Film Review: Cemetery Junction

Director: Ricky Gervais, Stephen Merchant
Screenwriter: Ricky Gervais, Stephen Merchant
Main Cast: Christian Cooke, Ricky Gervais, Julia Davis, Tom Hughes, Jack Doolan, Felicity Jones, Ralph Fiennes, Emily Watson.
Runtime: 95 minutes
Certificate: 15 (UK)
Brief Summary: A 1970s-set comedy centered on three upstart professional men working at an insurance company.
Tagline: Be Young. Be Free. Be Somebody
(source:IMDB).

Ricky Gervais returns to his roots in Cemetery Junction, a film about his hometown, Reading during the 1970s. However, Gervais takes a backseat in this film and plays the father to Cooke's lead. I'm a big fan of Gervais and Merchant's work so I knew I wasn't going to be disappointed. Although completely different from The Office and Extras, Cemetery Junction is a perfect blend of comedy and drama, and results in a completely heartfelt story. The opening of the film appeared to be quite serious, and I grew anxious that I had just assumed it to be a comedy before finding out what it was really about. I needn't have worried, as the comedy simply flourished as the film continued, leading to the whole audience roaring with laughter. The film grew on me too, I found that it just got better as it went along.

The characters were all totally believable. The charismatic Tom Hughes is definitely one to watch, and I was surprised to discover he hasn't appeared in much else. Emily Watson, as Julie's mother, is very good at portraying her sad and lonely lifestyle through minimal dialogue and the family scenes with Cooke, Davis, Gervais and Anne Reid (Freddie's Gran) are brilliantly funny, but there's not nearly enough of them in my opinion.

Yes, the plot is slightly predictable, but the writing and acting are so well administered that they deliver exactly what the producers set out to achieve, a film that perfectly captures the 'good old days'. Of course, I can't vouch for how those times were, and I'm sure that if I was to live through then, it probably wouldn't be so blithe all the time, but this film successfully creates that perception, aided by the brilliant soundtrack.

It has been suggested that this film would better suit a television audience but I disagree. The cinematography in Cemetery Junction is thoroughly suited to the big screen.

My rating:3.5/5

Film Review: Kick-Ass

Director: Matthew Vaughn
Screenwriter: Jane Goldman [screenplay], Mark Millar [comic book series]
Main Cast: Aaron Johnson, Nicolas Cage, Chloe Moretz, Mark Strong, Christopher Mintz-Plasse
Runtime: 117 minutes
Certificate: 15 (UK)
Brief Summary: Dave Lizewski is an unnoticed high school student and comic book fan who one day decides to become a super-hero, even though he has no powers, training or meaningful reason to do so.
Tagline: I can't fly. But I can kick your ass.
(source:IMDB).

It's hard to believe that a fantasy about a fallen star falling in love has something in common with this controversial comedy about a wannabe superhero, but the team behind Stardust have returned with the highly anticipated Kick-Ass. Matthew Vaughn and Jane Goldman should be renamed the Dream Team because both films rank pretty highly on my favourites list.

The main character is played by Aaron Johnson, previously seen in Nowhere Boy and Angus, Thongs and Perfect Snogging and he definitely holds his own against more seasoned actors such as Cage and Mintz-Plasse. However, whilst Kick-Ass and Red Mist make great comedy when partnered, the real scene stealers are Big Daddy and Hit Girl. Cage's Big Daddy appears to be a caricature of Batman, and is notably Cage's best performance to date. And, I will be very surprised (and disappointed) if young Chloe Moretz doesn't win herself a few award nominations. The Goodfellas-style villains are commendable, also.

If I'm being honest, I'd missed seeing any trailers for this film, and usually I only watch films that I've been tempted to see through the trailers. Despite this, I had heard so many great reviews and that was encouragement enough. Without a doubt, Kick-Ass is worth the hype! It merges both a great story with great visual effects (the style interchanges between real life and cartoon, in keeping with the superhero theme), and keeps up-to-date with pop culture references to the vast use of Myspace and Youtube. There were some predictable parts but this didn't ruin the enjoyment. The film is surreal but yet somehow all the characters are completely believable. It's a cliche that has been heavily overused, but Kick-Ass KICKS ASS.

I'd recommend this film to adrenalin junkies and comedy fans alike but it's maybe not for the faint-hearted - the explicit violence and portrayal of a homicidal young girl has drawn criticism (certain Daily Mail review, anyone?).

My rating:4/5

Film Review: The Princess and The Frog

Director: Ron Clements, John Musker.
Screenwriter: Ron Clements, John Musker, Rob Edwards [screenplay], Ed Baker [story "The Frog Princess"]
Main Cast(voices): Anika Noni Rose, Bruno Campos, Keith David, Michael-Leon Wooley, Jennifer Cody, Jim Cummings, Peter Bartlett, Jenifer Lewis, Oprah Winfrey, Terrence Howard, John Goodman.
Runtime: 97 minutes.
Certificate: U (UK).
Brief Summary: A fairy tale set in Jazz Age-era New Orleans and centered on a young girl named Tiana and her fateful kiss with a frog prince who desperately wants to be human again.
(source:IMDB).

Disney's newest offering marks a return to the studio's sorely missed 2D animation style, complete with show-stopping musical numbers. Ok, it's not quite up to the standard of Disney classics such as The Lion King or The Jungle Book, but it's a big step in the right direction.

The story is set in (old) New Orleans and revolves around Tiana (Rose) who has ambitions of owning her own restaurant, but has never quite managed to turn her dream into a reality. Enter Prince Naveen (Campos), who has become the victim of a voodoo spell and has subsequently been transformed into a frog. He encounters Tiana and in an attempt to reverse the spell, they kiss.

Now, this is where the story differs from 'The Frog Prince' story that the film is based on. Instead of Prince Naveen returning to his human form, Tiana becomes a frog herself. Together, they set off on an adventure meeting Ray (Cummings), the firefly and Louis (Wooley), the trumpet-playing alligator (only Disney...). As is the tradition for all Disney films, they face obstacles, overcome them and.... well, I'm not going to ruin the ending, but you get the idea.

Overall, it was a very enjoyable, vibrant film. Dr Facilier (David) makes a brilliant villain. His ability to move through shadows makes him that more terrifying, and gives him a slight edge over more conventional baddies. It's good to see that Disney aren't afraid to scare their young demographic a little bit, much like the sinister antagonists that I grew up being afraid of (in particular, Cruella DeVil).

The moral of the story (because every Disney film has an underlying moral) is, obviously, 'Don't Judge a Book by it's Cover', which is apt for a story about an African-American princess living during a time of racism. It's a promising message but there's not a lot of depth to it. However, I did leave the film feeling educated on the customs and traditions of the era. Everything related to New Orleans that you could possibly think of (or may not have already known about) has been name-dropped into the film. Mardi Gras? Check. Gumbo? Yup.

As previously stated, I did enjoy the film, but I was checking my watch towards the end which, for me, usually means it hasn't captivated my attention quite as much as I would have hoped. It's a fun film, but I did feel wistful for the Disney films of my own youth. Children, however, will definitely enjoy it.

My rating: 3/5

Film review: The Lovely Bones

Director: Peter Jackson
Screenwriter: Fran Walsh, Philippa Boyens, Peter Jackson [screenwriters], Alice Sebold [novel]
Main Cast: Mark Wahlberg, Rachel Weisz, Saoirse Ronan, Stanley Tucci, Susan Sarandon.
Runtime: 121 minutes.
Certificate: 12A (UK).
Brief Summary: "The Lovely Bones" centers on a young girl who has been murdered and watches over her family - and her killer - from heaven. She must weigh her desire for vengeance against her desire for her family to heal.
Tagline: The story of a life and everything that came after...
(source:IMDB).

Counting 'The Lovely Bones' by Alice Sebold as one of my favourite books, I eagerly awaited the film for the best part of a year. Normally, I am wary of movie adaptations of my favourite novels, but I had good faith in Peter Jackson. I haven't seen much of his films, with the exception of Lord of the Rings, but I'd heard only praise for his work, most notably the 1994 thriller 'Heavenly Creatures'.

Unfortunately, I came away from this film feeling disappointed and slightly robbed. It's not that it was a bad film, as such. Indeed, the visuals were nothing short of stunning, whilst the cast put in brilliantly heart-breaking performances, particulary rising star Saoirse Ronan, as the protagonist, Susie Salmon. And if the mark of a good villain is his ability to chill the viewer and to spur nightmares, then Tucci deserves a special nod too. No, it wasn't Jackson's directing ability that let the film down.

Part of the reason I found The Lovely Bones novel so moving, was the preoccupation with the Salmon family, and how they dealt with their grief, all the while overlooked by Susie. Sebold managed this with absolute tenderness, whilst also interweaving the plot with Susie's own experiences in the afterlife, and the ongoing hunt for her killer. Instead, the film seemed to become simply a manhunt for George Harvey, the killer, whilst throwing in a couple of corpses for good measure. I clearly have no experience with directing films, but it seems obvious to me that if you're going to direct a film about the rape and murder of a teenager, you have to be so careful with your approach. I spent the majority of the film feeling progressively more uncomfortable, and had to keep reminding myself that the film was merely a 12A. I'd read reports that Jackson had cut parts of the film so that he could achieve this certification. I struggle to find a reasoning for why he would want children of 12 and under (if accompanied by an adult) to endure such a distressing cinematic experience. I'm 9 years older than the minimum age restriction and I still didn't feel ready for it.

Important parts of the plot seemed to have been lost in translation between novel and film. Jackson has neglected to mention the dismembered bone that the title is centred around. Other integral features are either glossed over, or absent altogether. We know nothing of the mother's affair with the police officer involved with the case, so whilst she leaves to pursue a new life, the audience is left behind, slightly confused. We don't see sister Lyndsey's private battle with grief whilst struggling to let her new boyfriend in. Or, the utterly heart-wrenching moment when the family dog is reunited with Susie in her new, bittersweet world. Any of these moments would have enabled the family to become much more relatable to the audience, and therefore place them at the true heart of the film, instead of as a couple of supporting characters with no depth. And, whilst I have the upmost admiration for Susan Sarandon's acting abilities, the use of the grandmother as a 'humorous' interlude to the main story felt forced and out of place.

This viewing experience merely cemented my belief that films can never beat the original material, and as soon as I have spare time, I am picking up the book, and reminding myself of the story that I fell in love with.

My rating: 2/5