damienmuldoon Reviews

The Last King (2003)

television gold

[9/10 · 22 October 2007]

Isn't it refreshing to know that TV can still produce gems like this? I love history and this period (the 17th century) is my favourite era. When I discovered that the BBC were making a series about Charles ii I was intrigued, when I heard that Rufus Sewell and Shirley Henderson were to star, I was excited. My excitement was not misplaced. This TV show is one of the best costume dramas ever made. Charles, one of the most scandalous of England's kings, is brought vividly to life by Sewell's delicious performance. Helen McCrory is hypnotically obnoxious as Lady Castlemain, official prostitute to the court of King Charles and Shirley Henderson excels as the long suffering wife of the philandering king. There is so much history to be covered in the reign of Charles ii, fire, plague, wars, religious tumult not to mention the inexhaustible line of Charles's mistresses and this production packs it all in. We even learn of Charles's ill fated father and the austere rule of Oliver Cromwell. The only unfortunate thing about this production is that there weren't more episodes.

Atonement (2007)

over-hyped

[5/10 · 22 October 2007]

I have to admit that it was hype and hype alone which encouraged me to go and see this movie. For weeks, every newspaper and TV show had reports and clips of how "great" the movie was. Also, it was directed by the same man who did "Charles ii the Power and the Passion" for BBC television and that is one of the best period dramas to be made in the last twenty years. So off I went to the cinema with high expectations. Then reality set in. There are three distinct parts to this movie. The beginning, which is too long. The middle, which is too abstract and the end, which is too predictable and makes huge sections of the middle obsolete. Yes, there is some fabulous cinematography and the performances are mannered and well directed. But the story gets lost somewhere. Perhaps it just got buried beneath the mounds of pretentious camera work and over-the-top attempts to create upper class British characters from the 1930s. I've not read the novel so I can't comment on how good or bad an adaptation it is. But as a piece of cinema, it disappoints.

Frida (2002)

art, communism and sex

[8/10 · 12 April 2007]

I watched this film for the first time, last night,and, it is one of the most beautiful films I have ever seen. There are shades of "Surviving Picasso" about it. Yet, this movie transcends the Picasso film on a number of levels. Where "Surviving Picasso" is all about Anthony Hopkins masterful performance, "Frida" has a chemistry between its leading actors that you just don't see enough of in modern cinema. Yes, Salma Hayek inhabits the character of Frida and makes it entirely her own. But Alfred Molina's portrayal of her overweight, philandering husband really brings this movie to life. History is important to this movie also. Although removed from the turbulent events dominating European politics in the 1930s, Mexico embraces the ideology that will soon tear Europe apart and reflects that ideology in its art. Diego Rivera, as portrayed by Molina, is certainly a greater lover of women and painting than he is of political ideology, but the fact that he plays host to the exiled Trotsky shows that he is willing to put himself in harms way for the sake of his political principles. Trotsky is played charmingly by Geoffery Rush and his introduction to the story sends Diego and Frida's marriage to another level. This movie never fails to surprise you and if you have not seen it yet, you should.

Head in the Clouds (2004)

disappointment

[6/10 · 1 December 2006]

My sense of disappointment with this film is probably due to the fact that I actually bought the DVD without ever having heard of the movie before. That isn't something I would generally do, but, when I read the back of the DVD and saw that the movie swept across western Europe taking in the Spanish Civil war as well as the Second World War, I was intrigued. Also, I did only buy it second hand. There really should be more happening in a film that stretches across such a momentous epoch in Europe's history. Charleze Teron steals the show and her character is the only one in the movie who really develops. Stuart Townsend is hopeless as the male lead trying to tame Teron's character's wild spirit. Penelope Cruz puts in a solid performance as a lame dancer and does not deserve the ignominious death her character suffers. This movie really falls between two stools. It tries to be a war epic and a love story, but ends up being neither. Charleze Teron's performance is the only thing that saves it from total disaster. Worth renting but definitely not one to add to the collection.

The Wind that Shakes the Barley (2006)

Irish war of independence and civil war told realistically

[9/10 · 6 July 2006]

It is impossible to review this film without making references to Neil Jordan's "Michael Collins", so I'll get the comparisons out of the way. This is a far better film. There is none of the romance that became a little hard to stomach in Jordan's film, and thankfully, no Julia Roberts. As an Irish person, I could actually feel the sting of race memory while I watched some of the film's bitterest scenes. You don't have to be Irish though to know what this film is all about and why so many reviewers were uncomfortable with it. It is set in County Cork and the rural environment creates a stark atmosphere, similar to that captured in Mel Gibson's "Braveheart". In fact, this movie has greater similarities to Gibson's Scottish epic than Neil Jordan's biopic of Michael Collins. Killian Murphy gives a wonderful performance as Damien, a medical student whose principles lead him away from medicine into a world of guerrilla warfare. Watch out for how well Murphy plays being passive.His character is anything but passive. Yet Killian Murphy finds that other level to portray a truly three dimensional role. There are fine performances from Liam Cunningham and Orla Fitzgerald also. There are times when this movie has the quality of a "fly-on-the-wall" documentary to it. This effect makes the violence more disturbing and realistic. It isn't all about guns and beatings though. The dialog is scripted in such a way as to make some of the more ambiguous issues in the Irish Civil War and struggle for freedom very clear. I could talk about this film all night. Just go and see it.

Falling Down (1993)

Why was this not a better movie?

[7/10 · 24 May 2006]

I watched this movie for about the fourth time on T.V. a few nights ago, and tried desperately to understand why it wasn't a more important film. It is a spectacular study of the "American Dream" going horribly wrong. I'm quite sure Joel Schumacher was trying to make a serious social comment with this film. Somewhere along the line though, that comment gets lost. Any sympathy we might have for the D-FENS character is slowly stripped away until you actually want to see him killed by the end of the movie. I believe this was a mistake. Schumacher's social comment could have been more forcibly made had some good come from D-FENS'S campaign of righteous chaos. Most of the people he harms are pretty awful anyway.

Michael Douglas plays the part of D-FENS superbly. One wonders why he hasn't taken on similar roles rather than the catalogue of aging womanizers he usually plays. Despite his flawless performance though, I kept wondering what Di Nero would have brought to the role.

The other element that lets this movie down is Robert Duvall's stereotypical retiring cop. Duvall plays the role well. But that whole plot line introduces an element of cheesiness that is hopelessly out of place in what should have been a serious social drama.

If you've not seen "Falling Down" then its well worth watching. But for me, it will always be the movie that missed a chance to be another "Taxi Driver" or "Rebel Without a Cause".

Walk the Line (2005)

all about the acting

[7/10 · 23 May 2006]

You don't have to be a fan of country music or Johnny Cash to enjoy this movie. Joaquin Phoenix and Reese Witherspoon give the best performances of the year in a biopic that gets behind the image of its subject to portray a tortured, and often unpleasant, man. There are obvious similarities between this movie and "Ray" the life story of Ray Charles. This is a better movie though and that is due purely to the outstanding on screen relationship of Phoenix and Witherspoon. Joaquin Phoenix just about reaches that pinnacle of becoming more like Johnny Cash than Cash himself. In much the same way as Val Kilmer occupied the character of Jim Morrison in "The Doors". Reese Witherspoon gives is a feisty June Carter who's sheer energy carries the movie at moments when it may seem to flag. The depiction of Cash's struggle to make it as a singer is very real and doesn't indulge in the overnight success story so many biopics portray.

This is a thoroughly engaging movie that I will definitely be adding to my DVD collection as soon as it is released.

The Da Vinci Code (2006)

this is a good movie

[8/10 · 22 May 2006]

By now, your head will probably be scrambled with the mixture of reviews this movie has gotten. It suffers from hype and that is the only element detracting from it. When a movie generates as much publicity as this one has, too many critics can't wait to slate it. Interestingly, the negative reviews concentrate on childish things like Tom Hanks's hair. Which leads me to believe that if you are looking for faults, they can always be found. Ignore the reviews (even this one)though and just go and see this stylish thriller. The plot sticks quite closely to Dan Brown's novel and holds the audience's interest in the same way. Hanks and the beautiful Audery Tatou work well together without trying to create chemistry. The supporting cast all put in descent performances, although Jan Reno's considerable talents maybe a little waisted as the stereotypical French Detective. There are moments of humor too. But, like the novel, the purpose of this film is to get you thinking. Even though I found the religious theories a bit far fetched, this is still the most entertaining movie I've seen this year.

Joyeux Noel (2005)

a new xmas classic

[9/10 · 22 December 2005]

I have always had an interest in WW1 and when I discovered that a film about that conflict was being released, I knew I'd have to see it as soon as possible. This is a very special movie. Telling the story of the extraordinary Christmas truce between waring soldiers in the trenches at Christmas 1914, it demonstrates just how ludicrous war really is and how the human spirit can overcome blind hatred. Performances, cinematography and direction don't really matter in this film. Though all these elements are of a high quality. What's important about this film is its message. It is a "feel good movie" with a difference. The difference is that the plot is based on a true event.

It is sure to become a fixture on Christmas T.V. listings over the coming years. But go and see it now. Particularly if, like me, your beginning to get cynical about this time of the year.

1492: Conquest of Paradise (1992)

probably my favourite movie ever

[10/10 · 27 November 2005]

In 1992, the 500th anniversary of Columbus's arrival in the New World was marked with a deluge of movies, documentaries and T.V. dramas. Not only is this the best of those commemorative re-tellings, it is also a lesson in how good historical movies should be made. Ridley Scott's direction and Gerard Depardu's leading performance gives us a genuine feeling of what must have faced Columbus and his crew as they set off on a voyage that, in their time, was more dangerous than space travel. This movie does more than tell their story however. It recreates an epoch in a way that few other historical dramas ever have. Fifteenth century Spain is every bit as vivid as the unchartered jungles of Latin America. And it is a testament to Scott's skill as a director that he beautifully contrasts the splendor of Queen Isabella's court with the insect infested, monsoon ridden "New World". And yet we also see that while the hand of civilization has made Isabella's Spain so resplendent, it has also tainted it with corruption. No such corruption exists in the virgin forests of San Slavador. Not until the European's arrive that is.

Every single scene in this film is loaded with symbolism. Behind the dialog and interaction of characters, there is an abundant subtext that just craves to be explored. It is a film that you come to appreciate the more times you see it and come to understand better, the older you grow. Critics have been unenthusiastic and even dismissive of it. Don't dare listen to them until you have watched it at least three times yourself. It would also be careless of me to comment on this film without mentioning the brilliant score by Vangellis. Hovering between the atmospheric and the pure scary, it blends with the general aura of the film brilliantly. Pure magic.

The Cook, the Thief, His Wife & Her Lover (1989)

engrossingly disgusting

[7/10 · 27 November 2005]

Although a little dated now, "The Cook, the Thief..." is still one of the most engrossing films I have ever seen. Critics often define it as a parody of the greed culture that typified Britain in the 1980s. But while certainly showing us greed in numerous forms, this movie transcends parody to portray human relationships as well as physical and emotional cruelty. Michael Gambon is imperious as the obnoxious Mr. Spekar and Helen Mirren balances his dominating performance with her moving and subtle depiction of his long suffering wife who finds love right under her dreadful husband's nose. Her torrid affair with a mild mannered bookseller is both passionate and erotic. The sex scenes between the two are stark and unpretentious.

You'll need a strong stomach if you're going to enjoy this movie though. Vomit, dog feces, blood and cannibalism are all ingredients in this visual feast. They offset the lavish decor of the restaurant where most of the film's action takes place. If you haven't seen it before, do watch it. But be warned!

The Exorcism of Emily Rose (2005)

Shocks and a plot

[8/10 · 26 November 2005]

Any horror film that can manage to revolve itself around a court room drama is worth a look, and this one certainly is. Comparisons with "The Exorcist" will inevitably be made but this is a far more thought provoking film than the 1970s classic. For those wanting to see a gore fest, there are some ugly moments. But if you prefer a good story and real acting, then this film will not disappoint. Exactly the right balance between shocks and plot is struck and there are some genuinely scary moments also. Add to this, a legal battle and the politics of a big law firm, and you have a movie which attempts to keep all the balls in the air.

It is the horror plot and the plight of Emily Rose which engages the audience most though. Her story is told in a series of flashbacks that are never disjointed or abstract. Indeed, it is the realism of her tragic story that is the most frightening thing in the film. It may even make you curious to read up on the true case the film is based upon. Solid and unpretentious performances from Tom Wilkinson as the priest and Laura Linney as his lawyer enhance the realism of the plot and steer it well clear of spoof horror.

My only criticism would be that promising sub-plots end up going nowhere. Don't let this put you off though. "The Exorcism of Emily Rose" is that most rare of things. A good, contemporary horror film.

ShakespeaRe-Told: Macbeth (2005) Season 1, Episode 2

disappointing

[3/10 · 19 November 2005]

The second in the series of B.B.C.'s "Shakespeare Re-told" this version of "Macbeth" is a huge disappointment after "Much Ado About Nothing" last week. The writers succeeded in complicating this most straight forward of Shakespearian tragedies. The dark mood of the original is preserved but the pace is slow and the plot tedious. Decent performances from the leading characters do little to lift this dull production out of the dramatic mire. Transferring Shakespeare's great portrayal of power and ambition to a twenty-first century restaurant was always going to be problematical, but to be honest, this is a botched effort that should have been aborted half way through the project.

Interesting updating of the witches to bin men on a dump though.

Leaving Las Vegas (1995)

wonderfully different

[8/10 · 16 November 2005]

***MAY CONTAIN SPOILER**** This is a film that I am very glad to have in my video collection. It is moving, sometimes humorous and always engaging. Nicholas Cage (an actor for whom I have no great fondness) turns in the performance of a lifetime as an alcoholic Hollywood screen writer. As the plot progresses we find that his alcoholism is about more than self indulgence though. Personal demons torment him and the worst of these is his capacity for self destruction. Heading for Vegas once he has lost his job, Cage's character hopes to "drink himself to death" in that soulless city. However, his quest for self destruction is put on hold when he meets and falls in love with a prostitute, played superbly by Elisabeth Shue.

The unlikely couple embark on a reckless relationship, propping one another up against the ugly reality of both their lives. At some level, this film is a study of loneliness and a stark introduction to society's saddest souls. One might imagine it as a two actor stage play. It is also thoroughly entertaining and thought provoking.

Lost in Translation (2003)

just lost

[2/10 · 16 November 2005]

Someone, please explain to me what this film is about. And while you're at it, also explain what a great and funny actor like Bill Murray is doing in it? From the moment the opening credits roll and Scarlet Johnsen's "sheer pantied" bottom dominates the screen, (and what was that all about by the way) to Tokyo by neon lights and the closing credits, I kept wondering when this film would start. And there are other moments when the action was so slow that I feared the whole movie might grind to a stop. At least if it had, I might have gotten my money back. It would be impossible to include a spoiler in reviewing this film because there is nothing to spoil. Was there not meant to be a plot or did I just not get it? Perhaps, a middle aged man and a neglected young wife wandering around Tokyo together was the plot. They might have at least had an affair. But no. Instead they just keep meeting each other and having meaningless conversations. I know this movie has won awards but I cannot for the life of me see why.

It is definitely one to miss. Although it must have had a hell of a publicity team working on it. Because if you read the reviews you might be forgiven for thinking that it is a modern classic like...well, there isn't another movie to compare it to. Anyway, if you are swayed by the reviews and decide to rent it, make sure you also rent a good film to watch after it. If you're still awake, or have the will to live.

Wilbur Wants to Kill Himself (2002)

tender little movie

[7/10 · 16 November 2005]

If you can get hold of this film it is well worth a look. Set in Scotland and telling the tale of a suicidal man whose life changes when he falls in love with single mother Shirley Henderson, it is both witty and sad in just the right measure. The love interest between the two leading characters is not straight forward and it is upon this dilemma that the film's plot revolves. Carefully directed, it never crosses the line into outright sentimentality although it does come dangerously close. Shirley Henderson is wonderful, as usual, but there are also strong performances from Jamie Sives and Adrian Rawlins. It is a low-key movie but a touching one that proves movies don't have to be violent, fast moving or steamy to entertain. Particularly suitable for lovers of kitchen sink romance.

The Good, the Bad and the Ugly (1966)

all time classic

[9/10 · 16 November 2005]

If there is anybody out there who has not yet seen this magnificent movie, then get to your local store and rent or buy it NOW! I first saw this film when I was a kid about eight or nine years old, and even though it is three hours long, I was transfixed to the screen for the duration. Now I am not a big western fan. In fact I hate those corny John Wayne and Ronald Reagan movies where cowboys are either good or bad and the women are even more obedient than the horses. Nobody in this film has any morals and they all inhabit a dog-eat-dog vision of the west that not even the civil war can civilize. And that's the other great thing about this movie. It weaves in the U.S. civil war as effortlessly as other westerns introduce the Stetson hat. Lee van Cleef,Eli Wallach and Clint Eastwood are the men who personify the good,bad and ugly of the title. As the movie rumbles on however, we soon see that those descriptions are interchangeable.

To offset the bitter and often violent tone of the movie, there are also some touching scenes. Particularly when Tuco (Wallach) visits his brother in a monastery. Humour also, riddles the fresh and coarse dialog. Wallach has the best one-liners. All this is of course brilliantly set to Ennio Moriconne's outstanding score. A soundtrack which, over the years, has come to be as famous as the movie. I have probably seen "The Good, the Bad and the Ugly a dozen times now, but I'll never tire of it. Don't say you don't like westerns till you've watched this movie.

The Skeleton Key (2005)

more plot less atmosphere please

[5/10 · 1 August 2005]

I only saw this movie for the first time last Friday so it should be fairly fresh in my mind. Strangely though it isn't.Now I wouldn't class it as instantly forgettable but neither is it unmissable. The atmosphere of New Orleans is the best thing about it. If you've seen "Angel Heart" with Mickey Rourke you'll know what I mean. Kate Hudson gives an enjoyable performance as the feisty nurse who goes to take care of stroke victim John Hurt. Hurt's wife, played by Gena Rowlands, steels the show with a genuinely spooky performance. The plot takes too long though to wriggle its way out of the ghostly atmosphere of the New Orleans haunted house and the climax of the film is just too predictable. There are one ot two superfluous characters also who only delay the progress of the skeleton thin plot. Probably best to wait till it comes out on DVD.

Troy (2004)

surprisingly entertaining

[8/10 · 1 August 2005]

This movie suffers somewhat from negative publicity. Before it even hit the cinemas critics were writing it off. Never one to accept the critics views at face value, I went along to the cinema to check it out for myself. I have to say I found in thoroughly entertaining. It makes Homer's epic poem very accessible and fulfills the role of great escapist cinema very well. Brad Pitt is perfectly cast as Achilles and there are also memorable performances from Brendan Gleeson and Peter O Toole. Orlando Bloom and Eric Banna let the movie down slightly. I can just never take Orlando Bloom seriously. He'll never play anything other than romantic leads. The battle scenes are particularly powerful and some of the cinematography is quite breathtaking. Especially the thousand Greek ships sailing for Troy to bring back Helen. When it was released on DVD I bought it immediately.So don't be dissuaded by the critics, this movie is well worth renting at least.

Screen Two: The Snapper (1993) Season 9, Episode 10

patronizing tripe

[31 July 2005]

I am quite glad to be given the opportunity to warn unsuspecting movie buffs about this truly dreadful movie. I am a working class Dubliner, and let me tell you this is not a slice of Dublin working class life. Nobody I know behaves like the idiots in "The Snapper". Roddy Doyle is a good writer but his monopoly of the Dublin working class mind is dangerously misleading.This movie glorifies all the very worst misconceptions foreigners might have about the Irish. It wallows in the mire of drunkenness, fumbling sex and unplanned pregnancy; and makes a heroine out of a depressingly stupid and careless young woman. Colm Meaney is one of Ireland's best actors but the sight of him sleepwalking his way through this garbage is sad. There is nothing to redeem the plunge into negative apathy this movie represents.

The Hours (2002)

three women come under the spell of Virginia Woolf's book Mrs. Dalaway

[3/10 · 31 July 2005]

I am a big fan of both Meryl Streep and Nicole Kidman so when I saw that they were staring in this movie together I was quite excited. Sadly my excitement was short lived. This is a tedious movie whose plot wanders pointlessly through an incomprehensible trilogy of tales, each one as baffling as the last. Nicole Kidman as eccentric English novelist Virginia Woolfe is believable enough but there is no real sense of her character ever developing.Her novel, "Mrs. Daloway", provides the inspiration for Streep and Julianne Moore's characters to embark on voyages of self discovery. These voyages however, only lead the characters back to the inertia Woolf herself seems to have suffered from.Ed Harris turns in a decent performance as a tortured poet dying of AIDS and the period scenes depicting Woolfe are well reconstructed.It is very hard though to see what message the movie is attempting to deliver.

Intermission (2003)

down on their luck Dubliners commit a farcical robbery

[8/10 · 31 July 2005]

This is without doubt one of the funniest films I've ever seen. Its quick pace and assembly of very odd characters make it infinitely watchable. It is one of the few films that manages to combine quite ugly violence with side splitting situations. Colm Meaney's maverick "diry harry" cop character has some of the best lines in the movie and Meaney plays the part fantastically. Colin Farrell as a psychopathic thug is alarmingly realistic.There are also strong performances from Shirley Henderson and Deirdre Kane. At the outset the film seems a little disjointed but once the relationships between characters is established the plot really takes off. Although essentially a comedy, the plot does encompass some moments of pathos without ever coming close to sentimentality. Also, look out for moments of wonderfully dark romance.