This was a bit of a random viewing. I'm on holiday in Suffolk this week with my sister and brother-in-law and we had a spare couple of hours in Bury St Edmunds yesterday and decided to go to the cinema. Sadly the only film we could agree on was Gnomeo & Juliet. Happily, it's actually fairly entertaining and with some clever references to Shakespeare that kept us lot, as well as the small folk in the screen, amused. It's loosely based on Romeo and Juliet but instead of feuding families in an Italian town, here the star-crossed lovers are part of opposing groups of garden gnomes in adjoining suburban gardens.
The film is hardly ground-breaking in its story or humour; Tangled is definitely superior. However, the animation is cute and the characters amusing. The afore-mentioned Shakespearean references are cleverly used (my favourite was 'out damned spot' - keep an eye our for it). I also liked the use of Elton John's back-catalogue, which seems to have been a recent addition to this film (it's been in production for a good few years, Ewan McGregor was originally voicing Gnomeo, now James McAvoy). It's my belief that any animated film can be improved with a few good songs and this film is testament for that. Though, I remain disappointed that the full version of Benny & the Jets wasn't included ("Benny! BENNY!" etc.)
4.3.2.1 was out at the cinema last year but wasn't shown for long and I didn't get around to seeing it. However I was sufficiently intrigued by the sound of the story to buy it on DVD in order to watch it. Directed by Noel Clarke (of Doctor Who and Kidulthood fame), and starring four young up and coming actresses (Ophelia Lovibond, Tamsin Egerton, Emma Roberts, and Shanika Warren-Markland) as four very different friends who live in London. Shannon is a struggling art student with self-harming tendencies whose mum has just left her dad, Cassandra is a beautiful and wealthy music student who is on the way to becoming a talented pianist, Jo works at a 24-hour supermarket, and Kerrys is a brash and confrontational lesbian with an annoying brother. The story begins with the four of them meeting at a cafe, and as they leave a fleeing criminal drops his stolen diamonds into Shannon's handbag. After some ensuing confusion we watch how each of their weekends unfold and how the criminals try to retrieve their diamonds from the girls.
I loved this film. As with True Grit, it's rare that I enjoy a Landaan-set crime drama (see London Boulevard for a recent disappointing example of the genre), but this is again due to a lack of decent female characters. However in 4.3.2.1. we have four amusing and likeable modern women who aren't afraid to kick some arse to get out of any compromising situation they find themselves in. I knew the film was off to a good start when Kerrys, having been ogled by a young man in the cafe, pins down the offending stripling with one high-heeled foot in the face, and treats him to a tirade of rightful anger. Not only are the characters good, but the structure of the film in general reminded me strongly of the brilliant German film 'Run Lola Run', which also stars a female action hero with the story being told in three alternative timelines, the action rewinding after each story. In 4.3.2.1. after we have seen each girl's 24 hours or so then the action rewinds and we leave the cafe with one of the other four. Random events in each character's storyline make sense as we see the next girl's viewpoint. I enjoyed the build-up of the plot and the final denouement. I've not seen any of Noel Clarke's previous film but this gives me a lot of confidence in him as a director. It's a fun, action-packed, pleasingly feminist crime drama, and frankly I'm just disappointed that it's taken us 12 years to produce a worthy successor to 'Run Lola Run'.
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