JT Film Review

UPCOMING MOVIES – October 2010

Upcoming Movies – October 2010

Just to clarify, this is not a list of My Eagerly Anticipated movies, just an observation of what we see coming to us in the future. (Though some of them of course I will look forward to seeing.) In no particular order, here is the Upcoming Movies – October 2010 post.

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 —– The Way Back —–

Peter Weir is one of my favourite directors, and his last movie was the excellent Master and Commander:: The Far Side of the World. He has a great way of making thoughtful, smart, and entertaining movies without sacrificing crowd-pleasing abilities. I look forward to this greatly.

Release Date: Sometime in 2010 —– TRAILER —–

 —– The Tourist —–

Johhny Depp and Angelina Jolie star in what looks to be an entertaining thriller. Directed by word-check defying Florian Henckel von Donnersmarck, it looks like Depp is being given a great chance to be wryly funny, and Jolie a chance to be sultry, both of which they do well.

Release Date: December 10, 2010 —– TRAILER —–

 

 —– The Chronicles of Narnia: The Voyage of the Dawn Treader —–

I must admit I enjoyed the first movie in this downtrodden series. The second faltered, and frankly it looks like they are changing the storyline from the book hugely in this one. I hope this doesn’t affect the film, but I guess we’ll see.

Release Date: December 10, 2010 —– TRAILER —–

 —– 127 Hours —–

Danny Boyle’s follow-up to the succesful, but in my view over-rated, Slumdog Millionaire, is a true story about a man who finds himself trapped while mountain climbing. James Franco stars in what will essentially be a one-man show. It definitely looks interesting.

Release Date: November 5, 2010 —– TRAILER —–

 

 —– The Tempest —–

Julie Taymor, director of the under-rated Across the Universe and Titus, returns to the Revised Shakespeare gig with this star-studded film. Critics seem to be iffy on the film, but my interest is piqued.

Release Date: December 10, 2010 —– TRAILER —–

 —– Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 1 & Part 2—–

While I hate to jump on band-wagons, I truly enjoy this series, and this penultimate movie is shaping up to be the most epic of the Potter films yet. With Bill Nighy and Cirian Hinds added to the cast we can now officially say that every British actor has participated in the franchise.

Release Date: November 19, 2010 —– TRAILER —–

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What do you think? Interested in any of these? Any other upcoming movies you really want to see? Leave a comment!

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October 11, 2010 Posted by | Upcoming Movies | , , , , , , | Leave a comment

111 – In Bruges (2008)

In Bruges REVIEW

5/5 stars

Director – Martin McDonagh

Cast – Brendan Gleeson, Colin Farell, Ralph Fiennes, Clémence Poésy, Jordan Prentice, Thekla Reuten

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In Bruges features Brendan Gleeson (Ken) and Colin Farell (Ray) as hitmen who have been ordered by their boss Harry, played by Ralph Fiennes, to “hide out” in the Belgian town of Bruges after Ray botched a kill. Botched as in “killed a little kid as well as the target”.

The town of Bruges, in Belgium, is a quaint little town. Some may find it boring. Ray certainly does. Ken on the other hand relishes the medieval atmosphere and the sights which can be seen. He pulls Ray around with him, walking through the winding streets or going on little boat tours of the idyllic canals. The only time we see Ray get excited is when he sees a film crew filming a dream sequence at night. “Look, they’re filming midgets!” Ray is not too bright. Thankfully, Ken is. Yin and yang.

Apparently the idea for this film came from writer/first time director Martin McDonagh’s trip to Bruges. He found himself intrigued by both the wonder and boredom he found himself feeling. This is key to the movie’s tone. It is a comedy, but a pitch black one, even to the point of melancholy. It has the feel of a dying man finding something hilarious. Farell and Gleeson play their two sides of this particular coin very well. Farell in particular reveals comic talents I never knew he had. These are fully dimensional characters, but sketched very minimally, fleshed out perfectly by the actors. By the end we find ourselves believing utterly in every move these two make.

I should also mention that the actions the characters take and the directions in which the movie goes are almost totally devoid of cliché and routine. It truly is difficult, even impossible, to guess where the movie will go. The plot is a result of the characters actions, not visa versa. This is so refreshing to see.

Unfortunately, many will find In Bruges’ weird mix of serious comedy and dramatic lunacy to be a turn off. It’s too different, too unpredictable. It is of course for this very reason that I am commending this movie. It was certainly not made for too mainstream an audience, and for that I am eternally grateful.

OVERALL

In Bruges is weird, wacky, and wonderful. It is quick-witted, unique without labouring the point, and full of strong characters.  This is truly the result of a director with a unique vision who managed to dodge all the studios usual meddling. I would recommend this to anyone who wants to see a different kind of movie.

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TRAILER

“In Bruges” on other websites:

IMDB —– Rotten Tomatoes —– Wikipedia

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October 2, 2010 Posted by | 5 Stars, Film Review, Genre - Crime, Year - 2000-2009 | , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment