Saturday, April 28, 2007

Eight films what I saw

My brain is still absent without leave. I found a meme I meant to do but even that was too taxing. However, I get withdrawal if I don't blog for a few days and I have watched a load of films this spring. So I decided to review all the films I have recently seen which have been released on DVD in the UK since the beginning of 2007, in under fifty words each. If I try to review anything properly, smoke will come out of my ears, but this way you'll at least know what to watch and what not to, given that my taste in such things is impeccable.

In order of least-liked to most-liked:

Borat - Cultural Learnings of America for Make Benefit Glorious Nation of Kazakhstan. When you see truly bigoted people being taken for a ride, it is all fine and dandy, but some of the people involved in this film seemed both genuine and completely obvious, a combination of which made this embarrassing and uncomfortable to watch.

The Devil Wears Prada. I kind of hoped this would be funnier, but as it wasn't, I found it rather boring. However, it is most likely not my kind of movie. I instinctively imagine the book is better but it’s probably not my kind of book either. One for girlier girls, I reckon.

The Queen. It's very well done and everything, but I didn't really see much point to it. The film merely recounted events which were pretty much as anyone might have imagined events must have been. Still, Helen Mirren is great, even though it is quite discombobulating to find the Queen so sexy.

A Scanner Darkly. From the Philip K. Dick novel about one man’s downward spiral of paranoia fueled by recreational drug-taking and a culture of surveillance. The whole thing has been filmed and then made to look like a cartoon, which makes the whole thing even weirder than it already is. Um, interesting..?

The History Boys. From the Alan Bennett play, which feels very much like a play all the way through. With a few significant reservations, this was really good. [...], however, hated it so much that we had to stop it half way and watch Pretty Woman instead. Some people!

Pan's Labyrinth. This is great, but with surreality compounded in my case by fatigue and subtitles . It is about a little girl who befriends a faun, except with all the darkness and violence of the arse end of the Spanish Civil War, which is, of course, won by the wrong side.

Thank You For Smoking. I liked this film a lot. Our hero is a lobbiest for the tobacco industry, attempting to maintain a positive image for cigarettes. It is very funny, but it’s a kind of subtle wit which is rather rare in movies. Sort of Yes, Minister humour for the twenty-first century.

Little Miss Sunshine. I loved this film. It was one of those movies that makes you feel like you belong. It is a great film about the nature of winning and losing. I really ought to write a proper review some time, but please go and watch it in the meantime.


Edit: Meanwhile, as I didn't see until just after I published this, Timbo has also been going goggled-eyed.

13 comments:

Anonymous said...

Only one of these I've seen is Prada which I watched as a long-time fan of Streep.

Sadly I found the film itself pointless but Stanley Tucci gives a food performance as does Streep.

Anonymous said...

Blast - good performance!!

The Goldfish said...

Oh, the perils of reading blogs at teatime I guess. ;-)

Sally said...

And everyone a Freudian slip !

Just about to watch The Queen, but still in love with Orlando which I watched last weekend. Oh I love DVD rental, 'cos cinemas just blast my tinnitus into outer space ...
Goldfish, you always make sense !

Anonymous said...

I'd highly recommend the book of "The Devil Wears Prada". It is nothing like the film. And you don't have to know anything about fashion to enjoy it (good think for me!). The book is a biting satire on the fashion and magazine industries, not an homage.

Anonymous said...

Thing. Thing. Not think. This mis-typing is catching!

seahorse said...

Little Miss Sunshine is one I've been waiting to see for a while now, so as soon as concentration permits I will take up your recommendation.

Timbo said...

Goggle-eyed is about right.

And I heard Little Miss Sunshine was a bit twee? Is this right, or am I being lied to?

The Goldfish said...

Sally - Rightho, Orlando goes on the list.

Amy P - Okay, as you have recommended I do so, I shall read the book. :-)

Seahorse - Good, I hope you enjoy it as much as I did.

Timbo - Little Miss Sunshine does have its moments of edging close schmultz, yes, but overall, I think it avoids being twee. Only, it isn't always as cynical as it seems to start out as, if you know what I mean.

Mary said...

Not seen any of those. Borat was already on my "no" list though, along with Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles.

I am currently stroking the loveliness of the DVD of Terry Pratchett's Hogfather - the one that SkyOne were showing over Christmas? It's good. 185 minutes, but in two parts, which makes it less of a marathon.

seahorse said...

Looking at your BADD sidebar, it suddenly occurs to me that OF COURSE you are tired. Let it not be forgotten that you are the driving force behind this magnificent show. I'm really looking forward to it.

Maddy said...

Not managed to join the list of participants [keeps bouncing] but Little Miss Sunshine would certainly get my vote.
Cheers

Mikefly said...

I'd like to invite you to join the group http://groups.google.com/group/accessblogspot/

Hope to see you there.

Mike Chou