Ashman1977 Reviews

The Raven (I) (2012)

Brilliant- Must watch

[8/10 · 22 March 2012]

I am a big fan in general of "WhoDunnit" movies, and I was keen to see what 'The Raven' had in store. I went in assuming that it would be like any other 'Jack the Ripper'/19th century killer movie and that it would predictable. I was right in my assessment, but inspite of these cliché's the Raven was a brilliant film mainly because of the following:

• The movie was beautifully shot. It has a very 'sleepy hollow' feeling throughout. - The use of Poe's work and the poetic climax was excellent. I enjoyed this bit a lot as it left me with things to think about after watching the film, something which is testimony to the fact that the film made an impact. - Great character development of John Cusack/Poe. Made for a dark, mysterious man with a twisted view of the world. Exciting. - There were many tense moments, great chases and small pieces of puzzle solving( like in console games) making for small mysteries within one large mystery, thus keeping you engrossed all the way.

To summarise, the Raven was riotous ride through Victorian era type settings, keeps you on the egde of your seat, the mini puzzles keep you busy and the plot and character development( Poe) was excellent, Definitely worth a watch and an 8 out of ten for me.

P.S. The film has gore so if you can't stand that, don't watch it. It's not a Hostel or a SAW, but there is gore and blood.

Brake (I) (2012)

Boring and predictable

[6/10 · 18 February 2012]

This movie is so boring especially if you have seen Saw and Buried(oh and the Recruit). The beginning is so similar to Saw that I couldn't sit through it. The end was predictable and without giving away too much I can say that it was really what one expects. All in all, a failure as movie, not because it's bad as a standalone thriller, but because it's not the first of it's kind and borrows too much from it's predecessors.

To sum up:Originality in the script is the big issue here. However, if you have not seen the other movies I mentioned, you may like this one.( Saw is way way way better though)

Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy (2011)

Disappointing

[5/10 · 12 January 2012]

While Tomas Alfredson came up with a directorial gem in 'Let the right one in',with Tinker,Tailor, Soldier, Spy he disappoints. First, let me start with the positives. The movie has a brilliant cast, all of whom deliver good performances. For me, that's where the good part ceases. After watching the film, I felt that it was an OK sort of film and I do watch a lot of offbeat films and films in general. The reason why this movie disappoints are the following: -Poor musical score- The trailer is awesome with a great score. Don't expect that in the movie though.Some good tension building music could have really made this a much better movie. -I knew who the mole was at the beginning of the movie. I mean, choose somebody who's not so well known as the mole. Once you have a big name amongst the options, it's apparent that he is the mole( why else would he take the role?) -In an attempt to make it 'spyish', the movie fails to keep the audience engaged. -Lastly, when the mole is shown to the audience, there was no drum roll, no suspense. It was so boringly revealed. That was the whole point of the movie, Mr Alfredson.

All in all, this movie deserves a 5, nothing more.

Drive (I) (2011)

Outstanding Movie

[8/10 · 6 January 2012]

I put off watching this movie because I thought it might have been just a rehash of other car flicks like gone in 60 seconds and the transporter. Drive is nothing like that. It is a brilliant film and surpassed my expectations. The music is amazing, the acting is brilliant and the direction is superb. It is a thriller more on the lines of History of Violence, slow, brooding and allows for character buildup. The plot is predictable but done so differently that it keeps you engrossed. Ryan Gosling delivers a sensational performance, truly Oscar worthy if this was any other film. All in all, a great film,but not recommended for family viewing as there is some violence.