Change Your Image
KieranCoughlan
Reviews
Robin Hood (2010)
Awful Mess
No doubt there are some people who will manage to squeeze some enjoyment of of this leaden, confused and boring mess of a film, but I'm not one of them.
The film starts very slowly and is a little dull, but apart from the many dreadful accents, not all awful. It is after Robin reaches Nottingham that the story becomes increasingly ridiculous. Anyone with an ounce of knowledge of English history should avoid this film like the plague, because it will probably drive you crazy.
Many people have pointed out the anachronisms and plot holes but there is one that I haven't seen mentioned: in the climatic battle scene, Marion spots her father's killer and goes to seek her revenge. I'd love someone to tell me how she recognized him, since she's in the village when her father's killed and barely sees the back of his killer when he rides past on horseback. Perhaps Mark Strong was the only bald actor in the production? Would be nice to find a few positives here; the film is well shot and I enjoyed Mark Strong's and Oscar Isaac's performances, they both give good villain, although the Kind John character was confused at best.
I really enjoyed Gladiator, but it was probably the worst thing to ever happen to Ridely Scott. Kingdom of Heaven was another clunker. I sincerely hope the clearly signposted sequels to this film never get made.
Jennifer's Body (2009)
There isn't anything wrong with a movie being fun
Clearly this is a movie that polarizes opinion, but I'd urge anyone with a taste for black comedy to give Jennifer's Body a chance. Having finally seen it, I enjoyed myself so much that I was left a little mystified that so many people seem to hate it.
Let's be straight about this, Jennifer's Body isn't awards material, but neither is it trying to be. It's a deliberately cheesy and darkly comic movie that definitely harks back similar movies from the 80s. Some of the darkest parts of the movie had me stifling guilty giggles; that's good black comedy in my book.
I thought the performance from the two leads was solid and enjoyable. Megan Fox played up Jennifer's sexiness, but gave her a subtle undercurrent of insecurity which gave tension to the character. Amanda Seyfried's Needy might not have been the cheerleader but was really the more settled and self-assured of the two characters.
Friendships held since childhood can become somewhat ambiguous as people age. This movie captured that well. To me the kiss between Jennifer and Needy really showed the low-key battle that was constantly raging between them, one they weren't consciously aware of most of the time.
Funniest scene for me involved some extremely shallow hipsters involved in some very dark dealings. Deliciously silly.
So, in conclusion, give this movie a try. There's a strong chance that you'll have a very good time.
United States of Tara (2009)
A Strong, Original and Entertaining Series
Clearly, this show isn't for everyone, but I wonder how much prejudice against the once-stripper creator is to blame? Alright, Spielberg was a Chippendale, but can we let it go now folks? I would agree with those that say this is not primarily a comedy. It's a drama. It certainly makes me laugh from time to time, but I'm engaged with the characters and how they live their lives. I feel there's a desire to market a lot of films and TV these days as "comedy" to reach a wider audience, a wider audience who are often disappointed when they don't get exactly what they are expecting.
The cast are pretty much perfect, it seems unfair to pick one rather than the other. In particular though, I think John Corbett is fantastic and his interplay with Toni Collette, both as Tara and all her alters, is very, very strong.
I's also like to mention a side story which I feel is developing very nicely is that between Brie Larson's and Nathan Corddry's characters. I'm really enjoying that and looking forward to seeing where it will go. Corddry's character is a beautiful creation.
I hope that if you haven't watched the show already, that you give it a try. Don't be put off by all the nay-sayers. Make up your own mind.