nessymon.com

Category: Film Review

  • The Artist: Movie Review

    The-Artist-MoviePosterThis movie has been all over the media since Christmas and the hype around it, had made this movie out to be ‘definitely one you won’t want to miss’. The Artist, a silent movie in 2012, would it work? Maybe the hype had been built up too much.

    I had been waiting to be blown away by this. The world of cinema has come a long way since Georges Méliès and The Lumiere Brothers. Surround sound and the option of 3D are commonplace, filling the senses with overloaded sound and imagery. The lack of dialogue in this film would need to be compensated through film action and direction.

    The story revolves around George Valentin (Jean Dujardin) an actor who fears the arrival of the ‘Talkies’ and his possible popularity slide. His story is crossed with that of Peppy Miller (Bérénice Bejo), a dancer/actress, Star in the making and her rise as the ‘Talkies’ take hold. (more…)

  • Haywire: Movie Review

    haywire posterIt’s always nice to see a movie set in your hometown, here part of Haywire was filmed in Dublin so getting to see a preview was going to be a treat.

    As far as I can remember the only other time I’ve seen a film on opening night where it was set was Madonna’s The Next Best Thing, which was set in Santa Monica. The locals giggled as local bars and clubs came onscreen. In the Savoy for the preview of Haywire, similar happened but squeals of ‘Ooh Burger King’ didn’t seem as exotic.

    Haywire is directed by Steven Soderbergh, yes he of Ocean’s Eleven fame and with a cast that includes, Ewan McGregor, Michael Fassbender, Channing Tatum, Antonio Banderas, Michael Douglas and of course, Gina Carano, you would expect a decent script to start with. (more…)

  • Red State: Movie Review

    REDSTATEKevin Smith goes for a more serious guise in Red State, which he has claimed will be his second last ever film. ‘Silent Bob’ has gone for a gritty look at religion and it’s by products in what has been called a horror film.

    I’m not sure why but I do respect Smith, I love Dogma and Jay and Silent Bob and respect that for Red State, he has chosen to go down the independent road.

    Down to the story: We’re introduced to three high school kids in middle America, one of whom, sees a religious protest at a funeral of a local gay kid.  Smith brilliantly uses a class room scene to show us what the area and the kids’ lives are like. The trio of sex curious teens respond to an online ad and go on a road trip to get laid.

    Of course it goes wrong, they have landed themselves slap bang in the middle of religious freak land and either tied up or in a cage. Lovely! Smith’s writing and direction here is nothing short of brilliant, beautifully building up the story.  Whether it was the content of the film or the script I’m not entirely sure but I found myself getting more frustrated as the story went on.  (more…)

  • Troll Hunter: Movie Review

    TrollHunterDirected by André Øvredal, Troll Hunter is a Norwegian film telling the story of some film students who investigate bear killings for a college assignment. But it turns out to be a bit worse than bears.. yes, the guy they follow is a Troll Hunter and the government are trying to cover it all up. The team led by Thomas try to get trolls on camera, something that has never been done before.

    Here’s my dilemma, I really enjoyed this film and I thought it was really funny. I’m not sure it’s supposed to be funny though, I think it’s supposed to edge further to the horror genre than it actually does. The first problem is that most people have seen ‘The Blair Witch Project’ or ‘Paranormal Activity’ and we know these things are acted out, so it immediately makes the movie seem a little out of touch with reality.

    If you look at Troll Hunter as a serious film, you’ll be disappointed. However, if you look at it from a lighter side of life, it’s 103 minutes of entertainment. (more…)