Inception by Christopher Nolan

To all my peeps do not watch or read anything to do with this film, instead go to it and experience it a new for yourself.

It is astonishing. And I can't wait to watch it again. Tune in again in about two to three weeks once you have seen it and I have been able to ingest it a couple more times.

This film is the real deal.

Knight And Day

I don't know what to say about this film, apart from the fact that it is luke warm at best.

Directed by James Mangold who brought me one of my favourite films of all time in Copland, a film that had depth and character and life.

Now sure Knight and Day is meant to be breezy, so depth can be left at the door but it sure as shit is meant to have some character to it and definetly should have some life and it had nothing of either.

Now, I'm ready to admit that I'm a huge fan of the Cruiser, I think his choice of film has been brilliant up until recenlty where it seems to be he's choosing projects now on what will keep him number one instead of focusing on the character and the story. I mean thi sis the guy from Risky Business, Who was brilliant in Rain Man, remarkable in BOrn on the 4th of july and astonishing in Magnolia and lets not forget transformative in Tropic THunder. He really is a character actor stuck with leading man parts. But he seems to be just seeking out the leading man stuff and forgetting about anything else. But to be honest he is the one saving grace in this film, he has just enough quick remarks that make you chuckle to make the film bearable.

As for everyone else in the film they all seem to be mildly switched on.

To be honest was I expecting much from this film? Not really? But with the talent on display I really should have got a whole lot more.

Watch it for the first 40 minutes the rest is all just a bit.... bleh.

Peace out.

Get Him To The Greek

I thought I was going to really love this film but ended up walking out of it frustrated as all fuck.

I didn't love nearly as much as I should and didn't care about the characters at all. Not to mention there are so many superflous scenes at the back of the film that I just wanted to rip the chair from under me.

Russel Brand, Jonah Hill and P Diddy all are wonderful in a number of their scenes but this was really a film where the premise was so rich of possibility and not much of it was seen.

Wait till the DVD where they will release most deifnetly an uncut version of the film which no doubt will be longer and maybe a hint funnier.

Predators

I was treated to an adanved screening of Predators.

Now as a fan boy of the classic 1980's film with Arnie in it and with Robert Rodriguez at the producers helm I thought some sort of miracle was going to be bestowed on me.

I was mistaken, while the opening throws us right into the action free falling through the sky and is really quite spectacular, the film is weighed down by too many scenes trying to explain why they are all there and who all these people are, it made me fall asleep.

By the time I woke up a few of the people were dead, I won't say who and my guess at what was going to happen at the end had come true. Sure there are some cool blood letting moments but I really was expecting more. Lets hope Stallone doesn't let me down with The Expendables.

2001 by Stanley Kubrick

Just last week I was able to watch 2001 on the big screen for the second time in my life.

And all I can say about this film that has already be seen is that it is MEZMERISING AND BRILLIANT!

I have watched upwards of fifteen times but I am still scared by this film and left in wide eyed wonderment by the end.

The Chauvel really pumped up the sound on the night and it made me rattle in my chair when all the wonderful music kicked.

All who haven't seen, MUST, MUST, MUST see this film.

Thank you chauvel and thank you to Kubrick for leaving a lasting legacy of filmaking that is truly in the realm of art.

Eclipse By David Slade

Eclipse the third film in the franchise is as boring as the last and there isn't nearly as much care put into the film as there was with the first one.

Really I kind of had high hopes for this film they had cool director, David Slade who directed the wonderful Hard Candy and the pulp film 30 Days of Night. So I was hoping they were going for a real horror tone but no, nothing like.

Just a whole bunch of cop outs. People who say this is the best of the lot are kidding themselves. It really does seem that people are fooled by the bigger special effects budget. Even though Jacobs werewolf is never the same size.

Don't bother my peeps. Don't bother.

Blow Up by Michelangelo Antonioni

A couple of weeks ago now I had the great pleasure to watch Antonioni's classic Blow Up. And since then I haven't stopped thinking about it.

Again it was shown at the Chauvel, so thank you for that.

Now the film itself when I think about it, isn't great, it has a lot of superflous stuff in it that just makes you wonder why you would put it in the film. But the core dilemma of David Hemming's photographer who stumbles onto shooting a murder, is sublime. The sequence where he goes about blowing up his photo's to search for clues is mezmerising. This is what cinema of today is missing. Suspense through story not by tricks or music. The film's dilemma was later remade into one of my favourite films Blow Out with Travolta and directed by De Palma.

Do yourself a favour and try and see both these films and go back to find a time when cinema was worth something to the people making it other than trying to buy themselves a big house.

Thank chauvel for showing these great films and thank you Michelangelo Antonioni for making them.

Toy Story 3

Toy Story 3 is all that it promises to be and a whole lot more. But whatever you do, don't bother with the 3D version, it adds nothing to this wonderful heartfelt experience that I can't wait to watch again hopefully with my nephews.

I don't know what else to say about the film, because it won't really matter. But I was utterly surprised by it.

Thank you to Pixar for giving us a trilogy of child films that doesn't talk down to children and allows them to feel and to think and not just be numb.

Mother & Child by Rodrigo Garcia

Mother and Child is the new film by Rodrigo Garcia. It is a film about three women and the choices they make about motherhood.

Watch this film for the magnificent perfomances from all of its leads. Annette Benning is sensational. Naomi Watts is unstoppable at the moment, she can't seem to do a bad perfoamance. And Kerry Washingston is magnificent. The biggest surprise in the acting department is Sam Jackson. Not because he's ever been bad but because you have never seen him quite like this.

Do yourself a favour and go and support independent cinema and to watch a film about women that seems to want to show them as alive and not some caricatures like Sex and the city.

Jaws By Steven Spielberg

I had the chance the other week to watch Jaws up on the big screen for the first time in my life.

While some of the shark shots have dated the film itself sill holds up and still scares the bejesus out of you. It had people jumping from their seats still.

I love every moment of this film.

I saw it at the Chauvel Cinema who on friday nights are running a different classic.

Do yourself a favour and go and see these films and you will realise how the art of storytelling through film has gone downhill since the grand days of the 70s.

Thank you to all those involved with these retrospective screenings at the Chauvel and also to Senor Spielbergo.

The A-Team by Joe Carnahan

So the TV show that I thought would never get made into a film has finally been released. The A-Team. It was a long running joke with my friends that if we ever got carte blanche to make a film we would do the A-team. Well seems like someone thought that was a good idea.

What I was hoping for from this film was my guilty pleasure film for 2010 and for the first hour or so I got that. But then I just got plain bored.

There is nothing essentially wrong with the film itself, i'm just left wondering, why bother?

All the boys look like they are having a great time in the film. With Bradley Cooper and Patrick Wilson my favourites. They both relish being pricks, but pricks you wish you were. While everyone else gives their ample support. Liam Neeson holds the team together with a great deal of gravitas. Sharlto Copley is allowed to go nuts and does so fantastically. His Braveheart scene had me in stitches. And Quintin Jackson as Mr. T inverts the tough guy role to hilarious effect. Although Jessica Biel is a somewhat pointless love interest, but whatever that's not the point of the film. And if that's not the point, why bother with the love story? Because that's the convention, which is kind of funny considering the film itself seems like it is trying to break convention. So what is the point of the film? There isn't one.

And this is coming from Joe Carnahan who burst onto the scene with the fantastic Narc. That had such a rich story about the corruption I society has fallen into. But here he is along from the brilliance of that film. A long way.

Outlandish is the game here. And outlandish is what you get. Some of the action sequences are so chaotic, so over the top, it really just feels like a movie version of a video game. And there's the problem with the film and with where hollywood is heading. Everything is geared towards an audience that just don't care what they want to watch, they just don't want to think. Since when was thinking such a bad thing to do.

Haven't seen anything this week so here's a repost for Animal Kingdom out this weekend..

To all my peeps listen up. Instead of wasting two and half hours of your time this weekend with a shitty overblown overtly racist film like Sex and the city 2 why not spend that time on an extraordinary new australian film called Animal Kingdom. I know that's what I'll be doing for the second time.

I was lucky enough last night to see an advanced screening of the new Australian crime film,Animal Kingdom. And I tell you people this film is something else. Finally there is an Australian film this year that will hold its own against any other film out there and does not need to be reviewed in a sunnier light just because it is Australian. I mean the film has already won the Grand Jury Prize for World Cinema Dramatic at the Sundance Film Festival and it wholly deserves it.

Firstly let me tell you a little bit about the film maker, David Michod. Michod is part of Blue Tongue Films which is a company based in Australia that is really putting out some top notch Australian work both as features and short films. Also apart of Blue Tongue are the Edgerton Brothers who brought as The Square and Luke Doolan who also edits Animal Kingdom and was recently nominated for an academy award in the short film section. Michod was responsible for two short films Crossbow and Spider that played well at festivals globally and has also co-written the American independent film Hesher that stars Joseph Gordon Levitt and also played at Sundance.

Animal Kingdom is one of those rare films that had me constantly surprised and jolted me from my seat on more than three occasions. The film is about and delves deeply inside a crime family that live in melbourne, so comparisons to other crime films, gangster films and thriller's will abound but to me this film reminded me more of Paul Thomas Anderson's sublime first film Sydney(Hard Eight). Where most recent crime films and television have fallen down (especially in Australia) is that they forget about the heart and life that these people would be lead. Well Animal Kingdom has this in spades, each character is so well wrought, so full of life that it makes it hard for you to look away and this has everything to do with Michod's deft touch at characterisation in his script of even the smallest characters.

Michod is also aided by an outstanding performances by everyone involved. Just on paper this is such a strong cast. You've got Guy Pearce as Leckie, a strong police officer that believes in the law. Joel Edgerton as one of the cody brothers and lending some great comic relief. Jackie Weaver, the matriach of the family and all too oedipal that it had a couple in front of me squiriming in their seats. And Ben Mendelsohn the glue that binds and shatters them. With that on display you would be forgiven if the other characters weren't as well formed but here you are given treats by everyone. Luke Ford so over come by Mendelsohn's Pope that he doesn't know what to do with himself is outstanding. Sullivan Stapleton nails the frenetic energy of Craig masterfully well. Mirrah Foulkes as Edgerton wife lets you in on the pressures outsiders of the family are under. Dan Wylie's slippery lawyer is all too real. And James Frecheville in his first screen role is a revelation. The film I think however belongs to Mendelsohn. His character of Pope is electrifying, you never quite know what is going on with him and this makes him that much scarier.

To say too much about the story is too give away the twist and turns of this film that had me wondering the whole time where too next. And I mean that in a good way. I think they should apply the 'Psycho' rule to this film and not allow people into the film after twenty minutes.

Now your probably thinking come on give me the negatives but I really can't think of one. Oh wait yes I can. I have to wait another three weeks before I can watch this film again because I will watch it again and I hope to see you there.

Michod has given us one of the best Australian films since, I think, Chopper and I can't wait to see what he does next. And anyone who thought Underbelly the TV show nailed Australian crime are sorely mistaken. Animal Kingdom is what it's about, sure there aren't any tits on display, but instead you get a film, a drama that doesn't pander for the easy answer.

Mark June 3rd in your diary and do yourself a favour and go see this film, your time will not be wasted.

Thank you David Michod and too all those involved with this film.

Harry Brown by Daniel Barber

Michael Caine is Harry Brown.

Harry Brown is a very, very grim film. The subject matter, that way it's shot, the performances. Everything about this film is dark, gritty and takes itself very seriously.

It talks of the problems that have engulfed our youth. Drugs, guns, sex, violence, poverty and no real place to call a home. Something I commend the film highly for doing so. The problem is that the film is just revenge fantasy, that feels like it has tagged a social problem on to make it seem not so gratuitous and heavy handed. Of which it has both in ample measure. It is Gran Torino but for the brits but with out the sense of humour.

Michael Caine is mezmerising as the titular role but that's about all that I can say to recommend about this film.

The White Ribbon by Michael Haneke

The White Ribbon is one of those rare films, where so much of the story is told through the images you are seeing, even with the use of voiceover.

It really is an astounding film, that will haunt you for days to come. No wonder it won the Golden Palm at last years Cannes film festival.

The first half is a little laboured (but I don't know whether it was the film or because I was soaking wet from the rain I had to fight through to get to the cinema and was freezing my arse of for the first half) and certainly takes it's time. But the second half really hits you in the gut.

Directed by Michael Haneke with wonderful restraint. He really allows the audience to find these characters and place their own sort of judgement on them. The film was shot in colour and transferred into beautiful black and white and you could never tell.

This really is a special film that was lucky not to pick up the Best Oscar for Foreign Film but lost out to The Secret In Their Eyes which will be released in the next few weeks. Which I am also looking forward to.

To all those who read this you should really go and see The White Ribbon. It gives a compelling insight into the people that would be responsible for World War II. This is a war film but one like you have never seen.

Thank you to Michael Haneke for giving us a truly unique perspective into something that I thought I knew all there was to know.

The Last Station by Michael Hoffman

'All, everything that I understand, I understand only because I love.' Leo Tolstoy.

Is the tag line and major theme for the film and sums up how I feel about the film itself.

The Last Station is an absolute delight. Written and directed by Michael Hoffman who was responsible for the directing duties on the classic Soapdish and also wrote and directed the film version of A Midsummer Nights Dream again shows us that wit and heart can belong together in a faithful marriage.

The Last Station tells the story of the last months of Leo Tolstoy life. The writer of 'War and Peace' and probably the worlds first paparazzi hounded writer.

The banter between characters in the first two thirds of the film is a joy to behold and you could tell the actors were loving it as well. It reminded me of the best sort of Aaron Sorkin script on The West Wing, flipping from humour to angst to love all in a manner of minutes. Each character runs a gamut of emotions and all of the actors do it with such finesse, such love that you wonder why more films like this don't get made.

Each of the performances; from Oscar nominees Helen Mirren and Christopher Plummer (their scene when they are both trying to out chicken the other is an absolute standout); to James McAvoy's innocent writer who opens up to the notion of what true love really is; to Paul Giamatti's heartless Tolstoyan who is given a great reprieve and in a lesser actors hands would have been one dimensional but Giamatti doesn't succumb to that; are all first rate.

It's greatest accomplishment is the insight it gives us into one of the seminal literary figures of our time and does it in absorbing and whimsical manner.

My one problem with the film is that the last reel looses the rhythm's of earlier in the film and instead steaming to a wonderful conclusion it jerks its way there. That is not to say that the ending is bad it just lacks the finesse of earlier but will still make you wonder at the joy of love.

Thank you to all who were involved with this film.

Robin Hood by Ridley Scott

Oh, Ridley, Ridley, Ridley. What is going on? You are one of my favourite directors but what have you done for me lately. Matchstick Men and Gladiator I loved, everything else has left me pissing in the wind.

And the same can be said of Robin Hood. It is a mess of a film, giving us an origin story of a figure no one wants to know the origin of. We want the Sherriff of Nottingham, Maid Marion and the Merry Men. Here we get bits and bobs of all but nothing conclusive of any of them.

The biggest problem is that, you have such a high calibre actress like Cate Blanchett in role that shouldn't really come into the story until Robin enters Nottingham but they try and give a little bit more screen time and it weakens the film.

Russell Crowe is ever reliable and no one else could play this version of Robin. And all the other performances are solid. But I was just left wondering what was it all for?

And I am still wondering? It made me think of Kevin Costner's Robin Hood, and I will admit here in print that I love Prince Of Thieves. I mean it had Kevin Fucking Costner for one. Alan Rickman playing bad like no one else can. Morgan Freeman before he was THE Morgan Freeman and of course you had Bryan Adams singing his heart out with a song that stayed at number for about a zillion years.

Scott's Robin Hood, isn't about fun, its about being serious, it's about being real, it's about being epic. And in a way it gets there. But I much prefer the other partnerships of Scott and Crowe. The only reason I found to go to this film is is to watch one of the greatest actors and actresses of our time play off one another and that is where the film is brilliant. Everything else, all that comes to mind is 'Meh'.

44 Inch Chest by Malcom Venville

44 Inch Chest is the new film from the the writers of the mesmerising Sexy Beast, Louis Mellis and David Scinto. Chest however isn't on the same level as Sexy Beast.

To get it out of the way, is the film misogynist. Hugely so. Did I still enjoy myself. Yes, I did, to a certain extent. What does this make me? I don't know.

That being said, I think this would have worked wonders on the stage and I hope someone realises this and does put it up on stage because I think it would make tantalizing theatre.

All the performances are first rate. Ian McShane and John Hurt being the standouts and it was interesting seeing Ray Winstone trying to invert his hard bastard status.

Some of the writing especially the rhythms that are found between the five male leads and are fantastic to listen to. Especially one segment where they are all trying to out do each other with pay outs to the kidnapped man. I couldn't stop laughing at this point and everyone was saying it with relish.

Go to this film if you want to see the cream of English Acting and if you want to see some good ballsy dialogue that doesn't shy away from it's own dastardliness.

Animal Kingdom by David Michod

I was lucky enough last night to see an advanced screening of the new Australian crime film, Animal Kingdom. And I tell you people this film is something else. Finally there is an Australian film this year that will hold its own against any other film out there and does not need to be reviewed in a sunnier light just because it is Australian. I mean the film has already won the Grand Jury Prize for World Cinema Dramatic at the Sundance Film Festival and it wholly deserves it.

Firstly let me tell you a little bit about the film maker, David Michod. Michod is part of Blue Tongue Films which is a company based in Australia that is really putting out some top notch Australian work both as features and short films. Also apart of Blue Tongue are the Edgerton Brothers who brought as The Square and Luke Doolan who also edits Animal Kingdom and was recently nominated for an academy award in the short film section. Michod was responsible for two short films Crossbow and Spider that played well at festivals globally and has also co-written the American independent film Hesher that stars Joseph Gordon Levitt and also played at Sundance.

Animal Kingdom is one of those rare films that had me constantly surprised and jolted me from my seat on more than three occasions. The film is about and delves deeply inside a crime family that live in melbourne, so comparisons to other crime films, gangster films and thriller's will abound but to me this film reminded me more of Paul Thomas Anderson's sublime first film Sydney(Hard Eight). Where most recent crime films and television have fallen down (especially in Australia) is that they forget about the heart and life that these people would be lead. Well Animal Kingdom has this in spades, each character is so well wrought, so full of life that it makes it hard for you to look away and this has everything to do with Michod's deft touch at characterisation in his script of even the smallest characters.

Michod is also aided by an outstanding performances by everyone involved. Just on paper this is such a strong cast. You've got Guy Pearce as Leckie, a strong police officer that believes in the law. Joel Edgerton as one of the cody brothers and lending some great comic relief. Jackie Weaver, the matriach of the family and all too oedipal that it had a couple in front of me squiriming in their seats. And Ben Mendelsohn the glue that binds and shatters them. With that on display you would be forgiven if the other characters weren't as well formed but here you are given treats by everyone. Luke Ford so over come by Mendelsohn's Pope that he doesn't know what to do with himself is outstanding. Sullivan Stapleton nails the frenetic energy of Craig masterfully well. Mirrah Foulkes as Edgerton wife lets you in on the pressures outsiders of the family are under. Dan Wylie's slippery lawyer is all too real. And James Frecheville in his first screen role is a revelation. The film I think however belongs to Mendelsohn. His character of Pope is electrifying, you never quite know what is going on with him and this makes him that much scarier.

To say too much about the story is too give away the twist and turns of this film that had me wondering the whole time where too next. And I mean that in a good way. I think they should apply the 'Psycho' rule to this film and not allow people into the film after twenty minutes.

Now your probably thinking come on give me the negatives but I really can't think of one. Oh wait yes I can. I have to wait another three weeks before I can watch this film again because I will watch it again and I hope to see you there.

Michod has given us one of the best Australian films since, I think, Chopper and I can't wait to see what he does next. And anyone who thought Underbelly the TV show nailed Australian crime are sorely mistaken. Animal Kingdom is what it's about, sure there aren't any tits on display, but instead you get a film, a drama that doesn't pander for the easy answer.

Mark June 3rd in your diary and do yourself a favour and go see this film, your time will not be wasted.

Thank you David Michod and too all those involved with this film.

The Burning Plain by Guillermo Arriaga

The Burning Plain is the debut feature from the astonishing writer Guillermo Arriaga.

Arriaga was formerly responsible for such spellbinding films like Babel, 21 Grams, Ameros Perros and The Three Burials Of Melquiades Estrada. Each of these films I was absolutely enthralled by and they would often make my top ten lists of that year. The films are thought provoking yet passionately engaged.

The Burning Plain is not in the same league as Arriaga other work but is still some of the most challenging work you will see. For the mere fact that it deals with two great female characters with such depth and honesty that is rarely seen today in cinema. BOth Charlize Theron and Kim Basinger give beautifully nuanced work. I was particularly moved by one scene in particular with Basinger who is so over come with passion for the first time in a long time that her body turns into a quivering mess. It is both heartbreaking and life affirming at the same time.

The film follows a similar path to Arriaga's other screenplays in that it opens with an incident that will effect the lives of others and then shoots off and investigates all of these lives whether they be before the event or after. The problem I had was that I got to the ending before the Arriaga, that is not to say there is a twist it's just that the last 10 to 15 minutes of the film goes about trying to tie things up, not neatly but connectedly and I either knew or didn't know. So it led to a prolonged ending that really spoilt the rest of the film for me. Which is a shame because the film is beautiful.

But as drama's go, there will be very few and far between that will be as rewarding as The Burning Plain this year. Not to mention very few films will give the audience so much credit and not pander for the easy option.

Thank you to all of those people involved for making smart and challengin drama in a fresh way.

Moon by Duncan Jones

I come to you today, not with a new film due to the fact that I have been injured and bed ridden so have not been able to keep up with all the new releases, so I come to you today with a film that was released last year but got severely overlooked. I am of course talking about Duncan Jones debut feature film Moon, starring the unbelievable Sam Rockwell in a tour De force performance.

The film is basic in it's premise, what happens when a clone is awakened to the fact that it is a clone, is it its own person or do we have the power to manipulate them to do whatever we want. From this idea, Jones (who I should say right here is THE DAVID BOWIE'S son, but don't let that distract you from the greatness on offer in this film) extrapolates all sorts of issues and emotions that are both revelatory and confronting for the viewer. To give too much away of the film is to do you the viewer who hasn't seen it and great disservice. Know that I have watched this film I think at least five times in the past year, twice at the cinema and at least three times on DVD (that's right I am not upgraded to blue ray, yet. My friend Ben gives me grief about it all the time, so it will be soon.) And each time the film has left me emotionally exhausted, it really hits you right in the gut.

Duncan Jones doesn't put a foot wrong with every aspect of this film. It has a enough familiar sci fi genre conventions to make this film feel comfortable but at the same time there is a whole world (or should I say moon? I'm sorry, I know, I know a bad dad joke) of new ideas and experiences on offer to allow you fresh insight.

Sam Rockwell (I can't rave about this guy enough, those of you who haven't checked out Confessions Of A Dangerous Mind, do yourself a favour hire it and love it. And love his performance in it.) is truly stunning in the duel roles of Sam Bell and Sam Bell. On a purely technical level there was never a point where I thought they weren't both in the room. But emotionally Rockwell knows exactly how to draw a viewer into the world and know the right point to show the cracks in the person that left this viewer flawed. He is mesmerizing and heart breaking all at the same time. What left me more flawed is that this film, let alone Rockwell's performance were left out of the running at the end of year awards. In my mind his performance was the best of the year.

The films is also strongly aided by a rich and atmospheric score that has just the right amount of emotional sting to it by Clint Mansell. Mansell was also responsible for Requiem For A Dream and The Fountain, two of my favourite scores (both are on high rotation in my Itunes along with the Moon score now) but this time he is working alone and he nails it.

Go and buy this film because all I can tells ya is that it is a film that is more satisfying on the fifth viewing.

Thank you to all of those involved.

Iron Man 2 by Jon Favreau

I'm not going to waste too much time on this film because really what would be the point. It's going to make a bucket load of money. And the comic book fans will love it and even if they don't, all will be forgiven by the sight of Thors hammer as a tag on after the credits.

But I was left wanting a whole lot more. The game has been raised with Comic Book films with The Dark Knight and Kick Ass, but Iron Man is sorely lacking everything that these films had in spades.

I wasn't a fan of the first Iron Man and I'm even less of a fan now. At no point did I have fun in this film, at least the first one I did.

Jon Favreau who wrote one of my favourite films of all time in Swingers does a serviceable job here. He even quotes his own film by using a song from Swingers. It was a nice touch and probably my favourite part of the film, because I was also rewarded with seeing Sam Rockwell cutting up the dance floor. Rockwell seems to be one of the most under-rated actors going around. I really can't speak highly enough of him. When everyone else during the proceedings is getting a little too serious Rockwell tries to maintain a bit of fun, but seems to be let out to dry by everyone else.

See it, and wonder at the what The Avengers films is going to be like. This young chappy can wait.

Beneath Hill 60 By Jeremy Hartley Simms

So I come this week to the new Australian war film Beneath Hill 60. I had low expectations about this film and I found myself enjoying this film in most part despite itself.

Jeremy Simms has been a favourite actor of mine and his work as a director both through his theatre company Pork Chop and behind the camera have always wielded interesting results. With Beneath Hill 60 interesting takes a back step and he dives into trying to make a classic Australian war film. Whether he succeeds at this will be debated. For me the film fails, although I loved roughly 90% of this film but that other ten really drags it down, the two people I saw it with were overcome by the film, they loved it.

The strength of the film lies in the claustrophobia it invokes. From the first shot we know what we are in for. It's when the film cuts away to before Brendan Cowell joined the war effort that the film crashes and really drags. The film is quite unevenly plotted and tries to hard to invoke the great Australian war films of the past, especially Gallipolli. The other misstep of the film is the score by Cezary Skubezweski, at no point does it fit the film, I almost felt as if I was watching a print that had the sound out of sync.

Despite my above misgivings, the performances of all those involved are what keep you watching. Everyone are at their best. Brendan Cowell and Steve La Marquand nail the begrudging respect that their characters come to earn form one another in the most trying of circumstances. And the way the film ends is something to behold.

If your up for a war film that is all about flying the Australian banner, then this one is definitely for you.

How To Train Your Dragon

This film really surprised me.

It had been completely undersold and the trailers that were released didn't do anything to wet my appetite.

That being said I am glad I got to watch this film in 3D. It really is quite amazing and easily outclasses the other 3D affair that has been thrown our way recently.

But as film itself, it is fantastic. It sticks close to its roots of a hero's journey tale and there in lies it strength. It knows what film it is and does it splendiferously. This could well be the first Dreamworks animated film that I have liked. Gone are the pop culture references and in their place substance and emotion.

I was moved by this film and the imagery as well is quite breathtaking.

Definetly one for everyone to watch. Thank you to all who were involved.

Date Night by Shawn Levy

Pretty, pretty, pretty slick. That is the best way to describe 'Date Night'.

I enjoyed myself immensely and everyone in it pulls their weight. But it never had me laughing out loud.

That being said I think I could watch Steve Carrell in anything at the moment, even in his weaker films like Dan In Real Life and Get Smart he still allows you to watch him and to empathise with him. No mean feat especially on those films when there ain't too much else to like. And Tina Fey, is well Tina Fey. Feisty, reliable and always has the smartest line in the room. And Mark Wahlberg has a blast sending up his past life of a Calvin Klein model. I prefer Wahlberg in these comic roles his extreme sincerity just seems to make what he says funnier. If you doubt me he just about steals every scene he is in in I Heart Huckabee's.

Look out for a wonderful cameo by J. B. Smoove from Curb Your Enthusiasm as a cab driver in the wrong place at the wrong time. He is wonderful.

The film is a brisk 88 minutes and never strays from it's family oriented film. And while others have said they would prefer it to be harsher, I found that the strength of the film is the limitations it has in what it can say or show. The scene between James Franco and Steve Carrell in Franco's apartment is hilarious and its all because of what they should be saying but aren't. When most other comedies that are coming out are pushing out to 110 and 120 minutes it's a relief to find a comedy that knows the point and gets to it. Also it is a relief to see a comedy that is based on wit rather stupidity, gimmickry or shock grossness.

Shawn Levy who has been responsible for the Night At The Musuem franchise among other films, feels like he is just starting to hit his stride as director. Slick and to the point, I just hope he keeps trying these sorts of films out.

Thank you to all of those involved.

Kick-Ass by Matthew Vaughn

Kick-Ass is bad-ass. That is to say that it is electrifying and any other words you read about this film will do just as well in its place.

This had been the first film in a while that for whatever reason I had been able to navigate around all the hype, trailers and marketing that come with a superhero film. Which allowed me to be totally surprised by everything in this film and I was surprised a hell of a lot.

The film is directed by Matthew Vaughn as if his life depended on it. There is such urgency, such risk being taken that at times it is breathtaking especially for two particular sequences that will knock you off your feet and make you keep watching they are just that fucking good. So a little bit about Matthew Vaughn, he is the producer that is responsible for Lock Stock and Two Smoking Barrells, Snatch and directed the so-so Layer Cake and the whimsical Stardust but none of these films can prepare you for the delights on offer in Kick-Ass.

This may well be the first independent superhero film, in that Vaughn along with his other producing partners raised the money through private investment and Vaughn even put in a little of his own money to get the film going and only after they had finished it, picture locked did they find a distributor. A ballsy decision but one that allows them to pull no punches. Much will be said about the young girl dropping the C-bomb but really with in the film it's no biggy, it just makes sense.

The film is adapted from a series of comics by Mark Millar by Vaughn and Jane Goldman and you can tell they are having fun with the genre. The film owes a lot to Kill Bill for being willing to throw every punch and it even has its own animated section, comic books never looked so good. Also Hit Girl rocks up in an out fit at one point that reminded me of a character in the Crazy 88's sequence in Kill Bill.

Everyone in the cast seems to be having a ball. The biggest name in the cast is Nic Cage and I haven't found him this engaging since probably Matchstick Men, he is off the hook in his role of Big Daddy channeling every thing from his role as Fu Man Chu in Grindhouse to Adam Wests Batman, I loved it. Aaron Johnson recently seen as John Lennon in Nowhere Boy is a revelation as our lead. He is Kick-Ass. Enough said. Mark Strong seems to be the go to guy for smarmy bad-asses who you can't help but like. Christoper Mintz-Plasse is in a class of his own and the young Chloe Moretz steals everyones thunder as Hit Girl. She is quite simply unbelievable. You should also look out for cameos by Vaughn's Lock Stock peeps Dexter Fletcher and Jason Flemying.

On the production side, everything is top-notch. What more can I say? Well how about this, the music for the film is astounding, most notably John Murphy's contributions and though we have heard a lot of these tunes in his work for other films like Sunshine, 28 Days Later and I think I even heard some of his work from Miami Vice here, why not take the best of this fantastic composer. Murphy's score for Sunshine is still some of the most awe-inspiring music you will hear, I rate him up there with Clint Mansell (especially his work in Moon) as the finest composers out there. And the signature piece from Sunshine is used to such fantastic effect, such emotional impact you just don't care.

I can't wait to watch this film a second and a third time.

Thank you to all of those involved with this supersonic super hero film.

Clash Of The Titans By Louis Letterier

Even as a film that it is trying to be, a fun romp through the mythic past, Clash Of The Titans fails.

This film is shocking, just shocking.

And that is pretty much all I want to say about it.

The Men Who Stare At Goats by Grant Heslov

For the first half of The Men Who Stare At Goats I was overwhelmed with the sheer audacity of what I was seeing, that I didn't care that the story was moving at such a snails pace. But the second half of the film sinks and sinks quickly and gets too bogged down in trying to tie all of the strands of the story up, which is a real shame because the first half is a riot.

Grant Heslov who wrote Good Night and Good Luck with George Clooney has what it takes as a director. He directs proceedings with a fresh and unique eye, a lot of the angles used reminded me of Clooneys directing debut Confessions Of A Dangerous Mind but here they are showing up the absolute lack of war that is going on in Iraq. It's just a shame that more time wasn't put into the script but I guess when you get the likes of this cast together you either go with what you've got and hope they make the most of what's there or loose some glorious performances.

Everyone in it are at their very best and all look like they are having a ball. Stephen Lang plays it straight but is hilarious, is there anything finer then seeingg him decked out in his best tennis clothes reading a book too seriously. Hilarious. Jeff Bridges plays the dude but it's as if this film is the prequel to 'The Big Lebowski' an origin story of the dude. And that is A-okay with me. Kevin Spacey is a hoot and I much prefer George Clooney in this mode of acting that he does, all wild bug eyes and far too serious for himself than his style of acting that he invokes in films like 'Up In The Air' which I seem to be one of the few people that was bored by. And finally Ewen McGregor plays the straight man in the piece and does it superbly well.

ALl up if your up for a bit of a surreal take on the Iraq go along for the ride but just know that at some point the film does sag under it's own story.

Thank you for everyone involved.

The Blind Side By John Lee Hancock

I finally got around to watching 'The Blind Side' last night and it wasn't nearly as bad as I predicted. That being said the film is by no means memorable.

The film is written and directed by John Lee Hancock, who has been around for a while but hasn't got too many credits to his name. He is however responsible for writing one of my favourite films of all time 'A Perfect World' which was directed by Clint Eastwood and starred Kevin Costner. I found that film until it's final moments to be a subtle character study, which hit hard with some emotional truths about the welfare system in the USA.

'The Blind Side' however lacks all of the subtlety that 'A Perfect World' had and due to this I never fully went along for the ride. It is based upon the true story of Michael Oher and Leigh Ann Tuohy and how he went to become an NFL draftee due to her guidance and support. An amazing story truth be told, that is found wanting in this film and really is more movie of the week fare.

So I come now to Sandra Bullocks performance of which she won the Best Actress Oscar. Now her performance is restrained when it comes to letting off the tears but it does play to Bullocks strengths which has always been her quick tongue. The film belongs to Bullock but to me it is not enough to rate this as Best Actress performance.

Gabourey Sidibe in 'Precious' allowed me into a world I had never seen before and did it with such openness, I thought she might just overcome the behemoth that the Bullock Blind Side had become. This however does not surprise me considering for my money the best actor performance of the year wasn't even nominated, Sam Rockwell in 'Moon' a film that I have seen four times already now and can't wait too watch it again due in large part to Rockwell's blistering, emotionally charged performance.

Brothers By Jim Sheridan

Brothers By Jim Sheridan is adaptation of a Danish film by the same name.

I don't know what to make of this film. Its equisitely made, the performances are all of the highest calibre, there is even a great U2 song used to poignant effect but some how I left the cinema feeling hollow.

The three leads are all there and emotionally honest but there was just something missing between their connections. The film belongs to the two young girls who play the daughters. Their scenes are harrowing and not like anything I have seen since In America another Jim Sheridan film. He seems to have a great knack of coaxing sublime performances from children. Nuanced, emotional but never trying to be the smart child in the room that so many child performances out of hollywood seem to succumb to.

But this doesn't make up for the fact that the ending does have the emotional punch that the film had had me geared up for. It sort of peters out.

Green Zone By Paul Greengrass

The Green Zone is a loud, fast and for most of it's time a smart action film. And really is a Bourne film in many ways, only that it isn't.

Unlike The Hurt Locker, Green Zone wears it's politics on it's sleave. The whole film is damning indictment n those political leaders that chose to believe the lie of WMD's in Irag, so a war could be raged, and a puppet regime installed to take control of the countries vast oil reserves.

And for a clear majority of the film, I was on the edge of my seat, flying through each sequence not knowing where I was going and this has a lot to do with how Greengrass lays out his story but also due to the fact that he himself didn't know the ending of the film while they were making it.

All the performances are solid, every one plays their part.

But the film really belongs to Greengrass of Bourne Supremacy and Ultimatum fame and his editor. He seems to have finally found a film that perfectly suits his style. There is a sequence which I ill not describe as it comes at the end of the film that is breathtaking. It twists and turns and you never quite know how it will end.

Thank you to all those involved.

Precious by Lee Daniels

What can be said about this little film that seems to sweeping the independent film world.

For all intensive purposes this is a film that not many should see because of the dark subject matter but somehow seems to be playing everywhere and what a relief that is.

The film belongs to the two central performances. Mo'Nique is sensational as Precious' mother. She scales every bit of emotional terrain with such tenacity and heartfelt honesty that it truly is a wonder. The charter could have so easily fallen into caricature but due to the strength of the performance we get a portrait of a shattered woman who's only way of getting by is through pain. And her Oscar win is well deserved.

Gabourey Sidibe as Precious is miraculous. There is not a wrong foot in this performance who in my mind should have walked away with a best actress award. It truly is special performance that she has give the world, the complete anti-thesis to her mother. I was mezmerized by her and thought that she gave the film so much warmth and hope.

Lee Daniels and screenwriter Geoffrey Fletcher have crafted a very dark film. The first half really reaches out of the screen and whacks across the head, so much dastardly shit happens to Precious. But by films there is such strength and resolve from the this young woman you can't help but think that this is a woman who can not only take on the world but bend it to her will.

So thank you to all involved for this miraculous film.

OSCARS EDITION

I won't bother with any of the techinical awards because with out a doubt Avatar has changed the way we view cinema and without a doubt deserves every single one of these that it gets.

So best orginal screenplay. I say would be a tie between Up and The Hurt Locker and of these two I'm putting the buzz around the hurt locker to take it over the line.

best adapted screenplay will go to Jason Reitman for Up In The Air but I think District 9 should get it.

Original song I would like to see go to Crazy Heart.

Original Score I would like to see Up take it but have a feeling the Avatar may squeeze in.

Editing will certainly go to The Hurt Locker but without a doubt I think District 9 should get it.

The Hurt Locker will take best direction.

I think Inglourious Basterds will take cinematography.

Animated film will go to Up.

Precious will get Best Supporting Actress.

I'd like to see Precious also get Best Actress but I think it will go to The Blind Side.

Inglouroius Basterds has a firm hand on the Best Supporting actor award.

And the biggest test of the night is in in the best actor award. I think Crazy Heart will take it but A Single Man is just as deserving.

Best Film will go to Avatar.

Although due to the way the voting is done on this this year, there is a chance that District 9 or Up could slide in there.

There you have it. We will see tomorrow if I am right. Enjoy the day or evening whenever you so choose to be watching.

Alice In Wonderland by Tim Burton

Oh how I long for the old Tim Burton to come bursting into my life. It seems to me apart from The Corpse Bride and to a lesser extent Big Fish, that Mr Burton has been gobbled up by the machine that is hollywood.

Where all his old films had a practical visual and very much gothic aesthetic even in his two Batman films now a days its all CG and lifeless.

Alice In Wonderland promised so much and delivered on nearly none of it. A great director, great material with one of our great character/lead actors in a supporting role. But it is all to no avail.

It is truly a lifeless and depressing affair. To see so much talent wasted, so much money wasted on something that seems to have been made purely on the account that it was this materials time to get remade. And while there will be a lot made about the fact that this is a sequel to the original Disney animation, I think it tries to give us all the stuff that people remember from the original and just repackage, I'm sorry reimagine it, I'm sorry I mean sequel.

It's lowest point comes near the end of the film, where there is a truly horrible dance. That is all I will say on the subject.

Daybreakers by The Spieirig Brothers

There is a lot on show in Daybreakers I just wish more care had gone into making a cohesive interesting film.

There is much to like style and concept wise especially in the first 20 to 30 minutes of the film but not long after that it goes way down hill.

The Spieirig Brothers know how to direct but writing is not their forte. They brought us the fantastic almost off the cuff horror film Undead a few years back and have since then been trying raising the money for their second helping. While the feat of getting Lionsgate to back this film and get upwards of twenty million to shoot the film, you just wish more time had gone into the script then to getting the money.

It really is fantastic premise with great allegories to the oil crisis but there is little else to like about the script.

The world they create through the use of special effects is fantastic but I left wanting to watch Dark City again rather than talk about Daybreakers.

The acting is all one note pretty much with a few standouts but that ain't too hard when everyone else seems to phoning it in.

That's all I can say about it.

Fantastic vision, poor execution.

A Single Man by Tom Ford

A Single Man by Tom Ford is one of the most immaculate films you will get to watch this year.

Every frame of it is lush and constructed in the hope of it being perfect. And by looking at it you would be hard pressed to say it wasn't so. The main problem though is that this striving for perfection at points strangles the life out of the piece.

A Single Man, based on the novel with the same name by Christopher Isherwood, tells the story of George and his final day before he intends to kill himself. Not a film that you would think would have much humour and warmth to it but that is why this film succeeds because there is so much laughter in the piece and a whole lot of love as well. This is reflected in the grading and the sound of the film, when George comes up against something that he is overwhelmed with, his normal drab life abounds in lush warm colours and every heart beat seems to be registered. It is a fantastic device used through out the film. My only misgiving about it is that it does teeter over and seems to be directed like an old 1970's french advertisement. But I guess this is bound to happen from time to time with such a device.

Colin Firth as George is quite brilliant. A deserved BAFTA win and OSCAR nomination. Nuanced and heart achingly at sea without his love. He's never been better. There is such texture to this performance that he hasn't really been given a chance to show before that you forget how great an actor he is. This is a man that made a very two dimensional character in the bridget jones diary series come alive with some a little bit more. Recently he was seen in Michael Winterbottom's Genova and again was quite brilliant there.

The funniest thing about the casting of this film is that you have two exceptional english talents in minor roles playing American and the one American in the piece is playing English but they all do it with such aplomb that you forget where they come from.

Matthew Goode as George's lover, Jim, nails it right on the head. Goode who has recently been seen in Watchmen and has just finished shooting Cemetary Junction is turning into quite a reliable character actor. The scene between George and Jim as they read is just fantastic, you get the real sense that this is a couple that have been together for 16 years.

Julianne Moore as George's neighbor Charley, is beautiful as woman who fell in love with a man that she could never have and has never wanted to let go.

And Nicholas Hoult as one of George's students, Kenny, has the uncanny sense to rock Firth from his intended goal. You never doubt that Hoult is able to this.

A fine film that would not have happened if Tom Ford didn't want it so much, didn't care for the story and the people so much that he was willing to risk his own money for it. And in the end that is what rings out that this is a very personal film that the film maker was desperate to tell.

Thank you Mr Ford and to everyone else who was involved in the film.

The Hurt Locker by Kathryn Bigelow

The Hurt Locker should for all intensive purposes will win Best Picture this year in the Oscars race. Why though I'm still trying to fathom, it seems to be the year for the underdog in terms of the films nominated.

To me it is more a compelling document than a well constructed film, much like The Changeling was. The film doesn't work as a whole. There are too many why would they do that for my liking?

That being said Kathryn Bigelow deserves to be Best Director. While at points I absolutely hated the hand held style she invoked, she is a master at creating suspense. Not surprising as this is the director that brought us recent action classics like Point Break, Near Dark and Strange Days. And when she finally lets the camera rest, she really hits her stride. That being said of the hand held, the opening of the film is a tour de force using everything in her power, it grabs a hold of you and never lets go.

The casting is perfect and the three leads are all fantastic in conveying the thrill and drug like hold war has over them. Jeremy Renner is fantastic as the lone wolf, Anthony Mackie conveys the profound effect that war can have on a persons psyche beautifully. The scene between Renner and Mackie as they contemplate the effect that war has had on them is heartbreaking for the audience as we see two men transform before I very eyes due to what they have seen. And Brian Geraghty plays the virgin to war as if his life depended on it.

My biggest problem with the film is it's script by Mark Boal and this most likely comes down to the editing as well as there seems to be a lot left out to fit the film into a certain running time. So we only get glimpses of the how these soldiers bond and it seems only perfunctory rather than necessary to furthering the story. My other two complaints are minor things, that I don't want to say for fear of giving the film away for all of those who may be reading this. However it is a breath of fresh air to see a writer taking on challenging material, he is also the writer that brought us the much overlooked but sensational none the less In The Valley Of Elah, and doing it in a refreshing way that doesn't pander to the lowest common denominator.

And when it all comes down to it, that is what is so wonderful about The Hurt Locker and why it deserves all the kudos it is getting. Here is a film that takes us on a ride into a world that is know to us but shown to us in a new and distinct light and does it with out sermonising and treating the audience as if we were idiots. Wonderful. Electrifying. And important.

Thank you to everyone who was involved.

Crazy Heart by Scott Cooper

Crazy Heart belongs to Jeff Bridges. The oscar for best actor in 2010 belongs to Jeff Bridges.

There is nothing new story wise going on in Crazy Heart, you could really call it The Wrestler but for country music. But like Up In The Air it is so assured of its rythemns with in the film that it makes it so soothing and easy to watch but also heart breaking much like a great country song works.

This film succeeds due to its commanding performances by all involved. The only exception is that Maggie Gyllenhaal seems slightly miscast. Not because of her performance because she is exceptional, well wrought and emotionally honest. But the character feels like her time with Bad Blake should be her last gasp at finding a healthy relationship but when your character is 32 it's hard to think that way.

Colin Farrell who seems to be excluded from all form of marketing for the film puts in a very touching portrayal of friend who has passed his teacher. Farrell and Bridges scene in the restaurant I found to be breathtaking. You could feel Farrell overwhelmed at being in the presence of a hero of his in Bridges and it makes the scene that more remarkable.

Robert Duvall as Bad Blakes only friend gives an energetic performance. A great counter balance to Jeff Bridges. Full of energy and a new view on the world that a recovered alcoholic would encounter on passing through rehabilitation.

But the film belongs to Jeff Bridges. He really is a miraculous actor. From The Last Picture Show, to The Dude in The Big Lebowski and Fearless, I have always found him to be pitch perfect but an actor who doesn't seem to go for the easy way out. His final scenes between Maggie Gyllenhaal are some of the most moving I have seen in the cinema this year. His portrait of a man finally grabbing out for that last bit of fading light is a sight to behold. Sure it's not the transformative work that we have seen nab the best actor gong in the past two years with Daniel Day Lewis and Sean Penn but it is raw, with an emotional directness like a bullet to the the heart that makes it compelling. So a big thank you Mr Bridges and to you Scott Cooper for getting him to sign on to your film.

Shutter Island By Martin Scorsese

I'm still at a loss as to what I truly think of 'Shutter Island', having waited so long for this film, it was never going to live up to the anticipation to what Scorsese would do now that he had won an oscar.

Shutter Island is a film of two halves. The first half is Scorsese at full tilt. Not so much with intricate shots like in goodfellas or the fantastic dialogue of the departed, or the operatic in Casino and Gangs Of New York but with sound and lighting. His use of sound in the first half of the film is overwhelming. Sound effects are all off kilter and the score hammers you over the head. It allows you to get disoriented just like Teddy, played by the wonderful DiCaprio, who has finally traded in the idea of being intense all the time equals great acting. Here he shows lightness and love in his wonderful surreal dreams with Michelle Williams at the beginning.

But the second half falls flat, having to try and give an answer to everything that came in the first half, some things are best left unanswered, giving an explanation only cheats us off the horror that is going on in the film.

Much will be written off its setting, just after World War II and Macarthiasm is in the air but to me the film really isn't about any of that. I found the film most intriguing when it delves into the notion of self and whether we can offer up counter argument anymore to the appalling corruption in the world without being hunted down when we get too close to the bone.

I loved this film and I can't wait to watch it again, if just for the thrill of being in the power of a master who is still exploring, still searching and still trying radically new things in main stream cinema at least for the first hour or so anyway.

The Hangover by Todd Phillips

So I re-watched 'The Hangover' today. What an utterly brilliant film, that just so happens to be a comedy. It certainly seems to be one of the most overlooked films for the academy awards. It really does seems now that comedies are put bellow any other type of film. As if their is less 'art' and more commerce involved in making, which is just absolute bullshit.

'The Hangover' really is a special film. It's no holds barred, anything can happen, anything can be said, which really is a breath of fresh air. Todd Phillips who has been responsible for other films such as 'Starsky and Hutch' and 'Old School' seems to have broken free of being the director for hire for the new frat pack and it really is glorious to see. I compare this film a lot to 'After Hours' by Martin Scorsese, and I mean that as a great big compliment as I love 'After Hours' because it's a joy to watch these filmakers at their best, using every trick they have at their disposal and it just working.

Todd Phillips is helped by an extraordinary cast. Bradley Cooper is really coming into his own now, as a leading man who is willing to subvert what that means at every chance he gets. He is never trying to wrestle a scene from another actor, he gives, and gives and gives and is willing to look like a prick. Ed Helms, the everyman of the group allows us into the shenanigans with glee. But Zach Galifianakis really does steal the show. He is non-stop hilarious and never shies away from looking the buffoon.

I can't rate this film highly enough and still can't believe it wasn't nominated as one of the ten best films of the year. It seemed to me that the reason for pushing the nominees out to ten was so films like 'The Hangover' would get nominated and what seems to have happened is that lesser dramatic works are being seen as more 'important'. How else can you explain the reasoning behind a film like 'An Education' being nominated for best film. (Which I liked mind you but certainly wouldn't have put it in a list of the ten best films of the year).

If you are one of the few people that haven't seen 'The Hangover', do so immediately.

The Brothers Bloom by Rian Johnson

So today I watched ‘The Brothers Bloom’. The new film from Rian Johnson who brought us ‘Brick’. What do both these films have in common aside from both having Joseph Gordon Levitt in them, although he is just an extra in ‘Bloom’. What they have in common is a grand new voice in independant cinema. While I must admit that neither of his two films have completely succedded they do offer a interesting and single view on the world and of cinema.

‘Bloom’ is billed as a caper film but really it’s strength lies in it’s romantic comedy that is played out between the sublime Rachel Weisz and Adrien Brody. That being said the dynamic interplay between Mark Ruffalo and Kinko skjsbfbsf is also fantastic.

The strength of ‘Brick’ was it’s script. Having taken 7 years to get the film made the script was as tight as that time would involve. Now with ‘Bloom’ the script is probably the weakest link. It doesn’t seem to be the sum of it’s parts. Funny at times, heart breaking at others all the while there is a lot of dead moments. And while I hate saying how long a film should be this one felt too long or to put it in another way, the script felt under done at points. That being said Johnson should be applauded for deciding to take on an old genre and putting a very personal spin on it.

I believe this may very well be a film in years to come, much like Richard Kelly’s ‘Southland Tales’ that is loved because of its many faults. Because in between all of the faults is brilliance and really it’s is far more interesting seeing someone try and fail than to see another bland retread CG extravaganza.