Lower Learning

Well the 192 isn't happening. No matter! Today's film is Lower Learning starring Jason Biggs and Rob Corddry.

Why this film as a return to reviewing? Well in personal terms I had a brief spell of film apathy where even looking at a DVD case made me tired. I cannot explain it and it was difficult but I think things are on the up. Do not be confused though, it had little to do with this film. In fact quite the opposite, this film was so awful I felt that people needed to be warned just in case, like me, they thought "Oh, that's Lou from Hot Tub Time Machine." Don't think that. It's still true, but that just makes it even more upsetting to watch Lower Learning.

So here's the plot. Jason Biggs is the Vice-Principal at Geraldine Ferraro Elementary School, which is the worst school in the state. Thanks, in no small part, to Rob Corddry's reign as Principal. So when an inspector comes in the form of Eva Longoria, it is almost certain that the school will be closed. But when it becomes clear that Corddry is trying to sabotage the school for financial gain, teachers and pupils at the school band together to stop the rot.

Lower Learning is a very lazy film. There are lots of half-baked ideas floating around, unnecessary characters and sub-plots and the main storyline just gets more and more nonsensical until, at some point during the film, you will stop and realise that you simply could not care less about what happens to the kids or their ridiculous teachers, particularly the extremely irritating turtle-loving guy.



I have decided that the director, while making this film, probably just had so many ideas that he couldn't decide which to keep and which to ditch so we end up with a sort of scattergun approach to comedy. Jason Biggs is a teacher, but what if his dad was a cop? And he wanted to be a cop, but failed? And he also loves Eva Longoria, because they went to high school together? But she is some sort of drug-addict as well for no reason. So they should both join together and save the school because. . . well I think that's where ran out of ideas. Throw in an unfunny recurring joke that is unfunny from the beginning, no less than three boring love stories and a very stupid ending and you have Lower Learning.

The one good idea that the film follows through with is Rob Corddry and his complete abuse of the school pupils. While the classrooms fall apart, his office is filled with antiques and fine liquor. He fetches kids out of class to be his caddy for golf in the playground. The best moment of the film comes when he decides to make the school band follow him around and play at his command. But that is one of maybe three genuine laughs in this inexplicably dreadful film.



When I say inexplicable I don't mean "How is it possible for a film featuring Jason Biggs and Kyle Gass of Tenacious D to go so wrong?" I mean how on earth did half of these actors agree to be in it? And how did it get made? Did anyone read the script? It's not even as if it is driven by the kids like School of Rock and the actors can take a backseat. It's all up to them and they are all bad. Please avoid this film.

3/10

Toy Story 3

Day 22/192-Toy Story 3: Starring Tom Hanks and Tim Allen

My favourite people in the world of cinema are the people who work at Pixar. They work so hard to ensure that the quality of their films always comes before box-office success or even the implementation of new technology. So when it was announced that Toy Story 3 was going ahead, there was no doubt in my mind that they would only do if it if they felt they could do it justice, and that they most certainly did.

Unrivaled in technical terms, and still streaks ahead with their characters and ideas, the team at Pixar continue to craft stories that manage to delight adults and children alike and with the Toy Story franchise, that now spans a 15 year timeline since we first met Woody and Buzz, they have once again left the competition in their wake, with Toy Story 3 quite possibly the best one so far.

Toy Story 3 sees Andy all grown up and ready to go to college. He is clearing out his room when his mom offers him three options of what to do with his toys: take them to college, stick them in the attic or donate them to Sunnyside Daycare. After a mix-up all of the toys end up in the box marked Sunnyside, and Woody (Hanks) is desperate to get the gang back home, before Andy is gone.

But after a quick tour of Sunnyside, courtesy of Lotso Huggin' Bear and his faithful concierge Ken, the toys, who haven't been played with for years, are beginning to think that a new lease of life may not be so bad. Woody is not convinced and makes a break for it, leaving Buzz (Allen) and all the rest behind. After being picked up by a little girl outside, he travels home with her where he learns the truth about Sunnyside and has to make a choice between going it alone, or going back to save his friends.



Toy Story 3 is superb. For a film that manages to introduce so many new characters, each serving a purpose and none of them forgettable, just shows the commitment that Lee Unkrich has to giving the story the consideration it deserves. Everyone from Mr. Pricklepants, the thespian hedgehog, to Bonnie, the next generation of toy owner, is a joy to watch and even the existing characters are given new dimensions such as the green Army Men retiring from duty and a rejuvenating reset for Mr. Lightyear.

In particular, the introduction of Ken, the clothes-loving, well-groomed girl's toy, is a revelation. Voiced by Michael Keaton, Ken provides the biggest and best laughs throughout and is probably one of the most memorable performances of the year. Lotso is a welcome introduction as well and the way the writers have managed to develop such an in-depth character like Lotso over the course of 103 minutes is a real achievement.

The film will make you glad that you've got your 3D glasses on because within the first ten minutes you'll probably be getting emotional. Toy Story 3 captures perfectly the notion of growing up, watching Andy's home videos will bring a huge smile to your face and may give way to stronger emotions.



And that is what is key about Toy Story 3, you will never stop smiling. I had a grin on my face for the duration and even in my more emotional moments, I was still smiling. It is a well-told story, visually stunning, hilarious, devastating and in the end a completely satisfying end to what must now be the best trilogy of all time? It may even leave you thinking that there could be another, but with everything tied up perfectly and such an affirmative end, it's probably best to stop there.

With the ending leaving tears in your eyes and your stomach sore from laughing as you leave the cinema, you will no doubt remember this as a classic to show your own kids, after you've made a trip to the attic to apologise to all your old toys of course.

10/10

The Road to El Dorado

Day 21/192-The Road to El Dorado: Starring Kenneth Brannagh and Kevin Kline

Having just made my way through the Uncharted games for the Playstation 3, this grabbed my fancy from that old familiar friend: Sky Anytime.

The Road to El Dorado sees idiot con-men Tulio and Miguel (Kline and Brannagh) as they win a map to the fabled city of gold, "El Dorado" in a backstreet game of dice. When it is discovered they are cheating, they are forced to flee and find themselves on a boat and are told when it shores they will become slaves for the rest of their lives. So they jump off on a raft (stealing a horse in the process) and make a break for it.

Just as they are about to give in, the raft turns up on the beach, in El Dorado. When the locals find them, Tulio and Miguel are braced for death, but the citizens of El Dorado are convinced that the two men are in fact Gods, and must be worshiped. But the high-priest has a feeling that their new Gods may not be who they claim to be, given their lack of enthusiasm for human sacrifice.



I know that no-one really wants to see my thoughts on El Dorado but I can't afford to waste time on films and not reviewing them, and either way it's actually quite a good film.

Tulio and Miguel are nothing if not likable. Classic movie double-act material but neither has much depth, for the whole movie to revolve around the two of them is a rather big ask, too much of an ask at times, but they have the charisma factor to pull it off for the most part.

The whole film though enjoyable just seems to play out like a TV Movie with a lack of real spectacle, and little to nothing in originality. Unless you count the obvious gay undertones in the film.



Now that all sounds bad, but it's really not, it's just not, great. It is funny and none of the characters do anything unexpected, the film turns out exactly the way you would expect, but it's still enjoyable to watch that happen. I wouldn't be shouting from the rooftops that you should watch this film, but you could do a lot worse.

If you liked Pocahontas or Aladdin, you'd probably enjoy this, just so long as you know it won't change your life, and I'm sure you do.

6/10

The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo

Day 20/192-The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo: Starring Michael Nyqvist and Noomi Rapace

The second installment in my "Swedish Films Concerning Sexual Abuse Season" is The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo, based on the bestselling novel by Stieg Larsson.

Of course that is not my theme but just a massive coincidence, another fortunate coincidence seems to be that those Swedes sure can make films.

The first of the trilogy, The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo introduces us to Mikael Blomkvist (Nyqvist), a journalist who has been sentenced to jail for his failed exposing of corrupt businessman, Wennerstrom. Blomkvist is contacted by Henrik Vanger, a wealthy man who believes his niece Harriet's disappearance, 40 years ago, may be linked to a series of horrific murders committed around that time.

Blomkvist sets about investigating when he finds his computer is being hacked by someone else, Lisbeth Salander. (Rapace) Instead of getting angry he welcomes her help and the pair set about investigating the murders as well as the mystery behind the Vanger family.



The film sort of plays out like The Da Vinci Code, if The Da Vinci Code was done well. The twists and the clues, though never hugely shocking are enough to keep the murder story interesting, if nothing revolutionary. The real story here is Lisbeth's though, emotionally crippled by some unexplained events from the past, the further in we get the more confused we become by her actions, looking for justification that comes in satisfying drips and drabs, but is never fully realised.

It is a rare film in that it excels in the fact that is the first of a pre-planned trilogy. Safe in the knowledge that it doesn't have to give too much away, and wrap anything up, it gives a greater sense of mystery that when you are awaiting for a big recap of Lisbeth's back-story, it doesn't come when you think it will, leaving us very eager for The Girl Who Played With Fire.



This was another film I missed in the cinema, mostly because it was only shown very late at night. This isn't at all difficult to understand having seen it now, as it does have some rather graphic moments of varying kinds of violence. Mostly rather startling and never out of place, it is hard to talk about these moments without spoiling the story, but it is in some of these early moments where the film really establishes itself and its characters.

The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo is now scheduled for a 2011 US remake, but there is no need to wait until then as this film will be hard to top, at least until The Girl Who Played With Fire is released. Not for the faint of heart or the weak of stomach, but a brave and bold thriller that manages to remember to include a plot as well as motorcycle chases and fire, lots of fire.

8/10

The Twilight Saga: Eclipse

Day 19/192-The Twilight Saga: Eclipse. Starring Robert Pattinson and Kristen Stewart

I sit here at 7:14am in the staff room at work trying to squeeze in reviewing time because I must start breaking down the backlog if this project is to be a success. So here we go with Eclipse, the third movie in the money-spinning literary adaptation of the Twilight Saga.

Following on from the events of its predecessors, Eclipse sees sulky teen Bella (Stewart) happily going steady with the love of her life Edward Cullen (Pattinson) who happens to be a 107 year old vampire. But this is Twilight and, of course, it can never be plain sailing for these two. Unexplained murders in Seattle and one missing boy in particular, Riley Beers, have got the authorities, and the Cullens concerned.

Eclipse is where the Twilight Saga begins to find its feet, and is helped along by a much more defined book in terms of plot direction and character development. Whereas in the first book the villains just seemed to be thrown in for some drama at the end, here none of that matters as the main focus is on Bella's struggle to accept that she must choose between Edward and Jacob.

The action scenes are well-implemented and a particular highlight shows Jasper, who is much more of a presence (thankfully) in this film, training the vampires and the wolves how to fight the incoming threat from Seattle. The vampires do strike a little bit of fear now that the CGI has been improved, but the wolves are still as boring as ever.



This is where I stumble into negative territory on this film. Taylor Lautner is not a great actor, or maybe he is but it does not show here. He is fine in the scenes where he is laughing it up, but he lacks the dramatic chops to elevate the emotional reaction required from the audience, and will certainly not be recruiting any new Team Jacob members on this performance.

The problem that I have with the Twilight Saga is that every new threat that is posed upon the Cullens is met with the same reaction of fear and worry, then inevitably is overcome within seconds. The same happened in the first film with James, who Bella could have probably beaten herself, and in New Moon, the Volturi are just pathetic.


As someone who has read the first three books and is working his way through Breaking Dawn, I feel well placed to say that yes it is a fairly accurate depiction of Eclipse, maybe too much so with certain elements that remained intact (Switzerland, anyone?) But the characters in this film just mope and mope, at one point Rosalie takes a hissy fit and goes to her bedroom, simply so that she can look out of the window with an annoyed expression. Everyone in the Twilight Saga seriously needs to lighten up.

There are moments of camera-winking humour, which are well-appreciated from a male perspective and David Slade manages to inject a little bit of danger with the Riley Beers scenario, but not enough that we ever feel the Cullens are in any trouble. I feel the film could have been a lot better if it had focused just a little more on Bella's realisation of what becoming vampire will mean, one of the best scenes in the film shows her crying with Mom.

But that would not be to serve the fans' best interests and the film, if not a lot else, certainly does that. If i were a TwiHard I couldn't see myself giving less than 11/10 but as that is not the case from a purely critical standpoint I must award the following marks, and begin to wonder how they can possibly milk Breaking Dawn into two parts.

5/10

The Incredible Hulk

Day 18/192-The Incredible Hulk: Starring Ed Norton and Tim Roth

Sometimes, I go out and I get drunk, and sometimes, in the morning, I watch films. Today, on this morning, of all the films I could have watched, I watched The Incredible Hulk, now if you do read this and are thinking "Oh The Incredible Hulk, I haven't seen that, might be worth a watch" Then you must heed these words of warning: The Incredible Hulk is shit.

Now let's be clear, I'm still a bit drunk, but that does not excuse The Incredible Hulk from being one of the most misguided, wrong-footed attempts at a comic-book film. Trapped somewhere between Dark Knight and Spiderman, The Incredible Hulk gets it all wrong, CGI heavy, plenty of actors in the wrong roles and... well the list goes on and on.

The plot sees Bruce Banner (Ed Norton) in exile after his "incident" trying to find a cure, while living his life in a factory in Brazil. Through correspondence with a mystery figure on his computer he begins to think there might be a way to rid himself of his inner hulk. With mounting pressures from the army and a rival Hulk (in the form of Tim Roth) growing, Bruce must learn to utilise his powers in order to stop this Abomination.



I'm not sure how anyone else feels but I think The Hulk, in cinematic terms, is an abysmal character. No emotion or soul, a lumbering idiot, so much so that the script has forced him to attempt dialogue which just makes it even worse. When you look at a film like King Kong which makes no secret of the fact that its protagonist is a giant monkey, how does Hulk get it so wrong?

With the recent news that Norton has been dropped from The Avengers, it makes me wonder who could do a better job, but Norton does get Banner all wrong. In my research of comic-book film, I watched Ultimate Avengers: The Movie and in that feature, Tony Stark was different, but very much suited to Robert Downey Jr's portrayal. In Hulk, Banner lacks the depth and emotional turmoil required.

Because, when you are dealing with such an emotionally void character as the Hulk, you need his alter-ego to provide everything that he cannot. Whether the director has missed this point or whether Norton had grown tired with what is undoubtedly a miserable, lazy script is irrelevant because the end result is the same.



So to sum up, I didn't much care for The Incredible Hulk. Completely unaware of what makes The Incredible Hulk entertaining, this is just a complete misfire in almost every way. It makes me eager to go back and watch the Ang Lee version to see which is worse but from what I have read it will be a close call.

4/10

Inception

Day 17/192-Inception: Starring Leonardo DiCaprio and Marion Cotillard

It is a credit to the good body of work that Christopher Nolan has already built up that Inception has gathered the hype that we have seen already. Ordinarily, a film about dream extractors and architects designing within the realms of the subconscious doesn't exactly sound like your standard Summer blockbuster. But such is Nolan's meticulous and loving approach to film, Warner Bros have given him every backing in making Inception the film he wanted to make. They have not been let down.

So the story goes that Cobb, (DiCaprio) the world's greatest extractor, has been tasked with the impossible; Inception. While normally Cobb delves deep into the mind to extract one's deepest secrets and ideas, it has been suggested that if there was enough skill and preparation involved someone could plant an idea in someone's brain and convince them it was their own.

So Cobb sets about putting a team together for the fabled Inception, with the promise that if he completes the job, he can finally go home. So he puts together the components of his team and gets to work, but as the remnants of his past and familiar memories from his subconscious seek to destroy him, can he plant the idea before it's too late?



Inception is not just a good idea, it is a fully realised, perfectly executed film. Every little detail is in place to reinforce something we have already learned, every new element introduced furthers the story, the characters and the mechanics of the dream-layered world. When a train comes thundering down a busy city street, you can rest assured there is a perfectly good reason, in fact you'd probably be annoyed if it didn't.

The dream ideas lend themselves to some excellent narrative devices, such as the fact that the further into dreams you go, the more time seems to have passed. 20 seconds in reality is a day in a dream, in a dream within a dream, well you get the idea. In this sense, the time it takes to push a button, can be the same amount of time it takes to have a fully-realised shoot-out in the snow, while others roam for days in barren wastelands and it is all completely plausible.

It's not all just flash and CGI, what lies underneath is a perfectly crafted, unique and involving film. Though with all the exposition going on, there isn't a huge amount of time dedicated to character development, that is forgiven, particularly when the character who does recieve a bit of time, Cobb, holds our interest right up to the end, while Ariadne (Ellen Page) serves as our man in the field as the audience, sneaking into Cobb's dreams and showing us the details of his past that we would otherwise be unable to see, making him endearing and furthering our involvment in his cause.



Inception will sit in your brain for a long time after the credits roll, I for one had a rather strange dream last night! But it is the open ending that will leave debates raging for years. It is testament to the script that every tiny hole can be explained away and patched right up again, no stone is left unturned and when you consider that at times in this film we are simultaneously shown the deep subconscious mind of four different people in the form of varying locations and circumstances, Nolan has done a fantastic job to keep it all together.

It is definitely not over-complicated considering the subject matter and is instead rewarding viewing, as you invest in the characters, when they decide to go deeper, you can share with them a fleeting feeling of excitement giving way to dread and you feel very much at their side.

A lesser filmmaker could have made this film with no regard for the audience but that is where Nolan's strength lies. He has made a deep, involving, labyrinthine story which is heavy on exposition and high on conversation fodder. You get the feeling as you leave the cinema that Inception will be a film to remember and one we will be talking about for a long time to come.

10/10

Wayne's World

Day 16/192-Wayne's World: Starring Mike Myers and Dana Carvey

I am not sure if there is a film that I have seen more times than Wayne's World. Possibly Wayne's World 2. That is for so many reasons and I would defend this film to the hilt. While I will be the first to admit that Mike Myers has completely lost it (The Love Guru is my least favourite film of all time) here is an example of him in his prime, alongside the long forgotten Dana Carvey (who went on to make Master of Disguise, my number two least favourite film) he has managed to produce a film that, 18 years on, is still hilarious.

Wayne's World is a crappy public access TV show that idiot friends Wayne and Garth (Myers and Carvey) run from Wayne's parents' basement. When TV-Exec Benjamin Kane (Rob Lowe) spots them, he sees an opportunity to exploit them for advertising and ruin the magic of Wayne's World.

On top of that Wayne is fighting to keep his relationship with mega-hot bass player Cassandra alive amid increasing pressures from around them.



Not that any of that really matters. This is just an excuse to provide opportunities for Wayne and Garth to clown around, which they do to great effect. Such a quotable film with many things you will miss on first viewing. Even now about 10 years from when I first saw it, it yields rewards for watching again.

If I'm going to be negative about Wayne's World I'm going to say that it does look like they ran out of ideas in the last 10 minutes or so, but it's probably supposed to look like that in-keeping with the ridiculous style they have established so far.



I'm not sure in terms of the time that it came out what it did for comedy. But as far as I can tell many comedies have used this template since, some better, some worse, but Wayne's World is a classic example of how to do a buddy comedy. Get the right characters in there and let them tell jokes for the duration. It doesn't fall down Bill & Ted's pitfalls of having two idiots as main characters, Wayne and Garth are prone to rare moments of brilliance, it doesn't take the overly crude path of Jay and Silent Bob and that is why Wayne's World is a winner for me.

9/10

Somers Town

Day 15/192-Somers Town: Starring Thomas Turgoose and Piotr Jagiello

Fresh from the excellent This is England, we have another collaboration from director Shane Meadows and actor Thomas Turgoose in the all black and white effort, Somers Town.

Somers Town follows Tomo(Turgoose), who has traveled to London to get away from a difficult home life, as he struggles to get by with no money or clothes after an unfortunate first night in the capital. A chance meeting in a cafe introduces Tomo to Marek,(Jagiello) a Polish boy living in London with his dad. The two form an unlikely friendship which is hard not to be taken in by.

Tomo is the upstart, stealing clothes from a dry-cleaners and lying to the beautiful girl from the cafe. Marek is the sensible one, always taking photographs and making dinner for his dad. When the two meet, the change in their characters, though subtle, is what makes this film so beautiful.

Marek, stuck in his house all day while his dad works, finally has someone to run around with. He even lets Tomo sleep in his room without his dad's permission, mainly because of Tomo's powers of persuasion.



Turgoose has once again taken many plaudits for his performance in this film, rightly so. I think a special mention must go to Piotr Jagiello as well, he plays with Marek with such an excellent sense of humour and the right level of maturity, especially in the transition when Tomo gets a hold of him. This minimal cast lends itself to some very understated performances and even Perry Benson's brash neighbour, who is close to being out of place, lends a bit of colour to Somers Town.

The film really finds its feet when the boys meet Maria, it is so much fun to watch Tomo run his mouth while Marek keeps cool, but lets out a little smile every now and then. And the scene where they take her home from the cafe is a real high point for the film.



The film is a little on the short side, but that is part of the beauty of it. Somers Town is one of those films where you feel like you've just opened a window into a little time in some people's lives. And though they are not the most interesting or exciting people, they are real and honest and when it's all over you find yourself really hoping that everything will work out for them both, despite their inadequacies.

Somers Town does a good job of avoiding incidents of huge drama. Even in one scene where you are expecting a vicious reaction from Marek's dad, he keeps his cool. There are no sell-out moments, this is just a good portrayal of being young and to a certain extent, in love.

8/10

The Wackness

Day 14/192-The Wackness: Starring Josh Peck and Ben Kingsley

Josh Peck is the fat one from Drake and Josh. Only he's not fat anymore, or goofy, he's a mad cool drug dealer with wicked cool patter. So basically he ain't gonna be typecast no more. This is The Wackness, where Luke Shapiro (Peck) is a bit of a loser, deals pot, has no friends, except for his shrink Dr. Squires (Kingsley) the catch being that Squires is a bit mental.

Luke is chillin' through summer after finishing high school when he meets Stephanie, the step-daughter of Dr. Squires and begins to fall in love.

You may have heard this story before and it's certainly nothing hugely original. But it is fun, funny, a bit sad and very grounded in the reality of what it was like to grow up in the 1990s.

The Wackness is a film that takes a little while to find its feet. In the first 15-20 minutes we remain unsure about Luke as a character as we struggle to understand him but long-term he is worth the ride. Ben Kingsley too seems to wriggle around before eventually becoming attached to the character of Dr. Squires but this could just be the director's way of making the film about those two chracters and their journey together.

Not only that but it tails of a bit in the last 15-20 minutes as well. So in a film that lasts 99 minutes and at least 30 minutes are so-so, is it worth watching for the rest?


I would say yes. As soon as Olivia Thirlby enters the fray this film galvanizes its talented cast into the performances they should and indeed do deliver, so that the coolness of the characters can come through, while their motivation is questioned and explained all through the presence of a central figure in the form of Stephanie.

She embodies everything you can remember about that girl from school that was just too good to be true and she pulls it off with every turn of her head and flick of her hair and then as soon as she's gone you find yourself saying "well, she wasn't that good anyway."

More than that, the film soars in the middle section. There are some brilliant moments of comedy and emotion and as the love story begins to develop so does the film, but it does unfortunately lose its way.



All in all, The Wackness is a surprisingly involving film. The film jams three completely flawed characters together and sees if they can bring the best out in each other and it is very satisfying as an audience to watch that happen for a time. Even the fact that it all goes a bit off in the end isn't too important because the middle part is as good as I've seen this year and I would gladly watch that again rather than some of the other things I have seen.

7/10

Grizzly Man

Day 13/192-Grizzly Man: Starring Timothy Treadwater and Werner Herzog

Sorry to anyone who actually reads this, I've been at T in the Park so have got some catching up to do. The catching up began last night with 2005 documentary Grizzly Man, a look at Timothy Treadwater, who was so fed up with the disappointment of his own life and filled with anger at humankind that he spent months at a time studying bears on an island in Alaska. The resulting documentary is heartbreaking, beautiful and devastating in equal measures.

One of the first things we learn while watching is that Timothy and his girlfriend Amie Huguenard were killed in 2003 after an expedition went wrong. We are then given the different viewpoints of many of the people involved in his trips concerning the morality of Timothy's actions and his own mental state.

The story is sort of two-pronged. There is Timothy's story, where we learn about his unhappy life, struggles with drugs and alcohol and a failed attempt at an acting career that lead him to start his expeditions and his growing obsession with the bears and foxes in what he calls the Grizzly Maze. Then there is the other story of how he behaved in an unacceptable manner, breaking down boundaries with dangerous animals and which eventually cost him his life and that of his girlfriend Amie. Or maybe it is all the same story and it just depends on how you read it.



The only negative thing I could find to say about this film is that Herzog's input, though at times interesting, is sometimes superfluous. As a human story about an unhappy and emotionally unstable man it is beautiful, but when Herzog adds in information about the similarities between him and Treadwater in their film-making exploits, it becomes more about the two of them and less about our relationship with Timothy.

Everyone who contributes to this film obviously cares deeply about the subject matter and when that is combined with a unique and interesting story, with a brilliantly entertaining protagonist, it is easy to give yourself over to Timothy completely and as he begins to lose it (particularly in one scene where a fox steals his hat) though his actions and motives are very unsavoury, his enthusiasm is always prevalent, though misplaced.



Grizzly Man is made in such a way that you can leave with your own thoughts on Timothy Treadwater and his descent into what some have called "suicide by bear." It is thought-provoking and emotionally-involving and one you will be thinking of long after it is finished.

8/10

The Royal Tenenbaums

Day 12/192-The Royal Tenenbaums: Starring Gene Hackman and Luke Wilson

NOW! This is a film. So many excellent actors, such a great plot, amazing characters, great ideas, wonderful script and I am now very interested in the work of Wes Anderson.

The Royal Tenenbaums has a massive ensemble cast and no-one under performs. As a comedy it is plenty funny and it has enough of an entertaining story (or several sub-stories) that interest is kept from beginning to end.

If I had my way, each character would be given their own spin-off movie.

The film follows the Tenenbaum family, in particular the children, who have failed to live up to the promise they have showed in earlier years. Chas (Ben Stiller) has become very tightly-wound following the death of his wife and concentrates solely on keeping his kids from harm (with late-night fire drills and such.)

Margot (Gwyneth Paltrow) has stopped writing plays and spends much of her time watching TV in the bathroom and Richie's (Luke Wilson) tennis career has ended in shame.

Worst of all, their father, Royal Tenenbaum (Gene Hackman) a succesful litigator in his time, has been disbarred, largely thanks to Chas and is now (apparently) dying.



I can't praise the cast enough, or pick a favourite, each one brings something necessary to the film, from Danny Glover's love rival to Owen Wilson's wannabe Tenenbaum. Nothing hugely dramatic happens in The Royal Tenenbaums but it is removed from reality very slightly by a few components (Royal Tenenbaum's little man-servant Pagoda for example.) This makes for a very unique type of film that allows itself to be funny while letting you build up enough care for the characters before it gives way to any drama.

Arrested Development is one of my favourite TV shows and I would say having seen The Royal Tenenbaums now, that Mitchell Hurwitz must have taken some influence from this film. And why not? Every single character, even the morally corrupt Royal, is both entertaining and emotionally-involving. Margot who seems a million miles away and uninterested still earns a place in our heart as her inner-turmoil is so well portrayed by Gwyneth Paltrow.

Well the picture uploader is broken for the timebeing so I will end with this sentiment. The Royal Tenenbaums is great and like Owen Wilson, I now wish I was one. I thought I would like this film but I wasn't expecting to like it as much as I did.

10/10

Cool Runnings

Day 11/192-Cool Runnings: Starring John Candy and Leon Robinson

For a long time Cool Runnings was a film that eluded me. I remember being around 5 years old when I went to see it in the cinema, fell asleep and had never got round to seeing it fully. People I told this story would stop and shout "You haven't seen COOL RUNNINGS?!" I really do not understand why.

As one of many films that I have only recently seen and therefore been unable to fully appreciate (Ghostbusters, Aliens, Back to the Future, etc.) Cool Runnings was one I particularly didn't understand.

I know Cool Runnings is silly and daft but it is lacking in most humour throughout. And just relies on Sanka, who is a bit of an idiot, for laughs.


The storyline being that a group of lads, who have missed out on being sprinters for Jamaica at the Olympics, decide to form a bob-sled team instead. Cue much hilarity in this fish-out-of-water setting.

I can't really be bothered spending any time on this because it was just a bit rubbish and I didn't feel particularly strongly in any way I just would rather not have watched it. So I'll just give it 4/10 and move on to the next film.

4/10

Star Trek

Day 10/192-Star Trek: Starring Zachary Quinto and Chris Pine

I had really wanted to see this when it first came out. Circumstances aligned against me as is often the case and I missed my chance. However, Sky Anytime has redeemed itself from the debacle of Mega Shark vs Giant Octopus with this sci-fi spectacular which I thought was everything a blockbuster could, and should be.

Star Trek that is, not MSvGO.

This is basically an origin story of the early days of the Enterprise, centred around James T. Kirk (Chris Pine) and his rise from annoying upstart to captain material. Meanwhile the Remulons (fronted by Eric Bana) are out for revenge against Spock (Quinto) for destroying their planet.

There is also some time-travel alternate universe stuff going on (this is helmed by JJ Abrams after all) and a really pathetic almost non-attempt at a love story.


I'm aiming to keep things short on this one as I'm aiming to head out on this fine Saturday evening, and that is easy to do as this is a very straightforward film.

Spock lends himself to some great comedy with his Vulcan character trait of all logic and no emotion being perfect for deadpan gag after another and it doesn't wear thin. Chris Pine as James T. Kirk plays the cocky rookie to perfection with just the right level of humble and confidence in equal measures. Eric Bana hams it up quite nicely as Nero and Zoe Saldana gives way to some early promise to become a pretty-face in the background (albeit a very pretty one.)

All I would say is that this film suffers in its nature of being an origin story. Too many characters jammed in and not explored properly with Simon Pegg's Scotty no more than a cameo, this is somewhat of a letdown. But the other side of that is that, as was the case with Batman Begins, we could be in store for a very high quality sequel and I for one, based on the huge promise of this showing, am very excited about that.

7/10

(500) Days of Summer

Day 9/192-(500) Days of Summer: Starring Joseph Gordon-Levitt and Zooey Deschanel

(500) Days of Summer begins by telling us that this is not a love story, but a story about love, which is very fitting. This film, through an excellent script and superb performances by Gordon-Levitt and Deschanel, may be enough to dispel all romantic notions you may still hold on to. Or it may reinforce them further, it is a film that lets you make a choice.

The story follows Tom Hansen (Gordon-Levitt) a romantic by nature, who believes that there is a "one" out there for him. When he meets Summer (Deschanel) he is convinced that she is the one and falls head over heels. But Summer is the child of a broken marriage and doesn't believe in love or "ones" or even relationships. So Tom sets about trying to change her mind, or at least enjoying the ride while he is there.

The (500) in the title refers to the timespan of their time together, some good,some bad, but an excellent storytelling device. By jumping back and forth through time, we can see in an instant where things have gone sour and the contrast from the beginning of their relationship, to when things have gone off the boil.



The dialogue at times is fantastic, particularly from Tom's little sister, who tells him Summer isn't the one "just because she likes all the same weird crap as him." Tom's romantic delusions are very realistic, as any romantic man will tell you, and every time his feelings for Summer are dealt a blow, you will feel like you are right there next to him, which is a credit to all involved.

Summer herself at times comes across as cold, but it is impossible to hold her feelings against her as she is very clear about how she feels and from being in the audience we have the benefit of being able to see that everything isn't quite clicking in the way that Tom imagines. This is made perfectly clear in a brilliant scene where the screen is split into Tom's expectations on one side, and the reality on the other.



I think this is a great film and one I will watch many times again, it is funny enough to be considered good comedy and the love-story is unique and entertaining. The corresponding scenes where Tom talks about his thoughts on Summer's hair, teeth and birth-marks will resonate with anyone who has been in a doomed relationship and the complete sense of injustice you will leave with as Tom meets Summer on a bench on day 500 will take you back to certain points in your own life.

And that is what makes this film such a success, it comes from the heart and is so real it is impossible not to feel some sense of attachment. In depicting an almost, but not-quite perfect relationship, they have captured a very human story with just the right level of kitsch and at no point do we stop caring about what happens to the characters.

9/10

Whatever Works

Day 8/192-Whatever Works: Starring Larry David and Evan Rachel Wood

Whatever Works was on my radar for a good while. I love Larry David even though I haven't seen a huge amount of Curb and the two Woody Allen films I have seen (Annie Hall and Vicky Cristina Barcelona) were terrific. When I first saw the trailers for this film I was very excited indeed. And it wasn't half bad.

But it certainly wasn't great either.

Whatever Works centres on Boris Yellnikoff (David) an obsessed and panic stricken genius with a very low opinion of the human race and the world in general. Occasionally stopping to talk to the camera, most of the screentime is filled with his rants and put-downs. His life changes when a young runaway named Melody (Wood) comes up to his home for some food and ends up staying a while.

Melody starts to fall for Boris despite their remarkable differences and she settles into life in New York, getting a job and becoming a permanent fixture in Boris's house. Boris begins to warm to her after his initial concerns and soon enough they are married.

The film is great up until Melody's mother arrives on the scene and the focus is taken away from the main characters. Before that though, Boris's sheer contempt for the world becomes a little grating as he continues to insult Melody, who is too sweet to hold it against him. He is at times very funny though, particularly in the scenes where he is teaching chess lessons, but overall it can be a bit much.



In the end the film diverts from any of the initial interest for a good 30 minutes and reverts back just to tie everything up. A side-story involving Melody's dad is jammed in with no real relevance.

Evan Rachel Wood is fantastic though as she breathes life into a character who just serves as fodder to Boris's put-downs. The way she manages to keep her patience with him as well as smiling and keeping interested in learning from him, despite his arrogance, is charming. She is so removed from it all at times she reminds me of Amy Adams in Enchanted.



So Whatever Works is funny and does echo of earlier Woody Allen but is lacking in certain areas. Perhaps the script is more dated than it seems on the surface (having been around for about 33 years) though most of the cast do a great job, but the plot jerks around too much in the last 40 minutes so much that by the end we have lost all interest.

6/10

Mega Shark vs Giant Octopus

Day 7/192- Mega Shark vs Giant Octopus: Starring a Mega Shark and a Giant Octopus

I am a little bit lost for words having seen this film. Looking through the highly valuable service that is Sky Anytime for films to watch I came across Mega Shark vs Giant Octopus, I thought to myself, "isn't that that film where a Mega Shark eats the Golden Gate Bridge?" It is.

What I think happened is this: a team of scientists went looking for something in the ocean, but they went off course and accidentally uncovered two prehistoric behemoths. A really big shark and an octopus, which was quite large as well.

By now you are probably thinking: "how bad is it?" "Is it funny while being bad?" "Who wins?" And "Why would anyone pay money for Sky Anytime?" I have the answers for most of those questions.



To be honest, it is hilarious. The acting is beyond dreadful, it features some of the best one-liners since the days of Arnold Schwarzeneger and the special effects are probably the worst I have ever seen. Mega Shark vs Giant Octopus was only made last year but it instantly looked about 20 years out of date.

At 90 minutes long, it will probably test your patience and it is by no means worth your while to hang around to see the final 'clash' which is just pathetic. In fact, and this seems a bit redundant, but once you have seen the Mega Shark jump 40,000 feet into the air to eat a plane, you have pretty much seen it all.



I say watch it, switch your brain off and enjoy it for what it is, one of the worst movies ever made. In all seriousness, it should be applauded for the powerful environmental message contained as Emma McNeil declares that a plane-eating shark and a ship-destroying octopus are our "comeuppance for melting the polar ice-caps."

It doesn't even look as though anyone involved is aware of the film that they are in and that just makes it even better, and the straight face that grey-haired scientist keeps as he says "they finally finished what they started...18 million years ago" makes it all worthwile.

And who does win? Well I'll let you sit through that one to find out.

4/10

Gentlemen Broncos

Day 6/192-Gentlemen Broncos: Starring Jemaine Clement and Michael Angarano

The films of Jared Hess should be viewed as the perfect example of the law of diminishing returns. First of all we had Napoleon Dynamite: a quirky, surreal comedy that gave us a new kind of hero and caught us all off-guard. Second we had Nacho Libre, which showed signs that Hess's approach to film was becoming tired. Now, fresh from the brain of that same man, we have Gentlemen Broncos, which save for a hilarious performance from Jemaine Clement, is a complete and utter mess.


It is in no way absurd to ask how this film was even made. Gentlemen Broncos is self-aware, pretentious, it tries too hard to be unconventional and is not only unfunny, but very nearly unwatchable.

So, Gentlemen Broncos is about Benjamin(Angarano), a young science-fiction writer who travels to attend Cletus Fest in an effort to meet his all-time hero, Chevalier(Clement). Chevalier invites all of the students at the festival to submit their entries for a competition he is running for emerging young writers. But when Chevalier finds out that his last book has been rejected by the publishers, he comes across Benjamin's entry "Yeast Lords" and steals it for himself.



I would probably recommend this film if it was ten minutes long and just featured all of the parts with Chevalier, but as it is the film is littered with plenty of completely abhorrent characters and feels about nine hours long.

Gentlemen Broncos manages to fit in jokes about excrement, vomit, testicles and transsexuals and is at times as disgusting as it is lacking in humour. Incredibly childish when it goes for laughs directly and when trying to sandwich them in without you noticing, it seems as if Hess has just forgotten what it was that was funny about Napoleon Dynamite and has gone for a 'hit and hope' approach to comedy and it is very clear that this has not paid off.

In the other world segments that feature Sam Rockwell as Bronco, depicting Benjamin's novel "Yeast Lords", it begins to look promising but that is quickly removed by nonsensical mutterings and downright awful direction.



I think I may now be ready to give up on Jared Hess as a filmmaker and it astounds me that so many of his supporters are still calling this a good film. It is definitely in the top five worst films I have seen this year and it could be a potential Wolfman beater for the number one spot. Awful.

2/10