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London Boulevard starring Colin Farrell & Keira Knightley

Posted on May 1, 2011 Written by ripitup

London Boulevard starring Colin Farrell & Keira Knightley. Image via spinetinglermag.com

Plot Summary – No Spoilers

Mitchel (Colin Farrell) has just been released prison and would rather not have any more violence in his life. Unfortunately, he is stupid enough to hang around his friend Billy (Ben Chaplin), who gets Mitchel more into trouble than any favor he might to for him. It is also because of Billy that Mitchel gets involved with the ruthless psycho gangster Gant (Ray Winstone). Gant tries to grant Mitchel’s loyalty, but Mitchel isn’t exactly tamable.

An ex-con trying to stay an ex-con is always difficult, if not impossible, but Mitchel’s bad choices, as well as his thirst to avenge his mate Joe get him deeper and deeper. He could have been free to run away or waste anyone he wanted, but unfortunately he has two weaknesses: his wacky sister (Anna Friel), and the movie star Charlotte (Keira Knightley) he is trying to protect and is falling in love with. What has a guy got to do?

The Movie

Now, London Boulevard is an interesting film. It’s deeply flawed in many areas, but it is weirdly fun to watch. Let’s break it down:

Keira Knightley:

Did you notice how I let Keira Knightley just be in the sidelines (of the plot summary)? It is because she really is just another tool for us to see where Mitchel’s choices are going to take him. It is probably intentionally ironic (intended by the writer/director) William Monahan –since Keira Knightley plays an actress who is just sick of being simply the bed buddy to the male star, only to help the audience find out more about him.

The flaws: (Spoilers!)

– Why does everyone think it is much more authentic if gangsters are saying the c-word, all the time? I mean really- do novelists (London Boulevard was based on the novel by Ken Bruen) and screenwriters (adapted by director William Monahan)?

Do they hang out with gangsters, count how many times they say the c-word in a minute and reflect it in the screenplay? I don’t think so. There is some f-word thrown in for good measure too. OK, so if there is going to be this much swearing, can we get some more variety? The dialogue gets very boring, very often.

– Why make Keira Knightley an ornament? Yes, she is the leading actress, but there is not much for her to do except to hang around, smoke and get depressed. There are barely a couple of conversations before they are in love. Yes, Colin Farrell is pretty charismatic and good-looking here. And Keira Knightley is the perfect damsel in distress. But we need more than just two of them chatting twice to see the connection/attraction/whatever.

– Why the hell is he not taking the job as her protector/bodyguard? He liked the girl. He liked the wacky friend Jordan (David Thewlis). Why not freaking take the job and never ever see Billy?

– He says he is never getting back in, but he is out for blood for his homeless friend. And he is out for blood, yet he grows a conscience at the last minute which will obviously bite him in the last minute. If a teenager is cold-blooded enough to kill an old homeless guy, he doesn’t deserve your mercy. Period. And if you are going to hunt him down, don’t let him know. And if you will let the whole town know you are after someone, finish the job when you have the chance.

– Could Ben Chaplin’s character be more of a loser? Yes, I get it we are not supposed to like him and he is supposed to be a scumbag, an excuse for a lowlife criminal but even so…it seems like a miracle his dumb character survived to see his 30s/40s.

– Are all paparazzi that disgusting, disturbing and idiotic? And it is a wonder how Mithcel kept his temper and cool for so long. I was expecting a beating at his first encounter.

The fun:

– The soundtrack is just awesome. It suits the mood perfectly and I want to own every single song used in the film.

– Colin Farrell is really good. A truly grey character couldn’t have been more likable. He seems pretty mild at first (for a criminal), but he gets more aggressive as his buttons are pushed and we get to see his dark side. And his dark side is truly cool.

– David Thewlis is a riot. His hippie/weed-smoking and apparently ready-for-anything-exciting character makes for a refreshing buddy/partner-in-crime for Mitchel.

And actually, this trio does win over all the flaws I listed.

The verdict:

A crime/drama of an ex-con – with some cool moments and a touch of romance thrown in. Fun and watchable, but could have been so much better. And it does need work on the dialogue and the IQ on its major character. But no, I don’t regret the 90+ minutes I spent watching it.

Currently 6.4 on IMDB. I was about to rate it a 6.5- too intriguing to be a 6, and missing too much to be a 7.

Favorite Mitchell Line/Scene:

Mitchel (to Gant): See what you have to understand, Rob, if I was a gangster you’d be the first to fucking die. I’d not work for you. I’d kill you and take everything you’ve got.

Gant: Oh.

Mitchel: If I were a gangster. That’s why you don’t want me to be a gangster. That’s why nobody wants me to be a gangster. ‘Cause I could not stop if I started. Do you get it? Don’t ask again.

Fun note: Ophelia Lovibond-from No Strings Attached (the girl who slept with Ashton Kutcher, and later his dad Kevin Kline) has a small part. As it turns out, she is British and her NSA accent is real. Oh, and she is playing a bitch again.

MORE ON THE STARS OF THE MOVIE:

Colin Farrell:

Colin Farrell Trivia

Pride and Glory starring Edward Norton and Colin Farrell

The Recruit starring Colin Farrell, Al Pacino and Bridget Moynahan

5 Movies to Watch on Fast Forward feat. The New World starring Colin Farrell

Ricky Gervais on Farrell- 2010 Golden Globes

Keira Knightley:

Pride and Prejudice starring Keira Knightley and Matthew Macfadyen

Ray Winstone:

Martha, Meet Frank, Daniel and Laurence: Fun romcom with Monica Potter, Rufus Sewell and Joseph Fiennes feat. Ray Winstone

Edge of Darkness starring Mel Gibson feat. Ray Winstone

Dark Blue starring Dylan McDermott, Logan Marshall-Green, Nicki Aycox & Omari Hardwick

Posted on April 27, 2011 Written by ripitup

Dark Blue Cast - Nicki Aycox, Dylan McDermott, Logan Marshall-Green & Omari Hardwick — Dark Blue Cast (from left): Nicki Aycox, Dylan McDermott, Logan Marshall-Green & Omari Hardwick. Image via justpic.info.

Lt. Carter Shaw (Dylan McDermott) is running a team of cops that specialize in undercover missions. This team is made of the newly married Ty (Omari Hardwick)- who is often the voice of reason and the one with most doubts, the adrenalin-loving Dean (Logan Marshall-Green), and the rookie cop Jaimie (Nicki Aycox), who has a dark past, and has managed to fake a whole new resume- and her ability to lie so well is what made Carter hire her in the first place.

Dark Blue is a solid crime show where our cops always need to make the most dangerous, risky and often greyest choices, such as choosing not to interrupt a shooting because their cover might be blown, exposing decorated yet dirty cops, or trying to make a white gang the news drug lords of a neighborhood (because the current lord is much smarter and more dangerous).

They are sort of friends, but they are mostly people on a mission.

Jamie and Dean have a complicated relationship as they go from colleagues to bed buddies to colleagues again. Jaimie tries to have a normal relationship with her boyfriend, and Ty tries not to screw up his marriage. Dean had the most normal childhood, yet his teammates are often afraid that he might lose it and go dark side on them.

Carter once valued normalcy- he had a wife he loved, but we are assuming she was killed. Now he spends most of his time in the office, sleeps few hours and focuses on getting the job done. As Ty once puts it to Jamie, there is nothing Carter wouldn’t to watch their backs, and there’s nothing he wouldn’t do to get results. The problem is you can’t always tell which comes first.

But Carter is not exactly safe and sound in the office, as he provides back-up and surveillance to his undercover cop(s), and he himself often gets to pose as a criminal or victim.

Dark Blue is intriguing and fun. It’s exciting to watch a show where things aren’t black and white, where cops rob criminals or use them in their cases. If you like your show intense, this is the one for you.

8/10 from me. Currently 7.7. on IMDB.com.

Dark Blue only lasted 2 seasons (and has a total of 20 Episodes). But it is worth every minute invested in it.

Fun notes:

* Nicki Aycox guest-starred in the show Supernatural as Meg Masters for 5 episodes, and Sam and Dean Winchester quite a hard time.

*Dylan McDermott is used to playing intense, job-focused characters. He is best known for his role as Bobby Donnell in the crime series The Practice.

*In one episode, Ty’s wife refers to Carter as the Prince of Darkness.

*Carter reads F.B.I. as Federal Bureau of Intimidation. He is not a big fan.

Fair Game starring Naomi Watts & Sean Penn

Posted on April 22, 2011 Written by ripitup

Fair Game starring Naomi Watts & Sean Penn. Image via sinema3.com.

Fair Warning: This movie is a political drama, based on real events – which is based on the book written by an ex- CIA agent. It has a documentary feel to it, and if you don’t like political dramas, with no action sequences, you should stay away. But it is well-told, well-shot and well-acted. And I liked this movie!

Movie Info:

Starring: Naomi Watts and Sean Penn.

Co-starring: Noah Emmerich

Guest Appearances: Ty Burrell, Sam Shepard, Rebecca Rigg, Brooke Smith,

Made in: 2010.

Awards: Mill Valley Film Festival Award (for Best Narrative Feature), Freedom of Expression Award (National Board of Review)

Written By: Jez Butterworth & John-Henry Butterworth

Based on the Books By: Joseph Wilson (The Politics of Truth), Valerie Plame (Fair Game)

Directed By: Doug Liman (director of The Bourne Identity, Jumper, Mr. and Mrs. Smith)

Plot:

Set in the early 2000s, first term of President George W. Bush. C.I.A. Agent Valerie Plame (Naomi Watts) is happily married to ex-Ambassador Joe Wilson (Sean Penn), with two young kids. While their friends know about Joe’s career and political views, they think Valerie is working for a finance company. And while Joe is not always happy about his wife being an agent, he is supportive and understanding.

Joe gets a chance to be involved in her work, when he is sent to Nijer to see whether they are working on weapons of mass destruction. Joe’s findings indicate that they are not working on such weapons, but the Bush administration is pretty much dying to invade Iraq, so they make sure the “findings” justify the invasion. Joe is more than frustrated to see that the government is using bogus intel, so he writes an article for The New York Times, explaining what he actually found. Angry White House officials strike back by exposing Valerie’s identity, and calling Joe a liar.

Now that her identity is exposed, Valerie’s operations come to halt- risking the lives of scientists she was meant to save. Moreover, everybody finds about her and a majority is willing to label to label them both as traitors. Valerie wants to avoid exposure, while Joe is willing to seek more publicity to clear their names.

Joe’s standing up for truth risks not only their reputation, lives and finances, but their marriage as well. Can Joe succeed? Or will they lose everything, while the White House gets away with everything?

Verdict:

I was a little afraid that this movie could be disappointing when the guy at the video store frowned at my choice and asked whether I picked the movie for its actors. Well, while I really seeing enjoy Watts and Penn on the screen, I also enjoy watching politics related conspiracy theories, and real-life examples of manipulation of the public view. So, no I wasn’t bored. I don’t know if Joe and Valerie are as right as they were depicted. But I wouldn’t be surprised if everything depicted in the movie really happened.

Fair Game is engaging. It frustrates you and it challenges you. No, it is not fast. But it is solid, and worth-watching. And I really like the overall message and Joe’s actions. It is not all that hard to identify either with him and Valerie- regardless of your country.

Give it a shot. Currently 7.0 on IMDB, which I find a little underrated.

Favorite Lines/Scenes:

– When a full class doesn’t know the 16 words George W. Bush used that led them to war, but they all knew that his wife’s name was Valeri Plame

Joe Wilson (Sean Penn): when did the question move from why are we going to war to who is this man’s wife? I asked the first question.

– Valerie’s friend (Brooke Smith): So do you have lovers all over the world? Do you have a gun? Have you killed people?
Valerie (Naomi Watts): I can’t tell you anything.
Friend: You can’t tell me anything. OK. So you wanna go shopping?

Fun notes:

– Modern Family’s Phil Ty Burrell has a short role as a friend of the couple.

– Grey’s Anatomy’s Brooke Smith has a short role as a friend. She played the cardiologist Erica Kahn for 23 episodes in Grey’s Anatomy.

– Rebecca Rigg, who also plays a friend, is the real life wife of The Mentalist star Simon Baker.

Also on Naomi Watts:

Naomi Watts Trivia

The Painted Veil with Naomi Watts and Edward Norton

The International starring Clive Owen & Naomi Watts

Dangerous Beauty starring Rufus Sewell & Catherine McCormack feat. Naomi Watts

Also on Sean Penn

Taps starring Timothy Hutton, Tom Cruise and Sean Penn

Also on Noah Emmerich

Beyond Borders starring Clive Owen, Angelina Jolie & Noah Emmerich

Beautiful Girls starring Timothy Hutton, Matt Dillon, Uma Thurman, Natalie Portman and Mira Sorvino

Pride and Glory with Edward Norton and Colin Farrell

The Kids Are All Right starring Annette Bening, Julianne Moore & Mark Ruffalo

Posted on April 17, 2011 Written by ripitup

The Kids Are All Right starring Annette Bening, Julianne Moore & Mark Ruffalo. Image via rizecity.com

Plot

Jules (Julianne Moore) and Nic (Annette Bening) have been together a long time. Despite their own issues, and the issues of their two teenage kids Joni (Mia Wasikowska) and Laser (Josh Hutcherson), they are managing. But when Laser decides to find their sperm donor dad Paul (Mark Ruffalo) with the help of Joni, things get way out of hand: The kids really like their fun, laid-back dad – and he is a true contrast to their over-controlling mom Nic. To make things worse, Jules likes Paul too. And when Paul hires Jules to design his garden, things get even more complicated as something starts between them. How much of a change can a modern, 21^st century family can take?

Review – with Spoilers

The bad:

– The actions of characters & the depicting of characters:

The Kids Are All Right is an all right film, although it is a bit overrated. It has its moments and the acting is fine.

It’s the story and how the characters are shown that I have a problem with. We have a lesbian couple who get turned on by watching gay men porn. They tell us, and Laser, that human sexuality is complicated and we try to roll with that. But never at any point Jules thinks she is bisexual. Yet she jumps Paul’s bones almost the first moment they are alone together. Then she has sex with him again. But we are supposed to buy that she is %100 gay. Fine. And while Julianne Moore can be quite pretty when she wants to be, she doesn’t quite have a moment of attractiveness, or even really femininity at this film. I’ll never know how the ever hot-blooded Paul, who all the straight women around him are either trying to bed or are already bedding, found in Jules. OK. So let’s suppose he is all hormones and no ethics- that he will jump any woman when given the chance. But we have him falling for Jules. What the…?

And yes, of course Nic eventually finds out. And she goes ballistic. But interestingly, she is more mad at Paul. The kids are more mad at Paul. They treat him like a total disappointment. And while he is not the ideal father figure, he is kind, and warm-hearted and he did welcome the kids into his life, no questions asked. It’s Jules who was married, who cheated on their mom and yet it is Paul who ends up alone.

I never quite get it when people become more angry at the other man/woman rather than their own spouse. Yes, the other person showed total ill judgment sleeping with a married person, but he/she is not the one who married you. He/she is not the one who cheated on you. I always think that if you are not going to be equally angry, you are supposed to be angrier at the person who actually had responsibilities about you. Jules got another chance. Despite how naïve and weird he is, Paul deserved one too.

– Sex is reduced to just animal sex. Did we really need to see that much of Mark Ruffalo humping around?

The good:

– The acting is really good. Not just by Bening, Moore and Ruffalo, but the kids did a great job too. I’ll enjoy watching them in other movies.

– It is funny how Jules and Nic were thinking that their son might be gay and they were actually disappointed that he wasn’t, but he had found his dad.

– Paul’s overall reactions to the event. “I love lesbians” reaction when he found out both Nic and Jules gave birth to one child of his and that they were together.

Worth Watching?

– If you are a fan of the actors, and can’t resist the Oscar buzz ( the movie was nominated for 4 Oscars – Best Actress for Annette Bening, Best Supporting Actor for Ruffalo, Best Film and Best Screenplay, though it received none of the awards), it won’t bore you. It might annoy and disappoint you a bit, but I don’t think you will regret the time you put into it. But while it has some potential, there is a big chance it won’t be listed in your best movie experiences.

Directed and co-written by Lisa Cholodenko. Made in 2010. Currently 7.3 on IMDB.com

Fun notes:

This isn’t the only movie Moore does something against her character’s suggested sexuality. In Chloe, she is supposedly straight , married to Liam Neeson. She suspects her husband is cheating on her. But in the end, she ends up cheating on him- with a woman.

Also on Julianne Moore

Benny and Joon starring Johnny Depp, Aidan Quinn, Mary Stuart Masterson and Julianne Moore

Shelter starring Julianne Moore and Jonathan Rhys Meyers

The Fugitive starring Harrison Ford and Tommy Lee Jones

Laws of Attraction and Pierce Brosnan feat. Julianne Moore

Chloe starring Julianne Moore, Liam Neeson and Amanda Seyfried

Also on Mark Ruffalo

Just Like Heaven starring Mark Ruffalo & Reese Witherspoon

Mark Ruffalo Trivia