Right so I was originally sceptical about the acting quality of Justin Timberlake, yet something about the trailer told me he would be good in In Time.
The beginning is good, swiftly getting us into the story. The day to day routine that Will Salas goes through is used to show how different your life would be if time was a currency. The use of the time on their hands is quite a good way to induce tension because your heart stops when you think someone's time is going to run out, literally. It also gets you thinking about what you'd do with time if you had to spend and save it. Justin Timberlake is brilliant as Will, as he is able to show his poor background through his later richer character, and uses it to help others as well as himself.
Cillian Murphy does a fantastic job with his character, and the costume set for him really produces an impact. He has changed his voice to be calmer and more steady, which seems to really create an impact. Amanda Seyfried also does a good job, and doesn't take over the storyline by being whiny like many female lead roles. Her view on life in this film really allows us to like and connect with her.
The settings really are fantastic, and ye 'time zones' really show a contrast between the rich and poor living. The futuristic look really works with the storyline There are significant messages in this film which highlight how selfish some people are in the real world, and really shows the power of money and time.
The use of two 'villains' is really effective because it makes the story a lot more hectic, and although we know it's not real, it really does make it slightly more realistic. Alex Pettyfer does a good job of playing the suave Fortis, and he's great at reacting to the other characters.
This film is short, meaning it doesn't go on too long, making it an overall enjoyable viewing experience. I gave this film 8 stars out of 10 on iMDB, and I would recommend it to any people who just want a not too intense, good storyline. Definitely not a sci-fi though.
Sunday, 28 April 2013
Monday, 8 April 2013
Review 7: Oz the Great and Powerful
Right! Oz the Great and Poweful is a film that I've been dying to see ever since I heard about it, being a fan of Wicked and The Wizard of Oz. Oh, and James Franco of course!
I must say, although the storyline was simple and easy to understand, for a Disney film, it was actually quite enthralling. Although it was set in 1905, the attitudes of Oz and his assistant (Zach Braff) were surprisingly modern. The way they spoke and presented themselves added a seemingly new age essence to the characters, and I couldn't tell if it was done on purpose or not. The setting really captured the audience at first sight, and the clever use of relating the audience members of Oz's show to later characters was quite effective.
James Franco did a spectacular job, conveying his character of the arrogant yet good hearted 'wizard' with the right intensity and flair. And the costume, oh my, the costume. I commend whoever was costume director, because by golly they were good. Everything fitted the characters perfectly and captured the heart of what the story was about, and yet again added a modern twist. I particularly liked Mila Kunis' burgundy hat and jacket, as it was feminine yet cool and collected at the same time. Kunis did a great job as Theodora and I definitely preferred her as being the good witch over the bad witch. Talking of good witches, I also have to mention Michelle Williams as Glinda, as I think she did an absolutely brilliant job. She was spot on with the kindness and was exactly how Glinda should be.
The only thing I have to say I got confused about was the name of the china world. On the sign it said 'Chinatown' and automatically you think of Chinese people, and only later did I get that it was referring to actual china as in the crockery. I think it would have been slightly better if it was named something else, but that was probably to do with the book rather than the writers.
Although there are many continuity errors according the book, this story was directed brilliantly and will capture the hearts of many children in the world. I gave it 8 stars out of 10 on iMDB and it was a great cinema experience.
I must say, although the storyline was simple and easy to understand, for a Disney film, it was actually quite enthralling. Although it was set in 1905, the attitudes of Oz and his assistant (Zach Braff) were surprisingly modern. The way they spoke and presented themselves added a seemingly new age essence to the characters, and I couldn't tell if it was done on purpose or not. The setting really captured the audience at first sight, and the clever use of relating the audience members of Oz's show to later characters was quite effective.
James Franco did a spectacular job, conveying his character of the arrogant yet good hearted 'wizard' with the right intensity and flair. And the costume, oh my, the costume. I commend whoever was costume director, because by golly they were good. Everything fitted the characters perfectly and captured the heart of what the story was about, and yet again added a modern twist. I particularly liked Mila Kunis' burgundy hat and jacket, as it was feminine yet cool and collected at the same time. Kunis did a great job as Theodora and I definitely preferred her as being the good witch over the bad witch. Talking of good witches, I also have to mention Michelle Williams as Glinda, as I think she did an absolutely brilliant job. She was spot on with the kindness and was exactly how Glinda should be.
The only thing I have to say I got confused about was the name of the china world. On the sign it said 'Chinatown' and automatically you think of Chinese people, and only later did I get that it was referring to actual china as in the crockery. I think it would have been slightly better if it was named something else, but that was probably to do with the book rather than the writers.
Although there are many continuity errors according the book, this story was directed brilliantly and will capture the hearts of many children in the world. I gave it 8 stars out of 10 on iMDB and it was a great cinema experience.
Saturday, 6 April 2013
Review 6: Vertigo
As promised, here is my review of Alfred Hitchcock's 'Vertigo'.
Going into this film I have to say, I expected a lot more of a horror type atmosphere, but it was generally a lot more laid back than I thought (after the initial death at the start, of course). At the beginning, I found the character of Scottie (James Stewart), to be not very likeable. It may be because of his piercing blue eyes, which made him seem quite cold, but in the end actually contributed quite well to his character. I connected to him more as I went through the film because I was able to learn about him and his life.
I really liked the character of Madeleine, because Kim Novak played her extremely well. I'm quite surprised I've never heard of her, because she's so beautiful and actually quite talented. I connected with her character immediately, and she manages to balance her normal self and her 'hypnotised' side really well together, pulling off a very convincing performance. She is the character that stands out the most and I'm definitely considering watching some of her other films.
I have to say, I wasn't completely satisfied with this film, as some parts just didn't make sense to me. The character of Midge didn't seem to have any purpose whatsoever, and I didn't really understand their relationship. He's not dating her, but he has a key to her house? Despite this, I did enjoy the use of the settings, as they were really emphasised in the plot as having some significance, and they worked well with the story.
I particularly enjoyed the storyline because it was quite individual, like nowadays everything seems to be quite similar unless it's a thriller or indie film. If you enjoy an enticing story with twists everywhere, this is definitely for you. I gave it 6 stars out of 10 on iMDB because although it was good, it wasn't anything particularly special.
Wednesday, 3 April 2013
Review 5: Twelve Monkeys
Hello again folks, and welcome to the fifth entry of haveyouseenitall.com. Notice the brand new banner and enjoy the progress this blog is making!
So, I read a post about the ten best time travel films of all time, and upon reading it, I saw a film called Twelve Monkeys. Naturally, I was attracted to it because of Bruce Willis, Brad Pitt and the mention of a mental institution.
This film is well pieced together, visually captivating and has a brilliant storyline (credited from La Jetee, of course). We start off in Bruce Willis' dream, of a woman running towards a man. This is not explained to us, straight away hooking the audience. This is repeated throughout the film, creating a recurring theme, allowing us to link back with other parts of the storyline, and also making us desperate to find out what's going on. One of my favourite parts has to be when we are first introduced to Brad Pitt. His mannerisms are absolutely fantastic, and the use of the cartoon television noises behind him really emphasised his madness. He was completely captivating, no wonder he won countless awards for 'Best Actor in Supporting Role' for this film. The continuing mannerisms made him stand out above all others, and even (dare I say it?) above Bruce Willis, although he did impress me with some of his scenes. He was able to show how different his world was to the others around him, which is a skill that not many actors have. Madeleine Stowe also put in a good appearance, playing the role of psychiatrist turned runaway with ease.
Another aspect of the film that stood out for me was the French inspired background music, obviously taken from La Jetee. It really worked with the different scenes and was integrated well in order to create emphasis and tension within the storyline. Terry Gwilliam directed this film brilliantly, and integrated the future and past fluently. Despite this, if you're one of those people who didn't get 'Inception' or 'Avatar', this may not be the film for you.
Overall, my IMDb rating for this film was 9 stars out of 10, as I really enjoyed the direction and feel to it. It's definitely one to watch again and I recommend it to anyone who enjoys really good films. I was also inspired to watch Alfred Hitchcock's 'Vertigo', as one of the scenes is shown in this film. Look out for that review coming your way soon!
So, I read a post about the ten best time travel films of all time, and upon reading it, I saw a film called Twelve Monkeys. Naturally, I was attracted to it because of Bruce Willis, Brad Pitt and the mention of a mental institution.
This film is well pieced together, visually captivating and has a brilliant storyline (credited from La Jetee, of course). We start off in Bruce Willis' dream, of a woman running towards a man. This is not explained to us, straight away hooking the audience. This is repeated throughout the film, creating a recurring theme, allowing us to link back with other parts of the storyline, and also making us desperate to find out what's going on. One of my favourite parts has to be when we are first introduced to Brad Pitt. His mannerisms are absolutely fantastic, and the use of the cartoon television noises behind him really emphasised his madness. He was completely captivating, no wonder he won countless awards for 'Best Actor in Supporting Role' for this film. The continuing mannerisms made him stand out above all others, and even (dare I say it?) above Bruce Willis, although he did impress me with some of his scenes. He was able to show how different his world was to the others around him, which is a skill that not many actors have. Madeleine Stowe also put in a good appearance, playing the role of psychiatrist turned runaway with ease.
Another aspect of the film that stood out for me was the French inspired background music, obviously taken from La Jetee. It really worked with the different scenes and was integrated well in order to create emphasis and tension within the storyline. Terry Gwilliam directed this film brilliantly, and integrated the future and past fluently. Despite this, if you're one of those people who didn't get 'Inception' or 'Avatar', this may not be the film for you.
Overall, my IMDb rating for this film was 9 stars out of 10, as I really enjoyed the direction and feel to it. It's definitely one to watch again and I recommend it to anyone who enjoys really good films. I was also inspired to watch Alfred Hitchcock's 'Vertigo', as one of the scenes is shown in this film. Look out for that review coming your way soon!
Friday, 22 March 2013
Review 4: Stage Door
Now I know not everyone goes for the whole black and white film thing, but if you're a film nut and you appreciate the pure talent of Ginger Rogers and Katharine Hepburn, Stage Door is definitely for you.
The quick-witted one liners between the girls provide endless amounts of hilarity and fun, and the pure brilliance of the writing really shows up the shoddy films of today. You connect with the characters, you enjoy spending time with them and getting to know them, and when one is suddenly killed off, you mourn because you had no idea it was going to happen. The unpredictability of it allowed me to get sucked in and watch without any distractions, as I didn't want to miss a single minute. As it's a 1930s film, you have the generic 'lets just show the actor's face' camera angles that have normally been overdone (mentioning no names, Young at Heart), but you don't seem to register them as much, purely because the scenes are so active. At times it was manic, like the beginning where Jean is arguing with another girl and the housekeeper picks up the phone and talks at the same time, but all in all, it was thoroughly enjoyable. Gregory La Cava did a fantastic job directing it all and I can definitely see myself watching more films directed by him.
I enjoyed Ginger Roger's character of Jean because she was, as some would say, sassy. She wasn't afraid to speak her mind and yet not in the annoying way. The casting was spot on, and her ability to bounce off other actors is truly fantastic. Although the writers did a truly excellent job, she made the lines come alive. In fact, all the actors did. I would especially like to mention Eve Arden (who you'll all know as the Principal in Grease and Grease 2!) as she does a particularly brilliant job, and I guess other people felt the same way at the time since it was the part that gained her success in her acting career.
Although Katherine Hepburn does a fabulous job, her character wasn't really likeable so I didn't really feel able to connect as well as with Jean, but nonetheless she fitted the character perfectly and pulled off a suave debonair performance.
My IMDb rating was 10 stars out of 10 since I enjoyed it so much! I will definitely be watching more Ginger Rogers films in the future!
The quick-witted one liners between the girls provide endless amounts of hilarity and fun, and the pure brilliance of the writing really shows up the shoddy films of today. You connect with the characters, you enjoy spending time with them and getting to know them, and when one is suddenly killed off, you mourn because you had no idea it was going to happen. The unpredictability of it allowed me to get sucked in and watch without any distractions, as I didn't want to miss a single minute. As it's a 1930s film, you have the generic 'lets just show the actor's face' camera angles that have normally been overdone (mentioning no names, Young at Heart), but you don't seem to register them as much, purely because the scenes are so active. At times it was manic, like the beginning where Jean is arguing with another girl and the housekeeper picks up the phone and talks at the same time, but all in all, it was thoroughly enjoyable. Gregory La Cava did a fantastic job directing it all and I can definitely see myself watching more films directed by him.
I enjoyed Ginger Roger's character of Jean because she was, as some would say, sassy. She wasn't afraid to speak her mind and yet not in the annoying way. The casting was spot on, and her ability to bounce off other actors is truly fantastic. Although the writers did a truly excellent job, she made the lines come alive. In fact, all the actors did. I would especially like to mention Eve Arden (who you'll all know as the Principal in Grease and Grease 2!) as she does a particularly brilliant job, and I guess other people felt the same way at the time since it was the part that gained her success in her acting career.
Although Katherine Hepburn does a fabulous job, her character wasn't really likeable so I didn't really feel able to connect as well as with Jean, but nonetheless she fitted the character perfectly and pulled off a suave debonair performance.
My IMDb rating was 10 stars out of 10 since I enjoyed it so much! I will definitely be watching more Ginger Rogers films in the future!
Tuesday, 19 February 2013
Review 3: Rebecca
Now I know this isn't a new film, but I like to vary my viewing. I chose Rebecca because it features the great Laurence Olivier, and also the story most definitely intrigued me. Oh and of course, the direction of the great Alfred Hitchcock.
This black and white film contains everything a 1940's film should. Glamour, real gentlemen, and a dark mystery that shrouds the entire story. I have to say, the beginning made it seem a lot darker than I had anticipated, but as I got into the actual story, I found myself getting pulled in. The characters are ridiculously relatable, and it's easy to see things from the new Mrs de Winter's point of view. Falling in love and getting married to a man in a matter of weeks without knowing the true darkness of his past seems quite stupid at first, but really, I would have done the same. Maxim de Winter (Olivier) is a tall handsome man who sweeped her off her feet, causing her to fall madly in love with him. To be honest, a rich, humorous man? Who wouldn't marry him immediately!
The character I didn't like was Mrs. Danvers, who had a slight eerie feel to her personality. It's clear she doesn't like the new Mrs de Winter, but I could never have seen the extent of her obsession with Rebecca (the old Mrs de Winter). Although the twist ending may seem like a bad thing, it carries many good outcomes, such as Maxim not actually loving Rebecca, which I think is something that's a gift to the audience and to Mrs de Winter, who can now finally feel like Maxim truly loves her.
If you enjoy great direction and old movies, I can guarantee this film is for you. The acting skill is exquisite and if only actors were like that today, the films would be a lot better quality. My IMDb rating is 8 stars out of 10 and I would recommend it to a wide array of people.
Sidenote: Talking of Alfred Hitchcock, who's excited about the new film Hitchcock? I'm (h)itching to see it! (excuse the pun)
This black and white film contains everything a 1940's film should. Glamour, real gentlemen, and a dark mystery that shrouds the entire story. I have to say, the beginning made it seem a lot darker than I had anticipated, but as I got into the actual story, I found myself getting pulled in. The characters are ridiculously relatable, and it's easy to see things from the new Mrs de Winter's point of view. Falling in love and getting married to a man in a matter of weeks without knowing the true darkness of his past seems quite stupid at first, but really, I would have done the same. Maxim de Winter (Olivier) is a tall handsome man who sweeped her off her feet, causing her to fall madly in love with him. To be honest, a rich, humorous man? Who wouldn't marry him immediately!
The character I didn't like was Mrs. Danvers, who had a slight eerie feel to her personality. It's clear she doesn't like the new Mrs de Winter, but I could never have seen the extent of her obsession with Rebecca (the old Mrs de Winter). Although the twist ending may seem like a bad thing, it carries many good outcomes, such as Maxim not actually loving Rebecca, which I think is something that's a gift to the audience and to Mrs de Winter, who can now finally feel like Maxim truly loves her.
If you enjoy great direction and old movies, I can guarantee this film is for you. The acting skill is exquisite and if only actors were like that today, the films would be a lot better quality. My IMDb rating is 8 stars out of 10 and I would recommend it to a wide array of people.
Sidenote: Talking of Alfred Hitchcock, who's excited about the new film Hitchcock? I'm (h)itching to see it! (excuse the pun)
Sunday, 10 February 2013
Review 2: Pitch Perfect
Now I saw this a while back. As I am a fan of all things musical, singing and dancing, Pitch Perfect was an obvious choice for me. Although it turned out to be slightly more relateable than I had imagined - due to the wide array of music that they used.
This film managed to incorporate rap, pop, Madonna, and of course one of the best film theme songs out there - 'Don't You (Forget About Me)' from the brilliant, 'The Breakfast Club'. It even includes a song with a cup! This music teamed with a bunch of hilarious characters allows the film to be viewable all round, no matter what age or gender. The character of Beca, played by Anna Kendrick, was certainly one that many internet users will relate to: great music taste but uneager to befriend the 'popular' kids. Although she plays the character well, she doesn't really seem to suit the whole 'rebel loner' image. There was just something not quite right about the styling on her, I just couldn't put my finger on it. And it wasn't until about halfway through that I realised Chloe was played by Amber from 'Hairspray' - Brittany Snow. That shows how well she managed to get into the character.
Although this film has many 'chic-flick' qualities, there is no one who won't find the character of Fat Amy hilarious, my favourite line being: 'Horizontal running.' Rebel Wilson really gets into the character, allowing for some brilliant situations. You can really relate to the characters and how individual everyone is, and so you feel pleased that it turns out alright in the end. The best kind of film is when you end on a note which either produces feelings of happiness, sadness, or being completely and utterly mind blown (Inception).
Overall this film turned out to be one of my favourite films, so my IMDb rating was a solid 10 stars out of 10, meaning I will definitely be watching it again.
Sidenote: The cup song used in the film was NOT the original cup song, which is 'Call Your Girlfriend' by Robyn, so can everyone please stop saying it was.
This film managed to incorporate rap, pop, Madonna, and of course one of the best film theme songs out there - 'Don't You (Forget About Me)' from the brilliant, 'The Breakfast Club'. It even includes a song with a cup! This music teamed with a bunch of hilarious characters allows the film to be viewable all round, no matter what age or gender. The character of Beca, played by Anna Kendrick, was certainly one that many internet users will relate to: great music taste but uneager to befriend the 'popular' kids. Although she plays the character well, she doesn't really seem to suit the whole 'rebel loner' image. There was just something not quite right about the styling on her, I just couldn't put my finger on it. And it wasn't until about halfway through that I realised Chloe was played by Amber from 'Hairspray' - Brittany Snow. That shows how well she managed to get into the character.
Although this film has many 'chic-flick' qualities, there is no one who won't find the character of Fat Amy hilarious, my favourite line being: 'Horizontal running.' Rebel Wilson really gets into the character, allowing for some brilliant situations. You can really relate to the characters and how individual everyone is, and so you feel pleased that it turns out alright in the end. The best kind of film is when you end on a note which either produces feelings of happiness, sadness, or being completely and utterly mind blown (Inception).
Overall this film turned out to be one of my favourite films, so my IMDb rating was a solid 10 stars out of 10, meaning I will definitely be watching it again.
Sidenote: The cup song used in the film was NOT the original cup song, which is 'Call Your Girlfriend' by Robyn, so can everyone please stop saying it was.
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