Movie Review - The Hangover Part II (2011)

The Hangover Part II, 2011.



Directed by Todd Phillips.

Starring Bradley Cooper, Ed Helms, Zach Galifianakis, Justin Bartha, Ken Jeong, Jeffrey Tambor, Jamie Chung, Mason Lee, Paul Giamatti, Mike Tyson and Nick Cassavetes.





SYNOPSIS:



Phil, Alan and Doug jet to Thailand for Stu's wedding where his plan for a subdued pre-wedding brunch goes seriously awry.





A new location. A few new characters. Same old jokes.



I wasn’t one of the millions that rushed to cinemas to watch The Hangover as it looked a little too cheap and cheerful for me. I expected the same old same old in terms of story and thought the gags would be poor. However, on eventually watching it I was pleasantly surprised, enjoyed and admired it and have watched it several times since. This time around I decided to get to the cinema and see the follow up – The Hangover Part II.



The jist of the story isn’t too different from the original – someone is getting married, Stu (Ed Helms), Phil (Bradley Cooper), Alan (Zack Galifianakis), Doug (Justin Bartha) and; new to the Wolf pack, Teddy (Mason Lee) decide on a beer to celebrate this special occasion. Next they all wake up with no recollection of the night before and someone is missing! This time Stu is getting married, it’s set in Thailand and Teddy, Stu’s fiancés little brother, is the one missing. Having gone to bed early, Doug is the only one not to wake up in Bangkok with no memory of the night before. Cue a mad dash around Bangkok looking for the 16 year old prodigal genius and colliding with Russian gangsters, a smoking monkey and a lady boy with a nice cock. There’s also the hilarious emergence of super camp international gangster Chow (Ken Jeong).



As their search leads them down the dirty back streets of Bangkok and the previous nights antics are relived as well as the consequences of their actions coming back to bite them on the arse the race against time hots up. One liners, gags, random madness and anarchy follow them on their travels and they all learn a little more than they really wanted to. Especially Stu. Alan once again is a comedy gem with every line of dialogue, every little shuffle of his porky body and even his t-shirt having me in stitches.



Bangkok oozes its dirty and enigmatic energy into the film also and is such a great city to shoot a film in. Rich with cinematic backdrops, interesting places and people the film lends a certain seedy element from its gracious host. Elephants walking down the middle of a main road, streets lined with neon girly bars and the most beautiful view from the rooftop restaurant of Lebau at State Tower. With so much colour and life filling the streets of Bangkok it makes for great viewing alone.



The setting is totally different and more exotic, some new characters are introduced and the twists and turns are a little different. But… on the whole it followed the same formula as the first. Almost identically. Stu is disfigured. Tick. A stolen animal. Tick. A standoff and exchange with a mobster type. Tick. They think all is lost and call the girls, but then someone has an idea. Tick. And then they find Teddy in the last place they would think to look. Where they started. Tick. Someone finds a camera full of photos at the end and they vow to look at them once and then delete them forever. Tick. And as with the first the majority of the comedy comes from Alan’s idiotic comments, childlike mentality and generally stumbling around. Although this time out it was the main and sometimes only source of comedy. It all felt a little too familiar. And this time it isn’t new, different and bucking the trend.



It all did feel the same, but different. The Hangover Part II is The Hangover’s identical, but Asian, twin. And that was a shame. It had the potential to be very funny and at times was, but the sheer amount of similarities or plot points stolen from the first film cheapened Part II. If not for Alan the film would have been poor.



The Hangover Part II is average with a few good gags. And that is a pity.

D.J. Haza



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Movie Review Archive

Movie Review - TT3D: Closer to the Edge (2011)

TT3D: Closer to the Edge, 2011.

Directed by Richard De Aragues.

Narrated by Jared Leto.





SYNOPSIS:



A documentary about the Isle of Man's famed TT motorcycle race.





For those that are unfamiliar with the Isle of Man and its world famous TT races let me assure you it’s thrilling, frightening and very dangerous. The small Isle sits in the middle of the Irish Sea and is home to around 80,000 Manxmen on an average day, but swells to almost double that figure for a fortnight in early summer. The TT is the worlds most famous motorcycle road race and takes place over a 38 mile circuit that snakes through towns and villages, passes usually quiet country pubs and across the top of several mountains. Unlike your average racing there are no run off areas, no safety barriers and no mercy for anyone who dares to take the challenging course too lightly. Straw bails are the only protection from garden walls, lampposts and possible death.



Beside road racing and the associated tourism the Isle of Man has another main source of income – film. The island is home to a large number of film making facilities and has pretty enticing incentives for filmmakers to shoot on the island. So – it was inevitable that at some point somebody would put the two together. My own personal fear was that the outcome would be a cheap British version of Days Of Thunder on two wheels. How could anyone get across the danger faced, bravery needed and personal stories of the hundreds of riders who pull on their leathers each year to attack the notoriously risky course? What about telling the story of those who had lost their lives on the merciless course? They say that fact is often weirder than fiction. And the true stories documented within TT3D is testament to that.



Richard De Aragues, who has earned a living from directing TV adverts, makes his feature film debut with this documentary. The film follows the stories of several riders over the course of the two week race meeting with the larger than life character of Guy Martin as it’s main character. Guy is a popular rider who lives for the rush of hurtling through country roads at up to 200 mph, but has never won a race at the TT. Also featured are the fastest man around the course and 15 time winner John McGuinness, local lad Connor Cummins hoping to gain his first win and talented rider Ian Hutchinson. Each of them committed to pushing themselves to their limits in order to win one of the 5 races.



Closer To The Edge brings the splendour and danger of the TT to the world and makes clear what it is at risk and also on offer for TT riders. Guy Martin is a lovable and eccentric character who, with a cup of tea in his hand, always seems to have something interesting to say whether it be about bikes or masturbation. Racing is clearly his life and the lengths to which Guy is willing to push himself are clearly on the edge of danger and would have a lesser man quaking in his boots. Guy is not pretentious, not too proud and not even a model professional the majority of the time. He just wants to race. When TT legend John McGuiness goes back to his huge gold motor home at the end of a days racing Guy martin sleeps on a mattress in the back of his transit. He isn’t worried about he trappings of fame, fortune or glory and brings a genuinely admirable touch of the human spirit to a race that is most certainly out of the ordinary.



Along side the stories of guts, glory and breaking records there is also that of the loss of life. Paul Dobbs was unfortunate to lose his life at the 2010 TT and his widow reflects on life after the racing with her two young sons. Anyone who has lost someone to the mountain course will surely be touched by their story. There are no worse words to hear at the Isle of Man than someone is ‘missing on the road’ and then the wait to find out if the problem has been simply mechanical or an accident.



The film also talks to John McGuiness and his wife on their thoughts of the TT, discusses with Ian Hutchinson how he prepares for the Isle and gets plenty of short stories and thoughts from other riders, officials, marshals, regulars to the racing and first timers. The footage of the racing has been captured beautifully.



Although I thoroughly enjoyed the film from start to finish I did have my questions. I wasn’t entirely sure why American actor and musician Jared Leto was chosen for the infrequent voiceover since Americans aren’t heavily associated with the racing. Perhaps he likes bikes? Or has been to the racing? But I know not the answer why. The film also did feel a little like one long TV advert at times. When Ian Hutchison is training in the gym he could have easily stopped, turned to the camera and told us what energy drink he uses to get the job done. And I may have gone out and bought one. Following Guy Martin around a lap of the course a huge logo for any brand of motorcycle could have easily sprung onto the screen. Clearly Mr De Aragues’ day job has filtered into his style of shooting. Also the use of 3D nine times out of ten added little or nothing to the film, but it was clear that certain camera shots and angles were chosen to emphasise its use. Perhaps Mr Aragues managed to make his deal with Cinema NX on the premise of it being their first or flagship 3D film and advertise their capabilities with the new technology?



However, it’s only in reflection I can pick any sort of whole in the film. Sat glued to my seat my heart raced with the breath taking speed of the bikes and the guessing as to whether or not a rider is still upright or missing on the road. TT3D: Closer To The Edge took me back to my own childhood on the Isle watching my own father race, tinker with his bike and talk of at what points the bike felt good or bad. I remembered vividly being 14 and riding my own 50cc bike around the paddock taking his helmet to be cleaned and collecting practice time sheets. I also remembered those we lost, the feeling of hearing someone was missing on the road and the moment the news came that they had not survived. It’s been 13 years since I last visited the Isle of Man but I can still smell the exhaust fumes in the air. I can still feel the rush of the bikes as they pass at 200 mph. I can still feel the memory of every rider to ever set off down Bray Hill etched into the course, the island and the history of the TT races whether they won or lost.



TT3D is a magnificent monument to those men and women who have lived and died on the Isle of Man. Thank you Mr De Aragues for such a touching tribute.

D.J. Haza



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Movie Review Archive

Movie Review - True Grit (2010)

True Grit, 2010.



Directed by Joel Coen and Ethan Coen.

Starring Jeff Bridges, Matt Damon, Josh Brolin, Hailee Steinfeld, Barry Pepper and Domhnall Gleeson.





SYNOPSIS:



When her father is murdered by a farm hand, a young girl hires a retired U.S. Marshal to track down the killer and the duo are soon joined in the hunt by a Texas Ranger.





Why would you want to remake a classic? Despite technological advancements taking giant cinematic leaps since the 60’s and 70’s not all classics look better once subjected to high definition and a multi-million dollar budget. The original is a classic Western that saw John Wayne earn his one and only Oscar as US Marshall Reuben ‘Rooster’ Cogburn in Henry Hathaway’s retelling of the 1968 Charles Portis novel. Can the Coen Brothers remake a classic and make it work?



True Grit is the story of 14-year-old Mattie Ross’ (Hailee Steinfeld) search for the man who killed her father in cold blood, Tom Chaney (Josh Brolin). She hires a man to find Chaney who she believes has true grit, US Marshall Cogburn (Jeff Bridges). The drunken and violent lawman reluctantly takes on the job and teams up with Texas Ranger Le Boeuf (Matt Damon) who is looking for Chaney in connection with another crime. The two of them set off together with the intention of returning Chaney to Texas to collect a reward bigger than that offered by Mattie, however they didn’t anticipate her tagging along. The unlikely trio make their way across the Indian Territory in search of Chaney and a gang of crooks he has joined up with on his travels. As they camp out, follow trails and battle the other crooks hiding out in the territory their personalities clash morally on a range of subjects, but they eventually manage to work together in order to get their man.



The contemporary retelling of True Grit looks stunning and Roger Deakons has rightfully won a BAFTA for Best Cinematography. The film is beautiful at times with some great vista shots accompanying the usual intelligent direction that is a staple part of every Coen Brothers film. Deakons blends classic Western style with a touch of contemporary trickery and style to achieve a slick looking film throughout. The clarity, colour and definition that has come with technological advancement means that the film has been taken up several notches from the original and is a clear step forward. 1 – 0 to the contemporary adaptation, but is it enough to just look better than a late 60’s classic?



The Coen Brothers also do a superb job of remaining true to the story that worked so well in the original, whilst adding a touch of originality. It feels authentic of the time and true to the genre also, even though this means it feels a little dated at times, and would sit perfectly in a collection of classic Westerns. However, typical to a Coen Brothers film the scenes are stretched a little further and the dialogue allowed flowing more expansively. A technique the brothers have used time and time again that allows the characters to come alive, even when at times they seem to talk incoherently or off subject.



Another tried and tested Coen Brothers technique that is very evident in True Grit is their dry wit and humour. As well as being a drunk, and at one point falling off his horse, Cogburn is genuinely funny and offers several laugh-out-loud moments through his dry comments and reactions to those around him. Some of the conversation between Cogburn, Mattie and Le Boeuf are full of the dry humour, awkward moments and confused facial expressions that are so often the point of comedy in a Coen Brothers production. They seem to find humour in any moment whether it suspenseful, sad or touching without taking anything away from the moment.



The performances in this outing are just as strong if not stronger than the original. John Wayne did win an Oscar for his portrayal of Cogburn, but Jeff Bridges himself is fresh from Oscar success and puts in a very fine performance. Matt Damon’s Le Boeuf is a much more subdued character than that of Glen Campbell’s’, but it works better with Cogburn and Mattie being such big personalities. Hailee Steinfeld’s first experience of feature filmmaking is a brilliant performance as attie and whilst remaining a strong character with a fast mouth and a stubborn opinion she is nowhere near as annoying or hammy as that of Kim Darby. Thankfully.



Although the Coen Brothers’ True Grit, like the original, is a little slow to get going and can be hammy at times it does feel like they have taken a tried and tested story covered in dust, given it a good HD polish and a little sprinkle of dry wit to make it shine brighter than it had previously. Defo worth a watch and another great addition to the very impressive curriculum vitae of the Brothers Coen.

Related:



True Grit (1969)



D.J. Haza



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Movie Review Archive

DVD Review - True Grit (1969)

True Grit, 1969.

Directed by Henry Hathaway.
Starring John Wayne, Glen Campbell, Kim Darby, Robert Duvall, Jeff Corey and Dennis Hopper.


SYNOPSIS:

After her father is murdered a young girl hires an aging U.S. Marshal to track the killer through hostile Indian territory.


True Grit has just been through a contemporary revival at the capable hands of the Coen brothers and is due in UK cinemas next week. So it was only fair to take a look at the original 1969 version before casting my eyes on the latest incarnation.

Henry Hathaway’s imagining of the Charles Portis novel of 1968 saw John Wayne win his only Oscar as the drunk and cold-hearted US Marshall Reuben J. “Rooster” Cogburn. Cogburn has a reputation for drink and other vices, but more importantly for getting a job done. It’s for this reason that 14 year-old Mattie Ross (Kim Darby), daughter of a murdered father, seeks his assistance in tracking down her father’s killer, Tom Chaney (Jeff Corey). Initially turning down the offer Cogburn changes his mind once Texas Ranger Le Beouf (Glen Campbell) offers to split the large reward being offered for catching Chaney in relation to another crime.

Despite Le Beouf and Cogburn’s attempts to set off alone Mattie tags along with them and insists on being a part of the posse. As the unlikely trio set out into the dangerous Indian territory in search of Chaney and the gang of crooks he has joined with they find they all have their differences in morals, why they want Chaney and what they plan to do with him once caught. In a final battle with Chaney and the gang Le Beouf is fatally wounded and Mattie bitten by a rattlesnake. Cogburn finishes off the gang by riding directly into them with his rifle and handgun before he gets Mattie back to town in time to save her life.

True Grit is hailed as a classic Western with Wayne receiving his one and only Oscar for Best Male for his role as Cogburn and Campbell is slick and cocky as Le Beouf. However, it was Darby as Mattie Ross that stood out for me with her portrayal of the plucky 14 year old seeking the justice her father deserves no matter how dangerous it becomes, even though she does become a little annoying with her insistence on talking non-stop. In fact, everyone seemed to talk a little too much and a little too frequently as well as all over-acting. The film has a definite melodramatic feel to it at times, but perhaps that’s a product of the time and the genre.

True Grit also felt a little slow and drawn out compared to contemporary cinema and the journey seems to take it’s time getting going. There did also seem to be quite a lot of sitting around talking and arguing between Cogburn, Le Beouf, Mattie and almost everyone else they come across collectively or alone. Considering the trio were tracking a murderer through dangerous Indian territory and one of them was a 14 year old girl there didn’t seem to be much danger and little or no threat.

Perhaps I’m being a little harsh. The moral within the story, Mattie’s seeking of justice through the correct means and Cogburn’s own journey towards being a less selfish and cold man, were all admirable. The locations at times were stunning with beautiful vista views across mountains and rugged terrain, although usually perforated by conversations on horseback.

True Grit on the whole is a decent watch and not a bad film as long as you can take into consideration that it is a film of a different era and therefore not as complex or pacey as contemporary cinema. In hindsight I’m glad to have seen it in relation to the latest incarnation reaching cinemas next week, but doubt I would sit down to watch it again without being paid to do so.

Personally I cant wait to see what the Coen brothers can do with their imagining of True Grit and Jeff Bridges' portrayal of Cogburn. Hopefully Mattie Ross won’t talk quite as often, as extensively or as dramatically. It was beginning to truly grit me.

True Grit is released on DVD on Monday 7th February

D.J. Haza

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Movie Review Archive

Movie Review - The Fighter (2010)

The Fighter, 2010.



Directed by David O. Russell.

Starring Mark Wahlberg, Christian Bale, Amy Adams and Melissa Leo.





SYNOPSIS:



An inspirational drama exploring the remarkable rise of Massachusetts-born junior welterweight boxing champion “Irish” Micky Ward (Mark Wahlberg).





It seems like every single week through 2011 a new Oscar nominated and much hyped film hits our cinemas and this week’s installment is The Fighter. David O. Russell’s vision of the true story behind “Irish” Micky Ward’s rise to become the boxing welterweight world champion has been nominated for 5 Oscars including Best Picture, Best Directed, Best Supporting Actor for Christian Bale and Best Supporting Actress for Amy Adams.



The film follows Micky (Mark Wahlberg), an aspiring boxer who’s lost his last three fights and is seemingly going nowhere under the management of his mother (Melissa Leo) and training of his brother, Dicky Ecklund (Christian Bale). Dicky was once a great boxing prospect himself and fought Sugar Ray Leonard at his peak, but now spends most of his time smoking crack and living off his past glory. When Micky hits a new low after being beaten by a man 20 pounds heavier than himself he begins to question the support of his family and finds comfort in the arms of Charlene (Amy Adams).



When Dicky goes to prison and Micky cuts all ties with his family things begin to look up. Micky wins fight after fight against all the odds and with a little help from Dicky via his prison cell. When Dicky is released from prison and Micky has a chance to fight for the world championship his family think he would be best under their management, but his new team that includes Charlene refuse to work with Micky’s family. Dicky swallows his own pride for the sake of his brother and convinces both sides of the team to unite behind Micky in his bid to be world champion.



At a meagre $11 million dollars to make The Fighter cost the Hollywood equivalent of peanuts, but is in no way cheap. In fact the film is rich with emotion, conflict, family drama and some great performances. Christian Bale is quite rightly being tipped for an Oscar for his role as crack addict Dicky with his scrawny cheeks and addict ticks and mannerisms. However, he wasn’t the only person lighting up the screen.



The biggest surprise for me was the performance of Amy Adams as Charlene. The only previous role of Adams’ that springs to my mind was her turn as young and naïve nurse, Brenda Strong, in Catch Me If You Can. Her role in The Fighter is the complete opposite end of the acting scale as the beer-swigging barmaid with an attitude, Charlene. Her grimaces, snarls, attitude and all around performance stood out as my misconception of her abilities were proven wrong by depth and range. A good tip for an Oscar me thinks.



The other members of the supporting cast all play great roles to support the typically flat and wooden Mark Wahlberg. I couldn’t quite work out if Micky really was as dull and vacant in his expressions as Wahlberg played him or if he was just putting in another one of his identically average performances. Saying that, this role was about right for him I suppose – tough guy from the mean streets who isn’t too bright and stuff.



The Fighter is a great film that deals with one boxer’s dilemma in trying to achieve his own dreams without upsetting his family. Russell shows us a man who has nothing else going for him except his ability box and without it him and his family would all have nothing. There are some touching moments of love and friendship from Micky and his family, sad and pitiful moments of delusion from Dicky and some hilarious moments of family madness as they collide throughout the film.



There are also some fantastic moments in the film that juxtapose the dreams of success with the reality of life. Dicky being followed by HBO, who are supposedly making a documentary about his comeback, is pitiful when the show airs and the reality of the documentary hits home. Micky’s seven almost identically trashy sisters giving Charlene grief as they sit and discuss Micky’s next fight is a fantastic reality check as they sit in his mother’s shabby front room talking of striving to be world champion. There are some genuinely funny laugh-out-loud moments too with Micky realising that the ring for his one fight is in the building across the road from his changing room and he has to cross the road in his shorts and dressing gown.



The Fighter isn’t just a blokey film about boxing, but a tale of hopes, dreams and the effect family has on those things. There’s fun, family, love and drama mixed in amongst craziness, idiocy and anger. Russell’s down to earth tale of working class aspiration hampered by blind family loyalty and suffocation doesn’t try to be too clever. It’s a simple tale of interesting characters and their dreams with some nice touches of filmmaking class. The Fighter is defo worth a watch on a weekend of seemingly non-stop sport.

The Fighter was released today in UK cinemas.



D.J. Haza



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Movie Review Archive

Second Opinion - Black Swan (2010)

Black Swan, 2010.



Directed by Darren Aronofsky.

Starring Natalie Portman, Vincent Cassel, Mila Kunis, Barbara Hershey and Winona Ryder.





SYNOPSIS:



A ballet dancer finds herself competing with a rival for the lead in a production of Swan Lake and must embrace her dark side in order to win the role, but at what cost?





One of the most eagerly anticipated and talked about films of 2011 is Darren Aronofsky’s Black Swan. Coming from a director whose previous outings have been critically acclaimed gripping tales of human emotion, Black Swan has had the high expectations attached to it enhanced this week by it’s 12 BAFTA nominations. Does it live up to the hype?



The film follows Nina (Natalie Portman), a New York ballerina who dreams of being the Swan Queen in her company’s new imagining of Swan Lake. When given her chance in the new season Nina, being methodical, timid and searching for perfection through concentration, is criticised by her director, Thomas Leroy, (Vincent Cassel) as not feeling the role and letting go. Her portrayal of the white swan is perfect, but her black swan lacks passion, seduction and danger.



Struggling to understand how she is to let go in order to achieve perfection in the opposite sides of the role she becomes obsessed with the dance and her role, as well as Leroy’s appreciation of the new ballerina, Lily (Mila Kunis). Lily is everything Nina is not. She’s free, loose and relaxed compared to Nina’s stuffy and up tight character and both of their personalities are reflected in their dancing.



Stifled by her Mother’s (Barbara Hershey) obsession for her daughter to achieve the success she never had Nina pushes herself more and more and thus creeping closer to the edge. As Nina searches to escape from her Mother by getting out for an evening of freedom with Lily she drinks, pops a hallucinogenic little pill and dances the night away in an underground club with several men. After experiencing life on the other side of the tracks Nina begins to dance with freedom to the appreciation of Leroy.



However, as Nina begins to get more aligned with the black swan within herself and her obsession with her role deepens, her sanity comes into question with some very dark and twisted moments. Fearing that Lily will steal her role, Nina has dark hallucinations of stopping Lily at all costs. Then finally on opening night Nina dances the black swan to perfection with her fellow ballerinas, Leroy and the audience in awe of her performance, but at what cost to her sanity?



Black Swan is a truly intense, dark and chilling tale of obsession and the destruction that accompanies it. Portman is chilling as Nina as she changes from a timid and gentle white swan to the dark, dangerous and seductive black swan in both the ballet and her own life.



Nina’s home life is just as dark with her room resembling that of a child and her relationship with her Mother being encapsulated in any number of moments of molly-coddling with undertones of resentment. Nina is treated like a small child as her Mother undresses her, tucks her in and covers her hands in socks held on by elastic bands in order to stop her scratching in her sleep. The Mother and daughter pair live ballet to the point of their living room consisting of just a piano and large mirrors in which Nina can dance and their obsession drives them apart.



In ballet Aronofsky takes a world that is rife with obsession as dancers push their physical limits to the point of illness in return for success. The underlying themes and moral behind Black Swan could be easily be adapted to any number of professions in which obsession pushes the human limits of those seeking success, but none as a beautiful, or possibly as dark, as ballet.



Watching a young woman pushing herself in order to make her dream a reality as her thoughts, actions and life become more and more questionable was thrilling and so artistic. The beauty of Nina’s dancing juxtaposed with the anxiety, fear and jealousy in her facial expressions is as beautiful as it is tragic. It is easy to see why Black Swan has received so much hype and as always Aronofsky has proven himself to be not only a truly gripping storyteller with such depth and so many levels to his films, but the creator of a moving piece of art.



Aronofsky takes you on a journey that is not only emotionally draining for Nina, but also for the audience. Black Swan is a visceral tale with so many levels of hope, fear, jealousy, beauty and darkness that it emotes all of these feelings to point of audience exhaustion. Brilliantly. I could happily watch Black Swan again this very minute but for the emotional roller coaster inflicted upon me, leaving a temporary emotional fragility. Filmmaking at it’s highest level.

D.J. Haza



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Read our Black Swan review from the London Film Festival here.



Movie Review Archive

Frustrated Ramblings: Entourage, A Winter Warmer For The Aspiring Filmmaker

DJ Haza with more 'Frustrated Ramblings Of An Aspiring Filmmaker'...

I don’t know about you, but I’m bloody freezing. And I’m sick of it! It stopped snowing in March and it started again at the end of November. I must have sneezed and missed summer because I can’t remember anything more than the odd warm day. Not hot. Warm. Rubbish! Now it’s January. I get up and it’s dark. The sun offers a few miserly hours of piss poor sunshine and then it’s dark. Again.

I’m a sun lover. I admit it. If the sun was shining I would happily spend every second of the day with my shades on and lubed up with cooking oil. So I hate this British weather. And I’m too poor to move anywhere warmer. So I’ve taken to dreaming of warmer climates and better times from the comfort of my own settee. I’ve bought every series of Entourage. And I love it. A little slice of Tinsel town in my very own Welsh home.

Entourage follows Hollywood’s latest rising star, Vinnie Chase (Adrian Grenier), and his closest pals as they tread the sidewalks, juggle the politics and climb the Hollywood ladder. The boy from Queens is joined by his childhood best friends, Eric (Kevin Connolly) and Turtle (Jerry Ferrara), and his ex-TV C-list actor brother, Jonny ‘Drama’ Chase (Kevin Dillon). With Eric taking on the role of Vinnie’s manager, Drama his nutritionist and Turtle his driver the boys live the Hollywood high life smoking weed, reading scripts and looking for Vinnie’s next big job and payday. As well as trying to bed as many ridiculously hot women as they can.

Aiding the boys in their Hollywood dream are a range of movie business types that every star needs – Vinnie’s explosive and hilarious agent, Ari Gold (Jeremy Piven), Vinnie’s publicist, Shauna (Debbie Mazar), as well as financial advisors, assistants, personal shoppers, make up and wardrobe teams, hookers, shop girls, fans and all other manner of loose women. Along side the usual faces are a whole host of real life stars as caricatured cameos of themselves including James Woods trying to kick down the boys door to get to Drama, Vinnie’s on and off relationship with Mandy Moore, Paul Haggis, James Cameron, Martin Scorsese, Mark Wahlberg, Dennis Hopper, Gary Busey, Chuck Liddel, Jessica Alba and Larry David amongst others. Entourage sports more stars than the night sky over LA.

Each series follows the boys from Queens as they search, fight and bargain for Vinnie’s next big job amidst a range of trivial obstacles such as running out weed, a city wide blackout that hinders people trying to see Vinnie’s new movie and the obligatory attempts at getting women in each episode. Vinnie, a true Hollywood star, struts around seemingly without a care in the world as Eric panics, reads scripts, takes meetings and takes the full of brunt of the business side of Hollywood and more specifically, Ari. Vince just spends money and beds women.

Drama’s obsession is primarily with himself and getting his star back on the rise before he dies as the brother of Vinnie Chase rather than one of the Chase brothers. Turtle’s main concerns seem to be keeping the weed stocked and getting laid using Vinnie’s star power. More often than not the boys get themselves into a corner or a situation and there lack of experience hinders their attempts to get out of it. In steps Ari. As the man who makes the moves, pushes the buttons and strikes the deals he sweeps through Hollywood, his office and his own home like a one-man whirlwind of profanities, abuse and enough charm to get the pants off anyone. The series usually ends with the boys heading off to join Vinnie on the job they have been chasing and the following series resumes when they arrive back in LA.

Entourage is the dream and the goal for an aspiring filmmaker like myself. They live in immensely huge houses with swimming pools over looking LA, get paid more per hour for work than one of Wayne Rooney’s hookers and seem to bed anything woman that wanders within grabbing distance of them. It’s a fantastic and idealistic imagining of Hollywood and I want to be a part of it. With the shows key themes of male friendship and the Hollywood lifestyle each thirty-minute episode is full of boys, toys, and banter. Amongst the jokes, wise cracks and giving each other a hard time are some genuine moments of male bonding as they stick together through thick and thin. Which is nice. And of course there are the women. Scantily clad and everywhere.

Now into it’s seventh series and commissioned for an eighth, Entourage has followed Vinnie’s career as it’s negotiated the fickle world of Hollywood film. Vince’s star has rocketed to him being a studio blockbuster star in a James Cameron movie and then fallen to the point of him sinking his every penny into a bad indie movie that bombs at Cannes. The boys have partied at the Playboy mansion, bought a desk off Gary Busey, fallen out with Warner Bros, caught a lift to Cannes with Kanye West, played golf with Mark Wahlberg, Turtle has a relationship with Jamie-Lynn Sigler, Drama gets back on TV, Vince goes off the rails, Eric starts his own management company and a thousand other stories that usually coincide with bedding women.

For the budding filmmaker sat within the same four bloody walls watching their obsessively big DVD collection over and over again whilst the rain lashes against their window Entourage is a breath of fresh air. It offers a glimpse of Hollywood, sunshine and better things to come. As a budding filmmaker I can imagine having lunch with my agent on Wilshire Boulevard, being a success at Sundance and lounging around the pool in my huge house that once belonged to Marlon Brando. As well as allowing me to dream it also gives me a kick in the arse. A voice in my head says ‘Oi dickhead! We could be doing that if we get our arse into gear!’ Maybe we can.

Carving a career in the film industry is no easy task and in a city like LA where everyone from taxi drivers to lawyers are budding filmmakers or film stars it’s no doubt more difficult again. But slothing on my settee in my jammies and a duvet eating my own body weight in crisps doesn’t help. I suppose Entourage is a double-edged sword for me. It gives me hope, gives me goals and gets my creative juices flowing. But at the same time I’m sat achieving sod all as I plough through series after series. I’m currently about to start series 5 despite the stack of things I should be doing. But its cold. And I can’t be arsed.

It would be an understatement to say that nothing of any real integrity happens at any point throughout all 7 series of Entourage, but that’s part of the charm. The stories are not too difficult to follow or any more complex than remembering your name and date of birth. The issues, difficulties and obstacles facing the boys range from trying to find weed to a code red at LAX meaning they can’t get to Cannes. In almost every crisis, and I use the term loosely, the boys come up smelling of roses thanks to Vince’s ‘everything will work out’ attitude, Eric’s hard work and Ari’s scheming. Then again, I’m not one for integrity anyway. If I could swap my own Mother for a Hollywood career She would have friction burns on her arse as I boot her out the door.

On shitty and cold January nights with the news screaming stories about recession, cuts and job losses Entourage offers that little bit of escapism that allows my brain to inhabit a place where the sun shines, the champagne flows and no matter what happens something will always come along and make everything better. And with the new year's sales dropping the price of a series box set to under ten pounds it’s a steal. Pass the remote. I’m living the American dream!

D.J. Haza

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Second Opinion - 127 Hours (2010)

127 Hours, 2010.



Directed by Danny Boyle.

Starring James Franco, Kate Mara, Amber Tamblyn, Clémence Poésy and Lizzy Caplan.





SYNOPSIS:



A mountain climber becomes trapped under a boulder and is forced to resort to desperate measures in order to survive.





Danny Boyle has returned to the big screen after his Oscar hogging success with Slumdog Millionaire and brought us another indie style classic with 127 Hours. The much-hyped adaptation of the book ‘Between A Rock And A Hard Place’ follows the true story of the cold and selfish outdoor enthusiast Aron Ralston (James Franco) as he gets trapped in the remote mountains of Utah.



Ralston sets out on a seemingly average weekend alone, and without telling anyone where he was going, to bike and hike the Blue John Canyon in Utah. When Ralston falls and finds his hand trapped beneath a large rock that he cannot move things look grim. Ralston struggles, fights and tries to chip away at the rock with a blunt knife. He goes through his water rations, drinks his own urine and records messages to his loved ones on his video camera. After five days of being stuck and struggling with his own sanity he finally cuts his own arm off, takes a photo of the rock and remainder of his arm, and then staggers through the rough terrain to find help.



For a film that consists mainly of one guy trapped in a canyon with his one arm under a rock the film is a magnificent story of human triumph, epiphany and the will to survive. Ralston’s story is so brilliantly told by Boyle and, despite the distinct lack of movement for much of the film, the pace is maintained and the film engrossing. James Franco’s portrayal of Ralston is so understated, yet encapsulating. As Ralston struggles to free his hand, find comfort against the rock and deal with his lack of rations we see a man who quietly regrets his past actions. With hallucinations, vivid dreams and memories giving us snippets of his life before the rock we see some of his regrets and his cold actions towards some of those closest to him.



When Ralston finally frees himself and finds help the film finishes and we aren’t privy to his recovery, reconciliation with his family or much of his later life other than a few sentences and photos offered us by Boyle. However, from watching his struggle and will to survive we some how know that Aron Ralston is a changed man. The uncompromising sight of Ralston slicing through his own arm with a blunt knife and having to yank it through a main nerve has been too much for some audience members at London Film Festival. The horror and reality of the situation Ralston found himself in really hits home as he puts his fingers into his arm and yanks away at the muscle. Boyle pulls no punches with his images.



Unlike other one character, one location films such as Phone Booth and Buried, the latter of which can be watched with your eyes closed, 127 Hours allows us as the audience to experience Ralston’s struggle in a genuine way. 127 Hours is such a simple film in its premise, but the complexities of Ralston and his character are so well explored and played out in such a subtle way that lets us see the worth of the man. No gimmicks, no long exploration in the dialogue and no threat from outside. Just one man’s will to survive and be a better man.



Ralston’s story is a triumph of inner strength, determination and survival and Boyle films echoes that so well. Rumours of Oscar nominations for both Boyle and Franco are well deserved as the film is worth every penny paid and second spent in the cinema. 127 Hours is definitely worth a watch.

Read our review of 127 Hours from the London Film Festival here.



D.J. Haza



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Movie Review Archive

Frustrated Ramblings: Cinema 2010 - The Good, The Bad and The Ugly

DJ Haza reflects on the highs and lows of 2010 with more "Frustrated Ramblings Of An Aspiring Filmmaker"...

As the final days of 2010 pass me by I’ve decided to reminisce and rant about the films that have flickered through my brown eyes over the last 12 months. Some have quite rightly amazed me. Others astounded me. Some were so damned disgusting that it led me to begin writing my series of articles named The Frustrated Ramblings Of An Aspiring Filmmaker. So here goes. I’ll keep it brief. Short and sweet. All killer and no filler. No waffle. Maybe a bit of waffle. No, I shouldn’t waffle. Shit. I’ve waffled!

Firstly, the good. There have been a few films this year that have truly amazed me, had me glued to my seat and fuelled my own ideas and ambitions of filmmaking. Some true masters of their craft have given us some cinematic masterpieces in 2010. And so...

My top 5 films of 2010 are... (drum role)...

1. Inception
2. Shutter Island
3. The Social Network
4. The Town
5. Tron: Legacy

Inception was exactly what I want from a visit to my local multiplex. It had me thinking whilst I was watching, talking about it when I left and I couldn’t settle until I had seen it again. It was visually stunning, deep and meaningful, ambiguous and was so well thought out and made by Christopher Nolan, who is fast becoming a cinematic heavyweight. From the opening titles to the closing credits I was glued to the screen. The film could have easily been another hour in length without me feeling bored, fidgeting or going to the toilet. I would have rather wet myself than miss a minute. Accompanying Nolan’s vision was Leonardo DiCaprio’s performance, which as always was stunning. Film of the year!

Close behind was Shutter Island. Again it had me thinking, second-guessing and talking afterwards about a film that had me glued to the screen. I watched Shutter Island in the cinema, on Sky Box Office and then on Blu-Ray and every time I watched it I got something else from it. When you know how it is going to end you can see the hints, tricks and tips that are cleverly incorporated into the story, the setting and the directing. Martin Scorsese’s directing was truly stunning at times when watched with the knowledge of the ending. The scene in which Teddy, played beautifully by DiCaprio, is interrogating the patients in the cafeteria had me grinning from ear to ear. When you know who Dr Sheehan is watch that scene back and see the clues left by Scorsese. Brilliant.

The Social Network, from first impressions, looked like a film that was going to bore the pants off me. One geek’s dream to create a social network and get some friends! Who cares? Then I found out David Fincher had directed. I was then interested. I watched. I laughed out (a rarity for me). I enjoyed. Immensely. Fincher took the story of a friendless uber-geek working tirelessly to make his new social networking website a success whilst alienating everyone around him and intercut it with two court room battles between the geek and those suing him. And he made it work. More than work. It at no point had me bored, checking my watch or feeling bogged down in various geeks babbling back and forth. On paper the film shouldn’t work. However, It’s definitely a film I’ll be watching again. And again.

Another surprise was The Town. Directed by Ben Affleck, I almost tried not to like it. I mean, more men have walked on the moon than the number of good films Affleck has been in. But I loved it! The story of a group of friends living in the bank robbing capital of the world, Boston, and drifting apart was emotive. Despite him being a bank robber I think a lot of men could empathise with the leading character, Doug, played suprisingly well by Affleck himself. The film worked on several levels and I thoroughly enjoyed it.

Tron: Legacy was a 3D cinematic experience that showed just how far cinema has come since the original Tron blazed a technological trail across Hollywood using computers with less power than a TV remote. The story was pretty basic; bloke gets stuck in a cyber world and has to battle to get out, just as expected. The visual feast that accompanied the film was worth going for and I didn’t even mind the fact that the characters talk non stop to each other so that we understand them, their stories and the cyber world they are stuck in.

I also loved The Wolfman, despite every filmmaker I know berating me for even considering it worth watching. It was a generic and clichéd werewolf movie, but it was enjoyable to watch. It didn’t try to be too clever or different and was a sort of homage to classic monster movies of the past that used a dark woods, unbelievably thick mist and simple village folk as story telling tools. I liked it and I don’t care what you think!

Over the course of 2010 I also saw a lot of films that were bad or just out right ugly. Some were poorly written, others poorly shot and some were just plain shite!

Edge of Darkness was okay, but not amazing. Whoop-de-doo that Mel Gibson brought his racist face back to cinema screens. Green Zone was Jason Bourne in Iraq. But boring. And no drama. And hardly any action. Kick-Ass definitely did not kick ass. The main character was boring and I didn’t care about him. From Paris With Love was just inexplicably violent and explosive to the point where I wondered what the hell the film was actually about. Iron Man 2 was a bit too cheesy for my liking. Robin Hood was a let down, but it was always doomed for comparison against Gladiator with Ridley Scott and Russell Crowe teaming up for a period epic. Prince of Persia was Pirates of the Caribbean in the desert. Mildly entertaining, but ultimately pointless. Get Him To The Greek saw Russell Brand under acting in order to play a wild, drug fuelled British rock star. I can’t help but think that the director missed a trick by not letting Brand just go to town with his character and light up the screen in his own twisted way.

However, my biggest disappointment of 2010 came with my long awaited trip to see Mr. Nice. I’d waited six years since having read the book from cover to cover in only a week whilst hanging on Howard Marks’ every word. I tried not to get overexcited when trotting down to the cinema with my mother in tow. I tried to keep my expectation from running away with me. But despite all this it still sucked. I understand the difficulties involved in adapting a book to film, but so much of Marks’ life was missing. It just felt like fragments of his life thrown together in order to tell a portion of his story as quickly as possible. And the decision to use stock footage and then green screen Rhys Ifans over the top had me tutting in my seat.

I was hoping for a British Blow, but it wasn’t. We weren’t privy to enough of Marks’ life in order to care for him in my opinion. Unlike George Jung in Blow I don’t feel people cared about Marks or empathized with why he did what he did. He just looked like a dope smuggler who was too bone idle or lazy to do anything meaningful with his Oxford education. I shed a tear at the end of Blow because it was such a great and tragic story, especially when he lost his daughter. I shed a tear at the end of Mr. Nice for completely other reasons.

Overall 2010 has been a year of ups and downs in cinema for me, but 2011 is set to kick off with a bang. 127 Hours, True Grit, The King’s Speech, Black Swan and The Green Hornet are all set for launch in the UK over January and I can’t wait. If the year continues with the same quality as January we could be in for a great year. However, knowing how cinema works I’m sure there will still be plenty of films to rant about in 2011. I’ll see you on the other side.

D.J. Haza

Follow my blog at http://djhaza.blogspot.com/
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