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Hard
Candy
Cert: 18
Starring: Patrick Wilson,
Ellen Page, Sandra Oh, Jennifer Holmes, Gilbert
John
Director: David
Slade
Running Time: 104
minutes
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Meeting
someone from an on-line chat room is something that could be fraught
with danger! But after seeing this film you could be left with the
thought, who for?
When we see at the start of the film 14yr old Hayley (Ellen Page),
talking on line to successful photographer Jeff (Patrick Wilson),
a man in his 30s, you quickly and uncomfortably realise what is going
on, You are obviously concerned for her welfare as they arrange there
first meet at the local coffee shop. Their first meeting is awkward,
with Jeff seemingly shy and bumbling, and Hayley appearing naïve
especially when it is her suggestion for them to return to his house.
However it is there that the tables are turned, and a darker tale
starts to unfold.
This is where the performances of the two principle actors really
start to come to the front. The movie is filmed mainly in one location,
and so places the focus of the film almost entirely on the two characters
and their interaction with each other. And with this the underlying
truth of what is really happening starts to be peeled away.
Although some of the content of this film may seem strong, it is
not graphic. This goes to show that a thriller can be just as, if
not more effective by what you do not actually see, even to the point
where Hayley’s main form of punishment will leave certain members
of the audience crossing there legs uncomfortably.
Even though some people may not be keen on the content of the film,
it is well handled, and will keep you in its grip as the story twists
and turns, constantly switching your sympathy from one character
to the other. This is certainly an intelligent and challenging thriller
that is well worth watching. |
The
Lake House
Cert: PG
Starring: Sandra
Bullock, Keanu Reeves, Dylan Walsh, Shohreh
Aghdashloo, Christopher Plummer
Director: Alejandro
Agresti
Running
Time: 98
minutes
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Seeking
a change to her life Dr. Kate Forester (Sandra Bullock) leaves
the lake house to work in a busy Chicago hospital, leaving
a message for the next tenant requesting them to forward her
mail. When architect Alex Wyler (Keanu Reeves) moves in to
the lake house he is puzzled by the note he finds. For him
the lake house is badly neglected and has no sign of the paw
prints on the gangway, or the box in the attic that is mentioned.
He disregards the note, until one day while working on the
house a stray dog runs across wet paint leaving paw prints
exactly where the note had said. This then begins the start
of the correspondence between the two, as they search for the
answers to each other’s questions until the conclusion,
they are actually living 2yrs apart.
As they continue to write they begin to share more with each
other, and so develop feelings, which deepen with each letter.
Determined to finally meet and unravel the mystery they begin
to tempt fate to find what the future may hold for them.
There is an obvious chemistry between the two leading actors,
but somehow this doesn’t seem to be taken advantage off.
The film contains some good visual direction, but the story
line is weak and a little predictable at times. As a viewer
there is little opportunity to really get attached to the characters.
The film is sadly a little disappointing. It’s not a
bad film, but also not a particularly good one either. The
Lake House is really only going to appeal to those people who
enjoy die-hard romantic films.
So is this a film with a happy or a sad ending?
Now that would be telling
wouldn’t it? |
The
Fast and The Furious -
Tokyo Drift
Cert: 12A
Starring: Lucas
Black, Bow Wow, Zachery Ty Bryan, Brian Tee,
Sung Kang, Jason Tobin, Nathalie Kelley
Director: Justin
Lin
Running
Time: 105
minutes
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X-men
The Last Stand sees a return to the popular comic book movie
adaptation.
Just when mutants are starting to be accepted in society, Worthington
Industries announces it has found a cure for mutation. This
only leads to intensify the physical and ideological drama
between X-men, led by professor X (Patrick Stewart) and the ‘Rebel’ mutants,
led by Magneto (Ian McKellen) who fear human control, taking
them into there largest battle yet.
This film tends to have a slightly different feel than that
of the first two, due mainly to having a different director.
Bryan Singer, director of the first two films, tended to make
efforts in the development of characters and their interaction
with each other, and the mutant’s struggle to be accepted
in society.
In this film director Bret Ratner has focused on pace and drama
within the film rather than the characters. This is not all
bad if you like plenty of action in your movies. With all the
CGI effects you would expect in such a movie, scenes pack a
hefty punch with not a dull moment to be seen. The down side
is, if you are not familiar with the previous films or the
characters from the comic books, you may be left wondering
what some of this is about.
In my opinion, at just over an hour and a half, more time could
have been spent introducing some of the extra characters and
their background.
If you are a fan of the other movies you won’t be left
disappointed, with perhaps the odd surprise. |
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