Mark-1384 Reviews

Cemetery Junction (2010)

Better than average comedy-drama...

[8/10 · 19 April 2010]

... which is a little disappointing, coming from the creators of The Office, which grafted perfectly observed comedy on top of everyday life. It is perhaps too much to ask for them to create their very own Annie Hall first time out in the cinema.

This is a great looking film with many funny lines, and hints that they can do better. Time and place are beautifully set up at the start when Bruce asks Freddie (who's listening to Vaughan Williams) "Why are you listening to music by a poof? Put on some Elton John instead!". This sort of joke, performing a number of functions, appeared regularly in the Office, but less so here. One or two jokes in fact are a little contrived, and one feels that Gervais/Merchant haven't conquered the format yet; the characters are line-drawn rather than fully fleshed out. As others have mentioned, there are times when one might be watching a Richard Curtis film, but I don't think they actually get *that* sentimental.

Still recommended for lovers of a good story with some laughs, though.

The Invention of Lying (2009)

The invention of something

[7/10 · 5 October 2009]

Fans of Gervais should find enough clever comedy in 'Lying' to satisfy their funny bones. The screenplay is ambitious and, whilst it does a lot of good things, it is a little disjointed and uneven.

The blunt comedy in the opening scenes I found bitter-sweet; portraying clearly how *awful* a completely truthful world would be, and actually not very funny. But the comedy really kicks in once Gervais' character discovers the ability to lie, and starts to wreak havoc with it, and spread some happiness. His 'Moses moment' is probably the stand out scene, with a crowd of worshippers delivering many amusing lines, exploring conceptual problems in his 'lies'. The performances are uniformly good.

My criticisms relate to the love story and the photography. The love story, despite sympathetic performances from Garner and Gervais, is not fleshed out enough to be believable - or perhaps I just didn't believe these two would get together. Either way, for me, it didn't quite work. The photography (or lighting, or something) leaves the whole film looking quite washed out and flat; this surprised me, because in the past Gervais has always paid close attention to the *look* of his projects. The Office was picture perfect for a 'mockumentary', and Extras had inserts of feature films that were finely observed and looked just right. This film just looks quite bad.

Despite these problems this film is still better than the vast majority of the comedies out there, and you have to applaud the ambition of the writers/directors.

Inglourious Basterds (2009)

Cinematic magic

[10/10 · 1 September 2009]

For me, the movie equivalent of the war comics I read as a kid.

Get ready for a roller coaster ride in Tarantino's fevered imagination. Violent, epic, immoral; let's hope this doesn't reflect his home life. Pitt is pitch perfect as the leader of the Jewish hit squad, but it's not really about that. It's one of those great 'what-if' movies, of how things may have turned out differently. There's a joie-de-vivre to the characters, goodies *and* baddies, that is infectious. The star turns are Waltz (of course) and Fassbender.

Beautifully shot, directed, cast, acted; I *loved* this film from beginning to end - but the set-piece in the basement is unbelievably good. Tarantino is turning into a truly great director.

Forgetting Sarah Marshall (2008)

A little better than Knocked Up

[6/10 · 9 June 2008]

... but I still can't give it more than 6 stars.

*Some* nicely observed comedy situations, *some* amusing dialogue but still hamstrung by that Apatow lack of believability. My wife leaned over to me halfway through and said 'this is a terrible movie!", which I think is a little harsh, but I could see why she said it; too many obvious set-ups, too much stilted dialogue causing cringe-worthy moments, because it just didn't ring true. I think that these film makers may one day make some really good comedies, because there are flashes of hilarity, but one is left wondering what's happened to the really smart comic film makers?

For my money, a movie with more willies than breasts is also to be avoided.

The Inbetweeners (2008–2010)

Strangely realistic

[9/10 · 2 June 2008]

It's a common problem of sitcoms that they strain credibility so far in the search for laughs that I have to turn off in irritation. The Inbetweeners manages the twin achievements of a very realistic portrait of horny teenage boys and *funny*. Perhaps because of the commitment to reality. For example, the boys actually talk like me and my mates did at that age; no fecks or fudging, if you know what I mean.

The characters are finely observed, from the clever-ish but slightly pretentious Will to the potty mouthed Jay, and superbly acted; no Eastenders hamming here.

This should be a massive hit, if it gets shown on a major channel.

Solaris (2002)

Raises questions...

[7/10 · 14 May 2008]

Quite an interesting film, exploring the nature of existence, I think.

A slow start tempted me to turn off(!), but once Clooney arrives at the space station we are drawn into the mystery of Solaris. Dreaming prompts the re-appearance of crew members' loved ones - Clooney's dead wife re-appears in the form of the rather gorgeous Natascha McElhone - and we have a meditation on the nature of these recreated 'people', and how one should relate to them. Western religions preach the everlasting nature of the soul, which would mean that we will one day be in Clooney's character's position; disturbing and absurd, I think, but interesting to consider how this could work (I don't think it could!). It's true that similar themes have been explored many times in sci-fi, but they are universal concerns so bear repeating.

Match Point (2005)

Crime and Punishment

[7/10 · 31 January 2008]

This seems so dissimilar to every other Woody Allen film I've seen that I probably wouldn't have realised it was one if I hadn't known before the start.

This may be due to the London setting and the rather stiff upper middle class dialogue and the lack of a put upon loser acting in the Woody Allen mode. However, examine the themes and some of WA's obsessions are apparent. In particular, as I'm sure has been commented on before, I see a number of allusions to Dostoyevsky; the main character (hardly a hero) has something of Raskolnikov about him, happy to commit murder if it suits a 'higher' purpose. The murder itself echoes the elements of the murder in C & P. Even the cop (James Nesbitt) is a little like Porfiry in his attitude, although this cop seems a whole lot more incompetent than Porfiry!

It's not C & P however, and events turn it differently. It makes for an interesting film, even it does have a few flaws, as others have pointed out. Performances are good all round; I actually began to dislike the Scarlett Johannsson character which, given her pulchritudinous, is quite an achievement.

It's good to see WA still making thoughtful films...

Atonement (2007)

What a film!

[9/10 · 26 September 2007]

A cracking piece of film-making this.

Beautifully filmed, acted and realised, this has to be the movie of the year. There is one scene when the soldiers arrive at Dunkirk which is quite simply breath-taking.

The plot is a joy and presented in a way to keep the viewer guessing, and intrigued. There is an ominous feel to the opening scenes, as a precursor to the later scenes, but many funny moments. This is aided by an excellent soundtrack; compare the witty use of typing in the score and how it is echoed in gunfire later on.

Keira Knightley and James McAvoy really earn their acting stripes here - these are subtle and deeply emotional, but also wonderfully repressed, performances.

Hats off to Joe Wright!

Knocked Up (2007)

Not really a comedy

[6/10 · 28 August 2007]

...but humorous, with some pretty dramatic scenes. Certainly made me a laugh a couple of times, and was thought provoking.

The movie had a couple of pretty major flaws, unfortunately.

First, I really don't believe there's a bunch of guys anywhere in the world who behave like Ben and his mates; these really are a 'movie only' type of people. I don't mind the gross out humour, but it's *vital* not to try too hard when portraying it, and this movie tries far too hard.

Second, we never believe that a woman like Alison would actually give the time of day to Ben, and this problem extends from their first meeting in the nightclub to the final scenes.

I thought my wife might like it more than me because of the chick flick elements, but she rated it a five.

Hot Fuzz (2007)

Dare I say it...

[8/10 · 2 April 2007]

...not quite as good as Shaun of the Dead? But still excellent.

As some others have said, perhaps this is because I am more familiar with zombie movies than the cop movies they are lovingly sending up here. Despite this, the movie is stuffed with great gags, fantastic details and marvellous performances, so I'm sure will repay re-viewing.

I think there were possibly too many characters in this, so the middle third gets a little bogged down, and a lot of the editing and sound effects which worked wonderfully in the 'Z' movie didn't translate to this genre quite so well.

Nonetheless, highly recommended.

Little Miss Jocelyn (2006–2008)

Oh no!

[1/10 · 14 September 2006]

Sh*te of the highest order, I'm afraid. With this sort of character based comedy it's difficult sometimes to put your finger on what makes one show funny and another not. This show appears to have similar ingredients to Little Britain; short, off-the-wall caricatures that aren't always immediately funny, but can grow on you. In Little Britain the charm and talent of the performers pull it off, but unfortunately the whole package seems to fail on Little Miss Jocelyn; unfunny sketches performed in an over-the-top gurning fashion left me cringing at the embarrassment of it all. And the BBC hasn't helped by trailing it Ad Nauseam with some of the most excruciating snippets from the show. Who commissions this stuff? It will be a looong time before I can forget this unfortunate experience...

The Business (2005)

Business is bad...

[5/10 · 28 April 2006]

... for me I'm afraid.

A wannabe Lock, Stock film which looks good but goes nowhere that you've not seen a hundred times before. Two biggest problems; things seem to happen for no particular reason or motivation, and some of the acting is worse than Eastenders. No offence to Danny Dyer, but birds surely don't swoon over him? He slicks back his hair, puts on a pair of tennis shorts and suddenly women (admittedly middle aged) are offering £1,000 to bed him.

On the plus side the directing is OK and the photography superb. Because the film is set in the eighties you can enjoy a good laugh at the fashion, and there's a wonderful soundtrack.

Fever Pitch (2005)

The Perfect Catch in the UK? Thought it might be about an obsessive angler...

[7/10 · 31 August 2005]

Sometimes one wonders if reviewers have watched the same film as us. The (London) Times gave the execrable Bewitched 2 stars, but The Perfect Catch/Fever Pitch only 1 star. The mind boggles! This is a remake of the British movie Fever Pitch, a film treatment of Nick Hornby's almost perfect book of the same name. That film was good, although didn't approach the genius of the book at all. This film has been transferred to the States, Boston in fact, and football has turned into baseball. Considering these strictures the film works very well. Drew Barrymore is a lot more sympathetic than previous girlfriend incarnations and Jimmy Fallon is excellent as the normal guy who turns into a numbskull once he is immersed in fandom.

The jokes are great and mostly subtle and the romance entirely believable. Winning performances all round. It's not going into anyone's top 10 but it should be highly regarded.

War of the Worlds (2005)

Not too bad...

[6/10 · 9 August 2005]

I suppose this is the most eagerly awaited blockbuster of the summer? Well, for me it was an overall success; not in the same league of excellence as Close Encounters or Jaws, but better than the Lost World and Hook! The Spielberg hallmarks are there; the gradual build up of tension through little signs, barely noticeable at first, that something is up (or down); the ordinary Joe going about his humdrum life before being interrupted by something big; the cutesy kid.

The plot direction is pretty faithful to the book, given that it's been updated from the 19th Century to present day, and moved from Woking to New Jersey! The invasion, the Martians, the 'war', the eventual demise of the aliens all follow the book. Interestingly, the main protagonist in the book is a philosopher; in the film a dockworker! How times change; the idea that a hero in such a film could be a philosopher would be too outrageous to contemplate. I'm beginning to find Tom Cruise a problem in such roles, just because it's Tom Cruise. He's certainly a good enough actor and plays his part well, but he's now a prisoner of his massive persona, and I find it difficult to get away from that to just accept him as Ray Ferrier. This is my problem really, but if it affects how we all see him it becomes his problem.

Obviously subsidiary characters are conflated or eliminated in the film; the Tim Robbins character is most like the curate in the book; at least, that character had to be killed by the protagonist. Wells seems to use this character to attack religion, or, at least, religious types. No such analysis required in the film; it's just a romping adventure yarn and as such is a little one dimensional, unfortunately. The pace, special effects, excitement, tension and drama cannot be faulted, however, and it's a thoroughly entertaining ride.

The theme of a cataclysmic event is popular at the moment, and reflects the post 9/11, 7/7 zeitgeist (ooo, too many stupid words there). We all seem to be living with the feeling that anything could happen today, a little like during wartime, so this movie is released at the right time to capture this unease. Mankind are now perceived to be losing control of our destiny; we're under attack from within (terrorist attacks) and without (climate change), and this story shows us how things could be if we were to lose control completely.

Extras (2005–2007)

Possibly darker than The Office!

[22 July 2005]

Based on 1st episode only, so, you know...

First episodes of sitcoms are notorious for being rubbish; characters need to be introduced, motivations understood and laughs usually come later. Extras is a lot more of a trad. sitcom than 'The Office', but I detected potential for a lot of (dark) drama as well as comedy - including pathos and bathos, and possibly some other things ending in athos.

This episode had several laugh out loud scenes, with exquisite dialogue. The set-pieces are there, like 'The Office', and work very well, even though we're just getting to know the characters. Ben Stiller is *very* good as the self obsessed star director. I expect it's just good acting.

Gervais' character is a witty, clever-ish guy, who is, none the less, a loser. His friend Maggie shows potential as another grotesque creation; she just cannot hide her gut reaction to people and situations, so often puts her foot in it. A sort of Godber figure then, counselled by Gervais' Fletcher. I suppose that makes Ben Stiller Mr MacKay? I may have taken the Porridge parallels too far.

Thoroughly recommended.

Garth Marenghi's Darkplace (2004)

Bring back Darkplace!

[19 July 2005]

Dr Rick Dagless and Sanch are the sort of heroes I would model myself on as a young boy watching shows like 'The Champions' and 'The Persuaders'. Darkplace has also got a touch of 'Space 1999' about it too, and even 'Joe 90'. Although the acting is less wooden in 'Joe 90'.

Reading through the quotes section doesn't do justice to this show, because unlike almost any other show on TV, it's *how* they've done the show that is funny. How they've recreated the period sets, how they act, speak and reminisce; it's all hilarious.

I cannot understand how Channel 4 could not recommission this show, since there is more inventiveness in one minute of this than an entire series of 'Will and Grace'.

The Office (2005–2013)

Very enjoyable

[9/10 · 5 April 2005]

I've seen the pilot and Diversity Day, and I found them very funny.

What's good about it is how faithful it is to the original in *tone*; understated photography and direction, no laughter track, no mawkishness.

The performances are great; Carell surely has the toughest job to follow Gervais, but does his own brilliant take on the boss from hell. Everyone else is marvellous too; I think the American version has a black guy in Accounts instead of the British Keith, but he's got a wonderful vacant look about him too.

One wonders if it will last on prime time on US TV; bear in mind the original was lauded and popular in Britain, but didn't get massive ratings until the Xmas specials.

My Mum and Dad hated it!

Guest House Paradiso (1999)

Looney Tunes on speed

[9/10 · 22 October 2004]

I saw this when it first came out, and found it to be a work of some genius; but I must confess I was clearly in the minority at the time.

For me, the progressive lunacy of the proprietors of Guest House Paradiso just gets better and better throughout the film, with one of the most hilarious climaxes to a film ever.

But I wouldn't recommend it to Mother.

Lovers of gross-out comic book style humour will appreciate this movie; there are subtle jokes hidden away, but they are usually quickly flattened by a comedy frying pan. Rik Mayall and Ade Edmondson are superb, and the deadpan, unsuspecting guests are also excellent.

Shaun of the Dead (2004)

A subtle and clever comedy

[9/10 · 22 October 2004]

Good to see so many positive comments on this movie, which is testament to the quality of the writing, direction and performances of the main contributors.

I can see some flaws in the film, but I'm baffled but the outright antagonistic comments of some posters. Obviously it's diff'rent strokes for diff'rent folks, but to attack the toilet humour seems to me to have missed a clever use of a mainstay of classic British comedy. In SOTD they have taken a fart joke and used it to help define the relationship between the two 'buddies', and to lighten (!) the atmosphere in serious moments (like when Ed - oops best not say). I'm no fan of the fart joke, but this one isn't gratuitous, it's serving a purpose in the film.

Of course, it's possible the writers just find fart jokes funny, in which case, I take it all back!