Harry Brown on DVD now

Harry Brown (Caine) is a retired ex marine living in a sprawling inner city estate. His wife is terminally ill and his best friend Leonard (Bradley) is being harassed by a notorious gang on the estate. Browns life changes when his wife dies and Leonard is beaten to death by the gang. Harry is visited by the police and he realises the gang will claim they acted in self-defence and that there would be no justice for Leonard so he decides to take matters in his own hands.

Think Alfie as an OAP, think Grand Torino set in a London inner city, don’t think of a big surprise or a plot full of revelation and twists. Caine is great, as usual, but I have to say this character isn’t stretching his acting abilities – its Alfie with a freedom bus pass.

The film is ok although not ground breaking – it’s a story that has been done before and Harry Brown doesn’t bring anything new. Harry is a man on a revenge mission, a man with nothing to live for and nothing to loose. The rest of the film is populated with stereotypical hoodies, thugs and junkies – which is a little bit disappointment. There are also a rather dated looking ‘riot’ – which looks like it was pulled from the 80’s not 2009.

It’s a good film, watch it if you’re a Caine fan but don’t expect an intriguing plot as you can pretty much decipher what is going to happen before the opening credits.

Director: Daniel

Cast:
Michael Caine – Harry Brown
Emily Mortimer – D.I. Alice Frampton
Charlie Creed-Miles – D.S. Terry Hicock
David Bradley – Leonard Attwell

For the official website click here

Where the Wild Things Are - On DVD Now

Where the Wild Things Are is the film based on everyone’s favourite childhood book written by Maurice Sendak’s classic book of the same name, in this version it is director Spike Jonze who brings the short but charming children's story to life. The story revolves around a boy called Max (Records – a real future find) a lonely, stubborn boy with a bug imagination.

One day after a game he is playing goes wrong he runs away – in his imagination as well as physically, he sails over the sea and lands on an island – where the Wild Things live. Max joins in the Wild Things wild rumpus and is declared King.

Where the Wild Things Are is a strangely haunting and atmospheric, this is not a children's film despite its source material. The film has no flashy effects – yes the effects are there in nearly every scene but on screen but they are so subtle you actually believe the Wild Things exist. As for the Wild Things they are beautifully realised – everything you can remember from the book but here in Jonze’s world they are given personalities, neurosis and worries. Actually Max gives them these parts of his personality, it is more than strange though watching a huge monster talk about insecurities rather than roaring and just fighting. As Max is verging on adolescence he and the Wild Things cling onto what they know.

Its not for kids, and its not for people who want high action and fast paced films, it is though visually beautiful, touching and thought provoking – and I never thought I would write that about a film that contains a giant goat!

Director: Spike Jonze

Cast:

Max Records – Max
James Gandolfini – Carol (voice only)
Paul Dano – Alexander (voice only)
Catherine O’Hara – Judith (voice only)
Forrest Whitaker – Ira (voice)

For the official website click here





Coming Next - Harry Brown starring Michael Caine

A Perfect Getaway on DVD now

An apparently naive American couple, Steve (Anderson) and Cydney (Jovovich) are honeymooning in one of the more remote islands on Hawaii decide to follow a remote walking trail with the hope of camping out at an idyllic paradise beach. Along the way they encounter Nick (Olyphant) and Gina (Sanchez) who are much more experienced travelers. All is going well until reports are overheard of the slaughter nearby of honeymooners and soon begin to suspect that their fellow travelers seem to fit the description of the suspects. All this leads to suspicion and distrust in an isolated place where the couples are forced to rely on each other.

Normally I would not have rented this film, its basic premise didn’t really appeal to me but I had read good things about it and thought that I would step outside my usual choices and to be honest I wasn’t that impressed. At the beginning of the film I cringed at the stereotypically xenophobic attitudes displayed by the central couple maybe its because I have traveled that I don’t approach everyone and everything with suspicion and fear (and if its that bad why put yourself through it!).

Later though as the film develops it does become more interesting and there is a twist, which is unexpected although it ultimately makes the film itself less believable. The problem with the twist was that even in private moments the antagonists seemed to be unaware of their actual role in the movie. Maybe it might have been better if I didn’t analyse and think back to earlier scenes in the films but I couldn’t help myself so glaring where the script inaccuracies.

Nicely shot, adequately acted – that’s about all I can say for it.

Director: David Twohy

Cast:

Steve Zahn – Cliff Anderson
Timoth Olyphant – Nick
Milla Jovovich – Cydney Anderson
Kiele Sanchez – Gina

For the official website click here

Sherlock Holmes on DVD now

Arthur Conan Doyles Victorian super detective gets a reboot for 2010 courtesy of Guy Richie, Robert Downey Jnr, Jude Law and in no small way the script writers Michael Robert Johnson and Anthony Peckham – and its done with some style. The film hits the ground running and apart from a few pauses barely draws breath for its whole duration. It reminded me of the James Bond Casino Royale (2007) reboot – once you have seen it theres no comparison to the previous films.

Holmes and Watson foil serial killer Lord Blackwood who is executed for his crimes, mysteriously though Blackwood rises from the dead and resumes killing. What follows is a twisting and enjoyable romp through Victorian London with Holmes picking up clues and deducting as he goes.

Downey Jnr, is charismatic, troubled and charming and is such a stunning actor he easily carries the film and the personality of the maverick, unpredictable and impulsive version on Holmes without a deerstalker in sight. Law, for me, was a total surprise, easily fitting into the supporting role and providing a steady partner to the volatile Holmes, for the first time ever I can honestly say I enjoyed his acting, he seemed to be a character rather than himself in different costumes.
Richie redeems himself as a director and his vision of Victorian London is amazingly realised, as a Londoner myself it was as if I was given a glimpse of what London was like in the middle of the industrial age – fantastic.

Strong also is excellent as another great Hollywood villain (hes had back to back movie villains in Kick Ass, Sherlock Holmes and Robin Hood) hes suitably sinister and hiss worthy as Lord Blackwood determined to bring down Holmes and gain power in the process. McAdams as Adler is sufficient, shes a good leading lady never to distracting from the movie but also never really gives enough spark to stand out – which is a good thing in this movie as she doesn’t detract from the clever twists and turns of the plot line.

Really enjoyable, really fun – I hope it’s the first of a franchise!

Director: Guy Ritchie

Cast:

Robert Downey Jnr – Shelock Holmes
Jude Law – Dr John Watson
Rachel McAdams – Irene Adler
Mark Strong – Lord Blackwood
Eddie Marsan – Inspector Lestrade

For the official website click here

The Box on DVD now

Norma (Diaz) and Arthur (Marsden) Lewis are a happily married couple whose lives change in one day – Norma is facing redundancy and Arthur misses out on his dream job and finds himself questioning his future when a box with a red button lands on their doorstep followed by the sinister Arlington Stewart – the excellent Langella. Stewart explains that if the couple press the button on the box they will receive one million dollars but also that someone, somewhere will die. They have 24 hours to decide what course of action they want to take.

This 70’s set movie is very much like an expanded episode of the Twlight Zone, which isn’t a bad thing. The couple have to face up to consequences of their spur of the moment action which plays out like a morality tale. Langella is brilliant as the sinister Stewart and the CGI effects are excellently executed.

It’s a good movie – it wont shatter the box office but try and catch it at some point.

Director: Richard Kelly

Cast:
Cameron Diaz – Norma Lewis
James Marsden – Arthur Lewis
Frank Langella – Arlington Stewart

For the official website click here



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Paranormal Activity on DVD Now

A horror film in the same vein as The Blair Witch Project or Rec (the original Spanish version) which sees a young couple Katie and Micha after they buy a video camera to record the strange noises and bumps that seem to be happening in the night. Everything is unexplained until Katie confesses this isn’t the first time this type of activity has happened around her they seek advice and try to get help while the locked off camera in the bedroom records all of the nocturnal bumps and activity.

It is a simple premise – a young couple setting up a camera to get a record of what is happening in the night. The camera is all POV or from a set tripod in the bedroom and because of its simplicity and uncomplicated set up you as the viewer gets dragged straight into their dilemma. You find yourself watching for any changing shadows or unaccounted noises as the camera records the night scene and as the strange incidents add up your nerves become more frayed.

It worked for me, I have read criticism that Micha is insensitive or jarring and he is oblivious to his girlfriends dilemma but I can honestly say that didn’t occur to me as I watched it. Its simple but clever, there have been similar films (good examples mentioned above) but its still surprising that an apparently obvious premise still manages to get your nerves on edge.

Its not flawless but it is still very good and worth a view.

Director: Oren Peil

Cast:
Katie Featherston – Katie
Micha Sloat – Micha

For the official website click here

Surrogates on DVD now

The latest film from Mostow – the director of Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines is set in the near future when human beings stay indoors while their surrogates (or avatars – if another film hadn’t stolen the title!), live their live for them. The surrogate has the humans consciousness (signature), are nearly always perfect looking and are replaceable – unlike the fragile human live they imitate. This leads to a near crime and trouble free world.

One day a surrogate is destroyed with a weapon that also destroyed the human controlling it – this leads to FBI agents Tom Greer (Willis) and Peters (Mitchell) uncovering a conspiracy that goes further than expected.

This is a return to action for Bruce Willis which I was eager to see but unfortunately for me ultimately disappointed. I liked the idea of the perfectness of the surrogates – its would be like living in the world of the airbrushed (or second life for that matter), where everyone is slim, perfect skin, perfect teeth, perfect hair and beautiful. Everyone that is apart from Willis whose surrogate has a most disturbing hairstyle that made me snigger when I saw it – hes also notably older than the other surrogates but as its Willis you forgive him.

It’s the story though for me that disappoints, the premise is interesting and I feel so much more could have been done with the ideas that were out there rather than just a run of the mill thriller with a human twist.

Could have been so much more.

Director: Jonathan Mostow

Cast:
Bruce Willis – Tom Greer
Radha Mitchell – Peters
Roasmund Pike – Maggie
Boris Kodjoe – Pike
Ving Rhames – The Prophet

For the official website click here