tedbennett_88 Reviews

Her (2013)

" I find it hard to find time between my video games and internet porn", Ha samesies...... no not really video games are for losers.

[8/10 · 20 January 2014]

" I find it hard to find time between my video games and internet porn", Ha samesies...... no not really video games are for losers.

Without ever stating when this film is set it produces a realistic version of the future, things still have buttons and earphones haven't been implanted into the skull.

Joaquin Pheonix plays the lead role Theodore Twombly in what I would say is his most sincere role yet. He comes off as a genuinely lonely man and it is strange how someone can convincingly play a man that USED to be social.

The story itself is actually a very basic love story just set in the future, and it has all the same peaks and troughs of all love stories yet this one doesn't have that dull undercurrent, I would say it has a lot of staring in silence and if you aren't 100% into it you could drift off.

Joaquin sets the tone for the whole film with the opening when you see what he does for a living. He writes 'hand written' letters to loved ones that for other people, pointing out that he himself is in the business of false affection and that love and emotion can be made up.

Otherwise the film is actually very good, It is shot very nicely, with only one scene which breaks the 180 degree that causes a moment of discombobulation.

A solid 8/10

Don Jon (2013)

A film about relationships and porn and for the first time Julianne Moore doesn't show us her tits.

[8/10 · 30 December 2013]

Don Jon is Joseph Gordon-Levitts first run as a writer-Director and already I can see his potential. He has a strong sense for character and friendship development which is played in the film nicely, his two main buddies are realistic everyday guys and you feel like they have known each other for years. Scarlett Johansson's character is a 'Princess' and very well played, the couple works and it's nice to see real relationships in cinema, you don't always have to find the one. His family are chaotic and fit perfectly into this world and Julianne Moore smashes her performance yet again but I feel her story leaves you a little confused.

Joseph Gordon-Levitt's use of light was great, Having Scarlett Johansson's light react to Jon's feelings towards her is an interesting move that doesn't detract the viewer from the story, also the panning shot reverse shot is definitely something I am going to have a go at soon.

The story works for me and I like the repetition throughout the film, I would and will recommend this film to anyone, it has many layers that will appeal to all audiences.

Mean Streets (1973)

Do you know what the Queen said? 'If I had balls I'd be a King.'....... Obviously.

[7/10 · 2 December 2013]

Mean Streets is a good early example of Martin Scorsese being an auteur, for his first New York based film he gives us a classic example of his art.

You can tell his BA and MA have really paid off, he shows examples of French new wave cinema techniques and also Italian neorealism combined with his own now well known style to create a film that was not only gritty but funny.

This was Martin Scorsese's third feature film and we can see he has already got a style in mind for his career, we have the bar tracking shot, voice overs, strong red lighting, religious background for the main character and also a heavy soundtrack all these elements can be seen in his 1990 film Goodfellas. Also he starts this picture with old home movie footage for the main character (played excellently by Harvey Keitel) which is similar to the cut scenes in Raging Bull.

This was Robert De Niro's first film with Scorsese yet you can see a partnership would soon blossom, He plays the character Johnny Boy a care free yet out of control young street tough that owes money all over the neighbourhood, You feel for his character even when you know his actions are going to get him in trouble, In his introduction to the film he is seen blowing up a mailbox for no other reason then he found it funny.

If you haven't seen this picture I would recommend it. The characters are believable and the narrative is simple yet deep, you get swept along for the journey into 1970's New York.

Hunger (2008)

I reckon the script was one side of A4, Subtitles would have helped.

[8/10 · 12 November 2013]

The film is a well shot piece of cinema focusing on the style and the soundtrack to tell the story of Bobby Sands, A soundtrack that is almost exclusive to just diegetic noise and Steve McQueen uses it in an interesting way, increasing the volume to add intensity and decreasing it to represent feelings of being alone and weakness. The use of shadow allows us into the dark outcome for the prisoners, even in scenes of daylight it is stark and unforgiving.

There isn't much dialogue in this film yet the story is well told, the looks and actions from the cast tell it perfectly, we start with the daily routine of a prison guard checking his car for bombs this sets the tone that no matter where you are you are not safe which is shown again half way through the film, a scene that comes out of nowhere to show the brutality of the IRA during this time. From the beginning we see the parallel lives of the guards and the prisoners this tells us two stories at the same time, both in pain and fear, if you didn't know what this film was before you watched it you might think we are following the guards.

The longest piece of dialogue in the film is between the priest and Michael Fassbender's character Bobby Sands, it is a static shot that doesn't cut until the end they talk to each other like brothers while also showing two sides of nation, one wanting to fight, the other wanting to negotiate.

The hunger strike only starts 20 minutes from the end of the film yet it takes over everything else you have seen, Michael Fassbender's dedication to his art is worryingly magnificent and his performance justifies his transformation.

The film had me gripped for the whole time, never wavering with doubt that this may go off into dangerous grounds of supporting the IRA.

Cape Fear (1991)

Other then a man i met in Manhattan, I have never been so intimidated by a man in a sailor hat.

[8/10 · 12 November 2013]

The film is open/close narrated by Juliette Lewis which would suggest that this is her story to tell but let me take the reigns for a moment.

The film tells a great story and a great story needs great actors and for that we get Robert De Niro, The bedroom seen with Lori is a brutal display of what he is capable of, The tattoos didn't put her off nor did the handcuffs but the furious punches De Niro delivers also biting a chunk out her cheek (Which De Niro suggested to do after researching sexual attacks) proves to be a truly devastating scene. Another scene that solidifies De Niro as a psychopath is the one with Juliette Lewis in the theatre where it builds and builds to the point where you want to run away and never see his face again, he plays a maniac so convincingly its hard to believe that at the end of the scene he could just turn it off.

The relationship between Jessica Lange and Nick Nolte is unbelievable and strained at moments but with performances from Juliette Lewis and Robert De Niro stealing the show it doesn't let the film down.

This is the first Martin Scorsese film where he uses optical FX and you can tell with excessive use of solarisation and filters, he turns the sky into what looks like fire during one scene while magnifying the stars in the next.

The cameos from Robert Mitchum and Gregory Peck are nice and ending the film with a visual metaphor Nick Nolte washing the blood off his hands was a good touch.

Sexy Beast (2000)

115 f**ks and 21 c**ts, plus everything else that was cut from Gandhi

[8/10 · 12 November 2013]

This is a spectacular piece of British cinema only made better by the lack of Hugh Grant and Richard Curtis.

Ben Kingsley portrayal of a nasty bastard is amazing his delivery is to the point and scary, His character has a slight smile and staring eyes that drill into you and talking himself into a frenzy makes him even more horrible to cope with.

What is shown in this film is very quick editing combined with sound continuity so the cuts are invisible and unintrusive, strong use of colour, using a low key to make even the sun of Spain seem dark and a style unseen before, the lack of cliché ridden cockney slang makes this film even more credible.

When the film first starts we get a dream like underwater shot which you are not expecting, a metaphor for 'living the dream' possibly, but throughout the film the increasing amount of surrealism adds another layer to this almost perfect British gangster film.