Here is a new occasional series on film. These are the 1st 4 films I’ve seen at the cinema this decade. I will give my HONEST opinions with a bracketed star rating out of 5. Sherlock Holmes, I thought this film was going to belong to Mark Strong, but unsurprsingly it belonged Robert Downey Jnr. It was ludicrous but I found alot of fun to be had in it. I was impressed with the decor and feel of the film and a giant lumbering around with a giant hammer hitting people really connected. I think it is probably Guy Richie’s best film, he’s kind of a UK Tony Scott. Films you know you shouldn’t like but kind of end up having fun with, (***). The Road, this one I was feverishly anticipating deeply real, epic scenery, gungey greys and browns and some fine fine performances. John Hillcoat has recently entered my top film makers. Bare, raw, crunchy, visceral filmmaking, (*****). Daybreakers, I thought this was a smart, if slightly bad, entertaining vampire B-movie. There was some terrific death sequences which I won’t spoil and a good solid slimy villain-turn by Sam Neill. Good Friday night fare, (***). The Prophet. Massively hyped by the intelligensia, I found this film to be a gripping, sometimes exhillarating movie about a man cornered into working for a Corsican Crime boss from inside a prison near Marseille. There was a gradual sense of power play being tugged and pulled, some interesting character turns and the plot took unexpected directions. The central performance is magnetic and I couldn’t take my eyes off the screen. The 1st 30 mins is astonishing, the rest of it’s 2 1/2 hours varies but it’s allways compelling. (****)
Posted on Monday, 25 January 2010
