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Cinema Voyage - Michael Pearson

This blog is PRIMARILY about movies. Some dvd and some that are still in the theater. Also, links are provided on some movies if you decide you want to purchase it. Also, I write and read quite a bit. So, you may, from time to time see a book review here from an up-and-coming author or an interview with one. If you have a book that you have written, please don't hesitate to contact me if you want an unbiased opinion. I would be happy to read and review what you've written. We should value our creative people more.

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Cinema Voyage - April 2009

Review - Winged Creatures

April 27th 2009 07:27

Ensemble pieces tend to make interesting pieces to watch because they are more concerned with individual character studies than a strong overall plot and Winged Creatures is no different.

Following along in the vein of Babel and Crash, Winged Creatures focusses on a group of strangers who are all connected after surviving a random shooting in a diner in Los Angeles. Coping with life after being surrounded by death, all the characters react differently to the tragedy.

Carla (Kate Beckinsale - Snow Angels) the waitress on duty at the time, struggles with her baby and seeks constant reassurance from Dr Bruce Laraby (Guy Pearce). Charlie (Forest Whitaker), a cancer-ridden customer injured trying to prevent further killings, chances his luck further by heading to the casino leaving his daughter Kathy (Jennifer Hudson) to worry about his whereabouts.

Anne (Dakota Fanning) who was dining with her father Aaron (Tim Guinee) and friend Jimmy (Josh Hutcherson) at the time of the incident turns to religion, preaching at every opportunity about the bravery of her father who was killed in the shooting. Jimmy, who was saved by Charlie when he turned on the gunman, turns mute after the incident refusing to say a word and resisting any help from the psychologist (Troy Garity). Concern by the children's parents emerge regarding Anne's state of mind and newfound fanatacism on religion and fear from Jimmy's father (Jackie Earle Haley) regarding family health coverage issues.

Dr Bruce Laraby, who was not in the diner at the time of the shooting but had inadvertently opened the door for the killer as he was leaving, failed to resuscitate both the killer and the victim, Aaron, Anne's father. He struggles with guilt and the realisation that he cannot be god and tries to focus his energies on his girlfriend as someone who needs saving.

This movie is all about the what rather than the why - each of the individuals trying to understand who they are and how to cope with life after tragedy.

Anne Hagen: I didn't do anything, Mom. I'm sorry.
Doris Hagen: No, it's okay.
Anne Hagen: I can't ever forgive that man for what he did. I can't. Never.
Doris Hagen: Don't either of you. Ever.

Overall the acting was strong although I thought there was too much focus on Anne (Dakota Fanning). Out of all the story lines this seemed to be the most uninteresting although the appearance of Jeanne Tripplehorn as mum Doris was well placed.

Based on Roy Freirich's novel of the same name and directed by Australian director Rowan Woods (Little Fish starring Cate Blanchett), the movie struggles a little with the hardcore subject matter. It is a slow paced movie with little interest for those who like a lot of action in their films but for those who enjoy a slower paced character study, it is definitely one to look out for.

Voyage Review: 3.5/5

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Posted By: Michelle Sweeney - Category: Drama

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Review - Last Chance Harvey

April 23rd 2009 15:38

Emma Thompson and Dustin Hoffman make a very mismatched pair for a romantic drama but somehow that made their relationship much more believable in Last Chance Harvey.

Harvey (Hoffman) is a wannabe jazz pianist who somehow fell into the world of writing jingles for television. Slightly out of step with the new technology entering his field, he feels the pressure from the younger guys who are more than willing to step into his shoes while he flies to London for his daughter's wedding. Harvey, a divorcee who never remarried, is estranged from his only daughter, Susie (played by Canadian actor Liane Balaban) and it is clear from their first meeting that they have not been close for many years.

Kate Walker (Emma Thompson) is single, works at Heathrow collecting data from passengers and spends a lot of time taking calls from her lonely mother (Eileen Atkins). An extremely bad day for both characters and a chance enounter brings Harvey and Kate together. Harvey has just been sacked from the job at which he no longer finds enjoyment and attended his daughter's wedding at which he was not given the honour of being able to give her away. Kate recently had an embarrassing date and is constantly being pestered by her mother. They don't start off on the right footing but Harvey warms his way to Kate's table and sits next to her while they eat lunch.

Their loneliness and unhappiness is a bond between them and they soon find out they enjoy each other's company and spend time getting to know each other. Both Dustin and Emma were nominated for a Golden Globe earlier this year and while the movie is hardly groundbreaking stuff, I enjoyed their roles for the simplicity captured on screen.

Written and directed by Joel Hopkins, the characters show great warmth and truthfulness. One issue I did have however, is that I would have liked to have seen more dialogue and interaction between the leads as they are both extremely capable actors.

I found some scenes to be a little clumsy especially the the action between Kate's busybody mum and her neighbour. It was a little on the distracting side although the wedding reception scene was handled beautifully by both the actors and the director.

Harvey and Kate are both mature adults who have had their fair share of disappointments and unhappiness. A reverse case of an Englishmen in New York, these two may not be a match made in heaven but it looks like they have a bit of life in them yet!

Voyage Review: 3.5/5

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Posted By: Michelle Sweeney - Category: Drama

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Review - Yes Man

April 21st 2009 09:54

If your life is in a rut then I suggest you open yourself up and start saying yes to everything that is offered to you. Imagine the possibilities that this will open up for you? This is the basis of the book written by Danny Wallace which led to the movie starring Jim Carrey and Zooey Deschanel.

Previously stuck in a rut and disillusioned with life after divorce from his beautiful wife (Molly Sims), bank employee Carl Allen (Carrey) has stepped away from life and love. He ignores his mobile phone and avoids all contacts with his friends until his long lost friend Nick flies into his life and convinces him to attend a "Yes" self improvement seminar run by Terrence Bundley (Terence Stamp).

Immediately after the seminar he takes the lessons learnt onboard and a series of incidences leads him to Allison (Deschanel) and an unexpected kiss before she dashes off into the night. Happy with the first night's results, he then seizes each opportunity presented before him. Carl starts flying lessons, learns to play the guitar, joins a Persian date website, takes Korean lessons and attends Harry Potter theme parties to name a few.

For Jim Carrey, this is a return to the comedy roles that made his name. I am not a huge fan of his physical comedy preferring his straight roles (The Truman Show, Eternal Sunshine of The Spotless Mind) but I thought the physicality for the most part suited the role.

The humour with this film lies in the fact that you know regardless of what is put Carl's way he will say yes and unexpectedly this had me laughing out loud. New Zealander Rhys Darby had a fun role as Carl's boss Norman and for those not familiar with his work, I suggest you check out the comedy The Flight of the Conchords. The band featured in The Flight of the Conchords coincidentally has quite a large similarity with that of Allison's band - neither has many followers.

Allison herself lives life to the full and does not require a yes seminar to enjoy life and this is ultimately what comes between her and Carl. Can Carl win her over - well it's a rom com helmed by Jim Carrey so there are no surprises there. I didn't warm to all scenes - in particular the suicide musical scene (ala Adam Sandler) was a bit over the top for my personal liking.

This is definitely mainstream fodder and subsequently director Peyton Reed (The Break Up, Down With Love) played it fairly safe. Some definite fun and giggles to be had and it even comes sugar coated with a positive message.

Voyage Review: 3/5

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Posted By: Michelle Sweeney - Category: Comedy

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Review - Nobel Son

April 20th 2009 13:12

Nobel Son is definitely a mixed bag. Labelled as a comedy crime thriller with some drama thrown in, it stars Alan Rickman, Mary Steenburgen, Bill Pullman, Danny DeVito, Eliza Dushku, Bryan Greenberg and Shawn Hatosy.

Alan Rickman forever won me over with his performance in Truly Madly Deeply in 1990 although to many newcomers to film, he will be forever immortalised as Professor Severus Snape from the Harry Potter series. Always a strong performer, he doesn't fail with his performance of Eli Michaelson, the Nobel winner to which the title refers. He is a rude, self absorbed egomaniac with no time for anyone else other than the lovers to which he seems to collect with ease. His long suffering wife Sarah (Mary Steenburgen) is a forensic scientist and somehow manages to put up with his antics. The Nobel winner's son is Barkley (Bryan Greenberg), always and forever a disappointment particularly in lieu of his Gameboy addiction and his particular fondness for cannabalism upon which his thesis is based.
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Posted By: Michelle Sweeney - Category: Comedy

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Review - Blindness

April 16th 2009 14:15

Blindness, directed by Fernando Meireilles, is based on a novel written by Nobel Prize-winner Jose Saramago about an epidemic of instant "white blindness".

One by one inhabitants are struck down with blindness and the government in charge tosses them into a detention centre leaving them to literally fend for themselves.
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Posted By: Michelle Sweeney - Category: Drama

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The Limits of Control

April 15th 2009 03:02

The Limits of Control is a drama written and directed by Jim Jarmusch starring Bill Murray, John Hurt, Gael García Bernal, Isaach De Bankole and Tilda Swinton. This will be the third time Bill and Jim have worked together, previously on Broken Flowers (also with Tilda Swinton - 2005) and Coffee and Cigarettes (2003). This also marks the fourth time that Isaach and Jim have worked together - previously Night on Earth (1991), Ghost Dog: The Way of the Samurai (1999) and Coffee and Cigarettes.

I have been a fan of Jim's work since Mystery Train (1989) and Night on Earth - movies which tell the tales of individuals all being connected by a universal theme or situation

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Posted By: Michelle Sweeney - Category: Movie Chatter

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Review - Walled In

April 12th 2009 06:12

Walled In is one of those films where the initial premise could have been good, but unfortunately due to bad acting, casting, directing or poor script (or a combination of these), it all goes horribly wrong.

Based on a French novel entitled Les Emmures written by Serge Brussolo, the film is directed by fellow Frenchman Gillies Paquet-Brenner. This may be a case of "lost in translation" but regardless of the reasons, it is watchable at best.
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Posted By: Michelle Sweeney - Category: Horror

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Sunshine Cleaning

April 10th 2009 11:10

From the producers of Little Miss Sunshine comes Sunshine Clearing. Rose Lorkowski (Amy Adams) finds herself as a single mother attempting to support her son Oscar (Jason Spevack) and her unreliable sister Norah (Emily Blunt) while working a mundane job as a maid.

When Oscar is expelled from public school, Rose takes a job as a bio-hazard crime-scene cleaner to help pay for a private education, and brings Norah on to help in her steadily growing business. As the sisters work to clean up the messes left behind by the chaotic lives of others, they must learn to reconcile their own differences and overcome a troubled past if they hope to prosper in their newfound venture

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Posted By: Michelle Sweeney - Category: Movie Chatter

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Review - Marley and Me

April 7th 2009 08:15

Marley and Me is based on John Grogan's true to life story about his labrador Marley and his newspaper column which often featured the misadventures between his dog and his family. The book was a huge success and dog lovers and fans of the novel alike will no doubt connect immediately to the story.

John Grogan is portrayed by Owen Wilson as the wannabe serious journalist. His wife Jenny (Jennifer Aniston) is a journalist on a competitor's newspaper and at the start of the marriage, seems to have more of a promising career. They are both 30 something and full of ambition. John wants to be taken seriously as a journalist and Jenny has a plan which goes along the lines of the nursery rhyme - first comes love, then comes marriage then comes Jenny with a baby carriage! But unfortunately John is not sure that he is ready for the extra commitment a child will bring.
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Posted By: Michelle Sweeney - Category: Comedy

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Review - Killshot

April 6th 2009 11:21

Killshot seemed to fly under the radar with minimal release in the US and elsewhere. Directed by John Madden (Shakespeare in Love, Mrs Brown), Killshot stars comeback king Mickey Rourke and was filmed prior to his award nominated role in The Wrestler. Well deserving of the king title, Mickey it seems, now has 9 films either just announced, in filming, in pre-production or post-production.

Based on a novel by Elmore Leonard, Killshot stars Diane Lane (Nights in Rodanthe), Thomas Jane (The Punisher), Rosario Dawson (Death Proof) and Joseph Gordon-Levitt (3rd Rock From The Sun). Numerous reports surround this film but they all confirm that production was seriously delayed and the overall film was heavily edited including the removal of an entire supporting role by Johnny Knoxville.
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Posted By: Michelle Sweeney - Category: Thriller

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Review - Easy Virtue

April 4th 2009 08:47

Based on a Noel Coward play written in 1923 and directed by Stephan Elliott (Priscilla Queen of the Desert), Easy Virtue is a thoroughly entertaining comedy of manners.

Set in 1929, John Whittaker (Ben Barnes), a young Brit aristocrat, falls in love with blonde bombshell, Larita (Jessica Biel), an American female racing car driver. He impetuously weds her in the South of France and takes her home to England to meet his family. Kristin Scott Thomas is Mrs Whittaker, a cold distant woman who takes an instant dislike to Larita, showing her distaste by announcing "“Oh, you’re American . . . ” upon hearing her utter her first words. Glamourous Larita is in sharp contrast to the British aristocracy, tweeds and fox hunts and realises that in order to maintain some manner of control and dignity she must stand up for herself and her love for John. Larita may have "easy virtue" as Mrs Whittaker refers, but she holds steadfast to her plan of leaving the estate and moving to London as soon as she can.
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Posted By: Michelle Sweeney - Category: Comedy

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