13: THE DARK KNIGHT

Why I chose it?

This Batman movie has looked impressive ever since the first brief images of Heath Ledger as The Joker appeared on the internet. As more and more images and trailers appeared, more and more fans salivated and wrung their hands, waiting for the release date. This was one of those movies that would never be overhyped. How could I not watch it?

Where?

Cinema 2, Wandsworth, 6.30pm.

Comments?

The Dark Knight is superb. It’s one of those movies that come along all too infrequently – picture perfect. It’s dark, emotive, powerful, frenetic and the action never lets up – this is a superhero movie for those who hate superhero movies. And for those who LOVE superhero movies.

The plot is complex: gang bosses and deals with the devil; a brave politician who toes the line within a corrupt world but is a hero in his own right, without the fancy gear and gadgets; a business tycoon battling between his duty to a city and his love for a woman; and a crazed man in a dark suit, hanging out the window of a stolen police car, cackling at his own deviousness, improving the standard of the Gotham City criminal with a smile.

I already want to see this film again.

It was Rupert Wyatt, first time director of The Escapist, who said in an interview in Empire magazine that he admired Christopher Nolan’s ability to take on a big blockbuster movie and still convey his own personal style, or something like that. He was definitely referring to The Dark Knight – it is more subtle than Memento or The Prestige in its cinematic wizardry but the tricks of the trade that Nolan continually invents are all there – complex story structure, fast paced, quick cuts, sleight of hand – it helps that he wrote the script as well with his brother – a brilliant script at that. Some say the movie is too long – sure it’s long but given that I didn’t ever want it to finish means it wasn’t long enough.

The acting is excellant too. Heath Ledger is amazing in this movie. Almost thankfully, he is unrecognisable under all that makeup, but his acting ability still shines through – he licks his lips constantly; rolls his wrist, flicking his knife open; tells each victim a different origin story more gruesome than the last; and delivers a masterpiece performance of a complete maniac called The Joker. Sure he had big shoes to fill, but he solved that problem by bringing his own.

And now we come . . . to The Batman. There’s something very dark about Christian Bale, even as Batman he scares the shit out of me. There’s always a hit of violence in his eyes, that he’s about to do something bad. Batman in The Dark Knight is just as disturbing as Bale’s other performances in American Psycho, The Machinist and Harsh Times – because this time he is the good guy! And he is perfect as The Caped Crusader.

The supporting actors are all very solid too - Maggie Gyllenhaal, Gary Oldman, Morgan Freeman, Michael Caine as Alfred and a standout performance by Aaron Eckhart as Harvey Dent – adding to this amazing superhero movie that is a two hour character study of despair, insanity and loss – and damn, isn’t it a cracking good movie!

Would I pay to see it?

Without a doubt - hopefully before it leaves our screens.

Rating?

10 out of 10

Post Movie Quote:

"It's not often I'd say this, but I'd go see that again. " The Jingo (guest quoter).

12: KUNG FU PANDA

Why I chose it?

After the depressing Wanted, I was looking for a bit of a pick me up and Jack Black seemed to be the man to supply it.


Where?


Cinema 5, Shaftesbury Avenue, 9pm.


Comments?


Kung Fu Panda is a lot of fun and a lot of it is down to Jack Black and Dustin Hoffman, offering up different styles of comedy in the guise of Po (the Panda) and Master Shifu (the smaller red panda). There are many humourous moments, a couple of laugh out loud funnies and the animation is top notch, making this an entertaining ninety minutes to sit through.


The plot is quite standard fare but that's all it needs to be: no need for complexity in a story about a clumsy Panda dreaming of fighting alongside the Furious Five (made up of the voices of Angelina Jolie and Jackie Chan to name two of the five). Plot intricacies aside, Kung Fu Panda's strong points include attention to detail. I can't say I know much about Chinese custom or history, but the movie convinced me that the producers did, and that gave the movie some of its originality in the crowded computer animated movie stakes.



The fight scenes are also impressive, easy to follow with expressive moves and complex duels, including those that involve Po. The scene where Po takes on Master Shifu in a duel over a bowl of dumplings using chopsticks is highly engaging and entertaining.


Kung Fu Panda is a colourful, comical romp predominantly due to Jack Black, who is in top form. The kids will love it and the adults will find it good throwaway fun.


Would I pay to see it?


Tough question with this one. It isn't as impressive as Toy Story was or Wall-E is billed to be, but it's still great fun. Not necessarily one to see at the movies; more a DVD rental or Sky movie option for me.


Rating?


6 out of 10


Post Movie Quote:


"Jolie wasn't half as sexy in this one." Daryl Nilbett

11: WANTED

Why I chose it?

The trailer for Wanted looked pretty hot, in more ways than one, and I like James McEvoy's work. Guns, explosions and oh yeah, Angelina Jolie.

Where?

Cinema 5, Shaftesbury Avenue, 6.40pm (the only Cineworld close by that was showing it!)

Comments?

I am like any hot-blooded male - I like action flicks, I like carnage and I like a bit of cinematic violence. But Wanted left me with a sour taste in my mouth. Sure, there was violence and most of it was shot, pardon the pun, in a very unique way, making it quite visually pleasing (and much more so when Jolie hit the screen) and some would say it was entertaining. I wouldn't.

This movie lacked a moral grounding. People are killed left, right and centre and not one of their deaths, including any main characters you may have grown attached to, have any meaning. Even the deaths of the targets of this "fraternity of assassins" are without purpose. The assassins don't know why they are being killed; we don't know why they are being killed - they just are, in the most flamboyant ways imaginable.

When one of the main characters works out a unique way of shooting a target through the sun roof of a car, he grins and fires away and the audience is expected to grin with him, laugh even, marvel at how clever he is. Sure, if this target was the main villain of the piece who has alluded death many times before, it would be a good set piece and we would be cheering. But we don't even know what this guy has done to warrant death in the first place!

Another fatal flaw of Wanted is that it starts off quite brilliantly, approaching the subject matter very tongue in cheek. No hoper (McAvoy) is being pursued by a gun man for no reason that he can discern but is protected by a sexy gun-toting assassin (Jolie) who believes he is the next big thing in the assassin world. There are some ludicrous car chase moves which are gleefully enjoyable and there is a classic scene involving a computer keyboard and the face of a "best friend" who has been cheating on McAvoy's girlfriend. All very funny stuff.

Then the movie starts to take itself seriously, the laughs dry up, the dark humour dissipates and people start dying for no apparent reason. The assassins are taking orders from a loom in a textile mill through a binary code hidden in weaving errors of the cotton fabric - it's called (cough, ahem) The Loom of Fate. In the first twenty minutes, this scenario may have brought a few laughs; at the point in the movie when everything is taken seriously, all it got was a few groans.

Maybe I'm getting old, but this shoot 'em up had less morals than last year's Shoot 'Em Up, and left me lambasting the movie like an old man waving his wooden cane and telling youngsters to turn that music down!

If it wasn't for Angelina . . .

Would I pay to see it?

No.

Rating?

3.5 out of 10 (an extra 1/2 point for Jolie's presence - jeez, I'm shallow!)

Post Movie Quote:

"Wham, Bang, no thank you ma'am." Daryl Nilbett

Best Free Movie Of The Year - Nomination - Month #3

Oh dear.

Month 3 (June 21 - July 20) was a light one, wasn't it? During the 30 odd days since Gone Baby Gone was announced as Best Free Movie Of The Year - Nomination #2, I managed to see, wait for it, wait for it - one movie.

One. One solitary movie in a month. What in god's name was I doing that whole month? Getting a life, some might say - but in terms of reaching the goal quite clearly displayed at the top of the page, it was a pitiful display. I need to pull my finger out.

But I bet the guys at Cipher Films and Limelight would be pointing out the silver lining. Their independent film based in London and starring relative unknowns has made the BFMOTY nominations, by default. As Homer Simpson would say: "Default! The two sweetest words in the English language."

That's a bit harsh though - there is a reasonable chance that I would've picked this movie anyway, especially if I had been subjected to too many mediocre blockbusters in a row during the month. One or two mediocre blockbusters is okay, but a whole string of them leaves you feeling a little dead inside.

So without further ado and dropping the need for a build up of tension, the third nomination for Best Free Movie Of The Year is:

ADULTHOOD

Well done guys.

So the average amount of movies per month for me to see in order to reach the big 100has jumped to 10! I really do need to pull my finger out, even more so given that as I post this entry, I am already 11 days into Month 4 and haven't been to the flicks yet!

Dang this hot, summery weather!

10: ADULTHOOD

Why I chose it?

Plain and simple, I wanted to watch something from the independent stable. Too many blockbusters in a row has deadened the impact, especially when one of those blockbusters was The Happening. Time to see something raw and without the over the top special effects.

Where?

Cinema 4, Wandsworth Southside Shopping Centre, 7.10pm (experienced first hand bus rage on the way to the cinemas with a 12 year old who insisted on playing music on her mobile at the highest volume; thought I'd risk getting knifed just to get me into the mood).

Comments?

This was exactly what I was after - a movie that is raw, visceral and without any visible boom mikes.

Adulthood is a sequel, set six years after the movie Kidulthood, which was also written by director Noel Clarke. It is quite an eye-opening look at life in West London for these young adults with violence, drugs and really bad language the order of the day. I haven't seen Kidulthood but I suspect it is more of the same, but with the added impact of the main characters at a younger age.

Not seeing Kidulthood doesn't detract from enjoying this sequel, even though the events do have a major impact on the set up of Adulthood. In short, Sam Peel has just come out of the slammer after doing something really bad at the end of Kidulthood and there are a number of people out for revenge. He has a few allies along the way but they are just as flawed and messed up as he is and they cause him more grief than good.

Adulthood is pretty full on and the skill of the actors involved creates an increased level of realism. It's the perfect independent film to foil big-blockbusters-itis and has the added fun of spotting London landmarks ("Look, there's Hammersmith tube station!"). The Mexican standoff ending is a bit lame, especially after the action that precedes it but that is a minor grumble.

Adulthood is not as good as similar urban gang movies such as Bullet Boy, Tsotsi and the brilliant City of God, but it does have an impact on the viewer. I will definitely be thinking twice before joining in on road, restaurant, bus or any other type of rage on the London streets.

Would I pay to see it?

Innit.

Rating?

6.5 out of 10

Post Movie Quote:

"Don't look at anyone. Keep staring ahead. Let that guy play his music on the bus. Don't worry about the girl next to you smoking. Just keep calm." Daryl Nilbett

Best Free Movie Of The Year - Nomination - Month #2

Month two (May 21 - June 20) delivered a round of big blockbusters including the long awaited Indiana Jones movie, destined to be in the running for the Best Free Movie Of The Year.

I increased the monthly average of movies watched in May/June but not by much, and I am still languishing behind the 8-9 movies per month I need to see to hit the big 100. Two movies a week is much harder than it sounds, especially given the great sunny weather that London has been having lately. I've even had a few guilt trips while sitting in the cinema with the sun shining outside - guilt trips, but no regrets (how about The Happening, I hear you ask? Sure, I regretted seeing that movie, but luckily, it was miserable outside that day, so no double whammy).

So, what movie knocked my socks off this month? Was there a better movie than what Indy had to offer? Or was there a sleeper hit ready to knock the fedora wearing archaeologist off his perch?

Before I announce the nomination this month, I must clarify that The Incredible Hulk falls into this month's considerations. Although the post was made after the 20th of June, I did see it before that date. I was just being slack.

Anyway, without further ado, the second nomination for The Best Free Movie Of The Year is:

GONE BABY GONE

I still think about this movie almost a month after seeing it and I will be taking Kathy to see it on Monday. An outstanding directorial debut by Ben Affleck, brilliant acting by his brother Casey and the rest of the cast, and a powerful movie full of suspense and emotion. The front runner (after two months) for the big award.

Sorry Indy.

9: THE INCREDIBLE HULK

Why I chose it?

Seeking out another blockbuster after the disappointment of The Happening, The Incredible Hulk looked entertaining and visually impressive. Having not seen the first Ang Lee movie which received a critically and commercially luke warm response, I had no expectations of a return to form for the big green monster. I hoped that this would increase my enjoyment.

Where?

Cinema 2, Wandsworth Southside Shopping Centre, 7.10pm (I now have this uncanny knack of getting there by bus with moments to spare.)

Comments?

Firstly, I was surprised it wasn’t an origin movie. My perception going in was that this movie was to wipe the slate clean of the first one, starting from scratch. Except for a recap of sorts over the opening credits, this second instalment of The Incredible Hulk is a continuation and begins with Bruce Banner hiding out from the American military, trying to find a cure for his furious temper that, if unchecked, gives way to a bad case of CGI-tis.

After the initial scene setting, the movie just passed me by. Not necessarily a case of “so what” but as events unraveled on the screen, action sequences and character scenes alike, they had little impact. It was also hard to sympathise with the title character. The Incredible Hulk was masterly presented in computer generated beauty, but this made it difficult for me when I was searching for the tormented human Bruce Banner within, even when his eyes went all gooey at the sight of Liv Tyler. At least with Lou Ferrigno (who has a short cameo here), he kinda looked human.

The movie isn’t as bad as all that. It stacks up pretty well against Iron Man, another recent superhero movie, and has a better battle finale, but Ed Norton is no Robert Downey Jnr when it comes to portraying intriguing alter egos. The Incredible Hulk does have some positives: it has some good action sequences and doesn’t fall into superhero clichés (except for the aforementioned final fight).

My assessment of this movie may have been dragged down by the fact that I have become tired of multi-million dollar blockbusters after the long spate of them since [REC]. The Incredible Hulk is a reasonable superhero outing, but compared to Iron Man, which it has more in common with than first thought, it can not be said to be memorable.

Would I pay to see it?

It's borderline but I would say yes.

Rating?

5.5 out of 10

Post Movie Quote:

"Time for some independent movies; I’m all blockbusted out." Daryl Nilbett