True Grit

Based on the classic story, a young girl (Hailee Steinfeld) is out to avenge her father’s death.  The girl is headstrong and stubborn, she knows what she wants.  She manages to get some money and a horse.  She finds Rooster Cogburn (Jeff Bridges), a man who has lost count of the number of people he has shot; he is mean and true grit but he takes a while to get off his horse.  Her room is taken by a texas ranger, la Boeuf , Matt Damon.  She negotiates an agreement with Cogburn and he asks her to set off tomorrow.  She finds that Cogburn has left with la Boeuf.

The adventure takes over when they set off.  Their adventure is endearing and thrilling.  It is a very calm western, with gun slinging action really in the last second half.  La Boeuf wants some respect as a texas ranger and does decide to do his own thing, but gets shot and bites his own tongue.  He acts with a bitten tongue, very cool.  Cogburn and La Boeuf always try to get one over on each other and be the best.

It must have been shot in the wilderness as it is all so realistic and makes you feel like your there. The atmosphere at times is just great.

With an eventful adventure, I could easily watch this again, the story is 1st class and the ending is majestic.

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Rating 8/10

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Goodfellas

A Martin Scorsese film in 2 hours and 20 mins charting the 1950’s through to 1980. Goodfellas is based on a true story with Ray Liotta as lead role, Henry Hill. Henry is brought into the Mafia from a young age skipping school to run errand, and he immediately starts to enjoy the life of a gangster with nice suits, women and – and lots of money. He meets Jimmy Conway and Tommy DeVito, played by Robert De Niro and Joe Pesci.  They become his two closest friends whose mentality instability starts to cause trouble within the Mafia. The gang carry out many felonies, such as the infamous Lufthansa heist at JFK airport.

Through Henry Hill, the film shows the grim reality of gangster life behind the fast cars and banknotes. Its a story about loyalty and keeping your hands clean – but the question is who would rat out their friend to keep their reputation from picking up dirt? Excellent characterisation with a cameo role by Scorsece’s mum, which we loved. Wife Karen, Lorraine Bracco did an excellent job and Liota made a goodfella seem easy. However there’s a long build up and I’m not sure that this film should be at the top of the IMDB website. Have your say…..

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Ratings:  7.7/10

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SE7EN

In this suspense chilling investigation, two detectives, a veteran, William Somerset (Morgan Freeman) and rookie David Mills (Brad Pitt) are investigating a serial killer who uses the seven deadly sin as his modus operandi. This film comes with an incredible chase, huge climax and some uncomfortable moments. The murders are in ways you can not imagine so prepare your self for a heavy crime story.   Gwyneth Paltrow is David Mills’ wife and Kevin Spacey also stars, Kevin Spacey’s name is no where to be seen on my dvd case, nor IMDB first cast page but you won’t miss him!

The chase is incredibly nerving and thrilling. The start may seem slow paced and tame but it is filled with build up of iconic inspection in the dark with torch lights; an inspection of a suspects apartment is very chilling. You want to ask how each murder was done, how did it happen. Soon afterwards you wonder why you asked, and it is the same with each one!  This movie is very clever and well paced.

IMDB se7en

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Rating 8.2/10

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Basic Instinct

Psychological murder mystery thriller set in San Francisco, California.  Basic Instinct crosses sexual boundaries in film making in that it is extremely explicit.  Michael Douglas plays Nick Curran, the Detective who is investigating the murder of a rock star with an ice pick.  Sharon Stone is Catherine Tramell, she is a murder mystery writer who has written about a murder with an ice pick and therefore she has given herself the perfect alibi – “I’d have to be pretty stupid to write a book about killing and then kill him the way I described in my book. I’d be announcing myself as the killer. I’m not stupid. “.  However, she was the last person known to be in contact with the victim.    Jeanne Tripplehorn also stars as the Psychologist who is helping Nick to overcome his alcoholism and itchy trigger finger.

The music is haunting and the winding roads round the coast to Catherine’s beach house make your spine go all tingly.  The chemistry between Douglas and Stone in this movie is electric and charged with sexual tension.  It is gripping in suspense and the script is exceptionally strong.  Every time Stone appears on the set you fall for her charm.  You get sucked in.  You will try to find the clues but the movie is too clever for you!
IMDB Basic Instinct

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Rating 8.6/10

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The Usual Suspects

Film was made in 1995.

This is actually a line up of Stephen Baldwin (Alec Baldwin’s brother), Gabriel Byrne, Benicio Del Toro (License to Kill, Bond film), Kevin Pollak and Kevin Spacey – see picture below.  These are the usual suspects because they are all hardened and notorious criminals except for Spacey who plays Roger “Verbal” Kint, a cripple who has defrauded people.  Fortunately by happy co-incidence in bringing these fellas together in a fairly bad mood means that they are ready for some pay back time on the police.  They plan and execute a crime from their shared cell while awaiting to be charged which sets the ball rolling for all of them to part-take in another crime but this one will be one of certain death with huge money stakes involved and they have no choice but to agree.   This tale is rather chilling in that the man behind everything is somebody akin to the devil.

To sum up, the actual hopping around from past to present disturbs your concentration of the facts from the very beginning.  I was always asking myself are we in the now?  The very first scene is the most important part of the film so pay attention to get a head start.  A clever plot and some extremely good acting, particularly Kevin Spacey who won an Oscar.  The mood was just right.  We enjoyed this film.
IMDB The Usual Suspects

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Rating 8.5/10

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Taken

17 year old Kim (Maggie Grace), daughter to a government security preventer Bryan Mills (Liam Neeson), goes on holiday to Paris with a Friend to a cousins house.  With her Dad’s permission, he takes her to the airport and asks her to ring upon landing, ring each night and to let him know the address of where she is staying.  Upon landing in France, she and her friend meet a french boy, they share a taxi as it is cheaper and invites them to a party.  They inform him that they are own their own.  They get kidnapped.  The state starts looking for him after his destructive investigation.  He will “pull down the eiffel tower” if needs be.

The kidnapping is done as if it is presented on a plate.  After they get kidnapped, the pace of the film is fast, which is great it is 93 minutes long.  While the action is initially good in the first half, the climax action is too video gamey, walking into a room and take everyone out style.  It also becomes more of a hitman scenario as he kills on the way.  At one point he gets into the “house” where the Albanians are, finds him self with Marko and manages to take them all out.  Although cringeworthy, was done  like a cheesey Bond.

The best bit was when Liam Neeson is in the crime scene and he reconstructs the kidnapping.  It really hits home that she has been Taken.  Being a fan of Liam Neeson (from Schindler’s list) I am disappointed but there were moments.  Although the beginning is never engaging, you are meant to feel Liam Neeson as a boring Father.
IMDB Taken

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Rating 5.2/10

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The Shawshank Redemption

This is a very clever film that taps into human nature at its best and worst.  Tim Robbins plays the hot shot city banker who is jailed for life in Shawshank Prison for the murders of his wife and her lover.   1940’s America and the prison guards are more corrupt and easily as brutal as the inmates themselves.  Morgan Freeman plays Red, the “Norman Stanley Fletcher” of Shawshank who operates a neat little racket as a smuggler of practically anything you could wish for.  Tim Robbins (Andy Dufresne) becomes indispensable as his banking skills are exploited.  A long film but with plenty of drama, suspense and story telling to help you along the way so getting a toilet break will be difficult.  To sum up, superb particularly the end.

IMDB: The Shawshank Redemption

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Rating: 8/10

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The Dark Knight

This is undoubtably the best batman film.  As always there is a force of destructiveness and chaos upon Gotham city, this time, two villans are brought back.  Two face made an appearance as well as the Joker played by an incredible Heath Ledger who nearly stole the show from Christian Bale. He always had a funny quirky story to tell when he was talking to civilians.  Each time different but same ending!   The beginning is the classic bank robbery where you are introduced to Heath Ledger and his hench men.  The story is cliche and batman has to win the day.

Unfortunately Heath Ledger (Oscar for Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role) did  pass away during the making of the film and replacement was used for the last bit of the film.  Christian Bale was almost a natural Batman.  At first a grumbly low quiet voice from a big bulky hench superhero was a bit funny, but Christian Bale was very serious and it suited the role perfectly. Michael Caine performed Alfred the butler again. I do like Michael Caine, but I found him weirdly annoying and was himself more than Alfred.

Good action movie.  More of a guy’s film though and I am so looking forward to The Dark Knight Rises!

IMDB The Dark Knight

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Rating: 7.9/10

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The Departed

Leonardo DiCaprio and Matt Damon are freshly appointed State Police fighting organised crime not merely City cops.  One of them will be asked to become an undercover cop, the “rat” in the crime gang. The other works for the police but is tipping off the crime lord, the “mole” in the police force.  Although they are aware of each other the trouble is that they don’t know who they are after. Each has to blow the other’s cover to ensure their own cover is safe.   Jack Nicholson plays the crime lord extremely well this is a role that he probably spends a lot of time getting into character and stays like it for days and Vera Farmiga plays the love interest between the two cops nice choice.  Fast paced action movie high on emotion. There is no complicated plot however it is tense and well thought out.  So apart from the intro’s childish dialogue and the cringeworthy Mark Wahlberg‘s potty mouth this was an excellent maffiosa film from Scorsese and we enjoyed it!  One of my favourite films.

IMDB The Departed 

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Rating 8.6/10

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Sweeney Todd

A musical based on the story of Sweeney Todd who lives at No. 186 Fleet Street next door to Mrs Lovett’s Meat Pie Shop in Old London Town.  Johnny Depp (Sweeney Todd) lands up in London after being sent abroad on Her Majesty’s pleasure to find himself back in his old haunts where (Helena Bonham Carter) Mrs Lovett is busy making the “worst pies in London”.  So Sweeney Todd has a score to settle and his wife and daughter to locate.  Unfortunately he is little too quick to seek his revenge and kills a couple of people along the way but cunningly Mrs Lovett has a very good idea about how to get rid of the bodies.

The songs were not memorable as in the likes of Gilbert and Sullivan, but the verses told the story and became part of the script really.  Very gory and gruesome with dark scenes and I mean dark – you will reach for the remote and wonder why it is so dark but remember itis a Tim Burton film and this is to be expected!  Alan Rickman star and Timothy Spall.

IMDB Sweeney Todd

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Rating: 7.3/10

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