zurich



Films 2012

 

Title Rating Comments
The Avengers

Silly - well maybe Marvelous? "What's in your ledger?" "Because we need them."

Dragon Eyes

Poor vigilante flick, lots of kung fu and a high body count, and lots of cognitive recalibration.

On the Road

As they say "A stream of consciousness". Not really my cuppa, but well made. Adolescent Americans.

Rust and Bone

Excellent, down to earth. Ms Cotillard and Matthias Schoenaerts - very much classic French cinema.

The Dark Knight Rises

Good.

Assassin's bullet

Not very impressive spy flick.

Blooded

Interesting mockumentary. Nice remote island.

Safe

Huge body count. Not much of anything else to redeem the flick.

Tintin

Enjoyable, would like to see some more.

Skyfall

Didn't enjoy it after the DB5 came back.
Quote: Eve, it's a case of 'old dog, new tricks'.

Friends with Benefits

Silly.

The Amazing Spiderman

The special effects are a bit to quick for me. Weak story - to be expected. But OK.

Jack goes Boating

Sweet, touching, but a bit slow and then ....... Philip Seymour Hoffman is as good as ever, the others too - Amy Ryan, John Ortiz and Daphne Rubin-Vega. A US take on relationships. I prefer John & Mary - see below.

For Greater Glory

The story of the Cristero War in Mexico after the revolution and the catholic church refused to stand with the peasants in their demands for land and social justice. The government instituted anti-clerical statutes in the Constitution, not a good idea.
Quote: "We never know what god has in mind" - Really?

Seeking Justice

A quite gripping tale. Cage is a lot better than he has been in so many other flicks.

Snow White and the Huntsman

A variation of Grimm with special effects. Rather, very silly.

Seeking a Friend for the End of the World

Great idea! Not done as well as it might have been. Ms. Knightley is so English. Looks like New England - must get to go back there again before the world ends for me.

Cleanskin

Powerful, mainly because it begins understated and escalates. Evil too. How far have we come? Sean Bean, Abhin Galeya and the lovely Tuppence Middelton.

The Angel's Share

Highly disturbing social commentary about the dark side of life in Glasgow. But .... the story develops.

Buck

Documentary about Buck Brannaman the inspiration for "The Horse Whisperer", a book by Nicholas Evans. Mis-used as a child by his father. Following on from Tom Dorrance and Ray Hunt. Cameo by Robert Redford - nice!
Quote: Wife to husband - "She's just like you!" Response - "What's the downside to that?"

J. Edgar

Well-done historical flick. Good performances by Leonardo DiCaprio and Dame Judy. Naomi Watts ages well too.

The Cold Light of Day

Holy crap, convoluted thriller, made my skin curl. Not the best of car chases - Audi vs Range Rover - I think not.

The Muppets

Simply silly but with the lovely Amy Adams who was in Juile and Julia. The film also features a Morris Minor 1000 Countryman.

Arena - The Beatles' Magical Mystery Tour

Interesting revue of the film I first watched at my uncle and aut's hause in Gosport on Boxing day in 1967. They did not like The Beatles, I did - a lot. AT the time the TV film was hammered by the press, they didn't understand it was an art movie, a reflection of British life at the time.

The Awakening

Very well done flick, just a bit too creepy for me.

Bad Day at Black Rock

Spencer Tracy is his usual superb self. And his hat stayed on the whole film. The rest of the cast is pretty good too. Rober Ryan, Ernest Borgnine, Anne Francis and Lee Marvin.

Lockout  

Oh dear. Bad acting and the CGI was poor, even the repeat of "The death of the death star" sequence stolen from Sar Wars. Missable

La Glorie de Mon Père

The last of the four films. (Actually it is number 3.) Again a touching story of life in times long gone.
Quote: "Soup - Man's greatest triumph."

The Descendants

Rather a poor movie on the whole with pretty a pretty annoying soundtrack. Did George recently get divorced?

Le Chateau de Ma Mère

One of four films from the 1960s set in the hills of Provence. A touching story of a family and their summer holidays.

Intouchables

A wonderfully uplifting film, much comedy and laughing in a difficult situation. Marvelous acting. Recommended

Godless in America

A documentary about the death of Madeline O'Hair who was the head of Atheists America who was mudered for money by her office manager.
There are 45 million evangelists in the US and 30 million non-believers - and yet who has the influence - and why?

The Trap

OLiver Reed and Rita Tushingham in the 1966 film. Pretty good, great scenery - Canada.

Le Prénom

Similar to Carnage (see below) but very French. Highly Recommended

To Rome with Love

Not the best Wood Allen but with some interesting ideas. Penélope Cruz is a delight.

Jeremiah Johnson

Robert Redford in a 1972 film about the Gold Rush and social justice.

The Ides of March

Excellent script and four great actors. Recommended

The Far Country

A Western with Jimmy Stewartset in the Gold Rush times of the Klondike. One of the socialist films of the times. (Where are they now?)

Heat

Crime move with Al Pacino, Robert De Niro, and Val Kilmer. Recommended

Fractured

Rather good film from 2007, great script and performances from Anthony Hopkins, Ryan Gosling and David Straithairn

The Unforgiven

Burt Lancaster. Badly cast (Hepburn) but supposed to be one of the best Westerns - John Huston.

The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel.

Silly, with a covey of English actors. Full of many of the standard Indian jokes, both physical and aural.
"It's our fortieth wedding aniversary, we haven't decided how to celebrate the occasion". "Perhaps with a minute's silence?"

The Nun's Story

Flick with Audrey Hepburn and Peter Finch from 1959. Well done. The subject - Nuns - makes no sense to me. Like lambs to the slaughter. I hear from an ex-nun that they are are not at all loving or understanding when one of their order does decide to leave.
"Silence - for constant conversation with god - seriously?"

The Nines

Wierd.
"Life needs a reset button."

Carnage

Sinister from the get go. Simply amazing how the acting makes the experience über-real. Jodie Foster, Kate Winslet, Christoph Waltz and John C Reilly. Polanski is a master, and so too is the lady who wrote the piece in the first place - "The God of Carnage" by Yasmina Reza.
"We are all monsters in some ways and if we took responsibility for that we'd probably be a lot happier." Highly Recommended

The Singing Detective

Another (award winning) TV series by Dennis Potter: Deep is the thought that came to me.
"I'm the last person to see her alive." "Last but one." "Yes, of course."

Lipstick on your Collar

TV series by Dennis Potter with a large cast of great actors including Giles Thomas, Louise Germaine, Ewan McGregor, peter Jeffrey, Clive Francis and Roy Hudd. (Oh and the Dream Girl. Set in 1956, the time of the Suez crisis with the pop music of the time. Only for a certain taste. Recommended.

The Artist

Terrific movie. Not just the main actors (with dog) but also some of the walk-ons. Sticky romance - love it! Woof. Man with dog - has something to it. Recommended.

The Help

I liked the book and now the film. Done got me all riled up!

John and Mary

Excellent film about two people who get to meet. I remember reading the book when I was 20. Mia Farrow and Dustin Hoffman. Recommended.

The Man Who Wasn't There

Thanks to the Arte TV channel caught this film by accident. Black and white, a delightful story set in the 1950's. By the brothers: Joel and Ethan Coen. Ed's chain smoking should have had him in a box by the end of the film.

You can't take it with you

Classic Frank Capra movie with Jimmy Stewart. Mr Poppins has all the ideas - sound familiar? And "Whistle while you work" - You heard it here. Just silly.
"I love that music, what is it?" "Show-pain".
"We could take all the power we ever need straight from the sun's rays".

Stagecoach

Classic John Ford movie. A cast of great actors including John Wayne, Claire Trevor, Andy Devine and Thomas Mitchell. You just gotta love those happy endings!
"You don't know me" - "I don't wanna know."
"Chris, is this bar open?"
"Well they're saved from the blessings of civilisation."

Monsieur Lazhar Well done with some delightful performances. I do wonder how great it must feel to be a teacher. Recommended.
The Company Men Amusing flick about loosing the job. The moral being don't define oneself by the job one has. Ben Aflick, Tommy Lee Jones, Chris Cooper and Kevin Costner. Seems the movie lost $10M - ouch.
Manon des Sources ½ The sequel to the previous film, with the same cast but featuring much more of Emmanuelle Béart. Recommended.
Jean de Florette ½ Lovely French film about a rural farm. Features Gérard Depardieu, Daniel Auteuil, who won a BAFTA award for his performance, and Yves Montand in one of the last roles before his death. Highly Recommended.
Network Great performances from Peter Finch, William Holden, Faye Dunaway and Robert Duvall. Saw this many years ago, when it was first released. Recommended.
The World's Fastest Indian Warming story played by Anthony Hopkins.
Fair Game Tense and enjoyable. Shawn Penn is very good. Based on the Scooter scandal under Bush/Cheney.
HBO Game Change Interesting movie especially having seen both of the key people from the McCain campaign live on the Rachel Maddow show.
The Talented Mr. Ridley Never seen this, well done thriller set in Italy in the 1950s. With an actor I really like. Hmmm.
Nobody's Fool Terrific, humourous flick with Paul Newman. Recommended.
Tunes of Glory Tragic war-themed film with Alec Guiness and John Mills. Looked and sounded like it was originally a play.
Sideways Paul Giamatti and Thomas Haden Church in a male road movie set in the winery area of California with the lovely Virginia Madsen.
Mama Baby Harmless film with Tina Fey.
Contagion Interesting flick with a number of star actors. The story is patchy but well researched methinks.
Haywire Gina Carona as a tough lady with a glock boom boom and whack whack.
Hugo Great images, especially the old films which are in colour (all done by hand) but the script is weak as is the acting. Goodness knows why it is in 3D!
The Italian Job 1969 Fun but dated. Benny Hill - really? Don't you just love those Mini Cooper S's?
The Girl who kicked the Hornets Nest ½ Excellent! Recommended.
The Girl who played with Fire ½ Excellent! Recommended.
The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo ½ Great production, keeps close to the book. Recommended.
Margin Call Well written script and a star cast. Quote of the film: "The alarm is on, so don't try and break in" as said by the dovorced wife as be buries his dog in what used to be his garden. Recommended.
Iron Lady Not impressed witht the script, too much of the wonderful actress playing a depressed octagenerian for my tastes.
The Butterfly Effect 2 OK, well filmed witha nice ending.
LA Confidential All star cast for a 1950's style thriller with a twist and happy end, well sort of. Entertaining.
My Fair Lady The original music LP was better than the versions in the film. Also ot impressed by the idea of making a film based on sets which represent the scenes of a play. Rex has a wonderful voice does he no?
Breakfast at Tiffany's How to play a "lady of the night" in the 1960s and an hommage to Tiffanys. Few women have the talent to be so scatter-brained and beautiful at the same time. Recommended.
Roman Holiday What a delight! So innocent and Audrey, Greg .... Recommended.
Gladiator What script there was is really weak. Not one of the best films ever made.... Missable
The Green Mile ½ Damn good flicker show with an excellent cast .... Recommended.
Twelve Monkeys ½ Damn good movie.... Recommended.
True Lies Not very credible - especially not the way Noldi manipulates a Harrier..



© Copyright 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013 Brian Rees All rights reserved