siobhandenton Reviews

Eagle Eye (2008)

Not bad, but not great either.

[4/10 · 31 October 2008]

Estranged from his family, broke, and mourning the death of his twin brother who he hasn't seen in three years, Jerry Shaw (Shia LeBeouf) returns home to find his apartment filled with various weaponry, multiple passports and a number of flight manuals. Understandably confused, he receives a phone call from a mysterious woman who informs him that the FBI will be arriving in thirty seconds, clearly due to the highly illegal items he now apparently has in his possession. Simultaneously, Rachel Holloman (Michelle Monaghan), a divorced and effectively single parent, receives a similar phone call after waving her young son off on a music trip. Rachel is told that unless she complies with orders, the train her son is travelling on will be derailed. As both Rachel and Jerry are quick to learn, their unknown caller has an almost omnipotent control over them; controlling all surveillance, all mobile phones and all electronic equipment. The pair are forced to work together, carrying out instructions in order to save both themselves and Rachel's son. Based on the novel All the Troubles of the World by Isaac Asimov, Eagle Eye contains some highly watchable action sequences and is clearly trying to bring into discussion some serious issues; unfortunately any attempt to do so is lost in a needlessly convoluted plot. The actors do their best, but both leads are better than this: Shia LeBeouf is surprisingly good, and entirely believable in his role, and Michelle Monaghan who has already shown her ability in smaller roles in Mission Impossible 3 and Gone Baby Gone, shows what she can do in a larger role. Eagle Eye isn't terrible, but it's far from being all that great. Watchable and relatively enjoyable, it's entirely trashy entertainment. Its major themes (surveillance and the power of technology) have been seen many times before and have been executed in a better way. Ultimately Eagle Eye ends up becoming a myriad of ideas from better films, with nothing original or new to say. Some of the scenes even seem lifted from other films, see 2001: A Space Odyssey, Die Hard 4.0, and The Bourne Ultimatum. Certainly more watchable than the relatively recent action film Wanted, the film is let down by a simply ridiculous plot.

The House Bunny (2008)

pretty awful

[4/10 · 31 October 2008]

After being evicted from the Playboy Mansion for being too old at 27, Shelley Darlingson (Anna Faris) now homeless, has little choice but to move into the Zeta Sorority House, whose seven misfit members risk losing their house unless they receive thirty pledges from potential new Zetas. So in exchange for living there, Shelley dedicates herself to the task of making the Zetas popular to help them attract pledges. An orphan whose only real home has been the Playboy Mansion, Shelley is incredibly naive with no real world experience, and is therefore the ultimate archetypal dumb blonde character, trading one comfortable environment for another. From the same writers of Legally Blonde, The House Bunny attempts to imitate the success of the former. Unfortunately the film fails on all accounts. Legally Blonde was successful largely due to Reese Witherspoon's likability, subverting her dumb blonde image in the film. The House Bunny makes no attempt to dispel this stereotype: Shelley tells the sorority girls that popularity is increased through higher levels of attractiveness. The film is also hugely clichéd: there isn't anything that hasn't been seen before here. Complete with the typical cheesy montages in which the characters toil as inspiring music is played, the film is entirely formulaic. The film is completely predictable from the start, with no surprises whatsoever. Anna Faris is not particularly likable; during her appearance on Friends (playing Erica in the final series) she was just about bearable. However, now given a feature length film, the increase in screen time just serves to highlight her lack of talent as an actress. Shelley is irritating, stupid beyond belief and not remotely funny. The biggest laugh in the film comes unintentionally from Hugh Hefner in a cameo role, who actually manages the feat of failing at playing himself. Emma Stone (Jules in Superbad) does well enough with a terrible script; whereas Rumer Willis, daughter of Bruce, is given little opportunity to show off any acting abilities she may possess. Overall 'The House Bunny' is a poor film that brings nothing new to a tired genre.

Drillbit Taylor (2008)

An enjoyable film

[5/10 · 9 April 2008]

The only reason I saw 'Drillbit Taylor' is because my friend has a bit of a thing for Owen Wilson, not expecting much but fulfilling my duties as a friend I begrudgingly went along. What I did not expect was to see a genuinely funny and enjoyable film. OK, so the plots not overly intelligent, three newcomers to high school are being bullied, so they hire the services of a bodyguard: Drillbit Taylor (played by Owen Wilson). What we know, but the kids don't, is that Drillbit is actually unemployed and homeless and doesn't really know anything about being a bodyguard. This is where the majority of the comedy stems from; Drillbit's attempts to train the kids, in often bizarre ways frequently leads to laughs. Admittedly the second half of the film slows down slightly, as we learn a message of friendship and standing up to bullies; but don't take this as a criticism of the film. Indeed this films genuine and heartfelt message, showcasing the plight of the outsider is what makes this film successful.

Not likely to win any awards, 'Drillbit Taylor' is enjoyable escapism with plenty of laughs and a heart-warming message at the end.

The Wings of the Dove (1997)

A wonderful film

[8/10 · 9 April 2008]

Based on the novel by Henry James, 'The Wings of the Dove' is a beautiful film both in terms of locations, story and acting. Helena Bonham Carter plays Kate Croy, who after being taking on as a ward by her Aunt Maude, is forced to meet illicitly with her lower class lover Merton Densher (played by Linus Roache). When Kate discovers that her new friend Mille (played by Alison Elliot), a wealthy American heiress is terminally ill, she sets about enticing Merton to seduce Millie in order for Kate and Merton to be able to marry through the acquisition of her inheritance. The cinematography of the film is simply stunning, especially the night scenes in Venice, the costumes too are beautifully made and in my opinion Helena Bonham Carter has never looked better; whilst she may not want to be known as a corset queen, it must be said that her performances in such period films are always superb. It is also obvious why Bonham Carter was Oscar nominated for the film, she succeeds playing a complex character and the scene where she writes a letter to Merton, terrified that her lover will fall in love with Millie is almost heartbreaking to watch, we can truly understand her pain, yet we also understand that this is a pain of her own design. All in all, 'The Wings of the Dove' is to be highly recommended, darker than your normal period drama; the film looks at human manipulation and jealously. The final love scene is incredibly emotive, the viewer can almost see the pain etched on the protagonists' faces, and indeed it is interesting that during an act of complete and utter intimacy, the two lovers have never been further apart from one another.

27 Dresses (2008)

predictable yet enjoyable

[6/10 · 30 March 2008]

Curtis Hanson managed to bring something new to the chick flick with his 2005 film In Her Shoes, bringing a new dimension to an often predictable genre. When the chick flick/rom com is good, it's really good; audiences only have to look towards Pretty Woman or When Harry Met Sally for that. 27 Dresses does not reinvent the genre however, far from it; instead it relies on time old clichés: the selfish younger sister, the man who is oblivious to the protagonist's affections, the supportive best friend, the reporter with the ulterior motive, and the main protagonist getting drunk and letting loose. We have seen this all before, but despite this 27 Dresses can still be an enjoyable film, largely due to Heigl's performance as Jane, a woman who has been a bridesmaid 27 times and is now going to serve as a bridesmaid to her sister, who is marrying the man that Jane is secretly in love with. Without Heigl's easy charm, Jane could be another stock character who the audience finds irritating. Ultimately this is not a ground breaking film, but it's enjoyable none the less.

The Other Boleyn Girl (2008)

poorly paced, poor script, poorly executed

[5/10 · 21 March 2008]

I went into 'The Other Boleyn Girl' aware of its poor reviews, but still hoping for something special. Unfortunately the film failed on most accounts. Firstly the actual story itself, is simply put, poor. Many audience members will undoubtedly believe this to be the true story of the Boleyn girls, yet the film (as well as the novel upon which the film is based) is rife with historical inaccuracies and often complete fabrications. The real Anne Boleyn-unlike the scheming, manipulative character we see in the film- was in fact a pious Christian, devoted to her faith and known for giving charitably. Mary did indeed have a brief affair with Henry VIII, but she also had an affair with the King of France-far from the sexually inexperienced girl that is presented in the film. Nevermind the fact that Mary Boleyn was in fact the older sister of Anne, not the younger sister. The pacing of the film is poor-at points where more detail should be devoted, we are rushed through, whereas at other points the film drags. The audience learn little of wider political and societal movements at the time, and Jane Seymour is only mentioned in passing-now perhaps this focus on the Boleyn Sisters is intentional, the directors attempt to show womens limited power in this time only succeeds in suggesting that their only source of power was through their sexual attractiveness (perhaps arguably, having some historical grounding). As for Henry VIII, the audience is given the impression that hi major preoccupation is bedding young attractive women-we gain no impression of his ruler-ship or leadership abilities. The acting is solid, and Portman and Johansson do well with their English accents, however you know a film has failed when you spend most of its duration admiring the costumes (which are beautiful) rather than paying attention to the film. Ultimately the film could not sustain my attention, and I left the cinema feeling rather disappointed and cheated.

There Will Be Blood (2007)

A True American Classic

[10/10 · 20 March 2008]

If you're looking for subtlety then you're not going to find it in P T Anderson's There Will Be Blood; from the grand scale locations to the larger than life characters, Anderson's film feels truly epic. Yet don't take this as a fault of the film, indeed it is the films epic quality that ensures its success. Loosely based on Upton Sinclair's novel Oil, There Will Be Blood tells the story of Daniel Plainview (played by Daniel Day-Lewis). After Plainview accidentally discovers oil (and its monetary gains), he becomes set on sourcing further oil and thus gaining more wealth. After a tip off in which Plainview is told of oil rich land in California, his greed ultimately leads to a battle of wills between Plainview and Eli Sunday (Paul Dano, who also plays the small but pivotal role of Paul Sunday) the young minister of a church, culminating in the almost comic final scene of the film, as Plainview's greed ultimately consumes him. Day-Lewis deservedly won an Academy Award for his performance of a man entirely obsessed by greed, and indeed it is he on who the film rests upon. His performance is startling, utterly embodying the enigmatic character of Plainview. There is a distinct lack of character development, and whilst the audience is shown Plainview at the beginning of his ascent we never truly learn his motives and feelings. However, the lack of information that we have about the character ensures that the audience not only learns all they need to know, but they are kept at a distance from this ultimately lonely figure. In fact there is no dialogue for the first fifteen minutes of the film, in which we watch Plainview mining, working entirely by himself. The cinematography adds to the almost mystical quality of the film, reminiscent of Terence Malick's Days of Heaven, which was shot entirely during magic hour. Ultimately, this is an epic film showcasing the subversion of the American Dream, and deserves to be remembered as a true American Classic.

The Last Samurai (2003)

Superb

[8/10 · 13 July 2006]

What can I say, the only film that starred Tom Cruise during which I forgot I was watching the Tom Cruise show. I cannot believe that Cruise did not win an Oscar for his role as Capt. Nathan Algren a disillusioned civil war hero who spends much of his time drunk and in menial employment.

Sent to Japan to fight the Samurai-who are fighting against the emperor's weak-willed natured and his advisers who are determined to westernise Japan; he finds himself joining their cause, and finding meaning in their lifestyle. Not only are the relationships in the film handled with extreme poignancy especially between Taka and Algren. The camera work lovingly shows Japan in all its beauty and you can understand just why Algren would be seduced by such a lifestyle.

A truly brilliant film, which went much ignored when released, I urge you to watch this film, especially if you liked Gladiator, Dances With Wolves or The Last of The Mohicans or if you just enjoy a great film and a great story with great attention to detail. Edward Zwick's direction tells the story at a measured pace, it seems unusual in films released today to actually find a great story; however this is certainly not the case with The Last Samurai.