Sunday 28 July 2013

Gérard Depardieu Wears His Tenue De Soirée



First of all, apologies for the long break! Moving to a new place meant no internet for a fortnight. At least, it gave me time to watch films. I went on a bit of a French Festival, having picked up a few dvds in Paris, and one of them I found was one I have been wanting to watch since 1987.

My favourite decade for films is the 80's, as much for the films I saw then as for the ones I knew about but did not get to see as I was too young. I had my imagination in overdrive trying to imagine what they were like, solely based on a few stills, in those pre-internet days. One of them was Bertrand Blier's Tenue De Soirée, with its outré poster featuring Gérard Depardieu and Michel Blanc dressed up in drag like some cheap and unconvincing transvestites, and its tagline, which I shall not translate because Blogger does not allow swear words. I knew it was not for me but I was fascinated by it.

Friday 12 July 2013

Monsters University Review




Pixar can be credited with taking it's time between monster box office hits for the studio, not simply due to the time consuming animation process it champions, but because they are truly interested in character and storytelling. 

So it is not exactly hot on the heels of the 2001 hit Monsters Inc that we have the Monsters prequel Monsters University. How did Mike (Billy Crystal) and Sully (John Goodman) first meet is the jumping off point of this prequel. Concentrating more on Mike than Sully, Monsters University shows how Mike was inspired to become a Scarer, his first few months of university life and getting to know Sully. 

Saturday 6 July 2013

Jodorowsky's Dune: The Best Sci-Fi Film Never made



It is safe to say that David Lynch's Dune is a terrible failure, the only misfire in the illustrious director's career. I had heard a while back than another film adaptation of Dune had been worked on but had never made it past the concept stage. All I knew about it that it was to feature Salvador Dali in its cast, and Alejandro Jodorowsky was at the helm, a director I knew very little at the time.

But a new documentary, Jodorwsky's Dune, which was presented at the Cannes Film Festival in the Director's Fortnight selection this year,  shows how far the project went (even though it never actually reached the shooting stage), by having the director and all of those who worked on the film recall the incredible saga of the best film (well, potentially!) never made.

Thursday 4 July 2013

Now You See Me Review




A sprinkle of cheese, a coating of “Robin Hood razzle dazzle”, three elaborate illusions and a Shyamalan twist make up this ludicrous and funny heist/magic caper. Add to that a stellar cast including Michael Caine, Morgan Freeman, Mark Ruffalo , Isla Fisher, Woody Harrelson, Jesse Eisenberg and Melanie Laurent and you get a concoction that plays out a little like one of the Ocean’s films.

Jack Wilder, Henley Reeves, Merritt McKinney and J. Daniel Atlas are plucked from obscurity by a mysterious figure to make up the most prestigious magic act of all time The Four Horsemen.  Though magic is on the cards their main aim is to target large corporations who have done the public a disservice. The banks, insurance companies and surveillance are the targets who they not only steal from them but humiliate in front of an audience too.