Movies
Extremely charming but surprisingly weighty film. The CG is simple but top notch and Ewan McGregor is on point, but it's really the voice work of Jim Cummings that stands out the most. It all adds up to a warm, comfortable and endearing little film that is sure to put a smile on your face.
Simple thriller that gets a quality injection from Forster and his crew. The plot is rather plain, but the cinematography and soundtrack make it stand out from countless other thrillers. Lively and Clarke are good, but ultimately Forster deserves all the credits for making this a memorable experience.
A little mindfuck thriller from way back when. Films like these were pretty popular back then, though they usually came with a stronger horror flavor. Stay was a more dedicated mystery, with most scenes explicitly designed to confuse and bewilder. It's certainly still a lot of fun, but not quite as nifty and refined as I remembered it to be. Sam is a psychiatrist who takes over Henry's case when his colleague falls ill. Henry is a young art student with suicidal thoughts. Sam is dedicated to helping him, but the more he finds out about Henry, the more he starts to believe something weird is going on with the boy. Sam begins to doubt his own sanity, yet he keeps getting pulled in further. The presentation is pretty slick, but not quite as good as I remembered it to be. The soundtrack is nice too, the mystery is built up pretty well (though knowing the outcome does take away from the experience) and the performances are decent (apart from McGregor maybe, who wasn't the best fit). I had a good time revisiting Stay, it's just not a true personal favorite anymore.Read all
A surprisingly action-packed Bond film. It's clear that there isn't much place anymore for Bond's goofy side in the modern films, but at least they cut out most of the narrative cruft that made Casino Royale such a tremendous drag. Not that Quantum of Solace is a return to form, but at least it was pretty decent. After being betrayed in the previous film, Bond his asked to keep his emotions out of his job. There's a bit more padding of course, but in the end the plot is always the same: Bond has to chase an evil guy half across the world, while hooking up with some women along the way. Quantum of Solace is no exception. The action is a big step up from the previous film and the first half is pretty explosive. The second part slows down a bit too much, which takes away from the fun. But, major props for keeping it well under 2 hours for a change, a film like this really doesn't need to be any longer. There's definitely some good things here, it's just a shame about the less interesting second half.Read all
