Slow West

The trailer for Slow West popped up in the cinema a lifetime ago. I cannot for the life of me remember where I saw it but I know that I did.  It was immediately filed under "Upcoming Fassy Films" and then promptly forgotten.  Slow West earned a limited release and my unwavering loyalty to Michael Fassbender meant that it wasn’t an effort drop everything and go see it immediately.

PLOT:  Lovesick Jay (Kodie Smit-McPhee) travels from Scotland to America to find his long lost love Rose (Caren Pistorious).  After arriving in lawless America Jay employs Silas (Michael Fassbender) to lead him safely across the country to Rose.  END PLOT

The plot of Slow West is a relatively simple tale of two mismatched travellers who happen to meet while travelling across 19th century America.  A begrudging friendship emerges against a backdrop of death and comedy.  The body count is high and the humour is dark which makes Slow West my kind of film.  There is a purposefully unsubtle “salt in wound” moment and a brilliantly understated conversation about the unfortunate death of an incompetent lumberjack.  Despite not being a billed as a comedy there were plenty of unexpected laughs scattered throughout the film.

Kodie Smit-McPhee has an innocence that made Jay’s quest seem ridiculously naïve in a land where you can get mugged in your sleep and the cigar smoking Michael Fassbender is relishing his role as the bastard love child of Han Solo and Clint Eastwood.  There is an argument to be made that both actors’ accents are shaky but this is only a minor quibble.  As is law, Ben Mendelsohn pops up in yet another supporting role and even he couldn’t derail the film which is quite the achievement.

Slow West has clearly been made on a shoestring budget and the cheap sets coupled with a score than sounded like it was being played by an orchestra of one-armed drunkards made the entire production a recipe for disaster.  Thankfully, disaster was averted as although the sets were basic the scenery and landscapes were gorgeous and the plodding score complimented the slow pace brilliantly.

The film clocks in at 84mins (IMDB) but despite the short running time nothing in Slow West happened at speed.  The pacing is slow which adds to the nonchalant feel and contrasts with the dangerous environment Jay and Silas find themselves in.  Slow West is much cleverer than meets the eye.

On another day Slow West would have been overlooked but the luck of the Irish strikes again and Michael Fassbender shows that he has the knack of choosing quirky indie films down to a fine art.  Slow West gets 8/10.  It will get lost in the summer melee but it is definitely worth a look if it should happen to saunter your way.

The Most Memorable Films of 2014

 

Now that 2014 is almost over everyone is compiling their obligatory lists for best/worst films of the year and heaven forbid I don't jump up and drive the bandwagon.  I am far too lazy to write two separate lists so I have combined them and created, for your pleasure, a list of my most memorable films whether they be good or bad. 

 

As a general FYI Oscar Season doesn't kick off here until January so expect to see any memorable Oscar baiting films in next years list.  Exciting stuff.  I am sure it will be worth the wait.

 

10 – Fury

Despite the fact that Brad Pitt dresses up as "Brad Pitt in WW2" and phones in the only performance he is capable of giving Fury is a pretty good film.  Pitt may be the A-List cast member but Fury is the story of Logan Lerman’s young Norman Ellison.  Fury is the first time I have seen Lerman in an adult film and he more than held his own against Brad Pitt although it wasn't much of a challenge.  The chemistry between Pitt and Lerman was strong but every time Pitt stared intently at Lerman I couldn’t shake the feeling that he was trying to figure out a way to adopt him.  Fury was a solid, action heavy war film which more than deserved its viewing in the cinema. 

 

9 – Noah

2014 seems to be the year when Hollywood decided to go all biblical on us and force feed tales from the Old Testament down our throats.  Noah was first out of the gate and this was enough to earn it a place on the list over the equally horrific Exodus: Gods and Kings.  Watching Russell Crowe’s Noah stomp around the ark like a raving lunatic was not pleasant viewing and let’s not forget the creepy scene when Jennifer Connelly wanted to marry off two new born girls to her teenage sons.  An awful, awful film.

 

8 – The Judge

http://karina-mundanerambling.blogspot.co.uk/2014/10/the-judge.html

With another cast The Judge would have been a perfectly good film but casting Robert Downey Jnr to play the lawyer version of Robert Downey Jnr was the laziest choice of 2014.  RDJ finally morphed into a caricature and he has become so bloated by his own ego it has become impossible to watch him on screen without feeling immense hatred.

 

7 – X-Men: Days of Future Past

I hated Brian Singer for leaving the X-Men franchise and I wasn’t willing to forgive him until I saw Days of Future Past.  I finally got the X-Men of my childhood.  The only criticism I have would be that Ian McKellen got short changed on screen time.  Bring on Apocalypse!

 

6 – Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles

There was nothing but negative press surrounding the latest remake of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles and a dodgy trailer did nothing to pique my interest, and yet, by the time the film arrived there were rumblings of it being not too bad.  Chalk it up to nostalgia or chalk it up to Will Arnett, either way, I had a great time.  Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles is probably the most surprisingly entertaining film of the year.  It was by no means perfect but going along to see the next instalment doesn’t feel like too much of a chore.  A job fairly well done.

 

5 – Gone Girl

A much hyped film adaptation of Gillian Flynn’s novel.  This is one of those rare occasions when I had read the book before the film was announced.  I knew the story well enough to hate the casting of Ben Affleck and Rosamund Pike.  My hatred was misplaced as Gone Girl was an engaging film despite my having read the book twice.  Gone Girl is one of those films that was watched, enjoyed and then instantly forgotten about.  David Fincher was the right man for the job and keeps up his near perfect streak of making films that I love yet only feel the need to watch once. 

 

4 – Lone Survivor

I finally blew the dust of my Lone Survivor DVD and watched it for the first time quite recently.  I was blown away.  Lone Survivor was an amazing film which had me on the edge of my seat from start to finish.  The only problem was that the film lacked a few big emotional punches but it saved them for the closing credits by honouring the fallen soldiers who were killed in action.  It could have been a cheap ploy for manipulated tears but it was well handled, poignant and any tears that I shed were genuine.  I so desperately want Peter Berg to become one of my favourite directors and he always gets so close but then cranks out a Battleship or Hancock to slide him back down the rankings. 

 

3 – Deliver us from Evil

http://karina-mundanerambling.blogspot.co.uk/2014/08/deliver-us-from-evil.html

The only horror film to make it onto the list this year purely because The Babadook got such a limited release in the cinema it was impossible to see it.  Deliver us from Evil could have been a familiar tale of possession and exorcism but it switches up the format by playing out like a grimy thriller on the streets of New York.  It is a bit dry in parts but the biggest problem with Deliver us from Evil is that it is a film – It would have made an excellent tv show.

 

Imagine tuning into this every week.

 

Deliver us from Evil also introduced me to Joel McHale and Community which in turn has saved me a small fortune in DVD’s this year as I have been watching Community on a loop for the past six months.  It’s always nice when a film I like introduces me to a hidden gem.  Director Scott Derrickson has joined the Marvel team which bodes well for Dr Strange although I wouldn't be unhappy if he treated us to a sequel in the interim (provided it isn't called Deliver us from Evil Again.)

 

2 – Calvary

http://karina-mundanerambling.blogspot.co.uk/2014/04/calvary.html

A couple of years ago John Michael McDonagh and Brendan Gleeson brought us The Guard which is one of my all-time favourite films.  In 2014 they teamed up again with Calvary, the story of a Priest who is given one week to live before he is murdered.  Rather than go to the police and save himself Father James sets about getting his house in order and attempts to reach out to his parishioners.  Although there is some black humour the film is a dark drama and gives Gleeson an opportunity to show that he is one of the finest actors around.  Gleeson has already picked up some awards for his performance but I expect the film to be too quiet to pick up any Oscar traction.  This is Oscar’s loss.

 

1.5 - Frank

 

http://karina-mundanerambling.blogspot.co.uk/2014/05/frank.html

 

Maybe I forgot to find Frank a place on the list, maybe I wanted to add a bit of tension before we got to number 1 - I will never tell.  Frank is one of those random films that appeared in the listings without prior notice and gave me an excuse not to see Godzilla on opening weekend.  It is very much worth a look and proves that the Gleeson talent did not skip a generation.

 

1 – Pride

http://karina-mundanerambling.blogspot.co.uk/2014/09/pride.html

The top spot was a toss-up between Calvary and Pride but Pride stole it by a whisker.  Right from the trailer I knew that Pride would be a film that I would enjoy.  Pride is set during the 1984 miners’ strike when a group of friends set up the GLSM to provide relief to the struggling minors.  There is plenty of humour and heart which makes it easy to fall in love with the characters.  It is a perfect, feel good film, which made a dismal year in the cinema worth it.

 

This is hardly the most inspiring list of films but it is what it is.  Hopefully 2015 will be a much more successful, movie watching year.  I don't think it could get any worse!

And there is always this to fall back on:

 

Frank

 

It is a testament to the pulling power of an individual actor when a production shot of Michael Fassbender wearing a papier mâché mask was enough to make me actively seek out a film. 

I never got around to watching the trailer but it didn’t matter as the combination of Domhnall Gleeson and Michael Fassbender was all it took for me to purchase a ticket. 

It would be easy enough to overlook Frank in the listings on an average weekend but given that it opened opposite Godzilla I shouldn’t have been surprised at the empty screen.

PLOT:  Young musician Jon (Domhnall Gleeson) stumbles upon an odd alternate group called Soronprfbs led by the equally odd Frank (Michael Fassbender).  Using social media to build up the bands profile Jon encourages them to travel to America to play their first live gig at a music festival however when they arrive on US soil the band implodes due to the pressure to succeed. END PLOT

On the face of it Frank appears almost too quirky for its own good however as the film progresses it quickly finds its feet and it is easy to get sucked into the mad and destructive world of Soronprfbs.    

Domhnall Gleeson is perfectly cast as the naïve and optimistic newcomer and on a first glance the bands’ reaction to his arrival seems inexplicably harsh.  By the films end the emotional and mental problems of various group members are exposed in the most public of ways due to Jon’s desperation to succeed which suddenly places the emphasis on Jon’s selfishness.  Frank has a surprisingly complex script which needs to be viewed from both Jon and the bands point of view, particularly Clara's (Maggie Gyllenhaal), to be fully appreciated.

Michael Fassbender spends the vast majority of the film behind his mask and has some very comedic moments when he starts narrating his facial expressions.  Frank at the beginning of the film is light hearted and fun but in the closing scene his body expressions have become so closed off and awkward it is almost uncomfortable to watch.  It is a brilliant performance from Fassbender.  The closing scene when Soronprfbs play their first gig is emotional and I found myself willing them on.

The supporting cast of Maggie Gyllenhaal and the ever present Scoot McNairy are also on top form and add different dimensions to the mentally unsound bunch of musicians. Gyllenhaal's performance of Clara gets better every time I think about her.

The cast and script of Frank are excellent and although the premise is undoubtedly ridiculous the film has more than enough heart to see it through.  It does become genuinely sad that a group of misfits have their happy existence torn apart by one man’s desperation to have his music heard.

To those of you who saw Godzilla this weekend I don’t doubt you had a marvellous time but I saw the better film.  Frank gets 9/10.  I may be biased but it is so good to see Irish cinema having a strong run….mostly thanks to the Gleeson family.

The Most Memorable Films of 2012

It is January which means that the blogging world compiles their best/worst lists.  Due to nothing other than laziness my list is based on the most memorable films I have viewed over the past year. 

It digs me out of a rather large hole for two reasons:
1: I am not compelled to compile a best and worst list as memorable covers everything
2: I am not limited to films released in 2012 or viewed in the cinema

As I tend to make the rules up as I go along this suits me perfectly.

 

10 – The Artist - January

http://karina-mundanerambling.blogspot.co.uk/2012/01/artist.html

The Artist almost begrudgingly takes a spot on my list of memorable films of 2012.  The silent film deserved all the praise it received for daring to try something different. 

 

I enjoyed The Artist in the cinema but the soundtrack gets more love than the film does.  It was a great achievement but I am relieved that it didn’t start a craze of silent black and white films.

 

9 – John Carter - March

http://karina-mundanerambling.blogspot.co.uk/2012/03/john-carter.html

I feel like I am in the minority with John Carter but I don’t particularly care as I enjoyed it – granted the film is flawed, probably too long and Carters only mode of transportation across Mars is to get kidnapped but there is something about the adventure that entertains me.  It is a bizarre mixture of laughing with it and at it but there is also genuine affection. 

I think it’s popular for the cool kidz to hate this film. I don’t.

 

8 – Shame - January

http://karina-mundanerambling.blogspot.co.uk/2012/01/shame.html

 

January 2012 and Shame are now a very long time ago but this was the film that confirmed beyond any doubt the acting ability of Michael Fassbender. 

I will never understand how Fassy didn’t get Oscar nominated for his performance.

 

7 – [REC] 3: Genesis - November

http://karina-mundanerambling.blogspot.co.uk/2012/11/rec3-genesis_11.html

 

[REC] and [REC]2 didn’t get a cinematic release and [REC]3: Genesis did not break tradition. 

I love the [REC] franchise but unfortunately the shift in tone and style for the third offering was so jarring it became the weakest of the series so far.  On another day the over the top gore and humour would have been enjoyable but as a [REC] film it felt totally out of place. 

I was expecting the changes before I watched the dvd and was well prepared for them but I still can’t help but feel disappointed by what I saw.

 

6 – The Avengers - April

http://karina-mundanerambling.blogspot.co.uk/2012/04/avengers-avengers-assemble.html

 

There was a toss-up between The Dark Knight Rises and The Avengers for a place on the list – both were great films in their own rights but The Avengers wins a spot on the list because of the goose-bump inducing Avengers Assemble moment which still packs a punch on dvd. The Dark Knight Rises dvd has yet to be purchased.

It'll take something special for the sequel to top this moment

The Dark Knight Rises is the final instalment of Nolan’s epic trilogy but The Avengers started off with Iron Man in 2008 and built from there. 

The Avengers brought all of the characters together in a film that made sense to a non-comic-book-reading fan.  Seeing the members of the team work together as one solid unit during the Battle for New York was one of the most memorable moments of the year.
 

5 – The Woman in Black - February

http://karina-mundanerambling.blogspot.co.uk/2012/02/woman-in-black.html

 

I had read The Woman in Black and seen the play prior to the film being announced so there was a ridiculous amount of excitement for the big screen adaptation.

Aside from being an excellent film what made the Woman in Black memorable was that my friends and I rocked up to the cinema on Valentine’s Day only to find that the queue was out the door and around the street.  This was an amazing achievement for romance in our bleak little town and the only single people in the vicinity turned around and went home.  We viewed The Woman in Black on 15 February 2012.

I didn’t warm to the casting of Daniel Radcliffe until I watched the film and was more relieved than surprised that I didn’t see Harry Potter.  The director, James Watkins, is hopefully one to keep an eye on.

The Woman in Black is one of the best horror films of the year.
 

4 – The Snapper - September/October (?)

 

The Snapper is an Irish comedy from 1993 in which teenager Sharon Curely falls pregnant after a drunken one night stand.  The family deal with the pregnancy in a typically hilarious and unsympathetic Irish manner.   

The humour is similar to the comedy in The Guard right down to the casual racism.  Everything about The Snapper is distinctly Irish and I love it for that reason alone.

I saw The Snapper at the Belfast Film Festival and my biggest regret of 2012 was not asking Stephen Frears for an autograph when I was standing beside him.
 

3 – Chronicle - February

http://karina-mundanerambling.blogspot.co.uk/2012/02/chronicle.html

Right when we were all getting bored of found-footage Chronicle came along with a shoe string budget and sci-fi setting and created one of the best films of the year. 

It was a fantastic achievement and breathed new life into a dying fad.  It'll be interesting to see what director Josh Trank does with the Fantastic Four reboot (IMDB).
 

2 – The Grey - January

http://karina-mundanerambling.blogspot.co.uk/2012/01/grey.html

 

The Grey is another of my favourite films of 2012.  It was bleak, cold and the consent but mostly unseen threat of the wolves created a genuinely tense experience.  It didn’t do Liam Neeson’s reputation as a badass any harm either.

I am blessed by being part of a Nerdy Trio that practically lives in the cinema but The Grey was the first time that I had ever ventured there on my own.  This was a decision that almost backfired during the ridiculously stressful and realistic plane crash as there were no hands to hold.
 

1 – I Saw the Devil - August

http://karina-mundanerambling.blogspot.co.uk/2012/08/i-saw-devil.html

 

I Saw the Devil was originally released in 2010 but as I am always a good few steps behind everyone else I didn’t see the film until August 2012 and only viewed it on the recommendation of a fellow blogger.

I don’t normally go for uber violent films and because of this revenge thrillers are almost at the bottom of my list of films to watch. 

I Saw the Devil is a welcome exception to the rule.  I love everything about this film – the plot is strong from start to finish and the performances of Byung-hun Lee and Min-Sik Choi are exceptional.

There is violence, blood and gore but it is never over the top. There are some scenes, for example a little quiet moment with blood covering snow, which are eerily beautiful. 

After Senna last year I wasn’t sure what deserved the number 1 spot for 2012.  As soon as I looked through my blog I Saw the Devil was the obvious choice.  

I Saw the Devil was memorable for being an excellent film but more so as it was from a genre that I (still) purposely avoid.

Prometheus - spoiler free

I had avoided all promotion, publicity and spoilers for Prometheus as I wanted to go into the cinema on opening day completely blind. It was a complete 180 turnaround from The Avengers as with each passing tv spot I had practically watched the film before it was released.

PLOT: Elizabeth Shaw (Noomi Rapace) and Charlie Holloway (Logan Marshall-Green) find a sequence of unrelated cave paintings which suggests the answer to the origins of mankind may be found on a distant planet. The scientists join a crew of explorers and set off to find the planet. Once they arrive there are more questions than answers as they stumble upon something which requires me to go back and watch the film again to understand it fully (ever the professional). END PLOT

The pace of the plotting is slow yet engaging but only up to a point. I have never been a fan of films that attempt to explore the creation of mankind as they ultimately leave the question open to allow for “viewer interpretation” however in Prometheus it wreaks of “how the hell should I know but the movie is already over two hours long so let’s just wrap it up and leave it up to viewer interpretation – or the sequel”.

The film ended with so many questions you just have to question the strength of the writing.  I have no problem with open ended films but it just felt that Prometheus was too vague to be considered clever or thought provoking.

Although the storyline left a lot to be desired there were many other aspects of the film which saved it.  The cast were exceptional for the most part with Noomi Rapace and Michael Fassbender being the unsurprising standouts although it has to be noted that their characters were the only two that the film attempted to flesh out.

Charlize Theron was fine however her character was ultimately pointless. If Meredith Vickers was removed completely there would be no gap to fill. Vicker’s revelation towards the end of the film was so cheesy it induced neck muscle straining levels of cringe.

Idris Elba, although as effortless as ever, wins the award for the most unnecessary American Accent of the year and the rest of the cast are all vaguely familiar from somewhere (Sunshine and minor Game of Thrones roles).

The film looks as gorgeous as you would expect – it was dark, atmospheric and simply stunning.

The effects and set pieces, although sometimes lacking in tension, were well executed however there was no grand finale, or if there was, I was underwhelmed.

The poorest effect was probably the most basic – Guy Piece being aged looked awful and he reminded me of a very old Bill Tannen gone wrong.

I like my sci-fi slow moving and atmospheric and Prometheus did fit the bill perfectly but it has also left me cold and I cannot explain why. It is most definitely a film that needs to be watched a couple of times to be appreciated so I will check it out again on dvd. Prometheus gets decent first viewing score of 7.5/10. It just lacked something but I’d be dammed if I know what it was.

I would not be unhappy if James Cameron rocked up with the Marines for Prometheus’s, Prometheus’, Prome2heus, Promethei, the sequel.

PS – the Alien references are there and blatantly obvious but you can find them for yourselves!

Haywire

Michael Fassbender featured heavily in the trailer for Haywire in which he was unceremoniously beaten, strangled and thrown into a bath.  An explanation was required for the shocking treatment of Fassbender by some random butch chick.  This is the sole reason Haywire was on my radar. 

PLOT:  Mallory Kane (Gina Carano) an employee of a nameless and non-government funded spy agency is doubled-crossed by Kenneth, (Ewan McGregor) Rodrigo, (Antonia Banderas) Coblenz, (Michael Douglas) Aaron (Channing Tatum) and Paul (Michael Fassbender).  Mallory reacts to being set up by kicking forty shades of green out of Paul in a Dublin hotel and thereafter travels back to America to hunt down the most evil Kenneth in history to get some answers.  END PLOT

Haywire may be advertised as an intelligent thriller with the female equivalent of Jason Bourne in the lead role but it is just another “I’ve been double-crossed and I must know why” tale and offers absolutely nothing new to the genre.  The film ended two hours ago and I still haven’t been able to figure out the exact reason why Kenneth wanted Mallory dead.  I know it is because of Barcelona and isn’t because she dumped him…...…

Gina Carano is hot, feisty and I honestly believe she could kill me with one finger however in the acting world she is essentially the bastard love child of that unstoppable juggernaut Michael Myers and Angelina Jolie.

Carano is not a natural actress and relied heavily on the fact that she is a complete kicker of asses to carry her through the film.  It is refreshing to have a female action star who you believe could throw a punch without shattering her own skinny elbow so fingers crossed Carano partakes in a few acting lessons before her next film.

Ewan McGregor appears to be sacrificing his natural charm in favour of pronouncing each and every syllable in an obviously fake American accent and I do like Channing Tatum although if pressed I wont be able to remember why. 

The rest ensemble cast is made up of respectable names such as Antonio Banderas, Michael Douglas and the always impressive Michael Fassbender.

Haywire does star an enviable list of actors but the entire cast roll through proceedings looking constantly bewildered.  It’s as though they signed up to take part in an action thriller and seem extremely confused by the lack of thrilling action.   

This is perhaps a harsh summary as the fight between Carano and Fassbender is the best section of the entire film.  Their fight looked fantastic and was exceptionally well choreographed.  The real problem is it occurred during the first third of the film.  This meant that all fist fights which took place afterwards couldn't even match it let alone top it. 

In Haywire no one uses a gun except Kenneth as he is the worlds most evil Kenneth.

I appreciate that Haywire was never intended to be a loud and in your face but everything was almost too understated for its own good. 

There was a scene towards the end of the film in which Douglas and Carano were conversing in an aeroplane hanger and as my mind began to wander I noticed tumbleweed blowing across the runway in the back of the shot.  This moment summed up my feelings for the film.

Haywire is a very slick and at times gritty thriller but at the end of the day I was bored out of my skull.  It gets a 6/10. 

Shame

Shame had been on my radar for sometime as it starred Michael Fassbender but I only really started to pay serious attention to the film after he won best actor at the Venice Film Festival.

Despite all the hype the adult content means that Shame is highly unlikely to get a wide release but luckily the Queen’s Film Theatre was giving the film a decent run.

PLOT:  Brandon (Michael Fassbender) is a young professional who is addicted to sex.  His highly organised routine is interrupted when his younger sister Sissy (Carey Mulligan) moves in with him causing his addiction to spiral out of control.  END PLOT

Shame is the second offering from the Steve McQueen/Michael Fassbender director/actor partnership and like Hunger, Shame is very much a performance driven film.

The film opens with Brandon on a subway train staring at a young woman.  What starts off as innocent flirting becomes extremely awkward as Brandon’s gazing goes beyond the levels of comfort and the woman leaves the train.  The scene lasted for about 5mins and contained no dialogue but Fassbender was able to command the screen and draw this particular viewer in.  The closing scene mirrored the opening with the exception of a few subtle differences and was a clever way of bringing the film to a quiet end.

Fassbender is absolutely mesmerising with every thought and feeling of Brandon’s being portrayed by his facial expressions to perfection.  Fassbender owned the screen and my eyes were locked on his for the duration of the film. 

I am not a fan of Carey Mulligan as she has overused her understated form of acting to the extent that she is just bland.  In Shame Mulligan was surprisingly good as and she sang a beautiful version of New York.

Fassbender and Mulligan had some fantastic scenes together some of which hinted that their childhood contained some dark times.  Their past was not explored or acknowledged so it was left up to the viewer to draw their own conclusions.

A lot has been made of the sex in Shame and although there was nudity and some extremely graphic sex scenes it never felt that it was crossing any line.   They became more frequent and intense as Brandon started to lose control of his organised life but to be honest they worked in the context of the film. 

McQueen has a very slow directing style with each scene containing very few, if any cuts, and the camera rarely moves.  This helped to give further credence to Fassbender’s acting as some of the scenes contained little dialogue and were solely reliant on his silent performance.  There were a few exceptions with several long tracking shots of Brandon out jogging.  These scenes showed just how gorgeous New York looks on film.

I remember writing not that long ago that David Fincher has a habit of making excellent films that I will only ever view once and as it stands Steve McQueen is also in this category.

The style and the quality of the acting in Shame cannot be faulted but I am hard pressed to give it a rating out of ten as the film would be nothing without the performance of Michael Fassbender. 

Shame is an excellent film but I cannot recommend it to others as people will already know whether or not they have any desire to see it.  I am not a blogger who has the skill to change that which is a pity as it deserves to be watched - if only once.

Jonah Hex

Michael Fassbender Season came to a close today however I can’t say that it went out on a particular high as the final film to be viewed was Jonah Hex.

PLOT:  Jonah Hex (Josh Brolin) is a bounty hunter with the supernatural power to converse with the dead.  Quentin Turnbull (John Malkovich) kills Jonah’s family and fakes his own death.  Jonah is enlisted in the army to help catch Turnbull who has been discovered alive and plotting a villainous plot.  There are many dream sequences which I can’t keep up with.  Megan Fox digs deep in order to play a whore.  END PLOT

The plot of Jonah Hex is very weak which is a shame as given its comic book origins there should have been enough material floating around to at least give us a basic and coherent story. 

Josh Brolin is fine as Jonah Hex and he growls his way through the film without humour or awareness that the final result will not be worth his efforts.

John Malkovich is as bad as ever and becoming more of a caricature with each long overacted performance.

This film was watched solely for Michael Fassbender who was at least having fun as a crazy Irishman causing havoc in the middle of the Old West. For the duration of the enjoyable eight minutes he was on screen I couldn’t help but think that he would be a great choice if Christopher Nolan ever needed to cast The Riddler.

The action was extremely cartoonish which didn’t blend with Brolin’s over serious performance.  The director Jimmy Hayward’s career had been based in animation up until this point so it shows that the transition between animation (albeit at the top level) and live action may not be for everyone.

One thing the film’s favour was that its version of the Old West looked great.  It had a similar look to Cowboys and Aliens but unfortunately the everything else was every bit as crap.

Jonah Hex gets 3/10 - on another day, with a different director, different script and altered cast it had potential.  This is a prime example of a failed attempt at a franchise launch. 

The Bender Wagon has rolled to an upsetting halt until it's next pick up in 2012 - Oscar Season. 

Fish Tank

Michael Fassbender Season is coming to an end and as I watched the dvds in the order the good Royal Mail delivered them 2009’s Fish Tank is one of the last to be viewed:

PLOT:  Mia (Katie Jarvis) is a very streetwise fifteen year old girl who lives with her drunken mother Joanne (Kierston Wareing) and younger sister Tyler (Rebecca Griffiths) in a run down Essex Council Estate.  The family have a volatile relationship until Joanne starts to date charming Irishman Connor (Michael Fassbender).  Mia and Connor form an awkward friendship in which Connor encourages Mia to open up to him and to carry out her dream of becoming a dancer.  As the family begin to grow closer Mia discovers that all is not what it seems with Connor which causes her to grow up quickly and in the harshest of circumstances.  END PLOT

The plot of Fish Tank is very strong and the broken family’s interactions with one another are all too real and at times devastatingly sad.  The dialogue free moment with Mia, her mother and sister making their peace with one another by dancing together was surprisingly emotional. 

The character of Mia was very well written as there were many layers to the angry teen act.  Mia’s dance arc was very much kept as a side story and the main focus remained on her turbulent relationship with her family - Fish Tank did not turn into a grittier version of Step Up.

Katie Jarvis was literally picked off the Essex streets to play Mia and for someone with no acting experience she gave a very genuine performance. 

Michael Fassbender is easily charming as Connor although he does have some dark moments.  The scene with Mia dancing for Connor as he stares intently at her is very unsettling.  I found myself seeing where that scene was heading and willing it to take another turn.  It didn’t.

The supporting cast all gave very strong performances but Fish Tank is Jarvis’ film and she carried it exceptionally well.

There are some lighter moments and the humour mostly comes from Tyler, her foul mouth and some cracking one liners.  The fact that Tyler is so young makes the humour bitter-sweet as this is a child who will have no option but to grow up into another version of Mia and thereafter her mother causing this version of a council estate upbringing to continue all over again. 

If I were to pick a flaw in Fish Tank it would be the length as the film is just over two hours long.  There was a section in the middle which did drag slightly so I think tighter editing was needed to keep the fast paced film flowing evenly.   

Fish Tank is a very strong and very British coming of age drama which doesn’t shy away from the fact that not all teens get a happy ending.  It gets a very decent 8.5/10.