Throwback Thursday - Monty Python & The Holy Grail

Director: Terry Gilliam (Twelve Monkeys; Fear & Loathing in Las Vegas) Terry Jones

Starring: John Cleese, Eric Idle, Graham Chapman, Michael Palin, Terry Gilliam, Terry Jones

Running Time: 91 mins

It was SO good returning to this classic comedy! This was made 4 years before I was born (i.e. 1975) and it still holds it's weight in coconuts as one of the funniest movies ever made. Sure there's the slapstick humour part of it but the writing is just well...'Go and boil your bottoms, son of a silly person'...'nuff said. What I really enjoy about this movie is that I can watch it again and again without ever worrying about getting bored. There are some people who are not fans of the monty python type comedy, but rest assured ye naysayers, this is a film that will leave you gagging with laughter and trying to remember if the french guard really did say 'I fart in your general direction' or not and if the airspeed velocity of an unladen African swallow is quicker than a European's...So if you haven't watched this yet, watch it, and if you have watched this before...watch it again. I think I'll watch it again tonight... 

Oscars 2013!

*SPOILERS* (if you haven't watched it yet)

A very quick round up of the Oscars 2013 and my thoughts. I truly believe that Seth Macfarlane's humour is more Golden Globes and not so much Oscars. He's funny as hell but I think a couple of his jokes fell flat due to this being the prestigious old school Academy Awards. He got lashed through twitter but people with a sense of humour loved him and so did I. With regards to the handing over of the awards...in the future the Academy Award producers need to shy completely away from a number of presenters at once handing out the awards. The 'Avenger's' all on stage handing out an award felt very awkward and either not rehearsed or over rehearsed...either or it was horrible to watch as was the banter between the cast of 'Chicago'. Stick to 2 people MAX, Academy. Overall it was a great show, albeit very long, with great performances by Adele, Jennifer Hudson and Dame Shirley Bassey. The stage was beautiful and there were no unnecessarily long speeches, well there was one, but he was cut very short by the theme music to 'Jaws'.  Here's the basic list of winners: 

Best Animated Film: Brave (great choice)

Best Original Screenplay: Quentin Tarantino - Django Unchained (the undisputed champion of original screenplay)

Best Supporting Actress: Anne Hathaway - Les Miserables (still battling to take her seriously)

Best Supporting Actor: Christoph Waltz - Django Unchained (deserved, but would've liked Tommy-Lee Jones to win)

Best Actress: Jennifer Lawrence - Silver Linings Playbook (deserved!)

Best Actor: Daniel Day-Lewis - Lincoln (first actor in history to have won 3 best actor Academy Awards!)

Best Director: Ang Lee - Life of Pi (Didn't call it but SO glad he won!)

Best Picture: Argo (Deserved!)

An Unusual Suspect is An American Psycho!

            

So I decided to go a little old school and revisit 'American Psycho' and 'The Usual Suspects'. First up, American Psycho. You may be surprised to learn that this film almost had Leo Di Caprio in the lead role along with James Woods as the cop and Oliver Stone as the director. Di Caprio baled (pun intended) to shoot 'The Beach' so Stone pulled out along with Woods. Personally I'm glad it was Bale who got the role (just because he's a brilliant actor) and this shot him to stardom which ultimately led him to becoming a hardcore actor who lets rip at lighting people crossing his set and climbs into bullet proof suits with capes. Anyway, I had forgotten the part of the film when he opens the fridge to hand his receptionist some sorbet and there, sitting in a plastic bag, is the head of a woman he murdered the night before! He truly was a psycho and was definitely worth the re-visit. Oh yeah, I also liked his taste in music.

The Usual Suspects...well, I'm embarrassed to say that I had actually forgotten the twist which was great because I watched the film with 'fresh' eyes. Strange to notice that the only actor who made it out there alive to become an A-list actor was Spacey. He is just brilliant. The fact that I've interviewed him before might have something to do with that statement...I mean, the guy had a couple of fingers glued down to make his 'gimpy' disability look more real! Anyway, I really enjoyed the story (again) and I thought that Stephen Baldwin was actually pretty good. Del Toro was also good, well, the times when I could hear what he was saying.

After having watched these 2 movies I gotta say that I really miss old school films. No CGI, no waste your time 3D and no hiring hot chicks just because they're hot!

Silver Linings Playbook

Director: David O. Russell (The Fighter; Three Kings)

Starring: Bradley Cooper (The A-Team; The Hangover), Jennifer Lawrence (Hunger Games; Winter's Bone), Robert De Niro (Meet the Fockers; Goodfellas)

Running Time: 122mins

Whew this was a long movie but fortunately my review is short. Gone are the days when movies weren't longer than 1h30mins! Trying to keep an audiences attention span is never easy and I'm not quite sure if O.Russell managed to do that. Cooper plays a bi-polar guy who's just been released from a psychiatric hospital after beating up her wife's lover. He's in remorse and wants to get back with her. Enter Jennifer Lawrence playing a depressed widow who just wants to get her rocks off. However, she feels a connection with Cooper and a pretty touch & go relationship begins to blossom. Huge kudos to  Lawrence. She truly is a magnificent actress and has this depth to her performances. All this at the tender age of just 22! Anyway, this wasn't my type of film but I suppose it has to be good what with 8 Oscar nods (editing; directing; writing; picture; actor; actress; supporting actor & actress). I feel slightly awkward not having enjoyed such an epic film but I know I'll make it right with some of you one day. I gotta say though that it's quite cool seeing Chris Tucker back on the big screen playing a normal lovable character even though secretly I still enjoy him in the Rush Hour movies...

Wreck-ed it Ralph

Director: Rich Moore (Futurama; The Simpsons)

Voice talents of: John C. Reilly (Stepbrothers; Chicago), Sarah Silverman (School of Rock; There's Something About Mary), Jane Lynch (Glee; 40 Year Old Virgin)

Running Time: 108mins

Just a quick review, I thought that this was a very cute movie. Most animated films are I suppose (unless of course you're going for something a little darker like 'Watership Down'). Anyway, this film is based on a video game character who wrecks buildings for a living and after 30 years he decides that enough's enough and he's tired of being the bad guy so leaves his game in search of adventure and to ultimately become a hero. As most cartoons (sorry...animated films), this is a feel good story that will have you wishing you could also play inside the 'Sugar Rush' game. One thing which I find hard to believe though is that this film cost approx. $165m to make...really? For a cartoon?! Fortunately for them however is that they've already made around $185m so far. Oh yeah I loved Jane Lynch as Sergeant Calhoun! So on a closing note, if you got some time to spare then watch it, otherwise wait for it to come onto TV.

Ar-GO all the way to the Oscars!

Director: Ben Affleck

Starring: Ben Affleck (The Town; Good Will Hunting); Bryan Cranston (Malcolm in the Middle; Breaking Bad); John Goodman (The Flintstones; Roseanne); Alan Arkin (Little Miss Sunshine)

Running Time: 120 minutes

The first and only thing that upset me about this film is that I wasn't able to watch it before the Golden Globes because I SO would've called Affleck's win. What a movie! Now I, like most people I'm sure, had no idea about the exact history behind the film, I mean you've got a basic idea that this guy from the CIA is sent in to Iran posing as a movie producer to rescue a bunch of American diplomatic personnel, posing as his crew and I'm not sure how the story played out in real-life back in 1980, but Affleck made absolutely sure that for not even a second would I be leaving my chair during the 120 minutes. I have to also commend him on his acting. I've never really seen him as much of an actor but he truly has become a force to be reckoned with and the only other person I can quite confidently say is able to self-direct well, is Clint Eastwood. Alan Arkin's Oscar nod for Best Supporting Role is definitely well deserved as the producer of this fake film and interestingly enough I thought that John Goodman also held up his end of the acting stick very well and oh, Bryan Cranston, well he certainly has come a long way since playing the dad in 'Malcolm in The Middle'! With an estimated budget of $44.5m, it's already raked in 3 times that at the box office coming in at just over $126m which, in my mind, should be one of the factors that will have Argo taking home the Oscar for Best Picture. Good job, Mr Affleck!

Seven Psychopaths

Director: Martin McDonagh (In Bruges)

Starring: Colin Farrell (The Recruit, Total Recall); Sam Rockwell (Moon, Iron Man 2); Christopher Walken (Balls of Fury, Catch me if you Can); Woody Harrelson (Zombieland, Natural Born Killers)

Running Time: 110 mins

It's not easy for films to capture your attention in the first few minutes, but let me assure you, this film delivers and it does so with 2 bullets to the head! Literally! Pretty new director, McDonagh, has done an amazing job by hauling in a brilliant cast of actors to play out a story that will have you wondering 'what next'. Farrell plays a struggling screenwriter who's toying with an idea for his next film about seven psychopaths. He's helped along by his best friend played by Rockwell and a dog thief played by Walken. It's not possible really for me to give you an exact synopsis on the film because there's a fine line between me giving too much of the story away and me just keeping completely quiet. I can tell you however that 2 reasons to watch the film would be for Harrelson as a ruthless mob boss who's bark is as big as his bite and who's also particularly upset about his Shih Tzu being stolen and then Rockwell as the 'creative brains' behind the film in progress. It's hilarious as it is violent. There's a perfect balance so don't worry about closing your eyes or mouth. Closing thought, am a little surprised this has only made $15m at the box office when it cost $15m to make...oh well, maybe the DVD sales will help it make a profit.

Django Unchained

Director: Quentin Tarantino (Won Golden Globe for best screenplay for this film)

Starring: Jamie Fox (Ray, Law Abiding Citizen); Christoph Waltz (Inglourius Basterds); Leonardo Di Caprio (Titanic, Inception)

Running Time: 165mins

If there were only 3 reasons to watch this movie, then here they are: Scenery, Soundtrack & Jamie Foxx. Besides Ray, this has to be Foxx's (Django - the 'D' is silent) finest moment as a freed slave seeking revenge for his wife. Having said that though, some of his performances were overshadowed by the awesomeness that was Samuel L. Jackson in his portrayal as Stephen the housekeeper. I enjoyed him in Pulp Fiction but I think it's safe to say that I enjoyed this performance much more. Other terrific performances included the likes of the unwavering Christoph Waltz as Dr. King Schultz the dentist/bounty hunter as well as Leonardo DiCaprio as Calvin Candie (ruthless plantation owner who has Foxx's wife). The violence left me reeling every once a while and it's long, perhaps a little too long, but the interaction between the actors, the story, camerawork, blood, script and the pretty cool cameo from director Tarantino make the 165 minutes worth it! Do yourselves a favour and download the soundtrack. It's fantastic! And by the way, ignore what Spike Lee said about this film, it's not racist. Even if Foxx's character uses the 'N' word one too many times in the derogatory sense, it's a fantasy. Enjoy it as such and also let the figures speak for themselves, so far the movie has made around $150m at the box office...

Lincoln Kills it! (and gets killed)

Director: Steven Spielberg

Starring: Daniel-Day Lewis (Last of The Mohicans, My Left Foot, Gangs of New York); Sally Field (Forrest Gump, Where the Heart is)

Running Time: 150 minutes

Off the bat I'm going to say that it's either Denzel Washington or Daniel-Day Lewis walking away with the Oscar for best actor. It's plain to see why his Golden Globe win was well deserved! Lewis is, as always, undeniably brilliant! Brilliant! I must admit though that I did find it hard to tear myself away from the thought that he looked and almost sounded like 'Bill The Butcher' from Gangs of New York but after the first 10 minutes or so, he became Honest Abe. I'm afraid I can't comment on the realism of the movie with regards to historic facts, etc but I have been assured by a friend of mine that Spielberg did a wonderful job in portraying the events that unfolded around the passing of the 13th Amendment (for those of you who don't know, this amendment abolished slavery in 1865). Whether or not he'll win best director remains to be seen but on the whole it was a beautifully shot movie with other moving performances by Sally Field as Lincoln's wife and Tommy-Lee Jones as Thaddeus Stevens (would love to see him walk away with the Oscar this year but me thinks Christoph might clinch it for Django Unchained). If you're not a history buff and into heavy dramas, this movie will be quite boring and oh, Lincoln gets assassinated. No this is not a spoiler alert. If you didn't know that then you REALLY shouldn't be watching this... 

Life of Pi

Director: Ang Lee (Hulk; Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon; Brokeback Mountain)
Cast: Suraj Sharma
Running Time: 127 Minutes

Finally a movie where you don't need to read the book because, well, bar one or two small exclusions, the film matches it perfectly! Although, the book really is beautifully written and I highly recommend it. If you have read the book, like me, your imagination could not have exceeded director Ang Lee's vision for this wonderfully adapted movie. From the amazing opening scene as the camera moves over and through the zoo to the magical floating island laden with millions of meerkats, Pi's journey will have you fixed to your seat for 2 hours. Pi (Suraj Sharma - his debut film having made the cut out of 3000 hopefuls auditioned in India) is a serious yet rather humorous character who manages to not tame a fully grown Bengal tiger on his little lifeboat but trains him. His experiences will leave you laughing and crying (I promise)! A terrific film that I believe will become one of those that students will be studying in matric! On a last note, I had the pleasure of interviewing both Ang Lee and Suraj Sharma for the MNet Movie Show so be sure to watch it! Follow me on Twitter for details on when it will air: @JasonMGreer

Feb 2013 Update:
Well done on winning Oscars for:
Cinematography
Director
Music
Visual Effects

The Campaign

Director: Jay Roach (Meet the Parents & Austin Powers)
Starring: Will Ferrell & Zach Galifianakis
Running Time: 85 mins

"My heart is beating so fast it's like a phonebook in a dryer!" Don't ask me what that means but expect more of those 'gems' throughout the film. Off the bat I gotta say that Ferrell & Galifianakis' chemistry is great but I was hoping for a little more. I preferred his 'tangos' with Sascha Baron Cohen and even Mark Wahlberg but I think sticking two high profile comedians deft in the art of ad-libbing together in one film, was too much. If you've watched the trailer, you've pretty much seen all the funny parts. There were a few surprise cameos for me though including the 67 year old, John Lithgow. Kudos should also go to Dermot Mulroney who is brilliant as the underhanded campaign manager. Overall it's a fun movie with a few laugh out loud moments but I think I'd rather see the two of them in separate movies from now on.

Taken 2

Director: Olivier Megaton (Transporter 3 & Colombiana)
Starring: Liam Neeson (Schindler's List & The Grey); Famke Janssen (X-Men & Taken)
Running Time: 91 Minutes

With an opening weekend in the US of $50m, there should be no doubt in your mind that wanting to go and watch Neeson kick some ass is a priority! It's the same 'plot' per say however this time, Neeson get's kidnapped! Before you know it though, he's out of the pickle and starts his rain of beat downs and monotone dialogue on the baddies all with some help from his daughter. It was overall a very enjoyable but fairly predictable movie that came to an end pretty quickly. My only gripe, the fight scenes were shot badly. I wanted to see exactly how he disarmed the thug, snuck his fist into his left nostril and broke his right leg all at the same time...but alas, you're left feeling dizzy from the short, sharp shots! Pity. I'm not gonna give you anything more about the story but I will leave you with this quote that sends shivers down my spine everytime I remember it: "If I kill you, your other sons will come and seek revenge and I will kill them too."

Dredd - The Judge has returned

Director: Pete Travis (Vantage Point & Endgame)
Starring: Karl Urban (Star Trek & Red); Lena Heady (300, Game of Thrones); Olivia Thirlby
Running Time: 95 mins

Judgement has come! Finally after over 15 years, Dredd, the way he was intended, has come to save the world. Ok, it's only one building so far. There's not a moment to breath as the movie opens with a high speed car chase along Johannesburg's M1 through swarms of taxis and Putco busses. Oh sorry, I didn't tell you, Dredd was shot mostly in Joburg and Cape Town. Once the first perp is caught, it's almost non-stop, gut spewing, head exploding, cheek ripping, eye gouging gratuitous violence from there. Dredd (played by the relatively unknown Karl Urban) is a no-nonsense judge who has no qualms dishing out beatings and death sentences on the spot and along with his psychic rookie partner, Anderson (Olivia Thirlby) they follow an extremely simple storyline to catch the baddy. The baddy, Ma-ma, is played by Lena Headey (you'll remember her as the incestuous Cersei Lannister from Game of Thrones) and even with her scars and rotten teeth, she's still sexy. Not too keen on the performance though. Nonetheless, if you're up for a proper hour & a half escape with guns, killing and slo-mo, then you're gonna enjoy this. My best parts of the film, when people inhale the drug 'Slo-mo'...the 3D effects really are very pretty. And apparently this might just become a trilogy...that's all for now.

To Rome With Love (as funded by Romans)

For some reason I've never been a fan of Woody Allen movies, maybe it's because I've felt intellectually inferior, however I decided it's finally time to grow up and go watch one of his films. The result, pleasantly surprised. To Rome With Love is wonderfully written and the performances were equally as enchanting. From the opera singer who can only perform in the shower to the wide eyed 'country girl' who faces the dilemma of wanting to sleep with a famous actor. From the man who wakes up famous (yes, literally) to Penelope Cruz's character as a prostitute. Now, if, like me, you have never been to Rome, then best you get yourself to your closest cinema because this has to be hands down one of the best guides to Rome out there. Which is not surprising seeing as though the movie was basically funded by Roman investors. I'm glad to see that those little cobblestone alleyways and hanging plant baskets do actually exist. Picturesque! My only gripe...it's just a wee bit too long with a running time of 112 minutes. By the end of it you're like please just wrap things up. Oh yeah, and Alec Baldwin's role...I'm still confused.

The Dark Knight Rises (Well, almost...)

There's no beating around the bush here. I'm upset. No, not because it's not in 3D, that was one of my favourite parts. You see, I built up my expectations only to have them chipped away at until about 15 minutes before the end but by then, it was too late, the foundations had already been too badly damaged. The length of the movie is another sore point. For some reason this film felt long (even though it's only approx. 15 minutes longer than The Dark Knight). The introduction of Selina - Catwoman-ish (Anne Hathaway) was unnecessary and I felt that she added nothing to the story line except for the odd grin I managed to squeeze out of myself. Bane (Tom Hardy) was played ruthlessly and with malice but unfortunately I couldn't hear most of what he said throughout the film. Now whether this was the sound in the theatre or I hadn't cleaned my ears out, I don't know and whether or not it interfered with the story line, I don't know, but I still felt cheated. I did however like the introduction of Blake (Joseph Gordon-Levitt) as the never say die police officer fighting for justice like his caped protector and soon to be friend. I really do believe that it's not going to be long before Gordon-Levitt accepts his Oscar. There's no need to mention the acting talents of any of the other stalwarts i.e. Bale, Freeman, Caine or Oldman because they haven't changed an ounce since the start of the 'Trilogy'. Besides the inclusion of a flying machine called 'The Bat', don't expect any other gadgets to amaze us, however, with a budget of around $250m, I was hoping for a device that would help Batman escape the beating he received from Bane within an inch of his life, but what would the movie be without a fallen hero, rising? Anyway, I'm glad I saw this film but disappointed that I couldn't have written a nicer review. However, with the way the film ended, there might just be a nicer review to look forward to...

The Amazing Spiderman! (Just not in 3D)

If you're hoping to be wowed with the 3D effects, you're in for a sloppy time. The 3D graphics aren't even worth talking about because, well quite frankly, they're about as effective as scrubbing off a wine stain with water. Besides that, Andrew Garfield (Peter Parker / Spiderman) completely rescued the character that Tobey Maguire almost ruined. He looks more like what Marvel had originally intended him to look and he's WAY funnier than poor old Tobes. Rhys Ifans (The Lizard / Dr. Connor) was ok but I feel he's more suited for the comedic genre he fell into way back with Notting Hill and The Replacements. Emma Stone (Gwen Stacey) was great and the chemistry between her's and Garfield's character was terrific. So much so that they started dating whilst shooting! Both actors were perfectly cast. Big kudo's to fairly new film director, Marc Webb (yes, that is in fact his real surname), as he ensured his audience's captivation with amazing point of view shots through the eyes of Spidey himself as he leaps tall buildings in a single bound and (oh, wait that's Superman), as he runs along walls and flies through the air shooting another web from his homemade device. All in all, a worthwhile trip out to the movies and in my opinion the best Spiderman movie to date. Expect a sequel...

Rock(ing) for Ages!

The title says it all. I'm still singing 'I wanna rock!' due to the comedy musical, yes MUSICAL, Rock Of Ages starring lead newcomers Julianne Hough (Ryan Seacrest's girlfriend) and Diego Boneta with support from Paul Giamatti, Russell Brand, Catherine Zeta-Jones, Mary J. Blige, Alec Baldwin and Tom Cruise. Going in, I had NO idea I was about to be exposed to songs that I grew up with being sung by Cruise, Baldwin, Brand and the newcomers and heading out I'm still amped that I just watched 2 hours of foot tapping, head nodding, complete escapism whilst remembering where I was when I first heard 'I wanna know what love is' and 'Wanted Dead of Alive'. I was surprised when I saw the IMDB gave it a 6.3 rating AND upset that it's only made around the $40m mark at the Box Office (it cost $75m to make). Pity, because the performance by Cruise alone was worth the admission fee and my favourite part, a rather intimate scene between Baldwin and Brand...watch it to see what I mean.

What (NOT) to expect when you're expecting!

There's been a lot of hype around this movie due to the fact that the book 'What to Expect When You're Expecting' was such a huge success, HOWEVER, this movie was anything but. Directed by the same director of 'The Girl Next Door' and 'The Animal', it's no wonder that this film didn't sit too well with the critics, so, how do you ensure bums on seats knowing that the story line is about as exciting as mixing 100% pure orange juice with water? Oh yes, ensure you hire a stellar cast, the likes of Elizabeth Banks, Cameron Diaz and J-Lo. The performances weren't that great and I found myself wondering why Chris Rock didn't have a bigger part in this film because he truly was the best part of the movie for me and as for the 'cool dad patrol'... highly disappointing. There might've been one moment where I chuckled, but that was it. Too cheesy, too predictable and oh yeah, too cheesy. So, I give this film a 6 out of 10. It would've been a 5, but the inclusion of Dennis Quaid as the retired race car driver with the HOT wife, pushed the rating by one point.

Now if you read my last post about 'Snow White', you will be forgiven for thinking that I am a cynic because I am anything but, it's just that I have yet to watch a good movie. If you have any suggestions, leave a comment.

Snow White & The Huntsman

Off the bat let me just say how impressed I was with Charlize Theron's performance as the evil & malicious queen. Now being South African, it's easy for me to be biased however even with that in mind, I did try and look at this from an unbiased point of view and still found it difficult to crit her performance negatively. The story of Snow White has been told for years and for the first time the story was told like I think it was meant to be told. Yes, it's a feel good fairy tale where good conquers evil, but Rupert Sanders (directorial debut just by the way) brings the elements of sorrow and pain that the evil queen inflicted on her people to the forefront in a stark, barren and dark landscape. Having said that, there were holes in the plot and the story line didn't flow. Hemsworth did indeed prove his 'worth' as the huntsman whilst Stewart, well, she should stick to non-emotional emo movies that she's been branded with from the Twilight saga. She was incorrectly cast and with an estimated budget of $170m, well, let's just say they could've afforded someone far superior e.g. Rachel McAdams. There is a rumour that there's a sequel on the way, I'll watch it out of sheer curiosity and am not looking to be wowed.