Movie review - The Last Song

The Last Song Cert: PG, 107 mins Starring: Miley Cyrus, Liam Hemsworth, Greg Kinnear Miley Cyrus was apparently "bombed.

That her London premiere of The Last Song was cancelled due to the Icelandic volcano. What could this mean, you wonder? Is it good, bad, medium?

Hard to tell, but at least one thing is clear. Cyrus - the artist no longer generally known as Hannah Montana if she's got anything to do with it - is breaking out, rash-like, into more "dramatic" roles.

Like a oil tanker suddenly asked to hang a left, in the world of a supreme teen titan like Hannah Montana, this is no simple operation. Her mother - Tish Cyrus - swings into action here as the film's executive producer. Nicholas Sparks - the high chief of making teen girls blub following adaptations of his books The Notebook and Dear John - was mobilised, asked to adapt his own book this time, and ordered to start writing drippy lovelorn dialogue, stat.

All that was left was a beefy hunk, who 17-year-old Miley could initially be a bit "no way" about, and soon be all LOLs with (former Neighbours beefcake Liam Hemsworth), and, finally, a half-decent actor on the slide, who'll take the paycheck to play her father, before spending the rest of his career trying to convince IMDB.com that the part was actually played by one of the Baldwin brothers (Greg Kinnear).

Sparks' stories - girl loves guy, girl hates guy, someone dies, girl loves guy again but now in a soulful way - aren't just tried and tested, they're rigidly system-analysed, slightly tweaked, and sold to us again and again - like an updated iPhone or the latest BMW. It's tender romance created using Vorsprung durch Technik.

This particular version - I don't think we can call it an upgrade - sees Cyrus as moody teen Ronnie, a gifted musician who's no longer playing the piano in order to spite her father. Ronnie is supposed to be rebellious, but it's certainly the nice kind - she doesn't smoke, drink, or take drugs, and casually reads Tolstoy while helping sea turtles on the side. What. A. Bitch.

She's spending the summer with her divorced dad at his beach-front pad, and soon bumps into said hunk, who, luckily enough, loves nothing better than to reject the hot bikini babes who are fainting at his feet, in favour of expending endless effort wooing Cyrus' moody, sulky, rude, sour, plain, monosyllabic piece of hot stuff.

Cyrus does fine with the moody, sulky, pouty part, but the inevitable lesson-learning "drama" that comes when somebody coughs and the undertakers come running (the predictability of this makes Sparks the only Hollywood writer who manages to make death boring) seems beyond her. She says the lines okay - just not, seemingly, to the human beings around her. The disconnect is weird - like she's been created in CGI, and the real-life actors are all missing their marks.

You're left with the impression of someone who's played a role and mugged for the camera for so long - and from such an early age - that she's drawing from that rather than real life, a role based on a role based on a role; a kid whose life was turned into a brand, and found the brand was all there was left.

Read Full Entry

Survival of the Dead Movie Review

The zombie eater is back (After years of not writing a review for this site) By now any of you that remember me you should know that i am a big fan of George A.

Romero's zombie flicks, Even though diary of the dead was one movie that i had really high hopes for, &.

It ended up being nothing like i thought it would be, It grow on me over time & i ended up enjoying it a hell of a lot more, still in my book it is one of his weakest. Now on to the movie i am reviewing Survival of the Dead...

When you watch Survival of the Dead you need to have an open mind & be ready for a fun little zombie flick that i don't even think Romero himself took too serious.

I am not really going to go all into the story, Sure it has its plot holes but its not as severe as some make it sound By now i am sure a lot of you have already read the bitchy reviews floating around online about this flick .

(The poor fools want another Night of the Living Dead or Dawn of the Dead, That is all i have been hearing since Land of the Dead 2005 came out) I always ask myself why would someone want the same fucking thing made again when it has been done & it could not have been done any better.

Sure i agree Romero could have took his deadheads (That is what some call the zombies in Survival) down many different roads, But this is the road he took, (Like seen in Day & Land) The Dead are still evolving (Geting deadfully smarter), We got a zombie that can (Halfassly) drive a car & tries to run a motherfucker over, A living dead mailman chained by a mailbox still trying to relive his past in some sad sick way, An old man always loved his wife in the kitchen to cook meals, Even after she dies he keeps her in the kitchen, & she um tries, Also we got a sexy zombie chick riding a horse i really don't know why but something about a zombie on a horse seems to creep me out when the guy is in the woods & in the darkness she is watching him on her horse.

Survival of the Dead is not diary of the dead 2, there is one or maybe Two characters but none of them where a big part at all in diary of the dead, & they all do really well in Survival of the Dead.

Others things ppl like in Romero is gore & we get some of the best gore i've seen in a while, the zombie kills are top notch its not filled with the basic kills we are all so used to, It dose not over use cgi i only saw one kill that cgi was needed, I am giving Survival of the Dead 10 skulls (Bet i am about the only one behind George on this new one) anyone that likes zombies and don't mind something new should check it out.

Read Full Entry

Movie Review - The Square

Ordinary, middle-aged, married guy Ray (David Roberts) has somehow gotten into an affair with beautiful young neighbor Carla (Claire van der Boom), who has a shady boyfriend, Smithy (Anthony Hayes). She's quite a femme, but is she fatale? If that sounds like a noir setup, it is. When Carla decides to lift Smithy's ill-gotten gains to fund the illicit couple's getaway.

The scheme eventually requires Ray's help and just a bit of arson.The strongest sides of "The Square," nominated for seven Australian Film Institute awards, are its "Tell-Tale Heart"-like twists. In for a penny, in for a pounding, and Ray's mental health is treated roughly as he's drawn in deeper and deeper.

But the angles don't meet in the key relationship between Ray and Carla. We're not sure what's between them: love, lust, both or neither. That may be the filmmaker's intent, but it lowers the stakes. As one might expect from stuntman-turned-director Nash Edgerton, the action is well-staged.

Read Full Entry

Movie Review - Cemetery Junction

For those who worried about Office-creators Ricky Gervais and Stephen Merchant moving into feature films, you may now breathe out. Deep breaths. Relax.

Because thankfully, not only is Cemetery Junction not crap, it's great, just in some quite unexpected ways: it's a warm, affectionate, sweet-natured, and a genuinely uplifting coming-of-age drama. Set in the 70s.

I know what you're thinking: warm? Uplifting? Sweet-natured? A drama? Set when? Are they feeling okay? That's a bit... different.

Well, yes and no. Telling the tale of three best friends (Tom Hughes’ troubled factory worker Bruce, Jack Doolan's snouty, women-repelling Snork, Christian Cooke's dashing but disillusioned insurance-selling Freddie) as they plot their escape from small-town life, the similarities with The Office and Extras are obvious. They're small-time losers, daring to dream for more, looking for a way out.

Cemetery Junction comes at it from a different angle though. The Office and Extras were comedies where the laughs were underpinned by sadness. The people in them - Tim, Dawn and Brent; Andy and Maggie - were in their 30s and 40s, still dreaming, but melancholy, tired, already half-defeated by life. It was comedy of the could-have-beens.

Here, they're kids, right out of school. The Office and Extras style of comedy only works with the world-weary, and they're anything but: romping from one 70s-music infused montage to the next - dancing, fighting, drinking, pulling, having the time of their lives. The film can't help but follow. Gone is the strip-lit realism and corner-mouth mumbles of their TV work, in come lush palettes, sweeping tracking shots, and confident cuts that show Merchant and Gervais as visual directors of genuine flair.

The problems aren't behind these friends, but in front - what they might become if they stay. And so Cemetery Junction naturally becomes a drama, looking forward, with the laughs sprinkled on top. The Office in reverse.

Naturally, each has an issue to solve. Snork must work out how to talk to women. Bruce must stop getting in trouble with the police and sort out issues with his dad. Freddie must work out how to pull the lovely Julie (Felicity Jones), who also happens to be the daughter the boss he hates (Ralph Fiennes). Gervais makes an appearance as Freddie's dad with some funny lines, but if anything he feels like a distraction to the main event - an appearance purely for the trailer.

Sure, they're not exactly reinventing the wheel here. Yes, the Freddie-Julie story is essentially a Tim-Dawn retread. Yes, Fiennes is a Dalmatian or two away from being a Disney villain. Sure, there are times when it all gets uncomfortably close to Richard Curtis territory. And I'll admit, the colour palette is a bit like a six-year-old's felt tip pen collection.

But it's so good-natured, so effortless, so fun, so well-done, you can't help but like it anyway. And when the emotional scenes do come, Gervais and Merchant - as they always have - know the power of restraint. Even wish-fulfilment fantasy becomes real. Would you want them to make something more challenging in future? Yes, perhaps. But for starters, this'll do just fine.

Read Full Entry

Paathshala Movie Review

Paathsala tries to answer many questions related to the sanctity of today’s education system. The high morals and basic ethics of the teachings have taken back seat. Profit and more profit have become a new mantra of education institutions.

Stay tuned for updates of PaathShaala Movie reviews and PaathShala Movie Ratings from more sources around the web as and when they publish them.

Paathshaala story rotates round the management system of schools with the authorities making many compulsory monetary obligations on the parents.

The Paathshaala movie story reflects upon the defects of the Indian education system and conducts greatly with the academic pressure faced by the students, their fears and parents’ perception about the education system.

Read Full Entry

Phoonk 2 Movie Review

Phoonk’, named ‘Phoonk 2‘ is getting released today in India. The film has been directed by debutante Milind Gadagkar and the lead actors of ‘Phoonk’ are also in the cast of the sequel. It picks up from where the first movie ended.This movie shows the ghost of Ashwini Kalsekar returning from dead to take vengeance on the family of Sudeep.

This takes place after his family moves to a new location. The problem starts when the kids come across a doll in the adjacent woods. The ghosts start haunting the family once again. The early reviews of the movie are pretty good.

It is difficult to say how ‘Phoonk 2? will fare at the box office despite the pre-publicity hype and positive reviews by some critics. The film lacks any established stars and with the exception of Phoonk last year, almost no movie produced or directed by Ram Gopal Verma has done well at the box office in the last few years.

The highlight of ‘Phoonk 2? is the child artist Ahsaas Channa who was seen portraying the role of a male child in Kabhie Alvida Na Kehna few years earlier. According to the critics, she has done justice to her role and has given a terrific performance.

Read Full Entry

Movie Reviews - Exit Through the Gift Shop, Handsome Harry

THE CARTEL A union-busting doc with an adamant if not quite apolitical — focus on the children slipping through the cracks, The Cartel uses New Jersey as Exhibit A in its case against this country's crooked education system.

Though it is first in education spending, New Jersey has an abysmal dropout rate and equally dire testing scores; director Bob Bowden cites what a former school superintendent calls "rampant, pervasive, institutionalized" budgetary corruption and a deeply entrenched, self-interested teachers union as the culprits. Bowden, a former local television reporter and anchorman, pulls together a familiar repertoire of talking heads, man-on.

The-street interviews, remedial graphics and stilted B-roll, and ultimately this information-packed indictment plays like a feature-length "in-depth" news segment. Moving loosely from angle to angle the tenure system, the plot against voucher programs, the stonewalling of charter schools The Cartel makes up for what it lacks in style and structure with selective but stone-cold facts. Although a school-district president rolling up to a budgetary hearing in a white limo and an administration parking lot clogged with luxury cars are undeniably good gets, Bowden's strength as a documentarian is more evident in the patience and logic with which he makes an argument for a state and a system in desperate need of reform. (Michelle Orange) (Sunset 5)

DANCING ACROSS BORDERS When 16-year-old Sokvannara Sar, a charismatic Cambodian with a gift for his native folk dances, arrived in New York City in 2001 as the protegé of the unbelievably rich Manhattan socialite (and generous dance patron) Anne Bass, he had never seen ballet — and wasn't that stoked about it. "This ballet thing is going to turn me into a duck," he remembers thinking. "I don't think I want to do this." It's a sentiment Sar repeats throughout Dancing Across Borders, and it is to first-time director Bass' credit that she marked his ambivalence in this otherwise blithely tone-deaf ode to her own generosity and that of dance instructor Olga Kostritzky.

Several uncomfortable factors are at play in the story of Sar's success the clear class and culture shock; the pressure to compress 10 years of ballet training into three lest he lose his patron's attention but Bass, enamored of his talent and determined to shape it to her liking ("I hope he's going to be what I want him to be," Kostritzky says), elides every one.

Instead, we get white folks ruminating lyrically on the peasant Asian's role as a kind of grand jeté bridge between East and West, and long performance sequences that are dazzling to behold but quite troubling to contemplate. (Michelle Orange) (Nuart)

Read Full Entry

Prince Movie Review

PRINCE is loud (I'm not talking only about the music here), and over-the-top. It has a very thin plot, which is stretched beyond its capacity to endure and snaps somewhere midway.

You are then subjected to bike chases, gunfights and helicopters used as props for the daredevil PRINCE (Vivek Oberoi), who for most part of the film does not know whether he is coming or going.

Same with the audience. I mean they too do not know whether PRINCE is coming or going. In that sense, debutant director Kookie Gulati has done well to keep the audience involved.

But after a point you don't really care whether PRINCE is a sophisticated robber or just helping the CBI nab two international crooks.

At one point, the plot gets extremely hilarious as three Maya's erupt on screen in search of a coin, one after the other, one of who is Prince's girlfriend. And since Prince has memory of just a day, he knows no better.

You see, a doctor invented a chip, which when used on humans, can erase all memory, just like in a PC. Sarang (Isaiah) does that to Prince because he has double-crossed him and he is supposedly his right hand, heist man. But wait a sec. Even after the data has been erased from his memory, he knows who he is. But when he wakes up the next morning, he is as blank as a white sheet of paper. The explanation offered is that just as a PC has to be restarted, so also, until such time he sleeps and wakes up, the memory will not be deleted!

So as one Maya after another comes on screen, with songs thrown in for garnishing, you actually stop wondering and just watch Vivek Oberoi doing some daredevilry on screen. Such a fine actor reduced to now doing acrobats!

The thrills are well shot and action is first-rate but with not meat in the script, PRINCE suffers big time. Even the opening scene where he enters a Diamond Bourse in Mumbai and cleans it up is ridiculous. For an institution high on security, the way he is allowed to leave a high security zone, on his own, is hilarious.

I guess Kookie Gulati will have to get over his hangover of music videos because he does show some promise. Let's be fair to the lad.

Read Full Entry

Movie Reviews by Reel People - Clash of the Titans

“Clash of the Titans” is a violent, bloodless, ceaseless parade of GCI mutants and monsters that have little discernible purpose other than to detract from the absurd and lackluster storyline. However, with big name stars, this remake of the 1981 cult classic offers spectacular special effects to help it rise to entirely new levels of mediocrity.

It’s a rare achievement for an action blockbuster to actually be boring. It’s not just mildly boring; it’s “mistakenly buried alive” boring. Of course the ancient story of Perseus and the big three – Zeus, Poseidon and Hades – is generally well known, but this version is presented so haphazardly, it feels like they’re making it up as they go along.

From the director of “The Incredible Hulk” and a screenwriting team boasting credits of the forgettable “Aeon Flux” and “The Tuxedo,” “Titans” is not totally without merit. The magnificent Liam Neeson, remarkable Ralph Fiennes and newcomer Sam Worthington (“Avatar”) light up the screen with just their presence. But, Worthington seems completely disinterested in his role and inexplicably sleepwalks through most of the flick.

“Titans” is mildly entertaining. The lavish costumes, sumptuous sets and rousing score are of epic proportions. But, it features the least believable fight scenes since the Three Stooges. There were occasional attempts at humor, but we counted just three placidly jovial moments, so it doesn’t say much when the best part of a movie is the popcorn.

This tale has something to do with . . . well if the screenwriters didn’t really care why should we? Anyway, there’s a power struggle pitting mortals against the gods. Perseus (Worthington), son of Zeus (Neeson), is a demigod or semi-god or OMG, someone even more reluctant to use his powers than Samantha from TV’s “Bewitched.”

From the moment baby Perseus is discovered by his adoptive mortal parents, they realize he is very special. It’s not that he speaks like the e-Trade kid or anything like that, but they know Perseus needs to be raised with a solid foundation for his lofty future. His father predicts that one day they will have to take a stand against the gods.

In a civil uprising, Perseus’ mortal family is slaughtered by Hades (Fiennes), vengeful god of the underworld, which makes Perseus mad as Hell. So, he reluctantly agrees to lead a band of warriors on a perilous quest against the gods and their mythical pet monsters. But, he can only prevail if he chooses to accept his powers.

Originally, the gods created humans so their prayers would fuel their immortality. However, Hades thrives more on people’s fears, so you know, there’s something for everybody. Eventually, man begins to question the gods, reminding us of that line from the Jamaican bobsledder in “Cool Runnings” (1993), “I am feeling very Olympian today!”

One of the many problems with Worthington is he looks out of place. The warriors have long dirty locks and an abundance of facial hair while Sammy is clean shaven and sports a buzz-cut. His emotions are flat and he generates absolutely no chemistry with his leading ladies. Fans of Harry Hamlin, Lawrence Olivier and Ursula Andress will have mixed feelings, but would be far better off watching, “How to Train Your Dragon.”

“Clash of the Titans” is two hours and rated PG-13 for fantasy action, violence, frightening images and brief sensuality. This highly flawed movie is most disappointing as it has all the makings of a major blockbuster. Middle school fanboys and other fans of the genre might still enjoy tracking the action and filling in the blanks themselves.

And, followers of the recently deceased Peter Graves who remember his hilarious role from “Airplane” (1980) might best appreciate the hunky “gladiators” running amok here. Finally, it is said that a great actor can make even the dictionary sound interesting. If true, next time please skip the script and just pull out the old Funk and Wagnalls.

Read Full Entry

The Hurt Locker: Movie Review

“The rush of battle is often a potent and lethal addiction, for war is a drug.” The moment you see this line opening Kathryn Bigelow’s highly acclaimed film ‘The Hurt Locker’, you know the film might just be what you expect it to be.

The Hurt Locker frankly has no point to prove nor does it intend to send any particular message across to the audiences. Fiercely intense, it is simply a powerful depiction of wartime narrative.

What goes through the mind of an army squad whose job is to defuse bombs and play with death every moment, the effect this dangerous job has on their life...how it drives them to their breaking point every single day is what the film is all about.

The film is based on the intricate observation of journalist Mark Boal while he was stationed in Iraq on an assignment with a special US army bomb defusing unit.

‘War is indeed a drug’ for Sergeant William James (Jeremy Renner), who is passionate about everything that can almost kill him! After the death of the tech head of a special bomb defusing unit in a bomb explosion, James takes over as the new tech head. The death of their previous head leaves James’ associates Sergeant JT Sanborn and Specialist Owen Eldridge in a state of shock and dismay. To top it all James’ reckless behaviour and fondness to flirt with death makes the team all the more frustrated as they themselves fear yet envy his passion to take risks in a high pressure job that demands it every minute.

The Hurt Locker has a documentary feel to it as most of the scenes are shot in a handheld camera style. The film is days in the lives of this bomb unit and thus how almost everyday is a judgement day for these men as they set out to defuse deadly bombs.

In spite of the nature of the film being repetitive, Bigelow’s brilliant direction successfully mounts an alarming pressure on the audiences during the unit’s every expedition as they challenge death for their and everyone else’s survival. The scene where James discovers the human bomb, sends shivers down your spine.

The film’s volatile lead character William James is another reason you like the film. James is nothing he comes across to be and beneath that hard exterior is a man who tackles fear and frustration every single moment. How he motivates his colleagues who don’t think highly of him in the beginning is also beautifully showcased. The scene towards the end where James struggles to rescue an Iraqi who has bombs strapped all over his body moves you to tears.

The film has its fair share of light moments too, most emerging from James’ eccentric behaviour.

The Hurt Locker is not about sympathising with the soldiers. Its not a dramatic showcase of how heroic their feats are. It is an emotionally stirring drama on studying the psyche of that soldier who makes himself believe every moment, that he can survive when he knows the chances are zero! The Hurt Locker is a gripping portrayal of men who believe ‘Courage is not the absence of fear but the knowledge that something else is more important than fear’.

More power to you Kathryn Bigelow, Mark Boal and Jeremy Renner for this brilliant work. The film is worth all the Academy awards and accolades that have come its way. A must watch.

Read Full Entry

The Last Song movie reviews

Nicholas Sparks churns out movies the way James Patterson mass-produces books, and this week his latest adaptation, "The Last Song," comes to theaters. Seems like just yesterday that "Dear John" appeared. (It was early February.) Sparks movies are a known commodity -- reviewers hate them for their tragedy-tinged romance, but viewers love them. Miley Cyrus' starring role is sure to attract even more fans. Here are excerpts of reviews for "The Last Song" (you can read reviews for other book adaptations here):

Los Angeles Times -- There aren't a lot of surprises in store when a film is struck from Nicholas Sparks and is called "The Last Song." There will be young love in the picturesque South, there will be a battery of contrivances keeping those crazy kids apart, and there will be tragedy and much rending of hair.

Variety -- Cyrus, alas, hasn't yet learned not to act with her eyebrows and overbite. But she does show off her considerable chops as a pianist and remains reasonably likable throughout.Chicago Tribune -- "The Last Song" is primarily for teenagers looking for something disposable to cry about for a couple of hours, though I did find it a tad easier to take than "Dear John," which was slicker but more galling in its heartstring-yanking.

Washington Post -- Will "The Last Song" resonate with a certain generation of young women the way, say, "The Notebook" has? I'm not sure. The audience I saw it with responded with as many giggles as sniffles ...

New York Times -- Another big problem is Ms. Cyrus. Her Hannah Montana persona has a certain aggressive charm ... and she seems to be a young celebrity with a good attitude and a strong work ethic. But acting, for the moment at least, seems almost entirely beyond her.

USA Today -- When the story revolves around the romance, it's mostly predictable beach montages and goofy antics. But things improve when gears shift to probe [father Greg] Kinnear's character. His affability invests the sappy tale with some authenticity.

Read Full Entry