Greeting and salutations :D
Today was really great. I got a lot of bank and post-office stuff done, and so I decided to treat myself. I bought seasons three and seven of Buffy, now I have all of my favourite seasons. They were going for 25 each, a bargain!
Ok, so here are a few new release film reviews by yours truly :wink: (Also, a TV.com exclusive, seeing as my JUNO review hasn't even hit the streets yet :wink: ) No spoilers whatsoever - brief synopsis detailing less than what they give away in the trailer.
JUNO
This little gem is an infectiously upbeat, quirky film that manages to keep its feet firmly on the ground with heart-warming characters and a charming little story about the trials and tribulations of teen pregnancy. Echoing the in-your-face humour of 'Knocked Up' and capturing the delightful awkwardness of 'Napoleon Dynamite', 'Juno' manages to blend both aspects together seamlessly and creates something entirely new altogether. 'Juno' is one of this year's must-see films!
Juno McGuff (Page) is a brazen, anti-social, wisecracking 16-year old. After having sex with her boyfriend, Bleeker (Cera), she discovers (three pregnancy tests later) that she's now eating for two. After some serious consideration with her best gal-pal, Juno opts for an abortion. After realising that the foetus already has fingernails she has a change of heart and decides to put the baby up for adoption. With the support of her parents and a quick read through the local penny-saver, Juno finds the perfect professional couple (Batmen and Garner) to raise her child.
'Juno' starts off trying way too hard to be hip - with some overly-exaggerated dialogue and an indie-soundtrack that becomes distractingly samey rather quickly, it sets an amateurish, all-too-familiar tone. Thankfully, the jokes sharpen up and things settle down with a far more realistic approach as soon as Juno meets her child's adoptees - Vanessa (Garner) and Mark (Bateman). The film quickly fleshes out its cast of amiable characters, and soon enough, debuting screenwriter Diablo Cody competently and hilariously delivers an engaging coming-of-age story with a freshness and wit rarely seen in comedies nowadays.
While the jokes and one-liners are non-stop, it's the film's wonderfully awkward character moments, which are often quite touching, that make for the icing on the preverbal cake. A scene where Juno convinces an uptight Vanessa to talk to her unborn child in the middle of a shopping centre is both funny and oddly moving. The balance between slap-stick and drama is delicately handled and Jason Reitman ('Thank You for Not Smoking') effectively creates a delightful and vibrant world for these characters and aptly evokes strong performances from all involved.
Ellen Page continues her strong stream of performances here with a very likeable turn as Juno. Her chemistry with Bateman is a treat to watch, while Jennifer Garner's gradual peeling of her character is, once again, dealt with an appealing awkwardness. The standouts have to be Allison Janney and J.K Simmons, who give genuinely hysterical performances as Juno's parents, who love her unconditionally and play a big part in Juno's life and the film itself.
Although rarely demanding viewing, 'Juno' is a clever, feel-good yarn that has plenty of laugh-out-loud moments. What starts out as just another pretentious Hollywood excursion soon becomes a smart and altogether enjoyable film. Highly recommended. - MMark.
Natty wanted to know what this film was like - I think I should inform all of you about
Alvin and the Chipmunks - with this trimmed version of my original review.
Following the 'Garfield' and 'Scooby Doo' treatment of recent years, 'Alvin and the Chipmunks' is given a CG makeover in this partially animated, live-action adaptation of its 1960's TV predecessor of the same name. Not only does this film make the aforementioned titles 'Scooby Doo' and 'Garfield' - and their dreadful sequels - appear tolerable in comparison, but it beggars all belief how something that started out in feeling so right, could go so disastrously wrong after the characters' initial introductions.
'Alvin and the Chipmunks' could have been an enjoyable little blast from the past, but with horribly remixed versions of c/assic songs such as 'Witchdoctor', tired performances (Jason Lee doesn't so much shout "Alviiin!" as he does yawn it) and an all-too-familiar storyline, it squanders all possibility down the drain. "You can never go wrong with Christmas" beams Dave at one point - if this festive offering is anything go by: not only can things go wrong, but you can sap the charm right from these cuddly characters, destroy a cute TV-premise and transform it into a truly execrable movie experience.
And last and certainly the least, Balls of Fury
Oh, Christopher Walkens, how the mighty have plummeted! Fronting as the 'Balls of Fury' mascot, Walkens is the primary focus of the main trailer, serving to be - along with the zany premise - the hook that catches an intrigued audience (Walkens? Head of a sudden death Ping-Pong tournament? That sounds so bizarre it just has to work! Right?).
Cringe-worthy at times, 'Balls of Fury' is an incorrigible mess. Do yourself a favour and watch the trailer on Youtube, watch all of the "best" bits, save yourself a tenner and rent the newly released 'Blades of Glory' instead - a film that manages to indulge in its peculiar premise with the kind of energetic performances and writing 'Balls of Fury' could only dream of emulating. Simply horrid stuff.
Log in to comment