Confessions of a filmoholic

Right, first things first. Scott Pilgrim vs. The World is awesome. I saw it at the pictures 2 days ago and I can't stop thinking about it. This movie is something I have never seen before - so fresh, original, funny and unexpected. At times during the viewing, Kick-Ass was popping into my mind, as the films bear some resemblance (both feel joyfully anarchistic), but it didn't stay there long. Scott Pilgrim... is breaking plenty of the cinematic rules, or rather I should say, mixing them in a very imaginative way. but you know, what's the best part? It makes sense. And a lot of it - the whole thing can be read as a deep metaphor of what it means to be responsible. Or how to deal with the demons of your past. But don't worry, it doesn't stop being hilarious for a single moment. All the actors are brilliant, with Michael Cera in his best role so far, the music is great and there's plenty of it too. The only drawback, but a minor one, is that some of the action sequences are a bit too fast. If you want to see something totally original, unlike anything you have seen before, Scott Pilgrim vs. The World is still out there.
9/10

I am really running out of ideas what to write about. Not a very good sign after two months of active blogging. The thing is, why should I write about films everybody likes? If they have read 673 positive reviews of, let's say Lord Of The Rings, why would they enjoy reading 674th? And opposite - does anyone need convincing, that Alien Vs Predator is crap? I don't think so. So how about a few words about a not-too-bad, (but at the same time not-too-special) little film, hardly anybody had a chance to watch? Like Frequently Asked Questions About Time Travel - a quirky science-fiction comedy about a bunch of guys who find a time-hole in the gents' at a pub. It is quite smartly written, the plot is pretty engaging, the jokes are hit and miss and there are 7 actors in it. Really. Plus extras. Not a waste of time then, but if I didn't see it for free, I'd say it's a waste of money. To end this kind of pointless review: bare in mind, that if you are a SF fan, you can add an extra point to the score below.
5/10  

Hi everyone! Let me tell you about one of my favourite movies - Little Miss Sunshine. It is generally considered a good film, but I get the impression it is not as popular as it deserves to be. It might be the title that puts people off, maybe they don't realise how contrary it is, that, in fact it is a story about members of a dysfunctional family learning to live with one another, and not a 100th version of Rocky, the "rise to fame against all odds" thing, this time set in the beauty contest environment. What you must love about this movie is how utterly witty it is - the dialogs shine, the characters (played by some of the best actors in the business) are true people with real problems and, let's not forget a very important part, it is absolutely hilarious. While I could point out a couple of scenes, that may not fit perfectly, this one should clearly be on your "to be watched asap" list.
9/10

Remember my post about Paranormal Activity? It happens, that sometimes respectable critics give bad films good scores. The bigger problem is when they do the opposite - when they tell you to avoid something, that is actually pretty great. This is the case of The Boat That Rocked. The reviews I read were saying the movie was dreadful, but I watched it anyway, only because of the marvelous cast. And I did not regret it. The Boat... might not be the best thing I've ever seen, not even close really, but it is quite enjoyable. Unpretentious entertainment, which doesn't make you laugh your head off, but puts a wide grin on your face. Good music, great actors, a few laughs - a perfect easy Sunday afternoon film.
7/10

I haven't seen a really great film for weeks. Until yesterday that is. Do you know this feeling, when you really yearn for a great movie for a long time, and when it finally comes you just want to tell everybody how great it is, scream even, since they have probably never heard about it and you can't simply cope with the notion they are missing a fantastic experience? Well, I do. So let me scream: Away We Go!!! The latest effort of Sam Mendes, the guy who brought us (among others) American Beauty and even more depressing Revolutionary Road, is a... uplifting comedy. Quite poignant, pretty realistic, a bit melancholic, but very, and I mean very, funny. Most of the film's humor comes from perfect performances of the whole cast and the direction is impeccable - Mr Mendes is for sure one of the most talented filmmakers alive. Not only it makes you laugh, but also makes you think as any film about love, relationships, family and meaning of it all should. Trust me on this one and please watch it. Soon.
9/10

Juno is a great film. It is also pretty popular, so, I guess there is no need to convince anybody about it's values. But how many of you have heard about Jason Reitman's debut feature, called Thank You for Smoking? It might not be as good as his next film, Juno, but it quite different. First of all, for the most of the time it is immoral. The main character is the spokesman for tobacco companies, whose job generally is to try and convince people, that smoking is good for them. It all is quite wittily written, being a hilarious sharp satire on the absurdities of the Western societies. Unfortunately the film drags a bit in the middle, also the relationship between the main character and his son sometimes just doesn't ring true. Summarizing, it is good, smart entrainment, and it's flaws cannot make you feel disappointed.
7/10

Me again. It's been a while since I last wrote, but I was pretty busy while on holiday. So busy in fact, that I haven't watched any film for the last two weeks. Until yesterday, that is. Yesterday I saw Battle Royale - a film I had been chasing for quite a long while, but I couldn't find a reasonably priced copy anywhere, until I visited a DVD store in Poland, where I got it for equivalent of £5. I had rather high expectations regarding the film, having read a lot of positive reviews, but I must say I was slightly disappointed. The story itself is great - in the nearest future, in order to both rid the society of potential criminals and entertain the public, a group of kids from the naughtiest class is picked every year to be locked away on a remote island and told to kill each other until there is only one winner left. The premise of the film is very fresh, doesn't have a 'Hollywood' feel. The execution is not bad as well - all is very dynamic, funny, and really, really violent. But there is something missing. Be it lack of acting skills in some of the children, or a predicable ending, but this is not the masterpiece I wanted it to be.
7/10

A few days ago I wrote about the 'scariest film ever made'. Since that post didn't get any nasty comments, I guess everybody agreed with my choice. Either this, or the fact that nobody read it. Still, me being a born optimist (ha!), I believe most of my readers share my cinematic views. If not - let me tease you a bit more. It is time for the funniest film ever made! This has to be Monty Python's Life of Brian - a movie, that seen some 20 times still makes me cry with laughter. There's not really much point in writing about it - if you love the Pythons you've already seen and loved this film too, if you hate them you won't be bothered watching it. If you have just come back from a 40-year trip to Mars, let me tell you it is their most accessible work (by that I mean it has an actual plot), and sometimes it might be a bit offensive (but it is also a part of it's charm). It also features quite a few very accurate observations on the mechanisms of society. Oh, and by the way: Life of Brian is absolutely hilarious.
10/10

Why always describe the films I loved? Or at least liked enough? Maybe because I don't want to waste my ever missing time for even watching the casual tat we are all surrounded with. Still, now and again I come across a dreadful effort,, the more disappointing when it's made by or with people I admire, and I feel my duty to warn you, dear imaginary readers, against them. I knew, that How to Lose Friends and Alienate People got some not too good reviews, but I still decided to give it a go. Still, a movie starring Simon Pegg, Kirsten Dunst and never-disappointing Jeff Bridges can't be very bad, can it? Oh yes, it can.The cast is doing their best, but the film is so poorly written and directed it comes out totally unfunny. And bad taste. Please, do me a favor and avoid it. Even Simon Pegg is not a miracle-maker and if he and Mr Bridges still can save it from being a complete disaster, they can't make it watchable.
3/10

OK, enough of the cheerful, welcome back the dark. I am not really keen on Christian Bale as an actor, he seems a bit bland, but I really admire his career choices, with more or less all of his movies making it to the top of my favorites' list. Same thing about American Psycho. Well, this is really weird stuff - a story of an annoyingly self-obsessed successful yuppie during the day, turning into a serial killer at night. Oh, and it's a comedy. Definitely not for everyone's sensitivity (and recommended only for those with strong stomachs - it can be pretty gruesome), but if one 'gets it' this can be a unforgettable experience. Also on the good side there is Bale's performance. I still sustain my opinion about him, but here he somehow managed to make this extremely putting-off character almost likable. The only problem I have with the movie is the ambiguous ending. Of course this is not really a huge disadvantage (it makes you do something other films rarely do - think) but it makes the movie less accessible. Not an easy entertainment, but something truly unique at the same time.
8/10

Kick-Ass was the film I saw most recently in cinema. Before it started I more or less knew what to expect - a teenage comedy about the real-life superheroes - something like Juno meets Watchmen. By the end of the movie I already knew that what I got was a cross between Burton's Batmans, Pulp Fiction and Snatch. Which is a pretty powerful mix. The whole film is very violent, bloody, quite immoral and simply hilarious. I loved it. The biggest advantage of Kick-Ass over the recent (anti)super-hero movies is it's originality and 'freshness'. There are some unexpected plot-twists and the whole thing feels like it was an enormous amount of fun to make it. The film is very dynamic and somehow very genuine - you can really tell that everybody enjoyed being a part of it. Long story short - because of it's violence and a swearing 11-year old girl not everyone will dig it, but if you are a weirdo like myself, do not hesitate and watch it immediately.
8/10