OWFilm World Cup Round Two: Italy vs. South Africa
OWFilm World Cup Round Two
Italy (The Good, The Bad and The Ugly) were simply ruthless against their first round opponent Taiwan executing a 31-2 thrashing to establish themselves as the top seed for the Second Round. They should be aware however that they now face the nation that are making a name for themselves within this tournament as the Giant Killers after South Africas shock squeeze upset against France District 9 is not a film to be taken lightly and will try to once again use its modern momentum to take out Leones much loved master-class. Im not anticipating another thrashing here. Tale of the Reel is after the jump...
The Good, The Bad and The Ugly (1966)
OSCAR COUNT (0) IMDB ( 9, #4) ROTTEN TOMATOES (98%) EMPIRE TOP 500 (#25th)
The Good, the Bad and the Ugly is pure cinema wonderfully described by Time Outs Tom Huddlestone as a masterclass in movie storytelling, and a dynamic testament to the sheer invigorating uniqueness of cinema. A large part of the films charm is its ability to maximise the drama within every given scenario through use of the fast, snappy close ups to the pounding of the audacious theme tune and then the sudden, heart-racing bursts of rapid action. Throughout Sergio Leone masters the fine art of keeping an audience on tenterhooks for an extended amount of time by building up and suspending the anticipation to an absolute breaking point before finally releasing all the intensity in a series of highly satisfying set-pieces. The director is helped along the way by a string of great performances led by the silently charismatic star Clint Eastwood and also by the iconic Morricone soundtrack and stunning visuals which help to build up a rollercoaster of an atmosphere as the story progresses. The film is an exhilarating ride and whilst not as emotionally satisfying as Leones true masterpiece Once Upon a time in the West, it is still without doubt one of the most exciting and rewatchable films within the western genre. INTERESTING FACT: Clint Eastwood wore the same unwashed poncho throughout all three films of the spaghetti western trilogy dedicated for sure but disgusting nevertheless.
District 9 (2009)
OSCAR COUNT (0) IMDB (8.3, #121) RT (90%) EMPIRE TOP 500 (Film was released after votes were taken)
District 9 is commendable for offering the alien subject matter some well crafted and authentic depth. Newsreels and a corporate promotional film detailing the event are well acted and suitably professional so that we are able to instantly become lost in the films illusion of reality. The films arena also paints a wonderful picture of society repeating itself as the aliens are confined to live amongst one another in dirty slums lending historical undertones to the previous treatment of various ethnic minorities. Rather than paint a completely bleak and chaotic picture of this world however, there is plenty of fun to be had in District 9. Take for example the absurdity of the government trying to get the aliens to sign their eviction papers which becomes even funnier when you realise its the type of deal that would actually transpire in real life. When the protagonist is contaminated by a formula that begins to transform him into an alien species, the film really hits its stride as we realise that the aliens are in reality a more decent being that the humans. The escalating relationship between the transformed human and the alien society is touching and poignant and makes an excellent social/political point about the needlessness of war and violence. An excellent film which carries the perfect balance of emotional drama, fast paced action, tense horror, black humour and important thematic issues. INTERESTING FACT: This is one of two movies to be released in 2009 to have been based on a short film released in 2005. The other film was Shane Acker's 9 (2009/I). Both films were adapted for a full-length feature film by their original directors.