Milk

 

“Milk is an extremely good film with a strong historical purpose”

Milk, is an extraordinary story about the assassination of Harvey Milk (Sean Penn), who became the first openly gay man being elected to public office in San Francisco, California. 

Directed by Gus Van Sant, this biopic begins by revealing the assassination of Milk. It follows by jumping back to Milk sitting at his table, recording his story only to be played in the event of his death. He knows what he is doing is putting his life in jeopardy. The story jumps between his dictation and his journey to office.

 

“Josh Brolin’s supporting Role .. is Oscar worthy”

Sean Penn’s performance as Harvey Milk is perfect and does everything for this film. His charming presence on screen is one not to be forgot. Everything about Milks characterization is spot on right down to the smallest mannerisms. Also, Josh Brolin’s supporting Role as Dan White, a rival to Harvey Milk, who eventually murders him, is Oscar worthy.

Gus Van Sant and his Cinematographer Harris Savides use a mix of archive footage and stills perfectly to re create 1970 San Francisco and hammer home the story of Milk. The style of the film was bright and the filmmakers didn’t dawn on the fact this is a sad story, which did the film justice.

“His charming presence on screen is one not to be forgot”

Milk is an extremely good film with a strong historical purpose but it’s a reminder that Harvey Milks work is far from done. The film centers around opposing Proposition 6, that wants to purge all homosexual teachers from schools. Ironically, the film lands after Propostion 8, which denies same sex couples marriage, was passed in Calfornia, the same office as Harvey Milk fought from.

 

Verdict: A truly inspirational warm biopic. Amazing performances combined with the political messages are a hit.

Valkyrie

 

“It was hard to get deep into this suspense war thriller as you know the ending”

Valkyrie, Directed by Bryan Singer (Usual Suspects and Xmen) is a good historical drama starring Tom Cruise, who I’m still unsure of what he actually did for the film accept to throw me off with his American-ese accent.

Valkyrie, based on true events, is a plot to assassinate Hitler which, believe it or not, is unsuccessful. Tom Cruise plays a Wehrmacht colonel, Claus Von Stauffenberg, who is the leader during the 20 July 1944 plot. The story kicks off in Africa where Cruise is pummelled with bullets, driving his hatred of the tiresome war. He is trying to ultimately prove that not all Germans are like Hitler, and he simply hates everything he stands for.

“I was getting extremely annoyed at the wide range of English accents being used”

The plot against Hitler builds during most of the film, conspiring around the idea of killing Hitler, in the same way kids plan to do something bad at school. Developing characters took a backseat whilst instead the story was  spinning into an intense thriller building plot and nothing else. The audience sit there and try to pretend like they don’t know what’s going to happen. News Flash, we know Hitler didn’t die.  It was very hard to be captivated by the film.

” ….No one in this film convinced me they were high powered Nazi’s”

The 2nd half speeds up considerably, as the plot unfolds, but you still know where it’s all going. By the 2nd hour I was getting extremely annoyed at the wide range of English accents being used. Apart from all these niggles, the last 30  minutes reeled me in as from a historical point of view. Interesting.

“All in all, the film was a good historical drama “

The Brits do a better job then the American as Nighly and Branagh’s performances are good but still no one in this film convinced me they were high powered Nazi’s.

All in all, the film was a good historical drama but Singer tried to make the film something which it isn’t. It was hard to get deep into this suspense war thriller as you know the ending.

Verdict: A good historical Drama.

The Wrestler

 

 

“The Wrestler is Mickey Rourke as he takes this story and amplifies it with true raw emotion”

The Wrestler, directed by Darren Aronofsky, staring Mickey Rourke is a drama revolving around a retired, lifelong, Wrestler, Randy “The Ram” Robinson battling against age, failure and loneliness. The Wrestler doesn’t just star Mickey Rourke, The Wrestler is Mickey Rourke as he takes this story and amplifies it with true raw emotion and passion, which for an audience member is totally enthralling.

The Wrestler is shot in a way that you think you’re watching a documentary. The style works as it reflects Randy’s downfall from a National Wrestling Idle to an Amateur/Semi Pro working abusing his body for minimum cash. It builds to a match against a younger opponent that was very uneasy to watch as the choreographed violence was brutal, throwing each other threw panes of glass, hitting each other with barbed wire and using a staple gun as a weapon leading to Randy being sick back stage, passing out to a heart attack.

“He can’t turn his back on something he loves”

The fights in The Wrestler were an intense, grotty and sweaty bout. You observed the Wrestlers in a different world, as they obsess with what goes on in the ring. After Randy’s heart attack, his head kept telling him that he couldn’t do this anymore, whilst surprisingly, his damaged heart tells him to carry on. Randy’s life is in the world of Wrestling; as life outside ring is harder to handle then his choreographed one as a wrestler were he is respected by others and loved by his family of fans; unlike his daughter that hates him due to the neglect he has put her through. As she described there relationship, “is broken and can’t be fixed”

 

 

 Marisa Tomei role as a stripper provides a balance in Randy’s life as he tried to escape his abnormal world with her. I’m unsure about how important her role was; as for me it seemed pointless building up to nothing.

The Wresteler is a realisation for Randy, as he knows he can’t escape something that has been their all his life. He can’t turn his back on something he loves and that didn’t turn his back on him like everything else in his life.  

Verdict: Mickey Rourke made this film what it is. His performance was truly inspirational.

Seven Pounds

“The story was like a long, boring, annoying joke that you already know the punch line too.”

Seven Pounds, Directed by Gabriele Muccino (Pursuit of Happyness), Staring Will Smith, is a tiresome Drama that never seems to go anywhere. After a short time, you already know where this story is going, but it’s doing it so slow. Not even Will Smith could rescue this dull script.

Will Smith plays an IRS Agent, Ben Thomas, with a secret that keeps you guessing until the end of the film. That is, if you haven’t already worked it out like 99% of the audience in the first 20 minutes.

The start really built up high expectations as Ben Thomas, rings 911 to report his own suicide. It was truly gripping and, I thought I was in for a good film. How wrong I was. Ben Thomas then has flash-backs starting with him saying:

“In 7 days god created the world, in 7 seconds I shattered mine”.

 Ben Thomas keeps popping in and out of seven peoples life’s supposedly chasing their tax returns whilst also having flash backs of his wife. He starts by being very offensive to blind man selling meat, then he stalks a lady in a hospital with a heart problem followed by an obsession with Jelly Fish.

 

I don’t want to give the ending away entirely but all I will say is Ben Thomas doesn’t work for the IRS and is a good man wanting to make right of what he’s done. All the pieces to this puzzle are eventually solved right at the end. The story was like a long, boring, annoying joke that you already know the punch line too. There were moments of emotional intensity, even if you did know where this train crash was going, but it wasn’t enough to rescue the film from plummeting very slowly.

 

Verdict: Too Slow with very few gripping moments. A dull predictable drama which got boring after 20 mins.

 

 

Slumdog Millionaire

 

“I’m unsure how much of the film is actually feel good, but it’s defiantly a feel real film. “

Slumdog Millionaire directed by Danny Boyle is a vibrant and fast film that deals with the harsh reality of the slums but Boyle’s film makes you empathise with characters in this magical story.

At the beginning of the film, we find Jamal Malik (Dev Patel) one question away from winning the top prize of 20 million rupees on India’s Who Wants To Be a Millionaire. The show had to take a break overnight and the police are questioning him because they believe that Jamal, the 18-year-old orphan from the Slums of Mumbai, is cheating.

Boyle throws the audience into the heart of the film, starting with a multiple-choice question;

Jamal Malik is one question away from winning 20 million rupees, How did he do this?

A)    He’s a genius

B)    He’s Lucky

C)   He Cheated

D)   Its Written

 

The police, who start by torturing Jamal to get him to confess. Unable to get him to do anything they begin to watch the footage of Jamal on the show and analyse each question reveling bit-by-bit Jamal’s life as a Slumdog.

“The story of Slumdog millionaire is magical”

Described as a feel good film, the beginning of the film leaves you sitting in your seat questioning what is their to feel good about as you watch the hard and rough reality of Mumbai’s Slums.  Director Danny Boyle manages to shoot the film from street level capturing the vibrancy and energy even when you understand how hard their life actually is.

One of the most satisfying chapters of the film is Jamal as a younger child, the way the film was right down in dirt with the Jamal and his brother Salim, made it very interesting to watch. The scene where Jamal and a bunch of other children are running through the slums. An Ariel shot, moving further back, revealing more and more metal tin roofs and a colleague of colors packed into a small area is breathtaking.

 

The story of Slumdog millionaire is magical because of the way the story intertwines as we see the coincidences, even if sometimes they are absurd, between Jamal’s life and the questions unfolding in front of us.

Boyle and cinematographer, Anthony Dod Mantle , told the story of  the harsh life of Jamal in a way an audience can relate to and empahise with. The film does leave you with a smile on your face but I’m unsure how much of the film is actually feel good, but it’s definitely a feel real film.

 

Verdict: Danny Boyle’s best work to date. Slumdog Millionaire is truly a feel real magical film.