How To Train Your Dragon (2010)

Film: How To Train Your Dragon (2010)

Director(s): Dean DeBlois, Chris Sanders

Starring: Jay Baruchel, Gerard Butler, America Ferrera

I've managed to get some new films from my friend recently and How To Train Your Dragon was just one of them. A different friend of mine told me about it a while ago and said he really enjoyed it so I was excited to see what the fuss was all about. Most of the time I'm a bit hesitant when it comes to animated films and I don't know why this is because 90% of the time I end up loving them. Luckily, How To Train Your Dragon fell within that 90% and it ended up being a really enjoyable movie.

The film focuses on a young Viking named Hiccup (Baruchel), son of Stoick the Vast (Butler) who happens to be the leader of their Viking village, the Island of Berk. Hiccup wants to be a fierce dragon slayer just like his Dad but is instead the laughing stock of the village, perceived as small and weak, and not even close to fulfilling his dreams of fighting dragons. Lets just say he's not your stereotypical hack-and-slash Viking. However, during a dragon raid on their village Hiccup ventures out into the battlefield and manages to down one of the mysterious and deadly Night Fury dragons. When Hiccup finds the dragon trapped by the ropes that brought him crashing to earth, he cannot bring himself to slay the Night Fury and instead befriends the dragon, who he names Toothless. Thus begins a story of friendship and understanding between dragon and man, that changes Hiccup's world forever. I'll leave it there as far as the plot goes, you'll just have to watch it to see what happens to Hiccup and Toothless (it's good!).

What struck me first was the fantastic quality of the animation and I only regret not having seen How To Train Your Dragon in the cinema. I got to watch the Blu-Ray version and the animation was astounding, one of the best efforts I've seen in recent years. I loved the way the colours came out in Up, but How To Train Your Dragon nearly beats it, especially in the little details like the green in Toothless's eyes. The animation team did a terrific job as it really makes the film that little bit better. The voice-work was also incredible, especially from the leading men Baruchel and Butler. Nearly every member of the cast has such a distinctive voice that I didn't need to wait until the credits rolled to know who was who. "That's the guy from Knocked Up... and the guys from Superbad... and the chick from Ugly Betty!". Each actor and actress did a great job with their parts and it really helped make How To Train Your Dragon a better movie. I think the reason this film worked so well is because it succeeded in combining laugh-out-loud comedy with that feeling you had when you watched films as a kid; that mix of action and magic, when you feel like you want to be there, flying on the dragon's back as he soars through the sky.

To conclude, if you haven't seen How To Train Your Dragon yet, I thoroughly recommend it. It's a good film that you can watch with a variety of different people; it works as a date movie, a film to watch with younger viewers, or a group of friends, guys or girls. It hits all the spots no matter who your watching it with. Go and see it now, you won't regret it.

A More Enjoyable Reality Rating: 9/10

Luckily I managed to get some other movies off my mate and have some good ones lined up to watch in the near future. So you can expect reviews of Tron: Legacy, Due Date, The Other Guys, Monsters and many more, if I have the time and energy to write about them. Until then...

Thanks for reading.

Sugar (2008)

Film: Sugar (2008)

Director: Anna Boden, Ryan Fleck

Starring: Algenis Perez Soto, Rayniel Rufino, Andre Holland

I spotted this on BBC iPlayer this morning, saw it was about baseball and I pounced immediately. Being a huge baseball fan, a HBO film based on the sport led me to forget about writing my dissertation and watch Sugar instead. Anna Boden and Ryan Fleck's film from 2008 follows the life of Miguel 'Sugar' Santos, a brash and arrogant pitcher from the Dominican Republic looking to make his dreams come true and play pro ball in the States. He is the star baseball prospect in his community, beloved by his family and friends, and he finally shows his worth at his team's Dominican training camp and gets a chance to play in America with an invitation to Spring Training in Phoenix, Arizona. After distinguishing himself from his peers, Sugar is shipped off to Bridgetown, Iowa to show off his stuff in the minor leagues. Naturally Sugar has to face the trials and tribulations of living in another country, and he's hindered even more thanks to the little English he speaks. I don't want to spoil the story anymore, but obviously Sugar experiences his fair share of highs and lows during his time in Iowa, as any man in his position would. That is where the focus of this film is primarily based, when Sugar has to face the problems of being in an alien land, completely out of his depth yet he still has to decide what he wants in life.

This is not a simple sports movie and anyone who thinks this should give Sugar a watch before they judge it. Algenis Perez Soto is fantastic considering this was his first major role (plus you can tell he played some organised ball in his past - it adds to the authenticity of the movie). Sugar is not a particularly likeable character in the beginning, all brash and cocky about his skills, but he does grow on you as the film progresses and Soto should get the credit for this. By the end of Sugar, you are rooting for him to succeed in life, in spite of some of the decisions he makes. The supporting cast were also terrific, especially in highlighting the immense difficulties between different cultures and languages. Some of the most uncomfortable scenes in Sugar is when our guy can't understand what's going on around him, especially when the family Sugar lives with are talking to him. Yet these are also some of the best scenes, because it really helps you feel something for the character. Soto does a great job here, and thus succeeds in the job every actor should aspire to, making that crucial connection to the audience.

I don't want to go on and on about the film, but iPlayer has it on their site until Saturday the 26th so if you're bored and got nothing to watch, I highly recommend you give it a try. It's well worth the time, even if you don't like baseball.

A More Enjoyable Reality Rating: 7.5/10

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Black Swan (2010)

Film: Black Swan (2010)

Director: Darren Aronofsky

Starring: Natalie Portman, Mila Kunis, Vincent Cassel

This review has been long overdue, since I saw this film a good few weeks ago now. It has also been reviewed to death and as a result Aronofsky's Black Swan quickly became the must-see movie of early 2011, so if you are reading this, I assume you have already seen it as the majority of us have. Thus, I'll keep this (relatively) short.

Black Swan tells the story of New York City ballet dancer Nina Sayers (Portman), who can't believe her luck when she is awarded the lead in a new rendition of 'Swan Lake'. Sayers is handed the role of the graceful White Swan, as well as the much darker and sinister Black Swan, and so has the difficult job of playing two drastically different roles. As the film progresses, Sayers doesn't just have trouble differentiating between the parts on stage, but also in her head, as Black Swan turns into a roller-coaster ride of schizophrenia and fear. Nina has to battle the objects in her life constantly; the pressure of playing both the White and Black Swan, the threat that fellow dancer Lily (Kunis) is out to get her and steal her part, and Nina's obsessive mother (played brilliantly by Barbara Hershey) who suffocates her with adoration and over-the-top mothering. Nina has to contend with all of this whilst simultaneously turning into a nutcase as the pressure gets a bit too much and our dear Nina struggles to tell the difference between reality and her imagination.

This is ultimately the defining theme throughout Black Swan, especially in the last 30-45 minutes of the film. As you sit and watch what occurs on screen, the nice film about ballet dancers turns into a thrilling and psychotic tale of pain and suffering. By the end of the film you can't tell what you've just witnessed actually happened or if you yourself made it up, like Nina often did. From the director of Pi and Requiem For a Dream, I really should have expected nothing less. Aronofsky's bread and butter as a director is his ability to frighten us silly with the realities we face everyday (which makes me think, if he wanted to, he could become quite a good horror director). Whether it's the morbid and depressing realisation of drug addiction in Requiem or the awful brutality of a broken old man in The Wrestler, Aronofsky challenges the way we watch movies and he has done it again with Black Swan.

The success of this film can certainly be shared equally between the director and his fantastic crew of talented actors and actresses. The cast were sensational throughout as every man and woman played their role perfectly. Mila Kunis was fantastic as Lily, Nina's competition and complete opposite (free spirit, sexually liberal) and credit must to go Vincent Cassel too, as Leroy the director, and consequently chief tormentor of Nina. Both Kunis and Cassel really got into their characters and made Black Swan all the better for it. However, Black Swan would be nothing without it's leading lady and the awards and plaudits must surely go to the deserving Natalie Portman. To think that this actress was once the sweet and innocent Queen Amidala in The Phantom Menace is astounding. Portman's performance in Black Swan is nothing short of spectacular and there is no doubt that if she walks away with Best Leading Actress at the Oscars this year, she will have thoroughly deserved it (she already bagged a Golden Globe). To be honest, it will be daylight robbery if she doesn't win considering the competition she is up against. The amount of time and dedication it must have taken to play her role as Nina is mind-boggling. After watching that scene when Portman writhes on her bed in self-inflicted pleasure, unaware her crazy mother is only inches away asleep in a chair, I'm not sure if she'll ever be the Queen of Naboo again in my mind... you just can't go back after that...

All in all, Black Swan was a brilliant film and I don't expect to see many better in 2011. The only criticism I have is that, whilst being a powerful and emotional film, Black Swan isn't exactly one I'll be popping in the DVD player on a regular basis. That's no slight against the film, it was excellent, but like Requiem, Black Swan is so depressing and terrifying that repeat viewings may not occur very often. However, you cannot shy away from the fact that Natalie Portman gave the performance of her career and it was truly shocking yet astounding at the same time. Not an easy feat to say the least.

A More Enjoyable Reality Rating: 8/10

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The Fighter (2010)

Film: The Fighter (2010)

Director: David O. Russell

Starring: Mark Wahlberg, Christian Bale, Amy Adams

Last night I had the pleasure to be at the Little Cinema in Bath to watch a free preview of David O Russell's new boxing epic, The Fighter, hosted by Little White Lies magazine and Grolsch. This was the second time I've attended one of these evenings, the first being The King's Speech in Decemeber, and it was a brilliant evening yet again. Free cheese and a bottle of cold Grolsch (in a posh glass as well) is a nice touch and it sets you up nicely before the film starts rolling.

The Fighter was a fantastic and compelling film, and is easily O Russell's crowning glory of his directing career to date, thanks largely to two award-worthy performances from Wahlberg and especially Bale. This is not a Rocky re-hash or your typical rags-to-riches tale, but a shocking yet inspiring piece of cinema. Wahlberg plays Micky Ward, a down on his luck welterweight from Lowell, Massachusetts who isn't on the path to pugilist glory he'd perhaps prefer. Micky's failures in the ring are largely due to his crack addicted brother and trainer Dickie (Bale) and his mother's (Michelle Leo) terrible management of his boxing career. Micky's family, despite professing their love and support for him, are responsible for destroying his pursuit of that elusive championship. I don't want to spoil the plot so I won't reveal anything else, but I can admit that the film's success is not necessarily in the ring (although the boxing scenes are brutally good) but in the home, where we see Micky having to battle against his own family who think everything they do is for his own good, when in fact they are only damaging Micky even more. Wahlberg's performance as Ward is exceptional and he succeeds in making his character more than just a numb-skulled brawler but somebody you actually care about, which makes it even more satisfying when he wins his battles, in the ring and within his family.

Unfortunately for Wahlberg, Christian Bale steals the show as Dickie, the unreliable sibling who can't shake his crack addiction, and never lets you forget he once (supposedly) knocked down the legendary Sugar Ray Leonard. Bale is mesmerising in The Fighter, with his scrawny and uncomfortable body language, thick and humorous Bostonian accent perfected, and his incessant need to chew on something, even when it appears he has nothing to chew. It would be a mighty shame if Bale doesn't walk away with the Best Supporting Actor award from the Oscars this year - he deserves it. You need to see him to believe, but Bale's turn as Dickie might possibly be his finest performance to date. Bale is unrecognisable from the man we see in Nolan's Batman films, in The Fighter he IS Dickie, 100%. A marvellous piece of acting. The supporting cast were terrific as well, adding so much to what makes The Fighter superb, with Amy Adams and Michelle Leo leading the way (both of them nominated for Supporting Actress awards also). Adams plays Charlene, Micky's tough yet supportive girlfriend who only wants the best for her man. Leo is Micky's dominating and emotional mother Alice, who cannot realise that her 'I am right all the time' attitude is causing more harm than good to her son. Both actresses deserve whatever success they get from the Academy, as they are perfect in their roles in The Fighter.

I highly recommend you go and see The Fighter as soon as you can. You don't have to be a boxing enthusiast to enjoy this film, as The Fighter is more about family than fighting (although there is plenty of fighting!). Bale's performance is probably worth the price of admission in itself. You won't be disappointed.

A More Enjoyable Reality Rating: 9/10

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Love and Other Drugs (2010)

Film: Love and Other Drugs (2010)

Director: Edward Zwick

Starring: Jake Gyllenhaal, Anne Hathaway

Love and Other Drugs follows drugs-rep Jamie Randall (Gyllenhaal), a brash pharmaceutical salesman who charms his way into women's beds as and when he likes. That is until Jamie comes across the mysterious free-spirit Maggie Murdock (Hathaway) who just happens to be the woman of his dreams, the love of his life. Zwick's film is not your typical rom-com from the start but Love and Other Drugs soon finds itself going down the cliché road of most romantic comedies. Boy meets girl, boy can't have girl, boy gets girl, problem occurs, pair make up and live happily ever after. Now obviously there is more to this film than that simple analysis, but at the heart of it Love and Other Drugs was a good film, but not a great one. It did what a romantic comedy was supposed to do, but that was about it. To put it simply, nothing stood out to make this a must-see movie but then again, that is perhaps missing the point. This is the type of film you go to with a partner, a film to laugh at and enjoy. Love and Other Drugs hits the spot in that respect.

I'm not trying to put down this film though, not at all - it was still an entertaining flick, with Gyllenhaal at his best. I've always been a bit of a Jake fan, and Donnie Darko, despite its weirdness, is up there with my favourite films. However I've never really liked Anne Hathaway in the past (still not sure if she'll make a good Catwoman or not...), but she did well in Love and Other Drugs and I have no complaints with her performance. It was clear that Jake and Hathaway have chemistry as they really worked well together on screen, which benefited the film enormously. Gyllenhaal's character Jamie was particularly good, as he progressed from an arrogant ladies man and a bit of a knob into a person you care about, especially in the scenes when Maggie was having serious problems with her disease (early on-set Parkinsons if you didn't know). The supporting cast were terrific, with Hank Azaria and Oliver Platt standing out, though it might have been nice if their characters were expanded on a bit more. Relative newcomer Josh Gad, who played Jamie's calamitous brother Josh, was perhaps a bit over the top at times but he was there to provide some laughs and he achieved that - the scene where Jamie comes home to find his brother Josh masturbating over Jamie and Maggie's sex tape was hilariously awkward. During the opening credits I was pretty surprised when I saw that Edward Zwick was behind this one, as Love and Other Drugs is nothing like any of his previous work I've seen (Blood Diamond, The Last Samurai, Defiance, Legends of the Fall). This is not in any way a bad thing, as Love and Other Drugs was a fun and enjoyable film, which is exactly what it was meant to be.

A More Enjoyable Reality Rating: 7/10

Next up on my cinema schedule is The Fighter, which I will be going to see this Tuesday night (the 25th). I was successful getting tickets to see the free preview at The Little Theatre Cinema, and I'm eagerly anticipating seeing this. I have heard Bale is incredible... you'll find out when I write about The Fighter later this week!

Thanks for reading.

The King's Speech (2010)

Film: The King's Speech (2010)

Director: Tom Hooper

Starring: Colin Firth, Geoffrey Rush, Helena Bonham Carter

A friend of mine, who honestly pays more attention to the cinema than I do, stumbled upon two free tickets to see The King's Speech at our local Picturehouse Cinema in Bath, The Little Theatre. When I say stumbled upon, I really mean that he was quick enough and wise enough to apply for tickets before everyone else. Little White Lies magazine and Grolsch have partnered up to host exclusive previews of new films, and luckily for me The King's Speech was one of them. My mate regrettably couldn't attend so he offered up his seats to my girlfriend and I, which was extremely nice of him and I'm still very grateful (thanks again Simon!). I'd seen the trailer for Tom Hooper's new film about King George VI and the awful speech impediment that plagued him, and thought it looked pretty interesting so I jumped at the chance to see it for free.

When we arrived at the theatre, complete with our names on the guest-list (how very A-list), we quickly found our seats. Thanks to Grolsch, Little White Lies, and the fine folks at the Little Theatre in Bath, we were treated to a free bottle of Grolsch each and some very fancy Dutch cheese. After a few bites I soon discovered that cheese and beer doesn't go together as well as I'd have liked, but the thought was there nonetheless and free stuff is always great. Plus, my girlfriend isn't too keen on beer so I got her bottle as well. Score.

So you probably want to know what I thought of the film right? The King's Speech is without doubt one of the best films I've witnessed this year. Heading into the cinema I was anticipating a good film, but I came away with so much more as Tom Hooper's masterpiece was a terrific surprise. I'm not going to reveal too much of the plot, as the film is not officially released in the UK for another week or so, but I would just say that if you have the means to go and see The King's Speech, go and do it. Colin Firth puts in a magnificent performance as 'Bertie' and should be a dead cert to win the Oscar next year. Firth is mesmerising as the King, and is so convincing with a speech impediment that I will find it hard to imagine him in anything else. Geoffrey Rush is equally sublime as Lionel Logue, the Australian speech therapist whose job it was to cure the King of his stutter. Rush and Firth have such a brilliant chemistry together and made the film much more humorous than I was expecting. The two leading men ensured that The King's Speech didn't provide a boring moment throughout. The rest of the cast were also perfect for their roles, notably Helena Bonham Carter as Queen Elizabeth and Guy Pearce as the dastardly King Edward VIII. The King's Speech is an outstanding example of British cinema at its best, and Tom Hooper has surpassed the lofty heights of his previous film, The Damned United. As the film came to a close, it started to have an odd effect on me, as you strangely feel quite patriotic as you exit the cinema. I can't say that about many other movies.

The King's Speech was a fantastic film and I thoroughly recommend you go and see it as soon as possible. Even if it doesn't look like your sort of thing, just give it a try and I believe you'll be pleasantly surprised. It's THAT good.

A More Enjoyable Reality Rating: 9/10

Grolsch and Little White Lies are hosting more exclusive previews in 2011, and I'm hoping to get some tickets to see some of them, as The King's Speech was a thoroughly enjoyable evening. I've already applied for tickets to see David O. Russell's new film The Fighter in late January, so fingers crossed.

Thanks for reading.

The American (2010)

Film: The American (2010)

Director: Anton Corbijn

Starring: George Clooney, Paolo Bonacelli, Violante Placido

I had high expectations heading into this one, especially after reading some favourable reviews in Empire and Little White Lies (who claimed it was one of 'the best films of the year'). I was excited to see The American and what it had to offer. I wouldn't say I'm a massive Clooney fan, and I've never seen anything by Corbijn, but I still thought the film looked really interesting, a Bourne-like thriller set in the heart of rural Italy. I unfortunately missed the preview the Little Theatre in Bath had on in November, but I did manage to see it a few weeks later.

To be honest, I wish I hadn't bothered. The American certainly didn't live up to the hype, not for me anyway. It starts out brightly enough, with Clooney's character Jack narrowly escaping an assassination in the Swedish tundra. Jack then has to flee to safety and ends up in a small town in Italy (the stunning Castel del Monte in Abruzzo), where he befriends the local priest and falls in love with the town prostitute. Despite the clichés, this is all perfectly acceptable and would make for decent entertainment. However that's about it for the plot, as nothing else really happens. The action scenes, whilst impressive, are brief to say the least, in length and occurrence. For a film about an American hitman trying to escape his demons in Europe, its just not enough. Corbijn certainly didn't set out to create your run-of-the-mill action flick and its obvious he wanted to show us a different kind of action thriller. The Dutch director certainly created a beautiful piece of cinema with The American, but I felt that for 105 minutes, Corbijn got his priorities mixed as beauty seemed to take precedence over story. For example, the director loved to highlight the beautiful Italian landscape and Corbijn repeatedly shot Clooney driving his car around the winding roads, but it just felt too forced to me and a bit overkill on the 'arty' side. Still, a gorgeous film throughout.

However, I can't find much fault with the acting in The American. Clooney was particularly good, perfecting that sense of tension and pain in his character. Clooney may have stolen the show, as he often does as the leading man, but the supporting cast were top-notch as well. Jack's fellow assassin Mathilde, played by Thekla Reuten, was terrific in her scene with Clooney in an Italian cafe. The tension was unbearable - it was probably the best moment of the film - as I found myself on the edge of my seat in anticipation. Violante Placido, who played love interest Clara, achieved her job as the eye candy in The American. Corbijn loves things that look good, so its obvious why he chose Placido to accompany Clooney. Paolo Bonacelli, who played Father Benedetto, was decent enough I suppose, but I don't think he had enough screen time to make much of an impression.

Overall, The American didn't do enough for me to say I would happily go and see it again. I don't mind slow films, in fact I often think some movies could have benefited with a change of pace, but The American was so slow that when you look back on it, not a great deal happened. The film was certainly beautiful, and Corbijn liked to show off his cast and their surroundings, but the plot was sloppy, the pace was exhausting, and there were a few moments when I honestly felt quite bored. To put it simply enough, it just felt empty. I wasn't expecting an action movie by any means, but The American didn't offer me enough thrills and spills to make me a fan.

A More Enjoyable Reality Rating: 5/10

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