StreetKings (2008)

Alternate Title: 'Street Queens'

This was a truly exasperating film with a diminutive plot that's stretched out to oblivion with a conclusion which even my pet budgie had guessed in the first few minutes.

The basic story, and that's all it ever was, is of a team of bent, underhand, vigilante cops, headed up by Forest Whittaker, and with Keannu Reeves as one of their members. Keannu starts to wrestle with his conscious and then wrestle with his team as all hell breaks loose.

The plot was predictable and the characters superficial. Keannu, despite all the action, never once broke into even a mild perspiration, Hugh Laurie was hard to take seriously as the Internal Affairs cop, and Forest Whittacker tried his best to prop up the film by over acting but it was all too impossible.

Apparently Forest Whittacker's crooked cop outfit was able to operate successfully and for so long because he had dirty info on everyone all the way to the top of the hierarchy. This must be an ironic parody of what the producer had on the actor's in this film who otherwise would surely have turned down the opportunity to act in this 'shite'.

Cloverfield (2008)

This is the most professional Blair Witch Project type film I have seen so far. After being lulled into the social goings on of a young couple, Rob and Beth, the tape cuts to Rob’s brother and his girlfriend who are setting up a going away party for Rob who is moving to Japan. The camera is operated by Hud, an excitable and blabber mouthed friend of theirs.

Admitedly, after around quarter of an hour, although I was semi enjoying some of the gossip we are privy to from this group of friends, I did find myself drifting a bit wondering when we might get to the point of the film. When it eventually came it was no great disappointment. The story erupts with a major tremor at the heart of their district of New York, shortly followed by an explosion and the head of the Statue of Liberty landing in the road outside their appartment. From there all hell breaks loose with explosions, collapsing buildings and some of the weirdest and eeriest aliens you'll ever see.

The camera does a great job of placing us right in the heart of the action and giving us an extra sense of realism that a normal cinematic style of filming might not have been able to achieve. The story is progressive and action filled and even in the moments of respite succeeds in maintaining intensity and excitement, particularly with help from the chatty yet entertaining dialogue of the camera operator Hud.

All in all a good and chilling sci-fi watch once you get into the action.

Eastern Promises (2007)

This was a good film, well scripted, wonderfully acted and with the right amount of twists and double dealings in the plot to keep you gripped to the storyline until the end. What made David Cronenberg's film even more amazing is that it was filmed in London and yet appeared glitzy and stylish instead of grey and damp.
Basically the plot involved a dead young girl, her live baby and the diary she left behind implicating a Russian crime family based in a restaurant in London. The diary falls into the hands of the caring and principled midwife played by Naomi Watts and the story which ensues allows the small but talented acting casts' skill flow to true potential. Special mention must go to Vigo Mortensen who plays a central role as the totally enigmatic and menacingly charming driver/henchman to his Russian crime boss.

Invasion (2007)

Alternative Title: Invasion Of The Bodysnatchers

The alien hosts taking over human kind theme has certainly been remade many times in film history and whereas this movie doesn't really offer anything new to this genre, it certainly was well made, stylish and the acting was believable enough.

The excitement in this movie is provided by Nicole Kidman's looks and her trying to stay one step ahead of the aliens while trying to save her son from succumbing to their expansionist designs. While I didn't find the movie either suspenseful or scary it did at least have a momentum which keeps you watching to the end.

The Forgotten

Believe me I already have! At least this is one film which lives up to its title. It was truly a trip down amnesia lane from beginning to end but a definite must if you're suffering from insomnia.

Meet The Spartans

Alternate Title: Kiss My Gay Ass


I have to admit I found myself amused by the first few minutes of this crappy film as it did a pretty good job of parodying the original '300' albeit in an almost scene by scene fashion. I liked the scene involving the 'Pit Of Death' up until Britney Spears made an appearance, I tittered slightly on seeing a cat's turd stuck on the face of the sandman (that's right, the sandman), and the fight scene where Leonidas gives a wedgey to one of the Persian soldiers was actually quite good.

Unfortunately the rest of this film was so uninspired, wayward and off the mark that you have to pity the poor fools who came up with this crud. They were obviously trying to parody and cross compare American trash culture with the rigid and principled code and glory of the Spartan people, but all they could manage to do is bitch about how the Spartans were probably a bunch of homosexuals. This film used the homosexual link to provide 95% of the humour in this spoof film but this was particularly surprising as I thought most Americans were either gay themselves or at least find nothing wrong with it...hence all their ass references.....The mind boggles!!

There Will Be Blood

This was a good film made great by the brilliant acting of the cast, in particular Daniel Day Lewis. His portrayal of the 'Robber Baron' Plainview was genius and brought such intensity to the acting that you are carried along with his emotional roller coaster journey throughout the movie. The lead character is made even more fascinating as you feel like you are privy to many of the personal events in his life which directly affect his psyche and lead him onto the twisty road with his dealings with and interaction with the other characters in this film.

Although Plainview is a thoroughly ruthless and vengeful character, particularly in his business transactions, he does, however, possess tenderer emotions, notably towards his family and I never lost sympathy with him throughout the plot. In fact, you become so engrossed with the character that you find yourself wondering how things might have been different and what could have been done or said so that things might have turned out better all round.

The plot is intricate, subtle, and proceeds at such an even pace that it not only adds extra realism to the movie, but allows you appreciate things on a more ethereal level which would not be so possible at a faster speed. A large part of the story involves Plainview's relationship with the local preacher called Eli, who is his ruthless and ambitious, bible bashing antithesis and there is a great circle of power play, influence, humiliation and resentment which builds up beautifully along the way until its ultimate end.

VERDICT: Deserved Oscars