Battle: Los Angeles

Generally when a film has a colon in the title I jump to the conclusion that its not very good. I don't think titles are long enough to warrant using punctuation. That aside, the battle in the title is actually part of a worldwide alien invasion, set in LA. I don't really know the significance of LA in the title, there isn't really any reference to it in the film. It could have been set anywhere.


Aaron Eckhart stars as Staff Sergeant Michael Nantz, a man carrying his past on his shoulders, who at the start of film decides to leave the marines. But then the Aliens invade and he's pushed back into the firefight and has to lead a troop of soldiers to secure a police station in santa monica. It looks as if Aaron Eckhart has been taking voice coaching lessons from Christian Bale on the set of The Dark Knight. There's enough gravel in his voice to fill an entire street of middle class driveways.

There are a lot of characters, i'd probably say there were too many and i don't believe any of them are marines. They look like a group of models from a magazine promoting militarty diversity, there is literally one guy from every ethnic background you could possible imagine. For the first half of the film whenever someone died I wasn't too bothered as I hadn't been able to get emotionally involved in any of them. Incidentally, you can always tells when someone is going to die because you only ever die in this film just after you've saved someone's life. Its something to do with dying honourably I suppose, loses its effect after the 4th or 5th time though.


Michelle Rodriguez turns up about 20 minutes in and really stretches herself in playing tough-girl Tech Sergeant Elanor Santos. She's one of the few characters who sticks out though, to her credit. 


The thing is, I really enjoyed this film. I sat through all the stupidity and the montery jack all american cheese and the silly lines. I was even fine when a civillian thought that she was best qualified to autopsy an alien to find its weakness because she was a vet! A vet! I've never heard someone say that they were a veterinarian with such confidence and authority. Brilliant!


It's exciting all the way through, sort of like Independence Day in the style of Black Hawk Down. There wasn't a moment where I was bored and Ne-Yo is in it. So yeah, the moral of the story: maybe colons aren't too bad. Not really a moral is it. Probably not even the correct use of a colon.

The Adjustment Bureau

Based on a short story by the acclaimed science fiction Author, Phillip K. Dick. The adjustment Bureau follows young politician, David Norris (Matt Damon) as he meets and falls in love with dancer, Elise (Emily Blunt). Things go strange when a mysterious group of hat adorning men with other worldly abilities step in to 'adjust' the couple's futures according to a master plan.


The film has been advertised as 'Bourne meets Inception,' which is accurate if the Bourne it references is Jason Bourne's quieter younger brother who has a keen interest in politics and if Inception was a film written by Danielle Steel. The film isn't as much an action film but more of a love story, which is fine, just not what I expected.

I always enjoy watching Matt Damon and this film is no inception... sorry I mean exception, the relationship between him and Blunt is lovely, it genuinely made me feel fairly warm inside which isn't really something I feel that often. When there is an action scene, which is a very rare occurrence, it is exciting and is shot very well and does actually have echoes of Bourne.


 I also like The Adjusters, they all have a fairly distinct personality and aren't faceless corporate goons. The hats are a nice touch and I think the idea that they run things behind a curtain that no one else knows about is intriguing. The references to a Chairman at the head of the bureau isn't a particularly subtle analogy to religion but it still works for me.


The film relies on the concept that there is a group of individuals who possess powers to ensure the human race sticks to a plan. Some films may get trapped by their concept and become concept driven. This film, however doesn't let the concept weigh it down. Yes there is the odd conversation about free will and obviously there is going to be some analogies to religion, but these are short and sweet. The concept remains in the background with the story of the two lovers firmly in the foreground which is what I think makes this film as watchable as it is. Its not perfect but it is good.