Tuesday 8 March 2011

Movie review of The Adjustment Bureau


The Adjustment Bureau - 5/10
Directed by George Nolfi
Cast - Matt Damon,Emily Blunt

Plot Summary
The affair between a politician and a ballerina is affected by mysterious forces keeping the lovers apart.

Review
I watched this movie mainly because it has Matt Damon and Emily Blunt in it.I went into the cinema with zero expectations and no knowledge of what the movie was about.Only thing I knew that it was from a short story by renowned American novelist,the late Phillip K.Dick.I also went into the cinema with a slight hangover.To be honest I expected this to be as boring as the Clint Eastwood snoozer,Hereafter which also had Matt Damon in it.Well in the end,I did not fall asleep and was pretty positive about The Adjustment Bureau despite a few flaws.
Acting wise,Damon was good as usual.Pretty straight forward acting by him.And he usually is very consistent unlike Ben Assfleck. Emily Blunt on the other hand has a few shit films in her hand,mainly the unfunny Gullivers travels and the horrible Wolfman. But her last movie I watched was called Wild Target starring the ever lovable Bill Nighy.It was a British romantic comedy which was simply done but yet funny and Emily Blunt did a fantastic job in it. The chemistry between Blunt and Damon was good and I enjoyed their scenes as they were going back and forth. This was partly also because the script was witty and well written. The pacing of the movie was good but towards the end,I felt like it was alittle too rushed. As for the plot, I also thought it was a bullshit story(that's cause it involves god,angels and shit like that) but then again this is something from Phillip K Dick so I was ok with it.Editing on the other hand was absolute shit.Really fuckall cuts.Apart from that,The Adjustment Bureau is a movie for couples and watching this with a loved one will be nice.That's about it actually cause other than that,it is quite a forgettable flick.

If you are going on a date,this would be a good movie for that.

Recommended movies done by the director
none

Monday 7 March 2011

Movie review of The Mechanic


The Mechanic - 2.5/10
Directed by Simon West
Cast - Jason Statham,Ben Foster,Donald Sutherland

Plot Summary
Follows an elite hit man as he teaches his trade to an apprentice who has a connection to one of his previous victims.

Review
I am beginning to get sick and tired of Jason Statham.If you have seen one Jason Statham movie,you have pretty much seen it all.Except for Lock,stock and two smoking barrels and Snatch.The mechanic is pretty much like another sequel of the Transporter series but with alittle less bullshit.
The reason I wanted to watch this movie is because of Ben Foster.I was impressed with his acting in 3:10 to Yuma and Pandorum. Foster has potential to be a good actor but he has to choose his roles more wisely.
The original Mechanic was acted by the late Charles Bronson who was famous for his ultra violent Death Wish series and earlier movies as well.This one is nowhere near that and even changes quite a few key details from the original.And Jason is no way cooler than the great Charles Bronson.
Direction for this movie was mediocre and the script was as bad as Jay Chou.The director SImon West did a fine job with Con Air but after that it was mostly tv movies.I guess he should stick to that.If you are entertained by movies like Transporter,Crank, and shit like that.Then I would gladly recommend you The Mechanic and you can even watch it on a weekend. but if you get as irritated as I would for movies like this, then I would suggest you watch the original or if you are a Statham fan,just watch Lock stock or Snatch.Sadly those two movies were the only good ones,Guy Ritchie did as well.

Quotes
Dean: I'm going to put a price on your head so big, that when you look in the mirror your reflection's gonna want to shoot you in the face.

Recommended movies done by the director
Con Air
General's Daughter

Movie review of True Grit


True Grit - 6/10
Directed by The Coen Brothers
Cast - Matt Damon,Jeff Bridges,Hailee Steinfield,Josh Brolin,Barry Pepper.

Plot Summary
Following the murder of her father by hired hand Tom Chaney, 14-year-old farm girl Mattie Ross sets out to capture the killer. To aid her, she hires the toughest U.S. marshal she can find, a man with "true grit," Reuben J. "Rooster" Cogburn. Mattie insists on accompanying Cogburn, whose drinking, sloth, and generally reprobate character do not augment her faith in him. Against his wishes, she joins him in his trek into the Indian Nations in search of Chaney. They are joined by Texas Ranger LaBoeuf, who wants Chaney for his own purposes. The unlikely trio find danger and surprises on the journey, and each has his or her "grit".

Review
Even though No country for old men was a brilliant movie,I thought to myself maybe just maybe after True Grit,I could finally become a Coen Brothers fan.Well..it didn't happen.I really liked the first 30 mins of the movie.The introduction of the three main characters was really good.but after that,it kinda went downhill for me.I haven't watched the original True Grit which has The Duke, John Wayne in it and neither have I read the book either.Apparently the Coen brothers are big fans of the book and they did this movie very closely to the book.And of course you have your standard trademark Coen brothers quirkiness in it as well.
This time though,The Dude,Jeff Bridges acts as the US marshal Rooster Cogburn.I enjoyed his acting very much and rooster's introduction at the courtroom scene was indeed very cool.but halfway through the movie,I was getting rather bored and disconnected with his character.Now the intro (courtroom scene) was good.Then you have scenes(check the scene with the 2 Indian kids) which made him sort of a badass devil may care kinda guy but at the end,I did not feel anything for his character.Somehow I felt rather shortchanged.I was really hoping Rooster Cogburn to be this unforgettable character much like Anton Chigurh in No country for old men.
Matt Damon acted pretty well even though he had a weird stale Texas accent.The chemistry between him and Jeff Bridges was good as well.
Newcomer Hailee Steinfield as Mattie Ross did a commendable job and managed to stand up on her own amongst the other veteran actors.I very much liked the trading scene which was her introduction.However,there was very little chemistry between her character and Rooster Cogburn.The one actor which I wish they had given him more screen time was Barry Pepper.He was fantastic.
Direction was good.Did not like some of the shots taken like the scenic and the horse feet scenes.Script wise, it was rather weird.Everyone spoke good English and were very polite to each other.Good guys and bad guys talking to each other politely.Really??
POLITENESS during the wild west? That was another problem I had with True Grit.
Oh well..maybe next time I should watch a Coen Brothers movie with low expectations which was what I did for No country for old men.Who knows maybe then I might just become a fan of them.

Worth watching this on a weekend if you are a Coen Brothers fan.

Quotes
Rooster Cogburn: We'll sleep here and follow in the morning.
Mattie Ross: But we promised to bury the poor soul inside!
Rooster Cogburn: Ground's too hard. Them men wanted a decent burial, they should have got themselves killed in summer.

Mattie Ross: And "futile", Marshal Cogburn, "pursuit would be futile"? It's not spelled "f-u-d-e-l."

Rooster Cogburn: [LaBoeuf has been talking about malum prohibitum and malum in se] It astonishes me that Mr. LaBoeuf has been shot, trampled, and nearly bitten his tongue off, and yet not only does he continue to talk but he spills the banks of English.



Recommended movies done by the directors
No country for old men
Big Lebowski
Burn After reading
Fargo