Recently i've been watching loads of films, mostly out of boredom, but also because i've needed to watch them.Storytelling by Todd Solondz
One of my favourite films, great characters in part 2 'non-fiction'.
Always like Paul Giamatti, plus the Belle and Sebastian original soundtrack adds to the atmosphere in some of the more sombre moments.
Donnie Brasco
Decent film, not a great, but with Al Pacino and Johnny Depp it becomes a better film than maybe it should be. Follow the mould of a lot of other similar films. Has a small role for Paul Giamatti, thought i'd mention that. Incidentally i'm not obsessed with Paul Giamatti. Brilliant character for Pacino, you hate the guy, feel sorry for him, despise all his lies and 'lessons', but still want to see him survive.
Half-Nelson
Dead Poets Society with a twist. Lead character is a mix between Miss Jean Brodie and a character from Trainspotting, and although when teaching in his History class he is charismatic and dedicated outside of school his life in unravelling, in plain sight of his only friend, one of his very young pupils. There is no Paul Giamatti in this film. Still, it is a great film.
Broken Flowers
A decent film, not as funny as some of Bill Murrays other recent films, although substance may equal Lost in Translation. Its a bit slow sometimes, but the plot is okay, and the characters who he meets on his trip are wildly different, and its funny to think of how much this guys life was changing just in one year!Science of Sleep
Michael Gondry's follow up to Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind is another good film, which may have been better if i hadn't seen Eternal Sunshine before. Gael Garcia Bernal (him below), is good, and the 3 languages thing adds a little humour sometimes, and the vivid dreams and odd characters and the friction created between them is fun to watch.
Gosford ParkSaw this film a few years back, did not like it at all. I think i was too young, because after re-watching it my opinion has changed HUGELY. Great film, fantastically acted, and although from first glance seems to be a hark back to the old days of film this is a very very very modern film, both in direction and in plot.
High FidelityGood book. Great film. Best music related film ever. And again having Belle & Sebastian and the Beta Band, and The Smiths, all mentioned in one film cannot be a bad thing. John Cusack at his best, makes me want to create a top 5 BLANK for everything in the world.
Children of Men1984-esque, maybe the opposite of Brazil (one of my favourite films) in that it is very realistic, plausible and very drab looking. Characters are very realistic, more realistic than most films you see, especially ones with 'Apocalyptic' in the description. Fast moving film, does what V for Vendetta tried to do.
I'd recommend High Fidelity, its the easiest to watch, Gosford Park being the hardest, Storytelling is blackly comic, and Children of Men is very real. Make of that what you will.
The others are good films, but there are better.
2 comments:
I somehow manage to keep getting in fights over High Fidelity. I think the film is brilliant,. most of my friends think it is piss poor compared to the book. I'm obviously correct though. I can usually win the argument by directing them towards the American version of Fever Pitch and shouting "no, THAT is piss poor compared to the book". There's no counter argument to that, that film is terrible compared to virtually anything.
I'm not quite sure why I'm leaving you so many comments, but I apparently am, so there you go.
Yeah, to be fair Jim i agree with you on High Fidelity, the film is better than the book, although i think it is much John Cusack's doing.
It is much harder to adapt a film from a good book than to capture a fox with a net. Remember that when you are either adapting a film from a book or trying to capture a fox with a net.
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