Fun and comprehensive entertainment blog feat. movies, TV series, actors, movie-makers, music & books: 1980 - Present
Johnny Depp is one of the best actors in Hollywood. He is diverse, radical and can go mainstream when/if he wants.
I made a review list of his 8 versatile roles that I really love:
http://cinemaroll.com/cinemarolling/johnny-depp-top-eight-movies/
Public Enemies Review:
1920s. Kitty (Naomi Watts) and Walter (Edward Norton) have absolutely nothing in common. Walter is a shy, smart, and awkward bacteriologist who falls in love with Kitty at first sight at a party.
Kitty is the ultimate social girl: she loves going out, playing the piano and being the center of attention.
She probably wouldn’t even consider marrying Walter if she hadn’t been dying to escape her dreadful mother; who was already announcing news of engagement even when Kitty wasn’t remotely interested in Walter. So she finds herself in China, bored to death with her nerdy husband. That’s when she finds herself having an affair with and falling for the charming but married diplomat Charlie Townsend (played by Naomi’s real life partner Liev Schreiber).
When Walter finds out, he gives her two options: he can divorce her right away or she has to go to the cholera struck region of China with him. She has overestimated Charlie both as a man and a lover. He refuses to divorce his wife, just as Walter predicts.
This is the perfect punishment for an unfaithful wife: isolated in a country with only one native English speaker as neighbor. The marriage isn’t a happy one for Walter either, but he is mostly busy with his patients. As Kitty makes an effort to redeem herself and mingle with people of the church, the couple begins to see each other for they really are and the coldness is eventually replaced with love and respect.
The Painted Veil is absolutely beautiful. It is delicate and sincere. The scenery is amazing and the acting is top notch. But then again, I wasn’t expecting any less from Edward Norton and Naomi Watts. I have been an admirer of Norton’s ever since I saw him in Primal Fear. Still, it was the first time I saw him as a romantic lead in a romantic period drama and he is just excellent at this. I also like it more if the movie is produced by the leading actors so they have more say in scenes and Watts and Norton have made brilliant choices.
The movie was directed by John Curran in 2006. Based on the novel by W. Somerset Maugham.
This is one of those movies that if a guy doesn’t like it, you can rightfully dismiss him as heartless. Well, kidding aside, it would be a very shallow attempt to label this one as a chick flick. It is a multi-dimensional story with multi-dimensional characters. Don’t miss out on it, regardless of your genre preference and gender.
I didn’t like this movie. Bye.
Kidding. Well, only about the second part. I really didn’t like this movie.
I like period pieces and romantic/sexy stories. I love Michelle Pfeiffer. Director Stephen Fears made Dangerous Liaisons in 1988, starring John Malkovich Glenn Close and Michelle, a movie I adored. So I was expecting something spectacular from Stephen again. Well, the magic is just isn’t here. Of course that cast included the-ever-amazing John Malkovich. Here, we have Rupert Friend. I had previously seen him in Pride and Prejudice in a small role and he had done alright. Now, even “alright” would be overstatement.
The story:
Michelle plays Lea- a glorified prostitute who is near her retirement age. I am saying glorified, because we are talking about times where some prostitutes had power, money and more style and grace than any other woman in society. She is the godmother of Chéri and this young man has started to concern his mother Madame Peloux (Kathy Bates), an ex-prostitute herself. Chéri’s life consists of sex and booze and she’d rather have him mature under the wings of her old friend Lea. But this maturing period lasts longer than they all expected. After 6 years, they are still together. But according to Madame, it is time for his son to get married. She finds the girl and makes all the arrangements. Chéri still would like to have an affair, but Lea doesn’t want to be him after he is married. So they break up, which sends both lovers to different types of depression. They try to get on with their lives, but 6 years of passion and love are not easily forgotten…
Not a story we aren’t used to but hey, it will do. The costumes are fine and Michelle Pfeiffer is still very pretty. But the movie doesn’t work. I easily got tired of Kathy Bates’ over the top character. I was annoyed by almost everything about Rupert Friend’s Chéri. I failed to see what might have been so appealing about him. He has a pretty face I guess, in a weird way but I half-expected him to announce he was actually gay throughout the movie. He walks, talks and acts funny. He has this weird fascination of pearls and if a guy isn’t gay, his wanting to borrow pink pearls can’t be endearing. I failed to recognize the slightest level of testosterone from him. His personality? There was nothing good or charming. So how am I supposed to believe a “love” story when the guy has nothing to offer? Youth can not be the answer, she has seen many of young men before. I guess we can explain that as shit happens. But surely, a girl finding Chéri as annoying, spoilt and gay is not a good sign?
And the ending is disappointing too. I am not saying it is happy or sad. I didn’t really care either way but it was just a pointless ending to a pointless story.
I watched it because as I said: 1) Michelle Pfeiffer
2) Stephen Frears
Don’t watch it unless you love period pieces no matter what the story and find Rupert Friend cute.
Also with Michelle Pfeiffer:
P.S. I love you – plays Gerard Butler’s mother-in-law
White Palace – plays James Spader’s boss
Ben (Colin Firth) has issues. He just his lost his wife in a car accident where he was the driver. His wife’s family has gone on with the burial while he was in a coma and they don’t seem to want to talk to him at all.
He starts working with an old friend and goes to therapy. His mind constantly plays tricks on him and he is starting to believe he is going insane. Then there is the issue of a famous singer who was recently murdered. He is absolutely fascinated by everything about the case. Is it possible that Ben murdered the singer?
While Ben tries to stay sane, he develops a friendship with his beautiful and interesting neighbor Charlotte (Mena Suvari). But Ben can’t tell whether she is real…
Actually, the concept is really interesting. Colin Firth’s performance is great as usual. Mena Suvari is lovely and I can’t think of anyone else who’d be better for the role. Colin’s best friend is played by Tommy Flanagan and frankly, I love seeing him in movies no matter what the role. Seeing an actor for the first time at one of the most heart-breaking scenes in Braveheart does this to you. Remember the wedding scene where William Wallace (Mel Gibson) goes to a wedding where he comes back to his village as a grown man? The English interrupt the wedding and take the bride away. The groom is Tommy Flanagan. Of course he becomes one of Wallace’s most willing soldiers after that. To see him in a larger role, you can check out Atilla– where he plays Attila’s (Gerard Butler) cousin/nemesis.
So the idea is promising and the actors are just fine. Then why the hell was the movie rated 4.7 on imdb? Because the script writer overused ants and the director did a lousy job. Yeah, Ben collects ants and what’s strangely weird at first, comes back to annoy you again and again. Then there are Ben’s delusions that were shot as if you were watching a horror movie. You are not. This is a psychological thriller and if the makers thought this could be horror, that’s a delusion right there. With a different approach, we could have a pretty decent movie. I am not saying you shouldn’t watch it. I am just saying the fast forward button can come in handy.
More Colin Firth-starring movie reviews :
More movies with Tommy Flanagan
