustices in the past (his writing/directing
turn in ‘4.3.2.1’ created one of my least favourite movies of all time, and his
appearance in ‘Doghouse’ reminds me to never watch a movie where the leading
man is Danny Dyer), but back in 2006 he wrote a film that was pretty important
to a certain generation of British people, who loved the realism and grit of ‘Kidulthood’.
The movie depicts a group of youngsters during an eventful day in West London.
There is violence, drug taking, partying and a lot of cameo appearances from
actors who have made big names for themselves in recent years. It’s not my usual type of movie, but it was executed well
enough to make it feel both believable and not a complete vanity project for
Clarke. 6 / 10.
Adulthood (2008)
The
sequel to ‘Kidulthood’ thrusts Noel Clarke into the main role (as he continues to
write/direct) but unfortunately it just doesn’t have the same punch as the
original. Some of the characters from the first movie return but it’s hard to
get on board with any of their reasoning for some of the actions they decide to
take in this one. It’s a decent enough follow-up, but doesn’t rival anything
that was previously done. Now THIS does feel like a vanity project for Clarke,
which is perhaps why I found it fairly bad. 5 / 10.
Ghost Rider – Spirit of
Vengeance (2011)
If
there was any Marvel movie of recent years that didn’t earn a sequel, it was ‘Ghost
Rider’, but somehow it got one and unfortunately for the good of both Nicholas
Cage and the ‘Ghost Rider’ franchise, the sequel is just as ridiculous. Sure, it’s
supposed to be camp and over-the-top with an extra layer of cheese, but I found
it difficult to see through all of that and actually find something that was
worth my time. It’s just very very average, and that’s all that really needs to
be said. Disappointing, Johnny Blaze. 4
/ 10.
Beyond the Mat (1999)
Another
bite of nostalgia in the form of the WWE came with a classic documentary that I
used to own on VHS and watch on a regular basis, ‘Beyond the Mat’. It’s a
honest movie about the sport of WWE, getting to know some of the performers,
including Mick Foley and Jake ‘The Snake ‘ Roberts, on a personal basis and
exploring their reasoning behind their involvement in the WWE and in some
occasions, the problems they have faced from being in the public eye. It’s a
great look ‘behind the curtain’ of a business that tends to be branded with the
‘fake’ and ‘over-the-top’ stamp all too often. It is, after all, just
entertainment, and this documentary shows that just as much hard work goes into
it as any other craft. Another great watch for fans of the WWE and the
performers involved, 7 / 10.
Haywire (2011)
A
misguided female-lead version of the ‘Bourne’ movies was what ‘Haywire’ struck
me as, and seeing as I’m not a fan of those (unfortunately I find it hard to
tolerate anything other than small doses of Matt Damon) I certainly wasn’t a
fan of this. The story is chucked together, the action is mediocre at best and
the inclusion of some huge stars modern cinema (Channing Tatum, Michael
Fassbender and Ewan McGregor) leaves them both misplaced and underused. It’s
unoriginal and dull, and only gets a 4 /
10 from me.
Classic crime thriller ‘L.A.
Confidential’ is a movie that I’ve somehow been able to avoid all the way up
until I got hold of my Blu Ray copy recently, and I’m certainly glad that I
finally got to see this great piece of cinema. Set in 1950s L.A., it follows
the trials of three very different cops and their challenges working s close to
Tinseltown and the corruption (in both the movie business and the police force)
that threatens to make upholding the law a very difficult task. With star turns
from the good cop (Guy Pearce), the hot-head (Russell Crowe) and the sleazy
(Kevin Spacey), this noir tale is full of mayhem, brutality and plot twists. It
keeps you constantly on your toes and is a real thrilling watch. ‘L.A.
Confidential’ gets a brilliant 8 / 10.
