Sunday 2 March 2014

FEBRUARY FILMS AND TV

A quieter month in the Keane household film-wise. I can claim four films only but am fairly positive there were a couple more, but if I don't write them down, they disappear from the memory banks almost immediately. I'm hopeless at remembering recent things, stuff from long ago seems ingrained though...........should I be worried?

TYRANNOSAUR was uncomfortable but compelling viewing. Made I think in 2011, it features the always excellent Olivia Coleman (Broadchurch) as a victim of domestic abuse. Peter Mullan is superb also as Joseph. Set in Scotland there are some harrowing scenes involving violence against women and animals. Difficult to watch in places, but I never felt that the film gloried in violence but instead tried to deal with important issues in a kind of in-your-face fashion rather than skirt around them. Not a typical happy ending, but I felt the film left a message of hope for the main characters future.

Olivia Coleman and Peter Mullan




BATMAN: THE DARK KNIGHT RISES. I put the books down long enough to watch this with the family on a Saturday night. Enjoyable but over-long in my opinion. Not as good as the earlier one in the series featuring Heath Ledger. I don't think Christian Bale would rank on my list of favourite actors and whilst I do like Anne Hathaway I struggle to buy into her as vamped up glamour puss Cat Woman. There is something a little bit unconvincing about her as a sex symbol. She has more appeal when portrayed as the girl-next-door type. Michael Caine is enjoyable to watch. I don't think he ages as he seems to have had the same look and demeanour for the past 30 years and he must be about 178 years old by now.

Speaking of Anne Hathaway, next film up was THE DEVIL WEARS PRADA. Second viewing for me, which must have coincided with a slow book. Glenn Close is great, but I wouldn't claim the film as my favourite genre.

Lastly I went to my local library the other night with my wife to see THE RAILWAY MAN. No word of a lie, this is the second time my wife has been plonked in a seat next to someone with less than perfect personal hygiene. Try watching a film for two hours whilst holding your breath, not easy I can tell you, particularly when your husband spends half an hour giggling, before a whiff of unwashed flesh drifted across and nearly melted my eyeballs. At which point I decided to concentrate on the film. I read the book back in 2010 and was moved by the story of Eric Lomax and his war-time experiences as a prisoner of the Japanese in Burma. Colin Firth is great as the older Lomax and I do like a bit of Nicole Kidman now and again. (Just not too much of her please). An enjoyable, uncomfortable film. On balance I think I got more from the book.

TV, nothing much new. We continued with BROOKLYN NINE-NINE and I caught some of the Winter Olympics in Russia. How big a heart must you have to do ski-jumping? Absolutely petrifies me when the camera pans down the runway....give them all a medal I reckon. A bit of Six Nations Rugby - shame Ireland didn't hang on and beat England, but that's the nature of sport - your team doesn't always win. Lastly a few too many episodes of Aussie soap Neighbours. Well the kid's watch it and what am I supposed to do whilst its on? Will Georgia have Kyle back? Compelling stuff.......stay tuned.






12 comments:

  1. Col, I didn't like THE DARK KNIGHT RISES much probably because I like my superheroes to be as I know them in the comics. I found the movie over the top and the characters and the violence overdone. THE RAILWAY MAN looks interesting. Never seen it before.

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    1. Prashant it wasn't the best of the bunch. Hopefully there won't be another one! I'd have Tobey Maguire and Kirsten Dunst any day. The Superman's are a bit more tongue in cheek, I feel. RAILWAY MAN is worth looking out for if you get the chance.

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  2. Tyrannosaur gets good reviews, but I really don't think I could face it. Railway Man sounds like hard going but I probably will see that on DVD. Batman I think I have sat through with the family (though I find it hard to distinguish among the films). Devil wears Prada: now you're talking! I think the film makes no sense at all, has no internal logic, but I enjoy it very much, and of course like the clothes. And Meryl Streep, who I think might be who you meant by Glenn Close? Great acting anyway.

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    1. Devil Wears Prada - your kind of film - never would have guessed! Meryl Streep ? Glenn Close? Me ? George Clooney? So confusing - everyone reminds me of everyone else - apologies.........rookie error!

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  3. Col - Oh, sorry to hear you were seated near someone whose idea of personal hygiene was - erm - different to your own. I've had that happen and it's awful. You've reminded me too that I saw The Devil Wears Prada with, I think, my daughter. I thought some of it was quite good, and Meryl Streep played her role excellently.

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    1. Margot, I think those kind of incidents make us laugh as a family and give us our memories. Not funny at the time though! DWP wasn't too bad overall from my manly perspective.

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  4. First, The Dark Knight Rises was not my favorite in the trilogy either and I agree, it was overly long. The first two were better Nolan films. I agree about Anne Hathaway. I remember reading where she is one of the most hated celebrities. I can take her or leave her. The only movie I've seen her in outside of Batman Rises was a serious film she did with Jonathan Demme, called Rachel Getting Married (that also starred Debra Winger who was excellent in it as well) where she plays an addict.

    The Railway Man sounds good actually so I'm off to look that one up. Big fan of Colin Firth. Never saw Prada and no plans to change that. Just not my type of film.

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    1. In agreement over the Batman films. AH - I liked her in One Day, but she's not a favourite. A bit harsh people hating her though. But then I'm not keen on Tom Hanks myself.

      I'll look up RGM as I have never heard of it. RAILWAY MAN is worth a look as well.

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  5. Had not heard of Tyrannosaur, and I think I will not seek it out unless someone else in the family gets interested. I don't think that is going to happen. Also haven't heard of The Railway Man... see how you are educating me. That one I will definitely look into.

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    1. Tracy, I definitely think you would prefer The Railway Man to Tyrannosaur. I think both you and Glen with your keen interest in history and WW11 would get something from it.

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