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Reviews
Ender's Game (2013)
5 things that would have made this movie better
When I first heard this film was coming out, I decided to read the two books on which the movie was based (Enders Game & Enders Shadow). I really enjoyed the books and was confident that with a bit of thought they could make a decent screenplay that would be true to the story in the books as well as being entertaining to watch. Like many others, I was incredibly disappointed with the movie. Here are 5 things that would have improved it greatly:
1) Show the passage of time: Whilst I understand that it would be tricky to show the 5 years or so Ender is in battle school, having him writing an email saying 'we have been studying for months' doesn't really cut it. Everything moves so fast that you get the impression he has only been there a few weeks. This prevented something essential to most movies, character development.
2) Show Battle School as a school: Much of the book is about how the battle room games shape and define Enders character as a person and (eventually) a leader/commander. This is barely touched on the movie with the few battle room scenes being very disappointing and Ender becoming both an expert in the battle room and leader of an army within what seems like a week! Also, in the books there are a few hundred children at battle school, a lot more than the sparse 50 or so we see in the movie. Even classic Star Trek gave the impression of a large crew on the Enterprise by having extras walking in the corridors, how hard can it be to copy that?
3) Show that Ender is truly on his own: In the book, Ender doesn't have any friends as such, he has to earn respect by becoming the best in the battles, then people start to follow him. When Ender arrives, Graff says that Ender has to feel alone, but from then on he always has someone to help him or be his friend.
4) More Bean, less Petra: Petra is a great character in the books, because she is a bit of a b**ch! Yes, she helps Ender with shooting practise but she is fairly ambivalent towards him the rest of the time. Bean is the person who Ender eventually trusts the most, and even confides in. In the movie, far too much emphasis was put on Petra's relationship with Ender (she didn't even seem like the 'real' Petra to me) whereas Bean is just a face in the crowd.
5) Show Ender getting tired: Even if they failed in all the other areas, they could at least have made Ender look tired from all the battle games! His exhaustion is what drives him to 'quit', again this doesn't come across at all in the movie. How hard could it be to show that?
I could write more, but in summary this movie was an epic fail with very few redeeming qualities. The sad thing is, it could have been one of the greatest sci-fi movies ever, but instead they traded the 'soul' of the book for a few flashy effects and a lightweight story. Somewhere in the process the real Ender's Game got lost.
Only God Forgives (2013)
Avoid this movie (Tree of Life 2)
I have never been so convinced of a film that will cause people to walk out of movie theatres. It really is that bad. OK, so some films are weird, but this just seems to be weird for weirdness sake.
Sometimes you get people who are quiet & don't say much, but when EVERY character in a film is like that it gets very tedious. The lack of any kind of recognisable plot should also have given me the heads up.
I'm aware there might be people who go all artsy about this film, but I'm the kind of person who believes that a movie needs to be at least mildly entertaining. When story and plot and acting are sacrificed in the name of 'art' it's time to head for the door.
Yang jia jiang (2013)
Excellent powerful drama
Firstly, at the time of writing this movie has only got 5.5/10 which seems kinda crazy to me, so don't be put off by the low rating.
Firstly this film took me completely by surprise. General Yang has seven sons who have to save him (I won't say any more - no spoilers). What amazed me is how the director has managed to give each of them depth and character. Rather than simply seeing them as seven brothers you get to know each one individually, both the good and bad of each character.
Secondly, I can't remember the last time a movie of this kind literally moved me to tears, but this one got me! It's the scene where they are next to an old grave of a past warrior. You will understand why when you watch that scene.
Watch this movie, I promise you won't be disappointed!
Poupoupidou (2011)
A good story, but lacking direction
I hadn't read any reviews of this film so I watched it with an open mind. The basic plot is pretty easy to follow. Writer arrives in a small town looking for inspiration, around the same time a local actress is found dead. So the writer decides to stick around and investigate in the hope of getting some ideas for his next book. I certainly wouldn't call it a comedy, there are a few little moments that made me smile, but that was about it. And therein lies my basic criticism of this film, I'm not exactly sure what kind of a film it is trying to be. Most of the supporting cast were very cliché (the President, the ex-boyfriend, the psychiatrist). In fact, the hotel receptionist, 'Betty' was the only supporting character who seemed believable. Like I said, I didn't know exactly what to expect, It was pleasant enough, but a lack of real 'umph' made this is one movie that I will forget about quite easily.
Kapringen (2012)
A simple story that delivers
On one level this could appear a simple film with a simple plot. Some people may struggle with scenes where there isn't much dialogue, where you have to let what you are seeing tell you how the various characters are feeling and what they might be thinking. Personally I felt this made the film feel very realistic as it didn't try to do the thinking for you. I particularly appreciated way the film creates the balance of tension between what is happening on the ship, and what is happening back 'home' with the negotiating team. You then realise that whilst Mikkel Hartmann is hostage, the CEO of the company Peter Ludvigsen is also a 'hostage' of sorts as he battles with his emotions in order to do the 'right' thing. A very enjoyable movie!