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- Sundance 2011: Reviews– Vampire Movies after ‘Twilight’
- Sundance 2011: Win Win Review
- Sundance 2011: Hobo With a Shotgun Movie Review
- Sundance 2011: Reviews- The Guard Redefines the Badass Hero
| Sundance 2011: Reviews– Vampire Movies after ‘Twilight’ Posted: 23 Jan 2011 01:16 AM PST I’m tempted to say that there are no real vampires in Vampire, Iwai Shunji’s new film, when in fact the opposite is true. There is one real vampire, but real in the sense that the main character (Kevin Zegers), a character rooted firmly in reality, does drink blood. The problem with calling someone a vampire these days is that you immediately see a sparkly Robert Pattinson flying through the trees and snarling. This film is less a vampire movie and more a “K with the H of G movie,” or killer with the heart of gold. Read the review below.
The Players:
The Plot:An average high school biology teacher somewhere in America, Simon (Kevin Zegers) seems completely unremarkable, until you find out he’s inclined, fairly regularly, to drink large amounts of human blood. Targeting suicidal women online, he convinces his victims that he’ll help them die by letting their blood into jars. But one of his conquests goes horribly wrong and he ends up meeting and falling for another woman (Adelaide Clemens) who offers to let him drink her blood regularly, if he can promise not to drink from anyone else. It seems as though it’s going to work out until a jilted and obsessed woman (Rachel Leigh Cook), aims to expose his secrets. The Good:Though it may not have been intended as such, this film is a remarkable critique of the different nodes of vampire culture in America. We come across guiltless murderers, cape-wearing posers, a woman who believes in vampires, and a woman obsessed beyond reason with a man she hardly knows for no apparent reason. The fact that it takes place in a heavily forested town and that it includes a number of chuckle-worthy vampire film jokes makes me more and more inclined to look at it as a critical response to the American obsession with vampires and the value set that obsession fosters. This movie does a great job of pointing out the types of things people fantasize about when they think of vampires, and then shines the harsh light of reality on it, as if to say: “but if that was possible in the real world, this is how ugly it would look.” Don’t get me wrong, I like my vampire flicks (regardless of genre). But I’m also aware of the fact that there are cultural implications, and I think that criticism like this film is an important part of understanding how story-telling is changing and why. The Bad:Some of the camera work, including crooked Dutch angles, felt a little uncomfortable. There were moments in which the film felt very Japanese and others in which it felt American, and I wish that the styles had felt a little more integrated. There is also a fairly graphic rape scene, which definitely turned some of the audience off (to the point of walk-outs). Overall:I really enjoyed this film from a cultural perspective, but I’m worried it won’t sit well with American audiences who like their vampires a specific way. At the Q&A following the premiere, Iwai Shunji explained that the inspiration for the film came from an idea he had about a serial killer who was more like a friend to his victims. Thus, I gather he envisioned his film to be about empathy, compassion, addiction and suicide, which it is. Sadly, I think in this country you can’t mention vampires without sending the American mind into a very different direction, as aptly proven by my self-defeating post here (sorry, Iwai Shunji!). Rating: 6/10Related Posts
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| Posted: 22 Jan 2011 08:08 PM PST Well, Tom McCarthy’s film definitely lives up to its title. So far this is one of my favorite films at the fest. It’s fun, extremely well written and executed, brilliantly acted and leaves you with a smile on your face. Win Win is simple but not dumbed down. It’s the King of it’s class and had an entire audience of 1,000 laughing their heads off at 9am — that’s no easy feat! And they don’t even allow coffee in the cinema!
The Players:
This is a film that shows people how to make a movie — simple, clean, and easy to enjoy. The film is a dram-edy that perfectly walks the line of drama and comedy without ever losing momentum and most importantly doesn’t rely on any romantic undertones (like EVERY other film like this). Despite being half awake when I walked into the cinema, the film grabbed my attention from the first moment and clipped right along until the perfect ending — that in any other film would have been corny, but in this film it was just wrapped up everything you needed and left you satisfied on all fronts. The film repeats a number of themes which makes the audience feel like they’re constantly on the inside of the joke and therefore more a part of the family on screen. Never before have I heard the word “shit” used so intelligently and humorously. The cherries on top were the brilliant relationship and the chemistry on screen between all the actors. Giamatti and Amy Ryan felt like they had lived their entire lives together. They play off one another beautifully, never upstaging the other but always building each other up. Alex Shaffer looks like Patrick Swayze from Point Break but acts more like Keanu Reeves. I have no idea if he’s a real actor but he definitely was perfect for the part. Overall:Luckily this film has already been picked up by Fox Searchlight because it deserves a spot in theaters. Skip all the other crappy, romantic and/or comedies out there that have no real depth or execution — this is the feel good, uplifting film you need to see. Great film, don’t miss it. Rating: 9/10Related Posts
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| Sundance 2011: Hobo With a Shotgun Movie Review Posted: 22 Jan 2011 04:16 PM PST Highfalutin art films be damned! Last night, the Sundance Film Festival’s midnight movie series premiered Jason Eisner’s exploitation throwback Hobo With a Shotgun at the sold out Library Theater in Park City. Eisner’s short film Treevenge was a fan favorite of last year’s festival, and this year he returns with a feature length showing off new and improved shock-core chops. The film, starring Rutger Hauer, Molly Dunsworth, Gregory Smith, and Brian Downey, is an ultra-violent romp featuring electrocutions, eviscerations, decapitations, and shotgun blasts galore. And that’s not even the craziest stuff! To learn more about the most gruesome film at this year’s fest, check out the rest of the review after the jump… The Players:
The Plot:Rutger Hauer plays a nameless Hobo who rides the rails into Scumtown (formerly Hopetown), the most corrupt, dangerous, and generally awful city on the planet. Upon arrival, he takes it upon himself to take a stand for decency and clean up the streets. However, the criminal kingpin known as the Drake (Downey) and his bloodthirsty sons Slick & Ivan (Smith and Bateman) keep the city in a constant choke hold of fear and panic. With the help of a kind-hearted prostitute named Abby (Dunsworth), the Hobo and his shotgun lay waste to the forces of evil and cleanse the city with the blood of its criminals and psychopaths. The Good:
The Bad:
Overall:Hobo With a Shotgun is the kind of movie that was made by fans for fans. They take such delicate care to make sure that the every bit of this film’s production value reflects the classic films they are paying homage to. If you like going to packed theaters and joining the party atmosphere of cult crowds as they shout, gasp, wince, and laugh loudly throughout the whole film, then you will have a lot of fun. If you prefer well tempered subtle and cerebral films, then see just about anything else. Rating: 7.5/10Video:Related Posts
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| Sundance 2011: Reviews- The Guard Redefines the Badass Hero Posted: 22 Jan 2011 03:55 PM PST Brendan Gleeson is a force to be reckoned with as Sergeant Gerry Boyle, a small town cop living outside of Galway in Christopher Michael McDonagh’s new film The Guard. Don Cheadle and Liam Cunningham turn in solid supporting role performances, but the the heart of this film and why you want to see it is because of Sergeant Boyle; a man who’s either “really motherfucking dumb or really motherfucking smart,” in the words of Don Cheadle’s character. You will see this movie and you will want to see it again. Check out the review below. The Players:
Review:Sergeant Boyle fits the standard of the hardboiled detective like a glove, and he does it with style. He’s flippant and hard nosed, but at the same time he knows what his priorities are: whores and recreational drugs trump police work every time. He doesn’t show any strong allegiances to anyone, returning a store of guns and explosives to the IRA (after confiscating a few pieces, including an AK-47 and a derringer for himself). Sergeant Boyle would prefer just to be left alone to do his thing, and that isn’t a problem until a drug-related murder sucks him into an FBI investigation. At face-value, this film might come off as somewhat shallow. I think people will compare it to Snatch and Lock, Stock, and Two Smoking Barrels. Specifically, the murdering, drug dealing villains, including Liam Cunningham as Francis Sheehy, sound and look a little like the criminals from Snatch. But The Guard, having such a strong, humorous character as the protagonist balances the comedy and the hard edges with a little more emotional depth than either of those films. It manages to show real love, grief and character development without being sentimental or mushy and without losing any of its momentum. Without giving away too much, the finale involves a good old-fashioned, wild-west-style gunfight. Our hero proves that though he may not pay allegiance to anyone, he has integrity and is a genuine badass. Overall:This is a definite must-see film which I am sure will do well in theaters. It has action, comedy, suspense, and proper macho charisma. The Brendan Gleeson’s character completely absorbs you from beginning to end and leaves you wanting more. Rating: 8/10Video:Related Posts
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