Movie review - "Kicking and Screaming" (2005) **

You would have thought Will Ferrell coaching a kids soccer team would be automatically a good movie, especially with the bonus of Robert Duvall as his father - which might explain why this film operates on auto pilot. "Ah, Will'll make it funny, and we'll throw in some fat kids".
It doesn't quite work - Will's character is another boring dad-never-liked-me part, and these kids sports films about how too much competition is bad for you always strike me as hypocritical because they always end with a big game finale.
The subplot about drinking coffee is irritating, as is Lisa Lackey's small role as an Australian (I'm getting sick of seeing Australian characters in American films - can't they play the role in an American accent?). A few moments of inspired brilliance, like when Farrell's wife slaps him.

Movie review - "Closer" (2005) ***

Patrick Marber's play obviously would have worked wonderfully on stage, because it retains a fair bit of power on screen. Mike Nichols is traditionally one of the most respectful adapters of plays to the screen, and this does work on a level. Where is falls down, I think, lies in two things: (a) the intimacy that works well on stage, with the people actually there, doesn't impact as well on screen, which depends more on visuals and story (b) the casting - Clive Owen is brilliant and blows everyone away, Jude Law tries hard and gives a fine performance but it would have been better had someone been cast who was brilliant - ditto Ports and Julia Roberts, and the film really struggles having not one but two Americans who just happen to be in the story.

Movie review - "Stay Alive" (2006) **

Surprisingly decent horror film - nothing much new, but it looks handsome and proceeds at a fair pace. I didn't mind it as I watched it but afterwards its formulaic nature becomes irritating: a gimmick concept (if you play a video game you end up dead) rehashed from another hit (The Ring), a visual style rehashed from another hit (The Ring), a series of friends who are killed off one by one (the lead with a Past, the kookie girl, the nerd), a scene where they investigate a historical mystery (Elizabeth Bathory - info seemingly culled off wikipedia and transplanted to America), reading a local book to get information, a climax where the leading two people face death and have to kill the baddie a special way. 

Angelina Jolie's brother appears, looking like a male Angelina Jolie impersonator; Frankie Muniz is in it, too - he's perfectly fine in the role, it's just weird seeing Frankie Muniz in this sort of movie (horror movie casts are traditionally the province of stars of teen drama - Sophia Bush from One Tree Hill is in this).

Movie review - "Star Wars Episode 1: The Phantom Menace" (1998) ***

Watching the film several years after its debut was an interesting experience: it holds up OK, but is still irritating. There are positives: Liam Neeson and Ewen McGregor add some class as jedis, Darth Maul is a top notch villain and their fight at the end a worthy addition to the films (in previous jedis the fighters had always been mismatched - here its three at the top of their game), its kind of clever how the future Emperor lures everyone into his trap, Natalie Portman is beautiful, it moves fast and there is plenty of action and explosions, the final ceremony is rousing, John Williams' score in good shape.

OK, now for the negatives - you know the film isn't going to be strong when the heroes disappear into the "ventilator shaft" within the first few minutes, Jar Jar Binks is irritating, Natalie Portman gives a poor performance, the much-vaunted CGI special effects look at times like simple animation (models at least have "weight"), it's lazy how they try to incorporate R2D2 and C3PO into the story (a little kid in the middle of nowhere needs to build a protocol droid), its irritating how the Force is "in the blood, and very dodgy how the kid gets involved in the battle at the end just like in a video game.

The whole film feels as if Lucas was wrestling between his genuine filmmaking gifts and his desire to make a much cash as possible by shoving in "audience pleasing" elements (characters from the earlier films who don't automatically belong here, video game friendly action sequences).

Movie review - "First Daughter" (2003) *

Filmmakers often try to invoke Capra then serve up nothing but sweetness and light, forgetting that Capra films while yes they had sweetness and light but they also had a flipside of corruption, fascism and violence - which is what made the sweetness and light work (we wouldn't have been able to stand Jimmy Stewart in Mr Smith Goes to Washington without Edward Arnold, Guy Kibee and company).

Forest Whittaker makes a similar mistake here - he wanted to direct the film as a fairytale, so there are pretty dresses and people and a narrator to reinforce that its about a beautiful princess living in a castle... but there's none of the cruelty, viciousness, poverty or death that forms the basis of all fairytales. Snow White's step mother tried to kill her, Cinderella worked away in poverty, Rapunzel was imprisoned. Katie Holmes here just has some nosy media, a hard ass mother and a boy who lies to her.

Why didn't they just give in and have someone kidnap her? The West Wing did all this stuff better with their Zoe sub plots.

It's also irritating too considering Whittaker (a great actor) is a director that so much of the film feels undercast - uncharismatic male lead, Michael Keaton does not strike one as an ideal president, and Holmes (who is pretty enough and worked on television) cannot carry a film.

Movie review - "The Godfather" (1972) *****

Looks even better on the years. Who hasn't wanted to be able to go to an organisation and order people wiped out? Or been down and out then turned around and ordered multiple assassins on the one day? Or be a mafia chieftan that was able to die peacefully of a heart attack in your garden with your grandchild? As William Goldman pointed out, these are the cute mafia - only bad to protect the family from other mafia and crooked cops. They're not even in to drugs. Stunning photography, dazzling set design - so many striking images and performances. Brando's work deserves imitation and making fun but it is full of old style pizzaz. Pacino anchors the film, as does Duvall - Caan provides an extra charge, and the galaxy of supporting players can't be bettered. Masterpiece.

Movie review - JL#12 - "The Nutty Professor" (1963) ***1/2

Often held up to be Jerry Lewis' masterpiece and I would agree - it's not a masterpiece per se but definitely better than most films he made. It has a strong idea, consistent and logical plot, a solid moral, good acting, and Jerry plays two roles, none of which is his standard idiot part. The smarmy Buddy Love has been seen as a dig on Dean Martin but I would go along with the view that it is the alter ego of the real Jerry Lewis. The final speech at the end is very touching. It did lack some laugh out loud gags. Stella Stevens doe-eye looks of adoration are sweet - she really brings a lot to the film, and achieves the difficult act of believably falling for an idiot (a 60s Drew Barrymore). Lewis lacked having a co-star like her in his films.