alexmccourt Reviews

The Revenant (I) (2015)

Nice view - shame about the acting

[7/10 · 12 February 2016]

Good movie. The (Canadian?) backdrop was both authentic and spectacular.

Lennie the Goat hammed it up as usual - I can never seem to take him seriously - but fair play to him for freezing for his art. Tom Hardy was mumbingly miscast as the bad guy trapper and went way down in my estimation. No one else took the eye - probably because they were all trying to keep warm.

But this is to miss the point - this movie was about the story and the wilderness setting, not the acting. Much has been said about the violence and gore. There were horse-guts loads of both and a lot of effort was put into making us all look away from the screen at certain moments. Most of the horrifying bits made me laugh out loud because they were over - contrived. The famed bear scene, although reasonably well done, was a hoot.

All in all, worth going to see unless you're squeamish about not-real blood and guts.

Paranormal Activity (2007)

Laughably creepy

[7/10 · 4 January 2010]

Not the best movie of it's kind I've seen but I'm a sucker for the unknown quantity in horror movies and some scenes in this did give me the creeps. The fact that the "presence" was malevolent helped. Wouldn't have been the same if it had displayed any warmly liberal tendencies.

However, even allowing for the fact that you're supposed to leave your brain at the door when you go to see a movie like this, some of the scripting and storyline brought a few laughs in the theatre I watched it in. I mean the macho boyfriend challenging the paranormal to come out and fight. And why didn't they just go away ? And how did they manage to get any sleep at all ?

Anyway, not a bad effort which held the attention of this watcher. Worth going to see if you like this sort of thing.

Seraphine (2008)

Simple life

[7/10 · 31 December 2009]

Affecting biopic about a French cleaning lady, Seraphine Louis, who escapes her monotonous existence by walking in the countryside and painting colourful representations of what she sees there.

Then along comes a German art critic who likes what he sees and gives her hope that one day soon she will become rich and famous. Problem is the first world war starts and he has to flee the country.

He comes back a few years after the war ends expecting that Seraphine has died, but comes across a painting of hers in a local exhibition and gets in touch again.

Anyway, the subtleties of this film, for me, lay first of all in the artist's love of the countryside and obsessive desire to represent this in her own way. Then, her touching reliance on her menial work and her art to support her fragile mental health. And, finally, the relationship between the art critic and his protégé. Although he respects her art and talent, you get the feeling that he can't quite get away from the fact that she is, after all, just a cleaning lady.

Il Divo (2008)

More than a mystery

[9/10 · 17 November 2009]

I want to see this again, to help me decide if it really was as good as I thought it was the first time round. Whod've thought that a film about a seemingly unprepossessing little Italian politician, Giulio Andreotti, could be so damn entertaining.

The movie revolves around how extraordinary this man was. However, the mystery - did he or didn't he arrange all those assassinations, was he or wasn't he involved with those nasty Mafia people - was the main driver for the story. A film's plot is always the main enjoyment for me - which is why I detest those smartass reviewers who think it's OK to give the game away - and this one got a big leg up from the true -life storyline. The answer to the mystery is probably given in one seconds-long soundbite somewhere near the end of the film. I say probably because Mr Andreotti spends a fair bit of time in solo self justification and I was never sure if any of his monologues had elements of truth in them.

As a piece of film making, this movie is dark, elegant and strange, as befits the subject matter. The acting performances are excellent, particularly Tony Servillo as the said Mr Andreotti. Overall, splendido.

Thirst (2009)

Very funny

[8/10 · 10 November 2009]

Although at times I was the only one in the cinema who was laughing, this is the main pleasure I took from the beautifully shot "Thirst" - laughter. Although sometimes it seemed that the movie had an identity crisis and didn't know whether it was a tragedy or a comedy, the blackest of black humour shone through at regular intervals.

It helped of course that it the standard of acting by everyone concerned was wonderful, and that I was slightly obsessed by the at times wicked leading lady, who was gorgeously elegant no matter how blood soaked and malevolent she became.

I read reviews that suggested this movie was overlong. I didn't think so. In fact the last scenes, moving and hilarious (I mean, the brown shoes....) by turns, were among the best in the film.

The Invention of Lying (2009)

What happened ?

[4/10 · 2 October 2009]

The concept was good, though hardly original. Everyone tells the truth, except the "hero", who discovers the benefits of lying. The movie starts off gently, with one or two good laughs. So far, so good.

Then it gets a bit serious, with the the introduction of a new idea within an idea. The hero's pain at the death of a loved one leads to the invention, well invention in the context of the movie anyway, of an age-old human concept. This was not to the movie's detriment as it gave it some depth and there were still one or two laughs.

Then the wheels fall off the barra. The movie collapses in a welter of schmaltz and cliché, becomes unfunny and boring. Why is it that so many screenwriters and directors insist on such formulaic last thirds/halfs of otherwise decent films ? Because they believe that the majority of the cinema going population is as mindless as their endings ? Are they right ?

District 9 (2009)

alien sickness

[1/10 · 20 September 2009]

I had to leave the cinema during this one before I threw up. Not because of the film's content or because I had too much popcorn. No, it was the old hand - held camera sickness. I tried closing my eyes for a minute or two at a time but every time I looked back at the screen, the excessive weaving and bobbing and jerking of the camera made me feel sick. There was no let up. Eventually, it all became too much and I staggered out of the hall into the fresh air. Took me about an hour to recover too.

Pity really, because when I could manage to watch the screen, the performance of Sharlto Copley in particular was clearly excellent.

Should have had a health warning and I'll think twice about going to see another "documentary style" movie.

The Class (2008)

mesmerizing

[10/10 · 13 March 2009]

Best movie I've seen since No Country For Old Men. And you won't hear these two titles mentioned together too often.

The greatest accomplishment was in re-creating, in naturalistic documentary style, well....a classroom. And although it's almost half a century since I participated in such an environment, it seems not an awful lot has changed (well, apart from the total disrespect shown by many of the children towards their mentor). They were all there, mouthy, loud, quiet, bright, stupid. And real, or so it appeared.

Dead Poets Society it ain't. Remarkably free from schmaltz, the film traces a reasonably undramatic class year, with its group dynamics, teacher cock ups, mutinies - pupils that is - with a very small sprinkling of what is being taught academically. The result should have been fairly prosaic and I suppose it was, but I was transfixed by the skill of the players the art of the director and the total ordinariness of the people being so brilliantly portrayed. A terrific achievement by all.

Slumdog Millionaire (2008)

Not half bad

[5/10 · 10 February 2009]

The first half of this movie was good. The kids were excellent, the whole effect colourful and fast moving. Although it dealt with some pretty traumatic incidents and serious issues with too light a touch and was a tad condescending, on the whole, it wasn't bad.

The second half was pretty dire. Clichéd, syrupy nonsense which spoiled the whole with wooden acting from the adults and far too much simpering about. Of course, some people like the sugary stuff. If you do, go and see the whole thing, you'll enjoy it. If, like me, you hate badly done schmalz, go and see the first half then go for a dunkin doughnut or whatever to make up for what you missed.

No Country for Old Men (2007)

Definitely not for las chicas

[9/10 · 10 February 2009]

For me an almost perfect movie. Isn't to everyone's taste but the storyline, the dialogue, and the constant tension kept me enthralled throughout. The Coens have come up with another antidote to the usual formulaic Hollywood nonsense. If you don't know the story, you'll never guess the outcome.

I read the book after I saw the film. Whole chunks of the dialogue in the book have been used without amendment in the film - just a little bit unusual but testament to Mr McCarthy's skill and the screenwriter's common sense.

Yes, there were slivers of pretension at times (grace a the author's words). but this didn't stop the movie from working on almost every level.

Best movie I've seen for years. Haven't seen a decent one since.

Australia (2008)

Unfortunately, I was sober

[1/10 · 8 January 2009]

Now, I love Australia the country and, having read some of the favourable comments on here (which I now find difficult to credit), I decided, against my instincts I must say, to take a chance and go and see "Australia" the movie.

My instincts proved to be absolutely one hundred per cent wrong because this movie was much, much worse than I expected. Believe me, it is appallingly bad and does not work on any level at all, unless snorts of derision count high in the entertainment world. Dreadful, lazy storyline, inane script, even the locations were ruined by poor cinematography.

I suppose you could go along after a few drinks and get a laugh out of all the Australian icons that are crammed into this waste of time, billabongs, beer, boomerangs, crocs, kangaroos, walkabout, and more, were all there. Unfortunately, I watched it sober.

Atonement (2007)

What a drag

[3/10 · 14 September 2007]

I was looking forward to this, given the splendid reviews and having read Ian McEwan's book (not my favourite McEwan but he is one of my favourite authors) However, I found the reality largely tedious. Maybe this was because it dealt with unfamiliar emotions and unsympathetic characters. The "big house" atmosphere was dealt with competently, but the Dunkirk beach and town scenes just didn't flow. In the latter, one bit part actor after another was clearly waiting just off shot to do his bit. Which was funny but didn't do anything for the credibility of the movie.

In fact,the clichés and cockney accents and the turgid nature of the scene setting were all ingredients for a (poor) comedy - a Whitehall farce perhaps. Maybe that's what it was meant to be ? On reflection it was probably too true to the original novel, which, as I said, isn't one of my favourites. A rare example of where tweaking could have improved the original story to enhance the watcher's enjoyment