38: LET THE RIGHT ONE IN

The second of a double bill at Cineworld Chelsea, seen in a large auditorium like cinema with a steep incline and grandstand type seats, sparsely attended by about ten people.

A slow paced, creepy study of the relationship between boy and pale faced, bloodsucking vampire-girl with an underlying theme of friendship and (very young) love. The final scene in the school's swimming pool expresses these themes in a most powerful way. A unique experience.

7.5 OUT OF 10

27: VICKY CRISTINA BARCELONA (OSCAR SERIES)

Eye on which Oscar?

Performance by an actress in a supporting role - Penélope Cruz

Where?

Wandsworth, 620pm (hmmm, what can I have to eat? Oh sod it, Nandos it is!)

Comments?

So we come to the end, the final nomination out of the six main categories. It's a little bit sad but also a relief as well. I've managed to watch all nominations except one before the Oscar winners are announced, starting in just under six hours time - a bit of an effort if I do say so myself.

What a nice, breezy, humorous movie to end the Oscar marathon with. Vicky Cristina Barcelona is a very enjoyable romp about relationships, both long lasting and fleeting, and the need to live life to its fullest, a consistent theme amongst many of the nominated movies. This one does it best though, with Woody Allen's dry humour, great performances from the four leads - Javier Bardem, Scarlett Johansson, Rebecca Hall and Penélope Cruz - and the beautiful summer images of Barcelona.

The four main characters, Vicky, Cristina, Juan, and Maria Elena, get caught up in a tangled web of love, sex, longing, romance, passion and artistry. The movie is funny in a light hearted way, with Vicky (Rebecca Hall) assuming the Woody Allen type character, a newly engaged neurotic who is reluctant to throw caution to the wind and do anything spontaneous. Cristina (Johansson), her friend, is the complete opposite, always wanting to try different things, always looking for something; she doesn't know what she wants but she knows what she doesn't want, which doesn't really help her. They end up spending a weekend with Juan (Bardem), a Casanova type Spanish painter who seduces both women, an expression of his desire to grasp the moment. Things are going quite well, albeit in a complicated fashion, when Juan's ex wife (Cruz) returns to Barcelona after a cry for help via an attempt to kill herself. She once stabbed Juan with a knife in the heat of an argument, is obviously completely round the bed and she is none too pleased with the current romantic arrangements. Comedy ensues.


Vicky Cristina Barcelona is a very enjoyable movie with tasteful sexual encounters, intricate relationship threads and a funny script by Mr Allen. His he back to his best? Hard to tell, but taken in isolation, this movie is great fun and should be re-released in the summer, just to set the mood.

Oscar Glory?

Penélope Cruz plays the psychotic ex-wife, Maria Elena, a woman who is very passionate in everything she does, whether it's painting, arguing, lovemaking or stabbing her ex-husband. Cruz is excellent, very entertaining, and she gives the movie a bit of extra sexy Spanish spark. The arguments between her and Juan, both in Spanish and English, are hilarious.

I actually like her for the Oscar, ahead of Amy Adams, mainly because Cruz takes the role and makes it her own, without having to rely on the drama of the situation to dictate it. And she is a joy to watch. After Revolutionary Road, this movie was a god send, a feel good movie. Sure, it's light and breezy and can be forgotten soon after, but it's enjoyable while you watch it and Cruz is a big part of that.

Rating?

7.5 out of 10

Post Movie Quote:

"That's me done."

24: THE WRESTLER (OSCAR SERIES)

Eye on which Oscar?

Performance by an actor in a leading role - Mickey Rourke


Performance by an actress in a supporting role - Marisa Tomei

Where?

Wandsworth, 8.15pm (Nandos again).
Comments?

The Wrestler suffers from too much hype. My expectations of this movie were pretty high, especially in regard to Mickey Rourke and Marisa Tomei's "comeback" roles. Not to say that the movie isn't any good or that their acting performances aren't top notch; they just don't live up to the hype.


Director Darren Aronofsky follows Randy "The Ram" Robinson (Mickey Rourke), usually from behind, as the once top billed wrestler (his hey day was 20 years ago) continues a fading career at smaller just-above-amateur contests where he is still respected. These early scenes are good for giving the audience a little bit of insight into what happens backstage, bringing humour to the fact that the whole show is staged and highlighting the importance of the wrestler's performance to the sport's success.


The Ram takes every chance he can get and he moves to bigger wrestling exhibitions that use broken bottles, chairs and a staple gun to bring in the crowds. He hasn't exactly stooped to an all time low, but he is not exactly living the high life. He has an estranged daughter, he has no partner, he has been evicted from his caravan, and he puts his body through the wringer in these sickening contests.


After one too many staple gun punches to the head, a health scare puts Randy on a course to put his life back on track. He finds a real job, he discovers love with an ageing stripper (Marisa Tomei) and he attempts reconciliation with his daughter. Ultimately, he steps back into the ring, a place where he knows he is something, he is someone, he is The Ram.





It's a sad tale that is often used in sporting movies. The body gives out, too many knocks to the head takes its toll and, in some instances, the sporting heroes are left with nothing, not even their dignity. The Wrestler takes this often used premise and gives it a different slant through an engaging film that just misses out on meeting expectations.


Oscar worthy?


Both Mickey Rourke and Marisa Tomei are very good in The Wrestler. Rourke, in particular, puts his heart and soul into his character and it is no doubt his best acting role. The sadness and inevitability of his demise, especially in the climatic final scene, is expressed with skill in The Ram's eyes. You can not help but feel sympathy and pity for the ageing wrestler, testimony to Rourke. Tomei is good too, putting on a brave performance as Pam, Randy's love interest, personifying the life that could've been.

As with the film itself, their performances are great and skillfully delivered, but my high expectations of their comeback roles raised the bar, putting it just out of reach of Oscar glory. That said, Rourke does deserve all his other awards; I just think that there is another out there who will take the golden boy home.

Rating?

7.5 out of 10

Post Movie Quote:

"Maybe it will win an Oscar; The Boss has written a song for it!"

7: INDIANA JONES AND THE KINGDOM OF THE CRYSTAL SKULL

Why I chose it?


If this was my first time seeing Indy 4, I would've ignored this question - it's Indy, of course I'm going to see it!


Why see it again? I wanted to enjoy it all over again but I also wanted to see if the mixed feelings I had about the ending could be rectified with an expectation free repeat viewing.


Where?


Cinema 13, Wandsworth Southside Shopping Centre, 7.15pm (Wandsworth again? I hear you say. Well, it's got the most screens and the popcorn is rocking and I quite enjoy the bus ride.)


Comments?


This is definitely an Indy movie - wise cracks, close calls, car chases, nasty villains, the fedora - it's all here and a whole lot of fun it is too. Indy is back!


Harrison Ford, albeit 20 years older since the last instalment, still pulls it off as the archaeologist adventurer out to discover all the wonders of the world and keep them out of the hands of those nasty Nazis (or in this case, Russians).






It's very entertaining and you can tell the whole production gang enjoyed themselves too. The addition of Shia LaBeouf is great, a James Dean type who takes a fair share of the action, leaving the much older Jonesy to stunts that are more considerate of his age. However, that said, Harrison Ford doesn't shy away from the action, performing the majority of his own stunts with impressive strength and agility. If the light is right and you can't see the silver hair, he doesn't look a day older than The Last Crusade.


As mentioned above, I've already seen this movie and had mixed feelings about the plot device and the ending. We had The Ark of the Covenant, the Sankara stone and the Holy Grail - all plot devices with religious and spiritual connotations. Kingdom of The Crystal Skull offers up something a little bit left of field and maybe a little too far out there to fit into the mold of the Indy movies we love so dearly. Sure, the plot is relevant to the period in question and should resonate with modern audiences, but something about it doesn't click and unfortunately, I'm still on the fence about it after a second viewing. In fact, I hasten to say that I enjoyed it a little less the second time around.


That said, what the movie does do is bring back the memories of the Indy franchise, back when my dad took me to see my first movie, Raiders of the Lost Ark, and how it scared the crap out of me. Great memories, rekindled by a movie that stays true to the originals but is brave enough to try something different, even if that decision's success is still not decided in my mind.


Still great fun!


Would I pay to see it?


Already did.


Rating?


7.5 out of 10 (an extra half point for nostalgic reasons)


Post Movie Quote:


"Can't wait to watch the old ones again!" Daryl Nilbett, with a crack of his whip.