Wednesday 23 March 2011

Unknown

Cast
Liam Neeson
January Jones
Diane Kruger
Aidan Quinn
Frank Langella
Bruno Ganz
Screenwriters
Oliver Butcher
Stephen Cornwell
Director
Jaume Collet-Serra
Running Time
113 minutes

Dr. Martin Harris awakens after a car accident in Berlin to discover that his wife suddenly doesn't recognize him and another man has assumed his identity. Ignored by disbelieving authorities and hunted by mysterious assassins, he finds himself alone, tired and on the run. Aided by an unlikely ally, Martin plunges headlong into a deadly mystery that will force him to question his sanity, his identity, and just how far he's willing to go to uncover the truth. (Warner Bros. Pictures)

Entertaining and enjoyable.

Wednesday 16 March 2011

The Adjustment Bureau

Cast
Matt Damon
Emily Blunt
Anthony Mackie
John Slattery
Terence Stamp
Michael Kelly
Screenwriter
George Nolfi
Director
George Nolfi
Running Time
106 minutes

On the brink of winning a seat in the U.S. Senate, ambitious politician David Norris meets beautiful contemporary ballet dancer Elise Sellas--a woman like none he's ever known. But just as he realizes he's falling for her, mysterious men conspire to keep the two apart. (Universal Pictures)

Enjoyable with an interesting concept, which I tried and failed to guess the details of, plus a central couple that I cared about but it was maybe a little long.

Wednesday 9 March 2011

Rango

Cast
Johnny Depp
Isla Fisher
Alfred Molina
Ray Winstone
Harry Dean Stanton
Ned Beatty
Abigail Breslin
Screenwriter
John Logan
Director
Gore Verbinski
Running Time
107 minutes

The story follows the comical, transformative journey of Rango, a sheltered chameleon living as an ordinary family pet, while facing a major identity crisis. After all, how high can you aim when your whole purpose in life is to blend in? When Rango accidentally winds up in the gritty, gun-slinging town of Dirt - a lawless outpost populated by the desert's most wily and whimsical creatures - the less-than-courageous lizard suddenly finds he stands out. Welcomed as the last hope the town has been waiting for, new Sheriff Rango is forced to play his new role to the hilt . . . until, in a blaze of action-packed situations and encounters with outrageous characters, Rango starts to become the hero he once only pretended to be. (Paramount Pictures)

It looks amazing and has some good scenes in it but it's kind of dull mostly. I'm not sure if it's the pacing or something lacking in the storytelling that didn't pull me in.

Wednesday 2 March 2011

Never Let Me Go

Cast
Carey Mulligan
Keira Knightley
Andrew Garfield
Charlotte Rampling
Sally Hawkins
Isobel Meikle-Small
Charlie Rowe
Ella Purnell
Screenwriter
Alex Garland
Director
Mark Romanek
Running Time
104 minutes

Kathy, Tommy and Ruth live in a world and a time that feel familiar to us, but are not quite like anything we know. They spend their childhood at Hailsham, a seemingly idyllic English boarding school. When they leave the shelter of the school and the terrible truth of their fate is revealed to them, they must also confront the deep feelings of love, jealousy and betrayal that threaten to pull them apart.(Fox Searchlight Pictures)

In lots of ways like performances and tone it is very good but I can't get past why the characters cooperated, nothing seemed to be compelling them to or stopping them from just walking away. Which makes it equal parts haunting and absurd.