Well I managed to tear myself away from the books long
enough to watch 8 films in the month. There were a couple of others on the box
that my family were watching that didn’t engage me; Help I’m A Fish – for one;
that I either took the opportunity to doze through or I kept the head stuck
firmly in a book.
In no particular pecking order, they were as follows;
Captain Phillips
– a new release starring Tom Hanks. Hanks is not one of my favourite actors and
I would typically avoid anything of his if I could. I got freebie tickets to
catch a viewing of this on the night of its UK premiere and after watching this
totally absorbing tale of a Somali pirate hijacking of a US container ship, I may
just have to revise my opinion of him. Perhaps I don’t like him because he has
a face like a bag of spanners and I prefer something easier on the eye? (I
never said I wasn’t shallow!) He can’t half act though. Tom 1 Col 0 
Dead Man’s Shoes
– this was a dark UK crime film my son selected on LoveFilm. A violent tale of
vengeance, which had me and the rest of the Keane gang gripped. Probably a bit
like some of my reading – an acquired taste.
Gone Baby Gone –
an excellent adaptation of the Dennis Lehane book of the same name. I read the
book a fair few years ago. There must be something about his writing that lends
itself to film, as I have read, watched and enjoyed in both formats, Mystic
River and Shutter Island also. I had a bit of a problem following some of the
dialogue in Gone Baby as I felt Casey Affleck was a bit of a mumbler in
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Kinky Boots – I
meant to catch this film years ago when it came out, but never did. A hilarious
UK film about a shoe factory on its way out, until it re-invents itself
supplying product for the untapped cross-dressing market. A bit of a feel good
factor about this one.
End Of Watch -
filmed in a kind of documentary style; following two cops on their daily
patrols in LA. Grim, violent, funny and ultimately sad. Jake Gyllenhaal starred in this one.
The Sweeney –
crash, bang, wallop. Fast, furious and violent adaptation of the iconic British
cop show of the same name from the late 70’s. Starring Ray Winstone – Sexy
Beast and the annoyingly talented dude from Plan B – Ben Drew. Excellent and no
chance of me dozing off during this one.
Dreamcatcher – a
bit of an oddity this one was. Based on a Stephen King book, which kind of
clued me in on some impending weirdness.
Released back in 2003 and
starring a youthful Damien Lewis (Homeland) and Timothy Olyphant (Justified) as
well as Morgan Freeman. I’m surprised Freeman’s eyebrows didn’t get a mention
in the closing credits as they were a little bit disturbing on their own.
Aliens and special powers, which aren’t usually my thing, but we enjoyed it. 
The Girl Next Store - my wife and eldest daughter watched this one last evening - Halloween. We were looking for something scary/horrorish to match the calendar and selected this. Disturbing, awful, harrowing, heart-breaking, savage, cruel and true. The film was adapted from a Jack Ketchum novel of the same name, which itself was loosely based on true events which occurred in the mid-60's in Louisiana - the torture and murder of Sylvia Likens by Gertrude Baniszewski.
You would have to have a heart of stone not to be left feeling helpless as the story unfolded. I think the real monsters that walk among us and perpetuate unspeakable acts of cruelty against fellow man are infinitely more frightening than Hollywood vampires and painted clowns armed with shiny axes. I feel a bit drained this morning after watching that. Highly recommended - albeit cautiously, as it wouldn't be for the faint of heart.
Interesting selection of films there, and 8 is a very impressive number. The only one I have seen is Gone Baby Gone - I thought book and film both excellent, and also like the book and film of Mystic River. I have read Shutter Island but not seen the film yet.
ReplyDeleteMoira, I was surprised how many I watched to be honest. Perhaps an indicator as to how poor TV is in general, if you don't love the soaps. It wasn't as if my reading suffered because of it, which was good - a decent balance.
DeleteShutter Island is a great film, even if I'm not a fan of Leo either.
Col, I like Tom Hanks only in his later films where he is older like SAVING PRIVATE RYAN, CAST AWAY, and THE TERMINAL. I intend to see CAPTAIN PHILLIPS as it is an issue I'm familiar with given the hijacking of Indian merchant vessels and the involvement of the Indian Navy in safeguarding the sea route.
ReplyDeletePrashant, I think I have seen CastAway on TV a few years ago. The others I have managed to avoid. Philadelphia wasn't too bad, Forrest Gump was ok, but I didn't like the one where he was a bookseller with Meg Ryan - Sleepless In Seattle??
DeleteThat was "You've Got Mail." "Sleepless in Seattle" again with Ryan was okay, as was "Splash," "Turner & Hooch" and "Big." Those were early days for Hanks. I liked "The Green Mile" too though my award would go to Michael Clarke Duncan not to mention the roles played by David Morse and James Cromwell.
DeleteAhah, thanks- fancy me mixing up my Hanks, Prashant. Green Mile was good, but going off-track a bit I preferred Shawshank as a prison film (ok didn't star Hanks.)
DeleteSplash was fun - but I used to have a crush on Daryl Hannah when I was a lot younger! You can't be a soppy dog film either - Belushi had a good one also!
Col - Nice variety of films there. I think Gone Baby Gone was a terrific film (and so was the Dennis Lahane novel) And I want to see Captain Phillips. Oh, and they've made Kinky Boots into a Broadway show.
ReplyDeleteMargot - I didn't know Kinky Boots was adapted for the stage - that would be a fun night out, I reckon.
DeleteCaptain Phillips is definitely recommended, as is Gone Baby Gone if anyone has missed it.
I hope you do more of these. I love to see what films people enjoyed or didn't. Captain Phillips. I think I might watch that one. Still undecided. I just don't get to the movies to see Tom Hanks and I do like him but this one sounds more like a story worth watching unfold based on real life events. Just recently heard of yet another pirate attack on the news.
ReplyDeleteI love, love, love Dennis Lehane and have read everything but his last two lengthy historical novels. But I haven't seen the film versions of his books. I always said I wasn't interested in Mystic River or Gone Baby Gone or even Shutter Island as movies but I might rethink that. I loved all the books though and I have heard how great an actor Casey Affleck is.
Help I'm A Fish - was that an actual movie???
I would recommend a trip to see Captain Phillips if you can, or catch it when its on DVD. I read a bit about the events the books were based on - scary stuff. I think one of the guys is still incarcerated with about 30-odd years still to serve.
DeleteI don't usually like adaptations of books I have read but the Lehane ones have been brilliant. Probably Mystic River with Sean Penn would be my favourite. I read these 3 books of his and 1 more of his series double-act, then I stopped. Others are still on the pile.
Help, I'm A Fish......sadly yes it was.....some animated tosh from about 10 years ago, but don't tell my kids I said that! (You would think they would be old enough to have grown out of this nonsense!)
Only movie I have seen here is Gone Baby Gone. I haven't read the book because I could not finish the 2nd book in that series and did not get further in the series. We did watch Shutter Island. I read Mystic River and we have the movie but haven't watched it.
ReplyDeleteI like Tom Hanks' acting but am mixed about his movies. For a while there he seemed to be in everything. I liked Philadelphia Story a lot (but it has Denzel in it, I can watch him in anything). Last thing I saw him in was Charlie Wilson's War. Lots of beautiful ladies in that one. And I liked Apollo 13.
I'm interested in why the Lehane book was cast aside....too violent? It's been a few years since I read one, but can't recall them being as such.
DeleteHanks doesn't particularly excite me as an actor, though I'm struggling to think of someone who does. There isn't anyone who sells a film to me on their own. I've not seen Charlie Wilson's War.......maybe when it eventually comes around on TV.
The book was Darkness, Take My Hand, and it was violent, but that was not the part that turned me off. It has been awhile, but my memory is that he (Lehane) was putting people close to the main characters in too much danger and it just seemed like stupid decisions but regardless, too tense for me to enjoy. I lost the book in the middle and did not care enough to go back and retrieve the copy. After reading Mystic River, I realized he is a really great writer who creates situations way too tense for me. I still have a couple of the later books in the series and may read them someday, because I understand that they are a bit lower key.
DeleteOk, that makes sense. I think I actually like the tension of situations like this when I read.
DeleteI'm unsure if I have read this one to be honest, as I've only kept notes for a couple of years. If I did I probably kept it and will re-read some day.