Paul

Simon Pegg and Nick Frost have got themselves quite a large following after the success of 'Hot Fuzz,' 'Shaun of the Dead,' and the TV series 'Spaced.' Now they are in part sci-fi, rom-com, bromance 'Paul' which centres around the ultra geeks Graeme and Clive, played by Pegg and Frost, as they meet and subsequently help an Alien, voiced by Seth Rogen, called Paul.


Sounds great. Pegg, Frost, Rogen, Sci-fi. Comedy. It should be great but I can only go as far as saying it's fine. Firstly I believe that Frost and Pegg are at their best when playing to a nieche audience and this film is definately not nieche, with fart jokes and random swearing all over the place it's the broad demographic fan's wet dream. Yes it has plenty of obscure sci fi references to keep the fan boys happy but this doesn't work as well when they are sandwiched between Kristen Wiig vomiting out expletives.


Secondly, as far as main characters go, Graeme and Clive are pretty wet. I understand that they're nerds, a group not known for their strong and confident personalities, but do they both need to be so soft? Look at the range of geek personalities in 'The Big Bang Theory' for example. Fortunately the character of Paul balances this out with his dry sense of humour and quick wit. I didn't expect to like Paul as I find Seth Rogen's voice and general sense of humour a bit grating but i was surprised, but happily so, by his more laid back and toned down portrayal and I would go as far as saying he is the best thing about the film.


Thirdly and my final negative about the film. I didn't like the jokes aimed at Creationism. I am not a Creationist or have any strong religious beliefs but these jokes are easy jokes to make, I could see that they wanted to be insightful and subtle but they'don't come across that way. They hit you like a sledgehammer and aren't particularly original. Also, there aren't that many people who believe in Creationism so essentially these jokes are poking fun at a minority, which isn't really that fair. It all feels a bit smug and I don't feel it's an issue that needs a lot of attention.


There are positives, don't worry. There are some very funny parts and a great supporting cast with appearances from Jason Bateman, Jane Lynch, Sigourney Weaver, Bill Hader and the guy with the squeeky voice from 'I Love you COMMA Man.' The script is also very sharp and in a lot of places is very smartley written by Pegg and Frost and like I said before Seth Rogen does a great job.


To conclude, this was a hollywood backed film. Whereas in the past Frost and Pegg had more indepencdance this time they had to make comprimises in order to increase its appeal at the box office. This is where the film falls down for me. Maybe slightly selfish but i want a Frost/Pegg film to be made with me in mind. I dont want Mr. B. Demographic stealing laughs that should have been aimed at me. Good but not great, probably not as broad as I have made it out to be but too broad for a Frost/Pegg.

Justin Bieber: Never Say Never 3D

A different film to what I would normally see, Justin Bieber: Never Say Never 3D is an interesting one. It  follows Bieber during the 10 days before he plays a sell out show at Maddison Square Gardens. Along the way we see him perform with a host of special guests as well as clips of baby Bieber and interviews with the people around him.


I knew he was big but this film is an indication of how big he is, future civilizations could looks back at Bieber and mistake him for a messiah. He has a loyal group of disciples, known as his entourage, that go everywhere with him, people flock in their thousands just to catch a glimpse of him, he performs all in white and says a prayer before each gig and each meal.

I don't think the 3D was necessary, and don't worry I won't make the joke about how difficult it must have been turning footage of a one dimensional popstar into a three dimensional film because that would be unfair. This film however is very one dimensional, we only see the aspects of Bieber's behaviour which make him seem like a happy and friendly kid. This takes the film out of the documentary genre and turns it into a piece of popoganda aimed at turning non-Beliebers into... well, Beliebers. It constantly juxtaposes scenes of the boy chatting with big names and performing in front of hundreds of thousands of fans with scenes of Bieber hanging with his mates in Canada to show how NORMAL AND DOWN TO EARTH THIS GUY IS. All i wanted to see was a bit of Bieber spouting out ridiculous demands on his entourage and maybe throw the odd packet of skittles at his voice coach.


Its also sickly sweet, Bieber is continully doing cute things like flicking his hair and smiling and if I have to watch another sweet fan say something sweet about sweet Justin Bieber i will probably develop type 2 diabetes. Saying that, there are some genuinely nice moments where fans are given free tickets to the show which would soften the most hardened of hearts.


The oddest moments for me in the film were the short clips of topless Bieber. Everytime this happened there would be a sharp intake of breath from all the females in the audience. Yes the sexualising of a 16 year old is fairly odd, but bieber's body is not too far removed from the torso of E.T. If you are a pale, scrawny, guy with no muscle definition then Justin Bieber is probably the best thing that has ever happened to you, he has made your body attractive. That's how powerful this guy is. I genuinely belieb that he could bring out his own brand of Swastika and it would outsell electricity.


I'd like to say now that I do quite like Justin Bieber. It seems however that when it comes to this pop phenomenon, people would either saw off a limb for him or throw a grenade at him. This unwarranted animosity tends to stem from the belief that he doesn't deserve his fame. This film attempts to change that view, by showing Bieber at his best and to be fair he is extremely talented.  He can play an assortment of musical instruments, is a wonderful dancer, has a great stage presence, can write songs and can actually sing very well.


So yeah, i did enjoy this film. There's not much to it but i'd be lying if i told you I wasn't smiling most of the way through it.

True Grit

Whenever the Coen brothers bring out a new film, expectations tend to be high and with a critically acclaimed back catalogue it's easy to see why. People tend to bow down to the Coens and praise emphatically everything that they do as if they are film deities. However as much as I want to be part of this religion, more often than not I find myself just liking what they produce in a 'meh' sort of way. 'True Grit' is no exception.


The film follows the journey of 14 year old Mattie Ross, played by the 13 year old Hailee Steinfeld, as she seeks vengeance for the murder of her father. She searches for someone with 'true grit' in order to help her on her mission and hires US Marshall, Rooster Cogburn played by Jeff Bridges. And Mr. LeBeouf (Matt Damon) comes along too.


'True Grit' is an old American expression and having 'true grit' by modern standards is synonymous to having 'balls.' At first Mattie thinks Jeff bridges has 'balls' but then she thinks Matt Damon has 'balls'. She then realises she has had 'balls' all along and in the end as an audience member we see that they all have 'balls'. And that is the plot.


To be fair, the Coen brother's films generally don't focus on plot as much as they focus on character or on themes. A few lengthy scenes of dialogue add depth and flesh out characters quite early on in the film, but i find this fairly tedious and i want these scenes to wrap up quickly. After this character set up the characters proceed to stay the same throughout the film, their is no existence of character arcs anywhere. The acting however is great. I can't fault it. Steinfeld is brilliant, Bridges is fantastic and Damon is amazing. The acting for me is not the problem.


There were certain moments when people laughed. For example, when a plan didn't work and Bridges says 'well that didn't go to plan,' and then when they wait for Mr. LeBoeuf for ages and a different guy turns up and Bridges says 'Well that's not LeBoeuf .' The audience loved it! But why? I get it but its not hilarious. At one point Bridges says the word 'Nincompoop' which had the crowd rolling in the aisles. As far as i'm concerned that's just a silly word and i get the feeling that if these 'jokes' had popped up in a different film with a different director they'd be classed as broad demographic gags. I think this point about the humour is a bit of an insight into the type of people who enjoy Coen brother films a lot.


I did enjoy this film, it looked great and the acting was superb. I just didn't enjoy it as much as I think I'm supposed to enjoy it. Perhaps I just don't have the facilities to appreciate the Coen brothers and that I'm not fully aware of the subtleties contained in their films. I also think their is a measure of charlatanry amongst people who say their favourite films are Coen brother films as it's an easy way of getting cultural status and kudos from a group. Or maybe I'm just an idiot.

Scott Pilgrim vs. The World

A film adapted from an obscure graphic novel is nothing new, nor is Edgar Wright making a film crammed full of pop culture references and neither is Michael Cera playing a whiny, lovelorn, indie boy. But the novel translates well on screen, Wright's references are brilliant and Cera (because of all the practice) plays the part of whiny, lovelorn, indie boy very well.

Cera Plays Scott Pilgrim, the bassist of a band, who in order to be with his new girlfriend has to defeat her seven evil ex partners. Each of these battles is a lot of fun and comes straight from the world of video games. Cera who isn't known for his physical attributes puts on a great show and his slightly feminine pear shaped body adds to the film's humour.  Yes the battles are over the top, but this isn't a film you watch for the method acting.

Perhaps it is trying too hard to be quirky and unique and niche and retro and everything else but it is very funny, hilarious in fact. A lot of this is down to the supporting cast, in particular Kieran Culkin as Scott's gay roomate and Chris Evans as part skater part actor and part wanker evil ex number 2. 

This film isn't likely to be for everyone, something that was made obvious by its relatively poor box office performance. However it is a well put together film and its also clear that a lot of heart and thought has gone into it. Not only do i see it as a refreshing venture into the world of comic book movies, which are often very generic and unoriginal, but also as a refreshing venture into the comedy genre, which seems to be suffering the same problem. 

The Fighter

With a lot of award nominations, 'The Fighter' has received a lot of hype. The few criticisms that i've heard tend to be directed at how predictable the story is, this tends to be the case when a film is based on a true story so don't expect twists and turns along the way. That said, the measure of a good film for me is if it is rewatchable and if you only enjoy a film because of its twists and turns the likelihood is that you won't enjoy it anywhere near as much the second time round. I would watch this film again.


For a film about boxing the first half has a noticeable lack of ringside action, most of the fighting takes place between Micky, played by Mark Whalberg, his family and his friends. His family are all insane but wonderfully engaging and  I feel as if I could listen to them talk and argue all day.The acting and particularly the accents are brilliant, all the actors nail that wonderful north eastern American accent and by the end of the film I find myself dropping my R's and elongating my A's. 

Christian Bale is unrecognisably thin but his performance as Dicky, a crack addict brother and ex boxer, is massive and when he's on screen he steals the show. Once his younger brother Micky's hero he is now dragging Micky down with him whilst repeatedly and pathetically reliving his one great fight from the past.


Mark Whalberg, who gives a much more understated performance really shows his vulnerability and sensitivity. He is physically huge and looks like a boxer. Amy Adams also gives a fantastic performance as Charlene, Micky's girlfriend who is smart mouthed and particularly enjoyable to watch when interacting with Micky's family.


The fight scenes are intense, they mix sky sports like camera footage with cinematic shots leading to a thrilling experience. The penultimate fight left me grinning ear to ear and wanting a replay, but its the final fight which grips you the most, you know the ending but you still end up doubting that you know it.

As soon as a film about boxing comes out it instantly gets compared to Rocky. This film does share certain elements with the Rocky franchise but its so much more. You can actually see Micky improving after each fight and there is a clear lack of typical cheesy American sport film 'you can do it!' kind of speeches. It was produced by Darren Aronofsky, who was originally going to direct and it is obvious that The Wrestler has had an impact on this film both cinematically and conceptually. I actually prefer this film to both 'The Wrestler' and 'Rocky,' it essentially takes my favourite aspects of both films and turns them into a film which is both well made and exciting.