tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-40326244005349959792024-02-19T08:09:22.261+00:00He Said She SaidA.J. James Brookshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00992159232117297657noreply@blogger.comBlogger108125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4032624400534995979.post-56632607827580256162011-04-01T12:19:00.002+01:002011-04-01T12:25:07.115+01:00We have a new website<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEUoytXkc2Q7CxP9MQgFMVp2Gk6azFJ9zHN_DPTqKaRR3fxKKvAFUCb2TKp6BKIgw6jIMyaH1zteX2j6oIMhNChE-qpAiTg3l0_0Y9L0LhpHAD6D_SzBwEFOnPAhls6FH6quvWrRicP4lY/s1600/Picture+1.png"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 207px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEUoytXkc2Q7CxP9MQgFMVp2Gk6azFJ9zHN_DPTqKaRR3fxKKvAFUCb2TKp6BKIgw6jIMyaH1zteX2j6oIMhNChE-qpAiTg3l0_0Y9L0LhpHAD6D_SzBwEFOnPAhls6FH6quvWrRicP4lY/s320/Picture+1.png" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5590574451518177954" /></a><br /><br />We have brand new spanking website that is 100% more fantastic than this one!! <br /><br /><a href="http://www.hesaidshesaidfm.com">You can find it at www.hesaidshesaidfm.com! </a><br /><br />If you have a Google account you can follow us by <a href="http://www.google.com/ig/add?source=atgs&feedurl=http%3A//www.hesaidshesaidfm.com">clicking here.</a><br /><br />Let us know what you think!<br /><br />He Said She Said aka James and Helen<br /><br />Please note that we are no longer updating this blog.He Said She Saidhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15050957785290275202noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4032624400534995979.post-1237403131248781992011-03-17T08:44:00.001+00:002011-03-17T08:44:57.495+00:00No Strings AttachedThanks for checking out our review of Rango! You can read it over on our new website by<a href="http://hesaidshesaidfm.com/2011/03/no-strings-attached/"> clicking here!</a><br /><br />If you are reading this on your Google Reader you can add the stream from our new website by <a href="http://fusion.google.com/add?source=atgs&feedurl=http%3A//www.hesaidshesaidfm.com">clicking here</a>. <br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.hesaidshesaidfm.com"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 83px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdk2QE1sobxC-TV6dSYdy9bBzl_MCydRB-MgZOKNvMmpG1lyNA-N70j1nC068rc4Wvn1So7i7HvWWF-FT2Lq3LKrmvowd6j3nenPIxWbcvl4bq03BRy4Tfc5zRk1fCOMpgcde7Jo9fC8vs/s320/header1.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5580986044065922946" /></a>Helen Brookshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13333394240376076275noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4032624400534995979.post-22850589560464432742011-03-06T15:17:00.004+00:002011-03-11T13:51:47.193+00:00RangoThanks for checking out our review of Rango! You can read it over on our new website by<a href="http://hesaidshesaidfm.com/2011/03/rango/"> clicking here!</a><br /><br />If you are reading this on your Google Reader you can add the stream from our new website by <a href="http://fusion.google.com/add?source=atgs&feedurl=http%3A//www.hesaidshesaidfm.com">clicking here</a>. <br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.hesaidshesaidfm.com"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 83px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdk2QE1sobxC-TV6dSYdy9bBzl_MCydRB-MgZOKNvMmpG1lyNA-N70j1nC068rc4Wvn1So7i7HvWWF-FT2Lq3LKrmvowd6j3nenPIxWbcvl4bq03BRy4Tfc5zRk1fCOMpgcde7Jo9fC8vs/s320/header1.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5580986044065922946" /></a>He Said She Saidhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15050957785290275202noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4032624400534995979.post-33914070214675957792011-03-06T15:11:00.004+00:002011-03-06T15:31:34.732+00:00I am Number FourThanks for checking out our review of I am Number Four! You can read it over on our new website by<a href="http://hesaidshesaidfm.com/2011/03/i-am-number-four/"> clicking here!</a><br /><br />If you are reading this on your Google Reader you can add the stream from our new website by <a href="http://fusion.google.com/add?source=atgs&feedurl=http%3A//www.hesaidshesaidfm.com">clicking here</a>. <br /><br /><a href="http://www.hesaidshesaidfm.com"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdk2QE1sobxC-TV6dSYdy9bBzl_MCydRB-MgZOKNvMmpG1lyNA-N70j1nC068rc4Wvn1So7i7HvWWF-FT2Lq3LKrmvowd6j3nenPIxWbcvl4bq03BRy4Tfc5zRk1fCOMpgcde7Jo9fC8vs/s1600/header1.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 83px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdk2QE1sobxC-TV6dSYdy9bBzl_MCydRB-MgZOKNvMmpG1lyNA-N70j1nC068rc4Wvn1So7i7HvWWF-FT2Lq3LKrmvowd6j3nenPIxWbcvl4bq03BRy4Tfc5zRk1fCOMpgcde7Jo9fC8vs/s320/header1.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5580986044065922946" /></a></a>He Said She Saidhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15050957785290275202noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4032624400534995979.post-51845579227608003092011-03-04T15:27:00.001+00:002011-03-04T15:27:52.321+00:00The best film review website?<iframe src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/TZpnVJCghcw?fs=1" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="295" width="480"></iframe>Helen Brookshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13333394240376076275noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4032624400534995979.post-11337301148920493952011-03-04T09:05:00.004+00:002011-03-04T09:34:02.012+00:00Just Go With It<span style="font-weight:bold;">Directed by:</span> Dennis Dugan<br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">Release date:</span> 11 Feb 2011 UK and US<br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">Starring:</span> Adam Sandler, Jennifer Aniston, Nicole Kidman, Bailee Madison, Griffin Gluck, Brooklyn Decker, Nick Swardson<br /><br /><object width="560" height="349"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/Jz5Ubqhru7g?fs=1&hl=en_US&rel=0"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/Jz5Ubqhru7g?fs=1&hl=en_US&rel=0" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="560" height="349"></embed></object><br /><br /><a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1564367/">IMBD Page</a><br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">He said:</span><br /><br />Sandler seems to flop back and fourth between rom-coms aimed at romantically deprived 30 somethings and comedies aimed at horny juvenile men. I'm not sure if this is a deliberate choice on Sandler's part or if he is just playing the cards he's been dealt, but Just Go With It is one of the rare rom-coms where this comedian seems at home in his element.<br /><br />That isn't to say the film isn't predictable; Helen and I had guessed the narrative after seeing a poster at the cinema (before we had seen so much as a trailer.) The fact is that most romantic comedies follow one of four plot lines:<br />1)The best friend that wants to be more than friends;<br />2)The independent woman that doesn't need a partner, but secretly wants one;<br />3)The two best friends that cross the line of friendship and test their relationship;<br />and<br />4)The relationship based on lies, eg: crushing on the best friend's girl/boy, having more or less money than assumed, pretending to be someone else etc...)<br /><br />While there is nothing wrong with the above formulas it is always nice when a familiar formula is given a fresh coat of paint. Just Go With It is a fun story that doesn't ever feel tired even when you know where the story is heading after the first 20 minutes. Aniston and Sandler have great chemistry on screen and the films two children stole every scene they were in together.<br /><br />This is a fun film (with a fantastic and unexpected cameo appearance) that at the very least would make for an excellent date night for the parents and has plenty of humour to be enjoyed by the whole family. I really enjoyed it. I give it {{{4 out of 5}}}<br /><br /><strong>She said:</strong><br /><br />I also really enjoyed this film. Adam Sandler shines in romantic comedies and although there is a part of me that wants him to only ever do films with Drew Barrymore, as James said there is a great chemistry with Aniston. Having seen a lot of heavy films recently it is nice to have had a chance to unwind with some comedies and this one was a great choice.<br /><br />I felt that the third act stretched a little bit (perhaps due to my impatience with the inevitability of it all) but overall the film was well paced and had no dull moments. This film isn't going to win any awards but in terms of enjoyability it is definitely a winner. As James said the real stars of the show were the children who did indeed steal every scene they were in. Considering the amount of average child performances in movies it is lovely to see such young actors with a firm grasp of comic timing.<br /><br />I wouldn't describe this film as a 'must see' but I would definitely recommend it as one of the better rom-coms in the barrel-full churned out by Hollywood. The humour is spot on for comedy snobs like me. It has just the right amount of cringe worthy moments but without falling too far into the crude and immature. I think this is a harmless comedy with Adam Sandler at his best. I give this film {{{3 out of 5}}}<br /><br /><strong>They said:</strong><br /><br />Aniston and Sandler show fantastic chemistry while a true Hollywood star gives a performance like you've never seen her before! We give this film {{{7 out of 10}}}Helen Brookshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13333394240376076275noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4032624400534995979.post-54785782789476103932011-02-27T17:33:00.004+00:002011-02-27T17:37:51.825+00:00Excelsior: the February Big Quiz<object width="560" height="349"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/dNqxIwlBSfY?fs=1&hl=en_US&rel=0"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/dNqxIwlBSfY?fs=1&hl=en_US&rel=0" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="560" height="349"></embed></object><br /><br /><object width="560" height="349"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/w-XgAi8LAVs?fs=1&hl=en_US&rel=0"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/w-XgAi8LAVs?fs=1&hl=en_US&rel=0" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="560" height="349"></embed></object><br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">Buff Quiz Questions</span><br /><br />1. Director Brad Bird voiced which character in his animated film The Incredibles?<br />a. Mirage b. Edna E'More c. Mrs Hogenson<br /><br />2. Before filming Spider-Man 2 Tobey Maguire sustained a back injury. Although he recovered in time to film, who was lined up to take the role over?<br />a. Jake Gyllenhaal b. Karl Urban c. Casey Affleck<br /><br />3. Comic book writer Mark Millar is the brains behind Kick-Ass. What Angelina Jolie film was also an adaptation of one of Millar's works?<br />a. Wanted b. Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrow c. Salt<br /><br />4. V for Vendetta was based on a series of graphic novels by which author?<br />a. Mike Mignolia b. David Lloyd c. Alan Moore<br /><br />5. DC comics started life as Detective Comics in which year?<br />a. 1925 b. 1936 c. 1947<br /><br />6. The film Ghost World was adapted from a graphic novel to the screen by Terry Zwigoff. What other film has he directed?<br />a. Beetlejuice b. Bad Santa c. The Island<br /><br /><object width="560" height="349"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/rkmMINIF2IY?fs=1&hl=en_US&rel=0"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/rkmMINIF2IY?fs=1&hl=en_US&rel=0" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="560" height="349"></embed></object><br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">Noob Quiz Questions:</span><br /><br />1. Edward Norton played Bruce Banner aka The Incredible Hulk... but who has been cast in Joss Whedon's film The Avengers to play the same role?<br />a. Mark Ruffalo b. Jeremy Renner c. Clark Gregg<br /><br />2. What newspaper does Peter Parker take photographs for?<br />a. Daily Planet b. The Daily Bugle c. Metropolis Times<br /><br />3. Gotham city is home to which superhero?<br />a. Batman b. Captain America c. Deadpool<br /><br />4. Which of these films is not Marvel?<br />a. Blade b. Jonah Hex c. X-Men<br /><br />5. In what year did the original Superman film starring Christopher Reeve come out?<br />a. 1978 b. 1983 c. 1986<br /><br />6. Who directed Watchmen?<br />a. David Slade b. Greg Mottola c. Zack SnyderHelen Brookshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13333394240376076275noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4032624400534995979.post-45144457215662456972011-02-21T10:55:00.008+00:002011-02-24T13:36:50.578+00:00Paul<span style="font-weight:bold;">Directed by:</span> Greg Mottola<br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">Released: UK</span> 14 Feb 2011, <span style="font-weight:bold;">USA</span> 18 Mar 2011<br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">Starring</span>: Nick Frost, Simon Pegg, Kristen Wiig, Jason Bateman, Sigourney Weaver, Blythe Danner, Bll Hader, Jane Lynch, Seth Rogen<br /><br /><object width="560" height="349"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/5Olv27m95nY?fs=1&hl=en_US&rel=0"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/5Olv27m95nY?fs=1&hl=en_US&rel=0" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="560" height="349"></embed></object><br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;"><a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1092026/">IMDB Link</a></span><br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">He said:</span><br /><br />If I am completely honest I was a bit apprehensive when I saw the first trailer for Paul. As much as I have enjoyed Frost and Pegg onscreen in the past (Shaun of the Dead, Hot Fuzz) I had assumed that the films were as good as they were because of Edgar Wright calling the shots behind the scenes. Luckily the boys found themselves in capable hands of writer-turned-director Greg Mottola (who directed Superbad and wrote and directed Adventureland)<br /><br />Paul plays towards its target demographic (14-31 year old males) with its penis jokes and toilet humor without any apologies. The film was co written by Pegg and Frost and is in no uncertain terms an often brilliant lampooning of pop culture from the last thirty years, including Mac and Me which I thoroughly enjoyed as a child but doesn't get nearly as much mention in pop culture as E.T.<br /><br />Funny side note: (I embarrassed my wife and her parents when I stood up during a climactic scene and shouted along with a character a line that I had been holding my breath in hopes they would take the obviously well laid bait, and then applauded them for doing so.) I am not one that normally encourages outbursts in the cinema, but I am only human. <br /><br />That isn't to say that this is a geek film, Helen's parents both enjoyed it as much as I did. The story is well written and the pace is spot on. While this film isn't solely a parody there are a lot of winks and nods at other well known alien encounter films from start to finish. I enjoyed this film <span style="font-weight:bold;">and give it {{{4.5 out of 5}}}</span><br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">She said:</span><br /><br />If you haven't guessed it by now James and I are kind of nerdy. And with the masses of pop culture references and sci-fi pastiche in Paul nerds are exactly the people who this film is aimed at. I particularly enjoyed a voice cameo by Steven Spielberg and the very fact that Sigourney Weaver is in the film at all makes me happy.<br /><br />As usual Pegg and Frost's hilarious bromance chemistry won the audience over. While I didn't enjoy this film as much as Shaun of the Dead I did enjoy it much more than Hot Fuzz. Unlike James I wasn't worried about the lack of Edgar Wright but I was concerned about Seth Rogen playing Paul (probably because the last thing I saw him in was The Green Hornet and... oh God the memories, cry). However his voice acting worked really well and funnily enough I found Paul a rather believable creature.<br /><br />I would recommend this film to anyone who enjoys really nerdy, laugh out loud funny comedies. It helps if you have a love of pop culture so you can pick up the references but even without this the story is great. As James said the plot is well paced and keeps your attention well. I give this film {{{4 out of 5}}}<br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">They Said:</span> A perfect celebration of alien sci-fi pop culture with moments that will make you cringe and moments that will make you double up with laughter. We give this film {{{8.5 out of 10}}}He Said She Saidhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15050957785290275202noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4032624400534995979.post-68093450019339760482011-02-21T10:26:00.005+00:002011-02-23T17:18:12.193+00:00Never Let Me GoDirected by: Mark Romanek<br />Released: UK 11 feb 2011<br />Starring: Kiera Knightley, Carey Mulligan, Andrew Garfield<br /><br /><object width="560" height="349"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/kymQcM4ej3w?fs=1&hl=en_US&rel=0"><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/kymQcM4ej3w?fs=1&hl=en_US&rel=0" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="560" height="349"></embed></object><br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;"><a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1334260/">IMDB Link</a></span><br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">She said:</span><br /><br />I was really keen to see Never Let me Go since it opened the London Film Festival. I enjoy the three actors playing the leads and was really interested to see if their chemistry in interviews translated into this film. When we actually saw this I was really intrigued - and that really is the best word to use.<br /><br />I didn't know much about the plot apart from it being about three children who grew up together. What the film actually is, without giving the story away, is really a science fiction (not the aliens are attacking us kind... that would just be weird) idea locked in a drama presentation. <br /><br />I was really moved by the whole picture. It perhaps isn't a film I want to watch over and over again. It is rather deep and challenging in places, but I really enjoyed it. I like coming out from the cinema feeling that I have something new to think about or that my life has been enriched by watching the film. This is one of those films.<br /><br />I give this film {{{3.5 out of 5}}}<br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">He said:</span><br /><br />I am really not sure that I have a definitive opinion on Never Let Me Go. It is a film that is very intense and it made me think, but I'm not sure that either of those things are enough to make feel that it was a good film. It was well written and brilliantly acted. The film can not be easily categorized as one specific genre, which is in part the majority of its appeal.<br /><br />The relationship between the three leading roles was absolutely spot on. The chemistry never felt forced or put on, and even in the quiet moments of the film you believed their emotions were genuine. While I don't have much to say about this film, and it isn't the type of film that invites multiple viewings I did enjoy it. <span style="font-weight:bold;">I give it {{{3.5 out of 5}}}</span><br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">They said:</span> A beautifully written, beautifully shot drama which, whilst grey and challenging, is bound to find a place in many hearts. We give this film {{{7 out of 10}}}He Said She Saidhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15050957785290275202noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4032624400534995979.post-44040355341291111472011-02-17T16:12:00.004+00:002011-02-17T22:41:21.692+00:00True GritDirected by: Joel and Ethan Coen<br />Release date: 11 Feb 2011 UK / 22 Dec 2010 USA<br />Starring: Jeff Bridges, Hailee Steinfeld, Matt Damon, Josh Brolin<br /><br /><object width="560" height="349"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/5GkAH7IUWOE?fs=1&hl=en_US&rel=0"><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/5GkAH7IUWOE?fs=1&hl=en_US&rel=0" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="560" height="349"></embed></object><br /><br /><a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1403865/">IMDB page</a><br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">He said:</span><br /><br />I have waited for what seemed like ages for True Grit to finally be released in the U.K. I have always enjoyed the old-west genre and it is very rare that I don't enjoy a Coen brothers film. True Grit successfully ticks all of the boxes of the classic western films that I watched with my grandpa when I was younger.<br /><br />The role that has gotten the most attention in the reviews thus far is Jeff Bridges portrayal of Rueben "Rooster" Cogburn, the role first made famous by John "The Duke" Wayne. But there are several performances in this film that stand out on their own. Hailee Steinfeld displays amazing poise and skill as the young and spirited Mattie Ross determined to bring her father's murderer to justice.<br /><br />Matt Damon slipped into the role of Texas Ranger LeBeuf (pronounced lebeef) with ease and is honestly one of my favourite characters in this film, LeBeuf is a man that enjoys the sound of his own voice as much as the pride in his profession as a Texas Ranger. Damon plays the role perfectly and gives the impression that he enjoyed every minute of it.<br /><br />This film is best described as a traditional western. The pace is relaxed, but the narrative is constantly flowing through out its 110 minute running time. The visuals in this film are absolutely stunning, the Coen brothers used the landscape as it's own individual character providing both conflict and respite for the travelling trio.<span style="font-weight:bold;"> I give this film {{{4 out of 5}}}</span><br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">She said:</span><br /><br /> I am definitely not a fan of Westerns as a genre. My class was forced to study Westerns in my Sixth Form media class and I have resented them ever since. It is interesting though because I am fascinated by the American West and when I studied its history in a different class I loved it. Bearing all this in mind I was weary about how I would find True Grit but I knew it would be fantastic. It was.<br /><br />I disagree with my better half. I don't think that this is a traditional Western, I think it is a homage to a traditional Western made for a modern day audience. Where usually I find the Coen brothers strange their style fit this project like a glove. The humour was sharp and witty, and played on the performances the actors were giving. The pace was also much better than in traditional Westerns, which I find slow-paced. <br /><br />The trio of actors - Steinfield, Damon and Bridges - are the stars of this film. Hailee Steinfield has the rare talent of playing a role completely straight and still making it hilarious, which I think if a rare gift. This worked brilliantly with Bridges and Damon who often acted more like children that the girl did! Very funny. I was glad we went to see this. <span style="font-weight:bold;">I give it {{{4 out of 5}}}</span><br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">They said: </span>Whether you're a fan of Westerns or not we think there is something in this film for everyone to enjoy. It also showcases some fantastic performances that will make you laugh and care. We give this film {{{8 out of 10}}}<br /><br />Question for the comments: Are you a fan of Westerns?He Said She Saidhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15050957785290275202noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4032624400534995979.post-69482664971245542902011-02-12T16:25:00.004+00:002011-02-12T16:53:40.193+00:00Easy ADirected by: Will Gluck<br />Release date: 22 Oct 2010 UK / 17 Sept 2010 USA<br />Starring: Emma Stone, Amanda Bynes, Stanley Tucci, Dan Byrd, Lisa Kudrow, Thomas Hayden Church, Penn Badgley<br /><br /><iframe title="YouTube video player" width="560" height="349" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/KNbPnqyvItk" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe><br /><br /><a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1282140/">IMDB Page</a><br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">He said:</span><br /><br />Helen and I were lucky to catch this film on a single night rerelease last week, thanks in large part to Orange's Rising Star Award nominee promotion (where all last week they had a single showing of films released over the last year including but not limited to, Kick Ass, Inception, Easy A and several others that escape me at the moment.)<br /><br />I'm happy to say that even with a repeat viewing this film still delivered with out feeling tired or dull, I had seen it the first time back in September of last year when it was first released in the States.<br /><br />Emma Stone in her first leading role is outstanding as Olive, the self confessed typical high school film do-no-wrong nobody. While it is hard to believe that someone as striking and as quick-witted as Emma Stone would ever do anything than standout when surrounded by her "peers", the film glosses over this small inconsistency with all the grace and speed of the less than subtly referenced John Hughes films that came before it.<br /><br />This film is an every way an homage to the teen film genre that John Hughes made popular in the eighties proving once and for all at least to me the age old idiom "If it ain't broke don't fix it." It is also a modern spin on Nathaniel Hawthorne's Scarlet Letter (hence the title). I really enjoyed this film, <span style="font-weight:bold;">I give it {{{4 out of 5}}}</span><br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">She said:</span><br /><br />Unlike James this was my first viewing of Easy A however having heard James' praise for it before, and it has to be said from pretty much everyone who had seen it, I was thrilled to see on the big screen. As James said, this film is a real throw back to those good ol' teen films of the Eighties but even more than that; it was a homage. The filmmakers obviously all loved teen films and really wanted to do this film justice. And they did.<br /><br />This is the second film I have watched Emma Stone in (the first being <a href="http://hesaidshesaidfm.blogspot.com/2010/09/zombieland.html">Zombieland</a>) and she really shined in a lead role. She gives a smart, witty and charismatic performance. I am excited for the Spider-Man reboot even more now.<br /><br />I want to give a quick mention to Stanley Tucci and the rest of Stone's on screen family. They had a fantastic chemistry and were hilarious. The only performance that seemed out of place was Lisa Kudrow's but this wasn't her so much as a bit of a lost sub-plot.<br /><br />I really enjoyed this film. Easy A all together was completely aware of its own ridiculousness, turning it to its own advantage. <span style="font-weight:bold;">I give this film {{{4 out of 5}}}</span><br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">They said: </span> This is one to get on DVD for those evenings where you just want a drink and a giggle. <span style="font-weight:bold;">We give this film {{{8 out of 10}}}</span><br /><br />QUESTION FOR THE COMMENTS: WHAT IS YOUR FAVE TEEN MOVIE?He Said She Saidhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15050957785290275202noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4032624400534995979.post-39829462098253823702011-02-12T08:38:00.001+00:002011-02-13T12:48:05.491+00:00He said, She said: Oscar predictions<object width="560" height="349"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/95tUPoKD5q0?fs=1&hl=en_GB"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/95tUPoKD5q0?fs=1&hl=en_GB" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="560" height="349"></embed></object>Helen Brookshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13333394240376076275noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4032624400534995979.post-2248561355626555622011-02-07T22:04:00.006+00:002011-02-11T14:35:50.556+00:00The Mechanic<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:large;">Directed by:</span></b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:large;"> Simon West</span><div><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:large;">Released:</span></b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:large;"> Worldwide January 28th 2011</span></div><div><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:large;">Starring:</span></b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:large;"> Jason Statham, Ben Foster, Donald Sutherland</span></div><div><br /></div><div><iframe title="YouTube video player" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/TlZXatxdaCQ?rel=0" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="345" width="560"></iframe></div><div><br /></div><div><b><a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0472399/"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:large;">IMDB Link</span></a><br /><br />He said:<br /><br /></b>I should say from the start that I practically had to drag Helen to see this film, to say that it wasn't anywhere to be found on her must see list is an understatement. In her defense this film was as flawed and cliched as the trailer promised. Which is exactly why I enjoyed it, once in a while I really just want to see a craptastic film.<br /><br />The Mechanic from it's opening scene right up until the fade to credits did everything in it's power to fulfill that wish. Every man's man action film cliche was checked like the naughty list the night before the fat man climbs up onto his sleigh. Including but not limited to an absent father figure, scantily clad women paid for services rendered, chase scenes, explosions and "unlikely but blatantly obvious" escapes.<br /><br />I feel that I would be doing our readers a great injustice if I told you this film was anything more than it was which is simply: good for a laugh. You are going to be hard pressed to ever find Jason Statham headlining a film with any chance of Academy recognition, he doesn't make those types of films. The man makes mindless guilty pleasure action films wrapped in as many explosions as possible. <span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:large;">I give this film</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:large;"> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:large;">{{{2.5 out of 5}}}</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:large;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><b><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:large;">She said:<br /><br /></span></b></b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:large;">I am going to be honest</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:large;">: when I saw this film I thought it looked like a load of parp and definitely not worth wasting a review on. However as James said, he was keen to see it and so, with an open mind I went along to see what The Mechanic is all about. And guess what? It was parp.<br /><br />The thing that bothers me about action films like The Mechanic is that there is no reason for them to be so awful. The Mechanic had bad acting, absolutely terrible script writing and a plot that seemed to be held together with 3 year old Blu-tac (you know, when it has gone all hard and not sticky anymore). </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:large;">There are so many actions films out there that are great fun to watch for men and women alike though so I just kept thinking: why?!</span><br /><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:large;"><br />By the way I am not even going to bother talking about the portrayal of women in this film. I am sure you can imagine. This film was good for a laugh but not enough to give it any more than a mediocre <span style="font-weight: bold;">{{{1.5 out of 5}}}</span><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:large;"><br /></span></div><div><b><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:large;">They said:</span></b></b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:large;"> Not a film that will be to everyone's taste and certainly not one that will be winning any awards but then... we weren't expecting much more really! We give this film</span><b><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:large;"> {{{4 out of 10}}}<br /></span></b></b></div><div><b><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:large;"><br /></span></b></b></div><div><b><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:large;">Question of the Blog: </span></b></b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:large;">What film genre is your guilty pleasure?</span></div>He Said She Saidhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15050957785290275202noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4032624400534995979.post-89853433094715878832011-02-07T21:50:00.009+00:002011-02-13T12:34:43.405+00:00The FighterDirected by: David O. Russell<br />Released: USA 10-December-2010 UK 02 February 2011<br />Starring: Mark Wahlberg, Christian Bale, Amy Adams, Melissa Leo<br /><br /><object classid="clsid:d27cdb6e-ae6d-11cf-96b8-444553540000" width="560" height="349" codebase="http://download.macromedia.com/pub/shockwave/cabs/flash/swflash.cab#version=6,0,40,0"><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true" /><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always" /><param name="src" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/Hwv7kT9P0mg?fs=1&hl=en_GB" /><param name="allowfullscreen" value="true" /><embed type="application/x-shockwave-flash" width="560" height="349" src="http://www.youtube.com/v/Hwv7kT9P0mg?fs=1&hl=en_GB" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true"></embed></object><br /><div><br /><br /><a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0964517/"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><strong>IMDB Link</strong></span></a><br /><br /><strong>She said:</strong><br /><br />I knew two things when I first saw the trailer for The Fighter: 1. I have no real interest in a film about boxing and 2. This film looks very very good. It was the latter thought, of course, that made me go and see it. And I am very glad I did.<br /><br />This film is brilliant - there is no other way to say it. There are so many actors who shine in this role, Melissa Leo and Amy Adams are both fantastic, but it has to be said that supporting actor Christian Bale completely overshadowed them all, including lead Mark Wahlberg. Bale is a method actor to an almost disturbing extent. You could see him living this role, which can't have been pleasant, and giving an amazing performance.<br /><br />I found The Fighter brilliant but challenging to watch. It deals with issues of class, fame, drug abuse, family, relationships, etc - and it does so in a very raw way. Filmed cinema verite style, director Russell pulled me into this story and it stopped being 'a film about boxing', and started being a interesting story about loyalty and self-belief.<br /><br /><strong>I give this film {{{4 out of 5}}}</strong><br /><br /><strong>He said:</strong><br /><br />The Fighter may follow the formula of every good sports film to have come before it but it does the formula justice. Bale and Wahlberg both shine in their respective roles. I was not at all surprised to see Bale nominated for his performance as he shows the audience once more the level talent he possesses.<br /><br />Not to be out done by the films leading men, the Fighter's supporting actresses also brought their A game talent. Adam's stands out especially as Wahlberg's love interest and a role that could not be further from her normal bread and butter (Enchanted, Leap Year and the like.) Melissa Leo is fantastic flawed as the boy's mother/manager.<br /><br />This is a film very much like last months Black Swan that even if you aren't interested or in the sport/art form at the base of the story you become invested early and for the remainder of the film. If you liked Russell Crowe's Cinderella Man you will enjoy this as well. <strong>I give this film {{{4 out of 5}}}</strong><br /><br /><strong>They said:</strong> If you aren't a fan of boxing, don't worry - you might find yourself actually getting into it by the time the redits role! <strong>We give this film {{{8 out of 10}}}</strong><br /><br /><strong>Question of the day: What is your favourite sports film?</strong><br /><br /></div>He Said She Saidhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15050957785290275202noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4032624400534995979.post-3523653937732494862011-02-03T16:47:00.008+00:002011-02-13T12:26:42.902+00:00Tangled<span style="font-family: times new roman;font-size:large;" class="Apple-style-span" >Directed by: Nathan Greno, Byron Howard</span><div style="font-family: times new roman;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:large;">Release date: USA 24 November 2010 UK 28 Jan 2011</span></div><div style="font-family: times new roman;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:large;">Starring: Mandy Moore, Zachary Levi, Donna Murphy, Ron Pearlman</span></div><div style="font-family: times new roman;"><br /></div><div style="font-family: times new roman;"><br /><object height="349" width="560"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/pyOyBVXDJ9Q?fs=1&hl=en_GB"><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/pyOyBVXDJ9Q?fs=1&hl=en_GB" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" height="349" width="560"></embed></object><br /></div><div style="font-family: times new roman;"><br /></div><div style="font-family: times new roman;"><a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0398286/"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:large;"><b>IMDB page</b></span></a></div><div style="font-family: times new roman;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:large;"><br /></span></div><div style="font-family: times new roman;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:large;"><br /></span></div><div style="font-family: times new roman;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:large;">He said:</span></b></div><div style="font-family: times new roman;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:large;">Disney's 50th animated film was tasked with filling a very large pair of the mouse's shoes. I am pleased to report that this film delivers a wonderful heart warming film full of the action and romance you expect from the House of Mouse.<br /><br />After the less than stellar performance of 2009's Princess and the Frog, Tangled has put every effort into making itself appeal to Disney's young male audience as well as it's built in young princess demographic, going as far as changing the title from Rapunzel to Tangled a mere 6 months before the films release.<br /><br />There are several "Easter Eggs" through out the film that reference Disney's previous 49 animated films (similar to MGM's 20th 007 Bond film Die Another Day) that would likely be even more apparent on repeat viewings. The only reason I noticed as many as I did is that I am constantly looking out for the iconic mouse ears that Disney sneaks into every film.</span></span></div><div style="font-family: times new roman;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:large;"><br />The long and short of it is simple this is more than just a pretty picture, with a slightly different look at a well known story, well developed characters and an enjoyable mix of action and music this is film for the whole family. </span><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:large;">I give it {{{4 out of 5}}}</span></b></span></div><div style="font-family: times new roman;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:large;"><br /></span></b></span></div><div style="font-family: times new roman;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:large;">She said:</span></b></span></div><div style="font-family: times new roman;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:large;"><br /></span></b></span></div><div style="font-family: times new roman;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:large;">I enjoyed The Princess and the Frog, which came out last year from Disney, but it wasn't memorable. I can't remember a single song. All I can see in my head are frogs singing something about life on the Bayou. This year we get Tangled and I have a feeling Disney were saving their best work in recent years for the big 50!</span></span></div><div style="font-family: times new roman;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:large;"><br /></span></span></div><div style="font-family: times new roman;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:large;">The great thing about Disney is that it takes classic stories that you have heard over and over and over, that you think you know so well - and it then injects it with magic and makes it feel like the first time you heard it. Now I have to admit I was always going to like this film because... well, it IS Disney, but I my expectations were actually exceeded. </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:large;">I think I thought I had "grown out" of Disney a little bit. But right from when the shooting went over the castle I got a chill. You </span><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:large;">never </span></i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:large;">grow out of Disney. </span></span></div><div style="font-family: times new roman;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:large;"><br /></span></span></div><div style="font-family: times new roman;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:large;">Overall the film is everything you need. There are great songs - some that make you shed a tear, some that make you feel like tapping your toes and jumping into the screen. There was also some really beautiful animation. There was a rugged hero, there was a vulnerable yet capable Princess, there were cute animal sidekicks... what more could you want! </span></span></span></div><div style="font-family: times new roman;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:large;"><br /></span></span></span></div><div style="font-family: times new roman;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:large;">I give this film {{{4 out of 5}}}</span></b></span></span></div><div style="font-family: times new roman;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:large;"><br /></span></span></span></div><div style="font-family: times new roman;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:large;"><br /></span></b></span></div><div style="font-family: times new roman;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:large;">They said: </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:large;">You can probably wait till DVD as the 3D isn't essential but it definately a fun watch at the cinema.</span></span></b></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:large;"> We give it [[[8 out of 10]]]</span></b></span></div><div style="font-family: times new roman;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:large;"><br /></span></b></span></div><div style="font-family: times new roman;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:large;">Question of the day: </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:large;">Which of Disney's 50 animated films is your favorite?</span></span></b></span></div>Helen Brookshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13333394240376076275noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4032624400534995979.post-25496276261857039832011-02-03T16:19:00.007+00:002011-02-13T12:13:07.765+00:00Barney's Version<b>Directed by:</b> Richard J. Lewis<div><b>Release date: </b>14 Jan 2011 USA / 28 Jan 2011 UK</div><div><b>Starring: </b>Paul Giamatti, Dustin Hoffman, Rachel Lafevre, Rosamund Pike, Minnie Driver, Mark Addy</div><div><br /><object height="349" width="560"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/1Z52vBL3zlc?fs=1&hl=en_GB"><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/1Z52vBL3zlc?fs=1&hl=en_GB" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" height="349" width="560"></embed></object><br /><br /><br /></div><div><b><a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1423894/">IMDB page</a></b></div><div><br /></div><div><b>She said:</b></div><div><b><br /></b></div><div>I really cannot make up my mind about this film, which I realise is ridiculously unhelpful for those of you wondering whether to go and see this film or not. If you are that person then my advice is see it, then come back here and help me formuate my opinion.</div><div><br /></div><div>The film is basically the story of an ordinary man with a not-so-ordinary life. The themes of true love, true friendship and family bonds are there but our cigar-smoking alcoholic hero is hardly endearing. He isn't a loveable ass he is simple a bit of an idiot who doesn't appreciate what he has. </div><div><br /></div><div>That little rant makes it sound like I am not a fan of this film but I didn't hate it! There were some humorous parts and some very touching parts as well. But the film felt long, a bit too long overall. Perhaps this film was meant to challenge the viewer but, alas, I fear it has just didn't quite hit the mark. <b>I give this film {{{2.5 out of 5}}}</b></div><div><br /></div><div><b>He said:<br /><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal;"><br />I had a really hard time taking to Giamatti's character through out the entire film. The hard truth is that I don't think Richard Lewis intended to ever show Barney in a positive light. The tag line for the film reads "First he got married. Then he got married again. Then he met the love of his life."<br /><br />The trailer shows us from the beginning that Barney meets the love of his life during the wedding reception of his second marriage. I don't know about you, but if I saw the groom at a wedding chatting up a woman that wasn't the bride I wouldn't think many positive things.<br /><br />This is a good film with a fantastic supporting cast, and if I take into consideration that Giamatti was purposely portraying your run of the mill dirt bag I would have to give him top marks in succeeding in that portrayal. This is a quirky film that presents itself as a tale of woe and one of not being afraid to love who you love no matter what. <b>I give it {{{3.5 out of 5}}}</b><br /></span><br />They said: </b>It is great in some parts and seriously mislead in others. Some bits are funny, some are just annoying. You are going to have to make up your own mind on this one! We gve it {{{6 out of 10}}}</div><div><br /></div><div><b>Question for the comments: Are there any other films you just can't make up your mind about?</b></div>Helen Brookshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13333394240376076275noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4032624400534995979.post-25425088069424329292011-02-01T16:18:00.006+00:002011-02-13T12:07:22.919+00:00Black SwanDirected by: Darren Aronofsky<div>Release date: USA - 17 Dec 10 / UK - 21 Jan 11</div><div>Starring: Natalie Portman, Mila Kunis, Vincent Cassel, Winona Ryder</div><div><br /></div><div><object width="560" height="349"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/HHTfDcP0APw?fs=1&hl=en_GB"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/HHTfDcP0APw?fs=1&hl=en_GB" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="560" height="349"></embed></object></div><div><br /></div><div><a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0947798/">IMDB page</a></div><div><br /></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" border-collapse: collapse; font-family:arial, sans-serif;font-size:13px;"><b>He said:</b><br /><br />I am not unfortunately, one of those culturally diverse enough to feel the draw or even the appeal of ballet. Black Swan does a wonderful job of both introducing me to this dancing art form and making it seem more interesting than a bunch of malnourished girls dancing in onesies.<br /><br />Portman and Kunis shine in this film. Portman portrays a perfectionist rising star thats biggest weaknesses are her weak and fragile appearance and her overbearing mother that is obviously trying to live her forgotten dreams through her daughters dancing career. Ryder has a small but strong role as the "over the hill" former lead/star.<br /><br />Black Swan welcomes you into it's world with a beautiful interpretation of Swan Lake. This film surprised me time and again and as I watched it and true to it's word was an intense psychological thriller. Rarely do any horror films get as much of a reaction out of as this film did. I really enjoyed it and <b>I give it {{{4 out of 5}}}</b></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" border-collapse: collapse; font-family:arial, sans-serif;font-size:13px;"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" border-collapse: collapse; font-family:arial, sans-serif;font-size:13px;"><b>She said:</b><br /><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" border-collapse: collapse; font-family:arial, sans-serif;font-size:13px;">Sometimes you get a film that just smacks you right in the face with what can only be described as tragic beauty. This is by far one of the best examples of this I have seen in a long long time. </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" border-collapse: collapse; font-family:arial, sans-serif;font-size:13px;">The film is basically an interpretation of Swan Lake, one of the most loved ballet's of all time... but y'know... with a serious case of psychosis thrown in for the lolz.</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" border-collapse: collapse; font-family:arial, sans-serif;font-size:13px;"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" border-collapse: collapse; font-family:arial, sans-serif;font-size:13px;">I really enjoyed the fact that this film did something a bit different. Yes of course they had to have the same old boring reference to dancers with eating disorders but I felt that Nina's process of becoming consumed by the Black Swanfar eclipsed the cliches. </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" border-collapse: collapse; font-family:arial, sans-serif;font-size:13px;">Aronofsky was very clever to film this in a way that made it feel like a ballet; very fluid but also gripping and tense.</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" border-collapse: collapse; font-family:arial, sans-serif;font-size:13px;"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" border-collapse: collapse; font-family:arial, sans-serif;font-size:13px;">Portman also has to be commended in this film. Forget about the intense mental performance she had to give, just the physical work must have been gruelling. She apparently spent a year training for this film and I can tell you that is really pays off. I am not a ballet exper but her dancing looks flawless to me!</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial, sans-serif;font-size:100%;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; font-size:13px;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial, sans-serif;font-size:100%;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; font-size:13px;">This film is both hard to watch and amazingly beautiful, both elements being emphasised by the score (a variation on Swan Lake). I implore you to see this at some point. <b>I give this film {{{5 out of 5}}}</b></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" border-collapse: collapse; font-family:arial, sans-serif;font-size:13px;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" border-collapse: collapse; font-family:arial, sans-serif;font-size:13px;"><b>They said:</b></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" border-collapse: collapse; font-family:arial, sans-serif;font-size:13px;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" border-collapse: collapse; font-family:arial, sans-serif;font-size:13px;">Beautiful, thrilling, tragic and tense. <b>We give this film {{{9 out of 10}}}.</b></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" border-collapse: collapse; font-family:arial, sans-serif;font-size:13px;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial, sans-serif;font-size:100%;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; font-size:13px;"></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" border-collapse: collapse; font-family:arial, sans-serif;font-size:13px;"><b>Question of the day: Do you prefer in your face horror or subtle thrillers?</b></span></div>He Said She Saidhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15050957785290275202noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4032624400534995979.post-60772068947239006332011-01-25T06:33:00.006+00:002011-02-13T12:04:19.851+00:00The Next Three Days<b>Directed by: </b>Paul Haggis<div><b>Released:</b> 19 Nov 2010 USA, 5 Jan 2011 UK</div><div><b>Starring:</b> Russell Crowe, Elizabeth Banks, Daniel Stern, Liam Neeson</div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><object width="560" height="349"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/lti0vfCPZns?fs=1&hl=en_GB"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/lti0vfCPZns?fs=1&hl=en_GB" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="560" height="349"></embed></object></div><div><br /></div><div><b><a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1458175/">IMDB page</a></b></div><div><br /></div><div><b>He said:<br /><br /></b>This film asks the question 'what are you willing to risk in order to be with the person you love most'. Paul Haggis asks us to suspend our disbelief after the first ten minutes of the film. I think I struggled to enjoy it because of that - at no point did Crowe's character strike me as anything more than that.</div><div><br /></div><div>That isn't to knock any of the performances in the film. I think all the actors did a fantastic job with the material they were given it just didn't do anything for me. There seem to be quite a few cameo appearances in this film that seem awkwardly wedged in and unnecessary, usually a sign of panic from the production team behind the film. </div><div><br /></div><div>This is not a typical prison break type of film but as you can see in the trailer there is a couple of pretty impressive chase scenes in an other wise mediocre film. <b>{{{I give 3 out of 5}}}</b></div><div><br /></div><div><b>She said:</b></div><div><br />I found this film reasonably enjoyable. There was suspense, action, drama and surprisingly a few moments of humour too. There was something however that stopped this film being brilliant and, as James said, I think that we were required to suspend our disbelief just a little too long.<br /><br />My biggest issue with films like this is that they try and make you believe that a decent person can flick a switch in their head to become a criminal mastermind who will stop at nothing to get what he wants. Fortunately this film had some believable elements, which lifted it just above the same old/same old.<br /><br />I really enjoyed seeing Russell Crowe in his first film since Robin Hood. I think he carried the film well and there was a strong, believable chemistry between him and Elizabeth Banks. The actors often had to portray their feelings without many words which is always a test of an actors ability and I think they passed well.<br /><br />I have a few other gripes, such as actors such as Jason Beghe (who plays a police detective) who added an interesting element but were underevolved, but overall I like this film and would watch it again. <span style="font-weight: bold;">I give this film {{{3 out of 5}}}</span><br /><b><br />They said: </b>The Next Three Days (interestingly the title is not present in the film... in more ways than one) is worth watching but we suggest you wait to rent it. <b>We give it [[[6 out of 10]]]</b></div><div><b><br /></b></div><div><b>Question for the comments:</b> Do you prefer prison break films or heist films? </div>A.J. James Brookshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00992159232117297657noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4032624400534995979.post-55443675795238903412011-01-15T13:40:00.008+00:002011-01-15T17:16:03.975+00:00The Green HornetDirected by: Michael Gondry<div>UK / US Release date: Jan 14 2011</div><div>Starring: Seth Rogen, Jay Chou, Tom Wilkinson, Christoph Waltz, Edward James Olmos, Cameron Diaz</div><div><br /></div><div><object width="560" height="340"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/AAaAKBvFxpM?fs=1&hl=en_US&rel=0&color1=0x2b405b&color2=0x6b8ab6"><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/AAaAKBvFxpM?fs=1&hl=en_US&rel=0&color1=0x2b405b&color2=0x6b8ab6" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="560" height="340"></embed></object></div><div><br /></div><div><a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0990407/">IMDB Page</a></div><div><br /></div><div><b>He said:</b></div><div><b><br /></b></div><div>There are so many things that I could say about this film, but seeing as not one of those things would be constructive I will limit my bitter diatribe to this: Simply put <b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#006600;">The Green Hornet</span></b> is a waste of time. The source material provided ample opportunity to produce a different type of hero film. Sadly those opportunities were overlooked and out right ignored in exchange for cheap visuals a very few good practical effects and a stumbling and often seemingly directionless plot. </div><div><br /></div><div>This is not a comic book film adaptation, <b><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Green_Hornet"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#006600;">The Green Hornet</span></a></b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#006600;"> </span>like <b><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Shadow"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#666666;">The Shadow</span></a></b> ,<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#6600CC;"> </span><b><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Phantom"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#6600CC;">The Phantom</span></a></b> and <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Rocketeer"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#996633;">The Rocketeer</span></a> before it were originally radio serials long before they were adapted to comics, and at the time were fantastic for their era. It wasn't until Van Williams and Bruce Lee portrayed the duo that our parents generation was introduced to them again. </div><div><br /></div><div>One of the few nods worth mentioning in the film was a sketch of Bruce Lee in Kato's sketch book. If I am honest I am remiss to slam this film as much as I would have had I wrote this review directly after I left the cinema. It is obvious that Seth Rogen (who lost thirty pounds to portray Britt Reid and also co-wrote the film) really loved this character and attempted to do it's story justice, the sad truth is that he failed. <b>I give this film {{{0.5 out of 5}}}</b></div><div><br /></div><div><b>She said:</b></div><div><b><br /></b></div><div>I knew this film was going to be awful as soon as I saw the trailer; an incompetently written piece of film puff trying to cash in on the current boom of superhero movies. This film fails to create any kind of affinity with the superhero loving crowd because there is simply no integrity or moral standing to The Green Hornet. This film is crass, offensive and to be honest down-right boring.</div><div><br /></div><div>Forgetting about the terrible acting for a moment, the script itself was completely dire. There was no pacing (I thought it was going to end a long time before it did... but then again maybe that was wishful thinking) and the overarching story was obviously first draft nonsense. A rewrite or twelve at least may have giving someone on the production team a chance to realise that the film made no kind of ethical sense. And don't get me started on the distastefulness of Diaz's role and how she is treated. </div><div><br /></div><div>The effects were alright but nothing to write home about. The 3D presentation with no 2D option just showed how desperate the filmmakers were to reel in some kind of return on this pitiful excuse for a film.<b> I give this film {{{0.5 out of 5}}}</b></div><div><br /></div><div><b>They said:</b> Save yourself. Don't see it. If you are stuck on a plane and it is the only film available we suggest you have the nearest obese passenger smother you until you lose consciousness. <b>We give this film {{{1 out of 10}}}</b></div><div><b><br /></b></div><div><b>QUESTION FOR THE COMMENTS: WHAT IS THE WORST FILM YOU HAVE EVER SEEN?</b></div>He Said She Saidhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15050957785290275202noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4032624400534995979.post-50563500139685532372011-01-14T11:53:00.005+00:002011-01-14T14:47:26.774+00:00It's Kind of a Funny Story<span style="font-weight:bold;">Directed by: Anna Boden and Ryan Fleck<br />UK release date: 7 January 2010<br />UK release date: 8 October 2010<br />Starring: Keir Gilchrist, Emma Roberts, Zach Galifianakis, Jeremy Davies</span><br /><br /><object width="560" height="340"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/S-ZEq3coRvE?fs=1&hl=en_US&rel=0&color1=0x2b405b&color2=0x6b8ab6"><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/S-ZEq3coRvE?fs=1&hl=en_US&rel=0&color1=0x2b405b&color2=0x6b8ab6" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="560" height="340"></embed></object><br /><br /><a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0804497/">IMDB page</a><br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">She said:</span><br /><br />I had not seen a trailer for this film before I went to see it - I was simply drawn to it because it was set in a mental health hospital and starred Zach Galifianakis (I totally would, fyi). I was expecting something with an indie feel, something a bit quirky and with a bit of heart to it. This is exactly what I got. And to top it off the patients weren't all walking around in padded rooms wearing pyjamas! Huzzah!<br /><br />This film is essentially a coming-of-age story about self discovery... the clever part was setting it in a psychiatric ward. Where better to learn that life isn't as tragic as it seemed then by being able to compare yourself to people who really are struggling? However by making this film a comedy drama I had concerns it would either trivialise mental health or else glamorize it. In fact it did neither - it struck a nice 'matter of fact' balance, which, as someone who works in a mental health setting, I really appreciated.<br /><br />Despite a breakthrough performance by young star Keir Gilchrist (who played main character Craig) the star of the film is undoubtedly Zach Galifianakis who plays Bobby, a patient that befriends Craig when he comes into hospital. Bobby is a man who despite the optimism he hands out to others has almost given up on his own life, or at least accepted it the way it is. Kudos to Zach G. for taking on the task of playing such a complex character and still managing to make you leave with a smile rather than wanting to 'check in' yourself.<br /><br />Overall I thought this was a nice, quirky little film. Perhaps it didn't change my life totally, but it did make me think, and let's be honest teen films don't often do that. By the way if you are wondering yes this is a book and on Amazon's "people who bought this also bought" there are two John Green books as well as 'The Perks of Being a Wallflower' and 'Nick and Norah's Infinite Playlist'. I think that tells you much of what you need to know. <span style="font-weight:bold;">I give this film {{{3.5 out of 5}}}</span><br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">He said:</span><br />I really enjoy when a film tugs at my heart strings, for the most part I am not led blindly by my emotions like so many people I have known, but every once in a while I will come across a film of novel that pushes all the right buttons and manages to retrieve an emotion stronger than happy or annoyed. <br /><br />Keir Gilchrist appears to be a very talented up and coming young actor and he proves in this film that he has the acting chops that so many child actors lack to make the successful jump to adult acting. As Helen says above Galifianakis steals nearly every scene he is in. At one point Helen turned to me during the film and said that she has added Mr Galifianakis to her Guilt Free three, thankfully to me my wife seems to be physically attracted to a body type that is exactly like my own. <br /><br /> The only issue I had with this film is how disingenuous Craig's family seem to be, at no point during the film was I convinced that the boys parents were at all concerned that their child had checked himself into a psych ward in a hospital because of his thoughts of suicide. If anything they appeared to be put out or annoyed that he was seeking attention. Though they were happy to visit him and lend him money. <span style="font-weight:bold;">I give this film {{{3.5 out of 5}}}</span><br /> <br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">They said:</span> This is a film that is worth watching and may have otherwise gone underneath your radar. <span style="font-weight:bold;">We give it [[[7 out of 10]]]</span><br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">QUESTION OF THE DAY: How many films can you think of that are set in a mental health hospital?<br /></span>Helen Brookshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13333394240376076275noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4032624400534995979.post-3978486182226724972011-01-12T19:57:00.006+00:002011-01-12T20:09:45.225+00:00What do films mean to you?We have done this short video telling you some of the words that spring to mind when we think about films. There is no doubt we'll be expanding on these words and feelings more throughout the year, but just to get us started here you go:<br /><br /><object width="560" height="340"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/GTsuMJgxKSg?fs=1&hl=en_US&rel=0&color1=0x2b405b&color2=0x6b8ab6"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/GTsuMJgxKSg?fs=1&hl=en_US&rel=0&color1=0x2b405b&color2=0x6b8ab6" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="560" height="340"></embed></object><br /><br />QUESTION FOR THE COMMENTS: WHAT DO FILMS MEAN TO YOU?<br /><ul><li>escapism - forgetting you are in the cinema and being whisked away to another place</li><li>fantasy - a new world, new creatures, new wonders</li><li>education - discovering something you never knew</li><li>religion - with sticky popcorn covered chairs as our pews...</li><li>imagination - your mind gone wild with dreams you never thought possible</li><li>reality - hard hitting truths</li><li>emotion- tears and sadness</li><li>fun - an afternoon's worth</li><li>thrills - action and excitement in front of your eyes</li><li>faith and belief - trust in the moviemakers</li><li>amazement - unending marvel</li><li>potential - the reach of directors', actors', cinematographers' skill</li><li>magic - unbelievable tricks of the trade</li><li>friendship - shared experiences</li><li>solitude - personal meaning</li><li>glamour - Hollywood glitz on the red carpet</li><li>adventure - swashbuckling, horseriding, speed boats, train wrecks...</li><li>art and craft - the beautiful creations of cinema </li><li>consumerism - money does make the world go round</li><li>understanding - appreciation and acceptance</li><li>laughs - happiness and joy</li><li>shock - hiding behind your hands... or your partner!</li><li>memories - markers for times in your lifes, places you've been, things you've learnt</li><li>... <b>life</b>.</li></ul>He Said She Saidhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15050957785290275202noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4032624400534995979.post-23272486659897511762011-01-10T08:25:00.011+00:002011-01-14T14:51:58.334+00:00The King's Speech<span style="font-weight:bold;">Directed by: </span>Tom Hooper<br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">UK release date:</span>Jan 07 2011<br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">UK release date:</span>Dec 10 2010<br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">Starring:</span> Colin Firth, Geoffrey Rush, Helena Bonham Carter, Michael Gambon, Guy Pearce<br /><br /><object width="560" height="340"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/OAm7gRXFiRo?fs=1&hl=en_US&rel=0&color1=0x2b405b&color2=0x6b8ab6"><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/OAm7gRXFiRo?fs=1&hl=en_US&rel=0&color1=0x2b405b&color2=0x6b8ab6" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="560" height="340"></embed></object><br /><br /><a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1504320/">IMDB page</a><br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">He said:</span><br /><br />This is not a film I felt any sort of impulse to see upon first hearing it being discussed. The subject matter to me seemed uninteresting and not at all suited to be a feature length film. Helen on the other hand, has been eagerly awaiting it's release as it is one of her most anticipated films this month.<br /><br />As an American living in England I am less than casually inundated with little bits of English history on a daily basis. There are very few times that the subject of World War II comes up and it is even more rare that I hear anything more on this moment in history than the fact that the US was a few years late to the big show.<br /><br />The King's Speech tells what was to me, before last night, an unknown prologue to England entering World War II. England was dealing with having lost two Monarchs within less than a year and just getting to know King George VI. This film weaves so many threads of stories together that it is a true credit to director Tom Hooper that the audience never feels rushed, lost or confused.<br /><br />There are several outstanding performances in this film, but they all pale in comparison to the Colin Firth's performance of King "Bertie" George VI. Firth manages to portray the King with the strength of Royalty and the frailty of man. The more I think about this film the more I realize how much I enjoyed it.<span style="font-weight:bold;"> I give it {{{4.5 out of 5}}}</span><br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">She said:</span><br /><br />I heard amazing things about this film before I even saw the trailer, and so was expecting great things. When I did get to see the trailer I couldn't wait to get to the cinema and watch what looked to be a masterpiece. My impressions and expectations were met with ease; this film is fantastic.<br /><br />As someone who has always suffered with issues of confidenceand self esteem I am always drawn toward scenarios where public figures are shown in their most vulnerable state. Selfishly it makes me feel better abut myself. Humbly it makes me realise that we are all human.<br /><br />The King's Speech showed a man crippled with a speech impediment that was not just a public figure, but that would soon be King and lead a nation during a World War. It was always going to be an incredibly complex role to play with the pressures 'Bertie' faced but Colin Firth really did give the performance of a lifetime. I would be surprised if he isn't nominated for both an Oscar and a Bafta. For that matter Helena Bonham Carter and Geoffrey Rush (who I'd like to see get best supporting) were also impeccible.<br /><br />Overall this to me was a film about self belief and despite being about the Royal family it was something I could very easily relate to. I am so impressed by this film and its elegant soundtrack. <span style="font-weight:bold;">I give it {{{5 out of 5}}}</span><br /><br /><div><object width="560" height="340"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/w2-m2icwS_E?fs=1&hl=en_US&rel=0&color1=0x2b405b&color2=0x6b8ab6"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/w2-m2icwS_E?fs=1&hl=en_US&rel=0&color1=0x2b405b&color2=0x6b8ab6" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="560" height="340"></embed></object></div><div><br /></div><div><span style="font-weight:bold;">They said:</span> This is a must see film and is likely to be a heavy contender during this year's award season. Whether you see it as a history lesson or a philanthropic discovery you can't deny this film is a masterpiece. <span style="font-weight:bold;">We give it [[[9.5 out of 10]]]</span><br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">Question of the day:</span> Are than any other films that have changed your perspective on a well known moment in history?</div>He Said She Saidhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15050957785290275202noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4032624400534995979.post-23938714545570216432011-01-08T16:01:00.010+00:002011-01-08T18:50:42.358+00:00127 Hours<span style="font-weight:bold;">Directed by:</span> Danny Boyle<br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">UK release date:</span> Jan 07 2011<br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">US release date:</span> 12 November 2010<br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">Starring:</span> James Franco, Amber Tamblyn, Clémence Poésy, Kate Mara<br /><br /><object width="560" height="340"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/OlhLOWTnVoQ?fs=1&hl=en_US&rel=0&color1=0x2b405b&color2=0x6b8ab6"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/OlhLOWTnVoQ?fs=1&hl=en_US&rel=0&color1=0x2b405b&color2=0x6b8ab6" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="560" height="340"></embed></object><br /><br /><a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1542344/">IMDB Page</a><br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">He said:</span><br /><br />This is the second film based on a true story that Helen and I have reviewed this week and I can say from all reports that this film is more accurate and true to it's inspiration than any film I have seen before it. This is another film that does not invoke that need that need to have repeated viewings, but it is a film that is a must see and when released on DVD will be a must own. <br /><br />James Franco portrays Aron Ralston brilliantly and has already been nominated for Best Male Performance of the year for both the Golden Globes and the Oscar's and is likely to nab a BAFTA nomination as well. It is no easy task to carry a feature length film almost completely on your own (ala Tom Hanks in <span style="font-weight:bold;">Castaway</span> or Ryan Reynolds in <span style="font-weight:bold;">Buried</span>) but Franco has shown both his skill as an artist and his talent as an entertainer. <br /><br />My only real complaint with this film is Danny Boyle's apparent need to spice it up with random choppy delusion sequences that did not really differentiate themselves from reality. While I acknowledge that a couple of these might have been intentional I doubt that scenes like the lightning storm were meant to distract and ultimately pull the audience away from the film as it did for me. <br /><br />The rest of the cast in this film served mostly as bookends and I think it would be unfair to expect any of the characters they portrayed to stand out in the way that Franco did. It was nice to see Amber Tamblyn (Sister Hood of the Traveling pants, Joan of Arcadia) in a film again. This is a fantastic Film <span style="font-weight:bold;">I give it {{{4.5 out 5}}}</span><br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">She said:</span><br /><br />As James said, much like The Way Back or Buried this certainly isn't a film you would want to watch repeatedly. There were too many conflicts going on in my mind during the film that I couldn't deal with over and over! It is the only film I have seen that has given a sense of both claustrophobia and agoraphobia at the same time. It also made me want to become a canyoneer and never become a canyoneer at the same time.<br /><br />The overall structure of the film was good. The first part of the film builds up Aron's personality a cocky thrill seeker, which creates a nice contrast when he becomes stuck and helpless. I would have liked a bit more of this vulnerability to come out throughout the 127 hours though as I think Danny Boyle verged on overkill with hallucinations and delusions. <br /><br />I felt that there could have been more nods towards the time passing. Although Aron looks at his watch constantly I don't think I really understood how long the time felt to him. This is not to the detriment of James Franco's acting I should point out; he gave a stella performance in an intense and very much a solo role. The vast range of emotions Aron went through was well played and Franco drew you in and held your attention.<br /><br />I really enjoyed this film although there were a few qualms. However it was a thrilling and astonishing story of human endurance and it is not one to be missed. <span style="font-weight:bold;">I give this film {{{3.5 out of 5}}}</span><br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">They said:</span> This is a film that never loses momentum and constantly tightens it's grip on the audience. Easily a must see film. <span style="font-weight:bold;">We give it [[[8 out of 10]]]</span><br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">Question of the day:</span> Do you enjoy films inspired by real events or do you prefer your films to be solid fiction?<br /><br />THE FOLLOWING LINKS ARE ABOUT THE TRUE STORY AND THEREFORE CONTAIN SPOILERS:<br /><br /><a href="http://aronralston.blogspot.com/">Aron Ralston's Blog</a><br /><br />Video one year later<br /><object width="560" height="340" id="msnbc25436e" classid="clsid:D27CDB6E-AE6D-11cf-96B8-444553540000" codebase="http://download.macromedia.com/pub/shockwave/cabs/flash/swflash.cab#version=10,0,0,0"><param name="movie" value="http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/32545640" /><param name="FlashVars" value="launch=5964029&width=560&height=340" /><param name="allowScriptAccess" value="always" /><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true" /><param name="wmode" value="transparent" /><embed name="msnbc25436e" src="http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/32545640" width="560" height="340" FlashVars="launch=5964029&width=560&height=340" allowscriptaccess="always" allowFullScreen="true" wmode="transparent" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" pluginspage="http://www.adobe.com/shockwave/download/download.cgi?P1_Prod_Version=ShockwaveFlash"></embed></object><p style="font-size:11px; font-family:Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; color: #999; margin-top: 5px; background: transparent; text-align: center; width: 560px;">Visit msnbc.com for <a style="text-decoration:none !important; border-bottom: 1px dotted #999 !important; font-weight:normal !important; height: 13px; color:#5799DB !important;" href="http://www.msnbc.msn.com">breaking news</a>, <a href="http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/3032507" style="text-decoration:none !important; border-bottom: 1px dotted #999 !important; font-weight:normal !important; height: 13px; color:#5799DB !important;">world news</a>, and <a href="http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/3032072" style="text-decoration:none !important; border-bottom: 1px dotted #999 !important; font-weight:normal !important; height: 13px; color:#5799DB !important;">news about the economy</a></p>He Said She Saidhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15050957785290275202noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4032624400534995979.post-16675479577129962932011-01-07T13:00:00.008+00:002011-01-07T14:30:21.882+00:00She said: Best films of 2010<object width="560" height="340"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/B2_MHpLg2Ts?fs=1&hl=en_US&rel=0&color1=0x2b405b&color2=0x6b8ab6"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/B2_MHpLg2Ts?fs=1&hl=en_US&rel=0&color1=0x2b405b&color2=0x6b8ab6" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="560" height="340"></embed></object><br /><br />QUESTION 1: What were the best films of 2010?<br />QUESTION 2: What were the most overrated films of 2010?<br /><br />She Said's most overrated films:<br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">Sherlock Holmes.</span><br /><br />I know I am going to get into trouble for saying this but I thought it was dreadful. Not only did I fall asleep, which I have only ever done twice or thrice at most ever, but it was just like watching something British being battered with the Hollywood sign. I am not saying this because I am a big Arthur Conan Doyle fan - to be honest if I had never heard of Sherlock Holmes before I still would have thought the film was overrated. Now please don't hurt me.<br /><br /><a href="http://hesaidshesaidfm.blogspot.com/2010/01/double-feature-british-icons.html">Click here for our review.</a><br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">Megamind.</span><br /><br />Now, don't get me wrong - I really enjoyed this film. But it was extrememly overrated. There is a trend with big animated films with huge stars in. The marketing teams tend to repeatedly hold up a sign in front of you for months saying "YOU WILL LOVE THIS - IT IS HILARIOUS" that when it comes to the actual film there is big anti-climax. Plus I hate Jonah Hill. Shiver.<br /><br /><a href="http://hesaidshesaidfm.blogspot.com/2010/12/megamind-2d.html">Click here for our review.</a><br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">Legends of the Guardians: The Owls of Ga'Hoole.</span><br /><br />I fell asleep during this film as well. Yawny-McYawnerson. It could have done with being about forty minutes shorter. I was expecting big things from this. It had a title theme by 30 Seconds to Mars for Gandalf's sake. But alas. It just 'weren't all that'.<br /><br /><a href="http://hesaidshesaidfm.blogspot.com/2010/11/legend-of-guardians-owls-of-gahoole.html">Click here for our review.</a><br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">Clash of the Titans.</span><br /><br />Not worth the 3D and, to be quite honest, I put it on par with Percy Jackson. If not slightly behind. I can't really remember much about the film - always a bad sign when the film was supposed to be a blockbuster hit. Same goes for Robin Hood, the third film I fell asleep through this year.<br /><br /><a href="http://hesaidshesaidfm.blogspot.com/2010/04/clash-of-titans-2d-directed-by-louis.html">Click here for our review.</a><br /><br /><span style="font-style:italic;">See you at the movies!</span>He Said She Saidhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15050957785290275202noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4032624400534995979.post-12854045437141039342011-01-06T15:50:00.006+00:002011-01-06T17:43:16.771+00:00The Way BackDirected by: Peter Weir<br />UK release: 24 December 2010<br />US release: 11 January 2011 (limited)<br />Starring: Jim Sturgess, Ed Harris, Colin Farrell, Mark Strong, Saoirse Ronan<br /><br /><object width="560" height="340"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/1Jlgenq_Ca0?fs=1&hl=en_GB"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/1Jlgenq_Ca0?fs=1&hl=en_GB" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="560" height="340"></embed></object><br /><br /><a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1023114/">IMDB page</a><br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">She said:</span><br /><br />I am not sure I was fully prepared for how epic this film was. And boy, was it epic in every sense of the word. You see James and I had originally intended to watch Burlesque but, due to the cinema being stupid, that film had been taken off a day early for some Russell Crowe film preview (The Next Three Days) . So we decided to see The Way Back, and despite being as far removed as possible from the glitz and glam of a musical I for one am really glad we saw it. <br /><br />It is a talent to make a film such as this I think; a film that is so long, extreme and unforgiving without ever boring the audience. In fact this was exactly what the film needed to keep the audience gripped. There was very little music emphasising the vastness, the solitude and isolation of the group of fugitives. It's a cliche but I felt like I was on this journey with them - I even felt thirsty when they were in the desert! <br /><br />My only real gripe with the film was that some parts were almost skipped over. Yes, I felt that a run time of 133 minutes was not enough. I guess it is testament to the pacing of the film that I didn't get board after the first 1000 miles. This would have made a really interesting television series, but then of course no one would take on a TV show with that big a budget... well maybe Fox, but they'd only cancel it at season 2. <br /><br />Better than I was expecting and fantastically made (Oscar nomination perhaps) but not the sort of film I'd watch over and over. <span style="font-weight:bold;">I give this film {{{4 out of 5}}}</span><br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">He said</span><br />Every once in a while a film takes me completely by surprise. Helen and I have seen nearly two hundred films in the past year and a half and I can count on one hand how many completely took my breath away. I am happy to say that The Way Back is that type of film.<br /><br /> Director Peter Weir has been more or less absent from the public eye over the last seven years, Master and Commander was released nearly 8 years ago and the much better known Truman show was released five years before that. Weir has proven here that his ability to tell an epic story is as finely honed as ever.<br /><br />While I do think that Weir deserves a Best Director Oscar nod at the very least I really don't feel that any of the actors stood out any more than their costars. The film is completely believable from start to finish but I can't think of any one moment where I thought Oscar performance. It is a compliment to all of the actors that I never struggled to believe their characters reality. <br /><br />This is a film worth seeing in theatres as the setting and locations are as beautiful as they are epic, but as Helen has said above The Way Back is not a film that invokes an impulse to watch it again any time soon. <span style="font-weight:bold;">I give this film {{{4 out of 5}}}</span><br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">They said:</span><br />We both secretly hope that there will be an extended version released when this film hits DVD as there are a few portions that seem to be completely missing from the theatrical version. This is a wonderful and epic film about the journey of seven men that chose to risk dying free instead of living as prisoners. <span style="font-weight:bold;">We give it [[[8 out of 10]]]</span><br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">QUESTION FOR THE COMMENTS: </span>WHAT 'TRUE STORY' INSPIRED FILM IS YOUR FAVOURITE?Helen Brookshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13333394240376076275noreply@blogger.com0