Martha Marcy May Marlene
Released: 2011
Directed by: Sean Durkin
Starring: Elizabeth Olsen, John Hawkes, Sarah Paulson, Hugh Dancy
Plot: A young woman suffers from delusions and paranoia after returning to her family from a cult.
For: Magnificent performance by Olsen / Quite unsettling at times
Against: I don’t want to give too much away, but the ending is incredibly annoying. I have no problem with an open ending, the future unclear. But Martha stops in the middle of a scene, and that grates. I understand the reasoning – Martha is so paranoid that she sees an enemy at every turn – but frankly that’s not good enough.
Favourite Scene: Martha reacts to Ted touching her / Martha reacts to the bartender
Rating: 3 Lukes
We Need to talk about Kevin
Released: 2011
Directed by: Lynne Ramsay
Starring: Tilda Swinton, John C. Reilly, Ezra Miller
Plot: Adolescent Kevin is in prison after committing a massacre at his high school, as well as the murders of his father and sister. His mother, Eva, a once-successful travel writer, lives alone in a run-down house and works in a mall travel agency in a town near the prison where she visits Kevin. She looks back at her memories of him growing up as she tries to cope with the anger and hostility of her neighbours, who know her to be Kevin’s mother and lost loved ones in his massacre. Her memories are shown in flashbacks.
For: Tilda Swinton always gives a great performance, and this is one of her best / The sense of hopelessness and alienation is very well done / What happens when a mother doesn’t feel anything maternal for her own son?
Against: I’m not fond of the resolution. Eva has feared and disliked Kevin most of his life. He scares and mystifies her. Yet when he commits his unspeakable acts she suddenly becomes maternal. Is it out of guilt? Self inflicted punishment and a quest for atonement for not having him analyzed and treated earlier and therefore allowing these crimes to be committed?
Favourite Scene: Eva wakes up to find her house covered in blood red paint / The co-worker that has been flirting with her reveals his true feelings / the dinner conversation with Kevin
Rating: 3 Lukes
Wonder Woman
Released: 2009
Directed by: Lauren Montgomery
Starring: Keri Russell, Nathan Fillion, Alfred Molina, Rosario Dawson
Plot: Princess Diana of Themyscira, hidden island of the Amazons, is chosen to travel to ‘man’s world’ to find Ares God of War and stop him before he brings destruction on the whole planet.
For: Cool animation / Diana is powerful, but inexperienced / Quite violent, but not gratuitous / one of the better DC Animation films
Against: Ok, this is nitpicking to the nth degree but I have to get it off my chest. If Wonder Woman is part of the DC Universe and a nuclear missile is launched, where the hell is Superman (or any of the other DC heroes)? I know this complaint doesn’t make sense but dammit it irks me! 🙂
Favourite Scene: Steve reveals his innermost thoughts and then realises his foot is touching the lasso / the bar and confrontation outside / Diana vs Ares / every scene with Artemis
Rating: 3.5 Lukes
Mission Impossible 4 – Ghost Protocol
Released: 2011
Directed by: Brad Bird
Starring: Tom Cruise, Simon Pegg, Jeremy Renner, Paula Patton
Plot: The IMF are implicated in the bombing of the Kremlin and are declared disbanded and disavowed by the US President using the Ghost Protocol sanction. Working without backup, Ethan Hunt and his group attempt to stop the insane villain Cobalt from destroying a US city with a nuclear missile, and starting WWIII.
For: Ridiculous over the top set pieces / New team work well together / Renner is great
Against: Sometimes a bit too ridiculous / Why the hell does Cobalt leap to his death? The case has proven resilient enough so far, so the fall wouldn’t damage it. Why not just throw the case out of the friggin’ building? / Yet another Cruise climbing something scene – I acknowledge that he is very good at it, but seriously give it a rest.
Favourite Scene: Hunt is extracted from the Russian prison / Jane vs Sabine / Ethan and William talk at the waterfront and the truth about Julia is revealed
Rating: 3 Lukes
Dream House
Released: 2011
Directed by: Jim Sheridan
Starring: Daniel Craig, Rachel Weisz, Naomi Watts, Marton Csokas, Elias Koteas
Plot: Devoted family man Will does all he can to protect his family from the weirdness that seems to surround their new house.
For: Cast do what they can / having what would normally be the climatic plot twist in the middle of the film was refreshing, and since I hadn’t seen the trailer (which gives it all away), I was pleasantly surprised.
Against: A thriller/horror from the director of My Left Foot & In the Name of the Father – intriguing. Too bad the end result is a boring mess with absolutely no scares. Sheridan, Craig & Weisz were so annoyed with Morgan Creek’s interference with the production (and final edit) that wanted their names removed from the film and refused to do any promo work for it.
Favourite Scene: Can’t think of one.
Rating: 1 Luke
A Fish called Wanda
Released: 1988
Directed by: Charles Crichton & John Cleese (Uncredited)
Starring: John Cleese, Jamie Lee Curtis, Kevin Kline, Michael Palin, Tom Georgeson
Plot: A tale of double crossing shenanigans after a jewel heist.
For: Charmingly old school comedy / Kline won the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor for his performance as Otto, and it was well deserved / Ken accidentally killing the dogs, and his reactions is comedy gold
Against: Curtis isn’t all that funny / Wendy may be very annoying, but isn’t an excuse to cheat on her (marital infidelity bad mm’kay!)
Favourite Scene: Ken accidentally killing the dogs / Ken gets revenge on Otto / and basically any Otto scene
Rating: 3 Lukes
