(This review has been a very, very long time coming. I wrote the first two paragraphs the day aftter I saw it, the rest are going on pure memory!)
When you have a look online at the latest films, or what you want to go see later in the cinema, any time you see a film adaptation of a game appear on the list, you immediately seek to avoid said film at all costs. Hitman is but one of many examples. Prince of Persia, however, is a very good exception to this rule.
The story is rather complicated. We quickly learn that Dastan (Gyllenhaal) is an orphan with exceptional courage and is rather good as free-running (you know, climbing up walls and jumping from building to building). The King of Persia saw this courage and talent and adopted him into the Royal Family of Persia - the first member not to have any royal blood whatsoever. Zoom on 6 or 7 years, and you know have Dastan with a supremely impressive 6-pack, and a knack for disobeying the rules. Lots of things happen in a very impressive battle and we learn of The Sands of Time. Lots of other things happen, Dastan steals a dagger, and escapes alongside the gorgeous Princess of Alymet (or something), Gemma Arteton - she really is gorgeous. The two go on a few adventures together and bicker continuously as the story goes on, but, inevitably, they both realise they have a thing going on. (They do kiss in the end, they may bonk aswell, but I forget)
That's all there is to it. The rest is a number of battle sequences that involve lots of special effects (in particular the final battle, which is good on the eyes, but looking back, it's very silly). Because I forgot about this review, I'll keep it blunt - it's a good film if you just want a bit of fun and if you're a heterosexual boy/homosexual girl you can stare at Gemma Arterton for 2 hours, or if you're a heterosexual girl/homosexual boy you can stare at Jake Gyllenhaal for 2 hours. If you're looking for a deep plot with twists and turns, then this isn't for you. Oh, and for good measure, it has a predictable ending.
6.5/10.
Monday 31 May 2010
Sunday 16 May 2010
Let The Right One In (2009)
I have literally just finished watching this film - around 30 minutes ago - and though this film isn't, and wasn't, out in any cinema near by, I think this needs reviewing. Such is the effect of the film on me, it will test my reviewing skills to the extreme.
I watched this film with very high expectations. All reviews I'd read previously had said that it's among the greatest Vampire films of all time, 5 stars all across the board, using superlatives such us "amazing" and "jaw-dropping". I couldn't wait to get my teeth into this one (oh, vampire pun!).
We begin with a harrowing scene of 1981, Sweden, the place picturesquely covered completely in snow across a set of flats, which is where we first see our bumbling hero, per se, in his pants. Why he's in his pants, I have no idea, but in his pants he is. The opening 15 minutes or so is merely setting the scene for what's to come, a 12 year old school boy bullied by his peers being called again and again "piggy". He isn't fat, he's just called piggy, presumably for his pig-like facial appearance, but we won't go into that. This is Oskar, the young boy secluded from society totally, a loner who knows a bit too much about murder it seems. We are then introduced to Eli, the also (more or less) 12 year old girl who quickly befriends Oskar as he practises his knife wielding skills on an unsuspecting tree. The conversation between the two gradually develops from childhood shyness after meeting a pretty girl to subjects far too morbid and evidently deadly for 12 year olds to fully comprehend. Sad to say though, my enjoyment of the film was dampened very, very slightly by the pure annoyance of Oskar himself. That said, I guess that is Oskar, so our young star Kåre Hedebrant did brilliantly. The show is stolen completely however by young Eli, the vampire played exceptionally by Lina Leandersson.
We then meet a group of conspirators who, after hearing of two murders in their small village, obviously suspect the worst, regularly meeting to conspire and discuss the latest incidents. One member of the group (I won't divulge who, I'll keep it a surprise) is attacked by young Eli, leading indirectly to the second most spectacular set-piece in the film (the first I'll talk about later) really gives the director - Tomas Alfredson - reason to boast to the Michael Bays of this world that big budget stuff really doesn't mean a good film.
The cinematography and direction in general of the film is up there with the best I've ever seen. Every shot has a symbolic meaning behind it, for example, the closed door between Oskar and Eli, symbolising that however badly they want their love to flourish, there will always be an invisible barrier between the two. Similar to the barrier that prevents vampires from entering another's home, something we get to experience quite incredibly and disturbingly. 10 respect points for Alfredson. The snow covered world the film is set really gives a sense of harrowing worry as to whether Eli wants Oskar to be her boyfriend, a friend, a sidekick or simply lunch is always a possibility, one which on one occasion very nearly becomes a scary reality as our blithering idiot that is Oskar purposely cuts his hand in order to made a "blood brothers-like" connection between him and Eli.
The film is filled with small hints towards it's incredible conclusion, truly showing how far the young lovers are willing to go to help each other (Oskar putting his life on the line to save Eli as one of the conspirators approaches Eli in her sleep) to one of the best moments in film I've ever laid my eyes on. As Oskar plays with fire as he takes the word of Eli and sticks up for himself and "hits back", he inadvertently brings his bully's older brother into the mix, leading to a sublime 30 seconds of cinema, taken place underwater as we play the guessing game of "how the hell did that happen?!" Those 30 seconds sum this film up absolutely perfectly - not what you expect, yet utterly amazing.
In a time where it seems vampires are suddenly the new wizards, it's a feat to set your film apart in comparison to 30 Days of Night and True Blood, and this film has done so, in incredible fashion. To even use it in the same sentence as Twilight would be a disgrace to man kind, so I won't. Let's just say that if you like Twilight, you really have no idea what a vampire is. Let The Right One In is, in effect, a love story told so darkly and absorbingly, that it's a true horror film, and it's an absolute masterpiece. Give me none of this torture porn you see all over the place, I want Swedish vampire films.
There is an American remake of the film coming this year, which I will review in comparison to this one, but hear this: If the remake is better, then it will be the greatest film of all time. That's how good this film is, it'll be nigh on impossible for anyone to do better.
Simply stunning. 9.8/10.
I watched this film with very high expectations. All reviews I'd read previously had said that it's among the greatest Vampire films of all time, 5 stars all across the board, using superlatives such us "amazing" and "jaw-dropping". I couldn't wait to get my teeth into this one (oh, vampire pun!).
We begin with a harrowing scene of 1981, Sweden, the place picturesquely covered completely in snow across a set of flats, which is where we first see our bumbling hero, per se, in his pants. Why he's in his pants, I have no idea, but in his pants he is. The opening 15 minutes or so is merely setting the scene for what's to come, a 12 year old school boy bullied by his peers being called again and again "piggy". He isn't fat, he's just called piggy, presumably for his pig-like facial appearance, but we won't go into that. This is Oskar, the young boy secluded from society totally, a loner who knows a bit too much about murder it seems. We are then introduced to Eli, the also (more or less) 12 year old girl who quickly befriends Oskar as he practises his knife wielding skills on an unsuspecting tree. The conversation between the two gradually develops from childhood shyness after meeting a pretty girl to subjects far too morbid and evidently deadly for 12 year olds to fully comprehend. Sad to say though, my enjoyment of the film was dampened very, very slightly by the pure annoyance of Oskar himself. That said, I guess that is Oskar, so our young star Kåre Hedebrant did brilliantly. The show is stolen completely however by young Eli, the vampire played exceptionally by Lina Leandersson.
We then meet a group of conspirators who, after hearing of two murders in their small village, obviously suspect the worst, regularly meeting to conspire and discuss the latest incidents. One member of the group (I won't divulge who, I'll keep it a surprise) is attacked by young Eli, leading indirectly to the second most spectacular set-piece in the film (the first I'll talk about later) really gives the director - Tomas Alfredson - reason to boast to the Michael Bays of this world that big budget stuff really doesn't mean a good film.
The cinematography and direction in general of the film is up there with the best I've ever seen. Every shot has a symbolic meaning behind it, for example, the closed door between Oskar and Eli, symbolising that however badly they want their love to flourish, there will always be an invisible barrier between the two. Similar to the barrier that prevents vampires from entering another's home, something we get to experience quite incredibly and disturbingly. 10 respect points for Alfredson. The snow covered world the film is set really gives a sense of harrowing worry as to whether Eli wants Oskar to be her boyfriend, a friend, a sidekick or simply lunch is always a possibility, one which on one occasion very nearly becomes a scary reality as our blithering idiot that is Oskar purposely cuts his hand in order to made a "blood brothers-like" connection between him and Eli.
The film is filled with small hints towards it's incredible conclusion, truly showing how far the young lovers are willing to go to help each other (Oskar putting his life on the line to save Eli as one of the conspirators approaches Eli in her sleep) to one of the best moments in film I've ever laid my eyes on. As Oskar plays with fire as he takes the word of Eli and sticks up for himself and "hits back", he inadvertently brings his bully's older brother into the mix, leading to a sublime 30 seconds of cinema, taken place underwater as we play the guessing game of "how the hell did that happen?!" Those 30 seconds sum this film up absolutely perfectly - not what you expect, yet utterly amazing.
In a time where it seems vampires are suddenly the new wizards, it's a feat to set your film apart in comparison to 30 Days of Night and True Blood, and this film has done so, in incredible fashion. To even use it in the same sentence as Twilight would be a disgrace to man kind, so I won't. Let's just say that if you like Twilight, you really have no idea what a vampire is. Let The Right One In is, in effect, a love story told so darkly and absorbingly, that it's a true horror film, and it's an absolute masterpiece. Give me none of this torture porn you see all over the place, I want Swedish vampire films.
There is an American remake of the film coming this year, which I will review in comparison to this one, but hear this: If the remake is better, then it will be the greatest film of all time. That's how good this film is, it'll be nigh on impossible for anyone to do better.
Simply stunning. 9.8/10.
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