The five films I talk about this post are:
The Never Ending Story
The King's Speech
Reservoir Dogs
Braveheart
Dead Poets Society
The Never Ending Story
Just what the hell was that? I mean really for something quite mainstream The Never Ending Story has some seriously weird stuff in it. It makes Labyrinth look like Schindlers List. Probably. Never seen it.
I thought I knew where it was going. The boy would read the book and he'd meet fantasy characters that mirrored those in his real life. Nope- just a bunch of unrelated characters who were creepy just for the sake of it. I realise none were even memorable because the only one I can think of is the giant rock guy that served no purpose whats so ever.
It was an adventure and I can see how it'd maybe hold a child's attention for a bit while at the same time mentally scarring them but at the same time it's like the whole story was visioned up by one as well. There was a bit where he had to walk between two big statues that might zap him? It was like a child describing a nightmare he'd just had.
There's the dragon and the song which is what everyone remembers. To be honest if you took that bit out where he's flying about on the dragon and 'THE NEVER ENDING STOOOORRRRYYY AAHAAAHHA' is playing nice and loud and made it music-video sized the film would've done the same job in terms of her memorable it was and saved me 87 minutes.
Sorry if this ruins anyone's childhood memory of this film. I just really disliked it.
It also ends with words along the lines of 'then a load of other stuff happened before he went home'. Then the credits roll. Just what.
4/10
The King's Speech
Wasn't too interested in this until it got compared to The Iron Lady in the way it's a British drama about a powerful figure aimed at the over sixties market. It's a genre I've found out I quite like and this film kinda confirms it.
Every award Colin Firth won for this film was well deserved. I felt so sorry for him the whole way through, even when he was being a royal cock to his similarly well acted speech therapist. I can understand how some people called it a little boring but it was never supposed to be Fast And The Furious 5. It was a look into the life of a huge historical figure. And it was heartfelt and very touching- just like Maggie T's film.
My favourite part was when King Albert/Edward VI [for all you history fans] is introduced to the speech therapists wife. The look of complete confusion and bewilderment on her face is fantastic.
A very nice uplifting film. And her from Outnumbered is in it as well. Not given as many funny lines but she's there none the less.
A strong 8/10.
Reservoir Dogs
I finished watching this film thinking it was alright, not fantastic, just alright. Something strange has happened since watching Reservoir Dogs and writing this however. I like it a hell of a lot more now than I did just after watching it for some reason. Maybe it was because it was so good in comparison to Braveheart [more on that soon] but every time I think of it I just think 'yeah that was a really good film'.
Needlessly disturbing in parts I thought. That's my main criticism- sure it's memorable but when the cop is tied to the chair and Mr.Blonde is wandering round him with a knife- it unnerved me more than I like to feel when watching a film. Especially in time to Stuck In The Middle With You or whatever the songs called.
I never really understood why people go on about Quentin Tarantino dialogue but now I kinda do. It's believable, like the conversations people actually have. Not sure they need giant extended scenes to themselves but for some reason they stick. Why do I still know that Mr.Pink doesn't like to tip? I don't know, but I do.
Also comes in at ninety minutes- perfect film length.
8/10
Sorry all of Scotland, I wasn't a fan of this at all. I should maybe be more patriotic but the sad truth is I'm just not. If anything I was siding with the English through most of it.
Perhaps the biggest problem I had with it was the Chris Martin favourite- the silly near 3 hour long length. I suppose if it's based on actual events in history they can only compress it so much. But the thing is, I hear it's not. A lot of it is made up or changed for the purposes of cinema so if they're changing history about already why not make the film shorter as well?
There wasn't a single memorable character and I didn't care who died in the half impressive if needlessly violent battle scenes. They made the English overly posh and snooty while making the Scots all loud and what I'd call 'lad-ish', showing their arses and shouting when they got onto the battlefield. The aim was to get you on Scots side as nobody likes a well spoken posh person but I just ended up disliking the Scots more. It was like watching Road Wars where the makers of the show tried to get you on the side of the drunken twat with his trousers down in the middle of the high street.
There are worse films out there but I just found it all a bit dull for a big budget historical epic.
A generous 6/10.
Dead Poets Society
A strange one this but fairly enjoyable, especially near the end.
A bit full of itself for it's own good but on the whole quite touching. All the aforementioned snooty English people from Braveheart are here but in younger form and they get taught by Robin Williams about how to take life by the reigns and live life in the moment! By kinda teaching them poetry.
It's nice seeing the boys start to loosen up and see there's more to life than doing exactly what their Dads tell them to do. Robin Williams puts on a good performance as well and it's not too hard to see why the class end up liking him so much.
It has a bit of Catcher In The Rye feeling really, the boys fed up with life and wanting to do something about it.
The big 'event' in the movie a bit sudden and almost out of nowhere but the direction the film takes after it really makes it something special. You see how the boys have changed and how what Robin Williams has taught them has changed them. I've always wondered why the 'Oh Captain My Captain' scene is so famous but I can see why now. It's quite moving. Not Les Miserables moving but moving none the less.
8/10
I review films now also- here's the link
http://www.elephantchrisfilmreviews.blogspot.co.uk/
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