Carl watches Motion Pictures I aim to share my thoughts and opinions on the films I watch as I watch them

Nick & Norah’s Infinite Playlist (2008). This film caught me by surprise, I was expecting a usual teen film consisting of plastic looking guys and girls with the usual boy meets girl, looses girl and gets girl back formula. Ok it still subscribes to the formula but it’s the way the film has been put together that makes it stand out. The entire style enhances the honesty of the story; it comes across with an uncanny honesty which makes it easy to relate to.


I often get frustrated with American films that have no sense of reality attached to them, no grit, no real emotion. Nick & Norah’s Infinite Playlist is full of cheesy dialogue but it’s exactly what I would expect the characters to say, I felt like I know people like this! The City is shot as the characters see it, no long flying shots over the great New York, but rather the street and buildings seen from the characters point of view, Reign over me, shot New York in a similar fashion also with fantastic results.

Anyway it’s a cool film with an awesome soundtrack, directed and acted well, no real surprise to the plot line but overall it is still quite satisfying

“I will not be a goody bag at your pity party, Nick.”

IMDB stars: 6.9/10
Rotten Tomatoes: 72%
Get it: Take2

Goya’s Ghosts (2006). It was late, I was tired but I did want to see what was going to happen. Goya is a well know painter who is entangled in a crazy time in Spain’s history. The Spanish Inquisition is coming to an end and Napoleon’s army is invading. The film takes you on a journey with the mindsets of the time, which are quite disturbing and absurd when compared to our current standards. Natalie Portman plays Francisco Goya’s muse, she is accused of heresy and locked up, the drama unfolds as her family (and eventually Goya) tries to help her.


I know very little about the Spanish Inquisition but now I feel I know the outline of what was going on. It’s amazing how a film can transfer knowledge; it’s also amazing how many people base their historical knowledge on films they have seen.

Can we trust a fictional film for historical facts? Or should we stick to the History Channel?

Most producers and directors have a sense of responsibility to people that lived in the times they are setting their films in to get it right, but at the same time they have a responsibility to make the film entertaining and often the adjustment of a fact is made to benefit the storyline or character. I think this type of adjustment is justified, and the line “Inspired by a true story”, should not be interoperated as “this is how it happened”

In Goya's Ghost, Francisco Goya turns deaf during the French Invasion, in actual fact he goes deaf much ealier.

Even the filmmakers’ point of view can skew the historical facts. Take Saving Private Ryan for example; if you knew nothing of WWII, after the film you might have the impression that America was the only ones fighting the Germans (this is true for many American war films).

So don’t throw away the history books just yet, and before getting in an argument about how America won the war, think about where you learnt your facts.

IMDB Stars: 7/10

Rotten Tomatoes: 29%

Get it: Take2

Total Recall (1990) is an absolute classic from the Dutch director Paul Verhoeven who is better known for Basic Instinct. Paul Verhoeven’s sci-fi /action style is quite unmistakeable: gore, girls and guns. If you liked Starship Troopers (1997) you will love this!


Total Recall was a great block buster film in the 90s which show cased many advances in computer graphics, makeup and other special effect fields. Today its available on Blu-ray and a must see. I must admit it has not aged incredibly well but that does not distract from the story line. It is a lot of fun to watch.

If you don’t feel like thinking too hard during a film and you are bored with the over produced special effects of today’s films take a look at Total Recall it’s a rollercoaster ride that no one should miss!

Let me know what you think of the film.

"If I am not me, then who the hell am I?"
IMDB stars: 7.4
Rotten Tomatoes: 79%

Starring Jake Gyllenhaal and Gemma Arterton

Hi all, some of you have let me know that the comment function is not working on the blog!! Ahh, anyway Please try again. IF it still does not work please let me know.

Carl

I rented X-Men Origins: Wolverine on Blu-ray, unfortunately I will be honest, I fell asleep but it did remind me of Gavin Hood, local hero.

Gavin Hood, local director went from directing A Reasonable Man in 1999 to acting in Stargate SG1 to winning an Oscar for Tsotsi in 2005, after that its block buster after blockbuster the last one being X-Men Origins Wolverine. He has gone from directing local talent to huge casts of the likes of Meryl Streep, Jake Gyllenhall, Reese Witherspoon, Hugh Jackman!

This very motivated hard working director deserves everything he now has but I cant help asking the what if question. What if he never won the Oscar? Gavin Hood’s career has absolutely skyrocketed after the Oscar. So how come no one noticed his talent before? Why could he not get a star studded block buster to direct before the Oscar?

Its a crazy industry where the know are know and the unknown (no matter how talented) stay unknown, the studios with the money only bet on sure things, so how does an unknown director from South Africa become known?

All you need is an Oscar.

The Road (2009). Here is one I can’t wait to see, something about a post apocalyptic films that make me excited, maybe that is why I love the Japanese Anime so much. I am planning on reading the book first, The Road written by Cormac McCarthy is last year’s winner of the Pulitzer Prize for distinguished fiction by an American author. He is also responsable for No Country for old Men


Apparently hugely depressing , The Road is a post-apocalyptic tale of a man and his son trying to survive by any means possible, don’t miss it!



IMDB stars: 8.1/10
Rotten Tomatoes: 72%

The Abyss (1989). Ok I only caught the last half of this last night as I was doing other things, but having seen the film before and since it seems to be James Cameron month I thought I would blog it.

Set in the time America was under the fear of the Russians, I can’t quite place the film in a genre: action, adventure, Si-If, thriller? It has elements of it all. It is a great script by James Cameron, who also directed the film. I love the tension he creates between the characters environment, the antagonists and the unknown. Trapped on the ocean floor in an underwater base (which is flooding) with a psychopath marine who is on his own mission to blow everything up and on top of all that there are some mysterious beings floating around causing all kinds of tension between the characters.

You are kept on the edge of your seat as the plot twists and turns around the characters stuggle to survive, a great film.

"Sixty knots? No way, Barnes. The Reds don't have anything that fast"

IMDB stars: 7.5
Rotten Tomatoes: 85%

Robin Hood (2010). How many times can they make this story work? Well Ridley Scott sure thinks he can, I think he can too, I have not see a decent Robin Hood film since the soppy Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves - Was awsome but now the scene with the Bryan Adams makes it feel soppy, but that my just be me...

Wild Hogs (2007) - Ok so I caught this on TV this afternoon, pretty random as I am not much of a comedy man. As far as comedy involving Tim Allen, John Travolta, Martin Lawrence and William Marcy this one stands out above the rest, the combination of these lead actors and the script by Brad Copeland (producer of "My Name is Earl" is just great. This comedy is pure enjoyable entertainment witch anyone from the hard core movie buff to the casual movie watcher would enjoy, we all know one of these characters, the suburban middle aged man who wonders what happened to the adventure they had in their youth.


What starts off as a road trip to the pacific (without the wives) ends up being the once in a lifetime chance for each of them to combat their mid life crisis, the character arches develop for each of the men very well and of course the situational comedy that develops helps the sorry along in genuine comedy style that does not have to rely on crude toilet humour to bring a smile to your face.

It’s a great light hearted comedy that has almost made it into my DVD collection more than once. Check it out, you will be surprised.

"Oh, man. I wanted to say something funny to her, but all I could think of was black jokes"


IMDB stars: 6.1/10
Rotten Tomato: 14% (ouch)

AVATAR (2009) - Wow what a movie, an absolute visual feast, and a great story. One of the best production designs I have ever scene, the world and its creatures are extremely well thought out making it feel like we are filming a story on a distant planet! So many films fall into the trap of creating a planet filled with strange people so we can tell a story, with no real thought into why.

Animation and live action are seamlessly integrated and every visual detail adds to the story instead of distracting from story, the film fells like a well created unit with characters we can all fear and hope for. It’s a true James Cameron film, drawing elements (visual and story) from his previous films, I wish I could ask James How much fun did you have with this film?



And then there was 3D - Well what a great film to see in stereoscopic 3D! Stereoscopic technology is here to stay, starting in the cinemas it will filter down to PC and Consol games and even eventually broadcast television - can’t wait to get rid of the glasses tho!

Anyway back to Avatar, this is an epic film that both the guys and the girls will enjoy with characters that demand emotional connection; I wish the story could go on!


James you are the man.

"You should not be here." - Neytiri


IMDB stars: 8.8/10
Rotten Tomatos Rating: 83%

First Blood (1982) - A fitting title for the first title on the blog! Rambo, love him or hate him, he is part of our film history and part of popular culture. I have discovered that everyone has an opinion about this film. Some will slam the film immediately; others find it brings back some memories of fake plastic hunting knives!

After a dismal casting period the script ended up with Mr. Stallone, who evidently rescued the script and in my opinion saved the production from being a total action failure and turned it into one of those films we will never forget.

Rambo is a returning Nam war hero; he finds his home country a hostile and lonely place. Passing through a small town Rambo is subjected to abuse via the local police department, this sets unstable Rambo into War mode resulting in all hell breaking loose.

What is so amazing about this film is the emotional connection we share with Rambo - we feel sorry for an unstable killing machine! It is a sad story about a man who was forced to do things that are not human and expected to live with it. I think we are going to see some "inspired by First Blood" scripts coming out of the current conflicts around the world but good old Rambo would have been First.

So for a classic action film full of hard headed Americans and plenty of explosions it has the potential to clog up the through! Well done to Stallone who played the muscle packed Rambo who can do anything with his hunting knife, ignore all pain but still cry like a baby. Awesome.

If you have not seen it for a while take the time and watch a classic. Do not watch any other Rambo film - you have been warned!

"They found Rambo's body. As a matter of fact, it stole an army truck. Blew up a gas station the other side of town."


IMDB stars: 7.4/10
Rotten Tomatoes: 85%

This would be my first blog, I aim to share my thoughts and opinions on the films I watch as I watch them, hopefully like-minded people can find some use for this thing called a blog!

Now why, you ask? Well as a professional in the business of Motion Pictures I love to talk about films and all things linked to them and there is no better way to explore the human condition than to study the art form dedicated to it!

"Dave, this conversation can serve no purpose anymore. Goodbye" 2001: A Space Odyssey.

Looking forward to sharing the experience - Carl