Frozen

Frozen is the latest animated film from Disney. Based on the Danish fairy tale the Snow Queen, and with the same creative team that made Tangled,  I took my girls for some summer fun. We have had some really bad luck at the cinema recently, and sadly that trend continued. I had a small child kicking my seat, and my girl sat next to a child who had nauseating body odor. At least the dad behind me got his little girl to stop kicking my seat, sadly all my fiance could do was lean as fay away as possible.

But we were determined to have a fun family treat.

Synopsis:
Frozen is the story of  Anna (Kristen Bell) and her older sister Elsa (Indina Menzel). Anna and Elsa are princesses of the kingdom of Arendelle. Elsa has the magical power to create snow and ice, and when she traps Arendelle in a permanent winter Anna is determined to save the kingdom and her sister.  To aid her in her quest she has the ice merchant Kristoff, his clever reindeer Sven, Prince Hans and Adolf the living snowman.  But Anna and her friends not only have to survive Elsa's rage, but they don't have long before the people of Arendelle succumb to the cold. 

Prince Hans and Anna

Like Tangled, Frozen  has an excellent story, full of drama and laughs. For me though  Frozen  had a an almost musical quality about it. Of course most Disney films are full of songs, but the music of Frozen  had a structured narrative feel about it, like a west end musical or Broadway.

Disney has really made an effort to bring something new with this film, but retaining what Disney is famous for. The animation was great, the picture was beautifully rendered and the voice acting was excellent. The artists captured a real northern feel with the characters and the setting, from the clothing to the architecture of the houses.

With the success of Tangled, Disney seems to be heading in a new direction story wise.  In the original story of the Snow Queen, the hero is Gerda, a young Danish girl who is determined to rescue her friend Kai from the wicked Snowqueen. Frozen's story is a complete departure from the Danish fairy tale, but it does keep the focus on the heroine Anna.  Despite being surrounded by handsome prince Hans and Brave Kristoff, it is Anna who is the driving force of the story. Her love for her sister drives her and us on to save the day.

Frozen avoided the trap of trying to create a strong female character by making all the male characters weak. Anna may not be not smartest, or the strongest, but she is the hero and she has the biggest heart. And like the best heroes she over comes adversity with bravery, determination, and a little help from her friends.

Lulu, my 12 year old step daughter to be, loved this film. She loved the music, the humor, the characters, but most of all Anna and her relationship with her sister. She felt that the relationship between the girls at the beginning of the film was great, and echoed her relationship with her little sister.   Frozen  is her favorite film of the year, and I think it is set to be one of Disney's classics.  It has been nominated for 2 Oscars for best animated feature and original song.  I would not be surprised if it picks up both.

8 cold Monkeys from me.

2014

As a strange fog sweeps through the valley and surrounds my home, I have decided to restart blogging.

So much has already happened  this year. Philip Seymour Hoffman,Gabriel  Axel and Shirley Temple have died.

Gabriel Axel 

Thee is new controversy over Woody Allen with further allegations of his past. And the rumour mill is also churning over the up coming features Star wars VII, Superman II, and Guardians of the Galaxy. The BAFTAs have come and gone, and the Oscars loom like a more traditional vampire.

And I have done nothing.

Well that is not strictly true.  I have survived my first stag do, and I have consented to a second (god help me) stag do. I have organised stuff for my wedding, and I have stressed over organising stuff for my wedding.

I returned to work and I have agonised over returning to work. Wringing my hands like a badly written character from a Dickens novel hoping for a better future with each new day.

O god please let me win the lotto

But as the dank and humid sea fog envelopes my house in a smothering embrace, muffling the snuffling of hedgehogs and the hunting of Moreporks, I will resume writing. Writing reviews, things and stuff.  Writing gives me pleasure and peace and I need to do more of it.

Enough for tonight I need to go and look after my greatest love, who also brings me peace and happiness.

Happy new year every body, lets make it a good one.

I think it's time for a cup of tea.

The Hobbit II

Director: Peter Jackson
Writers: Peter Jackson, Fran Walsh, Philippa Boyens, and                                   Guillermo del Toro, from the Novel by J.R.R. Tolkein.
Starring: Ian McKellen (Gandalf), Martin Freeman (Bilbo),                                    Richard Armitage(Thorin), Orlando Bloom (Legolas),                            Evangeline Lilly (Tauriel), Sylvester McCoy (Radagast),                        Luke Evans (Bard), Stephen Fry (The Master) and                                 Benedict Cumberbatch (Smaug).

Yesterday I watched the second installment of the Hobbit trilogy, but this time in 48 FPS 3D.  I haven't had a great deal of luck with these movies. When we watched the first one we had rotten seats, and this time some overly selfish hippy parents brought their 7 year old who whispered throughout the movie and afterwards had to be carried out as he was terrified.  

But, like Bilbo, we soldiered on. 

The second installment starts off with some more exposition of the history of Thorin, then moves quickly to the Dwarves and Bilbo fleeing from Azog and his Orcs, through Mirkwood and Lake town to the introduction of Smaug. 

The hyper reality of 48 FPS 3D took a moment to get used to, but I think I liked it. However, if you do decide to go and see it I recommend that you sit in the middle as on the very edge there can be some blurring. It is certainly different and I think it is the next step in film.

As far as the story goes I enjoyed this considerably more than An Unexpected Journey. While I am not really sure that the exposition at the beginning added anything of value, and, like the previous film, Jackson has added combat where there was none in the book, this time it wasn't so tiresome. There were many points during the first movie when you could compare the antics of the Dwarves to a Keystone cops movie, however, Jackson appears to have found a better balance of action and humor here.

The look and production of the film was good; Lake town and Mirkwood looked fantastic. Lake town, especially with Stephen Fry as the corrupt master, has been well designed and had a great feel to it.

However, I think Jackson missed a great opportunity. Freedman is an excellent Bilbo and his performances were always good, and with the scenes between Smaug and Bilbo there was enormous potential for dialogue. Especially when you have the established relationship between Freeman and Cumberbatch to work with. But I thought the focus of the scene was not the dialogue, but the retrieval of the Arkenstone.  Also, the scenes with the Dwarves and Smaug seemed to drag on. I understand that Jackson wants to show off his wonderful dragon, but I think the execution was misplaced and the film suffers again for it.

While purists will be frothing at the mouth over the additions to the plot, the most controversial turned out to be the most enjoyable. Evangeline Lilly as Tauriel was a superb addition, and one of the best female characters I have seen in years. Her story line, while a departure from the book, brought a well needed feminine side to the story. It was also the most compelling. While I am usually on the side of the purists, the decision to add Tauriel to the story was probably one of the best creative decisions Jackson has made.

The new visuals work well and the film  doesn't drag on so much until the end. The performances were all good, and as you expect it is spectacular viewing. On the whole it was a better film than the first, but it still suffered a little from self indulgent film making.  I enjoyed it.

7 monkeys from me.

Philomena

Director:             Stephen Frears
Producer:            Steve Coogan
Screenplay:        Steve Coogan and Jeff Pope
Book:                  Martin Sixsmith
Starring:             Judi Dench, Steve Coogan, Sophie Kennedy Clark,                                   Anna Maxwell Martin, and Michelle Fairley. 

One of the more curious things people have said to me is, "I was born in the wrong time, I should have been born in (insert historical period here)".  Now I get the appeal of history I really do, but I think I like toilet paper, medicine, international travel and not being oppressed by the local nobility even more.

But not everything about our recent history is an improvement, like the story of Philomena Lee.

Film synopsis:

In 1952 in Ireland, an unwed Philomena Lee got pregnant. She had her baby, Anthony, at the local convent. She worked in the nuns' laundry for four years and she was allowed to see Anthony for an hour each day.

Anthony was adopted out by the nuns during this time and Philomena never knew what happened to him. Once she left the convent she did not tell a soul about him, until fifty years later on the anniversary of his birthday, she finally tells her daughter Jane.

Martin Sixsmith was a foreign correspondent for the BBC in Washington and Moscow, before working for Tony Blair's administration. Martin lost his job over an email he sent, and is now out of work.  While contemplating his future and his past, Martin is approached by Jane to help her mother find Anthony. Martin decides that Philomena's story would make a good human interest piece and agrees.

Ensue the search for the missing child.

At its heart Philomena is a road trip movie. It's a journey of discovery both figuratively and literally for the jaded atheist Sixsmith, and the irrepressible Philomena. They are from different generations, and social classes, with different values and beliefs about tradition, religion and authority.   Philomena accepts and endures life and, solid in her faith, she never questions authority. As a journalist, Sixsmith questions everything, especially religion and authority. Philomena comes from a generation which was brought up to be polite, courteous and with her faith comes an optimism about humanity.  Sixsmith, as a busy and important journalist, is dismissive, cynical and somewhat impolite.

The search for Anthony is challenging for both Sixsmith and Philomena, and the reality of what happened to Philomena in 1952 affects them both. It tests their own world view and their faith in human nature and God. Interestingly, despite the convent's, and the church's treatment of Philomena, the film never portrays her piety disrespectfully. It gracefully avoids that and portrays her with a simple dignity.

(Steve Coogan and Philomena Lee. Photo by Chris Pizzello/Invision/AP)(Credit: Chris Pizzello/invision/ap)

As you would expect Judi Dench is excellent as Philomena Lee. Her performance was also reminiscent of another important woman in history, my mum. In Dench's portrayal of Philomena I could see the mannerisms and the out look of my mothers generation. In reflection it brings home to me that Philomena's and Anthony's story could have been anyone's story in the wrong circumstances, even mine.

This is obviously a project that Steve Coogan was passionate about, and his performance shows that he is capable of more than Alan Partridge, but despite his thoughtful performance Dench's on screen subtle charisma steals most scenes.

In an age of three hour block busters, at 98 minutes Philomena seems to be over almost too quickly, but I think they get the balance right

The story is funny, thoughtful and horrible all at once. That is the thing about history, it isn't always fun, but it should always be told. It is a very good film, and I suspect it will put Dench in the running for an Oscar.

7 monkeys

Enders Game

Director:       Gavin Hood.
Screen Play: Gavin Hood (based on the novel by Orson Scot Card.)
Starring:       Asa Butterfield, Harrison Ford, Hailee Steinfeld,                                     Ben Kingsley, Viola Davis and Abigail Breslin.

Sorry this is a bit late, my PC has been having conniptions.

I think that Science Fiction films are having a good run at the moment, which will hopefully mean more and more hit the big screen.  Ender's Game  is the adaptation of a good book, by a bad author. That is my personal opinion and for this post I am just going to focus on the film.

Synopsis:

Earth came under attack by an alien race and millions died. But at the eleventh hour the alien threat was defeated and Earth was saved. Ever since, Earth has been preparing for the next attack.

The world has united under a single government and military against a common enemy, and they are recruiting children to train up to be the best soldiers in a war which could spell the extinction of the human race.  Ender is one such recruit. Both his older brother and sister have failed the training program; Peter, his brother failed for being too aggressive, and Valentine for being too compassionate. Ender is desperate to succeed where his siblings have failed.  Ender has a gift; he can observe and understand his enemy, their strengths and weaknesses, and in doing so he can defeat them. This gift is of great interest to the military, but Ender first has to balance his more aggressive nature and his compassion.

Ensue child soldier antics.

Asa Btterfield ( Hugo) is very good as the brilliant but conflicted Ender. Unlike the book this Ender is a slightly more identifiable character. Ben Kingsly as the half Maori Rackham was also good, but his performance was let down by his South African/Australian/ UK accent masquerading as what can only be intended as a New Zealand accent.  It was very distracting  for me, maybe the rest of the world will not notice, but I suspect Kiwis will disconnect from the film. Come on Ben we expect better, say it with me; fush und chups, and repeat.

Gud'day maate

At 71 Harrison Ford gives a superb performance as Colonel Graff, and while the younger cast are good in their respective roles, Ford's scenes as the tunnel visioned Graff versus Viola Davis's conscientious Major Anderson were the stand out performances.

Ender's Game  has some of the best visuals since 2001: A Space Odyssey. The image of the training station orbiting the earth is spectacular, and one that sits in my mind. The wonderful cinematography, matched by fantastic music by Steve Jablonsky, could have made this into a real space opera.

Unfortunately the film suffers from a lack of exposition and a rushed story. Like all film adaptations the writers and directs have to balance being true to the original story, with practically transferring that story to two hours on the big screen. They run the risk of departing from the original material so much that too much is lost to be enjoyed ( I am Legend) or far too much (The Hobbit). Ender's Game really needed about 30 seconds of exposition to clarify the world we entered. Why was the fact that Ender was a third child so important for example? Also the training of Ender appeared to be too quick, while we don't need to see fifteen minutes of battle room training, maybe the montage could have been extended by another thirty seconds to really show the passage of time.

The ending also seemed forced and weird. But I don't really want to discuss that too much. Fans of the book may be dismayed by the slash and burn of story from the book, but of course the book covers a long period of time (around six years from memory) and the minor political story lines would only detract from Ender's own story.  It is not a bad film, it looks and sounds great, and has some very good acting. But there is so much lacking in the film's execution, you will probably walk out feeling that that it was wanting in some way.

Six monkeys from me.

PETER O'TOOLE

"The only exercise I take is walking behind the coffins of friends who took exercise."

02 August 1932 - 14 December 2013

Best known for playing T. E. Lawrence in David Leans Lawrence of Arabia Peter O'Toole was a sensitive and talented actor of the very old school. Nominated for eight Academy awards, the only one he won was in 2003, and that was an honorary award for his contribution to cinematic history. O'Toole he did however win a plethora of other awards through out his career. I remember him not only in Lawrence, but in  Stardust, Zulu Dawn, Man of La Mancha and The Lion in Winter.  He was a contemporary of Katherine Hepburn, and fellow irishman Richard Harris and a damn fine actor'

 2012 For Greater Glory: The True Story of Cristiada
Father Christopher

 2012 Highway to Hell (Video)
Narrator (voice)

 2010 Eager to Die
Lord Pelican

 2009 Iron Road (TV Mini-Series)
Relic

 2008 Thomas Kinkade's Christmas Cottage
Glen

 2008 My Talks with Dean Spanley
Fisk Senior

 2008 The Tudors (TV Series)
Pope Paul III

 2007 Stardust
King

 2007 Ratatouille
Anton Ego (voice)

 2006 One Night with the King
Samuel, the Prophet

 2006/I Venus
Maurice

 2005 Lassie
The Duke

 2005 Casanova (TV Mini-Series)
Older Casanova

 2004 Troy
Priam

 2003 Imperium: Augustus (TV Movie)
Augustus Caesar

 2003 Hitler: The Rise of Evil (TV Movie)
President Paul von Hindenburg

 2003 Bright Young Things
Colonel Blount

 2002 The Final Curtain
JJ Curtis

 2002 Rock My World
Lord Foxley

 2002 The Education of Max Bickford (TV Series)

- One More Time (2002) ... Sidney McKnight

 1999 Jeffrey Bernard Is Unwell (TV Movie)
Jeffrey Bernard

 1999 Joan of Arc (TV Movie)
Bishop Cauchon

 1999 Molokai
William Williamson

 1999 The Manor
Mr. Ravenscroft

 1998 Coming Home (TV Movie)
Colonel Edgar Carey-Lewis

 1998 Phantoms
Dr. Timothy Flyte

 1997 FairyTale: A True Story
Sir Arthur Conan Doyle

 1996 Gulliver's Travels (TV Movie)
Emperor of Lilliput

 1995 Heavy Weather (TV Movie)
Clarence, Earl of Emsworth

 1994 Heaven & Hell: North & South, Book III (TV Mini-Series)
Sam Trump

 1993 The Seventh Coin
Emil Saber

 1992 Civvies (TV Series)
Barry Newman

Lord Sarn

 1991 Isabelle Eberhardt
Maj. Lyautey

 1991 King Ralph
Sir Cedric Charles Willingham

 1990 The Nutcracker Prince
Pantaloon (voice)

 1990 The Rainbow Thief
Prince Meleagre

 1990 The Pied Piper (TV Movie)
John Sidney Howard

 1990 Wings of Fame
Cesar Valentin

 1989 Up to Date
Prof. Yan McShoul

 1989 The Dark Angel (TV Mini-Series)
Uncle Silas Ruthyn

 1988 High Spirits
Peter Plunkett

 1987 The Last Emperor
Reginald 'R. J.' Johnston

 1986 Club Paradise
Governor Anthony Cloyden Hayes

 1986 The Ray Bradbury Theatre (TV Series)

- Banshee (1986) ...

 John Hampton

 1985 Creator
Dr. Harry Wolper

 1984 Supergirl
Zaltar

 1984 Kim (TV Movie)
Lama

 1983 Pygmalion (TV Movie)
Professor Henry Higgins

 1983 Sherlock Holmes and a Study in Scarlet
Sherlock Holmes (voice)

 1983 Sherlock Holmes and the Baskerville Curse (TV Movie)
Sherlock Holmes (voice)

 1983 Sherlock Holmes and the Sign of Four
Sherlock Holmes (voice)

 1983 Sherlock Holmes and the Valley of Fear
Sherlock Holmes (voice)

 1983 Svengali (TV Movie)
Anton Bosnyak

 1982 Man and Superman (TV Movie)
Jack Tanner

 1982 My Favourite Year
Alan Swann

 1981 The Antagonists (TV Mini-Series)
General Cornelius Flavius Silva

 1980 The Stunt Man
Eli Cross

 1980 Strumpet City (TV Series)
Jim Larkin

 1979 Zulu Dawn
Lord Chelmsford

 1978 Power Play
Colonel Zeller

 1977 Rogue Male (TV Movie)
Sir Robert Hunter

 1976 The Far Side of Paradise
Liviu

 1975 Man Friday
Robinson Crusoe

 1975 Rosebud
Larry Martin

 1972 Man of La Mancha
Don Quixote de La Mancha / Miguel de Cervantes / Alonso Quijana

 1972 The Ruling Class
Jack Arnold Alexander Tancred Gurney - 14th Earl of Gurney

 1972 Under Milk Wood
Captain Tom Cat

 1971 Murphy's War
Murphy

 1970 Country Dance
Sir Charles Ferguson

 1969 Goodbye, Mr. Chips
Arthur Chipping

 1968 Great Catherine
Capt. Charles Edstaston

 1968 The Lion in Winter
Henry II

 1967 Casino Royale
Scottish Piper (uncredited)

 1967 ITV Play of the Week (TV Series)
Garry Essendine

- Present Laughter (1967) ... Garry Essendine

 1967 The Night of the Generals
General Tanz

 1966 The Bible: In the Beginning...
The Three Angels

 1966 How to Steal a Million
Simon Dermott

 1965 The Sandpiper (voice, uncredited)

 1965 What's New Pussycat
Michael James (as Peter O'toole)

 1965 Lord Jim
Lord Jim

 1964 Becket
His king / king henry ii

 1962 Lawrence of Arabia
T.E. Lawrence

 1959-1961 Rendezvous (TV Series)

 1960 The Day They Robbed the Bank of England
Capt. Monty Fitch

 1960 The Savage Innocents
First Trooper

 1960 Kidnapped
Robin MacGregor

 1959 The Long and the Short and the Tall (TV Movie)
877 Privale Bamforth, C.

 1958 The Castiglioni Brothers (TV Movie)
Mario

 1956 The Scarlet Pimpernel (TV Series)

The Hunger Games Catching fire

Note wee spoilers follow

For the fans of the Hunger Games series the second film has finally been released.  Catching Fire continues on from The Hungers Games with Peeta and Katnis now living the high life as victors. The high life apparently consists of living in a house with running water and a roof in the isolated victors village.

But success has brought Katniss new problems. Even though her family is safe and she is free to be with Gale, she still struggles to let herself open up to Gale. This is further complicated by the public perception that she is with Peeta, and the PTSD that she suffers from.

But victory isn't just electricity and  access to regular food, as the victors of the 74th Hunger Games they must conduct a tour of the Districts under the close eye of President Snow and the Capital.

Unbeknownst to Katniss her performance in the last games has triggered something in the districts. The discontent of the poor has risen to boiling point and various districts are rioting.  The people have found a symbol to rally behind, and it that is the defiance and compassion that Katniss demonstrated during the games. For President Snow the 74th games were not a exhibition of power and oppression, but of hope.

But as a victor Katniss has fame and a certain security which makes it difficult for Snow to eliminate her.  However, a new game maker and the 75th Hunger games gives him the opportunity. This year the reaping will be from the existing pool of victors.,which means Katnissas, the only female victor in district 12, must return to the games.

Ensue more death!

Francis Lawrence replaces Gary Ross as the director. You might know Francis Lawrence from I am Legend and  Constantine, but despite those films Catching Fire doesn't suck. He has given the film a newer flashier look, for example the peace keepers are different and more Haloesque, and less of the classic science fiction feel that the  Hunger games  had which I missed.

However the new look works though as the story spends less time in the ghettos of District 12 and more in the Capital. The film needs that flash to create the decadence of the Capital.

The performances are still very good, Jennifer Lawrence and Josh Hutcherson have a plausible awkward on screen chemistry, although poor Josh gets regulated to almost a damsel in distress figure.  Lawrence is a more sympathetic and considerate character than the Katniss of the books, which makes her more enjoyable to watch. I thought the scenes depicting her suffering with PTSD were particually well done. 

The confusion and tension between Liam Hemsworth and Lawrence as the other side of the love triangle continues at a believable pace. Hemsworth as Gale trying to connect with Katniss, but with Gale's concerns over Peeta, and their contradictory views on the future of Panem, they find their romance stuttering. It certainly seems more real than most love stories aimed at teenage girls.

But the real stars of Catching Fire for me were Elizabeth Banks, Stanley Tucci and Donald Sutherland.

I particually liked Elizabeth Banks as the vacuous Effie, whose dedication to the Capital and the games is starts to unravel once Peeta and Katnis are called to fight again. Effie is still a ridiculous figure, but Banks gives her more depth than you expect.

Sam Claflin as Finnick and Lynn Cohen as Mags as the tributes from District 4 were also favorites of mine. 

The elderly Mags was Finnick's mentor when he was in the games, and the bond the two have  as adopted mother and son is probably the best on screen chemistry in the movie.


I was worried that the violence would be too much for the 12 year old that I watched with, but it turned out to be fine. She loved it and now has 12 months to anticipate the final in the series.

Catching Fire is well made, with a good pace and story it was over too soon, which for a 146 minute film is a great sign. . As a sequel it carries the franchise on without trying to be the first. I think I enjoyed this more than the first film, but now that I have read the books that may have made the difference.

If you are a fan you won't be disapointed, and unlike most film adaptaiton of books this is not only very close to the original stories, but in someways a lot better.

 7.5 from me.