This is a witty, incisive and dark coming-of-age story about the gifted but painfully awkward high-school freshman Charlie. My heart ached in his desperate loneliness and celebrated as he found friendship and unexpected joy for the first time in many years. Excellent, measured performances by all - especially the three leads. Emotionally tortured scenes are kept moving by clever direction and sharp dialogue, which in clumsier hands may have been melodramatic. 'The Perks of being a Wallflower' is set in the 80s, and features 'The Rocky Horror Picture Show' and the compilation cassette tapes (remember them?), which become emotional conduits between disparate characters. Books and music are given as gifts of love and understanding, which is a lovely artsy touch. But if you overlook the eclectic 80s songs, 'The Perks of Being a Wallflower' could be set in anywhere in the last four decades. It is a timeless story.
My only real criticism is that the trailer showed a much lighter, funnier movie than the feature really was. There was no hint of the early childhood trauma or the battle with mental illness that rages within Charlie's damaged mind. The preview showed nothing of the terrible darkness within. If it had I certainly would not have taken my 12 yr old daughter to see it in the cinema. She was too young to really appreciate the scope of the abuse, but too aware for it to go over her head. This is a compelling journey of self discovery, friendship, loyalty and both platonic & romantic love. However it also explores the fragility of youth and how physical, emotional and sexual abuse will damage a child's identity and affect their future. Definitely a movie for mature viewers.
However, in a sea of cheesy teen-movies it was wonderful to watch a well told story about teenagers without gratuitous sex, sentimentality or glorified stupid behaviour. I am keen to read the acclaimed novel on which it was based.
So peoples - it has been a while since I have a) had the headspace to be able to formulate any kind of opinion and b) actually had the time to go and see a movie...so thank you Bill Condon and Stephanie Myer for getting me logged on and engaged again.
For those of you who know me, you will be very aware of my tragic taste in movies and books, of which the Twilight Saga is a part. I am a traditionalist at heart and one of the things I have loved to date about the Twilight Saga has been the tendency to keep fairly close to the written word. I mean, I don't even HAVE a teenager yet and I would not take the chance of world-wide rebellion of Tweenies by bastardising the Twilight Story....Let's not even think about the ramification of a Twihard Mums rebellion.....*shudder*.....
Did I love it? Why, thank you for asking...as a matter of fact...yes I did. I loved it so much , I dragged my dearest Manila family to see it on Thursday night (Bec - you were there in spirit) and then my poor devoted (snoring) husband (partner in crime) to see it on Friday night (Pip - if you read this - we are still on for our date next week!).
As always, let's get over my grievances quickly so we can get back to happy land.
1) Melissa - you skipped over Bella's first days as a vampire. Not cool, dude. Not cool. The detail of her amazing defensive ability needed more than a couple of scenes.
2) Bill - I needed more on the visualisation of Bella's Shield - where was my rubber band???
3) Bella should have kicked a lot more of Jacob's arse than that. I mean seriously - if someone imprinted on my new born child they would not be walking for...well...pretty much for the rest of their short and meaningless existence. (Future boyfriends of Monique, please take this as YOUR spoiler alert).
4) Kristen Stewart - you punch and kick like a girl. Body double required.
5) Melissa - back to you - where is my detail around the other Vampire talents. Bill - CGI - LOOK IT UP.
6. CGI babies freak me out
So why did I love? Well, I am always a sucker for the ugly ducking turning into the beautiful swan(pardon the pun).I understand should Kristen Stewart ever be classified as an ugly ducking we are all screwed. Forever. I have been fairly brutal about Kristen in the past - and I must say in this movie she was less insipid than usual and almost enjoyable to watch. Yah! Back to happy land. The movie in 1 hour and 55 minutes pretty much condensed what it needed to condense to provide a somewhat continuous finale. The brilliance of the entire movie, however, hinges on the last 30-45 minutes....everything til then is set up and kind of feels that way.
SPOILER ALERT
The fight scene on the field of ice. Superb. This was pretty much the only part of the movie my husband watched. The seamless inclusion of the vision sequence into the story line had me second guessing whether it had actually even happened in the book. So much so, I had to go and check when I got home. The fight scene was well crafted, bloodless (thank god after the Renesmee's birth scene...) and well choreographed. It pretty much sang.
The characters were strong, Aro's madness was a high point for me, Jasper's woodenness a low point, Emmett was visually awesome and always one of my favourites. Garrett was a pleasant surprise and I liked the grittiness of Alistair. But the surprise of the film was young Mackenzie Foy as Renesmee - I loved her seer-like gaze and her serenity.
If I was not already sold at this point, the last scene would have maxed out my credit card. In fact, I could may have watched the crappiest film of all time and if it had ended with this scene, I would have loved the whole damn movie (I'm kind of hoping this didn't happen). The field scene has always been one of my favourites. But the scene where Bella let's Edward see her mind for the first time just got me. It was soft and romantic and exposing and honest and giving (it also gave me a really good summary of all my favourite scenes!).
I know it's not War & Peace and it's certainly not Gone With The Wind - but it works for me.
Let me first declare to those who don't already know this: I am not a fan.
I went to see Breaking Dawn pt 2 on both friends' request and out of curiosity.
I wanted to see how it ended and if indeed Bella finally grew some grit. I personally prefer my heroines to take matters into their own hands. Happily however, Bella did become a warrior - with the help of Edward's fangs - and impressed me with her new speed, strength and protective shield gift.
I enjoyed the gathering of new faces, finally seeing Jacob genuinely happy, the show-down twist and the surprise guest from the Amazon….mmmmm ;)
I think Twilight fans will find the conclusion to the saga very satisfying and will sail on the highs for some time to come, with many 5-movie marathons in the future!
Here endeth the praise. Twilight die-hards may wish to look away now…(spoiler alerts too).
Now for the vivisection.
Bella gets some hutzpah - hooray! She is no longer a hapless passenger who puts everyone who loves her in danger with her mere existence. However Bella's new identity as a fierce hunter and protector with handy shield are not as powerful or convincing as they should have been. Whether it is the fault of the writing or direction (I haven't read the novels, so I can't be sure) or K-Stew's complete lack of emotional range I don't know - but frankly, The Incredibles did 'maternal love and protective shield' so much better!
As far as screenplay, not a lot actually happens in the 1hr 55minutes. Which in itself doesn't have to be a problem - but that's where good writers and directors will use character development, dialogue and social nuance to add depth and richness to the story. Breaking Dawn Part 2 is littered with potentially interesting characters! 'Family' members from all over the globe are gathered, who have wonderful and unique gifts and powers. But so little is done with them. What a waste! I understand that vampires are inherently cool, stiff and still, but come on - there are so many scenes with dozens of unblinking, beautiful people all standing or sitting around like statues, with little more than redundant dialogue coming out of their perfectly shaped lips. Even the creepy pair from northern Europe couldn't raise the dramatic level. I found them comical.
Maybe the books are better at exploring character, but it sure didn't make it to the screen.
For a fantasy romance genre movie, the Twilight series sadly lack real emotion. The core of the story is the 'undying' love between Bella and Edward. Yet what is portrayed is a sulky obsession which is more the stuff of teenage infatuation. Ok, I'm not a romantic, but if I had to look at one more scene of the Cullen Clan all hugging and kissing in pairs I would have puked.
The theme of this film appears to be 'Restraint' . From Bella's gift of self control to the regularly tested truces between enemies both within the bloodsucker population (Volturi) and with their natural foes the pumped up pooches (Quileutes). Unfortunately, restraint appears to have been taken right through to the acting and direction as well. I understand that most of the characters' hearts don't beat, but that doesn't excuse dead performances all 'round. The only palpable emotion I saw was between Jacob and Renesmee - and they didn't even speak to each other! Speaking of the baby - I should probably cut Bella some slack about her lack of maternal love as I don't think anyone could love that freaky CGI infant! Eeek! Talk about a trip down Uncanny Valley (industry term for computer generated 'real people' who are close but NQR and give everyone the creeps). Surely they could have found an infant who approximated the divine MacKenzie Foy closely enough for the viewer to believe.
The director had his priorities mixed up - don't trust the audience to believe that a host of child actors can play one the character without CGI trickery, but assume we'll accept feeble dialogue and poor cinematography! Sorry, Bill Condon. You've failed.
For me Breaking Dawn Pt 2 is the conclusion of a teenage girl's fantasy about relationships, marriage and parenthood. A place where she can break her father's heart, hand her newborn baby over to adoring extended family while she shags her hunky husband in a gorgeous and fully furnished cottage in the woods, and after stringing along her broken hearted no. 2 for years, have him happily become her baby's guardian. Sheesh!
Thank god they brought in that gorgeous beefcake from the Amazon at the end. It was my reward for having sat through it all! 2/5 stars from me.
When I saw the preview of the upcoming "Dredd" I thought it lacked any discernible plot - but it stars two of my favourites: Lena Heady (Sarah Connor Chronicles & Game of Thrones) & Karl Urban (LOTR, JJA's Star Trek, Bourne Supremacy & RED). However, I just read an article about it, and unlike its silly predecessor, it's not trying to appeal to a wider audience. It is brutally violent (rated R), but I think I actually want to see it now. I'm interested in the detail, especially with the 'Slo-Mo' effects. It's also a British Indie film, not the Hollywood remake I suspected... and as it's referencing the comics it suddenly has more cred for me. So I think I'll add it to my must-see list. If for nothing else but to see how Urban shows expression with only his mouth, and to enjoy Lena being the perfect bad-ass mudda!
This movie has caught my attention. Starring Emma Watson, it looks to be a witty and incisive look at the plight of the teen who does not fit into the popular mainstream and simply blends into the background... Due for release on November 29th. My 12yr old and I will be there :)
In 2044 time travel has not yet been invented. However, organised crime doesn't respect chronological boundaries.
Looper takes us to a grimy world full of damaged people who will do whatever it takes to hang onto what little they have. We are shown the desperate underbelly of society where new technology is only available to the few who have the power to profit. It seems a doomed scenario, as all the future delivers is its trash to be disposed of. Yet there is no such thing as certainty.
This is a powerful and cleverly told story which tests your mind without twisting it into knots. It is also a very beautiful film, with delicate visual cues which balance the confronting brutality we witness. However, what appears to be gratuitous violence serves to explain important concepts, because when you are playing with the fabric of time it helps to understand what the consequences might be. Like all good science fiction, Looper establishes the rules and adheres to them.
And there are many loops. From the recycled fashions to the gerry-rigged fuel systems of old cars, endless cycles subtly underscore the theme. The cast is perfect, and Joseph Gordon-Levitt and Bruce Willis are brilliant playing opposite ends of one violent life. However, child actor Pierce Gagnon steals the show with a preternatural performance. The special effects are superb, with one exception - but I am happy to forgive them one scene, as it is so well considered overall.
For the cerebral sci-fi fan, Looper is a real treat. It is thought provoking and visceral, and it heads towards the conceptual brilliance of Gattaca and Blade Runner but is just shy of their overall perfection. However, fans of the Xmen movies will be very happy, as will the devotees of Terminator and Sarah Connor Chronicles.
And while Looper delves into the complexities of time travel and its paradoxical consequences, the overarching theme is a timeless one. At its heart, Looper is really about the power of maternal love to heal and the fundamental damage that is done when it is missing or withdrawn; the result of which will always affect the future.
In the words of Sarah Connor, "There is no fate but that we make for ourselves".
Looper is now amongst my favourite movies. I give it 4.5 stars.
A superb and sincere story of courage, friendship & dreams told in sepia, steel grey and steam. One of the most beautiful movies I have ever seen and a must see for devotees of Film. A clockwork masterpiece!
5 stars.
NB: I will expand on this review after re-watching it on Bluray soon.
