The Road

A little bit of ‘Cast Away’ starring Tom Hanks, a little bit of ‘Eli’ starring Denzel Washington but perhaps one of the more depressing movies I’ve seen. Possibly the fact that most of the film’s colour scheme was grey (which works well with the whole ‘end of world’ theme) or conceivably that the ‘Boy’ played by Kodi Smit-McPhee meets a family complete with a disheveled dog was a bit too much for me. Two (2) hours of our main characters running away from cannibals and looking for food to eat really wasn’t my cup of tea. However the theme song is attractive (although heard seldom throughout this movie) and  we got eye-fulls of ‘Man’,  father and main character of the film played by Viggo Mortensen’s arse!

On the brighter side; this 2009 film Written by Cormac McCarthy whom you remember from ‘No Country for Old Men’ and Joe Penhall and Directed by Aussie John Hillcoat scored 15 nominations and 2 wins. There were many thrilling moments, the acting was first-rate and the reality of what life could be for people who yearn to survive seems quite genuine.

This Adventure-Drama had a budget of an estimated $20 million USD and besides gaining countless nominations and awards only made back $8 million USD. It was funny to watch the credits for the cast which were all listed as ‘Man’, ‘Woman’, ‘Bearded Man’, ‘Gang Member’, ‘Well-fed Woman’ etc. I appreciated that the Director tried to help the audience experience emotions of loss and despair from our main characters by showing the close bond between father and son. Mega-actress South-African Charlize Theron also played the part of ‘Woman’ and mother in this film; and although her role was quite small she delivered exceptionally as usual.

Despite the disturbing graphic content in some scenes, I’d have to say that actor Viggo Mortensen’s performance was splendid and viewers can see that he was completely committed to his character’s wants and needs. There were also wonderful cinematic scenes of the decaying and crumbling landscapes our earth had slowly become. Slow, dismal and ordinary at times this film is an amazing one to study but not necessarily one that inspires or offers hope.

Snow White and the Huntsman

Both my sister and I were excited to see Charlize Theron in action; we both thought of her as a phenomenal and striking actress. We didn't have the same opinion of Kristen Stewart however, talented yes, but always holding on to her un-necessary teenage angst. 

This 2012, action, adventure, drama was a twist on the original fairy-tale ‘Snow White’. “Mirror, Mirror, on the wall, whose the fairest of them All”, has got to be one of the most lovely lines from fairy-tale land and it is uttered ever so often in this film. South African beauty Theron delivers again with her incredible dedication to her disturbed and miserable character.

Brilliant CGI, scores of armour, and costuming, and breathtaking cinematography and castle shots, this film delivers exactly what the audience would expect. Written by Evan Daugherty, John Lee Hancock, Hosein Amini, this film was laden with wonderful acting talent, Aussie Chris Hemsworth, English Sam Claflin, English Ian McShane, and English Bob Huskins to name a few. Starring also the specially talented yet un-grateful Kristen Stewart, she followed through expertly with her acting duties and thank-fully delivered a believable accent.

I'm always in the mood for a fairy-tale with a twist, but if that's not enough, this film has got loads of action, some violence, snippets of sensuality and directed by the handsome and married English Rupert Sanders whom Kristen Stewart is rumored to have had an affair with; all the more reason to tune in! J

The Devil's Advocate

“Vanity, definitely my favourite sin.”

The intensely talented Al Pacino, the lovable and charming Keanu Reeves, the seductive and chameleon Charlize Theron, and the incredibly gorgeous Dane, Connie Nielsen, all shaken together to produce a film of a lifetime! In 1997 writers, Andrew Neiderman and Jonathon Lemkin’s vision came to pass, by the esteemed direction of Taylor Hackford who is known for his work on ‘Ray’, ‘Proof of Life’ and ‘Dolores Claiborne’.

Expert story-telling from start to finish, the audience was informed every step of the way. Dramatic and mysterious always, this thriller showed us the spectrum of true love and guilds of betrayal. It goes to show that money isn’t everything, that our time here is short and instead of chasing the paper, it is better to learn lessons and advance along spiritually, than be tricked into blood money that never guarantees everlasting happiness.

‘The Devil’s Advocate’ scored 1 win and 5 nominations and it’s easy to see why the cinematography, landscapes and camera angles were bold and breathtaking and the acting superb! I found the dialogue at times terribly wordy, but it is something to be expected knowing that the viewers would be delighted with every word Al Pacino delivered.

Some of my favourites being:

“I’m the hand up Mona Lisa’s skirt. I’m the surprise Kevin. They don’t see me coming: that’s what you’re missing.”

“Guilt is like a bag of f*cking bricks; all ya gotta’ do is set it down!”

“And we’re standing from one deal to the next; who’s got the eye on the planet, as the air thickens, the water sours, and even the bees’ honey takes on the metallic taste of radioactivity? And it just keeps coming, faster and faster. There’s no chance to think, to prepare; it buys futures, sells futures, when there is no future.”

“What are you?”

“Oh, I have so many names.”

“Satan.”

“Call me Dad.”

When you’ve met someone with a bizarre personality, and an equally bizarre gift and they want to give you the world; you may want to think twice about that relationship, it could be Al Pacino or your ‘other’ Dad! Remember that the price of success is hard work, determination and dedication to the job at hand! J