Category: Recommended

Wow! If one film this year can be encapsulated in that word it’s Sin City. I had a choice between this and “Mr and Mrs Smith” and boy am I happy I made the decision in favour of this. The film starts with an encounter between two strangers on a roof top and sets the tone for the rest of the film. Yes, it’s full of blood, guts and ultra-violence but this is an 18s cert entitled “Sin City” so you know what to expect, it ain’t gonna be a chick flick. The film follows three disparate stories which are sort of linked together but the concentration is put on characterisation rather than making sure everybody meets each other. Mickey Rourke is superb as Marv, an ex-con who avenges the murder of his one night stand. In fact, as Dave says, all of the cast are superb. Elijah Wood’s part definitely dispelled the Frodo image from my mind anyway. 🙂 The women are fantastic in it too. Especially Jamie King and Jessica Alba. Ding dong.

My dad defined this film as a black version of “Schindler’s List” but I think that description, while paying a certain amount of respect, also undervalues what this film is really about. Set during the Rwandan massacres of little more than 10 years ago, it follows how one man sheltered and saved over one thousand people from the rampaging Hutu rebels. Don Cheadle plays the central character of Paul Rusesabagina, who is the hotel manager at an up market hotel in Kigali. During the course of the film he becomes a hero to those around him and goes through some horrendous terrors while trying to protect those around him. There’s some excellent acting on show and Cheadle was deservedly nominated for an Oscar. Top film.

Tony’s Rating: 8/10.

Synopsis: Ten years ago some of the worst atrocities in the history of mankind took place in the country of Rwanda–and in an era of high-speed communication and round the clock news, the events went almost unnoticed by the rest of the world. In only three months, one million people were brutally murdered. In the face of these unspeakable actions, inspired by his love for his family, an ordinary man summons extraordinary courage to save the lives of over a thousand helpless refugees, by granting them shelter in the hotel he manages.

I saw In Good Company tonight in Ster Century and have to say I thought it was very good. The acting was excellent and the story was well thought out and unconventional. Dennis Quaid is the successful family man while Topher Grace (from “That 70’s Show”) plays the young, dynamic guy whose life isn’t all its cracked up to be. The addition of Scarlett Johansson was a wise casting move as there is obvious chemistry on screen between the two young actors. I’m not really sure where I’m going with this but I enjoyed it and there are some very funny one-liners.

Tony’s Rating: 8/10

Plot Synopsis: Dan Foreman is headed for a shakeup. He is demoted from head of ad sales for a major magazine when the company he works for is acquired in a corporate takeover. His new boss, Carter Duryea, is half his age–a business school prodigy who preaches corporate synergy. While Dan develops clients through handshake deals and relationships, Carter cross-promotes the magazine with the cell phone division and Krispity Krunch, an indeterminate snack food under the same corporate umbrella. Both men are going through turmoil at home. Dan has two daughters, Alex, age 18, and Jana, age 16, and is shocked when his wife tells him she’s pregnant with a new child. Carter, in the meanwhile, is dumped by his wife of seven months just as he gets his promotion. Dan and Carter’s uneasy friendship is thrown into jeopardy when Carter falls for, and begins an affair with, Dan’s daughter Alex.

Went to see this last night with Anne-Marie and wasn’t expecting too much based on some of the reviews its been getting in the States. Have to say firstly that I enjoyed it as a film. However, compared to its predecessor, it doesn’t stand up to critical assessment. Considering the cast they had to work with, the script is lazy and retreads ground covered in the first film. That mainly involves Gaylord getting himself into ridiculous situations and then being ridiculed by Jack Byrnes. For a sequel to Meet the Parents, that just isn’t good enough and the lack of quality set pieces is illustrated by the fact that a scene which could have been comedy gold, the Focker family reunion, is instead reduced to lame name checking when they could have introduced some of the extended frat pack. All in all a decent film but a disappointing continuation. Lets hope Meet the Little Focker doesn’t get made as there just isn’t enough material here to justify a third.

Tony’s Rating: 5/10

Plot Synopsis: Having given permission to male nurse Greg Focker to marry his daughter, ex-CIA man Jack Byrnes and his wife travel to Miami to Greg’s parents, who this time around are Mr. and Mrs. Focker, who are as different from them as can be. As asked in the first movie, what sort of people name their son Gaylord M. Focker?