Cape Fear
Cape Fear is a 1991 film directed by Martin Scorcese and starring Robert De Niro and Nick Nolt. The film is a remake of the 1962 film of the same name, and even has 3 of the stars from the original appearing in new roles. The film was nominated for 2 Academy Awards, but failed to win in either category.
The Plot
The story follows the tale of revenge of Max Cady, played by Robert De Niro, who feels his attorney Sam Bowden, played by Nick Nolt, did not represent him and could have presented evidence that would have led to a shorter sentence. Cady, a convicted rapist, stalks Bowden and his family, including his 15 year old daughter.
The plot is nothing too original but it is a solid story. However, the originality of the plot is not really what is key to this being a great movie.
The Performances
The performances in this film are fantastic. The supporting cast are all great, which includes Gregory Peck, Robert Mitchum and Martin Balsam from the original version of the film. Jessica Lange and Juliette Lewis are both good to watch and play their respective roles superbly. Nick Nolt is great as a father and husband, who has other troubles to contend with, trying to protect his family from Cady. The stand-out performance, however, comes from Robert De Niro as Max Cady. De Niro is truly frightening to watch and really experts the role of evil!
Eerie
This film has some genuinely frightening and chilling moments, all of which are caused by Max Cady! Almost completely throughout the film there is a real eerie feeling and there always seems to be the potential for terror. The directing in this sense is amazing, and Scorsese deserves a lot of credit for the mood of the film.
Overall
Overall this movie has genuinely frightening and shocking moments in it. The performances are great, particularly De Niro's, and there is a great feeling of terror and claustrophobia throughout.
Rating - 8/10
Showing posts with label movies. Show all posts
Showing posts with label movies. Show all posts
Sunday, 1 April 2012
Wednesday, 28 March 2012
Million Dollar Baby
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
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
Monday, 19 March 2012
As Good As It Gets
As Good As It Gets
As Good As It Gets is an American romantic comedy film that was released in 1997. The film was directed by James L. Brooks and was produced by Laura Ziskin. The film stars Jack Nicholson, Helen Hunt and Greg Kinnear.
The Plot
As Good As It Gets sees single mother waitress Carol Connelly, played by Helen Hunt, form an unlikely friendship with gay artist Simon Bishop, played by Greg Kinnear, as well as author Melvin Udall who suffers from OCD, played by Jack Nicholson.
Melvin manages to alienate himself from most people but finds himself looking after Simon Bishops dog after Simon is hospitalised. On top of this, the only waitress who will serve Melvin is forced off work, leaving him unable to have breakfast.
It is an interesting plot, and does not follow a traditional romantic comedy storyline, although there are some of the usual cliches in there. The plot is interesting throughout, with dynamics changing constantly.
The Performances
The performances are all strong in this performances, which is supported by the fact that both Nicholson and Hunt won Oscars for their roles in the movie. Greg Kinnear is great in it as well and the support cast holds up strong, particularly Cuba Gooding Junior (who seems to pop up in every other film in the 90s).
Comedy
I often watch romantic comedy films that have very little comedy (and often very little romance to be honest!) contained in them. As Good As It Gets has some genuinely funny moments in it that mainly come from Jack Nicholson and his behaviour!
Overall
Overall As Good As It Gets has a lot going for it. It has a really strong cast that all put in fantastic performances. The story is strong, especially for a romantic comedy film, and has some funny moments in it. There is also a lot of heart in it and we really feel the characters.
Rating: 8/10
As Good As It Gets is an American romantic comedy film that was released in 1997. The film was directed by James L. Brooks and was produced by Laura Ziskin. The film stars Jack Nicholson, Helen Hunt and Greg Kinnear.
The Plot
As Good As It Gets sees single mother waitress Carol Connelly, played by Helen Hunt, form an unlikely friendship with gay artist Simon Bishop, played by Greg Kinnear, as well as author Melvin Udall who suffers from OCD, played by Jack Nicholson.
Melvin manages to alienate himself from most people but finds himself looking after Simon Bishops dog after Simon is hospitalised. On top of this, the only waitress who will serve Melvin is forced off work, leaving him unable to have breakfast.
It is an interesting plot, and does not follow a traditional romantic comedy storyline, although there are some of the usual cliches in there. The plot is interesting throughout, with dynamics changing constantly.
The Performances
The performances are all strong in this performances, which is supported by the fact that both Nicholson and Hunt won Oscars for their roles in the movie. Greg Kinnear is great in it as well and the support cast holds up strong, particularly Cuba Gooding Junior (who seems to pop up in every other film in the 90s).
Comedy
I often watch romantic comedy films that have very little comedy (and often very little romance to be honest!) contained in them. As Good As It Gets has some genuinely funny moments in it that mainly come from Jack Nicholson and his behaviour!
Overall
Overall As Good As It Gets has a lot going for it. It has a really strong cast that all put in fantastic performances. The story is strong, especially for a romantic comedy film, and has some funny moments in it. There is also a lot of heart in it and we really feel the characters.
Rating: 8/10
Monday, 20 February 2012
Sleepers
Sleepers
Sleepers is a 1996 legal drama film that stars Kevin Bacon, Brad Pitt, Robert De Niro and Dustin Hoffman. The film was written, produced and directed by Barry Levinson. The film is based on the novel Sleepers by Lorenzo Carcaterra.
The Plot
The film tells the story of four boys being sent to a detention camp after a prank goes wrong. While in the detention camp they are abused and violated. Years after their release there comes a chance for the boys to gain revenge.
The story is fantastic, it has to be said. It may be argued that the plot is fairly far fetched in a sense, but this does not make it any less enjoyable as a story.
The Performances
The performances are all fantastic in my opinion. Robert De Niro is as flawless as ever, but all the child actors are great as well. Brad Pitt and Kevin Bacon show great range and the support is equally as impressive. However, the best performance in this film comes from Dustin Hoffman, who plays Danny Snyder. Snyder is an alcholic lawyer set to defend two of the boys in court. The performance is flawless from Hoffman, truely great.
The Drama
The film is very touching and heart wrenching at times, and quite heavy and sickening at others. The film deals with issues such as child abuse, rape and revenge, but it also questions a Priest's decision of what is right and wrong. There are a lot of major issues dealt with here, all of which are handled with care.The film carries a lot of suspense throughout.
Overall
The film is packed with drama, but also has a lot of heart in it. The plot is great and is backed up by some truly great performances. This film seems to have slipped under the radar slightly and this is a real shame. I highly recommend this film to everyone, but particularly fans of legal dramas.
Rating: 9/10
Sleepers is a 1996 legal drama film that stars Kevin Bacon, Brad Pitt, Robert De Niro and Dustin Hoffman. The film was written, produced and directed by Barry Levinson. The film is based on the novel Sleepers by Lorenzo Carcaterra.
The Plot
The film tells the story of four boys being sent to a detention camp after a prank goes wrong. While in the detention camp they are abused and violated. Years after their release there comes a chance for the boys to gain revenge.
The story is fantastic, it has to be said. It may be argued that the plot is fairly far fetched in a sense, but this does not make it any less enjoyable as a story.
The Performances
The performances are all fantastic in my opinion. Robert De Niro is as flawless as ever, but all the child actors are great as well. Brad Pitt and Kevin Bacon show great range and the support is equally as impressive. However, the best performance in this film comes from Dustin Hoffman, who plays Danny Snyder. Snyder is an alcholic lawyer set to defend two of the boys in court. The performance is flawless from Hoffman, truely great.
The Drama
The film is very touching and heart wrenching at times, and quite heavy and sickening at others. The film deals with issues such as child abuse, rape and revenge, but it also questions a Priest's decision of what is right and wrong. There are a lot of major issues dealt with here, all of which are handled with care.The film carries a lot of suspense throughout.
Overall
The film is packed with drama, but also has a lot of heart in it. The plot is great and is backed up by some truly great performances. This film seems to have slipped under the radar slightly and this is a real shame. I highly recommend this film to everyone, but particularly fans of legal dramas.
Rating: 9/10
Friday, 20 January 2012
Films I'm Looking Forward to in 2012
I am a big fan of movies and love to watch them at the cinema and at home. There are a number of new films coming out this year that I can't wait to see. Here is a list of some of the films that I am looking forward to seeing this year and some reasons behind why I want to see them!
Being Flynn - Big fan of Robert De Niro and this looks like it could be a classic drama film. I have had mixed opinions on director Paul Weitz films, some good, some poor, but am hoping this one is a beauty.
Batman: Dark Knight Rises - The other Batman films from Christopher Nolan have been superb so let's hope this one matches up.
The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey - The LOTR films were very well made and very enjoyable so I am hoping for something just as good here. Martin Freeman is a pretty decent actor too, so I am expecting big things from him.
The Expendables 2 - The first film was action packed, I loved it. Wanting this to match up. Always like Sylvester Stallone films, he's a bit of a hero of mine, so I expect this to match up to other classics of his.
Men In Black III - Not classics, but I really enjoyed the first two MIB films. Also, Will Smith is great fun to watch.
So these are the 5 films that I am really looking forward to this year. The majority of the films are sequels, or certainly part of the same stories and worlds! Hopefully they all live up to my expectations.
Being Flynn - Big fan of Robert De Niro and this looks like it could be a classic drama film. I have had mixed opinions on director Paul Weitz films, some good, some poor, but am hoping this one is a beauty.
Batman: Dark Knight Rises - The other Batman films from Christopher Nolan have been superb so let's hope this one matches up.
The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey - The LOTR films were very well made and very enjoyable so I am hoping for something just as good here. Martin Freeman is a pretty decent actor too, so I am expecting big things from him.
The Expendables 2 - The first film was action packed, I loved it. Wanting this to match up. Always like Sylvester Stallone films, he's a bit of a hero of mine, so I expect this to match up to other classics of his.
Men In Black III - Not classics, but I really enjoyed the first two MIB films. Also, Will Smith is great fun to watch.
So these are the 5 films that I am really looking forward to this year. The majority of the films are sequels, or certainly part of the same stories and worlds! Hopefully they all live up to my expectations.
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