Film Review with Robert Mann - When In Rome

When in Rome ***

While the name won’t mean much to most people, the presence of director Mark Steven Johnson at the helm of a romantic comedy such as When in Rome is something of a shock development. After all, this is a guy who to date has made his name mostly with comic book adaptations, namely the brilliant (although this is much disputed) 2003 film Daredevil and the decent but unspectacular 2007 film Ghost Rider. As his first foray into the romantic comedy genre, however, When in Rome proves to be not half bad although perhaps he should stick to what he is really good at – superhero movies are more his forte.

New York singleton Beth (Kristen Bell) lives for her job as a museum curator, so much so that her love life suffers as a result. And when her ex boyfriend Brady Sacks (Lee Pace) crashes a work party she has organised to tell her that he is getting engaged to another woman she is understandably rattled. Heading to Rome for the wedding of her sister Joan (Alexis Dziena), Beth meets handsome columnist and former football player Nick (Josh Duhamel), who helps her out when her attempt to uphold tradition by breaking a ceremonial vase goes hideously wrong. Beth visits the famed 'Fontana Di Amore' where people throw in a coin to find love. Hoping that some of the magic will rub off on her, Beth takes five coins. It works all right - Beth is followed back to New York by sausage magnate Al (Danny DeVito), magician Lance (Jon Heder), ‘Italian painter’ Antonio (Will Arnett) and male model Gale (Dax Shepard). Nick has fallen for her too - but how can Beth tell if he's for real or just under the fountain's spell?

Following the delightful Letters to Juliet, When in Rome is another romance to showcase a beautiful Italian setting, this time that of Rome, the city’s beauty even being made note of in a dialogue that features early in the film. However, unlike that film, the title proves rather deceptive as the city of Rome only actually features in the film for a few scenes before the action moves to the much more familiar and somewhat less beautiful locales of New York City. With this more familiar setting also comes a more familiar feel to the film as director Mark Steven Johnson fails to deliver something that seems more than generic, even with the rather fantastical tinge that is brought in by the plot. There is no real sense of magic on display here and there is far too much effort put into the gags and not enough put into the romance. However, while some of the gags and dialogue are indeed lame and unfunny, the film also has plenty of moments that are sure to raise a few giggles, at least for those who enjoy silly humour. Much of the humour on display here is very much of the slapstick variety and struggles to avoid feeling obvious – a scene involving a loss in translation and the way the male lead spend much of the film being hit by things, hitting things or walking into things are good examples of this – but there is no attempt to hide this fact and the film very much embraces it, not pretending to be more than the sum of its parts, and actually proving quite endearing in its simplicity. Of course, the film won’t appeal to all comic tastes, but there really is some pretty funny stuff here, a scene involving a pitch black restaurant where night vision goggles are required to see being a highlight. As you would expect from a romcom such as this, the story is completely predictable with very few surprises but it does at least have a good, sweet message at its heart and enough charm to make it good feel good viewing. On the performances front, there isn’t much to shout about but everyone at least does a competent job. The leads are both reasonably charming and make for a likable couple but so-so material means that there is no real spark between them. Their chemistry is at least sufficient to maintain our attentions though. The really entertaining performances, however, come courtesy of Danny DeVito, Will Arnett (complete with obviously fake Italian accent), Jon Heder and Dax Shepard, all of whom prove very amusing if unremarkably so. Elsewhere in the cast, the excellent Pushing Daisies star Lee Pace is completely wasted in his minimal role, Alexis Dziena seems to be getting typecast as the ditsy type character and Kate Micucci, playing Beth’s best friend Stacy, and Anjelica Huston, playing Beth’s boss Celeste, are giving nothing of note to do for the most part. All in all, When in Rome proves to be nothing special but it is nonetheless an amusing diversion. So, you won’t fall in love with it but you might just like it.

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Review by Robert Mann BA (Hons)

Film Review with Robert Mann - Get Him to the Greek

Get Him to the Greek ***

Preceded by a very hit and miss track record (in terms of both box office and actual film quality) that has seen him direct the likes of The 40 Year Old Virgin, Knocked Up and Funny People and produce the likes of Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby, Superbad, Walk Hard: The Dewey Cox Story, Drillbit Taylor, Step Brothers, Pineapple Express and Year One, comedy [genius or hack – take your pick] Judd Apatow is back on producing duties once again, this time delivering a spin-off from his mid range success, the 2008 film Forgetting Sarah Marshall starring Jason Segel and Kristen Bell (the latter putting in a brief cameo appearance for this spin-off). Get Him to the Greek (which sees director Sarah Marshall director Nicholas Stoller write and direct, with Jason Segel on as co-writer and co-producer) focuses on one of that film’s supporting characters, the flamboyant rock star Aldous Snow, with British comedy actor Russell Brand reprising the role. Interestingly, however, this spin-off also sees comedy actor Jonah Hill (who is highly overrated in this critic’s opinion) returning but in a different role than in Sarah Marshall just to confuse things. Of course, this won’t be of any consequence to this film’s target audience but, as is the case with most comedies that in any way involve Judd Apatow, the kind of humour on display here won’t be to everyone’s tastes, those who enjoy the vulgar sure to have a great time, those who are disgusted by it more likely to be appalled. That said, this is a film that delivers a bit more beneath the surface than you might expect.

Music mogul Sergio Roma (Sean Combs) needs brilliant ideas to restore his company's flagging fortunes and youthful employee Aaron Green (Jonah Hill) suggests a comeback concert by British rocker Aldous Snow (Russell Brand). It's been ten years since the hell-raising Brit's legendary show at LA's world famous Greek Theatre, and Aaron persuades his boss that the time is right for Aldous to do it again. Sergio likes the idea - and promptly despatches the inexperienced Aaron to London on a mission to bring Aldous back to LA. But Aaron has never met anyone quite like Aldous - a hedonistic dandy with boundless energy and a crazy streak, who has been driven to drug addiction following the failure of his last album and being dumped by the love of his life, fellow rock star Jackie Q (Rose Byrne.) As he gets swept along in the rocker's life of endless partying, Aaron finds himself embarking on the eye-opening adventure of his life, discovering the man behind the rock star and learning new things about himself, perhaps just in time to save his troubled relationship with girlfriend Daphne (Elisabeth Moss). In the space of just 72 hours the lives of both Aaron and Aldous are going to change forever.

Get Him to the Greek gets off to a quite hilarious start, opening with the music video for Aldous Snow’s shockingly bad ‘African Child’ and leading into a series of sequences that highlight his fall from fame and separation from the love of his life Jackie Q (who also has a music video at the start, as well as one later), the very things that lead him to becoming the man we see for most of the duration of the film. This gets the film off to a great start but whether or not you continue to find the rest of the film hilarious will depend on your personal taste in humour. You see, the film delivers a mix of genuinely hilarious and even quite tastefully done scenes that provide genuine laughs, the kind of which aren’t too likely to offend or disgust, but for every tasteful gag or line of dialogue, there is something tasteless and gross just around the corner, and it is this stuff that some may find appalling as was the case with this critic. This tendency towards crude humour prevents the overall film from being as good as it could be but there are still plenty of gags and instances of dialogue that genuinely are laugh out loud funny and the film also surprises by delivering some emotionally tender scenes that show us the man behind the rock star, as well as a good, heartfelt message that emerges from the story. Much of this works because of some fantastic performances. Russell Brand is probably the only person who could play the part of Aldous Snow (and not just because he has already played the part before), being both an entertaining performer and putting some real emotion into his performance. He really channels himself into the part, convincing as both the hedonistic party boy and the broken man who just wants to be loved. This ensures that we actually can care about the character even while he is completely like a complete loon. A completely against type and almost unrecognisable Rose Byrne is also superb, delivering a spot on accent and being completely convincing as Jackie Q. There is a genuine sense of chemistry between Byrne and Brand that really makes us believe in them as a couple, thus heightening the sense of loss that Snow is experiencing. What’s more, both Brand and Byrne are actually pretty good singers, which is a pretty good thing considering that they both get to do a fair bit of singing and have a few not half bad songs to worth with too. Sean Combs is also excellent, stealing the show whenever he is on screen with a performance that is absolutely hilarious. Elsewhere among the cast, Colm Meaney as Snow’s dad is also very entertaining and Elisabeth Moss is positively adorable as Green’s girlfriend. The one weak link among the cast, however, who goes some way to holding the film down, is Jonah Hill. Hill seems pretty much the same as in every other film he has been in and (in this critic’s opinion at least) simply isn’t very funny at all. So, overall, Get Him to the Greek is a mixed bag of a film that has some moments of genuine hilarity but it let down by the unfunny Hill in one of the central roles and some gags that really cross the line of vulgarity. Of course, if you actually like Jonas Hill and like vulgar humour this may well be a five star movie for you but for anyone else it is an entertaining film that is let down by some really gross content.

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Review by Robert Mann BA (Hons)

Mega Piranha

Metrodome’s latest release is Mega Piranha (from the studio that brought you Mega Shark vs Giant Octopus).

Join Special Agent Finch (Paul Logan) and Professor Sarah Monroe (80’s pop star Tiffany) as a mutant strain of giant ferocious piranha escape from the Amazon and eat their way toward Florida… Will the entire population of Florida be saved from complete annihilation? Will Paul Logan keep his top on for more than 5 minutes? Will Tiffany manage to get through the entire film without bursting into ‘I Think We’re Alone Now’?

Battleships will be destroyed, humanity will be threatened, a continent will reach the edge of disaster, a group of heroes will risk it all to save innocent lives and helicopters will be eaten. Prepare for the ultimate bite-sized blockbusting thrill-ride that will leave you desperately hanging onto the edge of your seat.

Featuring explosive set pieces, stunning special effects and the most fearsome marine monsters in the history of film, Mega Piranha is the riotously entertaining new creature feature.

DVD Release date: 9th August 2010 Running time: 90 minutes DVD RRP: £15.99 Cert: 15 EXTRA FEATURES The making of Mega Piranha Mega Piranha Blooper Reel Watch this space - review, interviews (maybe) and a contest!

DVD REVIEW: THE BUTCHER BOY (1997)

Although this movie was released in 1997, not many have seen it, which is a shame, considering that it is a piece of art. Therefore I decided to review it after watching it for the umpteenth time.

Imaginative, creative, very original and most of all intriguing, this film has all the elements of a must have DVD.

Ginger kids can be somewhat creepy, somewhat scary, but overall they’re usually nice, right? Well Francie is somewhat creepy, somewhat scary and overall loony. However after watching this, one might sit back in one’s seat and think about the age old Nature VS Nurture question. Was it Francie’s parents’ fault for him being a little coo-coo or was it in fact the consequential situations that went on around Francie that led to his demise?

Based upon the novel by Patrick McCabe and directed by Neil Jordan (The Crying Game and Interview With A Vampire), it is a film where Eamonn Owens brings the mentally unstable Francie to life in a way rarely seen even by the best of actors. With other renowned actors like Stephen Rea (Feardotcom) and Fiona Shaw (Harry Potter) also in the cast, who can say nay to watching this comedy/thriller?

However if you struggle to understand true low-class British vernaculars then give this film a miss, except if you like to see little boys get back at unruly neighbours by taking a crap on their living-room carpet even when you don’t understand completely what is going on (which I was oddly interested in seeing) then I say sit through it, listen closely and enjoy the crazy adventure of one boy who only wanted to have a BFF.

Film Review with Robert Mann - My Name Is Khan

My Name Is Khan ****½

With Asperger’s Syndrome becoming far more widely recognized by the people of the world, more films featuring characters with the condition are starting to appear. Last year saw the fantastic American indie film Adam tackle the issue of Asperger’s and relationships. Now we have something very different in the form of My Name Is Khan. Coming out of the Bollywood filmmaking stable - even though it is not a Bollywood film in the traditional sense, this not being a musical in any way and actually being something of an international production, with dialogue being in Hindi, Urdu and English and, due to the multinational nature of the story, featuring American actors as well as Indian ones - My Name Is Khan focuses more on some of the negative preconceptions that can arise due to a lack of understanding of Asperger’s and how those with it are affected by the condition as well as dealing with the issue of changing racial perceptions in the aftermath of the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks. My Name Is Khan is literally the first Bollywood movie I have ever seen so my knowledge of the background of this huge area of filmmaking is limited but, based on the evidence of this film, it is not hard to see the appeal.

Rizwan Khan (Shahrukh Khan) is a Muslim from the Borivali section of Mumbai who suffers from Asperger's Syndrome, a form of high-functioning Autism that complicates socialization, prevents him from fully understanding the world around him and causes him to display behaviours that many would consider to be odd. After the death of his mother, he moves to San Francisco to work for his brother there and it is here that he meets Mandira (Kajol), a Hindu single mother with whom he develops a bond and eventually marries. Things go well in Rizwan’s life for some time as he, Mandira and her son Sameer (Yvaan Makaar) live the dream but after the tragic events of 9/11 everything changes. With racial hatred towards Muslims growing, tragedy strikes their family and Mandira, blaming Rizwan for what has happened forces him away. Misinterpreting her sarcastic suggestion for him to meet the US President to say “My name is Khan, and I am not a terrorist” as a genuine request, Rizwan sets out on an epic journey to do just that, following the President as he goes on tour around the country. Along the way, he gets detained by authorities who mistake his disability for suspicious behaviour, helps apprehend some genuine terrorists, forms new friendships, shows what true heroism is and inspires the entire nation – all so that he can win back the love of Mandira.

At the start of My Name Is Khan, a disclaimer reads “The protagonist in this film suffers from Asperger’s Syndrome, a form of Autism. While the film endeavours to depict the character as authentically and sensitively as possible, it is a work of fiction and hence certain creative liberties have been taken in the portrayal of the condition.” While it doesn’t reflect on the quality of the performance by Shahrukh Khan, this disclaimer is apt as the performance is certainly not one of the more restrained portrayals of a character with Asperger’s Syndrome, in fact being quite an over the top one. While “certain creative liberties” may have been taken, however, it doesn’t necessarily mean that the performance doesn’t ring true to life. While the portrayal isn’t the most restrained and perhaps doesn’t reflect the majority of people with Asperger’s, as someone with the condition myself, I can say that there almost certainly are people out there just like Rizwan. And it is the depiction of Rizwan that truly makes the film work. Shahrukh Khan is superb in the central role (as is Tanay Chheda who portrays the young Rizwan), perfectly displaying the mannerisms and eccentricities of an individual with Asperger’s. He perfectly captures all the different facets that can be found in people with Asperger’s in real life, from the difficulty in maintaining eye contact to the discomfort with physical contact, and the way he takes everything literally at face value to the manner in which certain sights and sounds trigger anxiety attacks. All of this rings true and all of it I, and probably many other with the condition, can personally relate to. The strong central performance, along with well written dialogue and a strong plot, ensures that we do truly believe in the character, his life and his journey, everything he says and does seeming completely plausible – the way he freaks out over things that most people take for granted; the way he interprets everything literally, such as Mandira’s suggestion that he meet the President; his inability to understand basic social cues; the way his behaviour gets misconstrued and the way he fails to comprehend why he is treated in a certain way. The relationship between Rizwan and Mandira also convinces, thanks to a terrific chemistry of sorts between a perfectly paired Khan and co-star Kajol (who delivers a very strong performance in her own right). The nature of Rizwan having Asperger’s means that he is unable to express his emotions openly (something which is represented in the film through him writing his feelings down in a diary, which we hear as voiceover narration) but even without us seeing the emotion on screen, there is still a certain spark between Khan and Kajol when their eyes first meet that makes us truly believe in them as a couple. Even though the relationship seems to progress very quickly, it never fails to seem organic and we really can buy that they are falling in love with one another. This delightful love story at the heart of the film is the driving force for the entire plot and for a good while, the film is happy and cheerful, reflecting the joy of Rizwan and Mandira’s life together, the film tending towards the comic during this period, with a sweet and quirky sense of humour akin to what you would expect from the better films that the romantic comedy genre have to offer. When the events of 9/11 come into the film, however, things take on a much different, darker tone, the comic being replaced by the tragic and in a way that seems completely natural. Suddenly, an easy to watch film becomes much harder going (although still worth sitting through). You see, this film isn’t just about Asperger’s Syndrome, it is also about the changing attitudes towards Muslims following the tragic events of 9/11. With Rizwan, the fact that he is a Muslim is every bit as important to the plot as the fact that he has Asperger’s Syndrome. Without either one there would be not film but together they set the stage for his epic journey. In this regard the film also succeeds, painting an all too realistic picture of the racial hatred that erupted in America post 9/11, even if it doesn’t have much to say that hasn’t been said before and, ultimately, it is the Asperger’s aspect that prevails in the end. If the film falls short of being perfect, it is because the long running time (2 hours 34 minutes) combined with the hard subject matter that arises post 9/11 make for a film that is occasionally hard to watch and the climax of the film tends towards the saccharine, abandoning the realism that has been the order of the day up to that point in favour of an unbelievably happy ending where the best of humanity prevails and love conquers all. This isn’t to say that it is a bad way to go out as it ensures the film ends on a high note, just that given some of the harder stuff that has come before it is somewhat difficult to really buy into it. Additionally, the manner in which the film shifts between languages, with a character one moment speaking English and the next speaking Hindi or Urdu (those unfamiliar will have difficulty discerning which is which) often proves confusing, especially when a character is speaking in these languages to people who shouldn’t be able to understand them yet clearly do. So, My Name Is Khan falls somewhat short of being a masterpiece but nonetheless proves to be a very compelling and very well made film that is inspirational, moving, heartwarming and epic. A very powerful movie going experience indeed.

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Review by Robert Mann BA (Hons)

ENGERLAND/A-TEAM

Evening, thought I'd throw some fun your way.

The England football team need some encouragement at the moment (C'mon boys!) so here is a rallying call!

An official A-Team England chat track plus a brand new mash-up image of the players as The A-Team...

Yes I know.

The Crazy Fool (on Strangers 2 Love Records) have combined the summer’s two blockbuster events and come up with a mash-up of the A-Team Theme ‘Engerland’ which uses an England Chant to ring across the terraces in South Africa, willing our boys to the top. The UK's favourite footie commentator John Champion is also on board and features on the track.

Ladies and gents I give you...

A Strangers 2 Love Records Presentation.

THE CRAZY FOOL – ‘ENGERLAND / A-TEAM’

The Crazy Fool – ‘Engerland / A-Team’ is out today!

Film Review with Robert Mann - Wild Target

Wild Target ****

You could easily be forgiven for being completely unaware of this little British comedy out in cinemas this week. The marketing and promotion for Wild Target have been so poor that the film has slipped in largely under the radar. And it’s a shame, because good British made comedies like this are something of a rarity in this time of cinemas being overloaded with blockbusters from the USA. A small scale production with hardly the most original of premises – it is, in fact, a remake of a 1993 French film named Cible Emouvant – Wild Target is nonetheless a quintessentially British film, featuring a cast that consists entirely of British actors, even though British born director Jonathan Lynn’s resume has more recently consisted of American features rather than British ones, this being his first film since 2003’s The Fighting Temptations, his film prior to that being 2000’s very enjoyable Bruce Willis and Matthew Perry starring American comedy The Whole Nine Yards. Does Wild Target follow in the tradition of great British comedies and hit the target square one or does it miss wildly?

Victor Maynard (Bill Nighy) is a middle-aged hit man with a reputation for lethal efficiency. Generally working alone, Victor lives to please his formidable mother, Louisa (Eileen Atkins), but his professional routine is interrupted when he finds himself drawn to Rose (Emily Blunt), one of his intended victims. Vivacious and uncontrollable, Rose is an expert con artist, who has just scammed Ferguson (Rupert Everett) out of a lot of money. Victor is assigned to deal with the girl, but ends up not only sparing Rose's life but protecting her and forming a connection with someone else for the first time in his life. In the process he unexpectedly acquires a young apprentice in the form of Tony (Rupert Grint). Now Victor has two keep his two new companions alive while he attempts to thwart the murderous attentions of his rival assassins Mike (Gregor Fisher) and Dixon (Martin Freeman).

Wild Target is a comedy the likes of which only the British could make. Avoiding all the lame gags that so many recent American comedies have relied on in a vain attempt to create laughs, this film instead opts to go the route taken by more old fashioned British comedies, offering up a combination of good old British wit, quirkiness and farcical humour, the laughs coming from the dialogue and the situations rather than misjudged and ill placed gags and the humour being subtle as opposed to in your face. The laughs don’t come thick and fast non-stop, but, when they frequently do come, they score big in the laugh out loud department and anyone who appreciates their humour silly but not stupid will find this film hilarious. Interestingly, Bill Nighy plays his role completely straight faced, but this works in the favour of the film, many scenes in fact being funnier for the more serious approach he brings to the role. Contrastingly, Rupert Grint – showing us that he is more than just Ron Weasley – tends to be more outright comedic, filling in the role of comic relief, not that the film needs it, as it is hilarious anyway. Emily Blunt is superb too, bringing a certain charm to the role that makes it clear why Bill Nighy’s character would be so charmed by her. Despite the improbability of the relationship that develops between Blunt and Nighy, there is an excellent chemistry between the two, with sparks really flying from the outset, and there is also a strong chemistry between Night and Grint, in the form of a father-son style dynamic. In fact, the unorthodox and offbeat family dynamic that develops between all three of the film’s leads works excellently, and it is because of these strong connections between the characters that much of the humour has as much impact as it does. Elsewhere among the cast, the against type likes of Eileen Atkins and Martin Freeman prove very funny also, the latter being positively gleeful in his villainous role. Additionally, Rupert Everett is superbly over the top in a role that sadly gives him too little screen time. So, Wild Target is a very well made British farce that anyone with a taste for good British humour should love. And it redefines the phrase “half now, half later” in hilarious fashion.

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Review by Robert Mann BA (Hons)

Film Review with Robert Mann - Killers

Killers *½

If you have seen the trailer for Killers you will likely have already gotten the sense that you have seen this film before and, if you have seen the 1994 film True Lies (starring Arnold Schwarzenegger and Jamie Lee Curtis and directed by James Cameron) or the 2005 film Mr. & Mrs. Smith (starring Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie and directed by Doug Liman), the chances are you have. Essentially coming off as a low budget version of either of those films (although, surprisingly, the budget isn’t that low, coming in at $75 million), Killers clearly doesn’t have originality on its side, nor does its attempted combination of romantic comedy and action seem fresh, this film being the latest in this year’s trend for male-female action comedies following the dire The Bounty Hunter and the actually very good Date Night and preceding this August’s Knight and Day. Even casting aside the issue of whether or not the film is original, it is hard to find much to get excited about going into this film. Director Robert Luketic’s last film was last year’s mediocre battle of the sexes romcom The Ugly Truth and, while both Katherine Heigl and Ashton Kutcher have proven themselves to be charismatic and charming leads time and time again, both tend to have rather poor taste when it comes to choosing film projects to star in. Is Killers another poor choice on their part? Sadly, yes.

Getting over a sudden break-up, Jen Kornfeldt (Katherine Heigl) reluctantly joins her parents (Tom Selleck and Catherine O’Hara) on a trip to the French Riviera. Unexpectedly she meets the man of her dreams, the dashingly handsome Spencer Aimes (Ashton Kutcher). Three years later, her seemingly impossible wish has come true and she and Spencer are newlyweds living the ideal suburban life. That is, until the morning after Spencer's 30th birthday when suddenly bullets start flying. Spencer never got round to telling Jen that he's an international super-spy, and now Jen's perfect world has been turned upside down. Faced with the fact that her husband is a hit man, Jen is determined to discover what other secrets Spencer might be keeping. Meanwhile, she finds herself dodging bullets, keeping up appearances for the neighbours, dealing with the in-laws - and working out some major 'trust issues'!

There are two things that prevent Killers from being a completely awful film – Katherine Heigl and Ashton Kutcher. While neither exactly amazes us with their performances or does anything we haven’t seen before, the charisma that both bring to their roles ensures that they manage to amuse even with the below par material they have to work with here. Heigl is as a delightful as ever and Kutcher brings on the charm but this film really is not worthy of their performing talents. They do a good job in their roles and even have a decent chemistry but little else positive can be said about the film. Among the supporting cast, Tom Selleck is completely wasted and Catherine O’Hara spends most of the film either drunk or getting drunk – perhaps she realised what rubbish she had signed on for. The real failing of the film though lies at the feet of director Robert Luketic. Forgetting to deliver either laughs or thrills, Luketic’s lacklustre direction, coupled with a poorly written screenplay by Bob DeRosa and Ted Griffin (the latter’s previous writing credits actually being surprisingly good), results in gags and dialogue that fail to be funny and action sequences that are lame, poorly shot and badly executed, Luketic’s inexperience in the action field clearly showing – whoever thought it would be a good idea to have a romcom director do action anyway? Additionally, plot is virtually non-existent, the film descending into a series of shoot ups that serve little purpose other than to show that absolutely no one can be trusted, and the potential for paranoia, whereby literally anyone could be an assassin, is thrown away in favour of failed attempts at humour. Showing no ingenuity whatsoever, the film gets a bit too ridiculous for its own good and a late plot twist just seems absurd. So, altogether Killers is a lame and forgettable action comedy that won’t kill the careers of either of its stars but isn’t worth your time and money either.

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Review by Robert Mann BA (Hons)

Film Review with Robert Mann - Bad Lieutenant

Bad Lieutenant ****

Another film to arrive in my cinema late – bad film distributor. Though Bad Lieutenant (or to quote its full title as released in the states The Bad Lieutenant: Port of Call – New Orleans) shares its name with the 1992 film directed by Abel Ferrara and starring Harvey Keitel, and has been even been called a remake on several occasions, director Werner Herzog has made it clear that this film is not intended to be a remake of the 1992 film, Herzog never having even seen it. This is something that is reflected in the change of setting from New York to New Orleans and the somewhat different nature of the central character, although, remake or not, both this film and the 1992 one are clearly connected to the basic idea of following a drug addled and violent cop facing encounters with crime and sex. So, comparisons to the original are probably unfair and unjust (not a problem, I haven’t seen it yet anyway) and the film should be taken entirely on its own merits, of which it has plenty.

Terence McDonagh (Nicolas Cage) is a New Orleans police lieutenant with a reputation for courage. When he suffers an injury while rescuing a drowning man, McDonagh is forced to take prescription painkillers to keep himself functioning. Caught in a nightmarish downward spiral of addiction, McDonagh becomes a rogue detective, relentlessly devoted to scoring drugs while playing fast and loose with the law. Stalking his ruined city in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, McDonagh now thinks nothing of shaking down criminals for drugs and money. As his increasingly reckless behaviour leads him into the realm of a murderous gang boss, McDonagh's life is complicated further by Frankie (Eva Mendes), a woman as compromised as he is. Can these two damaged souls find redemption together, or will the dark road they're on lead only to death?

Bad Lieutenant manages to clearly distinguish itself from the many other cop movies that have been made over the years, with director Werner Herzog wisely avoiding all the clichés that plague the genre. Together with screenwriter William M. Finkelstein, he has made a film that, firstly, places the focus entirely on the central character rather than the case he is investigating, and, secondly, is based around a character that doesn’t conform to the much seen stereotypes that have become extremely repetitive. The central character here – one that cannot be described as either protagonist or antagonist, instead being somewhere in between – is not exactly a corrupt cop but he isn’t a good one either, being a very morally ambiguous individual, the kind of character whom we can both love and hate, cheer for and feel sorry for and still completely believe as a credible realistic anti-hero type person. Of course, none of this would count for much without the right actor but in Nicolas Cage they have the perfect person for the part. In recent years, Cage has often wasted his acting talents in films completely beneath him, where he was more a performer than a serious actor and many have begun to doubt his abilities as an actor as a result, but his performance here should set aside any doubts you may have. Following an impressive performance as Big Daddy in Kick-Ass, Cage is once again superb, delivering what is without a doubt one of his finest and most powerful performances to date. He plays the role with a fiery intensity, easily shifting between damaged and broken individual struggling with the physical pain of his injury while going about his increasingly difficult job and borderline psychotic madman whose drug addictions are starting to take over his life, and his natural on-screen charisma means that his performance is every bit as charming as it is convincing. We really can feel his character’s pain and completely believe the manner in which he descends into a complete psychopath at times. The supporting cast is also strong but it is Cage who the film truly belongs to. The film’ success isn’t entirely attributable to Cage, of course, but also to Herzog, whose low tech cinematography proves to be a great asset to this film, as opposed to the hindrance it can be in some cases. As the camera moves around the devastated post-Katrina New Orleans – which looks completely authentic and makes a great change from the much overseen locations of New York – the handheld shaky camera style creates a sense of raw realism, almost as if we are watching live footage, and helps to create a sense of the troubled environment in which the central character is living and working. Some of the low tech camera work could very well seem amateurish in the wrong hands but Herzog effectively and stylishly applies it in the hallucinations scenes to create a sense of the disorientation and confusion that the character is feeling. If the film is far from perfect, however, it’s because, for all its strengths, it is occasionally quite hard to watch, the plot doesn’t flow as well as it could and the final pay-off fails to be entirely satisfying. These are only minor gripes though and Bad Lieutenant is a film that is worth seeing for Nicolas Cage’s performance alone.

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Review by Robert Mann BA (Hons)

Sledge Speaks To The Hit Squad's Chris Blundell

I managed to grab Chris Blundell, creator of the upcoming feature The Hit Squad, for a chat...

My first question is why? What prompted you to come up with the idea?

I'm a musician, I've always had a love for that cheesey sound of synthesisers and drum machines and wanted to write a fun 80s inspired album. So I drew up an idea for a concept album of a washed up 80's band making a new album. Before I knew it, I was drawing characters, writing back stories and it suddenly hit me to make it into a cartoon. Some bits of the film are based on my own experiences in the ridiculous music industry world. There are so many ridiculous stories I could tell that I could write a quadrilogy of movies about The Hit Squad.

What were you doing before The Hit Squad?

Music! Gigging, writing, recording. I just got bored of the whole process. I love music, but there's people out there like Muse and Pendulum that are making these concept albums that go across different types of media. The Hit Squad is like that... But with swearing cartoon characters.

What is The Hit Squad? from Chris Blundell on Vimeo.

How is it all put together? Talk us through the process?

I sat down and wrote 10 half hour scripts, for a Family Guy-type series. When I started discussing it with TV companies, most of them just said "You don't need us, you can do this yourself, you dont need cameras, sets, lighting etc..." And they're right, I'd already dabbled with pixel-art and got myself drawing the characters and animating them. The first 3 scripts were re-written to work as a movie and now we're just about to hit production. I use a custom videogame engine to work and animate the characters, then I fine tune the animation in After Effects. I've made sure that it's all authentic, everything is 256 colours and 8 bit resolution. I transfer it all into HD later on to make sure all the edges are crisp and sharp. There are easier ways of doing it, this is just the way it works for me.

The one thing I always remember is the line "Do It Yourself". If I need something done, I'll try and do it myself before asking someone else to do it. It works for ultra-low budget films, actors doubling up as sound people, editors doubling up as camera people.


What 1980s music/computers/games etc. are in your blood?

Oh god, I was born in the mid 80's so I missed a lot the first time around, but I've caught up thanks to the 'net! Everything from Caddyshack to Escape From New York, from Van Halen to Falco, from ZX Spectrum to NES. There's a certain charm to the times when people like John Carpenter can write, direct and compose a whole Hollywood film or that a team of 5 people can make a blockbuster videogame or have a hit record, no matter how ugly you are!

Have you received feedback, ideas, etc on your website?

Through Facebook, Twitter and all the usual networks, I get feedback and criticism (yep, before I even release the film, people still let you know if they think something is taking the wrong direction!). Its nice to be able to leak certain bits of the film out and get a reaction from the public, especially when you're making most of it yourself.

What are you hoping for when it's out?

I'm going to take a stand for its release, I want a simultaneous release on DVD, internet and cinema. It's outrageous that noone has done it before. People pirate films because they don't want to wait. I don't want to wait 3 months before I see Hot Tub Time Machine go from cinema to DVD. And if I order a DVD, don't want to wait 3 days before I can watch the film! So what's the answer? You buy The Hit Squad DVD, you get a digital copy of the film as soon as the DVD is shipped, you want to watch it the day its released in the cinema, it will be available on the net, immediately.

What will we expect when we see The Hit Squad?

We're aiming for October 2010, but a few film companies have contacted us, so we're seeing what they can provide for us which may mean a little later.


Can you tell about any future projects?

Other than The Hit Squad? I'm certainly concentrating on this for the foreseeable future, but I have some ideas for something a little more sci-fi for 2011

Any films you have seen that have left a lasting impression with you?

I could give you a list as long as your arm. Geek-comedies like Shaun Of The Dead and Hot Fuzz really hit my spot. Requiem For a Dream, I watched once and it still bums me out when I think about it. Oh and every zombie movie ever made.


Anything you want to get off your chest right now ?!

Don't watch Survive Style 5+ starring Vinnie Jones. It's not worth 2 hours of your time.

Thanks for your time Chris.

Connery Hero

Sir Sean Connery received a hero's welcome when he returned to his native Edinburgh, Scotland on Thursday to see a plaque unveiled on the site of his former home.

The Bond legend was back in the Fountainbridge area of the city, visiting the street where he was born in 1930.

A plaque in his honour has been positioned on a new housing development, built on the site of his former family residence, and crowds of locals took to the streets to welcome the actor home.

Connery and his wife Micheline travelled around the area where he grew up, posing for pictures with fans and chatting to old friends and locals who had known his parents Joseph and Effie.

But the star, who has lived in the Bahamas for the last three decades, admits he struggled to recognise the streets because the area has changed so much.

He told the Daily Record, "I'm lost walking around here. I look forward to the whole thing (construction in the area) to be finished."

JULES et JIM

Ahhhhhhh Truffaut! No, it's not a delicious mouth watering chocolate, rather a delicious piece of brain candy wrapped in a semi-autobiographical French New Wave film. Truffaut never met his own biological father, but it is quite apparent he knew his mother.

Love - Hate relationship anyone? This film gives new meaning to menage a trois - in a good, sinister, way.

Our heroine is a free-spirited, capricious vixen that torments and punishes her lovers, who happen to be best buds.

How refreshing to see the multi-faceted aspects of polygamy explored from a fem fatale point of view.

But plot barely exceeds the beautiful language of cinema spoken in this film. In collaboration with Goddard, Truffaut used the lightest weight cameras at the time. The result is a velvety smooth and distinctive film style, rife with masking and dolly shots that modern filmmaking can only hope to rigidly imitate.

The critic Ginette Vincindeau has defined this as,

"beautiful, but in a kind of natural way;"

So boys gather your maternal angst and settle in for a night of emotional perversion.

Girls, feel free to fantasize...