Plane Cupid Stills

Here are some exclusive stills from our new Valentine's film, Plane Cupid. The online premiere will be here some time on February 1st.

I'm not going to reveal any plot details, what I will say is the stills represent key moments in the film...

The Week in Film by Robert Mann - Week Starting 30/1/09

Nick & Norah’s Infinite Playlist ****

Over the last few years, two young actors have really seen their have seen their popularity on the rise thanks to roles in rather low key films that have really made a connection with moviegoers. The first is Kat Dennings who last year co-starred in the critical (but not box office) hit ‘Charlie Bartlett’, as well as the surprise success ‘The House Bunny. The other is Michael Cera whose roles in ‘Superbad’ and ‘Juno’ have charmed audiences and seen him emerge as one of the top players in a new generation of comedy stars. ‘Nick and Norah’s Infinite Playlist’ brings these two promising stars together for the first time in what promises to deliver quality on the same level as all the aforementioned films.

Nick (Michael Cera) is the extremely sensitive member of band The Jerk Offs. The only straight member of the all gay group, it has been three weeks since he was dumped by his girlfriend Tris (Alexis Dziena). However, Nick is having difficulty accepting that it’s over with her and has been sending her special song CDs that he has mixed just for her, CDs that she has been throwing away and that have ended up in the hands of Norah (Kat Dennings), a classmate of Tris’, who loves them. Norah is touched by the music that Nick has put together but has never met him, that is, until she and her friend Caroline (Ari Graynor) attend one of his band’s gigs. Norah finds herself attracted to Nick, unaware of who he is. When Tris shows up at the same club, accompanied by her new boyfriend, Norah doesn't want her to think that she is dateless, so she asks Nick to pretend to be her boyfriend for 5 minutes. What results is a night that neither will ever forget, as Nick’s band-mates try to get an extremely drunk Caroline home in one piece, the heartless Tris decides that she wants Nick back, and Nick and Norah, with their matching taste in music and similar personalities, realize that they are meant for each other.

When compared with other teen comedies, there is nothing particularly different about ‘Nick and Norah’s Infinite Playlist’. As a comedy, it is certainly not to everyone’s taste, with many of the gags being quite crude in their nature and not necessarily that funny (depending on your personal taste). However, while the film doesn’t necessarily deliver in the humour department, the film works because of the developing romance between the two lead characters. And the romance works so well because of the actors. Michael Cera is perfectly cast as the sensitive type and plays the role perfectly, even though it does seem like he may be getting typecast as he has played this type of role in both his previous films. Kat Dennings is also perfectly cast as the smart, intelligent and individual type, delivering an equally great performance. Alone, they both deliver brilliant performances, but it is together that they really deliver. Whenever they are on screen together, there is a perfect harmony that makes it impossible to doubt that their characters are meant for each other. Their chemistry never fails to convince and they make for an extremely charming, endearing and sweet couple. There are other good performances too, notably from Alexis Dziena, who is suitably bitchy and kooky as the fickle, self-absorbed ex-girlfriend. Overall, ‘Nick and Norah’s Infinite Playlist’ may not make you laugh till it hurts but the great soundtrack and delightful romance make it a perfect feel good film for these difficult times.

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Review by Robert Mann BA (Hons)

The Oscars List - Some Of It Is A Bit Blue

Here is the complete shortlist for the 81st Academy Awards, which are being held at the Kodak Theatre in Los Angeles on 22 February. My tips are in blue. Some of them may contradict my Bafta suggestions. Ask me if I care.... I'm allowed.

Best picture
The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
Frost/Nixon
Milk
The Reader
Slumdog Millionaire

Best director
Danny Boyle - Slumdog Millionaire
Stephen Daldry - The Reader
David Fincher - The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
Ron Howard - Frost/Nixon
Gus Van Sant - Milk

Best actor
Richard Jenkins - The Visitor
Frank Langella - Frost/Nixon
Sean Penn - Milk
Brad Pitt - The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
Mickey Rourke - The Wrestler

Best actress
Anne Hathaway - Rachel Getting Married
Angelina Jolie - Changeling
Melissa Leo - Frozen River
Meryl Streep - Doubt
Kate Winslet - The Reader

Best supporting actress
Amy Adams - Doubt
Penelope Cruz - Vicky Cristina Barcelona
Viola Davis - Doubt
Taraji P Henson - The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
Marisa Tomei - The Wrestler

Best supporting actor
Josh Brolin - Milk
Robert Downey Jr - Tropic Thunder
Philip Seymour Hoffman - Doubt
Heath Ledger - The Dark Knight
Michael Shannon - Revolutionary Road

Best foreign language film
Revanche - Austria
The Class - France
The Baader Meinhof Complex - Germany
Departures - Japan
Waltz With Bashir - Israel

Best animated feature film
Bolt
Kung Fu Panda
Wall-E

Best adapted screenplay
The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
Doubt
Frost/Nixon
The Reader
Slumdog Millionaire

Best original screenplay
Happy-Go-Lucky
Milk
Wall-E
In Bruges
Frozen River

Best original score
The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
Defiance
Milk
Slumdog Millionaire
Wall-E

Best original song
Down To Earth - Wall-E
Jai Ho - Slumdog Millionaire
O Saya - Slumdog Millionaire

Art direction
The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
Changeling
The Dark Knight
The Duchess
Revolutionary Road

Cinematography
The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
Changeling
The Dark Knight
Slumdog Millionaire
The Reader

Costume design
The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
Australia
Milk
The Duchess
Revolutionary Road

Best documentary feature
The Betrayal
Encounters at the End of the World
The Garden
Man on Wire
Trouble The Water

Best documentary short subject
The Conscience of Nhem En
The Final Inch
Smile Pinki
The Witness - From the Balcony of Room 306

Film editing
The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
The Dark Knight
Frost/Nixon
Milk
Slumdog Millionaire

Make-up
The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
The Dark Knight
Hellboy II: The Golden Army

Best live action short film
Auf der Strecke (On The Line)
Manon on the Asphalt
New Boy
The Pig
Spielzeugland (Toyland)

Best animated short film
La Maison en Petits Cubes
Lavatory - Lovestory
Oktapodi
Presto
This Way Up

Sound editing
The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
Iron Man
Wanted
Slumdog Millionaire
Wall-E

Sound mixing
The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
The Dark Knight
Wanted
Slumdog Millionaire
Wall-E

Visual effects
The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
The Dark Knight
Iron Man

Justin Kerrigan & Twitter

I was told this bit of gossip.

Please have your pinch of salt ready.

During a fairly recent film festival screening of Justin's new one, I Know You Know, the director wasn't told the copy of his film shown was an edited version, with certain scenes removed or changed.

He was livid.

One of Kerrigan's hencemen threatened one of the film festival organisers with violence and mayhem if the original cut wasn't tracked down and presented to him and the audience.

Now, if I hear more snippets like that, I will place them up onto BRWC's twitter thing.
It's there in the top left hand corner. The nature of twitter lets me stick up links, news and my infamous IN DEPTH FILM REVIEWS that used to live here.

Come...follow.

The Week in Film by Robert Mann - Week Starting 23/1/09

Valkyrie ****

Coming just two weeks after the Daniel Craig starrer ‘Defiance’, ‘Valkyrie’ is the second World War Two set film to be released this year, albeit much later than it was intended to be. The journey towards this film’s release has not been an easy one with its release date being postponed multiple times, significant re-shoots allegedly being carried out and also rumours that the Golden Raspberry Awards had shown an interest. Fortunately, however, despite a lot of negative omens, this film has actually turned out ok, receiving decent reviews on its release across the pond, and also performing well at the box office there.

Based on actual events, the film sees Colonel Claus von Stauffenberg (Tom Cruise), a soldier in the German army during the Second World War, attempt to build support against Adolf Hitler (David Bamber) and his regime. Initially, he is unsuccessful but following an attack on him and his men in Africa, in which he loses his left eye, he catches the attention of a group of politicians and Generals who are plotting to overthrow Hitler and whose previous assassination attempts have all failed. Stauffenberg’s plan is to use Operation Valkyrie, a contingency plan designed to take effect in the case of an uprising, against Hitler’s regime. However, first Stauffenberg must successfully assassinate Hitler and so without getting caught and that is where the problem lies.

One of the major causes for concern that has been expressed regarding ‘Valkyrie’ is the casting of Tom Cruise in the lead role. Cruise is generally regarded to not be that great an actor, essentially playing a version of himself in most of the roles he takes on, and his role in this film is no different. While he does deliver a decent performance, it is certainly not one that differs much from many of the roles he has played in other movies. Also, with the exception of the opening scene where he actually speaks in German, there is no attempt made by Cruise to put on a German accent. However, this is not exclusive to Cruise’s performance as none of the actors in this film attempt the accent either. Apparently, however, this is due to a conscious decision made by the filmmakers. In a recent interview Cruise actually said that if an actor is going to do a German accent they may as well just speak in German, so the absence of accents for the most part could be considered quite a smart move. The majority of the other cast members deliver strong performances and an extremely impressive ensemble has been assembled for the film. The fine cast includes Kenneth Branagh, Bill Nighy, Tom Wilkinson, Terence Stamp, Eddie Izzard and Kevin McNally among many others, and virtually all deliver good performances. The one disappointment comes from David Bamber whose performance as Adolf Hitler fails to make much of an impact. The film is almost wholly successful in all the other areas. Director Bryan Singer delivers plenty of well-executed tension and drama, even though the film does suffer a bit from the knowledge that the plot was a failure, and is aided by a solid storyline that does an effective job at telling the story of the bravery of all those involved in the plot. On occasion, the film also provides a few thrills, with the opening sequence in which Stauffenberg’s men are attacked by the Allies being a good example of this. Overall, ‘Valkyrie’ is unlikely to win any awards but if you want to see a good, solid historical drama, and a tense and gripping suspense drama, you won’t be disappointed.

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Frost/Nixon ****

In the week where he can be seen playing a werewolf in the action horror ‘Underworld: Rise of the Lycans’, British actor Michael Sheen can also be seen playing a role that couldn’t be much more different, that of British talk show host turned reporter David Frost. Based on the stage play of the same name by writer Peter Morgan, which itself was based on the real-life tapes of David Frost including former US President Richard Nixon, ‘Frost/Nixon’ doesn’t exactly sound like the most cinematic of movie-going experiences with the source material suggesting a potentially dull film, but this couldn’t be much less the case.

In 1974 following the Watergate scandal President Richard Nixon (Frank Langella) resigned his post as commander-in-chief of the US. Three years later, Nixon was approached by talk show host David Frost (Michael Sheen), a jet-setting television personality with a name to make. In summer 1977, the steely, cunning former President agreed to sit for one all-inclusive interview with Frost, to confront the questions of his time in office and the Watergate scandal that ended his presidency. Nixon intended to easily outfox the breezy British showman and secure a place in the hearts and minds of Americans (as well as a $600,000 fee). Likewise, Frost's team, consisting of producer John Birt (Matthew Macfadyen), investigators James Reston Jr. (Sam Rockwell) and Bob Zelnick (Oliver Platt), and girlfriend Caroline Cushing (Rebecca Hall), harboured doubts about their boss' ability to hold his own. But as cameras rolled, a charged battle of wits resulted.

Having received several Oscar nominations, there is understandably a high level of anticipation for ‘Frost/Nixon’, anticipation which the film successfully delivers upon. Much of the reason for this is the strength of acting that is on show. Michael Sheen is very good as David Frost, doing a job of capturing the mannerisms of the man himself, but the film really belongs to Frank Langella who has been nominated for a much deserved Oscar for his portrayal of Richard Nixon. He perfectly captures all the facets of Nixon’s complex personality and truly makes us believe in his character. At times charming and others self-important and arrogant, often confident but sometimes a broken man, Langella’s performance rings about as true to life as one could possibly get unless they were really Richard Nixon. There is also strong support from the rest of the cast with Rebecca Hall delivering a fantastic performance, although she is under-used, and Sam Rockwell, Kevin Bacon, Matthew Macfadyen, Oliver Platt and Toby Jones all being strong performers too. It isn’t merely the acting that makes this film work though. While certainly not standing out as an obvious choice for director (his past films including ‘The Da Vinci Code’ and ‘The Grinch’, neither of which managed to wow the critics or win any awards), Ron Howard delivers a very well executed piece that manages to take a concept that could have made for a very boring film and turn it into an extremely compelling viewing experience. It really is quite gripping stuff and with some humour thrown in also, the film proves to be pretty entertaining as well as interesting. The interviews themselves are particularly well done with them coming across like, as Langella’s Nixon says, duels, rather then mere interviews, with Frost and Nixon bouncing off each other with an air of electricity. These sequences really give Langella the opportunity to show why Richard Nixon got the name ‘Tricky Dicky’. The documentary style presentation of the film in parts, along with the use of some real news footage, helps to heighten the reality of the film, although it should be remembered that the story is INSPIRED by true events, and is not meant to accurately reflect them. As such, not everything that happens should be taken to be true. However, while it may not be a completely truthful film, it is hard to deny that it is an engaging one, and while it certainly won’t be to everyone’s tastes, this is certainly a film that is worth checking out.

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Underworld: Rise of the Lycans **

The first two ‘Underworld’ movies proved popular with moviegoers due to their mix vampire vs. werewolf conflict with modern day settings and gunplay, not to mention showcasing Kate Beckinsale in a skin-tight leather outfit. This third entry into the franchise, however, ditches a lot of what made those films successful. Going the prequel route this film is a period rather than contemporary piece so gone are the modern environments, as are the gun based action sequences. Also, with star Kate Beckinsale passing on this latest instalment (as well as director Len Wiseman and co-star Scott Speedman), the question is raised as to whether ‘Underworld: Rise of the Lycans’ can possibly live up to expectations set by its predecessors. The answer is sadly no.

An origins story centered on the centuries-old feud between the race of aristocratic vampires and their onetime slaves, the Lycans (werewolves), this film charts the rise of Lucian (Michael Sheen), the first of the Lycan race, as he transforms from slave to powerful leader who rallies the werewolves to rise up against Viktor (Bill Nighy), the cruel vampire king who has enslaved them. Lucian is joined by his secret lover, Sonja (Rhona Mitra), in his battle against the Vampire army and his struggle for Lycan freedom.

While it is indeed disappointing that Kate Beckinsale chose not to return for a third film, there is a light at the end of the tunnel, thanks to the return of Bill Nighy and Michael Sheen, as well as the fact that Beckinsale has been replaced by fellow British actress Rhona Mitra, who has shown herself to be a decent actress in her previous acting roles. Bill Nighy is perfectly chilling as Viktor, delivering the same standard of performance that he did in the first two films, and Michael Sheen is also pretty decent, even though he is somewhat wasted and his performance is hardly one of the best of his acting career. Sadly, however, Rhona Mitra doesn’t deliver as much here as she has in past acting roles, coming across as quite cold and emotionless, and not being much of a replacement for Beckinsale. Also, there is little chemistry between her and Michael Sheen, resulting in an on-screen relationship that doesn’t seem very convincing. The film also fails to recreate the impact of its predecessors in terms of the action sequences. Much of the action is pretty mediocre, failing to provide the necessary level of thrills, and this isn’t helped by poor editing, weak framing or effects that are competent at best. Only one sequence toward the end of the film really provides in the way of spectacle and even this is not very well executed. The blame for this falls squarely at the feet of director Patrick Tatopoulos, who may be great at special effects and creature design, having worked on numerous big effects blockbusters, but here shows that he doesn’t have much talent as a director. The other fatal flaw of the film is the plot, which adds nothing to the story or mythos of the franchise, merely retelling a story that anyone who has seen the first two films will already be familiar with, and also has few merits in its own right. Overall, ‘Underworld: Rise of the Lycans’ just seems like a pointless and unnecessary prequel and it is a film that will likely only be fully enjoyed by those who are not already familiar with the ‘Underworld’ movies.

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Reviews by Robert Mann BA (Hons)

Bride Wars Contest

To celebrate the recent release of one of the greatest romantic comedies ever produced*, we have a EXCLUSIVE Bride Wars nail file set to give away.

Liv (Kate Hudson) and Emma (Anne Hathaway), best friends since childhood, are always there for each other, through good times and bad.

They even become engaged to be married within a few hours of one another. Together they plan their respective weddings, each to take place at New York's ultimate bridal destination and their lifelong dream location, the Plaza Hotel.

But a clerical error and subsequent clash in wedding dates pits the two brides - neither of whom will step aside - against each other, in a competition that quickly escalates into all-out war.

It sounds awesome*

To win, all you have to do is drop us a line with the answer to the following question.

Anne Hathaway is in a another wedding themed film this year, what is it ?

Good luck. You have until the 1st of February.



* - I'm joking.

Coming Up ...

A Bride Wars competition
BAFTA talk
Oscar Noms and predictions
news
gossip about Justin Kerrigan
and more....

All (or most) from Monday.

The Week in Film by Robert Mann - Week Starting 16/1/09

Seven Pounds ***½

Movie megastar Will Smith is probably one of the most versatile actors working in Hollywood today, with virtually anything he stars in being transformed into box office gold, even the most unlikely of successes. However, even Will Smith is not completely infallible as has been illustrated by the disappointing US box office and tepid reviews for his latest film, ‘Seven Pounds’. Smith’s latest reunites him with director Gabriele Muccino following their previous collaboration on ‘The Pursuit Of Happyness’, which for all its potential, was arguably one of Smith’s weaker films of the last few years, even though the criticism for that film was not aimed at Smith himself (he actually received much acclaim for his performance) but rather at the story and direction. As such, this critic had extremely mixed feelings about ‘Seven Pounds’. It’s certainly a film with potential but does Muccino deliver this time around?

It is hard to summarise the story of ‘Seven Pounds’ without giving too much away so here is a very brief summary: Ben Thomas (Will Smith) is an IRS agent with a big secret and who is haunted by his past. He embarks on an extraordinary journey of redemption by helping and forever changing the lives of seven strangers including Emily Posa (Rosario Dawson), a woman suffering from congenital heart failure, Ezra Turner (Woody Harrelson), a blind piano player and Connie Tepos (Elpidia Carrillo), a mother who is being abused by her boyfriend. The only person who knows what Ben is really up to is his best friend Dan (Barry Pepper) who has a crucial role to play in Ben’s plan, and only when Ben’s plan is complete will the truth come out.

‘Seven Pounds’ suffers from many of the same problems as Smith and Muccino’s last collaboration. As with ‘The Pursuit Of Happyness’ there is nothing wrong with Will Smith’s performance, but the storyline is overly convoluted and the direction is severely lacking something. The plot is extremely complicated and while everything does come together sufficiently at the end there are certain that are not thoroughly explained enough and at times it is hard to tell whether what is happening is in the present day or a flashback. Also, it is likely that most viewers will guess the ending before the film even reaches the half way point, which detracts slightly from the impact of the ending. So, while the film is certainly an interesting emotional drama, slightly slapdash writing, and direction that is once again lacking prevents the film from having the impact that it could have had. There are some things to be applauded here despite such shortcomings, however. The ending, while not being as effective as it could have been, still has an almost poetic feel to it. Will Smith is on top form as always delivering a very convincing and moving performance and he is also backed by strong performances from the other cast members. If it were anyone else in the lead role this film would probably have failed miserably but Smith just about pulls it off. Overall, ‘Seven Pounds’ is an interesting, if not entirely successful, drama that has more than enough merits to make it worth checking out. Just don’t expect a particularly happy ending.

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The Wrestler ***½

Coming after tremendous reviews and word of mouth and a best actor win at the Golden Globes for star Mickey Rourke, ‘The Wrestler’ is a film that has an awful lot to live up to. The latest effort from director Darren Aronofsky, who is best known for artistic films such as ‘The Fountain’ and ‘Requiem for a Dream’, could be described as a sort of ‘Rocky Balboa’ for wrestling as the film certainly bears more than a few similarities to that film. However, unlike that film, which got away with a lighter 12A rating in the UK, ‘The Wrestler’ is a much more adult film, receiving a 15 certificate. Dubbed by some as Mickey Rourke’s big comeback, and while he hasn’t exactly gone anywhere, this is certainly a decent description of this film, as it showcases Rourke’s finest performance in a long time, and Rourke should certainly get the kind of career boost that Sylvester Stallone got from his ‘Rocky’ revival.

Randy ‘The Ram’ Robinson (Mickey Rourke) is an aging professional wrestler decades past his prime. Now he barely gets by in life by participating in small wrestling shows and working part-time at a supermarket. As he faces health problems that may end his wrestling career for good he attempts to come to terms with his life outside the ring: by working full time at the grocery store, trying to reconcile with Stephanie (Evan Rachel Wood), the daughter he abandoned in childhood and forming a closer bond with Cassidy (Marisa Tomei), a stripper he has romantic feelings for. He struggles with his new life and an offer of a high-profile rematch with his 1980s arch-nemesis, The Ayatollah, seems too good to refuse, offering him one last chance at happiness, even if it may cost him his life.

From the moment the opening credits roll it is clear that this is a relatively low key film, far removed from the Hollywood style of filmmaking. The simple but effective opening credits show the back story of Randy through clippings of articles and flyers about him and his wrestling matches, making for a good start to the film. When the credits are finished it becomes apparent that the method of filmmaking is also going to be just as basic, with handheld camera shots being prominent for the duration of the film. This proves to be both the film’s biggest strength and also its biggest weakness, as the movement makes it feel almost like we are there, adding to the realism, but at the same time it also proves to be a bit too much on occasions. Also, at times the shots look a bit amateurish, although whether this is deliberate on the part of Aronofsky to make the film look like a home made documentary or due to a lack of better equipment is hard to tell. However, the basic filmmaking style does at least give greater emphasis to the acting, as this is where the film really delivers. Mickey Rourke really deserves the Golden Globe that he won for his performance. He gives a wholly convincing portrayal of a man whose glory days are behind him and is now wandering aimlessly through life with wrestling being the only pleasure he has left. Rourke clearly puts a lot of himself into the role, delivering a truly moving performance of the kind of character that could and probably does exist in real life. He creates a character that viewers can really sympathise and empathise with, and that we can actually believe to be real. He truly is fantastic and really deserves recognition for his portrayal. Marisa Tomei also delivers a believable performance in an extremely against type role as stripper Cassidy, and through these two characters we are shown a different side to the often misjudges professions of wrestling and stripping. Another strong performance comes from Evan Rachel Wood, even though she doesn’t have a lot of screen time. Something else that this film shows us is that while wrestling is staged it is by no means fake. The wrestling sequences, which are very well staged, are truly brutal and definitely not for the faint hearted. In one sequence Randy and his opponent are at each other with staples and barb wire, and this sequence shows more than any other that wrestling isn’t just for show - it is a truly brutal sport. All these strengths make for a film that is very compelling viewing, even it is quite a difficult watch, but the film does have shortcomings that prevent it from being as good as it could have been. The already mentioned shooting style combined with some poor editing in places make for a viewing experience that never quite has the impact it could have, and the film could have benefited greatly from being a bit more polished. Also, the abrupt and open ending will be considered a let down by some viewers. It is clearly left open for interpretation. Some will consider it a stroke of genius, others may consider it a bit of a cop-out, but whatever your opinion it is handled quite effectively. So, lacking visually it may be, but there is no denying the power of Mickey Rourke’s central performance and the film is worth seeing for that alone. Just as ‘Rocky Balboa’ was not really a film about boxing, ‘The Wrestler’ is not really a film about wrestling. What it is an interesting character study about the kind of life troubles that many people face in reality, and in this regard the film is extremely effective.

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Beverly Hills Chihuahua **

Movies about dogs, it seems, are hot property right now, with ‘Bolt’, ‘Hotel For Dogs’ and ‘Marley & Me’ all being released in the next couple of months, following this Disney effort ‘Beverly Hills Chihuahua’. All these films have already proven very successful at the US box office, proving the notion that films about cute animals sell well with moviegoers, and the success of this film shows that films featuring talking animals, in particular, will always find an audience, even if they aren’t necessarily that good.

Chloe (voiced by Drew Barrymore) is a pampered chihuahua from Beverly Hills whose owner Viv (Jamie Lee Curtis) goes away on a business trip leaving Chloe in the care of her niece Rachel (Piper Perabo). Rachel, isn’t too keen on looking after Chloe, however, and when she goes down to Mexico to party with her friends she ends up leaving Chloe alone. Finding herself lost in a strange land Chloe gets into greater trouble when she is abducted by a gang of criminals. When Rachel finds out she immediately starts searching for Chloe and is determined not to stop until she has been found. Chloe finds help in the form of lonely German Shepherd Delgado (voiced by Andy Garcia) who travels with her to protect her from the evil Doberman (voiced by Edward James Olmos) who wants to return her and her diamond collar to the dognapper. In the meantime, Papi (voiced by George Lopez), a male chihuahua who is in love with her is also in pursuit of her and Papi's master (Manolo Cardona), a handsome young gardener for Viv, also tags along. As Chloe faces an epic journey to get home she learns about the important things in life and realizes that what she is missing may not be all her pampering but rather a special someone.

If you are familiar with the past films of director Raja Gosnell, whose biggest credits are probably the ‘Scooby Doo’ movies, then you will already have an idea of what to expect from ‘Beverly Hills Chihuahua’. Blatantly aimed at the most undemanding of child moviegoers, this is a film that has nothing fresh or original to offer, being exactly like many family films that you have seen before. The story is predictable with no surprises whatsoever, and fails to deliver anything particularly inventive or imaginative. You don’t even need to see the film to know how the film ends as it so completely obvious. The cast doesn’t help things out much with the usually reliable Jamie Lee Curtis and Piper Perabo both being completely wasted, and actually being out-acted by their four legged co-stars. In this regard, at least, the film does deliver, with the dogs, all of which are real, being totally adorable, meaning that the film does deliver in the cuteness department. The fact that all the dogs are real heightens the impact of the film’s events but the inclusion of some CG animals (notably a rat and an iguana) cheapens the effect somewhat. The humour is also severely lacking, and it is most likely that only really young viewers will find most of the gags funny. So, overall, ‘Beverly Hills Chihuahua’ is a moderately entertaining but entirely disposable family flick that really young children will probably enjoy but accompanying parents won’t get much enjoyment out of and certainly won’t be saying “Ai Chihuahua!” when they leave the cinema.

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Reviews by Robert Mann BA (Hons)

Bafta List In Yellow

Here are the nominations in full for this year's Baftas. I've tinged my predictions in a lovely yellow. Hopefully we've have a lot of Bafta bits and pieces, from today to the big day in February.

Best film
The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
Frost/Nixon
Milk
The Reader
Slumdog Millionaire

Best British film
Hunger
In Bruges
Mamma Mia!
Man On Wire
Slumdog Millionaire

Leading actor
Frank Langella - Frost/Nixon
Dev Patel - Slumdog Millionaire
Sean Penn - Milk
Brad Pitt - The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
Mickey Rourke - The Wrestler

Leading actress
Angelina Jolie - Changeling
Kristen Scott Thomas - I've Loved You So Long
Meryl Streep - Doubt
Kate Winslet - Revolutionary Road
Kate Winslet - The Reader

Supporting actor
Robert Downey Jr - Tropic Thunder
Brendan Gleeson - In Bruges
Heath Ledger - The Dark Knight
Brad Pitt - Burn After Reading
Philip Seymour Hoffman - Doubt

Supporting actress
Amy Adams - Doubt
Penelope Cruz - Vicky Cristina Barcelona
Freida Pinto - Slumdog Millionaire
Tilda Swinton - Burn After Reading
Marisa Tomei - The Wrestler

Director
Danny Boyle - Slumdog Milllionaire
Stephen Daldry - The Reader
Clint Eastwood - Changeling
David Fincher - The Curious Case Of Benjamin Button
Ron Howard - Frost/Nixon

Original screenplay
Burn After Reading - Joel Coen, Ethan Coen
In Bruges - Martin McDonagh
I've Loved You So Long - Philippe Claudel
Milk - Dustin Lance Black
Changeling - J Michael Straczynski

Adapted screenplay
The Curious Case of Benjamin Button - Eric Roth
Frost/Nixon - Peter Morgan
The Reader - David Hare
Revolutionary Road - Justin Haythe
Slumdog Millionaire - Simon Beaufoy

Film not in the English language
The Baader Meinhof Complex
Gomorrah
I've Loved You So Long
Persepolis
Waltz With Bashir

Animated film
Persepolis
Wall-E
Waltz With Bashir

The Carl Foreman award for special achievement by a British director, writer or producer for their first feature film
Simon Chinn (Producer) Man On Wire
Judy Craymer (Producer) - Mamma Mia!
Garth Jennings (Writer) - Son of Rambow
Steve McQueen (Director/Writer) - Hunger
Solon Papadopoulos, Roy Boulter (Producers) - Of Time And The City

Music
The Curious Case of Benjamin Button - Alexandre Desplat
The Dark Knight - Hans Zimmer, James Newton Howard
Mamma Mia! - Benny Andersson, Bjorn Ulvaeus
Slumdog Millionaire - AR Rahman
Wall-E - Thomas Newman

Cinematography
Changeling - Tom Stern
The Curious Case of Benjamin Button - Claudio Miranda
The Dark Knight - Wally Pfister
The Reader - Chris Menges, Roger Deakins
Slumdog Millionaire - Anthony Dod Mantle

Editing
Changeling - Joel Cox, Gary D Roach
The Curious Case of Benjamin Button - Kirk Baxter, Angus Wall
The Dark Knight - Lee Smith
Frost/Nixon - Mike Hill, Dan Hanley
In Bruges - Jon Gregory
Slumdog Millionaire - Chris Dickens

Production design
Changeling - James J Murakami, Gary Fettis
The Curious Case of Benjamin Button - Donald Graham Burt, Victor J Zolfo
The Dark Knight - Nathan Crowley, Peter Lando
Revolutionary Road - Kristi Zea, Debra Schutt
Slumdog Millionaire - Mark Digby, Michelle Day

Costume design
Changeling - Deborah Hopper
The Curious Case of Benjamin Button - Jacqueline West
The Dark Knight - Lindy Hemming
The Duchess - Michael O'Connor
Revolutionary Road - Albert Wolsky

Sound
Changeling - Walt Martin, Alan Robert Murray, John Reitz, Gregg Rudloff
The Dark Knight - Lora Hirschberg, Richard King, Ed Novick, Gary Rizzo
Quantum Of Solace - Eddy Joseph, Chris Munro, Mike Prestwood Smith, Mark Taylor
Slumdog Millionaire - Glenn Freemantle, Resul Pookutty, Richard Pryke, Tom Sayers, Ian Tapp
Wall E - Ben Burtt, Tom Myers, Michael Semanick, Matthew Wood

Special visual effects
The Curious Case of Benjamin Button - Eric Barba, Craig Barron, Nathan McGuinness, Edson Williams
The Dark Knight - Chris Corbould, Nick Davis, Paul Franklin, Tim Webber
Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull - Pablo Helman
Iron Man - Shane Patrick Mahan, John Nelson, Ben Snow
Quantum Of Solace - Chris Corbould, Kevin Tod Haug

Make-up and hair
The Curious Case of Benjamin Button - Jean Black, Colleen Callaghan
The Dark Knight - Peter Robb-King
The Duchess - Daniel Phillips, Jan Archibald
Frost/Nixon - Edouard Henriques, Kim Santantonio
Milk - Steven E Anderson, Michael White

Short animation
Codswallop - Greg McLeod, Myles McLeod
Varmints - Sue Goffe, Marc Craste
Wallace And Gromit: A Matter of Loaf and Death - Steve Pegram, Nick Park, Bob Baker

Short film
Kingsland #1 The Dreamer - Kate Ogborn, Tony Grisoni
Love You More - Adrian Sturges, Sam Taylor-Wood, Patrick Marber
Ralph - Olivier Kaempfer, Alex Winckler
September - Stewart le Marechal, Esther May Campbell
Voyages D'Affaires (The Business Trip) - Celine Quideau, Sean Ellis

The Orange Rising Star Award (voted for by the public)
Noel Clarke
Michael Cera
Michael Fassbender
Rebecca Hall
Toby Kebbell

Some of the yellows are a lock, a guarantee. Some ...well, why dontcha leave a comment and tell us.

So Fa So Good

Please watch enjoy and rate the film below.

http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=7oJ3Np8oRd0&fmt=22

It's part of the Guardian/Youtube film competition and the film is directed by a friend of BRWC.

Thank you.

Bits & Pieces - The Vision On/Hart Beat Edition

Tony Hart dies at 83.

Sundance 2009 vid I found.

Watchmen are go.

Stephen Graham chats about The Crew.

The Ugly Truth - It's moving.

Adventureland pics.

Ryan Hooper has a blog.

Psychosomatic.

Hugh Jackman on his Hotmail.

Blanchett loves Pitt.

The final nail in the Britney Spears coffin.

Heath Ledger Was Miserable On Set Of ...

... Brokeback Mountain.

Reported here.

Terry Gilliam said he felt alone and isolated. James Schamus, Brokeback Mountain producer stated that Heath had very difficult days and felt the pain he was going through.

Seat 13

Seat 13 cover art by Los Angeles artist Misha

Seat 13 is a new independent film magazine curated and edited by BRWC contribtor Owain Paciuszko. Issue one is out now and you can order it here.

The first issue features Robocop, first cinema-going memories, Wall·E, The Orphanage, Cannibal Holocaust, Labyrinth, Alien Loves Predator and much, much more.

Buy yourself a copy. Go on.

The Macabre Masterpiece Of Terror

B-Movies of the 1950s are the inspiration for The Macabre Masterpiece Of Terror, a exhibition at the Monica Bobinska gallery in London.

The exhibition has new work by Kirsten Glass and Peter Lamb and includes composite paintings, installations and collages. All pieces address the aesthetics of the classics B-movie. Adam King features too.

The Macabre Masterpiece Of Terror runs until 8 February at the Monika Bobinska gallery, 242 Cambridge Heath Road, London E2 9DA.

The gallery is open Thursday to Saturday 1 – 6pm and 2 – 5pm on Sundays. For more info click here.

My Critics Scream: In Defence of Frank Miller's 'The Spirit'

There seems to be an awful lot of vitriol being herded in the direction of recent comic-book adaptation 'The Spirit', and though the film is - by no means - particularly good, I've continually found myself leaping to its defense because it's not 'wurst film eva' and other such remarks, it's just a bit of a mis-marketed mess with inconsistencies in tone that - when it works - is a Looney Tunes 40s-detective-fiction homaging delight with goofball charm, and - when it doesn't work - an interesting assortment of ideas in need of a good editing and a couple of prods in the performances.

My biggest bugbear with the film and its reception boils down to two things really; the way the film looks and the way the film has been advertised as a result of its look. Here is an adaptation by Frank Miller who has shot to mass media prominence of late with his co-directing credit on Robert Rodriguez's 'Sin City' and Zack Snyder's version of Miller's '300'. Miller has continued to use the green screen technique adopted by both these films, and whilst 'The Spirit' sticks closer in palette to 'Sin City' it has some of those-sepia gauzy hues that give the film a look also similar to the unfairly-maligned 'Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrow'. Unfortunately, though often striking, this look just doesn't really suit 'The Spirit' and the use of CGed backdrops, and a severely under-populated city is a huge mis-step in the feel of the film. What this movie needed was the primary coloured fantasia of Warren Beatty's visually incredible 'Dick Tracy' adaptation to really push forward Miller's blurred vision of a romantic-detective fantasy. In certain scenes you can see this edging its way to the fore; exchanges between Gabriel Macht's The Spirit and Sarah Paulson's dedicated nurse Ellen Dolan are filled with charm, and the scenes between Ellen and her police chief father are some of the more effective character scenes.

Even if the look of the film had been akin to Alec Baldwin's curio 'The Shadow' or Billy Zane's camp romp 'The Phantom' the film would have benefited, as audiences wouldn't have been expecting the guts, girls and gristle of 'Sin City' and walked out baffled and disappointed by the quite frankly bonkers and post-modern spin on old cops and crooks comics.

Miller makes a number of other choices in the film that seem slightly at odds and unsure, and a more confident hand (or perhaps another co-director?) may have steered him right. There is an inconsistency of time that can work when handled correctly, but when a character whips out a mobile phone at one point it just seems jarring. Also the film can slow to a snail's crawl at certain points, most notably in a sporadically entertaining expositional scene with Samuel L. Jackson's villain The Octopus in full Nazi regalia; it is a scene of moments bridged by huge canyons of boring, though it is punctuated by one of my favourite lines from the film; "And this is for Muffin!"

Indeed, for me, it is moments like that, where the film is post-modern, goofy, ridiculous and manic in its energy - whilst retaining that square-jawed comic book hero swagger, that the movie works best. There is an increasingly over-the-top scrap between The Spirit and The Octopus at the film's opening that brings to mind Sam Raimi, and, indeed, Gabriel Macht seems to have attended a few-seminars at the Bruce Campbell school of hero acting. Unfortunately the film lacks the momentum of 'Evil Dead 2' or even 'Darkman', and the post-modernism isn't quite as to-the-fore as - one of my favourite cult classics - 'Hudson Hawk', so, to some extent the audience is left behind a sheet of glass, trying to work out if the film is taking itself seriously or not.

If you can figure it out and go with it then 'The Spirit' is one of the more imaginative efforts of recent comic book fare, Miller knows how to put together funny, snappy detective patter, but his directorial skills are still a bit wobbly. I can't go so far as to actually recommend 'The Spirit' to anyway, I just feel sorry for it and the amount of fan-hate that seems to be thrown its way. I do think the film is destined for some sort of cult success for fans of campy, offbeat flicks that are content to rattle along at their own creaky pace trying any idea they fancy and seeing which ones stick.

Owain Paciuszko

Golden Globes In Blue & Green

The winners are in blue. The ones I thought should have won are green.
FILM CATEGORIES

Best film (drama)
Slumdog Millionaire
The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, Frost/Nixon, The Reader, Revolutionary Road

Best film (musical or comedy)
Vicky Cristina Barcelona
Also nominated: Burn After Reading, Happy-Go-Lucky, In Bruges, Mamma Mia

Best director
Danny Boyle (Slumdog Millionaire)
Also nominated: Stephen Daldry (The Reader), David Fincher (The Curious Case of Benjamin Button), Ron Howard (Frost/Nixon), Sam Mendes (Revolutionary Road)

Best actor (drama)
Mickey Rourke (The Wrestler)
Also nominated: Leonardo DiCaprio (Revolutionary Road), Frank Langella (Frost/Nixon), Sean Penn (Milk), Brad Pitt (The Curious Case of Benjamin Button)

Best actress (drama)
Kate Winslet (Revolutionary Road)
Also nominated: Anne Hathaway (Rachel Getting Married), Angelina Jolie (Changeling), Kristin Scott Thomas (I've Loved You So Long), Meryl Streep (Doubt)

Best actor (musical or comedy)
Colin Farrell (In Bruges)
Also nominated: Javier Bardem (Vicky Cristina Barcelona), James Franco (Pineapple Express), Brendan Gleeson (In Bruges), Dustin Hoffman (Last Chance Harvey)

Best actress (musical or comedy)
Sally Hawkins (Happy-Go-Lucky)
Also nominated: Rebecca Hall (Vicky Cristina Barcelona), Frances McDormand (Burn After Reading), Meryl Streep (Mamma Mia), Emma Thompson (Last Chance Harvey)

Best supporting actor
Heath Ledger (The Dark Knight)
Also nominated: Tom Cruise (Tropic Thunder), Robert Downey Jr (Tropic Thunder), Ralph Fiennes (The Duchess), Philip Seymour Hoffman (Doubt)

Best supporting actress
Kate Winslet (The Reader)
Also nominated: Amy Adams (Doubt), Penelope Cruz (Vicky Cristina Barcelona), Viola Davis (Doubt), Marisa Tomei (The Wrestler)

Best foreign language film
Waltz with Bashir
Also nominated: The Baader Meinhof Complex, Gomorrah, I've Loved You So Long

Best animated feature film
Wall-E
Also nominated: Bolt, Kung Fu Panda

Best screenplay
Simon Beaufoy (Slumdog Millionaire)
Also nominated: David Hare (The Reader), Peter Morgan (Frost/Nixon), Eric Roth (The Curious Case of Benjamin Button), John Patrick Shanley (Doubt)

Best original song
The Wrestler (The Wrestler)
Also nominated: Down to Earth (Wall-E), Gran Torino (Gran Torino), I Thought I Lost You (Bolt), Once In A Lifetime (Cadillac Records)

Best original score
AR Rahman (Slumdog Millionaire)
Also nominated: Alexandre Desplat (The Curious Case of Benjamin Button), Clint Eastwood (Changeling), James Newton Howard (Defiance), Hans Zimmer (Frost/Nixon)

Revenge Is Coming

Here is the FIRST official poster for Transformers 2: Revenge Of The Fallen. It's a teaser, so much isn't going on in the poster. Some of the fake ones floating about have a little more imagination. But it's here now. Revenge is coming in the summer.

Taken

More Mr. Nice Guy

We’ve just had a call from the production office of Mr. Nice, a feature film that starts shooting next week. It's looking very good indeed. More about this will be on here.

Forces Of Geek

Forces Of Geek is a website you'll be hearing a lot about in the coming weeks and months. It launched officially on Friday and it's shaping up to be the place to click.

To celebrate Forces Of Geek I share this with you.

My 2008

2008 is over. Here are the ten films that made 2008 (in my opinion, and in no order).

Control
This film made me get into, like and appreciate Joy Division. A great film.

The Dark Knight
There's plenty to say to about TDK. The fact we were all dumbstruck as the credits rolled says a lot. An interesting and engaging cat and mouse drama that happens to be about a bloke dressed as a bat.

Be Kind Rewind
Fun and inventive stuff. Reflected what is so great about making and watching films.

Synecdoche, New York
Bold, weird and baffling, cold and brutal film. Everyone needs to see this film I think.

The Diving Bell & The Butterfly
Stunning.

Wall·E
A great family watch that pushes pop culture and issues. It pushes and entertains you as you watch.

Son Of Rambow
Reminds me of my childhood. Inventive, heartwarming, funny and all that, with two great central performances.

The Wackness
Awesome, it wasn't for everyone, but it worked for me. Nice, smooth, steady pace, and the fat one of Drake & Josh surprised me. Sir Ben was good too.

Lars And The Real Girl
Ryan Nelson keeps on pleasing me with his choice of films. This shouldn't have worked. It sounds stupid. But it did. It was great. Please rent it.

The Orphanage
Proper scary and tense. There aren't many recent films that are scary and tense. You never know what's coming next.


The rest that need to be mentioned...

Teeth
Forgetting Sarah Marshall
Persepolis
Slumdog Millionaire
I Know You Know
Happy Go Lucky
Sleeping Dogs Lie
Juno
Charlie Wilson's War
Somers Town
No Country For Old Men
Burn After Reading
Hunger
I'm Not There

Some Film Scripts For You ...

The Dark Knight
Twilight
Nottingham - Ridley Scott's new movie
Sherlock Holmes - the latest from Guy Ritchie
This Side Of The Truth - Ricky Gervais' first foray into directing