Johnny Depp, Penelope Cruz, Geoffrey Rush, Ian McShane
Dir. Rob Marshall
Scr. Ted Elliott & Terry Rossio
There’s not a great deal to say really. It is what it is. A mixed bag. Fun, mildly amusing, frustrating, clichéd, lacking in chemistry, with a great deal of swagger and a couple of lovely wee cameos thrown in. I remain of the view that they should have retired the Pirates franchise long before this film, but I understand why they don’t. And, here I am, proving them right. Will I always go along to a new Pirates of the Caribbean film? As long as Johnny Depp is on board, damn straight I will. And that’s why Captain Jack Sparrow will go down as one of the greatest characters of a generation.
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Barbossa: Gentlemen, the fountain is the prize. Mermaid waters, that be our path.
Sunday, May 29, 2011
Sunday, May 22, 2011
Source Code
Jake Gyllenhaal, Michelle Monaghan, Vera Farmiga, Jeffrey Wright
Dir. Duncan Jones
Scr. Ben Ripley
I’ll say from the outset, honestly and openly, that this movie doesn’t really make sense and the ending is naff in the extreme. But, you know what, I simply didn’t care. This is a well-crafted, tense, nicely paced sci-fi film, complete with heart and humour. It achieves intimacy amongst immense chaos – no easy feat. I highly recommend.
Source Code tells the tale (a heart-wrenching tale, in the end) of army helicopter pilot Captain Colter Stevens (Gyllenhaal) who awakes to find himself on a train in the body of another man. Eight minutes later, the train explodes spectacularly and he awakes again to find himself in a steel pod, dazed and confused. We learn that Stevens is part of an experiment called “Source Code” and he is soon sent back to the start of that eight minutes to find the bomber and help prevent another imminent attack. And again. And again. And again. Through these eight minute stints we learn more and more about Stevens and his condition, about the others on the train, about the terrorist plot and about “Source Code”.
Director Duncan Jones is somewhat of the new whiz-kid on the sci-fi movie block. His movie Moon (see my Top Ten of 2009 - http://theflicks.blogspot.com/2009/12/my-usual-disclaimers-these-are-films-i.html) was an instant classic. And while Source Code is not really in that league, he achieves the same peculiar and surprising intimacy, so often lacking in big budget action films.
The core cast here is small, really just three key players. Also, I would argue, a little unusual. They are all excellent. Monaghan plays Christina, the love interest on the train. She is compassionate and appealing and surprisingly nuanced – after all, she is playing the same eight minutes repeatedly. Farmiga is very good indeed as Goodwin, the main face of “Source Code” for Stevens. I don’t generally love Gyllenhaal, but he is pretty darn good here. It is an extreme emotional and physical rollercoaster for his character and he rolls well with the punches.
If you’re a fan of action sci-fi, I think this film will keep you enthralled. But it’s more than that and, I suspect, will appeal to a wider audience. And if you duck out a couple of minutes before the end, well, it’s probably an even better film.
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Dr Rutledge: This is not time travel. This is time re-assignment.
Dir. Duncan Jones
Scr. Ben Ripley
I’ll say from the outset, honestly and openly, that this movie doesn’t really make sense and the ending is naff in the extreme. But, you know what, I simply didn’t care. This is a well-crafted, tense, nicely paced sci-fi film, complete with heart and humour. It achieves intimacy amongst immense chaos – no easy feat. I highly recommend.
Source Code tells the tale (a heart-wrenching tale, in the end) of army helicopter pilot Captain Colter Stevens (Gyllenhaal) who awakes to find himself on a train in the body of another man. Eight minutes later, the train explodes spectacularly and he awakes again to find himself in a steel pod, dazed and confused. We learn that Stevens is part of an experiment called “Source Code” and he is soon sent back to the start of that eight minutes to find the bomber and help prevent another imminent attack. And again. And again. And again. Through these eight minute stints we learn more and more about Stevens and his condition, about the others on the train, about the terrorist plot and about “Source Code”.
Director Duncan Jones is somewhat of the new whiz-kid on the sci-fi movie block. His movie Moon (see my Top Ten of 2009 - http://theflicks.blogspot.com/2009/12/my-usual-disclaimers-these-are-films-i.html) was an instant classic. And while Source Code is not really in that league, he achieves the same peculiar and surprising intimacy, so often lacking in big budget action films.
The core cast here is small, really just three key players. Also, I would argue, a little unusual. They are all excellent. Monaghan plays Christina, the love interest on the train. She is compassionate and appealing and surprisingly nuanced – after all, she is playing the same eight minutes repeatedly. Farmiga is very good indeed as Goodwin, the main face of “Source Code” for Stevens. I don’t generally love Gyllenhaal, but he is pretty darn good here. It is an extreme emotional and physical rollercoaster for his character and he rolls well with the punches.
If you’re a fan of action sci-fi, I think this film will keep you enthralled. But it’s more than that and, I suspect, will appeal to a wider audience. And if you duck out a couple of minutes before the end, well, it’s probably an even better film.
-----------------------------------
Dr Rutledge: This is not time travel. This is time re-assignment.
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