October was a big month for viewing, as we approach the pre-Christmas clearance.
Death Proof is Tarantino’s segment of the Grindhouse double feature. While, sadly, it was split for the European release (look out for the Planet Terror review in November’s Film Fight), this part of Grindhouse still delivers the goods. Kurt Russell plays Stuntman Mike, a thrill-seeker who loves hurting and scaring young women. Without elaborating much more on the plot, it meets expectations of how ridiculous a b-movie should be. The characters are over the top, the dialogue is a little over-boiled (but not hard-boiled), and everything comes together nicely. Where it falls down is the length. This release is around 30 minutes longer than the original cut, and it shows. I enjoy Tarantino’s dialogue, he’s a master it believably, but it does go on a little long in places. So, a good film, but not great.
Having enjoyed prequel Night Watch, it was with some disappointment that I realised Day Watch’s makers had gotten it so spectacularly wrong. The original had an odd epic battle going on between the two sides of Day and Night, with each character having their own power, the set-up being quite dark, and the mysterious Gloom unsettling. This time round everything is pulled out of the writer’s ass. Characters develop new powers and find artifacts to help them when it’s plot convenient, the story is all over the place (dozens of nonsensical slivers), the upped budget has produced some pretty brash effects (a bad thing), an abysmal ending, and the whole thing smacks of not knowing what to do. It lacks cohesion, intelligence and style: the very things that the original had going for it. A real shame.
Recent Farrelly brother films and Ben Stiller films have been pretty poor. That’s why it’s such a surprise to find that the pairing has produced a pretty decent movie, The Heartbreak Kid. The plot is thin, but the farce that develops around it is quite amusing. It features a good performance by Michelle Monaghan, some great back and forths between Stiller and Monaghan’s family, and a strong supporting cast. The layer upon layer of ending is, as always, a pain point, but the rest of the film is strong enough to survive it. Good, light entertainment.
It’s sad to see a good premise go wrong. Sadly, that’s what happens with the remake of The Invasion. As body snatchers take over, the film really let’s you see that the tricks used to fool it are noticed by other people much earlier than the main character, bringing with it a sense of realism. Throughout, there are moments of well-taut pressure followed by bursts of panic, but the whole facade falls down because the plot takes too long and makes the main character’s son plot critical. Sure, seeing the big victory is nice, but having viewed it through minor eyes for much of the film, it smacks of laziness to pull this particular ending.
The Counterfeiters tells the terrible (and true) story of Jewish bankers, artists and counterfeiters treated like kings in their own private camp, while being forced to manufacture fake notes. It’s an affecting drama, showing the struggle between survival and fighting injustice, as demonstrated by the film’s two main protagonists. It pulls you in every direction, perfectly executing each scene through the dramatic conclusion. Pitch perfect, and a contender for film of the year.
As most people know, making charming little animated films is what Pixar does best. Their latest, Ratatouille, doesn’t disappoint. While the main human character is a rare mistake for the company, the eponymous rat and the rest of the cast never fail to delight. The sense of adventure, light-handed morality, and carefully handled plotting that Pixar are known for shine through once again.
Finally, Mr Brooks looked like being a good Kevin Costner film, but failed to deliver the goods. The premise is that of a meticulous serial killer, with an invisible friend (his murderous side) advising him when things start to go wrong. It’s really just an excuse for some incredibly lazy acting and storytelling. Rather than Costner showing us what he’s feeling, he’ll get started and his invisible friend will then explain it to us through pretty painful dialogue. The other characters are numerous but largely superflous, given far too much screen time for what amount to plot strands that mean nothing to the film (Demi Moore’s character could have been in another film entirely). Mr Brooks gives up on it’s own internal logic, and gives up the ghost on what could’ve been an interesting film. Shame.
The obvious winner this month is the fantastic war time movie, The Counterfeiters.