David M. Brown's Blog, page 56
May 7, 2013
Film Review: Shelter
Starring: Julianne Moore, Jonathan Rhys Meyers, Jeffrey DeMunn
Directed by: Michael Cooney
Runtime: 112 minutes
Studio: The Weinstein Company and Anchor Bay Entertainment
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Review: Shelter
I remember first seeing Jonathan Rhys Meyers in Gormenghast and finding him a revelation as the dark and twisted Steerpike. Since then he’s been racking up the credits on both TV and the big screen. Shelter saw him paired up with Julianne Moore, another good acting talent, so my hopes were understandably high when I sat down to tackle this psychological thriller.
Widowed psychiatrist Cara Harding (Julianne Moore) delivers incriminating evidence at the outset of the film that condemns one prisoner to a lethal injection. Heading home she is contacted by her father Dr Harding (Jeffrey DeMunn) who beseeches her to see a new patient. Cara meets David Bernburg (Jonathan Rhys Meyers) who is wheelchair bound but shows no indication of mental illness until the phone rings and the name Adam Saber is spoken to David. Suddenly David turns aggressive, answering only to the name Adam and even more frightening he leaves his wheelchair and begins to walk! Cara is immediately intrigued but in trying to get to the bottom of David/Adam’s condition she unearths some frightening revelations.
Shelter begins well with an intriguing meeting between Cara and David. The seemingly normal and polite young man quickly changes when Cara’s dad rings and asks to speak with Adam. While David is kind and gentle, Adam is aggressive and abusive. Cara begins researching the case, believing split personality is to blame. When her research leads her to the home of David Bernburg, Cara is stunned to learn that David was murdered years before! This is clearly more than split personality issues. Cara’s patient is becoming dead people but how and why? Cara begins deploying some techniques to try and get to the heart of her patient’s illness but things become even more complicated when David/Adam take on the personalities of recently deceased people.
Shelter is one of those films that starts well but fades as it goes on. The first half is much better than the second especially as we learn the reasons behind David/Adam’s condition. Cara is a woman who has lost her faith in God following the death of her husband and conveniently it is God she will need to get her through this latest crisis in her life which escalates out of control and leaves her father, brother Stephen (Nathan Corddry) and daughter in danger. The longer it goes on the more predictable it becomes how the ending will play out. The revelations about David/Adam are worth waiting for to be honest but after that the film quickly loses its appeal.
Rhys-Meyers and Moore are well cast here and offer plenty of contrast. Meyers in particular has a lot of work to do playing various personalities and he acquits himself as I’ve come to expect. It’s just a shame that with two great leads they couldn’t enjoy being cast in a film with a better second half. This isn’t a bad film, it’s an effective psychological thriller in places but by the end it won’t leave you feeling dazzled.
Shelter boasts a better cast than it does storyline. The film has a good opening half which maintains the interest but once the revelations have come out it quickly weakens. I speculated in the first half about how the film would turn out and could never have predicted the truth but sadly I was left feeling some of my suspicions were actually better than the end product.
Verdict: 2/5
(Film source: reviewer’s own copy)
Film Review: Shelter | Thank you for reading Tweedle Dee and Tweedle Dave
May 6, 2013
Film Review: Darkness
Starring: Anna Paquin, Lena Olin, Iain Glen, Giancarlo Giannini, Fele Martínez
Directed by: Jaume Balaguero
Runtime: 102 minutes
Studio: Dimension
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Review: Darkness
Jaume Balaguero’s horror flick tells the story of an American family that move into a new home in Spain. While Maria (Lena Olin) is focused on unpacking everything immediately, her husband Mark (Iain Glen) is pre-occupied with work and their children Regina (Anna Paquin) and Paul (Stephan Enquist) are settling into school. Things take a sinister turn when Mark begins to convulse while stuck in a traffic jam and has visions of children in a house. His father, Albert (Giancarlo Giannini), cites this as a mental problem that Mark has had in the past and is not unfamiliar to Maria and Regina. Ordered to rest, Mark and his family soon find themselves at the mercy of an evil presence in their home.
Mark’s sudden attack is the start of the family’s worries but then Paul begins to express his discomfort about darkness and is visibly frightened. He begins to have marks on his body, bruising, which suggests abuse of some sort. Is this down to Mark or is there something else afoot? Frequent power cuts in the house coupled with her brother’s fears, lead Regina to suspect something isn’t right in the house so she begins to investigate. What she uncovers is history leading back forty years to the previous time there was an eclipse and now forty years later, another one is due.
I had big issues with Darkness. It uses many of the usual tricks such as shadowy figures watching in the background or walking in front of the camera, nothing especially scary or remotely surprising. The storyline was somewhat predictable and in the end not overly spectacular. It is a shame seeing Oscar winner Paquin and Olin, who was great in Alias, have to descend to a film such as this. It isn’t until the final fifteen minutes or so that anything tantamount to scary actually happens and by that point it all feels very anti-climatic.
Darkness initially seems like an okay idea for a horror film but in the end it lacks any genuine scares or sense of unease. The acting isn’t spectacular, the characters are not particularly interesting and the wait for the end scenes when anything of interest occurs feels like a long time coming. There are many well-crafted horror films out there but this is sadly not one of them.
Verdict: 1/5
(Film source: reviewer’s own copy)
Film Review: Darkness | Thank you for reading Tweedle Dee and Tweedle Dave
Film Review: I Love You Philip Morris
Told with an uncanny sense of humour and a lot of heart, I Love You Phillip Morris is an oddball tale of what can happen when the legal system, a daredevil spirit and undying love collide.
Starring: Jim Carrey, Ewan McGregor
Directed by: Glenn Ficarra and John Requa
Runtime: 98 minutes
Studio: Lions Gate
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Review: I Love You Philip Morris
When Jim Carrey first came to the fore with the likes of Ace Ventura: Pet Detective and The Mask I found a lot to admire with this new comic talent but never expected him to endure as he has. Carrey’s durability comes not from his comedy roles but from his more serious work like Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind. With I Love You Philip Morris, I was promised a mixture of comedy with a slice of serious material but would it be another Carrey classic?
The film is partly based on the true story of con artist Steven Jay Russell. It begins with Steven dying in a hospital bed and thinking back over his life. He is a police officer, goes to church, is married to Debbie (Leslie Mann) and has a daughter but following a car crash Steven becomes true to himself and begins a new life as a gay man. Enjoying a new and lavish lifestyle, Steven has to become a con artist to keep himself and boyfriend Jimmy (Rodrigo Santo) in the money. After being caught, Steven ends up in prison but it isn’t all bad. He meets and falls in love with Philip Morris (Ewan McGregor) and will do anything for the two of them to always be together, including continually breaking the law.
Homosexuality is a taboo subject for many and I understand it wasn’t plain selling getting I Love You Philip Morris released. I’ve never understood the disgust or even fear about homosexuality. It’s becoming more acceptable in many societies sadly it’s also a lot safer walking down many streets if you’re heterosexual as opposed to gay! Steven Russell is initially the product of an unforgiving society. He does all the things that other men are doing in his town: getting a decent job, being part of the community and attending church, marrying and having a family. However, when Steven is badly injured in a car accident he’s near delirious being taken away in the ambulance and professes to the paramedics that he’ll be true to himself and gay from now on. His new life with boyfriend, Jimmy, comprises fancy clothes and a lifestyle that is too expensive for them t maintain. Steven becomes a con artist to pay the bills but despite his best efforts he cannot escape the long arms of the law.
In prison Steven meets the quiet Philip Morris and though the relationship is slow to develop there is soon mutual affection between them. Being in separate cells Steven and Philip have to exchange messages using a fellow inmate as a makeshift courier but Steven isn’t content with being apart from his new lover. He is able to play the system and trick the powers that be at every turn. As soon as Steven is released from prison he manages to get Philip out and a new life begins though Steven cannot refrain from his con artist ways. This puts sustained pressure on his relationship with Philip but Steven always engineers a way for them to be together even if it means making the authorities look utterly stupid. The question is how long can Steven evade the law and will his relationship with Philip survive?
Carrey and McGregor make a great team in this very different comedy. Carrey is an unstoppable force as usual while McGregor depicts a very delicate Philip Morris who seems too fragile to hurt anyone until he’s provoked that is. Steven’s antics are completely outrageous and many of them true which makes the film even more extraordinary. This does fall short of some of Carrey’s other films though. It’s certainly more comedy than drama though there are some moving moments in there. For the minority who might be worried, yes there are some gay sex scenes in this film but like Brokeback Mountain they’re certainly nothing to be up in arms about.
I Love You Philip Morris is an effective comedy/drama whose strengths are in Carrey and McGregor’s performances. This isn’t the best you’ll see of Carrey and McGregor but fans of either actor will find a lot to admire here.
Verdict: 4/5
(Film source: reviewer’s own copy)
Film Review: I Love You Philip Morris | Thank you for reading Tweedle Dee and Tweedle Dave
Film Review: Piranha
Starring: Elisabeth Shue, Jerry O’Connell, Adam Scott, Ving Rhames
Directed by: Alexandre Aja
Runtime: 88 minutes
Studio: Sony
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Review: Piranha
Terrors of the deep continues to be a popular theme in films these day. How many swimmers and sailors have been picked off since Roy Scheider’s pinpoint shot blew the original shark out of the water in Jaws? Spielberg’s classic has never been beaten and I can’t see it happening. It wasn’t the first of its kind to feature something sinister beneath the waves but many films since have been decidedly poor. Piranha has received mixed reviews and features a good cast so my hopes were strangely reserved for once.
The film begins with one of those blink and you’ll miss him moments. Matt Hooper (Richard Dreyfuss) is fishing in a lake in Arizona when an earthquake hits, tearing opening the lakebed, causing a whirlpool and throwing Hooper in to his death amidst a load of piranhas. The film then switches to some of our protagonists. Jake (Steven R. McQueen) heads on a boat with pornographer Derrick Jones (Jerry O’Connell), Kelly (Jessica Szohr) and Danni (Kelly Brook) to do a spot of filming on the lake. Also around is Jake’s mother Sheriff Julie Forester (Elisabeth Shue) and Deputy Fallon (Ving Rhames) who are investigating Hooper’s disappearance and on finding his remains look to close the lake. Piranhas are everywhere of course and the unsuspecting locals are on the menu!
Let me a clear a few things up for those contemplating this film. It has some amusing moments certainly but the whole thing is silly and pretty pointless from start to finish. Any men and women who are big fans of Kelly Brook will be wondering if she bares all. Well, the answer is yes she does, so now that’s cleared up I’ll get back to the review. The film has your typical gory deaths and even one poor chap who is dragged on board a boat with little left of his legs and rather than lamenting that he’s about to die he simply curses the piranha for stealing his penis! If that’s not enough we get a nice shot of his member sinking in the water. Yes, dear readers, that’s the sort of film this is. You can expect scantily clad people on the boat Jake has taken out on the lake but elsewhere on the water there is less of an orgy.
Elisabeth Shue should know better than being in a film like this but she tries her best not to smirk throughout and adds some seriousness to her role as the local sheriff. She’s no Chief Brody sadly but she’ll do. Her deputy is a savvy guy and an expert at taking out piranhas as you will see later in the film. There’s even an appearance for Christopher Lloyd as Carl Goodman, a marine biologist/pet shop owner who is given a piranha as a sample and harks back to his day as Dr Emmett Brown in Back to the Future. It’s just a shame there isn’t the same hairstyle or a DeLorean to take out on the lake! Of course Goodman has all the answers about our prehistoric piranhas and a notable explanation about why they seem so pissed off all the time.
The rest of the film is very standard. Lots of the locals are eaten as they refuse to get out of the water. Chief Brody would have sorted this lot, I promise you! Jake and Kelly, who show mutual signs of affection but do nothing about it, are inevitably thrown together by the piranha crisis. Sheriff Forester also comes to the rescue when hearing her son has been a bit naughty and gone out on a boat when he shouldn’t have. Lucky for Jake, an infestation of piranhas is probably the best time to be caught by your mother attending the film of a pornographic film. Piranha is utter nonsense throughout and could only be labelled as a beer movie, one to watch with a group of friends who have no expectations when it comes to the acting, effects or storyline. Incidentally, the daft ending hints at a sequel so keep your eyes on the water for now.
Piranha has very little, if anything, going for it. A range of decent actors and actresses are on offer here which will amuse many, Kelly Brook gets naked which will please a hell of a lot of film fans but she doesn’t try acting, the story and the effects are pretty poor and the image of a floating penis in the water is one I like to think the creators put in there as something of a subtext about this film as a whole!
Verdict: 1/5
(Film source: reviewer’s own copy)
Film Review: Piranha | Thank you for reading Tweedle Dee and Tweedle Dave
Tweedlers’ Jukebox Song of the Week: The Boy in the Bubble
The opening track from Paul Simon’s celebrated album, Graceland, The Boy in the Bubble is just the beginning of what was a change in direction for the legendary singer and songwriter in the mid-eighties. Though Simon’s work as Simon and Garfunkel remains his finest, he has more than proved in the decades since that as a solo artist he can stand on his own two feet. Graceland was something of an experiment, a “why the hell not?” exploration of South African music for Simon whose previous album had not been well received and it seemed his star had burned out. Graceland not only propelled him back to the big time but it became arguably his finest ever album.
I’ve read many interpretations of The Boy in the Bubble. These range from reflections on technological innovations, war and violence in the eighties and apartheid. Only the great man himself can offer the definitive answer. What’s not in question is how great this song is as the opener to Graceland. It sets the scene wonderfully for later songs such You Can Call Me Al and Diamonds on the Soles of Her Shoes. I have great respect for Paul Simon as a songwriter and performer. His work you can safely say will be remembered for generations to come.
Tweedlers’ Jukebox Song of the Week: The Boy in the Bubble | Thank you for reading Tweedle Dee and Tweedle Dave
May 5, 2013
Film Review: Mirrors 2
Starring: Nick Stahl, Emmanuelle Vaugier, Evan Jones, Christy Romano, William Katt
Directed by: Victor Garcia
Runtime: 86 minutes
Studio: 20th Century Fox
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Review: Mirrors 2
I’ve never fancied being a security guard or night watchman. I’m not the bravest of people so would be pretty useless in confrontations so best to leave others to it. Victor Garcia’s Mirrors 2 is a good reason why one shouldn’t be a night watchman. Just like the first film this builds a horror film around those lovely mirrors that are friends or foes to us dependent on the individual.
The film begins with Max (Nick Stahl) in a car accident that he survives but sadly his fiancé Kayla (Jennifer Spies) does not. Max spends the next year trying to recover from the guilt he feels about the accident and his father Jack (William Katt) gives him a job as a security guard at the Mayflower Department Store. The recent security guard has quit having voluntarily cut up his own face! One night Max sees the image of a dead woman in one of the mirrors and suddenly finds himself in the midst of a mystery when members of staff begin to die in particularly gruesome ways but just what is going on?
The opening to the film shows the current security guard at the Mayflower Department Store going about his business before looking at himself in a mirror. Suddenly his reflection begins to move of its own free will and to the horror of the security guard it starts to eat glass! The effects begin to impact on the security guard who suddenly finds himself in a bit of agony. We move on to the appointment of Max as the new security guard, a favour from his father Jack. On his first day Max meets a trio of people – the store manager, Keller Landreaux (Lawrence Turner), the buyer Jenna McCarty (Christy Romano) and the vice president Ryan Parker (Jon Michael Davis). Nothing unusual there you might say but when Max begins to see visions of a dead girl in the mirror, his father’s colleagues begin to die.
Jenna is the first to be killed, stalked by her own reflection while she takes a shower and she ends up beheaded in her own home! Max realises the dead girl is deliberately targeting people at the Mayflower and it is down to him to find out why and stop her. Max’s search leads him to the disappearance of a girl that once worked at the Mayflower, Eleanor Reigns (), and he makes contact with her sister Elizabeth (Emmanuelle Vaugier) who, initially incredulous, is soon by Max’s side. The question is how many more people will die before Max and Elizabeth can discover the truth?
Mirrors 2 has a pretty good twist in the end but it’s fairly standard horror territory for the rest of the film. The deaths are very gruesome and will satisfy those audiences that do revel in a bit of gore. The ending is worth waiting for, the acting isn’t too bad there are enough moments to make you cringe – eating glass, delicate parts of the body sliced etc. This isn’t a film that will leave you astonished but it’s certainly not one that will make you want to lose the will to live.
Mirrors 2 doesn’t have anything to offer that the original film didn’t but there is a story here with a decent twist so it’s worth considering if you’re stuck for a horror film to watch one night. As long as you don’t get your hopes up too much it shouldn’t be a major disappointment.
Verdict: 2/5
(Film source: reviewer’s own copy)
Film Review: Mirrors 2 | Thank you for reading Tweedle Dee and Tweedle Dave
May 3, 2013
Guest Post: Margot Justes
Today Margot Justes, author of Hotel in Bath, stops by to share a guest post about international settings.
Guest Post: International Settings by Margot JustesI do my research by visiting the places I write about, it’s more personal and to me it’s far more significant to give an impression of the city as well as documented facts. Something I would not be able to do if I hadn’t paid a visit. Even though I write contemporary romance stories, I love history and art, and that is what I write about.
The age old adage, write what you know and love is true, but it should also be a learning experience for both writer and reader. It should be an adventure. My heroine is a painter, and through her eyes, I introduce my readers to artists I like. In A Hotel in Paris, I singled out Rodin. I happen to love his work, and wanted to share it with anyone who would listen, or in this case read. When I lived in Paris, I spent many days in the Rodin Museum, and have always gone back. It is indeed a wondrous place.
I love to travel and have been fortunate to be able to visit the places I write about, and even luckier to be able to put it on paper. My first love is Paris, I lived there for a year, and have gone back many times. It stood to reason that my first romance should be set there. I’m familiar with the city, and over the years in my perspective little has changed.
The Louvre now has Pei’s Pyramid at the entrance, but it’s still monstrous in size, and one has to be selective in what one sees in a day; it is an exhausting place. Not so the Rodin Museum, it was his home, it is intimate and hauntingly beautiful. However, no matter where you go in Paris, the charm, the romance is still very much there.
Sit in a cafe, watch people play chess, discuss current events and soccer scores, as they sip their espresso, or cafe au lait. The sense of history is everywhere, some of those cafes are over a hundred years old. The gardens, the cobbled streets that meander seemingly endlessly, the historical buildings are all as they were. It’s easy to make the city come alive, it was my first love as a semi adult, and continues to this day.
A Hotel in Bath required two visits. The second time, I spent a few days getting to know the city. The historical significance is amazing, if you visit the Roman Baths Museum, you can walk over Roman lead pipes laid over two thousand years ago.
It’s difficult to select only the key points of a city relevant to the story, and I don’t do it. I like my readers to be there with me, learn with me, get to know the city; if well done the reader will absorb every word written about a place they may never be able to visit.
What does it feel like to walk the streets Jane Austen most probably walked. Stroll over those ancient lead pipes, and imagine who else followed in those same footsteps. Who else prayed in the ancient Abbey. Who ate the Sally Lunn cakes, after all the restaurant dates back to the 1620’s. You hope the ancient gnarly, creaking stairs will actually get you down to the cellar, so you may taste the famous buns; savory or sweet, they are as dry as dust until covered in cream or a sauce.
That is where the imagination of the writer takes over. The sense of familiarity adds a richness to the story that might otherwise be missing. It goes back to the beginning, write what you know and love.
I started a tradition of sorts-I write travel articles about the city my characters live in; first published by Crime Spree Magazine, both Paris and Bath articles are now posted in the travel section of my web site. Hope you’ll read them and enjoy the journey to both cities.
Hotel in Bath (2013)[image error]Artist Minola Grey and Peter Riley plan a holiday in Bath, upon their arrival in London, Peter is dealt a blow. An old friend had been murdered, and Minola’s life is threatened if she travels to Bath.Minola’s notoriety as a result of her recent Paris adventures, and her keen sense of observation made her a threat to the intrigues in the art world of Bath.
Peter must decide what to do, share everything with the love of his life or withhold pertinent information to keep her safe?
When Minola is almost run-over, the threat becomes very real and Peter’s terror for her safety decides for him. He asks her to remain in London.
Contemplating Peter’s strange behavior forces Minola to re-evaluate their relationship, and she decides to go to Bath alone.
Why was Madeleine Sutton murdered? Why did she travel to the South Pacific? And why was an art shipment bound for the Sutton gallery stolen and the driver left for dead?
Minola, now in the thick of the investigation attempts to regain a footing in her relationship with Peter, while he’s struggling to keep his distance.
Can she forgive him his wrenching denial? Can the danger they face be overcome by their abiding love? Or will it tear them apart?
Amazon USAmazon UKGoodreads About Margot Justes[image error]Born in Poland, Margot Justes has lived in some of the world’s most wonderful places, including Israel, France and South Africa. Currently living in the Midwest, she has taken her love of art and travel and cultivated it into unique settings and stories for her writing, 2007 brought her a contract for her first novel A Hotel in Paris .
A Hotel in Bath was released in February 2013, and Margot is currently working on her third book in the hotel series, set in Venice, Italy.
She finished her first paranormal novel Blood Art, to be released in November 2013, and is hard at work on another one.
Margot Justes is a Member of Romance Writers of America, and is a past president of the Chicago North RWA Chapter and the Chicago Chapter of Sisters in Crime.
She loves to hear from readers.
WebsiteFacebookTwitterGoodreadsGuest Post: Margot Justes | Thank you for reading Tweedle Dee and Tweedle Dave
Film Review: The Experiment
Starring: Adrien Brody, Cam Gigandet, Forest Whitaker, Maggie Grace, Clifton Collins Jr.
Directed by: Paul Scheuring
Runtime: 96 minutes
Studio: Sony Pictures Home Entertainment
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Review: The Experiment
I’ve always been intrigued by people that sign up for drug trials, not being able to imagine doing the same thing myself. Can such trials ever guarantee one’s safety? Paul Scheuring’s The Experiment, a remake of the 2001 German film, and loosely based on a true story explores the consequences of a social experiment that goes terribly wrong.
26 volunteers come forward to take part in an experiment where the majority have to live as prisoners for two weeks while the remainder of the group are prison guards. The project is led by Dr Archaleta (Fisher Stevens) who offers the volunteers $14,000 for taking part in the two-week experiment. Amongst the group is Travis (Adrien Brody) who is a peace protestor eager to raise funds so he can join his girlfriend Bay (Maggie Grace) in India. Elsewhere is the quiet Barris (Forest Whitaker) who strikes up a friendship with Travis in the initial meeting but as the experiment continues the role-play escalates out of control resulting in degrading acts and violence.
After some preliminary interviews the 26 volunteers are taken to an isolated building that has been designed as a prison. 21 men, including Travis, are designated as prisoners while the remaining 5, including Barris, become guards. Early on the audience may suspect that Barris will be sympathetic to the prisoners but they’re soon in for a shock. The man in his early forties who still lives with his mother suddenly revels in his position of authority but the longer the experiment continues the more Barris becomes corrupted by his power. Rules are in place that protect the guards and leave the prisoners subject to humiliation at the hands of the guards. While the group are constantly under surveillance there is no one to interfere with the experiment. The many rules and regulations have to be obeyed though otherwise the experiment is over and no one gets the money they so desperately need.
Barris begins as merciful to the prisoners but Travis becomes a ringleader in open defiance. Barris decides to exert his authority by humiliating Travis. Every brutality committed by the guards leaves them worried that they have gone too far but when no one from the outside intervenes they take it as the green light to do whatever they wish. One guard Chase (Cam Gigandet) finds the isolation a little frustrating sexually so decides to target one of the prisoners to satisfy his needs. Another prisoner Benjy (Ethan Cohn) who is diabetic becomes in desperate need of insulin but prison rules dictate no belongings are allowed in the prison and the guards are content to let Benjy suffer, even die. The question is how long can the experiment go on? Will the guards end up killing someone? Will Travis lead a prison rebellion? Is there any way back for Barris?
I haven’t seen the original version of The Experiment but will try it one day. As for this version, I thought the concept was interesting and it builds quite well especially with the deterioration of Barris from a dominated son to a cold descent into sadism and depravity. How the film was going to end was going to be crucial and sadly it leaves a bitter taste. After everything that these men go through, I found the concluding segment stretched credulity a little too far. There’s a decent cast here with Brody and in particular Whitaker leading proceedings well but the film falls flat in the end which is a shame.
The Experiment has a good plot and initially begins well but by the end it finishes up as something of a disappointment. A good cast isn’t enough to quite save things by the final credits. I understand the original version is far superior and I will be seeking it out in the near future so watch this space.
Verdict: 3/5
(Film source: reviewer’s own copy)
Film Review: The Experiment | Thank you for reading Tweedle Dee and Tweedle Dave
May 2, 2013
Film Review: 5 Centimeters Per Second
Starring: Gregory Peck, Dorothy McGuire, John Garfield, Celeste Holm, Anne Revere
Directed by: Makoto Shinkai
Runtime: 118 minutes
Studio: 20th Century Fox
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Review: 5 Centimeters Per Second
Makoto Shinkai’s film is actually three features – one connected story told across three episodes. The film begins in the 1990s and tells the story of school friends Takaki Tono and Akari Shinohara. Takaki is the focal point of all three episodes. At the outset he meets Akari and the two form a close friendship, uniting in many preferences, including their desire to stay inside and avoid aggravating their allergies. Though teased at school for being close, Takaki and Akari continue to maintain a solid friendship but there are challenges awaiting them.
The first episode – Cherry Blossom – is told through a series of flashbacks as Takaki is on a train bound for Tochigi. Akari has been forced to move there some time before but she and Takaki have maintained contact by letter. Takaki’s train battles snow and near blizzards on its painfully slow journey and we see images of the two friends, watching cherry blossom trees and Akari reflecting on how the leaves fall at five centimeters per second. This is the last time the friends will see each other for a long time. Takaki’s family are moving to Kagoshima so he wants to seize the chance to see Akari. In the second episode – Cosmonaut – Takaki is studying at a school in Tanegashima and has the attentions of a student, Kanae Sumida, who has fallen in love with him but cannot bring herself to tell him. Kanae notices that Takaki is frequently sending texts and emails in his moments alone but who to? Will Takaki find a new life with Kanae or will he always desire to see Akari? The final part – 5 Centimeters Per Second – chronicles Takaki and Akari as adults in the present day and where they both find themselves. I can’t say anymore at a risk of ruining the film.
I have been looking forward to seeing this film for quite some time and I am delighted to say it did not disappoint. Rather than a love story, this is a painful and emotional depiction of two friends desperately trying to keep in contact despite the vast distance between them. Though they are enthusiastic in maintaining contact at the outset, time eventually begins to take its toll on them and they sadly start to drift apart. Will they be able to bridge the void later in life? While the story is heartfelt the film is a visual treat, creating some of the most beautiful images you are likely to see from the world of anime. While the characters were maybe not as well animated as those that emerge from Studio Ghibli, this was still a near flawless film, the only downside being that length of just a solitary hour, but what an hour it is.
5 Centimeters Per Second is one of the most beautiful films I have ever seen. The friendship depicted here is wonderfully conveyed and the difficulties that face both Takaki and Akari will be familiar to so many of us that have known friends in the past but no longer know them now. My next stop will be the novel that extends on this film and promises more of the story. Though this feature has a somewhat unresolved ending it is completely apt with the overall message that Shinkai is trying to reflect.
Verdict: 5/5
(Film source: reviewer’s own copy)
Film Review: 5 Centimeters Per Second | Thank you for reading Tweedle Dee and Tweedle Dave
May 1, 2013
Film Review: Citizen Kane
Starring: Orson Welles, Joseph Cotten, Agnes Moorehead, Ray Collins, Dorothy Comingore
Directed by: Orson Welles
Runtime: 119 minutes
Studio: Turner Home Entertainment
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Review: Citizen Kane
Initially snubbed on its release, Orson Welles’ Citizen Kane is now regarded by many as the greatest film ever made. That is some tag to live up to and I was sorry it’s taken me three decades to see this classic myself. The film tells the story of Charles Foster Kane (Welles) who dies alone in his vast estate known as Xanadu clutching a snow globe and his final chilling word being, “Rosebud.” As proprietor of a newspaper and fabulously wealthy, Kane’s death is big news but in the aftermath of putting together a newsreel of Kane’s life, reporter Jerry Thompson (William Alland) goes deeper by interviewing friends, colleagues and associates of Kane, his intention to decipher the meaning of the great man’s last word, “Rosebud.”
As Jerry looks into the mystery we are taken back through Kane’s life, beginning with his simple childhood, where he comes into a vast fortune and is taken away from his parents to be educated. At 25 Kane takes charge of his inheritance and runs a newspaper, The New York Enquirer. Kane builds the newspaper up from nothing to the biggest in the city and even turns his hand to a stint at politics after marrying Emily Monroe Norton (Ruth Warrick) who just happens to be the President’s daughter. Gradually, things go wrong for Kane and we are taken from his youth to his old age alone in Xanadu.
First of all, Citizen Kane is not, in my opinion, the greatest film ever made but it is still a magnificent piece of cinema. This is the second time I have seen Welles on screen and he simply dominates every scene with his presence and confidence. He is an absolute joy as Kane in his youth. The transformation in Kane’s later years is simply remarkable, that spark now gone from Kane who is surrounded by everything that money can buy but happiness is the one thing that continues to elude him. The mystery of “Rosebud” is revealed at the very end and it is worth the wait, enhancing what has been a beautifully crafted film from start to finish.
While I can’t accept Citizen Kane as the greatest film of all time, there is no doubting just how incredible an achievement it is. Lambasted on its release, Welles crafted an innovative piece of cinema which boasted great acting, a compelling storyline and a fascinating mystery which hits hard in its poignancy as we approach those final reels. I have enormous respect for Welles after this and have no hesitation in praising it highly.
Verdict: 5/5
(Film source: reviewer’s own copy)
Film Review: Citizen Kane | Thank you for reading Tweedle Dee and Tweedle Dave
