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Dammit - Burn After Reading is on at the Odeon and I don't think I'll make it this week.
CXXIII: Death Defying Acts (Gillian Armstrong, 2007)
At some point during the early twentieth century (the film's ending suggests 1926) Houdini (Guy Pearce) visits Edinburgh to perform, along with his offer to $10,000 to any medium who can reveal his mother's dying words to him. Mary Mugabe* (Catherine Zeta-Jones) and her daughter Benji (Saoirse Ronan), a couple of con artist media who might be the real deal, try to win the money and Houdini falls madly in love with Mary.
Yes, yet another magician movie - probably third place after The Prestige and The Illusionist (I never saw the Mitchell and Webb one, obviously) - and this is about fooling people and people wanting to be fooled. Saoirse Ronan steals every scene she's in and is clearly typecast as the same lying get she was in Atonebloodyment. It's the best Zeta-Jones performance I've seen - which isn't saying much - and Pearce is simultaneously trying to hold onto his accent and hairpiece.
Ok, it isn't that bad - Timothy Spall lights up the screen as well in a performance he could have done in his sleep - but it can't make its mind up about real magic, and tries to have its cake and eat it. And Edinburgh was nice and broody.
* Actually McGarvie, but I clearly misheard.
CXXIV: Donkey Punch (Oliver Blackburn, 2008)
Three pretty but dim girls from Leeds meet up with three pretty but psycho boys on the Med and go back to their boat to party - the way you do - where a fourth pretty boy is waiting. Bluey (Tom Burke), in a hilarious faux-accent that reminds me of a character in Withnail and I explains the donkey punch - thump a woman on the back of the neck whilst you are having sex in an uncomfortable place.** Gives him a great orgasm, her a headache. Two doped up boys and girls go below decks to get off, with a third boy to watch and then film - this being exploitation there is girl on girl action, but it draws the line at boy on boy (aside from some manly arse slapping). One of them tries the donkey punch: result, a broken neck. Of course they can't radio in and fess up, they have to hide the body and fall out.
By the numbers claustrophobic thriller, dependent on everyone being stupid, and everyone being so unlikable (albeit pretty) that you are rooting for them to die in appealing ways. It misses a trick right at the end, so loses marks there, and aside from Bluey I kept losing who was who (if you're shooting in low light with two brunettes and a blonde, I know which one it's wiser to kill off). I don't remember the student audience being so tedious last year in this slot.
** Not the back of a Volkswagen.
Totals: 124 (Cinema: 53; DVD: 66; TV: 5)
CXXIII: Death Defying Acts (Gillian Armstrong, 2007)
At some point during the early twentieth century (the film's ending suggests 1926) Houdini (Guy Pearce) visits Edinburgh to perform, along with his offer to $10,000 to any medium who can reveal his mother's dying words to him. Mary Mugabe* (Catherine Zeta-Jones) and her daughter Benji (Saoirse Ronan), a couple of con artist media who might be the real deal, try to win the money and Houdini falls madly in love with Mary.
Yes, yet another magician movie - probably third place after The Prestige and The Illusionist (I never saw the Mitchell and Webb one, obviously) - and this is about fooling people and people wanting to be fooled. Saoirse Ronan steals every scene she's in and is clearly typecast as the same lying get she was in Atonebloodyment. It's the best Zeta-Jones performance I've seen - which isn't saying much - and Pearce is simultaneously trying to hold onto his accent and hairpiece.
Ok, it isn't that bad - Timothy Spall lights up the screen as well in a performance he could have done in his sleep - but it can't make its mind up about real magic, and tries to have its cake and eat it. And Edinburgh was nice and broody.
* Actually McGarvie, but I clearly misheard.
CXXIV: Donkey Punch (Oliver Blackburn, 2008)
Three pretty but dim girls from Leeds meet up with three pretty but psycho boys on the Med and go back to their boat to party - the way you do - where a fourth pretty boy is waiting. Bluey (Tom Burke), in a hilarious faux-accent that reminds me of a character in Withnail and I explains the donkey punch - thump a woman on the back of the neck whilst you are having sex in an uncomfortable place.** Gives him a great orgasm, her a headache. Two doped up boys and girls go below decks to get off, with a third boy to watch and then film - this being exploitation there is girl on girl action, but it draws the line at boy on boy (aside from some manly arse slapping). One of them tries the donkey punch: result, a broken neck. Of course they can't radio in and fess up, they have to hide the body and fall out.
By the numbers claustrophobic thriller, dependent on everyone being stupid, and everyone being so unlikable (albeit pretty) that you are rooting for them to die in appealing ways. It misses a trick right at the end, so loses marks there, and aside from Bluey I kept losing who was who (if you're shooting in low light with two brunettes and a blonde, I know which one it's wiser to kill off). I don't remember the student audience being so tedious last year in this slot.
** Not the back of a Volkswagen.
Totals: 124 (Cinema: 53; DVD: 66; TV: 5)
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Also, I felt the ending made a bit of a mockery of his skepticism.