Filmknitter

J Edgar & Chronicle

J Edgar is a detailed biopic of the man who created the modern-day FBI. J Edgar Hoover was a fiercely commited and ambitious man, dedicated to his mother and his work, to the exclusion of any other personal commitments. As a boy he runs errands on his bike and after spotting a police investigation where the officers fail to notice the most basic of clues or observe good practice at the crime scene he resolved to being a new crime-fighting force that will supersede the police and rescue the country from the communists he despises so much.

The spoof poster for J Edgar in this little collection of gems is pretty spot-on about this film. It's a very worthy biography of a controversial figure in America's history but as with many Oscar contenders it all gets a bit too serious. There's a lot that's interesting about J Edgar Hoover, and I did approve of the fact that director Clint Eastwood has included the close 'friendship' that Hoover had with his right-hand man Clyde Tolson. Growing up in a household ruled by his domineeringly Catholic mother you have to feel for poor Hoover as she warns him away from a full relationship with Tolson with the delightful phrase "I would rather have a dead son than a daffodil for a son." Thanks to Mother Hoover J Edgar lives a life that revolves solely around his job and his final days are rather tragic as he refuses to let go of an organisation that no longer needs its founder. It's an interesting story and I'm glad I know more about the man but in general this film didn't blow me away. It's also far too long at 2hours 20 mins, by the 1hr50 mark I was ready for a swift finale, not another half hour of looking at poor Armie Hammer's abysmal old-man makeup.

Chronicle was last week's Orange Wednesday pick, after the sad revelation that not one of the many cinemas in Oxford was showing Young Adult, which would have been my first choice. Sadly it seems I shall have to wait for the DVD to see Diablo Cody's well-received dark comedy. So, my experience of Chronicle may have been slightly tinged with disappointment but it was a definite improvement on the dour J Edgar of the week before. Chronicle is an 'alternative' superhero movie that, in the grand tradition of Blair Witch Project and Cloverfield, uses shaky video cameras in the hands of exitable teens to add some realism (and motion-sickness) to the story. Three high school cliches (sorry, boys) discover a mysterious blue crystal in a pothole which gives them nose-bleeds and magical powers of telekinesis. With great power comes great responsibility, and predictably loner Andrew (Dane DeHaan - currently giving good hillbilly in True Blood), who is all bitter and twisted inside thanks to an abusive father at home and bullies at school, is overcome with new-found confidence and ultimately all three boys pay the price for poking around where they shouldn't be.

Chronicle may be full of cliches but I did genuinely enjoy it. It brings something new to the superhero genre, not being as comicbooky as Spiderman et al and possessing far more grit than the glossy TV serial Heroes. Thanks to the shakycam and aforementioned excitable teens it does have rather too many elements of the traditional horror movie, but there's just enough story and excitement to hold your interest. Clever but low-key special effects add to the realism of the movie. I especially enjoyed the flying sequences, which were as exhilarating as Iron Man's, but in sensible waterproof clothing. The films one failing for me is that it is made by teenage boys for teenage boys so not only are there gratuitous shots of girls at parties but also a distinct lack of good dialogue or interesting female characters. It's not my film of the year but in a town devoid of Young Adult it turned out to be a fair substitute.

Potiche and Monsters

Two contrasting films from last week's viewing. Firstly, Potiche which was released on the 17th and which Matching Curtains and I went to see at the Phoenix Picturehouse last Wednesday.

Potiche is a French confection from Francois Ozon. Starring French powerhouses Catherine Deneuve and Gerard Depardieu as old flames who, now in their 60s, revive their relationship. She is Suzanne Pujol, a 'Potiche' or 'trophy wife' to the CEO of the umbrella factory which her father originally owned. When her husband falls ill she has to take over the running of the factory while he recuperates, along with her two spoiled children - flamboyant Laurent and scheming Suzanne. She appeals to Maurice (Depardieu), formerly a liberal political activist, now a respected member of parliament and the local Mayor, for help. The four of them make the factory even more successful and Maurice and Suzanne become closer until a revelation about Suzanne's past drives them apart and then her husband recovers and trys to reclaim his job. Will Suzanne be happy to return to life as a Potiche?

I have an on-off relationship with Francois Ozon. I loved 8 Women, the murder mystery/musical he directed in 2002, but found 'Swimming Pool', released the following year, too dark and unsettling. Since then I've given his films a miss but the trailer for Potiche made it look closer to 8 Women than his other releases so I thought it would be worth a try. And, as it turns out, it was. It's as light and fluffy as a French souffle but there's no denying the charisma of its two stars and the writing is 'tres drol'. The story is set in the 70s and the period detailing, as in 8 Women, is a big draw. Also the candy colours, and the Willy Wonka-esque stylings of the umbrella factory makes the whole film look good enough to eat. It may be a little silly, but if you enjoy the French sense of humour or you're a fan of Deneuve and Depardieu then this is a film for you.

'Monsters', the debut feature-film from English auteur Gareth Edwards, was released last December, and I remember thinking at the time that it looked promising but as an apparent 'creature-feature', it was well outside my comfort zone and I never got around to seeing it. However, I was curious enough to add it to my Lovefilm list and having watched it over the weekend I'm tremendously glad I did. The premise is straight-forward enough - aliens have 'infected' a swathe of Central America, effectively dividing North America from Mexico. It is possible to travel between the two countries except during the breeding season when it becomes too dangerous to go near the 'infected zone'. Andrew Kaulder (Scoot McNairy), a budding photojournalist, and Samantha Wyndern (Whitney Able), his boss's daughter, find themselves stuck in Mexico at the start of the breeding season and decide to risk the monsters and travel through the zone to get home.

Having watched the extensive behind-the-scenes features on the DVD I think I may be slightly in love with Gareth Edwards. A former Visual Effects Artist, he directed an acclaimed short film in 2008 and off the back of that got the funding to make Monsters, his first feature film. It's 'guerilla film-making' at its best, he took off to Central America with a tiny crew, a few hand-held cameras, and two actors, and then just travelled around, finding locations by chance, roping in locals as extras, and developing the story and script based on what he found. Some of it may be luck but his dedication and his 'vision' are admirable and he certainly came up with the goods. Monsters is more of a road movie than a horror, thankfully for me as I don't like horror films. Here the focus is upon the developing relationship between Sam and Andrew and also on a pleasantly low-key exploration of themes of segregation, nature vs. machines, and what it would really be like if aliens invaded. Similar aims to 'District 9' but I much prefer Edwards' film to Blomkamp's. It's much prettier and gently prods you to think about what you're seeing, rather than ramming unpleasant imagery and violence down your throat.

The scenes with the aliens are more David Attenborough than Ridley Scott and Edwards' awesome CG skills mean they look incredibly believable and scary, though not purposefully malevolent. It's also amazing how Edwards has built an entire world simply using some cunning visual effects post-production, seamlessly doctoring existing signs, so that an innocent 'welcome to Guatamala' banner becomes a warning against entry to the infected zone. He also takes advantage of the language barrier so that the border guards innocuos Spanish comments become, for his English-speaking audience, warnings against maruading aliens. I strongly recommend renting this film on DVD as the behind-the-scenes documentary showing how Edwards put the film together is equally as impressive as the film itself.

Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides

I've seen quite a few films at the cinema recently, sadly most of which I've neglected to blog about; Hanna, Attack the Block, Water for Elephants, Thor and I'm sure a couple of others that I've forgotten. All of these were enjoyable and most of them original and compelling. 'On Stranger Tides' however, is not. It's flabby, boring, self-satisfied and uninspiring. Now, I'm not hating on the Pirates franchise. I adore the first one, it was the best film of 2003, a hugely entertaining, funny, family-friendly film, with a fresh concept. The sequel was so-so; like so many sequels it lacked the originality of its predecessor but it was still a decent summer flick. The third one was abysmal, and this one does not improve matters at all. It moves away from the timeline of the first three, having shed Keira and Orlando, here we have Jack in his very own adventure with some new playmates: a love interest, allegedly the 'female Jack Sparrow', a pretty little mermaid, and a buff clergyman. Also we get a brand spanking new villain in the shape of Blackbeard (smoking beard and all) played by Ian McShane. The plot is negligible but basically they're all looking for the fountain of youth, along with some pointless but handsome Spaniards.

Well, so much for the new characters. Sadly they are not a patch on Elizabeth Swann and Will Turner, and they were hardly the most compelling of protaganists. Our 'love-interest' turns out to be a bit of a damp squib, in the shape of a heavily pregnant Penelope Cruz. Why anyone would cast an actor who was going to barely be able to run in an action film I have no idea. Perhaps if they had made her condition part of the story there might have been a bit more spark to her character, as it is there is a distinct lack of it. Ms Cruz, it turns out, is not pirate material. After a spirited fight with Jack at the beginning their relationship becomes a boring saga of petty, veiled, arguments that aren't even funny. It's like watching your mum and dad snipe at each other on a long car-journey.

The new kids on the block, Astrid Berges-Frisbey as mermaid Syrena, and Sam Claflin as man of the cloth Philip, are undeniably pretty, but also undeniably dull. Their angsty fledgling romance relying mostly on longing glances, bereft as it is of any chemistry or tension. It's almost as if the director realised they would need a replacement for the central couple of the previous three films but couldn't be bothered thinking of a decent story so shoe-horned it in to an already overloaded plot. Blackbeard is revealed 40 minutes in in an exciting shot where he emerges from a darkened doorway, preceded by the smoking ends of his rasta-beard. Hang on to that excitement cos you won't be getting any more from Mr McShane, lacking as he does both the humour of Barbossa and the threat of Cutler Beckett.

Thankfully Geoffrey Rush is still around as Barbossa, in this film posing as a stand-up member of His Majesty's Navy. His entrance, in the pale make-up and giant wig of the 18th Century court, is a delight, combining his jaunty piratical scruffiness with a simpering attitude and a well-placed beauty spot (there may also be some pouting involved). Barbossa has lost a leg, thanks to Blackbeard, and is seeking revenge. Barbossa and Jack's banter remains entertaining (an early scene involving the two of them and a later one with an escape from a coconut tree are the high points of the film), but Rush is ill-advisedly sidelined to make way for the pointless quartet of new faces. Depp as Sparrow remains entertaining but he is too quirky to make a leading man and results in a film that lacks direction and rather founders. It is also interminably long. The concept, production values, FX and music could just about be enough to make this film entertaining if it was a trim 90-minute romp. However over two hours of bloated plot devices soon wore out my patience. I enjoyed seeing Captains Jack and Barbossa and the ships, but this pirate yarn is more of a bloated lumbering merchant galleon than an exciting and nimble Man-O-War. My timbers remain distinctly un-shivered.

Never Let Me Go & Ondine

I saw both of these a couple of weeks ago now and, owing to generally being busy, didn't get chance to blog about them, so excuse the sparse reviews as I've forgotten most of my thoughts on these two generally enjoyable films. Never Let Me Go is based on the novel by Kazuo Ishiguro. It's ostensibly a sci-fi story but not what I would describe as sci-fi. Tron 2, this is not. Our three main characters, sensible Kathy (Carey Mulligan), spiteful Ruth (Keira Knightley, and boyish Tommy (Andrew Garfield) are denizens of a mysterious boarding school called Hailsham. As with the novel we are given very little context but are aware from the start that these children aren't normal. There is no mention of parents and from the veiled subtext of their teacher's conversations about and with them we come to realise that these children are kept apart from the rest of the world for a reason. However the mystery of their existence is only half the story. The bones of the plot is the relationships between the trio, and this is fleshed out in the second half of the book as we discover their function in this parallel world to our own.

The film is kept delightfully loyal to the book, which I enjoyed but was eager to see on screen. I was frustrated by the lack of context and disappointed by the 'revelation' at the end. However I suspected tht in the film they would have to give at least a little more context because whereas in a novel an author can deliberately omit description of the world to keep readers in the dark; in a film, by its very nature, the audience has to be shown a lot more. I was not disappointed. Director Mark Romanek has realised the book beautifully and it was great to finally 'see' Hailsham and its environs, as well as the medical centres where Tommy, Kathy, and Ruth end up. The characters themselves are impeccably cast. Miss Knightley is perfect as the beautiful and misleadingly confident Ruth, Andrew Garfield has the perfect look as boyish and fragile Tommy, and Carey Mulligan is stellar as Kathy - I loved her just as much as I did in the book, if not more. She has such an appealing look and nature that you can't help but side with her against Ruth. The (anti)climax of the story was also more satisfying to me somehow, perhaps because you get to see exactly what the mysterious donations entail. The book does a good job of conveying the creepy nature of the medical centres, but obviously seeing the harsh reality in gory objective detail, rather than through Kathy's schooled eyes makes it more disturbing. As with the book, this isn't crowd-pleasing sci-fi type action, but it's a gently English story that will make you think about where technology might take us.

I missed Ondine at the cinema but wanted to see it because it looked like an unusual love story in a pretty location, and also it stars Colin Farrell with long hair, chunky fishermen's sweaters, and a thick Oirish accent. Yum. Fisherman, Syracuse (Farrell), is out on his boat one day when he finds a young woman (Alicja Bachleda) caught up in his nets. She seems disoriented and scared so he hides her away in his mother's old cabin by the shore and tries to find out who she is and why she was floating around off the coast of Ireland. His wheelchair-bound daughter, Annie, meanwhile discovers Ondine and decides that she is a 'selkie' - a Celtic mermaid - the legend of which seems to tie up with Ondine's discovery and the little she confesses to them. As Syrcause and Annie become more enchanted by Ondine they find out that her back-story is a little less like the fairytale they imagine.

Ondine is not a film that everyone will enjoy, it's all rather soppy, and full of whimsy and Irish stereotypes, but it's charming and genuinely romantic too (in fact Farrell and Bachleda got together while filming and now have a daughter). This is a fairytale but it's a bit of a grimy one - Syracuse is an ex-alcoholic and Annie's mother, played by Dervla Kirwin, and her new husband are still heavy-drinkers, which causes a tragedy near the middle of the film. It's not a ground-breaking plot but I liked the twist and the revelation of who Ondine really is. Colin Farrell looks appealingly rustic and is an entertaining hero - he goes to his local priest (played by Stephen Rea), not because he is a devoted Catholic, but because there is no branch of AA in town so he treats the confessional as such - confessing to how many units he has or hasn't drunk that week. The character of Annie is slightly twee but again enjoyable, she is a savvy young thing and it's fun watching her run rings around her devoted father in her electric wheelchair. Watch it for the pretty locations and pretty central couple; perfect fare for a Sunday afternoon with your knitting and some chocolate.

Whip It & True Grit

I missed this one at the cinema though I was very keen to see it - Drew Barrymore directing and Ellen Page starring - hell yes. I forget how I missed it but I did, so was delighted when Lovefilm sent me the DVD to watch last weekend. It's about a 17-year old girl, Bliss (Page), who lives in BodeenTexas, works at a fast-food restaurant and indulges her mother's penchant for entering her in beauty pageants. However, Bliss's preferences lean more towards the alternative than the shallow world of pageantry. One day, when shopping at an indie clothes-store she spots a flyer advertising the local Roller-Derby league and takes her best friend Pash along for an evening out. While there she bumps into one of the skaters, Maggie Mayhem (Kirsten Wiig), and is persuaded to try out for Maggie's team. As she's drawn more into the world of the roller-derby she realises that she may have to accept disappointing her mother in order to do what she loves.

On paper this is a bog-standard coming of age story - the misfit in a small town, discovers a new world that she fits into and then discovers it clashes with something her family want her to do. However, I'm a big fan of the coming of age story. I love any tale of success against the odds, and rebellion against expectations. Whip It fits nicely in with my taste for such stories couched in an indie style, and is a genuinely sweet story. Admittedly there's nothing ground-breaking plot-wise, even down to the fact that Bliss falls for a more worldly-wise guy only to find out he's cheated on her. However, the roller-skating gives it an original perspective, and it's refreshing to see what is almost a sports film which stars mostly women. There is also a lot of gentle humour to enjoy, mostly around the girls teasing their coach, Razor, about his training style and his reliance on faded blue denim shorts.

I wasn't sure about True Grit. I've not seen the original and also haven't seen No Country For Old Men, the Coen's most recent big-hitter. However I found myself with a spare Sunday afternoon and as it was the BAFTAs that night and this was up for Best Film I thought I'd give it a try. The plot, apparently, is an adaptation of the original novel by Charles Portis rather than simply a retreading of the 1969 film. Mattie Ross (Hailee Steinfeld), a forthright 14-year old, swings into town after her father is murdered by criminal Tom Cheney. She's out for revenge and hires the town's toughest Marshal, "Rooster" Cogburn (Jeff Bridges) to help her track Cheney down when he escapes into Choctaw territory. They are accompanied by a Texas Ranger, LeBoeuf (Matt Damon), who has been chasing Cheney for months. The story follows Mattie's efforts to recruit Rooster, and then their quest into the Indian Nations.

There's the occasional Western I enjoy but for the most part I find them tiresome; I suspect because they contain so few good female characters. The ladies are hiding indoors whilst the men swagger around outside shooting at each other, spitting, and wearing hats. However, I was intrigued when I found out that the hero in this story is a teenage girl. And I wasn't disappointed. Hailee Steinfeld is brilliant as Matty, she speaks like a biblical lawyer and has just about as much 'grit' as you could want. I loved the contrast of watching her bantering with a local businessman one minute, full of steely determination that belies her age, and then the next grinning with childlike delight as she climbs onto the little pony who will take her out of town on her quest (don't ask me what becomes of the little pony, but it is not a happy ending). Besides Steinfeld, Bridges is on fine form as Cogburn, who has the usual laid back tones of the Dude, but accompanied by razor-sharp instincts and a cynical eye (just the one). I enjoyed watching the relationship between this odd couple, and especially when LeBoeuf joins them and ends up in a shooting match with Rooster.

It's not a film I'd buy on DVD but was compelling and enjoyable for an afternoon's viewing. Not my personal preference so my money is still on The King's Speech, but certainly a standout from the usual stable of horse operas. Also, follow this link for details of the hand-knitted socks that Rooster and LeBoeuf wear in the film (you know you want to): http://blog.timesunion.com/fiberarts/lights-cameras-socks/9375/

Tangled

Warning: This post will likely contain copious amounts of gushing, cooing, and Disney fangirlishness.

So, Tangled, the latest from the Disney stable, and, I believe, the third CG 'toon produced by them since John Lassetter took over as head of animation. This is the film, I think, where Disney's traditional storytelling and Pixar's heavenly animation really come together. The story is based on the Rapunzel fairytale with a bunch of additional characters and an upgrade to 'feisty' for the titular heroine. Rapunzel was stolen away from her parents - the King and Queen - by Mother Gothel (a witch) as a baby. Mother Gothel locks Rapunzel at the top of a hidden tower in order to benefit from the healing and life-giving properties of her magical hair. If Rapunzel's hair is cut it will lose its powers for ever. However, when Rapunzel turns 18 she begins to doubt the good intentions of her 'mother' and when an opportunity for escape, in the shape of handsome thief Flynn, turns up, she finally gets to leave her tower and explore the wider world.

In a nutshell, I simply adored Tangled. I went to see it by myself yesterday afternoon and began to suspect this one might be special when the two girls at the till spotted my ticket and started talking excitedly about how good it was and how much they wanted to see it again. We shared an embarrassingly geeky moment about how much we all loved Disney and then I moved on to the screen, 3D glasses and chocolates clutched feverishly in hand. I have to confess, the majority of the audience were either small children or the parents of small children, but we were all equally transfixed from the moment the first scene opened. The animation is truly gorgeous and this film is up there with Avatar and Lord of the Rings for 'film landscapes I want to live in'. The story is genuinely magical - we all know the fairytale well enough and Disney may have made the darkest moment from the tale a little more child-friendly (this hero gets to keep his eyeballs and instead gets stabbed) but actually keeps the main points intact. The story is given an update with Rapunzel being much more pro-active than in the original, and there are two new animal characters, and a pub-full of what appear to be singing vikings, but these all work spectacularly well.

The songs are brilliant and much catchier than those in recent Disney productions (Princess & The Frog I'm looking at you). 'Mother Knows Best', 'I've Got a Dream' (with aforementioned vikings), and 'When Will My Life Begin' were my favourites, as much for the clever lyrics as the hilarious animation that accompanies them. This film is genuinely funny, with many laugh out loud moments, which I think gives it a much wider appeal than the likes of Bolt, Meet the Robinsons etc. There are clever lines as well as some genius slapstick moments - Rapunzel trying to shut an unconscious Flynn into her wardrobe was one of my personal highlights. The two animal characters, Pascal the chameleon and Maximus the police horse, are also brilliant and very funny. It's also a genuinely sweet film with a nice love story which develops between Flynn and Rapunzel (with echoes of Shrek in it), which peaks at the gorgous 'sky lantern scene' - look out for the smaller members of the audience trying to 'catch' them if you see it in 3D - which reminded me of the 'dancing in the stars' section in Wall-E, and left me equally misty-eyed. In fact this film in many ways references the Disney 'classics' - the 'stolen baby' storyline echoes Sleeping Beauty, Rapunzel's frustrated desire to explore is reminiscent of Ariel in The Little Mermaid, and watching Maximus sniffing the ground to track Flynn brought back memories of Trusty the bloodhound in Lady & the Tramp. However it also feels entirely fresh and up to date, and is so genuinely magical that I would really place it up there with the greats - Beauty and the Beast, Sleeping Beauty, Cinderella and Aladdin. It brightened up my Sunday no end and I can't wait to see it again.

 

The King's Speech

The King's Speech is, ostensibly, about King George VI's experience with antipodean speech therapist Lionel Logue, and his triumph in overcoming a debilitating stammer. However, given that this is set in the 1930s, we also get a juicy portion of history, with the scandal of Wallis Simpson, the abdication of George's brother King Edward VIII, and the ever-growing threat of Herr Hitler in Germany.

This film is a brilliant portrayal of one of our most popular kings and an excellent, and informative, portrait of a key period in our recent history. Although the impending Second World War is looming ahead, this is not really about the was or the politics. The focus is very much on one man overcoming adversity. For most of the film Bertie (as he was known prior to taking the throne) is an under-confident man with family issues and occasional flashes of temper. Thanks to the brilliant Colin Firth the character comes across as incredibly likable; a difficult thing in these un-monarchist times. I've heard that Firth went through some physical trials while perfecting the stammer but it was well worth his effort. He's incredibly believable and you just can't help but be right there with him as he struggles to get his words out. The clever way the film is shot helps too. The director, Tom Hooper, uses a lot of very tight shots right on Firth's face, which is often obstructed by the new technology - microphones, gramophones, radios, that are the bane of his life.

There are so many good performances in this film though that I can't mention them all. Geoffrey Rush as the charismatic Logue is a delight to watch; blithely instructing the future king of England to sing his responses, or to swear with gusto, or scream out of the window. If the real Logue was anything like him then you can see why he became such a firm favourite with the king. Look out also for Jennifer Ehle, Firth's former co-star in Pride & Prejudice, almost unrecognisable as Logue's unassuming wife Myrtle. I loved the scenes with Logue interacting with his kids too. A failed actor, Logue suddenly breaks into Shakespeare, getting them to guess which character he is doing. Helena Bonham-Carter makes an excellent Elizabeth Bowes-Lynn AKA The Queen Mum; a character who is tough but also very sweet and obviously of great support to her doting husband. Sweet to are the two little princesses, played by Freya Wilson (Elizabeth) and Ramona Marquez of Outnumbered fame as Princess Margaret.

I think the success of this film lies in the fact that, regardless of whether you've ever suffered a speech impediment, most of us can identify with the fear of speaking publicly. You can't help but feel the excrutiating embarrassment as Bertie stands in front of a packed sports stadium at the beginning of the film and chokes on his first line. Similarly, by the end of the film, in the fantastic scene where the new Kind George triumphantly reads out his first wartime speech to the magnificent strains of the 2nd movement from Beethoven's Symphony #7, with Logue standing a foot away guiding him through his speech with some hilarious silent additions and gestures. See it for two brilliant central performances, creative photography, and a compelling section of recent British history.

Postscript: It's just been pointed out to me that the Odeon website's guidance for this film warns that it "Contains Strong Language In A Speech Therapy Context". I should make potential viewers aware that it also contains “Realizations About One’s Father In A Speech Therapy Context”, “Someone Using The Toilet In A Speech Therapy Context”, “Building Model Aeroplanes In A Speech Therapy Context”, and “Pre-War Politics In A Speech Therapy Context”. Careful now...

Scott Pilgrim vs. the World

Scott Pilgrim vs. the World is one of the most random films I've ever seen, but also one of the few films that really accurately captures current pop culture. Scott is a mild-mannered bassist in his early twenties, who appears to be unemployed, shares a tiny flat (and bed) with his gay best friend (Kieran Culkin, stealing every scene he's in), and is dating a high-schooler called Knives Chau. Then Scott meets Ramona, a mysterious American girl (we're in Canada - I only realised halfway through the film), who has purple hair, an enigmatic aura, and who Scott falls in love with at first sight. A wee bit of stalking later and Scott and Ramona are dating. Unfortunately her seven evil exes are out to get Scott and he must defeat them all before he can claim Ramona's hand.

I don't know if I'm just in a good mood at the moment, but after a fairly dry period at the cinema, the last three films I've been to see have been absolutely stonking. Every single one of them I have left the screen thinking "best film I've seen this year". Fortunately they were all so different - this, Inception, and Toy Story - that there is room in my affections for all three. This film, from writer/director, and fabulous English chappie, Edgar Wright, is like nothing I've seen before. Possibly the only way to describe it is as a mash-up between Juno, Moulin Rouge, and an internet gaming forum. It's got the cool yoof vernacular from Juno, the frenetic and exciting pace of Moulin Rouge, and the enthusiasm for rock music, gaming, and comic books that can only come from the true geeks of this world. Having said that, Scott is by no means the sharpest knife in the drawer. Except for when he's rocking out as part of "Sex bob-omb" he is enormously apathetic, and one wonders exactly what it is that Ramona and Knives see in him. However, Michael Cera pulls off disaffected youth excellently and makes for a likeable hero.

It's really the shameless geekiness about this film that made me love it so. The references to gaming culture - his friend "Young Neil" is often playing Zelda on his DS and the music is cleverly interwoven into the action, and the clever sight-gag of each evil ex exploding into a shower of coins - are a delight and something rarely seen in films. Also, the obvious comic-book connections (there are accompanying graphic novels), used much more explicitly than in recent superhero films. A lot of the scenes look like an illustration from a comic book, with screams and sound-effects being inserted into the scene as onomatopoeic text, and clever lighting, animated flashbacks, and swift cuts between scenes, but without alienating the audience (take note "The Spirit"). There's also a cracking soundtrack, not all entirely to my taste, but absolutely appropriate to the film, and featuring excellent contributions from Beck, Crash and the Boys, and Beachwood Sparks. 

Like Toy Story and Inception this is definitely a film I'll want to see again. If you're under 35 I thoroughly recommend a viewing, though I suspect anyone much older won't really "get it".

Toy Story 3

I actually saw this for the first time as soon as it came out, but owing to being unusually busy I neglected to blog about it and then left it too late and forgot all the little things I liked about it. However, I had a hankering for a cinema visit this afternoon and, resisting the urge to see Avatar a third time, I decided to see Toy Story 3 again, and this time in 3D. It doesn't really need the 3D but it makes the animation just that little bit more impressive. After the excitement of the preceding two we're back on a mission with our old friends, Woody, Buzz, Slinky, Rex etc. Being the last in the series this one's more bittersweet, and I'm warning you now that I guarantee there will be a little tear in your eye by the final scene. However, it's not all doom and gloom. Andy is off to college and the toys mistakenly get donated to the local day-care centre where they meet the sinister Lotso, a big pink bear, and Ken, his over-friendly lieutenant, as well as a plethora of other new characters. All is not what it seems at this happy place and the gang soon have to break out. Yes, it's the Shawshank Redemption, but in miniature and with (a lot) more jokes.

I loved the story to this one, there's genuine peril and also genuine emotion - anyone who's had to grow up and get rid of old favourite toys will identify with the story, and I hear that any parent who has had a child leave for university will be similarly affected. All our old favourite characters are here, and we discover an irresistible new side to Buzz when his pals accidentally switch him to "Spanish mode". Cue Buzz and Jesse doing the Pasa Doble - genius! There are also a few new toys to appreciate - Barbie meeting Ken is as monumental as you might expect and there is a hilarious scene where he performs a fashion show for her in the DreamHouse, with the complaint that "no-one else here appreciates clothes". Rex also meets a new friend towards the end of the film - Trixie the computer-savvy triceratops. Look out also for a cuddly plush version of Totoro from the Miyazaki film - a nod from one animation giant to another. There are wuite a few in-jokes in here as well as the usual clever pop-culture references.

The whole story is brilliant but the escape scenes from the daycare centre were my favourite - first Woody breaks out alone, with the help of a kite, and then breaks back in to spring the others. The animation technology has moved on leaps and bounds since the first film and there are so many beautiful set pieces in this film you won't know where to look first. Bonnie's house at the end is possibly my favourite, but there is much to appreciate. The culmination of their escape finds the gang in a waste disposal plant and the climactic scene may be a little too scary for very wee ones, and had me on the edge of my seat, worrying that the writers has decided to do something rash! All in all this is truly a delight from beginning to end and definitely worth taking the whole family to see.

'Creation' and 'Letters to Juliet'

I missed seeing 'Creation' at the cinema as it was barely shown anywhere, but finally Lovefilm sent me the DVD and I watched it over the weekend, and frankly I'm glad I didn't pay £8 at the cinema to watch it! Ordinarily I adore all period films indiscriminately; show me a bonnet and a crinoline and I'm happy, and with the adorable Paul Bettany starring as Darwin, accompanied by real life wife Jennifer Connelly as Mrs Darwin, I assumed this would be an enjoyable experience. Sadly not; the film is unremittingly grim. It focuses entirely on the conflict between Charles Darwin's loss of faith, due to the death of his daughter and his evolutionary discoveries, and his wife Emma's Christian beliefs. For most of the film Darwin is a man on the edge of sanity, crippled by stomach pains and symptoms of stress, neglecting his wife and children, and hallucinating visions of his creepy dead daughter, Annie. What I wanted was an insight into the birth of the most important scientific theory in our history, beautiful shots of finches in the Galapagos Islands, and an interesting portrayal of the long and loving marriage Charles and Emma experienced together. Sadly it wasn't to be. Perhaps those with more of a vested interest in the conflict of church and science would find this instructive, but since I threw over religion in favour of rational thought a long time ago I didn't find it interesting or challenging. I liked the final 20 minutes as Charles finally writes the manuscript that will become The Origin of The Species, opens up to Emma, and finally lays the memory of his daughter to rest, but the rest of the film is unbearably morose and doesn't begin to take advantage of the magnificent story of the success of empirical thought that Darwin's theory of evolution became. The orangutan, however, is a small, orange, delight.

My flatmate and I decided to see 'Letters to Juliet' on Saturday night to take advantage of a quiet night at the cinema as the majority of the population was planted in front of England v. USA on the gogglebox. I didn't have high hopes for this film; mainly hoping for something I could rest my brain in front of, that would have nice shots of pretty people and sunny locales, and fortunately it fit the bill. The story is pretty bog-standard rom-com territory: Amanda Seyfried (of Mamma Mia fame) is engaged to a brilliant, but preoccupied chef. They go on holiday to Tuscany together but he spends most of his time hunting down new suppliers for his restaurant while she prefers sight-seeing. One afternoon she visits 'Juliet's house', where lovelorn visitors write letters to Juliet, which are answered by the 'secretaries to Juliet'. Being an aspiring journalist with an inquiring mind Sophie (Seyfried) joins them to answer a letter written 50 years before, found behind a loose stone in the wall. Lo and behold! Claire (Vanessa Redgrave) turns up in Italy after receiving Sophie's answer, with her dishy grandson Charlie (Christopher Egan) in tow. The three of them set out to find her childhood sweetheart Lorenzo, and despite hating each other on sight, Sophie and Charlie begin to fall for each other...

I enjoyed all the scenery, and the very attractive leads (not least Vanessa Redgrave, who looks amazing for 73), but the plot is fairly pedestrian and the ending can be seen a mile away. Gael Garcia Bernal is wasted in a frenetic but minor role as the unwanted fiance, and unfortunately Egan, despite being blonde and pretty, talks and acts as if he's got a cricket stump wedged up his backside. His and Sophie's courtship is entertaining, but hardly packed full of chemistry. Nonetheless, as an alternative to staying at home and listening to the dulcet tones of the World Cup match filtering down from the flat above ours, it was more than satisfactory. See it if you're fed up of football, or the rather uninspiring summer weather here in the UK!