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engaged to Idgie's brother Buddy (Chris O'Connell) but after he is killed in a train accident, Idgie becomes sullen and withdrawn.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.

The Man Who Wasn't there review

 Number 678 on the top 1000 films of all time is the neo-noir crime film 'The Man Who wasn't there.'

The Man Who Wasn't There was directed by the Coen Brothers. It follows the withdrawn and laconic barber Ed Crane (Billy Bob Thornton) whose wife Doris (Frances Mcdormand) is having an affair with her manager Dave (James Gandolfini.) One day, sketchy businessman Creighton Tolliver (Jon Polito) approaches Ed Crane with a business proposition. Seeing a way to escape his life, Crane resolves to blackmail Dave. Scarlett Johansson and Richard Jenkins co-star.

The Coen Brothers are well-known for adding layer upon layer of surrealism into their films. All too often a lot of their films like The Big Lebowski and Oh brother, wherefore art thou are far too weird for my tastes. That's why I was glad that the Man Who Wasn't There was a lot more straightforward to watch. Well..as straightforward as a Coen Brothers' film can be. Or rather as straightforward as neo-noir films can be.

In many ways, this film was a homage to the classic noir films of the forties and fifties with Roger Deakins' terrific cinematography, the black and white rendering, the Dutch angles,.Billy Bob Thornton's driving narration and the Coen Brothers' topsy-turvy script. Things start out relatively simple, but grow more complicated as Crane's get-rich-quick scheme inevitably blows up in his face.

Billy Bob Thornton cut a fine noir character a la old bogey as Sam Spade. His moral greyness made him interesting to watch while Thornton's subtle performance led a quiet intensity to the role. But it was his narration that truly energised the film. James Gandolfini was also great in a supporting role. Best known for playing Tony Soprano - the financially pressed store owner Dave was a far cry, yet Gandolfini was impressive. And as always Jon Polito brought great humour and a chaotic energy to his performance.

Yet the film wasn't perfect and definitely wasn't one of the Coen Brothers' stronger efforts. It lost some momentum as it gradually transitioned into a courtroom drama and I could have done without the Scarlett Johansson subplot. Ed Crane spots her playing the piano - recognising her talent, he fancies the idea of being her manager. Yet this aspiration ultimately goes nowhere. Also unlike other Coen films where the surrealism seems at least tangentially relevant, here it felt shoe-horned in. Why does Crane see a UFO before his final moments? Who knows?

That notwithstanding, the Man who Wasn't There was still an enjoyable film. It just wasn't one of the Coen Brothers' best.

The Skin I Live in review

 Number 677 on the top 1000 films of all time is the Spanish body-horror film The Skin I live in.

Dr Robert Ledgard (Antonio Banderas) Is a plastic surgeon who has pioneered a new form of human skin which is practically indestructible. He has done all this with the unwilling help of his human guinea pig Vera [Elena Anaya] but he is harbouring a dark secret. 

The Skin I Live In was directed by Pedro Almodovar well-known for directing other melo-dramas like All About my Mother and Talk to Her. These films also explored themes like transgenderism while navigating dark content with morally dubious characters. The Skin I Live In explored the same themes with the same level of darkness. This made it really difficult for me to get on with this film.

Big spoilers to follow

It's never a bad thing if films have morally complicated characters and, even better if they're morally dubious. This is what makes them interesting. However, there is a balance that needs to be struck. They can't be so morally deprived that the viewer loses interest in following them altogether. That's what happened here. There wasn't one character that I really wanted to root for.

Dr Robert Ledgard is the protagonist of the film so it's only natural that you want to root for him especially when you learn that he has a tragic past - both his wife and daughter died in tragic circumstances. Yet he has allowed this trauma to turn him into a resentful, bitter man engaging in human experimentation. Not the most likeable of characters.

Logic would then suggest that you should empathise with Ledgard's guinea pig: Vera - she is the woman that Ledgard has been experimenting on. Initially, she is very empathetic - THAT is until you find out about her dark past. Or should I say HIS dark past. Because Vera was a man called Vicente who secretly raped Ledgard's daughter Norma (Blanca Suarez.) 

The trauma of this coupled with the darkness surrounding her mother led to Norma taking her own life. And then this led to Ledgard holding Vicente hostage and effectively turning him into a woman. It's all messed up and weird, but Vera stopped being empathetic when you found out she began life as a male rapist. This isn't to belittle Elena Anaya's performance. She was well-deserving of the Goya award for Best Actress.

What characters are there left? Marilia (Marisa Peredes) Dr Ledgard's housekeeper and secret mother. Not only is she his mother but also mother to the horrific criminal Zeca (Roberto Alamo) who after having committed a robbery confronts Marilia at home and goes onto rape Vera. It's revealed that he and Ledgard are half-brothers - not that either of them know it, nor does it really pertain to the plot. It all felt like gratuitous, unjustified violence. And considering Marilia lies to everybody and is indirectly the reason Vera gets raped, it doesn't endear her to the viewer either.

What about poor Dr Ledgard's wife? Surely, you can like her? Well, Gal had a secret affair with Zeca and the two of them run off together. That is until a horrific car crash which Gal survives albeit with awful third-degree burns. There's not really a likeable character among the bunch.

And it's not a likeable film. I feel like there was a lot that I could have liked, but this was all undone by the unnecessary dark nature of the film.

Lethal Weapon review

 Number 675 on the top 1000 films of all time is the action thriller Lethal Weapon

Martin Riggs (Mel Gibson) is a hot headed army veteran with PTSD, traumatised from the recent death of his wife. He is partnered with the older and more experienced Roger Murtaugh (Danny Glover) to solve the mysterious suicide of a young woman during Christmas. 

Lethal Weapon was very much emblematic of 80's action films. It was corny, bombastic with campy dialogue and a very Mel Gibson performance. Despite all this, I really enjoyed the film

I'm not big on the action genre yet like Die Hard, I thought Lethal Weapon was a thoroughly entertaining film. The cheesiness, car chases, gun fights and explosions only added to the spectacle. 

I really enjoyed the chemistry between Mel Gibson and Danny Glover. I don't much rate Mel Gibson as an actor - there is probably a reason he has won Oscars for directing/producing and not acting - but he and Danny Glover played well off each other.

They were certainly the most memorable parts of the film - much of the film's action sequences have blurred into one and the villains weren't particularly noteworthy.

I admit I enjoyed Lethal Weapon more than I thought I would. I thought it would be 2 hours of corny dialogue, hammy action and endless explosions and while it was all that, it was entertaining all the same.

The Crow review

Number 670 on the top 1000 films of all time is the gothic superhero film The Crow 

Eric Draven (Brandon Lee) Is a musician who is killed by gangsters who go onto rape and kill his girlfriend. After Draven is brought back to life, he swears revenge on his killers. Michael Wincott, David Patrick Kelly, Ernie Hudson and Jon Polito Co star.

 The Crow is one of those films where the behind the scenes drama has overshadowed the film itself. Of course I'm talking about Brandon Lee who died prematurely before the film's completion. His tragic death has lent the film a fame I'm not sure it could have achieved by itself. 

The Crow has gained a cult following after failing to hit the mainstream. I understand it was a gothic neo-noir-esque but did everything have to be so dark? I could barely see what was going on. It was difficult to get invested really. And a reminder the Crow came out in 1996 not 2026. 

It seemed like a cheap B movie in every regard from its production to its script and acting. Perhaps that could be attributed to its low budget. But the villains like Jon Polito were pretty campy as were the likes of Brandon Lee and the others.

This wasn't a film I could get invested in at all. Brandon Lee's death was a tragedy, but not even the mythical status his death gave to the film could save it. 

Little Children review

Number 668 on the top 1000 films of all time is the melodrama Little Children

Sarah Pierce (Kate winslet) and Brad Adamson (Patrick Wilson) are both stuck in loveless marriages with young children to boot. In their sleepy Boston town, they begin an affair together but their happiness could be threatened when recently paroled sexual offender Ronnie Mcgorvey (Jackie Earle Haley moves into their neighbourhood. Noah Emmerich and Jennifer Connelly co-star.

Little children was written by Tom Perrotta who is best known for writing the Famed HBO TV series: The Leftovers. It was easy to see the similarities. Both projects focussed on the intricacies of everyday life - albeit in different ways. But they also explored some dark themes. And the darkness present here really turned me off this film.

This is a satirical melodrama so I guess it only makes sense having a character like Mcgorvey But I didn't like his inclusion at all. It was difficult to tell his purpose - was he there as the obvious villain? Possible but he doesn't really engage with our protagonists or is he there to draw sympathy? But can we ever feel sympathy for a PDFile/grapist? Not that we're expected to when we see how he has failed to reform at all. 

He just seemed so tangential to everything that I didn't understand his purpose to the plot. I guess he was a subplot but an irrelevant one 

I was still far more invested in Sarah and Brad's adulterous relationship even though it bordered on unbelievable at times. Seriously...nobody questioned why they were getting it on in the football stadium? I wouldn't go far to say that Kate Winslet is ALWAYS good but she was convincing here as was Patrick Wilson. I enjoyed seeing them try and fail to integrate into their communities. 

If only the film focussed more on them than Mcgorvey, I would be giving Little Children a more resounding review