In Cinemas (your OWF guide to movies this weekend)...
(A U.K. Guide, though we have reviewed U.S. only releases Shutter Island, Cop Out and this week's new offering Brooklyn's Finest previously).
Big New Release...
The second really big 3-D release after Avatar is Alice in Wonderland and it will dominate the box office weekend as the Disney marketing hype-machine has really gone into overdrive for this one. I doubt any other movie stands a chance up against it. Shame the movie sucks though, eh? The kooky Tim Burton and his creative muse Johnny Depp team up for the seventh time with a kind of odd sequel to the first Lewis Carroll story that borrows WAY too much from The Chronicles of Narnia tale, going for a "Wonderland at threat" plot that carries the prophecy of a 19 year old Alice saving the fantasy world in a big sword-heavy finale. (the rest of the new releases, reviewed after the jump...) It is a disapponting movie that you should avoid at all costs but I guess curiosity will carry you into the theatre. You all know what happened to the cat though right? I wonder whether all the critics that have praised it on Rotten Tomatoes (an astonishingly high 54%), make a u-turn on second viewing. Five years down the line, Alice in Wonderland will be pointed at as being a particular low-point in Tim Burton's oeuvre. Of course, it's gonna make a fortune though so sadly Burton will turn to Wizard of Oz or something to adapt over the next few years. You watch. Matt said...Alice In Wonderland... feels like it was made by a watered down, paint-by-numbers, Disneyfied filtered Burton. Theres a few moments of visual pizazz and the magical spark among a few creatures (notably the visuals and excellent voice work of Stephen Frys Cheshire Cat), but all in all this is a disappointing, lower effort in the Burton/Depp filmography and it ranks alongside Charlie and the Chocolate Factory as a candy-coloured, tonally confused mis-step for the creative pair.
OWF Pick of the Weekend:
Finally, Crazy Heart makes it's way to the U.K. shores today and with a decent-sized release to boot on the eve of Jeff Bridges' almost certain Best Actor nod at this weekend's Oscars. Released in mid-December in the U.S. - this smalltime drama centers on Bridges as a washed up country and western singer Bad Blake, who decides, maybe too late - to try and get his life in order. The movie features an Academy Award nominated supporting nod from Maggie Gyllenhaal, and a quiet direction from Scott Cooper - for what is essentially, Oscar baiting star vehicle material. However, we shall forgive it because a) it's not a biopic and b) The story is well told, and it's just a joy to see Bridges re-visit the kind of character he can lose himself in. A very likeable movie, and you'll have a good time with it. Ray said;Playing like a country-western version of The Wrestler, the new Jeff Bridges Oscar showcase Crazy Heart plums familiar territory with a gentle touch of humor and humanity. There int much here that hasnt been told before in countless hard life on the road music-based dramas, but the compelling performances and truthful writing make for a thoughtful, introspective experience.
Worth A Look
Chloe is an interesting sounding erotic thriller starring Liam Neeson, Amanda Seyfried and Julianne Moore that debuted at the Toronto International Film Festival back in October. Directed by acclaimed Armenian born Indie helmer Atom Egoyan, Chloe is a remake of a 2004 French movie titled Nathalie. Despite a negative review from OWF's John Nugent, I'm kinda intrigued by this one. The trailer is smokin' hot Brian De Palma esque, and I love indescent proposal and fatal attraction movies that get way out of hand. Basic premise is Moore suspects Neeson of cheating on her, so she hires a hot 23 year old high-class blonde escort (Seyfried) to hang-around and possibly seduce Neeson to see if he is capable of cheating on her. Things of course get out of hand and Seyfried is a lolita of a seductive young lady and she sleeps with Neeson and Moore. Not spoilers, the trailer shows us as much. Seyfried has sure grown-up fast since Jennifer's Body. Nice to see her playing closer to her age for once. Like I say, John couldn't get it up for Chloe, but I think I'll catch it this weekend. John said; Lost in a whirlpool of its own clichéd undoing, it aspires to the sophisticated film noirs of the fifties, yet never amounts to more than the trashy, sexy nonsense of the eighties. The prevalence of nude scenes will certainly titillate teenage boys, and Neesons accent is always good for a chuckle.
The Stinkers
Rene Zellweger should have fired her agent five years ago because not since Ben Affleck's run 03-06 has a movie star made so many bad decisions in quick succession. This week she stars in another movie that will do nothing for her fledging career Case 39 - and one which by the way was shot in 2006 and has been completed for the past two years. In fact, it was quickly over-taken by German director Christian Alvert's movie post-this Pandorum which has already been and gone - so already you kinda know what to expect here. I.e. a likely mess. The movie is so bad, Paramount decided not to release it in the U.S. at all, oh boy. Here Zellweger plays a social worker who suspects a 10 year old girl is being abused by her parents. She takes on the case (her 39th in process) and finds her parents about to cook the little girl for a snack in the oven! Yikes. Zellweger decides to foster the girl and it turns out the little bitch is a devil like the kid from Orphan or Damian from The Omen. I've seen Case 39 and well, it is pretty standard stuff in the possed kid genre and I guess it's ok for a while until that is, it starts to suck in every department, except Zellweger's acting who actually manages to rise above the material in a few moments. I would quite frankly, rather download and jack off to porn too than review any further, so there you go. 
Legion is the feature film debut of Scott Stewart, and stars Paul Bettany as the Archangel Michael who is hellbent on protecting civilisation from an impending apocalypse by un-Angel like means. It's a fantasy/thriller that plays a bit like Constantine but on a smaller budget, a kind of made for t.v. movie. There's lots of guns blaring, lots of bad performances (even Dennis Quaid) and it's just a stinker really. Another bad movie released this week that I've seen but have no enthusiasim to review. Limited release...
Motherhood is only get a run in London, a quiet and embarrassing release for this turd. Find what I said about Renee Zellweger, and apply it to Uma Thurman for all her roles after The Producers. In Manhattan, a mother of two preparing for her daughter's sixth birthday party has no idea of the challenges she's about to face in order to pull off the eventThe Shouting Men - After Goal, I guess this is the second feature about my hometown football team but well, the plot is kind of unbelievable at this point...
Lowly Gillingham Football Club are drawn against Premiership giants Newcastle United in the quarter finals of the FA Cup. A small group of 'Gills' fans decide to make the most of their 'game of a lifetime' by turning the journey north into a weekend away. On the eve of departure one of the group receives a visit from Terry, a man with no legs in a wheelchair, claiming he can get them a free minibus and free diesel. In return, all they have to do is take him with them!Quarter final FA? Premiership giants? Really?
Still in Theatres...
Mike Edwards on The Crazies; What it doesnt score highly on is originality. It just played everything too safe to really offer anything exciting, and for most of the film it was so close to the Romero formula that it had all of the predictability of watching a film you know and love, without watching a film you know or love. To me thats not fun, its just like 90 minutes of deja vu. At best, that comes off as weird and at worst its pointless.Ray reviewed it also;
Ultimately, The Crazies suffers from too much gloss, too many phony jump scares, and an uninspired screenplay. Rather than being derived from a master of horror, the film feels like any run-of-the-mill horror film released in the last twenty years. And that isnt something to get too crazy about.Solomon Kane we weren't invited to see but it looks fun anyways. It has a high 81% fresh on Rotten Tomatoes.
Mike on From Paris With Love; Its stupid, its unoriginal, and it makes very little sense. But what it lacks in any normal measure of a good film From Paris With Love more than makes up for with its frenetic pace, never-say-die attitude, and shameless whoring of every cheesy cliche, gag and one-liner in the espionage armoury. I promise that if you watch this you will either love it or hate it, but you wont be bored.
We have three reviews of The Wolfman. I out right hated it, Mark didn't hate it but wasn't all that thrilled, Ray thought it was awful... But while this film manages to do a decent imitation of these things, it often ends up feeling more like an amusement park ride at Disney. The story and setting of The Wolfman might harken back to another era, but its execution is, sadly, very much of the sloppy and phony present.
Ray on Percy Jackson; Judging by this limp and seriously stupid film, the series was written with the sole intent of cashing in on the squirting vein of cash exposed by J.K. Rowling and her boy wizard. Unfortunately the film and, apparently, the books, have very little of the magic that the Potter series wields.This film feels like Potter meets Clash of the Titans in the valley of Van Helsing. In other words, it sucks.Simon gave us a so-so feeling on the film.
Mark Clark on Leap Year; There are actually a few laughs amidst all the mawkishness, mainly down to the acting... But this production mantra that you just need to try and create something that passes muster, that the audience, sucker-punched in the rom-com milieau for the past few years will just sit back and let it wash it over them, deserves a little critical bile.
Avatar 3-D is still an amazing visual treat and just about the best thing out there. Mike's review from Dec still holds up on March 5th; Avatar is an intricately-layered, beautifully imagined and painstakingly realised vision with the potential to please people of all cinematic leanings. It may not change the world, but itll certainly provide enjoyment to many millions of people all over it.Darren was way too kind on The Lovely Bones, a movie that is so disjointed and tonally confusing that you'll be so bored by it's meanderings...
Some will feel the picture postcard vision of otherworldly perfection is a little sickly whilst others will be compelled by the blissful visuals. Underneath the surface sheen though, there is a chilling and emotive story that is inventively constructed. The Lovely Bones is a fantasy film that strangely, is both mawkish and macabre and consequently its a bittersweet experience.
Simon reviewed Valentine's Day; Despite the problems, Valentines Day is a valiant effort to recapture the success of Love Actually, though it is way too obvious, and I cant forgive the manipulation levels involved. Whatever happened to the artistry of the subtle?
Steve Walker on The Princess and The Frog... The gorgeously animated world is simple but elegant, the characters flowing upon the screen with natural finesse. Its a subtler style than the norm, but its the right one. There are no 3D glasses or dazzling CG effects, just plain old-fashioned drawings which, when combined with the heart-warming score, instil in the viewer a sensation not felt since childhood.
Darren reviewed The Road; The Road is a strangely cathartic and rewarding character-driven piece of work the most disturbingly naturalistic vision of the end of the world in cinema history.
Mike on Youth in Revolt... What makes the film really interesting is how it deals with a youthfully obsessive love. Playing on feelings and impulses that Im sure we all relate to, a witty and playful portrait of teen love emerges out of a less exciting teen comedy to create a film that is at least as heartwarming and enjoyable as it is funny.Mike on A Single Man...
Firth is a revelation here, by turns chilly and dismissive, only to reveal layers of intelligence and humor. It is a believable portrait of a man driven to the edge by loss.