JustMyOpinion (JMO)

“I give you a five minute window, anything happens in that five minutes and I’m yours no matter what. Outside of that, you’re on your own. I don’t sit in while you’re running it down, I don’t carry a gun. I drive.”

Cannes Film Festival in France this year was captivated by this beautiful and violent tale of Driver (yes, that is his name) who is a stunts driver and also a driver-for-hire. He does just what his moniker suggests and boy does he do it well.

Whether you are into cars or not, you can’t help but be amazed by the opening scene which exists solely to prove that he is amazing and knows exactly how to avoid the police when escaping the scene of a robbery. The director is not merely wasting time or attempting to get commissioned for the next Fast and Furious.

Nicolas Winding Refn (“Valhalla Rising”), handpicked by Ryan Gosling, won Best Director at this year’s Cannes and you can understand why.

The camera shots are not only artistic in value but force you to get really invested in a scene with its extended silences and lingering camera shots that almost imply someone forgot to turn the camera off.

Every shot, glance and look is enhanced and makes you really connect with the characters. Refn however is not one to shy from violence and one memorable scene that combines love and violence in the equal measure is one that will linger in your mind for a long time. It’s the elevator shot you see in the trailer. Driver goes from one intense moment of love and lust to, in the very next moment, beating a man so violently he crushes his skull with the bottom of his shoe.

Drive is definitely not one for the faint-hearted, the moments of violence are never gratuitious and overdone, they occur rarely in the film but with such intensity that it takes your breath away and in my case causes you to look away once or twice.

The cinematography is amazing and complements the camera shots, like the right glass of wine with a meal. The soundtrack is like the dessert (if we’re to continue with the metaphor) and definitely one of the coolest soundtracks this year.

Ryan Gosling (“Crazy Stupid Love”, “Blue Valentine”) seems to be on a winning streak with his movies lately, well picked and each bringing out a different part of his ever expanding repertoire as an actor. His performance in this is inspired. Who knew that Gosling could be so bad-ass whilst refusing to carry a gun, with long brooding stares and speaking only when spoken to? There’s enough in the little that he says and does to keep us hooked, however. We know that this taciturn, mild-mannered individual is capable of more long he does anything.

We never really get to understand the depths of his character but we see glimpses of his soul, through his interactions with Shannon (Bryan Cranston, “Malcolm in the Middle”,“Breaking Bad”) and Irene (Carey Mulligan, “Never Let Me Go”, “An Education”) and her adorable son Benicio (Kaden Leos, in his first movie).

Unfortunately, as Irene brings a new meaning to defining a friendship, Driver begins to fall for her only to discover she is married to ex-conman Standard Gabriel (Oscar Isaac, “Sucker Punch”, “Robin Hood”) who is due out of prison any day. After the initial “sniffing of each other’s butts” meeting, a partnership is formed as Driver agrees to help Standard complete one final job to pay off his criminal debts.

The premise of the story explores the vast sleazy underbelly of the LA crime scene with its gangsters, played to perfection by Ron Perlman and his more suave counterpart Albert Brooks, as they find themselves in trouble after the heist in question goes horribly wrong. Driver now finds himself with a contract out on him from other gangsters baying for blood, and leads to one of the first and most gruesome deaths in the film courtesy of his accomplice Blanche (Christina Hendricks, “Mad Men”).

At the time when the cinema is being bombarded with the usual post-summer broad appeal flicks, Drive is something refreshingly unique but at the same time almost retro in feel and definitely one film you won’t forget in a hurry. It has a fantastic soundtrack, breath-taking camera shots and cinematography, as it tells you the story of one stunt driver moonlighting as a driver-for-hire who falls for the wrong woman and attempts to ingratiate himself into her good graces by doing a favour for the husband that has dire consequences.

It is a rare film that can come along and combine Hollywood with the distinct air of an art house flick, while uniquely re-telling a story we have all heard in some format or another through various films over the decades.

I heartily recommend this film, for those who can stomach the violence that is.

So looking back on my blog I realised I don’t blog that often and that many movies I watched this year – I never posted a review for. Therefore, I’ve decided I am going to blog more. Rather than just thinking about doing it, I’m starting right now.  I will be posting on this blog once a day for all of 2011 (and playing catch up for 2010).

I know it won’t be easy, but it might be fun, inspiring, awesome and wonderful. If you already read my blog, I hope you’ll encourage me with comments and likes, and good will along the way.

Thanks for reading and keep sharing my blog,

Just My Opinion

Jamie Randall (Gyllenhaal) is a playboy enjoying the simple pleasures in life and the black sheep of his established family. He has no real direction and at the suggestion of his brother Josh (Gad) he takes on the role of pharmaceutical sales representative with Pfizer. Maggie Murdock (Hathaway) is a free-spirited sarcastic individual and refuses to be tied down by anyone or anything. It is set in 1997 when the pharmaceutical industry was rocked by the arrival of one drug: Viagra. Jamie is the new inexperienced guy using his near on infallible charm to meet his sales targets, against a fierce rival (Macht). One fateful morning, after pestering Dr Knight (Azaria), he finds himself in an examination room and we have our meet cute.

Love and Other Drugs is a movie that can’t quite decide what genre it fits in. This adds a fascinating twist to the typical formulaic rom-com fare. It starts off predictably enough - womaniser meets the woman that wants sex with no strings attached, eventually she becomes the woman that changes him blah blah. It then develops into a drama with Maggie’s intense revelation as they attempt to have a relationship, with some American Pie style subplots at the hands of Jamie’s younger brother Josh. It has the potential to become something unique as it takes a stab at the pharmaceutical industry but unfortunately falls short and ends quite predictably.

Edward Zwick’s erratic directing style gives a disjointed feel to the story, but Gyllenhaal and Hathaway with some incredible acting manage to keep you interested in this very realistic portrayal of the unpredictability of relationships. The chemistry between the two leads is palpable and engaging and distracts from the longer than usual running time. Academy Award nominations for them both wouldn’t surprise me. Azaria and Platt are great in their roles and scene stealers. The script is often razor sharp and witty and, unusually for a love story, both characters grow throughout the movie not just one waiting for the other to mature.

I have to say that at times I did feel uncomfortable with its frank  raw look at a key part of relationships today - sex.  It felt like, what I presume would be, soft porn. Bearing that in mind, if you watch it see this for what it is, a beautiful story of love and life that has more heart than most.

Til death do us part…

John (Crowe) and Lara Brennan (Banks) are a happily married couple with a young son (Green). Life is perfect until one fateful morning the police barge into their home to charge Lara with the murder of her boss. The evidence is damning, her fingerprints are on the murder weapon, there’s blood on her coat, eyewitness accounts of an altercation with her boss and her leaving the scene. John believes she is innocent and for the next 3 years, through a series of appeals, tries to get the charges reversed - to no avail. So naturally this mild-mannered professor feels he has no choice but to attempt a prison break. He seeks advice from an ex-con Damon Pennington (Neeson) and thus begins his descent into the murky depths of the criminal underworld to save the woman he loves as he concocts an escape plan.

John never doubts his wife’s innocence but for the duration of the film we, as an audience, remain unsure. The testament to how great this film is that regardless you are still rooting for him to succeed as the inexperienced Brennan garners further knowledge from Youtube videos.

The acting in this is superb and this is where you can see Paul Haggis’ touch. He has given us the thought-provoking Crash and now gives us an incredible adaptation of Pour Elle by French screenwriters Fred Cavayé and Gillaume Lemans. The character development is there and makes you inevitably care more. This is what the movie hinges on - you have to be able to, if not relate, at least be able to buy into the motivations behind this attempted jailbreak. Russell Crowe brings John to life and makes him so magnetic to watch that even in the supposedly slow moments you can’t help but be drawn in. Elizabeth Banks really utilises the little time she is on screen to great effect and has great chemistry with Crowe.

Before this première, I had not heard anything about this movie nor had I seen any trailers. I think this may have heightened my enjoyment that much more as I was unaware of what it was about. The last 30 minutes of the movie are an example of how to build suspense - I was on the edge of my seat, nervously holding my breath before every potential capture of the Brennan’s.

And with that, I shall reveal no more - go watch this movie. Definitely worth it - after all, who doesn’t like a prison break movie? This film encompasses quite a few genres seamlessly. Great soundtrack, compelling performances, suspense how it should be done, depth and ultimately a true testament to the power of love.

“They did not know it was impossible, so they did it.” Mark Twain

Walt Disney presents…

Kevin Flynn (Bridges) is the CEO of Encom and the world’s best video game developer. One night he simply vanishes without a trace and leaves his company in chaos and his young son. Fast-forward 20 years, Sam Flynn (Hedlund) is a rebellious 27 year old and a thorn in the side of Richard Mackey (Nordling), a suit trying to take over his father’s company with the help of a software designer (an uncredited cameo from Cillian Murphy). Though Sam is the heir, he refuses to play an active role in the decision-making process. Alan Bradley (Boxleitner) meets him one night with the news that he has received a page from Kevin Flynn’s arcade – a number that has been disconnected for 20 years. Thus ensues the inevitable investigation into his father’s whereabouts and Sam’s transportation into the world his father has created and been trapped in for decades.

Where to begin? Tron: Legacyis a visual feast for your eyes and an auditory pleasure thanks to Daft Punk and Joseph Trapanese. The soundtrack feels ethereal almost and fits perfectly with this new world we have been introduced to for the first time (or the 2nd time if you’ve seen the 1982 original).

3D, for me, is a recent scourge that has been infecting and affecting the movie industry. Yes, maybe it is a more lucrative avenue for the movie industry after the setback of heavy piracy but enough is enough! Joseph Kosinski, however, had a vision (and an architectural degree behind him) to give us a mouth-opening, simply beautiful world with the correct blend of 2D and 3D! It is quite simply worth it just to go for the visuals.

What the movie makes up for in spectactular imagery, it lacks in storyline. Maybe I should have watched the 1982 version as so many people have pointed out to me but even without it, the plot seems a little disjointed. The underlying connections to the real world are numerous such as The Holocaust, God complexes, evil doppelgangers and more. You are left with more questions than answers as it is never revealed just what it is about this world that would “change everything” in the real world.

Jeff Bridges is great as both the villain and hero and his computer animated self is simply amazing although at the same time off-putting (this might be the Uncanny Valley hypothesis at work). The acting overall is not anything to write home about (no Oscar winners here) but Hedlund as Sam Flynn holds his own against a more charismatic Jeff Bridges. Quorra (Wilde) provides a potential love interest and the key to changing our world and a doe-eyed innocent view of life that is endearing and adds depth and sincerity to the character and benefits the film.

This is a movie that should be simply taken for what it is, a pandering to the original fanbase whilst garnering new ones, one not to be over-analysed but simply to be marvelled at with a group of friends. The actions scenes are just jaw-dropping with light cycles (that I wish I owned!) and deadly frisbees amongst other things. Disney took a risk to continue a series almost 3 decades later rather than going for the easy option of re-imagining it. A wise move.