When I first saw the trailer for "Hanna", I thought it looked... funky. But in a good way. It seemed to be one of those movies that was too cool for it's own good, but didn't realize it. That's not a bad thing, though. Do you know what I mean?
Anyway, the story starts with Hanna (played by Saoirse Ronan) dressed in furs hunting in the middle of a desolate, cold forest. As she stands over her pray, a man, Erik, (Eric Bana), whom you later find out is her father, comes up behind her, and suddenly they are in a knock-down drag out fight. You soon find out that they have lived in isolation for most of Hanna's life, after her mother was murdered by Marissa Viegler (Cate Blanchett). Marissa works for the CIA, and Erik used to be an asset of hers. One his wife was killed, Erik took Hanna off the grid, where he raised her to basically be a warrior.
While Hanna is a lean, mean, killing machine, she also yearns for a sense of teenage normalcy. She wants to know what music is, and have friends. Mostly, she wants to get out of the woods. So when she flips the switch on a locating device, you're not entirely sure whether she's doing it so she can leave or if she wants to kill Marissa.
So anyway, the government picks up Hanna and take her to a "secure facility" (that's what they're all called, right?), where she demands to speak with Marissa. A false one is sent in, whom Hanna promptly kills, and then escapes. She is calm and efficient as she dispatches guard after guard, mostly without the use of a gun. It's badass.
Hanna's capture and subsequent escape were all of a part of her and Erik's plan. So once she leaves the facility, Hanna must get to their rendezvous point. Along the way, she is taken in by an English family on vacation, where she befriends their teenage daughter. Their friendship is sweet, mostly because it's the first time that Hanna has ever interacted with someone her own age.
I could go on about the plot, because it's quite intricate, but that would spoil your fun if you saw this movie.
In terms of performances, I totally buy Saoirse Ronan as this badass teenager. She has this innocent look about her, and you would never expect her to be able to take you out with her pinkie finger. She's wound so tightly that she'll snap at any second, and it's brilliant. Cate Blanchett is simply devilish as Marissa, with her sweet Southern accent and affinity for shoes.
Another highlight of this film is the soundtrack. It's just... cool. Done by the Chemical Brothers, it alone gives the film that too cool for school edge that was apparent from the trailer.
So on the CWeave scale, I give this film a 7.5. It's hip, it's now, and it's worth the ticket price. It could've used more humor. But then again... what film couldn't?
Saturday, April 30, 2011
Sunday, April 10, 2011
"Jane Eyre" - in theaters
I was intending on seeing "Suckerpunch" this weekend, but it was a pleasant surprise to find that "Jane Eyre" was playing nearby. My friend was game, so we made the short trip up the theatre that tends to play the more independent movie set.
That being said, it was a good choice.
"Jane Eyre" is the story of Jane (Mia Wasikowska), an orphan raised partially by her aunt (Sally Hawkins), who then expels her from the house to a hard school for girls. She is there until she receives her first posting, at an estate called Thornfield. Thornfield is in the middle of nowhere, her boss, Mr. Rochester (the delicious Michael Fassbender), is largely unaccounted for, her pupil is French, and the housekeeper (Judi Dench) is a busybody who is desperate for companionship. Clearly the dream situation for a young girl in 1800's England.
But Jane doesn't mind. She enjoys her work and the quiet it brings. She's very passionate about life, learning, and experience, which is part of the reason why she was expelled from her aunt's house. But this passion shines through during her infrequent conversations with Mr. Rochester. I think that what he sees the most in her is potential. More to the point, he sees that he could be happy with her in a way that he was never happy before. And it's these sweet moments when you can see him beginning to believe that, that really make the movie.
But of course, things are not all that they seem. I won't go into it, but just know that Jamie Bell (love him!) makes an appearance and helps Jane out in a time of need. If I told you what happened, that might ruin the story, and we don't want that, do we?
The story has a spooky angle, which I wasn't expecting. I haven't read the book since high school, and so had to be reminded of a few key plot points, but the filmmaker does a fine job of making Thornfield both inviting and menacing at the same time. You can tell that Jane never feels 100% safe some of the time, and neither does the audience. Plus, I'm pretty sure I jumped more during this movie than I did during "The Sixth Sense", hard as that is to believe.
Mia Wasikowska does a great job as Jane. It's hard to make her appear "plain, at least physically. Once you see her personality shine through, there is nothing plain about her. Michael Fassbender, whose voice could literally make my underwear melt off, is fantastic as Rochester. He's a hard ass one minute, then sweet as a kitten the next. And the way he looks at Jane just makes me wish that a man would look at me that way, you know what I'm saying?
So on the CWeave scale, I rate this movie a 9. Great performances and a great storyline. This is one I will own, and probably watch a million times. And I suggest that you all do the same.
That being said, it was a good choice.
"Jane Eyre" is the story of Jane (Mia Wasikowska), an orphan raised partially by her aunt (Sally Hawkins), who then expels her from the house to a hard school for girls. She is there until she receives her first posting, at an estate called Thornfield. Thornfield is in the middle of nowhere, her boss, Mr. Rochester (the delicious Michael Fassbender), is largely unaccounted for, her pupil is French, and the housekeeper (Judi Dench) is a busybody who is desperate for companionship. Clearly the dream situation for a young girl in 1800's England.
But Jane doesn't mind. She enjoys her work and the quiet it brings. She's very passionate about life, learning, and experience, which is part of the reason why she was expelled from her aunt's house. But this passion shines through during her infrequent conversations with Mr. Rochester. I think that what he sees the most in her is potential. More to the point, he sees that he could be happy with her in a way that he was never happy before. And it's these sweet moments when you can see him beginning to believe that, that really make the movie.
But of course, things are not all that they seem. I won't go into it, but just know that Jamie Bell (love him!) makes an appearance and helps Jane out in a time of need. If I told you what happened, that might ruin the story, and we don't want that, do we?
The story has a spooky angle, which I wasn't expecting. I haven't read the book since high school, and so had to be reminded of a few key plot points, but the filmmaker does a fine job of making Thornfield both inviting and menacing at the same time. You can tell that Jane never feels 100% safe some of the time, and neither does the audience. Plus, I'm pretty sure I jumped more during this movie than I did during "The Sixth Sense", hard as that is to believe.
Mia Wasikowska does a great job as Jane. It's hard to make her appear "plain, at least physically. Once you see her personality shine through, there is nothing plain about her. Michael Fassbender, whose voice could literally make my underwear melt off, is fantastic as Rochester. He's a hard ass one minute, then sweet as a kitten the next. And the way he looks at Jane just makes me wish that a man would look at me that way, you know what I'm saying?
So on the CWeave scale, I rate this movie a 9. Great performances and a great storyline. This is one I will own, and probably watch a million times. And I suggest that you all do the same.
Thursday, March 17, 2011
"Beastly" - in theaters
I remember first seeing the trailer for this movie last summer. It was supposed to come out in August, but was then pushed further back. After seeing it, I understand why. It would've been lost in the blockbuster, summer action movie market. Given that, even though it was released in the March doldrums, it still isn't widely available. I had to travel to another freaking state to see it.
That being said, "Beastly", was well... beastly. But kind of in a good way. The story is Beauty and the Beast, set in modern day New York. I don't think I need to rehash the plot here. However, I will go over some of the highlights.
1. Neil Patrick Harris: Oh NPH and the movies you do. He plays Kyle's (Alex Pettyfer) blind tutor, who has witty, sort of dry sense of humor. He's also cute as a button, and steals the scene whenever he's on screen.
2. Mary Kate Olsen: She plays the witch and I was skeptical before seeing it. The preview made her look absolutely ridiculous, not to mention a poor actress. She was quite the opposite on screen. It's weird to think that she was the seasoned veteran of the young cast, but you can tell that she has experience acting in movies NOT made for just the Disney channel (I mean, hers can be found showing on ABC Family, duh). She was a tad nasty and cutthroat, and had a pretty amazing gothic wardrobe. I dug her role.
3. Vanessa Hudgens: She's on this list simply because she curses. It's weird to see Gabriella from "High School Musical" say 'shit'. It just is.
4. How they did the Rose: You know in the cartoon that when the final petal is off the rose, then the beast's time is up? In this version, Kyle has a pretty killer tattoo on his arm which changes as the time passes. It was an innovative way to do it, and I liked it.
So on the CWeave scale, I rate this movie a 5.5. It was definitely entertaining, but nothing to shake a stick at. Hopefully Vanessa's next outing, "Suckerpunch" packs more of a wallop.
That being said, "Beastly", was well... beastly. But kind of in a good way. The story is Beauty and the Beast, set in modern day New York. I don't think I need to rehash the plot here. However, I will go over some of the highlights.
1. Neil Patrick Harris: Oh NPH and the movies you do. He plays Kyle's (Alex Pettyfer) blind tutor, who has witty, sort of dry sense of humor. He's also cute as a button, and steals the scene whenever he's on screen.
2. Mary Kate Olsen: She plays the witch and I was skeptical before seeing it. The preview made her look absolutely ridiculous, not to mention a poor actress. She was quite the opposite on screen. It's weird to think that she was the seasoned veteran of the young cast, but you can tell that she has experience acting in movies NOT made for just the Disney channel (I mean, hers can be found showing on ABC Family, duh). She was a tad nasty and cutthroat, and had a pretty amazing gothic wardrobe. I dug her role.
3. Vanessa Hudgens: She's on this list simply because she curses. It's weird to see Gabriella from "High School Musical" say 'shit'. It just is.
4. How they did the Rose: You know in the cartoon that when the final petal is off the rose, then the beast's time is up? In this version, Kyle has a pretty killer tattoo on his arm which changes as the time passes. It was an innovative way to do it, and I liked it.
So on the CWeave scale, I rate this movie a 5.5. It was definitely entertaining, but nothing to shake a stick at. Hopefully Vanessa's next outing, "Suckerpunch" packs more of a wallop.
Wednesday, March 16, 2011
"Red Riding Hood" - in theaters
Catherine Hardwicke tried so hard to make another "Twilight" with this picture. I think she also tried too hard to be like Tim Burton. The result was a superficial copy of greater films. But don't get me wrong - it was entertaining.
The twist on this Red Riding Hood tale is that the Big, Bad Wolf is actually a werewolf. And it likes to terrorize a small town that no one knows the name of back in a year that they never actually mention.
Now, Amanda Seyfried plays Valerie, the daughter of a woodcutter (Billy Burke, aka Charlie Swan [Team Charlie, baby!]) and his wife (Virginia Madsen), who is promised to Henry (Max Irons), son of the wealthiest family in the village. But alack the day! Valeria is in love with Peter (Shiloh Fernandez), a woodcutter like her father and hence, isn't too keen about marrying Henry. Then there's Grandma (Julie Christie), who lives in a house in the woods outside the village limits, and if truth be told, is a tad frightening. You never can quite figure out what her deal is.
When the wolf kills a human for the first time in 20 years, the village flips out and calls in Father Solomon (Gary Oldman), who is a renowned evil hunter. He's actually quite the lunatic, not to mention religious zealot, who will hurt anyone and anything to kill evil. Which really doesn't make sense. He also has these silver fingernails, which are so disgusting that it made me gag slightly. Father Solomon makes matters worse, by announcing that the wolf is someone in the village, and the witch-hunt begins.
I must admit that the filmmakers do a good job of keeping you guessing who is the wolf. The only thing for certain is that it is NOT Valerie, mostly because she comes face to face with it.
As one can imagine, the acting is pretty terrible. But at least the actors are nice to look at. Max Irons is so cute you just want to pinch his cheeks, while Shiloh Fernandez is very intense, and looks so much like Joaquin Phoenix it's disturbing. And Amanda Seyfried talks breathlessly through the movie, batting her giant blue eyes at everyone.
So on the CWeave scale, I rate this movie a 6.5. It's funny, but as I read back through this, it seems like I hated the movie, when in fact, the opposite is true. I quite enjoyed it. And in fact, I'll probably own it when it comes out on DVD. No one's mad about it.
The twist on this Red Riding Hood tale is that the Big, Bad Wolf is actually a werewolf. And it likes to terrorize a small town that no one knows the name of back in a year that they never actually mention.
Now, Amanda Seyfried plays Valerie, the daughter of a woodcutter (Billy Burke, aka Charlie Swan [Team Charlie, baby!]) and his wife (Virginia Madsen), who is promised to Henry (Max Irons), son of the wealthiest family in the village. But alack the day! Valeria is in love with Peter (Shiloh Fernandez), a woodcutter like her father and hence, isn't too keen about marrying Henry. Then there's Grandma (Julie Christie), who lives in a house in the woods outside the village limits, and if truth be told, is a tad frightening. You never can quite figure out what her deal is.
When the wolf kills a human for the first time in 20 years, the village flips out and calls in Father Solomon (Gary Oldman), who is a renowned evil hunter. He's actually quite the lunatic, not to mention religious zealot, who will hurt anyone and anything to kill evil. Which really doesn't make sense. He also has these silver fingernails, which are so disgusting that it made me gag slightly. Father Solomon makes matters worse, by announcing that the wolf is someone in the village, and the witch-hunt begins.
I must admit that the filmmakers do a good job of keeping you guessing who is the wolf. The only thing for certain is that it is NOT Valerie, mostly because she comes face to face with it.
As one can imagine, the acting is pretty terrible. But at least the actors are nice to look at. Max Irons is so cute you just want to pinch his cheeks, while Shiloh Fernandez is very intense, and looks so much like Joaquin Phoenix it's disturbing. And Amanda Seyfried talks breathlessly through the movie, batting her giant blue eyes at everyone.
So on the CWeave scale, I rate this movie a 6.5. It's funny, but as I read back through this, it seems like I hated the movie, when in fact, the opposite is true. I quite enjoyed it. And in fact, I'll probably own it when it comes out on DVD. No one's mad about it.
Tuesday, March 15, 2011
"I am Number Four" - in theaters
This movie has a horrible title. It should have simply been called "Number Four", dropping the "I am" bit. Alas, the filmmakers didn't get in touch with me before naming it.
Well... that, and it's based on a book of the same title. But I digress.
I had extremely low expectations for this movie, based on reviews that I read before viewing it. Needless to say, I was pleasantly surprised by how much I enjoyed it. Yes, the acting was bad, and the special effects were so-so, but it still had teen romance, action, and a supernatural element. That's all you can ask for, really.
The story revolves around "John Smith" (Alex Pettyfer), one of nine regal aliens from a destroyed planet (much like Superman). They're being hunted down one by one by these really evil things called Mogadorians, who are super tall and have gills on their faces. They also have sick senses of humor, something I didn't expect, which was sort of fun, in a twisted way.
Anyway, John lives with Henri (Timothy Olyphant), whom everyone believes is his father, but actually is more like his bodyguard. Henri keeps them moving and off the radar. They end up in the small town of Paradise, Ohio after an "incident" in Florida. Henri has several motives for going to this town, but doesn't feel the need to share them with John.
John starts at the local high school and meets Sam (Callan McAuliffe), a nerd who believes in the fantastic, and Sarah (Dianna Agron), a popular girl-turned photog loner, who is intrigued by John. Needless to say, they get together. This is technically a spoiler, but since you see them make out in the preview, I don't think it's that big of a deal.
As they go about living their lives in Paradise, the Mogadorians are coming closer and closer to finding John. Because they've killed the first three aliens, and John is number four. Meanwhile, a mysterious blond chick is also hunting for John and Henri while evading the Mogadorians as well. It's all more complex than it needs to be.
Like I said before, the performances are somewhat stilted, but hey! This movie is basically "Twilight" with aliens, so I'm not complaining. Plus, I LOVE me some Timothy Olyphant. I'll pretty much see any movie he's in as long as it's not horror. I might be the only person who watches "Justified", and based on that alone, I know that he could charm my pants right off.
So on the CWeave scale, I rate this movie a 6. Not horrible, but not fantastic. However, it did make me want to read the book series. And plus, the ending leaves it open to a sequel, which I'm not opposed to.
Well... that, and it's based on a book of the same title. But I digress.
I had extremely low expectations for this movie, based on reviews that I read before viewing it. Needless to say, I was pleasantly surprised by how much I enjoyed it. Yes, the acting was bad, and the special effects were so-so, but it still had teen romance, action, and a supernatural element. That's all you can ask for, really.
The story revolves around "John Smith" (Alex Pettyfer), one of nine regal aliens from a destroyed planet (much like Superman). They're being hunted down one by one by these really evil things called Mogadorians, who are super tall and have gills on their faces. They also have sick senses of humor, something I didn't expect, which was sort of fun, in a twisted way.
Anyway, John lives with Henri (Timothy Olyphant), whom everyone believes is his father, but actually is more like his bodyguard. Henri keeps them moving and off the radar. They end up in the small town of Paradise, Ohio after an "incident" in Florida. Henri has several motives for going to this town, but doesn't feel the need to share them with John.
John starts at the local high school and meets Sam (Callan McAuliffe), a nerd who believes in the fantastic, and Sarah (Dianna Agron), a popular girl-turned photog loner, who is intrigued by John. Needless to say, they get together. This is technically a spoiler, but since you see them make out in the preview, I don't think it's that big of a deal.
As they go about living their lives in Paradise, the Mogadorians are coming closer and closer to finding John. Because they've killed the first three aliens, and John is number four. Meanwhile, a mysterious blond chick is also hunting for John and Henri while evading the Mogadorians as well. It's all more complex than it needs to be.
Like I said before, the performances are somewhat stilted, but hey! This movie is basically "Twilight" with aliens, so I'm not complaining. Plus, I LOVE me some Timothy Olyphant. I'll pretty much see any movie he's in as long as it's not horror. I might be the only person who watches "Justified", and based on that alone, I know that he could charm my pants right off.
So on the CWeave scale, I rate this movie a 6. Not horrible, but not fantastic. However, it did make me want to read the book series. And plus, the ending leaves it open to a sequel, which I'm not opposed to.
Tuesday, February 22, 2011
"The Eagle" - in theaters
"The Eagle" is the story of Marcus Flavius Acquila (Stockard "Channing Tatum" O'Neal), a newly minted Roman commander who is stationed in crazy wild Britain. But the plot thickens, because Marcus asked to be posted there. His father was also a Roman commander, and marched into northern Britain/Scotland with Rome's coveted Eagle - basically a gold statue that they carried around on a stick. He took 5000 soldiers with them and none of them came back. And alas, the Eagle was lost.
So Marcus feels like he could make a difference in Britain, including regaining his family's honor. And he's doing a good job of it, until he gets himself injured. Because of his injury, he is sent to his uncle's (Donald Sutherland) house to heal and is also honorably discharged from the military. This is a crushing blow to Marcus, as the military is the only life he's ever known.
While he's healing, his uncle takes him to the arena to watch some gladiators kill each other, like ya do in ancient Rome. There he comes to find Esca (Jamie Bell), a slave who is fighting in the arena. Fighting is being generous; for the most part Esca is taking his beating and refusing to fight. Apparently Marcus sees something in Esca, because he prevents Esca's death. So then his uncle buys Esca for him. And hence, Esca is his slave.
The two of them seem to have a grand ol' time. They hunt, they hang out, and then Esca serves Marcus dinner. All the while, Esca says about 8 words. Then some pompous old Romans come to dinner, and start saying that some tribe native to Britain has the Eagle, way up in the north. The army doesn't want to send anyone, but Marcus volunteers himself and Esca to undertake the quest.
So they head north of Hadrian's wall, with Esca as his guide. They come across many native Britons, and Marcus steers clear while Esca speaks to them. It all seems to be going well, until they get captured by a tribe whose men paint themselves blue all over, and who know the countryside like the back of their hands.
There was a real grit to this picture. It was more "Gladiator" than I had expected, and I dug it. It was also fast-paced and full of action and suspense. I also dug Channing and Jamie; they worked well together. And let's face it: Jamie Bell is the shit. I mean, he was Billy Elliot for crying out loud! Not to mention that he wears the lowest slung pants I have ever seen a man wear. And I didn't hate it.
So on the CWeave scale, I give this movie a 7.5. Not an Oscar contender, but a fine addition to the gladiator motion picture collection.
So Marcus feels like he could make a difference in Britain, including regaining his family's honor. And he's doing a good job of it, until he gets himself injured. Because of his injury, he is sent to his uncle's (Donald Sutherland) house to heal and is also honorably discharged from the military. This is a crushing blow to Marcus, as the military is the only life he's ever known.
While he's healing, his uncle takes him to the arena to watch some gladiators kill each other, like ya do in ancient Rome. There he comes to find Esca (Jamie Bell), a slave who is fighting in the arena. Fighting is being generous; for the most part Esca is taking his beating and refusing to fight. Apparently Marcus sees something in Esca, because he prevents Esca's death. So then his uncle buys Esca for him. And hence, Esca is his slave.
The two of them seem to have a grand ol' time. They hunt, they hang out, and then Esca serves Marcus dinner. All the while, Esca says about 8 words. Then some pompous old Romans come to dinner, and start saying that some tribe native to Britain has the Eagle, way up in the north. The army doesn't want to send anyone, but Marcus volunteers himself and Esca to undertake the quest.
So they head north of Hadrian's wall, with Esca as his guide. They come across many native Britons, and Marcus steers clear while Esca speaks to them. It all seems to be going well, until they get captured by a tribe whose men paint themselves blue all over, and who know the countryside like the back of their hands.
There was a real grit to this picture. It was more "Gladiator" than I had expected, and I dug it. It was also fast-paced and full of action and suspense. I also dug Channing and Jamie; they worked well together. And let's face it: Jamie Bell is the shit. I mean, he was Billy Elliot for crying out loud! Not to mention that he wears the lowest slung pants I have ever seen a man wear. And I didn't hate it.
So on the CWeave scale, I give this movie a 7.5. Not an Oscar contender, but a fine addition to the gladiator motion picture collection.
Tuesday, February 8, 2011
"The Mechanic" - in theaters
I really wanted to love this movie.
But alack! I was disappointed.
"The Mechanic" is the story of Arthur (Jason Statham), an assassin for hire who is the best in the business. That is, until his company tricks him into killing his only friend, Harry (Donald Sutherland). Harry is Arthur's handler, and the company tells Arthur that Harry is into some dirty stuff. Without checking into it, Arthur shoots Harry in the chest. But unlike his other kills, Arthur feels guilty. So when Harry's son, Steve (Ben Foster), comes back into town to deal with Harry's affairs, Arthur takes him under his wing.
See, Steve has some serious anger management problems. He is a psychopath, hell bent on hurting anyone having to do with Harry's passing. But it's more than that. He just likes to hurt other people, which Arthur recognizes and tries to harness.
So it goes on with Arthur and Steve killing more people for money until they decide to go after the guys that wanted Harry dead to begin with. It's a lot of action and some brutal fight scenes, not to mention some sex scenes as well (which really have no place in the plot). Normally I dig this, but this film was grim. Hardly any laughter, and I don't think Statham smiled more than twice the entire time.
Ben Foster is absolutely disgusting as Steve. He's an angry, sleazy dude with a scuzzy beard, and he kind of makes your skin crawl. It's almost as if he was channeling his character from "3:10 to Yuma" but forgot that this wasn't the old West. Blegh.
On the CWeave scale, I rate this movie a 5. I really have no desire or need to see it ever again, even if Jason Statham kicks butt. I'd rather see him as Handsome Rob from "The Italian Job" than this joker.
But alack! I was disappointed.
"The Mechanic" is the story of Arthur (Jason Statham), an assassin for hire who is the best in the business. That is, until his company tricks him into killing his only friend, Harry (Donald Sutherland). Harry is Arthur's handler, and the company tells Arthur that Harry is into some dirty stuff. Without checking into it, Arthur shoots Harry in the chest. But unlike his other kills, Arthur feels guilty. So when Harry's son, Steve (Ben Foster), comes back into town to deal with Harry's affairs, Arthur takes him under his wing.
See, Steve has some serious anger management problems. He is a psychopath, hell bent on hurting anyone having to do with Harry's passing. But it's more than that. He just likes to hurt other people, which Arthur recognizes and tries to harness.
So it goes on with Arthur and Steve killing more people for money until they decide to go after the guys that wanted Harry dead to begin with. It's a lot of action and some brutal fight scenes, not to mention some sex scenes as well (which really have no place in the plot). Normally I dig this, but this film was grim. Hardly any laughter, and I don't think Statham smiled more than twice the entire time.
Ben Foster is absolutely disgusting as Steve. He's an angry, sleazy dude with a scuzzy beard, and he kind of makes your skin crawl. It's almost as if he was channeling his character from "3:10 to Yuma" but forgot that this wasn't the old West. Blegh.
On the CWeave scale, I rate this movie a 5. I really have no desire or need to see it ever again, even if Jason Statham kicks butt. I'd rather see him as Handsome Rob from "The Italian Job" than this joker.
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