Millian Dollar Baby
Millian Dollar Baby is a 2004 boxing film that directed and co-produced by Clint Eastwood. The film stars Clint Eastwood, Hilary Swank and Morgan Freeman and won 4 Academy Awards.
The Plot
The story follows a tough boxing trainer/manager who relunctantly accepts to help an underdog amateur boxer achieve her dream of becoming a professional boxer. The film follows the rise of Maggie, played by Hilary Swank, as she is trained by Frankie Dunn, played by Clint Eastwood, and finds herself making waves in the professional boxing scene.
The story follows a fairly traditional underdog style up until the last 20 minutes, which is something I was not expecting. The ending of the movie, although it drags on a bit, is very touching and is something a bit different for this type of movie.
The Performances
The performances are all pretty solid in this movie. Morgan Freeman is as lovable as ever and he won an Oscar for Best Supporting Actor, and the support cast are all strong. Hilary Swank delivers a very assured performance, for which she won an Oscar for Best Actress in a Leading Role, and Clint Eastwood is as solid as ever.
The Main Problem
The main problem for me with the film is the ending. Although the final scenes were not expected, it just seems to be dragged out a little too long and this is a shame because it ruins a perfectly good film. The film is still very strong but if the ending was a little more succinct then the overall film would earn an extra point or two with me!
Overall
Overall this is a very good film, with a nice underdog story but with a twist. The performances are all good at the very least but the film is only dragged down (slightly) by the ending dragging on. Overall a very enjoyable film with a lot of heart.
Rating - 7/10
Showing posts with label film review. Show all posts
Showing posts with label film review. Show all posts
Wednesday, 28 March 2012
Saturday, 24 March 2012
Donnie Brasco
Donnie Brasco
Donnie Brasco is a crime drama film that was released in 1997 and was directed by Mike Newell. Johnny Depp, Al Pacino and Michael Madsen star in this true story of an FBI undercover agent. The film was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Adapted Screenplay.
The Plot
The story follows an FBI undercover agent that becomes Donnie Brasco, played by Johnny Depp, who goes undercover in order to infiltrate a mob family. Donnie manages to become friends with an aging hit-man, Lefty Ruggiero (Pacino), who helps get Donnie into the mob. Donnie gets deeper and deeper into the Mafia world and finds himself identifying more with the people he is attempting to expose than his regular life.
The plot is fantastic. Although the film is not completely accurate to the actual events, it is very close with only a few alterations. The story is gripping and is aided by fantastic performances and a brilliant script.
The Performances
This film provides one of Al Pacino's greatest performances. Pacino as Lefty is a flawless performance and it is criminally overlooked for an Oscar nomination. Johnny Depp is also fantastic in this film and the supporting cast are all great in the various roles.
Overall
Overall this is a really great film. The story is gripping and is supported by a fantastic script, with equally good performances from some top stars. The real tragedy of this movie is that it seems to be overlooked and has crept under the radar of the mainstream slightly. A truly great movie.
Rating - 8/10
Donnie Brasco is a crime drama film that was released in 1997 and was directed by Mike Newell. Johnny Depp, Al Pacino and Michael Madsen star in this true story of an FBI undercover agent. The film was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Adapted Screenplay.
The Plot
The story follows an FBI undercover agent that becomes Donnie Brasco, played by Johnny Depp, who goes undercover in order to infiltrate a mob family. Donnie manages to become friends with an aging hit-man, Lefty Ruggiero (Pacino), who helps get Donnie into the mob. Donnie gets deeper and deeper into the Mafia world and finds himself identifying more with the people he is attempting to expose than his regular life.
The plot is fantastic. Although the film is not completely accurate to the actual events, it is very close with only a few alterations. The story is gripping and is aided by fantastic performances and a brilliant script.
The Performances
This film provides one of Al Pacino's greatest performances. Pacino as Lefty is a flawless performance and it is criminally overlooked for an Oscar nomination. Johnny Depp is also fantastic in this film and the supporting cast are all great in the various roles.
Overall
Overall this is a really great film. The story is gripping and is supported by a fantastic script, with equally good performances from some top stars. The real tragedy of this movie is that it seems to be overlooked and has crept under the radar of the mainstream slightly. A truly great movie.
Rating - 8/10
Friday, 17 February 2012
Journey 2: The Mysterious Island
Journey 2: The Mysterious Island is a 2012 science fiction adventure film that stars Dwayne Johnson and Michael Caine. The film is the sequel to the 2008 film Journey to the Center of the Earth. The story was written by Richard Outten, Brian Gunn and Mark Gunn, and the screenplay by Brian and Mark Gunn.
Dwayne Johnson stars as Hank, the ex-marine stepfather to Sean Anderson (played by Josh Hutcherson), who team up to search for Sean's grandfather who is thought to be on 'The Mysterious Island'.
The Plot
Ok, so this is clearly aimed at a younger generation so it could be argued that the plot doesn't need to be that strong. Well.... it isn't. And if you see the film knowing this then you will be ok! The plot follows a journey to the Mysterious Island, and subsequently the journey from it. Expect tiny elephants, giant lizards and peck popping along the way.
Pacing
The movie does fly by at a decent pace. There are very few dull or boring moments in this film, it is almost completely action. Even when the movie does slow down, it is still entertaining enough.
The Performances
This movie does showcase some decent talent to be fair. Dwayne Johnson delivers a strong performance and we get to hear him sing too. Johnson is the stand out performer here. Michael Caine is also decent as the wacky explorer. Vanessa Hudgens stars as Khailan, Sean's love interest and delivers a solid performance. We also get a lot of laughs from Khailan's father, Gabato, played by Luiz Guzman. Overall a strong cast.
Overall
Overall, this movie will please younger audiences but there is just enough in there to keep the adults happy as well. There is action, comedy and a lot of heart. A decent film.
Rating: 7/10
Dwayne Johnson stars as Hank, the ex-marine stepfather to Sean Anderson (played by Josh Hutcherson), who team up to search for Sean's grandfather who is thought to be on 'The Mysterious Island'.
The Plot
Ok, so this is clearly aimed at a younger generation so it could be argued that the plot doesn't need to be that strong. Well.... it isn't. And if you see the film knowing this then you will be ok! The plot follows a journey to the Mysterious Island, and subsequently the journey from it. Expect tiny elephants, giant lizards and peck popping along the way.
Pacing
The movie does fly by at a decent pace. There are very few dull or boring moments in this film, it is almost completely action. Even when the movie does slow down, it is still entertaining enough.
The Performances
This movie does showcase some decent talent to be fair. Dwayne Johnson delivers a strong performance and we get to hear him sing too. Johnson is the stand out performer here. Michael Caine is also decent as the wacky explorer. Vanessa Hudgens stars as Khailan, Sean's love interest and delivers a solid performance. We also get a lot of laughs from Khailan's father, Gabato, played by Luiz Guzman. Overall a strong cast.
Overall
Overall, this movie will please younger audiences but there is just enough in there to keep the adults happy as well. There is action, comedy and a lot of heart. A decent film.
Rating: 7/10
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