Jon
Written on Thursday, September 24th, 2009 by Jon and stored in Jon
Director: Sam Mendes Cast: John Krasinski, Maya Rudolph
After the serious marital angst of Revolutionary Road, director Sam Mendes turns his hand to comedic pregnancy angst as a thirty-something couple embark on a haphazard road journey across the United States. Jolted into finding somewhere that actually feels like ‘home’ by Burt’s parents suddenly moving to Brussels, he and wife Verona meet an assortment of individuals who allow them to reflect on their own lives.
Indie in feel, the film thankfully lacks that awful studio ‘false-indie’ smell that seemed to seep from every second film this summer (all starring Zooey ‘I am kooky’ Descahanel it seems) and is laugh-out-loud funny throughout. Mendes keeps the direction low-key save for the occasional beautifully artistic shot (the reflection of the plane moving across the windows like a jumping fish is brilliant) and the film is no less for it.
Continuing confirmation in Mendes as a director and great understated perfomances from Krasinski (US version of The Office) and Rudolph (Saturday Night Live), this is one of those rare things – a genuinely funny, touching, uplifting film about coupledom that doesn’t resort to cloying sentimentality. Nice.
Written on Tuesday, February 24th, 2009 by Jon and stored in Jon
Director: Clint Eastwood
Cast: Clint Eastwood, Christopher Carley, Bee Vang
Korean War veteran Walt Kowalski, played by Eastwood, is The Man With No Shame – an obstinate, unbending, recently widowed racist curmudgeon who doesn’t seem to care about anyone, or anything other than the pristine titular car he helped to build on the Ford production line. (more…)
Written on Wednesday, January 14th, 2009 by Jon and stored in Jon
The UK audience figures for 2008 have now been released and show an increase of 1.1% – a total of 164.2 million, marking the highest summer admissions since 1969. But what will we see in 2009? (more…)
Written on Wednesday, January 14th, 2009 by Jon and stored in Jon
The Best: The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford
Stunning, beautiful cinematography, fantastic performances (more…)
Written on Sunday, November 23rd, 2008 by Jon and stored in Jon
Director: Tom McCarthy
Cast: Hiam Abbas, Richard Jenkins, Danai Gurira, Haaz Sleiman.
Any film which features a perceived social injustice at its heart can walk an awkward line between entertainment and preaching. (more…)
Written on Sunday, November 23rd, 2008 by Jon and stored in Jon
Director: Grant Gee
Joy Division charts the rise of the eponymous band and the fall of mercurial frontman Ian Curtis, told in documentary format and featuring extensive interviews with band members and record-industry alumni. (more…)
Written on Thursday, November 13th, 2008 by Jon and stored in Jon
Director: Pierre Salvadori
Cast: Audrey Tautou, Gad Elmaleh, Marie-Christine Adam
Hotel waiter Jean loses his heart to a gold-digging female con-artist, who mistakes him for a high-rolling millionaire while working on the French Riviera. (more…)
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