Volver review

Number 685 on the top 1000 films of all time is the Spanish Volver (to return.)

Raimunda (Penelope Cruz) is a young housewife stuck in a loveless marriage. When her daughter Paula (Yohana Cobo) commits a horrific crime, we see the extent she will go to protect her. Meanwhile Raimunda's mother Irene (Carmen Maura) seemingly comes back from the dead to tie up loose ends. 

This is the fourth Pedro Almodavar film I've seen after Talk to Her, All about my Mother and the Skin I live in. This has definitely been my favourite. Almodavar's films tend to be marked by a dark irony which underpins sometimes very surreal elements.

Although Volver definitely has dark parts they never overshadowed the storyline. Plus the surrealism was kept to a minimum. This was all for the best as otherwise the themes of womenhood and family connection would have been diluted or lost completely.

The supporting cast is rounded out by three other female characters: Raimunda's sister Soledad, (Lola Duenas) neighbour Agustina (Blanca Portillo) and the sister's ailing aunt Paula (Chus Lampreve.) It was very much a film with a strong female cast with few male characters. Yet it never felt disingenuous. All the characters felt real. It's probably no surprise that the six principle actresses shared the Best Actress Award at Cannes.

Volver was a good film. Yes it was dark and a little surreal but unlike Almodovar's other films, this only enhanced and not distracted from the story.

The Misfits review

 The Misfits does not feature on the 2015 iteration of the top 1000 films of all time.

Roslyn Taber (Marilyn Monroe) Is a recent divorcee leaving her unhappy marriage. We see her develop friendships with a group of misfit men: the old-school cowboy Gaylord Langland (Clark Gable,) trucker Guido (Eli Wallach) and rodeo star Perce Howland (Montgomery Clift.)

The Misfits is best-known for being the final film of Clark Gable and Marilyn Monroe - both of which died soon after the film's release. Both were also terrific in this film. Hitherto I've never rated Monroe as an actress. Perhaps unfairly she has always been dismissed as a dumb blonde - although her roles in Some like it Hot or All about Eve do little to dismiss that image. 

Yet Roslyn was a far more mature role and Monroe did well in the part. It was a maturity I've not really seen from her before but maybe that's more the fault of Hollywood typecasting. Roslyn was also a tragic character - as tragic as Monroe whose own marriage with Arthur Miller, who also wrote the film, was disintegrating through the film's production.

I would argue that Clark Gable's performance as gruff outsider Gaylord isn't anything out the ordinary but he still did well in the role. Alas his heavy smoking and drinking would soon catch up to him.

Considering all the production difficulties from Monroe's pill addiction to Clift struggling to remember his lines to Miller constantly rewriting scenes, it's a miracle this film was made at all but I'm glad it was. It showcased what Monroe could have been. 

Disconnect Review

Number 687 on the top 1000 films of all time is the psychological drama Disconnect. 

Disconnect tells three interrelating stories that centre around the theme of disconnection. The first story sees the Boyd family led by Rich Boyd (Jason Bateman) a high powered lawyer too busy to see his troubled son Ben Boyd (Jonah Bobo.) The second story follows journalist Nina (Andrea Riseborough) and her efforts to free cam model Kyle (Max Thierot) from his sexual slavery. Finally we see couple Derek (Alexander Skaarsgaard) and Cindy (Paula Patton) deal with the after effects of having their credit cards stolen. 

It's been a while since I've watched a film too upsetting to watch again or a film that had me utterly engrossed from start to finish. But Disconnect certainly fit the bill. It was quiet but loud. Subtle but intense. The characters certainly weren't the most likeable but damn were they real. And they were certainly flawed. 

We can look at neglectful father Rich who after feeling guilty for being blind to his son's emotional turmoil, goes on a one man mission to uncover the truth. Jason Bateman might be best known for his comedy roles but he does just as well in dramatic performances.

Andrea Riseborough was just as good as the misguided Nina who after interviewing Kyle promises to rescue him from his sexual slavery. But he doesn't want to be rescued. In the end she makes it worse for everybody involved. You can lead a horse to water...

But there wasn't a weak link in the cast. All the actors, even the child ones, brought their troubled characters to life. 

What struck me the most about the film was its ending. Yes I could have done without the cheesy slow-motion but none of the storylines are properly resolved. There are no happily ever afters. In one sense, it's a downbeat and disappointing ending. At the same point although the characters begin broken and disconnected, by the end they are much more connected to each other. This seemingly paradoxical ending was very interesting. 

The characters may have been very disconnected from one another but I was very connected to this film.

Fried Green Tomatoes review

 Number 680 on the top 1000 films of all time is the comedy drama Fried Green Tomatoes.

Evelyn Couch (Kathy Bates) is a middle-aged housewife stuck in a loveless marriage in 1980's Alabama. She and her husband Ed regularly visit Ed's aunt in the local nursing home. It is here she meets and befriends the elderly Ninny Threadegoode (Jessica Tandy) who fascinates her with stories of her youth.

This was a delightful tale of empowerment even if it was a little superficial. What made it so good? The always great Kathy Bates. This was a couple years before she won her best actress Oscar but you could see her skill as an actress. She made Evelyn Couch such a likeable character. I loved seeing her gain confidence and transform from an old-fashioned, timid Southern Belle into a kickass independent woman.

This is all aided by the story Ninny tells which runs parallel to Evelyn's story. Ninny talks about the relationship between the black sheep of the Threadegoode family Idgie (Mary Stuart Masterson) and her relationship with family friend Ruth Jamison (Mary-Louise Parker.)

Ruth is engaged to Idgie's brother Buddy (Chris O'Connell) but after he is killed in a train accident, Idgie becomes sullen and withdrawn. With the help of Ruth, she starts to open up and enjoy life again. Masterson and Parker had great chemistry together. The relationship of their characters mirrored Evelyn and Ninny's relationship. Tandy and Bates were similarly great together.

Idgie and Ruth's storyline took place in 1930s Alabama long before the civil rights movement. Idgie and Ruth were both friendly toward their black service staff more so than some of their neighbours.

 If I were to criticise the film for anything, it would be for an oversimplified portrayal of the tenuous race relations of the time. The film dipped its toe into this difficult subject with portrayals of the KKK but it all felt very superficial and surface level. It needed more depth

That notwithstanding I did enjoy this film. It was spear headed by Bates and Tandy's great performances. 

Braindead review

 Number 683 on the top 1000 films of all time is Peter Jackson's zombie, comedy-horror Braindead.

Lionel (Timothy Balme) is a mild-mannered man living in South Wellington, New Zealand with his over bearing mother Vera (Elizabeth Moody) Lionel develops an attraction to the Spanish Paquita (Diana Penlaver) but then Vera is bitten by an infected rat-monkey and is turned into a flesh-eating zombie 

It's difficult to believe this was directed by the same Peter Jackson who directed the LOTR trilogy, the same Peter Jackson who won three Oscars for directing that trilogy. It was a marvellous effort on every level...the production, music, script, acting. It succeeded in every way Braindead failed.

I get that Braindead was supposed to be a comedy but you're supposed to laugh with comedies, not AT them. In fact I didn't laugh at this once. The endless, mindless gore became tiresome very quickly. The characters were all annoying and it was all just silly. It was like Peter Jackson put all his focus into the special effects rather than the film itself.

It seemed like an 80's B movie that you're not supposed to take that seriously but I couldn't take it seriously at all. Lionel was a wet blanket, Paquita was equally irritating and Vera was cliched as the over domineering mother

It all culminated into a very silly affair where rather than Lionel becoming an unlikely saviour of humanity, he has to stop the other zombies from A) eating with each other and B) copulating with each other. He fails on the second front meaning he then has to deal with a zombie baby. Even for a comedy, it's hardly Night of the Living Dead. 

I'm still in disbelief that Peter Jackson could direct a film as nonsensical as this. It's also incredible how Peter Jackson went onto direct some of the best films ever made.

School of Rock review

 This musical-comedy does not feature on the top 1000 films of all time.

It follows Dewey Finn (Jack Black) a slovenly rock musician who has just been fired from his band. To pay rent, he impersonates his teacher roommate Ned Schneebley (Mike White) and poses as a substitute at the Horace Green private school. He then mentors his class of third-graders into a rock band. Joan Cusack and Sarah Silverman co-star.

Jack Black was probably one of the best choices for this role. He is famed for his work with the comedy-rock band Tenacious D, as well as his larger-than-life comedy persona. Although like so many American comedians, he has the tendency to be over-the-top, Dewey Finn was the perfect role for channelling his comedy into a genuinely-funny character.

School of Rock was directed by Richard Lintlaker best-known for his "Before Trilogy." I loved this series for its authenticity and realism. School of Rock definitely begs belief at times, but there are also moments of realism, which all aid the narrative. Most notably, all the child actors are genuinely singing or playing their instruments.

We also see Dewey Finn transform from a disinterested poser into a teacher who genuinely cares about his students. He rescues his drummer Freddy from a bunch of rock stars who strangely want to chill with a ten-year-old, as well as convincing Lawrence and Tomika to be in his band despite their protests that they're not cool enough. These were some nice tender moments which balanced out the farce.

Lastly, Joan Cusack and Sarah Silverman were great too. Joan Cusack was super as the uptight principle who is able to let go and have some fun especially when Fleetwood Mac are playing. Sarah Silverman who played Ned's girlfriend Patty - did well as the film's antagonist.

Yes, School of Rock is a complete farce - one that wouldn't work if Dewey was teaching in a Detroit state comprehensive, but it was still a funny watch with good musical performances and tender moments.

Sherlock Holmes review

 Number 684 on the top 1000 films of all time is Guy Ritchie's 2009 adaptation of the classic Sherlock Holmes story

Sherlock Holmes (Robert Downey Jr) is a maverick, crackpot detective. He and sidekick, the far more level headed Watson (Jude Law) battle to stop the necromancer Lord Blackwood (Mark Strong) from his murderous plans. Rachel McAdams stars as Holmes' former flame Irene Adler.

Guy Ritchie is best known for his crime caper films Lock, stock and two smoking Barrels and Snatch. The latter is one of my favourite films. It has all of Ritchie's signature flair from his witty script to fast-paced editing to memorable performances. Did that translate well to the world of Sherlock Holmes? I'm not so sure.

I get that Ritchie and producer Lionel Wigram wanted to do something new and forego the usual Sherlock Holmes' cliches but Ritchie's style didn't fit into late Victorian England at all. Granted I"m not at all familiar with Sherlock Holmes but he and his world have always struck me as embodying a level of Victorian sophistication and restraint which was lacking here. Too much slow-motion. 

Robert Downey Jr was also the wrong choice for the sophisticated Sherlock Holmes. It was a bit like he was playing a modern-day tv detective or showing us Tony Stark as a Victorian detective rather than Iron Man. It was a buffoonish performance. It didn't help he lacked any form of chemistry with Jude Law.

Mark Strong wasn't a particularly memorable villain either. It didn't help he spent much of the film hiding in the shadows. Lord Blackwood was no Noriarty either. As for Rachel McAdams as Irene Adler? I would agree with other critics who said she was underused.

I found myself very cold upon finishing Sherlock Holmes. Considering how much I've enjoyed Guy Ritchie's other films, it was a disappointment.