Wednesday 28 August 2013

Wadjda

Cast
Reem Abdullah
Waad Mohammed
Abdullrahman Al Gohani
Screenwriter
Haifaa Al-Mansour
Director
Haifaa Al-Mansour
Running Time
98 minutes

An enterprising Saudi girl signs up for her school's Koran recitation competition in hopes of raising the remaining funds she needs to buy a green bicycle she desperately wants.

Charming in the little story it told which also worked as a revealing insight into the culture as a whole.

Wednesday 21 August 2013

Elysium

Cast
Matt Damon
Jodie Foster
Sharlto Copley
William Fiichtner
Alice Braga
Talisa Soto
Diego Luna
Faran Tahir
Jose Pablo Cantillo
Wagner Moura
Josh Blacker
Emma Tremblay
Adrian Holmes
Screenwriter 
Neill Blomkamp
Director
Neill Blomkamp
Running Time
109 minutes

In the year 2154, the very wealthy live on a man-made space station called Elysium while the rest of the population resides on a ruined Earth. The only man with the chance to bring equality to these worlds is Max, an ordinary guy in desperate need to get to Elysium. With his life hanging in the balance, he reluctantly takes on a dangerous mission that could save his life and the lives of millions on Earth.

Visually stunning and excitingly but the story is too simple by comparison.

Wednesday 14 August 2013

The Lone Ranger

Cast
Johnny Depp
Armie Hammer
Tom Wilkinson
William Fichtner
Ruth Wilson
Helena Bonham Carter
Barry Pepper
Screenwriters
Ted Elliott
Terry Rossio
Director 
Gore Verbinski
Running Time
149 minutes

Native American spirit warrior Tonto recounts the untold tales that transformed John Reid, a man of the law, into a legend of justice.[Metacritic]

The last part with the Lone Ranger and the William Tell Overture is good but we had to spend 2 hours getting to that point through a torturous origin story.

Wednesday 7 August 2013

The Wolverine

Cast
Hugh Jackman
Will Yun Lee
Svetlana Khodchenkova
Rila Fukushima
Tao Okamoto
Hiroyuki Sanada
Famke Janssen
Screenwriters
Christopher McQuarrie
Scott Frank
Mark Bomback
Director
James Mangold
Running Time
126 minutes

Summoned to Japan by an old acquaintance, Wolverine becomes embroiled in a conflict that forces him to confront his own demons.[Metacritic]

Emotionally the film relies upon what happened in X3 which was a disaster generally but extraordinarily in how it threw away the phoenix saga and it leaves a bad taste every time they touch upon it here. It's OK but bloodless and ordinary.