Miller's Crossing

"What's the rumpus?". I love the dialogue in this film. The way the characters interact with each other and the language they use is incredibly satisfying. Sitting down to watch it with a large glass or three of caramel vodka (strange but true - and delicious) I found myself drinking in the movie too. Hadn't seen it in ages so it was like being reunited with an old friend as this has always been one of my favourite films. Can't believe it's 20 year's old though. What a great year 1990 was, with this and Goodfellas both being released then.

I adore the Coen brothers and I still think this is my favourite of theirs - though Fargo runs it close (memo to self, must watch Fargo again soon). Gangsters, dames, Tommy guns, bizarre character names - what's not to love? Oh and the bit where Albert Finney pops his slippers on before seeing off some bad dudes to the strains of 'Danny Boy' is a thing of beauty. The score by Carter Burwell provides a perfect antidote to all the violence and double crossing too, it's lush and warm and lovely. Shame they used if for a Caffreys advert.

A small list of things I thought whilst watching this:

1 - I can't think of any other good films that Gabriel Byrne has been in.
2 - It feels like a book as a film as a book. That makes sense in my head. Stupid head.
3 - I wish I was man enough to drink Whisky like they do in this. Can't bear it neat.
4 - People worry too much about the significance of the hat. Don't worry about the hat.

I like ending things with a small list. I might start trying to introduce that into everyday life, like awkward phone conversations or visits to the supermarket cheese counter.

Catch Me If You Can

Or 'Stay Awake Till The End If You Can'. I must have dozed off about half a dozen times during this which is very bad form. To be fair, it was the late night film on the telly and I'd spent much of the afternoon chasing my sons round a huge soft play climbing frame. Anyway I still managed to really enjoy the first hour as Leo begins his career or conning and tricksy-tricksing his way around banks and airlines. It's still amazing that this is a true story. The bare faced cheek of that Abagnale fella is huuuuge. One of the biggest tricks in the film though is how they make Leo not Da Vinci look 13 near the beginning just by giving him a floppy haircut. Flopp-eee.

Found the second hour quite hard work though. And not just because of my battle with the snooze dragon. I don't really know what it is about this film that I can't connect with. The first time I saw it I remember thinking that is was an admirable little film but not one I'd rush to see again and now I've seen it again I wouldn't rush to see it again. Again. It's got a fascinating story and good performances and it looks great with its 60's setting and stylings - but I just find it a bit uninspiring and, oddly for a true story, unconvincing too. I'm sorry Stevie SpBerg. You're still my favourite cap wearing, beardy film maestro though.

The Incredibles

Watched this with all the family. We're trying to see if Jack's ready to sit through an entire film at the cinema yet. The little guy did really well. He liked the big robots (or 'spiders' as he called them) and was also curiously obsessed with the luvvie darling lady that designs the Incredibles' costumes. Was not so keen during the action sequences though - he didn't like to see the heroes in danger. Bless.

Those action sequences are great though and the whole film is really good fun to watch, although the first quarter or so felt a little bit slower than I remember. But this was probably increased by sensing the restlessness of my youngest son as, understandably for a not quite three year old, Pixar's ever reliable emphasis on story and character went over his little head a bit. He just wanted to watch the cool stuff.

Had forgotten how brilliant the whole James Bond design vibe is too. It's a complete Ken Adams lovefest, especially with the baddie dude having his base in a volcano. The score follows this inspiration too and combines to create a superb, retro feel to the whole thing. Throw in the obligatory awesome animation, lots of excitement and a pitch perfect voice cast and you have a film fit for all the family. Which is exactly what we had in mind when we put it on. Like I said at the start.

I absolutely adore Pixar's stuff and can't wait to see Toy Story 3. Think we might have to try Jack on the original next and then maybe his first big screen outing can be to see Woody and Buzz...

The Dark Knight

How could I watch anything else after Inception? Honestly, if I could only watch movies by Chris Nolan from now on I'd still be happy. The Dark Knight is a massive achievement. Such a smart, exciting, character based movie. Such a grown up movie. And it's about a bloke who dresses as a bat. Yet not once do you even think to question the authenticity of what you are seeing, such is the sense of reality that the film is grounded in. It's cinematographer, Wally Pfister, is as much of a hero as the writer/director. Gotham looks and feels like a real city and at times, if you could look past the Batmobile and the maniacal villain, it's almost like an urban thriller from the 70s.

On the subject of villains, I have to join the familiar bandwagon and praise Heath Ledger's performance. It really is exceptional. I love the little things he does, like the way he flicks his tongue out when he speaks just like a snake - to get the measure of his prey or a threat. I can't think of any other character quite like this version of The Joker. It's a completely convincing portrayal of someone motivated only by the need for chaos and anarchy. It's so well written too. When he describes himself as being like a dog who chases buses but wouldn't know what to do with one if he caught it - I really get that.

What else is good? Just about everything really. The film's score is exciting and moody. The supporting cast are brilliant (love Gary Oldman's integrity stuffed Police Chief Gordon). But it's the story though that will keep you gripped to the screen and make you want to watch it again and again. It twists and turns like, well, like that snake I was going on about earlier. There is no way you could second guess where it takes the characters and the journey to the (hugely satisfying) ending is full of awesome action sequences and and memorable images. The Joker's exit from one building in particular is just about my favourite scene of the last 10 years.

I couldn't be any more excited about the third Batman film. Not even if they told me that I was going to be cast in the main role and would be paid a gazillion pounds to chase after a scantily PVC clad Cat-Woman for 2 hours. I couldn't do that gruff voice anyway. Bruce Wayne must have shares in Fisherman's Friends I reckon.

Inception

Bloody hell. I'd invested so much in looking forward to this film and telling everyone how good it would be and now I've seen it and I can't stop thinking about it and I feel exhausted and exhilerated. Over the top? Yes. But the reason I'm such a movie junkie is because just occasionally you get to see one as good as this and it makes everything around you feel better.

You probably know the concept is about going into people's dreams and you're better off knowing nothing more than that. Part of the genius of the incredibly clever and original story is how it drip feeds you just enough information whilst seductively adding layer upon layer upon layer. It's utterly absorbing. And demanding too. You'd better be prepared to give it your full attention right from the very beginning and you should, because your poor old brain will be richly rewarded. There are astonishing visual treats, emotionally satisfying pay-offs, brilliant performances, a wonderful soundtrack and the exciting sense of watching a filmmaker at the very peak of his craft. I can't begin to explain how talented Christopher Nolan must be to have written and directed this.

I've always loved films where there is a team on a mission and each member has their own critical job to perform - particularly that delicious moment that all those films have when all the team's work clicks into place after an adrenaline raising close call and one of the gang makes a gesture or expression that says to the viewers 'Yeah, we know that bit was really cool'. Well Inception takes this to whole new heights. The characters that make up the team are superb and are well played by a really interesting cast. Di Caprio is the standout though. His 'prettyboy' tag has been left far behind and he's developed into an excellent actor, carrying the heart of the movie and delivering the clever and complex script with ease.

Look underneath all its intelligence and originality though and you'll see that Inception is really a dizzying cocktail of some of the most popular themes of modern cinema. It's a sci-fi story, a heist movie, a romance, a James Bond film and an edge of your seat thriller all in one. Rarely has a film given so much to an audience. It deserves all the praise, box-office success and awards that will surely follow. I absolutely adored it and would place it straight into my top 5 films. A quintet that has remained comfortably intact for many years I might add.

Go and see it and then come home and download the soundtrack and let your mind wallow in the brilliance of it all. Sweet dreams...

Transformers: Revenge Of The Fallen

Big old bots do punch me-shoot me in front of beautiful sunsets. Part 2. Quite fancied a second look at this so did just that tonight and it was exactly as I remembered. I also remember the ferocious slagging this got on its cinema release and I think whether you side with that angry mob depends a lot on your worldview. They've certainly got no end of ammunition. The story is nonsensical, the increased focus on 'comedy' is nail-grindingly bad (the buck-toothed Autobot twins. Seriously. Was no one brave enough to say how shit they were?) and the ill conceived logic of some of the plot points (human transformers? The all powerful rail gun that hasn't been used before or since) is painful. And those are just three of the stand out examples of bad.

However, I still quite enjoyed the thing and am quite happy to admit it. I grew up playing with Transformers toys and would have traded an entire summer's holiday, my Fighting Fantasy books and my goalie gloves for the chance of seeing my clanking heroes on the big screen. I could never have imagined back then just how well the robots and transformations would be realised and brought to life. There are some staggeringly, insane action scenes in this and I feel I would be betraying the 9 year old version of me if I started analysing and attacking it now I'm a grumpy, critical adult. Besides, everytime the badness appears like Sam's mum being wacky or John Turturro revealing his unpleasant backside, all you need to do is breathe deep and wait a bit and then you'll get a perfectly framed shot of a helicopter exploding above a pyramid whilst Megan (hubba bubba) Fox screams in slo-mo and Optimus Prime leaps onto the back of an evil transforming fighter plane as the sun sets beautifully in the background. And it will look awesome.

I'm really looking forward to Transformers 3D next year. I see that there'll be no more shameless, gratuitous shots of Ms Fox now that she's left the series. Just the sort that a grumpy, critical adult wouldn't like at all.

Shrek Forever After

Why does poor old number 4 so often get booted from the title of the fourth film in a franchise? You know, like 'Terminator: Salvation' or 'Alien: Resurrection' and, um, others for example. Is it just psychological? A gentle way to try and help the audience forget that the studio is milking every last drop it can from a series? That's probably the case with Shrek Forever After, especially after the rubbish Shrek 3. Thankfully this is a return to form for Dreamworks' green cash cow.


For one thing, it gets rid of the stunt casting (not a phrase to get mixed up!) that weighed down part 3. No Justin Trousersnake or similar pop muppet doing voice duties here. In fact the big new character, Rumpelstiltskin, is voiced by the fella that came up with the story and he delivers an excellent, sneering performance. He did a good job with the story too as it reinvents everything we've seen before and makes things original and fun again. Wife and eldest son were giggling throughout (Mrs F was the loudest in the entire audience!) and I will admit to a few guffaws because of the chunky Puss In Boots.

I think I was a bit distracted though because Inception was playing on several other screens in the cinema and I am desperate to see that. I could hear it calling like a big screen siren, "Come and look at me with my metaphysics and clever-clever story and visual loveliness" - and then one of Shrek's kids would fart and bring me back to the land of Far, Far Away.

Not much left to say really. It's probably the third best Shrek movie but then parts 1 and 2 were pretty damn good. Definitely a good way to end this series - even if they are doing a spin-off about Puss In Boots next. What was I saying about milking it?

Predators

I'm all for sequels being made by people who love and appreciate the originals but it doesn't always guarantee you'll get a great film. Sadly that's the case with Predators. It's stuffed to the mandibles with references, nods and in jokes to the mighty 1987 Schwarzenegger classic - even the music has been lovingly recreated. The problem is that no one seems to have put as much effort into updating Robert Rodriquez's screenplay which was sitting in a cabinet for 16 years apparently. Maybe he should have directed it a bit sooner rather than leaving it to some other guy.

The movie's concept of having a bunch of badass strangers dumped on an alien planet to be hunted by the Preds is all well and good but it just ends up as being a bit 'something old, something new'. Jungle setting, gun toting team picked off one by one, traps, mud, fire, waterfalls = old. Alien dogs and bigger predators with revamped designs and dodgy masks = new. There's not much to it beyond that and you can't help but feel a bit shortchanged in the end - though not as badly as I felt when Cineworld charged me £2.05 for a small bottle of water. I tried making the Predator guttural, clicky sound at the cashier but she wouldn't budge on the price.

I think my problem with the film is that the thrill of revisting all the bits you loved about Predator is worn away after about twenty minutes and you realise you'd be better off watching the original on DVD. Instead you're left with a gang of mainly stereotypical types getting bashed about by some evil monster-bads who look like they're auditioning for a WWE wrestle-fest. Adrien Brody's ok in it but you never believe in his character - or want to spend any time with him. Not like Arnie's squad from Team 87. Those guys were cool. And they were well characterised and charismatic and cool. And I loved them. No one will be saying that about this lot in 23 year's time.

It's a bit of a shame really as Predators starts very well - no preamble (or any other kind of amble), just bang and you're straight into it as the audience and the characters are literally parachuted into a strange new world. Ack - can't stop humming the theme from Aladdin now ('Don't you dare close your eyes'). Where was I...oh yeah, so...there's a good start followed by more goodness from spotting all the Predator fan bits followed by some ok bits followed by some silly bits. Um, that's it really.

This review has rather tailed off towards the end hasn't it? Just like the film really. Now where's my signed Stan Winston book...

Daybreakers

Nobbly Bobbly. Not a summary of my review of Daybreakers but the ice lolly I chose to eat whilst watching it. I may stick with this frozen treat for all future vampirey films - all 200 billion of them. Happily enough I really like Nobbly Bobblys and vampire films and happily again, both were pretty good tonight.

Nice story concept. It's 2019 and some vampirical plague has spread across the globe and now there are hardly any human beans left, so the vampys are getting thirsty and mutating into bad-bat-things as they begin to desperately feed on themselves. This shift in the population means the streets are empty throughout the day as the teeth-mongers hide from the sun - leading to some cool shots of deserted streetscapes and funky, future solutions to UV exposure like Ethan Hawke's blacked out Chrysler with video views instead of windows. Mr Hawke (who looks like he could be Tom Cruise's brother - or is that just me?) is a nice vamp-chap who works for a bad vamp-chap and a kerfuffle ensues when he starts looking for a cure.

There's some funny gory bits and many jumpy-jump bits - leading to frequent sniggers from me as Mrs Fletch often shot a couple of feet up in the air. I of course remained poised and stoic because I am man. Hear me roar. The funny gory bits reach their peak during a feasting frenzy when the camera is slowed down and limbs and entrails glide gracefully through the air - including, if I am not mistaken, the world's first slo-mo spleen shot.

An entertaining and novel spin on pointy-fangs which, even though it runs out of steam a bit near the end, is easily worth 90 something minutes of your time. It's also another film directed by two people which means that I've now seen three films in a row made by directing duos. A dull fact yes, but I feel oddly nourished by this new badge of geekiness.

The Book Of Eli

A film about the ultimate 'Bible basher'. Denzel is the badass man of faith on a mission to protect the last Bible on Earth after some future apocalyptic event - probably caused by a war started because of religious conflict. Interesting irony there. One character even describes the Bible as 'the ultimate weapon'. On the surface this seems like quite a lightweight film but it does challenge you to think about your own faith in a few parts, a concept I was not expecting from something produced by Joel Silver. Maybe it was just because I was in quite a reflective mood when watching it. I definitely think you'll get more out of this movie if you're prepared to go with it.

Of course if you can't be arsed to do that, you can still sit back and enjoy the fighty-fight scenes. They're really well done. The film is shot in an almost 'hyper unreal' style and one duff up underneath a bridge is entirely silhouetted and feels just like watching a live action graphic novel. Another set-piece involving an assault on a house is the movie's stand out moment. Filmed as if in one take, we follow grenades and bullets in and out of the windows and walls and see the damage to men, machines and masonry as it happens. It's bloody good and to top it off you also have a wild-eyed Michael Gambon mowing down baddie types with a machine gun. Get raw, Dumbledore.

With plenty of memorable scenes, a compelling story and a few genuine surprises - the biggest being how much I enjoyed it - The Book Of Eli is definitely worth a look. Have faith.

Mad Max: Beyond The Thunderdome

Trouble with this is that Max is just not 'mad' enough. Sure he gets a bit of a cob on when some twat in a flying thing (Jebediah - his mate from part 2 actually) nicks his wheels and hoofs, but apart from that he's just a bit grumpy. There's actually a lot more wrong with this film than just that though. Like the stupid kids and their stupid kidspeak language that made me want to stove their heads in with a....well a stove. And the lack of a compelling story or someone to root for - it's just soooo dull and you really couldn't care less about any of the 'characters' (a word I use in the loosest possible sense) that clank about in it. As it was the late night movie on telly I thought I'd watch it in bed which is normally quite a treat. In this case though it turned into a full blown battle with sleep as I struggled to stay awake until the ending. A battle that I won too I might add, though there were some dozey casualties along the way.

Some things flitted into my bored and sleepy mind along the way...

1 - I noticed this was directed by George Miller and some other chap. A film with co-directors is usually a warning of pain and poo (unless the co-directors are brothers - think Coen or Wachowski).

2 - George had better step up his game for the new Mad Max films he's going to make.

3 - There's a lot of pigs in this and Miller would go on to make both 'Babe' films. I wonder if he's got a bit of a thing for our porcine chums?

4 - The Jebediah flying bloke from this likes starring in mahoosive film trilogies. Look - here he is in a postcard he sent me: