MOVIE REVIEW - Un Long Dimanche de Fiancailles (2004)

USA Title: A Very Long Engagement

Director: Jean-Pierre Jeunet
Starring: Audrey Tautou, Gaspard Ulliel, Dominique Pinon, Chantel Neuwirth, Jodie Foster

Jeunet returns with his follow up to his 2001 critical success Amelie with yet another visually stunning and emmotionally strong story. It is the kind of love story that Hollywood would struggle to being to fruition.

Audrey Tautou is Mathilde, a young woman not much unlike her potrayal of Amelie, she is sweet, kind and loving. Mathilde is on a relentless search for her fiancee, Manech (Ulliel), he was a soldier who disappeared from the trenches of the Somme during WWI after being sentenced to death for getting himself shot on purpose, an attempt to be sent home early from the front. This search is the centerpiece to the several plots that unfold dring her investigations.

This is a heart and gut wrenching tale as she digs deeper with her dead-set belief that he is still alive she begins to uncover what really happened the day he vanished. The events leading upto his death and then beyond interwines his life with the lives of four other men who supposedly died that day for the same reason he was put to death.

The multiple stories if at first seem a little daunting to follow slip in easily together even with subtitles it is easy to keep track of what is going on. The WWI battle sequences have a gritty style to them that is reminiscent of Saving Private Ryan. Beyond all this at the core of the is a beautiful story of undying love and the lengths the human heart will go to keep it alive.

As always visually Jeunet exceeds magnificently whilst also getting the best out of his actors which includes a french speaking part for Jodie Foster as the wife of one of the missing men. Overall this is just a great example of filmmaking with substance enough to bend even the hard of heart.

The Good: Almost everything. Visually, acting, script. The score is amazing.
The Bad: It's a shame that the character of Mathilde is a carbon copy of Amelie.
The Ugly: Surprisingly violent war sequences.

Overall: How love stories should be told. 9/10.

MOVIE REVIEW - Kicking & Screaming (2005)

Director: Jesse Dylan
Starring: Will Ferrell, Robert Duvall, Mike Ditka

Ferrell is Phil Weston, a family man and a lifelong victim of his father's (Duvall) competitive nature, who deceides to take on the coaching responsibilities of a kids' soccer team. But soon he begins to realise he is becoming just like his father.

This is generally a cute, sweet natured movie but it is really unfortunate that it can't really sustain any big laughs. Ferrell's competitive act tends to wear thin about half way through and it doesn't help that comically he is outdone by a bunch of 10 year olds and an ex-football coach. Mike Ditka manages to steal the show by playing himself and in the process stealing some of the funniest moments this film has to offer. He shows a surprisingly good grasp of comedy for a man who coached 'Da Bears' to a Superbowl win.

Basically I think if you like Ferrell you will enjoy this movie. Please just don't expect during the BBQ for him to turn to his kids and yell 'Get off the shed!!!' you could be sorely disappointed.

The Good: Ditka. Cute kids.
The Bad: Ferrell's role is maybe worthy of only a 5 minute SNL skit.
The Ugly: At times just too cute for it's own good.

Overall: Not as funny as it should have been. 5/10.

MOVIE REVIEW - House of Wax (2005)

Director: Jaume Collet-Serra
Starring: Elisha Cuthbert, Chad Michael Murray, Brian Van Holt, Paris Hilton, Jared Padalecki

Six friends on their way to see a college football match get stranded near an abandoned town. Now they must get out of town before they become permanent exibits at the town's House of Wax run by psychotic twins.

This is a quite bearable, if a little overlong horror movie. It contains enough freak-out gore and creepy moments to keep quite good in the genre. It helps that the cast is basically, with the exception of Paris Hilton, pretty good and for the most part believable. The stand out performances come in the lead roles of brother and sister, Murray and Cuthbert repsectively. Murray is strong as the rebel turned hero and Cuthbert is great in her scream queen debut. Also Brian Van Holt is suitably scary as the bad guy, comes across part Johnny Cash and part Deliverance backwaters rapist.

It is definatly passable as a horror movie, better than most expectations would allow.

The Good: Scary enough. Good performances.
The Bad: Paris Hilton. Jared Padalecki's character is annoyingly dumb. Long run time.
The Ugly: Just usual horror movie morons who don't run at the first sign of trouble.

Overall: Another okay horror movie. 5/10.

MOVIE NEWS - Pirates and wizards

RUN AWAY!!!!!

Whilst filming on the set of Pirates of the Carribean 2: Dead Man's Chest has come to a finish they have already started filming on it's sequel Pirates if the Carribean 3:Uncharted Waters which is set to finish filming about 2 months before 2 is released in July, part of a very big summer 2006 schedule.

In a recent red carpet interview at the premiere of Chronicles of Narnia, Julie Walters revealed that Mrs Weasley will be back for Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, the 5th in the series. Sorely missed from Goblet of Fire it will be great to have her back. Filming starts in March 2006 for a July 2007 release date.

Another returning actress is Sarah Michelle Gellar who will be appearing in The Grudge 2 as her character passes the curse onto a new lead star. Filming starts soon and the producers are hoping for a Oct 20th '06 release just in time for the halloween horror rush.

MOVIE REVIEW - War of the Worlds (2005)

Director: Steven Spielberg
Starring: Tom Cruise, Dakota Fanning, Tim Robbins, Justin Chatwin

Another interpretation of HG Wells' classic sci-fi novel this time worked over by Spielberg and Cruise. The plot follows Cruise, a divorced father who isn't always there for his kids, and his family (Fanning & Chatwin) as the martian start their invasion of Earth.

This is another example of a summer blockbuster that is technically very impressive but lacking in the script department. It is just sheer spectacle from start to finish as only Spielberg can do. A particular moment that comes to mind is when they are escaping from New York in a stolen minivan and the camera rotates around and through the vehicle as it speeds down the highway. It is also a terrifying film, the pure terror of the people when the first tripod attacks with the death ray can be felt literally in the opening burst of it's horn. It will send shivers up your spine.

The acting across the board is just above average for a movie like this where character development comes second to the running and screaming. Tom Cruise is typical strong as the father with something to prove to his kids, and boy can that man run, something he does alot of. Whether it be running away from or running toward the tripods. Dakota Fanning screams and cries her way through the film as the terrified daughter, Justin Chatwin who is the son could be the new is all good looks and rebellion. Whilst a short appearance from Tim Robbins seems over the top and overlong.

There lies another part that brings down this movie. Between the huge action sequences the pace tends to slack off a little and begin to want to hear that hellish siren cry of a tripod attack just so you can see more Cruise running.

Other than that what comes out is a perfectly adequate blockbuster. It was far more enjoyable than I expected, and when it was running in full gear it did have me on the edge of my seat, although I would fall back into the cushion when the talking started.

The Good: Marvellous action sequences.
The Bad: Loses pace to easy.
The Ugly: Scarier than I expected. Definately not for little ones.

Overall: Spielberg in low gear. 7/10.

X-MEN 3 - Teaser trailer online

All I can say is... wow!!

http://www.apple.com/trailers/fox/x3/

This and Superman Returns in the same summer...