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Alicepire
Reviews
Doom (2005)
Go mutants!!!
'Doom' seems like a very apt title for a movie that makes you lose the will to live half way through. It was a monumental waste of 2 hours of my life, which could have been much more agreeably spent lost in such activities as watching grass grow, or gnawing my own arm off.
Yes, yes I can almost hear you laughing at my stupidity for actually going to see a movie based on a video game, but in my defence I shall admit that my main motivation to see this farce was Rosamund Pike. Ms Pike was brilliant in such films as Pride and Prejudice, Die Another Day and The Libertine. Unfortunately I think the time has come for her to fire her agent and to cease all contact with the person who told her she could do an American accent. She can't. And not even watching her with my fingers in my ears could made this ordeal, directed by Andrzej Bartkowiak, bearable.
Pike's performance, although unusually painful to watch, was still the best on show. The Rock deserves to have his licence to act revoked.
On a positive note; the special effects were excellent, however they would have worked far better had they been included in a movie with a plot and had the script been written be someone other than a chipmunk on Amyl Nitrate.
The 'plot' for Doom was simple: in 2046, genetic mutations in humans on Mars have made people super human. Some good. Most evil. 10 US marines were obviously the first choice to send to save the world. Half testosterone, half sexist bastard, but all jerk, our heroes run around the space station shooting things, occasionally stopping to make 'witty' comments, or, preferably, die. As riveting as it was, 45 minutes in I found myself hoping that the mutants would kill the marines quickly so I could go home.
All in all I would only recommend this movie if you don't care about plot development, well written scripts and can see past terrible acting and just go for blood and gore. For everyone else, two thumbs down.
Imagine Me & You (2005)
*swoon*
Imagine Me and You is about how the path to true love isn't always straight. The plot follows a woman, Rachel (Piper Perabo), who meets the love of her life on her wedding day. Unfortunately instead of it being the man she's marrying, Heck (Matthew Goode of Match Point fame), it's the woman who did the flowers, Luce (Lena Headley).
This romantic, hilarious and often touching film, expertly written and directed by first timer Ol Parker, is filled with wonderful Richard Curtis-esquire moments, which leave you grinning for hours after you leave the cinema.
I loved this film for many reasons; the amusing little scenes about the oddballs that go into Luce's flower shop, how endearing Rachel's parents (Celia Imrie and Anthony Head) were, how impossibly, yet believably nice Heck was, Luce's lovable and almost eccentric personality, and H (Boo Jackson), Rachel's hilariously question-filled little sister, chief among them. But the main reason why I loved this movie (and have seen it 9 times this week), was that it wasn't a movie about a couple of lezzos, but a movie about finding your soul mate. Sexuality wasn't the main theme of this film; it wasn't a movie for men to go and look at chicks kissing; it wasn't overtly trying to send out a message of gay pride; it wasn't a movie about coming to grips with your sexuality even; it was just a romantic comedy about a romantic rhombus, letting go of the past and your mother's expectations, and love at first sight.
If I had to have a complaint about the movie, I think it would only be that they tied it all up a little too neatly at the end. But considering the genre, a neat ending is pretty much to be expected.
If you enjoied the films 'Four Weddings and a Funeral' and 'Notting Hill', or if you simply love love, then this is the film for you.
Pride & Prejudice (2005)
Forget Colin Firth, THIS is how Darcy should be.
When I went to the cinema to see the most recent adaptation of Pride and Prejudice I was sure it was going to be terrible. "Keira Knightly playing Lizzy Bennet? You have got to be kidding?! She is too thin and beautiful and untalented and air headed to be able to assume one of the best-loved characters of English literature. And Matthew Macfadyen as Mr Darcy? Sure he did a superb job in 'Spooks', but surely he doesn't have the depth to be able to beat, or even equal Colin Firths performance! And anyway there have been so many adaptations, another would be entirely superfluous. They're probably just going to Hollywoodise it and ruin it completely for everyone." These were my thoughts before entering the cinema, only going to see the movie because of my love of 'Spooks'.
Fortunately for me (but rather unfortunately for those around me), I loved it and have become completely and utterly obsessed with it. I have since seen it another 4 times and am still impressed with how brilliant an actor Keira Knightly is, she manages to become Lizzy and make the character her own in every way. She might not be your traditional Lizzy, but she is the perfect Lizzy for this adaptation.
Now we all know the story of Pride and Prejudice, but in case you need your memory to be refreshed here's a quick summary: The 5 Bennett sisters: the very beautiful Jane, intelligent Lizzy, bookish Mary, naive Kitty and wild and flirtatious Lydia, their father and neurotic mother lived in Georgian England, a time when the best a young woman could hope for was to marry a rich gentleman with an optional personality. Mrs Bennet is particularly keen for her daughters to marry because, as she reminds them almost daily, when their father dies they shall not inherit the estate because it has been entailed away to their rather pathetic and highly annoying distant cousin, Mr Collins. Life for the Bennets is fairly uneventful, until the rich and kind Mr Bingly, his unpleasant sister and the seemingly unpleasant, proud and prejudiced Mr Darcy come to town and their lives are changed forever.
As I said Keira Knightly did a fantastic job in this movie. The scene that particularly impressed me was when she was in the sculpture room at Pemberly. To be able to convey a billion emotions of love, loss, regret, sadness, etc that are your characters and not your own to a lump of rock (albeit a beautifully carved lump of rock) must be very difficult. And with a camera circling you and the crew standing around staring at you must it must be near impossible. Yet she managed to do it with seeming ease, bringing the whole audience with her, showing the audience everything her character was going through without words or another actor to work off. To me this showed just how good an actor she really is.
Matthew Macfadyen, what can be said about the breath taking performance by Matthew Macfadyen? It's the kind of performance that restores your faith in men. Forget Colin Firth, THIS is how Darcy should be. You can see that this Mr Darcy has feelings and is human. Colin Firth may have the scene where he emerges from the lake fully clothed and soaking wet. But Matthew Macfadyen has the intense stares, the beautiful eyes, the crack in his voice at Pemberly, the full body shiver during the first proposal scene and let's not forget the entire of the second proposal that had women (and men) across the world wishing that their lives could be like that, and that they had a Mr Darcy of their very own. Keeley Hawes, Matthew Macfadyens wife, doesn't know just how lucky she is.
But Knightly and Macfadyen aren't the only actors in this, the entire cast did a brilliant job, particularly the very very very beautiful Rosamund Pike (Jane Bennet), Brenda Blethyn (Mrs Bennet), Donald Sutherland (Mr Bennet), Claudie Blakley (Charlotte Lucas) and Talulah Riley (Mary Bennet) were all very impressive.
My one complaint about the whole movie is that it could have done with a little more time to develop the Mr Wickham aspect of the story. It was handled so quickly that it didn't allow you enough time to see just how much and why Mr Darcy hated him. But apart from that it was perfect.
I can't wait to see it again.
Spooks (2002)
After 32 eps they still manage to keep me on the edge of my seat.
There are many things i love about Spooks i love how every episode the quality is so good i find myself always going 'oh my dear god no they cant do that!!' after 32 eps they still manage to keep me on the edge of my seat. they have gotten rid of 6 or 7 main main characters, i think they're up to their 2nd or 3rd dream team. and still the characters make me care. this isn't like just some TV show where all you care about is the main character and you don't care what happens to the bad guys or the place where they work or the values they uphold. spooks makes you understand and care about every side of the argument and every person arguing. you see some of the motivations behind Islamic extremism, you see the personal side of militant pro lifers, you feel sorry and really care for the families of hard line racists. they manage to give you a glimpse into the personal lives of spies without turning it into a soap. they show you just enough information so you could see how hard it would be to be a spy and not even be able to tell your parents what you do for a living. at your own funeral they cant say who you really were and what you really died doing. your own kids don't even know your real name. you cant go on a date easily. can you resist the temptations of the power of your new job? you are working in a place where every day you can be anything and anyone you can have anything (that fits in the legend you are using) and you will end up doing everything. you get an idea of the bureaucratic difficulties, where to draw the line, are defending the country or if you're just defending the rep of a political party?
everything is researched so well that you can see it actually happening, of course details have to be changed so as not to tell terrorists how to do it. but you really get the sense that out there somewhere everything you see (except the pods :P ) could be real and could be happening.. although obviously in real life it takes a lot longer than one hour to save the world.
and you care about everyone in the office. from the clinical staff (helen, Sam) to the analysts (the wonderful Ruth), the tech guys (Colin and Malcolm), the head of sections (Tom, Tessa, Adam),the head of dept (Harry) and the spies who go out there (Zoe, Danny and if you haven't seen the first few seasons i won't ruin it for you by saying who else).
the production values are high. the scripting, editing, directing, casting, acting, lighting, sets.. just everything is excellent and better than anything else i have seen on TV. as an audience member you are always treated like an adult. nothing is dumbed down. and nothing is spelt out.
I really REALLY recommend this show and give it 4billion out of 10. bring on more spooks!
Dallas Doll (1994)
worst.movie.ever.
urgh! 3 things a movie needs: a good script, a good plot and good casting. i watched this movie expecting it to be hilariously terrible and was unfortunately disappointed when it was just plain terrible. I lost the will to live halfway through. The only thing which stopped me from stabbing my eyes out with a fork was Rose Byrne (who was the reason for me watching it in the first place). She did a good job as Rastus and her appearance hasn't changed much since she was 13. it was a fantastic first effort in a movie. the dog was also very good. both did a great job with such awful material. Sandra Bernhard i think was the biggest mistake of the movie. she was completely miscast, and i don't think she ever quite got the character.
I give the movie 2 out of 10 - and thats only because of Rose.