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2 Guns (2013)
One word, generic.
Here is just a generic, run of the mill action film, not bad but not that good. Just a bland, kind of dull popcorn movie with a plot you'll have seen multiple times before, and you don't have to pay much attention to. He's double crossing him and she's double crossing him and he's double crossing him and nobody cares. It just felt like the actors were on auto pilot. I like Wahlberg and Washington and their the main reason I wanted to see this film. It should of been more enjoyable than it was to watch them play off each other, don't get me wrong I liked seeing them together and they are amusing at times (mostly Wahlberg) but still I expected a little more from two guys a talented as they are. Edward James Olmos' character is the only other one worth mentioning, as all the other's are bland or typical movie pastiches like Bill Paxton' corrupt D.E.A agent. You could swap the character's from this film with others from similar genre films and it wouldn't make a difference. People shoot at each other, car's crash and things blow up and I didn't care but the two leads got me through it. If your looking for a generic, by the book popcorn film that you won't have to pay much attention to to still follow, but is still mildly entertaining then look no further.
Alan Partridge: Alpha Papa (2013)
Norfolk's finest
Partridge fans should not be disappointed with this, the characters long overdue first feature film. I myself am a big fan of the character and Steve Coogan in general and in my opinion this is one of the best film's he's ever been a part of. Thankfully the tone and humour of the recent TV series is maintained, as i feared it would be compromised to try and reach a broader audience. Although that's not to say newcomers to the character won't enjoy this, I was with someone who's not that familiar with the series and they enjoyed it just as much as I did. I laughed plenty as did the rest of the audience, and i'd also say the film surpassed my expectations.
The plot was also enjoyable as were the new characters introduced, and i'm glad the story tied in with the recent TV series(Mid Morning Matters) instead of taking a completely different direction as many sitcom's do when they reach the big screen. I highly recommend this one to all, as it's one of the best comedies i've seen all year.
Only God Forgives (2013)
An acquired taste
Don't go into this one expecting a conventional film with a conventional point A to point B plot. This is a film high on imagery and low on dialogue. The actors express emotions mainly through facial expressions and body language. It reminded me a lot of the directors earlier film "Valhalla Rising" as both gave off the same vibe to me, there's also a similarity between the two with the striking imagery and violence. Another film it reminded me of in tone was "Vinyan", and all three share a lucid dream like quality. The performance's are all good, in particular Kristin Scott Thomas as Julian's unforgiving mother, and I have to mention the score which was fantastic, one of the best i've heard in a while.
I think this will inevitably be a polarising film, which will go over many's head's. There were a fair few walkouts in my screening and when the credits rolled there were many laughing, seemingly out of bewilderment. I got the sense 50 to 60% of them were expecting "Drive 2". There are no definitive good or bad guys here, they are all guilty of something, and there isn't really any likable characters in the film either. Not that that's necessarily a bad thing, but it is something else I think will turn off a lot of people. Refn has made no attempt to appease the audience in this film and in this instance I'm fine with that. This seemed to me like a kind of passion project for Refn , which I think he earned after delivering a film as good as "Drive".
The only thing's I really disliked was some of the overt symbolism in the film, which I think should of been more subtle, and the ending which left me a little unsatisfied. Despite this I think this is going to be a film which warrant's and reward's repeat viewing's. I've thought about this film more than i've thought about most other film's i've seen this year combined, which indicates to me this a thoughtful and meaningful film and not the, hollow, pretentious piece many seem to have branded it.
I can't say i'd recommend this film to everyone and I admit it is probably an acquired taste, but I for one enjoyed it.
The Conjuring (2013)
Nothing new
While I do think this was defiantly a good film, and I did enjoy it, it didn't bring anything new to the table. Everything here I have seen before and the film follows a familiar horror plot. One thing that does set it apart from most horror films is the presence of interesting character's and a complete story arc. Another negative though, is that for me the film failed to build tension or create a strong sense of atmosphere. That being said, I thought it was well crafted with strong performance's pretty much all round, and the film held my interest throughout.
All in all I recommend watching this one as despite a few flaws, there is still a solid, entertaining film here worthy of your time.
The Wolverine (2013)
Solid
For me the word to describe this film would probably be, solid. I feel it was definitely entertaining enough and delivered adequately in the action department, I particularly enjoyed to of the earlier action sequences(when Logan first arrives in Japan). The story was solid, and it was interesting to see this character in foreign territory. Also the idea as Wolverine as a kind of samurai is also interesting, although the lack of any real villain was a negative for me. I think any comic book film needs a strong villain.
Overall, this film was good solid entertainment, without being overtly impressive or kicking on into a fourth or fifth gear. The performances are all good, and I left the cinema satisfied, although I still think the definitive "Wolverine" film is yet to be made.
Megan Is Missing (2011)
Disturbingly awful
The only thing I can commend here is the message the director(Micheal Goi) was trying to get across with this film, everything else here is awful. From the Technical aspects to the dialogue this film is poor across the board. At times the acting is laughable, which takes you out of the seriousness of the subject, in fact the overall poor execution of this film detracts from the message, and its difficult for me to take this film seriously as it is so poor. It was a chore to sit through and I felt each of the 85 minute running time.
This subject was covered much more sufficiently in another far superior film released in the same year called "Trust". I honestly found "Trust" more disturbing than this as I was actually into the story and character's, that film also managed to accomplish this without showing any explicit imagery. It just goes to show that shocking imagery an subject matter alone do not necessarily equal a disturbing film, and that quality execution and an engaging story are needed to make a film truly unsettling and memorable.