Jared_Clay Reviews

In the Loop (2009)

'In the loop' is just pure class.

[10/10 · 11 January 2010]

Best film of 2009 by some way in my opinion. Excellent hilarious characters portrayed brilliantly by everyone involved. Capaldi is the star because Malcolm Tucker is just a superb character (I'd never watched 'In the thick of it' but I certainly intend on doing so having watched this). 'In the loop' is absolutely crammed full of brilliant lines and clever quips, it never lets up for a minute, the writing is just dazzling. The original take was apparently close to four hours long and to be honest I would love to sit and watch that version in it's entirety, maybe the DVD will include some of this lost footage, I certainly hope so. I need to watch this film again and again because there are so many lines that I probably missed the first time around. I can't really do it justice in a short review like this but 'In the loop' is one of very few truly great films released in 2009. Unless you're a moron or you think Transformers 2 was a good film you need to see this. Also, I love Gandolfini, just pure class.

Antichrist (2009)

Self indulgent genius

[9/10 · 11 January 2010]

A more shocking set of images and scenes you are unlikely to find in a mainstream film and reading other reviews it's pretty clear that this film splits audiences right down the middle for that reason alone. The violence and sexual content is disturbingly graphic and will undoubtedly be far too much for many people to handle. However, if you can stomach all of that and you are willing to invest in a lot of symbolism and suggestive imagery then there is a lot of to be taken from viewing Lars Von Triers 'Antichrist'. Some of the cinematography is superb and the acting (while deeply disturbing) is also excellent. I don't think I'll ever be able to watch Charlotte Gainsbourg in anything else without wincing. Basically it's a piece of self indulgent art made by Lars Von Trier, I doubt very much if he cares whether you like it or not.

The Bad Lieutenant: Port of Call - New Orleans (2009)

Cage steals it

[7/10 · 11 January 2010]

Dancing souls of dying drug dealers, Iguanas aplenty and more than enough seedy corruption mixed into this bizarre but effective Werner Herzog directed update of the Harvey Keitel original. I went in not expecting all that much but was pleasantly surprised by what I got. Cage is excellent and if you laugh then it's because you are supposed to!. It's fractured, it's odd, it's strange, and it's patchy but then we are watching a man on the very brink of self destruction and we are seeing it pretty much through his eyes. Some may miss the tone but I think it's relatively clear it's not supposed to be taken too seriously and that Cage has got the whole thing down to a tee. Val Kilmer is a little muted and the other people are merely extras because this is Cages film...

The Messenger (I) (2009)

'The Messenger' is powerful and engaging film.

[8/10 · 11 January 2010]

Brilliantly acted film depicting two soldiers whose job it is to inform families when loved ones are killed in battle. Harrelson has never been better and Foster more than matches him all the way. It's emotional and engaging and genuinely painful at times. I had always thought how hard it must be to carry out such a job but had never really considered just what psychologically damage it could do long term to the person doing it. Harrelson depicts a man who has been doing the job far too long brilliantly and Foster in turn shows just what it can do to you initially. It's a perfect blend and the chemistry is excellent from start to finish. Deserves a much wider release and is with out doubt one of the best films of last year.

The Road (I) (2009)

Brilliant adaptation of a brilliant book.

[8/10 · 11 January 2010]

Loved the book and everyone involved has done a great job bringing the story to the big screen. A lot of the scenes were exactly as I had imagined them in my head when I read the book. Shot by shot it looks fantastic and even when not much is going on you find yourself engrossed. Viggo Mortensen is superb and although a lot of people will go into this film expecting something else (partly because of the trailer that suggests a lot more action than what was ever going to be the truth) This definitely isn't going to brighten up anyones day but as a piece of film-making I think it is near faultless and as good (and realistic) a rendition of a global apocalypse I can think of. There is absolutely no doubt that anyone who loved the book will be more than satisfied with what John Hillcoat has done with Cormac Mccarthys novel.