Filmknitter

Public Enemies

Public Enemies is a biographical account of the life of John Dillinger in the years when he was marked as 'Public Enemy no. 1" by the newly formed FBI, headed up by J Edgar Hoover (smarmily portrayed by Billy Crudup). Dillinger, played by Johnny Depp, was put in jail for 8 years after robbing a grocery store in his early twenties. Resentful of his lengthy sentence Dillinger used the time to learn from more seasoned criminals and, when released, began his vendetta against the system that took away so many years of his life. Dillinger springs a choice selection of friends from the jail and they form a gang which, though members came and went, remained under the control of Dillinger and carried out a string of successful bank robberies. Because Dillinger only robbed large banks he was seen as something of a hero figure by an economically struggling America. He was taking money from the Government and the system, not from individuals. He also managed to carry out his crimes with relatively little loss of life, which further enamoured him to the public. However his popularity would only infuriate the FBI - Hoover charged Melvyn Purvis, one of his best agents, with tracking and catching Dillinger and his gang. Purvis, here played by Christian Bale, is quiet and methodical and places some of his most experienced colleagues on the case, against the wishes of Hoover who, in the interest of good PR, wanted a force populated by good-looking young men.

Despite knowing next to nothing about Dillinger, and not being a fan of gangster movies in any era, I was compelled to see Public Enemies because of its format. Director Michael Mann has made a bold choice in shunning the conventional celluloid and instead using hi-def digital video to shoot his movie. Having seen the trailer I was intrigued - why would a big budget film with big-name stars and a well known director be shot using a format that is normally chosen for its low cost? Having seen it I kind of understand Mann's choice though I can't say I fully agree with it. It gives the whole film a documentary-ish feel, and the hi-def means that the well-known faces of Depp and Bale look unusually naked and exposed without the glossy patina of film. This only adds to the movie's bleak and realistic style. However, in my opinion, the format can't cope with the fast action scenes and some of the camera moves were incredibly blurry which made some sequences feel amateurish. For some of the more artistic scenes - the sequence at the airstrip with the reporters and the flares illuminating the scene - it works a treat. This is a personal dislike, but one that I find distracting. I had the same problem with 'Dogville' - I'm just too enamoured of the glossy world usually presented on the big screen. I don't want my films to look too much like real life.

Despite the format Public Enemies is an educated and well-crafted film with a whole flock of recognisable actors. Marion Cotillard is luminous as Billie Frechette and David Wenham, who seems to be in everything at the moment, is in excellent greasy bad-guy mode as Pete Pierpont. I very much enjoyed the first hour, and the final half hour, but this film has a very saggy mid-section. The shootout sequence at Little Bohemia Lodge is too long and, owing to the DV format, confusing to watch as it's very difficult to see who anyone is. I think I also struggled to keep up with the many characters as we get no back-story or proper introductions. Frechette seems to be the only character we are given any background information on. Perhaps if I were more au fait with the history I would find it easier to keep up but without those hooks I found it difficult to empathise with the characters. This film is a snapshot of a life lived in the public eye, but it really doesn't tell us any more about who John Dillinger was, what motivated him, and what he thought about his reputation as a 'celebrity criminal' than the newspapers of the time would have done.

Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen

Continuing from the first film Sam Witwicky (Shia LaBeouf) has managed to get through his formative years with minimum embarassment and only a slight case of alien robots. Now 18 he's headed off to college and leaving girlfriend Mikaela (Megan Fox) behind to support her newly released father by fixing motorbikes in skimpy outfits and impractical hair. The autobots from the first film are now working full time for the government fighting the decepticons, and have been joined by some new robots since we last saw them. The decepticons meanwhile are plotting the resurrection of Megatron (last seen lying at the bottom of the ocean covered in octopi and guarded by the US Navy). They are currently in the employ of The Fallen - an ancient robot currently residing in a big spaceship out in space. He's accompanied by a few other extra-terrestrial robots including one who hacks into a US military satellite, apparently using his tentacles. The Fallen wants the Decepticons to kidnap Sam who, during the events of the first film, absorbed some mystical robot knowledge that means he knows the location of a giant machine hidden in Egypt, which can destroy the sun and absorb its energy for the benefit of The Fallen and his posse of Decepticons.

Having adored the first film (cars that talk! And have personalities!) I was really looking forward to the second film. I was guilty of being swept up in the fanboy enthusiasm for the sequel and even wondered whether it would outstrip the original. Well. It doesn't. But it is still fun. If you're just after giant robots smashing shit up, then you won't be disappointed. If you wanted a story with the wit and charm of the first film then you won't find it here. I guess the main problem is that we are already familiar with the autobots now so they couldn't have done the cool introduction sequences of the first film (who could beat the sight of Ironhide appearing out of that swimming pool?). We also have less of the romantic tension now Sam and Mikaela are going steady. I do suspect that it could have been improved with a better plot. I'm not asking for the dramatic intricacies of Watchmen, but it did feel a lot like the writers kept hitting a possible end to the film and going "man, we need another half an hour, how about, like, we make them go to Egypt and fight on the PYRAMIDS, yeah that'll be cool!". As it was the film was way too long at 2.5 hours. They could have taken at least 45 minutes out and pared down some of the action and a lot of the lame 'comic sequences' with Sam's parents and the twin joker robots. (I'd also have been happy with a little less of the casual racist, sexist and homophobic attitudes, but maybe that's just me - this is primarily aimed at teenage boys after all).

As with Terminator Salvation and Wolverine I was impressed by the shiny effects and the big action sequences, but these blockbusters somehow feel even shallower than they used to. Perhaps because the gap between the calibre of the writing and the quality of the pretty pictures is now so huge, or perhaps I'm becoming jaded in my old age, but some of the enjoyment of these big brash films has escaped me a little. However, if you're a Transformers fan then there is still much to marvel at and it's definitely worth seeing on the big screen, the sheer scale of the film making you feel like you're fighting right alongside the autobots.

Terminator Salvation

Terminator Salvation is set in the period that most intrigues fans of the original films - during the post-apocalyptic war between the pockets of humans who survived Judgement Day and the machines who are now dominant. This is the time of John Connor (Christian Bale), who will eventually send Kyle Reese back through time to save John's mother, Sarah Connor. Kyle is currently a teenager living in a war-ravaged LA, unaware of the fact that the inspiring voice on the radio leading the revolution, is his son John Connor, who he will conceive with Sarah Connor when he's sent back in a few years' time. Confused yet? Actually compared to some films the time travelling plotlines in the Terminator films aren't too confusing. However they do put a restriction on any sequels/prequels in this series as the past/future are already determined and the bit in the middle is becoming increasingly occupied, what with the Sarah Connor Cronicles on TV too. However, this is an enjoyable addition to the Terminator timeline, with some nice references back to the original two films.

I've been trying to think of intelligent things to say about this film and haven't been able to come up with much. It's a lot of fun, and very much holds its own amongst the big and brash brigade of summer blockbusters. I suspect the only film that might trump it this summer is the Transformers sequel. However I also didn't find it that memorable - the plot is mostly already known to any fans of the originals, with the only new plotline coming courtesy of Marcus Wright (Sam Worthington), a death row convict who is resurrected as a robot by evil cancer-ridden scientist Dr Serena Kogan (Helena Bonham Carter - whose head looks really big without her usual mop of hair). Worthington is your typical action here - large, musclebound and attractive but with little in the way of social skills. Nevertheless the small romance between him and Resistance member Blair Williams (Moon Bloodgood - how cool is her name) is touching enough.

Basically Terminator Salvation is well worth seeing whether you're a fan of the originals or not, as long as you're looking for an enjoyable action film with lots of cool FX. If you are a fan of the originals look out for a particularly cool 'cameo' towards the end of the final fight - there are some clever people out there in the world of CGI.

In other news, I watched 'Dangerous Minds' when it was on TV the other night. I'm sure I must have seen it at some point but could only ever remember the first 10 minutes, along with the clips from Coolio's  music video, so I thought I'd give it another go. In fact I really enjoyed it. Having only seen Michelle Pfeiffer hamming it up in various character roles recently (Hairspray, Stardust etc) it was nice to see her doing some 'serious acting'. She's cracking good fun as Louanne Johnson, a divorcee returning to teaching only to be thrown in at the deep end with the 'special' class at an inner-city school. She turns up bright-eyed and bushy-tailed to her first day only to be harassed and bullied out of her own classroom. However her marine training proves useful in getting the kids on side and, once they realise she's genuinely committed to helping them, they begin to accept what she can teach them.

It's been done many times since but Dangerous Minds remains one of the best examples of this kind of story. Pfeiffer is excellent and the kids are all realistic; there's not too much sugar-coating going on here. The pivotal event towards the end of the film is truly a shock (or it was for me - I don't think I can have seen it before), and ensures that things don't get too slushy. It's a wee bit dated in terms of fashion but still as relevant as ever in terms of the struggles experienced by inner-city teenagers not trusting in 'the system' to help them out of the cycle of poverty, crime, and violence they've grown up with. I was very glad I decided to give it another chance.

Star Trek

It's Star Trek, Jim, but not as we know it. Taking us back to the original era of Star Trek, or at least the genesis of it, this film introduces us to baby Kirk and Spock before fast-forwarding to their first mission out of Star Fleet Academy. Here we also meet younger, prettier, versions of Bones, Uhuru, Sulu, Chekhov, and, much later on, Scotty. In a cunning departure from the original timeline an evil Romulan called Nero (Eric Bana) has come back from the future to exact revenge on young Spock (Zachary Quinto, with his delectable eyebrows disguised) after older Spock (Leonard Nimoy) apparently destroyed his home-planet many years in the future. Confused yet? You will be as JJ Abrams once again proves his taste for time travelling characters and plotlines. After watching the season finale of Lost on Sunday night, and then this, I'm really not sure when I am anymore. Anyway, owing to the Trousers of Time effect we're shooting off down an alternative leg of Star Trek history and nothing is what you think. Spock becomes captain of the newly minted USS Enterprise after its original Captain, played by Bruce Greenwood, is captured by Nero and forced to eat a funny beetle which will torture his brain stem for the rest of the film. Nice. Kirk is kicked off the Enterprise after punching Spock, and marooned on an ice-world. He is chased by a hairy snow-beast, which is eaten by a giant red insectoid thing (you can almost hear Qui-Gon saying 'there's always a bigger fish') and hurtles into a cave where he meets Original Flavour Spock, who has come through the same black hole as Nero. The two of them battle through the weather to find the nearest Star Fleet outpost and here they meet Scotty, and a small crustacean, and Spock beams the two of them back to the Enterprise to save history, and the Planet Earth, which Nero has decided to destroy for reasons I forget. They save Earth but the history of Star Trek has been changed forever, allowing Abrams scope to create an entirely new mythology with his spangly new cast.

Despite its silliness and departure from the original canon I thoroughly enjoyed this film. I've seen a fair bit of Star Trek over the years, though little of the original series, so I know who everyone's supposed to be, but I wasn't mortally offended by the liberties Abrams takes. I don't know how the dyed-in-the-wool Trekkies have taken it, but I imagine there's enough in-jokes and clever references to keep them entertained by this film. I loved the style of it, it manages to link the 60s/70s ridiculousness of the original series, with the sleekness of the 90s, and bring the design bang up to date too. The skirts are short, the v-necks are tight, and the Enterprise has never looked so good. I also enjoyed the slightly caricatured versions of the famous seven characters. Chris Pine is arrogant, annoying, and aptly heroic as Kirk. Zachary Quinto channels Nimoy but also makes the role of Spock his own in a delightful turn marking him out as more than just a flash in the pan as Naughty Sylar in Heroes. There isn't enough of Simon Pegg as Scotty, but what we do see is very promising and I also really enjoyed Karl Urban's over the top turn as Bones (his facial expressions are worth the admission price alone). Zoe Saldana gives Uhuru some attitude, and appears to have a little romance going with Spock. Anton Yelchin gives a cute-as-a-former-soviet-button performance as Chekhov, and made me want to see much more of him (I was very excited to note that he appears in a segment of the forthcoming 'New York, I Love You' film).

As well as the fabulous characters there's also a hearty dose of Abrams usual time-travelling fun and games, and I for one am completely in favour of his new 'alternative timeline' for the Star Trek universe. I assumed that this was just a one-off film but if it leads to a suite of films with these actors then I would be very pleased indeed. It may be silly and over the top, but it works, and judging by the number of trekkie-isms I've come across in the last week or so it seems to have permeated the general consciousness in a manner that bodes well for Abrams and co.

Wolverine

'X-Men Origins: Wolverine' is, I assume, the beginning of a potential series of films filling in the back story of the mutants we know and love from the X-Men trilogy. This one, as you may have guessed from the title, explains the history of everyone's favourite clawed hero: Wolverine aka Logan aka Jimmy/James Logan. Now, I've never read the comics so I don't know how accurate it is but it begins with the genesis of Wolverine, as a sickly 10 year old in the mid nineteenth century who, after the death of the man he believes to be his father, unleashes hell on his killer and discovers he has extendable claws - at this point made of bone. It's not until over a hundred years later when Logan falls under the spell of one William Stryker and his 'Weapon X' programme that the fabled adamantium is fused to his skeleton and his claws become shiny blades. Before this though we discover Wolverine's connection with 'Sabretooth', as well as how he came to lose his memory prior to the events of the first X-men movie, and meet a host of exciting new mutants along the way.

As I said I'm not familiar with the comic books, but I am very much familiar with the first three films, and I can confirm that this is an excellent addition to the trilogy. Perhaps not up to the standard of X-Men and X2 but I would say it's definitely superior to The Last Stand. The history, as far as I can see, all makes sense and it very satisfyingly fills in the blanks in X2 and the beginning of X-Men, without taking too much artistic licence. The change of actor for the role of Stryker was a shame as Brian Cox is fantastic in X2 and I felt that Danny Huston just wasn't quite evil enough. I was also unsure about the 'is it or isn't it' romance between Logan and Kayla, there were a few too many twists and turns for me and by the end I wasn't really too fussed about them. However, where the chemistry really works is between the team of male mutants assembled by Stryker near the beginning of the film. Liev Schreiber does a solid job as Sabretooth and the relationship between him and Logan forms the backbone of the story credibly. I also very much enjoyed Ryan Reynolds as Wade Wilson (later Deadpool) and was only disappointed by the very brief sequence where we actually see him in 'evil model soldier' mode. I hear rumblings of an origins film for Deadpool, however, which sound very promising. Wraith, played by Will I am, and Gambit, played by Taylor Kitsch, are also very cool characters who I would be delighted to see more of. Also, nice to see Dominic Monaghan back on the big screen as electricity-bending mutant 'Bolt'.

I feel like this film stands up well on its own and also supports the overarching X-Men legend to great effect. This is a promising start which I hope will lead 20th Century Fox to develop the series further. It's 2 hours of geeky, mindless fun, with the added bonus of a remarkably pumped Hugh Jackman, riding motorcycles and chewing on cigars, with his usual Wolverine charisma.

Coraline

I've heard 'Coraline' described as a horror film for children, and judging by the whimpering from the small person in the row behind us yesterday it is certainly that. However I think on the whole this is one that will be enjoyed more by adults and older children than it's U rating would suggest. Filled with creepily uncanny scenes and elements of gothic horror, 'Coraline' is a beautiful fairytale with a heroine for the 21st century (voiced by Dakota Fanning)but a villain from the best tradition of evil witches dating back to the earliest stories for children. The 'Other Mother' (voiced by Teri Hatcher) begins as an idealised version of Coraline's real-life overworked and stressed out mother, who barely has time to look up from her laptop to talk to her only daughter. This Other Mother lives in a cosier, warmer version of Coraline's own home, cooks marvellous meals, and is always willing to talk. Coraline enters the world of the Other Mother when she finds a small door, locked and papered over, in the corner of the living room of the apartment she has just moved into. Coraline finds the key, and unlocks the door, and late at night opens it to find a mysterious tunnel that leads, like Alice's Looking Glass, to a mirror image of her own world. Apart from the Other Mother she also meets the Other Father, who has a mechanical piano and a wonder-filled garden, as well as 'Other' versions of the other three lodgers in the house, and the Other Wybie, the boy who she has befriended since moving to the house. The only suspicious thing about this other world is that everyone in it has shiny black buttons where their eyes should be. Guess what the price may be that Coraline must pay to stay with them...

You would be forgiven for thinking that this film is a Tim Burton creation, the marvellously spooky title sequence for instance, with jerky jangly music, could easily have been plucked from Edward Scissorhands or Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. However, this film was in fact directed and co-written by Henry Selick, the animation mastermind behind Burton's 'The Nightmare before Christmas'. So, if you like Burton, you're pretty much guaranteed to like this. The animation is a joy to behold, and I can thoroughly recommend seeing it in 3D, even despite the inflated ticket price. 3D has moved on since I last frequented an IMAX, no more out of focus shots, or grainy quality to mark out the enhanced scenes. I found it impossible to distinguish between those scenes shot in 3D and those in 2D. Every element is crystal clear and the 3D isn't overused, it simply enhances the realism of this fantastical world. My favourite scenes were those where Selick is obviously aiming to impress - the opening sequence; the section where Coraline first visits the Other House; and the scene in the garden: where each corner Coraline turns brings new delights to wonder at, topped off with a ride on the Other Father's praying mantis tractor which rises above the scene so that we can see the whole garden is planted out to resemble Coraline's face. Like our heroine we are quickly seduced by the beauty and brilliance of this other world, in stark contrast to the grungy, greyness of her real life.

Like 'Alice in Wonderland' this will be slated by some as utter nonsense but for those of us who enjoy a little fantasy this is possibly one of the best animations you'll see this year. Possibly not recommended for very young children I'd say anyone over the age of 8 should be able to properly enjoy the spectacle and sit through the scary bits without flinching. Also, look out for the charismatic cat, voiced by Keith David, who guides Coraline through both worlds and is a much more fitting companion than the annoying Wybie.

Crafty update

My gosh, I haven't done one of these in a while! Lest you think the Rosalie scarf finished me off, let me assure you that I have been making stuff since I finished it but many of them were tiny projects which hold little interest for a blogular audience e.g. a sat-nav case for my TomTom, a couple more squares on my very first blanket and a baby hat which must be kept quiet as it's a present for a colleague (so *shhhh*).

However, since Christmas I have also begun doing something else creative, outside of knitting, which has been taking my attention away from my most beloved hobby. 'What can it be?' I hear you ask. Well, since I moved to Oxford I'd been intending to take a dressmaking course at the excellent Oxford and Cherwell Valley College, and I finally enrolled for one at the end of last year. It started in January and I took one term of 'Basic Dressmaking' when I made a perfectly serviceable summer top in stripy cotton:

I learned how to follow a commercial pattern, make ruffles and pleats, how to set in a sleeve, how to ensure good fit, and how 'facing' works. It's an excellent course and our teacher, Louise, was incredibly patient and very good at mastering a whole class full of clueless beginners!

I got to take my own sewing machine and use it in classes so I'm now much more familiar with the settings and how to fix it when things are going wrong, which I didn't expect, so that was a massive bonus too.

Click the photo to see a larger version but be warned - it looks much more professional in the thumbnail, where the mistakes don't show :)

Then, after the term finished in April I made myself a lovely skirt based on a pattern I bought from 'Fabulous Fabric' in Ashby-de-la-Zouch (highly recommended - they have some gorgeous fabric and a very classy shop!)

This is McCall's M5631, very slightly different to the pattern, and with a seam at the back where there shouldn't be because I cut it out wrong first time round (based on an error in the instructions!). I learnt how to install an invisible zip, thanks to my mum for teaching me when I last went home, and also how to make a skirt that fits.

This is probably an exact size 11 as all of my shop-bought skirts are 10s (just too small) and 12s (just too big). This one fits perfectly around the waist and is a revelation - I shall be making my own skirts in future!

So, after completing the basic dressmaking course I decided to try my hand at a term of Advanced Dressmaking, which started last week. So far the difference between the two classes is like the difference between first year of Primary School and first year of University, but I'm determined to persevere and I  seem to have picked it all up pretty quickly so far so I'm hoping it will turn out to be the right choice! My next project is trousers - I have a pattern and fabric for some simple suit trousers and will hopefully start cutting out my pattern pieces this week.

I have to say dressmaking isn't something I would ever have expected to enjoy - as my housemate exclaimed on hearing my plans "but, you have absolutely no interest in fashion!" - however it's all going rather well at the moment and may begin a new era of my being well-dressed for a change (or maybe not, as I look down at myself, in jeans spottled with cleaning fluid and a baggy old cardi :))

Oh, and before I forget, I went to Burford for the day on Saturday with some friends, and we discovered that the needlecraft shop is open again with, hurrah, an excellent choice of yarn and knitting books in their upstairs room! Despite suffering a distinct lack of funds at the moment I succumbed to the following:

'Closely Knit' by Hannah Fettig: a beautifully executed pattern book with at least four things I want to make immediately! Also two balls of organic cotton for another baby hat (everyone seems to be going on maternity leave at the moment!)

I also made the following heart brooch from the book, it's very cute and only took one evening to make. No idea when I'll wear it, but I love it anyway!

Flushed Away

Another week sadly devoid of cinema visits :( However I did watch 'Flushed Away', sent to me by Lovefilm. I gave this one a miss when it was on in the cinema, despite its Aardman credentials, as I thought it looked a bit hit and miss. I can now confirm that it this is the case, but it's possibly a little more hit than miss. The story is simple enough - a pampered pet rat by the name of Roddy (voiced, oddly, by Hugh Jackman - could they not find an English actor?) is cruelly evicted from his Kensington home by an uncouth sewer rat. Flushed down the toilet Roddy finds himself in a rat version of London, built in the sewer pipes, complete with Tower Bridge and Picadilly Circus, all constructed from rubbish that has been swept through the pipes. Naturally the naive young town-rat gets into trouble after falling in with rat-thief Rita (Kate Winslet) and falling foul of evil overlord The Toad (Ian McKellen) when they steal his much prized 'ruby'. Cue much hilarity as Rita and Roddy try to escape the clutches of The Toad's hench-rats, as well as his French cousin Le Frog (voiced magnificently by Jean Reno).

This is all pretty standard kids fare in terms of story and characters but what made it worth it for me was the detail in the animation, and the humour, both of which I attribute to Aardman's involvement. The CGI itself is iffy, but the design can't be faulted. Everything in the rats' world is created from rubbish and there are many delights to be found if you look close enough e.g. Rita's steel toe capped boots, created from metal bottle-tops. I can't say I warmed to either of the main characters - Roddy is your typical upper-class English drip, except that his accent occasionally tends towards the Australian twang, courtesy of Jackman. Rita is slightly more interesting but mostly annoying. What makes up for this is The Toad, voiced by Ian McKellen in full-on evil nemesis mode, and the ninja frogs, headed up by the brilliant Le Frog. All of these characters are hilarious and you have to love the physical comedy opportunities created by a band of ninja frogs, accompanied by one frog in French mime mode, which the animators take full advantage of. The other delight to look out for is the slugs, who pop up at the slightest excuse, either screaming in terror at the characters, or pulling off impromptu songs. Truly hilarious and that perfect Aardman brand of cute - in the same mold as Shaun and the sheep in 'A Close Shave'. Rent this if you like Aardman, it's light-weight entertaining stuff and perfect for a weekend night in.

This week's films

Despite the lack of films I want to see at the cinema this week I've actually seen three excellent films within the last 48 hours. So prepare yourself for a triple-review!

Firstly, sent to me by LoveFilm this week - Battle Royale. I added it to my rental list because I kept seeing references to it in Empire but I really didn't expect that I would enjoy it that much - so it took me a few days to get round to seeing it. However, I was completely blown away by it and enjoyed it a hell of a lot more than I thought. Despite the fact that it's a pretty scary scenario, and contains its fair share of japanese uber-gore, the story is really interesting and you actually care about the characters. The premise is that in a dystopian future teenagers have become more rebellious and dangerous and the government decide to teach them a lesson ('scuse the pun) by choosing a class of 15 year olds each year to take part in 'Battle Royale'. The kids are taken to a deserted island, guarded by a military force, and are told they have three days to kill each other, and the last man standing is the winner. Each one is given a kitbag containing food, water, and a 'mystery weapon', they also have an electronic collar which monitors their heartbeat, and can also explode, killing them instantly, if they are in a 'danger zone' or if there is more than one teenager left at the end of the three days. As they are let loose onto the island alliances form, old slights are avenged, and our heroes - Shuya and Noriko - fight against the odds to escape together.

This is the first Asian film I've seen that is set in a (almost) contemporary world and, perhaps unsurprisingly, it is a world away from the 'wushu' and period films that I've seen before. Battle Royale is set in a world you can imagine inhabiting. The setting looks modern and the context is immediately familiar - unemployment is rising, school-attendance is falling, kids are getting out of control and teachers fear being attacked in their own classroom. The kids themselves are brilliant, with some cracking acting going on. I was delighted to spot Kill Bill's Chiaka Kuriyama as athletic student Takako Chigusa, but was particularly impressed by Aki Maeda, Tatsuya Fujiwara and Taro Mamamoto as the three main characters. They all look amazing too - like anime characters come to life. The fights are pretty impressive too, with some excellent choreography and blocking. The gore didn't bother me at all as it's all so cartoon-like, and if you've seen any violence of this type in other Japanese films (or Kill Bill) then you won't turn a hair. Despite being presented as a gore-fest I enjoyed this one for its clever plot, magnetic characters, and the relationships presented between the school-kids. Watch it. Watch it now.

Friday night's treat was '2 Days in Paris', courtesy of Lindsey, who came round for a film evening with a couple of other friends. It was a resounding success and had us all in stitches at the antics of the starring couple - Marion (played by writer and director Julie Delpy) and Jack (played by the oddly attractive Adam Goldberg). Marion is French and Jack American, and they are stopping in Paris for two days on the way back from a trip to Italy, in order for Jack to meet Marion's family. There relationship seems to be stable and successful until Jack starts meeting all of Marion's old flames, seemingly Paris is filled with them. He begins to be paranoid that Marion is, or has been, cheating on him with one of these many paramours.

This film is a complete delight, not least for the fact that it presents a realistic relationship. I adored Adam Goldberg as Jack, and was equally impressed with Delpy as Marion (though I found her character less likable). The film is very french, without being too whimsical, in its humour and presentation of the French characters' attitudes to relationships. It's truly hilarious, especially at the beginning when Jack has to cope with Marion's idiosyncratic family, and the revelation that they have all seen a very personal (and nude) photograph taken of him by Marion (this is when he starts to mistrust her :) I also now want a cat called Jean-Luc as he completely steals every scene he's in! Oh, and I must also mention a brilliant cameo by Daniel Bruhl as 'the fairy', so funny :)

Finally, last night, at The Phoenix, we went to see 'Låt den rätte komma in' (Let The Right One In) - a   deliciously creepy Swedish film about a young vampire called Eli. Although, in fact, the really creepy kid is the human one - Oskar. Oskar is bullied at school and lives with his mother, who is divorced from his much-loved father. He is obviously a troubled kid and carries round a knife, as well as keeping a scrap-book of storied about murder, cut from the newspaper. Eli moves into the apartment next to Oskar's, with her human caretaker Håkan. Eli and Oskar meet in the apartment courtyard and become friends after Oskar lends Eli his Rubiks Cube.

I've heard quite a bit about this film and decided to see it, despite not being a fan of horror films, because I had heard that it presented a 'realistic' take on vampires. Having seen it I can confirm that it's pretty much the 'anti-Twilight' in that it's a lot grimmer, and more pessimistic, with Eli being a lot more disturbing than the vampires that inhabit Stephenie Meyer's world. I wouldn't want to see it again but I'm glad I've seen it once. The way it presents many aspects of vampire lore is certainly interesting and I also enjoyed the additional vampire characteristics that Alfredson and Lindqvist have invented. Lina Leandersson is fascinating as Eli, by turns scary and beguiling, and it is easy to see why Oskar becomes intrigued by her. It's not explicitly terrifying, it's just very bleak and rather creepy to watch, and I've found it stays with you past the end of the credits. If you like clever horror films, or have an interest in vampires then I would recommend a watch. My only caution is to beware the scene with the cats, which is simply ridiculous and contains some very suspect CG.

The Boat That Rocked

This will be a brief review as I have just grated my fingers while helping my mother make a trifle, making typing tricky. This is the price I pay for coming home to my family for Easter. Anyway, 'The Boat That Rocked' is set on a fictional version of 'Radio Caroline' but renamed 'Radio Rock'. Anchored in the North Sea the ship broadcasts pop and rock music in an era when official radio stations in the UK played less than one hour of popular music per day. The ship is populated with the 60s equivalent of Chris Moyles, Russell Brand, Jonathan Ross, Zane Lowe, [insert your favourite radio personality here], which leads to some controversial activity on, and off, air. We are introduced to this world via young Carl, dispatched to the ship by his glamorous mother, for reasons which will become clear.

I'm a big Richard Curtis fan, I don't mind admitting it. I love Four Weddings, Notting Hill, Love Actually, Blackadder, and Mr Bean. So I was intrigued to see this, his second excursion as director, and first feature film to be more Com than Rom. It's actually tremendous fun, as I suspected it might be. The cast is full of Curtis favourites like Bill Nighy and Rhys Ifans, as well as established comedy actors like Nick Frost and Chris O'Dowd, and even a bit of Hollywood in the shape of Philip Seymour Hoffman (who obviously had a ball as token American DJ 'The Count'). I was delighted to also see Kiwi Rhys Darby, best known for the excellent 'Flight of the Conchords'. The story is very silly, and presents a rose-tinted view of the 60s pirate radios, but the film is successful in presenting the magical relationship between radio DJ and listener - somehow much more intimate than that of TV viewer and presenter. It's great to hear some classic 60s tracks as well - the soundtrack is fabulous, despite re-treading some familiar ground in terms of songs from that era.

My only complaint with this film is that, at over 2 hours, it's a little too long. However I enjoyed the film throughout and didn't feel that any particular section was weak enough to be cut. I was completely on-board with the ridiculous ending and couldn't help getting some patriotic goosebumps during the triumphant final scene. If you want a laugh this Easter and want to see a truly British film, hop aboard The Boat That Rocked.