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Brighton Wok: The Legend of Ganja Boxing (2008)
Don't be fooled
A film cannot engage you if there are no real actors in it. You wonder why it doesn't have a rating and you can only buy it (for £10 + £2 p&p) from the website, its because literally no-one in it can act. The best actor in it is the random french guy. The plot is ridiculously thin on the ground and the effects are laughable. The villain has the most ridiculous accent which keeps changing, and the ganja master is just some English guy with white stick-on eyebrows and a beard. I mean you'd have thought there could be at at least one foreign actor playing a foreign character.. And the two old women are possibly the most jarringly annoying characters in history. Im probably being slightly over-critical here but all the other reviews are too positive. Yes, there are allusions to other kung fu films (which don't have great acting or plot either) and by all means if you know the guys who made it or live in brighton then see it, but don't expect a film on the level of British directors like shane meadows or danny boyle. the novelty wears off. fast. i don't think 85 minutes has ever gone so slowly. the trailer looks good because its a compilation of the fighting but in between the fighting there are long arduous pointless scenes with characters (who have absolutely no development) shockingly acting with a ridiculous aimless script. Not worth £12. By a long shot. Sorry guys.
There Will Be Blood (2007)
A film should not be a struggle to enjoy yourself.
This is one of those films which you either love or you hate, maybe because it pivots around one character, like Taxi Driver. I think both films are overrated. Now i'm quite patient when it comes to films. but the editing made this one of the most infuriatingly slow paced films ever. the score was painful to listen to, very post-modern and dissonant, and although i like to hear something vaguely original as opposed to the fakely over-dramatic music you hear in trailers for commercialised action films (you know what I'm talking about), i felt it did nothing for the film (The Dark Knight, on the other hand, used jarring microtones briefly, right at the start of the film before the bank heist, to raise tension. I felt it was massively overused in There Will Be Blood). It was just noise which everyone was wishing would shut up. even if a film isn't sad or soppy, music is an essential part of cinema to aid the drama. it was such a relief when the Brahms violin concerto was used (i thought it was used to good effect, with a satirical edge to the 'giocoso'/joking style of the piece, especially at the end, reflecting Day-Lewis' state of mind). Anyway, the actual content of the film was essentially uninteresting, every scene was used purely to develop some character relationships and the story was incredibly basic. The cinematography was really nothing special; some wide landscape shots to give an epic effect but no beauty or symbolism. If you want great cinematography, watch Road to Perdition. I came out of the cinema feeling very bored, ripped off and disappointed and thinking this: you cannot make a film just out of one man's acting performance. Yes, Daniel Day-Lewis was great, but where was the drama? Watching a film is not just about assessing someone's acting ability. It has to mean something, to entertain, have an interesting and developed story and be dramatic. The technique of boring people with undeniably overlong shots and scenes and making them wish they'd brought a pair of earmuffs with the music simply does not make a good film in my opinion. Ending on a positive though unnecessary note: Day-Lewis gave a fantastic performance and thoroughly deserved his Oscar. His character was twisted, greedy and inhumane, possibly less shocking but more accessible and believable than his character Bill the Butcher in Gangs of New York. This film is probably worth seeing if you need confirmation of Day-Lewis' acting skills, but despite the final scene (an improvement on the rest of the film), you will not enjoy watching it. I would give this film a 7, because although I didn't enjoy it at all and thought it was overrated, on reconsideration I understand some of the praise it has received. There's no denying it delivers an important message about greed and human nature.
Road to Perdition (2002)
One of the most underrated films ever.
I was left emotionally devastated by this film. The word 'masterpiece' might incite criticism from other reviewers, but I think this film deserves it. Road to Perdition pivots on its truly spectacular cinematography (which, in my opinion, is the best of any film) and its beautiful score by Thomas Newman; although the acting and script are also fantastic. The director Sam Mendes, cinematographer Conrad L. Hall and composer Thomas Newman reunited for this picture after 1999's American Beauty, and the result is a film which works in many respects. You may have heard of Road to Perdition as a gangster film. Yes, the main characters are 1930s Chicago-linked gangsters. But this film is far deeper than any mob film i have seen, and certainly the only gangster film in which i have cried throughout the final 20 minutes. It is about the love of paternal relationships (between Mike Sullivan Snr. & Jnr, between Sullivan Snr and the man who fills the role of his father, John Rooney, and also between Rooney and his son Connor), but also the futility of violence and mob power, and how it can lead to the betrayal by and of those we love most, and the loss of childhood innocence. Although the film avoids dragging on 1hr45mins long, Mendes leaves us with an overwhelming sense of completion. The film has said what it set out to say, and delivered its messages exquisitely. This is also due to elements of Conrad L. Hall's cinematography (e.g. the ring composition of the shots of Michael Sullivan Jnr. on the beach in Perdition facing the sea and the pure sounds of the waves both of which begin and end the film). Mendes and Hall's signature cinematography of the reflection of rainwater is employed to great effect, symbolising the upcoming event of a death, as is the contrast of dark blood against light walls, which in turn contrasts with the general grey hue of the sets and costumes throughout. (The sets and costumes are accurate and effective.) The changing relationship between Sullivan Snr and Jnr is underlined by cinematography (e.g. in the first half, the son's view of his father is shot distantly, whereas there are more close-ups in the second half, and when the two are sitting in the car in the garage, their faces are separated by the frame of the car), and the rain scene is an iconic cinematographic triumph, my favourite elements of which are Hanks entering and leaving like a ghost, emerging from and disappearing into the rain, and the omission of sound effects until Newman speaks, lending greater impetus to heart-rending music of Thomas Newman. The fact that the masterful cinematography and script enhance the acting doesn't detract from the sheer talent of the cast. Hanks gives a top-notch performance, as usual, as Michael Sullivan Snr, a handyman for Irish-American mob boss John Rooney (Paul Newman). Sullivan is betrayed and forced to go on the run with his son Michael Sullivan Jnr after his son witnesses a murder. Hanks skilfully draws in the viewer to empathise with his guilt, grief and determination, and Newman shines as the mob boss faced with a terrible choice. Daniel Craig delivers, making us love to hate him as the spoilt, corrupt son of John Rooney, and Jude Law gives an unforgettable turn as the twisted crime scene photographer - slash - hit-man sent after the Sullivans. Law is extremely unsettling to watch, with his revolting hair, creepily long fingernails and rodent-like countenance. Tyler Hoechlin, as Michael Sullivan Jnr, exhibits remarkable talent. We as viewers can deduce his confusion, despair and love from his face alone, and he steers way clear of being included in my list of infuriating child actors. Al Capone's famous right-hand man Frank Nitti is authoritatively played by Stanley Tucci, whilst Capone himself is left ominously off-screen (his scene was shot, but omitted from the final cut, and can be seen on the DVD deleted scenes). Hanks is not a glamorous hero, he is ruthless and a multiple murderer, but hates the lifestyle from which he cannot escape as his and his family's welfare, as well as his relationship with Paul Newman, depend on it. This makes him all the more appealing as the film's protagonist. Unbeatable with respect to cinematography; a tall order in other respects. Fantastic.